Doreen Dove
Are You Over 50 and Style Challenged?
Have you not had a fashion inspiration in 20 years?
Are ideas for styling-it-up not quite flowing out of the black hole called your closet?
Did your last spark of creative genius come at Lowes?
Speaking of hardware (I digress) – everyone is talking about the 17-pound Restoration Hardware catalogues that are breaking the backs of our geriatric mail carriers. Let’s you and I talk about the 8-pound edition of Vogue magazine that is probably propping open your bulkhead door right now. If you think that it’s only use is along the lines of a stepstool, think again. Grab one of those old fashion magazines – Vogue, InStyle, More Magazine, Lucky, Elle or Marie Claire… and let’s get to work. Follow my protocol…pour a glass of wine, grab a stack of post-it notes and a Sharpie (any stylish color will do) and settle into a quiet space for ‘me’ time.
Now go methodically, page by page, and find something you ‘like’ on each page. Post-it and note what you like about it. Forget the price and forget that the model is a twig and just stay with me here. Take a reality pill – you are not going to buy the $1200 Prada bag – you are just going to ‘note’ it.
The following types of things can be noted…love that merlot color, that two-toned shoe, that tweed coat, that statement necklace, that collar on the jacket, those fancy bronze buttons, the textured heel on that boot, the color of that nail polish, the style of that skirt, the yarn of that sweater, those high waist pants, that color-blocked handbag and on and on and on! This becomes a mental exercise for you to get out of the repeat zone (repeat zone = buying the same thing over & over & over = boring even for you!)
Not sure you are a repeat offender? Do you take the same path through the grocery store every week and pick up the same things? Try reversing your order next week, going down the ‘up’ aisle and watch how many new things magically appear in your cart! Shopping for clothing is the same process. If you always go to the same stores and follow the same path within the store, you will leave with the same looks that you have been wearing for – well – maybe decades!
Has your taste in food, music, movies or men changed over the years? Well keep up girlfriend…so should your style. Fashion is supposed to be fun, expressive and current. Is your style fun, expressive and current? If not, time to pay attention. Pay attention to what, you ask? For starters notice what is being worn on television, in the movies, in the store windows and in the magazines! Simply, start paying attention and tweaking the thought process.
Some clients even rip out the pages and throw them in a folder so that when they go shopping they can be inspired to go into a different store, reverse their order in their favorite department store or even venture into local boutiques! Now pour the wine, grab the sticky notes and get to work!
Take a look at these two magazines after they have been worked over by two clients. There are tabs on all sides, noting all things that they found appealing and even some that they didn’t. The point is they felt comfortable to be the judge and jury and the designer of their future shopping trips. They now have ideas, visions, plans and lists so they can shop with purpose! Once you have a game plan, you can even shop online in advance.
Try this exercise. Say your favorite store is Lord & Taylor and after playing the Post-it game you have decided that this season a new white dress is to your liking. Go to www.lordandtaylor.com/ and type ‘white dress’ in the search box. See what I mean? Look at the options that you can find that you might not have even walked by in the store. You can check the fabric, the size scale, the price, and my favorite – the actual availability in your local store! How you ask? Use the on-line chat…rev that up and tell them the style number, the size and the zip-code of your local store – they will tell you if it is on the sales floor. Then you could even call ahead and have the store hold it for you in advance. Come on ladies, short of having me shop with you (which of course is the best option), could we possibly make this any easier for you?
Let’s spark some dormant creativity by gathering style magazines, Post-it notes and a hearty glass (or two) of Merlot!
Cheers!