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The
Clothing Chronicles ===================================================
In This Issue: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My schedule these last few weeks has been frantic, so if you sent me an email and I haven't responded yet, I apologize. I'm working on getting through my inbox as my schedule permits -- I've been working on my "best bets" for fall and should have those ready next week. In the meantime, let's start thinking about getting our seasonal wardrobes in order with a look at what to wear after hours this fall (or spring, if you're south of the equator). Enjoy!
Diana ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How to Get Organized - NOW Are you organized? Are you totally on top of your work projects? Home management? Birthday lists? If not, "Get Organized Now" can help with checklists, advice, reminders, and more. From paying your bills to organizing stress-free holidays, "Get Organized Now" can set you on the path to a clutter-free, chaos-free life. See how: http://www.dianaprefers.com/books/getorganized.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What to Wear After Hours This Fall What do you have on your fall social calendar? A pig roast? An apple festival? A drive through New England? As the days grow shorter, the calendar becomes crazy, and the catalogs start filling your mailbox, now's the time to put together your non-business fall wardrobe. Not only will you find the best deals and greatest inventories if you shop early, you'll also have things ready to go when you need to look great in a flash. Now if you've never given your "down time" wardrobe much thought, chances are you've been caught unprepared. Either you found yourself with a last-minute invitation that sent you running to the stores in a panic, or you were out and about, looking like a ragamuffin, when you ran into someone you knew. Probably neither did much for your self esteem. Want some words of advice? Don't manage your leisure time wardrobe like this! Instead, make a plan, make a budget, and get your closet in order. It will be one less thing to think about when the days - and your free time - grow shorter. Here's how: 1. Make a List of Your Non-Business Activities If your nights and weekends consist mostly of cleaning the house, buying groceries, walking the dog, and taking in an occasional movie, your leisure-time clothing won't require much scrutiny. But if you're active with charities, run constantly with your kids, are working hard on climbing the social ladder, or whatever, you'll need a recreational wardrobe that can go the distance. Start by making a list of the types of activities you normally engage in this time of year. Pull out your calendar to see what's already on the schedule. If it will help, take a look at last year's calendar, if you still have it, to see what kinds of things you did last fall. That should give you a good idea of what to expect this year as well. 2. See What You Already Have Once you've identified what you'll be doing, check to see how your current wardrobe stacks up. If you have a solid assortment of staples (classic styles in neutral colors) in good condition, you may find that you won't need much at all. If you have two pairs of sweats with holes in them and a pair of jeans that only fit three weeks out of the month, however, it's time to add to your weekend wardrobe. You won't need to spend a lot--IF you purchase wisely. I'll show you how to do this in just a moment. 3. Put Together Some Wardrobe Capsules If you're like most women, your wardrobe probably consists of just a handful of colors. They may be black, white, navy, and red, for example, or brown, beige, ivory, and rust. Since we're normally drawn to the colors that look best on us, we tend to stock our closets accordingly. Use this to your advantage. First, go through your closet and put all like items together: all jackets, all pants, all skirts, all dresses, all sweaters, etc. Break up those tried-and-true sets to look at the individual pieces. Next, experiment with different combinations. Take the jacket from your good wool suit, for example, and put it together with those off-white cords. Or take the vest from your brown dress and pair it with your denim skirt. Unbutton your button-down jumper and use it as a vest over a turtleneck and jeans. Coordinate your colors to come up with new and exciting variations. Write down these combinations for quick reference in the future. 4. See What's Lacking You may be astounded at what you came up with. Often, we get so used to wearing the same tops with the same bottoms or the same jackets with the same skirts that we forget that the individual pieces have much more utility than we've given them. With a little imagination and some experimentation, you may be surprised by what you actually have. But then again, you may find that you're lacking certain key pieces, like a sweater, a pair of pants, or whatever. If adding a denim skirt would give you five more outfits, for example, or adding a few turtlenecks would give you endless combinations, then this is where you need to spend your money. Buy the pieces that offer the most versatility; avoid those that can only be worn one way. In fact, every time you're considering buying something, the question you need to ask is: "Does this go with at least three other things in my existing wardrobe?" If not, put it back on the rack and buy something that does. 5. Add Pieces that Will Have the Largest Impact First If you find that you need more items than your budget can handle at this point, identify the pieces that will offer the most flexibility and buy them first. It may be a pair of slacks or a skirt. It could be a turtleneck or a jacket. Whatever it is, it should have a solid impact on your wardrobe. Buy the best quality you can afford, and wear it for years to come. 6. Stick to Your Budget The easiest way to stick to your budget is to take cash to the store and leave your credit cards at home. When you know you only have a certain amount to spend, you weigh your purchases very carefully. Impulse buying goes by the wayside. If you keep your fall leisure-time wardrobe simple and no-fuss, you'll not only look good and stay warm, you'll ACTUALLY wear these clothes when the lure of sloppy sweats calls. Don't be put into a panic by a last minute invitation or be mortified by an unexpected encounter while running errands. Instead, spend a little time getting your fall wardrobe in order and look great for months to come!
************** Until next time,
Diana Pemberton-Sikes
http://www.FashionForRealWomen.com ------------------------ Published by:
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Publications, LLC Copyright © 2006 by Diana Pemberton-Sikes All rights reserved. |
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