You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it - Edith Head Take Your Style Up a Notch! Easy Ideas to Define and Develop your Personal Style Presented by: Stilista Seminars Stilista Boston: www.stilistaboston.com Style Educator: Maria Vasilevsky
Nice to Meet You! Meet Stilista! > Personal Services: personal shopping, wardrobe analyses, hair & make-up consulting, luxury shopping excursions > Corporate Services: dress code / image training, style seminars, corporate image consulting Plan for Today: Wardrobe Management Accessorizing Demo Alterations Guide and Other Quick Upgrades Body Shape Quiz Business Casual tips & Trendy vs. Classic pieces Q&A
Personal Style Basics What is Your Aesthetic? Observe style icons Read style publications / blogs InStyle and Lucky easy real-world style Elle, Bazaar and Glamour aspirational, editorial looks Refinery29.com, manrepeller.com, whowhatwear.com What is your Lifestyle? Choose fabrics that work with your lifestyle Know your industry standards for dress Take into account mode of transportation, whether you run hot or cold and other details What is your Budget and Shopping Style? Select stores where you feel comfortable
Personal Style Basics (cont.) What Colors Flatter You? What prints do you like? What are Your Style No-No s? Identify styles and cuts that are not you and don t waste time browsing them Which items are hard to find / achieve a good fit? Know your fit issues, and how to remedy them Spend more to invest in items that are hard to find Start your shopping trips by looking for these hard-to-find items What s as important as shopping and wardrobe organization? EDITING Only accept hand-me-downs if you LOVE the piece Do not buy things simply because they are a good deal
5 Simple Style-Improvements 1. Alter it Fit is EVERYTHING 2. Accessorize it scarves, jewelry, hair accessories, handbags, hosiery, hats, footwear 3. Update it making an outfit fresh and current by incorporating ontrend details Ex. Adding a faux fur scarf or collar to a classic wool coat 4. Rotate It incorporate a different handbag, boots, shoes than your every-day go-to s from what you already own 5. Beautify it don t forget to think about your hair and make-up!
Alterations Guide Stilista s Favorite Alterations Business: Best Fit, 268 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116 617-266-4490 www.bestfitinc.com Appointment recommended! Rule #1: Keep alterations simple - Hemming Sleeve shortening / lengthening Take sides in/ let sides out (blouses, jackets) Take back waistband in Take in seat of pants Rule #2: Trust your tailor, but communicate your preferences clearly Rule #3: Compare the anticipated alterations cost with the price of replacing the garment
Alterations Guide (cont.) Common Fit Issues: Tall body types: Lengthen pants / sleeves check if there is enough fabric reserve (seek out tall sizes to get proper overall length / rise proportions Shorter body types: Hem pants / shorten sleeves Petites: look for Petite sizes to ensure proper proportions and adjust fit with alterations Pear-shapes and ample behinds with small waists: Jeans and trousers often gap in the back waist easy take-in alteration.
Accessorizing Demo Belts Waist belts vs. hip belts Best belt shopping: J Crew (thin belts) Anthropologie (stretchy options) TJ Maxx / Marshalls Nordstrom Rack, Lucky Necklaces Long necklaces elongate torso, create a focal point, breaks up a lot of one color Statement necklaces add color / detail, express individual style, dress up basic tops, great for head shots Layering choose pieces that have similar scale of beads or links, have continuity with metal color, avoid pieces that will tangle
Accessorizing Demo (cont.) Earrings Coordinate earrings with necklaces, rings and bracelets instead of matching no more sets! Use studs and drops to coordinate with necklaces, use larger, more colorful styles to wear on their own Rings / Bracelets Large cocktail rings are great for going day to night Avoid bangles / charm bracelets in conservative work places Best jewelry shopping: www.baublebar.com, www.stelladot.com/stilista, Banana Republic, Anthropologie, TJ Maxx Scarves Difference between outdoor and indoor scarves Easy and stylish ways to tie scarves Shapes: square, rectangular, oversize, infinity loop
Easy Updates Quality Updates Get a favorite coat or pair of boots professionally cleaned / pressed Mend minor rips and pulls utilizing a tailor Shoes and boots resoled Change out shoe laces in laced footwear De-pill / lint roll knits Repair coat or handbag lining utilizing a tailor Style Updates Add a new color / texture scarf to an older coat Hair consult -> new hair cut or color Make-up lesson Update hosiery opaque, patterned, colors, fleece-lined Experiment with a new shoe / boot style: Ankle boots Mid-calf flat boots Hidden wedge flats (J Crew Cecelia flats)
Rotating Wardrobe Items Most Common Issue Forgetting about items, buying things and never figuring out how to wear them! Solutions Organize your wardrobe to: Only contain things you wear and enjoy Pack up off-season and sizes you may revisit in boxes, label and store elsewhere in your house Haven t worn it in 6-12 months there is always a reason! Get rid of pieces that do not flatter your body type / don t represent your personal style Make every clothing and accessory item clearly visible Take the time to change handbags, coats, shoes to wear items you overlook Experiment with combining pieces differently Outfit Building Session! Do not pigeon-hole items as just work or casual many can do double duty!
Using Work / Casual Items Differently + + + = Daytime Weekend Look (Swap out the tee for a scoop neck silky shell and add heels to transition the look to evening!) + + + = Holiday Gathering Outfit Start mixing by identifying your work and casual favorites! ------------------------------------------------------------
Hair and Make-Up Develop a hair and make-up routine that works with your lifestyle! Always on the go keep make-up kit in the car, Trish McEvoy kits for purse. Other good tools: nail polish remover wipes, travel size brush / hair spray. Hard-to-style hair choose a hair style that allows for short cuts, like putting it up or partially styling. Consider a keratin-type treatment for busy times, wash every 2-3 days. Problem skin choose products that address skin issues, double-duty products like BB Creams Make-up lessons: Neiman Marcus, Boston make appointment through the store personal shopper, complimentary lessons with minimal product purchase (Stilista favorites: Chantecaille (sensitive skin), Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier, Trish McEvoy) Sephora- 60-minute lesson with $50 minimal purchase, 90-minute lesson with $125 minimal purchase by appointment ------------------------------------------------------------
Classic vs. Trendy - Choose what you like and what flatters your body, not what s trendy - Most business wear is classic - Look for ways to incorporate trends you like in the details of your look: accessories, hosiery, hair style Most Likely to Look Dated: * Jeans * Leather pieces * Very specific / off the cuff silhouettes (e.g. harem pants) Items that Never Go Out of Style: * Trench coats * Silk scarves * Button-down shirts / silk blouses * Structured leather bags * Straight-leg pants * Single-breasted wool coats * Pencil and A-line skirts ------------------------------------------------------------
Stilista s Tried-and-True Shopping Guide Store suggestions: If you like Ann Taylor (M) Try White House Black Market (M), BCBG ( Banana Republic (M) Club Monaco (M- U), Zara (B M) J Crew (M) French Connection (M U) Lord&Taylor (M U) Nordstrom / Nordstrom Rack (M U / B) Ann Taylor Loft (M) Anthropologie (M U) Pricing guide: U = Upscale, M = Moderate, B = Bargain ------------------------------------------------------------
Stilista s Tried-and-True Shopping Guide Store-specific deals and specials Store Banana Republic (M) Deal 40% off any one full-priced item every Wednesday J Crew (M) Periodically offer 25% off all inventory (30% off for J Crew cardholders) or all full price items, 40% off sale items at season s end Lord&Taylor (M U) 20 25% off coupons mailed to those on their list, lots of other deals Saks (U) Friends and Family sales 20 25% off most items, double or triple Saks points Zara & Anthropologie (B-M & M U) Very generous end of season sales Sign up to receive mailings / email alerts from your favorite stores Keep in mind that end of season for retail is usually 1.5 months from the actual end of the season ------------------------------------------------------------
Stilista s Tried-and-True Shopping Guide Did you know? Store Nordstrom / Nordstrom Rack / Kohl s Shopping Advantage Amazingly easy returns, no time limit, store credit if no receipt, return for any reason J Crew Order tall, petite or unavailable sizes to ship to your home while you are in the store and they ship free Saks Your favorite Saks associate can help you shop the entire store, regardless of in which department he / she is based GAP / Banana Republic If the item you bought goes on sale within 2 weeks of purchase, you can come in with your receipt and get a price adjustment ------------------------------------------------------------
Questions? Or, let s chat one-on-one afterwards.. ------------------------------------------------------------