Stephanie's 10 Essential Wardrobe Elements

Busy moms desire style, but they also require functionality. Moms need clothes that they can bend up-and-down, stretch from side-to-side, run down the street, and maneuver around in without showing anything (that's reason #1 why skirts and dresses are impractical for moms - usually).

These top 10 wardrobe elements provide both function and style:

1. Jeans - Several pairs in different shades and styles...perhaps a few with embellishments or sparkles. Every woman should have one pair of dark-wash, boot-cut jeans - I have yet to find someone who doesn't look great in that style.
2. Well-fitted Tees - Lots of different colors and variations...perhaps with embellishments or sparkles. I prefer V-neck.
3. Boots - Boots are stylish, comfortable, and professional. You can dress them up or dress them down. I have a black pair and a brown pair that I love.
4. Nice Coat - I have to agree with Tim Gunn here. A nice coat is a necessity because it can bring pizazz to any outfit. Trench coats are a good choice or - my preference - you can buy a quality leather coat. Nothing is quite as sophisticated as leather.
5. Camisoles - These are great for lounging around the house, for working out, for layering under low-coat shirts and sweaters, or for wearing underneath a classy suit. Right now in my closet, I have 2 black camisoles, 1 brown camisole, 1 red camisole, and 1 aqua camisole.
6. Dress Pants - One or two nice pairs of dress pants are essential for those times when you need/want to dress up a bit without having to sacrifice functionality. Dress pants are a great option for parent/teacher conferences, for church, or for work.
7. Heels - They're not for every day "wearage", but I really think heels are a must-have in a woman's wardrobe. Heels really can add a lot of umph to any outfit - whether to jeans or a dress. If you're only going to invest in one pair, choose a 2 inch pump in black.
8. Cute Workout Attire - What you're going for here are items that you can wear running or to hip hop class - AND to the grocery store AND to pick up your kids from school, etc. Consider a matching, well-fitted sweat suit or stretchy yoga pants and a quality tee. (Maybe a velour set from Juicy Couture - pictured).
9. A Dressy Outfit - There are times when a nice skirt or dress is required or desired. Think weddings, date nights with husband, etc. Have one pretty option that makes you feel lovely.
10. A Quality Suit - If you work outside of the home (or even if you don't), I think it's important to have at least one nice suit in your closet. For those times when you need to command authority or show that you're an expert - an unexpected job interview, a charity fundraiser, a board meeting for a local non-profit organization, etc.

10 Essential Wardrobe Elements According to Tim Gunn's Guide to Style

I recently found this list of Tim Gunn's 10 essential wardrobe elements on the Musings of a Housewife blog:

1. Basic Black Dress
2. Trench Coat
3. Classic Dress Pants
4. White Shirt
5. Jeans
6. Cashmere Sweater
7. Skirt
8. Day Dress
9. Blazer
10. Sweat Suit Alternative

The blogger then went on to list which 10 elements she has in her closet and why. I decided to follow in her footsteps:

1. Basic Black Dress - No. I don't have one of these anymore, but I should. Dresses just aren't particularly suited for motherhood. (I do like the black dress pictured, Diane von Furstenberg Leno Dress from Nordstrom).
2. Trench Coat - Yes, I have a khaki-colored one from Old Navy, but I really don't like it. The material is cheap and it wrinkles too easily.
3. Classic Dress Pants - Yes, I have several pairs. Dress pants are my work wardrobe staple.
4. White Shirt - No. Why do fashion gurus always list a white shirt as an essential item? In my experience, white is only flattering on a minority of people. I am not one of them.
5. Jeans - Yes, I practically live in jeans. In fact, if I had to be stranded on an island with only one outfit- jeans would definitely be a part of that outfit.
6. Cashmere Sweater - No, but I'd love to have one.
7. Skirt - Yes, I have one fabulous skirt and about three skirts that are too big now that I had a baby and lost weight.
8. Day Dress - No. See #1. Dresses are not very functional for moms.
9. Blazer - Yes, I have several nice long-sleeved ones. Unfortunately, Tucson is too hot for coats the majority of the year. I need some short-sleeved alternatives.
10. Sweat Suit Alternative - A. What is wrong with a cute sweat suit? B. I don't even own a sweat suit, but I wish I did.

I have 6 of the 10, but I really don't feel bad. I'm sorry, Tim Gunn, but you just have it all wrong. Stay tuned tomorrow for Stephanie's Top 10 Wardrobe Essentials for Busy Moms...

5 Things I Would Buy if Money Grew on Trees

The First FIVE Things that Come to Mind...
1. Cashmere Sweaters
2. Lots of Books (my own library)
3. Maid Service
4. Shoes for different occasions
5. Tuition for classes or conferences...probably ones about writing

What would you buy?

No-Iron Business Attire

I'm always on-the-lookout for classy, stylish business attire that I don't have to iron or dry clean.

Thanks to a special article about "Travel Business Wear" on Forbes.com, I just discovered the "commuter" suit separates at Lands End. The website claims that these suits can be washed and worn without ironing.

I'm curious if these garments really hold true to their claim and, if they do, why more companies don't make similar items.

Old-School Fashion Rules That Still Apply

Like...

• It's better to be over-dressed than under-dressed. Remember the awkwardness of the "I showed up in jeans to an event with neckties" moment.
  
• Your shoes matter. Spend more money on your shoes. Even if you have only one classic pair.
  
• Cleanliness and hygiene are not overrated. Brush your teeth. Wash your face. Comb your hair. Floss. Apply deodorant. Fresh, natural make-up. You get the gist.
  
• Dress who you want to be like. People should judge you on your intelligence, your compassion, your sense of humor, your work ethic, etc. People should, but they often don't. Many people will judge you on your appearance and clothing choices. Dress accordingly.
  
• If you're young(er), dressing up can give you credibility. You don't want to send off the "I'm your son/daughter's age" vibe.
  

These are the tips that I generally consider when I pick out my outfits. I'm not a fashion expert. In fact, I plan to splurge on an image/fashion consultant when I am rich and famous.

Until then, I'll stick with classic (but stylish) pieces, nice shoes, and good hygience. Oh, and I'll error on the side of formality.

(Photo by: Strevo)

Gen X/Y: How to Dress for Success (don't wear pantyhose)

I confess. I love reading business/leadership/self-help type books. I like to read about how people network effectively, lead efficiently, and communicate powerfully. Perhaps that's why I am so enthralled by other people's career journeys. I often find myself asking friends, acquaintances, and strangers questions like: "What did you major in?" "Where did you work before...?" "What are your future aspirations?" "How did you get from point A to point B?" I want to soak it all in.

So, it will probably not be a shocker to you that I have read my fair share of books about professional dress. You know the ones I'm talking about - the manuals in the "dress for success" genre that tell you to "tuck in your shirt," "wear pantyhose," and "wear monochromatic colors."

Those books are going out-of-style quick, not only because fashion changes so rapidly, but because the new rules for fashion success in the workplace are...well...different.

Old Rule: Wear pantyhose.
New Rule: Put them on if you are under 60 and you will certainly be a fashion pariah in the workplace. They are old school. Period.

Old Rule: Don't wear open-toed shoes.
New Rule: They can be professional and stylish. Choose wisely.

Old Rule: Always tuck in your shirt.
New Rule: Sometimes you can tuck. Sometimes you can untuck. Shirts are designed for both.

Old Rule: Carry a briefcase.
New Rule: What's a briefcase? Laptop bags, oversized purses, and other utility bags are the rage.

Old Rule: Always dress up. You need to show your authority somehow.
New Rule: Dress down sometimes. It will make you more approachable and authentic.

Stay tuned tomorrow to hear about the fashion rules that have stayed the same.

(Photo by: Tim Cummins)

What I'd Wear Wednesday

This post goes out with an extra big shout-out to Damselfly over at Growing A Life. Every Wednesday, she picks out a cute and stylish outfit or garment to feature - and calls it "What I'd Wear Wednesday." I think this is clever and fun so I'm going to mimic her idea just for today.

So, with no further adieu, here are my selections for today:

AG stretch flare jeans from Nordstrom $172.00
BP Melrose Pump in Turquoise from Nordstrom $32.90
Cotton Short Sleeve V-Neck from Ann Taylor $24.00

Ta-Da! The perfect outfit for a date with my husband.

Style

It is a wide-held belief that celebrities have an innate sense of style, a sneak peek into the fashion world. They are, many would say, inherently trendy and voguish.

I disagree. Celebrities are, of course, usually at the forefront of fashion. But not necessarily because of their obvious good taste. Instead, I propose that they look perpetually stylish because of the size of their wallets rather than their keen knowledge of aesthetics.

In fact, I would argue that a majority of people would be deemed equally as fashion-forward if they could shop in the best stores with no qualms about money - and a personal stylist to boot!

What I'd Wear to Tim's Graduation

Tim is graduating with his Masters degree on Saturday and I'm trying to decide what to wear. Here's what I'd wear if I could pick anything:

Dress - Nordstrom - $98.00
Slides - Nordstrom - $39.90
Earrings - Dillards - $35.00

Dry Clean Only

Why is it that so many women's clothing items have to be "dry clean only"? I am always disheartened when I see that small text on the tag after I return home from a productive shopping trip.

I, of course, will never take the item to a dry cleaner. Nor will I return it. It's possible that I might use one of the home-based systems like Dryel. More likely, however, I will wash the item in a warm/cold wash with my other clothes and there's a 95% chance it will turn out just fine.

Without even venturing into the environmental side of things, I can make a somewhat reasonable argument against dry cleaning. It costs time and it costs money - two things I want to save and spend with care.

Plus, dry cleaning is old-fashioned. When was the last time you saw a dry cleaning establishment full of 25-year-olds? That said, I would be shocked if a large portion of the dry cleaning business doesn't go under with the advent of the Millenial generation near at hand. Now, if only the clothes manufacturers would catch on.

Girl Next Door

Being around all of the hoopla and foofaraw of the fashion industry and the celebrity world made me realize that I'm really just the girl-next-door type. Yes, I liked being served champagne while my hair was shampooed and eating gourmet food was fun, but something seemed missing from that green world of wealth and fame. The people I met were nice, but they lacked the authenticity that comes from hard work and happenstance.

I like the "real", homeade part of me. It's the me that:
* doesn't wear make-up or wears just a little bit of blush and lipstick
* loves to lounge around the house in pajama pants and t-shirts
* would much rather eat-in with friends than attend a big soiree
* sings in the shower and along with the radio in the car
* dances in the living room
* makes crazy faces to make Kayla laugh
* loves wearing jeans, boots, and a nice jacket
* enjoys walking, camping, hiking, scrapbooking, and hanging out with friends
* curls up with a good book or on a soft chair with my laptop to blog or write
* is totally and completely content at home with the people I love

My First Big Contest Win

Remember my contesting hobby (see my prior blog entitled "contests")? I won my first prize: an all-expenses-paid trip for me and a guest to Santa Monica, CA - including airfare for two, accommodations, most meals, transportation, a $1,000 shopping spree with a wardrobe consultant, a haircut/style, a makeover, and 2 tickets to a dinner and debut fashion show. The contest was sponsored by FIDM. My entry consisted of four short essays and a photo of myself.

We just took the trip this past weekend and returned last night (hence, my neglected blog...). As with most things in life, I made it a learning experience and came away with a lot of great insights about myself and about the fashion industry.

Today's log will be about the shopping spree portion of the trip:

1) Shopping with a consultant is the best way to shop - especially if you don't particularly like to shop. If I were rich and I had my druthers, I would go shopping once a quarter with a fashion consultant because it's fast, efficient, and fun. Essentially, I just stood in the dressing room and tried on clothes that were brought to me from throughout the store. Vicki brought me styles that she thought would look good on me - I tried them on and handed them back if they were in the wrong size, didn't fit right, wrong color, etc. Plus, she gave me feedback about various styles. All in all, we bought: 2 skirts, 2 pants, 3 shirts, 2 jackets, a camisole, 2 pairs of shoes, and 2 hand bags. We spent most of our time and money at Zara, but also made purchases at Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Loehmanns. We stopped in at BCBG, Mango, and Max Studio as well. If we had more time, Vicki was also going to bring me to H & M, Anthropologie, Club Monaco, and Banana Republic. [NOTE: Out of the 11 stores named above, only 5 are in AZ and only 2 are in southern AZ.]

2) Women's clothes are overpriced and under quality. I can understand a pair of pants being $50 or even $100, but not $200, $300, $500+. That's just plain ridiculous.

3) If you buy at high end stores, expect to take your clothes to a seamstress afterward. All the pants and jackets were too long and the jackets needed to be brought in. Such is life in Beverly Hills.

4) I would absolutely love to win a shopping spree for casual/athletic clothes. Yes, it was fun to buy shiny heels, swirly skirts, and leather handbags - but it wasn't particularly practical for a young mother. I would have much rather purchased fashionable jeans, sweaters, shorts, t-shirts, tennies, etc. Especially since Tucson is on the casual side and especially since I won't be in a fulltime work setting for some time now.

All in all, shopping on Saturday was my favorite part of the experience. This came as a surprise to me since shopping is generally not something that I enjoy.

I would have liked to have a bit more buying power (Ex. I wanted to buy all pants since I wear pants way more often than skirts due to constantly bending over to pick up baby, but the wardrobe consultant insisted that I buy skirts), but I can't complain. I received some very nice pieces that I can mix and match with clothes in my closet.