"To have style is to have a feeling for what is currently fashionable & still to simultaneously remain true to oneself"~Hubert de Givenchy
If you....
- Spend too much on clothing & buy much of the same things
- Struggle daily to create a stylish outfit that is uniquely you
- Rely too heavily on the recommendations of friends & sales associates
- Have trouble mixing, matching & re-inventing your wardrobe
Styled Closets Wardrobe & Image caters to the Greater Toronto Area. It is a cost effective, unique & highly personalized service designed to help you make the most of you & the clothes you already own.
Our goal is to organize your closet and breathe new life into your wardrobe to bring forth beauty, innovation and above all character & style.
Our mission is for you to enjoy (& not frustrate over) your wardrobe, to save you time & money, help you become a smarter shopper & coordinate your threads.
The Style Post
You know a dress has gone the extra mile when a near collision occurs before you at a busy intersection as a result of ogles, thanks to a dress that's fabulous in so many ways, I'm inspired to write about it. Thus far this summer, the season for dresses & color, this is by far my most coveted dress...a wrap dress by
Powder Blu by Susi P. in my color palette of course.
I cannot begin to tell you the numerous occasions this dress has saved me. On this particular day this photograph was taken for example, I had a meeting earlier in the day, a client visit in the afternoon, a photo shoot with my gorgeous family courtesy of
MPH Photography, & dinner on College Street in the evening with minimal time in between. This day called for much more than the norm of "When in doubt, wear black." This fabulous frock not only took me through every stage & event of my day in style, it kept me cool, comfortable & feeling sexy, soft & powerful each step of the way. That's a lot of confidence one dress can give. With all due respect to the queen of wrap dresses, Diane Von Furstenberg, this Susi P. creation has made me feel especially sexy. Best of all, it comes in all the basic color palettes of winter, spring, summer & fall so there's something for everyone. A perfect day dress, creative work dress, evening or date dress, be warned that it commands attention & prepare yourself to receive many compliments from women & men alike so take them graciously & bask in your gorgeousness.
The 3 R's of Fashion: Reduce, Re-use & Recycle Your Rags
If the 3 R's can offer so more pros than cons, how can we afford not to? Most of us, I choose to believe, are doing our best to go green. The fashion industry has made great headway with going green. One of my favourite Canadian designers, Sonja den Elzen of Thieves, is all about eco-friendly designs & does it so beautifully.
But if you saving the earth is not a prime concern...you know who you are...you might choose to believe that all the recycling, green waste, & bulk garbage all end up at the same place...bet you'd be more interested in recycling your rags.
REDUCE: Streamline your closet. You'll find more things to wear, you won't feel overwhelmed, & getting ready will be a pleasant experience. Learning to purge your closet effectively by knowing your "wow colours"
& the styles that fit your body type will keep it streamlined & minimize purchase mistakes.
RE-USE: Feel good, keep money in your pocket & can change the lives of Canadians & new Canadians. Take the items worth altering to the tailor. Simply removing the sleeve off an outdated top will give it new life (there are various way you can update the outdated). You could save instead of buying another top. Bring your "giveaway pile" to the Dress Your Best (www.dressyourbest.ca) charity & they will use it to outfit women, men and youth with clothing for employment. Their wardrobe service helps clients look impressive, feel confident,
and find a job (this keeps the jobless rate down & stimulate the economy). Paying it forward gives you a sense of satisfaction & feel good that you are making a difference. It is in giving that you receive.
RECYCLE: It puts money in your pocket. Take your current/classic, good condition, impulse buy purchase mistake & take it to a consignment shop. Here they will sell your unwanteds & turn it into cash. Clothing is an investment that depreciates. Here's a way you can get some return on that investment. Put your extra cash towards something you had your eye on or trade it for items at the consignment store...you'll be surprised with what you can find.
Made In the 80's: How to do the 80's in 2009
Neon. Lace. All the things that made the 80's great! Designers are all over it & this trend will not fade any time soon. The trick on how to do the 80's with a modern twist is to give it focus. Choose to do a subtle amount of neon & showcase it with an accessory such as jewelry, bag, scarf, a top peaking under a jacket...or even shoes. Heck why not nail polish too! For a more dramatic take, do more...not in terms of 'upping' the amount of the color's occurrences but rather decreasing it to one important aspect of your outfit such as your top, perhaps a dress. Keep it loose or tailored but certainly not tight...then people will just think you're stuck in the 80's. Another tip...pair it with much more subdued shades, like neutrals.
The Sweeta Deal, The Bigga Thrill: Re-discovering the fun in affordable shopping
I will admit that once upon a time I got a little lazy & depended on mid to high end designers to give me that edge & ensemble bling I wanted to get that little extra somethin' somethin'. Somewhere along that journey, I got bored. Thinking back in my teens & 20's, I consistently had great sartorial sense on a very low budget. I came to realize that I just wasn't utilizing my creativity nearly enough & my boredom (or my craving to get creative) seem to be in sync with the economy. I began to hunt for bargains much like I used to~back in the day. What I found was cheap thrills. Oh but don't get me wrong! I still like my high end labels & what a thrill I get out of paying $20 instead of $200 or $50 instead of $500! I have been experiencing the most fabulous finds with small price tags that get me so excited. Taking it a step further, I decided I want to completely restyle my wardrobe & try new things (this is where I switch my mind set from Image Consultant to Stylist). I audited & purged my closet & off to consignment it goes & with the extra cash I made, I bought more wallet-friendly items from designer resale & consignment shops. The result: a delightful fashion & style turning point in my life, a new attitude, extra fun & extra cash! A lesson in staying true to myself.
Heavy Metal! Paco Rabanne's New Fragrance Launch @ Ultra Supper Club in Toronto
Paco Rabanne celebrated 1 Million, his fragrance for men on Thursday, June 4th @ Ultra Supper Club in Toronto. An intimate crowd of media & industry folks were entertained with lunch & a very special never seen before fashion show event of Paco's vintage dresses made of motley metals some weighing as heavy as 30 lbs! The models stood powerful & gladiator-like in all their bling & brilliance ~ classic Paco style & an ace fashion show by Monarch Events Group.
Buy It, Wear It, Sell It: Fashionably Yours Consignment
So you like to shop. In all probability, you have a closet full of clothes some of which might still have the price tag attached or have been gently or never worn. You hire someone like me to streamline your wardrobe & create more real estate for more new clothes. The recession has made you conscious of your spending habits, if even tad bit. Let me share my shopping habits with you.
I know my wow colors & styles that support my body type, I make good shopping decisions. I look to Ebay for deals on big ticket items & I save...a lot. A Marc Jacobs dress selling at Holt Renfrew for over $900, I scooped for $300 (I've learned to identify knock-offs). But there will always come a time to purge & let's give a little margin for error & impulse buys. What do you do? I used to sell on Ebay & still do periodically, but the fees have gone up considerably.
Up until now, there have mostly been stuffy consignment shops picky about what they take. A new kind of consignment shop opened up on Queen Street West. Fashionably Yours Designer Consignment, located inside Moda 632 Queen St. W., is owned by Janet Han. This shop is no snob to the likes of H&M, Gap, Zara, Guess, etc. for as long as it is not outdated, it is in good condition, and only a few seasons old (there are exceptions to this rule). Don't be fooled however, this shop is full of our favourite high end labels such as Manolo Blahnik, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, L.A.M.B., Marciano, Pink Tartan & Christian Louboutin. Finding Pink Tartan pants I've lusted over for months for a measly $30, I have not been able to leave the shop empty-handed...but that's okay because I've made quite a few bucks from my unwanted clothes. That's smart shopping, that's sustainability.
The F Word: A Different Take on Fur
It is difficult to ignore that fur is all over the runways. Celebs are wearing it & fashionistas everywhere are loving it but if I were to strut my fur on the streets, would I be subjecting myself to comments on animal cruelty or expect a malevolent look come my way?
I have a completely different take on fur. I am an animal lover (can't live without them although I've tried). I possess a 'natural' personality style whereas respect for the environment & sustainable living is of great importance. I would never buy a new fur coat from any furrier or high end department store, however, I would buy it second hand from garage sales & Ebay. And why not? It keeps me fashionably warm in the winter & it is recession friendly as it can be more cost-effective in comparison to a new coat of any material. Additionally, in my opinion, faux fur is faux pas. Its synthetics are made from environmentally troublesome petrochemicals.
It is also my opinion that the slaying of animals all in the name of fashion is cruel to say the least. Fur coats can be one of the most sustainable outerwear around. My solution is to fur responsibly & put your 3 R's into practice. Reduce-Reuse-Recycle fur. We don't want to encourage the slaying of animals for new fur coats & such but let's make good use of second hand fur that is awaiting second life.
Trend Spotting: Toronto Fashion Week Fall 2009 Runway Report
Fur is back with a vengeance, satin is hot, rubber (yes, rubber) is on my mind. The theme of color continues~lots of deep hues & even some ultra brights (Pink Tartan), neutrals & a mix of both. Carly Wong frolics with metalics while Lundstrom is oh so classic & luxe. Designers understand the importance of wear-ability with drama & that the consumer is seeing wardrobe more as investments. In terms of recession-friendly fashion, Joe Fresh is keepin' it fresh for everyday. He re-invents quilt & the "puffy" jacket & throws a faux sherling skirt & vest ensemble. My favourite shows? Comrags, Andy The Anh & Lundstrom. They offered the most diversity, wear-ablity & uniqueness. Both exhibited color beautifully
Photo courtesy of Fashionmagazine.com with never a dull moment. Comrags' easy to wear appealed to me with knits, plaids, twill, & burlap. Andy the Anh won my heart & was simply stunning. A very effective fusion of volume & structure, flowing lines & angles, the richness & play of color & neutrals, & simple embellishment.
Toronto Fashion Week was scaled down this year, but what a week it was! My special thanks to Erika Larva of Monarch Events Group.
Trend Spotting: Spring
Color is the name of the game this spring. Bright colors worn with neutrals, neutrals worn with neutrals, & bright colors worn with other bright colors that previously may be perceived as "clashing". Clash away! If you tend to shy away from beautiful brights get tips on how to wear color. Watch for Glow Magazine's Style Editor Vanessa Taylor's article on how to wear brights such as oranges & yellows. A good time to know what colors work (& don't work) for you. Fave bright color seen most often on the runways? Think PINK.
The Little Closet That Does The Trick
In
comparison to France, one of the fashion capitals of the world, North America's closets
are bigger yet there's never enough space for all of our clothing. European countries where living space is typically smaller & closet space is limited in comparison, how is it that women seem to look so effortlessly chic, all of
the time?
In that
tiny little closet contains a fully functional wardrobe made up of
quality pieces~most, if not all, fully interchangeable with one
another. All of the color, cut, fit & styles work with the owner's body
shape & type, and none are neglected.
Back
home, we like to think that lots of clothes give us lots of options
when in fact it just causes confusion. Some 80% of what's in our
closet tend to get neglected. Those clothes that never get worn
shouldn't be in there.
I like to compare it to an enormous buffet
restaurant. Too much choice that you lose your appetite
& other times you simply don't get around to the other dishes they
offer. If you've been there more than once, you tend to go for the
same dishes you favor. It's the
same with our clothes. The more we have, the more difficult it is to
figure out what to wear. Furthermore, we stick to the ones that we like.
Concentrate on the clothes that you know
you look great in. It's the right comfort, colors,
fit & style for you. By limiting your wardrobe options, you will
make choosing easier & you'll be happier with your styling.
Can You Fashion Through A Recession?
Why not? Style is for all seasons & reasons. This is the time to save your hard earned bucks & get inventive & creative. Of course you deserve a treat to shop a little here & there but be smart with what you are buying. If there's nothing in your closet to wear with it, skip it! Buy a scarf...it can revive existing outfits you thought were dead. Shop your closet...you've got more in there than you think. Like your high end labels? Try high end consignment shops ~ lots of good finds & buys there.
Joan Cordoba-Petraglia 416.725.7175
styledclosets@rogers.com
