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Sweaters can be cozy, comfy and warm, and like a rich hot chocolate they have the potential to pack on the pounds. I have a trick for a slimming hot chocolate - that tastes much better than the fat free beauty contestant variety shown in Miss Congeniality. AND I know a few ways to make your cozy sweater look 100% more flattering. First the sweater magic... Length matters! Watch the hem lengths on wrists and waist. A traditional sleeve length should end at the wrist bone when the arm is bent. If too long or too short, push the sleeves up. If the sleeves don’t want to stay pushed up, opt for another sweater or keep the sleeves in place with an elastic band. Put an elastic over the sleeve and billow the sweater over to camouflage it. If the sleeves are constantly hanging on your hand, you can risk looking like a child wearing your parent’s clothes.   Contrasting colors at your widest place will make you look wider. The eye is drawn to contrast, instead of the bottom hem hitting at the widest part of your hip, try a partial tuck at the waist, or wear a belt over the sweater and blouse slightly. Matching your pants with your sweater generally eliminates the contrast and will be figure-flattering as well. Or choose a sweater that’s more fitted at the waist with built-in blousing, this style also works well to minimize a tummy bulge.  Texture matters! Pay attention to the texture. Wait what really is texture? (And when are we going to talk about color? lol) Texture describes the body and surface of fabric. Textures may be rough or smooth, coarse or fine, thin or bulky, heavy or light, or any combination of these characteristics. Heavy, bulky, rough, and/or coarse textures can add more visual weight. Fine, lighter-weight textures can reduce visual weight.  The texture created by a pattern knitted into the fabric can also influence the visual affect. It has been said that vertical lines are slimming and wide lines make you look wider. This is not exactly true. Wide lines, whether vertical or horizontal can add visual mass. If you tend to be bottom-heavy, this is a good thing! Go bold with a cable knit sweater or other pattern that includes horizontal textural lines knitted into the shoulders and chest. But as a general rule, and especially if you tend to be top-heavy, look for sweaters with narrower vertical lines, or diagonal lines are even better.  Color, of course, matters! In general, darker, duller colors will minimize and make you appear smaller. Lighter, brighter colors will have the opposite affect. They can make you appear larger. One last disclaimer, it's not only what you wear, it's how you wear it! Rules can be broken...the principles above may be adjusted slightly based on your figure type or body build. Not sure what that is? Let me enlighten you with my comprehensive Fab Fit course - now offered for men and women. You will learn not only your figure type (what) but also the how and why to create your version of the ideal using classic styling principles so that you will know exactly how to start the new year looking taller, slimmer, and leaner. Happy New Year! Slimmed Down Hot Chocolate, my FAVE! And for the better than hot chocolate - hot chocolate…take a scoop of Mountain Ops chocolate protein powder, add one cup of warm water. Mix with a frother, (I know mind blown), until it’s frothy goodness nearly overflows the mug. Then pop it back into the microwave for 30 seconds until it’s hot enough to drink but not too hot that proteins clump together. Enjoy your protein-packed reward for being smart and stylish.
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Are accessories worth adding to an outfit? Here's how to make them work for your figure & style type11/20/2024 Accessories are like frosting on the cake. They take any look and step it up a notch. Like frosting on a cake, you can sweeten your look with accessories.
Well chosen accessories that enhance your PERSONAL STYLE will NEVER BE OUT OF STYLE. Want to delve deeper to discover the details of your personal style? YOU'LL LOVE LEARNING YOUR NEW LANGUAGE OF STYLE HERE. As a fashion coach, I teach people to organize their closets in a way that gets them dressed quick and out the door looking amazing. I have been in A LOT of closets! These are a few easy costume ideas based on what you may already have lurking in your closet. Do you own a white t-shirt? Jeans? Striped top? Black yoga pants? Anything fuzzy and furry looking? How about a new (or old is even better) barn coat? If yes to any of the above, I've got a great last minute costume you can throw together quick and get out the door looking appropriate and amazing! (Click on any of the images for shopping links.)  Dad Joke Do you have a white t-shirt? A decent knowledge of corny jokes? Write them down on a big t-shirt, barrel jeans work great here as well, add a pillow (unless you have a baby bump), maybe a mustache and trucker hat and you’re all set to be classic dad joke. My favorite dad joke: What does a mermaid use to clean her clothes? Tide - hahahahahahaha  Mime If you prefer to be understated, and not have to talk much, this one is perfect for you. Black and white striped tee? Black yoga pants? Turn it into a mime costume with white gloves from the dollar store, black and white face paint and maybe a beret. Ballet flats work great if you have them and voilà!  Fly Guy Wear your black pants, black shirt, and glasses. Go and grab some foam core from the grocery store and this fly guy costume is all yours! This was one of my kid's favorite books because the fly would talk your ear off - it always sounded like buzzzzz. Here's a link to the book if you're in what all the buzz surrounding Fly Guy is all about.  Cheetah Fuzzy sweater and/or anything animal print - just get yourself some ears and take a walk on the wild side. This one is subtle, tried and true and never fails. Feel free to add a tail or a hunter (below).  Hunter One of the Fall trends I’m seeing is a barn coat. Add a newsboy cap, shirt and tie, simple pants and tall boots (wellies will do brilliantly). This one is great if you have a hunting dog as an accessory, and a nerf gun wouldn't hurt. What to wear when the mountains say Fall, but the temps say Summer? Would you rather be outside soaking up the last sunny days before winter hits instead of changing your closet out for winter weather? The weather hasn’t quite committed to being cold all of the time, we get warm days with cooler mornings and evenings. And you may not be ready to take all of the light-weight summer pieces out of your closet yet. Here’s what to do before you’re ready to truly commit to winter-wear. Oh and be sure to check out my shopping links for cluster/capsule shown above HERE.
There’s no need to do a full closet clean-out for winter yet. Get out and enjoy the beautiful fall weather by tweaking just a few things to look and feel perfect for the season by adapting your summer-wear for cooler Fall temps. Winter revamps for October and November are filling up fast! 
 It’s back to school week and you’ve got enough to do without thinking about ironing your clothes. Here’s what to do instead: SMOOTH FABRICS WITH YOUR HANDS DIRECTLY OUT OF THE WASHER OR DRYER
Looking for more ways to save time getting ready for your day? You'll love my course on how to create efficient clusters / capsules in your closet that help your get ready quick and out the door looking amazing! Learn more HERE!
 Are you thinking of trying out tennis core? Not sure what tennis core is? Without sounding redundant, it’s preppy, sporty clothing with a 1970’s era tennis styling at it’s core. (By the way, I’m not sure who decided to put the word core behind every new trend lately but we’re going with it.) It may include white stripes or trim next to saturated, yet slightly muted colors like tomato red, hunter green, navy and white. The style gives a definite Steve Prefontaine vibe. I’ve seen it looking lovely on some and not so lovely on others. So I’m here to offer some guidance on how to make it work well for you! If tennis, golf, pickleball or cute short skirts are your thing see below. If not, skip down to see how to incorporate tennis core style into everyday looks. 1. Look for the line placement - Make sure horizontal lines don’t cross at your widest place.
2. Get the right amount of support - we gotta lift the girls
How to get the tennis core look for everyday style Look for classic pieces, those that fit and flatter most figure types. Polos and V-neck sweaters with a striped detail give country club vibes in a classy tennis core way. Add drapey-fabric pleated pants and you will have aced the look. Here are a few suggestions:
Not every new trend is for every person. Are you wondering how to pick and choose which new trend to adopt? Which one works best for your personal style? Then you will love my personal style session where we build a road map that defines where to spend your money and where to watch the teenagers become regrettable fashion victims instead. See the full TENNIS CORE catalog HERE!  Believe it or not, just as people have different figure types and face shapes, with only a few who are actually ideal, the same goes for feet and ankles! There are wide feet, narrow feet, wide ankles, slim ankles, with every variation in between. So if you happen to have wide feet and/or ankles, which is great for balance, but looks less than ideal, you’re in the right place. If you happen to have narrow feet, and choose to fill them out slightly, you’re in the right place. If you would like to know which style of shoes will make your legs look longer, yes, you are in the right place! You only have to remember that the Height x Direction x Width = the perfect sandal, (the HxDxW also works when measuring furniture btw). Be sure to check out the shopping links for my top summer sandal picks at the end. 1. Height - Even a little heel lifts the look, lengthens the leg and narrows the foot.
Vamp is not short for vampire. The vamp relates to the rise on the sandal, how high it comes up on your foot, and affects how long your legs look. The higher the vamp, the shorter the leg appears when the top of the shoe is exposed. When worn with cropped pants, ankle pants or skirts, the legs appear shorter. If you love your high vamp shoe and want the illusion of longer-looking legs, pair them with pants or skirts that cover the top of the vamp.
2. Direction - Pay attention to the line direction of the straps. Diagonal and vertical lines can be more slimming than horizontal lines as they tend to narrow the foot, If you're looking to widen your foot, choose horizontal lines on the straps instead of vertical or diagonal.
3. Width - The width of the straps is like the stripes on your shirt. Narrow stripes appear to narrow and lengthen, while wide stripes appear to widen.
When the shoes don't work, it doesn’t matter how great the rest of the outfit is, the look is off. When choosing the right shoe for your foot remember the basic measuring principles of H x D x W and you’ll have the right shoe for your foot and your look every time. Click HERE or the image below for my top summer sandal picks.   What you wear affects your mood. You can’t be amazing if you don’t feel amazing & your clothes affect how you feel. If you find yourself looking through the clothes in your closet in the morning saying, no, no, that doesn’t fit, hate that, that was a gift, not my style, too hot, too dressy, too casual, no, no, no. This takes too much time, and it’s also a negative start to an otherwise lovely day. By decluttering and letting go of clothes that no longer serve you, you can lift your mood every time you go to get dressed. Breaking emotional attachments to clothes can be challenging, but here are some strategies to help:
If reminders of a heavy past are weighing you down every time you go to get dressed, and you need a little extra assistance, I'm here help. Learn more about a cleansing, refreshing, wardrobe evaluation HERE. Oh and Mother's love a closet refresh even more than flowers!
 What you wear is heavily influenced by the weather. Let’s face it, all of your best plans for that fail-proof, always-look-great outfit can be easily foiled if the weather takes a turn in an unexpected direction. It’s that time of year to expect the unexpected. I still have gloves and a hat at the ready in case it decides to snow, as well as sunglasses and sunscreen if and when the sun decides to frequent the moment. When the trees are blooming with pastels, bright colored tulips, and daffodils are popping up, who wants to go back to wearing heavy, dark winter clothes? These conditions naturally put a spring in our step and change our attitudes about the clothes we are drawn to. It’s time to dress like a Spring if you’re into that kind of thing. Here’s how to be in the moment, look and feel as spectacular as the blossoms, and still be comfy when it’s cool. Focus on the colors of Spring in medium-weight fabrics. What are the colors of Spring? Lighter, brighter, warmer colors. Those colors help us to feel youthful, nurturing, and romantic. When you wear them in all-season fabric weights and even heavier weight fabrics you’ll look and feel like Spring without having to compromise being warm. For more on what colors communicate, especially pastel pink, check out this post.  Easy to layer, soft cozy sweater, that also happens to have the perfect color name - Spring Blush! Layer it up All-season fabric weights can be chilly on a cloudy, 20 mph wind day….unless you layer with a windbreaker. Thin layers insulate one another as they are trapped under a windbreaker and keep you warm. A button-up shirt is a great solution. For more tips, check out my Layering 101 post.  Linen shirts - warm enough for cooler weather with a sweater over or roll up the sleeves when the glorious sun does come out. Keep a few cozy comforts at the ready. These are things I might keep in my car glove box until it’s actually summer just in case I’m caught in a cold rain or wind tunnel. Umbrella there’s a reason they say April showers, socks in case it’s cold to show your ankles in those trendy loafers, gloves when your fingers are cold, you’re cold, and a warm knit hat to keep the heat in. And when that glorious sun does make an appearance I would keep the sunscreen, chapstick with spf and maybe a brimmed hat handy.  Be ready for every and anything while looking seasonally appropriate with the right, bright colors and adjustable fabric weights. Speaking of changing seasons...is your closet ready for a Spring Clean & to put a spring in your step with some fresh new looks? I'm just a click away.
 If you've ever driven the streets of Boston, you know they are anything but intuitive. They’re winding, crooked streets that are often one-way and sometimes change names halfway through. There is a complete lack of any grid structure or logical system. Do you know why? According to Robert Fritz’s book, The Path of Least Resistance, a common legend says the streets in Boston were just paved over the cow paths that were there when the first settlers showed up. So the street system in Boston was essentially designed by cows and not humans. Why? Because it was the path of least resistance. On two levels, first, the cows were actually taking the paths of least resistance as they were walking around, up and down the hills, and the humans took the path of least resistance and just paved over those cow paths to make the streets. Do you ever feel like you are taking the path of least resistance when you get dressed in the morning? Ever feel lost in your closet? Can you relate to one or more of the following?
"The way you dress affects the way YOU think, the way YOU feel, the way YOU act. It also affects the way OTHERS react or respond to you." - Judith Rasband How would it feel to wake up, look in your closet, and love everything? To feel motivated and energized by the clothes you put on? When all of the clothes fit your figure, allow you to feel great for many different occasions, and are in harmony with your coloring and style…. your clothes become motivating instead of draining, energizing instead of fatiguing, and open up new opportunities instead of boxing you into a corner. Getting each day off to a great start doesn't need to be so complicated! I'm here to provide a little help to get a wardrobe designed for maximum efficiency so that you can get out the door quick, looking amazing, ready to focus more on people and purpose and less on if you wore the right thing. |
Dani SlaughImage consultant and personal stylist. Dani is happily married, the mother of 3 charming children, and an Aussie named Josie Wales. Archives
December 2024
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