How to Get Dressed
By Bridgette Raes
Today, I worked with one of my dear clients to help find more styles in her wardrobe, during an “outfit creation session”. When I work with clients, this is frequently the last step is helping them pull it all together to really maximize their wardrobes. This is a crucial step because, while I can take clients shopping, if I don’t give them new ways or ideas on how to utilize their wardrobes, they miss out on great ideas hanging right in front of their faces.
The client that I worked with today is a stay-at-home mom with a very full life. She runs to meetings for her groups and organizations, she takes care of a family, a husband and a home, and somewhere in the middle of all, of that she still makes time for herself. Even though her wardrobe didn’t require any professional clothes, she still wanted to look and feel good for all the different areas of her life. Many stay-at-home moms let all of the other things in their lives become more important than their personal style, so I found it great that this was still very important to her. Just because you live your life on playgrounds and at the PTA, doesn’t mean that you have to forgo looking good.
Our outfit creation session gave my client a new way of looking at her wardrobe and a new way of getting dressed every day. More than once, after pulling an entire outfit together, she exclaimed in delight at what was staring back at her. She couldn’t believe that all the components were already in her wardrobe – and it’s not the largest wardrobe either! She learned what I have said in the past, size really doesn’t matter, it’s what’s in the closet that makes all the difference.
This week, I am going to explain how you can have the same success with your existing wardrobe and help you create your own outfit creation session with your closet.
No. 1: Start with Inspiration
The disadvantage you have in creating your own outfits is that I am not there to guide you. When I help clients style their outfits, I offer them my expertise and they stand there like a model at a photo shoot while I pull the whole thing together. By the end of the session, I usually take a back seat and, with little tutoring from me, they try it on their own. I am still there for them, but the goal is to have them be able to style their own wardrobe. They won’t always have the luxury of me picking out their outfits every morning.
Without me there to help steer you, I can offer you the solution of magazine photos. Before you start an outfit creation session, take some time to go through magazines and rip out photos of complete outfits that you really like. Using these photos, try to see if you can recreate some of the looks that you call to you.
You may notice that some things are missing from your wardrobe. When I help clients put outfits together, we consistently notice a missing brown belt or a great pair of shoes that would just work. Notice the holes in your wardrobe and write them down. You really want to pay attention to the things that you hear yourself saying over and over that you need. Doing this will ensure that you are shopping with more of a purpose.
No. 2: Create a Simple Base
What amazed my client the most was that the pieces that we used to create new outfits were very simple. Nothing was over-trimmed, embellished or tricky. Everything was very basic and clean. There is a real advantage to keeping the pieces you buy very basic: you can get more when you mix and match from your wardrobe.
It may sound boring to only buy really basic things, but as my client learned, it’s what you do with these pieces, how you combine the colors, the proportion and most importantly, how you accessorize the basic things, that makes all the difference.
This is also why your wardrobe doesn’t have to be huge. When you can mix and match your wardrobe in a variety of ways, you really don’t need much.
No. 3: Have Everything Out and Ready
You need to devote some time to an outfit creation session. Usually, I slot three hours to work with a client. Have everything out and accessible, and make sure you can see all of your shoes. Lay your accessories out so you can see all of them. Keep your closet well lit and pull out the things you really want to make sure you use.
Don’t be afraid to get messy. If you are doing an outfit creation session correctly, by the end, you should have clothes and accessories all over the place.
No. 4: Trial and Error
Not every outfit attempt is a home run. There have been many times that I have a client standing there and I get to work pulling together the perfect look. When I am done, the client and I will look at the outfit in the mirror and realize that it really doesn’t look as good as I had envisioned. We usually laugh and try something else. Not every outfit is going to be perfect, so if you do put something together that looks ridiculous, just take it off and try something else. Even I pull together some bad ones, it’s all trial and error.
This is also the reason why you have to try on all the outfits you create in your wardrobe. When you look at them on a hanger, they look one way, but on the body, they can look totally different. You want to make sure that the proportion, fit and color work for you. So don’t just hold things up and assume that they work, get naked and try them on.
No. 5: Don’t Leave the House Without Interesting Accessories
I mentioned keeping your clothing choices simple and basic. I want you to think about your clothing as a neutral canvas. Where the excitement and individuality happens is in the accessorizing. But the first thing to know what exactly an accessory is. Accessories are any non-clothing parts of an outfit, including shoes, belts, jewelry, handbags and scarves. You get the idea.
Today, I put a pair of cropped khaki pants on my client. Then we put on a basic sleeveless black T-shirt. This outfit couldn’t be more boring and expected, right? The reason why many women feel so boring is because this is where they usually stop. They put on a pair of pants, a boring T-shirt and they think they are dressed. You aren’t finished yet, all you have done is create the foundation.
With this very basic outfit on, we got to work. We grabbed a skinny red belt, put an adorable pair of black suede driving loafers on and threw a fun piece of casual jewelry around her neck. Can you see the difference? She went from boring to Audrey in only a few steps.
Use the rule of thumb I gave my client today: When you put a basic top and bottom together, never think you are done. Always add at least one exciting accessory – a fun bracelet, a great pair of shoes, something that will make your outfit special.
No. 6: One Pair of Pants. A Ton of Options
Today’s client had one pair of pants that she loved. They looked great on her, the color was interesting, everything about these pants was a perfect win. Knowing that she was going to wear these pants a lot, I wanted to make sure that she got some great mileage from them with a variety of options.
When you are putting outfits together, take your favorite pants and try to come up with at least five outfits using that one pair of pants. In addition, create different levels of sophistication. For example, with this one pair of pants my client and I created several fun casual outfits for attending meetings, a few outfits for a night out with her husband, brunch with some girlfriends and an informal holiday look.
Another thing is that once you create these wardrobe options with one pair of pants you can use what you’ve learned on the top half. Simply partner tops with a great pair of jeans or another pair of favorite pants in your wardrobe.
No. 7: Record
Like my client, we are all busy women, so the one thing that you want to do is record the outfits you’ve created. Committing all the outfits to memory can be challenging in the beginning. Over time, when you master the outfit creation, you will not have to be so strict with keeping track. But in the beginning, cut yourself some slack and take notes. You can either write down the outfits on a piece of paper, or take it one step further and actually photograph the outfits.
(c) 2005 Bridgette Raes Style Group
Today, I worked with one of my dear clients to help find more styles in her wardrobe, during an “outfit creation session”. When I work with clients, this is frequently the last step is helping them pull it all together to really maximize their wardrobes. This is a crucial step because, while I can take clients shopping, if I don’t give them new ways or ideas on how to utilize their wardrobes, they miss out on great ideas hanging right in front of their faces.
The client that I worked with today is a stay-at-home mom with a very full life. She runs to meetings for her groups and organizations, she takes care of a family, a husband and a home, and somewhere in the middle of all, of that she still makes time for herself. Even though her wardrobe didn’t require any professional clothes, she still wanted to look and feel good for all the different areas of her life. Many stay-at-home moms let all of the other things in their lives become more important than their personal style, so I found it great that this was still very important to her. Just because you live your life on playgrounds and at the PTA, doesn’t mean that you have to forgo looking good.
Our outfit creation session gave my client a new way of looking at her wardrobe and a new way of getting dressed every day. More than once, after pulling an entire outfit together, she exclaimed in delight at what was staring back at her. She couldn’t believe that all the components were already in her wardrobe – and it’s not the largest wardrobe either! She learned what I have said in the past, size really doesn’t matter, it’s what’s in the closet that makes all the difference.
This week, I am going to explain how you can have the same success with your existing wardrobe and help you create your own outfit creation session with your closet.
No. 1: Start with Inspiration
The disadvantage you have in creating your own outfits is that I am not there to guide you. When I help clients style their outfits, I offer them my expertise and they stand there like a model at a photo shoot while I pull the whole thing together. By the end of the session, I usually take a back seat and, with little tutoring from me, they try it on their own. I am still there for them, but the goal is to have them be able to style their own wardrobe. They won’t always have the luxury of me picking out their outfits every morning.
Without me there to help steer you, I can offer you the solution of magazine photos. Before you start an outfit creation session, take some time to go through magazines and rip out photos of complete outfits that you really like. Using these photos, try to see if you can recreate some of the looks that you call to you.
You may notice that some things are missing from your wardrobe. When I help clients put outfits together, we consistently notice a missing brown belt or a great pair of shoes that would just work. Notice the holes in your wardrobe and write them down. You really want to pay attention to the things that you hear yourself saying over and over that you need. Doing this will ensure that you are shopping with more of a purpose.
No. 2: Create a Simple Base
What amazed my client the most was that the pieces that we used to create new outfits were very simple. Nothing was over-trimmed, embellished or tricky. Everything was very basic and clean. There is a real advantage to keeping the pieces you buy very basic: you can get more when you mix and match from your wardrobe.
It may sound boring to only buy really basic things, but as my client learned, it’s what you do with these pieces, how you combine the colors, the proportion and most importantly, how you accessorize the basic things, that makes all the difference.
This is also why your wardrobe doesn’t have to be huge. When you can mix and match your wardrobe in a variety of ways, you really don’t need much.
No. 3: Have Everything Out and Ready
You need to devote some time to an outfit creation session. Usually, I slot three hours to work with a client. Have everything out and accessible, and make sure you can see all of your shoes. Lay your accessories out so you can see all of them. Keep your closet well lit and pull out the things you really want to make sure you use.
Don’t be afraid to get messy. If you are doing an outfit creation session correctly, by the end, you should have clothes and accessories all over the place.
No. 4: Trial and Error
Not every outfit attempt is a home run. There have been many times that I have a client standing there and I get to work pulling together the perfect look. When I am done, the client and I will look at the outfit in the mirror and realize that it really doesn’t look as good as I had envisioned. We usually laugh and try something else. Not every outfit is going to be perfect, so if you do put something together that looks ridiculous, just take it off and try something else. Even I pull together some bad ones, it’s all trial and error.
This is also the reason why you have to try on all the outfits you create in your wardrobe. When you look at them on a hanger, they look one way, but on the body, they can look totally different. You want to make sure that the proportion, fit and color work for you. So don’t just hold things up and assume that they work, get naked and try them on.
No. 5: Don’t Leave the House Without Interesting Accessories
I mentioned keeping your clothing choices simple and basic. I want you to think about your clothing as a neutral canvas. Where the excitement and individuality happens is in the accessorizing. But the first thing to know what exactly an accessory is. Accessories are any non-clothing parts of an outfit, including shoes, belts, jewelry, handbags and scarves. You get the idea.
Today, I put a pair of cropped khaki pants on my client. Then we put on a basic sleeveless black T-shirt. This outfit couldn’t be more boring and expected, right? The reason why many women feel so boring is because this is where they usually stop. They put on a pair of pants, a boring T-shirt and they think they are dressed. You aren’t finished yet, all you have done is create the foundation.
With this very basic outfit on, we got to work. We grabbed a skinny red belt, put an adorable pair of black suede driving loafers on and threw a fun piece of casual jewelry around her neck. Can you see the difference? She went from boring to Audrey in only a few steps.
Use the rule of thumb I gave my client today: When you put a basic top and bottom together, never think you are done. Always add at least one exciting accessory – a fun bracelet, a great pair of shoes, something that will make your outfit special.
No. 6: One Pair of Pants. A Ton of Options
Today’s client had one pair of pants that she loved. They looked great on her, the color was interesting, everything about these pants was a perfect win. Knowing that she was going to wear these pants a lot, I wanted to make sure that she got some great mileage from them with a variety of options.
When you are putting outfits together, take your favorite pants and try to come up with at least five outfits using that one pair of pants. In addition, create different levels of sophistication. For example, with this one pair of pants my client and I created several fun casual outfits for attending meetings, a few outfits for a night out with her husband, brunch with some girlfriends and an informal holiday look.
Another thing is that once you create these wardrobe options with one pair of pants you can use what you’ve learned on the top half. Simply partner tops with a great pair of jeans or another pair of favorite pants in your wardrobe.
No. 7: Record
Like my client, we are all busy women, so the one thing that you want to do is record the outfits you’ve created. Committing all the outfits to memory can be challenging in the beginning. Over time, when you master the outfit creation, you will not have to be so strict with keeping track. But in the beginning, cut yourself some slack and take notes. You can either write down the outfits on a piece of paper, or take it one step further and actually photograph the outfits.
(c) 2005 Bridgette Raes Style Group
posted by Unknown @ 3:48 PM
