The other day, I was driving and saw a woman walking on the sidewalk. She appeared to be walking to the bus stop or to work. Being a bit of a purple freak, what caught my eye was her purple print blouse. (I'll stop right now to say that I must have been at a stop light. I usually keep my eyes on the road.) So she was wearing an attractive purple print blouse and a pair of brown slacks, and she had great, thick curly brunette hair. It was a cute work outfit, except that it didn't even begin to fit her!
Both her pants and blouse were way too tight, and her pants were absurdly short.Then to add injury to insult, she was wearing those clunky, black "comfortable" shoes. While I don't mean to judge her, and I know absolutely nothing about her situation in life, I just can't help wonder why she would go out of the house with her clothes fitting so poorly.
Fit is so crucial to a successful image. Again, I thought her outfit was perfectly cute, minus the shoes, which is another blog post altogether. But the fact that the clothes fit so poorly ruined her whole look. I'm imagining the blouse being a touch longer and a size larger. And the pants needed to be at least a size larger, and about two inches longer--no, they weren't cropped pants.
Taking the time to make sure your clothes fit properly shows you care about yourself. Finding clothing that fits or can be altered to fit perfectly is half the battle.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Fashion Rocks 2008
After watching Fashion Rocks 5 last night, I think it should really be called "Rock Fashions." After watching the program in the past, it seems like very little emphasis on fashion other than the stars looking FABULOUS! The best dress of the evening was worn by Mariah Carey. Click here to see Mariah's dress and performance of "I'm that Chick." Mariah has worked so hard to reclaim her great body. She looked about 10 feet tall the way the streaks of black ran up the sides of the dress, and I love how the black curves in at the perfect spot on her waist making her look that much curvier. I'm betting she may have had to use a little fashion tape to keep the plunging neckline in place. She has such beautiful skin that she certainly has the right to bare it!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Dara Torres Models Inspring all Inverted Triangles
Photos
Olympic swimmer Dara Torres models at Fashion Week
In this photo provided by Dan & Corina Lecca, The Charles Nolan spring-summer 2009 collection is modeled by U.S. Olympic medalist Dara Torres during Fashion Week Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008 in New York. (AP Photo/Dan & Corina Lecca)
I was really excited to see a designer seeking a normal woman to model his clothing. Not that Dara Torres is your average woman! However, she's not a skinny fashion model. She's a world class simmer, and having a swimmer body, her shoulders are far wider than average.
She has an inverted triangle figure, meaning her shoulders are wider than her hips. The photo shown is a perfect example of how to balance this figure type. The top she's wearing has a deep V, drawing the eye to the middle of the body, making her shoulders appear more narrow. Next, her waist is highlighted, then the bell shaped skirt gives her the fullness in her hips to balance her shoulders.
The overall look is gorgeous and extremely inspiring to me. Typically, even though I'm an image consultant and know how to balance my body, I'm a little insecure about my wide upper body. A lot of the fashion on the market right now emphasizes the upper body, ugh! Here we're seeing how such a beautiful classic look can be so elegant!
Olympic swimmer Dara Torres models at Fashion Week
In this photo provided by Dan & Corina Lecca, The Charles Nolan spring-summer 2009 collection is modeled by U.S. Olympic medalist Dara Torres during Fashion Week Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008 in New York. (AP Photo/Dan & Corina Lecca)
I was really excited to see a designer seeking a normal woman to model his clothing. Not that Dara Torres is your average woman! However, she's not a skinny fashion model. She's a world class simmer, and having a swimmer body, her shoulders are far wider than average.
She has an inverted triangle figure, meaning her shoulders are wider than her hips. The photo shown is a perfect example of how to balance this figure type. The top she's wearing has a deep V, drawing the eye to the middle of the body, making her shoulders appear more narrow. Next, her waist is highlighted, then the bell shaped skirt gives her the fullness in her hips to balance her shoulders.
The overall look is gorgeous and extremely inspiring to me. Typically, even though I'm an image consultant and know how to balance my body, I'm a little insecure about my wide upper body. A lot of the fashion on the market right now emphasizes the upper body, ugh! Here we're seeing how such a beautiful classic look can be so elegant!
Stylish Updates for Fall
I’m always astounded how quickly time flies between my spring and fall trend reports, but here we are again! As with the last few seasons, we’re continuing to see many classic garments. However, this fall designers have gotten extra creative with colors, textures and best of all, the way they’ve combined classics with trendier pieces.
Since I specialize in professional dress, I always hesitate to use the word “trend.” Adopting trends doesn’t necessarily deem you trendy. Rather, think of it as new ways of updating your look to keep things fresh! The following is just a sampling of what awaits you in the stores.
Colors: Purple-from amethyst to deep plum. Red—mostly a tomato red, great for blondes and brunettes with warm coloring. More colors include russet, (brown with a tinge of red,) burnt orange and of course, black.
Lace: From heavy lace garments to lace trims. If a lace blouse seems like too much for you, consider wearing it under a jacket or sweater with only the collar and cuffs peeking out.
Skirts: Bell shaped skirts are the new silhouette. Pencil skirts are stronger than ever. We’re seeing the pencil with a higher waist a longer lengths for added variety this season.
Bow Blouses: If you like bows, this is your season! This year’s bows are quite dramatic. Again, to cut the sweetness, wear this blouse with menswear styled pants or pair it with an angular styled jacket.
Layering: Go ahead and get creative. Short sleeved and ¾ length sleeved jackets layer beautifully with contrasting turtlenecks, blouses and elbow length leather gloves! Feminine dresses with belted long length cardigans are a great way to transition from summer to fall. If you’re always cold, try a blouse under a sweater with a jacket over it.
Animal prints: Animal prints have been coming in and out of fashion for so many years that they’ve truly become classics. Exquisitely designed animal prints have lost they’re “grrr” factor. Still, exercise cautious with your choices. Accessories, such as shoes, belts, and bags, are always safe. Vintage, fake fur coats are always a stand-out, and a subtle, animal print, pencil skirt looks new this year.
Statement necklaces: For years chunky jewelry has been outdated, now it’s back with a vengeance! Small, delicate necklaces don’t do you any favors in business anyway. Look for jewelry that is bold enough to be eye catching, yet not distracting—a fine balance!
Tights: Tights are what make skirts and dresses wearable during the colder months. (Some may argue with me that they’re not comfortable. Tights are tough; try tugging on them to get them in the right spot!) Subtle patterns and subdued colors are appropriate for most business settings. Consider a charcoal gray pencil skirt with eggplant tights and shoes. For weekends and formal events, try bold prints, laces and colors for your legwear.
I hope this post provides you with some inspiration to update and forge ahead this fall! Please feel free to contact me with any question or if you’d like some help with your fall wardrobe. I can be reached at dana@elementsofimage.com.
Since I specialize in professional dress, I always hesitate to use the word “trend.” Adopting trends doesn’t necessarily deem you trendy. Rather, think of it as new ways of updating your look to keep things fresh! The following is just a sampling of what awaits you in the stores.
Colors: Purple-from amethyst to deep plum. Red—mostly a tomato red, great for blondes and brunettes with warm coloring. More colors include russet, (brown with a tinge of red,) burnt orange and of course, black.
Lace: From heavy lace garments to lace trims. If a lace blouse seems like too much for you, consider wearing it under a jacket or sweater with only the collar and cuffs peeking out.
Belts: Although all widths of belts remain popular, the newest widths are approximately 2 inches and very skinny. Look for studded belts, ala Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, to freshen up any outfit.
Skirts: Bell shaped skirts are the new silhouette. Pencil skirts are stronger than ever. We’re seeing the pencil with a higher waist a longer lengths for added variety this season.
Bow Blouses: If you like bows, this is your season! This year’s bows are quite dramatic. Again, to cut the sweetness, wear this blouse with menswear styled pants or pair it with an angular styled jacket.
Layering: Go ahead and get creative. Short sleeved and ¾ length sleeved jackets layer beautifully with contrasting turtlenecks, blouses and elbow length leather gloves! Feminine dresses with belted long length cardigans are a great way to transition from summer to fall. If you’re always cold, try a blouse under a sweater with a jacket over it. Dresses: Dresses are stronger than ever. We’re finally seeing a wide variety of 
dresses for daytime, something for everyone. The classic sheath is everywhere. Sleeveless, it’s perfect underneath jackets and sweaters, but don’t forget you can also pop a white blouse or thin sweater underneath for a unique, albeit professional look.
dresses for daytime, something for everyone. The classic sheath is everywhere. Sleeveless, it’s perfect underneath jackets and sweaters, but don’t forget you can also pop a white blouse or thin sweater underneath for a unique, albeit professional look. Animal prints: Animal prints have been coming in and out of fashion for so many years that they’ve truly become classics. Exquisitely designed animal prints have lost they’re “grrr” factor. Still, exercise cautious with your choices. Accessories, such as shoes, belts, and bags, are always safe. Vintage, fake fur coats are always a stand-out, and a subtle, animal print, pencil skirt looks new this year.
Statement necklaces: For years chunky jewelry has been outdated, now it’s back with a vengeance! Small, delicate necklaces don’t do you any favors in business anyway. Look for jewelry that is bold enough to be eye catching, yet not distracting—a fine balance! Tights: Tights are what make skirts and dresses wearable during the colder months. (Some may argue with me that they’re not comfortable. Tights are tough; try tugging on them to get them in the right spot!) Subtle patterns and subdued colors are appropriate for most business settings. Consider a charcoal gray pencil skirt with eggplant tights and shoes. For weekends and formal events, try bold prints, laces and colors for your legwear.
Although you don’t want to appear too trendy, unless of course it’s appropriate for your field, keeping up to date sends out non-verbal messages that you’re up on current business practices, that you’re open to new ideas, you’re in the know, and that you’re a quick learner.
I hope this post provides you with some inspiration to update and forge ahead this fall! Please feel free to contact me with any question or if you’d like some help with your fall wardrobe. I can be reached at dana@elementsofimage.com.
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