Mirror, Mirror on the Wall – Tip #9

If you’re serious about looking your best, you must have the right tools, one of which might give you a real reality check.

It’s the magnification mirror. (No matter what point you are in your life.)

The reason: no matter how good your eyesight is, no matter how good you are at applying makeup, typically bathroom lighting is often wrong AND you can’t see everything that’s going on with your skin and how you’re applying your make-up.

Don’t take this wrong. I’m not looking for you to be obsessive; it’s just that skin changes with mood, body fluctuations, age, temperature, the food you eat, etc.. (If you’re 17, you may not have noticed all this yet.) The mirror, however, gives you that extra bit of information so that you can make great choices.

I’d suggest one with a light and multiple times the magnification.

* The more “wisdom” you have, the more important it is that you see exactly what you’re dealing with every morning. The clarity will help you make better choices about how you deal with your skin, maintain your eyebrows and hair, remove unappealing facial hair, insure your teeth are clean, and address any other concerns. The mirror will also enable you to work magic by making sure what you intend to do with your face is actually happening.

Buy In Preparation Not Desperation™ – Tip #8

This is my favorite shopping quote that I use all the time when working with women.

The concept is simple. If you take the time to purchase in preparation, you tend to be in relaxed mood, and therefore, you can make sound decisions about your wardrobe. This calmness helps you to anticipate what you’ll need in the future, enables you to get tailoring done, and opens up the door to possibilities outside of your normal purchasing outlets.

When you buy in desperation, you not only run the risk of purchasing an unflattering garment, you may over spend, or make everyone else’s life miserable in the process. Besides, now you have a garment in your closet you don’t like, which clutters your life.

Take the time to shop when you’ve got time and energy, and you’ll be surprised at how fun shopping can be.

Top Five Necessities Needed When Shopping – Tip #7

Can you guess the five necessities you need to bring with you when you shop? I’ve asked countless woman what they believe these are and I’ve gotten some typical and also wierd suggestions. Here are a few most common:

• Credit card and Money – Yes, a biggie, but you’d not shop without this, so it’s not on the list.
• Water – Good idea, but you can pick this up along the way. (Plus, how many bathroom stops do you want to make?)
• Attitude – Yes, the type of attitude is important.
• Friend – This might actually be bad if they’ve not good taste or know what’s right for you.
• Sneakers – or comfortable shoes would be useful.
• Snacks (Nutritional bar) – I’d prefer to eat on the road, but make sure you have something healthful in you before you start so that you can think clearly and prevent delays.

All good but not the top 5.

Here they are:

1. A color chart of your best colors. This way you can insure that the colors you’re selecting fit your personal requirements. You would be surprised how helpful this is when looking at colors that are close in value. It also helps the sales staff to keep on target when advising you.
2. A backback or bag with an assortment of shoes and accessories. Women’s stores are set up with most shoes and accessories in different departments and often on different floors. If you have your particular size shoe and one in your style, you’re ahead of the game. The accessories are there to do the same.
3. Your made up face. – If you don’t wear your makeup as you wear it every day, you lose that little eye that tells you what your wearing really works for you.
4. A white/off while form fitting, collared, fitted shirt. This way you can try on anything your heart desires. If you’d like a scoop neck in your bag, that’s OK, too, but I’d shop with the shirt.
5. The right bra and undergarments. – The bra: to make sure the garments you try on fit you the way they should fit. The undergarments: so that your shape is the way you’d expect to wear the garment and so the color does not show through and become a distraction. (If you don’t often wear a bra, you can take it off to try on specific items.)

If this appears to be a lot of work, consider the time and energy invested in selecting an item; do you really want to have to return something because you get it home and it doesn’t work. The better prepared you are, the more complete becomes your wardrobe and the better you look.

With these five necessities taken care of, your entire shopping experience will be more enjoyable and productive.

I will cover more details about each of the 5 in the months to come.

Your Best Friend is Your Tailor – Tip #6

Here’s a tip that you can steal from men.

A man ALWAYS walks into a men’s department to purchase a suit, slacks or blazer and is already prepared to have it altered. Just look at the men’s store layout. They have the mirrors and the tailor with pins right on sight. Pants need to be hemmed, sleeves shortened and sides pulled in. Men even expect to wait a few days to get the suit.

Women should prepare for the same and not just for specialty clothing. A little tuck here and a little shortening there can turn a pair Bermuda shorts into a perfect fit, a blouse into a knockout garment, and an evening gown into a piece of art.

If you’re going to a tailor somewhat regularly, they should be able to accommodate you with a relatively quick turnaround time. Depending on where you live, “quick” can be 1 day or 1 week. However, if you’re getting into a 2 or 3-week turnaround schedule, you might want to search elsewhere…unless the tailor is the best and worth the wait.

Some tailors’ pricing is subjective. This is another cautionary area. I know someone in the medical field who is charged more than someone in the business arena, just because the tailor thinks the doctor’s family can afford to pay more. Although most tailors are honest and fair, if you suspect you have a tailor who subjectively prices services rather than one who works off a standard price chart, shop around for someone else.

The best way to find a tailor if you’re new to an area or if you’re looking to make a change? Ask a well-dressed friend or colleague…or even a stranger who looks sharp. Then when you visit for the first time, tell them that they were highly recommended by the person you referred you. Establishing rapport gives you the edge in terms of quality of work, efficient turnaround time, and good pricing.

Loose Bra Syndrome – Tip #5

Here’s a touchy subject for any guy to bring up.

Does your bra fit? Not do you think it fits, but does your bra actually fit? Does it hold you properly? Some statistics report that upwards of 85% of all women wear a bra that is the wrong size.

I don’t care if the statistic is 85% or 51%, the majority of women I see and the women I’ve advised need a good old fashioned bra fitting. It’s one of the subjects on the table very early in the game.

A few pointers.

• “Back fat” is highlighted by a bra that’s too loose, not too tight. What’s happening is “the girls” are pulling down on the straps in front, causing the back strap to hike up allowing fat to move around on your back. The straps then dig right into your shoulders and often cause pain. The majority of your weight should actually be carried on your back strap and NOT the shoulder straps.
• The majority of stores that advertise they can perform fittings, can’t. You want to look for a fitter that’s done so many fittings she can do it in her sleep. This is the type of individual that almost treats your girls like objects since to them, it’s about engineering.
• The bra should not buckle around your breasts nor should you have too much flowing over the top or out the sides. (If you think this looks sexy, you’re wrong. A great fit is a great fit and it will bring out your best look.)
• The same store that you buy the bra from should also show you how to put a bra on properly. Including the bend at the waste and the drop of the girls into the cup.
  
• Only sports bras make your girls flat; most other bras will lift and define your shape. Just recently a woman told me she had an “excellent” bra fitting with an expert. Then tell me why her girls were flat pancakes and in her stomach!

The results of a great-fitting bra are sometimes pretty incredible. First off, you’ll feel more comfortable. Next, you’ll most likely find that your tops don’t fit the same. Larger ladies often find that by bringing the girls up, their blouses/garments are way too small. One woman had to trash every top she owned after her fitting. She went up in cup sizes and everything moved north. Last, your shape will change, offering you a sexier profile.

The right bra makes all the difference. It’s why you really can’t go shopping without a fitting or you’re wasting time and money.

BONUS: Watch this YouTube Video from Playtex. The embeded feature is turned off so I can only give you the link.

READ THE COMMENTS TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU SHOULD BE SHOPPING

Petite is Not Petite – Tip #4

I’ve read the average woman in the US is 156 lbs and 5’4” tall (71 Kilos and 1.65 meters). The trouble is the petite size starts at 5’4” and below. Which to me make no sense. Tahari I guess believe the same way given that they eliminated the petite sizing because it was easier to just make one line than multiple lines to achieve the same result. So next time you go shopping remove some of the stereotypes about size and try on multiple lines of clothing. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the average weight for an adult female in the United States is: 162.9 pounds This statistic for the average weight for an adult female is from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from 1999-2002.

Shopping in White (or Off White) – Tip #3

I always advise ladies (and men) to go shopping while wearing a a white (or off white) collared, darted and fitted shirt as your base.

Here’s the rational.

• When shopping it’s common to try on a garment over the top of your shirt and if you’re wearing a colored-textured-unfitted-funky top you’ll get the wrong impression. This means you’ll have to find a shirt that works with the combo which takes time or worse, you’ll try it on anyway and get the wrong picture of the item.
• If you wish to try on a skirt, pant, or any other type of bottom, a neutral top allows you to view the garment realistically and just like the above scenario, you can be quick.
• If you wear any other color you’re bound to have issues given that color and texture do spread visually.

This little tip will make your shopping faster given that you can try something on in a heartbeat and then be on your way, will help you to put together packages as white is easy to match, and will make shopping more enjoyable since you’re buying what really works.

Pictured Shirt from Ann Taylor for US$39.00. You can find blouses in all price ranges.

The Test: Packing For a Trip – Tip #2

When making a purchase, ask yourself, “If you had to pack for a trip and had limited space, would I select this item or would I bring an alternative item that makes me look better?” If you say no, then walk away. If you say yes, take a second look while asking yourself the following questions.

1. Am I just adding something to my wardrobe that is very similar to another item knowing full well this is just an extra you’ll throw out one day?
2. Does this item first match my color (winter, spring, summer, fall), the style and fashion sense you’re looking to achieve and lastly, could you find something better.

I often ask myself, if I purchased this item would I bring it on my next trip and most of the time I’ll hesitate just enough for me to stop. That’s the signal to put it back.

The Right Time To Shop – Tip #1

Take the time to shop when you don’t need to shop. The reason is simple.

Given the proper time to walk through a series of shops and to view texture, style and fit enables you to fill in your closest without the uneasy feeling that you need the item. In this way, you’re making great choices with a clear head instead of regretful impulse or desperation purchases.