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BY CATHERINE CASSIDY Apple might be one of the more frustrating body types. Especially when you gain weight, as the majority of it hits your waistline. Your body has it’s narrowest point above the natural waist, at the ribs. You also probably have pretty rockin’ legs! A few celebs with Apple bodies:
Their keys to successful style:
The second best for you are wrap tops and dresses. These don’t fit too tight and the way they wrap across your body creates the look of a beautiful waist and perfect curves. Remember: No matter your size, it’s all about balancing proportions to create the look of that perfect hourglass ideal shape (which, by the way, only about 2% of women have the luxury of flaunting). Add a belt
Lengthen the Torso
Wear tops that fit your figure – skimming the body. Definitely not tight, but not too loose either. Ideally, this includes a v-neck as well as a bit of tailoring to keep a shape and structure. This tunic from Joie is an excellent example. Dark on Top A-line Dresses & Skirts
Goes back to three things I’ve highlighted – skimming your top half, empire waists, and accentuating your great legs. Need I say more? Skinny Pants |
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Tags: Apple Body Type, Brand Image, Dress for Success, Dressing your Body Type, Personal Style, Personal Stylist Los Angeles, Successful Women, Wardrobe Consulting
Building a Wardrobe You Love
1) Asses the Situation
Go into your closet and think about what you love about it and what you never really feel comfortable in. Are there colors that you gravitate towards? Designers? Items you wear ALL the time? Others you NEVER wear?
Start mixing and matching and trying to put things together in fresh and new ways. No, I mean really new. Don’t be afraid to create new color combos, mix prints or fabrics, or play with shapes.
Are there any trends that you’ve been seeing in the magazines? Try to look at your pieces in new ways. Could you possibly create the boyfriend blazer look with an age-appropriate black cardigan? Alter an old blouse that’s now too big to create something more tailored?
While assessing your situation, consider your job and lifestyle as well as the image you want to project.
Now that you know what you have, consider what you really want from your wardrobe …
2) Look for Inspiration
Look back to old movies and movies stars for style guidance and inspiration for looks that last. Remember, fashion is cyclical. This is not the first time we’ve seen skinny jeans and mini-skirts!
Again, what works for you? How can you interpret for yourself? What is the image you want to project?
Also, look to current public figures for style guidance for what’s more current.
Start to look through fashion magazines with the intention of defining your style. You’d be surprised at how certain looks and colors speak to you. Start tearing these out to refer back to. And why not create a vision board? Or, add a style section to your current board. Style is as much a part of yourself and your vision for yourself as is your career aspirations. In fact, they tend to go hand in hand.
3) Invest in Classics
There are certain wardrobe basics that simply won’t go out of style and are worth investing in. If you can find these on sale (it does happen!), even better.
For instance, that LBD (or it could be your signature color version of an LBD) that looks amazing on you will always be appropriate. Or a great black suit. Definitely those perfect black slacks and a crisp white blouse. Oh, and amazing costume jewelry. If it’s inherited from a stylish relative, even better!
Once more, consider your lifestyle and needs. What are your Classics?
4) Update, but know when to Spend
Again, keeping it appropriate to your lifestyle but I’ve found that buying a few new pieces a season gets you reinvigorated to play with your style. Especially if you can find 5 new ways to wear it!
Also, there are some things that never go on sale and some that will always. It helps to have the help of an expert (whether a stylist or a salesperson) who can guide you.
My rule of thumb is that most contemporary (like BCBG, Nanette Lepore, Trina Turk, etc.) or chain brand items (Banana, Gap, J Crew) will go on sale, while higher end designers (price point of $600 and above) won’t. This is basically due to units produced. Higher end designers usually have much more limited production runs and their items tend to be more unique, so there isn’t a need for them to go on sale. It’s luck of the draw for these items to go on sale, but it does happen … you just have to be savvy!
5) Forget about SIZE
Seriously. It pretty much means nothing. If you buy designer you’re probably going to go up at least a size, if not two. If you buy American or Chain, you’ll probably go down a size. It’s all a mental play and I don’t want you to buy into it.
What you DO need to buy into is what looks AMAZING on you.
Seriously, I was just helping someone who was wearing a size 12, yet everyone who saw her trying on the dress was just taken aback by how stunning she looked.
Why?
Because she was rocking the body she had in a size that fit her well.
Enough said.
6) PLAY with Clothes!
Again, just make it fun. Fashion shouldn’t be so serious.
The only thing serious about it is the power that great style has to transform our inner confidence.
So, don’t be afraid to try new things. Take risks! Some may work, some might not. Either way, you’re getting closer to your TRUE style and having fun.
And please be sure to inject color. It’s such an easy mood enhancer. If you’re feeling down or tired in the morning, you need a bit of green, purple, red, or pink in your life for the day. Please! Add color! Have fun! Play!
Tags: Closet Cleaning, closet makeover, Fashion Tips. Fashion, Personal Styling, personal stylist, Secrets of Six Figure Women, Sex and the City, Style, Style Makeover, Successful Women
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BY CATHERINE CASSIDY
This is a great passion of mine. I left the crazy busy world of corporate Fashion because of my need to really make a difference and affect the lives of women. It really goes back to my time working at Nordstrom while in college. It felt really great being able to help a woman who was not at all looking forward to shopping for an outfit for an event, yet by the end of our time together she was actually pretty excited to go show off her new look. This was the beginning of my experience with empowering women to feel amazing about themselves. Of course, I had no idea at the time that’s what I was doing. Have you felt the movement in this past year of Women Empowering Women? It’s been brewing for a while, but we’re seeing it come to the forefront now. What I love is the beautiful transformation it’s allowing for women. First we were the happy homemakers, then we were so focused on our career and now we’re moving into the era where we’re balancing both … always working on doing it with grace and ease. The beauty of it is that we can have it all. Even more beautiful, is that we’re realizing that we’re not doing it on our own. We can’t. This is how women are empowering women. We are stepping into our true feminine power. And we’re doing it with the support of a community of women behind us. I know I am. And I know I couldn’t do it any other way. If you’re looking for more inspiration to this, I encourage you to revisit my posting of the keynote speech at the USC Women’s Conference by Gayle Garner Roski. Even more, this is a global movement. Women in the states are working SO hard to empower and enrich the lives of women in developing countries. Fair trade is a huge part of it. You may remember the interview I shared with Erika Mosebach of Global Daughter. I am so passionate about supporting her business because Global Daughter is giving women in Nepal an opportunity to support themselves and their families. All it takes to support these women is purchasing their fair trade items. It’s beautiful simplicity. The final piece of women empowering women is YOU. We are so lucky to be naturally supportive of each other. What woman doesn’t give SO much of herself for others. However, we’re also realizing that it’s OK to do things just for ourselves. Wow. I think that’s huge. So I put two challenges to you for this week: 2) What are you going to do for yourself? To empower yourself? What will make you feel absolutely fantastic about yourself? |
Tags: Dress for Success, Empowered Woman, Fair Trade, Friendship, Lifestyle, Nepal, Personal Style, Powerful Women, Successful Women, Women supporting Women
A Book Review
BY CATHERINE CASSIDY
Like most things that are marketed as ’secrets’ this book share secrets that are really just reminders of things that we already know.
Of course, this is a lot of the reason why two heads will always be better than one – sometimes you need a little nudge to get you moving in the right direction.
Especially when that nudge is so thoroughly outlined and researched with poignant quotes galore!
In reading through the Secrets of Six Figure Women, I found myself nodding my head in agreement. However, there were a few things that really stuck out to me, so I’ll share the highlights here:
Successful High Earners vs. Hard Driven High Earners
Successful High Earners work passionately, sensibly and are purpose driven while striving for balance. They believe working hard doesn’t mean working all the time. They “think in terms of trade-offs, not sacrifices to find a workable equilibrium.”
Hard Driven High Earners are “superwomen on steroids” for whom working is an addiction and completely money driven. They are much more likely to burn out and eventually have to review their purpose and refocus their efforts.
Placing Value on our Skills
You and I both know it, we’re guilty of prioritizing others needs in front of our own. We’re natural caregivers. This is an amazing trait and the most significant difference between men and women. What Six Figure Women realize is that “we have to learn to take care of ourselves first, and not feel guilty” instead of feeling guilty whenever they do something for themselves. As one woman put it, “I had to learn to value myself before I could give to others.”
A key problem for under-earners (the term coined for those not making six or seven figures) was that the money was always secondary. Ironically, this doesn’t change for Six Figure Women. What does change is the value and understanding these women have about money. What they realize is that the more money they make, the more they can give. More importantly, they realize that they are worth this money that they are making. So, they actually give themselves opportunities to make the income they deserve.
This means speaking up when a raise, higher hourly or a promotion is deserved. More often than not, these women got what they asked for. And, if they didn’t, they realized they had a choice to make – accept the lower pay or find a way to get more elsewhere.
Setting the Intention
Setting an intention to make a certain income was a recurring them as well. The most important aspect of this was the determination to reach their ultimate goal. This required a lot of inner work for these women – letting go of what was holding them back (whether naysayers, toxic relationships, unfulfilling jobs, etc) and moving on. More than just the intention, was the PURPOSE. This purpose let to higher fulfilment and required them to get in the game to WIN, not just working not to lose. Quite a different perspective!
Seeking Support
Setting an intention to make six or seven figures is no small feat for anyone – male or female. Support becomes a huge factor in success as these women stretched themselves beyond what they’d every imagined. Do you think they were a bit out of their comfort zone? To step into their power, they found support through their friends and family (and let go of those who weren’t supportive. They also found support through TRUE BELIEVERS and WAY SHOWERS. I though this was an incredibly interesting distinction outside of general support.
TRUE BELIEVERS constantly tell you ‘you can do it! go for it!’ while WAY SHOWERS have been down the route you’re about to travel and show you the way. “They inspire us to set our intention high and stick to it when our faith falls short.”
So, if you’re not a Six Figure Woman yet … why not? I know you can. And if you are, are you considering the jump to being a Seven Figure Woman now?
To your abundance!
Tags: Financial Security, Financial Wisdom, High Earners, High Income Women, Intention, Investing, Purpose, Rich Women, Smart Money, Smart Women, Success, Successful Women