Love Your Color Palette

I used to love my new boxes of crayons. I loved placing each color back in its cardboard place holder, the little crayon sharpener on the back, and the creative names for each color. My favorite Crayola was cerulean. I had many different pronunciations for the color and truthfully never learned the correct one until years later watching Miranda Priestly lecture Andy in the Devil Wears Prada. In this video she teaches us a lesson not only in phonics, but color analysis as well: Once hue choices move beyond the coloring book, and onto our bodies they become more significant. Choosing the right colors to wear will make your eyes sparkle and your skin radiant. Whether cerulean, macaroni and cheese, shocking pink, or granny smith apple is right for you will depend upon the natural coloring of your skin tone and your hair color. Follow the flow chart below to bring you to your correct seasonal color category. After you arrive, come back later this week to discuss each season in further detail. Happy analyzing!

Love Your Body Type

Body type. Ouch. Perhaps the most dreaded component of Your Personal Style. I can relate as I have been turned off by many a magazine, website, or style book calling me a "pear." I am a woman, not a piece of fruit. I hope you will hear me out because knowledge is power and my intent is not to tell you all the things you can't wear. Each body type inherently comes with positive attributes as well as its own set of challenges. Most of us long to be whichever one we're not, but my goal is to help you like your body. Once we understand our bodies it becomes easier to clothe them and to love them! 

Each of us have a shape unique to us, but we will generally fit into one of five categories. Finding where you fit in can most likely be determined by answering the following question:

If you were to indulge in this little beauty, where on your figure would you see the results?

A. Bust &/back

B. Hips &/thighs

C. Tummy

D. Evenly distributed

E. Nowhere

A follow up question:

You find it most difficult to shop for:

 A. Blouses that close

B. Pants that fit

C. Blouses that don't cling

D. Blouses and pants

E. Nothing, clothes seem to be made for me

And finally the measurements. Grab a tape measure, a piece paper, and a pencil. Take a deep breath this is for scientific purposes only. 

1. Measure your bust at the widest part.

2. Measure your waist, somewhere near your belly button.

3. Measure your hips at the widest part.

4. Confirm your body type by the following equations:

A. Bust > hip measurement.

B. Hip > bust measurement.

C. Bust = waist = hip measurement, and overall look is soft and curvy.

D. Bust = hip measurement, 

&

 waist < hip & bust measurements

E. Bust = hip = waist, and overall look is angular and straight.

If you need further help, try this calculator or ask a trusted friend. Sometimes it's easier for others to see. 

Ok you made it past the hard part, all you need to do is remember A,B,C,D, or E and come back tomorrow to discuss each body type in more detail.

Love Your Lifestyle

The next component of your personal style is lifestyle. You  have different roles to perform each day and with those roles come accompanying uniforms. A typical day may take you from the office, to the gym, to a girls night out. As you slip into each role, you trade your clothing to match, just like the paper dolls you played with as a girl. You may take on the role of corporate woman, work out guru, and party girl all within the same day! In order to make your clothing work for you it must fit in with your daily activities. It doesn't matter how much you may love that romantic, fluffy pink couture gown, if you can't wear it to chase your kids around at the park, it's not going to work for you. The trick is to find pieces that fit your personality and your life. Come along as we explore several different lifestyles and their matching ensembles. You may find you fit in with more than one.