Monthly Archives: November 2014

Should You Wear Tights With a Dressy Dress?

Posted in Uncategorized by

I had a customer in last night looking for a dressy dress for a formal Christmas party. We tried several from Clara Sun Woo. Because of the light weight slinky fabric, my customer was concerned about being cold. She asked if it would be appropriate to wear tights with these types of dresses. I advised her against it, feeling tights would dress down the outfit, making it more casual rather than dressy. I suggested she wear nylons instead. Any kind of tight that would provide warmth would be, in my opinion, too think for this dress. Worse yet, the dress fabric would more than likely stick to the tights causing it to ride up all night long. What do you think? Did I give her good advice?

IMG_0686.JPG

You Really Are More Than A Number

Posted in clothing, dressing your figure, Fashion, personal style, tips and tricks by

You know those commercials that make you cry?  I was really touched by the new Kellogg Special K commercial.  In it, women go shopping in a jean store and discover there are no sizes.  The sales clerks offer to measure them with a tape measure that replaces numbers with words like “charismatic”  Just about every woman I know can relate to how it feels to get depressed in a dressing room.  It is something I see every week.

Last week I helped a young woman looking for a new pair of Silver Jeans.  She told me her waist size, and we found several pair in the style she liked.  With a little trying on, she discovered, to her dismay, that she needed a bigger size.  When she came out of the dressing room, her countenance had completely changed.  She had wilted right in front of my eyes.  I tried to encourage by talking about how each style and fabric will fit a bit differently.  I argued that she shouldn’t focus on the number and instead focus on the fit.  Sadly, she just couldn’t get past the fact that she needed a bigger size.  She left empty handed and depressed.

IMG_1482

Silver Jeans

Oh how I hate that!  Ladies, hear me when I say this.  I dress women of all different body types every day.  I deal with over 200 brands on a regular basis.  I go to market and purchase these brands and talk to their designers four times a year.  I can’t tell you how often I have a designer tell me, “We’ve changed the fit a bit.  Your customers will notice these are a little bigger (or smaller) than before.”  Over the years I have come to the inescapable conclusion that size means nothing.  Truly, all a size means is that in this particular brand and in this particular style, you are this particular size, for now.  That quite possible will change next season.  Any woman who is honest will admit to having a range of sizes in her closet from smaller than she thinks she is to bigger than she wants to be.

It really is time that we stop letting a number define us.  It is most definitely time that we STOP getting depressed when we go into a store and have to take a bigger size.  If you’ve gained weight, okay.  Get motivated and take off a few pounds.  Stay on top of it before it becomes 20 or 3o pounds.  But, if you were feeling good about yourself when you walked into the store, DO NOT let the sizes in the dressing room make you feel sad.   It is a completely arbitrary number.

Just in case you missed the commercial, copy this address into your browser:

https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=A211US739&p=special+k+commercial+you+are+more+than+a+number

How Old Is Too Old to Wear Leggings?

Posted in dressing for work and dressing for an interview, dressing your figure, Fashion by

How old is too old to wear leggings and skinny jeans? I just did a fashion show for the Geo Wives Club and most of my models were in their 50’s and 60’s. We put several of them in either leggings or slim legged pants, and they looked great! The issue isn’t whether a 65 year old can wear leggings. This issue is how to interpret the trend for a mature woman. First of all, we didn’t choose a slim silhouette unless it flattered the woman wearing it. In other words, those with larger hips and legs wore a-line skirts or looser fitting slacks. Those with slim legs wore leggings or cigarette pants and loose fitting tunics that came down to the appropriate length. About 90% of the models wore layered tops. A jacket and tank, for example, work well together to hide figure flaws while still showing off a waist. With some well thought out clothing choices, they were all dressed in the latest trends and looked classy, fashionable and perfectly dressed for their age.

Don’t Show Your Muffin Top

Posted in clothing, dressing your figure, Fashion, tips and tricks by

Okay, so I’m going to go there. Please forgive me but someone has to. We seem to be living in a time when showing our few extra pounds has become okay. Gone are the Steel Magnolia days when our thighs didn’t leave the house without lycra on them. Yes, there is freedom in just letting it all hang out. But should we? Now I am NOT saying that we women should have perfect figures. But, what I am saying is get that Spanx on! Better yet, choose clothing that flatters your body and doesn’t require a shaper. Low rise jeans just emphasize a bigger middle. Choose mid rise or…gasp…high rise and you’ll be amazed at how much they hold in. Choose tops with rouching that are designed to hide a belly. Teez Her makes an amazing shaping tank that you can use under any other top or jacket. You will never go wrong when you choose styles that flatter YOU rather than trying to wear trends that don’t. Dressing for your age, always means dressing for your body type first and foremost.