This is a pretty large can of worms that I am about to open up here, but I thought I needed to address this annual dreaded occasion.  Most women I know absolutely hate shopping for bathing suits, so here are a few things to think about to hopefuly make this event a little easier.   

Go Up a Size - Always try one size larger than you think you wear.  When a bathing suit is too tight, the edges cut into your body creating bulges where you’d rather no one look.  When a swimsuit fits a little looser, the skin is squeezed less and creates fewer unwanted bulges.   

Dark Colors and Skin Tones - Remember that darker colors recede, making your silhouette appear smaller.  So dark-colored suits work well.  Skin tone suits give the impression of an all-over monotone look, which is also always a winner.  Loud Prints and ColorsSmall or sparse prints are ok, but big prints attract attention and make you look bigger.  If you can’t resist being covered in hibiscus flowers, at least make sure you wear the print where it will draw attention away from problem areas.   

Stripe Cleverly - Cleverly placed vertical or diagonal stripes can help slim your silhouette if they are placed in the right spot.  Where stripes start and end on a swimsuit is the key to whether you are drawing attention to or away from problem areas.   

Buy Separates - If one half of your body is much curvier than the other half, you have probably had difficulty finding a one piece swimsuit that fits well.  The good news is that there are many brands today that sell tops and bottoms separately.   

Busted - Full-busted women need a little extra support.  Try under wire tops or suits designed for long torsos as your bust will take up some of the extra material.   

High Cut - The higher the cut, the longer your legs appear.  The longer your legs appear, the leaner they look!  Go for the highest cut you feel comfortable in.   

Short Cut - Boy shorts may be a good alternative to wearing thong underwear, but stay away from them in bathing suits.  This style makes your legs looks significantly shorter and adds a horizontal line across your thighs.  It can also make your thighs look larger if the leg opening is too small which squeezes any extra flesh. 

After numerous requests from my clients, and my constant desire for women to look and feel their absolute BEST, I have added customized skin care and makeup to my services.  Not only will I continue to provide you with personal style and image services, but I will now include customized skin care and make up consultations with all of my color and style consultations.  You will walk away with a completely new image that is updated and true to yourself as well as the knowledge to recreate your new look successfully on your own every day.  You’ll learn tips and techniques for effectively applying your makeup based on your face shape, hair and eye color, lifestyle, and personality, so you can easily look fabulous every day.  I invite you to call today to schedule your complimentary skin care and makeup consultation during the month of June. (714) 351-3849 or erin@erinstafford.com.

Please visit my website www.beautipage.com/erinstaffordto order all of your fabulous Beauti Control products today.

My clients are constantly asking me what type of bathing suit will work best on them, how they can look slimmer, and feel better in their swim suits.  Well here’s the answer.  Find a suit that is similar to your skin tone.  The lighter your skin, the lighter your suit should be.  All three of these suits by Vix Swimwear, Lauren Moffatt, and Fabucci would be perfect for a light to medium skin toned person.  Notice how they create one long lean line.  Your eye is not drawn to one area in particular.  These styles are perfect for slimming your silhouette.  Look for something similar when you are out shopping.

Find all of these suits on www.shopbop.com.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always steered clear of linen sundresses because I feel like they have a real tree hugger, granola type feel.  Well finally a designer has gotten it right.  These are just two of the sundresses that Ralph Lauren has created for spring/summer 2008.  I love them.  They are feminine, soft, cool, and don’t have a hint of patchouli about them.  Let’s hope more designers create non-hippie linen sundresses so we can enjoy this great summer fabric without feeling like we should be in Berkeley in the 60’s.

There are plenty of trends to choose from each season, but this spring 2008 I’ve narrowed them down to the most

significant.  Give any of these a try to look fashionable and current.

• Color
  Color is back in a big way.  Choose your colors wisely.  Reds, Oranges, Yellows, Greens, Blues, and Purples.  They all have a place this season.  Almost any color will work.  More than most years we are really seeing a wide variety of colors on the market.    

• Safari
  A little safari can absolutely go a long way.  From khakis, to cargos, to shirt dresses, and exotic prints, we are seeing the safari motif everywhere.  Stick with either safari details in your clothing choices or your accessories, but not both. 

• Straw
  Similar to the safari look, we are seeing lots of earth tones and natural fibers in accessories.  Rope, raffia, wood, and natural fibers are everywhere.  They are lighter than leather and soften your look for spring.  
  

•  Animal Prints
  Again, a little goes a long way.  You cannot go wrong investing in a little leopard print.  It has been around for years and continues to be the classic animal print.  When choosing animal prints, stick with their natural colors.  Don’t pick up and hot pink and black zebra print.  Keep it black and white like it is in nature.  Same goes for cheetah, cow, whatever. 
  

• Ethnic Prints
  Thanks to designers like Balenciaga and Oscar de la Renta, we’re seeing ethnic prints in scarves, dresses, skirts, and tops.  This trend isn’t appearing as much in accessories as the others, so just stick with ethnic printed clothing.  Women are mixing the many interesting colors and prints to create even more striking and dramatic combinations.  Beware, this is not for the fashionably challenged!  There is huge potential for it to go wrong.  My advice is stick with one ethnic print and pair it with solids.
• Full Bloom
  Bright, floral prints are popping up everywhere this season.  From floral prints, to rose appliques, to rose structures on garments, and flower details on shoes and bags, no matter where you look, flowers are in bloom.  Like any trend, a little goes a long way.  Careful with the colors that you choose.  Keep them in your color palette, and in your contrast level.  If you’re doing a floral print garment, stick with solid accessories, and vice versa.

The Style Solution Tele-Class – Starts March 7th!

Now is your chance to get tangible style solutions to all of your fashion woes. My new tele-class is starting March 7th and I can’t wait for you to be a part of it.

For 50 minutes each week you will have fabulous tips, tricks, information, answers, and style solutions to all your fashion woes. A few of the topics we will cover are:

Finding that Perfect Pair of Jeans – what to look for and what to avoid to look fabulous every day

Finding the Right Bra - to look 10 pounds thinner and younger instantly

Building a Basic Wardrobe - to get dressed with ease every day

How to Accessorize - for every age and shape

Tailoring Tips and Tricks - to make every piece work for you

10 Classic Wardrobe Pieces Every Woman Needs – to look eternally pulled together and updated

And many many more!

Sign up today, as space is limited! Each class will be recorded and available to listen to again and again. So don’t worry if you miss a class.

Regularly $275 a month, I am offering my blog readers a reduced rate of $225 x 3 months. If you sign up today you will also receive my two special reports: 55 Ways to Slim Your Silhouette with Ease and Polishing Your Professional Image absolutely FREE! Call or email me today to take advantage of this special offer. Visa, Master Card, Amex, and Discover accepted.

I look forward to having you on this call.

Erin Stafford, AICI
714 351 3849
erin@erinstafford.com
www.erinstafford.com
blog - www.erinstafford.com/blog

Living in Orange County, it’s easy to spend almost every day in flip flops.  They are comfortable, inexpensive, easy, and safe…but so are your old sweats that you lounge around the house in.  The reality is, flip flops can look very schleppy.  I made a promise to myself last year that I wasn’t going to spend every day during the summer in flip flops.  In order to keep that promise, I needed to buy some new sandals.  Here are a few great alternatives.  These are all stylish, just as comfortable, and won’t leave you shuffling along looking like a schlep.  It’s time to upgrade your image and liberate yourself from all those rubber flip flops.

You can find all of these on www.urbanoutfitters.com.

Check out these fabulously fun and comfy loafers from Aerosoles (www.aerosoles.com).  If you have never tried a pair of Aerosoles on before, you really must.  They are the most comfortable shoes you will ever wear.  Normally, comfy shoes mean you have to look like you’re wearing nurse shoes.  Finally there is a brand that is creating comfortable AND fashionable shoes.

Wear any of these chic styles with jeans and a solid top for an instantly stylish look.  Buy a pair in every color and wear them in place of your schlepy flip flops.  You’ll be just as comfortable, but look infinitely more put together.

Now is your chance to get tangible style solutions to all of your fashion woes.  My new tele-class is starting March 7^th and I can’t wait for you to be a part of it.   For 50 minutes each week you will have fabulous tips, tricks, information, answers, and style solutions to all your fashion woes.  A few of the topics we will cover are: 

Finding that Perfect Pair of Jeans – what to look for and what to avoid to look fabulous every day 

Finding the Right Bra - to look 10 pounds thinner and younger instantly 

Building a Basic Wardrobe - to get dressed with ease every day 

How to Accessorize - for every age and shape  Tailoring Tips and Tricks - to make every piece work for you 

10 Classic Wardrobe Pieces Every Woman Needs – to look eternally pulled together and updated 

And many many more! Sign up today, as space is limited!  Each class will be recorded and available to listen to again and again.  So don’t worry if you miss a class. Regularly $275 a month, I am offering my blog readers a reduced rate of $225 x 3 months.  If you sign up today you will also receive my two special reports: 55 Ways to Slim Your Silhouette with Ease and Polishing Your Professional Image absolutely FREE!  Call or email me today to take advantage of this special offer.  Visa, Master Card, Amex, and Discover accepted.

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!