Small Steps to Style: Discover the Right Basics for You

There’s all sorts of lists floating around the internet about the essential basics for every wardrobe. While I do believe everyone should have a set of workhorse pieces in their closet, I don’t think there’s a prescription that fits everyone’s life and style. For instance, most basics lists include a white button up shirt, black and khaki pants, and a pant suit. I never ever wear any of those things. I prefer dresses to pants and I don’t work in an environment that requires much dressing up. So much for the prescribed essentials.

Before wasting money on “vital” pieces you might not really need, take a minute to assess your needs.

• Recognize that basics don’t mean boring: Depending on your personal preferences and lifestyle, your basic pieces could be classic and conservative (jeans, blazer, cardigan) or wild and fun (mini skirt, high heels, sparkly throw). A basic piece is whatever you reach for time and time again when putting outfits together. My basics include skinny jeans, striped boatneck shirt, white maxi skirt, neutral cardigans, colorful dresses and skirts, and fun earrings. Forget what the magazines tell you and go with what works.
• Look at the dress codes in your life: If you work in a corporate office, it’s important for you to be professional and conservative (depending on the company). If you’re a stay-at-home mom, comfort and washable fabrics are your priority. List all the different dressing situations in your life (work, weekend, date night, client meetings, etc.) Figure out what functions your clothes must serve to fit all aspects of your lifestyle. What qualities are most important in each situation? Do you need to have very separate and distinct wardrobes for work and play? Or do most of your situations mesh well together?  Depending on how many unique dressing situations you have, you might find some basics that overlap in many areas of your life.
• Check for gaps in your wardrobe: Do you frequently feel like you’re missing the right piece for an outfit? You might have a wardrobe gap. Often finding a good workhorse basic can fix the problem. I love mixing prints and bold colors, but was unable to create the kind of looks I wanted to because I lacked essential pieces. After buying a black and white striped shirt, I was suddenly able to make all the quirky outfits I wanted. I could combine it with bright colored and floral skirts, scarves, as well as neutral bottoms and jeans. Keep a notepad in your closet to track any time you feel like you’re missing a piece. Look for trends and brainstorm what pieces might fill multiple gaps and work in lots of outfits.
• Get inspired: Take cues from people with similar style or who are dressing for similar contexts. Look at coworkers, friends, style bloggers, people on the street, etc. By watching what other people are wearing, you might realize that a specific piece would work really well in your closet.

Small Steps to Style: Revamp Your Underwear Drawer

Having a well fitted wardrobe starts with great underwear. Good construction underneath ensures that your clothes won’t snag or bunch and that your figure looks its best.

• Get a bra fitting! A well fitting bra does wonders for your shape. Everyone can benefit from a professional bra fitting, but especially bustier women should get them. This can be done at Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, or at {intimacy}. I suggest {intimacy} because they have a wider selection with sizes up to a K cup (Victoria’s Secret stores usually only go up to a D cup). They also offer free custom alterations.
• Have a range of bras. With all the different neck lines and fabrics out there, you need a variety of bras to go with your outfits. Try to get at least one smooth everyday bra, one multi-wear/strapless bra, one comfy sports or cotton bra, and one matching bra and panty set that makes you feel like a drop dead gorgeous bombshell. Also consider investing in a good demi bra if you wear a lot of low cut tops or a push-up bra if you want a little more cleavage.
• Have a range of underwear. Again, with all the different bottoms out there, you need a good variety of panties to keep up. Everyone should have smooth non-clingy underwear for skirts and dresses, comfy cotton underwear for lounging and jeans, panties that make you feel super sexy, and a maybe few thongs to avoid panty lines. Especially in skirts and dresses look for underwear that won’t ride up.
• Invest in camisoles. Too much cleavage? See through shirt? Need a pop of color? Put on a camisole! I wear camis all the time. Lace ones are my favorite because they add a little something extra to an outfit and always make me feel more feminine. Camisoles also help smooth over your body so your shirt won’t cling as much to any bumps.
• Get a slip! Sometimes while shopping I come across a great dress, then am disappointed when I realize it’s totally see-through. But more often than not a sheer dress or skirt can be saved with a good slip. A slip helps shape your figure, prevents your dress from clinging, and provides coverage for your bright pink undies. I recommend getting a variety of full and half slips that match your skin color. I’ve found thrift stores to be a great place to find slips as they’re pretty scarce in most department stores.
• Get shapewear! I don’t recommend this for everyday. It would be too uncomfortable and a hassle to squeeze in and out of each day. But for that special occasion with that sexy body-hugging dress? Yes ma’am. Here’s a great video from Stacy and Clinton of What Not to Wear about different types of shapewear.

Small Steps to Style: Subscribe to Style Blogs for Inspiration

Celebrities can be great fashion inspirations, but more often than not their looks are not practical for everyday life. However, style bloggers are normal everyday people with a passion for clothing. Style bloggers are students, mothers, teachers, and professionals with a range of personal styles. Whatever your particular dressing situations, there’s a blogger out there going through the same challenges. They can serve as great examples for how to dress for all occasions, remix pieces, and flatter your figure. Best of all, these are normal women with normal budgets dressing fabulously. My favorite style blogs are Keiko Lynn, Academichic, Girl with Curves, Kendi Everyday, Bleubird Vintage, College Fashion, and The Girls with Glasses Show. Here are some ways to find style blogs that inspire you and take advantage of them:

• Google your style type and click on the blogs filter on the lefthand side to look exclusively for blogs.
• When you find a blog you like, check out their blogroll for more bloggers with similar taste. Repeat as you find more blogs.
• Google style bloggers in your city. They can have invaluable insights into the sales and boutiques near you. Some even offer wardrobe consultations!
• Check if your blogger has a shop. Often style bloggers design or resell their clothes. If there’s a piece you’ve been drooling over, it might just be for sale!
• Check for giveaways or special offers to readers. Established bloggers often have promo codes for discounts at various online boutiques.
• Save photos of your favorite outfits for inspiration.
• Take note of where the blogger got her pieces. Occasionally a blogger might have custom or designer pieces, but more often than not they shop at the same places you do.

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.

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)

Saving Money in a Studio Apartment

This is only my first apartment, so obviously I’m no expert, but these are the things I do to keep down my utility bills and save money:

• Use as much natural light as possible. I have three windows in my apartment and unless I’m naked, I keep the blinds open and the lights off. Besides, natural light is prettier.
• I turn off any lights I’m not using.
• Turn down/off the heat at night and when I leave the apartment. No point in heating an empty apartment and at night I load up on blankets and clothes to keep me warm. Plus my heater heats up the room so quickly that it’s better to just throw off a blanket if I get hot than to get up 5 times during the night to fiddle with the thermostat.
• I keep most of the kitchen appliances unplugged since I only use them every few days.
• Reach for a sweater before you reach for the thermostat. I opt for warmer clothes before changing the settings on my heater.
• I use the dishwasher over hand washing dishes. It actually uses only a few gallons of water. I put it on the energy saver dry setting so the dishes will air dry.

My electricity bill is usually between $40-$50 in the winter. The last one was $18 (used almost no heat). I think that’s pretty good. The power company has quoted me bills in this apartment and others during winter as much as $150! The water and gas bills are pretty constant. Now I’m researching how to keep down AC bills as the Hotlanta summer comes. Got any tips?

How to Eat Paleo on a Budget

 

 

 

 

Whether you’re a college student, a college dropout like me, or even a college graduate, you’ll find it can be hard to stick to a paleo diet when there’s not much in the bank. But don’t reach for the ramen just because you can’t afford grass-fed beef! There are many ways to eat healthy and save money.

• Invest in filling foods. I find that eating meals high in fat keep me satiated throughout the day. A salad is perfectly paleo, but you might be hungry again soon. Buying foods that will fill you up longer will cut down your snacking and your spending. I recommend ground beef, fatty meat cuts, coconut oil, and nuts.

• Make casseroles, stews, soups, and other nutrient dense meals. And make them big. By buying meats and veggies in bulk, you can create a cheap meal that will feed you several times over and contain protein, vitamins, and fat. I personally love making a chicken bake with carrots, peas, onions, and cheese. Look online for recipes and augment them for your own dietary needs.

• Stop worrying about grass-fed, free range, and organic foods. Yes, they are wonderful, and if you can buy them, then do it. I don’t dispute that these foods are cleaner and better for you, but don’t think all is lost if you buy store-brand eggs. Take what you can when you’re short and splurge when appropriate. I personally go by taste. For me, some foods are worth buying organic because they taste better, like eggs and half and half. But I don’t lose sleep at night because my hamburgers aren’t grass-fed. Again, do what’s right by you, but don’t break the bank.

• Go in with friends for farm-imported foods. If you do want to get the freshest food possible, consider going in with friends for an order and split the shipping costs. Or if there’s a co-op close enough, take turns driving to pick up the goods. This works well for items hard to find in stores like lard.

• Grow your own food. I swear, there’s nothing better than a ripe tomato just picked from your back garden. If you have the space and enough light, try growing your food. Many plants grow well in pots and you can maximize space with hanging planters. I plan to do this soon on my own back porch!

• Check the price per ounce. Most grocery stores these days have the price per ounce on the shelf tag, usually in the upper left hand corner. Pay attention to that while shopping. It can help you determine if it’s worth buying a larger size or going with the store brand.

• Buy in bulk and freeze in single servings. I hate going to the grocery store all the time, so I like to stock up. I buy large bags of vegetables and meat, divide them into single servings in ziplock bags, and freeze. I can pull out food as needed and I don’t waste any food by not eating it before it goes bad. This also works for cooking as well. You can have a big cooking day and then freeze individual portions of what you’ve made. Reheat for instant paleo-friendly meal.

• Buy bone-in meat. Chicken quarters with bones and skin are incredibly cheap. Boneless and skinless breast meat requires more processing, thus costs more. But that works out just fine for paleo eaters; we can take advantage of the cheap fatty meats.

• Save bones and vegetable bits for homemade stock. Chicken, pork, and beef bones can be frozen and saved to make homemade stock. Unwanted parts of vegetables like leafy tops and skins can also be saved to flavor the stock.

• Buy produce in season. Fruits and vegetables will taste better and be cheaper if you buy them in season. Do a quick Google search for in season produce while making a grocery list.

• Have a paleo potluck. Get together with other paleo eaters and have a potluck. You pay for one dish and get a whole meal. It’s also a great way to learn new recipes and cooking techniques. Be sure to check for any allergies among participants.

• Drink water. It’s free at restaurants and cheap at home (unless you have yucky Atlanta chlorine tap water).

• Limit eating out. Eat at home as much as you can. Pack a lunch instead. Fill it with all the yummy nuts, fruits, meats, and cheeses you can’t get at most places. Bring a water bottle to fill up from the water fountain instead of buying water. Suggest friends come over for a home-cooked meal. If you can’t avoid going to a restaurant, eat beforehand and order something small, like coffee or an appetizer.

Fun Gesture Posing Strategy

When I first started art modeling I did a lot of long poses of somebody else’s choosing. But now as I get more jobs, I’m doing a lot more gesture poses. Gesture drawing is what artists do to loosen up. The poses are short (30 seconds to a few minutes) and allow for more dramatic poses that otherwise couldn’t be held for several hours. The model’s goal is to provide dynamic poses that have different levels, angles, and views of the body. I like gesture poses a lot because I get to set the pose and I don’t have to hold still in one spot forever. But there’s also more responsibility on me to come up with multiple poses on the spot and all of them different and intriguing.

I’ve done well so far, but I find myself doing similar and less athletic poses. I find it difficult to come up with various athletic poses that I can hold. I’ve also never been an athlete, save a few years of marching band and dance, so I feel strange trying to do anything but pretty plies. But I’ve come up with a strategy that might help.

I am going to pretend I’m Spider-Man.

And other people too. I figure if I pick 2 or 3 characters and mimic their movements, it will give me a wide range of poses. It will also help me break past the weirdness of doing poses that I myself have no experience with, because I will be someone else in my head. For example, if I pick the characters Spider-Man, Joan Holloway, and Artemis, I’ll get poses like this:

I’m hoping this will push me to be more creative and also loosen me up. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll let you know how it goes!