While my tag line is "I help take the stress out of getting dressed," please don't think for a minute that I never encounter any stress in my wardrobe. I've been super busy and having fun helping clients organize their closets and buying new clothes. It's exciting seeing a wardrobe transform. And now after finally having a few minutes on Sunday to swap out my spring/summer closet into fall/winter, I'm excited to make some changes to my own wardrobe. My stress lies in the fact that my tendinitis is still bugging me, and most of my clothes need to be worn with heels. The solution sounds easy enough. Hem your pants, and get some flat shoes, right? I have mostly trousers and pencil skirts, both of which truly need to be worn with heels, so I'm a little limited right now. Because I have high hopes of being able to wear heels for longer lengths of time, I'm not ready to make any drastic changes. Now the fun part. Over the past several years, I've built a beautiful wardrobe of basics, but I'm beginning to feel a bit of a shift. I feel as though I'm ready to shake things up a (Read more...)

Recently I received an e-mail stating, “Nautical stripes aren’t just for spring. This time of year, the Sailor Tee is the perfect first layer. Wear it like you would a camisole.” My advice? Proceed with caution! I like the idea of nautical stripes for fall, horizontal stripes can be quite tricky. Horizontal stripes often get a bad rap, but all stripes are not created equally. The following are a few tips to help you navigate your way around stripes: Medium width, horizontal stripes like those shown (top) will work best for someone who is average height or taller who would like to add some volume to the upper body, great for someone with a triangular figure. Almost anyone can wear an evenly spaced, very tiny horizontal stripe (middle). Because the stripes are so small, they move the eye up and down the body, not creating any width. Petites, average height women and tall women can all wear this look. Wide, rugby stripes are extremely hard to wear (bottom). They deserve their bad reputation! Because the stripes are so wide and contrasting, the eye moves from one side of the body to the other creating a lot of width, hence adding pounds! Unless your upper (Read more...)

The fall trends have shown themselves, but it will be a couple of more months before we look at spring's trends. What does that leave? Accessories! In particular this month--scarves. Before you declare yourself "not a scarf person," read on. We're not talking about your grandma's scarves. Today's scarves have a more modern, casual vibe great for business, business casual and casual wear. If your wardrobe is devoid scarves, I encourage you to take a trip to the accessories department or your favorite boutique with this tip in hand and do a little experimenting. If you like scarves, follow these tips, and you may just learn to love scarves. The Hardest Working Accessory Scarves are the ultimate multi-tasking accessory. Here are just a few reasons to love them. * Camouflage If you've put on a couple of extra pounds over the holidays, (like me,) you'll love this quick fix. A long scarf not only covers your tummy, but it also creates a strong, center front vertical line creating the illusion that you're taller an thinner. * Color Even though most of us own a lot of it, black is rarely our best color. By adding a colorful scarf to a black jacket or sweater, (Read more...)

I'm always astounded how quickly time flies between my spring and fall trend reports, but here we are again! As with the last few seasons, we're continuing to see many classic garments. However, this fall designers have gotten extra creative with colors, textures and best of all, the way they've combined classics with trendier pieces. Since I specialize in professional dress, I always hesitate to use the word "trend." Adopting trends doesn't necessarily deem you trendy. Rather, think of it as new ways of updating your look to keep things fresh! The following is just a sampling of what awaits you in the stores. 

Colors

Purple-from amethyst to deep plum. Red-mostly a tomato red, great for blondes and brunettes with warm coloring. More colors include russet, (brown with a tinge of red,) burnt orange and of course, black.

Lace

From heavy lace garments to lace trims. If a lace blouse seems like too much for you, consider wearing it under a jacket or sweater with only the collar and cuffs peeking out.

Belts

Although all widths of belts remain popular, the newest widths are approximately 2 inches and very skinny. Look for (Read more...)