Dear Readers,

The end of the year is near and it’s a great time to start reflecting on your goals for the coming year. So what things are you going to do differently in 2009? I hope one of your answers is, ‘be smarter when selecting what I put on every day’. How do you do that? First decide how you want to look. Then assess what you already own. Finally figure out the gaps and work to fill them, one by one. This is essentially what I help clients do in a wardrobe audit.
 
How do you decide how you want to look? This can be a pretty tricky endeavor but one quick way is to think about the styles you admire in others. Who do you admire and why? What are they doing that you can replicate? What does this woman wear? How does she look? This fashion icon can be your guide when deciding how you want to present yourself.
 
So once you have figured out what image you want to project you need to assess your clothes and see which ones reinforce this new image. This is TOUGH! It may mean discarding clothing that no longer serves you or that is no longer relevant to your life, lifestyle and new image aspirations. And you may still love many of these garments.  But you’ve got to be really ruthless and start purging.

Create 4 categories of clothing:
1.    Keepers
2.    Menders
3.    Giveaways
4.    Throw a ways
 

• Keep items that are relevant for your new image and those that fit, flatter and enhance your figure. The clothes you LOVE that are also in synch with your new vision for yourself.
• Look critically for clothing that may simply need mending or tailoring to make them work. The goal is to keep as many usable garments in your wardrobe as possible.
• Give away clothing that is still in very good shape but that is no longer right for you and your new image
• Discard garments that are worn out, or otherwise unusable

When you’re done, look honestly at what is left? What are you missing that if you had it, would pull your outfits together? It could be good fitting foundation garments. Or layering pieces like T’s and camis. Or it could be something you never considered, like certain accessories that you may finally have the nerve to try that makes your image a complete package. Whatever you lack, the next step is going shopping to add those missing pieces to your wardrobe. This is the fun part!!

Read my blog post: elanimagemanagement.com/html/elan-blog/ for tips on organizing your closet to get some ideas about how to rearrange your clothing so that they are more easily accessible to you now that you’ve cleared away all the stuff that no longer works.

That’s it—you now have a great foundation for refining your image in 2009. Look for more tips in the coming months!

The Image Diva, Elan Image Management

Dear Readers,

Today I had the pleasure of being featured in Ladies Who Launch’s launch tip feature. Below is the tip that was featured. Enjoy!

<<You have two business cards. There’s the impressive, pocket-sized work of graphic art that you proudly proffer at every opportunity, and then there’s you. Yes you, and it’s important to realize that dressing like you’re dazed and confused will overshadow even the most exquisitely embossed 3.5”x 2”. You are a walking business card. You represent a brand. Whether you’re detail oriented, creative, artistic or a strong communicator, customers are only human and they will subconsciously judge your inside by what they see on the outside. It’s worth it to spend a little extra time to look clean, crisp and put-together. Whether you choose cotton or cashmere, it’s all marketing material.>>

Natalie Jobity, Elan Image Management

Dear readers,

This is the first in a series of posts about getting the most fashion bang for your buck. We’re in a  recession–being frugal is prudent now. But tht doesn’t mean you need to look frumpy or survive in last year’s looks.

No one can discount shop better than I can. I have mastered the art of finding steals and deals over more than a decade. A great tip that works for me is knowing the designer brands I love and finding them at discount outlet and chains. You can find designers like BCBG, Tahari, Max Studio, Kay Unger, Free People  and other brands at discount outlets like Marshalls, Filene’s Basement and Loehmans. You just have to be prepared for the hunt. Go with a mission in mind. What are you looking for? A cute jacket, coat, dress? When you find prospects, try everything  on. And don’t get price struck. Just because it cost $20 doesn’t mean you should get it if the color, fit or style is all wrong for you. Be discriminating. And when you find those great finds it will be even more exhilarating because you’ll know you look great at a fraction of the cost.

Don’t ignore mass markets like Tar-get, Kohls and DSW. Many designers are getting hip to mass market as a target market and designing affordable options for these stores. Vera Wang, SJP, Bitten, Moschino, Alice and Olivia, all have really cute stuff at ridiculous prices at these stores. However, if you’re like me, you’re looking for that unique piece that is untraceable. If you’re buying Vera Wang at Kohls you might bump into someone with the same dress. Not so cool. That is where basics come in. I have no problem buying my T’s, lounge wear, tights and camis  from mass market retailers. Who can tell the difference between a Target T, a Gap T or a 3 Dots T? It’s a price point difference and when it comes to basics, I’d rather skimp.

So don’t let the down economy get you in a fashion slump. There are bargains galore to be found. Just shop a little smarter and you can still be the fiercest diva in town!

The Image Diva, Elan Image Management

Dear Readers,

They’re being spotted on celebs everywhere. The omnipresent ‘bandage’ dress—that figure hugging, curve inducing, form fitting, jaw dropping ‘bringing sexy back’ dress that designer Hervé Léger has made his signature this season in cahoots’  with label Max Azria.  The Hervé Léger bandage dress in its variety of colors and styles has earned a host of stylish celebrity fans including Mary J Blige, Joy Bryant, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Kate Bosworth. And it keeps popping up on fashionistas.

For the  curve-conscious woman there is nothing more stunning than this dress. It is a head turner, a ‘I am so sexy and I know it’ kind of a dress that only the most confident woman would dare don in public. In an ad for Chevy, Mary J wears the one shoulder gray-tone version. There is a silver metallic version that model and actress Joy Bryant rocks so well, in a strapless design.

Actress Michelle Trachtenberg  has said of the dress: "I call this the ‘Get your boyfriend back‘ dress," and she raves, “I’ve got a few of these in my closet!" Here she is in a more conservative black version.

Beyonce definitely hits a high note in her form-fitting teal and black mini dress and golden platform sandals.

Even more mature celebs like hot mama Catherine Zeta Jones can be a  stunner in her curve-hugging Herve Leger dress. The actress has been quoted as saying, "Something that I will never be is hip," but she sure is working it in this gold lame, deep plunging neckline design. Proving the dress is not just for the 30 and under crowd.

Just look at how actress Kate Walsh sizzles in this peephole design in forest green. Note the strategic seaming detail and neckline that makes her look even more like an hourglass. She looks amazing! (And need I remind you ladies, she is over 40!)

The pictures say it best. Want your sexy back and got the bod to flaunt it? Get thee a bandage dress! Just make sure its in a color that looks great on you.

As proof I present you Rachel Weiz in a Herve Leger bandage dress in pale blue–not a good color on her. It completely washes her out and the effect is less than sexy. Not liking the shoes either.

Also, if you’re going to rock a bandage dress, make sure the cut flatters your body. Actress, Hayden P looks like a squished sausage in her dress. Again, not sexy or flattering! And the color is too close to her skin tone.

Want to know how much these dresses cost? Saks sells the Ombre off the shoulder version below for $1,590.

That’s a real dent in the wallet for sure for the average Jane, so if you’re going to go there, it better be worth your trouble (there are cheaper ways to get your sexy back)

TTFN

The Image Diva, Elan Image Management

Dear Readers,

November 4th not only marked the historic election of Barack Obama, but also his wife Michelle Obama taking on the role of First Lady. Michelle exuded her typical sophistication in Chicago when her husband was named the 44th President of the United States. The new First Lady wore a red and black two-toned one-of-a kind Narciso Rodriguez sheath dress, for her husband’s acceptance speech Tuesday night topped with a black cropped cardigan for a more conservative look.

I’ve already written about Michelle’s refined sense of style and signature look on the campaign trail. See my post: elanimagemanagement.com/html/elan-blog/. But I have to admit I was not loving her designer dress on election night (right from Rodriguez’s Spring 2009 runway collection BTW).  I loved the matching color combination reflected in her daughters’ dresses and  I liked the IDEA of the dress — fashion forward, unconventional, bold and edgy. All good stuff! But as she walked on stage waving, it was confusing what was happening with her dress. Something just was not quite right and too much was going on. And it’s only after seeing all the pictures of that historic night that I realize it was the cardigan! It  didn’t work because it was a distraction to an already very boldly patterned dress. The way the edges of the cardigan blew in the wind ruined the clean silhouette of her sheath dress and threw off the dress’s proportion and line—a silhouette that she wears often and that works really well on her. Paired with the cardigan, Michelle’s figure looked thick waisted and boxy resulting in a less than flattering look.

Others have criticized the color of the dress, calling  the color combo ‘lava lamp’, “hell colored”, "paint blast" among other things.  Others still, just hated it period. For me it was the cardigan–it just was not working.  This is the dress without the cardigan on the runway (left). 

If Michelle came sans cardi she would have looked amazing. She rocks this sheath silhouette all the time. But perhaps the dress was just not a practical choice to begin with for a cold Chicago evening. It’s meant for Spring after all! She needed the cardigan to ward off the chill in the air So it was smart to cover up, it just didn’t translate well on TV on that vast dark stage and with all that wind! And honestly, all good stylists all know that vibrant red can be a tricky color to wear on camera.

 But we can forgive her this fashion faux pas because honestly, this is the first public one. And at the end of the day do we really care? Barack Obama will be our new President and she is the new leading lady.  She makes me so proud— commanding, elegant, classy and striking. As one blogger wrote: “She’s so damn confident, she could have worn a paper bag and still be amazing.” And I agree whole heartedly.

And watch out for the new fashionista on the make, her daughter Malia. Word has it that her red silk taffeta Biscotti dress (paired with matching cardi) has caught the attention of  many onlookers and that her dress has been selling out in stores. Sound familiar?

The Image Diva, Elan Image Management