I’m Not A Fashion Person

Surprised? This isn’t something you would expect an image consultant to say, is it? It is true. I confess while I love to shop and I have always enjoyed clothes and jewelry, it was not until late 2007 when I began my image consulting career that I took much notice of the fashion industry. My fashion education prior to 2007 came from my monthly Elle subscription, and I am fairly certain I paid little mind to the designer names in the editorial section. Pre-2007, I’d never heard of COMME des GARCONS, Ann Demeulemeester, or Haider Ackermann (my current fav). I couldn’t have told you what a harlequin pattern looks like or what bespoke means. I studied finance in college and worked in that industry for 15 years. I think people are surprised when they know something I don’t know fashion-related. I’m not surprised in the least. Relatively speaking, the fashion industry is new to me. Since choosing this career, I have studied and trained extensively, so I can say with confidence I know what I’m doing. I’m loving every minute of my second career. I am a true lover of fashion now, and I suppose it is now okay to call myself a fashion person.

I got into this business because I wanted people to feel good about themselves and help them look their best, not because I felt a cosmic pull to the fashion runways. If you are thinking about working with an image consultant on your wardrobe, style and presentation, it is OKAY to not be a fashion person. You don’t even have to like shopping. Let me teach you what works well for you. Allow me to guide you through the sea of options. Image consultants know fashion so you don’t have to. If my computer breaks down, I take it to someone to fix it. I have no interest in learning how to fix it myself. Working on your image does not mean you will learn to love fashion or shopping. My sole requirements of a client are: you want to make a change, you want to look your best and you want to look like “you.” If you need help, call me! I am here to serve you.

The Parade of Easter Lilies

Easter Sunday is approaching, and I am always amazed at how many people turn out for church services.  It is THE “holiday” in the Christian faith.  Without a risen Savior there is no Christianity, right?  It makes me happy to see so many turning out for this uplifting celebration of Jesus’ triumph over the grave.  But let’s be honest, it isn’t the only thing we are focused on Easter morning, is it?  No, it isn’t.  Between hymns we are sneaking peaks at the hats, the shoes, the gloves, the dresses, all the finery others have adorned themselves with to partake in this most glorious of occasions.

I admit it, I love Easter fashion!  It takes me back to my childhood when it was the one time a year I could count on a pretty new dress.  If I were lucky, there was a new pair of shoes to go with it.  Why do we get all gussied up?  I guess in some way this is our response to the occasion, giving it the honor it is due.  Yet, by doing so it becomes a little bit about us and a little bit less about Him.

I don’t think there is a right or wrong thing to do here.  I think whatever puts you in the right spirit and mood for Easter worship is the right thing for you to wear.  Whether it is blue jeans or a new bonnet that makes you feel most comfortable and connected, wear it.  For many years I continued to buy an Easter dress, but in more recent years I have tried to find suitable pieces to wear that I already own.  Now that I am in the business of helping people make the most of what they have and buy only what they need, it feels like the more responsible thing for me to do.  Goodness knows as a born shopper I almost always own something to suit any occasion.

Happy Easter to all you beautiful Easter Lilies!  May it be a beautiful day of celebration and reflection wherever you are wearing whatever you like.

Breaking Your Own Style Rules

What style rules have you imposed upon yourself?  Perhaps you think you can’t wear a particular color or a certain shape or maybe you are still of the mind that one can’t wear white after Labor Day or before Easter.  We all have rules we like to follow, but as the saying goes rules are made to be broken.  I surprised myself this week by breaking two of my rules in one outfit.  I wore a “jean suit,” a fitted medium blue jean jacket with black skinny jeans.  I told myself I would never wear two pieces of denim in an outfit, and here I’ve done it.  And I sort of liked it.  I never enjoyed the fact that my jean jackets could only be worn with a limited number of pieces.  Sometimes I just wanted to throw on a jean jacket with my *gasp* jeans!  So, I finally did it.  Will I make a habit of it?  Maybe not.  But I’m glad I broke my rule, which frees me to break it again if I’m so inclined.  The key to wearing a jean suit is to be sure the two pieces of denim are different colors, depths or tones, and if possible, it helps if the denims are different weights so that it does not look like you are trying to wear a denim suit.

The second rule I broke in this particular outfit was I wore skinny jeans, which I have always sworn are completely wrong for my body shape.  I am a slender person, but I do not have slim “model” legs.  My legs are the muscular sort, shaped by years of dance, weight lifting and running.  A straight leg jean is better for me, but these jeans are black, which are slimming and are much more forgiving than a skinny jean in bright yellow or stark white.  Are skinny jeans my best shape?  No, they are not.  However, now that I am a mom to adorable twin toddlers, skinny jeans make sense for the toddler-type activities in my life like playing on the floor, chasing them in two different directions or pushing them on the swings in the park.  Skinny jeans look a heck of a lot better than yoga pants or gym shorts, which I strenuously believe belong in the gym.  Skinny jeans are my stylish compromise.

How about you?  What style rules are you ready to break?  Give yourself permission to get out of your style box from time to time.  It opens your eyes to greater opportunities to wear and enjoy your wardrobe in different ways you had not previously considered.  If you need help seeing the possibilities, call me.  Outfit making with my clients’ wardrobes is one of my favorite things to do.  Have a fun, stylish weekend!

Be A Red Tulip

My family and I enjoyed a lovely outing to The Dallas Arboretum last Saturday to view the annual Dallas Blooms.  The flowers were out in full colorful force, and everywhere you looked the view was breathtaking.  Yet, the one thing that most affected me during this visit was the sight of one red tulip blossoming in a sea of yellow daffodils and tulips.  It made me smile and root for that sweet red tulip to be proud of not looking like the others.

Each of us is a red tulip in a field of yellow flowers, beautifully created as a unique individual unlike any other person in the history of the universe.  Despite our fine, special design, we often cover up the things that make us unique so we will look like the yellow flowers around us.  Why do we do this?

Downplaying the things that make us different is counter to the greater plan for our lives.  When we celebrate ourselves just as we are, we are opening ourselves up to the opportunities we were made for and the people we were meant to know.  When we relax in our skin, we feel better, we are happier and the result is evident to everyone around us.  To make ourselves into the yellow flowers is a wasteful exertion of energy and, quite frankly, a sad way to live one’s life.  Embrace your differences, be assured you look like you do on purpose and enjoy being a red tulip!

It’s Just Hair

Are you tired and perhaps a little bored with your image and style these days?  Sometimes the issue isn’t with your clothes.  How long has it been since you switched your hair style, color or length?  If it has been more than 5 years, it is time for a change!  Your image gets stale and outdated not just through clothes but also through how we do our hair and makeup.

Now that spring is springing, it may be time to call your hairdresser and tell him/her you are ready for a change.  Cut it all off if you want.  Here’s a little tip:  it grows back!  If you are timid, try taking just an inch or two off the length to give your hair a boost and a lift.  The hair at the bottom gets frazzled and needs a good chop now and then to remain looking fresh and healthy.  As the temps rise, this is the perfect time to try a shorter do.  If you don’t like it, it will be grown out by the fall when the mercury drops again.

As my title suggests, you should not take this change too seriously.  On the one hand, a change to your hair makes a big impact on your image, but on the other hand, it is not a permanent change if you do not wish it to be.  Keep in mind, our eyes get used to seeing ourselves a certain way especially after several years.  Therefore, please give yourself at least a month to evaluate whether this change is right for you.  I have sat in the salon chair before and thought, “what have I done?’ only to change my mind later and decide, “I love it!  It’s just the change I needed.”

You might not be able to afford new clothes or accessories right now, but by gosh you can probably pony up for a hair cut (pun intended)!  Go for it and let me know how it goes.  I’m rooting for you to mix it up this year and try new things.  Why are we here if not to have a little fun now and then?  Have a great day and thanks for taking the time to read my posts.  I truly appreciate each of you!

Valentine’s Day Hint for the Fellas

Okay, guys, I’m making it simple for you.  If you want to make your lady smile on Valentine’s Day, give her a gift of pampering, whatever her favorite pampering treatment may be.  Flowers and chocolates are nice, but the flowers wilt and the chocolates might not fit within her New Year’s diet.

Lately, my favorite pampering treatment is a shampoo and blow out at one of Dallas’ finest blow dry bars such as Drybar and The Hair Bar.  Drybar offers just shampoos and blowouts, and The Hair Bar offers updos and makeup applications in addition to shampoo and blow outs.  I cannot tell you how much I wish one of these bars had been in Dallas when I was pregnant with my twins 2-1/2 years ago.  I would have been in there every week treating myself!  So, if your lady is pregnant or has been going through any other physically challenging season, you simply MUST get her into a pampering chair of some sort pronto!

So, that’s it.  Pretty simple, right?  Write me and tell me how happy and excited your girl was on Valentine’s Day when she opened your gift of pampering.  I bet you she won’t soon forget your thoughtfulness.  You don’t have to tell her I gave you the idea.

Temper Your Advice

I subscribe to the Word of the Day from dictionary.com.  I used to keep a document of words I thought I might use, and once the document grew to 11 or 12 pages long, I abandoned it.  Too many words!  I still subscribe, however, and recently one of the words was kibitzer (noun), and its definition is a giver of uninvited or unwanted advice.  I am sure you have experienced a kibitzer (or several) in your lifetime.  Goodness knows I have!  And, shamefully, goodness knows I have been a kibitzer, as well.  (sad face)

How does this relate to fashion, you may ask?  Well, I was reading a recent issue of Elle, which I have subscribed to for many years (hands down it is the best and smartest fashion magazine on the market.)  Though I may skim through some of each issue, I never miss the advice of E. Jean Carroll who has for 19 years written an advice column for Elle called Ask E. Jean.  The very last question to E. Jean in the January 2013 issue was from a slender young lady who needed advice on how to handle unsolicited comments about her figure such as “stop starving” and “legs like arms.”  Can you imagine saying such horrible things to someone?  E. Jean answered her by telling a story of a friend of hers who was trying on navy blue sweater in a shop when a lady paused behind her friend and said, “You’d look better in that if you gained a few pounds.”  E. Jean’s friend (who was dying of throat cancer at the time) answered, “I’m happy just the way I am.”  And it is this retort that E. Jean advised the young lady to use in the future.  Sage advice, don’t you agree?

All this to say, if you are asked for your advice, give it.  If you are not, hold your tongue.  I realize I am in the business of giving advice, but I am paid by my clients to do so.  I would never walk up to a stranger and tell him/her what I could do to improve their image.  I give advice most days on my Facebook page and my LinkedIn profile, and from my Twitter account occasionally (though I’ve been mostly tweeting on my Pinterest pins than anything else of late).  My subscribers know to take my advice with a grain of salt.  Maybe it applies to them, maybe it does not.  Maybe they agree, maybe they do not.  If they do not like the majority of my content, they may unsubscribe, as I am sure some have.

Just be very careful with what you say, how you say it and whether or not you are being asked by the recipient to say it.  I am guilty of offending more than a few people with unsolicited advice, so I am pointing the finger at myself here.  Let’s be careful of others’ feelings!  We don’t know the battles they are fighting.  Have a fabulous week!