Wardrobe Mixology Revisited

Originally published July 2007; posted on blog Oct 2007.

Please keep in mind that I no longer own most of these clothes!! :)

 

One of the most frequent challenges facing my female clients, as well as one of the most popular questions I am asked, is how to make one's wardrobe more interesting.

 

For some women, clothes are simply utilitarian and serve a purely functional purpose. These may be the women who have way too many pairs of jeans or call black pants their most valuable fashion asset. Or they may simply be stuck in a style rut - never varying their standard look.
 

People always know what to expect from them - whether it's a twinset, T-shirt, or even fancy shoes. They may fear that they have become too boring and predictable.
 

If you're one of those women who routinely plays it safe, but feels uninteresting and knows she is missing out on something, it's time to add some fun to your wardrobe.
 

And if you're one of those who is routinely fabulous, there is a way to take your fabulosity to the next level.

I get a lot of comments about the way I dress. When women say, "I could never put that kind of an outfit together - how do you know it's all going to work together when you put it on?" My secrets? Start by only buying clothes you love. Dress in what expresses your mood.

And throw them a curve. 

Color and pattern not only communicate our feelings to the world, but they can also have an immediate effect on our own mood!

For more of my secrets for wearing patterns, click here.

Here's how to use this little guide:

We have our BASICS - our base garments. The vodka of our wardrobe. The pieces that can be construed as a little boring if we aren't careful.

But if we don't have these pieces, then our wardrobe has no solid foundation and we may end up looking like we have no clue about how to put an outfit together.

Next, add a SHOT. This is if you're a typically uninteresting dresser, or if you feel like you're missing something. Go for a quick shot of something unanticipated. A bright teal blouse. Red pumps. Zebra print bag.

And if you're a little more daring, throw in a TWIST of the truly unexpected (maybe even over the top) to the outfit. Something that says "WOW". An item that truly sings. A piece that no one saw coming, but makes people stand up, take notice, and tells them that you know exactly what you're doing, stylishly speaking.

Here are a few examples from my own closet:

1)
BASICS - Gray jacket, black pants (boring!) SHOT - Bright red shirt
TWIST - Gold bag and leopard print shoes.

Cool colors and warm colors can go together beautifully.

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2)
BASICS - White denim jacket
SHOT - Here, the base garment is the shot - an orange T-shirt and cotton skirt
TWIST - Accessories! Both the necklace and bag had the same colors in them, so I simply pulled out the teal from both and selected patent teal slingbacks.

Casually elegant!

3)
BASICS - Dark wash jeans
SHOT - Lemon yellow twinset
TWIST - Red ballet flats and red polka dot tote

Put this together in 2 minutes one day! Looked like I had actually put thought into it.

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4)
BASICS - White pants with black pinstripe
SHOT - Black patterned top, gold shoes
TWIST - The straw bag adds another layer to this outfit.

Playing with texture can be fun.

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Here are 3 rules for adding color and pattern into your own wardrobe!

1. Have a color palette you shop within. When you find pieces like purses, shoes or necklaces that incorporate a lot of the colors you wear, buy them!

2. Buy items together. If you pick up a pair of great looking royal patent slides, pick up a top that matches them as well as a bracelet or necklace, perhaps. It's not the idea that you will wear all of these items at one time - don't be "matchy-matchy" - the idea is that you have the option to wear a couple of them at a time to look put together.

It does an amazing job of curing "I have nothing to wear" syndrome. Trust me on this.

3. Use RESTRAINT. 

I say this very seriously. There is a fine line between being enjoying color, pattern and accessories and being a fashion victim. 

Use the rule of two. Wear a maximum of two patterns. Repeat an accent color only twice. Two colors in your outfit gives you a better basis to add interesting accessories.

Of course, rules are meant to be broken, but having the basic knowledge will take your wardrobe to that next level, help you be more daring, and truly enjoy getting dressed and have fun with your clothes. 

Isn't that what it's all about?

CHEERS!

Strawberry Blonde Firework?

What do you think of the newly blonde Katy Perry? 

She's a natural blonde. Can you tell?

I have a feeling that the makeup colors are exactly right for her natural coloring.

But in the real world, this shade of blonde is far too warm (golden/reddish)
for someone with her coloring.

I think she can get away with it for two reasons -
first, she has the best professionals doing her color (this would NOT be a
home coloring project!!) and second, her personality is whimsical and fun and she doesn't
adhere to convention. Ash blonde would be far less fun on her
and she wouldn't 'pop' on the red carpet.

I would have *literally* killed for this dress when I was 8.

(I think Katy is always adorable. She can't do much wrong in my book.)

The New Neutrals:

ARMY GREEN

I remember showing a friend a new apricot-colored top I bought and she asked what I was planning to wear it with. Then she started naming the colors that came to her mind: navy, brown, and .....? That was it. That was as far as her imagination could go in creating interesting outfits. I told her my plan was to put it under a burgundy jacket and she was shocked. She thought you could only pair "colors" with "the basics."

When most people think of those "neutral" or "basic" colors to build their wardrobe around, most people will name the same ones - black, gray, navy, brown or beige. To that I say: YAWN.

Let's start expanding our wardrobe horizons. It's perfectly OK to take a few safe steps out of our familiar fashion comfort zone.

This is the first installment of a series about colors I've found are more basic than you might realize. Adding a few well-chosen "new neutrals" could dramatically expand your wardrobe possibilities!

I never thought about wearing army green until I bought a faux-camouflage skirt from Ann Taylor a couple of years ago. Even though it was patterned, I was genuinely surprised at the amount of colors that looked great with it. I don't just mean the colors you would normally mix and match with dark green, such as shades of brown and beige. I discovered that it looked fabulous with yellows, all sorts of pink and aqua, coral, orange and even baby blue and lavender! How versatile is that?! 

As I tell my clients, it's the confident use of color and little surprise flourishes that make it look like you know what you're doing. And that's how to have real style. Or fake it - which is just as good!

Expanding on my army green collection, I bought twill shorts which I paired with a pink satin top.

Can you imagine all the possibilities of adding an army green skirt, pants or jacket to your casual or professional wardrobe?

Be on the lookout for some of these new basics to add new life to your closet! You can thank me later :)

Spice Up Your Wardrobe with Prints

A couple of years ago, I realized how boring my wardrobe had become. I had precious few patterns in my closet, but those that I had, I wore quite often.
Several patterns I didn't feel were "right" and they quickly wrote their own ticket out of my closet. I looked at the patterns I wore the most to see what they all had in common and tried to figure out why I felt great and looked good in them.
I realized all the patterns shared one trait - they all contained beige or yellow. They worked with my coloring because I am a champagne blonde. It's all about harmony - my hair color was repeated in the patterns I wore.
 
I started using this new tactic, and you know what? I started buying (and more importantly, wearing) interesting patterns! My closet isn't boring anymore!! 
Most of us appreciate a rule of thumb so we are assured that what we buy will look great on us. Fortunately, this concept works for everyone - whether male or female, and regardless of hair color - brown, red, black, gray, or blonde. 
A pattern will generally work on you if your hair color is repeated in it. I think that's why leopard print is perpetually 'in'. It contains so many of our hair colors - blonde, light and dark brown, white, and black. And redheads can wear it because it's in their color palette!

A few more tricks for wearing prints:

The 80/20 Rule This is for anyone who has attended one of my color events. For best results, when you buy prints, make sure 80% of the colors in the print are from your own palette. The other 20% can be any color in the spectrum. Remember, it's all about creating harmony!

Filling Your Closet
The easiest way to incorporate prints is to use the following list in descending order:
1. Stripes 2. Plaids 3. Checks
4. Dots 5. Abstracts
6. Florals

Mimic your face and body shape
If your facial features are on the angular side with dramatic high cheekbones, a square jawline, or thin lips, and you are tall and/or slender, opt for bold, geometric patterns.

If you have softer features and are more curvy, choose soft or rounded prints, like paisley, swirls, and abstract florals.

A mishmash of prints from my very own closet: clothes, bags, shoes, scarves

I'm on the softer, curvier side, so I select patterns that are more rounded, leafy, or swirly - nothing too angular or with hard edges.

Mixing Patterns 
Guys do it all the time - a pinstripe suit, striped shirt, polka dot tie. Women, on the other hand, are generally afraid to mix patterns for fear of looking silly, I suppose. I do it quite a bit and I can assure you I don't look silly. I will pair striped or plaid pants with abstract print shirts or jackets.

How to make this look work:

1. Don't combine more than 2 patterns - unless you are going for a very fashion forward look

2. Items must have at least 2 colors in common

3. Make sure the prints are different proportions - for instance, herringbone (a very tight pattern) and a large print brocade jacket can work well together if you follow all the other rules

4. Mixing patterns mandates toned-down accessories

10 Real Life Fashion Lessons from the Oscars

1.  Sometimes one strong statement is all you need.

Simply. Gorgeous.

 

2. Don’t look for the wrong kind of attention. 

Did Charlize and her stylists really think this kind of weird risk would work for the Oscars? Check out its, er, "inspiration."

3. Throw them a curve.

We are used to edgy red carpet fashion from Cameron Diaz. Last night, it was elegant classic Hollywood style, from head to toe.  

4. You can look beautiful at any size. 

So stop hiding.

5. Color can make all the difference. 

(I never did care for that pale pink dress) 

6. You can look sexy and age-appropriate at the same time. 

Meryl finally hit the fashion bulls eye! 

7. Horizontal lines are not our friend. 

Especially if they look like they are strangling us, SJP. 

8. If it works for you, stick with it 

Maggie Gyllenhaal (lt) in the color palette (black & blue) of a past Oscar gown (rt).

9. Darker skin looks gorgeous in pastel shades.

I swear the Queen has never looked better. 

10. When in doubt, go all out. 

Vera Farmiga in a bright and wildly ruffled gown. She has the coloring and the stature to carry off such a dramatic dress. Plus she's a nominee! This may be the only chance she has to make a splash!

Stay tuned for my official Oscar gown recap! 
Muppets will be involved. That's a promise!

All photos used courtesy of Wire Image. 

5 Fail-Proof Colors to Add to Your Wardrobe

I have found repeatedly that both men and women are prone to color ruts. I see it in nearly every closet I enter. The most common color offender is the ubiquitous black, of course, but I also see gray and the beige/oatmeal family catching up these days. And do you know what people tell me? "Well, at least I'm not wearing black all the time." True. And what do I tell them? "You're color choice is probably even less flattering than basic black!"

People in my industry aren't going to love this post. Where I was trained, in the image consulting world, there is only one way to wear the right colors - and that is by having your undertone, hair color and eye color analyzed and obtaining a palette of your own personal best colors to choose from.

While I still believe this is the right remedy because of the results I have seen over the years, the truth is that not everyone is going to invest in color analysis. Sometimes they invite me into their closet and out to shop with them and that is the extent of our work together.

I felt like unless I was the one hand-picking colors for them in the store and choosing from colors they already owned, they would go right back to their 'safe' choices.

Regardless of people's coloring, I have found myself recommending the same five colors to them year after year. I picked these colors because wearing a pop of color is better than dreary black, gray or beige. At least three of them can be found in the stores regardless of the season's trends.

These colors are better for the workplace and interpersonal interactions as well as better for the spirit. Wearing color is an immediate shot of energy for you and makes you visually more attractive to others.

These colors work on brunettes, blondes and redheads for different reasons. But they work.

So if you are stuck in a color rut, the first way to climb out is by adding some new "safe" colors to your closet. If you already own some of these colors but aren't wearing them, you will get extra points if you dig them out and add them to your clothing rotation. You will feel a difference!

 

 

 

New Year's Cures for a Style Slump

Hi Friends!

It's time for New Year's Resolutions!

Did you know that a change on the outside can serve as a catalyst for changing what we want to change on the inside? It can be tough to alter certain aspects of our lives when the proof that we are changing (what is on the outside) remains the same.

It doesn't have to be a dramatic before and after makeover, but a visible change can put you in a positive frame of mind to reach your goals in 2010.

It is never good to become complacent. Far too many of us get stuck with a style that we are comfortable with and it becomes an all too-familiar rut. Whether we’ve had the same hairstyle for 5 years, wear a daily “uniform”, or put our makeup on exactly the same way every single day.

Don’t get me wrong – there isn’t anything wrong with comfort. Many of us like our comfort zones and they work well for us. But sometimes we can become too attached to a routine, style or method and before we realize it, we have become quite resistant to change. One rut can lead to another, which can snowball into our whole lives becoming one big forgettable routine. Even those who bask in their blandness (I know several of you – and I know you are eagerly reading this!) can benefit from mixing it up once in awhile.

Many of my clients tell me they are stuck in a style and don’t know why. Their goal is to look “more interesting” but they don’t know exactly what that means to them – or how to get there.

Here are four ways I recommend to my clients to help pull them out of their fashion ruts. The best part is that you can apply them TODAY!

Get ready to make your New Year more stylish – one step at a time.

1. Expand your reading material

If you’re stuck in a Redbook, Good Housekeeping or Real Simple frame of mind, pick up a few magazines you normally wouldn't read. The aforementioned magazines generally recycle the same style advice month after month and it will do nothing to make your clothing selection more exciting.

Think more along the lines of my personal fave, InStyle – but also look at Elle, Vogue, Lucky, Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, or even – gasp – Cosmo! Yes, some of the fashion can be "out there", but don’t lose heart - it's more important to see what’s happening in the fashion world and get ideas.

 

New Year's Challenge:  Start a “look book” of pictures of what you feel fits your style and what you would be comfortable wearing, plus some accessorizing ideas you can use in your own wardrobe.

2. Try a few new stores

Go to the mall and look around at Express, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Arden B., H&M, or other retailers you normally wouldn't frequent if you're stuck in a “department store” mentality. Or try a smaller step - venture out of your favorite section of the department store and explore the more trendy parts of the store.

Try clothes on! Even if you always gravitate toward the same styles, you are missing out on a lot if you just look and don't try anything on.

Find a couple of hours this month to go out by yourself or with a friend (not a hubby or boyfriend) and explore the mall in a way you've never done before or haven't done in years. Report back to me. What did you discover about what's out there? What were you attracted to? What did you try on? How did it make you feel?

New Year's Challenge: Buy something totally unexpected that you love but would never buy “in a million years” – AND WEAR IT!  

3. Explore Color

What colors are you attracted to? For most people, their color preferences change based on their mood and the time of year.

Most of us have the basics we need – navy, black, gray and brown. But they need to be punched up with accent colors to be more exciting.

By wearing colors you love, you will not only look updated but you will feel a definite lift in your spirits! Wearing color has been proven time and again to be extremely powerful mood enhancer.

New Year's Challenge:  Find an accent color or two that you like and buy a few pieces in the same shade (i.e., berry red, fuchsia, forest green, etc). Try a turtle neck, a winter scarf, gloves, hat, long-sleeve tee, purse, or even a camisole in your shade.

(Please only wear a couple pieces at the same time or the matchy-matchy police will arrest you.)

4. Update your Accessories, Shoes, and Hair

The easiest and most budget-friendly way to update your wardrobe is with accessories. Try a funky necklace or bracelet. Or look for a hot new handbag (ask the sales associate what's in and they will point you in the right direction).

I tend to buy a lot of my fun accessories at Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe.

Or buy a colorful pair of boots!

Another place many people get stuck is with their eyeglasses – only changing when their prescription changes. Don’t do this! Invest in new eyeglasses (stores always have deals!) even if your prescription still works for you. Or change your hair a little - get highlights or lowlights if you've never tried them before. Or change your hairstyle – if only slightly.

New Year's Challenge: Buy one new accessory or make one makeup or hair tweak every week. Write these down in a small notebook. Over the year, you will see how you’ve evolved. It’s really rewarding and will set the stage for further change and style (and life) victories!

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Remember that just as you change and evolve as a person, your style should grow and change right along with you. Don't use this as a one-time fix. Make time for yourself at least once every season and give yourself time to explore what the stores are offering and decide what the next version of YOU should look like.

Gentle steps out of your comfort zone will not only help you break free from your style rut, but will set the stage for success in other facets of your life as well!

Wishing you a happy and stylish 2010!!!

Secret Style: Accent Your Eyes

One of my favorite parts of having this cache of style know-how is that I get to share it with all of you. I love, love, love these little tricks - they are super simple and fly way under the radar so that no one can figure out exactly what you're up to that makes you look so amazing.

Today's secret is to wear your eye color.

You can actually accentuate and intensify the color of your eyes by wearing something close to your face (a necklace, scarf, tie, etc) that closely mimics your eye color.

Not only will you receive more compliments, but you can look more alert and vibrant if you're giving a presentation or going for an interview. Or if you're in the sales arena - especially for you jewelry designers out there, this is a selling strategy that will have immediate impact for your customer - and it might even help you sell more stuff!

Here's how to do it:

Women

Invest in a beautiful necklace with a semi-precious stone or wear beads or a pendant that matches the color of your eyes.

I have pale green eyes – though most people assume they’re blue. When I wear one of my green necklaces – bought specifically to enhance my eye color – the green gets noticed a lot more!

Some of my green necklaces:

Look at all the individual colors in your eyes close-up in a mirror. Ladies with brown-eyes will see auburn, tan, green, rose brown, gold, etc. When I look at my own eyes, I see green, yellow, gold, aqua, blue, and even light brown! It’s like a stained glass window.

Pick one or more of those colors in a bold piece and wear it near your face for an immediate lift!

Men

A lot of blue-eyed guys buy French blue shirts because they love how ithe color makes their eyes “pop”. (They also like the female attention they receive because of this!) I suggest wearing a tie that is the same as your eye color. I recommend seeking out a plain satin tie or a tone-on-tone stripe or pattern. Let the color speak for itself!

Another trick

Wear the complimentary shade of your eye color for a different kind of impact. Remember the color wheel? The complimentary shade resides directly across from your eye color.

Brown - Purple/Lavender

Blue - Orange & Gold

Green - Reds & Pinks

Hazel (amber) - Blue, lavender, purple

Hazel (green) - Plum or wine

No one will know what you're up to and why you look so extra fabulous, and that's why it's our little secret!