Archives for March 2018

Hit Your Closet and Rediscover Some Fashion Gems (and Duds)

Don’t invest another buck into this season’s trends until you comb through the trends you had already invested in during all the prior seasons. You do have some gems in there, I just know it. I’ve seen it repeatedly when I’m in closets all over Northeast Ohio.

I recently did a “belt rescue” in North Olmsted. Years of collecting every belt that came with pants, dresses, and a multitude of other garments was causing a storage issue and wasting space. Yes, we pitched many. But we kept even more. Many were of the moment — metallic and leopard — while other belts were classic basics, such as 1-inch brown and black. As we weeded them out, I showed my client exactly how to incorporate these newly found belts into her wardrobe and her freshly updated Signature Style Recipe.

During another Closet Detox, we had a scarf rescue. Again, every scarf that came my client’s way over the years had been stuffed into a drawer and eventually two drawers. She loved them but had no idea how to wear them — until she just gave up and forgot about them.

Funny—she also moved those scarves four times in six years. That is a lot of energy and space to haphazardly waste, don’t you think? So as we dumped them on the bed and went through them one at a time, we were mindful to keep our defined Signature Style Recipe front and center while making decisions. Sentimental reasons, Power Color considerations, flexibility, and making a statement — the piles emerged. Well, the keepers were incorporated into modern reworked outfits.

This same situation plays out in many of my first-time appointments.

Take time to play with your clothes and re-work them to get multiple looks from what you already own. Then create a thoughtful shopping list of a few trends you really admire and that would easily freshen the wardrobe you own. With this system you avoid garment orphans, stop stuffing your closet with discards, and prevent the “I have nothing to wear” syndrome.

Save your $$. Invest wisely. And re-work what you already own.

ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE: TRACI IS THE WARDROBE STYLIST AT TEEMCBEE IMAGE CONSULTING. SUBSCRIBE TO HER NEWSLETTER, SCHEDULE A STYLE STRATEGY CALL, OR REQUEST TEE SPEAKS TO INFUSE YOUR ORGANIZATION WITH PASSION AND STYLE.

Create a Mood With the Colors You Choose

The calendar says it’s spring — and what better time to bring a new dimension and experience to your life than by transforming your closet inside and out with new colors.

Invigorate your outdated suit, shirts, and ties while energizing your networking events with one of the new hot color trends of the season. A fresh blouse or two can instantly change your mood, ambience and energy.

When selecting colors for your wardrobe, it’s imperative to know your Power Colors for your skin tone and what mood you are trying to achieve, how you intend to communicate, and more importantly which colors you really love and feel confident wearing. Color reveals bits and pieces of our personalities. What are you revealing? For thousands of years China, India, and Egypt have studied the philosophies and relationships between color and energy in order to strike a spiritual balance in their lives.

So before you head down to the store, here is some insight into the mood-provoking colors of the rainbow and the energies they emit. Be mindful to always invest wisely and with a plan when it comes to this all important communication tool, your wardrobe.

Red: Dynamic and Bold

Its intensity has a stimulating and exciting effect. A warm and seductive color that exudes power and confidence.

Orange: Social and Fun

An energizing, lively, and invigorating warm color. Evokes enthusiasm, self-confidence, and creativity.

Yellow: Cheerful and Playful

Rejuvenates and stimulates your mind, body, and soul. Sparks imagination and innovation. Epitomizes warmth and an optimistic outlook to the future.

Dark Green: Calm and Reassuring; Bright Green: Youthful and Naïve

A very popular color due in part to its calming and restful affect. Varying shades of green evoke a stable and secure environment. Creates a sense of balance and harmony. A cool nurturing color that promotes healing and re-growth.

Blue: Friendly, Safe, and Secure

Represents communication, reliability, peace, tranquility and truth. An intellectual color that evokes a protective mood. Symbolizes loyalty and control.

Indigo/Violet/Purple: Creative and Unconventional

Color of spirituality and intuition. Defines elegance and refined luxury. Represents a sense of power and royalty. Suggests wealth and sophistication.

Light Pink: Soft and Nurturing; Bright Pink: Confident and assured

In its cool tone it can lower blood pressure and creates a calming tendency. Think of this as bubble gum pink. This is a short-term effect, as the body always strives for “balance.”

On the other end of the scale, the warmer tones instill a calming effect, but when the hue becomes too bold, it is more attractive to men than to women. Consider your audience when you wear pink.

Natural Metals: Warm or Cool

Natural gold and grey are easy on the mind’s eye and soothe the spirit. Gold is warm and best suited for those with warm skin tone, while Silver Grey is suited for those that are cool in skin tone. Get the skin tone wrong and you will look tired, older, and unflattering – especially when worn near the face.

Brown/Chocolate: Solid, Reliable, and Genuine

Brown used in moderation inspires elegance and richness. Incorporating natural materials and elements in any outfit will evoke a more balanced look. Reflects stability and promotes communication.

White: Traditional and Conservative

White represents simplicity, cleanliness, and vibrancy when in perfect balance.

Black: Authoritative

Black is an absorbing color and is best used as a stabilizer and anchor. Too much black can make you seem unapproachable.

Always consider the mood and energy you want to communicate to your audience — then go for it!

Which colors are you drawn to?

ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE: TRACI IS THE WARDROBE STYLIST AT TEEMCBEE IMAGE CONSULTING. SUBSCRIBE TO HER NEWSLETTER, SCHEDULE A STYLE STRATEGY CALL, OR REQUEST TEE SPEAKS TO INFUSE YOUR ORGANIZATION WITH PASSION AND STYLE.

 

Traci's new book will help you

Master Your Evolving Style!

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