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.

What is your personal style?

I was at a women's event once when a lady came up and said she had heard me speak at some other event. She told me that she was so relieved when she learned about her style.  All these years she had been buying purses all the time.  She thought she must be crazy to have so many purses but then she learned that her particular style loved to accessorize and change their bags often.  It gave her permission to be herself.  I love stories like that!

So, what is your personal style?  The easiest way to find out is to print this out and take this very short  quiz.  Choose one word on each row (across) that best describes you.  You may think that two words describe you but go with the one that is most like you.  Add up the columns (down).  The one that with the largest number is your primary style.  You will generally have another one that is close or has the next largest number.  This is your secondary style.  If you have equal numbers in all the other categories or you are pretty equal all the way across contact me for more information.  While it is unusual, it also happens sometimes.

I.  Alluring

II. Traditional

III. Bold

IV. Casual

V. Sentimental

Write down your style because we will learn about each over the next few days.

What is your body type

You may know right off what body type you are.  But, for those of you who are unsure, let me ask you to take your measurements.  I know, nobody likes to do this, but it is necessary.  Don't worry about the actual number, figure out the differences.

Here is what you want to know:

1. How much difference is there in your bust and your waist?  Bust smaller or larger than waist?
2. How much difference is there in your waist and hips?  Waist smaller or larger than hips?
3. How much difference is there in your bust and hips?  Bust smaller or larger than hips?

Now we are ready to figure out your body shape:

• If your bust is within a couple of inches of being the same as your hips and your waist is at least 8 inches smaller than either your bust or hips...you are an Hourglass.
• If your bust is 8 inches or more smaller than your hips and your waist is smaller than your hips...you are a Triangle.
• If your bust is 8 inches or more larger than your hips and your waist is within 2 inches of your hips...you are an Inverted Triangle.
• If all of your measurements (bust, waist and hips) are within 2 inches of each other...you are a Rectangle.
• If your waist is your largest measurement...you are an Oval.

If you have any trouble figuring out which one you are, go to the Contact Us page and send me an email.  I'm always happy to answer questions!

What You Should Have in Your Closet

I could tell you that there are five things that every woman should have in her closet, but that wouldn't be the truth.  Think about it...don't you have friends that have a different style than your own?   You might admire the way that someone dresses but it doesn't mean it is right for you.  There are different personalities and different body types as well as different lifestyles!

I've been working with women for a long time and one thing that I've found to be true, no matter what, is that no two women are exactly alike.  And, being authentic to yourself is the only way to become truly stylish.  I'm going to give you information that I use with my clients.  And, I'm going to give it to you for free.

I am going to make 26 posts over the next month that all have to do with finding your own personal style.  There will be quizzes, suggestions and links to items that will work for your particular shape/style combination.

I hope you will enjoy learning more about yourself.  I get tremendous pleasure out of seeing a woman settle into her own personal style and becoming more confident in the way she looks.  If you enjoy what you learn, I ask only one thing...share this blog with your friends.  Get as many women as you can reading about how they can feel great too!!

Global Color Expert

Do you ever wonder how every store all over the world has the same color scheme going on at the same time?  Did you know that there are actually people who decide a year in advance what the "hot" color of the season will be?  Do you want to know who those people are?

Color research is done by Pantone all the time.  They contact designers and others in the fashion and interior fields.  They ask questions about inspiration and vision for their collections.  Then they compile the information and come up with a palette for the seasons.  This is why you will have a hard time finding emerald green this spring or bright yellow this summer.  Oh, other colors will still be out there but they will be few and far between.

So what do you do if these aren't your colors?  Well, the good news is that the regatta blue fits most every skintone.  If in doubt...go blue.  You have the russet brown, beeswax and coral rose for warmer skin tones.  Lavender and honeysuckle for the cool skin tones with darker hair.  And the light girl with blonde hair fairs very well this year.  Everything except russet brown, beeswax, coral rose and honeysuckle will work for this girl.

The important thing is to not fall into the trap of buying colors that don't work for you.  A beautiful, filmy silk blouse may look great on the hanger but make you look like a corpse.  Pick your best color and stick with it for the season.  Add a couple of accent colors and you are good to go!

Yesterday I posted ideas for this in between type season.  And, I know that a lot of people are dealing with this because Facebook had tons of posts from around the country about how nice the weather was.  If it is 50-60 degrees during the day then you can bet it is cooler in the morning.  So, as cute and thin as those models are, they don't represent the average woman.

We hear it all the time...a size 12 is the average size for the American woman.  REALLY!!!!  As a boutique owner I would go to market all the time.  Many designers only go up to a size 10.  Personally I am offended by that.  If I can stay a size 10 fabulous...but I often creep up to a 12 or 14.  So where are the models that look like the rest of us?  Well you're not going to see them.

Even in magazines that are dedicated to the "real" woman, we see the not-so-average 6's and 8's.  Even Oprah has a few pounds carved off of her voluptuous figure for the cover of her magazine.  No wonder we all have image issues.

I was talking to a girlfriend the other day, who is one of the most elite image consultants in the country, about this very issue.  How images in the media make women feel inadequate.  This isn't a new topic.  We have heard about this issue for years.  The only thing we can do is turn off the tv, put down the magazines and "own" who we are.  That's right....if you are short like me, a little heavy like me or anything else; it is okay!!  It is okay because we are loving, intelligent, funny, nurturing, talented women!!  We don't have to look a certain way to have value.  Our society just tells us we do.

So the first thing to looking your best is OWN IT!  Then find things that fit your body well.  These particular tips are for the shorties like me who want to look great and feel great.

 First and foremost...think balance.  People always want to put me in straight leg jeans because I'm short and they think volume is going to make me look too big.  Ha!  Straight legs make me look like an ice cream cone. A little junk in your trunk?  Opt for at least a boot but, maybe even more!

                                            

 These are my all time favorite jeans and they are Lee!  Great waistband that doesn't roll down, a good amount of stretch and short or medium lengths.


Then I have the issue of the big boobies (which my husband reminds me is never an issue).  The best thing for us is stretch, stretch, stretch.  Used to be stretchy materials were just for gym clothes.  But now you can get great ponte knits, matte jerseys and even stretch silks.

I love this jacket for just throwing on over a cute shirt with jeans.  I also love that you obviously need more to fill it out than what the model has going on!!  This jacket is classic, stretchy and incredibly priced!

Opt for a cute top made out of a stretchy knit.  The thing with tops is remember to get movement without adding volume.  The cut of this top is perfect because it is fitted at the bodice and has a little more movement around the hem.  And, don't worry if you are well-endowed you can still wear ruffles as long as they are small and soft (the ruffles....not the boobies)

I've never been a shorts girl.  Which makes me love the trend of dresses.  Take a plain, knit dress and pump up the volume with cute jewelry and ballet flats or flip flops.  

No matter what you put on, remember to strut your stuff like you were on a New York runway!!

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