Jessica, an activewear expert, and owner of Looking Glass Outfitters, weighs in on some Dos and Don’ts of what to wear while working out.
Activewear should be comfortable and allow you to move freely, but there is no reason it can’t be attractive and stylish. Today’s activewear allows you to pop in the store or meet a friend for lunch right after yoga, still looking and feeling great. Fabrics containing synthetics like Supplex and Lycra will wick moisture during your workout and keep their shape and color through repeated washings.
Activewear Dos
-Pair clothes that flatter your body type, allow you to move freely, and do not expose more than you should.
-Don’t be Joe the Plumber. Pants should stay put as you bend and stretch, ensuring a comfortable and flattering fit through out your workout.
Activewear Don’ts
-Dressing like a frump. Just because you are exercising, don’t let your personal style go out the window. Pair the outfit smartly, and you won’t panic when an impromptu errand or coffee date pops up.
-Wearing regular bras when you need a sports bra. Even if you wear an A or B cup, it is distracting to tug on bra straps while you exercise. Find a sports bra that is comfortable and offers the support you need for your cup size and activity level.
-Expose endless numbers of straps. Today’s sports bras and tops allow you to show off your best features -toned arms and abs- without the distraction of unnecessary straps.
Check Out:
Consider this jacket a chic replacement to your tired old hoodie or sweatshirt. The smooth-faced fleece exterior won’t attract piles of pet hair like the fleece of yesteryear and the princess seams keep your outerlayer both flattering and out of the way for freedom of movement.
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This pant combines Supplex and Lycra to offer great moisture management, yet the cut – semi fitted in hips and looser in legs ensures a clean, modern silhouette that still allows you to do the trickiest of yoga poses.
· Sleeve Length Long sleeves on a shirt should stop just below your wrist bone. If you are wearing a jacket or blazer the sleeve should stop right in the middle of the meaty part of your thumb.
· Sloppy Shoulders Shoulder seams on a garment should be AT your shoulder. A common fit problem is a shoulder seam that hits below the shoulder, causing a sloppy ill fitting look.
· Jacket Length If the fit of your jacket is the wrong length it can distort the way your body looks. For example, a jacket that is too long will make your legs look shorter, making you look shorter. A good rule of thumb is for your jackets to be no longer than a few inches below your hip bone.
· Shirt Gaps A button front shirt should not pull or gap. If you have a larger chest this is probably a common fit problem for you. Buy the size that fits your chest. If the rest of the shirt is too big, a tailor can size it down for you.
· Pant Length Hem your pants to be ¾ of an inch from the ground helping give you a long and lean leg line.
· Waistband Gap This is a very common problem for curvy women. The gap in the back of your waistband can be taken in by your tailor. Buy your pants to fit the widest part of you and take in the waist.
· Mind Your Rise The fit of the crotch, or rise, of a pant can make or break your look. If you get a lot of pulling and wrinkling across your crotch, your pants are too small. If you get a lot of excess fabric around the crotch area your pants are too big.
· Uneven Skirt Hem Your skirt should have the same length hem all the way around. The curve of our bum can hike up the back of a skirt. Make sure you look at yourself in a mirror from front and behind to combat this fit problem. Consult your tailor and discuss letting the hem out in the back of the skirt or shortening the front.
Remember that great fit is the first step to having great style. Everyone has one fit challenge so discover how to combat yours. For help determining proper fit for your body contact Charleston Style Concierge.
It’s a new year. Don’t settle, make a change.
This morning I saw this bumper sticker. Give it some thought.
“If we don’t change direction we will end up where we are going.”
Get inspirational and stylish quotes sent to you each week with Charleston Style Concierge‘s Style Solution. Sign up now.
Stop disliking the way you look in pictures and use these tricks the next time you are in front of a camera.
· Mind your feet. Position one foot in front of the other. The heel of the foot in front should align with the ball of your other foot. Swivel your hips, and turn feet slightly away from the camera, narrowing your image.
· Give a great smile. Think of something pleasant and give an authentic smile. If you place the tip of your tongue behind your front teeth as you smile, you will relax your facial muscles and avoid a double chin.
· Don’t press your arms to your body. Instead of resting your arms against your torso, slightly angle them back from your torso.
· Wear dark colors. Dark colors are always the most slimming in pictures, and bring more focus to your face.
· Set down your drink. Point your hands down around the edges of your hips to make your hips look smaller. If you are holding a drink, set it down.
This fabulous telecall on How to Survive the Holidays With Style will help you stress less over what to wear this holiday season. We are very excited to share the recording with you.
Listen to this call and learn:
Click below to listen and Survive the Holidays With Style.
http://marketingonlinebootcamp.com/audio/holidaystylecall12308.mp3
Check it out at:
http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/dressing-the-first-lady-1875632?module=featured_1875632
1. Don’t wear clothing that doesn’t fit your personal style or make you feel confident. You won’t feel festive or fun!
2. Don’t wear seasonal clothing or accessories. I’m sure there are many of you out there who would like to argue this with me but seasonal clothing takes the sophistication and modernity away from your look. Does dressing like a tree, a jolly man, or a reindeer really speak to your personal style?
3. Stay away from clothing that is too revealing or too skimpy. By the way this rule applies throughout the entire year but it never hurts to mention it again. Holiday parties do afford us an opportunity to show more personality with our wardrobe, but be careful how much you show, especially if you are attending an office party. To stay safe go for pretty, not sexy. You’ll be surprised you can sneak in the sexy without being too overt.
4. Don’t overdo the shine and embellishment. If you are as shiny as a x-mas tree you are wearing too much. Adding shine or embellishment is a great way to make your wardrobe look more dressy and festive. But too much isn’t necessarily a good thing. Don’t let all of your clothing stand out. You should pick one piece that plays the lead role, all the others should play a “supporting role.”
5. When in doubt, don’t underdress. It is always better to be overdressed than underdressed. Usually when you are overdressed you can simply take off your bling earrings or change your shoes and your outfit will be perfect. If your unsure of how you should be dressed for an event put a pair of more casual earrings in your purse to change if you arrive and feel overdressed or bring a cashmere cardigan to swap out for your beaded wrap.
For more tips on what not to wear sign up for our newsletter where you will receive great style tips and tricks from the Charleston Style Concierge.
It’s that time again. The holidays. The time of year that’s packed with parties, concerts, shopping, dinners, parades, and the list goes on. With so much on your plate, the last thing you should have to worry about is what to wear and what not to wear.
Are you sick of running out to the nearest mall at the last minute to find an outfit you’ll wear only once? Hoping people won’t remember you wore the same dress to the last party? Worried you won’t be wearing the appropriate attire?
Have fun this holiday season instead of worrying about your style.
On Wednesday, December 3, 2008, at 8 pm ET, my friend Michelle Salater will host a free, hour-long call with me, Lee Heyward, personal stylist and owner of Charleston Style Concierge, to discuss tips on how to survive the holidays in style.
Don’t miss this call. Click here now to reserve your spot for the F*R*E*E call, Wednesday, December 3, at 8pm Eastern / 5pm Pacific.
On this call, you’ll discover . . .
Topic: How to Survive the Holidays with Style
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Time: 8 pm Eastern / 5 pm Pacific
Registration: www.marketingonlinebootcamp.com/holidaycall.html
Listen Now: http://marketingonlinebootcamp.com/audio/holidaystylecall12308.mp3
If you can’t join us for the live call December 3rd, the call will be recorded, but you must register to receive the recording. If you are new to telecalls, it is easy. All you have to do is sign up. You will receive an email with the phone number. Call the number and join us for a fun hour of style tips sure to get you through the holidays in style.
If you want to stress less over what you’re wearing this holiday season, make it a point to be on this call. Don’t miss this call. Click here now to reserve your spot.
To learn more about the Charleston Style Concierge and our styling services visit us on the web at www.charlestonstyleconcierge.com. Sign up for our newsletter for great style tips and information on future style telecalls.
The first step in creating a versatile wardrobe is to decide what style you desire. To put it another way, you need to figure out what you should be wearing to create the look you desire.
As you think about the style you desire, don’t worry whether or not you can pull off a particular style or outfit. Once you figure out what you like, you can find ways to wear the style of clothes so that they are appropriate for your body shape and lifestyle.
It’s impossible to create a versatile wardrobe when you have no direction or goal in mind. What you get is a closet full of clothes that you don’t want to wear and that won’t make different outfits. And clothes that still have tags on them.
We can all use a reality style check. It is very easy to end up with a style that makes you no longer feel good about yourself. The young professional whose wardrobe reflects who she was at twenty-two, not who she is at twenty-nine. The man who has lost a significant amount of weight, yet still buys baggy, unflattering clothes. Or the mother who has focused so much energy on her family that she’s forgotten herself, only to wake up one day and wonder why she is so unhappy with herself.
Whatever your situation, creating style goals is easy. Simply decide how you want to look and what you need to wear in order to create the style you desire.
Tips on how to discover your style goals:
· Observe what people are wearing when you think to yourself, “Wow! They look great!” Do you notice a pattern in what you like? If so, you’re onto something.
· Notice if you gravitate toward a particular style or look. Are you constantly drawn to classic sophisticate, bohemian chic, or preppy? Make note of this.
· Ask yourself if you want to look younger, more modern, more professional, more put together. Then ask yourself why.
· Pretend you live in a perfect world with none of your lifestyle and body constraints. Now, how would you like to dress?
· Cut out images in fashion magazines to narrow down what you really like. Don’t focus on what you think you can wear. Focus on the style you like.
Take some time to answer the above questions. Write down you answers and refer back to them as you develop a versatile wardrobe that fits your personal style.
This is an excerpt from our Style Guide: 5 Steps to a Stress-Free and Versatile Wardrobe. To view the entire style guide for FREE logon to our website and sign up for our mailing list. Once you have signed up for our mailing list the link will be emailed to you.
For more help creating style goals contact the Charleston Style Concierge. We can help you develop a unique personal style that fits your budget and lifestyle.
Take the stress out of this party season and brush up on your party etiquette. Discover what to bring, when to arrive, and other great etiquette tips from our friends at Southern Protocol, an etiquette company that believes you should always be gracious, stylish, and charming.
Is arriving fashionably late really fashionable?
There is no such thing as fashionably late. Guests are expected to arrive no later than 5-10 minutes after the arrival time listed on the invitation. In most cases 15 minutes is acceptable. If you are going to be any later than 15 minutes, you should call the host/hostess to let them know. Don’t expect the party/dinner to wait on you. NEVER show up to a party early unless asked to do so by the host/hostess.
Should I always bring a hostess gift?
There is no real “rule” on when to or when not to take a hostess gift. Our general thinking is that if the party/dinner is hosted by a family with whom you frequently visit no gift is required. If it is a first time visit a small gift would be appropriate. Consider what you know about the host/hostess when deciding on a gift. It would be considered inappropriate to give someone who does not drink alcohol a bottle of wine, etc. If you are completely unsure of whether or not to take a gift – you could attend the party empty handed and get a feel from the other guests actions. If the majority of guests did bring a gift, a nice gesture would be to send flowers with a nice note of appreciation the day following the party.
How long should you stay at a party?
The typical “rule of thumb” is that it is respectful to stay for about an hour after dinner. The best way to know is to take clues from the people at the party/dinner. When the other guests begin to leave, you should follow suit unless asked to do otherwise by the host/hostess. If everyone is still at the party and the host/hostess start to drop clues about how late it is or how early their day tomorrow is going to be, don’t be afraid to be the first to go. Hopefully the other guests will follow.
How do I know if I can bring a guest?
You can only bring a guest if you have been told directly, either on the invitation or in person by the host/hostess that it is ok. You need to let the host/hostess know if you are bringing a guest prior to the party. NEVER ask the host/hostess if you can bring a guest. This “rule” is also true with children. If the children’s names are not on the invitation or have not been specifically invited by the host/hostess themselves – they are not invited.
Discover more etiquette tips and how to stress less about what to wear during this holiday party season, by joining my free teleclass on December 3, 2008. My friend Michelle Salater, owner of Michelle Salater Writing & Editorial, LLC, will host a free, hour-long call with me to discuss tips on how to survive the holidays in style. The holidays are packed with parties, concerts, shopping, dinners, parades and the list goes on. With so much on your plate, the last thing you should have to worry about is what to wear. Sign up now!
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