Small Steps to Style: Prep for your Next Haircut

You should never walk into the salon without some idea of what you want. You’re likely to leave feeling unsatisfied and with a cut that doesn’t work for you. Take some time before going to the stylist to develop a game plan.

• Get some inspiration. Look through magazines or Pinterest to get some ideas for a cut or color you like. Save them and show them to your stylist. Try to look for side and back photos as well to give your stylist the full picture of what you want. Look for people with the same face shape and hair texture as you. You’re more likely to find a good fit.
• Think about your lifestyle. So you love the elaborate updos and layers of curls seen on the red carpet, but you’re not willing to spend more than 5 minutes on your hair in the morning. Or maybe edgy cuts and wild colors are your thing, but you work in a conservative environment. Make sure that whatever you ask your stylist for is going to be appropriate in all areas of your life. Talk about your inspiration, but also talk about the kind of life you have and your hair care routine. In many cases you can find a happy medium between your dream hair and reality. Maybe you can save the elaborate or wild styles for the weekend. Or maybe you can have a toned down version of your dream cut. Really talk to your stylist and ask for their suggestions.
• Write down current hair issues. Keep a pen and paper wherever you get ready in the morning. Take note of things that you love or hate about your hair cut now. Do you have any weird cowlicks? Does your cut work with the texture of your hair? What do you like about your current look? Is your cut too high maintenance? Does your color wash you out or make you pop? Bring the list to your next cut. Your stylist can help you work around any issues you might have and keep the things you love.

Have a Rocking Weekend!

Classes for ATLOCon have been announced! I’m teaching a class on the value of personal style and doing a “Growing Up Objectivist” part two talk with Dad. I’m so excited for all the awesome classes we have this year. To keep up with announcements about ATLOSCon 2012, like our Facebook page.

Pulling out a loose tooth with a nerf gun. Why didn’t I do something like that?

I know this has made it’s rounds on the web, but Shit Yogis Say is still hilarious. I about fell over when they made the Diva Cup reference.

I am loving these sheets with unique prints and illustrations.

Bookshelf porn. 

Not a baby person? Here’s a great post about how to respond to people nagging you to have children.  Here’s another great article on the subject. And some great snappy comebacks to rude questions about your babymaking plans.

This recipe for paleo hot chocolate looks scrumptious!

I’m made this daily postcard calendar journal in January and I’ve been filling it in every day since. It’s low stress journaling and I look forward to seeing how this year will compare to future ones.

Now that we’re a few months into the new year, how are you doing on your resolutions? If your goals to lose weight/save money/quit a bad habit aren’t going so well, here’s a different take on New Year’s Resolutions. 

Loving these menswear inspired outfits.

It happens when you’re 28 or 30 or so. My older friends have told me it’s true, though at 21
I kind of see it happening already.

The Many Varieties of Bohemian Style

While putting together an bohemian style inspiration board on Pinterest, I realized that boho can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. It was fascinating to discover the various directions you could take a bohemian look, which makes it a great and versatile dressing style. What style do you gravitate toward? (I’m mostly admire hippie boho, but I’m loving the gypsy style. I must get some bohemian pieces in the summer and try the layering them next winter with warm pieces and boots.)

Rockstar Bohemian

This look is laid back, but with some edge. Mix in some bolder and more glamourous elements such as leather, glitter, or animal print to get that rock star appeal. Black always adds a touch of edge as well. Think Penny Lane from Almost Famous, Zoe Kravitz, and Ke$ha.

Gypsy Bohemian

This style has a European influence. It’s characterized by full skirts, scarves, layered jewelry, and mixing menswear pieces like boots, hats, and vests. This style also works well in winter with heavier fabrics like fur, corduroy, and velvet. Think traveling caravan and Simza from Sherlock Holmes 2.

Chic Bohemian

A more polished bohemian, this look is grown up and sharp, but still retains the laid back and natural boho aesthetics. Good for those who love the bohemian look, but need to look more professional. Mix relaxed pieces with more fitted ones, look for boho prints, and make use of accessories to keep your boho flair. Think Kate Hudson and Anthropologie.

Ethnic Bohemian

Ethnic bohemian is inspired by the aesthetics of foreign cultures. Look for handmade jewelry, ethnic prints, and natural fabrics. Even better if it’s the real deal. Think World Market and Erykah Badu.

Hippie Bohemian

This look is inspired by the hippies in the 60s and 70s. Lots of loose natural fabrics in mixed prints, floppy hats, brightly colored crochet/knit pieces, worn in denim, and hair accessories such as feathers, headbands, and flower crowns. And don’t forget the tie dye! Think Woodstock/Bonnaroo and Across the Universe.

Small Steps to Style: Clean Out Your Closet

This is the first of a series of posts about small and simple actions you can take to improve your style. Check back every other Friday for a new post. This week is all about tackling style at the source: your closet!

Good style starts with an clean and organized closet. Cut down on your prep time in the morning and get a better understanding of what you actually have in your closet with these tips:

• Get rid of damaged clothes. Anything that’s permanently stained, has holes, is falling apart, or is otherwise in bad condition goes. This includes shoes! Let go. Don’t be a wuss.
• Throw away anything that clearly doesn’t fit. We’re not getting into the fussy details here of whether something is a flattering fit. We’ll save that for another post. Just anything that is obviously too big or too small. Unless your weight fluctuates often, you just had a baby and are getting back to your old size, or you plan on getting pregnant again, toss it. Don’t rationalize keeping it with a flimsy, “One day I’ll fit into it.” You need to dress the body you have now. Throw. It. Out. (If you are saving larger clothes, put them off to the side so they don’t mix with your current wardrobe. Pull them out when the time is right.)
• Organize your closet: It’s much easier to put an outfit together when you can survey all your clothing at once. So get your clothes off the floor and up where they belong! Hang any clothes that wrinkle easily. Fold sweaters to avoid misshaping. Buy closet organizers if needed. Round up all your accessories. Sort clothes by color and function. Believe me, it makes it much easier to find that one dressy blue top you like when you’re scrambling to get going in the morning. A clean closet will help cut down on morning stress and give you a better understanding of your wardrobe.
• Prep for the next closet clean. Take all your hangers and turn them away from you. As you wear pieces in your wardrobe, hang them normally. You’ll start to see which clothing you don’t ever wear. After 6 months or so, get rid of all the clothes on the backward hangers. Formal clothes are the exception, unless it’s been years and you don’t plan on ever wearing it again. (via Lifehacker)

A Possible New Career Path?

Since moving to Atlanta a year and a half ago, I’ve worked as a waitress, secretary, teacher at a homeschool co-op, art model, graphic design assistant, and now nanny. I wanted to get experience in various fields to figure out where I want to go with my career and I think I’ve made good on that goal. In each of these jobs I’ve learned about what kind of work environment I need (creative outlet, variety, some level of autonomy, helping others), but I’m still looking for the right area of work for me.

And now I have a new area to explore: fashion! Well, not exactly. I don’t mean glitzy photo shoots and runways and oddball outfits that nobody would wear in real life. I mean style and beauty as it relates to everyday people. Let me explain.

It started with watching copious amounts of What Not to Wear. At first I thought it was just one of those standard makeover shows where they put everyone in pretty much the same clothes, regardless of their lifestyle, personal preferences, whatever. But I was wrong. The more I watched, the more I saw how much thought went into assembling a new wardrobe. You have to take into account a person’s body shape, coloring, lifestyle, work dress code, and personal flair. That’s a tall order for 2 days of shopping. But through good technical styling and listening to their guests, Stacy and Clinton manage to do it.

What I found even more interesting was the psychological issues many guests had and how that related to the clothes they chose to wear. Oversized and boring clothing could be a crutch for someone who hates their body and wants to hide. Outdated wardrobes were usually a symptom of someone who focused on everyone else’s needs and never took time for themselves or someone who can’t let go of their past. Outrageous and skimpy clothes were often worn by people who had low self esteem and equated showing skin with sexy. It was amazing to watch Stacy and Clinton call people out on these bad premises, throw out their clothes (which were often a security blanket), and show them how to dress in a way that was more appropriate for their life, body, and personality. I loved watching guests at the end of the show walking out feeling lighter, sassier, and more true to themselves. Sure, some of that is probably glossed over for TV, but I do think a lot of the change is real.

I started focusing in on my own style and pushing my creative boundaries a bit. I purged my closet of any unflattering, old, or damaged clothing. I thought about what clothes I needed for my life and how I wanted to look. I started building my wardrobe up piece by piece. And it felt great. It felt good to let go of old clothing that wasn’t helping me and finding great pieces that worked for me. Each day when I get ready I feel pretty and put together. Feeling that good about my image brightens my day and makes me feel more confident as I go about my activities.

I started talking more about my interest in styling and how great clothes affect people in a positive way. My friend Kelly asked me to help her find some clothes for teaching. It was an interesting challenge. She’s teaches at GSU, so she needs to be professional, but she’s also a grad student, so she needs clothes that are fancy enough for teaching, but don’t feel too stuffy once class is over. Kelly also has a very bohemian style, so we had to find clothes that were polished, but didn’t make her feel like a corporate drone. After several hours in the mall, going to stores Kelly didn’t expect to find pieces in (yes you can shop at H&M if you’re not a teenager), and making her try on all sorts of things (even the oppressive black blazer from Gap), we got a great basic work wardrobe that was professional, yet laid back. Perfect for Kelly.

Not too long after I did a closet consultation with my friend Tori. It went great! A completely different challenge, I went with Tori piece by piece through her wardrobe to figure out what fit, what needed to be tailored, and what needed to be thrown out. From what was left, I played with color and pattern combinations to make fresh outfits. Turns out Tori had a full and varied wardrobe that worked well for her, she just needed to take a few things in and play with mixing pieces. The only pieces she was really missing were cool cardigans or jackets to make a jeans and shirt combo more interesting. Tori got a ton of new outfits without spending a cent and now has a better understanding of her wardrobe for the next time she goes shopping. A definite win!

I really enjoy this work. It’s fun and interesting and challenging. I get to work with people and put my creative talents to use. And there’s clearly a demand and a wide open market for me to take advantage of. This could be a career. I will be doing some more personal shopping and wardrobe consultations with friends to get some experience. I’ll also be blogging more style and body image related posts here. Is this the right line of work for me? We’ll see. If you live in the Atlanta area and are interested in giving me a test run, shoot me an email at mirandabarzey (at) gmail (dot) com.