fashion funnies: a shoe sale...

enjoy the weekend!

how to freshen up that suit...

while it is not as common as it used to be...believe it or not...there are still women that do wear suits to work...as in several of my clients...so if you are in the elite group...i realize that wearing that same old suit...can get old...but with the hefty price tags...it's not likely that these are items that you continue to buy over and over...

so what needs to happen...is to work with what you've got...while the suit on its own can be...shall we say...yawn...boring...there are some easy ways to freshen up the look...and "revive" those suits you are wearing...

if you've been wearing a basic button down shirt with your suits...how about opting for a nice bright blouse?  if you like ruffles...this is a great accent to an otherwise boring blouse...the combination of the ruffles & color cascading down the suit jacket will instantly pump up the volume...want to be a bit more daring?  go for a fun print...when looking for new blouses to add...think color...texture...detail...the smallest of which could make a huge impact...

add in some fun accessories...if you have been wearing your standard pearls or chain necklace...try adding one with a bolt of color...or adding several necklaces together to create new interest...add a fun brooch to the jacket...no one will notice your basic suit anymore...

belts are another way to update or freshen up an old suit...go for a belt that matches for a conservative approach or add some fun with one in a contrasting color...not only does this bring a great new detail to your suit...but it will instantly cinch in that waist for a flattering silhouette...

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mixing high and low...

one of the fashion tidbits that i post on my facebook and twitter pages is:  'don't be afraid to match high end & low end clothing & accessories...the trick is picking low end that looks high end...' i would say that the best description i can give of this was at the oscars...remember when sharon stone paired a valentino skirt with a black gap t-shirt?  the next day...it was the talk of the town...and she made it look effortless...actually come to think of it...she did it again...when she paired a beautiful lilac vera wang skirt with a gap button down shirt...tre chic...no?

which it can be...the cost of an item is really not that important...what is important is that the garment looks great on you...fit fit fit...don't i always get back to fit?  so what i usually tell my clients...spend the money on the classic pieces...the ones you know you will have in your closet for years to come...you want to get what you can most afford...and then the fill ins...this is where you get creative...

pair a fabulous jacket with a t-shirt from your favorite low-end store...mix your grandmothers pearls with a few less expensive necklaces...are you getting the idea?  after all...a label is a label...besides...who really sees the label?  if a garment looks good on you...it is a keeper...

when shopping at low-end stores...do take a look at the stitching and such...while the garments won't be as intricate as a higher designer garment may be (although i've seen some that could be questioned...) if the garment looks "cheap" pass on it...you can find less expensive items that still look like you paid a little something for them...

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how to mix patterns...

one of the easiest & funnest ways to make your style unique...is by mixing patterns...i have seen some great combinations on the light side...as well as full on bold mixing of patterns...you pick what suits you best...if you've stocked up on some classic shapes in your wardrobe...and want to kick it up a notch or two...mixing of patterns may be just right for you...

when it comes to the art of mixing patterns...whether it be like patterns...such as stripes with stripes...or going bolder...for example...as different as florals and stripes...here are some steps to help you in navigating...

 - any pattern can be mixed...plaids...polka dots...florals...stripes...houndstooth...although when it comes to animal print...it gets a little hazy when you start adding too much of it...the rule for me myself...is one animal print per outfit...

 - there should be one unifying color palette within the prints...

 - when mixing the same type of print...for example...houndstooth with houndstooth...or floral with floral...they should be drastically different in scales...

 - have a solid piece somewhere in your outfit...a t-shirt...shoes...jeans...this will help anchor the mixed prints...

have fun with it...for ideas...i highly suggest taking a peak at magazines...or if you are on pinterest...you can get some great ideas for mixing of patterns...and feel free to follow my board "style:  mixing patterns" for inspiration...

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happy memorial day...

wishing all my readers a fabulous memorial day weekend...

may it be safe & stylish...

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a nation of slobs...

cbs news did a segment called "dressing down a culture for refusing to dress up"...in it...professor linda przybyszewski talks about a class she teaches at the university of notre dame called "a nation of slobs"...in discussing how there was a time that people got dressed up for social occasions...but also...just to have dinner...

very interesting take of what some of her students say in the video...they dress up for her class...and it is encouraging to hear some younger students say that when they see someone in pajama bottoms for breakfast...there is a chuckle there...because truly...how long would it take to put on a pair of pants?  especially if you took the time to put on make-up..right?

watch the video below...some fun segments from old movies and tv shows...a definite nostalgic piece...who else remembers beaver of 'leave it to beaver' telling his mom..."boy mom, you sure look expensive"...or did i just date myself?  =)

while i don't think we need to go back to wearing hats and gloves (although, personally i would love that...) there is something about putting a little thought in your dress...

aici international conference 2013...

the last post of mine was titled "packing anxiety"...written right before my trip out to arizona for the aici international conference...once i started focusing...i was able to complete the packing...and make my flight...phew!  

arriving in arizona...there were 5 of us from different areas meeting up to drive over to the hotel...here is our rental car...5 women...a few tries...and we finally loaded up the rental...we were pretty proud of ourselves...

the week was full of many great classes...meeting colleagues from all around the world...and sharing ideas with each other...there is always new things to learn...we must keep ourselves fully trained...fully updated with the latest & greatest in presentations...applications...tech devices...etc...and i'm no different...i want to be the best i can be when working with my clients...

and the packing anxiety...what packing anxiety?  i packed what i needed...and being that it was a conference of image consultants from around the world...i needed my options...so here is a fun pic we took in our hotel room...1 conference...3 image consultants...6 days in arizona = 20 pairs of shoes!