Get the Most Out of What You Buy

Even the best shoppers have occasional slip ups. To get the most out of the items you buy, you need to properly integrate them into your existing wardrobe. It’s not uncommon to find wardrobe pieces that have been hanging in the closet for months with the tags still on. Even for the most disciplined shopper there are steps you should take after you complete your shopping. When you return home from shopping get the most out of what you buy with these simple tricks.

1. Try on everything you buy again. Make sure you can still answer yes to all of your shopping guidelines once you are at home. If you bought shoes, give them a practice run. Wear them around the house to ensure they are as comfortable as they felt in the store.

2. Save and keep your receipts in one place. This way if you need to return something you can get a full refund. Just as a precaution, leave the tags on until you actually wear something out of the house.

3. Create a new items section within your closet. As you wear each new item, integrate it into the proper wardrobe section of your closet.

4. Assess your new items section every 30 days. If an item is still in the new section after an extended time period, you may consider returning it for a refund or a more useful item.

5. Schedule a time to play dress up in your closet. Come up with outfits you’ve never worn. Take pictures of outfits you create to reference on days you are lacking dressing brain power.

For additional tips on how to shop smart visit www.charlestonstyleconcierge.com and sign up for our free monthly ezine.

Imagine having a closet full of clothing you truly love. The only challenge to getting dressed would be deciding which fabulous outfit to wear. Getting dressed would be quick and easy, and you would feel great every time you walked out the door.

All of this is possible if you adopt a love it or leave it attitude. It is easy to be seduced by price, styles that you love but that won’t work for your body type, friendly encouragement from sales people, and numerous other factors. As you shop for wardrobe additions or as you edit your closet, you must be ruthless. If you don’t love something, you’re never going to be happy wearing it. Give it away, or leave it at the store!

5 Things Each Piece of Your Clothing Should Have

1.                The fit makes you feel great about your figure.

2.                The price does not affect your desire to buy it.

3.                It makes you feel confident and unique.

4.                It can be used to create many different outfits.

5.                It has special details that speak to your personal style.

It is impossible to create a wardrobe that allows you to get dressed quickly when you have no style direction or goal in mind. What you get is a closet full of clothes you don’t want to wear.

Whatever your wardrobe challenge is, it can be fixed! You just need to figure out why you are not happy with your style. And thinking to yourself, “I don’t have a perfect body,” is not a reason. Start by determining 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? Is it always a certain style?

Become aware of styles you naturally gravitate to. For example, when you are out shopping are you constantly drawn to classic and sophisticated looks, or bohemian chic ones? Make note of this. 

Ask yourself how you want to look. Do you want to look younger, more modern, more professional, more put together. Then ask yourself why you want to look this way. The why is important.

Pretend you live in a perfect world with none of your lifestyle and body constraints. Now, what would you like to wear everyday?

If you feel stuck, get inspiration from fashion magazines. Cut out pictures to narrow down what you really like. Don’t focus on what you think you can wear, just focus on things you like. 

Take some time to think about these questions and write down your answers. Your responses will help you determine why you are unhappy with your current wardrobe. Then, work towards creating a versatile wardrobe that meets your style goals and functions for your lifestyle.

Let Charleston Style Concierge show you how to create a wardrobe you love to wear. Through a compete image and style assessment, clients learn how to create an easy and effortless style.

1.    Give your Mom the gift of time. Let her invest in herself by creating a block of time to spend editing her closet. A closet edit  is therapeutic and will help your Mom feel more confident and less stressed. Start by eliminating your Mom’s distractions for at least three hours. Next, give her the tools she needs to enjoy her closet edit such as candles, a glass (or bottle depending on the size of the closet) of wine, pad to take notes about the wardrobe pieces she needs, and a full length mirror. Your Mom will emerge from the closet a new woman with an organized and true sense of personal style. 

2.    Help your Mom create a look book.  After her closet edit, she will have a renewed sense of new and different outfits to choose from. Take a picture of each outfit (don’t forget to add accessories) to help your Mom get dressed quickly and easily each morning. Create a book for her to keep in her closet that has pictures of at least twenty outfits she can easily throw on each morning. The next time she is running late she can reference the look book for an outfit she knows looks great and makes her feel confident.

3.    Create a relaxation day for your Mom. Purchase her favorite style magazines and create a style library she can read while relaxing on the beach or at the spa. She can jump start her style simply by getting inspiration from magazines. It doesn’t take a lot of money to invest in your personal style, just good information so you can tweak what you already have.

4.    Show your Mom how she has inspired you to become a confident and successful woman. Make a list of all the ways her actions have influenced who you are and the impact you make on the world. Include this list in the card you give her. It will have more meaning than the saying Hallmark thought of.

5.    Purchase a gift certificate to her favorite boutique and schedule a time for her to have some fun  shopping. Encourage your Mom to bring the notes she made during her closet edit with her. Her notes will direct her to wardrobe pieces or accessories that will help her develop a versatile wardrobe that works lifestyle.

Let Charleston Style Concierge create the perfect gift for your Mom with one of our style services. Contact us at 843.323.2466 for great ideas of how to personalize a style experience for your Mom. Gift Certificates are available.

Here in Charleston, SC it’s important to cater your style  around temperature and UV index changes. Before stepping foot outside for a downtown stroll, remember the three spring essentials (in addition to sunscreen) for looking fabulous, while protecting yourself from the sun.

The Three Essentials for a Spring Stroll:

1)  A floppy hat: Protect yourself from the sun while looking fabulous in a chic floppy hat. Wear an SPF lotion on your face, as well, for double protection. When you walk down the street on a hot day, sweat tends to wash away a lot of the SPF you have on, which is why it’s important to have another form of protection. You can never be too careful when it comes to protecting yourself from the sun.

2)  A light scarf: Jazz up a light-colored spring outfit with a bold and colorful scarf.   A light-weight scarf adds color, flare, and texture to your spring outfit and also protects delicate neck skin from the sun. You might be thinking a scarf will make you sweat profusely, but the right feather-weight scarf is airy and light on your skin.

3)  A pair of sunglasses: Protect your eyes from the harsh sun with a pair of chic sunglasses. The combination of the floppy hat, light-weight scarf, and sunglasses is a fantastic look for spring, and can be adapted to your own personal style. No need for make-up—just an SPF lotion on your face, a light dusting of powder, and some mascara will do the trick. 

Need a personal shopper in Charleston, SC? Let Charleston Style Concierge find you the perfect spring essentials to fit your individual lifestyle. We’ll help you improve your personal style and provide you with tips and strategies to have lifelong effortless style. Contact us today at 843.323.2466 to learn about our many services, including closet editing, personal shopping, and personal styling.

Everyone’s body type is different. And let’s face it, there are certain bathing suits that simply don’t flatter certain body types. Every woman should feel confident when hitting the beach, and the type of suit she’s wearing makes a huge difference.

So, which suit is right for you this spring?

• If you have a plus size figure: Don’t hide behind a cover up the whole time you’re at the beach—find a bathing suit that is flattering to your curves. You’ll be strutting your stuff across the beach in no time with the perfect suit. If you’re looking to control your mid section a bit, while going for the hourglass look, try one piece suits that have a controlled middle. Miraclesuits that are spandex lined are perfect to bring in your mid section, while still expressing your gorgeous curves. If you have a large bottom and are a little shy to show it off, wear a short matching skirt with it to hide your upper thigh and bottom.

• If you have a long torso: Go for suits with prints and embellishments. Horizontal stripes are great, but avoid vertical stripes—these can make you look too long. Skirted bottoms are also excellent to attract the eye to your hips.
• If you have a short torso: Match a solid bottom with a printed top to draw the eye to the top of your body. This will make your torso appear longer. Stay generic when choosing bottoms—you don’t want to draw the downward. One piece suits with a low-cut front are perfect for creating the illusion of a long torso and are absolutely sexy. 
• If you have a petite figure: If you have both a petite bottom and bust try to find suits that make your body appear more curvaceous. For a small bust, a suit with a bit of padding, push up, and adjustable straps is perfect to show off the beautiful curves you already have, plus some. Strapless bandeau tops are also great for those with smaller busts. Try going for a suit with prints as oppose to solid. Solid colors tend to bog down the look of your bust. Wear a bottom with a print to accentuate your curves. If you have a petite waistline a suit with a high-cut thigh-line works great to create the illusion of curves.   

Don’t hide from the beach this spring. Find the right suit for you and show some skin with confidence. If you have trouble finding a bathing suit, let Charleston Style Concierge  help you find the perfect suit to flatter your body type. We are a style consulting company based in Charleston, SC, specializing in personal shopping, closet editing, and personal styling. We provide you with the tips, strategies, and help you need to have effortless and easy style.  Contact us today at 843.323.2466 and see how stress free life can be with a personal stylist.

Charleston Fashion Week 2009 began with a bang Tuesday night as six semi-finalist emerging designers showcased their fabulous spring collections. The night was speckled with seductive backless dresses, 70s style vintage attire, geometric dresses, vibrant colors, and floral touches, as each designer offered a completely different collection from the next.

One of my favorite designers was South Carolina native Caroline Baker, owner of the Maude Couture line. Her eco-friendly Plumage Collection was absolutely stunning, boasting recycled beads, organic materials, elegant colors, feathered silhouettes, and exquisite backlines.

Baker’s Plumage Collection is a must-have for spring couture fashion. The airy, backless dresses are perfect for cocktail parties or black tie events during warm spring nights. Below are some photos of the Plumage Collection, illustrating magnificent backless couture:

Backless dresses are classic and reveal one of the most elegant areas of skin . . . the back. This look isn’t just a cocktail party / black tie look, it can be pulled off during both day and night—both different styles of course.

To pull this look off during the daytime . . .

·        Find a blouse with a small dip in the back neckline to show off an appropriate amount of back. The backline shouldn’t drop further than the bottom of your shoulder blades. It’s also important to make sure your bra isn’t showing.

To pull this look off during the nighttime  . . .

·        Find a top or dress with a plunging backline that goes a bit further than mid should blades. Many of these tops and dresses cannot be worn with a regular strapless bra. I suggest finding stick on cups. These help hold your bust in and control that area.

·        Do not buy a top or dress with a really low plunging neckline and a really low plunging backline—you might as well go out naked. The key is to find a tasteful top or dress that exude elegance. Below are some examples of tops or dresses from the Plumage Collection that are done just right.

This spring, make a fantastic first impression without emptying your wallet. A wardrobe restyle doesn’t have to cost tons of money. With the right versatile outfits, you can mix and match without looking like you wore the same outfit twice. Contact Charleston Style Concierge  today at 843.323.2466 to learn how you can develop effortless style and eliminate stressful days trying to find an outfit that works from your closet. Our services include closet editing, personal styling, personal shopping, and more. Isn’t it time you looked amazing this spring?

The word fit gets thrown around a lot in our lives. Something may not fit your lifestyle. Your last job just wasn’t a good fit. Or maybe last week you were really fit to be tied. With so many things in our lives revolving around what fits, how is it that fit gets thrown out the window when it comes to our style?
 Does it fit? That is the question you heard from your mother right before she came into the dressing room with her fit checklist. There were a series of squats, bends, and seated positions before the pants in question were deemed a good fit. Now, as an adult, you may have your own fit checklist, but does your clothing really fit?
When it comes to great style, fit is key!

Check out this article from Forbes.com that provides great tips about dressing for the office.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/09/workplace-office-clothing-women-style_0209_suit.html

There are rules to follow to make sure your new cashmere sweater is an investment that will last you for years to come.

Rule #1: Look for the best fibers.

The best fibers are those that come from the Kashmiri goat (from the chin and belly) and are harvested only once a year. These fibers are the reason cashmere comes with an expensive price tag but with proper care your cashmere garment can last a lifetime. When you decide to invest in cashmere take the time to feel many different kinds and price points. All cashmere will feel soft to the touch but you will know when you touch “good” cashmere. Lower quality cashmere will sometimes feel scratchy.

Rule #2: Good cashmere will have loft.

A great cashmere sweater will have loft. Loft if the spring of the fabric. Gently pull the sides of the sweater away from each other. When you let go, a high quality garment will spring back to its original shape. A loosely knit one will not and will probably stretch out after wearing a few times.

Rule #3: Look for Bright Colors.

Vibrant colors are an indication of top quality cashmere because of the wool and dying process. It is more difficult to dye cashmere in vibrant colors so often times a lower grade is used. If you are buying darker colored cashmere check to see it is the same softness as some of the other lighter colors.

Rule #4: Check the labels.

Check the labels. Only sweaters of pure cashmere can be labeled as such. The way the garment label is sewn on will also indicate the quality of the cashmere. The best cashmere is hand knitted and is usually made in Scotland or Italy.

Rule #5: Consider the price tag.

Cashmere has become much more affordable, but be weary of great deals on cashmere. If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Rule #6: Make it a wardrobe staple.

The right cashmere sweater can become a staple in your wardrobe. Cashmere can work for all seasons depending on its ply and gauge. Invest in a garment that stays true to your personal style, is figure flattering, and can integrate into your wardrobe in a versatile and stylish way.

Need help with your personal style? Not sure what to wear to flatter your figure? Let Charleston Style Concierge help you with all of your style needs with our Virtual Style Consultation.