Embrace Your Personal Style

I recently started reading the book Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style by Kate Betts and I am really touched by her message. She uses Michelle as an example but the book is mainly about the power of personal style and she's managed to articulate the way I feel about style better than I think I ever have. The opening paragraph of her book is as follows:

"In many cultures - French, Italian, Russian, and Japanese, to name a few - why style matters is self-evident and arguing in defense of it is like arguing on behalf of music or art or even clean water and fresh air. But Americans are ambivalent about style. We are by turns attracted to and afraid of style, fascinated and suspicious. We confuse it with transient fashion trends and logo-splashed clothes. Too often American women subvert their sense of style and don a uniform instead. They play it safe so as not to detract from their intellecual contributions. Style is frivolous; style is for airheads. Tenacious conventions pit style against substance and suggest we have to choose one or the other as a defining focus or sensibility: you can work for shoes and bags or you can work for world peace. But not both."

I sometimes worry that other people think what I do is superficial or frivolous and I have to stop and remind myself that I don't think it's silly. I think style can be so powerful. There is a quote that I believe is from Chanel and I cannot find it at the moment but it says something to the effect of, your clothes do not change who you are but they can change how you feel and that, in turn, can change who you are. Feeling good in what you wear and how you look can give you confidence, which can change your life. Once you've changed your life and are happy in it, you can move on to changing and improving the world around you. You can have fabulous shoes and bags and world peace. Plus, it's just nice to be surrounded by beauty. It's part of human nature to be attracted to things that are visually appealing and we all tend to be happier and more relaxed when we're surrounded by things that comfort us and that we find attractive. So, don't worry that the people at the office won't take you seriously or that your intelligent friends will think you're silly for dressing with style. In fact, the confidence you gain by doing so will make people stop, think again and take you seriously for you who are and what you have to contribute.

I Can Relate: A Personal Shopper's Tale of Shopping Frustration

My fiance and I have been working on our wedding registry lately and after several slightly overwhelming trips to Crate and Barrell, Bed, Bath and Beyond and Bloomingdale's, I had an epiphany: I finally truly understand how my clients must feel when they're shopping for clothes because I feel the same way trying to shop for housewares. I don't really enjoy it as much as shopping for clothes, I don't really get excited about water glasses or toasters, I don't feel like I have all the information I need to shop efficiently and successfully so I end up spending a lot of time trying to figure it out and I don't really have as good a sense of style for my home because there's definitely a different approach to things you use everyday than items you can change multiple times a day if you feel like it. But, at the same time, it's important to me to have things that work well for my home and add a sense of style to my life. I could really use someone to just come in and tell me: what is the best cookware brand for the best price? Where is the best place to shop for china? What kitchen appliances do I really need? What is my personal home style?

This made me think about what I do for my clients. When my clients first come to me, they generally don't like to shop that much, they don't have the information they need to shop efficiently and successfully, and they don't have a good sense of their personal style or what works well for their bodies and lifestyle. I help my clients figure out where to splurge and where to save, what are the best brands for the best price, where is the best place to shop for jeans, which items of clothing and accessories they really need and what is their personal style? I walk them through the process so they don't have to spend time figuring it out on their own.

I know it would save me a ton of time and money if I had a personal shopper to help walk me through this process of shopping for my home. This is a whole new shopping experience for me.

The Search for the In Between: Walkable Wedges

I'm always looking for those 'in between' pieces for my wardrobe: things that are not too dressy but not too casual, stylish but comfortable too, things that can go from day to night, be worn to work and on the weekend. These are the things that my clients have the hardest time with. They're always telling me they need more versatile pieces and the key to versatility in your wardrobe is to go for the in between; look for pieces that are not too work but not too weekend, not too day but not too evening, not too trendy but not unstylish. One of the categories I have the hardest time with is shoes, I find everything to be either a fabulous (and uncomfortable) high heel or a too casual flat. When I'm working with my clients, getting down and dirty in their closets or walking around the shops for six hours, it's not practical to wear a three inch heel but I also don't want to be in flip flops. So, join me on my search for some walkable wedges to get me through the rest of the season and into the beginning of fall. The ideal walkable wedge will give me at least a little bit of height without being too tall and will take me from a client appointment to dinner with friends to a weekend outing - AND they'll be in a neutral color so they'll match everything I own. Is that too much to ask for?

1. Clarks Thimble Flash$65.50

2. Kelsi Dagger Kassa $66.75

3. Giuseppe Zanotti Design $510

4. Enzo Angiolini Lamella $69

5. Michael Michael Kors Flex Demi Wedge $89

6. Clarks Thimble Clover Sandal $71.99

What to Wear: A Day at the Beach

1. Icon Eyewear "Maureen" Sunglasses from Nordstrom $10
2. Beach Linen Pull-on Pant from Victoria's Secret $27.60
3. Slung Scarf Tank from Anthropologie $88
4. Giovannio Fedora from South Moon Under $28
5. Green Bikini Top $25 and Bottom $15
6. Havaianas Slim Flip Flops from Zappos $24

Fourth of July weekend at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
thrifted top, Melissa Odabash pants from Everything but Water, fedora picked
up on a Greek island, shades from Nordstrom, thrifted bangles

I'm Still Here!

I have been so busy with my wonderful clients over the past year that my blog has been on bit of a hiatus. I just wanted to send a quick note that I am still here! I am still sending out newsletters periodically so please sign up to the right if you are not on that list. And I hope to get back into blogging again soon. Please let me know if there is anything you'd like to see more of on this blog in the future.

Thanks!

Cathy Phillips

Outfit inspiration: Black on Black

I usually love a lot of color but sometimes an all black outfit can be the quickest way to a chic look when inspiration is failing you.

-Cardy from Target

-Dress from Nordstrom Junior's Department

-Necklace from Francesca's

-Black leggings

-Steve Madden boots from South Moon Under

Bump it Up, The Ultimate Maternity Style Guide

I get a lot of questions from clients, readers and friends and family about maternity style. Dressing your changing body throughout and after pregnancy is a major challenge. Finally, preggers everywhere have a style guide to help them through the difficulty. Style expert, Amy Tara Koch has just released her buzzed-about pregnancy style bible, Bump It Up: Transform you Pregnancy into the Ultimate Style Statement and will be in DC this Sunday to celebrate the launch. Details above. See you there!