Posts Tagged: wardrobe

The Core Wardrobe: Essential skirts for every outfit

By IN How-To Tuesdays, Personal Style, Style

The Core Wardrobe for Skirts

The Core Wardrobe is a list of the classic, fundamental clothes around which you can build outfits for any occasion. Each week in this series we’re exploring another clothing category. Today’s Core Wardrobe category: skirts.

The Core Wardrobe for skirts

The goal here is to have the minimum number of skirts in simple silhouettes and neutral colors–grey, black, tan or navy–that can be paired with almost any kind of top you might own.

How-To Tuesdays: Style advice and answers for working momsA slimmer skirt, like a pencil, pairs with larger volume tops and a swingy skirt, like an A-line, works with slim blouses or sweaters. Either can work with a blazer. And look for a length just above your knee; this tends to be the most flattering on every body.

  • Pencil skirt. The workhorse of the work wardrobe. If your office dress code is mostly Level 4, you’ll want something lined in a fine fabric, like wool or linen. Level 3 ladies might choose a cotton. [Outfit example here.]
  • A-line skirt. A flattering silhouette. You can find A-line skirts with pleats and without. As with the pencil skirt, where you’ll wear it most often will dictate how dressy to go.
  • Denim / chambray skirt. In whichever silhouette you prefer. This is a more casual skirt option to round out your wardrobe, especially if the first two are office appropriate. A cotton khaki skirt is a good alternative here.

As with any category, this recommended list of basics is just that: recommendations. It starts with pieces that are most universally wearable and flattering, but your personal style is the ultimate guide.

Would you rock a miniskirt with anything the A-line skirt could be paired with? Add it to the list. Wouldn’t be caught dead in a pencil skirt? Try pleated or A-line. Is boho your vibe? Think maxi skirt.

  • Fab mamas: What would you include on a list of basic skirts for every wardrobe?

Learn more about the Core Wardrobe and get a detailed, comprehensive checklist of what to buy in “No More Yoga Pants: How To Dress Better, Shop Smarter and Reclaim Your Style,” the step-by-step personal style transformation system. Join the Style List and be the first to get a sneak preview (and an early discount code, too)!

The Core Wardrobe: How to build your wardrobe foundation

By IN How-To Tuesdays, Personal Style

The Core Wardrobe: Essential garment building blocks for every wardrobe
“Core wardrobe.” “Wardrobe essentials.” “10 (or 15 or 20) items every woman must own.”

These phrases are talking about the same thing: your wardrobe foundation. After all, the foundation is the best place to start building something new, including your wardrobe.

This foundation, or Core Wardrobe, is a list of the classic, fundamental clothes around which you can build outfits for any occasion.

Think of it like a set of basic building blocks for style.

How-To Tuesdays: Style advice and answers for working momsSome lists include only a few items, while others are more expansive. The Frantic But Fabulous Core Wardrobe identifies foundational pieces for different types of clothing because we fab mamas often need to create outfits at a range of Working Mom Levels.

For this series, we’re going to look at the Core Wardrobe for selected categories:

In each category, we’ll look at the shapes and styles to start with — and talk about how to vary them for your own personal style and preference.

  • Fab mamas: What are your wardrobe essentials?

Learn more about the Core Wardrobe and get a detailed, comprehensive checklist of what to buy in “No More Yoga Pants: How To Dress Better, Shop Smarter and Reclaim Your Style,” the step-by-step personal style transformation system. Join the Style List and be the first to get a sneak preview (and an early discount code, too)!

It’s OK to wear the rainbow: How to add (more) color to your wardrobe

By IN Advice, How-To Tuesdays

How to add (more) color to your wardrobe
Iris & Ink cashmere sweater / Ballet shoes [similar] / Les Néréides red necklace / Emanuel Ungaro vintage scarf / Brooks Brothers silk scarf /
Red obi belt [similar]

If you’re used to “safer” palettes, like lots of black or the standard neutrals–navy, tan, white, gray–wearing color might seem daunting. (Or you might have a case of All Black Syndrome.)

How-To Tuesdays: Style advice and answers for working momsMaybe you’re unsure what colors work with what you already own.

Maybe you’re unsure if you’re supposed to wear certain colors.

Maybe you’re unsure about wearing color because you’re afraid it’s too noticeable.

Fear not, mamas!

Adding color to what you wear is easier than you think.

Here’s how to add (more) color to your wardrobe

  • Pick one color first. It can be your favorite color (yes, you can wear it!) or one that complements what’s already in your wardrobe.
  • Start small. If you want to wear more red, say, that doesn’t mean you have to start wearing it head to toe. What about a top? A scarf? A belt?
  • Use patterns. A patterned piece is a great way to incorporate multiple colors at once. Plus patterns work well with both your existing neutrals and any pieces you’ve now acquired in your new color.
  • Build up. Go from a belt to a whole top. Try an entire dress in a pattern. Add another color that works with your first color, or one of your patterned pieces.
  • Have fun. Yes, there are lots of rules out there about color. But your first rule should be to have fun. It goes back to the Frantic But Fabulous mantra: if it doesn’t make you feel fabulous, don’t wear it!

Before you know it, you’ll be sporting brighter hues, and maybe feeling a little brighter, too.

  • Fab mamas: How do you incorporate color into your outfits? What’s your favorite color to wear?

This is your year to be more fabulous and less frantic! Sign up for the Style List to get more working mom style advice and a special bonus: 7 Days to Better Shopping, a daily series that will teach you how to shop smarter and save money.

How to know when a garment just doesn’t work

By IN How-To Tuesdays

How to tell when a garment doesn't work for you

Or: the tale of the discounted designer skirt

How-To Tuesdays: Style advice and answers for working momsOh, how I wanted to love this Opening Ceremony skirt. It’s stylish, it’s designer, it’s comfortable, it fits.

It should be right, but somehow it’s wrong.

I gave it my best shot. I tried it styled with a shrunken sweatshirt and booties. And I felt … bulky, in all the wrong places. I tried it styled with a bow-tied blouse, vintage heels and a wide belt. Better, but I still felt like I’d have to talk myself into wearing the outfit again.

The deciding factor was seeing the outfit photo. I had to conclude that the skirt may be great, but it isn’t great for me.*

So how can you tell when something you’re wearing isn’t right for you?

How to know when a garment doesn’t work

  • Take pictures. What you suspect when you look in the mirror is often proven in a simple outfit photo snapshot.
  • Ask a trusted friend. If you know someone who can give constructive criticism, not negative feedback, ask her or him. (This was actually the second factor in my decision; thanks, Jenn!)
  • Instinct. What do you feel like when you wear it? If you have to talk yourself into putting it on–don’t.

I took one final step: I tried the same Casual Friday outfit again, swapping out the iffy skirt for another long, black pleated skirt I already own. This skirt is made of a thinner material with narrower, sharper pleats. It’s also a little bit longer. To me, these proportions make all the difference in the world.

And off to the consignment store I go …

  • Fab mamas: How do you decide when it’s time to edit an item from your wardrobe?

*This is an important point to remember. If an item of clothing doesn’t work for you, it’s not because there’s something wrong with you—or even with the garment. It’s just not a good match of your particular shape with that particular item. There are plenty of sartorial fish in the sea. Keep looking!

Get fabulous. Be fabulous. Declare your right to discover your personal style with the Fab Mama Style Manifesto.

Ease into spring: How to brighten your winter wardrobe with color

By IN Advice, How-To Tuesdays, Style

How to add color to your winter wardrobe

Last week we were talking about how to incorporate a specific color–Emerald, the 2013 Pantone Color of the Year–into your wardrobe.

How-To Tuesdays: Style advice and answers for working momsAnd what better time to add color than the tail end of winter, when we’re longing for spring but it isn’t quite here, no matter what the groundhog says?

Adding some new color will also freshen up the cold weather clothes you’re growing weary of wearing.

Here’s how to brighten your winter wardrobe with color

  • Accessorize brightly. If your scarves and mittens and hats are all in shades of grey and black and tan, trade them in for brights! Bonus: red gloves are easier to spot when you drop them in the snow.
  • Make a statement. Ditto for inside accessories, like necklaces and belts. Find a color that makes you happy and find a way to wear it, whether it’s a chunky bead necklace or a shirt under your cardigan.
  • Sneak in spring. Who says your scarves have to be wool? When temperatures moderate in late winter, ease into your spring things: a cotton scarf in pastels, a lighter weight shirt worn as a layer, something in florals.

Just think of it as wearing your own sunshine!

If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to find many winter items on deep discount. If the mall shops have cleared the coats away to make room for swimsuits, look online. Seasonal sales tend to last longer there.

  • Fab mamas: How do you wear color in winter? What are your tips for getting through the late-season doldrums?

This is your year to be more fabulous and less frantic! Join the Style List to get more working mom style advice and a special bonus: “7 Days to Better Shopping,” a daily series that will teach you how to shop smarter and save money.

How to wear Emerald, 2013’s Color of the Year

By IN Fashion, How-To Tuesdays

How to wear Emerald, 2013 Color of the Year
BCBG Max Azria silk top / Hudson Jeans / Nine West slip on shoes /

How-To Tuesdays: Style advice and answers for working momsEvery year the hue gurus at the Pantone Color Institute choose a Color of the Year. Last year was Tangerine Tango, a frothy reddish orange.

For 2013, the Color of the Year is Emerald, a jewel tone that Pantone describes as “lively, radiant and lush.”

Here’s how to incorporate emerald green into your wardrobe

  • Try a little. As with any color trend, if you don’t want to invest too heavily in a hue that may be gone in a year–or if it’s not a color that works for you in big amounts–go small. Try accessories, like scarves, belts and costume jewelry. (Easier on the wallet, too.)
  • Choose wisely. If you’d like to add something a bit more substantial, like a garment, think strategically. What do you already own, such as a neutral or complementary color, that would work with a jewel-tone green? If most of these items are pants and skirts, for example, then you’ll look for an emerald green top.
  • Want to fully embrace Emerald? Look through Pantone’s Pinterest board for Emerald-incorporating outfit ideas and inspiration. Color-blocking fans will find they can pair green with many items in their closet today.

Can’t get enough Emerald? Here are some more 2013 Color of the Year trend reports from Refinery 29, VentureMom, and stylist Bridgette Raes.

And Fab Over Fifty tells you which shades of green–including emerald–work best for different hair/skin tones.

  • Fab mamas: Are you on board with the Emerald trend? What’s your favorite way to wear it?

This is your year to be more fabulous and less frantic! Sign up for the Style List to get more working mom style advice and a special bonus: 7 Days to Better Shopping, a daily series that will teach you how to shop smarter and save money.

The simple closet edit technique you can use daily

By IN Advice, How-To Tuesdays

Try this easy technique to edit your closet quickly, one day at a time

On New Year’s Eve, I suggested that we only need one style resolution for 2013: If you have to talk yourself into wearing it, don’t.

How-To Tuesdays: Style advice and answers for working momsI do regular closet edits where I review what I have and what to keep, repair or toss, but this year I’m going to try something a little different.

Instead of doing that in batches every few months or so, I’m going to do a mini edit every day when I go to my closet and reach for something to wear.

  • What items am I skipping over and why? If it’s because I’d have to talk myself into wearing them, then into the sort pile they’ll go.

I think I might be surprised by how much I clean out this way.

  • Fab mamas: Would a series of small edits be easier for you than fewer, more thorough ones?

Learn about closet editing and wardrobe building: sign up for the Style List and receive twice-monthly emails with tips and ideas to take your working mom outfits from frantic to fabulous.