7 Tips on Dressing For A Holiday Event

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday have come and gone. We've only got 24 more days till we ring in 2015!!

Along with all the rushing, fussing, gift buying and eating :) comes the fun holiday parties. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you chose your holiday party outfits.

Tip1- Remember the “Work Code”-

I have been to some phenomenal work holiday parties. One in particular comes to mind- the company I was working for at the time rented out one of NYC’s premier (as in the wait list to get in was 1 year) restaurants and they went all out with the food and drinks. While I would love to have worn my Jimmy Choo’s and sparkle mini dress, I didn't. I wore a little black dress with a fun accessories and well I did wear sparkle shoes, but no mini dress. Why? Because I knew the next day I was going to be at the negotiating table with my boss and the SVP discussing an increase to my buying budget, one that I had been fighting hard to get… So maintaining my image and reputation was top of mind… 

Image by 344pm

Forever 21

Great dress from Forever 21, but not for a work party.

Tip 2- Ask yourself, “Does this outfit fit my personal style?”

Sure it’s the holidays and it’s a fun time where you can step out the box a bit and wear something different. But, you don’t want to be so different that you feel uncomfortable in your own skin or feel like what you are wearing is not representing you. If you try on a dress and think “Cute dress! I’d never wear something like this but I like how it fits and how I feel wearing it”, then by all means go ahead and buy it. However, if you try on a dress and say “Cute dress, but it’s so not me and I’ll be tugging at the (fill in the blank) all night” then put the dress back on the rack and “keep calm and shop on”. 

Tip 3- Be Comfortable

Remember you are at a party to have fun, not to be thinking about your feet that are killing you because you HAD to wear / buy the 6” stiletto heels that are so uncomfortable… Try on your outfit before you wear it, make sure it’s comfortable, it fits, etc. Be comfortable and enjoy yourself. 

High Heels- Image via Clip Art

Tip 4- The “Sparkle” Rule of Thumb

One of my favorite sayings is, “Tis the season for all things sparkly and glittery!!!” Sparkles and the holidays just go together. But, when I think of sparkly outfits another one of my favorite sayings comes to mind, “Too much of a good thing is bad” and that goes for sparkles too… The rule of thumb is- Wear 1 to 2 items of sparkle at a time. A sparkle dress with black pumps (not sparkle pumps) works great. Or a LBD and a sparkle clutch is a perfect holiday outfit.

Diane von Furstenberg Dress & Clutch. Outfit from Bloomingdales.

Tip 5- The Holiday Outfit that keeps on Giving

Wondering how to transition your Holiday dress into the New Year? The answer of course is- Layering and Accessorizing. This cream dress can be jazzed up for the holidays by adding fun earrings and a belt. After the holidays, wear this dress to work with a black blazer.

Outfit and accessories from Glamour and Glow

Tip 6- Yes, You can wear a Little Black Dress (LBD) to a Holiday Party

The secret to transforming a LBD to a festive holiday outfit? You guessed it- Accessories!

Outfit and Accessories from Ann Taylor.

Tip 7- Yes, You can wear pants to a Holiday Party

This fabulous DKNY tuxedo pant says it all!!

Outfit from Bloomingdale's

So there you have it- my 7 tips on Holiday dressing. I'd love to hear some your holiday dressing tips!

 I wish you and yours a very happy and healthy Holiday and New Year!

Like this post and want to share it with your friends? Click the "Share" button below!

What to Wear When You Work From Home

PJ’s or Suits? What to wear when you work from home. 

Throughout my career I’ve worked in different settings. As a buyer and merchandiser I worked in an office setting in NYC where I had to maintain an executive, yet fashion forward, attire. In other words, black suits (it was NYC after all) and fabulous shoes.

Fast forward to my days as a fashion blogger. My “office” was any one of the fabulous coffee shops that Seattle had to offer (Top Pot Donuts and Café Fiore being two of my favorites). I was also out and about taking street style fashion pics while toting along my laptop, camera and then 20 month old daughter… Needing to be comfortable, weather friendly (yes, it rains in Seattle) and maintain my own personal style I turned to jeans, Hunter boots, plaid shirts and quilted vests as my work attire.

Here I am now, I own a business and work from home. I have nothing to schlep and my commute consists of a flight of stairs :) (yes, you heard angels singing). Yet another switch in my work wardrobe.

I Work From Home, does it matter what I wear?

When I meet with clients it’s easy to figure out what to wear, I’m in full wardrobe consultant mode.  But, then there are those days where I’m pulling clothing items for a client or blogging and there’s not a whole lot of human interaction... For my first day on the job as founder and owner of 344pm I chose a rather casual outfit. Not PJ’s, but still a bit more casual than what I usually wear out. I chose jeans and a sweatshirt. I made myself a cup of coffee and went to work! What did I do all day? I was on Facebook. All. Day. The most unproductive day I’ve had at work ever. Chalking it up to a new work environment I wore a similar outfit the next day and the day after that and well, all week I was in some sort of sweat shirt / sweat pant ensemble, and I wasn't getting a lot done.

I instantly realized what I was doing- I got all wrapped up in the fact that I was working home that I felt like I could dress for home. That put me in the “relax you’re at home” frame of mind when I really should have been in the “you just launched a business, you need to hit the ground running” frame of mind. The following Monday I wore black trouser pants, a cardigan, a necklace, make-up and “commuted” to my home office. Guess what, my day was productive.

I’m living proof that what you wear does affect how you work. But, don’t just rely on me... In a study conducted at Northwestern University, researchers gave out lab coats to a group of people, those people were told they were wearing doctor’s lab coats. A second group was given the same looking coats, however they were told the coats were painter’s coats. The group that was told they had doctor’s coats had an “increased sustained attention” as compared to those wearing the painter’s coats. As stated in the study, “The influence of clothes thus depends on wearing them and their symbolic meaning.” 

Looking at my outfit choices, sweatpants symbolized relaxation and comfort of home to me. Work clothes symbolized, well, working! 

All of this reminds me of a client of mine, she asked me for recommendations for a “Power Suit”. Something she can wear to high level meetings that she had to lead. She was looking for something that would help her display her confidence and when she would wear it she knew it was “game time”. We found the perfect suit and she wears it every time she has to lead. Clothes really do help to put you in the right frame of mind.

What Should I Wear When I Work from Home?

First and foremost, always remember to stick with your personal style. Your clothes represent you, not the other way around. 

Things to remember when you are choosing your work from home outfits:

1. Be Comfortable- Whether you work from home or in an office, comfort it key. When you’re sitting at a computer all day you don’t want to worry about not being able to breath in your super skinny jeans. 

2. Layering- This really is the key to dressing. Period, end of story. Going from a Google Hangout with a client to spending the rest of your day writing a blog post? Start with an outfit and layer on a blazer and jewelry for the Hangout and take them off when you’re done. Presto, two outfits in one. Need more tips on layering? Check out this post.

3. Dress for the day- If you have back to back conference calls all day, wear something that will allow you to be in the “conference call” mindset. If you’re in your office clicking away at your laptop you can take a little more relaxed (yet work like) approach to your dressing.

Outfit Ideas

Here are some outfit ideas I put together to help you see that just because you work from home you don’t have to dress super casual. However, you can be bit more relaxed than what you would wear in an office setting with a strict dress code. 

Casual and Dress Mix- The leather moto jacket, tassel necklace and gold glitter belt dress up this denim on denim outfit. The athletic sneakers are trend right and comfy!

Game On- On conference calls, Hangouts, Skype sessions all day? This leather inset top with a statement necklace paired with dark wash, tonal stitch denim puts you in work mode. Fur lined boots add the comfort factor.

A bit of this and a bit of that-  All shades of red and sangria are key colors for this season. Pair a cranberry swing sweater with a long necklace, cargo pants and riding boots for a day that's a bit of this and a bit of that.

A Casual Day- Sitting in front of the computer all day and not a meeting in sight- Wear a printed tunic with relaxed khakis (instead of sweatpants). A casual outfit, but one that still mentally puts you in work mode. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on what to wear when you're working from home. Do you agree that clothes have an influence on your state of mind? What are your go to work from home outfits?

Like this post and want to share it with your friends? Click the "Share" button below!

A Wardrobe Consultant's Closet Confession

Messy Closet

See that picture of the messy closet above? Well, it’s a picture of MY CLOSET! 

Yes that’s right I, a wardrobe consultant, have a messy, unorganized and cluttered closet. There, I said it.

Now, my closet wasn't always this way. Honestly and truly I kept my closet clean and organized. But then, you know how it goes- life got crazy, I was travelling non-stop over the summer, work got super busy, dishwasher broke (so I spent a giggillion hours researching new appliances), back to school shopping, birthday planning for the little one and so on and so forth…

So last night when I went to put my clothes out for today (I at least keep up with this time saving ritual) I ended up wasting a lot of time searching for the shirt I wanted to wear and decided enough is enough! I slipped up, I owned it and now it's time to get back to a clean closet. Today begins the closet clean up. 

What's the big deal about a clean closet anyway?

I’ve blogged about closet organization before, but since we are starting a new season and well my closet’s a mess, I figured it was time to talk “Closet Re-Fresh” again.

So what’s the point of taking out the time and cleaning a closet? There are lots of benefits of a clean closet:

a) You can mix and match your clothes with ease.

b) Pick outfits quickly and get you out the door faster.

c) Make clothes shopping easier and faster- In other words, you’ll know what you own and therefore can assess what you need. So when you walk into a store (or go online) you don’t have to spend hours “just looking”. You go in, select the item you need, pay and you’re done!

d) Save you money- (See Pt. c) - You know what you own and you only buy what you need.

Just re-writing the benefits is therapy for me… I can’t believe I let my closet get to this point, but now I’m pumped and ready to clean!

Here's the step by step guide to an organized closet.

The one year rule- Go through your closet and pull out anything you have not worn in the past year. Then from that pile, pull out the basics, (i.e. - white button down shirts, navy blazers etc.). Try them on and make sure the fit!! I put these items back in my closet since they are timeless and can be worn regardless of fashion trends. However, if any of these items are pulled out the second go around, they don’t go back in the closet…

If it doesn't fit, you must… toss it…- No matter what your personal style, body shape, hair color, skin tone is, if you wear something that doesn't fit (either too small or too big) the item will not look good on you, so toss it. Now, if you’re on a real weight gain / loss program and you’re looking at these non-fitting items as motivation to get to a certain weight then yes, go ahead and keep them. If you’re not, chances are you won’t fit into these items again, so don’t let them create clutter your closet, get rid of them. And if by chance you do end up gaining / losing weight its all the more reason to go shop for new clothes :)

Sort the clothes by category- Now that you've tossed the unneeded items, it’s time to organize your closet. I like to organize mine by category- shirts, pants, blazers, etc. all separated so I can easily see what I own and can therefore mix and match to create many different outfits.

Assess your needs- Once you have your clothes organized you can then see what you need. Take an inventory of your basics (black pants, button down shirt, etc). Check to see if you have enough seasonal items- sweaters for winter, shorts for summer...

What to do with that pile of clothing on your closet floor- Now, for the stuff to get rid of… There are several organizations that take clothing donations. Plus, with the holidays coming around there are many more organizations that will be looking for clothing donations. There are also garage sales, clothing swaps, etc. Whichever option you chose, make sure you get rid of the clothes quickly otherwise they may lay around creating more clutter or end up going back in the closet and there goes all that hard work…

So there you have it- easy tips to re-fresh your closet. Do you have any other closet cleaning tips? I’d love to hear them!

OK, I’m off to start cleaning, are you?

Like this post and want to share it with your friends? Click the "Share" button below!

What to Wear on A First Date (The "Non-Cosmo" Version)

First dates can conjure up so many different emotions, you could be excited, happy, nervous, anxious, all of the above... Whether the first date is with someone you met online, or you’re back out on the dating scene after a divorce, or you’re meeting someone your parents set you up with, figuring out what to wear on the date doesn't have to be stressful. In this edition of “what to wear when” we’ll be talking about how to dress for a first date so that your outfit can communicate your personality. No fluff about what you MUST wear to impress your date or the top trends you SHOULD be wearing on a date- Just tips on what you can do to put together a first date outfit that represents you. 

Does what you wear on a first date matter?

Aah, the age old question, does what you wear really matter? As you already know from my “What to wear on an Interview” post, it takes just 7 seconds to make a first impression. Whether we like it or not, one of the factors that influence a first impression is attire. In other words, a person (an interviewer, a date, someone you bump into on the street, etc.) will make up their mind about the type of person you are based on what you’re wearing (among other things).

Now, you may be thinking, “If first impressions matter, then I need to wear something that's trendy on a first date.” Well, not if it doesn't represent you. What you wear (and how you wear it) gives visual cues to the other person about you. Your style is an extension of you, it represents you.  If you have a classic personal style it really won’t make sense if you show up to a date wearing a mini skirt, stiletto heels and a bright top just because it's "fashionable". Probably an a-line skirt and a belted cardigan may work better… When choosing your first date outfit, remember that first impressions count so make sure your outfit represents you and makes you feel great and confident. 

Pre-date checklist

OK, so we’ve got that what you wear on a first date should represent you.  Perfect, now where do you from here...  Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a first date outfit.

•  Find out where you’re going on the date and dress appropriately- If you’re planning the date, you’ve already got this tip set. If you’re not, just ask. You don’t want to show up over or under dressed. 
• Make sure what you are wearing is comfortable- If you decide to shop for a new outfit make sure you wear it before your date- especially a new pair of shoes!! You definitely do not want to be thinking of the newly formed blister on your foot while you’re on your date and then implode when your date says “I’m having a great time, how about we walk around the neighborhood”. 
• Check the weather- When you look at the weather forecast and it says 100% chance of thunderstorms it’s probably not a good idea not to wear that white linen dress and open toe sandals that you were planning… Be prepared and choose an alternative outfit in case of bad weather.

First Impressions matter- got it ; Pre-date Checklist- got it ; So, wait, what do I wear on a first date?

Each person and their individual style is different so here are just a few suggestions on what to wear on a first date based on the type of date. 

Meeting for Drinks / Dinner after work- Just because you’re meeting your date after work does not mean you have to show up in a stuffy suit. It’s easy to let your personality shine through a work outfit.  For example, pair a pencil skirt with a printed blouse and pumps (if they are comfortable) for a fun and modern look. Add the piece de resistance- a trench coat!

A semi-casual / Non Formal dinner- In other words, not attire for dinner at The Plaza but for a lively restaurant downtown. Pair dark wash boot cut jeans with a sexy and sophisticated wrap blouse and 2 piece pumps. Add a clean clutch purse and a cool floral statement jacket for a trend right look. 

Sunday Brunch- Getting to know your date and noshing on some croissants and coffee sounds fabulous to me! On this date you want to look informal, yet put together. Pair boyfriend jeans, a relaxed floral top and pointy toe flats for a casual and updated look. Meeting on a chilly fall morning? Add a casual crop jacket. 

So there you have it, my take on how to dress for a first date. Now, I’d love to hear from you. Do you have a “winning” first date outfit? How do you choose your date outfits?

Like this post and want to share it with your friends? Click the "Share" button below!

9 to 5 Dressing and Beyond

When there's no time for an outfit change, you've got layering and accessorizing... 

The hibernation is over and summer is in full swing!! With warmer weather comes a lot more to do and I for one am taking full advantage of the sun after the horrific winter we had on the East Coast. I find that I'm running around a lot more with so many different activities throughout my day and I have absolutely no time to stop and change. Even when I'm on vacation and I'm supposed to be "relaxing" my days are still jam packed. An afternoon of sight-seeing could easily take me right into dinner and really, who has time to schedule in a stop at the hotel... 

Then of course, there's a "normal" work day. Work, to afternoon activities, to dinner to home. Again, when is there time to stop at home and change? So, what do I do? I rely on comfortable clothing items (after all, you're in them all day) and layer and accessorize. Here are some tips on how you can extend your wardrobe to take you from 9 to 5 and beyond.

As an example, I'll use the day I had yesterday. My morning was, as usual, insane.. But, I laid my clothes out the night before so I saved a lot time. (Click here for info on this time saving tip). Dropped my daughter to camp and I was off to a small business meeting. This part of my day required a professional look. So I turned to my trusty black pants (a must have!) and comfy yet polished layered t-shirt and cardigan. I also added some fun accessories- a long necklace, earrings and trend right cuff bracelets. Nude color flats rounded out the outfit. Cardigan not your thing? Use a blazer or jacket. T-shirt not your thing? Use a short sleeve or sleeveless blouse. Would never wear a flat shoe? Trade those out for comfortable wedges. 

From there headed to the office. I had no other appointments, but a ton of work so I could relax a bit. Still in "work mode" I did leave the cardigan and earrings on, but the necklace & bangles came off. 

Time to pick up the little one from camp and shuttle her around to her various activities. Then to dinner. So, off came the cardigan and earrings and on came the sunglasses.

The day had come to an end and I finally changed. This time into my PJ's :) and caught up on all my fashion magazines. 

While this example reflects a work day- you can still translate layering, accessorizing and comfortable dressing to most daily situations. Whether it's a day on vacation, going from a play date to date night, from work to dinner with friends or out on a date.

Now I'd love to hear from you. What are your tips on dressing from 9 to 5 and beyond?

Please share your comments below. 

Let's keep the conversation going and connect with me on your favorite social networking site!