Break the Fashion Rules!

I was consulting a comedic actress last week and suggested she wear her hair longer because it makes her look younger.  She said she thought she had to have short hair in order to be funny.  I pointed out that actresses like Kathryn Hahn, Jennifer Coolidge, Melissa McCarthy and Kate McKinnon are all hilarious with long flowing hair.

I want to take this opportunity to dispel some other misconceptions about women & image.  There are so many “rules” and I am here to say poppycock to all of them.  I hate sweeping generalizations that don’t actually do anyone any good. 

The one & only Goldie Hawn

Some examples:

• No short skirts/bare arms after age 40
• Women over 50 must have short hair
• You should always match your shoes, belt and bag
• Red lipstick is only for evening
• Tall women shouldn’t wear heels

My clients are all unique and I consult each based upon her individual goals, occupations, personalities and bodies.  My motto is "whatever works."  If you are empowered by something, go for it and don’t worry about what the world says you “should” do.   Goldie Hawn, a major inspiration of mine, recently turned 70 and still wears dresses with spaghetti straps and plunging necklines and she still has long hair.  She feels good about herself and her body, so more power to her. 

        

Here are some new guidelines:

• Dress how you feel, not your age
• If you are comfortable in it, work it!
• Accentuate the positive (décolletage, great arms/legs…). If you’ve got it, flaunt it.
• All fashion trends are not for everyone {This is a whole other blogpost!}
• There is only one you - so just Do You!

Dress for the Weather (NOT the Season)!

It’s Fall and I say - so what?  I’ve never been a big fan.  People tend to romanticize the Fall and I don’t really get all the fuss about it.  Shorter days, more darkness and the onset of colder weather…  Yippee!!  Sounds like a party!   I’m an extremist in every sense of the word and always have been.  Give me hot or cold – I don’t like the in between.   

But let’s get real – there really is no Fall or Spring anymore.  There is just a modified, short-lived Winter and Summer.  In New York, the weather has been unseasonably warmer than usual so far.  It was 75 degrees on November 9^th!  And people were ice skating on ice that was rapidly melting!  Why?  And I have also seen people in down coats and fur boots.  Relax – It’s not that cold yet.  So here’s my rule of thumb for unpredictable weather: Dress for the weather, NOT the season.

It’s simple. When you get up in the morning, check the weather report online and dress for whatever that is, not for what November 17^th should be.  Times have changed and many of the rules of fashion no longer apply. The season doesn’t dictate what we can and cannot wear.  It is totally okay to wear white pants after Labor Day and it is also okay to dress lightly if it’s 75 degrees in November.

 

Here are 3 tips for dressing for the changeable weather:

1. Moto jackets are super on trend and great for moderate temps and windy Fall days.
2. Booties are literally mini boots and go with everything and there are tons of styles available right now – for both men and women.
3. Dressing in layers gives you the opportunity to unwrap if the temps fluctuate throughout the day.  Scarves, tanks & cardigans are great for this.  I realize this may sound obvious but it is easier said than done

                   

                   

Image is Everything for Growing Your Business!

Writing a book is in my game plan so I recently went to a seminar called “Marketing with a Book & Speech” and heard a compelling speaker who is a past president of National Speakers’ Association.  His name is Mark LeBlanc and as a speaker, he had the perfect balance of intelligence and heart.  Another striking thing about Mark was his appearance.  Unique eyeglass frames, great shirt & sport jacket and fantastic shoes.  After the talk I said to him, “You have great style for a straight man.”  He laughed and thanked me and I told him how I think business casual is the worst thing to ever happen to fashion.  He emphatically agreed. 

I just started reading Mark’s book Growing Your Business! and the old adage about not judging a book by its cover totally applies to this tiny little book.  It is 1/4” thick and retails for $7.95.  How great could it be?  And what could it possibly say that I haven’t read before in other business coaching books?  Well, actually – A LOT.  It has blown my mind completely and I am still only halfway through.  (It’s only 77 pages but I am savoring it – and implementing the principles slowly.) I am not going to outline the first 3 chapters for you, but I am going to tell you about one intriguing principle in it. 

In Chapter 2, LeBlanc outlines 10 ways to “Position Yourself for More Prospects” and 2 out of the 10 are about image!  They are…

Your appearance

The clothes you wear

Even I was floored that LeBlanc included not 1, but 2 principles here.  2 out of 10!  That’s 20% of the key to success!  I was amazed by this and it was major validation for what I do as an image consultant.  So - for anyone who thinks that fashion is superfluous and paying attention to grooming is a waste of time & money, you can argue with the highly successful speaker & business coach who literally wrote the book on success.

Mark LeBlanc

For anyone who is an entrepreneur, I highly recommend getting your hands on Growing Your Business! and reading it.  I promise that it will rock your world!  I’ve already decided that it is my holiday gift to all my self-employed colleagues and clients.

For more about Mark LeBlanc and to get a copy of Growing Your Business! visit his website here.

     

Summer Sale Shopping Tips

As the great Billy Joel once said, “This is the time to remember – but it will not last forever…”

You may have noticed in June that many stores were announcing new summer merchandise, but everything was full price.  Now that July 4^th has officially come & gone, it’s a very different story.  July is THE best time of the year to shop clothing sales.  This month is especially great if your wardrobe needs a major overhaul.  You can get a lot of clothing at a great price. However, beware the pitfalls of sale shopping. 

5 rules for shopping sales:

• Go as early as possible for the best selection - both in the day and in the season.
• Don’t get sucked into the sale vortex.  There is a lot of merchandise and it can be overwhelming.  The sales are so good that it’s easy to buy a bunch of stuff just because it’s cheap.
• It’s best to have a clear objective of what you are shopping for before you go into a store.  You can pre-shop online to find some shopping goals.
• A bargain is only a bargain if the item is right for you – in terms of style, fit, color and price.
• If you are not entirely certain about a purchase, ask about the store’s return policy.  Most stores offer a full refund within 2 weeks with a receipt.  So – you can take it home and think about it.

Also - have fun!  It's summer, which is full of color and prints and...

If this is all sounds like your worst nightmare, it’s a great time to hire a personal shopper.  Give me a call. 

Bonobos Fall Menswear Challenge

A great menswear line called Bonobos reached out to me with a challenge to submit some looks to compliment their new Fall line of suiting.  I love dressing men and can dress them up or down, but my all time favorite thing is a man in a great fitting suit.  Or, even better - a tuxedo.  Below is the Bonobos look I chose.  I love the textured patterned fabric and the smooth, dark shawl lapel of the jacket paired with a narrow satin tie.  The flap pockets on the jacket also give the look more texture and versatility.  It's a modern take on a classic tux - urban chic with a nod to a bygone era.

   

Often my work is not about putting together a style piece by piece but simply finding it and defining it for my clients.  I was inspired by the ensembles below while pre-shopping for a new client. 

There is a lot of dapper, British inspired suiting being shown and worn right now - and I for one approve wholeheartedly.  I love this ensemble by Ted Baker because it is contemporary and also quintessentially English.  The grey tweed is very traditional but the bright blue and green in the tie and lapel pin give it a playful vibrancy and the tiny dots in the striped shirt make it not so corporate.    

 

This next look from Black Brown 1826 at Lord & Taylor is studious but still stylish and the maroon in the tie brings a richness to the baby blue patterned shirt.  And in 2014 - the choice to wear a bowtie versus a long tie is a major statement.

This look below could be in the same guy's closet as the Bonobos tuxedo - just for slightly less dressy occasions.  I love the two tone and piping on the jacket, which is obviously inspired by a private school uniform.  And again - the bright colors in the tie perk up the black & grey and the pattern on the shirt brings more fun to the whole look.  The only thing I don't love is the button on the jacket, but that is very easy to alter. 

 

I apologize for this not so great photo of these super great pants.  I love this bold plaid pattern from Ted Baker (and believe me, they look so much better at the store)!  One of the reasons I flipped for these is that they are unique statement piece that can be dressed up - with a crisp white shirt and a black tuxedo jacket, or dressed down - with a dark turtleneck.  And plaid is always slightly preppy, so they still have that classic element. 
 

Thank you again Bonobos for inviting me to take your Style Challenge!  I am very excited about dressing my clients this season and will see you at one of your Guideshops soon...  Happy Fall everyone!