THE VIRTUAL ANALYSIS AND MARYBETH'S FAVORITE OUTFIT
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When I first starting talking about the "My Favorite Outfit" contest, a lot of people asked me what a Virtual Analysis is -- and why do they need one? Oh dear! It's not much of a prize if you don't even know what it is!
What is a Virtual Analysis? By examining 2 photos -- a close-up of your face and one of your body, I determine what cuts, colors, textures and patterns look best on you.
Marybeth
If you watch Marybeth in this great video clip about freecycle, you'll see that she has a beautiful, overall softness to her look. Her hair, eyes and skin are all light. But, she also has this beautiful mess of curls. You may also notice that in the last, close-up shot, she looks luminous. In the earlier shots that are further away, she does not have the same glow. Why? |
Color. The difference between the two shots is only that you see Marybeth's face against a black top in the first and framed by her softer-hued jacket and her skin in the second. And thus -- the difference. For Marybeth, her neutrals are soft browns, greys and navy. The black is too harsh for her. The softer-hued jacket makes her look luminous.
But What About Black? Wearing the right colors can help you look as if you've had an extra hour of sleep. Unfortunately, most women have been taught that black is the basic they cannot do without. This is not correct -- most women cannot wear black successfully near their faces. Instead, it makes most of us look drawn and tired. And who wants that?
Warm vs. Cool. The big divide with what colors to wear is whether you're a warm or a cool. Warm colors have richness and saturation to them. Think daffodil yellow, lime, true red. Cool colors, on the other hand, have an icy feel because of their blue undertone. Think baby pink, teal, pine.
The Color Test. I asked Marybeth to do a color test between baby pink and peach, then moss and olive. She knew the answers immediately -- and this is often true. Most of you know which colors look best on you! You just don't necessarily take the next step and wear your best colors. Perhaps it was not until now that you actually knew how important it is to looking your best!
What Does the Analysis Give You? I broke Marybeth's full analysis down and summarized it into a one-sheet that she can take with her anywhere she shops. She now knows what colors, what cut, what necklines and what patterns are best for her.
Translating It Into Her Favorite Outfit? A skirt + 3/4 sleeve top + Jacket + Sporty Shoes. I've found two options for Marybeth that fit her description of her favorite outfit. The full skirt and a structured jacket or soft jersey skirt and textured sweater are in the right colors, pattern, and fabric for Marybeth. They work for bike commuting and convey the authority, respectability and seriousness you would expect from an academic.
How Did I Update Her Look? The pattern on the full skirt is tribal-inspired, so very on-trend. But the overall shapes of both pieces are classic. The second outfit is much trendier, but still classic enough to last Marybeth several seasons. Pairing either outfit with the striped Keds makes the whole outfit feel fresh and fun.
FASHION VS. BUDGET: A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE
One of the struggles almost every woman I meet has with being fashionable is budget. It's one of those things that the fashion press conveniently ignores -- except for the occasional splurge vs. steal feature. At DailyOutfit, however, I like to face this issue head-on.
When I look in fashion magazines and see photo spreads of $10,000 looks, I don't get it. Do the editors really want us to think it reasonable to buy a $3,000 shirt? Or is it supposed to be fantasy? If so, does anyone really enjoy looking at beautiful clothes they could never afford? I personally find it confusing and a big bummer.
Which is why I found Uma's post last week so inspiring. For Uma, designer jackets and blouses make her feel wonderful -- so she invests in them. It's not that she has more to spend on clothing than the rest of us. She has a strategy -- she opts for one week of gorgeous, well-made pieces. In doing so, she respects both her budget and her love of beautiful pieces.
Here are three strategies to allow you to do the same:
Buy Less: Like Uma, you can plan for one week of fabulous looks. You can buy beautiful designer pieces like Uma, or you can buy beautiful pieces that aren't. After all, designer pieces don't work for everyone! Not only is there is issue of budget, there is also the issue of sizing.
Insist on Great Fit and Great Affect. I recently went shopping with a new client who confessed she often just buys something because she gets frustrated and wants to leave. I get it. Shopping can be hard. My recommendation is to allow yourself an out. If you're not finding anything you absolutely love, take a break. You will not be served by buying something you don't love. It will just hang in your closet or you'll wear it and feel terrible or you'll have to waste time with returning it later. None of these results helps you!
Think Like an Investor. When you invest, you want your investment to hold its value or increase over time. Wardrobe investment pieces can work this way, too. Imagine what that might mean. Your party dress is a truly magical dress that you continue to love and value for the life of the look. Your coat, handbag and tote are items you love to wear every day. Great quality and cut are a given so they wear well over time. With all of these pieces, you love them as much when you put them away for the season as when you took them out.
Building Over Time: If you crave variety, travel a great deal or just hate doing laundry or running to the dry-cleaner, plan on a wardrobe that will outfit you for two weeks or more. But -- give yourself time to do so. Replace the looks you hate now and work on the ones that are good enough next year. Not only will this provide you with a wardrobe with textural and style variety, it is easier on your wallet and your calendar. Think of your wardrobe update as a 3-year project.
As Uma suggested, make a commitment to take your self to the next level. Support yourself in these changes by looking great. At the same time, release yourself from the stress or pressure to spend more than you are able. With DailyOutfit at your side, you can uplevel your look and respect your budget in order to build a wardrobe of looks you love.
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Don't forget to enter the "My Favorite Outfit" Facebook Contest!
If you haven't already done so, please post your favorite work outfit on DailyOutfit's Facebook page to win a online shopping page of pieces that are chosen expressly for you at your price point!
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SEASONAL TRANSITION - IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!
Remember I suggested you keep some lightweight clothing in your closet to give you flexibility during Indian Summer?
Well, I think you can comfortably put all those pieces away now!
Even if you live in warmer climes, the weather has changed. It's time to bring out your cozy layers or buy some new ones -- if you haven't already.
A couple pointers as you transition your Fall to Winter clothing:
- Review. Do not keep clothing you never wear! Ask yourself: Do I love it? If the answer is no, let it go!
- Refresh. Give your woolens and cashmere a wash to breathe the life back into them as you take them out of storage. They do not need to be drycleaned -- you can hand wash them with Woolite and lay them out to dry. They'll be softer and smell better than drycleaning -- and it's less expensive!
- Treat. Stains, wear and tear and pilling can ruin beautiful and useful pieces of clothing. Spot-treat any stains or underarm odor with stain remover(7.50). If the odor or stain does not go away after treatment, put it in your donate bag. Pilling can be fought with a shaver ($4).
- Repair. Take your sandals to the cobbler and get the heels replaced if you need it. Cut down your strappy sandals' heels if they killed your feet last time you went out. You'll have plenty of time to pick them up!
- Tailor. Now is the time to get your shorts pockets sewn down and get your summer jeans hemmed if you never got around to it. Wait to tailor loose items from last season until next season -- you want to be sure the fit is perfect at the time you're wearing it.
- Replace. You'll save yourself a bundle by replacing well-loved items on sale now and you'll have them to pull out when you need them again. Email me if you need help finding things!
- Donate. Never throw your clothing away! Donate all pieces that no longer work for you. Even it's in such poor condition that it cannot be re-sold, it can be passed along to a rag vendor. Save your receipt for tax time so you can deduct your donation. I drop off old or out-of-date pieces at the Salvation Army and donate current pieces to Dress for Success.
Clothing Storage Tips:
- Protect. Add lavender moth-repellent sachets ($12) or hanging sachets to your stored clothing to keep the moths away.
- Store. Fold any items with weight to it and store in a container ($11). This prevents gravity from changing the shape of the clothing during long months of storage.
- Special Occasion Wear. Silky dresses can be damaged by folding. Use a heavy-duty wooden hanger ($9) that fills out the shoulders and store in a canvas storage bag ($11) or dress bag ($9).
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As a style guru and founder of Dailyoutfit, Allison knows how to build a wardrobe that works for your life! Having to balance her career and family, she devised the DailyOutfit system so she could get dressed and feel great in five minutes. Soon her friends began to ask her advice on reorganizing their wardrobes and DailyOutfit was born. DailyOutfit.com is a shopping site that offers head-to-toe looks for all sizes, body shapes, lifestyles and occasions with a focus on affordability. DailyOutfit Consulting services range from styling for an event to a full year-long wardrobe makeover.Allison is currently working on her image consulting certification through the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
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