What I've Learned

Upon entering my fourth year with Wardrobe Wisdom, I am reflecting upon the dozens of clients I've worked with. Each has been unique, but I have noticed some patterns.

In general, those with the least amount of clothes tend to be the least stressed about what to wear everyday. Conversely, the overloaded closets I've seen overwhelm people. My job is to help clients with those kinds of closets to learn what they really need and what suits their lifestyle. Gently urging them to part with certain items is another thing I do with them.

Working with men has exposed the myth that women are hoarders. The men I've worked with are very sentimental about and attached to their clothing. Still, once we looked at their beloved items (and they shared stories about them), they were fairly willing to give a lot of them up.

I can think of only two clients who have a healthy appreciation of their bodies and their shapes. The rest have been quick to point out perceived flaws. This is dismaying but not surprising, given our society which tells us that beauty means young, wrinkle-free, and skinny. On the bright side, nearly every client has been happy to learn ways to play up body parts she has liked while downplaying other parts. Not one man had a critical thing to say about his physique. Interesting.

A large number of my Santa Barbara Wardrobe Wisdom clients do not like to shop. However, this does not mean that they don't like clothing or looking good. Instead, I learned they had spent years frustrated by what they found in stores, and their spirits quickly fell when on a shopping excursion. It has felt great to point them in the right direction in terms of where to shop for great clothing and service in town or online. I've also enjoyed shopping for some of these clients; seeing their looks of joy when I brought them clothing that fit and flattered them is among my favorite aspects of my job.

As people began to be more careful with their money this past year, I believe they have become smarter about their clothing choices. A lot are bringing out the basics in their closets and call me to learn how to update them. This is always great fun, and makes me look forward to more years of Wardrobe Wisdom.

Seeing Red

I wore a red dress yesterday and received several compliments and surprised expressions from my friends. Red is not a color I wear often, and apart from the dress, the only other red item in my wardrobe is a blouse. Blue, gray, black, white, and pink are the most prevalent colors in my closet, but I have to say that wearing red for a change was quite fun!

Take a look in your closet and identify your dominant colors. What color do you have in there that you like but rarely wear? Wear it on this week and see if it doesn't give you a lift and solicit nice comments from others.

Plus-Size Clothing

A woman came into Patty Montana recently, telling me how happy she was to learn that clothing for plus-size women is becoming more attractive and easy to find. This was news to me: Several of my Santa Barbara Wardrobe Wisdom clients relate stories of frustration while searching for plus-size clothing, and I find shopping for them challenging as well. However, one of my friends and clients just sent me this blog post which does offer some hope for plus-size women.

Tailoring

Women in the know use tailors. Whether this is a habit they gained early in life or later, they understand the value of getting clothing altered to fit them just right. Very few people can buy clothing right off the rack and have it fit perfectly. This is especially true now when the average size of American women has little in common with fit models who are stick thin yet have had breast augmentation surgery. What on earth?!

The article "A Tailor Up My Sleeves," by Michelle Slatalla in the New York Times underscores the benefits of using a tailor, especially during this time when people are trying to stretch their wardrobes and wardrobe dollars.

Full Disclosure

The ever-brilliant Wild Web Women at Web Marketing Therapy are always passing along useful, timely information. This week I learned "that effective 12-1-09, the FTC is mandating that bloggers must disclose payments for endorsements."

Since I started my blog, I have been asked more than once if I am paid by businesses when I make a comment about them. Though I sometimes fantasize about Boden sending me boxes of free clothing, I have never been paid (monetarily or in merchandise) for my endorsements. By remaining a free agent, I remain honest. Thus, when I say that I love something I've seen at Saks, or I think a certain book is terrific, you can be assured that I mean it. Of course I do get paid by Patty Montana when I work there on Fridays, but I write about the store or its products without any extra payment.

Saks Fifth Avenue

Over the years I have heard friends and Wardrobe Wisdom clients complain about the unwelcoming environment at Saks. Yet many of these same people have no problem shopping at Blue Bee and its offspring--stores that make me feel like a country bumpkin. Perhaps shoppers need to visit Saks again to feel more comfortable there.

During my recent tour of Saks, with its down-to-earth, friendly women's departments manager, I met some very nice sales clerks and was extremely impressed with the store's inventory. There is something for everybody (Well, almost. There is no longer a men's department) at Saks. For working women, clothing by Tahari, Theory, Natorious, Akris Pinto, and Zenobia is just right. Even wearing one piece from one of these designers can give a businesswoman confidence; they are beautiful and well-made. I am a big fan of Theory and I so love clothing by Milly.

For decades Burberry was known for its iconic trench coat. Now it offers some more fun and lively pieces. I saw a number of on-trend, cute jackets and great outerwear pieces.

The section of the store I loved the most is downstairs, where menswear used to be. In this contemporary department, I saw a staggering selection of premium denim jeans, lovely pieces by Joie and Twill Twenty-Two, super nice clothing by Marc by Marc Jacobs, and loads of separates to mix and match. The selection of shirts by James Perse is the largest I've seen anywhere, and I saw a number of good-looking belts. This section of the store is hip, fresh, and full of surprises without being pretentious.

So, ladies, it is time to give Saks another chance. I'd love to hear about your experiences.

Shopping for Quality

My mom is a stickler for quality. She sniffs derisively when she spots a skirt whose pattern does not match up at the seams. She smells purses to see if the leather is good. She looks to see if the seams are finished in any given item. When I was little, these traits made me impatient while we shopped. Now I appreciate how she taught me to look for quality when I shop.

Not everyone has such a picky mom, though. In fact, one thing my Wardrobe Wisdom business has taught me is that women learn how to shop, or how not to shop, from our mothers. Here then is a primer from InStyle magazine on how to spot quality:

1. Beads: Fabric should be strong enough to support any embellishment. Seams around detailing shouldn't be pulled or stretched.

2. Buttons: Gently tug on each to make sure they're all well-anchored.

3. Lining: The key is one that feels good on your skin, and that helps the garment hang correctly.

4. Pattern: Polka dots, stripes, houndstooth--any repeating print/pattern--should line up perfectly, not off-kilter, at the seams.

5. Seams: French seams are the ultimate as they are turned under and beautifully finished to hide raw edges. I am still shocked to find so many expensive items with sloppy, unfinished seams.

6. Zipper: Test it a few times. Does it glide easily? Snags are a red alert that it's cheaply made and may not last long.

The Style Strategy

One of the many things I like about Nina Garcia, author of "The Style Strategy," is her understanding of what goes through a woman's mind when she thinks about clothing. In her current book, she compares our more frugal buying habits with being on a diet. She is concerned that, like dieters, we will begin to feel deprived and depressed, and these feelings can lead us to making unwise, expensive, and unnecessary purchases.

Her advice is similar to the advice I give to my Santa Barbara Wardrobe Wisdom clients: Shop wisely and mindfully. Look at what you have, what you like, and what you truly need to fill in any wardrobe gaps. If a bit of cash is really burning a hole in your pocket, you should probably stay away from your favorite boutique (boy do I know this feeling), and instead buy something small. Garcia suggests a new lipstick or a fun accessory. In this way, you get your shopping high without compromising your budget. Smart.

Animal Prints

I was slow to come around to this trend when it emerged a few years ago. Since I am petite, I feared looking silly wearing such a bold look. Would it wear me?

Now that animal prints have been around several seasons, I have really warmed up to them. I love the belts at J. Crew, the cute flats at Garnet Hill (the only ballet flats that I find comfortable), and the cute sweaters at Ann Taylor.



A very good article which dispenses advice on how to work animal prints into your wardrobe was recently in The Los Angeles Times' Image section. The link is not accessible (grrr!), but here are some points the journalist, Melissa Magsaysay made:

- As with any trend, wear it sparingly. . . Introduce these prints slowly and subtly into your wardrobe.

- Keep it tame by knowing which parts of your body to accentuate and, most important, when to stop. A loud print will draw attention to whatever part it's covering so place it in an area of your body you like.

- Animal prints are a trend that should not be paired with other current trends--meaning don't mix animal prints with shoulder pads or distressed denim.

For Fall

My Santa Barbara Wardrobe Wisdom clients, as well as my friends, ask me what is new for fall. Okay, ladies, here it is in a nutshell: Fall Fashion Looks. Thanks go to Style Bakery for its concise list of ways to update your look. The examples in the photographs are great, too.

Color!

After switching out my wardrobe recently, from warm to cool weather clothing, I made note of what colors I like. My wardrobe is filled with a lot of blue, gray, black, and white. In the last couple of years, I have gravitated toward dark brown and green, and I've always liked purple and pink. So how will I (or won't I) include THE colors for this fall?

This is a question we should all ask ourselves before hitting the stores. Yes, there will be a lot of gray and purple out there which makes me happy. But those colors don't do much for my friend Stacy or my mom. Fortunately, olive green, honey yellow, and burnt sienna will be out in force as well for those who look better in colors with a yellow (as opposed to blue) undertone. Do yourself a favor and hold the color you are considering up to your face, preferably in natural light, before committing to buying it. Tights and bangles are a great way to bring in a fun new color that may not flatter your complexion.

As a reminder, here are the colors you will see a lot of in the stores now:
Blue-reds, fuchsias, and soft pinks.
Purple, cobalt, teal, and emerald
Gray (Seek a heather or oatmeal gray if blue-gray doesn't suit you)
Metallics (gold, silver, and bronze) I am glad this shimmery trend has lasted!

Pioneer Woman

It takes great restraint for me not to write about my other passion in this blog: food. Oh, I could write something every day about cooking, eating, recipes, a meal I ate 5 years ago. . . See?

So imagine my delight when I came across a wonderful, unusual website about a woman who shares my love of good food, among other things. Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond is incredible: She cooks, she takes fantastic photographs, she writes, she works hard on her ranch, she home schools 4 kids (WOW!), and she posted a candid, very humorous blog about going through her closet. I must share it!

I love how she not only shares why she is parting with certain pieces, she makes funny observations about what attracted her to them in the first place and the accompanying photos are terrific. Exploring her site was one of the best online diversions I've taken in a long time.