If you want to add more color to your wardrobe, but just one pop of color isn’t enough for you, let’s talk about opposites attracting. I’m talking about opposite colors, or complementary colors, on the color wheel. Putting opposite colors together is one of the most basic, yet fun ways of producing a color scheme to your outfit. For the sake of ease today, we’ll concentrate on tops. So you don’t feel like Rainbow Bright all of a sudden, ground any of your outfits with a neutral skirt or pant. I know what you’re thinking as you’re looking at this color wheel, “Dana, Christmas is over; I’m not wearing red and green together!” True, the colors on the color wheel are a little saturated and a bit bright. Rather than wearing true red and green together, consider candy pink and lime green. Playing around with the intensity and value of the colors is where your creativity comes shining through! Still not convinced? Worried about being mistaken for Denver Bronco fan* in orange and blue? Simply change the shades to peach and light blue. Or why not slide over a notch on the color wheel, and wear tangerine (Read more...)

If one of your fashion resolutions or style goals for 2011 is to add more color into your wardrobe, I applaud you and admire you. Color is the element of design that is noticed first and remembered most. Plus in my opinion, color is just fun! Now then if you’ve made that resolution, but you’re not quite sure how to go about adding the color, I have an easy tip for you. A POP of color! Adding a pop of color, particularly a bright color, is a phenomenal way to add interest to an otherwise all neutral outfit. For example if your outfit consists of a black jacket, white blouse, a black/white hounds-tooth check skirt and black shoes, go ahead and swap the white blouse for purple, lime green, hot pink or your favorite bright. Not interested in changing your top? You can also add that pop of color in your accessories. Instead of black shoes, why not try red or cobalt blue? You will be absolutely amazed at the compliments you’ll get and the way you’ll feel in this more fashion forward look. (A note of caution here: Don’t wear the bright shoes on a presentation day. All eyes will be on your (Read more...)

You’re in good company! Famous petites include Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, Judy Garland, Bo Derek, Raquel Welch, Cher, Winona Ryder, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Kristin Chenoweth, Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, Salma Hayek, Victoria Beckham, Madonna, and the list goes on. The fashion world considers women 5’ 3” and under to be petite. If you’re petite, you probably already know this, but it bears repeating, because I very often hear women referring to “petite” in the context of slimness. That simply isn’t the case. Petites comes in all sizes! Below, I’ve outlined just a few tips that will help you dress for your height and body. Even if you’re not in the petite height range, I encourage you to read on, as you may find ideas that will work for you no matter what your stature. 1. You may or may not need to shop solely for petite clothing. It’s possible to be petite both above and below the waist – but it’s also to possible to be petite in only one area. I have plenty of clients who need petite tops and jackets, but petite pants are far too short for them. Then there are others who need only the shorter rise and length (Read more...)

Dear Dana, My husband recently bought me a pair of black leather boots with a shiny finish and a serious stiletto heel. I’m delighted to find I can somewhat walk in them! How can I incorporate these into my wardrobe? Are they okay for business or are they strictly casual? What a great gift! A question for you… are the boots patent leather? Patent leather has a high gloss, mirror finish. Very chic right now.  Whether they are patent leather or have a glazed leather finish, you can easily work them into your wardrobe. As long as they don’t have heavy detailing such as heavy chains or heavy buckles, they can be worn with almost anything except a very traditional business skirt suit.  Another point of consideration--if you’re doing a presentation (and they are indeed patent) you’d want to avoid wearing the boots with a skirt or dress. The shiny finish will be distracting to your audience. How to showcase your new boots? They would be super cute and modern with a wrap dress. They are a natural with skirts—almost any style as long as it’s not overly casual. Certainly they will work well with nice black pants. The caveat (Read more...)

Do you have a friend, mother, sister, daughter or other special female in your life who is tough to shop for? Or perhaps you've just run out of gift ideas for her over the years. An elements of image gift certificate is the perfect gift! It's easy!  Simply choose the amount you'd like to spend or the service you'd like her to have. Then contact me at 303-463-4839, 303-868-8925 or dana@elementsofimage.com. We'll discuss her needs and your budget, and I'll put the perfect package together to fit them both! A suggestion?  A Princess Day:  Treat your mom, best friend or any other special female in your life to a Princess Day.  I'll take you both shopping at her favorite stores. Yes, you get to come along, but this day is all about the princess! (She not only gets pampering and expert advice, she gets to spend time with you, too!) Since every wish is her command, we'll do exactly what she wants...maybe a new outfit or two, learning what styles look the best on her, or even finding the perfect shoes for every outfit. Click here for more ideas

Thursday, October 15th 8:15 – 9:45 am Do you avoid shopping, finding it painful?  Do you come home from your shopping trips overwhelmed and exhausted? Join me for this BBH (Business Before Hours) to learn how to turn what you might consider a dreadful task into a tolerable, possibly even enjoyable one.  If you already enjoy shopping, you’ll find these tips can help save money, be more efficient, and you’ll come home from your shopping trips happier then ever. In this session you will: * Learn how to shop for good values, not just bargains, * Discover the secrets for successful shopping trips, * Find out how to plan a wardrobe that works for your personal style, lifestyle, and budget, * Understand how to create the wardrobe of your dreams… and look like a million bucks! 355 South Teller Street, Suite 200 Lakewood, CO 80226 (Two traffic lights east of Wadsworth, off Alameda) Free parking behind the building SPACE IS LIMITED! RSVP by Tuesday, October 13th 303-235-0989 Info@CorporateOfficeImages.com

What is up with this weather? Let’s face it; the weather in Colorado is out of control! Today’s April snow shower certainly makes a case for having a few basic, neutral colored, all weather garments in your wardrobe. Let me break it down a little bit. All weather fabrics could include tropical (lightweight) wool, cotton twill, or polyester/rayon blends. The key is to choose a few pieces that don’t scream “summer” like linen or extremely lightweight cotton. You also need pieces in your closet that that don’t scream “winter wonderland”. Neutral colors such as black, navy, taupe, camel, brown or gray combine well with other dark colors for cool weather, and they also coordinate well with lighter and brighter colors in warm weather. Wearing an all season, beige or camel suit with a bright pink blouse allows you to appear spring-like during an unseasonal snow storm without freezing all day. Conversely, the same suit worn with a forest green top is cool enough, yet suitable for winter when our temperatures are in the sixties in February. To learn what pieces are a smart buy, read Wardrobe Basics and More Wardrobe Essentials.

The other day, I read the advice that to keep your closet fresh, your clothes should be 70% classic and 30% trendy. I thought this made sense, but I have a couple of tweaks. Thirty percent trendy is a pretty big chunk of your closet. Trendy clothing is extreme and won't last more that a season or two. It could be expensive to replace 30% of your wardrobe every year! Instead, I recommend 10% trendy and 20% fashion forward. Fashion forward clothing is interesting and fun. These pieces are not necessarily classics, but you won't look out of date wearing them a few years down the line. That brings us to the classics, styles that will be fashionable for at least 5-10 years. Some classics can be worn even longer, but truly, there is no classic that can be worn "forever." Silhouettes and fabrics change over the years, and it's important for your image to wear updated, modern silhouettes. I also like to advise my clients to make sure that most of their classics are also basics. Basics are pieces that are relatively simple without a lot of design details. They combine easily with the highly styled garments and allow you to (Read more...)

Let's face it; winter is a long season in Colorado. You probably have some great pieces in your closet, but you're sick of your outfits. Versus going out and buying for the sake of buying, my solution is for you to shop in your closet. Here are a few tips: 1. Break up your suits. Many suits that are bought together aren't meant to be separated, but most are easily separated. Pair your pinstriped pants with a solid jacket. Wear your glen plaid jacket with a solid skirt. Play with layering in new ways. Instead of your usual shell under a jacket, try a belted, lightweight cardigan. 2. Mix prints. If you feel like your outfits are bland, mix it up! Combine that pinstripe suit with a geometric print blouse. For a more subtle look, pair your tweeds with prints. The trick to mixing prints and patterns is to make sure one print is dominant an the other is subordinate. Also, there should be at least one common color in all pieces. 3. Soften menswear with feminine pieces. This is one of my favorite looks, unexpected and (Read more...)

In just a few mere days, all of the Fall Fashion Preview issues of the fashion magazines will be hitting the newsstands! Admittedly, it's a pretty exciting time of year for me. Although the magazines have been giving small glimpses of fall for most of the summer, September is when the big, thick, "bibles" hit. You may be wondering why I'm talking about this. It's simple, one word, okay well two: Wardrobe Planning! By seeing the new trends and designer offerings, you can begin to get a good feel for what you need to update and complete your wardrobe. (Read more...)