Fat Bottomed Girls (Make the Rockin' World Go Round)

Not such a fat bottomed
girl but what a great jean fit!

Everybody remembers the "Fat Bottomed Girls" song. Queen released this unconventional diddy in 1978 and though you may not remember that year well most can recall the chorus to this tune. When I hear this song I'm always reminded that indeed fat bottomed girls do make the rockin' world go round as well as skinny bottomed girls and every kind of bottom in-between.

We can all agree that it takes bottoms of all shapes and sizes to assist in the rocking of our world. The question is how does one find jeans for these bottoms? Let's face it, shopping for jeans can rival the pleasurable experience of shopping for a swimsuit.

Some things to remember when searching for jeans to rock your world and your bottom:

1. Only buy jeans that are sized with even numbers. Sizes like 10, 12, etc. are made for women. Odd sized jeans are made for juniors and will often leave a gap in the back as they're not made for the curves of a woman. 
2. Make sure the hem of your jean hits just above the bottom of your shoe heel. Buy your jeans a bit long, allowing for an eighth to a quarter inch of shrinkage in the length.
3. Dark wash jeans are the most slenderizing. Lots of streaking and whiskering can be unflattering as well as age inappropriate for the 35+ crowd.
4. Snug fitting jeans are a must! The lycra found in most jeans today provides comfort but can lead to a saggy bottom, which does not make the rockin' world go round. Buying jeans that are too big is one of the most common mistakes- snug is key!
5. You have to kiss a lot of jean frogs before you meet your jean prince. Be patient and keep trying. There is a jean out there that can make your bottom rock!

No matter the size of your bottom, there is a jean for you. When you find the one that rocks you'll Love What You Wear!

Self Conscious Girls

Wearing her unconventional
locks with confidence!

Listen to the sweet song "Self Conscious Girls" by Winston Drei Tod. It is a gentle reminder for the stronger but more self conscious gender to "Just let your colors show and bask in the light of the sun". Oh, but sometimes it's kinda scary to let our colors show, sometimes we don't even like our own colors how can we expect someone else to?

In my old age I have become much less self conscious, not because I've somehow lost my myriad of flaws, in fact they're more pronounced than ever. But short of bankrupting my family with plastic surgery bills I decided long ago to embrace me- flaws and all. I gradually said goodbye to the teen angst and (mostly) accepted all there is to accept.

Then I got a REALLY short haircut this week. I love short hair, I even love my new super short haircut but I spiraled back to the self conscious girl in a hot minute. What would people say? Is it not feminine enough? Boys hate short hair! I thought I'd look a lot more like Michelle Williams or Halle Berry (okay, that was a stretch), what happened? Ugh! 

As I fell into my teen abyss it made me think of all the reasons we are self conscious- our weight, that zit that appears at just the wrong time, small boobs, big boobs, straight hair, curly hair, and the list goes on. Worrying about our appearance is a tangled web with lots of gray area. One has to be some what self conscious otherwise we'd fall into the psychopathic category. When I find myself stressing about what people will think of my shorn hair I am reminded that people have REAL problems and I feel guilty. I then think of how important it is to be confident so that we can be a productive member of society. It's a tight rope- we want to look good and feel good but not be so self conscious that we're paralyzed.

I like to think of my job as a confidence builder as well as a stylist. I love to help the self conscious girl take a backseat to the self confident girl! Take a break from worrying about what others think- Just let your colors show and bask in the light of the sun and you'll Love What You Wear!

Change of Seasons

This dress can definitely
 change with the seasons!

The very catchy tune "Change of Seasons" was released by Sweet Thing in 2010- check it out. And when you're finished with that check out your closet. There are so many things in your wardrobe that can easily change with the seasons.

Seattle is the perfect place for extending your wardrobe seasonally. While bulky wool sweaters are for winter only a fine gauge merino wool sweater translates well through three seasons, and let's face it, probably four in this town. A merino wool cardigan is perfect for a Seattle summer evening and works equally well layered with a t-shirt and scarf in the fall and winter. How about a simple knit dress? It pairs with tights, boots, scarf and a jacket in winter then perfectly with sandals and a long necklace in summer.

While fabrics like linen and boiled wool are not season crossers there are so many materials and styles that are. When you extend your clothing through the change of seasons you'll dress creatively, save time and money and you'll Love What You Wear!

Come Next Spring

LBD with a peplum twist-
perfect for spring!

In 1956 Tony Bennett sang "Come Next Spring". That was a long time ago and it seems like the last time we saw spring was a long time ago as well. But we know (or at least we're pretty sure) that spring will indeed come again. As we dream of warm breezes and digging into our spring wardrobe there are many trends to consider. Get ahead of the game and look to your warm weather wear to see if you already own pieces that correlate with these 2012 spring trends:

1. Put a Bird on it- Yep, the bird is still alive and well. Spring promises to deliver more of our fine feathered friends on blouses, skirts and dresses. If you see a bird flying in your closet, make sure you save it!
2. Show your midriff- Nooooooooo. This is so scary. Don't kill the messenger but the call is for midriff style tops and dresses that show this body part usually associated with self-loathing. You know if you can do this and you certainly know if you can't!
3. Get peppy with Peplum- Quite the opposite from midriff styles this trend seems to come and go and now it's baaaaack. There are super exaggerated peplum styles on jackets, dresses and skirts and more subtle versions.
4. Color, pattern and texture, oh my- Pastels, bold prints, color blocking, stripes, metallics,  digital image prints and lace are all in the spring mix. Pretty much anything goes!
5. Drop waist- Look for dresses and tops with this style as well as low slung belts to wear with tunics and dresses that give the same drop waist effect.

Keep these trends in mind when you are shopping in your own closet or making a new investment for Spring. When you do you'll Love What You Wear!

Hang It Up

Hanging it up can serve
 as decorative flair! 

The tune "Hang It Up" will be released on the British duo Ting Ting's second album sometime in the spring of 2012. A fun, if not exceedingly simple tune, worth a listen.. And while we're on the subject of hanging it up- why don't you?

Yes, it's time to hang up all those necklaces and scarves that are sitting in dusty jewelry boxes, stuffed in unorganized drawers, or worse yet, lost in the back of a dark closet or dresser somewhere. Since accessories are really what separates you from your neighbor it's time to get them out in the open and tangle-free so they're easy to access. The good news is that there are lots of low cost solutions to hanging it up! You can use something as inexpensive as a key or tie hanger. Take a field trip to IKEA and find this option for scarf hanging and this for hanging necklaces. You might even have something floating around your home right now that would do the trick.

Don't let your accessories be out of sight and out of mind. Hang it up and you'll see all your lovely choices each day and Love What You Wear!

You Wear It Well

You'd wear this well!
But it would be more fun to
 wear this top in  a cool pattern
 or color or layered with a
colored cami and jacket.

Rod Stewart sang "You Wear It Well" in 1972. As far as I can ascertain from childhood photos I was wearing handmade polyester jumpers in '72. Not so sure anyone can wear that well! I'm sure you've come a long way with your style since 1972 (well, many of you weren't even born yet!). Now that it's 2012, what are you wearing well?

Most of us are attracted to a certain silhouette, something we tend to purchase over and over again. Perhaps in different colors or patterns but similar lines. If it's not a specific silhouette we're drawn to, it is often a color we seek over and over again. I'm here to report those colors are often grey and black from the closets I've seen. What if we are just purchasing these items out of habit and we don't actually wear it so well after all? Or maybe we do wear it well but there are lots of other styles and colors we could wear well? Since it's a new year, why not try out some new colors and silhouettes? Do some experimenting- take a friend shopping with you and ask the ultimate style question, "do I wear this well?".  You may be surprised by the answer.

Whether it's what you own or what you'll be buying, wear it well in 2012 when you take a fresh approach to dressing. When you do You'll Love What You Wear!

Let The Sunshine In

Be a sun manufacturing plant!

It was 1969 and The Fifth Dimension released the tune "Let The Sunshine In". I remember how my oldest sister would play this 45 over and over. At the risk of waxing poetic about the past it brings me back to simpler times- bell bottoms and the beautiful long dark hair my sister sported- man, did I think she was cool! But I digress (as usual). This is the time of year where we not only have to let the sunshine in, if we can find it, we need to manufacture a little sunshine of our own!

How can you become a sun manufacturing plant you may ask? Obviously there are many ways. I, however will be concentrating on how you can achieve sunshine through your wardrobe! It is tough to get excited about getting dressed in the morning when it's dark, often wet and chilly. As a friend once told me (and I found it irritating) "turn that frown upside down"- ugh! But the truth hurts, doesn't it? One way to create a little sunshine this winter is to feel happy and confident when we leave the house each morning. So make sure your closet is full of things that make you feel good and help you hold your head up high in the rain. A fabulous pair of boots a warm and pretty sweater, your favorite wool pants or jeans. It all helps your mood stay high and the winter fly by. Okay, maybe not fly, but you get the point.

Pull some sunshine out of your closet each day and You'll Love What You Wear!

Shake It Out

All Good stuff!

Forgive me for this obvious post . You knew it was coming. I knew it was coming and you knew that I knew it was coming and well, now it's here. Even Florence + the Machine knew it was coming. They knew earlier though, when they released "Shake It Out" in 2011 (love this song!). Oh, remember 2011? Soooo long ago. Now that it's 2012 it is indeed time to shake it out! As in take your closet, turn it upside down and shake it out.

There's good stuff in that closet of yours, trust me. There's also bad stuff in that closet of yours. After you shake it out only put the good stuff back in. And if you don't know the good stuff from the bad stuff or don't know what to wear with the good stuff, you know who to call. And here's a hint- it's not ghost busters!

Shake it out people, leave the bad behind, and you'll Love What You Wear!