Avoid Grey weather turning into a Grey mood

This time of year, all we see is the cold, grey of winter. It’s easy to fall into a grey mood as we patiently (or not so patiently) wait for spring.  Here are 2 easy ideas to help you avoid the doldrums:

2020_brightsBrighten up your outfits.  When the temperatures outside fall below freezing, it seems we tend to think that means we should be dressing in dark dull colors. Liven up your dark ensembles with pops of bright colors. Things to look for at your local Goodwill Store include scarves, tank tops, belts or other layering pieces.

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Spring clean – a little early. After the holidays, my office is a disaster. Well, if I am being honest, everything in my house feels cluttered and unorganized.  We all have that room in our home that seems to accumulate all the “stuff” over the holidays. Take an afternoon and re-organize that space. Focusing on just one room isn’t as overwhelming as thinking about your entire home. Take all the extra things and duplicate items that you find and donate them to Goodwill. Keep the other rooms of your home free from clutter by not re-storing things you don’t use over the holidays.

Fall Fashion Trends – wear now and later

How to wear fashion trends Now and Later

I know the calendar says it’s Fall, but the temps outside still say it’s summer. Here are some ideas on how to wear one of our favorite fall trends now and later.

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One of the most popular colors this season is called Sugar Almond. This is a great autumnal color that you need to search for now at your local Goodwill Store.  This color looks good on just about everyone, and will definitely be a hue you’ll want to add into your wardrobe.  Think of this color as a neutral. It really looks nice with a lot of other colors. Here are some ideas on how to wear it now…and later!


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Wear this deep fall hue with colors that feel more like warm weather. TREND TIP: The colors shown above are actually from the Fall trend color palate. When worn together, they feel very warm-weather. But, when paired with dark neutrals (like Sugar Almond), they take on an autumn feel.


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This brown hue is easy to wear now and keep cool.  Find an easy light weight pant, and pair it with your favorite summer blouse or t shirt. SHOPPERS HINT: if searching for a paper bag waist pant like above, look for trousers that are in a larger size than you normally wear. The key is to have this style unstructured and slouchy.


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This color looks great with denim blue. Longer skirts are very on-trend this season, finding one in Sugar Almond and pairing it with a denim shirt will look fantastic on you! TREND TIP: Silk and satin skirts are all the rage right now. Look for this style skirt at your Goodwill Store, and don’t be afraid to try something in a different size. Make it your own with a big belt or cutting a slit in the side.


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Once the temperature outside catches up with the calendar, this rich fall color can easily work into the other bold colors of the season. TREND TIP: The darker colors above are also part of this season’s trendy color palate. Prints that have all of these colors in them will be everywhere!


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Adding a shoe or boot in this color will be your favorite go-to this season. And, yes. You can wear black and brown together! SHOPPERS TIP: Shop for basics that are high quality pieces… things you will wear for many years…and of course, pieces you can wear a number of different ways. If you can’t think of 3 different ways to wear something, it might not be a smart addition to your wardrobe.


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You will see a lot of plaid this season, and chances are you’ll see Sugar Almond in many of these prints. A cute skirt and chunky sweater is perfect for cool fall nights. SHOPPERS HINT: look in the men’s section for this color too!


We’d love to see your #dressingroomselfies showing what you found in this color at your Goodwill Store! Post your finds on social media, and use the following hashtags: #GoodwillTrends #KathyFriendStylist

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Five fashion trends this season you need in your wardrobe!

 

There are 5 fashion trends this season you need in your wardrobe.

We waited for Spring to be sprung and waited and waited. All of the sudden, summer is here.  The calendar begs the question what summer clothing is still in your closet from last year? What should you wear again this year? What is a budget-friendly way to add some of the current season fashion trends into your wardrobe?

All great questions.

There are some trends this season that I don’t think are worth investing in. However, there are several from last summer that have stayed for this year. Current summer pieces all have a vintage vibe, making them fun things to hunt for at your local Goodwill store.

5 things you need in your wardrobe this summer

  1. California Dreaming in tie-dye
  2. Strappy low heel sandal
  3. Sensible shorts (walking shorts)
  4. Low-key easy utility pants
  5. Bucket hats

In order to help you look your most fabulous best this summer, I’ve put together some thoughts and ideas for you to bring these trends into your wardrobe world.

1. Tie-Dye

Tie dye is all the rage this season. Because it feels so summer-specific, be sure to get in on the trend now. Typically, tie-dye is a casual print. However, this summer favorite can work in the boardroom too. Here are some ideas on how to bring a little California Dreaming into your wardrobe:

At Work – tie-dye top with your basic suiting pieces. Be sure to tuck in your tie-dye t-shirt and don’t forget layering on the jewelry pieces. Finish the look with a bright sandal.

On the Weekends – re-purpose a Goodwill find into your favorite tie-dye colors for a night out. Be unconventional and try your hand at tie-dyeing a skirt. Parents Magazine has an easy guide to tie-dying.


2. Strappy Low Heel Sandal

The strappy low heel is perfect for everyone…even those who say, “I can’t wear heels”. In fact, this style of sandal will lengthen your legs and add instant sophistication to your summer wardrobe. This shoe trend is one to embrace. I know it will be around for a while. Here are some ways to wear the trend:

At Work – ankle jeans, lacy blouse, and strappy low heel = perfect casual Friday sophistication

On the Weekends – try with your tie-dye t-shirt and cut off jean shorts. Be sure to do a French tuck on the t-shirt.


3. Sensible Shorts

If you want longer shorts, this is your time to shop. This style of short, also known as walking shorts, are great for embracing a more updated feel to suiting trends. These shorts also look great with the season’s crop top looks.

At Work – if it is appropriate in your work environment, pair a walking short with a blazer jacket and silk blouse

On the Weekends – pair with your favorite graphic tee and strappy sandal, add a bucket hat for a fun festival look


4. Utility Clothing

With roots in street-style, the utility feel of many of this season’s clothing harkens back to the edgy notion of the ’80s. Utility pieces are the season’s of-the-moment trend. Although this trend might seem intimidating and hard to style, it doesn’t have to be. Keep the utility feel of your outfit low-key as opposed to head to toe. Contrast those rough pieces with opposing fabrics and styles. Here are some ideas:

At Work – utility pants with your low heel strappy sandal and a silk blouse

On the Weekends – the loose structure of utility pieces are perfect to pair with a crop or tube top


5.  Bucket Hats

I thought the overall hat trend was a fleeting one, but that isn’t the case. Particularly this season try a bucket hat. You won’t be sorry.

At Work – maybe this trend isn’t something to wear inside the office, however on rainy days, throw on a bucket hat to save your hair from the rain

On the Weekends – perfect with everything on your summer agenda, the bucket hat will keep the sun off your face while keeping your outfit cute and sassy

Goodwill Style Makeover – Charlene

Welcome to 2019 and this month’s edition of the Goodwill Style Makeover!

In this Style Makeover post, we will introduce you to Charlene who is a client at Goodwill. She went through the Goodwill Works Program to help her with job skills. She is nominated as this month’s Style Makeover because of her hard work.  As a Goodwill Works Client, Charlene obtained employment with the Goodwill Industries of Michiana corporate office in the custodial services department.  Her co-workers say she is always going above and beyond to help others. They want to thank her with this Style Makeover!

Through this makeover, Charlene stepped back and thought about her style, and what her clothes were saying about her personality  As a result, she is able to make thoughtful changes to her image for 2019. Certainly this is a good “check” for all of us in the New Year.  We hope you enjoy Charlene’s Style Makeover story in this video.

Goodwill Style Makeover – Rebecca

I am thrilled to introduce you to Rebecca.  She is this month’s winner of the Goodwill Style Makeover!  Rebecca has an inspiring story (that you’ll get to hear in a few weeks on this blog)… but before that, I wanted to meet with her and help her gain the “I CAN DO IT” kind of confidence to move toward her goals.  And, sometimes, all that takes is being able to see yourself in a different way… sometimes it just takes a new outfit.

Check out Rebecca’s Style Makeover!

In fashion and friendship,

 

p.s. Are you stuck in a style rut? I’ll post some tips and tricks on how to reclaim your sassy stylish self soon!

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Quick Style Tips – FREE DOWNLOAD

In the last Ambush Makeover Video, you met the ladies from World Harvest Church. I offered them a few simple style tips that made a big difference!

Want to know a few of these style secrets I shared with the group?  Download this month’s FREE DOWNLOAD now!

Download the FASHION DON’T list HERE

Download SUMMER FASHION MISTAKES here

Would YOU like to be a Goodwill Style Makeover winner?  Just CLICK HERE, complete the form and be entered to win!  Be sure to check back in the coming weeks when we have our next Goodwill Style Makeover winner!

In fashion and friendship,

text 2017 all rights reserved

What To Wear? FREE DOWNLOAD

How often do you wonder WHAT TO WEAR?  When you look at your closet, do you feel like nothing in your wardrobe matches the REAL you?

You are not alone.

Did you check out Christi’s  Style Makeover? Christi is in the middle of reinventing herself. Part of that is thinking about WHO she is on the inside, and matching that to who she is showing the world she is on the outside. After talking with Christi, we determined her current style wasn’t delivering the right message about her personality.

What is YOUR style saying about you? Wonder if the clothing you wear matches your personality, goals and perceived image? Take THIS QUIZ to see if it might be time for a Style Makeover!

…and if you think it might be time for a Style Makeover, we would love to have you enter to be our next Style Makeover winner! Just click HERE

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Goodwill Style Makeover – Christi

This month’s Style Makeover winner is Christi. Christi is a mom to a college-aged daughter. Like most moms with adult children, she found herself wondering who she was and felt ready to reinvent herself. We helped her define her fashion style to match who she is on the inside.

For some tips on how you can start to match who you are on the inside with the clothing you are wearing on the outside, check back in a few weeks!  I’ll post a FREE DOWNLOAD tool to help you determine YOUR personal style!

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