How to Ease Your Wardrobe into Fall

Here in the south once the warm weather sets in it's here to stay for some time. With fall on the horizon, I'm chomping at the bit to layer my outfits up and rock some new fall looks, but when the temperatures are hovering above 90 it can really put a damper on wardrobe choices.

These few transition months between summer and fall can be tricky to navigate. With fall on the horizon, you don't want to look like you're ready for spring break, but the thought of piling on lots of layers makes you sweat just thinking about it. What to do? Here are some of my best tips for navigating this awkward transitional period with ease and grace:

1/ Change Your Shoes - Swap your perfect summer sandals for a pair of peep toe booties in a deep color (black, caramel, chocolate) and your look will be thrust into the fall category in no time flat. This is by far one of the easiest ways to change your look. These look great with skirts (try a maxi), dresses and cropped pants and will quickly become your go-to pair. Not for you? Try a pair of short boots, clogs or other fall style and pair them with your best summery skirt or dress for a fresh look.

2/ Go Deep - In color, that is. While many summer-y looks are identified by their bright, fruity color palette, you'll want to tone it down a bit for fall. Sure, you can still rock a pretty floral dress or skirt, but anchor it with a darker, more earth-toned top, jacket or accents to give your look a heavier appearance visually, which is more appropriate for the upcoming season.

3/ Glitz it Up - While summer is a wonderful time for a pop of brights in your jewelry, give the look a more serious tone by swapping it out for bold, rich metals accented by the season's palette including reds, burnt sienna's and rusts.

4/ Add a layer - Just adding on another layer to your sundress or skirt and top can give your look a whole new life. Try a short sleeved jacket in a cool plaid, a tailored vest in a neutral solid or a cardigan in a deep, rich tone to kick it up a notch while still helping you to keep your cool when layered over a lightweight dress or tank top.

5/ Make Your White Just Right - White denim no longer falls into the classification of things you put away after Labor Day. It has been catapulted into perennial style-status to make its appearance all year long without breaking the rules. But to give yours an autumnal turn you'll need to accent it differently than during the summer months. Think Jackie O in her white jeans, black turtleneck and black flats - such a classic. Pair yours with something that's darker in color, layer up textures and don a pair of shoes that scream fall and you're right on target.

Email me at michele@onechicmama.com to discover how I can help you to start the fall season off looking chic – but most importantly, helping you to get dressed quickly and easily. Want to read more of my secrets of style? Sign up for my weekly ezine at www.onechicmama.com.

Are You Last on Your List?

As women, we are often the caregivers for our family and we work hard to take care of those we love. Yet when we are constantly caring for others our tank becomes empty and our batteries need to be recharged. Taking time out to take care of ourselves can help to refuel us so that we have more to give. When we’re replenished we’re happier, more relaxed and able to take on life with a more positive attitude. Plus when we boost our image we boost our self confidence! But where to start? If it's been so long since you've taken time out just for yourself you don't even know where to begin, here are a few suggestions to get you started. But don’t just stick to my list, take these and run wild!

1. Have your makeup updated for the new season - Try new colors, techniques and products. Choose an afternoon where you have time to relax and indulge yourself so you're not feeling rushed and ask for the works. Take note of application techniques and ask questions. Then buy only those products you know you’ll really use.

2. Reassess your lingerie – Do you still have bras from ten years ago? Ditch ‘em and take yourself for a bra fitting. Most lingerie boutiques and many department stores have knowledgable sales people who can help and make recommendations just for you. But don’t stop with bras. Take stock of your panties and give shapewear a try. Along with another year come new bumps and bulges. Shapewear can help smooth these out and have you looking slimmer and trimmer than ever! Add in some necessities, as well as some fun lingerie that makes you feel feminine – and dare I say, sexy!

3. Have a fit – Do you have pants that drag the ground? Skirts that graze mid-calf? Jackets that are just enough too long that they make you look shorter? Then go through your closet and have those items that need alterations taken to the tailor. It’s amazing what alterations can do to boost your image and help your clothes fit like a glove.

4. Adorn Yourself – Are you afraid of wearing accessories or don’t know where to start? Well it’s time you became in the know! Jewelry, scarves, handbags, hats and shoes are the quickest (and most fun!) way to update your look and create a polished image. Start small and create a “signature” item: if you find you really love bracelets then start a collection and wear several at once. If you love handcrafted earrings then build your outfits around them. You’ll create your own unique style in the process.

5. Don’t Lose Weight – Yes, you read that right! No matter what your weight, you’re beautiful right now! What, you can’t see it because you’re hiding behind that muu muu? Well it’s high time you packed those baggy sacks away and put on clothes that show YOU off. Focus on your best assets (your eyes, your legs, your hair, your smile!) and the rest will just melt into the background. Don’t forget accessories, but most importantly, wear your confidence - you are gorgeous! Don’t be surprised if you get asked, “have you lost weight?’ Simply smile and relish the attention!

6. Make a date with yourself – When’s the last time you put YOU on your schedule or your to-do list? I want you to schedule some time just for you this week. On your calendar, in pen. It could be an afternoon of shopping or just browsing, a trip to the spa, or just some time spent at the bookstore reading magazines. My point is that you don’t have to spend any money but you do need to take some time.

7. Start a style journal – Write down ideas for outfits, paste in pictures of things you think are very YOU, record any drawings of details or accessories you’d like to look for. Take some time to think about your personal style and reflect on how it’s changed over the years. What common elements do you see? Do you feel your style needs an update? If so, what could you quickly and easily change that would give you a boost?

8. Pretend you’re a tourist – Dress up and wear your nicest dress, that hat you've been saving or that expensive blouse out on a lunch date with your girlfriend, your man or even yourself. You don’t have to be in New York or Paris to dress like it! Wear things in a way you wouldn’t normally in your home town. Book a reservation at that little bistro you’ve been wanting to try. Sip champagne or have a cappuccino. Take the rest of the day off for sightseeing and shopping. Take pictures and see things in a new way. You’ll go home with a fresh perspective and an appreciation for being right where you are.

9. Have a spa party – Invite your girlfriends over or just powwow with your daughter. Have a special snack and do nails, tweeze brows, brush hair, play with makeup and give massages. It’s a nice “girls’ night in” and a great way to catch up on some personal grooming.

10. Play with color – If you have a closet filled with black, try experimenting with color. Wear your best colors around your face and see what kind of effect they have on your appearance and your attitude. Have your colors done so you can know for certain which blue is your very best and find the right yellow for YOU.

Bookending: Is it Really That Important?

Many of my clients have heard me use the term ‘bookending’ when it comes to wearing color, and have heard me discuss how it can help them to create harmony in their wardrobe. If you’ve never heard of this before, let me explain what I mean.

Bookending, as I refer to it, essentially means repeating your haircolor in your shoes. You ‘bookend’ your look with similar colors, which create harmony and balance in your outfit while creating a personalized look that flatters you. It is a great way to bring in your best colors and highlight your own personal coloring and can be a great way to wear one of your very best basic colors.

But is bookending really necessary? My two cents worth is this: it is important, but it's not the be all, end all. What I mean is that it’s a nice way to streamline your look, but can just as easily limit you in your choices. Here are my best secrets for bringing bookending into your wardrobe for best effect, and when to pass it by:

1/ Discover a new neutral. If you want to move away from wearing black and discover an alternative that will not only flatter you but have a lovely, personalizing effect on you, repeating your haircolor in your shoes as well as in your trousers or skirt will do this beautifully. This is great, especially if you have light-colored hair and can help you to create a look that doesn’t overwhelm your delicate coloring.

2/ Build Your Wardrobe. By bookending, and wearing your haircolor in your shoes, your pants, your suits, your skirts…you build your wardrobe around one of your best basic colors. This gives you more versatility while flattering you to best effect. Just add in some of your best accent colors to change it up and give your look some punch and you’re on your way to having a wardrobe that multitasks and gives you options for years.

3/ Expand Your Horizons. Sure, bookending is a great trick when you’re not sure what shoes to wear with an outfit, but don’t let it stifle your creativity. If you have brown hair and you REALLY want to rock your raspberry suede pumps or your leopard print heels, then go for it! You’ll express your true style and feel more like you!

4/ Create Balance. Even if you don’t wear shoes in your exact haircolor, use this hue as a guideline for the intensity of your shoes. If you have really blonde or silver hair, wearing chunky black, or very dark, shoes will look visually heavy. Wearing something in a taupe, cognac or gray would look more balanced, provided what you wear between isn’t too dark and heavy. Let your hair and the contrast it provides with your skin, be your guide in creating the perfectly balanced intensity when it comes to color.

5/ Feel Confident. If you’re stepping away from black for the first time, or just not very confident in putting your outfits together, bookending is a great way to know for sure that you’re wearing the best color for you. No more wondering, ‘does this work?’ You’ll know it does!

All in all, I say bookend when you aren't sure, but when you want to express your personal style, wear what you LOVE and mean it!

Style Limited

I have been a fan of the women's shop, The Limited, for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a small town in North Carolina, my family would regularly make the trek to the more metropolitan cities of Fayetteville or Raleigh to do our shopping at their big malls. One store that was always on our list was The Limited. In fact, I clearly remember an outfit I had in high school that was one of my all-time favorites. It was a very defining outfit for me and I think I wore the pants until they literally fell apart. So my love affair with The Limited runs deep.

Over the years I have shopped at The Limited with great success, and I recently won a gift card for $25. It had been a little while since I had been in but I was so excited with what I found. For just a little more than my $25 card I was able to take home a lovely tank in a shimmery sage green (it brings out my eyes) and a gorgeous teal mesh knit dress that is simply fabulous - and they were both on the clearance rack so the prices were equally as fabulous.

Well, ladies, I have good news for you! You, too, can win a gift card of your very own from The Limited. To celebrate the grand opening of their new store at the Streets at Southpoint in Durham later this month, The Limited has given me not one, but two $50 gift cards to give away. These come just in time to boost your fall wardrobe with some of their gorgeous color-blocked tops, their elegant yet modern suiting, or their wonderful accessories.

I'm excited to see the new The Limited store at the Streets at Southpoint that Linda Heasley, CEO of The Limited, calls “more feminine, more approachable and more residential in feel.” Beginning on Thursday, August 25 and going all weekend long, the grand opening will feature a fashion show, sales and raffles as part of the celebration. A percentage of sales from the opening weekend will benefit the Ronald McDonald Houses of Durham and Chapel Hill.

Win a Gift Card

If you'd like a chance to win one of two (2) $50 gift cards for The Limited, just leave a comment here and tell me what your biggest obstacle is when it comes to getting dressed. Feel free to be as general or as specific as you'd like, but I want to hear it all - the good, the bad and the ugly. You'll instantly be registered to win (don't forget to include your email address). The deadline is Midnight, EST, August 15th, 2011 and the gift cards can be used at your local The Limited store.