Category: Kathy Friend

Avoid Grey weather turning into a Grey mood

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This time of year, all we see is the cold, grey of winter. It’s easy to fall into a grey mood as we patiently (or not so patiently) wait for spring.  Here are 2 easy ideas to help you avoid the doldrums:

2020_brightsBrighten up your outfits.  When the temperatures outside fall below freezing, it seems we tend to think that means we should be dressing in dark dull colors. Liven up your dark ensembles with pops of bright colors. Things to look for at your local Goodwill Store include scarves, tank tops, belts or other layering pieces.

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Spring clean – a little early. After the holidays, my office is a disaster. Well, if I am being honest, everything in my house feels cluttered and unorganized.  We all have that room in our home that seems to accumulate all the “stuff” over the holidays. Take an afternoon and re-organize that space. Focusing on just one room isn’t as overwhelming as thinking about your entire home. Take all the extra things and duplicate items that you find and donate them to Goodwill. Keep the other rooms of your home free from clutter by not re-storing things you don’t use over the holidays.

Fall Fashion Trends – wear now and later

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How to wear fashion trends Now and Later

I know the calendar says it’s Fall, but the temps outside still say it’s summer. Here are some ideas on how to wear one of our favorite fall trends now and later.

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One of the most popular colors this season is called Sugar Almond. This is a great autumnal color that you need to search for now at your local Goodwill Store.  This color looks good on just about everyone, and will definitely be a hue you’ll want to add into your wardrobe.  Think of this color as a neutral. It really looks nice with a lot of other colors. Here are some ideas on how to wear it now…and later!

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Wear this deep fall hue with colors that feel more like warm weather. TREND TIP: The colors shown above are actually from the Fall trend color palate. When worn together, they feel very warm-weather. But, when paired with dark neutrals (like Sugar Almond), they take on an autumn feel.

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This brown hue is easy to wear now and keep cool.  Find an easy light weight pant, and pair it with your favorite summer blouse or t shirt. SHOPPERS HINT: if searching for a paper bag waist pant like above, look for trousers that are in a larger size than you normally wear. The key is to have this style unstructured and slouchy.

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This color looks great with denim blue. Longer skirts are very on-trend this season, finding one in Sugar Almond and pairing it with a denim shirt will look fantastic on you! TREND TIP: Silk and satin skirts are all the rage right now. Look for this style skirt at your Goodwill Store, and don’t be afraid to try something in a different size. Make it your own with a big belt or cutting a slit in the side.

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Once the temperature outside catches up with the calendar, this rich fall color can easily work into the other bold colors of the season. TREND TIP: The darker colors above are also part of this season’s trendy color palate. Prints that have all of these colors in them will be everywhere!

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Adding a shoe or boot in this color will be your favorite go-to this season. And, yes. You can wear black and brown together! SHOPPERS TIP: Shop for basics that are high quality pieces… things you will wear for many years…and of course, pieces you can wear a number of different ways. If you can’t think of 3 different ways to wear something, it might not be a smart addition to your wardrobe.

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You will see a lot of plaid this season, and chances are you’ll see Sugar Almond in many of these prints. A cute skirt and chunky sweater is perfect for cool fall nights. SHOPPERS HINT: look in the men’s section for this color too!

We’d love to see your #dressingroomselfies showing what you found in this color at your Goodwill Store! Post your finds on social media, and use the following hashtags: #GoodwillTrends #KathyFriendStylist

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Five fashion trends this season you need in your wardrobe!

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There are 5 fashion trends this season you need in your wardrobe.

We waited for Spring to be sprung and waited and waited. All of the sudden, summer is here.  The calendar begs the question what summer clothing is still in your closet from last year? What should you wear again this year? What is a budget-friendly way to add some of the current season fashion trends into your wardrobe?

All great questions.

There are some trends this season that I don’t think are worth investing in. However, there are several from last summer that have stayed for this year. Current summer pieces all have a vintage vibe, making them fun things to hunt for at your local Goodwill store.

5 things you need in your wardrobe this summer

  1. California Dreaming in tie-dye
  2. Strappy low heel sandal
  3. Sensible shorts (walking shorts)
  4. Low-key easy utility pants
  5. Bucket hats

In order to help you look your most fabulous best this summer, I’ve put together some thoughts and ideas for you to bring these trends into your wardrobe world.

1. Tie-Dye

Tie dye is all the rage this season. Because it feels so summer-specific, be sure to get in on the trend now. Typically, tie-dye is a casual print. However, this summer favorite can work in the boardroom too. Here are some ideas on how to bring a little California Dreaming into your wardrobe:

At Work – tie-dye top with your basic suiting pieces. Be sure to tuck in your tie-dye t-shirt and don’t forget layering on the jewelry pieces. Finish the look with a bright sandal.

On the Weekends – re-purpose a Goodwill find into your favorite tie-dye colors for a night out. Be unconventional and try your hand at tie-dyeing a skirt. Parents Magazine has an easy guide to tie-dying.

2. Strappy Low Heel Sandal

The strappy low heel is perfect for everyone…even those who say, “I can’t wear heels”. In fact, this style of sandal will lengthen your legs and add instant sophistication to your summer wardrobe. This shoe trend is one to embrace. I know it will be around for a while. Here are some ways to wear the trend:

At Work – ankle jeans, lacy blouse, and strappy low heel = perfect casual Friday sophistication

On the Weekends – try with your tie-dye t-shirt and cut off jean shorts. Be sure to do a French tuck on the t-shirt.

3. Sensible Shorts

If you want longer shorts, this is your time to shop. This style of short, also known as walking shorts, are great for embracing a more updated feel to suiting trends. These shorts also look great with the season’s crop top looks.

At Work – if it is appropriate in your work environment, pair a walking short with a blazer jacket and silk blouse

On the Weekends – pair with your favorite graphic tee and strappy sandal, add a bucket hat for a fun festival look

4. Utility Clothing

With roots in street-style, the utility feel of many of this season’s clothing harkens back to the edgy notion of the ’80s. Utility pieces are the season’s of-the-moment trend. Although this trend might seem intimidating and hard to style, it doesn’t have to be. Keep the utility feel of your outfit low-key as opposed to head to toe. Contrast those rough pieces with opposing fabrics and styles. Here are some ideas:

At Work – utility pants with your low heel strappy sandal and a silk blouse

On the Weekends – the loose structure of utility pieces are perfect to pair with a crop or tube top

5.  Bucket Hats

I thought the overall hat trend was a fleeting one, but that isn’t the case. Particularly this season try a bucket hat. You won’t be sorry.

At Work – maybe this trend isn’t something to wear inside the office, however on rainy days, throw on a bucket hat to save your hair from the rain

On the Weekends – perfect with everything on your summer agenda, the bucket hat will keep the sun off your face while keeping your outfit cute and sassy

Winter Fashion Trends… how to wear plaid

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Mad for Plaid – how to wear plaid

Have you been shopping this season, picked up a catalog or done any online browsing for clothing and noticed plaid is a big deal in fashion trends?  Plaid everything from pants to shirts, shoes, socks, purses and home décor. Plaid is a big fashion trend this season, and the options are endless. The question really is how to wear plaid – the hot winter 2018 fashion trend!

Even if plaid isn’t a pattern you would normally wear, I am sure you will want to add something plaid into your wardrobe this season. Here are some fashion tips for how to wear plaid:

  1. What size plaid should I wear?  The size plaid should match your size.  If you are petite, choose a plaid with smaller squares. If your stature is larger you should choose a larger pattern.
  2. What color plaid should I wear? The contrast in the colors within the plaid should also match your natural contrast. Makes sense, right? In other words, look at the contrast between your hair and skin tone.  Would you say there is a big contrast (dark hair, lighter / ivory skin tone)? Then you can wear a big contrast print like white, black and hot pink.  If your natural contrast isn’t as great (like brown hair with medium skin tone or dirty blonde hair and medium skin tone) choose a plaid with hues that aren’t as bold  for instance cream, teal and grey.
  3. Do all plaids match?  Don’t get hung up on wearing the same colors or plaids in one outfit. If your personal fashion style is a little daring, try wearing different plaids in one look!
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Of course, your local Goodwill Store is a great place to shop for all variations of this season’s trendy plaid! And, be sure to check out our Sale Calendar to get the most out of your shopping dollars!

Too many clothes and nothing to wear?

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I hear ya…I look in my over-stuffed closet and think to myself “there is nothing here I want to wear”. That overwhelming feeling can send us straight to the store…to buy more of the same stuff our closet is already stuffed with.

Does this cycle sound familiar?

The easiest way to start to break this cycle is to simply clean out your closet. In the Sherina Style Makeover post, I promised to share some tips on how to get control of your wardrobe. What SHOULD you have in your wardrobe? What do you have too much of? How do you start to pair down all the clutter?  Use this #infographic to eliminate #wardrobestress!

Of course, with all of those pre-loved things you removed from your closet, I have a great idea what to do with that pile!  Put those clothes to good use – use them to provide employment – let the funds raised from the sale of those things help to provide programs that make our community a better place. Yes – what I am saying, is #donate those items to #Goodwill!  You can take your donations to a Donation Drive-thru at any of their Retail Store locations.

Got questions? Find me on Facebook – and I’d love to see your closet clean up before and after photos!

Goodwill’s Fashion Guru,

LBD Fashion Show Oct 12 – Schererville, IN

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We are all busy getting ready for the Little Black Dress Fashion Show in Schererville, IN on October 12.  We’d like you to meet one of our models as part of this month’s Goodwill Style Makeover. Janelle was a model last year, and we’re thrilled to welcome her back to the runway this year!

Be sure to get your tickets NOW for the Little Black Dress Fashion Show!  Just click this link for all the details: http://goodwillfashionshow.com/

Fall 2018 Fashion Trends – Western

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As we head into Fall, it’s hard to not look at all the sweaters, leggings and boots and want to wear them now…but the temps outside aren’t cooperating.  One Fall trend you can easily start to embrace now is the Western Wear influence. This #CowboyChic take on western wear is seen in details in clothing, but especially in footwear. Western ankle boots, granny style boots and traditional cowboy boots are going to be everywhere this fall and winter. Wear an ankle bootie style now with your summer rompers and white jeans!

Trend Alert! Prints Everywhere

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I’m sure you’ve noticed all the prints that are in trend this season.  …and have you noticed all the mixing of prints?  Stripes with floral, polka dot with stripes. Here are some expert tips on how to master mixing prints:

  • Alike colors – make sure the colors in both prints are similar
  • Alike or opposite weight – the size of the pattern in both prints should be about the same (i.e. medium), or opposite (i.e. large floral with a pin stripe)

Give this print-mixing trend a try…and send us a photo of what you find at your local Goodwill Store to mix!