Getting Dressed

Tracy McWilliams’ book “Dress to Express” is my favorite personal image resource for working to create a balance of self expression with desired personal image. I like the names of her clothing personalities, and I’ve also included additional descriptors and my own take on their meanings.

Clothing Personality: Actress (aka Dramatic)

Choosing clothing in this category supports a desire to be the center of attention. Every piece of an outfit will look like it was made for that body shape and incorporates to different degrees current fashion trends. Clothing is an artistic outlet to show creativeness.

• Flirty
• Unique twists on current trends
• Style, pattern, fabric matching guru
• Focused on your body’s natural beauty

Clothing Personality: Artist (aka Romantic)

Texture and pattern rule the Artist personality. Whether matching or not, clothing will be comfortable with a loose fit (that is not baggy or shapeless). The first thing that pops into my mind is bohemian, and this is just one facet of the artist personality. Ruffles and frills of layered lightweight fabric to the simple lines of matching cotton pieces fall into this clothing personality.

• Wraps and scarves
• Fringe, embroidery, ruffles
• Layers
• Fabric and jewelry with their own story

I love silk - from the weight to the texture.  Most of all it is warm to wear when cool and isn’t too warm when it is hot.  It is easy to wear to work and for non-work functions.

As far as taking care of silk, I’ve always thought it was hard.  Well, it isn’t so difficult after all to maintain silk garments and keep them look as beautiful as when they were first purchased.

Stains

Removing stains from any item of clothing can be tricky, and silk is no exception.  Techniques will vary based on the type of silk.

Depending on the type of stain, there are several solutions offered by Silk Roads.  Tips for our work-wear silk include:

Butter and other Animal Fats (this may also include coconut oil):
Wash in warm sudsy water if a washable fabric. If not, sponge dry fabric with a grease solvent, e.g. laundry pre-soak…

Gum:
Scrape or peel away as much as possible first. Rubbing the stain with ice will harden the gum and make this easier…

Coffee & Tea:
Remove fresh stains from cotton and linen materials by first rinsing in warm water then pouring boiling water from a height of…

In general, corn starch is a tried-and-true method that my grandma shared with me.

Silk Sheets Guide provides a list that includes hints for managing sweat and makeup stains:

Perspiration:
Use diluted ammonia (equal part of ammonia and water). Rinse well.

Lipstick and Makeup:
Try the laundry soap you use to regularly clean the sheets but in a little more concentrated form. If that does not work, try ammonia but be careful…

Be Careful with Your Silk

Notice that in the examples cited here (and on their websites) there is no mention of Oxy-Clean (or similar products) and bleach!  If research doesn’t get you the information you need, your local dry cleaner may be able to help - they are a very good resource for all sorts of stain removal ideas for any fabric.

Sometimes I extend beyond expressing into plain silly when I get creative with what I wear.   On occasion I stretch my creativity and end up feeling awkward about it all day.  If I get compliments I start feeling better, if I don’t I feel sillier.  The thing is - I’m willing to try because expressing myself through my outfits helps other people know who I am.

When we wear clothes that express a little bit of ourselves while adhering to the appropriate attire for the occasion, we help people decide how to interact with us.  Our clothes, like our non-verbal communication, provide cues to the rest of the world

“Women usually love what they buy, yet hate two-thirds of what is in their closets.”
Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic’s Notebook

Because we buy impulsively…  Because we like it but it doesn’t really look that good on our body shape… Because it doesn’t help us express who we are…

All of these things are true, or have been true a time or two for everyone.  Whether using the resources here for exploring your body shape or another site, figuring that out will help you know that even if you like a shirt or skirt, if it doesn’t make you feel pretty when you have it on, it isn’t worth owning

Dressing is one of many creative outlets. For the uber fashionable to the uniqueness of artists all can be erased with an unsightly bulge or panty line.  Isaac Mizrahi , designer, shares his tips.   Besides the right  foundation, knowing your size also is important in creating your dressed image.

Incorporating stripes, floral, or other patterns into our outfits brings a splash of current trends while working for you - to flatter your body shape.

Some of you out there think that dressing professionally equates to stuffy and uncomfortable. Some of you out there think that if there is no pain there’s no gain and that is a price to pay for putting forth the best you.

Why not be comfortable and dress for work at the same time?

Every business has a customer. The presentation of the company brand and product or service extends to every employee in the company. Directly or indirectly, we are an extension of the company brand.

Rarely have I seen dress codes that focus on the presentation of the company brand to present the company a specific way for clients and safety. Most of the time, dress codes tend to be more focused on structuring a dress code that removes potential un-comfortableness between employees .

…But the dress code doesn’t allow comfort!

No matter what you wear anywhere you go - people are watching. “Whose Dress Code?” touches on creating an environment that we thrive in. All of us have clothes that make us feel great and clothes that make us feel frumpy.

If dressing casually makes us too relaxed, even though the energy is there and ready to flow, it doesn’t. Taking the time and care to comb our hair and brush our teeth extends to the clothes we put on our bodies.

Not being comfortable doesn’t meant it is the company’s fault for having a dress code. It means that to do your job (representing the company) you need to explore clothing that helps you do a good job. Think of work clothes like you do your cell phone - it is a necessity in our jobs. When we feel good in our clothes our non-verbal communication reflects it!

Another thing to think about is it really the dress code that is an issue or does your wardrobe not support the dress code:

• Draw an empty pie chart.
• Next to your empty circle write down all of the roles you play in your life.
• Put a percentage next to each role that reflects the percentage of your time you spend.
• Now fill in your pie chart.

The clothes in your closet need to match the amount of time you spend in your different activities. Here is a visual of my current Clothing Type Pie Chart that may help you build yours:

Law of Attraction

This takes many forms, and applies to our clothes and working wardrobe too. When you take care of yourself and present yourself at work wearing professional clothes people notice. This blog post talks about professional environments offering more respect inherently.

When you feel good others feel good - and actions and attitude are reciprocated. Positiveness is just as contagious as negativeness. If your pie chart needs do not match the clothes currently in your closet, as you add and replace clothing make sure to keep in mind what your current lifestyle needs. Making the effort to have the correct clothing in proportion to different parts of your lifestyle will make dressing for work easier (and more comfortable!) while maintaining the level of professionalism your company expects.

This post cracked me up Are you one of ‘those’ women?

What a great introduction to mentioning this season’s slides.

For me, slides are hard because I must walk funny, or something, as I always walk out of them… it doesn’t stop me from trying them on thinking that I might find a pair that works for me.

This time of year we’re thinking about warmer weather, and in the northwest I’m also looking forward to more sunshine After the holidays and before summer… that place where everything we look at starts to feel old because it’s still winter and we will be wearing the same clothes for a few more months.

Retailers know this is the perfect time to start introducing new looks for spring, and it’s very enticing to start buying new clothing here and there as we find items that flatter our body shape.

Before you hit your favorite stores (I’ve already been to Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft websites!) to start adding clothing to your 2008 spring and summer wardrobe that you remind yourself what you have in your closet right now.

• What is worn out? Anything a little dingy or worn should be replaced.
• What don’t you like anymore? Our tastes change, so make note of what you have that you know you won’t wear anymore.
• What doesn’t fit? Whether a little too tight or a little too loose!

Knowing the answers to these questions helps you build a shopping list. This list helps you stay focused and buy the items you need (and want to replace) and will help you build an estimated cost so that you can can shop guilt free and stick to your budget.

Sounds like a lot of work… it will take just a few minutes because you know what you put away last year that you thought might not make it another season.

• You will know immediately looking at a shirt, pants, or skirt that you don’t like the color or style and that look worn.
• You know your approximate weight change by how your clothes fit now, and you won’t have to try everything on… just the the items that you know will be too big or small.

I am by far one of the least detailed people I know, and this process doesn’t bore me and it doesn’t overwhelm me.

With a specific budget that I choose to work with, I can stretch my dollars as far as possible and the preparation time makes shopping more fun for me because I have a list of clothing that I’m looking for.

Once you’ve done a quick review of your existing clothes, off you go to stimulate the economy with your clothing shopping list and the available resources you have!

We all have our routines morning and night - based on those routines we pick out clothing before we got to bet or when we get up in the morning. Whatever your preference, sometimes it takes much longer to find an outfit than we like.

Fat Clothes & Skinny Clothes

Talk about a psychological horrible closet monster! Keeping clothes around when we feel fat or really do gain a few pounds gives us permission to gain weight. Since we’re aware of areas of our body that make us self conscious, it’s important that we make sure every aspect of our lives support our hard work to slim down, firm up, or change our diet and exercise.

Daydreaming about a size we used to be is just as bad on our mental imprint of ourselves. Keeping clothing that it too small on the extreme side is a form of mental self punishment. We change as people, and our bodies change with time.

One of the first things mentioned in Practical Steps for Cleaning Out Your Closet Clutter is to remove anything too big or small.

Closet Storage

A functional closet only stores clothing, and is not a catchall for everything from ironing boards to memorabilia.

Make Matching Garments Easy

Some of us naturally can put patterns and colors together effortlessly - in fact 40% of us can. There are 3 learning styles: 40% of us are Visual, 30% of us are Tactile, and 30% of us are Auditory.

Like with anything, every single one of us has some of all three learning styles with one we tend to work with than the others. I am auditory first, tactile second. It takes me more effort in preparation of my closet and items to build my outfits than a visual learner. However, more effort doesn’t mean more time. When I started working with my clothes and my closet, it did take me more time because I had to learn what worked best for me. Some tips for those of you that are not visual:

• Think about limiting the colors in your closet. If the colors of clothing you buy are all complimentary, you can pick anything and know it matches.
• When shopping, take some with you. Don’t rely on your memory to know if colors match and look good together.
• Patterns are harder for non-visuals to put together and incorporate into outfits. Limiting the amount of patterns and incorporating solid pieces ensure a put together look.

Find the Diamond in the Your Closet

When we allow items to be in our closet that we don’t wear for any reason contribute subconsciously to our well being. When we look in our closet picking out clothes is easier when we fit into everything in the closet and when we like every piece of clothing we see. It’s more fun to pick outfits and plan what you’re wearing too.

Experiment with your shopping tactics to improve your success at finding new garments and replacements for worn out items.

It’s amazing how little time we actually have to think about ourselves in a day (sometimes even if we are the only person we are responsible to and for)! Between work and taking care of our families and homes we already rely on modern conveniences to pack even more into our days.

The world sees when we don’t have time…

• to fold the laundry immediately so wrinkles set in that the dryer can’t get out.
• to iron garments that have become wrinkled to hang drying or left unfolded or unhung too long.

Regardless of where we are going, a finished look makes us feel better. It also makes us look like we’re ready to take on the world (even if we aren’t!).

Find the Time

If you know that you don’t have time to iron everything at one time after you do laundry, then you might try changing the laundry process. In addition to making sure the laundry loads are not too big for the washer and dryer, over drying clothing also helps wrinkles set in (and can also cause shrinking to occur).

If you really don’t have the time, there is always the option to dry clean. This will save you time because dropping off and picking up will take less time than cleaning the close yourself.

Quick Tips for Removing Wrinkles

If clothing is wrinkled from being scrunched with other garments in a drawer or packed into a closet, hanging them in the bathroom while you shower can help some wrinkles fall out of your clothes.
A vinigar/water mixture misted onto clothing can assist in removing some wrinkles.