Archive for 2010

Two more weeks of holiday parties left and if you are like me last night, you are still fretting over what to wear.  You will sparkle and shine at any party if you follow this year’s hot holiday fashion trends. 

LET THERE BE LACE – Go dark and glamorous in black lace or ultra-feminine in ivory or pastel shades.  The hottest hosiery trend going for the holidays is the black lace leg.

RED HOT -  This attention-getting color will be spotted on petite fashionistas at every holiday party – red dresses, red tops, red shoes, red handbags, red nails, red lips.

PUTTING ON THE GLITZ – Shimmer in a beaded or sequined top or dress.

THE VELVET TOUCH – Turn heads in eternally elegant black velvet or rich shades or crimson, amethyst, or cobalt. 

sequin dress

 

I will be taking a short “blogging holiday” until January and wish all of my readers peace, love, good health, and happines this holiday season and throughout the new year.

Posted by: Kim at 10:46 am Comments Off | Topic: General

This holiday season, the Little Black Suit presents a chic and frugal fashion alternative to a holiday classic, the Little Black Dress.  A Little Black Suit can go from desk to dinner or a holiday party with just a simple change of shoes and accessories.  Switch out your black power pumps for a pair of sexy, strappy black sandals.  Swap out conservative accessories for sparkling earrings that dangle from your earlobes.  Finish off your chic look with the number one fashion handbag for the holiday season, a clutch purse in a silver, gold, or metallic finish.  

The beauty of investing in a Little Black Suit is that you can wear both the jacket and skirt or pant with other pieces in your wardrobe.  In this tough economy, taking outfits apart is just as important as putting them together.  Layer the black suit jacket over an animal print dress.  Pair the jacket with petite wardrobe “must haves”, a crisp white cotton shirt and great fitting pair of jeans.  Wear a less structured piece like a brightly colored or print cardigan with the basic black bottom for a more modern approach to career dressing.  Update a classic black skirt or pant with one of holiday’s hottest items, a peek-a-boo lace top or a sequined tank.

Little Black Suit

Posted by: Kim at 5:09 pm Comments Off | Topic: Fashion Tips

It is a tough challenge to dress for a home-based career.  You need a wardrobe that is versatile and professional, yet super comfortable.  I have worked from home for the past 20 years.  Trust me that there have been many days when I have lost track of time, not showered by 5 p.m., and been very grateful that I don’t have Skype.  If my clients could see me on those days, they might never hire me again.  If you are wearing sweatpants all day, it is very easy to get distracted by dirty laundry, dirty dishes, and who’s on Oprah.  That is why it is important to put together a home office wardrobe that means business.  The trick is to dress like a winner so that you will feel and perform like a winner. 

Here are a few tips for dressing for success when you are your own boss:

1.  Make your work wardrobe about easy choices.  I call it “mindless dressing.”   A pair of black pants or leggings will work with virtually every top in your closet whether it’s a bright, pastel, or neutral color.  Find a style that fits your petite proportions perfectly and invest in several pair.  Black doesn’t show wrinkles and it doesn’t show dirt.   

2.  Keep it simple.  You don’t want to waste a lot of valuable time getting dressing.  Two pieces is all you need, a top and a bottom.  Layer on a cardigan if you feel a chill.   Add a jacket, a scarf, or some cool accessories if you have a meeting outside of the home.

3.  Believe in the power of denim.  Jeans rule as the pant for all seasons that looks right for all reasons.  Build a basic denim wardrobe.  The average petite consumer owns 7 pairs of jeans.  You will always be motivated and productive when you are wearing your favorite jeans.

 

Posted by: Kim at 7:02 pm 1 Comment » | Topic: General

I religiously clean my closets out twice a year.  It is a form of therapy for me, an opportunity to purge. I love the chance to reorganize my clothes and accessories.   It gives me great joy to give clothes and shoes that I don’t wear to those less fortunate than me.   My husband doesn’t understand my neurotic need to shift all of my “summery” clothes to my off-season closet every November and pull out my “wintery” clothes. He finds this whole semi-annual closet ritual borderline crazy since we live in Florida where all of the seasons sort of melt into one another.  The closet swap provides me with a lot of valuable fashion lessons.  Here is what I learned this year: 

1.  I HAVE A SHOE FETISH. 

This is crystal clear when I find shoes that I haven’t worn for months because I forgot I had them.  I make no apologies for my love of my shoes.  Shoes make me happy.  A new pair guarantees a good mood. 

2.  CLASSIC PIECES NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE. 

Every time I clean out my closets, I am reminded of the benefits of investing in classics.  My black wool crepe pencil skirt which I adore is over ten years old.  My chocolate brown twill trousers are at least that old.  The good news is that they still fit. 

 Black skirt

My favorite black skirt

3.  YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY BLACK TOPS OR BLACK SHOES. 

Okay, I admit that I own 10 black knit tops, 14 black sweaters, 22 pair of black shoes, and 3 pair of black boots.  That may sound a bit excessive, but to me it is exactly the right number.   Each top, each pair of shoes represents a different look, a different mood.  Is a black beaded flip-flop even in the same family as a black suede platform pump?  A black satin camisole gives a menswear patterned suit a sexy twist while a black rib turtleneck is always a classic.  Every petite fashionista knows that all black pieces are not alike. 

Black pumpsSexy black pumps 

Posted by: Kim at 2:02 pm Comments Off | Topic: General
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