The ladies' paradise

Taking risks with clothes

Recently I was working with a client who'd fallen into a bit of a rut. As with other clients I've helped, this woman's eye for non-work clothes -- for going out, for instance -- was right on target. She'd brought in lots of color, most of it flattering, and interesting shapes and textures.

Her work clothes, were another matter -- m any suits of either gray, black, or navy, and a closet full of crew-neck T-shirts and solid-color silk blouses to put underneath.

Now, this woman works in government and is right when she says she wants and needs the armor a suit gives her. She also loves how easy it is get dressed in a suit -- throw it on with a single item underneath, slip on the shoes, and she's ready to head out the door. The problem was the outfits she was wearing didn't express, she felt, who she really is.

Beth Bowley Tie-Front Tweed Jacket ($189)

We were able to revamp her work wardrobe without buying a single thing.

We started by getting rid of many T-shirts: they were either the wrong color for her, the wrong neckline for her, or just plain tired looking. We turned her closet upside down getting all the tops out on her bed. And we found a bunch of new options -- several tops that she'd never thought to wear with her suits: silk, slightly flowy shirts she'd bought for going out; thin sweaters she'd bought for weekends; and a few work tops that didn't quite match. We mixed suit pieces -- jackets with pants from other suits. We pair a a slightly bulky, long cardigan with a suit skirt.

Nanette Lepore Opening Act Jacket ($435)

We swapped the bags she'd typically wear for more unexpected choices (e.g., the light brown satchel rather than the black bag with the gray suit).

The key: getting rid of old, tired, outdated or poorly fitting clothes. Combining pieces in unexpected combinations. (And taking clothes in if they're too large.)

These simple steps, which took just four or five hours, completely changed this woman's thinking about her work look.

She's on the lookout now for a fabulous pair of dressy brown boots, and I'm trying to convince her to look for a great bag in a color.

Then she'll be all set for fall!

What to take on a trip, II

Here's your wear-everywhere, go-to skirt

When I said in the last couple posts, that a neutral skirt was essential to take on a trip -- this skirt was designed with that post in mind. It comes in heather gray, black and "alabaster," which I assume is some kind of off-white and which would be my choice, hands-down. (But the gray works, too -- and don't be afraid to pair it with warmer colors -- yellow, royal blue, brown.)

Satin-sash skirt ($38)

Clothes for traveling this summer

What're you going to take?

You're going to (fill in the blank -- Costa Rica, a beach in Delaware, the house in Newport or ...) You have a finite amount of space (not to mention, often, the headache of packing children and even the significant other). What are you going to take?

The answer, of course, depends on the length of the trip -- but not solely. (A house has laundry facilities, of course, but so do most hotels).

You'll need one basic -- whatever you can dress up, dress down, wear sightseeing, to dinner, for ice cream on the boardwalk over your bathing suit. A knee-length cotton-lycra skirt in a neutral  like olive, khaki or ivory would be perfect.

Next, several tops, maybe three or four, also in lightweight knit neutrals.

Then add a dress or tunic. Here's one by Sweet Pea, which I'm a huge fan of, and everything they make dries extremely quickly, which makes it perfect for travel.

Include a pair of lightweight dressy jeans, which you can pair with one of the tops or the tunic. (The dress or tunic should be one that can also be worn by itself.)

Sweet Pea Empire Waist Tunic Top ($86)

Add a third "bottom" -- a pair of longish shorts, for instance, or another skirt.

And that's your basic travel wardrobe. You can add to it, if you want. (Just remember the general rule of travel: most people pack way too much.)

Now, here's the hard part. I am a firm believer in packing the extras that will give your look punch while you're traveling -- the accessories that can help you transform your beach look into dinner attire without breaking your stride.

So: You'll need a very lightweight cashmere shawl, preferably in a neutral color (yep, just like they tell you once a year in Vogue magazine). (A cotton or silk pareo would also do double-duty as a wrap or shawl.) Some dangly, night-time earrings. A versatile pair of heels. Some throw-on jewelry (like necklaces or chains to layer).

Diagonal Ombre Scarf by Yarnz ($105 on sale)

A vest or a tank top or something else lightweight and whimsical -- maybe a silk camisole -- to help you get extra mileage from your basics.

Graham and Spencer Metallic Swing Cami ($208)

Add a couple bathing suits and flip-flops and you're all set. No one will suspect you're a tourist!

A buying freeze

Is this crazy? I am thinking about -- thinking about, mind you -- not buying anything for 30 days.

Would it kill me? Quite possibly. But then there's the whole "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" thing, so.... I look in my closet and see more tops than I can possibly wear often enough this summer to cost-justify them. (I like my clothes hard-working -- I like to wear the things I love, wear them into the ground, and then move on. A too-full closet with not enough that I am excited to wear just depresses me.)

And then I think about my friend A. She is almost universally known to have a great sense of style. And she does. But what I admire almost as much are two things I've learned about her recently. First, she has an extremely clear sense of what works for her (and what doesn't). Second, she's told me that she rarely buys things without walking away and thinking about them first.

The result: She tells me she doesn't make a lot of mistakes. And that's worth a lot! I would love to avoid the waste that ensues when you buy something impulsively, without carefully considering whether it works for your body type, your personal style, and your lifestyle. I hate seeing my mistakes a few days or weeks later when that first blush has worn off and you just see the garment and have to ask yourself, "What in God's name was I thinking!?"

Here are some other reasons for my buying freeze. First, toward the middle or end of a season (and, yes, we are at that moment this summer, clothing-wise), I like to test all my clothes. Those aforementioned mistakes? I force myself to find the best possible outfit for them and put them on in the morning. If I can't get myself to wear them through a single day, then I'm done trying. They're history -- into the bag destined for my local charity. I gave them one last chance and it didn't work. No need to keep beating myself up about it.

The other reason is to give myself mental energy (and, let's face it, some room in the old budget) to gear up for fall! It's just around the corner, at least in the world of fashion merchandising. In a few weeks, your favorite department store will have put those bathing suits into moth balls and brought out its Fall '08 coats.

I want to be ready for that moment when it happens. And now that I'm thinking about it, I could use a new coat this fall.....

Weeding out the dead weight

This morning's session with a client went really great.

I'm guessing here, but I think we might have gotten rid of 75 pieces of clothing. They will all go to a worthy home, except for what is stained or torn or otherwise can't be salvaged The result was incredible. Whereas beforehand her closet had been stuffed with clothes (all seasons, some that didn't fit, were outdated or unflattering or just never got worn), after just a couple hours' work, it was all sorted into seasons and occasions (work and play). And most important, everything there was something she could and would actually wear and feel good in!

And there was a lot less in her closet. A LOT less. As in, you could see the walls and the dozens of extra hangers.

Of course, that bareness tends to worry people, sometimes even make them panic.-- and lead them to rush out and make the same mistakes buying the wrong clothes.

So I gave her this key principle to remember, and I think it's useful enough to mention here: If you want to change your look, you simply have to start shopping at different places. Don't want to look like Talbot's any more? Don't go back to Talbot's! Think you might have outgrown Old Navy (figuratively, not literally)? Well, stop buying all your clothes there!

It's obvious, really, but I've seen people gravitate over and over again toward the same shapes and styles. To get out of that rut, shock therapy is needed.

Here's how that works: Go to a large department store and head toward a section where you don't normally shop, or at least toward a manufacturer about whom you think "I'd NEVER wear that!" Then try it on. Then repeat. Most of what you try probably won't work, but I guarantee you'll find one or two things that make you reassess your own style and wardrobe.

Last story: I recently visited my mom. She lives in a fairly unsophisticated city. She's been in a rut herself. I encouraged her to try on something at a fancy store where she'd never bought anything. She picked out a fabulous blue skirt with ornamentation (half off!) and an drapy ivory T-shirt. The two pieces looked fabulous on her. She wore them out to dinner and felt (and looked) transformed.

Test your limits and see how it feels!

Summer getaways

I just came back from an image consulting conference and learned a thing or two, stuff I'll be blogging about in the near future. Since I'm headed out of town soon, though, one thing in particular was quite interesting to me -- the fact that other people get flummoxed at the prospect of planning two or three days, or a week, or even more! worth of clothes when packing for a trip. Those how-to articles in fashion magazines make it look easy, and perhaps with money to burn on that requisite (but pricey) shahtoosh shawl, yoga pants, and Burberry eyeshades, it is.

For me, it's always confusing and overwhelming. The only thing that keeps me sane is a trick I learned from a friend: creating a spreadsheet with space for every change of outfit, and then filling it in and developing a packing list based on the day-by-day outfit plan. This friend traveled home frequently, so she even listed her standard must-haves at the bottom (cosmetics, workout gear, etc.), so they'd be there as a reminder for each trip, and she'd change the outfits she needed.

At the conference I attended, several consultants showed templates they'd created. The key thing is to make sure to plan for your trip home and to be realistic about the fact that you'll likely want to change clothes for the evening But you won't necessarily need a completely different outfit for each day -- mixing and matching, and handwashing in between if necessary, is great.

I myself have never, ever traveled and wished I'd brought more clothes. Sometimes I find I misjudged in the choices of clothes I brought, but I've never discovered myself to have brought not enough.