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

There are many ways to express yourself: tattoos, piercings, accessories, and the clothing we wear.

Clothing is the ultimate way to express your feeling. If you wear big baggy clothes, people will assume you are not in the best of moods or don’t like your body very much. If you wear clothing draws attention or focuses on a specific body part people see that you want to draw attention to yourself.

Many of us have clothes that we pull out when we feel fat, sad, happy. We also have clothing that we have for specific occasions that we force ourselves into when we absolutely have to.

Here’s A Thought

What if we only owned clothing that flattered our body shape and that made us feel good? If we didn’t have fat clothes, would we feel fat? Sure we may feel fat, however if we don’t have fat clothes to wear we can help ourselves overcome that feeling by wearing clothing we own that we like and that makes us look good. This is practical application of “Fake it ‘til you make it” and The Secret
When I tried to get rid of my fat clothes the first time, it was very very hard… I didn’t realize how much emotional baggage existed. I tried to give them away and physically could not part with them. It took some time to be able to remove them from the house. I started by removing them from the closet, and that’s a whole other article.

Clothing Personalities

In the coming weeks I will explore the prominent clothing styles that I regularly see:

• Actress
• Artist
• Classic
• Rebel
• Sporty
• Social

This list does not cover all the clothing personalities - mixing and matching them creates unique looks and new clothing personalities.

We, by what we wear, give others cues about how to interact with us. Our clothing gives us the ability to enhance our non-verbal cues and help others interpret us. Most importantly allowing our personality and creativity shine through what we wear makes us feel good.

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

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.

Love lipstick and hate the telltale signs of wearing it?  Here are 14 tips for lipstick lovers!

If you need some help putting your feet into high heels every day, this article is for you! It talks about a study that shows how high heels strengthen our pelvic muscles.

The downside of high heels is that wearing any high heel that doesn’t fit the foot properly will cause future damage. I’m an advocate of a strong personal style as well as a polished look. A tailored pair of heeled shoes is a great asset to creating the perfect outfit.

Personally I like high heels, however my limit is 2.5 inches. Anything over that height and I feel wobbly and my feet hurt after walking just short distances. For my position, I do a lot of moving and standing most of the day, and my shoes must support my activities in addition to supporting my personal taste.

This past year proved challenging for finding shoes that fit my height requirement. For those of you preferring flat shoes, you had an even more difficult time because shoes everywhere for most fashion styles sported 3+ inch heels.

Benefits of Heeled Shoes

• Lengthen the leg.
• Create height for those of us that want to be a few inches taller.
• With skirts, provides the illusion of more skin showing from foot to skirt line.
• Pointed toes are refined and match most pant and skirt styles.
• Semi- and Rounded toes also match most pant and skirt styles.

2008 styles are similar to last year with a few changes that will offer those of us that prefer lower heels a better shoe shopping experience, and there are more options for everyone.

Because of the length of pants, where skirts end, the shape of our legs and pants and skirts the shoe style is important. No matter how hard I try, I cannot survive with just a few pairs of shoes. Suites have their own compliment, skirts have their own shoes, and spring/summer clothing shoes are different than fall/winter clothing.

Even though I have several shoes for all occasions and outfit types, don’t skimp on quality. It is easy to do with shoes as little as $15 dollars. To pamper your feet and have your shoes last longer, leather uppers will allow your feet to breath. Any man made material that is not fabric inside will not allow your feet to breath (resulting in stinky shoes and feet). The higher the quality of the materials the longer they will last.

A good pair of shoes also can be repaired by a cobbler will make your shoes last even longer. For those of us that have difficulty finding the perfectly comfortable shoes - this is a great option to avoid the maddening search for shoes over time.

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!

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.

In the world of convenience and from a generation that tends to be more casual than their parents and grandparents, ironing isn’t always considered a priority. Following the instructions to care for clothing to make them last does require effort, and the result is worth it!

I have an ironing board and an iron. They have to have a place to be stored when not in use - and in my house that means that they tend to be left in the closet.

After thinking about it, I decided to look online to see what there is out there for those of us that need to iron but fight off the actual task. The nuances of ironing correctly save time and help our clothing last.

Some tips I found online about ironing that may be helpful the next time your iron and ironing board make a debut:

• Iron your lightest silk, synthetic, and delicate fabrics first. These need to be ironed on low temperatures. Save the heavier weight clothing to do last.
• Dampen the clothing when you are ready to begin ironing. Wrinkles will fall out of the clothing as you iron. If you don’t use the sprayer to soften up the clothing. An inexpensive spray bottle to mist clothing will help you fight the toughest wrinkles.
• Cut your ironing time by putting a piece of aluminum foil under the ironing board cover. The foil will reflect heat so you’re actually ironing from both sides at once.
• If you don’t have a sleeve board, insert a rolled-up towel in sleeves so they can be pressed without leaving creases. Or make your own sleeve board from a cardboard tube covered with soft fabric.
• Iron the collars, cuffs, sleeves, belts, and trimmings first then the flat sections of the garments.

Taking care of clothes is part of taking care of ourselves. We put effort into buying clothing that we like and fits us. We bathe fix our hair and makeup. We clean our homes. All of these things make us feel good. Putting on clothing that looks brand new feels great too! Ironed clothing puts a finishing touch on a great outfit.

Finding the time to wash, dry, and un-wrinkle clothing is something many people leave as an afterthought. Truthfully, I fall into this category. I’ve tried everything to remove wrinkles to avoid ironing.

Hey - and for those of you that just LOVE to iron so much that you’ll take it with you wherever you you there’s always Extreme Ironing!

Ironing is an art form. The more you know the more success you will have. I’m actually excited to learn my frustration may have come from the lack of ironing know-how. My iron and ironing board may make a come back. If I still suffer an ironing fate of frustration and stubborn wrinkles, I’ll just invest in a steamer.

We know we don’t fit into just one size - especially if we wear clothes from multiple brands. Dress code is important, and no matter what level of business dress you wear at work, clothes have to fit correctly.

We Know When it Doesn’t Fit - on everyone else!

When we see clothes that don’t fit, we know it. When we put on our clothing and it feels just a wee-bit too tight, we tend to notice and continue with our day.

• Seems might be a little stretched.
• A safety pin is used instead of the button or clasp to close pants.
• Buttons look like they might pop off.
• Jacket sleeves pucker at the shoulder.
• Lack of full motion in pants or tops.
• Toes are squished.
• There are bumps and lumps that are seen through the layers.

Safety pins, double sided tape, staples, super glue, etc. are very helpful - in a pinch. Taking care of ourselves includes taking care of our clothing. A little bit of water retention and bloating affecting you for a day or so is very different than wearing clothing the wrong size.

Keep in mind - others notice when we f aux-pa and wear clothing that doesn’t fit correctly. Clothing that don’t flatter stand out much more than those that do, and affects others impressions of us.

Most of the time we chalk up clothing that doesn’t fit or look right as being something different or wrong with our body. In fact, it is the other way around - the clothing is wrong for us.

Find Your Fit

First you need to know your body shape. Then review clothing styles that fill fit your body shape. Sometimes, just the wrong style on a particular body shape is the issue.

There are many different ways to talk about body shape, and here are some excellent resources that compliment GettingDressed.com’s Dress Your Shape information:

• Compliment Your Body Type
• Dress For Your Body Shape
• What’s Your Body Shape?
• Mandy Moore on how to dress for your body

As you become comfortable with your shape and how to flatter your body, it’s time to review the closet. To keep our closet’s functional everything that doesn’t work for our style, our body, and the weather/temperature needs to be removed.

Whether you take an afternoon to remove everything unflattering to your body shape out of your closet or you review clothes as you put them on each day… the weeding out of clothing that doesn’t flatter you will not be a distraction when getting dressed.

There’s Nothing Left?

One of the biggest fears I hear over and over is that if everything that doesn’t fit my shape and doesn’t flatter my body I won’t have anything. When actually going through the process, every single woman finds that they really do have clothing left afterwards. They not only feel better about how they look when getting dressed they also don’t suffer as often from the I don’t have anything to wear syndrome.