4/30/12 - Total Outfit cost - $4.00

This is a Kasper dress - fully lined - great color.  And, yes, it was $4.  If you want to add in the designer scarf that ups the total cost to a measley $7. 

Are you Audrey Hepburn or Janice Joplin?

What style are you?  Do you know?  Well have no fear - there are about 1000 places on the Internet you can go find out.  You can take a test with multiple choice answers that conveniently let you know whether you are 'sporty', 'classic', 'romantic', 'county', 'city chic', 'retro', blah, blah, blah.  Or whether your style icon is Audrey Hepburn (always on the lists), Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson, or a host of young actresses I do not recognize at all.  So now you can be categorized to match your furniture choice - isn't that great! Not really.  Do you want to be pigeon-holed? Or look like your sofa?  I don't.  I went to a  nifty jewelry site once that offered to help you select jewelry pieces.  But first you had to take their quiz - in fact, you couldn't enter the site without taking that quiz. It consisted of unlikely choices "If you were going on a picnic, which 'style icon' would you prefer to go as?" It then gave you selection of five famous designers or actresses from which to choose.  Each query had a different answer group. Unfortunately, most of the time, I found that "none" would have been my preferred answer.  So, I picked the least objectionable of the bunch (kinda like politics!)  At the end of the test, I was then presented with the Jewelry Type I obviously had to be - and the site then showed me jewelry that would fit my tastes perfectly.  Um, No.  Not one time did the site ever present me with a piece of jewelry I liked (I mean - I didn't like ANYTHING).  You could not retake the test because it acknowledged your previous answers were the correct answers for you - AND - you couldn't view any other jewelry on their site because they had pre-selected everything for you - since they knew you best.  You couldn't change THEIR idea of what was perfect for you.  Too bad.  I couldn't purchase a thing from Their website since it didn't know a thing about me. 

So, what about you?  We can pigeon-hole ourself sometimes.  We don't even need help to do it!  Get stuck in a rut.  Hmmm.  Know what a rut is?  It is usually quite a dirty, muddy spot carved into something from continued overuse.  Have you decided that you are 'sporty' so you can justify only wearing jogging outfits or similar because it's your style.  Are you 'bohemian' so you can wear a lot of clothes that don't fit properly and it is irrelevant if they are clean or wrinkled?  Really?  It's not because you are lazy and don't want to try better? 

You are not required to be any specific style. At all.  I believe style is what you Are - not what you Wear. What you should require of yourself is to look great every time you step out of the door and people have to take a gander at you. There is no reason you must subject yourself to a defined 'uniform' of a style. Let your style start with your heart and your smile and your stance and your character and then put something on that body that expresses how absolutely fabulous you are.

That is what we are here to do.  Pull the fabulous In you to the outside.  Let us know if there is something particular you would like discussed.

God bless you richly.  I know that He has blessed me!

4/27/12 - Total outfit cost $28. (Includes top & skirt)

I love this outfit.  It is so pretty in person.  The skirt was $3. and I purchased the top at one of my favorite stores in NY.

Total outfit cost: $9.00 (includes Top, Skirt & Shoes)

This little outfit is fun.  I like fun! The top is by Finity, Skirt by Becky & Max (New York), Shoes by Steve Madden.  I have no trouble wearing White before Memorial Day.  All of the accessories are bright white and make this outfit 'pop' with the fun skirt.

It's a Fad, Fad, Fad, Fad World!

Don't succumb to fads.  Just don't do it.  You see them coming like a freight train.  Suddenly all the 'kids' start wearing, let's say, tie-dyed pants.  You see them Everywhere.  Wisely at first, all you can think is 'Yuck! Those look awful! Why do they wear those?' But brains are tricky things and after just a few months of this visual overload, your brain apparently slides sideways and shifts gears, and what-do-you-know, those pants don't look so bad.  Then, those pants start to look good...you know, if you got the right color for you. So you head down to the mall and search for the perfect tie-dyed wonders for your posterior and thighs.  Not surprisingly, you eventually Do find those things in your favorite color.  You slide them up and over your womanly curves.  You view yourself from every angle and smile with delight at how 'hip' and 'cool' you look (okay, that already defines you as NOT 'hip & cool').  Ooooo.  You are getting younger by the second.   You make your way to the checkout counter and against your better judgment just a few months ago, you actually purchase the latest fad for your very own.  Aww. 

Now what do you do with them?  You really can't wear them to church because they are too 'casual' and you are supposed to be more respectful of church; you can't wear them to the PTA because they really are too 'young' and someone might snicker; you can't wear them to work because the actual young adults are wearing them - and again you face that snicker issue; you can't wear them to where you volunteer because you don't want to appear to have fallen into the Fad trap; you can't wear them---wait, now they are out-dated and if you wear them everyone will know you are behind the curve.  Bother.  Well, you can wear them to bed, while you clean house, work in the yard (as long as nobody sees you), slop the hogs, you get the idea.

It's a brain thing. Eventually, your brain will reverse gears and you will see how ridiculous it was to purchase those things in the first place.  You won't want to put them on your body.  You won't even wear them to bed.  You will finally donate them somewhere.  tsk, tsk. Why waste your money in the first place?  Do you have that much disposable income?  If you see the freight train coming, move to another track and pass it by.  Do not turn your head and marvel at it's speed and pretty colors.  Do not let your brain tell you it is a good thing when you KNOW in your heart it is not.  Fads all end up the same. Fads fade fast. Don't let some crazed designer/decorator/hair dresser convince you in person or on tv, that a fad is 'you'!  You are smarter than that. No one is going to say, 'Hey, why didn't you get those tie-dyed pants everyone else got?' I promise they won't ask that question. Grab your common sense, keep your wallet closed and go out and look marvelous every day.

That's why we are here - to make you look better each time you step out of your abode!  Let me know how we're doing.

God bless you richly.  I know that He has blessed me!

4/20/12 - Total outfit cost: ??

I just don't recall how much this cost.  Why?  Because every piece is not new.  The top is Ann Taylor and I bought it about 3 years ago - on clearance; the skirt is Ideology and at least 11 years old!!  The brooch, necklace and earrings are vintage and purchased at resale shops all over.  The bracelet is carved red wood (I did pay $5. for it, because I liked the heft of it and it was much less expensive than the ones in NY).    And - I paid $15 for the Calvin Klein brown pumps new at a resale shop (nice sturdy heels). Just a little casual day wear.

Total outfit cost: $2.00!! (Includes Top, Skirt & Shoes!!)

That is right - $2.00!  The shoes are Steve Madden; the silk top is Collete Mordo; the pleated skirt has rivets along the hem.    People, if I can do this, you can too.

Total Outfit cost: $6.00! (includes Skirt, Jacket & Tank)

This Olive print skirt has little copper colored beads on it which reflect the light quite nicely.  The skirt was $3.  Not bad! 

4/16/12 - Total outfit cost: $17.00 (Jumper & Top)

This Black and Hot Pink lazer-burn-out jumper always gets attention.  Not expensive, but it looks cute!

Help! Help! Damage Control!

We talked previously about getting only one chance to make a first impression.  What if you messed that up?  What if you have already made your first impression and you, um, well, um, left quite a mc-nasty taste in the minds of those you viewed you?  NOW what do you do?  Damage control.  I will not sugar-coat this:  It is not always easy to undo what you ave set in someone's eyeballs.

Remember the 'cool' kids at school - the ones who always had it together.  Then there were the 'geeks' who used their brainpower to survive.  Those 'kickers' who could rock some boots and jeans.  What about the 'band nerds' who really did enjoy marching all over the football field.  The 'jocks' who actually knew what to do on a football field.  The 'goths' who went about always looking morose.  The 'theater' kids who knew that somehow their part in the I Act play would propel them to Hollywood.  There are so many more cliques - too many to list.  But, no matter how old you are, I am sure you can vividly recall where you fit in the school dynamics.  Maybe you fit in the 'uncategorized' - none of the above.  The thing is, everyone else who went to school with you - they also remember where you fit in the school dynamics.  Ouch - if you didn't fall into one of the really good groups.  And that was Years ago.  People remember.  So they will also remember that first impression you made (and will probably mentally categorize you).  It's painful, but true.  Are they going to categorize you as 'sloppy, lazy, indifferent'?

In this day of tough job competition, school competition, work competition, Life competition - you HAVE to put your best out there.  And while your best starts from the inside and works out, your appearance is what folks get first (they do in fact see you across the room, in the hall, at a table, in the store, etc.)

Too many people just don't seem to care.  WHY?  Do you want to seem 'sloppy, lazy, indifferent'?  Surely not. (I said this with a very quizzical face - because I am certain you want better).  Make an effort in your appearance.  Get up in the morning and start your day determined to be your best.  Put on clothes that Fit; clothes that Don't show your undies; clothes that are Not torn, dirty, stained or 'pilled' (pilling is just gross - always looks like bugs are leaving things on your apparel); clothes that don't stop at the fattest part of your calf; clothes that are meant to be worn in public (not your sleep shorts with hearts on them).  That is a very good start. In this day of technology - someone probably has a photo of you while you are Not at your best and it has been posted for all the world to see.  Let's change that.  Every day try to impress someone (let's pick YOU).  If YOU know you have put forth effort and followed those rules above - you will smile more and that will definitely make a better impression on the world!  Yea you!

Don't suffer when help is available.  Contact me and we'll improve things immediately.

God bless you richly.  I know that He has blessed me!

Total outfit cost: $15.00 (includes the skirt, top, jacket & shoes!)

Although the picture doesn't show the detail,  the jacket is Dana Buckman (camel & cream stripe), the skirt is Dana Buckman (pale tan); the top is dark brown; the shoes are brown suede and made in Europe. 

Is that you busting out all over?

How many times have you looked in your closet and bemoaned the fact that you ‘have nothing to wear’ (followed by a whimper)?  It happens to everyone – even people who have a giant closet full of clothes.  How is that even possible?  There are all kinds of reasons (we’ll talk about those another day) – but the most common reason is:

You can’t actually fit into those clothes anymore.

Sad, I know.  But there it is.  You have managed to gain a few pounds as the years rolled along.  After high school, you racked up the “freshman 15” as you sat in your college classes; then you got married and added on the “newlywed 10” as you no longer were required to look your best to snag a mate; then you had a baby and couldn’t loose those “final 5 (or 10)” pounds; and perhaps you repeated this last step.  Before you had time to look at yourself with a critical eye, you hardly recognized the person looking back from the mirror.

However you are not a spend-thrift and your clothes are still hanging in the closet that you wore prior to baby number two and even the wedding.  Why?  You like them.  You went to the store and picked them out and plopped good money down on the counter for them.  Therefore, they have real value and you should use them. Yup - that is why you justify squeezing your not-a-size-12-anymore* self into that 12.  See, you DID it!  Who is going to notice that the buttons are barely hanging onto that buttonhole?  Whoops, it couldn’t hang on anymore! Grab a safety pin and fix that (have you noticed that you actually went to the store and bought a giant box of safety-pins?).  And, your bitty pooch of a belly (well, it used to be bitty) appears to have stretched the seams of your bottoms in an unattractive manner – and those creases at your crotch, well, who’s going to notice anyway – you’ll be sitting down almost all day at the office.   So, off you go!  Out the door!  Blech.

Did you really step into public barely contained in your outfit?  It does not matter what the number says on your clothing tag. We are all aware that designers just make up those numbers anyway – there used to be a sizing standard, but that was before the world wrapped its arms and mouths around McDonald's.  Now, they pick a number that should make you happier.  Forget the number - you Must wear clothing that does not require a box of pins, duct tape, no deep breathing, slow moving only, and a big dose of prayer to get through your day.  Stretched seams and buttons (if they had feelings they would scream) look BAD.  Period.  No one has ever said, ‘you look So Skinny with your pulled out of shape outfit!’  It does not matter if you are a size 2 or a size 18 – if your clothes are too small, you look bigger.  As I have said before – no one Chooses to look bigger than they are.  So just say No.  You will look smaller, better, and less squishy if you wear what FITS. I promise. (Just don’t break those rules I talked about earlier.) There is something in that closet that fits your size.  And if not – give me a call and we’ll fix that!

* I use size 12 as 12-14 is supposed to be the average size – depending upon which survey you read.

Make your every impression matter.  

God bless you richly! I know that He has blessed me!

4/4/12 - Total outfit cost: $14.00 (includes top & skirt)

These bright yellow shoes always grab attention and it really pulls the outfit together!

4/3/12 - Total outfit cost: $9.46 (includes top and skirt)





Some people dress in all black and look 'goth'.  However,  I think that you should be able to do all black and just plain look great.   The skirt is by Cache and the top is by Finity.





You Only Get to Make ONE First Impression

That is correct, you only get to make ONE first impression. I am currently on a trip with my hubby and he made the comment that no matter where I was, I would be the best dressed female there. (Okay, he is somewhat prejudiced. But, isn't that sweet!)

However, he really wasn't kidding. When we arrived at the airport - we were Stunned at the scene our eyeballs were treated to. It is fairly easy to recognize true, international travelers. They are very often relaxed, dressed in head to toe black with backpacks larger than themselves, hair disheveled in an 'on purpose' manner and sunglasses perched atop their disheveled heads. But oh those American traveling females!! Flip-flops, baggy shorts (or too-short shorts), sloppy, uncombed/dirty hair, forgot to put on real clothes, harried looking!

When we arrived at our destination, things did not change. When you walk down the aisle of any establishment, people see you. Some watch you. Some stare. Some gape open-mouthed in disbelief if you have wandered about in your jammies. Some smile. Some shake their heads. Some make the 'eeeww' face. But none the less, they see you and they respond. This is the first impression you leave with the world . I know, I know "but I'll never see these people again" you whine while wearing your SpongeBob flannels. Does that really matter? Is that your requirement to put some care into your appearance? That you might have a repeat sighting? Gracious! I KNOW you like yourself more than that!

I had people stop me to say how cute my jewelry or my skirt was. I don't wish to be the cause of anyone's "GROSS! That was UGLY!" face contortion. And neither do you. It is a far better feeling to know you are the one who put a smile on that face. If you put effort into yourself, you Will feel better, you Will walk a bit lighter, you Will make a better impression. Yup, only a moment to make a first impression.

Make your First Impression matter. Make it count for something! Make people enjoy the view!

God bless you richly! I know that He has blessed me!

“I see Paris, I see France, I see…”

“I see Paris, I see France, I see…”
Yes, we have all heard it. But why, oh why, do I see your underpants? There is a reason they are called underpants, underwear, undergarments, undies – it means “under”. Undies constitute a whole range of things, but if it is meant as foundation wear to cover your lady parts – then ‘under’ is where it belongs. We are going to concentrate on your upper lady parts in this installment.

I saw a show once where a young woman was searching for an outfit for a job interview. The “fashion expert” dressed her as if she were on a sitcom. Topping things off, the ‘expert’ put her in a spaghetti-strap top that fully exposed her bra straps. The ‘expert’ then said, “That’s okay – that’s acceptable style now.” Um, no it’s not. Did the lady get the job? Shockingly, No! Perhaps it was because she showed up with her underwear hanging out.

Would you show up for an interview wearing a see-through top, for all the world to see your pretty pink and blue flowered magic push-up wonder-bra? No, of course not. Why? Because: (Pick one or more) 1. It’s ridiculous looking. 2. You do not want to advertise that you utilize a magic push-up wonder-bra. 3. The potential employer would probably not appreciate it. 4. The other ladies in the workplace definitely would not appreciate it (can you hear murmuring and/or snickering at the water cooler – it’s about you). 5. It is not professional / sensible / classy / modest / attractive / put-together. 6. You will Not get the job. It makes you look: 1. Cheap. 2. Un-couth. 3. Un-professional. 4. Immature. 5. Tacky. 6. Like a tart. Chances are, you are not a tart or a cast member of a sitcom. And chances are that you have some sort of common sense. That is a Great starting point.

I like common sense. It solves so many problems! 1. If your top is see-through, then you Must wear a camisole to cover whatever is holding those lady parts. The cami then looks like it is part of the sheer top. 2. If your top is a spaghetti strap, do not let your bra straps hang around outside. We have all stood in line behind some teenager whose straps are shouting “look at me”. Unfortunately, most straps tend to be grungy, faded, dirty looking, stretched out – nasty. A little lace shrug or a cute bolero really takes an outfit to a ‘finished’ look. Because, honestly, were you ‘finished’ with your undies exposed? 3. Yes, you can wear a strapless bra. I don’t favor them because I see too many gals yanking up on them so important body parts don’t fall out. It is never pretty to see a woman squirming around whilst tugging at the top of a strapless bra. It is just a much better, and safer, look if you have a little coverlet so you don’t have to worry about where your lady parts are migrating.

No matter how pretty your underwear might be, I don’t need to see it. Neither does a stranger walking down the street, the teenage boy next door, or the Mother of the teenage boy next door (not to mention your sweet Grandparents who Really don’t want to see it!) So, take your good common sense and present yourself as a 'finished' fashion plate every day.

That is why The Closet Fairy is here – to make you look amazing. Each week we will focus on something different. Let me know if you have any questions or comments, or would like to see a specific area addressed.

God Bless you richly. I know that He has blessed me!

Are those your gorgeous gams?

Why is it that women are not quite satisfied with where they are physically? “I need to lose weight / I wish I were taller / I’m too tall for things to fit / My belly pooches out / My legs are too short / My boobs are too big…” Today we will talk about those legs.

There is a fine line between seriously bad legs and truly great legs. That line is at the fattest part of your calf.

Several years ago, a sweet relative noted, “You have really good legs – for someone your age.” We will completely ignore that last bit, and concentrate on the ‘Really good legs’ part. Actually, they are pretty decent looking – I personally had nothing to do with it – they are my grandmother’s Native American Indian legs. However, I could do them a serious injustice if I chose to ignore one of the Basic Rules I referred to last week.

Take any set of legs attached to any woman, and put an article of clothing on them that stops at the fattest part of their calf and you will have effectively added a good 7 – 10 pounds to their appearance. Yuck. (This should be said with an icky face.) Wasn’t losing weight one of those “issues” mentioned earlier? Why on earth would you purposely look heavier when you can prevent it? It isn’t completely your fault (because you buy what is available) but if you own a mirror, then you can take at least part of the blame.

The biggest violators? Capri pants. You look at yourself from the front or turn and look at your rump and think, “these are great!” But the rest of the world gets a full view of you from head to toe and thinks something a bit different. Weren’t you taller last week? Did you eat too many donuts? When did you get cankles? When the chubbiest part of your leg is bi-sected, you definitely look stumpy. Stumpy! Not a word you want used to describe any part of you.

What to do, what to do? Simple. Fold the cuff of the capri up one or two hem lengths. Stitch, iron, or fabric glue in place. Move that cuff so you can see the beginning curve of your calf. If you prefer, add a bit of lace (Not ruffle) to the hem and make the capri a bit longer to show the sleekness of your lower leg. Whatever you do – adjust that cuff line. Did you say you owned a mirror? Well then, claim your cuff-line mistake and make the correction. It will make you taller and thinner instantly….without sacrificing that whipped-cream-covered-chocolate-and-raspberry-filled-confection on the menu. Yes, indeed, you are more amazing by the minute.


That is why The Closet Fairy is here – to make you look amazing. Each week we will focus on something different. Let me know if you have any questions or comments, or would like to see a specific area addressed.

God bless you richly. I know that He has blessed me!

Madame, your sleeves are marvelous!

While designers are supposed to know what they are doing – sometimes you have to wonder. Jackets for woman come in all shapes and sizes. You have fitted, boxy, boyfriend cut, tapered, long line, cropped, bolero, slouchy (yes, that is a shape), button front, double-breasted, and many more.

Admittedly, there are some women who just look great in absolutely everything. But, that is not the majority (read: me and probably you). I have so many gals tell me, “I just don’t know what to wear that looks good”. Usually, this is followed by tales of woe about their figure flaws. Piddle-posh. EVERYONE can look great. I promise. There are just a few rules that lowly non-perfect people like us need to follow (okay, some need to follow a few extra rules). But there are indeed some standard rules that apply to everybody.

Let’s take that jacket for instance. People typically worry a lot about the fit on the body. They forget about those sleeves. They suppose that if they don’t have upper arm restriction, things are fine. Not quite. In the 80’s, jacket sleeves took on a life of their own with shoulder pads the size of line-backer padding and sleeves comfy enough to roll from the cuff to the armpit. When we look back at those jackets they are face-squashing ugly. We wouldn’t repeat that boo-boo now that we have photos to prove how awful they were. So, we make new mistakes.

Mistake #1: The Box. I don’t know a single (or married) woman, who Wants to look like a box. However, if you take a perfectly acceptable jacket that has little or no tapering and the sleeves are the same length as the jacket – you get a big fat box. Chances are you own such a jacket. Why? Because designers continue to make them. But you do not have to be a square! There is an easy fix to this dilemma. Roll the cuff of the sleeves. You don’t have to make a drastic roll, but get the cuff of the sleeves away from the hem of the jacket. Voila! So much better and Skinnier!

Mistake #2: Stove-pipe Arms. Really people, just say no. Again, how many of us have a jacket we like, but there is just something “wrong” with it. We feel “big” but the jacket body fits. Perhaps it is the sleeve. Put on the jacket and head to the mirror. Hmmm. Is there extra sleeve space? Could a squirrel happily run around your arm from top to bottom within the confines of that sleeve? Take a portion of the sleeve and pull it back to see what a difference a slimmer sleeve makes. Nice. Slimmer sleeves present a slimmer you. Amazing, isn’t it? I know that many of you don’t sew and taking in a sleeve might present a problem. If you like the jacket – have it altered. Taking in a sleeve is not that expensive and your improved appearance will be worth it.

That is why The Closet Fairy is here – to make you look amazing. Each week we will focus on something different. Let me know if you have any questions or comments, or would like to see a specific area addressed.

God bless you richly. I know that He has blessed me!

Coming Very Soon!

March 1 will be the Launch Date of this Blog! Are you excited? I know that I am!