GOOD or GREAT

Because we all want to look great. What we see in these two pictures is just how stunning Catherine Deneuve looks when she wears her colours. I researched a lot of pictures and actually found that she mostly does wear her colours. She is a beautiful women and of course even is the green outfit we see that. but it does overtake her whereas in the first picture she really shines through.

Why? The top completely picks up the natural putty colouring of her hair. The black coat accents the streaks of perhaps natural colour in her hair - it is a loose cut which flatters her voluptuous frame. The luxuriousness of the fabric makes her look elegant and valuable. In comparison she seems not as elegant and valuable in the green.

FIRST CLASS

Because... for our professional success it is important to look valuable. I am talking about quality -be it perceived or real. It means choosing with care so that it complements all else in your wardrobe. I have seen cheap things look expensive and expensive items look cheap. Taking time to choose well what works for you, training your eye to see quality add up to a large part of your professional success. How do I know? Professor Emeritus Albert Merabian of University of California conducted a study in 1971 on how we form impressions of people. His exciting discoveries are still considered to be the gold standard today and are used in universities and communication training programs around the world. First impressions are formed:
55% appearance
38% voice
7% content

It gets even more interesting - he breaks appearance into 3 categories:
Appearance is:
clothing
body language
grooming

Clothing is:
Fit, style, colour and quality ( or percieved quality)

The lesson for today: to look valuable for our professional success is a necessary skill and it will pay big time to be aware of it. The looks above are from the H&M online shop. When it comes to colour neutrals look more expensive than brights. It is better on a limited budget to choose a neutral and jazz it up with a statement piece:
1. an inexpensive piece in a neutral colour, for example the 6,95€ H&M earrings or
2. expensive looking gold-plated hoops, the Kenneth Jay lane ones from Netaporter.com for61€

Clothing is all from H&M online
Trench- 39,99€
Tshirt - 9,99€
Skirt - 14,99€
Shoes - 19,99€

FINANCIAL PLANNING

Because... we all need to look great and do it within our financial means. We need to look classy, polished and make a statement. The best way to do this? Build a basic wardrobe that coordinates basic plain and basic statement pieces.

The only way to make sure that you will always look good is to plan carefully. Here is the list of basics as written by Madame Dariaux in "Elegance" in 1962. It works today with only 4 additions.

Basic Winter Wardrobe according to Madame Dariaux: "Elegance" page 16

1 coat in a bright colour
1 matching skirt
1 sweater in complementary colour ( beige or brown )
1 black skirt
1 black sweater cardigan
1 black or white silk sweater or T
1 pair black pumps
1 pair flat shoes
1 black leather handbag
1 pearl necklace

My additions

1 pair dark jeans of excellent fit
1 pair black boots
1 white shirt
1 black or navy jacket
1 black or navy trousers

These basics can really go far and they are good quality pieces that can be added to every year. With these coordinated piece of clothing you can get up in the morning, get ready in a jiffy and look great!

The mustard colour coat and matching skirt are from COS. Image how well they would look with your black pencil skirt and black pumps. With the white shirt and black cardigan.They could be great classics in your wardrobe with careful planning.

coat - 175€
Skirt - 69€
Both available online at COS

FASHION

Because... fashion takes us forward and at the same time tests our ability to set boundries. Isn't that the art of life? I am so excited about 2010 - a whole new year ahead of us and a new decade. An exciting adventure of growth. And part of that growth comes through how we will choose to express ourselves through fashion and clothing in 2010.

I was reading an article on creating a clothing business plan and realized how important this is - penning down what we need and want for our wardrobe and personal style. Why - because it is so easy to be seduced by fashion and not stick to what we really need . I realized this is absolutely what all fashion editors do. They do it for their magazines but also for themselves -clearly decide how they want to look and then dress accordingly.

Carine Roitfeld: editor French Vogue
Anna Wintou: editor US Vogue
Franca Sozzani: editor italian Vogue
These ladies all have a business plan in terms of how they dress. Yes, they follow fashion - it shows they can move forward with the times and are not stuck in the 80's. But they set very clear boundries with their clothing -they know what suits them, what doesn't and they don't sway from this. Regardless of how outlandish the clothing in their magazines are, they remain true to themselves. The aim being to adapt fashion to them and not the other way round.

These ladies use fashion to their advantage. They use it as a tool for confidence, clarity and creative personal development. They make mistakes, but that goes with the territory of being creative and developing. Only playing safe won't help us to expand and grow.

Questions to ask?
Where do you want to go in 2010?
What works in your closet to take you there?
Where can you grow and use clothing to express more of who you are?
Where can you set clothing boundries to stay true to who you are?

Photos:
Carine Roitfeld and Anna Wintour from www.style.com
Franca Sozzani from courtesy Scott Schuman of thesatorialist.blogspot.com

ELEGANCE

Because... it gives birth to confidence. But what is elegance. Often thrown about -seldom explained. I would like to quote the book 'Elegance' written in 1962 by Genevieve Dariaux:

"Elegance is a sort of harmony that rather resembles beauty, with the difference that the beauty is more often a gift of nature and elegance the result of art. The origins of the word come form the Latin elegere, which means to select."

She then goes on to compare it to chic:

"The essence of casual refinement, chic is a little less studied than elegance and it is a little more intellectual. It is an inborn quality of certain individuals, who are sometimes unaware that they possess it. If you are aware that you lack chic, the battle is already half won, because the only really hopeless case is the women who hasn't the faintest idea of what chic is and what chic is not."

And finally Madame Dariaux gives us some examples:

"Marlene dietrich and Greta Garbo had chic, but Rita Haywoth and Eilzabeth Taylor, in spite of their beauty, sumptuous clothes and jewels, did not."

Take a look at the pictures I have posted and decide for yourself. Chic or elegant? Both or neither?

DARE

Because...it leads to self confidence....which leads to self-esteem...which in turn leads to feeling good about ourselves and health!

I think it is important to find our very own signature style, meaning a kind of uniform we can effortlessly slip on in a few minutes. But it takes time to develop this kind of style, like learning any new skill we must be willing to work on it, try and make mistakes - and learn from them.This way clothes can become the icing on the wonderful cake of like, but will not become the main part. To get there we will have to stretch ourselves, trying things out, making a few mistakes and being willing to dare ourselves to go to new places. Finding our own personal style is a journey and one to be enjoyed. That's why I have chosen Queen Latifah as a wonderful example of someone willing to dare. On her website she defines herself as a woman of style and substance - isn't that what we all want.

What holds us back is the syndrome of:
too thin
too fat
too old
too young
too poor
too busy
too short hair
too long hair

You get it. Too, too too.I think that Queen Latifah is a wonderful example of someone who isn't going to wait till she loses 10 pounds to dress the way she wants. She is grabbing onto her life of style and substance now! I love the picture of her in the hat, because I often hear from women they would love to wear one, and she does it with such attitude. also, look at her in both those dresses. Is she not just a fullbodied, gorgeous, sexy confident woman!!

DOUBLE KNIT

Because ....it is so easy to sew with and wears so well. There is a lovely weight to double knit that gives it a classy look. I love this www.hotpatterns.com twin set. Ideal for a beginning sewer. I have been sewing for years and still love sewing with knits because it goes so fast. That is what is so great about baking, you can do it in an afternoon. A simple little jacket and top like this would be motivating because it could also be done quite fast. Not as quick as making brownies, but fast enough to inspire more sewing.

Would look great with these Burburry boot cut jeans, Loubotin snakeskin shoes and the fab estate brooch . It costs only 10€ at www.estatejewelryinternational.com