Spring Style “Must Haves” Debunked

By Judith Rasband, AICI CIM and Dani Slaugh, Conselle Affiliate

Spring is a great time to update your wardrobe.  Adding whites and bright colors is a great way to create the look and feel of Spring.  Choose pieces that match your lifestyle, personal style, coloring and figure.  Beware of articles and advertisements that list those things you “must have” this season.   No matter how trendy the style may be, there are no “must haves.”    Why?  Because we each have our own, unique lifestyle, personal style, coloring, and figure.  What may be a harmonious look for one person, can be completely awful for another.  Here are a few examples of “must haves” that relatively few can wear well, and many can just plain do without.  The photo above shows a popular trend right now, short shorts, pastels and polka-dots.  All of these characteristic reflect a personal style that is very Yin oriented.   If your coloring is fair, your figure is just right, and your personal style is playful and whimsical, then this look may work for you.  If not, you may end up looking like you’re trying to be someone else.  More trend tips:

The big bold print in the red shirt would completely drown out a petite woman or someone with lighter hair and skin.

Jumpsuits can be fun, but not if you are looking to minimize larger shoulders and arms. Not to mention that the mid-section must be the same size as the garment, not too long or too short.

A short, wrap style dress would only attract attention to larger legs.  If you’re going strapless, get rid of the tan lines.  (This model has a distracting line on her right shoulder.)

Nude heals blend in with the color of the legs, giving the illusion of no shoes. The look can be unbalanced. With a heavy black sweater, this model looks very top heavy.

Next time you see a list of “must haves”, ask yourself, “Does this print / color enhance my own coloring, or does it fight with it?  What is the first thing others see when they look at me?  Is their attention going where I want it to go?”  Remember that you can pick and choose the trends you want to adopt this season.  Choose those that will enhance your wonderful features, if the “must have” look doesn’t do that, then let someone else have it.

Want to know exactly what your personal style is?  Your coloring, lifestyle, or body type?  Conselle has the right person to get you focused.

Call us at (801) 224-1207 to set up an a free discover call.  

We also have the right materials! Get them at http://www.conselle.com/fashion-consulting-books.php

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Buy well, wear longer, & love your planet on Earth Day

By Judith Rasband, AICI CIM and Dani Slaugh, Conselle Affiliate

What’s your contribution to earth day?  Do you feel like you are doing your best to

recycle?  Many of us have gotten the hang of recycling our food containers and

newspapers.  But what about clothing?  Here are 3 very different ways you can

focus on earth friendly attire for Earth Day.

 

Option 1. Wear clothing made entirely of recycled materials.  (Not gonna

happen.)  Although dresses made from laundry bags, food wrappers and cardboard

have made the news, I doubt you will see your neighbors wearing them in the

grocery store any time soon.  Aside from being itchy and smelling like Cheetos, this

type of clothing is just plain uncomfortable.

 

Option 2. Wear clothing made of fabric containing some recycled material. 

(Now this is possible.) Some clothing manufacturers, such as Levi Strauss, have

found a way to incorporate plastic bottles into their denim.  On October 31, 2012,

Levi Strauss & Co.  “announced a new collection of denim apparel, including jeans,

that will be comprised of a minimum 20 percent of plastics recycled from drinks

bottles and food trays.” (gizmag.com)

 

 

Option 3. Wear good quality classic clothing that will outwear and out

trend fast fashion.  (This one is doable!)

Fast fashion clutters your closet, your mind and your land fill.

What is fast fashion?  These are stores that introduce new styles every month, every

week, and two or three times per week for some.  That’s why it’s called fast fashion.

The low prices are largely due to low quality-cheap chic. Forever 21, Charlotte Russe,

Buckle, H&M, Zara, and American Eagle Outfitters are applying fast fashion’s

here-today-gone-tomorrow mindset with prices consumers can’t resist.   For real-life

wardrobe needs, fast fashion is not something to indulge in or depend on. Disposable

is part of the fast fashion process.  With low prices and low quality, fast fashions

have to be tossed after a few wearings or washings because they are either worn out

or out of style.  To avoid getting sucked in, make classic pieces the bulk of your

wardrobe, with a few trendy items to update and add some fun.

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Is an Image Consultant For Me?

Conselle is collecting data to know how to help more people think, feel, and act terrific. There are just 3 questions on this survey. Please take a minute to respond.

CLICK: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DS28F88

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How to stop the black and white trend from wearing you!

By Judith Rasband, AICI CIM and Dani Slaugh, Conselle Affiliate

Black and white patterns are everywhere this season.  However, with the extreme value contrast, it can be hard to see through the clothes to the person wearing them.  Here are few tips on how to put the focus where it should be … on you.

Color - What’s your best color?  The colors that have been given to you from birth, of course.  If you have black hair or white hair, black and white clothing will enhance your hair color by repetition.  If your hair is another color, it may get lost in the drama of black and white.  Does that mean, you cannot wear this trend if you are a blonde, for example?  Absolutely not!  But in order to keep the focus on you, and not your clothing, you need to add a bit of “you” to the outfit, (see option A).  Wear a belt and shoes that match your hair coloring, (option C).  Try a scarf or necklace and earrings that match the color of your eyes, (option B).

Pattern - The size of the pattern should correspond with the size of the figure.  A fuller figured person can wear a larger pattern, (option A).   A small pattern on that same person, however could accentuate her size due to the strong contrast.  A petite figure can expect to look great in medium to small prints, (option C).  However, large black and white flowers on a dress will drown out her petite figure.

Texture - The weight of the fabric is one of those details that can make or break the statement you are trying to make.  Aim for fabrics that are lighter weight for petites, (option C), and firmer for larger frames, (option A).

Choosing the right clothing can be simple. Consider who you are….your personal coloring and figure type, then choose  the color, pattern, and texture to match. Love wearing black and white?  Great!  Now you can make sure they see beyond the clothes to you.

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Women’s History Week – Be a Part of It!

By Judith Rasband, AICI CIM and Dani Slaugh, Conselle Affiliate

March is Women’s History Month.  President Ronald Regan proclaimed the week of March 7th,1982 as Women’s History Week.  The commemoration expanded to Women’s History Month in 1987 to honor and celebrate the struggles and achievements of American women throughout the history of the United States. Filling a vital role in the history of America, women struggled for and won their right to vote.   In the 1970s women claimed their right to work with equal pay and to be treated as more than a sex object.  

Women of generation X and Y are too young to remember this and today, some purposely objectify themselves in sleazy dress and grooming.  National media, intent on shock value, continues to picture women in an inferior, less capable, subjective manner.  Consider Disel ad photos that label women as “STUPID.”

Notice the increasing number of fashion models positioned pigeon-toed, intended to make women appear childish, off-balance, and incapable of taking care of ourselves.

Begin now, this Women’s History Week, to stand tall with weight positioned solidly on both feet.  Choose to wear clothes that are well fitted with ease, that do not distract attention to the body and thoughts of casual sex.  Choose to wear a shirt with a collar to lift attention and frame your face for better communication.  Wear a jacket to slightly expand your body image boundaries causing you to appear more authoritative, in charge of yourself and the situation.  There are literally hundreds of jackets to choose from, according to your personal style.  Look at people straight in the eye with a smile, making obvious contact that says, “Hello. I’m worth knowing.”

 

Make your place in history as you choose to make the world a better place. 

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Cold Air Skin Care – 5 Easy Ways to Keep Your Skin Healthy

By Judith Rasband, AICI CIM and Dani Slaugh, Conselle Affiliate

Looks like we are not going to have the shortest winter in history.  As winter continues with freezing temps, rain, snow, and biting winds, your skin may reflect the unsettled weather.  The result can mean dry, flaky, rough skin prone to chapping, cracking and sometimes infection.

To help you look your best, here are some  mid-winter skin savers – solutions to those cold weather skin problems.

1. Take fewer, faster baths or showers in warm – not hot – water.  Long soaks in hot water strip our skin of the natural oils it needs.  Add bath oil in the tub or put on before a final rinse in the shower.  
2. Allow at least half an hour before going out if you bathe or cleanse your skin.  Your skin needs time to replace its natural protective oils. Just before bed is best.
3. Increase your use of moisturizer or switch to a heavier one that has more oil than water in the formulation.  While moisturizers do not add water to your skin, they do form a protective film of oil to seal in water and slow its evaporation from your skin.  Apply moisturizers while your face or body is still damp – not dry.
4. Turn down the thermostat to 68 degrees or below for healthier skin.  When you feel chilly, put on more clothes, not heat.
5. Surround yourself with plants to help humidify the air.  Or buy a humidifier for your home or office to add moisture.

Taking care of the environment is important! Start with the environment you live in….your skin.

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What’s in a Smile? 5 Most Common Smiles and what they communicate

By Judith Rasband, AICI CIM and Dani Slaugh, Conselle Affiliate

Never a lip is curved with pain
That can’t be kissed into smile again.
~Brete Harte

Valentine’s is a great day to share the love and give someone you care about a smile.  We’ve put together a list of famous lips and common tips on what your smile says about you. But first, guess which celeb belongs to these lips! (answers at the bottom)

   A

   B

   C

   D

   E

   F

   G

As we have learned in Sherlock Holmes, it is impossible to not communicate.  Everything about our image from the clothing, hair, body language, tan line, jewelry, shoes and yes, even a smile tells a story about each of us.  So what is your smile communicating?  In The Definitive Book of Body Language, Allan and Barbara Pease describe the Five Common Types of Smiles:

1. The Tight-Lipped Smile

It sends the message that the smiler has a secret or a withheld opinion or attitude that they will not be sharing with you.  It’s a favorite of women who don’t want to reveal that they don’t like someone and is usually clearly read by other women as a rejection signal. Most men are oblivious to it.

2. The Twisted Smile

The Twisted Smile is peculiar to the Western world and can only be done deliberately, which means it can send only one message – sarcasm.

3. The Drop-Jaw Smile

This is a practiced smile where the lower jaw is simply dropped down to give the impression that the person is laughing or playful, but they are faking enjoyment.

4. Sideways-Looking-Up Smile

With the head turned down and away while looking up with a Tight-Lipped Smile, the smiler looks juvenile, playful, and secretive.  This coy smile has been shown to be men’s favorite everywhere, because when a woman does it, it engenders parental male feelings, making men want to protect and care for females.  This is one of the smiles Princess Diana used to captivate the hearts of people everywhere.

5. The George W. Bush Grin

President George W. Bush always has a permanent smirk on his face.  Ray Birdwhistell found that smiling among middle-class people is most common in Atlanta, Louisville, Memphis, Nashville, and most of Texas.  Bush is a Texan and they smile more than most other Americans.  As a result, in Texas, an unsmiling individual might be asked if he was “angry about something,” while in New York, the smiler might be asked,  “What’s so funny?” President Jimmy Carter was also a Southerner who smiled all the time.  This worried the Northerners who feared that he knew something they didn’t.

Did you guess right?  

A. Madonna, B. Lucy Liu, C. Angelina Jolie, D. Julia Roberts, E. Taylor Swift, F. Marilyn Monroe, G. Naomi Campbell

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7 Easy Mood and Image Boosters TO MAKE FEBRUARY FLY BY

Your inspiration to make fashion and beauty changes may hit an all-time low during these short gloomy days, and your spirits may sag as well. To the rescue, minimum-effort image boosts to lift your look, and projects that are engrossing and rewarding enough to make the year’s dreariest twenty-eight days seem to fly by:

1. Tap into the instant cheer of a bright colored sweater.
2. Send handmade Valentines – a labor of love.
3. Give your hair the glow the sun can’t this time of year. After washing and conditioning your hair, add a spritz of hair oil, such as L’Oreal’s Mythic Rich Oil, and finger through your hair.
4. Go for the polish of perfect finger or toe nails. Those toes may not see the beach soon, but give them a splash of color and your spirits may be sunnier.
5. Give into the pleasures of those sensory luxuries, such as a silky shirt, soft knit scarf, or leather gloves – more easily affordable at end of season sales.
6. Delve into a long, absorbing novel, such as Victory Hugo’s Les Miserables or Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina….or take yourself to the movies.
7. Get out and work out. Exercise is a great anti-depressant. Bundle up and go for a walk. If you enjoy hiking in summer, rent some snow shoes and try hiking it in the winter.

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Let the SuperBowl Party Begin!

By Judith Rasband, AICI CIM and Dani Slaugh, Conselle Affiliate

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New Year’s Tip No. 1 – not all “fashion experts” know what they’re talking about

By Judith Rasband, AICI CIM and Dani Slaugh, Conselle Affiliate

The holidays may be over, but this holiday fashion clip from the Today Show on December 12, 2012 keeps coming back to mind.  The segment is titled, Holiday Fashion for full-figured women.  I truly believe that women everywhere can look and feel terrific, regardless of size.   But I would not be taking advise from this segment’s “expert”, who is not a good example herself.  Our well-meaning “expert”, seen on the far left, is wearing a small scale spotty black and white print dress, that emphasizes her size by extreme contrast.  She is also wearing black stockings stuffed into nude colored pumps.   Just because nude shoes are in style right now, doesn’t mean that they work with weighty black stockings.  In fact, nude colored shoes don’t really work well with any dark colored skirts or dresses.  Instead of elongating the look, we appear to have no shoes on at all. I continue to be amazed by what passes for an expert these days! And her sitting position?  NOT PROFESSIONAL.  Somebody, please teach her how to sit.  Our experts really need to be more refined.

Add to that…the models are stuffed into their clothes.  A little ease, please.  Horizontal stress lines, crossing this model’s thighs, are just screaming for a better fit.  The rolled up pants add visual weight and provide another horizontal line making her look both shorter and wider.  The short little boot shoes add more weight yet.

In this new year, consider what you read and see before buying into it.  Instead of buying every trend the next “expert” says is a great look, think about it.  Consider whether the look fits you….your figure type, your personal coloring, your values, your personality and your roles.  Learn to recognize when that hot new style just doesn’t work.

To view the entire segment for yourself about Holiday Fashion for full-figured women, click on this link:   http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50198973#50198973

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