03May

Building a Closet with a Sturdy Base

May 3, 2019 Melrose Fisher

Figuratively speaking, of course. Although we love a good DIY project, we’re here to help you renovate your wardrobe, not your house! While trends come and go, there are some wardrobe essentials that could last a lifetime. Having a few neutral staples in your closet sets the foundation for a classic wardrobe.

Here are 5 pieces we recommend to make getting dressed easy and effortless:

1. Fitted Camisole

A camisole in a neutral color can serve many purposes. It can be the base piece in a layered look, under an embellished jacket or cardigan. It can be a modesty layer under a sheer blouse. And, done in a fabric with some stretch, it can also double as shapewear to help smooth things out under a fitted dress or tunic, for example.

2. Your Favorite White Blouse

This should be the piece that, when you ‘have nothing to wear,’ you can always turn to your favorite white blouse. Classic, yet chic, a crisp white blouse can be worn sleeves-rolled and paired with jeans for a casual look, dressed up with a skirt and heels for cocktails, or ready for a board meeting with slacks and a blazer.

3. Light Cardigan

A light cardigan can help you transition from the summer heat to the blasting a/c indoors, or from heated rooms to the lower temps brought in by the colder months. You know- that ‘chill’ that you get from being in the cold; it’s hard to shake and often lingers throughout the day. A light cardigan is easy to throw in your bag or have handy in your car so you can pull it out and put it on whenever you feel that chill coming on.

4. LKD – “Little Knit Dress”

We’ve all heard of the “Little Black Dress” but a “Little Knit Dress” can be just as valuable, if not more so! A knit dress is perfect for virtually any occasion. Worn with flats and a ponytail, your little knit dress will take you out for a day of shopping, running errands around town, or brunch with the girls. And, paired with heels and fabulous jewelry, a little knit dress can be made appropriate for the office, after-work drinks, or your weekend dinner date.

5. White Denim

You may already have a pair of classic blue jeans in your closet, but have you considered what white denim can do for you? White denim jeans are classic, yet chic. They can be dressed up or dressed down when paired with the right blouse, shoe, and jewelry. And, remember your mom’s rule, “No white until Memorial Day” – Consider that old-fashioned because the runways have loved seeing white denim worn all year round!

If you’re unsure of where to begin when putting together the ‘essentials’ for your closet, the pieces above are a good starting point. And, you should notice a theme when looking at the pieces we’ve shown here. The key to building a ‘sturdy’ foundation for your closet is to choose pieces in neutral colors. Keeping your basics ‘basic’ will ensure you get a longer life out of each piece. If you need further help or would like our suggestions, send us a message and we’ll make sure you have everything you need to create a wardrobe with a timeless foundation.

12Mar

10 Ideas to Easily Transition Your Wardrobe From Winter to Spring

March 12, 2019 Melrose Fisher

It’s that time of year again – those few weeks between the chilly winter weather and the soon–to–be budding springtime. Dressing for this time of year, or in between any of the seasons for that matter, can be tough.

I’ve created 10 tips to help you transition from winter to spring with ease! The weather might not be predictable, but I can show you how you can work around it while looking flawless no matter the weather.

1. Wear Scarves

There’s still a chill in the air and scarves are great accessory for 2 reasons: they’re fashionable and they’re functional. All you have to do to make your outfit more spring–forward is to add an eye–catching scarf. Try stripes, floral prints, or checked prints in lightweight wool.

2. Choose White

It’s time to add lightness to traditionally dark winter clothing! Adding a pop of white to any outfit brings light to it and it’s super easy to incorporate into your winter wardrobe. Pull out your white blouses and start wearing them more often. Add a necklace with some luster or sparkle and you’ve pulled together a perfect winter to spring look.

3. Show Some Ankle

Jeans are a favorite for any season. When the weather is still cool but slowly warming up, roll up your jeans or choose a cropped length to show some skin. Pair jeans with sandals, sneakers, or pumps.

4. Add Colorful Accessories

It’s time to add a pop of color to your winter wardrobe. A colorful accessory like a bright moto jacket or anorak or a bold bag can instantly transform dark clothing.

5. Denim Jackets

Ditch your heavy coat for a lighter jean jacket for an added spring vibe. Denim is versatile, looks great, and adds a layer for warmth.

6. Lighter Knits

When it’s chilly but you still want to look season-appropriate in spring, reach into your stash of lighter-colored, finer-weight wool sweaters. You can also swap out pants for skirts to wear with light–weight sweaters.

7. Transitional Footwear

Booties and mules are great for winter–spring transition. Show a bit of skin or pair them with nude fishnets or lighter colored tights. Perforated, lighter-colored booties are a great fashion catch if you can find them.

8. Wear Layers

Layering is multi–functional because it looks great and it will help keep you warm when the temperature is still low. When wearing loose knits, layer a tank underneath in silk or polyester. The tank will cut the winter chill that could still be lingering in the air.

9. Put on a Poncho

Ponchos, capes, wraps, or shawls are transitional must-haves. They’re warm, stylish, and they are made for in–between weather. Heading into spring, choose a wrap in a pastel color – baby blue, blush pink, or mint green. Or if you prefer neutrals, look for one in sand or dove gray.

10. Trench Coats

Trench coats are a perfect transitional piece since they are more lightweight than heavy winter coats, yet still provide protection from the elements. Instead of black, go for classic tan or white, or introduce trenches in fresh, unexpected colors or patterns. Checked or striped trenches are also perfect for spring.

Transitional seasons can hang on longer than we’d like. Call me at (919) 819-9054 for a styling session. I’ll pull pieces from your closet to make outfits that look like spring but feel warm enough to wear if winter is lingering. We could also do some shopping to get your wardrobe working all year round. I’m eager to help!

20Feb

Spring 2019 Fashion Trends

February 20, 2019 Melrose Fisher

Spring is an especially celebrated season for many reasons, including in the fashion industry. Spring is a time for new beginnings and for warming up after a long winter. So, in the spirit of spring, here are the trends from Carlisle and ETCETERA for this year’s upcoming season.

Natural Neutrals

In the spring of 2009, Vogue said, “Fashion’s strength this season comes from its quiet authority; dress softly and carry a leopard-spot purse.” Neutrals were big that year and, although neutrals have never left us, they are big again this spring. Neutrals come in all shades of beige: camel, cinnamon, coffee, and chestnut. Earthly neutrals are the perfect basics for building your spring wardrobe. Head-to-toe neutrals are a trendy way to wear a luxe monochrome look. Feel free to add pops of color to neutrals if that’s your thing. Neutrals provide us with plenty of options. Natural colors are graceful and elegant, and they can be easily styled.

Bold Brights

On the flip side of spring’s neutrals, comes spring’s brightest colors. Vibrant shades can enliven your wardrobe whether you choose brights for the office or casual wear. The shades of this season’s brightest colors include taffy, persimmon and all shades in between. Office style gets more than a pop of color this spring. Don’t be afraid to mix spring’s brightest shades for a fun, fabulous look. Color blocking is in style this spring season, and many styles of color blocking are using either bold brights or sandy neutrals–or both for a fresh look.

Fresh Florals

Florals are an absolute spring classic! Florals are far from new, but they are feminine, whimsical, and flirty. Nothing lightens up a wardrobe quite like fun florals. Wearing florals can be casual and light or even dressed up for the office. This year, spring’s blooms come in prints, lace, appliques, and embroidery. If florals aren’t typically your style, try black florals for a more demure look. Edgy black florals are a glamorous way to add flowers to your wardrobe.

Beyond Beige

The season’s new neutrals come in a plethora of earthy shades in a spectrum that flirts with yellow, grey and brown. Neutrals are incredibly easy to work with, especially when adding to your wardrobe. Neutrals can be easily added to build a number of different outfits to choose from.

Think Pink

This spring delivers exciting shades of pink ranging from pale blush to hot fuchsia. Blush is one of the universally flattering colors because, regardless of your skin tone, blush flatters everyone! Wear your favorite shades of pink as solids, stripes, ombre, color blocks, and more. Spring has never looked so bright!

Neutral Ground

Black and white is a classic combination that always delivers. Go graphic this season with a myriad of ways to mix black and white. The elegant and dramatic opposite shades provide a canvas to add to. Black and white clothing comes in color blocks, stripes, solids, and even stunning python. Add a bright scarf or blazer to black and white to automatically upgrade the look.

Bright Lines

This season’s lines go beyond simple stripes, playing with texture and tones for modern twists on a classic. A new take on pinstripes is chic for the office and is a great way to add texture and something new to your wardrobe. Stripes are an easy way to make any outfit a little bolder.

Need A Fresh Spring Makeover?

I’m here to help! If you need a styling consultation to renew and refresh your wardrobe for spring or are in a dilemma with what to wear for a special occasion, it would be my pleasure to help you decipher what you need. Wardrobe styling and shopping when you aren’t sure what exactly you need can be overwhelming and frustrating, but I can take the confusion out of it.

If you’re ready to take your wardrobe to the next level, organize, fill–in, and revitalize your closet, give me a call! Or, get in touch here.

23Jan

How to Get More Enjoyment from Your Wardrobe

January 23, 2019 Melrose Fisher

Do you look at your wardrobe, shrug, and want to walk away? Are you uninspired? Do you wear the same basic uniform every day? Have you thought about calling it quits with fashion?

Everyone goes through slumps over their wardrobe. It often takes months, and sometimes even years, to realize we’re in a slump. That’s the bad news. The good news is that you can get out of that slump and have fun with clothes again!

Let me show you where I’m headed with this.

Clothing yourself is one thing – That is, simply, getting dressed.

Then there’s getting dressed with intention.

And then there’s getting dressed and leaving a pleasurable impression.

It’s your choice and there’s help available if you need it. (More about that later.)

We’ve all been left with pleasurable impressions by how someone looks. It could be a stranger in the grocery store, someone at work, a sales associate at a store, or someone in your book club. When you see them, your eyes want to linger and take in their look.

Perhaps her look is creative and clever, and it makes you smile. Maybe it’s a friend who consistently wears color in her outfits in ways you haven’t and it pleases you.

Let’s say you’re ready to leave the fashion slump and dress in a way that puts smiles on the faces of strangers. One strategy is to find something that’s already pleasing to you and then go for it with a little more gusto than you have so far.

Here are some ideas for you:

Leave a pleasurable impression with your use of color.

This could be as simple as introducing some pleasing colors into your wardrobe. Every fashion season there seems to be an emphasis on a few specific colors. One excellent color resource is Pantone, a company that does color forecasting. If you want inspiration, start there. Or simply go to
a retail store where you can pull items from the rack, walk over to a full-length mirror and hold them up to your face. Which colors make you happy? Choose a few colors to play within clothes, coats, shoes, handbags, or scarves.

Take the time to find the colors that flatter your skin tone, eyes, and hair color. It’s important that we wear colors that brighten and compliment us. Bringing the right colors into your life will inspire you and make you feel refreshed.

Leave a pleasurable impression by adding one more accessory.

Coco Chanel is famous for telling people to add accessories to their outfit, take a look in the mirror, take one thing off, and then step out into life. But Coco was an icon during a time when men and women dressed elegantly and much more formally. As people, in general, are looking more and more casual in their dress, this is a rule that typically no longer applies.

If you like rings, add one more to your fingers than you have. If you like bangles, create a cluster of them for your wrist. If you like finer, more delicate jewelry wear two or three necklaces at once. Make accessory additions to your outfit, not subtractions.

Leave a pleasurable impression by wearing one standout piece.

Even if your lifestyle is casual or your workplace is more relaxed, you can always walk out the door wearing one standout piece.

One way to picture this is to think about how you’d dress a table for dinner guests. You may use your everyday dishes and cutlery, but you have fresh flowers at the center of the table in your favorite vase. The centerpiece brings the eye in and then leads you to the other accents you’ve used. So think of the standout piece as being on par with the centerpiece of that dinner table.

Your choices are many. Let me suggest a few:

A blazer in a pattern when you’d have customarily worn them in solid colors.
Carrying an oversized handbag. The exaggerated shape draws someone in, and they desire to see the rest of the outfit.
Instead of wearing a black or tan trench coat, wear one in an icy tone or one in an autumnal shade.
Wear an oxford shoe in burgundy, blush, or blue and give your black or brown shoes a break.
Wear a bulkier scarf than usual. That little bit of extra volume adds drama.

Lastly, organizing your closet can make a big impact.

If your closet is filled with outdated clothing or is generally unorganized, it wouldn’t be surprising that you don’t feel inspired by it.

Get rid of anything that doesn’t make you feel fabulous and donate it. This includes your shoes and accessories. Organizing everything will make it so much easier to see what you already have and what you might need.

Make your wardrobe clearer by sorting it by color. This makes it easier to see what the possibilities are for creating a fun, exciting outfit.

It doesn’t take a lot of change to feel a big lift. Clothes and accessories are here to be enjoyed. When you wear them in a pleasing fashion, you are making someone else’s day brighter as well as your own.

I’d love to help you make some adjustments to your wardrobe, one’s you’ll find pleasing. It’s all possible! Give me a call or send me an email and we’ll get an appointment on the books. You’ll love the results!

08Jan

How to Build a Dream Wardrobe in 7 Easy Steps

January 8, 2019 Melrose Fisher

Building a wardrobe is a truly daunting task. How many of us can devote the time to create a flawless, versatile wardrobe that never leaves us wondering what to wear?

Most of us buy more and more clothing without consciously building a wardrobe that allows for easy access to outfits for every occasion. If we don’t build a functional wardrobe, then we are likely to end up with a closet filled with clothing to mix and match at random. Of course, it ends in wearing the same outfits repeatedly or obsessing over what to wear.

It’s worth it to create a wardrobe that suits your needs, but you may be wondering where to start. It takes some time and strategy to build a wardrobe, so how is it done?

Starting with your own personal wardrobe stylist; I can help you do each of the following steps in order to build a cohesive, varied wardrobe. The end result will be a wardrobe that suits your lifestyle, flatters your body, and expresses your personal style. Here’s the run-down of the steps to create a dream wardrobe easily and quickly.

Establish Your Body Type

You must know what body type you have before building a wardrobe. We are all unique in shape and size and knowing the types of clothing that suits your body type is crucial to looking flawless all of the time. Finding clothes that flatter your body can boost your confidence and ensure you have a closet full of clothes that make you feel great.

Determine Your Color Palette

Just like with body types, we all have a unique skin tone. Skin tones range from not only light to dark but also cool to warm. Knowing your skin tone is key to knowing which colors enhance your look and which colors don’t. Wearing colors that don’t compliment your skin tone can make you look tired, washed out, or simply not your best. Conversely, choosing the perfect colors for your skin tone can enrich your look automatically.

Shop to Fit Your Lifestyle

It’s important that the clothes in your closet suit your daily needs. We can easily buy clothing that is momentarily trendy on impulse, but does it really suit our lifestyle? For example, a wardrobe filled with 40% career-minded outfits, 30% clothing for social events and outings, 20% leisure, and 10% formal special event attire could be suited for your lifestyle.

Detox and De-Clutter

If you’re going to build a wardrobe you love, you will have to get rid of all of the items that you don’t love. Sort through your closet and remove any ill-fitting, unflattering, out of style clothing. Make room for pieces you’ll love and wear frequently.

Create a Foundation of Basics

Building a wardrobe around classic basics makes dressing simple. Choosing neutral-colored tank tops, black pants, pencil skirts, white button-ups, and cardigans are good basics to build from. Most of your outfits will begin with these basics, so having many on hand will create the foundation you need to build a wardrobe.

Add Statement Pieces

You’ll need to let your personal style shine with statement pieces in the colors and fabrics that you love. These statement pieces can be added to your wardrobe basics for easy pairings. Tailored investment pieces can be added here as well.

Maintain your Wardrobe

You’ll need to add to your wardrobe to keep things fresh. This will ensure you’ll always have something new to wear and new outfits to create. The easiest way to maintain your dream wardrobe is Box of Luxe, a time-saving home delivery box of 4-6 hand-selected pieces of clothing.

If you don’t have time to shop and maintain a wardrobe, this is the answer for you! It’s as easy as completing a quick style profile and your Box of Luxe will be delivered to you filled with pieces that suit your style needs. You’ll have five days to try on the clothing and if you decide something isn’t for you, simply return it hassle-free.

Another option is to schedule a consultation call or to meet me for a cup of coffee. In 30 minutes I can help you determine your wardrobe needs and guide you through the services provided by Lots of Luxe. A Personal Stylist could be your answer to a wardrobe that works.

18Oct

Building Your Wardrobe is Easy in Threes

October 18, 2018 Melrose Fisher

Quite often we look in our closet, feel like something is missing, but we can’t figure out what it is. Wouldn’t it be great to have a simple way to assess your wardrobe so you know what you need to buy?

Let me teach you my secret process!

By looking at your wardrobe categories (tops, dresses, pants, etc.) in groups of threes, you’ll be able to assess the strength of your wardrobe and pinpoint the most glaring weaknesses. Once you spot the weaknesses, set a priority to take care of those within a month and I promise you’ll never have to worry about having something to wear for any occasion that may come up.

Does that sound like a significant promise? I think you’ll agree that this process will reveal your wardrobe problems quickly. So let’s get started!

Step #1

Think about the activities you get dressed for. Most people get dressed for three different types of occasions:

Casual

Casual activities may include running errands, picking up the kids, going to the grocery store, or working from a coffee shop.

Casual Chic

You want to look a little nicer to meet a girlfriend for lunch, attend a class or lecture, or go boutique shopping.

Chic Elegance

People aren’t always getting dressed up for activities the way they used to. For example, jean outfits show up at the opera. It doesn’t mean you have to wear jeans, but the lines between levels of dressing are a little faded. In general, you want to step up the level of your outfits and incorporate dressy pieces when you go to social events (theater, concerts, art openings), date nights, or celebratory parties.

In a well-rounded wardrobe, you’d have items that would help you build outfits that are casual, casual chic, and chic elegance. Any invitation could come your way and you’d be prepared to say yes without having to go shopping for the “right” outfit.

Step #2

It’s time to examine what you have in your closet that would fulfill dressing for each occasion. You’ll work from head to toe starting with your tops. Go to your wardrobe and choose a top suitable for casual, casual chic, and chic elegance.

Below are some suggestions that may apply to you and your lifestyle. At the very least, they’ll give you a place to start thinking about your wardrobe and what you’d like to wear for different occasions.

As you begin this process, start taking notes. Note if you have each area covered. Note if you really don’t have anything to wear for a specific type of event.

Ready to be illuminated? Let’s begin!

Tops

Casual: Great-fitting cotton tee in a color you love or a plaid flannel shirt.

Casual Chic: Silk blouse or a cashmere sweater.

Chic Elegance: An adorned tunic top or sweater or a lace blouse over a camisole.

Pants

Casual: Frayed jeans or knit jodhpurs.

Casual Chic: Dark denim or pants in prints or textured fabrics.

Chic Elegance: Brocade pants or palazzo or wide-legged pants.

Dresses

Casual: A simple cotton dress or denim A-line dress.

Casual Chic: Boho peasant dress or a wrap dress.

Chic Elegance: “Little Black Dress” or a printed silk dress.

Jackets

Casual: Jean jacket or anorak.

Casual Chic: Moto jacket or a quilted blazer.

Chic Elegance: Velvet blazer or an embellished jacket (fur-lined, leather trim, embroidery, etc).

Step #3

Analyze your results. As you go over your notes, the critical thing to keep in mind is whether each item you chose fits you, pleases you, and could be worn tomorrow. The strength of this assessment is your honesty.

Once you’ve done your assessment come back and let me know how you did. Did you find some holes in your wardrobe? Are you missing some essential pieces?

Let’s tackle this project together this month!

Remember, this is my specialty. I can help you find the items that are missing from your wardrobe and create outfits for each occasion of dressing. It would be my pleasure to help you attain a wardrobe that works just right for you.

Call (919) 819-9054 or shoot me an email and we’ll get started! For your convenience I can also help you do this in a video consultation. However you want to meet, I’m here to help!

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