I’m always encouraging my clients and seminar attendees to only keep what they deem to be beautiful and useful. That can certainly be difficult to determine when considering an entire wardrobe.
I’m thrilled to introduce a new friend of mine to you today that can help!
Carly Gatzlaff,owner and stylist of A La Mode Wardrobe Consulting, had some absolutely fabulous feedback on some of my burning fashion and styling questions:
{H} : I love the series you’ve been featuring on your blog highlighting dressing for your body type – What are some key areas (on the clothing or our body)that we should focus in on when trying to determine if a garment is a good fit on our individual body type?
{C} : First and foremost, we need to show a waist, whether we have one or even if we need to fake it. Finding garments with good structure that have seaming, definition, or a shape that defines the waist (like a faux wrap) are key to every body type.
{H} : What are top colors and styles for fall and winter this 2012 season?
{C} : In terms of color, rich jewel tones are all the rage. A dark plumy/maroon is definitely the color of the season, along with rich emerald greens, camels, royal blues, and mustard. General styles for work are definitely in the skirt/dress realm, while for casual a skinny pant with riding boots and layering tops definitely reigns supreme. A fun take on this is a shorter bootie, used in place of a riding boot, with an ankle pant or rolled straight leg denim.
{H} : How can we determine what is our personal best color to wear?
{C} : Most of my clients definitely have a good feel of their colors from trying things on, however, when in doubt remember two things. First, never match your skin tone and second pay attention to what you get compliments on. I often find most things clients say they get compliments on are garments that are their worst pieces (or craziest that just do not work), however with colors the compliments they receive are always right!
{H} : Who are some of your personal style icons?
{C} : Oye…..that is a tough one, and ironically one of the first questions I ask all of my clients! Blake Lively, Diane von Furstenburg, Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere, and Miranda Kerr are a few of my favorites.
{H} : How do you help clients discover their own personal style?
{C} : I start every first meeting talking with my clients for around a half hour, just figuring out their lifestyle, their loves, and what makes them tick. This is a great start, however the first thing I look at with my clients in their closets are their shoes. You can tell a LOT about a woman or man from their shoes! From there, it is all about directing them into a style and clothing that fits their personality and most importantly their day to day life!
{H} : Are the latest styles and trends for everyone?? What do you tell a client who’s maybe just a bit fearful of pulling off trendy fashions?
I {Heidi} personally would like to feel more ‘hip’ and on-trend when it comes to fashion – but sometimes I feel like I might not be able to pull off a certain look (for example, the ‘skinny jean’ – I see them all over, yet every time I try a pair on, I just can’t pull the purchase trigger –) How do you determine what to try and what to leave on the rack when it comes to trendy fashion statements? Can there be a healthy marriage between the trendy and the basics??
{C} : My entire business is about the marriage of classics and trends.
I am all for trying what is current, however always base appointments around what will stand the test of time. While shopping with clients, I make everyone try on things they may not becomfortable with, however that I know will be great on their body types. Some clients are more open than others, however I don’t think I have ever finished an appointment where my clients were not super enthused with the new trend. (I get tons of e-mails weeks afterwards of clients loving their skinny pants…Heidi I think you need some!)
I think a lot of it comes down to being with someone you trust that is not selling you clothes, yet is giving you honest feedback. When trying something new I always encourage clients to try and incorporate just one new/scary thing into outfits. Keep the rest of the outfit simple with things that you already feel great in to get used to wearing a new trend. This is also a great way to blend classics and trends, use one trendy piece in your outfit and keep the rest classic. You will appear updated, but still refined! As for the skinny denim, everyone should have a dark wash pair that has a little gapping by the ankle (not skin tight) I have put every women from a 00 petite to a 24 in them and every body type does great. The main thing to remember is to vary your proportion, so to use skinnies with something not skin tight on the top.
{H} : What pieces should every woman have in her wardrobe and why?
{C} :
-A great flat: comfortable, classic, and uber flattering
-A great dark wash denim: No whiskering or butt spangles! Perfect for day or night
-An almond shaped toe heel or wedge: Dressing anything up in an instant and gives you a great leg line:
-A basic scoopneck white tee: No one has this, but you need it for layering!
Sounds simple…..but so many closets I am in are lacking in these must haves that are timeless, seasonless, and work great on everyone!
{H} : What are some of your favorite shops and retailers and why?
{C} : JCrew: Timeless and superb quality, Banana Republic: Fun takes on the classics, Gap: Cannot beat them for basics, Hot Mama: Great denim, Francesca’s: The hidden gem for accessories
{H} : What (in your opinion) are a few of the best brands of jeans that offer the most flattering fit at an affordable cost?
{C} : Gap and Banana always have great fit for a more modest budget. Citizens and Joe’s for premium denim. Denim, shoes, and handbags are the three places I think every person should invest the most their budget can take…it makes a huge difference and is worth it as they are things you use constantly!
{H} : Tell us a little about the services you offer, as well as the individual approach you take as a Wardrobe Consultant:
(Is it at all like Stacy London of TLC’s, ‘What Not to Wear’?? *smile*)
{C} :I grew up watching What not to wear, and while I think I am nicer than Stacy and Clinton, the process is very similar.
The two main things I do are closet analysis and personal shopping. In a closet analysis, I help my clients weed through their wardrobe, get rid of what does not work for their body type and lifestyle, and style outfits with what they already own. I then follow up by sending them a shopping list with holes I saw in their closet that when purchased, will create the wardrobe and style they were dreaming of. For shopping, every client is a little different in what they need, but I pre-shop for clients and then take them shopping. A typical trip is three hours long in which we can accomplish a full seasons wardrobe. For clients whom hate shopping, are confused about their style, don’t have the time to shop, or just need to shake things up, the shopping trip is a game changer.
I cannot think of a better feeling in the world than completing a closet analysis and shopping trip with a client who is so down on style and at the end cannot stop smiling or talking about how life changing the process was. Especially for my female clients, the self confidence gained by many women is absolute bliss for me!
Carly & Clients at Twin Cities Live
Wasn’t that fantastic!!?
Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom and expertise with us, Carly! Maybe you’ll get me into my own pair of skinnies yet, and I’m now dying to know what your first impression of my shoes was! 🙂 ~H
-Carly Gatzlaff is owner and stylist with À La Mode Wardrobe Consulting. Working with both males and females in the Twin Cities, she specializes in closet analysis and personal shopping. Interested in learning more about À La Mode? Visit the website at www.alamodewc.com and make sure to like À La Mode on facebook, sign up fortheirnewsletter, and follow the blog for ongoing fashion updates!
This is the second installment of a series of articles where I’ll be presenting common obstacles in getting {and staying} organized.
Do you ever find yourself wishing there were more hours in the day to dedicate toward your organizing goals?
The way we spend our time is one of the biggest indicators of what we truly value in life. If getting organized is a value and goal you want to achieve, it must become a priority – and it will require your time.
To understand where your time goes, it is important to assess how you actually spend it.
Try a TIME AUDIT…
Make an intentional effort to observe where your time is going by recording how you spend your time in a typical week. For the next few days (or even a whole week), I encourage you to record everything you spend your time on with the help of TIME USE CHART. (click link for example)
By recording how much time you dedicate to your activities and accomplishments during a typical day/week, you’ll be able to observe your time usage (for better or worse) more objectively. You may be surprised to learn just how much (or little!) time certain activities really take day-to-day.
Once your audit is complete, ask yourself if what you’re spending time on is truly aligned with your top life goals and priorities.
Is the time you are spending on____________ worth it?
Ask yourself, “Will this help me accomplish my life (or organizational) goals?”
If not, it may be time to re-evaluate how you’re spending your time so that it’s more reflective of what your priorities are.
Need some help?
Organizing Expert, Maria Garcia, recommends making a comprehensive list of things you are actively spending your time on. (a time audit exercise will help with that).
Once your list is complete label each as follows:
A. : Highly contributes to goals and dreams
B. : Somewhat contributes
C. : Doesn’t contribute to my goals and dreams at all
In order to achieve your goals and dreams, work hard to eliminate the C’s
Then, EVALUATE – Take an honest look at your time audit, and work toward creating a time ‘budget’ by assigning pockets of time toward certain activities required for your top 5 life priorities.– Can you identify what activities and/or events are possibly a little too ‘heavy’ compared to the time and attention required somewhere else?? Need some help?
Consider if you could/should;
1. Moderate – can you simply lessen the time commitment you give to __________?
2. Delegate – Can someone else in the family take over the responsibility for ____________? (could you possibly even pay someone to do_______, so you have more time for ___________?)
or
3. Eliminate – Though painful, sometimes the best choice is to simply step away from an activity or commitment (even if it is a GOOD thing) in order to re-align how your time is spent to reflect the current priorities in your life. Perhaps you will be able to return to it one day, but at least be willing to consider this option in the interest of the best balance within your family life…
While the initial process of ‘getting’ organized by setting up strategic systems and routines is admittedly large in the beginning, the time (and sanity!) that you’ll save in the long run as a result will have a much greater return. Eventually you’re sure find even MORE time and energy to spend on the things you truly enjoy!
Are you ready to find/create time for Organization in your Home, Office, or Life?
This is the first in a series of posts where I’ll be presenting common obstacles in getting {and staying} organized.
It’s easy to trick yourself into putting off your organizational goals/tasks in favor of waiting for the ‘best’ or ‘right’ time to start.
Problem is, the dis-order and clutter that needs to be addressed/sorted will only continue to grow into a bigger problem/challenge that will promise to take even more time energy than if you faced it in the ‘now’.
While you wait, it’s not only the physical clutter that continues to pile up.
So will other common consequences of disorganization.
Stress & Anxiety will also continue to build due to:
Loss of time & energy looking for things you need, but can’t find.
Late charges due to bills you’ve mis-placed, or even more money lost over deals you missed.
Personal and professional relationships tarnished due to chronic tardiness or over-looked appointments, reluctance to entertain due to surroundings and not being ‘fully present’ in your time together due to feelings of stress and anxiety.
Potential health hazards due to lack of general cleanliness or clear walking paths in which to navigate.
Are you feeling over-whelmed about lack of organization in your home office or life that you’ve been putting off organizing while you wait for the ‘perfect time’ to get started?
In addition to personalized one-on-one Organizing services, Operation Organization also provides dynamic speaking presentations on a growing variety of topics!
Here’s what people are saying:
Heidi did a wonderful job tailoring a presentation to meet our business’s specific needs. We are going to be moving locations and this is resulting in less work space and longer commutes for many employees. Heidi’s tips to help organize our homes and our cubicles were very helpful, and got a lot of people thinking of ways to personalize their workspaces.
Mary C. Belisle
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“Heidi spoke to our {Mothers} group this past year about home organizing and the women in our group (including myself!) left that day feeling so inspired and motivated to get organized. Heidi gave us so many good ideas that were also pretty easy to implement. One of the most important things I felt she conveyed to us was that you don’t have to do it all at once; a quote she shared with us, “Progress, not perfection,” is posted in my kitchen where I now see it each day!
Her presentation was both professional and personal, informative yet engaging. She acknowledged our desire to be organized, validated the obstacles we face in being organized, and gave us some confidence in moving forward towards a more organized life by sharing with us some useful tools. I would definitely love to hear her speak again!”
~Suzanne, Wife & Mother of Two
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“We are still buzzing about Heidi’s organization skills! She inspired me to declutter and find a place for everything within my home. We loved having her at Salem Mops and many of our members have benefited from having her guide them through an area or room with her personal attention at their home. We liked her so much we immediately schedule her to come back in the fall! I have no doubt that you will enjoy her common-sense approach and will be inspired to tackle that troubled area of your home. “ ~Erica Crone, Salem Mops Co-Coordinator
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“Heidi’s in-home presentation on organization provided a wonderful opportunity for me and my friends to gather and share about our approaches to combating life’s chaos. Her presentation and the helpful handouts provided structure to our conversation, but also gave us the flexibility to linger on topics of interest and breeze by the ones that we had already [seemingly] conquered. I had really great response from my friends post-party and in addition to my own small changes in routine I’ve also witnessed how others have applied what they learned that day.
The group presentation is a great way to receive information and it’s an affordable way to gain organizational strategies.”
~Megan – Office Manager & Wife
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All presentations are perfectly suitable for both small and large special interest / community groups or even for an informational gathering at home with friends!
Current Topics include:
Home Organizing 101
Corralling Paper Clutter
Conquering Kid Clutter
Topics in the works:
‘Take Back Your Time’
{A workshop on efficient time management & increased productivity}
Contact Heidi today to learn more and schedule a presentation for your group!
Finally, I settled on a dry erase calendar once I remembered that upon moving to our new home, I would be needing to find a new solution for our family calendar.
Previously, I was using a large dry erase calendar attached by magnets to the side of the fridge. That solution would not work in our new place as that fridge was enclosed by the cabinetry wood.
That’s the beauty of the peel and stick – this calendar can be attached to literally any surface with no damage or residue left behind! I initially tried it on a door and on a painted wall before habit won out – attached to the cabinet surrounding the fridge.
The size is just perfect – not too big and overwhelming, but large enough to print several events per day if needed. And because it’s dry erase, you can use it over and over again! The calendar comes with a fine point black marker, but I like to color code our activities. The regular dry erase markers that I had been using on our previous calendar still worked beautifully.
There was such a wide array of design choices to select from. I chose the ‘Julia Bird‘ design.
They also included a ‘Julia’ White Board that complimented the design of the calendar!
It attached beautifully to the front of the fridge to feature our current ‘Summer Fun’ list!
I love that I have the flexibility to easily remove either of the products to another room in the house (like my office space) with absolutely no mess or fuss if the need or desire strikes.
Guess what!?
ScriptureArt.com wants to give Operation Organization – MN readers a special discount! Use the coupon code ‘0perationOrg15‘ to get 15% off any item on their site!!
What product is your favorite??
Disclosure: On occasion I receive one or more of the products or services mentioned in some of my posts for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I would personally use and believe my readers will enjoy. All the opinions are my own. Some of the links on this blog are affiliate links. If you click on those links and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission. This is greatly appreciated and enables me to share wonderful products and services to you.
My family is currently in the midst of making a local move to a new home (I do believe an article featuring tips on moving will be in the works in the very near future…)
Take a peek into my archives this week to find a few tips on staying organized this summer:
{C} : 
-An almond shaped toe heel or wedge: Dressing anything up in an instant and gives you a great leg line:
