Truly Styled

"I'm too old, too tired, too fat to look good..."

I just got back from an amazing trip with my mom, sister and my aunt to Carmel, CA to visit a friend of my mom's (a friend from 8th grade, so cool!).  I knew going into this trip that my mom had expectations of getting some new clothes for her new body.  She had lost some weight after a pretty tough year and was on the road to feeling better both emotionally and physically.  Growing up she was always the cutest mom in the room.  I was never embarrassed by what she wore, I actually wore her cute plaid skirt and white blouse to my first homecoming.  Somewhere along the way she gave up on caring about dressing cute.  Comfort was way more important to her (a theme I hear so often).  I have to say, I was a bit nervous to take her on.  I mean, she's my mom.  I had heard her say so often that she had plenty to wear, she was older now and it didn't matter much any more.  I knew she had a cute body under there and that if I could find her clothes that would be comfortable and cute she would feel like a million bucks.

So, we shopped for shoes first (of course!) and did we nail it!  Got her comfortable shoes that were darling and she loved them (win, win).  Then we hit the clothing stores.  I found that she was wearing her clothes too big, got her to agree to try on some jeans that were snugger, found the right type of capri and shirts/tops that fit her better but were comfortable.  She looked amazing!  It was one of the best shopping experiences to date!  To make your mom smile is always a good thing!

We returned to see my aunt and she couldn't believe her sister looked so amazing!  Now she wanted better jeans and wanted to feel better too.  So, off we went in search for the best jeans for both figures.  They are built totally different for sisters.  My mom is 5'2, short legs and her sister is 5'8 all legs.  We hit it big at Ann Taylor Loft for both of them.  I swear my aunt was walking different and was beaming!  It was a huge success.

So, when someone says, "I'm too old, too tired or too fat to look good" I say, "Nonsense!!".  A $58 pair of jeans can change the way you see yourself which ultimately changes how you feel inside.  I've always said that clothing should never define us but it can make us feel better.  Ask them! 

jeans, jeans, jeans...

I love jeans!!!  Can they be hard to find?  Yes, but keep looking, get ready to invest a bit of money and find them!

When you find the perfect jean which fits your butt great but are too long and too big in the waist, don't despair!  Find a great tailor and have them  fitted for your body.  I think a great tailor should be on your list of must -haves for a complete wardrobe. 

Some of us need to find a jean that fits our thighs but then we loose it with the waist.  Have the waist taken in.  What about length you ask?  Have that hemmed as well.  But always and I mean always, have the original hem put on the jean.  Many of the major department stores (Nordstrom's, Bloomingdales) will do it for you but for a fee.  It's worth it!  You must wash them first before having them hemmed.  If you decide that the original hem isn't worth the $14-$20 you are sorely mistaken.  You will look like you had your jeans hemmed and that is not a good look.

Take a friend or have a professional go with you.  There are plenty of jeans out there and there is one just for you!!  I think it's the perfect essential for every wardrobe.  Have one hemmed for flats and one for heels and you'll be set!!

White jeans...a must!

Every closet needs a pair of white pants this season, preferably white jeans that you can dress up or down.  I have found the perfect pair.  I have 4 clients in them and they all look amazing in them.  Yes, white jeans, I swear!!

You can find these jeans at The Limited.  The Limited, you ask?  Yes, the Limited, that store we used to go into when we were in our teens.  They are called the Sexy fit and they have fit four different figures and look great! 

So, don't wait a minute!  Run out and get them.  Pair them with a tee and fun jewelry for a casual look or a hot top for a hotter look.  They look best with heels (a longer, leaner leg is always best!). 

Q. I have a limited budget but need an overhaul for spring, possible?

Q.  I have a very limited budget but need basically everything to have a complete wardrobe for spring.  Is this even possible?

A.  It is but you need to be realistic about your budget and your needs.  Here are some easy ways to prepare. 

Have a list of what you will need to start your spring wardrobe.  Some basics will be black pants, a neutral pant, jeans, white blouse, colored tops, a jacket or two, flats and heels for shoes and some accessories.

I've attached an example of one jacket worn for work two different ways.   On this particular excursion we needed to build from scratch for the season.  We purchased  4 tops, two jackets, two sweaters and two pair of pants (we had jeans from our last trip out).   We were able to come up with 12 different ways to wear all the pieces.  I photographed all the options for her and emailed them to her.  This way she was able to print out her options and have them handy in her closet as she prepared to get ready for work or an evening out with friends.  She called me that evening and said because of the photos she was able to get ready in minutes in something that she felt comfortable and beautiful in!!

To make it affordable you will  want to shop at places like Target, H&M, Ann Taylor Loft to get reasonably priced items that won't break the bank.  The key is to get your essentials and build from those.

So, have a friend or a professional help you put together your list, hit the stores and take photos of your options. You will have many options from a few pieces to look and feel fab!!

How can I make a tee-shirt and a pair of jeans cute?

I'm a stay-at-home mom and feel like all I wear are tees and jeans or pants and always feel a bit frumpy.  I want to look cute doing the mommy thing.  Is it possible?

Answer:  Yes!!!  I know comfort is important and being washable is key. 

Try a cute jacket over your tee.  You can also spice up any tee with jewelry.  A chunky colored necklace, colorful bangles or bangles in silver or gold. 

Try a scarf in a pretty spring color with a white tee worn with khaki capri's and a jean jacket is an instant update. 

Shoes are important too.  There are so many cute, colorful ballet flats out there now that you can find something comfortable and cute that will instantly update your mommy uniform.

Just be creative and always know your job is the most important job in the world.  Feel proud!

A note to well meaning mother-in-laws...

I can officially say there is an epidemic going on.  I would say out of 10 closets that I visit 8 of them have some piece of clothing in them that was "a gift from my mother-in-law".  It's unbelievable what I have seen out there.  It's so sweet that this person was being thought of but I'm always left wondering who exactly they were buying it for.  It never looks like anything close to what my client would ever wear.  The funnier thing is that they keep it in the closet because it was a gift.

So, here are my tips...
1.  Please stop buying each other clothes unless you have the talent of Stacy London on "What Not to Wear".
2.  Don't hold on to something that you will under no circumstances ever wear.  Even if it's a gift.  If you can't bear the thought of parting ways with this special gift, then put it away somewhere or at the back of  your closet so it doesn't continue to remind you how much your mother-in-law doesn't really know you at all.
3.  Tactfully find a way to drop hints of where you like to shop and say how much you love gift cards so you can pick out the right size, because we all know how off the sizing is.
4.  If none of these work, always say "thank you, this was so thoughtful of you".  Because, ultimately it was thoughtful.

How many pairs of jeans should I own?

Q.  How many pairs of jeans should I own?

A. I'm certain that the majority of us have way too many jeans that look horrible on us ( I just threw out 3  pairs from my spring stash). 

For starters have one hemmed for heels (original hem always), one for a mid-heel and one for flats.  I believe jeans should be an investment piece.  We wear them a lot and should look great in them.  My theory is that some of us will spend $100-$300 on a dress we will wear maybe twice but cringe at spending more than $50 on a pair of jeans that we could wear 5 days a week.  STOP!  Find the jean that makes you look the best (they are out there) and get them in different lengths and washes. 

Darker wash for dressing up or down and a casual wash for the rest.

A new venture, men...

So, I worked with  my first male client a few weeks back and just completed the session.  When I decided that working with males would be a slam dunk to add to my work with women my husband was more than skeptical.  One question that came to mind was how was I going to feel about being in a man's bedroom while he changed his clothes, alone?  Good question and one I hadn't thought about.  My solution, if the client is married the wife will need to be present, at least in the house.  For those I meet that do not have a spouse or partner I will bring someone.  His other more pressing question was "Do you really think you know what's important to men?"  I replied, "After living with you for 9 years and watching you finally release yourself from way too big clothes I'm guessing comfort?".  Bingo!  So, I started studying and I am here to tell you that a man does not have to look sloppy to be comfortable.

My first visit with my male client (who was a spouse of a client and actually asked her for my information) was what I expected.  Way too big clothes and a need for updating.  The easy thing for men is that they don't really need that much to look great (yes, I'm jealous).  We don't necessarily need to pour over skin care, hair, makeup, dresses, skirts, etc...Keep to the basics and they will look fabulous.

So, we threw out everything outdated and too big (which was a lot) and I made a list of what I believed would complete his wardrobe and make him feel great when he took his wife out to dinner.  I emailed pictures of what I meant when I said "a straight leg, dark wash jean" and a "fitted shirt with color".  I was meeting with his wife later in the month and he met us first bogged down with bags of new jeans, shirts and shoes.  He tried them all on for us and he did awesome!!!  He looked leaner, hipper and was still comfortable. 

I got an email from his wife the night after they had friends over for dinner and she said "I kept looking at him and thinking I've never seen him look this good!  I guess I didn't even realize how big his clothes were."  Both looking great, thus feeling great = happy, happy, happy!  Mission accomplished!!

Inexpensive, cute finds...

On my almost daily trip to Target I always browse the clothing and accessory aisles for something inexpensive and cute and today hit it!

Desperately needed new berumda shorts and found them in the Converse section in pinstripe and khaki.  You may have to tailor them in the usual places (length for some of us and waist) but after all the ones I've tried on these seem to fit the best so far.

Another great find was silver bangles.  Found them in sets of three.  Loved the 2 plain silver with a thicker off-white and then added a trio of just silver ones.  The more the better.  Perfect with a tank, black dress, pretty much anything. 

Good luck...more fun tips to come...

Do I need to be filthy rich to look fabulous?

Q. Do I need to be filthy rich to look fabulous?

A.  I stayed home after my daughter was born and freaked out because we didn't have the extra money to have me try to look as good as I wanted to.  Then I got creative and found that Target is not only for toilet paper and a cute card. 

So, my answer is absolutely not! 

Target, H&M and Kohl's, to name a few, are great places to start.  They continue to work with amazing designers to offer beautiful pieces at an affordable price.

There are so many ways to look filthy rich without actually being filthy rich (thank god!).  Accessories from Target are my favorite to add fun and trendiness to any outfit.  I love H&M for the look of the moment that you know you won't need next year. 

Invest as much as you can in pants, jeans, shoes and classic pieces and you'll look like you stepped out of Town and Country Magazine.