Category Archives: dressing your figure

Spring 2023 Color Trends

Posted in color trends, dressing your figure, fashion trends, trends, women's clothing tips by
“Blending escapism with reality, wholesomeness, and joy, we embrace the exploration of extreme contrast in mood and color” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. “There is utility and basic-ness to this season’s color story, while at the same time, there is an uplifting vital sense of play that comes through.” (https://www.pantone.com/articles/press-releases/pantone-color-institute-releases-fashion-color-trend-report-spring-summer-2023-new-york).

This is the first blog post in my February Spring Trends series. Today, we will talk color trends. Next Wednesday, 2/8, I’ll be covering Spring 2023 Style Trends. The following week, 2/15, I will be in Las Vegas for the Magic Apparel Show and will be taking photos of the colors and styles as they are represented in clothing. I will end the month, 2/22, with Spring 2023 fabric trends. Each blog post will be accompanied with a live video broadcast in our VIP Facebook Group at 6 p.m. MST and then posted on our YouTube Channel.

Doing a color trend report at the beginning of each season is one of my favorite things to do. I find the way color reflects our social, emotional and political climate completely fascinating. We are now in full realization of the ways the pandemic has changed our lives. Not a day goes by where I don’t hear a news report talking about the effects of the pandemic on our children, the educational system, the health system, and our work lives.

The truth is, some major things have shifted. In Eiseman’s quote from above, she mentions “blending escapism and realty.” Is it any wonder we are swinging between escaping and being grounded. When you look around, do you see “extreme contrasts in mood?” Don’t we all seek a less angry and painful world? Don’t we want to find “play” and tranquility again? This season’s color palate reflects all of those desires and offers a solution, at least in the emotions a great outfit creates within us and how its colors makes us feel on the inside.

Looking at the color palate above, can you guess what colors connote escapism and what colors connote reality? Which colors speak “wholesome” to you? Which ones speak “joy?” Here is a quick breakdown of each color and the emotion it creates.

Fiery Red: Color of vitality and energy, connoting power

Beetroot Purple: Fuchsia that harkens images of summer flowers, connoting escape

Tangelo: Rich orange that is a cross between a tangerine and orange, connoting health

Peach Pink: Warm, peachy pink that is soft and gentle, connoting nurture

Empire Yellow: The color of summer and all things sunshine, connoting joy

Crystal Rose: Gutsy pink that is still feminine and soft, connoting romance.

Classic Green: The color of grass and summer, connoting health and vitality

Love Bird: Rich, lime green that is not neon, connoting the exotic

Blue Perennial: Dark denim blue that is lighter than navy, connoting grounding

Summer Song: Light blue like that of a summer sky, connoting tranquility

Skylight: Medium deep aqua, connoting cleansing

Vanilla Cream: Creamy ivory, connoting rich and decadent

Grey Lilac: Greyed Lilac, connoting a sunset after a storm

Leek Green: Medium and warm olive, connoting vegetation

Macchiato: Warm, rusty brown, connoting the perfect cup of coffee

Looking at this color palate as a whole, you can see the vibrant colors that infuse us with joy: red, bright oranges and yellow. Contrasting that, we have the grounding greens and blues. The romantic pink acts as an anchor between the two. Then, on the bottom, we have the softer and earthier shades that make us feel tranquil.

You will be seeing some color play this season with designers pairing unlikely colors together. Examples of this might include pairing the bright red and pinks together or the orange and yellow. The goal is that we feel the freedom to “play” and express our individuality. At the same time, look for soft color palates that combine the peachy pinks, leek greens and macchiato browns.

If you would like to see examples of these colors, watch my Live Wednesday Night Wardrobing video tonight at 7 p.m. MST. Be sure to say hello if you watch live, or comment with #replay if you watch it later. Let me know what questions you have too. I will be happy to answer them! You can watch here.

5 Ways To Wear The Oversized Top Trend

Posted in clothing, dressing for work and dressing for an interview, dressing for your age, dressing your best, dressing your figure, fashion trends, how to, How to wear the trends when you are over 40, personal style, Trendy at any age by
Half tucked sweater and joggers
Styled with the Half Tuck
Oversized blouse with a skirt
Styled with a skirt
Oversized knit top with a vest
Styled with a Vest
Sweater layered over a blouse
Styled Over a Blouse
Oversized blouse with leggings
Styled With Faux Leather Leggings

A lot of my customers try oversized tops, blouses and sweaters on and just assume they are too big. If we are not there to help them understand the trend, they usually just size down or skip it all together, missing out completely on the trend and style. I get it; most of my customers are over forty and in the thick of their careers and raising kids. Who has time not only to stay up on the trends but also to figure out how to wear them? Most of the professional women I know are just trying to keep their heads above water, balancing family and work. They need their clothing to be simple, not complicated. And then there is the intimidation caused by not having an answer to the dreaded question, “Am I too old to wear this?” Having a few years under our belts, we know that wearing a trend that is too young for us OR wearing it wrong are both equally cringe worthy.

But, have no fear, the oversized top trend is completely doable for this age group, and it is surprisingly easy and comfortable to wear, when you know how. Here are five ways to wear oversized tops, blouses and sweaters.

  1. Pair and oversized sweater with dressy joggers and use the “half-tuck” (tucked in the front and left out in the back) to minimize the bulk of the sweater and show off your waist and hips. This is by far the easiest way to style an oversized top, and it can be worn this way not only with the dressy joggers we have pictued at the top, but also with your jeans. Finish your look with shoe boots, and you are good to go. Easy-peasy.
  2. Pair an oversized top with a skirt. Choose a straight skirt, as shown at the top of the page, when you want to leave your oversized top out. If you have a full skirt that has an a-line cut, you can use the half tuck method to minimize the extra bulk and keep you from looking like a box. Finish your look with heels or shoe boots.
  3. Wear and oversized top with leggings and layer with a vest. This is a great dressed up casual look for your day off or for going to your kid’s after school activities like games. Don’t worry about the top hanging out from under the vest. This is part of the look. If the top has too much fabric for you, you can also knot it at the hem and to one side. This will pull our the bulk of the fabric so it fits your body better. Finish your look with fun tennis shoes.
  4. Layer an oversized sweater over a blouse. This classic look works with regularly sized sweaters and oversized sweaters equally well. You can leave your blouse untucked so the hem shows below the sweater and then wear it with your skinny jeans or leggings. Finish your look with some shoe boots.
  5. Pair and oversized blouse with faux leather leggings. Polyurethane leggings are the rage right now, and they are a great way to wear the oversized trend. You can style them with and oversized white blouse and let it hang out, as pictured above. You can also style them with an oversized sweater worn loose and out. Finish your look with shoe boots.

I hope these 5 ways of wearing an oversized top, blouse or sweater have helped you see that this trend is totally accessible for those of us over 40. Leave the knee high boots and short skirts to the twenty-somethings, us middle aged gals can still rock this trend!! To see more examples of these five ways, watch my Wednesday Night Wardrobing Live Video Wednesday night at 6 p.m. MST. I will be dedicating this video to the oversized trend. You can watch live here: Wednesday Night Wardrobing Live Video: 5 Ways To Wear The Oversized Top Trend.

All of the looks at the top on the page are available in store or online at Fashion Crossroads Inc . We ship fast and free from our storefront in Casper, Wyoming where we cater to professional women looking for clothing for work and dressed up casual for the weekends.

The Rules Of Getting All Dressed Up Have Changed

Posted in dressing for your age, dressing your best, dressing your figure, how to, personal style, tips and tricks, women's clothing tips by

I would say nine times out of ten, when a customer comes in looking for an outfit to wear to a wedding, she comes in looking for a dress. While I love a great dress, there are so many other ways to look dressy enough for a wedding without limiting yourself to only a dress. As our society gets more and more casual, pants, skirts and leggings are getting more and more accepted within the realm of business professional and also for special occasions. Honestly, the rules for getting all dressed up have changed.

The difficulty with a dress is you have to deal with the nylon issue. It is not fashionable right now to wear nylons, and while tights are making a come back, women of a certain age don’t often feel confident enough to go bear legged. Let’s face it, when you are fifty and over, your legs just don’t look the way they did in your twenties. And even if you have great legs, you might now have unsightly veins and discolorations that you don’t really want to leave uncovered. So what is a girl to do? It is a real problem. Do you look unfashionable by wearing nylons or do you feel exposed and uncomfortable having to show off your legs. Certainly there are options to get around this…you can wear a maxi dress that comes to the floor, or maybe cowboy boots that cover your legs, but both of those options add new wrinkles like creating a style that can work with the wedding and cowboy boots, as an example.

This is why it always surprises me when women are dead set on wearing a dress to a wedding rather than branching out to the much more convenient and easy to wear related separates option. I just dated myself there a bit. The term “related separates” is an old fashioned retail term used by manufactures to describe an outfit that is designed to go together and looks paired but includes two to three different items. The down side to this option is it usually costs a bit more because you are buying three items instead of one. The up side, however, is that if you are smart, you can get two to three great pieces that can stand on their own and be worn with other things in your closet. To me, this is a BIG win. Dresses can only be worn with themselves, and in this way, they are limiting.

Oftentimes, when I have a customer that is in this dress or die mindset, I have to move her, carefully, through all of her options. We start by looking at the dresses, and inevitably, all the problems with dresses surface. This one is too long. This one is too short. This one needs a cover up because she doesn’t want to show her arms. If we do make it to the dressing room, then other problems arise. If we get it to fit her bust, it is too big everywhere else. Or, vice versa, if it fits her hips and rear, it is too big in the shoulders and neck. You see, by their nature, dresses are designed for a woman who is the same size top to bottom. But really, who do you know that actually can say they wear an 8 or small on the top and an 8 or small on the bottom? It is rare that we are proportioned that evenly. If you have ever struggled to find a dress, even though you really wanted to find one, this is probably the reason.

So after some pain in the dressing room, I will usually, tentatively say, “What do you think about a skirt and top? Or what about a dressy pant and top?” We then have the obligatory, “Is it okay to wear pants to a wedding?” conversation, to which I assure her that it is totally okay. Honestly, in my twenty plus years of getting women dressed for the most swank special occasions like Governor’s Ball or weddings on the East coast, my favorite looks were never dresses. That is not to say that I didn’t have some women who looked amazing in the dresses that they purchased. I’m just saying that my favorites were…well….not the dresses.

I write all of this to perhaps open your mind to this idea of showing up to your special event in an elegant pant or skirt outfit and not a dress. At the end of the day, you will be more comfortable, and you are way more likely to wear those pieces again with other items in your closet.

It is okay that rules of getting all dressed up have changed. We just have to accept that they have.

What Is A Trapeze Dress

Posted in dressing your figure, fashion trends, how to, product review, tips and tricks, women's clothing tips by
Sympli Trapeze Dress Short

You may have heard about Trapeze or Trapezoid dresses being popular this season. Another term you may be more familiar with is “Baby Doll.” All three terms refer to a shape of dress that is characterized by a narrow and close fitting bodice that fits the shoulders and neck tightly but then flares out into a triangular shape. This sillouette traces its roots all the way back to the English court and has had periodic popularity throughout the centuries with major designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy highlighting the shape in their lines. For more about the history of this dress, check out this fascinating article.

To wear this dress correctly, the hemline should sit above the knee and the top of the dress should fit close to the neck and shoulders. Because the shape naturally shows off your legs, you should make them the featured body part and wear some great shoes; heels work especially well with this dress. Petite women should be careful the shape does not overwhelm them, and heels can be a big help with this. Taller women can choose any shoe they prefer.

As a style, this dress is particularly good for pear shaped women who have a small torso but are wider in the hips. It is also great for hiding a fuller middle area. As a shape, this dress is known to be flattering on just about any body type when worn correctly and with the right hem length and shoe.

In the picture above, I am modelling Sympli’s Trapeze Dress Short in Poppy Red. You can see how the elements that I described as important are represented here:

  1. Close fitting neck and bust
  2. Hemline just above the knee
  3. Wedge sandal (I am 5’3)

I also love that this dress has both sleeves and pockets and that it can be worn dressy or casual, depending on footwear and jewelry choices. Plus, Sympli’s patented fabric that won’t wrinkle, fade or shrink makes this dress a great choice for travelling, as it can be washed out in the sink and hung to dry for an easy and wrinkle free dress you can wear sightseeing or out to dinner.

If you are looking for a new dress style for this summer, I highly recommend considering a Trapeze Dress. The airy and floaty design makes it a great summer dress that allows plenty of air flow on a hot day, and the fact that the fabric sits away from the skin from the rib cage down keeps you from getting hot and sticky.

See our great selection of Trapeze Dresses from Sympli including styles with sleeves and without. You can also tune into our Wednesday Night Wardrobing Live Video series tonight at 6 p.m. MST for more information. Find this series on our Fashion Crossroads Fashionistas Facebook Page.

New Year New You, Closet Cleanout Challenge: Re-Fill

Posted in closet clean out, clothing, clothing, quality, value, dressing your best, dressing your figure, fashion, how to, organization tips, tips and tricks, women's clothing tips by

pearsonphoto2020_196

So here is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak, and this is why you have faithfully gone through Get Organized: Step 1 To A Closet That Makes Sense and Refresh and Renew: Step 2 To A Closet That Makes Sense .  Now, you are truly ready to take advantage of your newly organized and cleaned out closet.  If you would like, you can join our VIP Facebook Group, Fashion Crossroads Fashionistas , and watch my videos explaining the process.  I will be airing Step 3 live tonight at 6 p.m.  You can get entered to win free gifts by watching the videos and commenting with your biggest take-away.  

The goal for today’s time spent in your closet is to create a “Buying List” where you will record all the things you need to shop for in the future.  I recommend that you carry this list with you in your purse for those unplanned shopping days.  It will keep you on track to purchase the things you need, and, as a result, you will be a smarter shopper who avoids bringing items home that have to be eliminated in your next closet clean out!

Please grab a piece of paper and divide it into 3 Categories:

  1. Basics I Need
  2. Items that Need Matches
  3. Trends I Want To Buy
  4. My Best Colors

BASICS I NEED:

This section of your list should include all the core basics that are missing from your closet or need to be replaced.  Basics include solid neutrals such as grey, black, white, tan, navy, brown.  Take a moment to take stock of your sleeved and sleeveless tops, jackets, skirts and pants.  Are there any that you didn’t pull out but that are wearing out? If yes, write this down on your list.  Other items in this category might be classic prints and fabrics like Hounds-tooth,  tweed, some basic plaids, etc. Also consider your layering pieces.  Are there any jackets that need basic tops to complete them? Do you have any basic slacks that lack a coordinating blouse or top? Do you have a good white blouse? Do you have a basic black dress that can be dressed up or down? Do you have a nice pair of black work slacks? What about your shoes? Do any of these need to be replaced? This step should produce the biggest portion of your list because these are the core items in your closet that work back and forth with everything else.  These are the things that you should spend more money on and focus on getting quality that will last.

ITEMS THAT NEED MATCHES:

This section of your list is for all those printed items that need a match to make them work.  Is a there a jacket that you don’t wear enough because you don’t really like the top that goes with it? Write that down.  Is there a printed skirt that needs a top to match?  Maybe you eliminated a top that you always wore with that skirt in steps one or two of this 3 step process.  Now you need to replace that top.  Write it down on your list.  It is also helpful to take pictures of any printed items so when you get to the store you can remember what colors are in the print.  Better yet, however, is to set some time aside to go “match shopping” and bring all of your items with you so you can see not only how the colors work but also how fabric textures and styles work as well.  Try new items on with your old items and see how they work together before you buy them.

TRENDS I WANT TO BUY:

Make sure you leave some room in your closet for current trends that will keep your wardrobe updated.  Take some time to read trend reports (I’ll have one coming in the near future), and identify your favorite trends of the season.  Write these down so the next time you are shopping, you can pull out your list and remind yourself what you need to look for.  Trendy items can be less expensive because they are the most likely to come and go quickly and won’t need to stand the test of time.  Just keep in mind, the lighter the fabric, the more it will show your figure flaws.  Usually, the thicker (not stiffer) the fabric, the better the drape will be and the better job the item will do of disguising extra weight.

MY BEST COLORS:

If you have ever had the chance to have your colors done, you know how important it is to wear the right colors for your skin, but did you know that changing your hair color or going grey will change the colors you can wear? Your best colors do no stay static your entire life.  If you noticed that your closet is filled with a myriad of different warm and cool colors, that is an indication that you might not be sure what you are.  Honestly, this topic deserves a blog post all on its own, but let me summarize the steps to determining your best colors, according to the Color Me Beautiful method (Richmond, JoAnne.  Color Me Beautiful: 4 Seasons of Color, Makeup, and Style. Taylor Trade Publishing, 2008.)

  1. Are you warm (desert panorama) or cool (snowy mountain scene)? One clue you can use is your hair.  Warms usually have golden blonde, strawberry blonde, copper, red, or chestnut brown hair.  Cools usually have ash blonde, grey, silver, medium or dark brown, and jet black hair.
  2. If you identified yourself as a warm, you are either a Spring or Autumn.  Likewise, if you identified yourself as cool, you are either a Summer or Winter.
  3. Next, categorize yourself as a light or a dark based upon your hair color.  Lighter colors of hair like blonde, light brown, light red will be a considered a “light.” Conversely, darker colors of hair like brunette, dark red or black will be a “deep.”
  4. Putting all of this together then:
    1. Cool and Deep = Winter
    2. Cool and Light = Summer
    3. Warm and Deep = Autumn
    4. Warm and Light = Spring

So that’s it.  You’ve made it!  Wow! Great job! I’d love to hear your feedback on your biggest “ah ah” moments from going through this process.  And now…happy shopping!

Next week, I’ll be adding a bonus step focused on getting your jewelry, scarves, handbags and shoes organized too!

Closet Clean Out Challenge Two: Refresh and Renew

Posted in closet clean out, clothing, dressing for your age, dressing your best, dressing your figure, fashion, how to, organization tips, personal style, tips and tricks, women's clothing tips by

pearsonphoto2018_010I hope you have enjoyed your newly organized closet! If you missed joining me for Closet Clean Out Challenge One: Get Organized, you can read my blog post or watch my live video from my weekly Wednesday Night Wardrobing video from last week here.

I performed step 1 on my own closet, and it felt good to get things organized.  I eliminated about 15 items that I knew I would never wear again.  They were cluttering my closet, and having the extra space feels good! Heck, now I have the room to buy more…smile!

For those of you who are ready for step 2 in creating a closet that makes sense, this week’s step is called refresh and renew because we are going to take a hard look at what you kept.  I am guessing there were some items that you didn’t pull out because you just can’t bring yourself to get rid of them or because you rationalized their value in your wardrobe and the potential that you will…someday…wear them again.  I know you did this because I did the same thing.  This week, I have challenged myself to wear some of those “sacred cows,” as I call them.  If I can create an outfit that I like with them, they get to stay, but if not, they have to go.

As I have analyzed the top 10 rationalizations I used to determine which items to keep, I think they are probably some of the same ones you use too.  For me, these are the main arguments for hanging on:

  1. I might lose weight and be able to wear this again.
  2. If I would just take this to a tailor and get it altered I would wear it again.
  3. This is still fashionable, and I still love it, so how can I let it go?
  4. I wore this item for my anniversary with my husband so I should keep it for sentimental value.
  5. I might need this for a party, vacation, or special event some day.
  6. I wouldn’t be caught dead in this any more, but I could wear it around the house or when I go camping.
  7. I can’t have too many sweaters, vests and coats; I live in Wyoming!
  8. This is a classic that never goes out of style.
  9. I can’t fit in this anymore, but I will use it as “motivation” to lose weight.
  10. I just bought this item last year, so it is a waste of money to get rid of it.

Do any of these excuses seem familiar? Building from this, I think we can create a list of corresponding questions that will help you evaluate what you kept to determine if those items really do need to stay in your closet another year.  So, here is what I want you to do: go through your closet and gather up all your “sacred cows” (the items that you have probably considered letting loose before now but always talk yourself out of) and every other item you did not wear in 2019.  Take them out of your closet into another room and then, one by one, answer the following questions for each item:

  1. I might lose weight and be able to wear this again. Is this item either my current size, ONE size bigger,  or ONE size smaller than I wear today? If the answer is “no,” it goes.
  2. If I would just take this to a tailor and get it altered, I would wear it again. Can I take this item to a tailor in the next 10 days? If the answer is “yes,” put this date on your calendar and keep it.  If the answer is “no,” it goes.
  3. This is still fashionable, and I still love it, so how can I let it go?  If the item is still in fashion and you still love it but haven’t worn it in a year, you need to evaluate why.  Take a minute now and try it on.  Maybe there is just a fit issue that you don’t like.  Perhaps it clings too much in the wrong places.  Maybe it is itchy.  Maybe it drains the color out of your face.  If you discover any issue with the item that has been keeping you from wearing it, it goes.
  4. I wore this item for my anniversary with my husband so I should keep it for sentimental value. This one is tough.  We tend to attach sentimental value to items we wore for special events, and we hold on to them for that reason.  For me, the decision to keep these items is really about space.  Do you have the space to hold onto items that you will probably never wear again? If the answer is no, it goes.  Is there another place that you could store them, say perhaps a cedar chest? If the answer is yes, move it.
  5. I might need this for a party, vacation, or special event some day. So I am particularly bad about number 5.  I had dresses I hadn’t worn in more than a year (and that I didn’t wear on my last beach vacation) that I was saving for my next beach vacation.  I had a hard talk with myself and they ended up in the “donate” pile.  After all, part of the fun of a vacation is buying something new for it.  Do you know for sure that you are taking a vacation or having a special event in 2020 that you would wear the item to? If the answer is “no,” it goes.
  6. I wouldn’t be caught dead in this any more, but I could wear it around the house or when I go camping.  Do you already have enough “wear around the house” or “painting” or “cleaning” or “camping” items? (I’m guessing your answer will be “yes.”) Are any of those worn out? (probably yes again.) Consider adding these items to your comfy group after you have thrown some others out.
  7. I can’t have too many sweaters, vests and coats; I live in Wyoming! Yes, hoarding coats and sweaters when you live in a state that has 6 months of winter seems to make sense, however, how many coats do you really need? Let me help you out: 1 long dress coat, 1 3/4 length dress coat, 1 casual coat, 1 sport coat (like a skiing jacket), and 1 spring coat.  Okay, okay…maybe you can add 1 trendy coat, but I’m giving you that one, coat hoarder….I’m speaking to myself here.  Coats are especially needed by the poor and disadvantaged, so that is even more incentive to get rid of them.  As far as sweaters go, if you didn’t wear it last year….guess what….it goes.
  8. This is a classic that never goes out of style. Another particularly tempting rationalization for me is the “you should never get rid of a classic” argument.  Well, here’s what I know about clothing from having been in this business for over twenty years.  Even when manufacturers and designers bring back a classic like the blazer, they change it just enough to make the older ones seem out of date.  The changes are small things like length, number of buttons, collar style, sleeve length, etc., but they are just enough to cause your “classic” item to become “vintage.”  Here’s my rule for “classic pieces:” if you haven’t worn it in the last TWO years, it goes.  Oh, and just in case you need to know what items qualify as “classic,” here is a list: blazers; solid collared, button up blouses; layering pieces like tanks, turtle necks and light weight sweaters; suit skirts in neutral colors; slacks in neutral colors; basic black dresses.
  9. I can’t fit in this anymore, but I will use it as “motivation” to lose weight. Okay ladies, I’m going to be in your business a little here.  Pardon me.  I have your best interests at heart, I promise.  Our bodies change as we age.  At 48, I am going through this very thing myself.  There are certain aspects of my body that will never look the same as they did five or ten years ago.  I am a BIG advocate for staying active and healthy, however, I am also realizing that I need to let some expectations about my body go.  Size 4 may be gone for me…I don’t know.  I’m working on it to see.  But, I definitely know size 2 is out, and I don’t want to work that hard to get back there any way.  If it is too tight or too small for me to get into, it goes.
  10. I just bought this item last year, so it is a waste of money to get rid of it.  We ALL make buying mistakes.  Who knows why we do it? Maybe we were influenced by a shopping partner or we were in the mood for something new or out of the box that day.  Whatever it was that caused us to buy it, we have questioned that decision ever since.  As an example, I pulled a pair of floral wrap pants out of my closet during the first step of this process that I just bought last summer.  I wore them once and then passed them up the rest of the season.  Why? They really weren’t me.  If it’s new, but you keep passing it by for other things when you get dressed in the morning, it goes.

Okay, that’s it.  These are the top 10 rationalizations I have made (and I’m guessing you have made) and my answers for them.

If you want to watch my video explaining this process, watch my live video from last night. You can find that in our Fashion Crossroads Fashionistas Facebook Group here.

Tips and Ticks For Choosing The Best Jean For Your Body

Posted in dressing your figure, fall fashion trends, how to, personal style, product review, tips and tricks, trends, women's clothing tips by

Of all the bottoms on the market, jeans are probably the most complicated to buy. Very few other pants offer so many choices in fit. Buying a single pair of jeans requires you to make a myriad of choices. Do you want a slim fit to loose fit like a boyfriend jean? Do you want a low, medium, high rise or the ultra high “mom jean?” What inseam length do you need? Do you want a skinny, straight or bootcut? Do you want an ankle jean, petite or regular? Do you want a light, medium or dark wash? And on and on….

Honestly, it reminds me of ordering coffee at Starbucks….”Can I please have a grande, vanilla, almond milk latte or would it be a grande, almond milk latte with a shot of vanilla? It gives me anxiety. I’ve seen customers get equally flummoxed at trying to tell me what they want in a jean, and I don’t blame them.

In this blog post, I will try to demystify jean buying and help walk you through making the best jean choice for your body.

  1. Let’s talk fit…Right now, jeans can be purchased in a variety of fits from slim fits that hug the body like a legging to looser fits that look like you are wearing your fella’s jeans. There are also wide legged, high waisted varieties that look like they stepped right out of the seventies. Choosing a fit is about your desired level of trendiness and your body shape. The trendiest jeans styles this season are slim legged ankle jeans, loose fitting and beat up boyfriend jeans, and wide legged culottes. If you are shorter, I would avoid the wider legged styles, as they are trickier to wear and can have a tendency to make shorter people look dumpy. If you have thicker legs, you may want to choose straight leg or wide leg styles with a little more room in the thigh and calf to avoid looking poured into your jeans. Boyfriend jeans work on anyone, but do take some know how in pairing them with tops and shoes. If you want a middle of the road fit, I recommend choosing a straight leg style with a slimmer fitting leg. This is a great look that keeps your jean trendy without requiring a lot of thought on how to wear it.
  2. So many rises….trendier jeans right now are high waisted, even higher than you would probably think of as a high rise jean. Generally, if you just want a great fitting jean, a regular rise is your best bet. These jeans will come just over your belly button and should fit right around the smallest part of your waist. Regular rise jeans are the most flattering because the high rise helps to hold in extra pounds around your middle. Lower rises that sit an inch below your belly button or lower don’t do much for helping your figure. Ultra high rises take some know how to pull them off, like a cropped top, as an example. Whatever you choose, just be sure to sit down in any jean you try on before you purchase it to make sure it doesn’t roll or continually slide down. A sign you have chosen the right rise for your body is that you won’t have a large gap in the waist.
  3. How do I figure out what inseam I need…one of the trickiest parts of jean buying is the multitude of inseam lengths out there. A typical regular length jean has a 33 inch inseam. A petite jean will be more like 29 inches. A typical ankle jean will have a 27 inch inseam. To figure out your inseam or to measure a jean, just use a tape measure from the crotch of the jean to the hemline or from your groin to your ankle. Your inseam will depend largely on whether you are short or long waisted, but generally, women under 5’2 will need a petite jean and women over 5’5 can do a regular rise jean. For us poor devils, me included, who are in that 5’3-5’5 height range, we are just stuck with cuffing a jean that is too long or getting one hemmed. It’s a huge bummer, but the good news is that the ankle jean works quite well for us. If you are particularly long legged or near 6 feet, you are unfortunately going to have to find tall jeans, which can be a TALL order, he he.
  4. Let’s chat about leg opening…you can readily find skinny, straight and bootcut styles in pretty much any jean brand you choose. A skinny jean is usually about 5 inches across at the hemline. A straight leg style will be more like 7 inches across. And, a bootcut style will be somewhere around 8 inches, depending upon the brand. Generally, women who have thicker legs will prefer a bootcut style because it will offer a roomier leg and thigh. The other option is a boyfriend cut jean that is meant to fit loose. If you have thin legs, you will probably like how you look in a skinny jean because it will show off your great legs. If you are somewhere in the middle, or, as I mentioned previously, just want a good all around jean, you will probably gravitate to a straight leg jean. A lot of it also depends on foot wear. If you like to tuck your jeans into tall boots or cuff your jeans, as an example, a skinny jean is what you want. If you want to wear your jeans over sturdier shoes, a bootcut will be a better choice.
  5. It’s all about the wash…from vintage washes that are light to dark denim washes that almost look black, you can buy jeans in just about any shade of blue you want. Vintage washes tend to lend themselves to summer and lighter colored tops. They do look lovely paired up with cream sweaters in the winter, however. Dark denim washes are usually dressier and can be worn from casual to dressed up casual. Medium blue washes are considered “go to” washes in the industry because they go with everything. Fading along the front of the leg can make a thick thigh appear thinner. Whiskering and distressing are all a means of adding eye-catching details to the jean or making them look already worn. There are many ways to create these effects including chemical washes, sandblasting, scraping using ruler-sized files, grinding with actual stones, and lasers. Right now, these elements along with colored washes in everything from wine to mustard, make a jean trendier. The cleaner, un-embellished jean, on the other hand, can be worn for years to come. What you choose is all dependent upon what you want out of your jean.
  6. Look at me….the bottom of your jeans is pretty important right now. From fringed hemlines to embroidery and sequins, the hemlines of jeans are taking center stage. You will find clipped hems which are shorter in the front and left unhemmed, multiple layers of fringe, bows, ribbons, and just about anything else you can imagine gracing the bottoms of jeans. These details add to the jean’s uniqueness and are a fresh twist on that basic of most basic items that we all love to love…the jean.

Happy jean shopping! Don’t get flummoxed. Now you can talk jeans like a BOSS! And, if you want to hear me talk about this in person, just join me on my VIP Facebook group called Fashion Crossroads Fashionistas tonight at 6 p.m. Watch here: https://www.facebook.com/events/884895962279917

5 Steps to Embracing Trends And Still Dressing Your Age

Posted in clothing, dressing for your age, dressing your best, dressing your figure, fashion, how to, personal style, shopping with friends, tips and tricks, trends by

pearsonphoto2018_031As a boutique that focuses on career clothing for women aged 30 and over, I often get asked if wearing the trends means a woman is dressing too young.  My emphatic answer is a resounding NO! I have ladies in their sixties and seventies that keep up with the trends while still always looking age appropriate.  I think there is a misconception that at a certain age, you should stop worrying about being trendy.  I totally disagree.  We’ve all seen women who looked like they were dressing too young, and these experiences cause us to worry that we might be doing the same thing.  But, the key is not to avoid the trends; the key is to wear the trends appropriately.  Here are my 5 tips for embracing the trends while still dressing your age.

  1. Keep it classy: If you are over forty-five, you may want to avoid plunging necklines, too short of hemlines, spaghetti straps and overly tight fitting clothes.  These, more than anything else, can make you look like you are dressing too young.  If mini-dresses are in, for example, this doesn’t mean you avoid them altogether, but it may mean that you look for a longer rather than shorter mini dress and wear it with tonal tights to avoid drawing attention to the hemline.  If you love skinny jeans, wear them, but choose a longer top that covers your front and rear.  Use jackets and cardigans to cover problem areas and make the look more conservative.
  2. Choose the more conservative version of the trend: Every fashion trend has a scale from edgy to conservative.  As an example, consider the cold shoulder trend that we have just seen come and go.  As a buyer, I saw everything from the whole shoulder and half the arm to just a small sliver of the shoulder being exposed.  The latter of these would be the more conservative version of the trend.  Staying away from the edgy side allows you to wear the trend while still making it appropriate for your age.  As a general rule, the older you are, the more conservative you should go.
  3. Wear the trends correctly: Being knowledgeable about how the trend should be worn is key.  Oftentimes, a trend is dependent upon the other items in your outfit being the right style to pull it off.  As an example, right now the trendy hem length in bottoms is an ankle length (an inch above the ankle bone).  This style needs the right type of shoe to make it work.  If you are short, ankle length bottoms work much better with a little heel or wedge.  It is also important that the bottom hits you at the right place on your ankle.  Too long or too short, and the pant looses its trendiness and just looks strange.  Another example is the long, printed blouses that are trendy this season.  A long blouse worn with bootcut jeans will look strange.  You need a skinny or slim bottom to help balance out the volume of the top. To be sure you know how to wear a trend, ask your favorite boutique sales staff to educate you or google the trend and look a images.
  4. Let the brand help you decide: If you shop by brand, paying attention to the marketing images that company is using can really help you decide if the label is appropriate for your age.  Are you 50 but all the models for the brand are 20? That would be an indication that the target market for the brand is a bit younger than you.  If this is the case, you can go back to tip number 2 to be sure you are choosing the less edgy pieces from that brand.
  5. Pay attention to what other fashionable ladies your age are wearing: We can learn so much just by being observant.  Do you have a friend who dresses well that you admire?  What is she wearing? How do your clothing choices compare? Perhaps you’re in a rut with your style and need to freshen things up a bit.  Either your friend or a trusted boutique can help you transition into a trendier wardrobe that is age appropriate.

I hope these guidelines help you and encourage you that being trendy is not just for the young and thin.  Staying up with the times helps us feel beautiful and stylish.  There is no age limit for that!

For examples and more detailed information on this topic, please watch my video How To Embrace The Trends And Still Dress Your Age

Reflections On Christian Dior

Posted in clothing, dressing your best, dressing your figure, fashion by

My husband and I recently visited the Christian Dior exhibit at the Denver Art Museum.  When I told him I wanted to go, he raised one eye brow and asked, “Really?”  My emphatic “Yes!” convinced him that arguing was futile.  I can’t blame his hesitancy; I’m in fashion and so, of course, I would be interested in seeing over one hundred dresses and suits designed for women over several centuries.  The rationale for him to go was less compelling.

The crowd at the museum, filled with anticipation, looked a bit like a New York fashion show.  This was definitely not the typical, casual Denver crowd.  One woman, in particular, caught my eye in a sporty, form fitting white dress with matching dressy tennis shoes, complete with gold accents.  Her ensemble was made complete with wide rimmed white glasses.  Men in dress shirts, slim pants, sleek shoes and scarves held the arms of beautiful women dressed in all black.  A whole group of fashionable women laughed and talked in high pitched voices, their pink, streaked and bobbed hair styles bouncing as they turned heads to chat.

With the first exhibit, Christian Dior’s classic women’s suits in black captured my attention.  The structured fabrics tailored just perfectly to accentuate the curves of a woman’s body, and the impeccable tailoring still fashionable today, made me wish I could wear one.  From these first suits to the last dramatic dresses, I wandered from exhibit to exhibit in complete awe of the beautiful workmanship and creativity expressed again and again through the decades, and always with careful attention in how to best flatter the female frame.

My favorite dresses were in a grouping of floral inspired gowns dedicated to Christian Dior’s sister who he named his Miss Dior perfume after.  One beautiful gown had hundreds of hand sewn flowers that peeked out of delicate and flowing organza so that as you walked around the dress, you could see yet another flower you hadn’t seen before.  The art work and craftsmanship were inspiring.   The most surprising piece of art work at the exhibit was a Salvador Dali bust of a woman with a french baguette on her head.  As it turns out, Dali and Dior were friends and partners in trying to challenge the traditional views of women, art and fashion.

As we walked back to the car in silence, I asked my husband what he had thought of the exhibit.  “Fashion really is art,” he mused, pausing.  “I really didn’t understand that until I watched ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ you know, how much fashion actually influences our society.”  “Yes, honey. ” I responded. “I’m so glad we went.”

 

How Do I Wear Raw Edge Jeans

Posted in clothing, dressing for your age, dressing your figure, fashion, how to, personal style, product review, tips and tricks, trends by

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A new and important jean trend is raw edge jeans.  If you are unfamiliar with this term, it simply means the bottom edge of the jean where there would normally be a hem is left unhemmed and has a raw edge.  All of our jean companies are jumping on this trend band wagon, so to speak, from our young contemporary jeans like Silver Jeans (pictured above) to our more missy jeans like Jag Jeans and Not Your Daughter’s Jeans.

In fact, let me stop right here and digress a bit.  Ladies, here is a great fashion tip that will serve you well.  Every brand has a target demographic.  You can get a sense of this by looking at the age of the models that the company uses to picture their product.  The missy lines will generally target women aged 45 to 65.  You will see this reflected in both the way they picture their product and in the features.  For example, NYDJ and Jag Jeans make their jeans with a regular rise (comes all the way to the waist), something that appeals to women over 40 because of our tendency to have a muffin top.  So, if NYDJ and Jag are producing a trend like raw edge jeans and they target a missy customer, you can feel secure that you can wear the trend without looking like you are trying to be a teenager.  This is a great tip for age appropriate dressing.

Once you have determined if a trend is something you should wear, the next hurdle is to figure out how to wear it.  If a trend is new to me, I pay close attention at market to see how other buyers and vendors are wearing it.  If I want to see pictures of the trend in action, I will google “how do I wear….”  and then click the images tab.  A search like that will usually lead to a plethora of pictures answering my question.  In fact, a search like that just might lead you to this blog!

In the picture above, you can see me wearing my raw edge jeans from Silver Jeans.  All the raw edge jeans that we have in the store are cut to an ankle length (an inch above the ankle bone).  This length works great with ballerina flats or Converse tennis shoes in the summer and perfectly with shoe boots in the winter.  When wearing shoe boots, you want the raw edge of your jean to hit the top edge of your shoe boot.  If the jean goes inside the boot, you not see the edge, defeating the whole point of the trend.  If the jean goes outside the boot, it may be too long for you.  Getting the right length is one of the most challenging things about the ankle length trend, but it really matters, so hold out for the right length for you! Too short looks odd.  Too long looks like you are preparing for a flood.  Smile.

Get out there and try some raw edge jeans this season.  No telling how long the trend will last, but it’s a fun twist on your basic jean and will make you feel trendy, a confidence booster to be sure!