Vida Image Consulting Style Blog

Piggy-backing on an earlier post about shopping in each other’s closets, swap parties continue to gain popularity and sweep the nation.  The Today Show, on 6/19/09, included a segment outlining the rules for fair trade that are worth sharing.  These rules help ensure that the trade is as fair as possible.  Feel free to include shoes, purses, and other accessories.  

1) Make sure general sizes are the same.

2) Have some light food and drinks. 

3) Categorize clothes into fair market value… low, mid-range, higher-end.  

Operating the shopping part of the party works like this: When you see something you like, approach that person with it and ask if they would like anything that you have brought.  If it is a fair trade, the swap is complete: Jenny wants Alice’s purse, Alice wants Jenny’s skirt… done!  If there is not a mutual desire for the exchange, a third party exchange is a possibility.  Jenny wants Alice’s purse, Alice wants Mary’s shoes, Mary wants Jenny’s skirt… done!  

A system like this works great for children’s clothes as well.  

At the end of the party, a great option is to give the clothes away to charities like Goodwill, the Salvation Army, your local church, or other organizations like Dress for Success.  

Swap and shop your way to some new wardrobe pieces!

Today’s Washington Post Style section features a two-page spread about street style.  While street style is not as prevalent in Washington as it is in other cities, there were two points made in the brief article that apply to everyone and should be given further attention: proportion & personal style.  

The article quotes Stacy London emphasizing the importance of understanding proportion.  Absolutely!  If you don’t know your proportions, let’s meet and uncover that secret for you immediately.  Knowing your proportions make getting dress so much easier.  This impacts where your clothes should fall on you and can immediately make you look taller, slimmer and more polished.  When you know your proportions you can make clothes that you didn’t think fit you, fit you to a tee.  You will know what to look for and you will have a light bulb moment when you suddenly realize why you can never find clothes to suit you.  

Finding your basic proportions (long/short waist, long/short rise, long/short legs & which part, etc.) is relatively easy and can be done in a matter of minutes (I include this in your Personal Style Analysis).  Fashion Fit Formula takes some of this to a new level by taking into account your bone structure for all your limbs with 12 linear measurements and using mathematic calculations and algorithms to give you the measurements of exactly where the clothes should fall on you.  Apply this to the clothes in your closet with some basic tailoring, and you have a new wardrobe without having to buy anything new.  Use these same tips when you shop and you won’t be nearly as frustrated when clothes don’t fit right off the rack, you’ll know what to do and how easy it can be.  

Personal style is a great way to keep your individuality in your choice of clothing from suits to street.  This can be done with color selection, accessories, and consistency.  Have you ever seen something (clothes, jewelry, print, etc.) and said “oh, that is so [name your friend]“?  That friend has more than likely established a sense of personal style.  Don’t shy away from the great opportunity to be different, be appreciated, or stand out by establishing your own sense of personal style.

This economy has certainly motivated creative shopping habits.  I have come across several mentions recently of shopping in other people’s closets or people selling their own clothes out of their house.  Genius.  You have clothes you want to get rid of or need a few extra bucks, they are still in great condition, maybe never even been worn, but you don’t necessarily want to donate them.  Maybe they would look great on a friend of yours, or you have simply outgrown the style.  

Have the garments cleaned, put a price tag on them, organize them, and have your friends over.  Have your friends bring friends if you think you have that much stuff.  Want to multiply the selection?  Have your friends rummage through their closets and bring the clothes they want to sell as well.  Make trades, buy from each other.  You know what you have, you can even become a stylist as shoppers browse your racks and guide them as to what works great with what.  

You might even wind up with a great new wardrobe yourself with a relatively small investment!

Last week I caught Reese Witherspoon’s interview on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for the Monsters Vs. Aliens movie she is currently promoting.  Reese appeared in a cute fitted blue/purple sleeveless dress.  While the interview was quite entertaining, I was consistently distracted by her having to adjust the sleeveless straps on her dress.  

If it doesn’t fit comfortably, don’t wear it.  Period.  But especially if you are in a position where you are the main attraction.  Today there are way too many options available to wind up in that kind of a situation.  An occasional adjustment here and there is life.  Our clothes move and shift as we do.  But if you are constantly adjusting all your clothes, then you may not be purchasing the right clothes for your body, or you may not be aware of certain body particulars that may be causing these issues that a little bit of tweaking could help!

The recent article in The Washington Post (A Classy Suit Is a Perfect Fit for Any Interview, 3/8/09, posted at www.vidaimageconsulting.com/interviewsuit.html) emphasizes the importance of having a nice suit, or few, in your wardrobe no matter what your industry is.  Going through the interview process can make you feel tense, vulnerable, or judged.  Looking good makes you feel good and this confidence can ease the stress of interviewing and could be the differentiating factor between you and other candidates.  It is always better to overdress for an interview than to underdress.  You are creating a positive first impression of credibility to match what your resume says you can do.  If you get to a position where you can relax your dress code a bit, you have a better chance of maintaining a professional image to your work force than if you had started by underdressing and then try to dress up.  Don’t try to fit into a relaxed corporate environment at your interview when you have not yet been invited to join that corporation.

The article, “Dress smart, survive longer” (posted at www.vidaimageconsulting.com/socks.html) is from Gulf News on February 19, 2009.  I got a kick out of the picture drawn in my head by the comments of the British and Insurance business managers comparing socks over a business dinner.  But, the article made a great point about the attention to details and just how far that can take you in the business world.  When it comes to establishing credibility, all other things being equal, it could be the details that make the difference and push you ahead!