Clients are amazed at how quickly I can build a wardrobe that flatters and fits them and makes complete sense in their lives in no time flat. It's not because I am a magician, but I do know some important tricks!
My goal when I'm shopping for clients is to make them look fabulous and get all the glory (of course) but also to start them out with a wardrobe that truly WORKS. No one needs to know that their style svengali is me.
Some believe you are either born with the ability to successfully shop for yourself while others, sadly, are not. I am here to tell you that you can become a shopping pro - all it takes is knowing a little bit about yourself, accepting the things you cannot change and understanding how to visually enhance your best features. And it also takes a certain amount of discipline - the hardest part for some of us.
For many women, choosing items for their wardrobe is akin to buying a bag full of jigsaw puzzle pieces from a hundred different puzzles and trying to make them all fit together. No matter how hard you try or how badly you want them to form a cohesive picture, things just don't fit.
There may be a couple of pieces that accidentally go together, but for the most part, you are left with a bunch of odd items, poor color choices, unflattering pieces, and wasted time and money. You're also giving up valuable closet space.
How do you know if something is right for you when there are thousands and thousands of items in every store? Here are the four levels of classification I use to quickly figure it out - for my clients and myself.
1 - Lifestyle and Goals
If you're gearing up for a promotion at work, your eye probably isn't on jeans and sweatshirts section of your nearest retailer. Or, if your life consists of being a stay-at-home mom, you may not have any reason for a closet full of pinstripe business suits.
The very first thing to look at when choosing items for your wardrobe is if they fit in with your goals and your lifestyle.
Create a pie chart of your activities and the things you do most often. That is how much of your closet should be devoted to each type of clothing. It only makes sense that you should have more clothes that fit the things you do most.
One of the worst mistakes you can make is to buy clothes that don't match your lifestyle just because they're on sale!
2 - Color
I'm sure you've noticed that I am forever promoting my Color Events. The reason my belief in color is so strong is because first, it put me on the right track when I was just learning about style and image.
Knowing my colors (and I first learned the old 4-season approach) was when I stopped just buying random clothing because I either liked the color or because it was a good price or because I promised myself I would find something to go with it later - as we all know, that never works. I was able to scale down my wardrobe considerably and it made getting dressed 100% easier.
By knowing your best colors, it becomes harder to fall into the trap of wearing black or beige all the time. It gives even the meekest among us the license to wear wonderful colors - and get complimented on them! When we wear the right colors, we actually enhance our natural coloring and we are noticed in a positive light.
Knowing your colors is the key to a successful wardrobe.
3 - Body Dynamics
What shape are you? Do you know if you're a pear, oval, rectangle, inverted triangle, or hourglass?
Our eye is naturally drawn to balance and harmony.
Ideally, we want to visually create a balanced hourglass figure - whether we have one or not. There are a myriad of tricks we can use to accomplish this.
Do you know how to make yourself look taller if that's your goal? Create a column of color. Dress monochromatically and you will look instantly taller. How can you look thinner? We all know that black is slimming. But wearing dark colors is only the beginning!
Accept your size. Buy clothing in the size you are RIGHT NOW. Not ten or twenty pounds lighter. And don't forget that clothing size for women is completely arbitrary.
If you don't like the size that FITS you, feel free to cut the tag out of the garment! It's not a mattressl!
4 - Fashion Personality
The next step in shopping like a pro is to define your own unique style. You can do this by truly understanding who you are in this world. Style doesn't begin with the latest fashion trend.
Are you Classic, Dramatic, Romantic, Natural, Artistic, or Alluring? Perhaps you're a combination of two!
Here's a brief overview of the six fashion personalities:
- Classic - Tailored lines and professional polish
- Dramatic - Bold and angular, like to draw attention (think Laura on Project Runway - true Dramatics are rare)
- Romantic - Soft and feminine, they love how fabrics feel!
- Natural - Minimal in approach, tend like functionality and gravitate toward texture
- Artistic - Anything goes, mix and match - they value creative expression
- Alluring - Love to show off their body - love low necklines, sexy shoes, etc.
Having a sound foundation of your personal style will enable you to shop more effectively, incorporate some of the latest fashion trends without turning into a fashion victim, and develop a well-rounded wardrobe.
And finally, I tell clients this and repeat it to myself every time I am tempted to buy something that just isn't quite right - believe me, it really works!!
Love it madly, need it badly,
or JUST DON'T BUY IT!!!!
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