A Launch in the Works

I'm so pleased to announce the launch of StyleCityCleveland.com, coming on February 1st. I am developing it along with my partners Kelly and Wendy. It's a content-based web portal for fashion and beauty enthusiasts.

Cleveland hasn't seen anything like it yet!

Fun on Friday

Went out last night with fellow image consultant Erica Torres-Dudziak. We started out at D'vine and then went to the Best of Cleveland party at the Map Room. I toasted Kel's birthday with a glass of sangria at D'vine and then a Washington Apple. The latter is my drink of choice in the fall. It just feels like fall to me. I didn't drink enough margaritas this summer, and now it's time for the fall drink already.

I haven't been partying like I should be. This is not good. (I have vowed to make up for it this summer. I have promised myself.)

Saw Kelly Wiggins, who works for Cleveland Magazine, who was throwing the happy hour Map Room event.

Dee didn't show. What's up with that?

Anyway, Erica ate, I drank. It was a good night :)

ALCS :(

Terrible game last night. Groan. Win it already, Tribe!

And happy birthday to Kel in NYC. Love ya, girl!

Perez sez....

KK is, like millions of others around the country, addicted to celeb-watching blogger Perez Hilton. (Thanks a lot for getting me hooked, Kel! Grrrr!!!)

I was reading an interview with the "Queen of All Media" from the current issue of Rolling Stone, and Perez's motto sounded good, so I'm gonna steal it.

Most people who know me know I just want to have fun. If it's not fun, it's not worth doing.

Here's what Perez said:

Just have fun.
And if it's not fun, make it fun.
Follow the fun, create the fun, be all about having fun.

I totally love that!!!

It will be so fun to have fun again after this book is finished!!!

It's More Fun this Way!

My September newsletter (finally!) went out yesterday. The theme was organization and the title was "Monkeys in the Closet." Remember, I blame my disorganization on the monkeys.

It always amazes me that the more I go out on a limb (no pun intended) with the articles I write and the programs I create, the more praise I receive for being entertaining and innovative at the same time that I'm educating. It's crazy.

When I started my image consulting business, I saw other people in the industry writing and speaking on topics they called "The Power of Color" or "What is Business Casual?" or "Dressing Appropriately for Work."

YAWN!

Somewhere along the way, I gave myself carte blanche to do whatever the heck I want. The image industry is so 'inside the box'. So stringent. People assume an "image consultant" represents and creates corporate cookie cutter images.

I get to prove that stereotype completely false. How fun!

From my program "Is Your Career a Fashion Victim?" where the title looks like it was written in blood - seriously - to newsletter themes this year which included Kelly, Wendy and me being fashion pirates ("Sailing the Seven Seas of Sale Shopping", "Beauty Booty"), CSI's (Crimes of Style Investigators) "Fashion Personality: Decoding Your Style DNA", "Makeup Under the Microscope"), and we got to play drinking games in "A Sip of Summer Style" - my article was "Wardrobe Mixology").

For my men's newsletter, I got to review Dwight Schrute's (from The Office) awful wardrobe and I wrote an article called "ESPN Knows it. Do You?" about contrast in men's clothes.

It's really cool that I am in a position where I am free to amuse myself and apparently, and it amuses others as well.

Now my next step is topping myself, and I think my book concept will not only help young women with dressing for work, which is what I intend, but it will also push the envelope a little, and in contemporary society, that's highly desirable.

And the more edgy, quirky, absurd, silly, or just plain weird something is, the better I like it. And it seems other people like it better too.

It's K-R-I-S-T-E-N!!!!

I have to do this right now. My apologies if you're reading this, but my blog gives me a safe haven to rant once in awhile. It's my right.

Know what perhaps my biggest pet peeve is? I hate when people DON'T SPELL MY FIRST NAME CORRECTLY!!!! If they have no way of knowing how to spell it, that's one thing (or they can google me - duh!), but when I've known someone for several years and she is still spelling it wrong, that's a clear sign of either ignorance or disregard. And the person I'm talking about is clearly not stupid. She just spells my name wrong every time.

I know that KRISTEN comes in a lot of different varieties. But take the time and care to find out how I spell mine and use it if you're going to write to me, please.

Today I was called "Kristin" by the person I mentioned above and then "Kirstin" in an email response I received from someone else. My name was right in front of both of their faces!!

Just pay attention, people! I am extra careful to spell first and last names correctly, which is why I get so perturbed when people don't care enough to spell mine right.

Locally, people don't do it much because I am fairly well-known - besides Kim Crow from the PD (who regularly spells it "-in"). But the two in question today are not local....

Still, I am irked, and this definitely gives me a poor impression of them, whether a new acquaintance or someone I've known for years.

But what do I do besides blog about it and make sure they see my name again and again. And again. Makes me want to continue building my brand better and stronger.

Do you think many people misspell "Oprah"???


P.S. I only allow a handful of people call me anything other than my given name or "K" or "KK".

My dad calls me Cupcake, Dan calls me Kiki (took awhile to get used to that one, but I finally started embracing it), and Kelly (and ONLY Kelly) can call me "Kris."

Notes from Labor Day

I didn't do too much today. Good thing. I feel like I am getting sick. Thanks, mom. I don't get to see my mom or grandparents terribly often (my fault - they all live less than 10 miles away), but I went out to dinner with them on Friday night. My mom felt a cold coming on, and by last night, I was getting it too. Ugh.

Fast forward to today and I have been drinking tea and eating Cold-eeze like candy. I am trying like crazy to keep it away.

Spoke with LisaMarie tonight. Lots of stuff that makes one want to say "GRRRRR" going on down in Cincy. A little anxiety and frustration. But it's always good to connect with my dear friend. She is one of the few people with whom I actively seek out phone conversations. I know, I'm a girl, right, I'm supposed to love talking on the phone. I am definitely one of the exceptions.

Maybe it's the out of town factor. I had a long conversation with Kel last night because she is far away again. Back at FIT in NYC. When she's here in town, we usually connect over coffee.

I gave her a mantra that she is using in her senior year: Last year, last year, last year (keep repeating...)

She can't wait for this school year to end.

I wish Lisa lived closer. Ugh. Seeing her a handful of times every year just doesn't cut it :(

Look at how cute we are partying it up at Sunset Lounge a couple of weeks ago!
KK & LML: Both born at Fairview General Hospital! A very strange coincidence since Lisa's family is from PA (as is my Gram) and she has lived all her life in Cincinnati! Go figure....

And now back to me actively seeking out video from Dateline: To Catch a Predator online (it's not on right now on MSNBC).

It's not like I have a book or articles to write or anything....disgusting predators come first!

By the way, I have caught a couple of episodes recently of the Style network's "Life in the Fab Lane" with Kimora Lee Simmons.

I find myself disliking her intensely. Part of me says it is just her playing to the cameras, but I really do believe we are seeing her and her world fairly accurately. For all of us future magnates out there, this is clearly NOT the way to behave - whether there are cameras following us around or not. I am all for being rich and fabulous, but I don't think one needs to be a diva and loudmouth to be influential and feel important.

Some of us still respect class and dignity.

Image Consultants Invade Cleveland

It was my pleasure to host a 3-day retreat here in Cleveland this weekend as president of the Association of Image Consultants Ohio-Pennsylvania Chapter!

It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime life and business transforming event.

We had people come to town from Cincinnati (Hey Lisa and Jill! So glad you were here!!), Columbus, and even Pittsburgh!

The weekend started with a trip on Lolly the Trolley. As I was getting my hair done earlier that day, my hair stylist Julia told me that Lolly the Trolley was "so retro." It is? Hilarious! I remember taking a trip on it in 6th grade. So I guess it IS retro!

We had the best time on the trolley and it gave the folks from out of town a quick perspective on our host city and gave those of us who were born here a lot of facts we didn't know. (Chef Boyardee is from Cleveland? As is John Heisman, for whom the Heisman Trophy is named.)

My dear friend LisaMarie Luccioni then led us in an etiquette dinner at the Metropolitan Cafe and Kelly and I went to the Velvet Dog afterward. I stayed out a little late, with the full knowledge that Saturday was going to be one long day.

Saturday was amazing. Our day started out with Coach Joelle who had us drawing and dancing and somehow we formed a conga line and were conga-ing around the conference room at the Downtown Marriott. (KK is one girl who hates looking like a dork, so this was an interesting experience!) We then heard from Leslie Carruthers, The Search Guru on search engine optimization. SEO is such a mystery to most of us image people. But I'm learning! (I'm trying to learn HTML with a book whose main character is a 3.5" floppy disk illustration with a face - HTML for kindergartners. I promise not to tell Mr. Floppy that he is obsolete.)

After presentations from Kelly Smith on hearing Martha Stewart speak about business in NYC and Debbie Carney on business organization, I did a program called "Getting to the Next Level Now: Platform Building for Impatient People!"

After our day of learning, we laughed, drank and dined at Ponte Vecchio on the Superior Viaduct and went to Sunset Lounge for salsa dancing! I think I almost broke my ankle twice in my 2" platforms, with Leslie leading and me following - badly.

Sunday, we had hairstylist Jen Gonzalez, who studied with Nick Arrojo, from TLC's What Not to Wear. That was quite eye-opening for me. I admit I know far too little about doing my own hair, let alone someone else's. And YAY! LisaMarie let her own hair down and graciously allowed Jen to play with it - transforming her into LML v.2.0 - hot and gorgeous!

Then we heard from my friend Samuel Hilliard, Jr. from Jos. A Bank Clothiers at Legacy Village, who discussed the importance of building partnerships with clients and vendors and explained the specifics of menswear.

All in all, it was a thoroughly fabulous weekend for all of us who attended and presented and we are looking forward to doing it again next year!

Connected in Cleveland

I knew I had a fabulous party last week downtown. Style & Cocktails was a great time. I invited my friends, associates, past and current clients, and the readers of my newsletter.

I have had comments rolling in since the day after the event. People want to know when we are going to do it again.

I have found that creating a strong sense of community is important for people - especially women. For those of us in the business community, there are a lot of networking opportunities, but not a lot of chances to build really strong social networks. Networking relies on symbiotic business relationships, whereas social networks needn't be as selective. We just gravitate toward certain people.

I have noticed that all of my friends and those I associate with most all have some key ingredient of their personality or spirit that is similar to mine - whether ambitious, generous, energetic, sympathetic, kind or funloving (those are the ones that spring to mind). I never noticed that I was doing this, but when I look at my social landscape, it is quite evident that this has been happening all along.

I know perhaps a handful of people in Cleveland who feel a strong need to connect people on a social level in the same way I do. To me, that is a little sad. If those precious few of us were not creating opportunities to come together, then no one would.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not patting myself on the back for this. It's an inherent part of my being that I have a strong need to bring people together. It hasn't always been there, but the need is especially strong now.

My next step is to take my career onto the national stage with my book, so business networking locally isn't really necessary these days. I don't have to plan parties, but I feel a certain satisfaction when I see four people who never met before sharing drinks and laughing and enjoying each other's company. Why there isn't more of this in Cleveland, I will never know.

At the party, in addition to the usual suspects (Kel,Wendy, Joelle) there were two other image consultant friends of mine and other beauty industry people, a nurse, lawyers, people in the publishing industry, techies, a radio traffic anchor (Hey, Sandy!), lots of entrepreneurs, etc. An ecclectic bunch, to be sure. And yes, my ego was happy that the common thread for everyone there was me, but to see them finding other common ground and making plans to communicate beyond our little get together was what truly delighted me.

My mom even came all the way from the east side, had two chocolate martinis (got a little tipsy) and a wonderful time that she is still talking about. I think she finally understood what it is that I do (besides my style seminars she has attended). Now she sees the wonderful people I am privileged to call my friends and the marvelous sense of community that is possible when someone takes the initiative to make things happen.

So many of us gripe that there is nothing good happening in Cleveland. Sometimes I'm one of them. Sometimes it's easier to believe the bad stuff. But it's a much more pleasant place when you know that there are good people living here with whom to connect. Grab a cocktail, and share a fun conversation.

I would like to put out the call to everyone in town (and everyone who reads my blog as well). Learn to be a catalyst that brings people together. Whether it's your co-workers, a group of old friends, or your friends who don't know each other who might enjoy each other's company. It's doesn't have to be large scale. It can just be a little gathering of a few.

Other people can add spice and interest to our lives. I realized that in the six short years that I have been back in Cleveland what a lovely and diverse group of friends I have acquired. And I love them all.

Our next "official" opportunity to get together will be ~

on September 27th.

Check back for details!

Fun in the City

I haven't been blogging this past week because I am deeply entrenched in another event I have the privilege of hosting here in Cleveland.

The Association of Image Consultants International OH/PA Chapter (I am the prez!) is having an education retreat here August 17-19. Very exciting for those of us attending and presenting. We've actually opened it up to local business people or anyone interested in image as a profession. This is our first stab at something so ambitious. We have invited the worldwide organization, booked some fabulous speakers (ok, most are my buddies, but fabulous nonetheless), and are just going to have an awesome time. Image consultants can PARTY! And we look really good in our party clothes!!

Here's the link.

I will admit I am the most excited about the stupid Lolly the Trolley sightseeing tour. I haven't a clue why. All this great stuff we have planned and I want to ride around on a trolley in the city I'm in every day.

So anyway, speaking of fabulous times, my party, Style & Cocktails, this past Monday was a big hit. Can't wait till the next one!

Here is a collage of pics from it! For the full event details and to put names with the smiling faces, check out ClevelandWomen.com!

Style & Cocktails

If any of the readers of my blog are in the Cleveland area and are interested, Kelly, Wendy and I are hosting a party this Monday, in conjuntion with ClevelandWomen.com ~

Monday, July 30, 2007
5:30-8pm
Ponte Vecchio Ristorante
2100 Superior Viaduct Suite 520
Cleveland, OH

Specials include $5 martinis and half-price wine and cocktails till 7pm

There will be prizes and giveaways including:

A Power Style Session with Kristen & Kelly

Makeup Session with Wendy

Two hours with Coach Joelle

Organization Materials
from New Order Organizers

Me & My "Sisters"

I was putting some art together for the AICI OH/PA Chapter Retreat when I realized something absolutely weird:

Me and my "inner circle", who are all presenting at the event, could pass for sisters. What the heck is up with that????

I already know that LisaMarie and I are morphing into the same person, and Kelly is my "little sis", but this is freaky.

Check it out!

A Launch in the Works

I am absolutely delighted to tell you a secret! And no, it’s not the name of my book!! I am so excited about this brand new project we are working on! I was hopped up on caffeine a few nights ago and bought a domain at 2am.

This will be a new content-based, national website that is dedicated to my target market. It will be the natural and logical progression of my brand after my book comes out.

The usual suspects will be writing for it, of course. Me on professional image and personal style, Wendy the Makeup Junkie on skin care and makeup, Miss Kel on fashion trends, and Coach Joelle with all the marvelous stuff she does. There is no description for Joelle’s magic. And that is exactly what it is - magic.

Adding to that most awesome lineup will be Professor LisaMarie Luccioni - my girl who I am so proud of!! Speaking at the AICI conference in Minneapolis this past week and rocking the house!! Lisa is a fabulous communications and etiquette expert who I love to death.

And for now, last but not least, I am hoping to bring the lovely and talented Chris Brondel onboard for career advice.

The site will touch on what young women need to know. I would also like to bring a relationships expert, a fitness and nutrition guru, and a personal finance expert into the mix. I have some people in mind, but I will announce them after they agree.

I am just so excited to embark on this most excellent adventure that we are planning to launch in the fall :)

Now, I just have to get this book finished.

Joelle, wave your magic wand, please!!!

Lunch with the Girls

I had a fabulous and eventful day today:

I had a discussion with my editor for Jobpostings Magazine and a big name retail giant may be sponsoring my "Appearance Matters" column! I am very excited to hear that!!

I am planning to join WISE (Women in Sports and Events) since I am working on the pro sports marketing & branding project with Tenth Floor. I am also looking forward to presenting a style program for WISE this coming year.

Wendy, Kelly and I had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory at Legacy Village. We haven't all had a chance to hang out together since.....last June?? It's kind of hard with Kelly in New York for most of the year and Wendy and I are both really busy with our own stuff. I am very excited for Kel to be back for the summer and then graduate next May, we hope! But I am really glad that we had some time to hang out and reconnect.

Wendy the Makeup Junkie, Kelly the trend expert, and I collaborate on my newsletter, styleLink. I was amused that they were so relieved, excited even, that the editorial deadline was pushed back a week for this month as I work to get my new email set up. It shouldn't be quite this difficult. Suffice to say that my DSL and Outlook Express are not getting along right now, and I have to make them get along, like two bratty kids on the playground and I am the playground monitor >:|

We got to do a little shopping. Kel tried on a bunch of clothes, Wendy found a kitsch-y pouch (no comment!), and KK just hung out.

She doesn't get to buy anything awesome and new until her book tour :(

You know that's not going to last!!

Madonna for H&M

I asked Kelly to review the H&M spring line M by Madonna for our April newsletter. I decided to take a look at it as well. I had heard it was rather blah, which is surprising for the usually controversial Madge. I was shocked that I loved so many of the pieces, which means that, officially, Madonna has gone soft!

The lines are great, even though most pieces are white or cream or black. Very minimalist, but very classy. And always, the prices are great - which is my biggest concern with their clothes - they aren't high quality. I invest in pieces, and the H&M construction is usually poor. Typically they are 'throw away' clothes. And the Madonna line is so classic that they are things I would love to have around for several years.

I am still baffled by the $99.50 shoe price when some of the dresses are $34.50. See? It's all about the quality.

But that's the H&M philosophy and it certainly is working for them.

So who am I to argue?

Tar-zhay Totally Gets It

I rarely go to Target. There just isn’t one close by. But there is one by my parents’ and I will stop in there once every couple of months.

I had some free time last night and was passing by, so I stopped in and just allowed myself to explore for a little while. Target has never been a destination store for me. If I need to buy something, I don’t go there. Instead, it is someplace I go to browse. They do what they do so well that no one can compete.

My top priority was to take a look at the much-hyped Proenza Schouler line. Its purpose is to let designer looks trickle down to the masses and Target has the right idea. The line definitely isn’t for me. One of my pet peeves is people knowing what designer I’m wearing and where I shop. That may seem strange, but it’s simply a statement of my individuality. This line is a really unusual case due to the extreme publicity it has received. The concern I have is this: anytime and anyplace you wear pieces from this collection, for the rest of eternity, people will know they were from the 2007 Proenza Schouler line at Target.

A lot of the collection reminded me of Kelly. I bet she would like a number of the pieces. She has a funky sensibility that I lack. I do funky in my own controlled and classic way. The SoHo designs (left) are definitely not me! I could do the other two (Couture Class, center, and Museum Mile, right) but the jackets are unusually boxy, and not flattering to a lot of women. When you see me, you will notice that I wear jackets with a definite shape, whether they have a nipped-in waist or a belt.

I really love the Isaac Mizrahi clothing and accessories line. I think it is right on the money, and I’m so glad it has been a longstanding success at Target. Every season, great stuff comes out for that line. I noticed that both O Magazine and InStyle showed a gorgeous Isaac Mizrahi for Target belted raincoat with cut-outs on the bottom. Beautiful, classic, and only $49.99!

The Mizrahi line also has fantastic shoes for $24.99. Love that!

Since I don’t do any clothing shopping there, I was imagining putting together a wardrobe for a client there if I needed to, and had no problem visualizing clothing selections from an interview outfit to business and weekend casual.

And Target is fabulous for accessories. I’ve purchased several of my unique necklaces and earrings there as well as some fun socks and interesting scarves and gloves for winter.

Hmmmmm…..since I sound like a total Target shill right now, I’m thinking they should pay me for this kind of propaganda!

If anyone ever thought I was a label snob or worse, I hope this puts that rumor to bed right now. I will buy anything anywhere and I’ve pretty much convinced myself to buy a piece or two from the Mizrahi collection next time I’m in Tar-zhay!

(They are building one 3 minutes from home at the moment, right on my route to the gym. That will mean serious trouble for me as soon as it opens!)

Fashion Pirates

I must be joining Miss Britney in the deep end - although I assure you I could never be as terminally stupid.

My style newsletter's theme for March is pirates. Yes, PIRATES. I watched the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie and I was dangerously inspired. So I built a newsletter around the idea of shopping for buried treasure.

I mean, who doesn’t love Capt. Jack Sparrow???

Thankfully, my stylish first mates (and co-writers) Wendy and Kelly are happy to go along with all of my crazy ideas.

Hey, at least I’m not boring. That would suck.

Plus it gives me an excuse to put a pic of Johnny Depp in my blog and to drink rum for the month of March! Coconut rum & Coke – one of my faves!

For those of you keeping track for Spring ’07:

What’s Hot: Eye patches, parrots, and pillaging

What’s Not: Peg legs and walking the plank

Yes, I know that's not a parrot >
It's a macaw. Duh.

You can register for my newsletter here.

Yay! A Makeover!!

While I was going through one of the worst times I have been sick in my life (or basically, all of 2007 so far), I got a fabulous opportunity to do a makeover for Inside Business magazine. They needed it for the February edition, so I had about two days to round everything up. I called on my trusty Style Team, makeup artist Wendy Fitos and assistant stylist Kelly Smith, as well as my standby, Aurora Farms Premium Outlets for clothes. I sent out an email to my readers and received about 30 responses. I chose someone I knew who would be easy to fit. When one has limited time, my belief is to take the path of least resistance! Especially when one is so under the weather.

Emily Honsa is a first year law student and works for the Cleveland Bar Association. I knew her from a networking group we were involved in and we had stayed in touch for the last year. I knew she would be easy to fit and easy to work with. She was even game to wear the “before” outfit I selected – a beige boxy jacket and blue floral skirt. I chose it because it was an outfit you would see walking around Downtown Cleveland on almost any day. Most women would wear it because it matches, has a jacket, and keeps them covered – so it conforms to their office dress code.

My goal was to update this look. I’m not for allowing any woman to look frumpy. You can honor your employer’s dress code and honor yourself at the same time by understanding your body and dressing it to show off its best points.

For Emily, proportion was key. We chose a mandarin-collar brown suede jacket that nipped in at the waist to build the outfit around. She is very fair – hair, skin, and eyes are all light. So we used the one strong brown piece and the rest of the outfit was more in keeping with her fair coloring. We selected a brown and lime green shell and ivory skirt. Accessories were all brown – tall boots, a two strand pendant, and faux snake tote. Intentionally controlled and conservative, but still feminine and fun.

Wendy did her makeup, and when she put on the brown jacket for the “after” outfit, it was amazing how her eyes stood out!

It’s always a mini-circus atmosphere when we get together to do these kinds of projects. It’s fun and exciting, and most importantly, we get to make someone look beautiful! What could be better than that?

I Don't Love the 80’s

On Monday, August 7th, trend analyst Kelly Smith and I went out to Crocker Park for my birthday. The visit had a dual purpose since she will be leaving to return to school in NYC and we wanted to do a fall preview column in our September newsletter.

I am not a huge trend watcher, so I’m thankful that Kelly has her finger on the pulse of what’s new and hip in the fashion world. And because the fashion world is constantly recycling old styles, we never know what we’re going to get each season.

Imagine my dismay when I learned that the 80’s were back. Yes, the 1980’s – the decade of Flashdance, Working Girl and the Brat Pack. I thought I was going to die when I saw what the stores were offering. We saw everything from bubble skirts to belted sweater dresses with leggings, super skinny jeans, bold black and white, black and purple, and black and red horizontal stripe tunics – which are wrong in so many ways. I mean, wasn’t Freddy Krueger around in the 80’s? And didn’t he wear a red & black horizontal stripe sweater? Who in their right mind wants to look like that??!!

We also saw a plethora of dolman sleeves, very wide belts, vests with ruffled shirts a la Janet Jackson in 1986, high-waisted skirts, and clutch purses. Layering is still really big. There is also a lot more gray out there than I have seen in years.

What does this all mean?

Kelly thought a lot of the 80’s inspired outfits were cute. And some of them were. But, as I explained to her, there is a reason those styles did not catch on and stay in style and become classics. It is because they do not flatter most bodies. Try putting a big thick belt on a short-waisted woman. Or a sweater dress on someone who has a few pounds to lose. How about a horizontal-striped top on a woman who is topheavy?

Unfortunately, most people are oblivious to their own unique body shape. I warned Kel that the fashion victims would truly be victims this fall. There is a lot that can be done wrong with the season’s clothes. And wouldn’t you know, I was at Beachwood Place the next day when I saw one of those fashion nightmares.

A young woman, probably in her early 20’s was dressed like the 80’s. And I’m sure she thought she looked super cute and on the edge of fashion. Unfortunately, she was about 5’0, very fair skinned, and wearing a black and white horizontal-striped tunic with a wide belt over leggings with flats.

Nothing about this outfit was right for the person wearing it. From the colors and contrast that completely overpowered her to the horizontal stripes that made her look shorter and wider to the belt that created rolls of flab where there probably weren’t any to begin with.

So, yes, the 80’s are back, but I will be warning every trend-conscious woman out there to pick and choose their pieces even more carefully than usual. I am predicting this look will not last beyond winter. Thankfully.

Meet the Mayor

Again, I am writing my “society” column, as Wendy calls it, instead of anything truly related to style. I can’t help it, but at least I am blogging, right? That’s the main thing. It’s all about the blog.

I went to the Meet the Mayor Young Professionals event Friday night at the Botanical Gardens. Kelly and her friend Brittany were in tow – literally, they followed me there and back from Lake County. It was kind of a jungle to find parking and make our way in, but the first people we saw were William and Jason from Calyx. (will refrain from usual comment, William - I believe we are finally past that!!) Once we got in, we first saw Mayor Frank Jackson and then ran into the Great Lakes Geek himself (and I must mention Mr. ClevelandWomen.com of course), Dan Hanson wearing his “geek” shirt in all its glory. (note from Kristen the image consultant: geek shirts are NOT recommended for most, but Dan pulls it off especially well)

My friend Peter the creative director found us and we all hung out for awhile. Saw bodybuilders and proprietors of Octane Cafe Valerie and Patti as well as Patrick Manfroni executive director of (i)Cleveland for just a second. Hanna Fritzman was running around and socializing. As part of the Civic Innovation Lab (love the new logo by the way), she was one of the parties responsible for the event.

Got drinks – an apple martini for me to start –

And then we met more people, including Matt Ziaja of BusinessWire and Brandon Sweeney. Matt is a lot of fun – I love people like him who never stop talking (but are always entertaining). A hilarious butterfly comment was made that he was trying to live down all evening. I was wearing a skirt with butterflies on it. That’s all I’m going to reveal.

Saw the Tech Czar and his evil twin. Still not sure what that is all about. The Tech Czar was planning to bug the Hatchery Chicks (ooh! I hope everyone is calling them that!!). I definitely thought it was imperative for Kel to meet the Chicks since she is moving back to NYC in the fall to return to FIT. She can help them in their campus marketing there if they want her to.

Michelle White-Grady from my gang and her husband arrived after a fight to find a parking space and almost leaving. Glad I convinced them to look harder for a spot. Love Michelle and her energy. Hard to believe she is a techie. She doesn’t fit the mold.

Mayor Jackson was on stage answering questions for some time. I couldn’t hear a thing he was saying except at one point when Kel, Brittany, Michelle, and I were in the butterfly garden looking at bugs and we all heard him say….as clear as a bell…..

“Holiday Inn”

?????????????

Later, I was ordering more drinks when Sandy Scott from Channel 3 found me. Sandy has been my connection to getting on the air there….so I totally love her, of course!!

We were taking a breather just before leaving when insurance agent and fellow fashionista Rhonda Nash came over and introduced herself. She’s a cool lady and I’m sure we’ll hang out sometime again. But it was late and I was getting eager to make the next stop on the party tour.

Which was…..The Fairmount in Cleveland Heights. I used to hang out in that area when I was at JCU, but I don’t remember that place.

Got to experience something purple and scary. Was it Barney? Or worse??

It was a purple velvet smoking jacket.

We ended up at the Map Room on W. 9^th, more drinks, more fun, etc, etc. Got to hear about the Cleveland Rat Pack idea: Sophisticated alcoholics go out and drink around town. Brilliant.

Then it got to be entirely too late and I was totally crabby.

Finally rolled in at 3am.