Wrapping Up

Greetings once again!

It's been such a long time since I've attended to this blog - thank you all so much for your kind attention and sweet words.

Much has been going on in my life since December. Although it's been an amazing experience building up my website and this blog, it's become increasingly apparent that the direction that part of my life was taking me was not the direction I was wanting to go.

I was also beginning to feel pretty tapped out of things to write about. Wardrobe planning is a really simple process once you boil it down, and I didn't want to scramble for filler and fluff just to maintain everyone's interest and attention. And my specialty really is the wardrobe planning end of things...not the fashion side.

After thinking about it for a good long time, I finally decided to officially put the wardrobe business to rest...at least for the time being. I've taken down my website (eek!) but saved all the content with the intent of publishing down the road.

I really cannot express how wonderful it was to hear from so many of you that were helped by what I wrote. I hope that the idea of a Very Small Closet continues to inspire you! And who knows...down the road I may decide to resuscitate TVSC again with new vim and vigor. :-)

A while back now, I wrote about finding a color and image consultant with some astonishingly different ideas than the currently reigning seasonal approach to color. I was very impressed with her services...not to mention amazed to find out that I have "cool" skin and should be wearing an entirely different palette to maximize what she calls the "Mona Lisa Effect".

So who is she? Her name is Sandy Dumont, and you can check out her services through this link: The Image Architect. She offers an e-book system for fashion advice plus online color and fashion consulting. Perhaps her services will interest you, too!

In closing, it's been very magical connecting with you all. I wish everyone the best! Until our paths cross again....

Many Blessings,
Jennifer Skinner

PS Pat...thank you especially for your concern. You are a dear lady!

Power is Back!

11 days. That's how long we were without power after the December 11th ice storm here in NH. It is so nice to have hot running water and a stove again! And just in time for Christmas. :-)

It will be a few days as I get back and running here online... but you can expect new posts and a new e-zine before long.

It's nice to be back!

Jennifer

Color Analysis

I've said before that I'm not too fond of all those color analysis systems like Color Me Beautiful and the like. I find them very restrictive and not very practical. I've been typed by several different color consultants, and been given a different "season" each time. I always figured that if no one could agree on my best colors, then obviously there wasn't much substance behind the "science".

Nevertheless, I have up to this time chosen to dress in "warmer" colors rather than "cooler" colors. My coloring is on the golden side rather than the pink, so it would seem that the warmer colors would suit me best.

Or maybe not.

I have come across an expert in the field of color and image who's ideas are so revolutionary and cutting edge that they turn the whole color analysis game on its head. She's pointed out how the early color analysts misinterpreted and misapplied color theory from the art world to the arena of personal image. She's unveiled the mistake of trying to harmonize your clothing with your superficial coloring...and her reasoning is actually quite astonishing. She's got thirty years of experience and a whole bunch of research behind her.

So I am going to test the waters and see what I think of her system. And when I get the results I'll let you know what I think. And if the results totally knock my socks off, I'll be certain to let you all know her name!

See you next time...same blog time...same blog channel....

(For more information on wardrobe planning or to sign up for my free e-zine, please visit my wardrobe planning website.)

What Does Your Apparel Proclaim?

"The apparel oft proclaims the man."
-Shakespeare, Hamlet

You've probably heard it said that clothes make the man. And yet I much prefer the quote above.
We all know there is much more to a person than outward appearance. We are taught from a young age not to "judge a book by its cover". Even though dressing nicely has a way of improving our mood and our self-confidence, it cannot make up for a lack of character or an over-abundance of bad manners.

And yet our clothing does reflect a choice that we've made, at some level. The colors, the styles, the fabrics...they are all chosen. So there is much truth to the idea that you can learn a lot about someone from the way they present themselves to the world. You are seeing their choices, and the message that their choices send.

Too often, though, the message is not what you were intending to say! And yet, once those first few seconds of an initial encounter have passed it will take much effort on your part to change that first impression. That's just the way our brains are wired.

So, take a lesson from The Bard, and be conscious of what your apparel proclaims!

See you next time...same blog time...same blog channel....

(Please visit my website Jennifer Skinner Online for more information on wardrobe planning.)

Tempted to Let It Slide?

Everyone has them.

Those mornings when you just don't want to face the day. Your mood is low, you're cranky, nothing seems be starting out right.

You look in your closet and, like a rebellious child, you are sorely tempted...to let it slide.

It's wrinkled...but no one will notice if I wear it anyway. I forgot to launder it, but I can get away with it for one more day. Pet hair...arg! Oh well....

I'm too cranky to care, you think.

When you are feeling this way, let these words of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright inspire you not to "let it slide":

"We all know the feeling we have when we are well dressed and we enjoy the consciousness that results from it. It affects our conduct. I have always believed in being careful about my clothes, getting supremely well-dressed, because I could then forget about them."

If you make the choice to go ahead and let your low mood dictate how you will present yourself to the world that day, you will be plagued the whole day long, wondering if others really do notice the wrinkles, the pet hair, the less-than-fresh condition of your outfit. And you'll forgo the boost in mood and confidence that you could have had by knowing that you look your best. Trust me, I've been there! I've made that choice before, and have regretted it the entire day. However, when I've overruled my pouty inner child and taken the extra measures to look nice, I've been pleasantly surprised at how quickly my mood changes. As Frank Lloyd Wright says, clothing affects our conduct.

So whenever you are tempted to "let it slide", remember that you will probably regret it the moment you leave the house. Choose instead to be "supremely well-dressed" so that you can leave your wardrobe worries at home.

See you next time...same blog time...same blog channel....

For more information on wardrobe planning or to sign up for my free e-zine, please visit my wardrobe planning website.

Victoria Stilwell - Style Icon

Home again...and working to catch up on everything that accrued while I was away. Funny, isn't it, how sometimes it's easier NOT to take a vacation? Well, hopefully it only feels that way once you've returned from wherever you've gone.

Anyhow...

While I was visiting family for Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to watch a very entertaining show on Animal Planet called It's Me or the Dog. Actually, it was more than one episode -- for a reason I cannot fathom the network was airing any number of them back-to-back. And my mother being the dog-lover that she is, wanted to watch them all.

The take-away from this is that I was utterly impressed with the "star" of the show, dog-trainer Victoria Stilwell. She is the perfect example of someone with a very well-defined style persona and a very minimalist approach to style. Her entire wardrobe appears to be black and white, with an occasional third color, usually red. Her "uniform" consists of black, slim cut pants or jeans, heeled black boot, and some sort of blouse/vest/belt combo. It's not too often that you see such a clear depiction of stylish, minimalist dressing these days, so I was quite happy to have run across this near-perfect example to share with you. Even if her style persona doesn't match yours, there's still much to learn from her example. I'm going to be keeping my eye on Victoria Stilwell!

Here is a video clip from the show for you to enjoy:



See you next time...same blog time...same blog channel....

(For more information on wardrobe planning, or to sign up for my free e-zine, please visit my wardrobe planning website.)

The Kick-Off

Hello everyone! I hope you've been enjoying a wonderful holiday weekend. I've been out-of-town visiting family this past week, so please excuse any delay in responding to comments and questions. Once I'm home again, I'll be back replying as usual.

Yesterday was the official kick-off of the holiday shopping season. I'm not a big fan of the Black Friday mobs, but I do keep an eye on the sales from afar. Because retailers are unusually concerned about the economy this year, it looks like the sales will continue to be good throughout this season. That means it will be a good opportunity to grab up any essentials that you might need at really good discounts. I know I'll be on the lookout for a new sweater to replace one that just had an unfortunate encounter with a bleaching agent.

Have a nice finish to your weekend!

See you next time...same blog time...same blog channel....

(For more information on wardrobe planning or to sign up for my free e-zine, please visit my wardrobe planning website.)