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!

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. 

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.

​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:

• Visualize the Benefits of Letting Go: Imagine the freedom and space you'll gain by decluttering and letting go of clothes that no longer serve you. Focus on the positive aspects of simplifying your wardrobe. What would it feel like to go to the closet and quickly pick out what you’re going to wear that day and feel confident that it is perfect for the occasion? 
• Create New Memories: Shift your focus from the past to the present and future. Create new memories and experiences in clothes that you wear and enjoy now. 
• I believe in you…you can let some things go and as you do, Practice Gratitude: Express gratitude for the role that your clothes played in your life, but also recognize that it's okay to let go and make space for new experiences and opportunities.
• Remember, it's normal to feel attached to certain items, but letting go can lead to personal growth and a sense of liberation.

Fill your closet with daily energy by clustering: 

• Find a source of inspiration that brings you joy! – a pattern of colors in a print, stripe, or plaid – to inspire the color scheme of your cluster. 
• Plan for 5 to 8 easy pieces of clothing – top and bottom pieces.
• Select pieces that are basic – simple in style lines and shape.
• Select pieces that go together –will work with at least three, four, or more other pieces.
• Select pieces that are distinctly different from one another – no two pieces are alike, not yet.
• Select accessories to go with the clothes – essential basic accessories first.
• Make a list of missing items
• Shop to gradually expand your cluster(s) – to meet all your wardrobe needs.​

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. 

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.

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.  

Traveling to a cool place this winter? Why wouldn't you? Winter is a great time to avoid the crowds and get discounts on travel. Sounds like fun fun fun until you find yourself having to pack for the trip! Did you know that packing for vacation is most people's LEAST FAVORITE THING TO DO? That's right, it ranks as high as public speaking and going to the dentist on people's hate-to-do-list. And winter travel can be even more challenging with weighty fabrics.  So is it possible to pack everything you need to be warm without packing a jumbo suitcase or multiple jumbo suitcases?  It’s easy to pack small when you’re taking swimsuits and flip-flops, but jackets? No way. What if I told you it’s possible to have over 20 different cool weather looks in a carry-on? Impossible you say? Prepare to learn my method for the impossibly possible. (Check out the shopping links and video at the end.)

2.    Plan the clothes. What does your itinerary look like? Plan 10-15 simple basic pieces that mix and match to accommodate all of the fun included in your agenda. (With a few extra looks for whatever else might come up.) I will usually include 2-3 jackets in this mix - one more dressy, and one more casual. 8 tops and 5 bottoms. Wear the most bulky pieces on the flight to maximize the clothing space in your carry-on. Layering is key! With each item you add, ask yourself these two questions: does it work with 2-3 other things & can I layer it? If the answer is no, chances are it doesn't add value to your carry-on.  See all of the looks I created with the pieces above, with shoppable links, HERE. 
Pro stylist tip:  Cool weather game changers include tights or stockings (that you could layer under everything if needed), gloves, a warm hat, a stuffable windbreaker, and a blanket scarf. If you need a heavy coat, take one that compresses down. The first 4 take up minimal space but can make a huge difference in cooler weather. Wear the blanket scarf on the flight to double as a blanket when you’re cold.

3.    Don’t forget a tote bag that slips over the rolling carry-on. This bag should include anything you might need to have overnight and the next day.  It’s not uncommon for you to get to the gate with your rolling carry-on and tote bag only to be asked to check the rolling carry-on.  Once in a while these little bags get lost and you find yourself on vacation waiting 2-3 days for your bag to show up.  Yes, you may be able to track it but being able to see where it’s at almost makes the waiting-for-it-to-get-to-you game all the more painful.  Pack the essentials for at least the first day in the tote just in case this worst-case scenario happens to you.

How to pack warm clothes in an itty bitty bag and still have enough pieces for a variety of occasions is the classic conundrum.  A strategy that includes lots of layers, wearing bulkier items on travel days, and smart footwear will have you traveling light AND prepared for the little emergencies life may throw at you. Speaking of which, you will love this post on how to be ready for any and everything while traveling here. 

PACKING FOR WINTER VACATION IN A CARRY-ON WITH GOOD THINGS UTAH

There’s that word I’m hearing everywhere. Vulnerable, lately it's used in a positive way such as, “I appreciate your vulnerability.” And,  “if I can be vulnerable, I can start the process of healing.” It’s generally used as a term for a weakness, one you have the courage to admit to having, when in a safe environment. Or used as a way to show you are human, and somehow relatable, approachable with a degree of humility, because like everyone else, you have flaws.  Where there are appropriate times to be vulnerable, there are also times when we need to be strong and resilient. Because what you wear affects your mindset and therefore your actions, choose the colors you wear strategically. Turns out, you may need both this February! If you're vulnerable to seasonal depression, like me, one surefire way to become more resilient is to wear the right colors. Here's how: 

​Soft and muted colors like pastel tones, pinks light blues, or gentle greens are often associated with vulnerability, conveying a sense of openness and sensitivity.

The same principle applies to clothing colors. A bold strong red is more dominant - wear when you need to feel and appear more reliant.   The subordinate and more vulnerable soft pink - is a great way to show your more sensitive side. 

A darker, more saturated green is infinitely more strong than a softer pastel green - despite the expression on "soft green guy's" face.  (Is that an I'm annoyed expression or smolder? Not sure...)

Still wondering which colors appear more sensitive and vulnerable vs. bold and resilient? Maybe the blues below will help. 

Vulnerable is good at times, but prepare to be bold as well if you're going to conquer the world! In the end, it pays to have a variety of clothes in your wardrobe that represent you well for the different occasions you find yourself in.  Finding the right color for you is not only about skin tone and hair color. It's also about how the colors you put on make you feel. For a comprehensive color analysis that includes the psychology of color AND your personal coloring (skin, hair, eye, lips, blush color) AND the colors that transition well into every season, contact me HERE. 

The studio is prepped, the color sort cards are spread out, and workbooks are ready to dive into when my clients walk in.  Two women who couldn’t be more different from each other.  (I’ll call them June and Jane to protect their privacy.) June is the younger of the two, in her late 20’s, petite, dark brown hair with some cranberry highlights and hazel green eyes.  Jane is around 50, tall, with thick blonde hair, blue eyes, and full lips that would have been colored bright pink if I hadn’t told her not to wear make-up. It seemed fairly obvious that the two were not related.  So the natural question comes up, “how did you two meet?” The answer was the last thing I expected to hear, “in prison.” June was serving for drug-related charges and Jane was her mentor, having gone through similar experiences in her youth. My next question was, “why did you come to me?” “We never had a positive motherly figure to learn from. This kind of thing just doesn’t come natural to us.”
​Have you ever felt alone in your personal style journey? Where those who are influential in your life either have no clue or are built so differently from you that what works for them couldn’t possibly work for you? You’re not alone. ​Countless others are clueless as to what works for them and what doesn't. Here are my top 3 solutions after working with hundreds of polished style wanna-bes (as a professional stylist/image consultant). 
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1.   KNOW YOUR COLOR PALLETTE
​The truth is, you can wear any color when worn in combination with your personal colors. The colors you wear everyday on and around your face: your hair, skin, eye, and blush coloring. With a defined set of color swatches, you will understand how to enhance your most stunning features, look age appropriate and UNIQUELY YOU. Not exactly like Mom, or Dad, not like the most popular kid in high school, or the most followed influencer, but looking like who YOU were always meant to be. You can study your personal coloring yourself and over time get really good and matching your own colors, see how HERE. Or you can come in for a consult and get your physical color swatches that eliminate any doubt as to the colors that will light you up (in the best possible way).  Details HERE.
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2.    EMBRACE YOUR FIGURE TYPE OR BODY BUILD
In my family, we have four women. Since we’re all related, one would assume that we could wear the same shapes in clothes.  But in reality, nothing would be further from the truth.  What works for Mom’s hipless shape doesn’t always flatter mine, and my sister’s broad shoulders rarely fit into my button-up fitted shirts. Knowing your shape and how to create your version of the ideal opens up options you never knew existed in your world of “it looks better on her than it does on me”. To get a rough understanding of your body shape, take a measuring stick and line it up from your shoulder joint to the outside of your hip.  You will be able to see if your shoulders and hips are balanced over one another or if one is fuller than the other, creating some imbalance. See how HERE. For even more accuracy and an understanding of how to create the illusion of the ideal, book a session HERE.
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3.  DEFINE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE
Your personal style is a presentation of your inner values through your physical appearance. The difficulty is how to reflect your innate brilliance within on the outside, in a positive, true-to-you way that breeds confidence in others. My client, Karen, is a tall, blonde, blue-eyed very dominant woman. After getting to know her a bit, you could tell in an instant that the short sundress with the tiny pale flowers was terrible for her. But when she pulls out the dusty blue neoprene sheath dress with an abstract pattern, it’s obvious that the dress appears to be made specifically for her and her personality. She kept saying, “it’s neoprene!! I have to keep it!” In reality, the fabric, pattern, color and shape all worked in harmony with her personality and therefore her personal style. She looked polished, which was her personal style word. Through identifying and writing down the lines, shapes, colors, textures, and patterns that reflect not only who you are but who you strategically want to become, you will be able to define your own personal style. Or create personal style clarity sooner when working with me in a one-on-one session to create your unique style map. Choosing clothes that represent THE BEST IN YOU will become a breeze! Details HERE.
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Regardless of where you are in your true-to-you style journey, which by the way is constantly evolving, a little tune-up is never a bad thing. Especially when we are all reevaluating our hopes and dreams for a fresh new year. Book a free 15 minute call with me HERE to learn how you can break the cycle of inadequate style role models. 

P.S.   If you have worked with me in the past, you still have access to my Member’s Only online portal with video tutorials, workbooks, and continually updated motivation to help you keep the momentum going in your journey to style success, pushing you toward success in all areas of your life.  Take advantage of this free opportunity now! More robust content will be launching on April 1, 2024, when members will be allowed continued access for $7/month. GET your free ACCESS HERE until April 1st.

I see it all the time. That section in the closet of clothes you wear once a year, for the holidays. But when the holidays come around, those special occasion pieces often stay buried beneath the dust that’s been accumulating for years. Or they resurge in December and appear hopelessly dated. It’s time to learn from our mistakes! When you pick up something you’re going to wear for the holiday, ask yourself if it would also feel wonderful for another occasion such as New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, a winter wedding, dressy dinner party, etc. If the answer is no, it better be special enough to be dust resistant in the years to come. Below are some guidelines for classic pieces to look for.  Be sure to check out my catalog for shopping links.

Jewel tones with a touch of shine. Matching the top and bottom adds to the elongating effect.

Work the unexpected winter whites. Play up the gold accessories and touch of sparkle in the top.

Take a cue from the classic tuxedo with feminine styling.

A winter midi length dress with tall boots keeps the legs warm, slim, and elegant.

And if we must we must…go for the plaid shirt that has a face framing ruffle collar. Pair it with slim straight cords or denim jeans that will prove to be dust resistant for sure!

Are you or do you know someone who seems to be more at home in warm weather climates than cold? You know that person who has tons and tons of summer or all-season clothes with an itty bitty winter section? Is it possible that you or “your friend” is layering deficient an underdeveloped layerer?  If it’s cold, layering is good. It satisfies one of our basic needs of being warm.  That doesn’t mean it has to look forced.  Here’s how to do it with style. (Feel free to pass this onto “your friend” who needs a little layering education.)

1.  FIT - Wear more fitted pieces under less fitted or bigger-sized pieces. This one may seem obvious, but when it’s a piece you really really like, you may be tempted to wear it even if it doesn’t work. Like that sweater you love but fits a bit snug? Best to wear something very fitted under it or nothing at all.  Otherwise the shirt will be bulky under the sweater and cause it to bag out in awkward places. Same goes for vests.  Be sure the shirt below the vest has a smaller arm hole than the vest.

2.  FABRIC WEIGHTS - Layer lighter weight pieces under heavier weights. Have you ever noticed that a silk blouse over a sweater appears off? The reason is that the layered weights don’t make sense.  You know it’s wrong but may not know why.  Now you know! WARNING: advanced stylist tip coming… Beware of the visual weight, or the illusion that the fabric is heavy due to the texture of the fabric, even though it is actually lighter weight. You’ll want to make sure the visually weighty piece is layered over something that visually appears lighter weight.

3.  PATTERNS - Mixing patterns can be a daring endeavor which is why some people will avoid it at all costs.  When done right, the effect can be a harmoniously creative expression that will set you apart from the pack.  It doesn’t have to be too complicated.  Just remember that matchy-matchy is good in terms of color.  You want the patterns to have at least one color in common.  And matchy-matchy is not good in terms of the size of the pattern.  You want to pair small-scale patterns with medium to large.  Small-scale with small-scale will fight (and make you appear grade schoolish), medium with medium, large with large not good. Instead go with a small-scale pattern with a medium-scale, medium with large, etc.

No more excuses. You are now permitted to own more layers than a puffy coat because there is officially a cure for being an underdeveloped layerer.  You only need to put this new-found knowledge into action. Implementation is the key to surviving in a style starved cold weather climate.  I believe in you! Should you need a little extra support in your layering quest, I'm just a click away.