#7 – Better basics. You can’t build outfits with all “icing” pieces and no “cake”. Shop early in the season while inventories are good, for a Core Four – skirt, pants, blouse or shell and jacket - in your personal Key Neutral. Don’t know your Key Neutral? Schedule a color consultation before you shop. (www.color-quest.com for a directory of consultants)
A Core Four lets you mix in your existing jackets and blouses to build countless outfits, while maintaining the cohesive and flattering “column of color”. Classic lines like Jones NY are great resources for matching basic pieces. If your style is younger, trendier, look at Macy's Alfani group.
For even more versatility in your Core Four, add more bottoms in that Key Neutral. Both professional and casual pants, both a long, slim skirt and a flippy knee-length one. They'll work with every one of your tops for a virtual explosion of options in your closet.
#8 – Links. Color-connecting accessories make “new” outfits from garments you already own. Scarves and necklaces in combinations of your best colors are wardrobe gold.
Example: your Key Neutral is chocolate brown and you add an aqua blue shell to bring out your eyes. The combination works, but lacks pizzazz. Add a scarf with multiple shades of brown and aqua and you have people saying “Wow, I would never have thought to put that together. She has such a great sense of style.”
When I updated Mindy M's wardrobe this summer, we cleared out about ¼ of her garments, then built “more outfits than I have time to wear” from the remaining pieces, just by adding linking accessories – not a single new garment purchased!
#9 – Surprise shoes. Your most versatile, sophisticated shoes echo the color of your hair. Try this one in front of a full-length mirror. You’ll be amazed.
Of course if you’re wearing a black or navy bottom, match the shoes to the garment. But when the garment is a color – a rust suit or a teal dress let’s say – and you’re not about to buy teal shoes – hair-color does the trick. First try on a black pair and see how the black has nothing else in the picture to connect with (unless you have black hair, of course). Change to a pair in a color related to your hair; the look is balanced with the same color top and bottom.
See how the shoes below connect with the over-all color or the highlight color of the model's hair:
I can just hear you saying “but now my bag doesn’t match.” What does that tell you? It’s time to shop for a hair-color handbag too!
#10 – Statement earrings add presence and focus attention on your face, away from any figure challenges. Find a tailored style about the size of a dime, in your most flattering metal or metal combo. If your face is wide, look for earrings with more length than width. If your face is long and narrow, choose earrings that are wider
Coordinate earring shapes with your facial features too. If your jaw line, nose, lips, etc. are softly rounded you’ll want earrings with curved design. If you have more straight lines in your facial features, angular earring shapes will look more harmonious.
ALERT! ALERT! On Sept. 15 my hourly rate goes from $95 to $105, but I’ll honor the current rate until Oct. 15 for newsletter subscribers. Schedule your Fall wardrobe consultation now, and remind me that you qualify for the discount.
CONFESSION: I promised last time that we’d look at ways to update some of the discards from your closet clean-out. But there were so many basics to cover in August that we’ll save that for September. Can you keep those questionable pieces in the spare closet just a little longer?
PROGRAM POSSIBILITIES: If your women's group or organization is looking for a fun program about style and wardrobe in the coming year, I'd love to talk with the program committee. And I have a gift for you just for making the connection. Email me at NancyNRice@hotmail.com.
'Til September,
Nancy
