 It's Thursday morning. The urgency you felt to get things done on Monday has long since worn off and a relaxing weekend seems like it will never come. As you go to get dressed, your mind races through your tasks for the day, things to do, people to see, places to go. What are you going to wear? What will the weather be like? Does this top work with these pants? Yes, it works with the pants but not with the jacket. And how about the shoes? These shoes work better with the other pants. But if you're meeting with a client today, you need to wear a jacket that only works with these pants. Or if you’re playing with the littles, will this top be long enough to cover your back-side when you bend over? And what about jewelry? My goodness! So much to consider. No wonder so many, including women, have resorted to wearing the same "uniform" every day. Yes, there are those who buy 10 of the same tops and 10 of the same bottoms and wear that every single day. Am I the only one who finds this incredibly boring and even stifling? Maybe if I felt exactly the same way every day or did exactly the same thing every day this would work. But that doesn’t fit my lifestyle. How about yours? There’s a way to simplify your wardrobe, simplify your day, and clear your mind for more important matters without wearing the same thing every day. This is what happens when you do... It’s Thursday morning. You’re already focused on the day ahead because you reviewed your to do list last night. You go to your closet. You are meeting with a client today, so you go to your business cluster. Or you’re playing with the kids today, so you go to your “kid friendly cluster”. Of the 5-8 clothing options, you select a top, bottom and jacket. You know they work together, they’re in the same cluster. Jewelry and shoes are hung with the cluster and not given a second thought. Your cluster has given you enough options to accommodate your mood, your role and goal for the day. There’s no need to store things you never wear! Creating clusters that fit your lifestyle gives you the framework to know what to keep, what to eliminate, and what to put on your shopping list. Taking a simple approach to your wardrobe looks like this… 
If your closet feels weighed down with clothes, like a mine shaft about to cave in and suffocate you, it's time for a wardrobe evaluation. It's time to take Thoreau's advise and simplify. This doesn't mean to throw everything out and start over! And it doesn't mean to wear the same thing every day. Incorporating smartly planned clusters into your wardrobe will give your closet and your mind a refreshing cleanse. Perfect for spring! Looking for a professional to tell you what to keep, what to get rid of, and how to cluster your clutter? Call/text 385.229.6297 or e-mail Dani@StyleByDani.com.
 I've had the opportunity to chat with many different lovely ladies this week. All with different occupations, economic levels and life phases, but all had the same thing in common. The late winter blues. It's February. The sun makes selective appearances but snow has been on the ground here since November, and spring still feels too far away... and no amount of Vitamin D can make it come any sooner! Let's face it, Happy Meals don't really make you happy in the long run. One of my favorite ways to feel more energized, (besides getting cleaned up and putting on something bright and cheery,) is to go to my happy playlist. I want to share a few of my no fail favorite tunes that get me feeling anything but blue. Hopefully it will help you too!
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Janglin Houndmouth - Sedona Diane Young - Vampire Weekend Get Up and Go - The Go Go's Lake Michigan - Rogue Wave Sing to Me Baby - Ryan Darton Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles The Wolves and the Ravens - Rogue Valley P.S. I'm always looking for new tunes to add to the list. What's your favorite blues busting song? (Comment below.) Are you looking to feel energetic, dynamic, bold? Wearing red will certainly help. It changed the way we view Adrian in the film Rocky! But what you wear can change the way you view yourself. When was the last time you went out wearing something that wasn't quite you? Or maybe not a finished you? Early last month, on a Saturday morning, my husband and I went to drop off the car to be serviced at the local dealership. My sleep was more important to me than doing my hair, make-up and let's face it, even getting dressed. It's not like I was going to see anyone, right? How often have you used that excuse? I would just be going from one car to the other, I rationalized. Plus it's winter and so easy to hide under a hat, coat and boots. So I slept on...and spent total of five minutes putting on my beehive beanie hat, glasses (who has time for contact lenses?), a trench coat, and big riding boots. I looked like Rocky's awkward and slightly nerdy Adrian, before the sexy girl makeover at the end of the film.  I hopped in the car, drove to the dealership and found the line....all those early risers who were lined up to be the first car serviced. And we were at the end of the line, in the garage with all of the others, who were outside of their cars, waiting for the next available service tech. I didn't want to leave the car, didn't want to go after a technician, didn't even dare venture to the popcorn machine (which happens to be my weakness)! And why? Because I looked terrible and it affected the way I felt about myself. Who cares if I saw someone I knew...my homely look affected the way I felt about myself. What's more important than that? When you're feeling insecure, it's all too easy to keep the focus on yourself instead of others and how you can help them! Your second skin, your clothing, does affect how you feel about yourself and how you appear and act towards others. So let's learn how to use it! Let's focus on the color red. It can make you feel amorous, for sure, but it can also signal other messages. First to you, the wearer, and then to others. What does wearing red say about you? When worn strategically, it could signal...  LOVE, PASSION, SENSUOUS  ACTION, ATHLETIC, DETERMINATION  ATTENTION, VITALITY  POWER, BOLD, BRAVE  FIRE, ENERGY, HEAT  DEFIANT, REBELLION  COMBAT, VIOLENCE, WAR  ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM, SPONTANEITY What is it that you're looking to say? The color you wear, combined with the other elements of design, will speak for you before you even say a word. So if you're feeling flat, you may want to try wearing the dynamic color of red. But it may have some other affects... first on you, then on those whose pleasure it is to see you.  Adrian at the end of the film Rocky. She's less awkward, more powerful, more sensuous and wearing RED.  https://www.ruggedmotorbikejeans.com/ Boot season is upon us! What's your favorite, most trusted pair of boots? The ones you could wear all day long and feel comfortable and oh so stylish? Are they short, medium or tall? Looking for the most slimming way to wear them? Keep reading then. I've spent hours breaking down the best and worst ways to wear short, mid-length, and knee length boots. You may learn something new. Short BootsWear longer pants. To create the illusion of longer, leaner legs, pants should reach the top of your boot.  Avoid showing skin between the hem and top of boots. Not only is it cold in the winter, but a narrow horizontal line is created, which shortens the leg.  Wear long skirts, they should end at the top of boot to visually lengthen the body.  Avoid mid-length skirts that put the focus in on the wider part of the calve, which is not exactly and asset for those of us who aren't supermodels.  Wear short flared skirts, knee length and above. The more space between the hem of your skirt and the top of your boot, the longer the leg appears. If the skirt is longer, and boot shorter, wear hosiery that is similar in color to the boots.
Mid-length Riding BootsWear with form fitting pants, a great way to balance larger hips.  Wear mid-length skirts or culottes. Attention goes to the silhouette of the clothing and not the widest part of the calve.
Avoid knee-length skirts that visually short the body with mid-length boots.
Knee Boots and Over the Knee BootsWear with form fitting pants that are a darker color with minimal or no pattern, and/or camouflage the hip curve with a longer layer.
Wear long boots with short skirts, dresses and jackets that end where the boot begins for a slimming effect on the leg. (They also do an amazing job of hiding that pasty white knee.)
Wear with longer skirts, especially those of the high/low variety...my personal favorites. This style is fabulous on virtually everyone!
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Dani SlaughImage consultant and personal stylist. Dani is happily married, the mother of 3 charming children, and an Aussie named Josie Wales. Archives
March 2023
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