The Style Solution

Erin Stafford — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:29:49 +0000

Shop Green
Shopping with the planet in mind can make a big difference. Through the simple act of buying from eco-conscious businesses, we can discourage waste, support livable wages in developing countries, and reduce toxins seeping into our soil and water supply.

Where Your Clothes Come From
The first step in greening up your wardrobe is to think about what your clothes are made of. You’ve probably heard about hemp clothing or even bamboo clothing, but there are other factors you can consider. You can reduce your carbon footprint by shopping for clothes which have some of the following features:

Planet-Friendly Fibers
Most man-made fibers require a lot of energy to be produced, and many are made out of petroleum, which releases dangerous matter into the air during production. However, crops for natural fibers–like conventionally grown cotton–are some of the largest users of water and pesticides. What choices do you have when you’re going green? Here are a few:

Organic Cotton is grown without pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilizers. Not only does its production release fewer chemicals into the air, but organic clothing will release fewer chemicals as you wear it.
Bamboo and hemp require much less water and other resources to grow. Because these plants grow quickly, they are also considered a renewable resource. Both bamboo and hemp fibers can be made into fabrics with a variety of textures, from sheer and silky to warm and durable.
New man-made materials are improving their reputation. For example, some companies are making fleece out of recycled plastic bottles and shoes out of recycled rubber. Other companies are experimenting with fibers made from corn.

Natural Dyes
Chemical dyes release toxins into the air during production and the clothes dyed with them can irritate sensitive skin. Look for clothing made with “low impact dyes,” but don’t be surprised if you don’t find too much available yet.

Buy Quality Clothing
How do you satisfy your need for fashion and reduce the amount of clothing you buy? Choose only high-quality clothing that will last for a long time.

Treat Your Clothes Well
Extending the life of your clothing requires the best laundry care. When you take better care of your clothes, you can keep them out of the landfill longer.

** Shirt from Phillip Lim’s Go Green Go line. Made from organic cotton.

Green Clothing Buying Tips

Erin Stafford — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:13:38 +0000

Green Clothing Buying Tips

When you’re online shopping, enter in search terms like “organic clothing” and “recycled clothing.” You can also search for clothing made from specific fibers, like hemp clothing or bamboo clothing.
Look up information about a brand before you buy their clothing and accessories. You may be surprised to learn that they are doing a lot to help the environment.
Treat your clothes well so they’ll last.
Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t do everything. Remember that even a few small lifestyle changes can really make a difference!

From Work to Play - Reorganize Your Mind and Closet

Erin Stafford — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:46:03 +0000

Most women wear many hats each day. They have their mom hat, wife hat, work hat, play hat, chef hat, chauffeur hat, and countless others. They muddle through each hat change with limited success and have problems crossing the wardrobe boarders between hats. It is possible to develop a wardrobe that easily crosses between the many different roles that we play each day. There’s no need for a full costume change, simply adding or subtracting a few key pieces is all that’s needed.

Reorganize Your Mind and Your Closet
Stop thinking that just because it’s a suit that you have to wear it together and that it has to be worn to work. Organize your closest so your work and play clothes are mixed together. You want all your jackets together…from jean jackets to suit jackets…all hanging together. This will help ensure that you get the most possible use out of them. This is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself. Often times you don’t even need to go shopping. You just need to reorganize your mind and closet and create new outfits that cross pollinate your wardrobe with work and casual clothes.

Find Jewelry That Works for Your Size and Shape

Erin Stafford — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:49:48 +0000

Jewelry is a balancing act. It’s all about size, scale, and proportion. If you’re wearing huge earrings, skip the necklace and go for a fabulous bracelet or ring instead. If you’ve got an exquisite necklace on, go small with the earrings and maybe just do a cocktail ring. If an arm full of bracelets is your thing, counter balance them with fabulous earrings. You get the idea. You’re better off having one focal point, and one or two important pieces of jewelry than a smattering of small, meaningless pieces.

You also want to keep scale in mind when choosing accessories. If you are a very petite, small boned, 5 foot tall woman, you don’t want to over power yourself in a super wide cuff bracelet, or a very large, chunky necklace. Your delicate features are going to need more delicate pieces. Same goes with a very tall or large woman. You will need accessories that are more substantial to look in proportion to your body. If you put a very thin, delicate bracelet on your wrist, it will look ridiculously small compared to your larger limbs. This is one of the most basic tips, but I’m telling you, most people don’t know it.

2 Day Stylist, Image Consultant, & Personal Shopper Training

Erin Stafford — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 03:38:03 +0000

Are you looking to get started in a career as a stylist, image consultant, or personal shopper? Well here’s your chance.

Erin Stafford, former celebrity stylist and Orange County’s top image consultant and personal shopper is offering a comprehensive two day training program for aspiring fashionistas.

You will learn:

The key components of styling:
How to build your portfolio, where to shop, how to shop strategically, building your contact base, how to work a photo shoot (how to set up, what to do, where to begin, and how to do it quickly), pulling clothes, returns, fittings, basic tailoring, and building your kit.

The key components of image consulting:
Basic color and style analysis, body type analysis, wardrobe planning, personal shopping, working with a variety of clients, creating product for increased sales, and developing strategic alliances.

General business components:
How to start your business from the ground up, learn how to market yourself and find a niche, learn about the different revenue streams available to stylists and image consultants.

Walk away with the tools and confidence to start your own successful personal styling business.

Upcoming Class Schedule:
November 14-15, Costa Mesa
December 12-13, Costa Mesa
January 16-17, Costa Mesa
More classes will be added soon!

Fee:
$1200 per two day training
Includes instruction and materials

Spots are filling up. Call today to sign up for this invaluable, small group training and get your career jumpstarted today. Email for full course description and more information.

I look forward to helping you discover this fabulous, rewarding, and profitable career.

Erin Stafford
erin@erinstafford.com
www.erinstafford.com

What to Avoid When Dressing on a Dime

Erin Stafford — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:14:02 +0000

Excessive Detailing – The more detail you find on an inexpensive item, the cheaper it will look. Most top designers are very subtle with their detailing on their ready to wear garments. Obviously they go nuts with their couture lines, but their day to day items are normally very sleek. For some reason, when you enter the inexpensive stores, they have gone overboard with their detailing. Keep the details simple and no one will know that it’s Forever 21.

Bad Seams – Pay careful attention to the construction of the garment. If the seams are uneven or busting, the garment will never fit properly. One of the quickest ways to tell how well a garment is made is to look at the seams, buttons, and zippers. You will be able to instantly tell if the garment is even worth trying on. Don’t bother buying an item with bad seams, it will never look right and it’s not worth the price of redoing the seams.

What to Avoid When Dressing on a Dime

Erin Stafford — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:44:39 +0000

In this economy, we are all watching every penny very carefully. Although the wealthy are probably able to continue their healthy shopping habits, most of us are seriously reigning in our spending habits, especially on non-essentials like clothing. Yes, Of course we all need some clothes, but you know as well as I do, that we don’t need ALL the clothes in our closets.

Our economy is in the tank, and our pocket books are tighter, but our image is still a very important piece of our personal and professional image. Over the next week I am going to be talking about a few things to avoid when dressing on a dime.

Shiny Fabrics
Shiny, inexpensive fabrics always looks cheaper than shiny, expensive fabrics. So if you are shopping at inexpensive stores, steer clear of shiny fabrics. As you can see in the images above, the picture on the left looks cheap, cheap, cheap. The picture on the right, however, looks beautiful and luxurious. The cheaper the fabric, the more matte it should be. Keep this in mind at all times when shopping on a dime.

Financial Crisis! Don’t Let Your Image Go Under Too!

Erin Stafford — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:12:31 +0000

Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, IndyMac, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and Washington Mutual are just a few of the financial institutions that have gone under or are on the verge of bankruptcy. It is no secret that the United States housing and mortgage crisis is having a significant impact on the lives of millions of people. As a professional in this ever changing, competitive financial world, your image is more important than ever. The slightest increase in your credibility, intelligence, success, and confidence can often be the deciding factor in landing a new client. With the training and help of an AICI (Association of Image Consultants International) certified image consultant, it is possible to take your image to the next level, to ensure that you have every advantage in this do or die market.

The recent government buyouts, bankruptcies, and overall downward spiral of some of the world’s largest banks, have left consumers feeling unsure of their investments and skeptical about where they should invest. For financial professionals, your image is one of the few things that you can control, and now is the perfect time to make sure it is not letting you down. It is essential that you and your team are sending the right message to your existing and potential clients. Investors need to feel confident that you and your team are professional, experienced, successful, and knowledgeable about the changing market. They want to know that you will pay attention to every detail of their account to make sure their money is invested wisely. The current market leaves no room for error. Thus, your image is a key part of your success.

Enlisting the help of an AICI certified image consultant will help ensure that your image is immaculate and reflects your overall experience and expertise. An image consultant can help you understand:

· How your image can improve your company brand, increase your career advancement, credibility, and energy levels; · How to create visual authority to achieve better business results;· Understand your unique body type and coloring to find clothing that fits perfectly and establishes you as an expert;· How to look more credible and professional in any situation through body language and business etiquette;· How to identify the most common image blunders that financial professionals make and how to avoid them;· What your dress code actually means and how to dress with ease and confidence every day.

By enlisting the help of a professional image consultant that offers individual or group instruction, you will receive proven tips, guidelines, and practical examples to ensure that any financial professional will feel more self confident, up to date, put together, polished, and professional. In this imploding financial market, ignoring your image and letting it slip with your company will ultimately lead to your failure. Consumers need confidence and if your image does not project confidence and credibility, they will take their money elsewhere. More than any other time in recent years, this market requires a confident, credible image. An AICI certified image consultant can help you weather this financial storm with ease. Visit www.aici.org to find a certified image professional in your area.

Next Stylist Training Course - Oct 18-19, 2008

Erin Stafford — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:01:34 +0000

Are you looking to get started in a career as a stylist, image consultant, or personal shopper? Well here’s your chance.

Erin Stafford, former celebrity stylist and Orange County’s top image consultant and personal shopper is offering a comprehensive two day training program for aspiring fashionistas.

You will learn:

Walk away with the tools and confidence to start your own successful personal styling business.

Upcoming Class Schedule:
October 18-19, Costa Mesa
January 16-17, Costa Mesa
More classes will be added soon!

Fee:
$1200 per two day training
Includes instruction and materials

Spots are filling up. Call today to sign up for this invaluable, small group training and get your career jumpstarted today. Email for full course description and more information.

I look forward to helping you discover this fabulous, rewarding, and profitable career.

Erin Stafford
erin@erinstafford.com
www.erinstafford.com

Tips for Women with Small or Large Chests

Erin Stafford — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:56:39 +0000

Small Chest

Add gathers to your bustline
Choose jackets with shape
Choose higher necklines over deeper necklines

Large Chest

Choose deeper necklines
Shape your waist
Choose tops that hit at the “hip zone”