MissusSmartyPants Personal Profile Style ArticleVolume 8 Week 15 April 11, 2013

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From Frumpy to Fabulous

Got a casual lifestyle? Has your daily wardrobe become so casual that you are finding it hard to pull something together that’s even remotely stylish? Perhaps you are feeling frumpy more often than you are feeling pretty and now you’re starting to worry you'll get stuck in this ‘unstyled’ state. No worries. This week at MissusSmartyPants.com we are examining ways to take your way-too-casual clothes and create a few stylish ‘go-to’ outfits.

Why is it some women look stylish while wearing just a tee-shirt and jeans? Yet your tee-shirt and jeans combo looks boring???

Go from frumpy (on left) to fabulous (on right)...

What makes the ‘jean’ outfits (pictured above) different...

On left: On right:

Loose fit top/bottom Body skimming pieces

Boring, lacks color Fun color is added w/ accessories & shoes

No effort was used Some thought was taken to create this look

Yes, it does take more than just a tee-shirt and jeans to make your casual look into a fabulous look! But in reality, it’s really not all that difficult to do. With a bit of understanding of what you should ADD to your tee-shirt and jeans you can create a nice casual look everyday. It’s all about using your creative noggin (that’s your head) and adding an extra piece (a fitted jacket, standout jewelry, colorful shoes/handbag, a scarf, or funky earrings, etc).

Shorts and a shirt get ‘dressed up’ by adding a fitted jacket, a complimentary colored handbag and a slight heeled sandal!

Effortless-chic style is NOT effortless! You know the saying, “Practice makes perfect”? Well, it’s a good one. Practice everyday adding an accessory, fun shoes or colorful sweater/short-sleeved jacket, etc to your basic wardrobe pieces. This will take

you from looking plain and boring to stylish and interesting. Practice ‘dressing up’ your casual clothes. Mix your casual pieces with dressy pieces and add unique accessories and pretty color combinations for more pizzazz.

STOP saving your “fancy” pearl necklace for that next cocktail party! Wear it TODAY and any day for that matter! (It’s like the fine china...stop saving the good stuff)

Build your casual-chic wardrobe by using only a few core pieces in 3 or 4 colors.

Your mix and match wardrobe potential will increase dramatically (because everything ‘goes together’)! Fewer pieces in a fewer colors means everything work together. It’s the addition of your choice of fun and funky shoes, stylish handbags and unique jewelry that all helps bring together your casual-chic style and make it uniquely yours.

How to be Casual Chic:

Mix it up. Realize in order to have a casual wardrobe that’s truly stylish you are successfully mixing your work and play clothes together (notice the photo above...casual striped tee worn with dressy pearls).

Another example is: a dress blazer (worn normally to the office) having the sleeves pushed or rolled-up and worn with your denims on the weekend.

Wear contrasting styles together. For example, wear a dressy ruffled or lace blouse (one that you would wear w/ a work skirt or dress slack) and match it up with your favorite jeans. Add ONE colorful accessory. Ta da! You’ve instantly created a fabulous casual look!

Take the lace shirt (you normally wear to work with pencil skirt or dress slacks) now wear it w/ denims and add a ‘pop of color’ accessory! Instantly fabulous!!!

Play with color. Use accessories to add color. Wear something monochromatic (and/or classic in style) then add a pop of color with your shoes OR handbag. Pull a color out of a print you are wearing and use that color in an accessory.

Below a classic navy/white striped tee-shirt becomes more stylishwith the addition of a floral-print scarf that contains the same navy color...

This outfit below really comes ALIVE because of the addition of the unexpected aqua-colored pendant necklace!

Without the unique color of this necklace...the outfit would be more ho-hum.

Feel the difference. Mix soft, shiny and textured fabrics. For example, denims with a dressy leather bomber jacket. Or a satin blouse with white city shorts and laced-up espadrilles would be another example.

Dressier leather-trimmed jacket, casual jeans and ‘pop of color’ handbag...

Accessories rock--and so will your style! There’s no doubt about it—your accessory choices are the icing on the cake. They can make or break your casual-chic vibe. Remember—just don’t overdue your accessories. Too many is chaotic and over-kill.

Let your style happen. Casual style should look “effortless”. Don’t look too contrived or like you are trying too hard. If it looks too “matchy-matchy” take off at least ONE accessory (just like Coco Chanel said) and you’ll look just fine. Check out your look in your full-length mirror before you head out the door.

Think about making a statement. Yes, you are now a stylish woman and you deserve the attention you are going to get!

Let ONE accessory you are wearing make the statement. Let one item be the focal point or star of the show...like a showy necklace OR chandelier earrings OR 3 stacked bangles. For example, if you wear a showy necklace, your earrings should be a plain stud or small hoop earring, or none at all (the earrings would play the supporting role to the lead necklace). Get it?

Add fun accessories to your casual stuff for a fabulous look...

Keep it simple. Don’t overcomplicate things. Don’t mix too many prints, styles or wear too many accessories at one time. Casual stylish look should look SIMPLE.

Stop wearing jeans! No, don’t...but DO consider adding in more skirts and dresses to your new stylish casual look! I mean really, what could be easier on a hot summer day than slipping on a dress??? Nothing.

Make skirts & dresses a big part of your ‘new’ fabulous casual look this season!

A tucked in cardi, an A-line pleated skirt and flats...easy-peasy style!

FIT makes you fabulous! Baggy and sloppy belong in the same sentence--and NOT on your body! Fit matters and it always will. No matter your age, size, body type or height--be the best version of you by wearing great fitting clothes. Embrace who you are and your style will rock. Great fitting basics make you look fabulous. Period, the end.

KISS! Keep IT Simple Stupid (I mean Silly)! No need to make things difficult.

1. Great fitting basics 2.A fly-away cardigan that compliments your seasonal coloring 3.A statement necklace...

(Below) Yoga pants are great...for yoga (duh) and around the house.

Basic pieces are simple to dress up: Dark straight denims, a navy tank, a tan cardigan quickly get ‘dressed up’

by the simple addition of a brown belt and boots!

You can do this too!

Keep it easy at home, dress it up to go out! Some days we aren’t going anywhere and don’t want to dress up at all and in fact; those yoga pants (pictured above) are calling our name! I get it. Not everyday is a fashionable day. However, you’ve got to practice getting your style together on days you might need it.

By learning/practicing how you are going to dress up your wardrobe basics--you can be ready for anything. When someone rings your doorbell or you have to quickly head out the door; adding a fun accessory, a pop of color and changing your shoes to stylish flats--you are fabulously stylish! You might even want to consider investing (or if you sew, making) a few aprons to cover-up your clothes while you work around the house.

A basic top gets ‘dressed up’ for running errands by simply adding a skinny belt to your ‘at-home’ look...

A printed sundress proves its more versatile by a quick accessory and shoe change...

Putting together new fabulous casual outfits can be done by using most of what you already own. You may need to add a few things (missing basics) add some new trendy accessories or update your sandals. That’s it.

Remember, you’ve got to practice to make “perfect”. Stand in front of your full-length mirror and try on lots of these stylish combinations you see in this article. COPY THESE OUTFITS to get your style going...then start creating your own!

Love, Leslie MSP

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