Fresh, New Fit: Wardrobe Consultation with A La Mode Wardrobe Consulting, Part 2!

By Jess in Minneapolis

Where did we leave off with my wardrobe consultation with A La Mode Wardrobe Consulting?

Oh, yes, SHOES! After Carly helped me sort out my weak shoe situation, we moved on to pants and skirts. It was obvious very quickly that I had plenty of bright denim…

…yet I was lacking in basic well-fitting neutral pants. I had plenty of bright but not enough neutral, so she directed me to Banana Republic to purchase a pair of navy cropped skinnies (i.e. the ones I’m wearing below)

….and I picked up a black pair as well. She also noticed that I’m in need of a good pair of white skinny jeans, and she suggested JCrew or Hudson for a pair that actually wouldn’t be see-through (a common issue with white jeans.)

As we moved through all my tops, I quickly realized how many similar Deletta tops I had from Anthropologie. At the time that I purchased each one, I thought each one was so unique and funky, but when I saw them all together, I realized they were all the same, and they really weren’t that flattering on me. Those shirts quickly went into the discard pile.

Deletta shirts like this green one…

It really was amazing how looking through my clothes through someone else’s eyes made me realize just how much stuff I had that

1) Was no longer flattering
2) Was no longer in style
3) …or even better, could possibly be worn in a fun, new way!

Its true that we discarded a lot of clothes, but what I really loved was how Carly opened up my closet so to speak. She came up with all these great ideas about how to make more of what I already had, by filling in some holes with a few things that would tie things together. She came up with ways to make items that I already had appropriate for work (i.e. paired with the right shoe, a sharp blazer, perhaps a jean jacket). She also paired several different colors together with items I already had, or tops and skirts I had nearly forgotten about!

She was extremely knowledgeable about how to dress for your body type. She spoke about ways to elongate my athletic (i.e. thicker) legs, and even the best way to elongate my arms. She gave me tips to really dress “sharper” and more age-appropriate for work, while still maintaining my personal “bright and bold” style.

So what were these tips? I’ll share a few….

1. How to Pair Your Necklaces with Your Tops: Carly was surprised by all my necklaces, but she advised me to wear them with care. With necklaces, try to always create a scoop neck with shorter necklaces paired with a crew neck tops.

Wear your long necklaces with scoops and vees so they come into the top of the blouse.  Try to avoid necklaces that hang past your natural waist as they will look better for your proportions! Wearing a bold necklace often makes an outfit more casual. Be sure to pair all your funky necklaces with something classic, like a blazer.

4. TUCK IT IN! So important for someone with a body shape like me. She kept emphasizing to me that I needed to tuck it in. The day of the consult, I was wearing a loose flowy tank top (from Forever 21) and some bright blue skinny jeans, and she told me as politely as possible, that the outfit just wasn’t working. I needed to tuck it in and belt it up.  As much as you can, tuck in your shirts. Obviously some shirts really shouldn’t be tucked in, but the majority of shirts can be, and it really cleans up the outfit and elongates your body.  Tuck into your shorts, your skinny jeans, and wear a nice skinny belt.

Tuck it in!