Featured Fit: Upcoming Summer Style Feature in the Star Tribune

This week, my focus has been on the impending 26.2 mile jog quickly approaching on Sunday. I have been watching some motivational videos- videos like this one!


This video may be about the St. George marathon (which we ran in 2012, and it was AWESOME), but it still gets me motivated for Flying Pig this weekend! 

"The marathon is merely the reward!"

Anyways, thankfully, today I had a fun little distraction from thinking about the marathon. And this distraction actually fit in well with the “fashion” part of the blog!

Last June, I won a Wardrobe Consultation with A la Mode Wardrobe Consulting via a Silent Auction at a Share Our Strength Hotlist event. It ended up being one of the best items that I have ever won at a silent auction. I found the closet analysis that I did with Carly, the owner of A la Mode, to be incredibly valuable. She really opened up my closet in such a way that I feel like I have so much more to wear! She also gave me so much advice that I continue to use her tips when shopping a year later.  You can read all about my consultation HERE and HERE. I highly recommend Carly as her work is top-notch!

I have stayed in touch with her over social media and whatnot. A few weeks ago, she reached out on Facebook for “regular people” who were willing to participate in a photo shoot for a style feature in the Star Tribune. I’m a “regular” person, so I jumped on that opportunity.

The photo shoot was today at the Star Tribune office. It included four other women of different ages and with totally different “looks”. The photos will be split into three features- one about how to update the maxi dress, how to style a “crop top,” and how to wear a “soft pant.”

I volunteered for the shoot, not knowing which of the three looks I would be wearing, and I ended up modeling the "soft pant." (Thanks goodness- not sure I wanted to bare my midriff in a crop top for all Star Tribune readers!)

What's a soft pant? 
Well, I didn't really know...Apparently, a "soft pant" is the hot look for spring/summer! These pants are often silky, and they look a little like "harem pants." They are often cropped or tapered.

I got to wear these gorgeous Yoana Baraschi cropped aloe lace pants in black and white (Find them HERE:)

               

I found the same pair online at Neiman Marcus, but Carly pulled them for the shoot from a local boutique called MINQ. MINQ is located at the West End (I wrote about their opening party HERE) and now they have added a location at 50th/France!

For the outfit she picked for me, Carly paired the pants with a black sleeveless blouse from Primp (love that place!) and a white silky jacket, also from MINQ  Carly provided earrings and a bracelet, and I provided the shoes (THESE from JCrew Factory)

Mark Navarro was on site to do our hair and makeup, which was a lot of fun. He worked quite quickly, so before I knew it, it was time for the actual photo shoot. 

Now, I have never modeled before, so I am the first to admit I was way out of my element. I tried my hardest not to look too nervous or uptight, but I am not sure how it worked...

The photographer told me to slightly change my pose after each camera click...well, I only have one pose- the "OC Hip." 

...THIS is the "OC Hip"

Yep, the "OC Hip." It's all I got. 

So...It was a little challenging to change my pose after every click, and I'm worried that my awkwardness might be reflected in the pictures. 

But hey, it was a fun experience to play "pretend model" for the day. I enjoyed seeing the fun outfits that Carly picked for the other ladies as well, and I'm looking forward to each of the features in the Star Tribune. 

What are some of the fun summer looks that you are looking forward to? Have you heard of "soft pants?" Do you have any?  I really loved the ones I wore today and would like to find a similar pair at a price that is a little more in my budget (that pair was $218)

Friday's Favorite Fit: The Field Jacket.

By Jess in Minneapolis

Friday's Favorite Fit is coming to you a little late today. It was a busy week with a couple two-a-day workout days, a concert, and then handing out candy for trick-or-treaters last night. We had quite a few adorable kids stop by. Matilda dressed up as an ice cream sundae, and I donned a candy corn hat for the occasion.  All high-fructose corn syrup costumes at our house- (Failed Fit!)

I'm not sure she liked the hat part so much, so that came off pretty quickly. She barked every time the doorbell rang, but at least she didn't jump up and scare all the little kids. By the end of the night, all her "protecting" wore her out, and she was zonked out on the couch by 9 pm.

We also had a visit from an adorable little butterfly named Darla (and her mom, my friend from run club). In fact, the entire run club stopped by during their run! It was such a fun surprise to have so many friends at the door for some mid-run fuel. A very nice surprise.

So, Halloween and whatnot kept me busy this week, but I'm finally getting around to this week's favorite fit which is the Jcrew field jacket.

JCrew isn't the only company that makes a solid field jacket, but they do have several variations of this fall "must-have" and for a reasonable price ($128 now, with an additional 25% off with code SHOPNOW)

If you've been reading for a little while, you may remember the wardrobe consultation that I had with A La Mode Wardrobe Consulting back in June. (If you missed it, you can check it out HERE) One of Carly's recommendations at the time was for me to purchase a field jacket. I put it off, since it was only the beginning of summer, and who was thinking about jackets in June? Yet, I kept the idea in the back of my mind. I must have mentioned it to Dustin at some point, and he actually remembered! I was so excited to find out that he had bought me one for my birthday this year.

Carly had told me I would love this jacket. In fact, she said I would "treasure it for life", and I think she was right. It's such a classic type of jacket, that I think it will be in style for a long time to come. It works with a lot of different ensembles, and is quite useful this time of year!

My jacket is actually the "long" field jacket- find it HERE, though it is currently sold out. I like both the longer length and the short version- whatever works for your body type!

The olive color is versatile, and it is thin enough that you can layer up underneath if necessary, yet it offers the perfect amount of warmth for these fall temps. I have been wearing my field jacket nearly every day to work over the past few weeks!

Emily from the "Life with Emily" style blog listed the JCrew fieldjacket as one of her fall essentials, and she paired it with a bright plaid top, jeans, and boots for a quintessential fall ensemble.

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What's this? Even Michelle Obama is rocking the field jacket this season!

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I think Carly from A La Mode was right. This is the go-to jacket for your fall wardrobe. It works over jeans, skirts, dresses, sweatshirts, whatever! Wear on a date, to the dog park, to work, or to dinner. Wear it anywhere!

The versatility and classic style of this jacket are what make it this week's favorite fit. 

And PS- it looks pretty good on the men too!

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Speaking of men's fashion, I bought Dustin a gift card back in July for his birthday, for a wardrobe consultation with Carly. He's finally cashing in on it this Sunday! I will be sure to share some tips from his consultation. I am excited to see what Carly recommends for him! I enjoyed my consult so much, I am sure he will have a good time as well, and maybe it will help me with some Christmas present ideas for my guy.

Fresh New Fit: "MINQ" and Shopping at the West End

By Jess in Minneapolis

Last Tuesday night, Carly from A la Mode Wardrobe Consulting hosted a Fall Kickoff party at MINQ boutique at the Shops at the West End.

If you're new to the blog, I had a wardrobe consultation with Carly in June. You can read about it HERE and HERE

A few friends of mine joined me at 6 pm on Tuesday to check out the party. The owner of MINQ  Stacy Finnegan, used to have a store at 50th/France in Edina called "Il Vostro Boutique." Whenever I would visit that store, Stacy would select items for me to try on that I never thought I would like, but then they always ended up being some of my favorites items. In fact, she picked out the dress I wore to my own wedding rehearsal, which I loved at the time. I can't believe that was almost five years ago!

With that said, I was excited for the opportunity to check out Stacy's new venture, MINQ  and it didn't disappoint. It carries a lot of upscale brand dresses, such as Laundry and Hale Bob. The store also offers menswear, including Moods of Norway, one of Dustin's favorites.

from MINQ's facebook page

The party included wine and some light appetizers. Carly (the wardrobe consultant) has hired two additional consultants, and they were all on hand to offer advice and fashion tips.

I tried on a few dresses that I liked, (that Stacy suggested, of course!) But I was practical and realized that I didn't really need them right now. I decided to pass on the dresses for now, and instead decided on this orange sweater/jacket instead by Tulle- $80 with 20% off at the party. You can find it at MINQ now!

MINQ also carries this sweater in black, but I thought orange was perfect for the upcoming fall.

After our time at MINQ  we also stopped by the Lululemon a few doors down, and then made our way to Primp, and Anthropologie. Abby found an awesome dress at Anthro for an upcoming wedding, the Spliced Pencil Dress. (I hope she lets me borrow it some time!)

After we were done shopping, we headed over to the "new" Figlio restaurant for dinner. For those of you who knew the old Figlio restaurant, unfortunately, you may be a little disappointed. Dinner was fine, but the atmosphere just isn't the same as the old one. However, the company I was with was great, and it was a fun evening checking out MINQ and all the other great stores at the Shops at the West End! 

I recommend the Shops at the West End for ladies looking for some fun, new fashion at a variety of price ranges, from budget (Primp, Charming Charlie) to the more expensive (MINQ). You'll be surprised at all your options at this shopping destination!

Fresh, New Fit: Wardrobe Consultation with A La Mode Wardrobe Consulting, Part 2!

By Jess in Minneapolis

Where did we leave off with my wardrobe consultation with A La Mode Wardrobe Consulting?

Oh, yes, SHOES! After Carly helped me sort out my weak shoe situation, we moved on to pants and skirts. It was obvious very quickly that I had plenty of bright denim...

...yet I was lacking in basic well-fitting neutral pants. I had plenty of bright but not enough neutral, so she directed me to Banana Republic to purchase a pair of navy cropped skinnies (i.e. the ones I'm wearing below)

....and I picked up a black pair as well. She also noticed that I'm in need of a good pair of white skinny jeans, and she suggested JCrew or Hudson for a pair that actually wouldn't be see-through (a common issue with white jeans.)

As we moved through all my tops, I quickly realized how many similar Deletta tops I had from Anthropologie. At the time that I purchased each one, I thought each one was so unique and funky, but when I saw them all together, I realized they were all the same, and they really weren't that flattering on me. Those shirts quickly went into the discard pile.

Deletta shirts like this green one...

It really was amazing how looking through my clothes through someone else's eyes made me realize just how much stuff I had that

1) Was no longer flattering
2) Was no longer in style
3) ...or even better, could possibly be worn in a fun, new way!

Its true that we discarded a lot of clothes, but what I really loved was how Carly opened up my closet so to speak. She came up with all these great ideas about how to make more of what I already had, by filling in some holes with a few things that would tie things together. She came up with ways to make items that I already had appropriate for work (i.e. paired with the right shoe, a sharp blazer, perhaps a jean jacket). She also paired several different colors together with items I already had, or tops and skirts I had nearly forgotten about!

She was extremely knowledgeable about how to dress for your body type. She spoke about ways to elongate my athletic (i.e. thicker) legs, and even the best way to elongate my arms. She gave me tips to really dress "sharper" and more age-appropriate for work, while still maintaining my personal "bright and bold" style.

So what were these tips? I'll share a few....

1. How to Pair Your Necklaces with Your Tops: Carly was surprised by all my necklaces, but she advised me to wear them with care. With necklaces, try to always create a scoop neck with shorter necklaces paired with a crew neck tops.

Wear your long necklaces with scoops and vees so they come into the top of the blouse.  Try to avoid necklaces that hang past your natural waist as they will look better for your proportions! Wearing a bold necklace often makes an outfit more casual. Be sure to pair all your funky necklaces with something classic, like a blazer.

2. Roll Up Your Sleeves Fold up your long sleeves to three quarter length to elongate wrists.  Three quarter length is the most flattering.  Worst length sleeve? One that ends right on your bicep, the biggest part. Avoid! Rolling up your sleeve works great for blazers and jean jackets.

3. Go crazy on bracelets! Wear as many bracelets as you want, but not thick cuffs, which aren't flattering on the arm. Just go with multiple bangles and thin bracelets. Mix and match textures and colors on the wrist.

4. TUCK IT IN! So important for someone with a body shape like me. She kept emphasizing to me that I needed to tuck it in. The day of the consult, I was wearing a loose flowy tank top (from Forever 21) and some bright blue skinny jeans, and she told me as politely as possible, that the outfit just wasn't working. I needed to tuck it in and belt it up.  As much as you can, tuck in your shirts. Obviously some shirts really shouldn’t be tucked in, but the majority of shirts can be, and it really cleans up the outfit and elongates your body.  Tuck into your shorts, your skinny jeans, and wear a nice skinny belt.

Tuck it in!

5.  Don't Go Too Casual! If you wear a more casual piece (a funky necklace), be sure to dress it up with heels. Casual with casual = sloppy, not business casual appropriate.

6. Match Your Bottom With Something on Top: Match your bottom (shoe) with something on top (necklace, a color in your shirt).  Black/cognac= awesome combination! Don’t necessarily wear black shoes with your black pants.

7. What About Earrings?: Wear drop pendant earrings. They draw attention to the face in a good way. Hoop earrings do nothing to flatter.

8. The Fit of the Shirt: Make sure you can see your bust and your shoulder with the fit of a top. Avoid tops that are so loose on the side that you can't see your shape.

9. Pop Your Collar! Pop the collar of your blazer to elongate the line.

10. Expand Your Wardrobe With Cardigans: Stock up on flattering cardigans- they make your wardrobe that much bigger, as you can pair them with dresses, etc But make sure your layers don’t end at the same point (i.e. the cardigan and the shirt underneath should not both end at your waistline. The under-shirt should be tucked, unless it’s a long flowy top under.)

11. Not So Many Tom's....Tom’s are great, but they read very casual, and they don’t always flatter with shorts. Usually a sandal is better at elongating the leg. 

Please remember, while these were great tips for ME, every person's consultation would be different. From our initial discussion about what I wanted to gain out of the meeting, Carly knew that I was looking to dress better for work and dress my AGE for work. Another person's goal might be to "funk" things up a bit more. Some of you might actually have too much neutral stuff in your closet, whereas I had the opposite issue.

I highly recommend hiring Carly for personalized advice for your wardrobe needs. I really found it extremely valuable, and enjoyed every minute!

**In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I purchased a gift card for her to do the same consultation for Dustin...shhh! It's a birthday surprise!

You can read more about A la Mode Wardrobe Consultants at her website here: http://www.alamodewc.com

Or her blog: http://alamodewc-blog.com

Or go like it on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/À-La-Mode-Wardrobe-Consulting/345303155495390?directed_target_id=0 

Fresh New Fit: Wardrobe Consultation with A La Mode Consulting!

By Jess in Minneapolis

Yesterday was my wardrobe consultation with A La Mode Wardrobe Consulting.

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I won a gift card for this service at the HotList event a few weeks ago (read about it HERE) I was a little apprehensive as to what the session would entail, but Carly (the stylist) put me at ease right away. We started with a series of questions about my personal style. It seemed to help her understand what I wanted to gain out of the consultation, and it was actually pretty fun to chat about it what I like and don't like...Who doesn't like talking about themselves and clothes just a bit? :-)

After the questions, we headed up to my closet to start the session! We began with shoes, then "bottoms" (pants and skirts), then dresses, and then all my tops. It actually took quite a long time (over three hours!) to go through it all. I was shocked by how much we rejected. I have four big garbage bags full of clothes that I'm getting rid of...and that is AFTER I just hosted a fashion swap in April!

But seeing my clothes through someone else's eyes made me realize just how much I was holding onto that was either 1) not in style or, 2) didn't actually fit me. Lots of times I was holding onto items that I used to love, but honestly didn't love anymore, so it was time to part ways. All I needed was a little push!

I'll share more of Carly's specific advice in a future post, but let's take this one step at a time.

Let's start with the shoes. Unlike LL, who has more of shoe obsession than me, I knew going into my consult that I was lacking a bit in the shoe department. Carly pointed out that you can have the greatest outfit, but the whole look can be ruined by the wrong shoes. So right away, I took her advice on how to complete my "shoe" wardrobe. As much as I love Tom's (it WAS one of my Friday favorite fits), they really aren't appropriate for business casual, except perhaps on a Friday.  My shoe collection was lacking, and I was ready to invest in some improvements.

My closet was full of funky statement skirts and plenty of bold necklaces. We both agreed that I had more than enough bright....What I was clearly lacking, however, were the neutral basics that bring it all together, and the first place I needed some work was in the shoe department.

Carly suggested a neutral wedge that could be worn to work. Specially, she guided me towards the Ralph Lauren Cecilia wedge. Its available in several bold colors, but I resisted the temptation to go for marigold or fushia. Instead, I followed Carly's advice and purchased the neutral silver pair.

Find them HERE for just $54.99!

Carly also quickly noticed that I was lacking a flat leather sandal that could also work for work, so she suggested the Lucky "Covela". 

Find them HERE for just $54.99!

She also suggested the Cece leather ballet flat from JCrew in a neutral shade. This was the most expensive shoe, but she sold me when she said that all her clients swear by it. They say its worth the investment and its really comfortable. Sold!

Find them HERE for $138

Finally, she  advised me to purchase an ankle boot this fall and another neutral wedge for work. I plan to keep looking for sales on these items, but I needed to pace myself a little for the budget, you know what I mean?

Our focus this session was primarily on summer footwear for work,with an emphasis on classy multi-purpose neutral shoes. I have a lot of bright shoes, plenty of casual shoes, and way too many dated, worn out shoes- (not anymore- I got rid of all those!) Seriously, I was due for an update, and I think the shoes Carly picked out will get a lot of wear!

(Um...you would not believe how many pairs of old running shoes were lurking in my closet corners! I will donate all but one old pair for dog parking, etc)

I'll share more of her tips for completing my wardrobe soon...hopefully you will find them helpful for your own styling needs!