Nina Garcia's Little Black Book of Style

Be your own muse

When a beautiful woman walks into a room, I may glance up for a moment, but I soon return to my entrée or my conversation or the dessert menu. Let's be honest: beauty is not all that interesting (and certainly not more interesting than the dessert menu). But when a confident woman walks into a room, it is entrancing. I'll watch as she moves with poise and self-possession. She is not usually the one in the plain black dress. She is the one in the interesting shirt and the vintage skirt, and I immediately want to know where she got them. And she may not be the most stunningly gorgeous woman I've ever seen, but she has a way about her that can make her one of the most intriguing. Confidence is captivating, it is powerful, and it does not fade—and that is endlessly more interesting than beauty.

The first and most important step to developing style is to project this kind of confidence. The kind of confidence that tells others that you respect yourself, love yourself, and dress up for yourself and nobody else. You are your own muse. Style comes from knowing who you are and who you want to be in the world; it does not come from wanting to be somebody else, or wanting to be thinner, shorter, taller, prettier. Many of the most stylish women in the world have not been great beauties, but they have all drawn from an enormous amount of self-confidence. They made us think they were beautiful simply by believing it themselves. They did not let anyone else define them; they defined themselves.

I truly admire women who love themselves, even if they are not the standardbeauty norm. I am fascinated by the "imperfect icons," the girls who are by far not the most beautiful girls in the room, but they are confident and think they're beautiful, so others think they are. I marvel at a six-foot-tall woman in stilettos, a big-bottomed woman in a curve-hugging skirt, a flat-chested woman in a tight, low cut T-shirt. When a woman embraces her "imperfections," they can become her greatest strengths, definers of her character and spirit. When she plays up her weaknesses and draws you to her flaws, she makes them special, attractive, and even enviable.

Confidence has nothing to do with aesthetics and everything to do with attitude. Nothing suits a woman better than this air of self-assurance, and when she truly owns that, she is unyielding and stunning. Confidence is the one thing that can instantly turn the volume up on a woman's beauty. When it comes to style and confidence, you have to learn to move with it, which can be daunting. We all have our insecurities. But you just know when you are in the company of a confident woman. Even (or especially) in the face of imperfections, her air is striking. Her beauty is fueled from something inside her. It's not that she doesn't care about her looks; on the contrary, she is so comfortable with who she is that she even embraces her quirks and flaws.

The confident woman loves herself entirely. Think Lauren Hutton and her gap-toothed smile. Think Frida Kahlo and her unibrow. Think the Duchess of Windsor, no great beauty. Think Barbra Streisand and her Grecian nose. Notice how their heads are always held up high and their flaws are always flaunted, never hidden or apologized for. Look to these women. Follow their lead. Hold your head up high and flaunt your flaws—the confidence should follow. And if all else fails, fake it. Confidence is the one thing that you can fake and you will actually end up believing it (oh, if that were true in other arenas!). You have to put yourself up on a pedestal before anyone is going to look up to you.

You are the goddess, so start treating yourself accordingly. Get your nails and hair done, take long baths, wear great perfume. Do whatever it is that makes you feel amazing. You have to pamper yourself, because nobody else is going to do it for you. Start adoring yourself. Love yourself from the inside out, and slowly but surely you will become comfortable on that pedestal, and you will exude the kind of confidence that others admire. And what you wear up on that pedestal matters. Sweatsuits just won't do. I promise you, a great dress or a stunning skirt will make you feel much more "spotlight worthy," and others will see you that way too.

This instant language is much smarter than it gets credit for at times. They are just clothes, shoes, and bags, you could say. And people do say it, day after day. But I think they are more than just clothes, shoes, and bags. They are a large part of a woman's character and tell us a bit of her story without saying a word.

It was also Miuccia Prada who said, "I thought fashion was stupid because I thought there were more intelligent and noble professions, like politics, medicine, or science." And I think every woman has this hesitation at one time or another. I did. I spent four years of college trying to find out what I wanted to do that did not involve the fashion industry. But I always came back to it. And not for the free samples (they are not as free as you might think). I came back to it because I was in love with style, and I finally recognized it as something important and influential.

I have always found that the women with amazing personal style are powerful, intriguing, and yes, even intelligent. Very intelligent. They know who they are and what they want to project upon the world. These women understand that what they put on in the morning is the first thing that people notice about them. It tells the world a bit of their story. And, more important, their clothes affect how they feel about themselves throughout the day.

Copyright © by Nina Garcia. All rights reserved.

Excerpted from

Little Black Book of Style
Buy this book at
Barnes & Noble

How to Be a Budget Fashionista

Step 1

Know Your Budget

Like the whooping crane and great-fitting jeans, budgeting is now extinct. The rise of credit and debit cards has made items that our foreshopping mothers had to wait months to purchase as accessible as whipping out our plastic friends—a major reason so many fashionistas like myself are in debt. Managing your money, including credit, is as big a part of being a budget fashionista as bargain shopping at the local discount store.

Somehow we’ve lost the art of shopping anticipation. Gone are the days of layaway, when stores allowed you to “hold” items for months, paying set amounts in cash until the purchase was paid in full. Even if you are a stellar budgeter, you’ve probably fallen prey to “buy-it-now-ism.” Take a moment and think about the last time you actually saved up for something. If you can remember that far back, remember the sense of pride and accomplishment when you saved enough to purchase the item. The immediate reward for saving was the satisfaction of knowing that the item you purchased was completely yours. The ultimate reward was better credit.

Looking fabulous and reducing debt are not mutually exclusive. In this step I’ll show you how to do both at the same time. All it takes is a little multitasking and some discipline. Even if you’re someone who looks forward to balancing your checkbook, you’ll learn innovative ways to track, save, and earn more dough, like the Saver’s Rule and hosting a clothing swap party.

In the first chapter you’ll learn how to developyour budget skills and ways to infuse much needed dollars into your monthly budget. By resurrecting the lost art of shopping anticipation, having a clear picture of your financial situation, and realizing that a pair of Manolo Blahnik strappy heels does not constitute an investment in your retirement fund, you will have not only a more secure future but also more money for shopping.

If you’re like me, you’re probably tempted to skip this step and head on over to “Step 2: Know Your Style” (page 39). Many of us dread creating a budget as much as we dread going to the gynecologist. I mean, who really wants to be on a budget? However, the thing you dread most (creating a budget) is exactly what is going to help you be fabulous for less. Read this section and find out how.

Chapter 1

Budgeting 101

Raise your hand if you have ever experienced consumer cramps. This is not to be confused with the “other” cramps. Consumer cramps, a.k.a. buyer’s remorse, is the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you purchase an item that you know will wreak havoc on your finances. Consumer cramps come when you spend, say, $800 on a designer bag and realize that you now have barely enough money for the rent. In my case, buyer’s remorse is spurred on by the excitement of a sale. Like the time I purchased a beautiful black cardigan at Macy’s one-day sale, got home, and realized that I already had two similar beautiful black cardigans in my closet.

Budget Fashionista Tip #2: Keep the Receipts

Save all tags and receipts for at least two weeks after you purchase an item. Go to your local Office Max or Staples and purchase a coupon or bill folder. Number each tab in the folder according to the days of the month and place your receipts in the folder at least three days before the last day to exchange or return the item.

Learning how to spend and save wisely is the Advil for consumer cramps; you will enjoy a lifetime of relief. In this chapter you’ll learn how to create a budget that is both savings and shopping friendly. At its end you will feel empowered to make the financial changes necessary for becoming a budget fashionista!

Telling a fashionista not to spend money on designer clothes is like telling the sun not to rise. It’s just not going to happen. Fashionistas love to look great, and, unfortunately, that does cost some money. However, the most important element to looking great is style—something you can’t buy. No matter how many Manolos you have stuffed in your closet, you won’t look good if you can’t afford a pedicure to remove the crusty dead skin from your heels. Having a Louis Vuitton bag won’t increase your style quotient if you’re so broke that you can’t afford a studio apartment on skid row.

The Budget Fashionista Explains:

Why You Should Start a Budget

Budget fashionistas know how to manage their checkbook and their closets. They know that sometimes they might need a little extra help, such as when I sought the help of a financial adviser to help me manage my financial assets. She helped me realize that the $50 U.S. Savings Bond my grandpa gave me when I was twelve didn’t constitute an established savings plan.

Thank God for financial planners like Janine Moore. This financial diva, a founder and a principal in Peak Financial Group, LLC, understands the lure of a good sale and the constraints of debt. While attending Ohio State University, she rang up over $5,000 in credit card debt shopping at JC Penney. Developing a budget helped her rein in her expenses and get rid of debt. Janine offered these five reasons fashionistas should develop a budget:

Reason #5:Buying a house is impossible if your credit is jacked.

Reason #4:Dodging creditors’ calls is no fun.

Reason #3:Saving a little now beats saving a lot later.

Reason #2:Having plastic surgery done on your credit cards is less painful than having it done on your body.

Reason #1:Having more money to spend on yourself is feasible if you don’t have any debt!

During the summer of 2005 I conducted a somewhat scientific survey of the over fifteen thousand active recipients of The Budget Fashionista newsletters in an effort to find out what is “normal” in regard to shopping, budgets, and purchases. More than eight hundred fashionistas responded to the anonymous survey, and their true shopping confessions are placed throughout the book. What I found out was that when it comes to shopping, one size doesn’t fit all. Respondents’ shopping budgets ranged from a paltry $25 per month to an excessive $3,000 a month. What you spend per month on clothing is, and should be, a function of your job, your geographical location, and your personal finances. The Saver’s Rule can help you figure out how much you should be spending per month on shopping.

Budget Fashionista Tip #3: The Saver’s Rule

Here is a little-known fact: The more you save, the more and longer you will be able to spend. Budget fashionistas must save at least as much as they spend on clothes per month. For example, if you have $250 after paying all your expenses, at least $125 of it should go into your savings account. Deposit the other $125 into a completely separate

interest-bearing checking or savings account with its own debit card and checks, to be used specifically for shopping. That way you will be able to keep track of the money you spend on clothes.

Opening an interest-bearing savings account for your shopping funds is quite easy. If you have an existing relationship with a bank, ask one of the personal bankers if the bank has shopping savings accounts. These are special accounts that sometimes have slightly higher interest rates than a traditional account, allowing shoppers to save toward big purchases. If your bank doesn’t have them, just open a regular savings or checking account dedicated solely to your shopping purchases.

Cutting Back

You have two basic choices to improve your budget: You can either increase your income or decrease your spending. I suggest doing both. In Chapter 2 I’ll show you ten ways to infuse cash into your bank account. I’ve used several of these methods to put dollars into my bank account. Dough-raising methods 3 and 4 (selling items to consignment stores and selling on eBay; see pages 23–27) were particularly effective in infusing much-needed cash into my budget. However, the easiest way to tilt the budget scale toward positive is to cut back on your expenditures.

The table below demonstrates how cutting back on simple items like trips to the local Starbucks and purchasing lunch every day can save you tons of money—enough to help fund a new wardrobe.

Building Your Own Budget

In any good relationship both partners must be committed to building and growing the relationship. In order to build a committed,

loving relationship with your finances, you must first investigate your own feeling toward money. Suze Orman, the financial guru, states in her book Financial Guidebook: Put the 9 Steps to Work, “Financial freedom begins not in a bank or even in a financial planner’s office, but in your mind. It begins with your thoughts.” Right on, Suze. So put your thinking caps on and ask yourself the following questions:

•Do I forget to balance my checkbook and rarely review my monthly statements?

•Do I spend more on clothes and accessories than I do on a savings plan?

•If I lost my job today, would I be unable to pay my essential bills?

•Do I consistently use credit cards to purchase basic items like groceries?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then developing a budget is crucial to help you create a savings plan that is shopping friendly. Developing a relationship with an accountant can help you to manage your finances. You may also want to contact a certified financial planner (CFP). CFPs are financial professionals who have taken additional courses and passed a ten-hour examination on

advanced personal finance–related topics such as life insurance,

securities, and taxes. Although they charge a fee, CFPs can help fashionistas who need that extra push to make the budget cuts necessary to become a budget fashionista. To learn more about CFPs, visit the Certified Financial Planners Board of Standards, Inc. (cfp.net).

Steps to Building a Budget

1.Print out or ask your bank for your statements from the last three months. Gross salary is great, but you need to know exactly how much is put into your bank account after taxes (net earnings).

2.Gather all credit card bills from the past three months, organizing them in order of high to low interest rate.

3.When developing your budget, make sure to include all credit card purchases. Credit card money is real money.

Make creating your budget an event! Play your favorite CDs. If you love rock and roll, put on some Rolling Stones and roll right through your budget planning. If you like R&B, put on Destiny’s Child and get organized to pay your bills. Jazz lovers, let Coltrane help you speed your way through your financial planning. Once you have the music, make yourself a little cocktail. There’s nothing like a cocktail to help you get through any financial-based depression.

Tracking your budget is much easier if you use a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel or a personal financial program like Quicken or QuickBooks. You can purchase a version of the software at any Best Buy or Circuit City store, or you can buy online at eBay.com and save a few bucks (make sure it is a legal copy). Either way, these programs make it easier to manage all your accounts in one place. This is important because it allows you to see what kind of a dent you are making, if any, in your debt. Also, it allows you to link your budget to your bank account.

The Budget Fashionista Explains: How

to Save When You Really Want to Spend

One of the hardest lessons for a fashionista transitioning into a budget fashionista to learn is how to save when you really want to spend. After a few years of marriage, my husband and I decided to build a little equity by purchasing our first house, which meant we were operating on a strict budget, something that wasn’t exactly my strong suit at the time. What should have been a pretty easy task turned into a battle of epic proportions: Equity vs. Armani. Tax breaks vs. Lenox plates. A 20 percent down payment vs. 20 percent off at Bloomingdale’s.

Whether you’re saving for a house, a new car, or a much-needed vacation, the tips below will help you curb your spending and increase your savings:

1.Place an address label over debit and credit cards with statements to remind you of your goal. Try statements like “What would Suze Orman do?” “Equity is love,” “Closet vs. house,” or my personal favorite, “You ain’t Oprah.” Every time you reach into your wallet to use the card, your saying will remind you not to spend.

2.Launder your money. At the beginning of each week take out all your spending money—I mean everything in cash (including grocery money)—and hide your wallet in your dirty clothes hamper. When it’s time to you do your weekly laundry, it’s time to take out more spending money.

3.Window-shop from a distance. Drive to a mall that is very far from your home to go shopping and bring only $10 in cash with you.

4.Shop with an annoyingly cheap friend. This is a particularly effective approach if the person is the type of cheapie who makes comments like “That costs only $2 to make” and sighs every time you select something from the racks.

5.Freeze your credit card. This old savings trick really does work, but make sure you won’t need the credit card anytime soon. I once had a very nasty incident thawing out the credit card in the microwave. Let’s just say that credit cards aren’t made of microwavable plastic.

Another way to save money is by saving your spare change. When I was a child, my father would often give me change from his pocket. I used to put this extra money into my Mickey Mouse bank. Although the Mickey Mouse bank is long gone, I continue to put pocket change in a little bank. Yes, I know it sounds corny, but your spare change could fund a pair of new shoes or help lead to an early retirement. At the end of each month lug your growing stash to the bank and deposit it in your shopping savings account to use at your whim. Whatever you don’t use earns additional interest until you do use it.

© Kathryn Finney

Excerpted from

How to Be a Budget Fashionista
by Kathryn Finney
Buy this book at Barnes & Noble

Does This Make Me Look Fat?

"I don't think the rules ever change. People want to look taller and thinner. No one says, "Ooh! Let me buy that dress because it makes me feel matronly!"
-MICHAEL KORS, designer

One day not too long ago, while I was in the dressing room of one of my favorite stores, trying to figure out just which, of the all black pants I had in there, was the perfect pair, I heard the woman next door chatting with her saleslady. Since I was rather preoccupied, their conversation was just background buzz until I heard the woman ask loud and clear, "Does this make me look fat?" Hey, I thought, that's just what I was thinking!

Now, truly, I'm not what you'd call fat. Neither was the other woman. I sneaked a peek at her when I left, and she looked like a blond Julia Roberts. But you know what? When it comes to self-perception, size doesn't matter. We all feel fat, or think we look fat, at one time or another, no matter what size we are! I must have heard the phrase "Does this make me look fat" a gazillion times during my twenty-odd years in the fashion business-from every size woman imaginable.

If you've picked up this book you've probably said, "Does this make me look fat?" too. And you might not even be close to fat! You could be one of those women who people think are totally nuts when they even mention the F-word. Or you could be average. Or you could be a plus size. It really doesn't matter-being fat or feeling fat-in a crazy way, it's all the some. We stare in the mirror and focus on every little bump, bulge, and protuberance until our body looks like a Himalayan landscape to us. We all know this is not particularly healthy, but we do it anyway.

There's nosense in me trying to talk you out of your neurosis, as I've been trying to talk myself out of mine for years. It's a fruitless endeavor. (I'm fairly sure a twenty-five-year ascetic meditation retreat would set me straight, but who has the time?) So what to do? We switch to plan B and handle the problem in the time-honored American tradition-we cover up whatever's making us crazy. We disguise it. We make it go away. You can't be too neurotic about something that you can't see.

All we have to do is choose the right clothes-clothes that camouflage any real or imagined figure flaws rather than highlighting them-and learn how to do it with style. That's what I call Camouflage Chic!

When you think about it, there are really only two kinds of clothes in the world-those that make you look fat and those that don't. All the rest is just details. There are, of course, degrees within those two categories. In the fat-maker category, there are some clothes that will make you just a teensy weensy bit heftier and others that will pack on an extra five pounds. And in the nonfat category, there are clothes that are virtually neutral and those that can make you look five pounds skinnier. This book is about zeroing in on the last kind of clothing. Does This Make Me Look Fat? is dedicated to the proposition that we'd all rather wear clothes that render us slimmer as opposed to heavier-and while we're at it, taller rather than shorter. The fact is that tall and slim is a good look.

Before I go any further, let me nip any potential dissention in the bud and slip in a disclaimer for any plus-size lobbyers out there who may be tempted to pick on me for not taking a total "Big Is Beautiful" stance here, as well as for any hard-line feminists who feel this entire subject is demeaning and that we women should be judged not by how we look but rather by our brains, character, and mettle.

To the first group let me say that big may be beautiful, but it can be even more lovely with effective camouflaging. Nobody-be they size sixteen or size six--wants to look heavier than they actually are. That's just a given. I've dressed a lot of women over the years and not one has ever asked me to help them look shorter or stockier. And yes, we should absolutely learn to love and accept ourselves as we are-warts, potbellies, and all. But who says we have to exhibit those features to the world, at large?

And to my feminist sisters, let me say that I agree with you wholeheartedly. We should not be judged by our appearance...but we are, so get over it. It's been that way since cave babes started wearing fur. This book is egalitarian-it's for all women of all sizes (and of all political persuasions) who want their clothes to work for them instead of against them. It 's as simple as that.

"In the end, fashion is not such a silly thing. Even if you say you don't dress, it's not true. Either way, you make a choice."
-MIUCCIA PRADA, designer

Here fat is a relative term, used in the purely unclinical, semi-obsessive, sartorially savvy, fun-loving sense of the word. It doesn't matter whether you're five ounces over your fighting weight, thirty pounds overweight, or just want to make that totally fit body of yours look as sleek as possible. If you really want the answer to "Does this make me look fat?" this is where you'll get it-no holds barred. Here, clothes that add heft are taken to task and those that diminish it are cheered. In these pages you will find out exactly what you need to know to make you look slimmer, taller, and better proportioned in your clothes. (Out of clothes, I'm afraid you're on your own.)

A truth in advertising moment. The information in this book is not going to transform a 160-pound woman into Kate Moss or a five-foot, one-inch woman into Xena, Warrior Princess. This is, after all, a fashion book, not a Course in Miracles. But it can help you knock off a few virtual pounds, grow an extra virtual vertical inch or two, look generally sleeker, and make your fashion life a lot easier.

When it comes to camouflaging, most of us have heard about the perils of wearing broad horizontal stripes (eek!) and the like, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are a slew of other camouflaging principles that are much more subtle-and just as important. In my workshops, participants are constantly amazed at the difference a simple placement of buttons, the shape of a lapel, the width of a strap, or a slight shift in color tone can make on the girth meter. It's not a religious experience exactly, but it definitely changes the way these women see clothes and the way they buy them. Moreover, this knowledge can be used for the rest of their lives, because the principles are timeless and apply to whatever new cards fashion may deal us.


"I started very early to believe in an inside-out concept-that if you look as good as you can, you will feel better."
-JIL SANDER, designer

There's another dimension here too: There's a real feeling of empowerment that comes from knowing what's right for you and wearing clothes that perfectly suit your body. You simply feel better about yourself. I'll offer myself up here as a case in point: I have two pairs of slim black pants, one that fits me perfectly and makes me look trim and slender, and the other that's a bit snug and makes my stomach look paunchy. Even though I only wear the snug ones with a roomy top that covers the offending paunch, I know it's lurking under there, and I feel fat when I wear the pants. I don't feel as self-assured as I do in my slim pants. How you feel in clothes is as important as how you look in them. When you feel confident you look confident.

There was a time, not that long ago, when my stomach would not have been an issue in any pants. It was flat-most of the month anyway. Not a washboard exactly, but a perfectly acceptable abdomen nonetheless. But that was then, and this is now. As many of my fellow Baby Boomers may have noticed, our bodies tend to change as we age-even with diligent exercise.


"All we can do is maintain-we can't fight aging.... Women have to accept that our bodies give in to gravity. That's life. "
-EVE LOM, skin-care entrepreneur

I've been using the concept of fashion camouflage for more than twenty-five years: first as a stylist, designer, and image consultant, then as a journalist, author, and television commentator and host. I've dealt with fashion from every angle--behind the camera, in front of the camera, in production meetings, and on the computer screen. I've dressed models, celebrities, and real people. And if there's one thing I've learned in all these years, it's this: While clothes don't make the woman, they sure do help. Any figure can be improved with the right clothes. And the right clothes don't necessarily cost more than wrong ones. You can buy totally nonfat clothes for the same amount of money you spend on clothes that are the equivalent of a double chocolate shake. It's all in your choices.

A lot of what makes a choice the right one is proportion. The first time I saw Matthew McConaughey on the big screen, for instance, I wasn't thinking, Oh, isn't he darling!, like all the other women in the audience. I was thinking, My god, he is sooo long-waisted! And Sharon Stone-I can't watch her without thinking, Great proportions! I'm a proportion nut. Balance is one of the first things I see when I look at someone. I notice if their necklines are shortening their necks, or their hemlines are lengthening their legs, and everything else in between.

Actually, my mother says I've always been this way. She remembers us all sitting poolside in Florida, when I was about eight, and me emphatically declaring that my pudgy five-year-old brother would look "really tons better" in boxer trunks than in his little Speedo--which, of course, was true. (My brother's pudginess, for the record, is long gone . . . and he now wears boxers.)

Anyway, my keen eye-or dubious talent, however you choose to look at it-has come in quite handy over the years. I'm hoping now it can be a big help to you. Although we'll be focusing on looks that slim and trim here, we'll always be touching on the timeless tenets of good taste and style as well, which is the chic part of Camouflage Chic. As you read, think about the kind of things you like to wear, what you feel most comfortable in, and the kind of lifestyle you lead. Then apply the rules and adapt some of the style ideas here to shape-or reshape-your wardrobe and personal style.


"I've known women who wouldn't be considered conventionally beautiful but because of their self confidence and humor, they're the hottest women in the room. Conversely, I've known gorgeous women whose mouths you just want to cover with duct tape."
-KIRSTEN JOHNSTON, actress

My goals here are threefold:
1. the next time you ask, "Does this make me look fat?" you will be able to correctly answer the question instantly;
2. you will not waste money on things you'll never wear or waste time trying on everything in your closet every time you get dressed in the eternal search for the least fattening outfit; and
3. you will have enough information under your belt to "just say no" to any tempting new trends that may look fetching on a fourteen-year-old, but will make you look awful.

One last word before we get going: I'm generally not big on rules-especially traditional fashion rules. You'll never hear me telling anyone they can wear patent leather only after Memorial Day, or no white before Memorial Day, or absolutely no velvet until 5:00 pm. Who made those up anyway? It's a mystery. The good news is that whoever did probably isn't around anymore, so who cares. The only fashion rules that count, as far as I'm concerned, are those based on common sense and those that we can use to our advantage-and for our specific purposes here, that means rules that can help give us the shape we want: the Rules of Camouflage Chic. These rules are time-tested and universal tenets that can give you the flattering look of the "right" proportions. All the great couturiers know these secrets-why shouldn't you?

Incidentally, you have my full permission to break any rules set down here. As long as you recognize their wisdom and break them with style, I'll be a happy camper.


"I think it's very important to use fashion only as it serves you and not to become a slave of fashion. I think what's different now is that fashion is not so dictatorial anymore. There used to be a much stricter notion of what was appropriate to wear."
-PALOMA PICASSO, designer

Excerpted from

Does This Make Me Look Fat?
The Definitive Rules for Dressing Thin for Every Height, Size, and Shape
by Leah Feldon
Buy this book at Barnes & Noble

Guide to Elegance: Accessories

ACCESSORIES

The accessories worn with an outfit -- gloves, hat, shoes, and handbag -- are among the most important elements of an elegant appearance. A modest dress or suit can triple its face value when it is worn with an elegant hat, bag, gloves, and shoes, while a designer's original can lose much of its prestige if its accessories have been carelessly selected.

Very often a woman buys a coat or suit without realizing that its price will be doubled if, in order to accessorize it correctly, she must buy an entire new set in a colour that does not already figure in her wardrobe.

It is indispensable to own a complete set of accessories in black and, if possible, another in brown, plus a pair of beige shoes and a beige straw handbag for the summer. With this basic minimum almost every combination is attractive. I can remember how daring it was considered when Dior first combined brown and black in the same ensemble, but now this harmony is considered a classic, as is navy blue with black.

Of course, it would be ideal to have each set of accessories in two different versions: one for sport and the other dressy. And in this regard I cannot restrain myself from expressing the dismay I feel when I see a woman carry an alligator handbag with a dressy ensemble merely because she has paid an enormous sum of money for it. Alligator is strictly for sports or travel, shoes as well as bags, and this respected reptile should be permitted to retire every evening at 5 P.M.

Bright-coloured shoes are only smart when worn in the evening under electric lights with a long or short evening dress. As for white shoes, they should preferably never be seen on a city street (except, of course, for tropical cities), and in any case only in the summer-time when worn with a white dress. With pastel shades, a beige handbag and shoes are much smarter than white.

Personally speaking, aside from a plain or beaded white satin evening purse, I dislike the white handbags that some women cannot resist carrying as soon as there is a ray of sunshine. They are fine for the beach and summer resorts, but are somehow provincial-looking on a city street, even in the middle of August.

One of the best-dressed women in Paris, Madame Bricard, who was the inspiration for many of Christian Dior's outstanding creations, never carried a bag at all. Instead, she had a series of pockets concealed in the lining of her coats. But there's no need to go to that extreme!

And speaking of the little objects we carry in our handbags ... they can be charming, even more so if they match. So decide upon a colour and a material and little by little try to acquire a complete set: wallet, change purse, comb case, key case, eyeglass case, etc. (An ideal theme for those little gifts!) The style of your compact will depend upon the depth of your wallet. But whether it is an ordinary one or a precious antique gold box, try to have a matching lipstick case and, needless to add, a clean handkerchief every morning. Personally I prefer white ones, of very fine linen, embroidered with my initials.

In short, it is necessary to give a good deal of thought to accessories and never buy anything on an impulse that does not fit into your well-established program. The saying, 'I cannot afford to buy cheaply,' was never so true. Although I am far from rich, I have bought my handbags for years from Hermès, Germaine Guerin, and Roberta. And without exception, I have ended up by giving away all the cheap little novelty bags that I found irresistible at first. The same is true of shoes and gloves.

I realize that all of this may seem rather austere, and even very expensive. But these efforts are one of the keys, one of the Open Sesames that unlock the door to elegance.

(See Handbags, Shoes)

(...)


Excerpted from

A Guide to Elegance
For Every Woman Who Wants to Be Well and Properly Dressed on All Occasions. Copyright © by Geneviere Dariaux. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold. Buy this book online at Barnes & Noble

What Your Shoes Say About You

Women: Wear This, Damage Your Career?
You may consider those colorful and comfortable flip-flops to be an integral part of your wardrobe, but women should beware! Not only can they lead to heel pain and inflammation, but also they can cause career pain.

Flip-flops send the boss the message that you're feeling relaxed and on vacation. The office isn't a day at the beach, and your feet shouldn't look like they would rather be strolling on sand instead of walking the corporate corridors.

In an online survey conducted for retailers Old Navy and Gap, flip-flops were No. 1 on a list of wardrobe items that college and high school students planned to wear to work this summer with 31 percent of women saying flip-flops were the single "must have" clothing item for work.

It doesn't have to be just the bright pink rubber version to impact your image negatively at work. Any sandal-type shoe with a flat sole and a Y-shaped strap that passes between the toes are generally not appropriate for the office.

"Shoes convey the mood of a woman. Wearing flip-flops conveys the mood that you are relaxed and on vacation," Meghan Cleary, a style commentator who wrote the book "The Perfect Fit : What Your Shoes Say About You," told Reuters. "That's not a good message in the office."

Cleary says the kind of shoes you wear says something about who you are. In her book, "The Perfect Fit," she identifies three basic shoe personality types:

Towering Heights: Women who favor stilettos, straps and heels like being the center of attention and very much enjoy it when others look at them. They like to get dressed up and hear the click-click-click of their heels on the pavement.

On-the-Go: Designer sneakers, pointy skimmers and ballet flats are the shoes of choice. They are favored by active, on-the-go women.

Down-to-Earth: Call them the flip-flop fashionistas! Their flip-flops and sandals show they are mellow and grounded, believing firmly in their inner beauty.

If sending the wrong image in the office isn't enough to get you to stop wearing flip-flops to work, consider this: Flip-flops are bad for your feet since they provide no support to the arch or heel and can cause inflammation. In fact, physicians at the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons point to flip-flops as the primary reason teens and young adults have heel pain.
source: Netscape.com


The Perfect Fit: What Your Shoes Say About You
by Meghan Cleary

Meghan Cleary is a fashion writer and shoe expert whose work has appeared in Marie Claire, Life & Style Weekly, Time Out New York, Financial Times Style Section, JCREPORT, and other fashion-industry publications. She has appeared on the TODAY show, MSNBC, Good Day LA and Good Day NY, EXTRA! and Soaptalk, and was the recurring shoe expert on WE Network's Savvy. Meghan lives and shops for shoes in New York City's West Village.

Sydney VanDyke is a Delaware-based illustrator whose work has appeared in publications such as Lucky, Glamour, and Italian Vogue.

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Style Rx: Dressing the Body You Have to Create the Body You Want

Style Rx: Dressing the Body You Have to Create the Body You Want
by Bridgette Raes

An illustrated guide for using clothes to overcome body challenges and create an individualized look and style.

For any woman who has a big butt, flat chest, large waist, thick ankles, unwieldy thighs, short legs, or a round belly, Style Rx is the prescription she needs. With more than 250 photographs and fifteen illustrative personal case studies, image and style consultant Bridgette Raes helps women to understand the unique proportions of their bodies, part by part, rather than classifying the female body into an impossible generic "type." She prescribes cuts, colors, and fabrics that make the most (or if necessary, the least) of what they have for their best possible look. With practical advice, a mix-and match approach, and an understanding of how to create balance, she helps tackle common body issues and finds clothes than can make women look and feel great-as simply as possible

Bridgette Raes is the founder and president of Bridgette Raes Style Group and a former designer for Talbots, Barry Bricken, and Corbin. She has been featured on CNN and in People.

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I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, part 5

Excerpt from I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, by Judie Taggert and Jackie Walker

Create a Clothes Diary

What happens after you've created the Circle of Your Life and compared it to your closet? Well, it would be nice to think that changes in shopping and wearing patterns happen overnight, but in most cases this simply isn't realistic. As we have seen, the motivations for buying and wearing what we do can run deep, and it is going to take some effort to establish new and improved wardrobes in keeping with who we are. Chances are that even when you've had your closet epiphany, you'll still be tempted by impulse purchases, Someday Clothes, clone dressing, and other old habits. This is why we recommend that women follow up their Circle of Your Life with a clothes diary. After keeping this diary for three to six months and shopping for clothes within this period, you will be able to clearly see shopping patterns and needs, and can make adjustments accordingly.

Start keeping a diary of everything you buy to wear. You can keep it with you at all times by adding a notepad or index cards to your pocket calendar. If you use a notebook-style date book such as a Day-Timer or Filofax, add blank sheets in a designated Clothes Diary section in the back.

First write down the month, and then list any items purchased, the date of purchase, and their approximate cost. You want to describe each item sufficiently so you will know what it is when you look at the description six months or a year later. Bonnie, a black-belt bargain shopper, finds it helpful to write the store name beside the purchase and whether the item was regular price, on sale, or a super bargain.

After you have been keeping your diary for about six months, get three colored Magic Markers. We use pink, green, and blue. Use pink marker to highlight purchases that have become favorites -- things you wear and love. Use green to highlight clothes that have now become dependables -- "best friend" clothes that help form the backbone of your wardrobe. Then use blue for mistakes -- things you never or rarely wear.

You will be surprised how revealing this exercise is! Many of our clients confess that their emotional purchases are costly, and that most super bargains prove instead to be super mistakes. You may also be startled to see which purchases have become your best friend basics.

Linda, a college psychologist and mother of two teenagers who lives in Chicago, must shop carefully and watch her budget. Her diary looks like this:

Throughout the three-month period that Linda kept her diary, she found herself still frustrated with her closet and her shopping. Despite keeping a record of her purchases, she still never seemed to have a thing to wear on a daily or weekly basis. Yet Linda thought she did a good job of shopping and planning ahead. Note the Christmas party purchase of a red silk jacket in September, and her November purchases in anticipation of an island vacation in January. What did Linda discover when she began analyzing her list and highlighting her favorites, dependables, and mistakes?

First, Linda was amazed to realize that her cranberry wool dress had become a real dependable, one she reached for week after week. When she originally bought the dress, she had assumed its vivid color would make it an occasional wear only. But in examining her preferences, Linda realized that the dress's simple lines, body-skimming fit, and cozy wool (for Chicago winters) made it wonderfully versatile. She immediately began shopping for a similar dress in another color or print. Linda also learned that her plan-ahead purchases were expensive and had short lives. In Chicago, a red silk jacket is not something you wear to work in winter or summer, so her idea of making an appropriate purchase for the holidays backfired. The resort outfit was marvelous and glamorous for her week in St. Thomas, but it was impossible to fit into her social life in Illinois. Only Linda can decide if the cost of this outfit was worth it.

Your Plan

After the Circle of Your Life reveals what you are missing, make a list to help you shop right now. Then begin your clothes diary as a good follow-up to give you insight into what clothes are basics for you and what styles and colors you love to wear. Those "mistake marks" will help you realize what leads you to waste your money: often so-called bargains, impulse buys, or pushy sales clerks or friends who talk you into wearing something that is their taste.

We have added a sample clothes diary page you may photocopy or use as a format in the back of your daily appointment book. Keep your diary near your wallet, so you'll always have it handy when shopping. (We'll learn lots more about shopping strategies in chapter 9.)

Once you are well on your way, you will want to redraw the Circle of Your Life every year or two. This way you can track how your activities change, your career grows, and your personal life goes through transitions. The Circle is an immediate check on why your wardrobe isn't keeping pace with the path you have taken in your life.

The Circle of Your Life is the foundation of our plan to help you gain insight and understanding into the psychology of your closet. It's the first step toward rethinking your closet, your clothes, and your life. In the following chapters, we'll provide you with the know-how to change the way you choose and organize what you wear and, more important, the way you feel about yourself!


Excerpt from I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, by Judie Taggert and Jackie Walker

I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, part 4

Excerpt from I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, by Judie Taggert and Jackie Walker

The Pitfalls of Poor Shopping Habits

Shopping habits may be your downfall in getting your closet in harmony with your life. Impulse purchases, super bargain buys, and Web catalog clicks may have set you off in the wrong direction more than once. In Kay's case, she tends to forget what her goals are when she enters a store -- making glamorous impulse purchases such as a sequined bag is more fun than trying to find flattering casual pieces for the "mom" segment of her Circle of Your Life, or dealing with the need for a more updated dark suit for business meetings. Right now, shopping is not about buying what she needs but about making herself feel good. In chapter 9, we'll show you how we helped Kay and dozens more of our clients find pleasure and satisfaction in working on real-life wardrobe goals when shopping.

Margo is a single mom. She works as a human resource executive in a major law firm. Her passion is bargain shopping, and she loads her closet with "steals" she cannot live without. She purchases for price, rather than desire for what she really wants or needs, then forgets to ever buy anything to match these orphan wardrobe pieces. Each day, her mornings are spent changing clothes at least a dozen times. Like thousands of us, Margo purchases out of emotion instead of using a plan. She lets her feelings take over, and she charges on without reason or thought. Before purchasing an impulse item, Margo needs to ask herself two questions: How many ways can I wear this? Will this fit into my Circle of Your Life? Margo desperately needs to create a Circle of Your Life and adjust her shopping habits accordingly. In chapter 9, we'll also learn how bargains and sales can help create the wardrobe you need instead of a closet full of unworn items.

Clone Dressing

Clone dressing can come over you so subtly you don't realize what's happening. It may strike because of your geographical location -- in the Southwest, broom skirts, western boots, and denim are considered wardrobe backbones. Or the people you work with or your crowd of friends may dictate it. Even the place you shop.

Cassie, a young mother on a tight budget, discovers a little shop specializing in crinkle rayon separates and long casual dresses. After her first $200 in purchases, the store offered her a discount of 10 percent off all future purchases. Now whenever Cassie needs something, she shops there first and usually finds something that will do. Her husband doesn't compliment her much anymore, and everything in her closet looks vaguely alike.

Cassie took the easy way out by confining her shopping to one place, selecting a store that specialized in "one-look dressing." Despite the discount, Cassie should shop in a larger department store or a boutique that offers more variety. There she can get to know a savvy sales associate who will help her locate the pieces she wants within the budget she has to work with, including targeting special sales to fit Cassie's level of spending. Never let habit, budget, or lack of confidence make you into a clone dresser, repeating your purchases until you become a clone even of yourself.

But wait a minute. What about Kay's bright colors and busy patterns, which she purchased to avoid the unrelieved clonedom of blacks and neutrals in her wardrobe? She wants to vary her look, yet she doesn't feel comfortable in these louder colors once she's purchased them. Or take Virginia, who had been wearing the same black pants and matching jacket once a week for two years. She needed to replace them with another suit, but she worried that black had become too blah. So she bought a red suit and a deep purple coatdress. Now Virginia notices she's still wearing the black outfit at least once every six days, and the seat of the pants and the knees are getting worn and shiny.

There's a fine line between wearing the same few things every day and purchasing styles, colors, and patterns you are uneasy wearing just because you think you should. Like Kay and Virginia, you will end up pushing these often-expensive purchases aside every time you go to your closet, reaching for that same tired ensemble while lamenting that you don't have a thing to wear! There are solutions to varying your wardrobe while staying true to your personal style. The women we work with learn to do just that and come away with wardrobes that make them feel attractive, comfortable, powerful, sexy, and completely themselves -- every day. The strategies you'll find in chapters 3 through 5 will help you to avoid clone dressing while making the most of the real you.


Excerpt from I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, by Judie Taggert and Jackie Walker

I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, part 3

Excerpt from I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, by Judie Taggert and Jackie Walker

Changes and Transitions

Often a woman sabotages herself by failing to recognize life transitions that affect her clothing needs. Transitions mean that you may need new clothes. Here are some examples of "out-of-balance" closets. See if you identify with any of these real-life situations.

Weight Changes

Susan is a real estate agent. In the last year she gained fifteen pounds due to stress and a new medication. Like Kay, very little in Susan's closet fits anymore. Each day she looks in her closet and becomes depressed. She works seven days a week, yet only 10 percent of her clothes are available to her. Is it any wonder her friend Linda comments, "I love that dress! I love it every time you wear it." Neither Susan nor Kay wants to give up forever the goal of losing some weight. But neither one can afford to buy an entire new wardrobe in one fell swoop either. So what's the answer?

First, both Susan and Kay need to accept the reality -- however temporary -- of the numbers on their scale. By refusing to alter clothes or buy any standard pieces in a larger size (such as basic black pants, black skirt, etc.), they are condemning themselves to a daily ritual of misery when they go to get dressed. In chapter 5, we will look at realistic solutions for updating a wardrobe that no longer fits you without starting from scratch -- and we'll give you a plan for taking those too-small "Someday Clothes" and selecting the best pieces to keep for when you reach your weight goals.

Job Changes

Barbara has just changed jobs -- she's gone from a strict corporate environment to a business casual dress code. Everything in her closet feels stiff, stuffy, and too serious to wear when calling on her new clients. She doesn't have a lot of disposable income to go on a shopping spree (who does?), and she leaves the house every day feeling uncomfortable.

What do we tell clients like Barbara? First, try to make use of what already exists. Start with the pieces you have. Perhaps Barbara's corporate suits can be separated, and the jackets made to look more casual with khaki pants. Trousers and skirts can be relaxed with a twin sweater set. There are economical ways to make Barbara's Circle of Your Life work within her current closet. Chapter 5 will take a closer look at practical solutions to this very common situation too.

Geography Changes

Stella has been transferred from Orlando to San Francisco. In Florida, silk suits and bright colors slipped perfectly into her business wardrobe. Suddenly she is cold all the time -- even in July and August -- and everyone seems to be dressed in beige or black wool gabardine suits. It's easy to tell the tourists from the professionals in this City by the Bay. What a change from Orlando, where the casual lifestyle influenced everyone's wardrobe. Stella feels out of step and out of place.

New jobs and new locations often dictate changes in clothing patterns. Stella is not in Disney World anymore. San Francisco is a big city reeking with sophistication and filled with high-powered executives. She needs to sharpen her awareness of what clothing styles prevail in her new business culture. She'll need to rethink her entire wardrobe, starting with the purchase of a good all-weather coat plus three pieces -- a blazer, skirt, and pants -- in dark gray or black. Mixing her bright blouses with these dark basics will instantly start her wardrobe on a big-city track.

Life Transitions

Brittany just graduated from college. Four years of jeans and logo tee shirts made it a breeze to get dressed each day. Then came her dream job offer, an executive training position in New York City. She accepts, and while still in Tuscaloosa, she rushes out to purchase two suits, one navy and one gray. Two weeks into life in the Big Apple, Brittany stares into her closet in despair. She has nothing to wear. Already she is losing her fragile newfound sense of confidence and competence. Brittany should have planned her wardrobe search right along with her career search, analyzing the dress codes of the companies she met with during the interview process. This is a major change in life, and women facing such a transition will need to create a Circle of Your Life for their brand-new life, not for what they've been doing prior to this. Building a wardrobe takes time. Building a lifestyle wardrobe takes a plan.

A woman needs to rethink her wardrobe when she makes changes in herself, her career, and her lifestyle. Getting a new job, moving to a new city, getting married or divorced, or making any new, positive lifestyle choice means a woman may have to create a new Circle of Your Life for the new woman she is becoming.


Excerpt from I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, by Judie Taggert and Jackie Walker
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I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, part 2

Excerpt from I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, by Judie Taggert and Jackie Walker

Why You Have Nothing To Wear-

Now for the moment of truth. Your circle chart should look something like this:

• Work 38%
  Suits, jackets, tops, pants, pantsuits

• Exercise/sports 10%
  Golf/tennis/aerobics/jogging
  

• Evenings out 15%
  Dresses, separates, long skirts
  

• Social 2%
  Evening gown, cocktail dresses, and dressy suits
  

• At home casual 13%
  Jeans, knit pants and big tops, shorts, shifts
  

• Weekends 19%
  Dressy casual tops, pants, skirts, tees
  

Now take the Circle of Your Life and go to the place where you start each day... the closet! Separate the clothing you actually wear into the categories that correspond to the pie slices on the Circle of Your Life. Create a separate category for those items that either don't fit into one of your categories, or are items you cannot or do not wear. Now compare the percentage of clothes in each category you have created with the percentages on your Circle of Your Life chart.

We guarantee the percentages will not match.

You may work full-time, but is 38 percent of your closet ready and willing to take you there? Do 20 percent of your clothes meet the needs you have for leisure activities? And why does that pile of unworn items represent 30 percent of your closet?

Diagnosis: your closet is not in harmony with your life.

We often inquire, "What percentage of the clothes in your closet do you actually wear?" The answer: 20 percent to 40 percent -- at best. If you wear only 20 to 40 percent of what is in your closet, how can you dress 100 percent of your life?

Let's take the case of Kay, a working mother with two small children, whom we met at the beginning of this chapter. She is a real-life client of ours. When Kay completed the Circle of Your Life activity, she was shocked by the results. Although she had started out thinking she had plenty to wear to work (35 percent of her pie), after she separated out the work clothes she never wore, she was left with only a few basic pieces. Kay realized that in an effort to vary the blacks and browns and neutral tones she preferred, she had been purchasing bright colors and prints that she never wore once she got them home -- they just didn't feel right.

She found also that although she wore her leisure/kid time jeans and tee shirts over and over, she never felt good in them. Yet when she shopped, she spent no time or effort on acquiring casual pieces that made her look and feel good, despite needing to wear these clothes every day. Kay also learned she was a bit of a dreamer, refusing to get rid of outfits and pieces she wore ten pounds ago but that hadn't looked good on her for years. Ditto her unrealistic attitude concerning sportswear: lots of beautiful ski clothes, but no skiing! And yet, once again, why did she make no effort to find flattering jeans and chic tops and sweaters for the many day-to-day activities she needed them for? Finally, Kay got an eye-opener about her shopping habits -- lots of glamorous, often-expensive pieces that played no role even on her occasional evenings out with her husband or friends. Why was Kay making these same mistakes over and over?

Whether we realize it or not, many of us make the same mistakes again and again in our own closets. Once you understand why you are not creating a wardrobe in sync with the Circle of Your Life, you can start working on how to fix the problem.

Someday Clothes

Does the Circle of Your Life reflect a nonexistent social life? No black-tie balls or spiffy cocktail parties and dinners? Then why are those three beaded and sequined dresses with markdown tags hanging in your closet? Or maybe your Circle reflects no time for exercise, yet there are those flashy workout clothes, hiking boots, and jogging clothes, or lots of impractical ski wear.

These are your "Someday Clothes." Someday Clothes are expressions of intentions that have not materialized. Someday I will join the gym. Someday I will get back to my social life. Why is your closet filled with clothes to dress for what you never do, and missing the clothes you need for who you really are? Remember, your activities dictate your wardrobe needs. This principle is a key to "closet harmony."

Are we saying that women shouldn't have goals to improve their appearance or their lifestyle? Should Kay abandon forever her desire to lose a few pounds? Do we advise her to let go of all efforts to ski as an unrealistic daydream? Of course not! We encourage every client we talk with to strive to be the best that she can be. But, ladies, we encourage you first to streamline, update, expand, weed out, and improve your closet for the body, comfort level, tastes, preferences, self-image, lifestyle, and Circle of Your Life you have now.


Excerpt from I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, by Judie Taggert and Jackie Walker
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I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet

Excerpt from I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, by Judie Taggert and Jackie Walker

The Circle of Your Life -- Family, Business, Fun, and Romance

Fantasy and romance play a huge role in fashion. I have seen women buy clothes and say, "This will be wonderful to wear to Ascot," even though the chances of their going to Ascot that season are very, very slim. It has to do with fantasy.

Bill Blass, designer

The scene is all too familiar. It's 8 A.M. and Kay is running late. She has an important meeting and luncheon today. She is in front of her mirror, pulling on one thing, trying another, rejecting as she goes, delving deeper and deeper into her closet as she searches for the elusive ideal ensemble. Now she is tugging a hopelessly snug olive green skirt over her hips. Forget it. Next comes the cranberry pantsuit -- too much, too loud. The green gabardine suit worked a long time ago, but where is the blouse that goes with it? The gray pants are too short. (She'd promised herself she would get them altered.) The new paisley blouse is gorgeous, but it doesn't work with either the gray or green pants. (Come to think of it, it never seems to work with anything.) Kay presses on.

Jumbled among these seemingly unworkable work clothes are several colorful ski sweaters. She passes the ski pants and several colors of lightweight fleece turtlenecks, remembering that she never went skiing once this season, and in fact has rarely gone since she decided to learn three years ago.

Kay impatiently pushes aside three beautiful cocktail gowns in her effort to find her trusty brown blazer. Where is that thing? Oh, no! It's at the cleaners. She avoided taking it there as long asshe could, fearing a morning exactly like this one -- when nothing else would please her and she needed to turn to that staunch dependable. Now, at this critical moment, it is missing in action. Maybe the dotted skirt and black jacket will work with a white shell blouse? No, that's too summery. Okay, how about the brown pants and blouse with a muted plaid jacket? Yikes! She just wore that Monday.

Two more skirts are way too tight. In fact, they've been too tight for a couple of years now. Wasn't she going to buy another black skirt? Hmmm. That was the day she bought the beaded evening bag instead. Which, come to think of it, she's never had occasion to carry. It's stunning, though.

Well, what's it to be? Looks like the black wool crepe suit with a black turtleneck. Again. Kay has exhausted herself trying to put together an outfit that gives her the right click of confidence. Surrounded by heaps of discarded clothes on her chair, bed, and floor, the thought once again crosses Kay's mind: I don't have a thing to wear!

Does any of this sound familiar? Have you ever found yourself in a similar scenario? So have we, and so has every one of our clients. But guess what? There's a simple reason why. Get ready to discover the answer by playing the "Circle of Your Life" Game.

A simple circle is the key to solving the age-old mystery of why women have closets full of clothes but nothing to wear. The Circle of Your Life Game is the first step in getting your wardrobe in sync with your life, and ladies, it's no exaggeration when we say that this exercise is a life-altering experience. Time and again, when we go through this exercise with our clients, they are stunned. They come away enlightened and inspired, and they certainly never look at their wardrobes in the same way again. Here's how it works.

The Circle of Your Life Game

You are going to create the Circle of Your Life. This is the first step to finding the real you in your closet. The goal is for you to discover exactly what parts of your wardrobe are missing. Your Circle of Life also enables you to make a shopping list and helps you to understand why your closet needs to be in harmony with your life.

The game takes about one hour, so plan to concentrate, and get ready to find out more about yourself "sartorially speaking" than you ever dreamed. Okay? Here we go!

Step 1. On a blank piece of paper (we recommend 8½-by-11-inch), draw a circle. You are going to create a pie chart, a simple circle divided into slices of various sizes. The size of each portion is based on your life's activities.

Step 2. On a second sheet of paper, list every category of activity you perform (clothed!) in your waking moments. These activities should be comprehensive -- evening, weekend, seasonal, and even occasional activities go on this list, along with those you engage in every day.

Step 3. Estimate the percentage of time you spend on each activity. To get a true picture, base your circle on a four-week period, about one month. We find using a month as a guide gives people a broader sense of how they spend their time, as weekend diversions may vary.

For instance, suppose your average waking day runs from

7 A.M. to 11 p.m.

7 A.M. to 11 p.m. = 16 hours

16 hours x 7 days = 112 hours in a week

112 hours in a week x 4 weeks = 448 hours per month

Now, figure out the hours you spend on each activity in a four-week period. Then use this figure to calculate the percentage of time you spend on that activity. For instance, if you work forty hours a week, you work 160 hours in four weeks. Divide 160 hours by 448 monthly hours: you work 36 percent of your circle. Suppose your social life totals forty-six hours in a month. Divide forty-six hours by 448, and the percentage is 10 percent for social life. If you have children, your activities with them may take, say, forty-two hours a week, or 168 hours. Divide 168 hours by 448 hours, and your percentage is 38. Estimate your activities and percentages until your circle represents 100 percent of your life. Write these percentages next to the activities listed on your paper. You may need to further subdivide these percentages after you have completed your circle.

Step 4. Returning to your circle, divide it into slices according to the percentages you have just created.

Step 5. Within each slice of your pie, list a life activity. Next to the circle, list the types of clothing you wear to perform this life activity. For your work slice, write what you wear to work. For some women this means corporate suits, trousers, twin sweater sets, and knit layering pieces, while for others it may mean a more business casual mix, such as khakis and sweaters, with dresses, skirts, and suits only occasionally.

Note: If your work tends to neatly divide itself into casual and more formal corporate dressing (for instance, if you are a consultant who works at home in jeans 60 percent of the time and dons designer suits for meetings with clients the remaining 40 percent), you might want to subdivide your work pie slice accordingly. With the changing rules about workplace dressing and the millions of people now working out of their homes and in flexible work situations, the individual variations on work dressing requirements are endless. That's why we have devoted an entire chapter to the nuances of business casual dressing.

If you work at home and commute electronically, list that percentage and what you usually wear to work at home. If you dress in business clothes to work at home, put that down. Many people do so to mentally get in the groove of working. We know men and women who get up, get dressed in a suit, walk to their office at the other end of the house, and take their jacket off. On the other hand, many businesspeople working in their homes plop down in front of the computer in jeans, slouchy cotton knits, or pajamas. If that is you, put it down.

And speaking of pajamas, if you come home from work and immediately change into loungewear or jammies, we would categorize that as casual. Sleepwear to us is a different thing.

Next, list your clothing choices for your other waking activities in the appropriate pie slices. You might wear similar things while doing various family duties, such as grocery shopping, carpooling, and volunteering, so write those in one slice of your chart. You may need dressier things for club meetings and luncheons. Working out may mean leggings and a sports bra for aerobics classes, but khaki shorts and tees for your daily two-mile walks. Write those down in separate slices and assign percentages. Here is where you may need to divide your percentages further to reflect this breakdown.

On the other hand, feel free to cluster types of clothes. For example, if you wear similar things to go antiquing and attending club meetings, list them both in one pie slice and determine a percentage. Beach and boating clothes are often similar and could share a slice. If socializing means going with friends or colleagues straight from work and not changing your business clothes, you should note this under your business clothing pie slice. Clothing you wear when entertaining at home or going out with friends on weekends may be the same and can be combined in a slice.


Excerpt from I Don't Have a Thing to Wear: The Psychology of Your Closet, by Judie Taggert and Jackie Walker
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10 tips for taking off the years from How Not to Look Old by Charla Krupp

How Not to Look Old: Fast and Effortless Ways to Look 10 Years Younger, 10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better - by Charla Krupp
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Charla Krupp made a name for herself in the fashion and beauty industry for her real woman's approach to style. As a beauty director for Glamour and senior editor at InStyle, she's hosted more than 100 style segments on NBC's "Today Show." Now, this fashion veteran writes the column "Fashion for Grownups" for More magazine and compiled her trademark style tips into the book "How Not to Look Old," out January 2008.

DailyBeautyProducts and Over40 both talk about skincare and beauty tips by Charla Krupp.
But in her book she also instructs women on the dos (wear high heels) and don'ts (never bring your jeans to the drycleaner) of looking effortlessly chic if you're over 40.
We'd like to give you a sneak peek at Charla’s recommended style tips. Here's her advice to looking younger:

1. Cut some bangs.
   Casual, off-to-the-side bangs flatter the face. They also cover up a lot of forehead issues.
   
   
2. Lighten your hair.
   Nothing ages you like too-dark hair, a solid block of hair color or gray hair. Keep the hair light and the grays covered.
   
   
3. Chic eyewear.
   Lose the granny glasses and wire frames. Choose funky, rectangular shapes, or plastic frames with a little color.
   
   
4. Unmask the foundation.
   If you can get away without wearing foundation you should. Choose tinted moisturizers instead and don't forget the sunscreen.
   
   
5. Shapewear is your friend.
   Take advantage of this whole new area in the lingerie department. These garments instantly slim even the toughest spots: Back fat, sausage legs, muffin tops, etc.
   
   
6. Show some leg.
   But never in nude stockings. If you can get away with no stockings, you should. In winter, choose dark opaque, textured, or fishnet stockings.
   
   
7. Wear high heels.
   They make you look thinner and taller.
   
   
8. The right jeans.
   Jeans offer an instantly youthful look. Avoid "mom jeans" and stick with dark denim.
   
   
9. Avoid matchy-match.
   Outfits that are too perfectly matched or feature all the same designer can age your look. Mix and match pieces of your wardrobe.
   
   
10. Eveningwear.
    You can't wear glitzy shoes, bag, and necklace. Go easy on the bling.

What's Oprah Talking About This Week?

From world leaders and celebrities to elite experts and ordinary heroes, Oprah showcases todays most talked-about topics and dynamic figures. Dive in deeper with the books, movies and more seen on the Oprah Show, sponsored by Buy.com



Before You Put That On: 365 Daily Style Tips for Her
Style guru Lloyd Boston is familiar to millions of viewers across the country as a fashion editor for NBC's Today show and a regular on E! Entertainment's Style Network. He's familiar to readers who made his style guides for men -- and the women who dress them -- bestselling books. Now with Before You Put That On, Boston delivers 365 expert fashion tips to help women create a wardrobe and a personal style they can be proud of every day of the year -- using much of what may already be in their closets! Lloyd Boston defines finding your style as taking your world and giving it shape. That's what he's done for his individual and corporate clientele for years, and now with this beautifully designed book -- including his own original art -- he's offering his insider secrets to you. Boston's user-friendly references are filled with inspirational ideas for looking and feeling your most stylish. Friendly, frank, and with a wealth of professional tips at his disposal, Boston guides readers through an entire year's worth of fashion choices, beginning with a new style resolution at the top of the year, through the fresh fashion possibilities of spring and barely dressed days of summer, and back through the glittering holidays. Before You Put That On offers: • Hints for choosing garments to flatter every body type • Simple solutions for going from day to night in minutes • Tailoring tricks that bring new life to items you already own • Advice on adding accessories that turn a look from frumpy to fabulous • Organizational tips for creating a user-friendly closet Named one of Crain's magazine's 40 Under 40, he is also a national spokesperson for companies including Tommy Hilfiger, Jones New York, and LensCrafters. As Boston himself says, Nothing makes me happier than helping real people look their absolute best. Whether the occasion is lunch with a new client, a catch-up drink with friends, or a special holiday gathering, Before You Put That On provides classic ideas that will usher readers through every event with confidence and panache.



O's Guide to Life: The Best of O, the Oprah Magazine, Volume 2
This second volume of the best of O, The Oprah Magazine, gathers the most empowering, energizing, and entertaining articles of the magazines last two years. With more than 300 photos, a vibrant design, lush images, and an abundance of good writing, energy radiates from every page.


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Fashionably Buff

Fashionably Buff: Essential Workouts for Looking Great in Anything You Wear
by Sue Fleming, February 2007

Synopsis

Stay fit and look fantastic in every type of outfit–from the perfect pair of jeans to the best bikini to the little black dress! Everyone has at least one pair of “skinny jeans” hidden in the back of the closet. Well, it’s time to brush them off and bring them back out into the light. Fitness expert Sue Fleming, author of the popular Buff workout guides, now shares simple exercises, taylor-made to your body type, to tone and trim your figure– as well as indispensable wardrobe tips to flatter your frame. Inside you’ll find • your favorite clothes matched up with focused workouts: the tank top (arms), jeans (rear), the little black dress (chest and back), bikini (stomach), shorts (rear and thighs), and stilettos (calves)
• the Fashionably Buff golden rule: Enhance your appearance by drawing attention to your best features (i.e., working with what you’ve got)
• priceless wardrobe secrets for appearing taller, fitter, or slimmer in the eye of the beholder
• strategies for setting achievable goals, staying motivated, and keeping it fun
• step-by-step instructions for creating your own inexpensive home gym
• the six-week Total Buff Body Promise–an exercise routine for sculpting a new and improved you to go along with your new and flattering wardrobe Filled with photographs of the workouts and illustrations of the clothes that will look good on you, Fashionably Buff is like having your own personal trainer and stylist rolled into one. So get the skinny on exercise and style with the guide that has everything you need to be fashionably buff!

Biography

Fitness expert Sue Fleming is the creator of the Buff Fitness workout regimen. The program’s popularity led to the critically acclaimed reality-TV series Buff Brides. She i