Recently, I was honored to be a guest on the Cheri Hill radio show, where we talked about Dressing the Real You for Success (click here to listen to the replay of the show).
Cheri is an author, speaker and the President/CEO of Sage International Inc. – a wealth protection company in Reno, Nevada.
Debbie McCarthy, Community Outreach & Host of Chick Chat, also appeared. Debbie brought a “real”ness to the program that was not only refreshing, but entirely authentic.
As owner of Your Authentic Image, I talk a lot about dressing the real you (so much so that it’s my tag line). I explore with my clients what it looks like and what it feels like to dress as yourself from the inside out.
Cheri, Debbie and I talked about how a lot of women are burdened with too many clothes (that they just don’t wear), and deal with disorganized closets that create unwanted distress and challenge.
Do you make either of these mistakes with your clothing choices?
Debbie had us laughing about her closet woes, but she expressed the frustration of many women. Most of us have been there, at some point in our lives. It’s neither fun nor constructive.
When we realize that our messy closets are stuffed to capacity, to the point that retrieving one blouse causes another to slip off its hanger, we know it’s time for a change. But how?
The key is deciding that we want to change. There has to be a fire under our feet (and a pile of clothes under them too, perhaps) to motivate us to want something better than a closet overstuffed with clothes that just don’t work.
We also need to trust that we deserve to have a closet full of inspiring clothes that make us feel terrific.
The answer really does lie in selecting (on a daily basis) only clothing that is true and authentic to you, your personality, your values and your goals. Your authentic image really is about being true to yourself as you get dressed.
One quote that Cheri read on the air was this:
Long before we are close enough to speak, we announce ourselves. We project and reflect important information about ourselves…the language of dress, grooming and the body is far more persuasive than any spoken language.(Alison Lurie, The Language of Clothes)
It’s so important to choose our dress and style carefully before people make all kinds of assumptions about us that are not true. For my clients, this especially holds true when dressing for work.
Our clothes reveal a lot more than we think, so I understand why there is so much confusion when we try to combine business with casual and hope that it works out.
Because not only do we want to be sure of the message we are giving to the outside world, we also need – and I think it’s just as important if not more important – to make sure we are really, really happy in our clothes, that they represent who we are at a very deep level, and that they work to enhance our sense of self-esteem and self-acceptance.
Hope you can join me for this conversation – click here to listen.
CLOTHING CARE
Proper Care: One question to ask yourself before you buy any piece of clothing is “what kind of care does this clothing require?”
Even clothing in more moderately-priced clothing requires care such as dry cleaning. If this is the case, you will want to add that amount onto the garment and be sure you are willing to take the necessary steps to care for it.
Thankfully there are many blends of fabric today that give us more choices in proper care. Many items today are now washable, and come out looking great if care instructions are followed. Most recently I washed (by hand in cold water) a beautiful Tahari jacket that said “dry clean”, but also had the little washing machine symbol on the label.
I knew that the type of fabric was indeed washable, so while I held my breath a bit as the water flowed over the blazer, I was delighted that in the end, it emerged perfectly clean and looked as if it had been to the dry cleaners. I am excited to put it on tomorrow and not have to wait to pick it up from the dry cleaners.
Wardrobe Strategy 1 – check the label, check the fabric, and buy, clean and store your clothing accordingly. [Adapted from Wardrobe Strategies by Conselle 1998]
ECCOCI – 70% OFF OF ALL STYLES!
I don’t know about you, but when I hear 70% off of all clothing in the store, my interest is piqued. That is what happened when I visited with Jeff, at Eccoci Clothing Store in Sparks at Legends: https://www.eccocionline.com.
Not only is the store large and spacious, but the arrangement of the clothing by color (for the most part) made it easy to peruse, and fun to get excited about.
Here are some of the selections at Eccoci:
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| Plenty of fall colors to pick from, and many of the wall racks are arranged in capsules so that choosing most of an entire outfit is simple. |
With the asymmetrical zipper, this coat is just waiting for leggings and boots! |
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| A beautiful coat dress that would be perfect for holiday dressing. There is a sparkly silver thread that runs throughout the garment. |
Also a trend for fall and winter is quilting. This jacket is not leather, so perfect for the vegan fashionista and anyone else that wants a great look. |
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| This blouse is a great piece to transition some of spring and summer’s coral-colored fashions into winter. |
The red-pleated skirt opens up to ethereal, gauze-like fabric for a unique twist on a pleated skirt. |
Eccoci Outlets is located at Legends, 1330 Scheels Drive, Suite 126, Sparks, NV 89434 775-331-8241.
You are invited to take advantage of a free 30-minute phone conversation with me where we can dig deep into your closet frustrations and talk about what you need and want for your own personal style. To set up a call, simply e-mail me at Kathleen@YourAuthenticImage.com, and we’ll get started helping you find YOU in your closet full of clothes!
