Who will show up to your next meeting? Of course, you will, but will you be there as the best version of yourself? There’s no question that your inner self will be on her best game. But what about your outer self or your visual image? Do your clothing, hair and make-up reflect who you really are? When your inner self and your outer image don’t match, there’s a real disconnect. You may confuse your audience, and even though everything seems to be going fine, chances are extremely good that you’re simply not being as effective as absolutely possible. Your full potential isn’t being met. What if your job could become easier if your image were helping you communicate? I’m certainly not implying you should use your clothes and image to try to impress; however, when you match up how you look on the outside with who your are on the inside, you become more confident, credible, authoritative, and effective. And these are just a few of the non-verbal messages your image can send out. Your image can truly be your “silent PR manager.” Ask yourself the following questions to decide whether it’s time for an update:

• Does your clothing

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Does any of this sound familiar?

•     You stand in front of your stuffed closet certain "you don't have anything to wear."

•     You feel like you're in a rut wearing the same 6 outfits over and over because they're easy, but you know you're forgetting some of the cute clothes and accessories you own.

•     You look in the mirror and notice that the woman staring back at you doesn't reflect the put together, accomplished woman that you are.

Yes? Then join me for this FREE, PHOTO AND CONTENT RICH teleseminar on November 27, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. MST Check out my speaking page for all of the details.

A lot of web sites have a page for “FAQ’s.” I don’t…no particular reason. Or perhaps I prefer to  answer questions individually. Nevertheless, for today’s blog post,  I have decided to address questions and comments I get a lot. Where do you shop for your clients? Where I shop for you is usually dictated by your personal style and budget. I shop at a variety of department stores, specialty stores and boutiques. In terms of areas, I find Cherry Creek and Park Meadows to have the best selections, while outlying malls typically have smaller inventories of both size and styles. How do you choose the clothes for you clients to try on? Before I step foot into a store to begin personal shopping, we’ve done a style assessment and I have your style recipe. I’ll also have your shopping list. We may be starting completely from scratch or filling in with pieces to make your wardrobe work harder for you. No matter what you need, I am searching for clothes to match your personal style; fit your lifestyle; and budget and flatter your body type. (Read more...)

As an image and wardrobe consultant, when I do Closet Audits with my clients, without exception, they want me to tell them if something is outdated. It makes me feel horrible, but sometimes I see things that still have the tags on them, and they’re out of style. Often, my client had just been shopping the prior weekend. How can this be, you ask? It’s the fashion lifecycle. Read on to learn more, and find out how to make sure you never end up with brand new out-moded clothes in your closet. Trends are usually introduced at the New York and international runway shows. As you can see from the chart, new styles start on the left and evolve into a bell curve. Initially the clothes and accessories are quite expensive and are adopted by the Fashion Innovators. As time goes on, the style becomes more and more popular, peaking when it is very widely available to the masses at all price points. (How long each of these stages lasts varies greatly.) As a style starts to fade, it is accepted by the Late Adopters. And finally when the style is virtually gone, it’s adopted by the

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Okay, it’s 2010. There’s just one thing I want to know. Why, with all of our technology, can’t the shoe industry make a really cute walking shoe? I’m getting ready for a trip to Chicago for shopping and sight-seeing later this week. Just last week I realized I haven’t made any improvements in my walking shoe wardrobe since I battled with it for Europe 2 years ago. To add insult to injury, not only do I need something for lots of walking, but I am also battling tendinitis in my ankle, so that cuts out certain styles as well. So I headed out to Dardanos on Colorado Blvd. Two of my clients have had great luck there-why not me, right? I was truly amazed at the number of  shoes they had, but equally amazed at how many ugly shoes they carry. I understand that for some, the comfort shoe, i.e. Birkenstocks, Danskos, etc, is a look-their style. I’m perfectly fine with that, but that isn’t everyone's style. Again, it seems as though we have the technology! I also don’t understand why these comfort brands make such unfashionable colors? I thought found a shoe that was great, but when the salesman brought (Read more...)

Although I usually limit my blog to wardrobe topics, I have to share my favorite product with you! Jergens Natural Glow is an amazing way to "get a tan" without exposing your skin to harmful rays. It's a combination moisturizer and self tanner. It's light and works gradually, so if you're not applying it evenly you can correct it more easily than with  normal self tanners. My skin tone is medium, and I naturally tan quickly, so I use the Firming formula for Medium to Tan skin tones. While cellulite isn't a big concern for me, I have noticed that the "firming," seems to work, and my cellulite is virtually invisible. Another plus of the product is that it helps hide spider veins--important if you're skipping nylons with skirts. Also, the bottles says it takes a week to work, but I get pretty good color in about three days. Lastly, Natural Glow doesn't have that overpowering "self tanner smell!" (You know what I'm talking about if you've ever used self tanner!) I don't notice a scent at all, but my husband thinks it smells like Chicken in a Biscuit (crackers)??

In my chapter from “Image Power,” How to Shop Like a Pro and Look Like a Million Bucks, I am adamant about buying complete outfits; however, today I’m going to talk about breaking that rule with accessories. It is perfectly fine to buy an accessory in your favorite color without having something to wear with it. If it’s a color you’re absolutely drawn to, chances are good you have it in your wardrobe or you’ll buy it in the future. For example, I am crazy for purple, usually a dark shade versus one that is light or muted. I once saw a pair of shoes in DSW in kind of a berry tone. They were very cool and a fantastic price. I couldn’t think of one thing I could wear them with, but I thought, “What the heck,” and took the plunge. I wear them all of the time! (Right now as a matter of fact!) I originally wore them with a printed, silk dress that had various shades of purple. The other day, I wore them with a charcoal gray dress with a border print of mauves and berries. Today, they’re sassing up a charcoal gray skirt and plaid trench (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...)

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...)

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.