01.29.08
Erin Stafford on MSN - How to Succeed in the Fashion Industry
Check out my latest quote on MSN. Its a great article about getting started in the fashion industry.
Enjoy!
01.28.08
South is the New North
I hear my clients talk all the time about how they used to be thin, or have bum, or have great breasts, and now everything has gone south. Well just like navy is the new black, and green is the new blue, south is the new north! Colors come in and out of fashion, and so do geographical directions.
We have to get out of thinking about ourselves as less than we used to be. So what if your boobs aren’t quite where they once were…that’s where great bras and garments like Spanx come in. If your hair has gone grey and you can’t wear all the bright colors you used to be able to pull off, don’t worry, think about all the new colors you can now wear.
Life is a journey and it’s about enjoying that journey. Going south doesn’t have to be one step away from the grave. Think about all the wonderful things that are south…South Africa, Australia, South America, southern food and hospitality, mardi gras, etc. If you feel everything on your body is going south, surprise people and wear a fabulous pair of shoes. That will give them something to look at!
Styles, fashions, trends, and ages ebb and flow. I say flow more than you ebb. Why not? It’s so much fun to go shopping, find that great outfit, pull yourself together, and look fabulous. Instead of walking around all day thinking about how everything is going south, think about the party you could have on a cruise in south America, or a cruise around the shoe department at Bloomingdales in a pair of Jimmy Choos!
01.23.08
Spring Trend - Color is Back in a Big Way
I know it’s hard to think about spring when we’re still in January, but this is the perfect time to start getting your spring wardrobe ready. The stores are filled with spring clothes, and shopping now will ensure that you find your size.
We’re seeing color coming back in a big way. From bold prints, to bright shoes and accessories, color is everywhere this spring.
Soft Coloring
(Low Contrast between hair and skin colors. Ex: light hair and light skin or dark hair and dark skin)
If your coloring is soft, be careful of the prints and colors you choose. You don’t want your clothing and accessories to upstage you. We want to look at your beautiful face, not your tropical printed orange shirt. Individuals with soft coloring should opt for lower contrast prints. This means instead of choosing a dress with a green and white print, choose one with a green and pink print. It will be less harsh than the higher contrast of green and white. Your coloring is soft, so your prints and color choices should not be too harsh.
Notice how this woman disappears in this dress. The contrast is too high and the pattern is too busy for her coloring.
These two dresses are more flattering on a person with soft coloring because their contrast is lighter. Gray and white is a nice option instead of black and white (but I would still like to see her in a smaller print), while the green and white print in the second dress doesn’t detract from her face.
Intense Coloring
(High Contrast between hair and skin colors. Ex: Light skin and dark hair or dark skin and light hair.)
If you have more intense natural coloring, you can get away with much more in terms of these bold colors and prints. Because you naturally have a high contrast in your hair and skin colors, you can wear higher contrasted prints and more intense colors. You should be completely in your element this season. Here are a two prints that would look great on you.
These prints are still bold, but they don’t completely overpower the women wearing them. Enjoy the colors and prints of the season, but keep in mind the color contrasts and prints in relation to your natural coloring when you’re out shopping. And as always, their are professional image consultants, personal shoppers, and stylists, like myself, that can help you make sense of all this.
01.17.08
10 Great Tips for Cleaning Out Your Closet
It’s a new year and it’s time to create a new you. If you’ve been wanting to update your image, but you don’t really know where to start, looking in your closet is a great first step. Once you organize, weed out, and see what you’ve got, figuring out what you’re missing is that much easier.
Getting dressed should not be stressful. But when your closet looks like this, it will be.
Think of how much easier dressing will be when you know where everything is, can see all your clothes, and the ones that are hanging in your closet actually fit.
Here are a few tips to remember when working through your closet:
1) Designate an area in your room for three piles: “keep,” “toss,” and “alterations.”
2) Start with your pants. Sift through your closet and drawers and find every pair of pants you own. Take them out and put them in a pile on your bed. Try each pair on and evaluate how they fit, how they make you feel, if you wear them often, are they over-worn and in need of replacement, are they still working for you, and do they still deserve to take up prime real estate in your closet?
3) Once you’ve answered those questions in your head, add them to either the “keep, ” “toss,” or “alterations” pile.
4) Repeat with your shorts, skirts, dresses, suits, tops, sweaters, jackets, shoes, bags, jewelry, etc.
5) You should now have three big piles in your room. Start by bagging all the “toss” items into large trash bags. Load them into your car right then and there, otherwise they will sit in your garage for months and slowly start working their way back into your closet. Take them to your favorite charity after you’ve finished your closet.
6) Bag your “alteration” items in a different type of bag so that they don’t get mixed in with the toss items. Take these to your tailor the next day so that you don’t delay looking fabulous in your newly discovered clothes that now fit well.
7) Now it’s time to put all your “keep” clothes back into your closet. Start with your sleeveless tops. Arrange them from lightest to darkest. Then move to your short sleeve and long sleeve tops. Again, arranged from lightest to darkest.
Do the same with your sweaters and jackets.
9) Now it’s time to add your skirts, then pants, then dresses, all arranged in descending color order.
10) By this time your closet should be looking much more organized and user friendly. You should now be able to see exactly what you have, where every thing is, and what you are missing. This would be a great time to make a shopping list of items that you would like to add.
Don’t forget, there are image professionals, like myself, that can help you with this whole process. Life is too short to not look and feel your best every day!
01.09.08
Three Ways To Pull Off A Pencil Skirt
Boxy Jacket
This squarish, waist-length layer minimizes fuller chests and waists when worn over a tucked-in silk camisole, or turtle-neck like this picture.
Blousy Top
Tucked into a skirt, the volume of a softly draping button-down is a slimming counterpoint to the body-hugging skirt.
Peplum Jacket
When it’s buttoned up, this piece’s fitted waist and flutter hem create a classic hourglass silhouette.
*Taken from Lucky November 2007
01.02.08
Get in the Trenches
Trench coats have been around for decades now. It is safe to say that they are officially a classic and that they won’t be going anywhere any time soon. If you have one in your wardrobe that hasn’t been worn in a while, dust it off and get ready to wear it. If you’ve never owned one, now is a great time to think about buying one…especially with all the sales around town.
Trench coats are perfect for the temperate climate of Orange County and southern California. It never gets too cold here, so a light trench can get you through almost any day.
If you are going to invest in your first trench coat, go for the classic khaki/beige color. This is never a bad choice. If you can afford Burberry, go for it. There is nothing better than the classic Burberry trench.
If that is a little too pricey for you, Ann Taylor Loft has a great one available now for only $129.99.
Once you get a basic trench in your wardrobe, you can branch out by investing in a fun color or more luxurious fabric like leather.
