Alluring: What to Wear Now

This time of year can be tricky because you can start out at 30 degrees in the morning and by mid afternoon it could be in the 70's.  A lightweight, long sleeve tee is a great option for this time of year.  You can layer it in the morning, remove your jacket by the afternoon and push your sleeves up by late afternoon.  

The following suggestions are all for the Alluring Woman, but I've given you ideas for individual shapes.  I've also started to explain why you would choose this particular silhouette so that you can apply it to other items.

This is the perfect top for the Hourglass.  The faux wrap gives you a low enough cut to show a little cleavage without being too much.  The ruching in the middle draws the shape back in to show off your small waist.  The sleeves are slim cut but not too tight.  As an hourglass the thing you want to focus on is highlighting your waist and the delicate curves of your womanly body.  Let the fabrics skim your body but nip in at the waist (or you can belt your tops for the same effect). 

These cute little shoulder cutouts give the Rectangle an illusion of soft curves.  You may not realize right away by looking at this that the top is straight cut.  But by showing the skin at the shoulders you achieve a sexy, bared look without plunging into the neckline.  

The Oval is a tough shape to dress.  You want to do what you can to minimize the attention being drawn to your middle and keep the look feminine and sexy.  This top is full and gives you plenty of room to be comfortable, but the low cut still makes it sexy.  One of the most important things to remember for this shape is to stop the length of your top at the narrowest part of your hips.  If you go longer, it becomes a tent and if you go shorter you will draw attention to the widest part of your body.  

The Inverted Triangle has a real challenge not to look too sexy.  With a larger bust and narrow hips, a low cut top can be very challenging to wear.  A great alternative to show the shoulders.  This allows you coverage for your cleavage but remains ultra sexy.  By choosing something that has natural fullness in the top and nips in around the hips, you will show off your assets without adding volume where you don't need it.  Ask any man and he will tell you that shoulders are hot!

When dressing a Triangle you want to keep the emphasis on her small rib cage and shoulders.  A wide neckline on this top shows her sexy collar bone, her chest, it nips in around the rib cage but allows for room for her hips.  The ruching on this top helps to draw the top in where it needs to and doesn't look overstretched around her hips.

Mixing Personal Styles

Some of you have asked how to incorporate your primary and secondary styles.  Remember when you took the style test you probably had one that stood out from the rest.  That is your primary style.  You then had one or two other styles that were stronger than the others.  This is your secondary style.  You may be like me and have almost all of the styles, other than your primary, about even.  That is okay too.

So first and foremost, let's talk about your primary style and what you should do with that.  Let's say for example that you came out a Casual Woman.  You read the description and is sounds like you.  But, you look in your closet and it looks more like chaos woman than Casual Woman.  Go back to the description and pinpoint what resonates most.

Example

1. Clothes that move
2. Totes and backpacks
3. Knit dresses
4. Great fitting jeans
5. Shoes that let her keep moving, usually flats

Keeping in mind some of the basic traits of a style will help you when you start to incorporate your secondary style.  For example, the Casual Woman may be an Alluring Woman as a secondary style.  Let's pick out a few key elements of that style.

Alluring Woman (secondary)

1. Big, dark sunglasses
2. Low, v-neck tops
3. Wrap dresses

Okay, a casual woman could wear a great fitting pair of jeans with a low v-neck top while carrying a backpack and wearing oversized sunglasses.  Or, she could wear a knit, wrap dress with a cute pair of flip flops and a big tote bag.  You start to see that you can take elements from both styles and mesh them to create your own personal style.  

Are you a sentimental woman?

Of all the personal styles, the Sentimental Woman is by far the softest and most feminine.  Sometimes she doesn't even seem of this world.  She is a dreamer, feels deeply and you generally want to take care of her (although she is usually stronger than she appears).

You will often think that this woman is from a forgotten era.  She will be ladylike and poised.  She will likely handwrite notes to others.  Her home will be eclectic and interesting.  She may collect something that is pretty and probably an antique.   Whatever she does she likes to feel feminine.

This woman loves soft and flowing things whether in her clothing or her home decor.  You may find soft blankets and flowing curtains in her home.  She admires the quality and workmanship of vintage pieces and they will often dot her home and wardrobe.

The Sentimental Woman is often a reader and her language skills are superior to most.  She gets lost in books and can actually put herself in the scenes.  She is a great visualizer because her imagination and dreams are powerful.  This woman will often be curious and be an excellent researcher.

You are most likely to find this woman working in the arts, in charitable organizations or in something that has to do with history (such as a museum).  She is intelligent but quiet.  She gets lost in what she is doing and can shut out the world.  She is probably an expert in her particular field but isn't vocal about how much she knows.

The Sentimental Woman has an eclectic style.  She either buys items that are reminiscent of another time or actual vintage pieces.  She likes the idea of the vintage pieces having had a life before and giving it another life now.  She will generally look for soft, feminine, flowing pieces.  She is more concerned about feel than look.  She may not look in the mirror right away because she is lost in the feeling of wearing the piece rather than concerned about how it looks.

The Sentimental Woman is by far the most difficult to shop for.  For her, it is personal.  She wants to search out things that are interesting.  She doesn't like to shop in malls but loves to go to little eclectic boutiques and vintage stores.  Her idea of style is telling a story with her clothes.  It may be difficult for this woman to find things she likes in the modern styles.

Several things that the Sentimental Woman should have in her closet are:

Vintage Coat (velvet or with a ruffled collar)
Soft, flowing white cotton dress (this can be dressed up or down in warmer months)
Tall boots (either riding boots or victorian lace up boots)
Vintage beaded clutch (can dress up anything for an evening out)
Lace blouse (this can be worn with jeans or slacks to still feel feminine but modern)
Vintage inspired jewelry

The Sentimental Woman accessorizes just like she dresses.  She may need a scarf to keep warm but you can be that it is a scarf that has some meaning.  Either someone special gave it to her or it reminded her of another time.  She cherishes gifts, the talents of friends and family heirlooms.  Many of her accessories will be in one of these categories.

The main piece of advice that I can give to a Sentimental Woman is to purge often.  Because of the nature of this personality, purging is a painful process.  The Sentimental Woman wants to hang on to things because she genuinely loves them even if she doesn't wear them.  This causes chaos in her closet. Even if you just purge to boxes that you put away, keep your closet for the items you are wearing now only.

Are you a casual woman?

I've really pondered the name for this category.  It used to be "sporty" but too many women would say that they were not athletic or didn't play sports.  I thought about natural, but I know a lot of women in this category that do the hair and makeup and still dress more casual.  That's why I finally decided on Casual Woman.

This woman is absolutely full of life.  She is busy and active and involved.  She loves her family, friends and community.   She may not be playing on a soccer team or golf everyday but she is moving all the time.  But, by the same token, this is the woman that is most likely to play some type of sport or be involved in running, biking, swimming, etc.  If she has kids she plays with them.  If she doesn't, she probably has a dog that she walks and plays with.  She is the woman that you can call to do something at the drop of a hat.

This woman is an easy friend to have.  She caring, fun and easy to be around.  She has a tendency to over-commit because she likes to be involved.  She is great to have on a project or committee because she has excess energy to get things done.

The Casual woman doesn't worry a lot about what she wears.  She wants it to look good, but more importantly she wants it to move.  She wants to be comfortable and dressed to do whatever her day may hold.  Binding or stiff clothes will make her feel like she is in a straight jacket.  She would love to live in yoga clothes, jeans and a tee shirt or sweats.  If she has to dress up it will be pretty simple and still have some comfortability.

This woman isn't a big shopper.  She goes and gets just what she needs.  She has a tendency to wear her clothes to death if they feel good.  This woman usually has a laid-back, easy style that comes off as casually cool.  Jennifer Aniston is a great example of a Casual Woman's style.

Here are the things that every Casual Woman should have in her closet:

• Great fitting jeans...multiple pairs
• Comfortable military style or denim jacket
• Graphic Tees
• Stylish sweats
• Knit dress that can be worn with flats or dressed up with jewelry and heels

The Casual Woman will have some jewelry, but it is generally meaningful.  A friend will have made the pieces, the proceeds went to a good cause or they are representative of something this woman believes in.  She isn't a big accessorizer  but she sometimes likes to put on a piece or two of meaningful jewelry.  This woman doesn't accessorize in many other ways.

She is not a purse woman.  She is more likely to be carrying a big tote, a backpack or a very small bag she can throw across her body or over her shoulder.  She will not change bags to match her outfit, but will change bags to meet the needs of her day.  Her bags are utilitarian not fashion.

This woman will generally be in flats of some sort.  She may have a selection of tennis shoes...both functional and stylish.  She will prefer to wear flats with pants to the office.  She just needs to be able to move quickly and heels hinder that.  Flip flops are definitely her summer choice.

The Casual Woman is usually not my client.  They know what they like.  There is a chic coolness about them that comes naturally.  And, they are generally pretty confident in their appearance. 

Are you a traditional woman?

One of the most popular styles is the Traditional Woman.  I don't know if it is where I have lived (midwest and the south) but in my client base there have been over 40% who have tested as Traditional.  This person is exactly what you would expect.  And, I mean that from a style perspective as well as a personality perspective.

The Traditional Woman has strong values and lives them in a consistent way.  She is steady and dependable.  When the Traditional woman tells you she is going to do something she follows through.  She  is an intelligent woman who makes decisions in an educated and methodical way.  She is not quick to leap.  She cannot be easily swayed.  When the Traditional Woman decides to do something you can be sure that she knows what she is doing.

This woman has a very even temperament.  She is not easily ruffled and maintains a cool head even in the worst of circumstances.  The Traditional Woman will always look for solutions and will not get caught up in drama.

This woman is usually pretty content with what is in her closet.  She will choose simple pieces that she can wear for years.   This woman like structure in her clothes.  She feels sloppy and not pulled together when she wears something like sweats.  She is not likely to go for bold patterns or loud colors.

The Traditional Woman will not follow trends.  When she finds something that works for her, she may buy multiple of the same item in different colors.  She is not comfortable with a lot of details like embellishments, lace, low cuts or big flowing pieces.  She prefers to stick with classic pieces.

Here are the things that every Traditional Woman should have in her closet:

Crisp white button down (Coldwater Creek has some really nice options)
Black or navy suit with jacket, pants and a skirt
Classic trench coat and long wool dress coat
Standard 5 pocket, boot cut or straight leg jeans (depends on shape)
Little black dress

The Traditional Woman likes to have clothes that work together in a lot of different combinations.  She values conservatism and wants to get the most out of her clothes possible.  We will be talking about capsules later in this series.  The Traditional Woman will want to pay close attention to that subject.

Accessorizing is not important to the Traditional Woman.  She will have a few pieces that are important to her and wear the same thing most every day.  She will not change her handbag regularly.  She will have a functional, sturdy bag that she carries every day.

Traditional Women often come to me and want to make changes to step out of their comfort zone.  It is imperative to respect your style.   You may choose to add some flavor from your secondary style but overall staying with conservative, classic pieces will benefit you most in the long run.  Embrace your traditional nature and feel confident that you are wearing what is right for you.

Are you a bold woman?

You probably already knew you were bold before you took the Style Test.  Of all the styles this one is perhaps the most easily detectable.  The Bold Woman has a very strong sense of who she is.  She doesn't experiment with a lot of different styles.  She is sure and confident when she finds something that works for her.

This woman is focused, driven and somewhat demanding.  She expects the best out of herself and those around her.  She is an intelligent woman who is able to see the big picture and make difficult decisions.  She is a natural born leader.

If you had to choose one word to describe the Bold Woman it would most likely be confident.  She knows what she wants and she goes for it.  This is the woman leading the meeting.  She is generally in management, finance, politics, owns her own business or small country.

This woman doesn't want to spend a lot of time thinking about what to wear.  It is important that she looks good but it needs to be easy and have a wow factor.  She is more concerned about quality than quantity.  She wants to walk into her closet in the morning, pull out a complete outfit and be ready to go in minutes.  She appreciates easy to wear pieces that have outstanding details.  For example, she may opt for a simple black dress but it will probably be of very high quality and have something like extraordinary buttons or an architectural collar.

Probably the biggest tip I can give to the Bold Woman is to migrate toward dresses.  Dresses are very popular, they make getting dressed simple and you can get quality dresses at any price point.

This woman will also appreciate high end accessories.  She will wear the same jewelry most of the time but it will be the best she can afford.  She will not change handbags often and she will carry a very high quality bag for a long time.  She doesn't have time to worry about such things as changing her accessories all the time.  So, she gets the best that she can afford and sticks with it until she chooses to go in another direction.

The top items a Bold Woman should have in her closet:

Iconic handbag...something that is an exquisite quality and will stand the test of time...Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Coach
Black, brown and nude shoes....one pair (at least) for each season.  Of course, high quality.
Dresses....casual, dressy and in between
Great fitting jeans
Couple of silk blouses that go with jeans, slacks or skirts...think Tibi
Versatile coat that goes from casual to dressed up...something like the Burberry quilted coat
Great watch....Michele, Fendi, Michael Kors

The Bold Woman should have as few items in her closet as she can live with.  Anything that doesn't fit, has a flaw or is not her style should go.  These things cause her to have frustration around getting dressed.

If Bold is your primary style than this probably resonates with you.  You feel like this would make getting dressed so much simpler and are looking forward to purging your closet.  However, if Bold is your secondary style then some of this might feel right but you aren't sure what to incorporate into your primary style.  Generally, if this is your secondary style you will want to consider keeping your wardrobe fairly paired down.  Even if you have other styles mixed with your Bold style you will want to have the ease of dressing that the Bold woman appreciates.

Are you an alluring woman?

Do you light up the room when you walk in?  Do you enjoy a good party?  Do you make friends easily?  Is it important to you that heads turn when you walk by?  Are you a little bit flirtatious?  If you answered yes to any of those questions then odds are you are an Alluring Woman.  If you want to know for sure if this is your personal style, take the Style Test.  We will be talking about each one of the styles this week.

If you could only pick one word to describe the Alluring Woman it would usually be fun.  She enjoys being in a group of people and shining.  As a matter of fact, she loves the spotlight.  She will be the woman who makes an entrance as she walks into a party.  It is kind of like...the party can begin now that I'm here.

The Alluring Woman just shines.  People enjoy being around her because there is so much life to her.  She is often in a business that allows her personality to shine.  She may be a performer of some type, in sales, in the beauty industry or an event planner.

This woman's style is sometimes all over the place.  Because she is spontaneous, she may make impulse purchases that are not right for her shape or style.  The Alluring Woman will feel more confident and pulled together with a little wardrobe coaching.

It is important to this style not to feel too buttoned-up.  Whether her blouse is a little low cut, her outfit is form fitting or her skirt is short; she is more comfortable when she looks sexy.  She will benefit to remember to do one of these things but not all at once.

The top items that the Alluring Woman should consider having in her closet are:

Jeans with a nice, close to the body fit.
A well fitting black skirt that stops just above the knee or higher (with good legs)
Big, dark sunglasses
Lots of sparkly jewelry (costume is perfectly fine)
Wrap dresses
Nude heels that can be worn with most anything
Low v-neck tops (can be worn with just about anything)

The Alluring Woman really loves accessories.  She likes to change her handbag to go with whatever outfit she is wearing.  She loves jewelry and will often be wearing multiple pieces.  She has belts, scarves, hats, etc.  You name it and she has bought it!  She gets bored with her accessories so she shies away from buying expensive pieces and goes for good looking costume pieces instead.

Remember that everyone has a primary style and a secondary style.  If your style is Alluring first then this probably resonates with you.  If Alluring is your secondary style then you will incorporate elements of this style into your primary style but it may not fit perfectly.

For example, if this is your secondary style, you may not feel the need to have lots of accessories but you might appreciate a well-fitting jean that makes people turn their heads.  You may not change your bag with every outfit, but when you are going out you may want to carry a fun purse.  Take elements of this style that feel right and incorporate them into your style.

We will talk about specific outfits and how to pull them together when we get into the body shape discussions.