A life of discovery

I passed Eileen Fisher last Tuesday (the Bellevue store, not the designer) and dashed in to check what they had in blue.

One of my delightful clients adores that color and Eileen Fisher is a brand that works with her values and style. (One of the exercises I do with clients is checking that their values align with their clothing choices.)

I found a lovely loose floating wrap and pretty blue scarves, so snapped photos and sent them off to her. I don’t usually go shopping with clients or for the…

Prosperous clothing doesn’t mean expensive.

To be truly prosperous, clothing needs to make you feel great and be in good condition.

I suggest that you regularly check your clothing, item by item.

• Tears and rips should only be deliberate.
• Bras should fit without sags, gaps, stretched straps – straps are not meant for full support, the back is.
• Elastic and necklines shouldn’t be stretched, no stains, no “bobbles,” (I think you call it piling here).
• Nothing you don’t really like wearing but…

I was having dinner with Maria, another kick-ass woman who started her own business with her husband and still works full time for a major company in Seattle, when my fake ponytail fell out, just missing the pizza.

I’d swung my head too enthusiastically and my long blonde hair had slid off. Too funny!

I laughed my head off, carried it back to the loo and attached it again.

The point of this? Outfit disasters happen, (I’m counting my hairpiece as part of my ensemble) and it’s OK.

Maria was th…

Here’s an acronym that will save you a lot of “shopper’s remorse,” if you remember it before you hand over your cash!

HALT

It’s used by people in recovery from self-defeating behavior. No! I’m not saying you need therapy! (Though really, what could it hurt?)

I’m passing it on because I’ve found it really useful! It stands for:

Hungry

Angry

Lonely

Tired

Never shop HUNGRY as you’ll be depleted, you’ll have trouble making decisions and you’ll often be in a hurry to get out of there and grab…

Kia Ora!

Not Sure About That Outfit? Take a photo instead of trusting what you see in the mirror.

I’m not a traditional stylist. To me, that conjures up images of intimidating well dressed and fashionable people telling you what to wear, in what combination and how to accessorize.

My role is to help women create their own individual style which empowers them to dress as their true selves. Saying that, I do love a good declutter. I spent last Tuesday with Shilpa, decluttering her wardrobe and …

I was at a consignment store the other day. Just checking – do you know what consignment is?

It’s when you take clothing to a store and they sell on your behalf.

I have clients that sell through or buy from them for a variety of reasons. Some like the recycling aspect, some like that they have to put no effort into selling clothes they no longer want. Consignment stores usually take about 40% of the sale price, so it’s not always profitable, but you can also use the money you make for store cr…

There are times when you should say “no thank you,” to an outfit. This also applies to people, activities and invitations.

I talked about “not right now” in my last email, as in when we say “not right now,” to something it can be a way of avoiding saying no…or that we are making excuses to move forward. What are you saying “not right now,” to when it comes to your personal style?

Is there an item of clothing (or person, activity or invitation) you are saying “not right now,” to that should be …

1. Kia Ora (it’s how we say hello in New Zealand)

I was asked a question the other day.

A wonderful woman I was working with was discussing her activity wheel with me (it’s an exercise I do that assesses if you have enough clothing for what your current lifestyle).

Lisa looked over at me and asked. “How much clothing is enough?”

It was a great question. I’d never put it into words before. Each woman is different and what is enough for you, might be too much for someone else – or too little.…

1. Kia Ora (hello)!

I liked her a lot and we had a whale of a time dancing (where did that expression come from???). This woman is smart, funny, quirky, a bit alternative, cares deeply about her family and holds…