Summer styles for your body type

After looking at the new issue of In Style magazine and getting dressed in a casual skirt and top for my Monday office day, I began thinking about easy summer styles that are best for various body types.

My body type ranges between an inverted triangle and a rectangle, depending on my weight. (When I lose weight, I lose it in my hips first. When I'm a little heavier I'm a rectangle.) The following are some tips for a rectangular body type. (I'll follow up the inverted triangle in my next post.)

• Avoid t-shirts and tank tops that are tight through the torso. You'll only be emphasizing your lack of a waistline.
• This season's loose summer tops were made for you. By wearing t-s that are fitted in the shoulders and flare out through the body, you're completely bypassing your waist and making it appear smaller.
• Your waist will look smaller if you make your hips and upper body appear wider, hence creating an hour glass figure. Consider a belted safari jacket with both breast pockets and hip pockets. (Note: make sure the belt isn't too wide. Fabric belts that tie are great for a wider waist.
• Empire waists tops and dresses with detailing at the bust line bring all of the attention up to your upper body and face. No one will care a hoot about your lack of a waistline. They'll be too busy looking at your beautiful face!

Roses!

My husband and I went to the nursery yesterday to buy rose bushes. You see, our backyard is landscaped, but we have very few flowers.

I had always heard that roses are a lot of work, but my father lately has been insisting they're not. We were all excited to get the roses and finally have a beautiful backyard. So we went in the nursery, and although I've browsed through roses before, I suddenly felt as though I was in a foreign country. Looking through trying to decipher the types, etc. I got completely overwhelmed. My head was spinning and suddenly I was wondering about like a zombie! Seriously, I was even nauseated.

A nursery consultant told us all about the watering and feeding and pruning, and all I wanted to do was go home. We opted not to buy roses and went to a smaller nursery to start looking at other plants. We got great advice from the nursery owner, but we were still overwhelmed trying to make some choices. He suggested a website for ideas and making a plan. We were relieved and went home! Albeit not empty handed. I did buy one flower for a pot!

If you're wondering what this has to do with image or fashion, I have to say that I truly know what my clients mean when tell me they get overwhelmed when they go shopping. We left the house with a vague notion of what we wanted, but no plan, which is really a lot like going to the mall in search of a new outfit without thinking about what you really want or need. I can't say enough for planning and making a list and doing research as to what you like before you go shopping for clothes. It helps cut down on the confusion and allows you to focus.

I'm excited to make a plan for our backyard and have a successful trip to the garden center!

Parisian Suits

Even though most of the women I saw in Paris were dressed in a business casual mode, a few days into my trip, I saw a few women in suits. They were traditional pantsuits with an interesting twist. The women tied sweaters around their necks as was the popular ‘80’s style here in the U.S.

The sweaters they were sporting around their necks appeared to be very slim styles made of very smooth, lightweight knits, probably cotton/silk blends. The few that I saw were light colors and were very carefully placed, folded and tucked just so, so that the sweater lied flat in a slim column down the center of the back. (I’m guessing this is one of those “accessories” like a scarf that takes quite a bit of work at first, then it’s easy.)

At first I was pretty lukewarm about the trend, but then I got to thinking about it. It’s really quite genius. Let’s say you work in the corporate world and conservative dark suits are your norm. In a sense, the sweater becomes your accessory, allowing you a bit of color and femininity to your ensemble.

If you’re able to find a sweater set to pull all of this off with, your mix and match option are tenfold! One caveat-don’t wear the shell under the suit jacket when tying the cardigan—too contrived.

Eyes On France

One of the very first things I noticed in Paris is that far more people wear glasses than here in the U.S. Not knowing much French, (okay, barely any,) I wasn't exactly able to converse with women to ask them why they'd decided to decided to wear glasses instead of contacts. Instead, I came up with some conclusions of my own. (Again, I can't be sure if they're correct.)

First, it could be the expense. Glasses are generally more expensive up front, well, when you've got as many add-ons as I do. However, in the long run, with all of the solution, drops, etc., that is necessary, contacts are pretty expensive.

Next, perhaps French women are comfortable enough in their own skin that they see their glasses as an extension of their personality.

Lastly, perhaps the French women are onto something, and have decided to simplify their lives. (By the way, a lot of men wear glasses, too.)

I took my contacts to Europe after my eye doctor, Richard Cross, O.D., told me that I might do well with my contacts in Europe since the climate is so much more humid than here. Every time I thought about wearing my contacts on the trip, I nixed the idea, mostly, because I wouldn't be able to read a thing! The thing is, if I really wanted to wear contacts, I'd also need reading glasses. Right now, with my glasses, I either glance out the bottoms or take them off. (Oh, and reading menus is a big thing in Europe!) Then, I'd need non-prescription sunglasses to go with the contacts. And what would I do if I wanted to read something in the sun?! On top of that, I'd still need my regular glasses and prescription sunglasses. This is way too complicated!

Long story short--I've completely given up the idea of contacts, for good! And the decision feels great! I've worn glasses since I was 9 years old and I've never really liked my frames or how I've looked in them until now. I just hope I'll be able to fit the bi-focal into the frame.

Lastly, I want to recommend Europtics to anyone who needs eyeglass frames. I've been going there forever! I've found the Cherry Creek store to have the best selection of frames. Be sure to ask for Connie. She'll spend as much time as you need with you to find a pair that suits you perfectly.

Jackets, Pants, and Shoes-Oh My!

Jackets are very popular in Paris. The most prevalent style I saw was a belted safari jacket, usually in linen or lightweight cotton. Belted jackets are fantastic for women with curvy or hour-glass figures!

There were also a lot of military styled jackets, which the fashion magazines like to tout as hot for certain seasons, but truly, they’re never really out. The other style jacket that was highly visible was a cargo style made of sheeting cotton with a lot of double stitching and details.

If linen isn’t your thing, a lightweight, neutral colored, cotton safari jacket, military jacket or cargo jacket could give your wardrobe great mileage throughout the summer season.


Pants
I was fascinated with the pant styles in France. To a degree, almost anything goes. I saw super wide legged pants and very skinny pants. What was also interesting to me was that all styles were worn with both flats and heels. (More on shoes coming up.) What I took away from this is to just go with what works for you lifestyle and personal style.

Lastly, I saw what we’d consider dressy pants worn in a casual way. This is a different for American women, but it’s certainly a way to get more use out of your dressy clothes.

Shoes
I’ve saved my favorite subject for last. There are so many shoes in France! I definitely noticed a prevalence of flats. The lifestyle is very urban with a lot of subways and walking. I also saw a lot of kitten heels, but in addition to traditional kitten heels, there were kitten heels that were stacked wood with a broader base for more stability. Hopefully, we’ll get these soon in the U.S.

There was also a lot of variety in toes: round, pointed, and a cross between the two, pictured below. Having so much variety for shoes excites me, because it allows us more opportunity to be both fashionably and comfortably shod!

The thing that I was most surprised about Paris fashion was its simplicity. I didn’t have a lot of expectations of what I’d see, but somehow thought I might see a few extremes. I think this is good news for us in the U.S. It was truly refreshing to see comfortable, classic styles worn with ease. I encourage you all to seek out cool, comfortable clothing for summer that truly suits your lifestyle and personal style.

French Scarves

It’s true what they say; every French woman wears a scarf. Most scarves I saw were linen, cotton, or rayon casual scarves, which in that Parisian chic way didn’t always match the outfit, but always looked fantastic. Although everyone had their own little twist, the scarves were mostly worn either like a muffler or as shown in the picture.

Although I only had a cashmere scarf with me, I found the nice thing about it was that as the day warmed up, I could shed the scarf, and then in the evening, I could wrap it around my shoulders for added warmth.

Paris Summer Chic

Home at last-France and Italy were everything I’d hoped for. Along with studying all of the art and history of Europe, I’ve always been a big people watcher, and observing the trends and differences between French, Italian, and American women was absolutely fascinating to me.

I could truly write a book about everything I did and observed in Europe, but I’ll start smaller for today! I’d like to tell you about the trends I saw in Paris and share with you how you too can adopt “Parisian Chic!”

Linen

The biggest trend I noticed was linen. Women of all ages were wearing it. Overall, the styles were fairly casual and unstructured. And yes, it was wrinkled. But the wonderful thing about it was that it didn’t seem to bother anyone. The thing is--linen is supposed to look wrinkled. If you work in a business casual environment, consider an unstructured linen jacket and either matching or coordinating pants or a skirt for a cool, comfortable way to beat the heat.

I did a little shopping in Paris’ major department store, Galleries Lafayette, where I could have spent weeks. When I purchased a couple of unlined linen jackets, (surprisingly affordable,) I inquired about the care instructions. They’re washable linen. Even though linen will wrinkle, it’s definitely best to start the day with everything ironed. I actually think that a Jiffy Steamer, (www.jiffysteamer.com, using promo code image 048 for free shipping,) would do a good job, too.

The one thing I noticed the most is that although there are trends, no one looked the same or interpreted the trends exactly the same. It’s kind of difficult to explain, but there’s a quiet confidence among French women. They seem to create their own look, not being afraid of trying something a little different. For example, one of my favorite looks was a woman in her late 30’s to 40’s wearing lilac, wide legged, linen pants; a white linen safari style jacket; a medium gray athletic style t-shirt; white satin, ballet toe shoes; and a light gray nylon purse. Beautiful!