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The
Clothing Chronicles ================================================
In This Issue: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So sorry for my unexpected silence last week! I had connectivity issues with my DSL line for several days and was unable to connect to the Internet until this week. If you sent me an email late last week and I didn't respond, please send it again as it may not have come through. Thanks. Thanks also to everyone who took the time to fill out the survey two weeks ago. What a response! Now I have a very good idea of what you're looking for and am forming a game plan on how to proceed. Thanks again for your help. I think I may have finally tackled my illustration issues for "Accessory Magic" and should have it available very soon. What a shame the best I can draw on my own is stick people -- So what's on tap for today's article? One of the areas of biggest concern from the survey: how to look good consistently. Enjoy!
Diana ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Makeup Secrets Revealed Want color of foundation should you wear? What's the best haircut for your face shape? How can you make pimples look virtually invisible? These are just SOME of the answers you'll find in MAKEUP SECRETS REVEALED, a detailed, no-holds-barred look at makeup, skin care, and beauty routines. See for yourself why this book is so popular, http://www.dianaprefers.com/books/makeupsecrets.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How to Look Good Consistently Most women can pull together a great look when the occasion calls for it, like giving a speech, going to a cocktail party, or attending a wedding. They know they want to look extra special for the event, so they take the time to plan how they look. But how can you look THAT pulled together EVERY DAY? How can you glide out the door in head turning mode on those hectic mornings when your kid kept you up half the night, you pulled an all-nighter, or you hit the snooze button so many times that you now have less than ten minutes to get out the door? By doing the same thing you'd do for a special event: by planning. If you have a game plan in place for your everyday wardrobe, you'll know exactly what you can put on every day regardless of how much sleep you've had or how much high drama you've had to endure before your first cup of coffee. Now if this sounds like a lot of work, I'll be honest with you: it will take a little time in the beginning to get yourself organized. But once you've done it and start seeing the results, you'll wonder why you never thought of it before. So why should you bother? Let me answer that with a story that will help you see just how effective a game plan can be: Back in late November 1960, when John F. Kennedy was the President-elect and Jacqueline Kennedy was in the hospital recovering from having John Jr., she gathered a style team to help her plan her First Lady wardrobe. She knew she was going to be in the spotlight every day, and she knew she wanted to look different from all the first ladies who had gone before her. With only eight weeks until the inauguration, and after a flurry of phone calls, she met with designer Oleg Cassini. He sketched a few designs and they settled on a classic clothing approach. Then he went off to produce her wardrobe while she spent time with her baby and prepared to move into the White House. From inauguration day forward, Jackie was considered a style icon. Now you may not spend a lot of time in the public eye or have designers at your beck and call, but as you can see, planning has its advantages -- particularly when you want to present a consistent image. Just as making a weekly menu and shopping list can help you get a nutritious dinner on the table quickly, so can making an outfit "menu" and shopping list help you get out the door quickly looking effortlessly pulled together. Here's how to make it happen: 1. Determine Your Style Thumb through magazines and catalogs and find looks that appeal to you. Pull out those pages and then go look at your wardrobe. Chances are, you already have some of those core pieces in your closet because we tend to favor certain styles of clothes throughout our lives. Use those pictures as a template for building a signature style. 2. Take Inventory In order to know what you have to work with, you need to know what you have. Cull your belongings, get rid of what you no longer wear, and put everything back in an organized manner. The seasonal closet change is a great time to do this. 3. Make a List of Outfits Make a list of all the possible ensembles you can create from the clothes you already have in your closet. Yes, this exercise will take a little time, but it will also be a lifesaver on those mornings when your brain isn't firing on all cylinders. You can make this list on paper, on an Excel spreadsheet, by taking pictures, or whatever. Just get it down. Here's a general format that you can refine as needed:
See how easy this is? Once you make your list, staple the pages together or put it in a notebook and put it in your closet where you can grab it whenever you need it. You'll probably refer to it often in the beginning, but as you get the hang of using everything in your closet, you'll rely on it less and less. 4. Make a Shopping List As you listed your ensemble options, you no doubt saw glaring holes - pieces that you need to make what you have go farther, like a skirt, a properly fitting pair of pants, low-heeled shoes, or whatever. These are the pieces you need to buy FIRST, because they'll have the greatest impact by allowing you to do more with what you already have. Once you fill in the holes, you can add extra stuff - like duplicates in different colors or trendy pieces -- as needed. 5. Lather, Rinse, and Repeat All you need to do now is repeat steps 2,3, and 4 each time the seasons change. As you do, you'll discover that it takes less and less time each season. Why? For starters, you'll have fewer and fewer pieces that you don't wear in your inventory (step 2). Secondly, once you have a wardrobe "menu" in place (step 3) for each season, you just need to add or subtract old and new pieces. Finally, you'll be so familiar with your wardrobe that you'll be able to make a shopping list quickly (step 4) at the beginning of each season. Looking good every day isn't hard, but it DOES take a little planning. If you put your closet on a simple maintenance schedule, you'll discover that like a properly maintained car, it can work well for you day in and day out with only routine maintenance. Look good every day with just a little bit of planning each season? You bet! It's the easiest way to maintain a consistent image.
************* Until next time,
Diana Pemberton-Sikes
http://www.FashionForRealWomen.com ------------------------ Published by:
Top Drawer
Publications, LLC Copyright © 2006 by Diana Pemberton-Sikes All rights reserved. |
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