Fashion Essentials Archives

Build your wardrobe to break down like this–70% classics, 20% novelty and 10% trend. The classic pieces in your wardrobe should include items like solid colored cardigans, pencil skirts, black pants, dark denim and white shirts. These classics will serve as your fashion foundation and easily allow you to mix and match with the other items in your wardrobe. The 20% novelty should be represented by items like patterned blouses, print skirts and fashion blazers. And the 10% trend are styles, silhouettes and colors that are hot for the season–items like patterned pants, novelty sweaters and print dresses.

Know what styles look best on you. Try on the things you have at home to get a feel for the styles and silhouettes that look best on you and accentuate the parts of your body you like most. Then head to the store and try on more clothes. The more time you spend getting comfortable with your personal style the more confident you’ll feel when shopping and wearing the pieces you buy.

Buy quality fibers and materials and AVOID ACRYLIC. Cotton, wool, cashmere, linen, silk and flannel are always good fabric choices and will stand up to long-term wear and care. Fabrics like acrylic and polyester usually show their wear within a season through pilling and surface shine. When buying cashmere, buy the best quality you can (if you pull the fabric and is doesn’t spring back its a lesser quality).

When buying novelty or trend pieces, buy complete outfits. Novelty and trend clothing is usually designed to represent a hot color or pattern of the season, so it’s important to buy different pieces in that color family so that you have items that work together long term.

Buy key pieces at the end of each season to build your fashion foundation and save money. The end of the spring and summer season is a great time to buy tanks, cami’s and layering tees. At the end of the fall and winter season look for light weight cardigans, blazers and denim. One of your best sources for clothing pre-season is outlet malls which typically have items 3 months before the season begins.

Organize the clothes in your closet by category and then by color within each category. This will help you see what you have, identify core items you need to purchase and help you stay organized.

If you are wearing a loose fitting top pair it with a slimmer fitting pant. Likewise, if you are wearing a wide leg pant, pair it with a slimmer top. Wear clothing that gives you a balanced appearance and avoid an all-over baggy look.

Don’t buy over-sized clothing thinking it will make you look smaller. The area just under the bust is a woman’s smallest torso measurement, so emphasizing it with a structured waistband that hits higher than your natural waist will make you look a size smaller.

The most slimming fashion statement you can create is wearing one color head to toe.

Know your neckline. The neck and decolletage area can make or break how you look in a top. Figure out if you look best in a v-neck, crew-neck or other neckline. You want to accent this area to draw the eye to the face and help give you an overall leaner look.

Invest in an accessory wardrobe so you can add personality to your wardrobe. Scarves, belts, necklaces and earrings can turn a classic fashion piece into a fashion statement. When buying necklaces, buy pieces in different lengths so that you have pieces to work with a variety of neckline styles.

Save money on footwear by creating your own fancy flats. Buy flats in basic colors and then use inexpensive but stylish clip-on earrings to Up-Style them. Yard sales and thrift stores are a great source for cheap clip-on earrings.

To make your legs appear longer, wear shoes in the same color family as your skin-tone. Your legs and foot will create a seamless line and your legs will appear longer.

When buying denim, buy a pair that has a snug fit. Denim always stretches and buying a relaxed fit from the start will result in a baggy fit when the jeans stretch.

Wear jeans at least two times before washing. I’ve heard fashion experts say jeans should be worn 3 to 4 times between washes to maintain the fit and the color. To help with fading, turn jeans inside out when washing.

Never dry your bras in the dryer. Dryers will breakdown the elastic and underwire quickly and result in ill fitting bras. Wash bras on delicate in cold water and then hang them to dry.

If you spill something on your clothes, don’t rub the stain instead blot the stain. Rubbing can break down the fibers and actually embed the stain further into the fibers. p.s. this also goes for carpet stains–blot, don’t rub!

Alterations can be your best friend when it comes to fashion. Always buy clothing to fit the largest part of your body and then have the garment altered to fit where it is too big. Well fitting clothes actually make your clothes look more expensive and higher quality.

When packing for a trip, roll your clothing pieces instead of folding which will help cut down on wrinkles. It will also save space in your luggage.

A basic white tee is one the best fashion buys you can make. A white tee can be dressed up or down, worn with any color and can be layered under just about anything. When you find a tee that fits, buy 3 to 4 so you’ll have a fresh one when one wears out. Same goes for a well fitting pair of jeans.

Wear a t-shirt bra when you wear a t-shirts to keep your bust area smooth. It’s not a flattering look to see lace details or bra seams under a tee.

Wear the right color lingerie. Don’t wear a black bra if you are wearing a white blouse or top. Wear nude or natural lingerie with white, cream and lighter colors and wear black with darker tones.

Have several black pairs of pants in your closet that work with different heel heights. Hem a pair to work with flats and a pair to work with heels. An ‘all-purpose’ length will end up looking OK with some shoes and bad with others.

Always look at yourself in a black tee under light to make sure the fibers aren’t see-through. In many cases light-weight black fabrics have a see-through nature to them which may show up under light. If you are attending an event where photos will be taken, try on your outfit at home and have a couple of pictures taken of you. Check the photos to make sure you’re not exposing something you weren’t aware of.

Always check your rear view before leaving the house. Most of the time people look in the mirror before they leave the house to see how they look from the front but don’t always check the back. Make sure your clothes fit from all angles.

An inexpensive way to Up-Style an inexpensive blouse or blazer is by changing out the buttons. Pearlized, tone-on-tone and leather buttons are always a good option.

Wider belts are typically more flattering then thin belts. Wider belts pull your waist in and help define it.

Always keep an emergency kit in your handbag or car. The kits should include safety pins, double stick tape, a lint brush and a stain remover stick.

When in doubt, Overdress. In today’s world, jeans can be worn to just about any occasion but there’s nothing worse than showing up at an event under-dressed. If you don’t know what the dress code is, overdress. There’s no harm in looking too pulled together, but you’ll feel uncomfortable if you think you look out of place.

If you feel uncomfortable, you probably look uncomfortable! Your confidence is affected by what you’re wearing, as sad of a thought as that might be. So if you’re feeling self-conscious about your outfit, you’re likely to be tugging at it or double-checking that everything is in place all day and night. For instant confidence and a feel-good attitude, always opt to wear your favorite color…mine is red or something bright!

Take care of your footwear. I don’t know how many times I’ve been somewhere are seen someone dressed to the nines only to look down and see scuffed shoes or even worse, a heel with a missing cap.

Take photos of your favorite outfits (including jewelry) and hang them in your closet for easy reference. It’s always good to remember outfits that made you feel like a million bucks, especially if you’re trying to get dressed in a hurry.