Category: what to wear

July 4th Outfit Ideas

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It’s 4th of July and our minds turn to stars and stripes.  If your family is like mine, we are preparing for the neighborhood cookout, fireworks, and a few days of relaxing by the pool and beach. Of course, all of these events on our calendar require the perfect American-themed July 4th outfits! Save your money for the corn on the cob and fireworks… check out your local Goodwill Store for the perfect 4th of July outfit.

Maybe dressing like a walking American Flag isn’t your personal style. And really, how many American Flag t-shirts can one person have before it’s time to stop the madness and donate all of them to Goodwill!

Embrace your patriotism while forgoing head to toe stars and stripes with these July 4th outfit ideas: 

ALL WHITE

for the Neighborhood Party

Who ever said you need to wear red, white and blue?  And, who ever said that on the 4th of July, your BBQ outfit  needs to include the American flag?  Answer: no one. While shopping at Goodwill for this look, start by perusing the racks for something in white that catches your eye.  Look for details like tassels, eyelet or lace. Use that key piece to build the rest of your outfit. 

All white is a hot trend this summer, embrace it!  You may want to add a pop of red on your foot or with your handbag.

PLAID

to work!

Nothing says Americana more than adding a little plaid to your 4th of July work attire.  This notion can keep your outfits perfect for work while adding a little sass to celebrate the holiday. Think outside the box when you shop for this look at Goodwill. The plaid just needs to have red or blue with white. To punctuate the 4th of July vibe, use the contrast color in your accessories.  For example, a blue plaid dress with red belt and shoes. Or, red plaid top with blue necklace. 

STRIPES

for your beach and pool gatherings

Stripes are always a fresh summer look.  Remember, a little stripe goes a long way, so keep the striped piece the focus of your outfit. If your style personality is bold, maybe mix the stripes with some stars! 

DENIM

for fireworks

Gone are the days when wearing all denim is a faux pas.  An easy go-to 4th of July outfit is your favorite boyfriend jeans paired with a tied-up denim shirt.  Denim dresses and overalls are perfect for summer nights. 

We’d love to see your Goodwill 4th of July outfits!  Comment below or submit to [email protected] 

Quick Style Tips – FREE DOWNLOAD

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In the last Ambush Makeover Video, you met the ladies from World Harvest Church. I offered them a few simple style tips that made a big difference!

Want to know a few of these style secrets I shared with the group?  Download this month’s FREE DOWNLOAD now!

Download the FASHION DON’T list HERE

Download SUMMER FASHION MISTAKES here

Would YOU like to be a Goodwill Style Makeover winner?  Just CLICK HERE, complete the form and be entered to win!  Be sure to check back in the coming weeks when we have our next Goodwill Style Makeover winner!

In fashion and friendship,

text 2017 all rights reserved

What To Wear? FREE DOWNLOAD

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How often do you wonder WHAT TO WEAR?  When you look at your closet, do you feel like nothing in your wardrobe matches the REAL you?

You are not alone.

Did you check out Christi’s  Style Makeover? Christi is in the middle of reinventing herself. Part of that is thinking about WHO she is on the inside, and matching that to who she is showing the world she is on the outside. After talking with Christi, we determined her current style wasn’t delivering the right message about her personality.

What is YOUR style saying about you? Wonder if the clothing you wear matches your personality, goals and perceived image? Take THIS QUIZ to see if it might be time for a Style Makeover!

…and if you think it might be time for a Style Makeover, we would love to have you enter to be our next Style Makeover winner! Just click HERE

text 2017 all rights reserved

Enter to Win Ambush Makeover

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WE ARE LOOKING FOR OUR NEXT AMBUSH MAKEOVER WINNER!


It’s that time again! We are looking to find someone who would love some help with their style with our Goodwill Ambush Makeover team! 

The winner will get a few hours of personalized style advice with our Fashion Guru, Kathy Friend and her team of style experts. Then they will go with you to either a local Goodwill store to choose an outfit, or you MIGHT be chosen for a VIP experience in the fashion show room at the Goodwill corporate office!

Does this sound like something you would love to experience? 
Enter to win by clicking here

Need A Job? Dress the Part!

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DID YOU KNOW: Hiring professionals tell me that the number 1 reason a candidate does not get called for an interview, or get the job is because of their first impression?

WHAT YOU WEAR DOES MATTER!  Your First Impression is made up of several elements including:

  • The Clothing You Wear
  • Your Demeanor
  • The Words You Use

When you are searching for a job the first few seconds of the interview can determine the outcome.   Your first impression is critical to your career success. Here are some things to keep in mind to be sure you are offering your best first impression.

IF YOU QUESTION IT, DON’T WEAR IT. When you look in the mirror, what do you see?  How do you feel in the outfit choice you’ve made? If you wonder if it is the right thing to wear, then don’t wear it. That lack of confidence will come through in your demeanor.

COLORS MATTER.  You know those days when someone asks you if you are getting that flu that’s going around?  And you feel fine?  Well, what they are telling you is that the color you are wearing is draining the life out of your skin-tone.  The right colors will bring out pink and peach tones in your skin, and the wrong colors will make you look pale and emphasize blue and green undertones (in other words, the undertones you get when you are ill or exhausted). Having said that…no one wants to sit across the desk from someone that looks sick.  Be sure you wear your best color for the interview.  A good safe color for most is blue.

DON’T LET YOUR CLOTHES SPEAK FOR YOU.  When choosing your outfit for an interview, be sure what you wear doesn’t wear you.  You don’t want to be remembered as the one with the wild tie, overpowering perfume, crazy shoes or bright red lipstick.  You want to be remembered as the one who had the skills and ideas that were perfect for the job.

Now go perfect your interview image and wow that potential employer!

Take Your Wardrobe Into Fall…with your summer clothes

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Over the past few months, I’ve offered several tips on adding in some current trend into your wardrobe.  You might remember the tips on shorts, bathing suits, and even dresses posted on this blog.

As summer winds down and the kids head back to school I thought it would be a good idea to look at our closet to decide what we can wear as we transition into fall.
WHAT TO DO AND DON’T DO:
  • Summer fabrics: things like gauze and linen are distinctive summer fabrics and won’t work in the fall.  Move these things to your “out of season” wardrobe, or donate at your local Goodwill store. 
  • Shorts:although short suits were a huge trend in early Spring, going into fall keep wearing walking shorts, but pair them with an ankle boot.  As the weather gets cooler, try a colored or textured tight with the shorts! 
  • Summer Dresses:  add tights to your summer dresses, or try boots. The best summer dresses to keep around are those without a distinct summer pattern (i.e. bold floral).  
  • Bare Some Skin: it’s OK to start wearing those fall dresses and skirts now, just keep a bare leg.  This will keep you cool in the warmer fall days, but is a great way to transition to tights and boots. 
  • Sandals:  keep your toes exposed well into autumn.  My general rule is it’s OK to wear toe-bearing shoes until the first frost. The sock/sandal trend we seen in fashion magazines and on the runways is a trend that is very hard to pull off.  To avoid a fopah – skip it. 
  • Colors:start wearing the trendy colors of fall (don’t know what those colors are?  Sign up for my newsletter HERE and get the Fall-Winter 2013 Trend Report for FREE!) 
  • Add a scarf: one way to keep warm in the cooler fall evenings is to simply add a scarf to your ensemble.

Want to be in the know on the latest trends?  Sign up for my newsletter HERE and get my Fall-Winter 2013 Trend report for Free!

SPRING TRENDS! Color…

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New trends mean new colors.  This season is no different.  The color story is a wild tale of typical Spring pastel hues, and a mix of vibrant tones.

 

The hot color of the season is Emerald green.  We are seeing this Emerald green color paired with a mix of hues ranging from Dusk Blue, Linen to Grayed Jade.


The HOT HOT color combo of the season is Poppy Red with Grayed Jade or Emerald.

WHAT COLORS SHOULD I WEAR?
The key to knowing if you can wear these new hues lies in an honest look at yourself in the mirror.  Take a look at your eye color, skin tone and hair color.  Look at the overall contrast in your look.  For example, if you have blue eyes, blonde hair and medium skin tone you could say that you have soft contrast coloring. If you have dark hair, brown eyes and dark skin you could say you have a deep contrast. Make sure that the tones of the colors you choose this season are inline with the contrast in your own natural coloring. For example, if you have a soft contrast in your look, choose colors that have a soft hue to them (Grayed Jade or Dusk Blue for example).  Likewise if you would say your over all natural coloring falls in the deep category, then the hues you wear should be deeper, higher pigmented tones (Emerald and Monaco Blue, for example).

SHOPPING FOR TRENDY COLORS
A tip my shopping mentor gave me was to print out the seasons hot colors and carry them with you (go HERE for an easy reference to print).   Take this reference sheet to your local Goodwill store and simply look for these colors. Choosing something that has a vintage feel, and pairing it in a fashion forward way by teaming it up with a trendy color combination will make you an instant fashionista!

WANT MORE ON TRENDS?
Pinterest is a great place to check out trends.  Be sure to follow my Spring Summer 2013 board on Pinterest!

Fall/Winter Trends – Global Details

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I am in love with Global Details in fashion (home fashion and wardrobe fashion) this season. The thing I love the most is the eclectic and vintage feel those details bring…and what better place to get great vintage finds than Goodwill!

Global Details simply means, well, DETAILS!  Tapestry, colorful woven designs, heavy knitting.

When you are wearing a piece with these kinds of details, be sure to make THAT piece the statement of your outfit and keep everything else very monochromatic and simple.

Be sure to keep this trend within your style personality. If your style is natural (in other words, you like natural fabrics, love the comfort and ease of jeans and t-shirts.  Your shoe choice would be Crocs or maybe a Toms)…then choose your Global Detailed piece carefully.  Keep this trend in your accessories (scarf, hat).

If your style is more sassy (people ask you how you came up with outfit combinations, you aspire to be the local Carrie Bradshaw) then go wild in this trend!  This style will easily pair a fair aisle sweater with a tulle skirt and cowboy boots.

And if your style is tailored and polished (you love a trouser and sweater set, you prefer to not make a statement with your clothes, you know what looks good on you and what flatters your silhouette and you stick to it) then a great tailored piece is best for you.  You are most comfortable in cuts of clothing that are generally the same.  Stepping out of your style-box-comfort-zone and adding a pencil skirt with a subtle tapestry would be perfect for you.  Even a jacket will add some pizazz into your wardrobe, and mix very well with the other pieces in your closet. 

To see more ideas on this trend, visit: KATHY’S PINTEREST PAGE

What to Wear NOW! …the white shirt

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The classic white shirt.  There are a thousand ways to wear the white shirt:
·        Tucked
·        Untucked
·        Untucked and belted
·         ½ tucked (tucked in front but not the back)
·        Open like a jacket
·        As a layering piece under a sweater or jacket
·        Oversized and tied in the front
A great white shirt is something you will have in your closet for a long time.  It is also something that once it wears out, you realize how much you really wear this classic piece.
The best white blouses I have found were at Goodwill.  Looking for some with a variety of details and cuts will let you have even more options in your closet.  Look for:
  •       No signs of wear, specifically stains (look closely in the arm pit, this is where stains and pilling show up first) 
  • Missing buttons?  No problem, changing out the buttons may make this classic really sassy and hip. 
  • Straight hem – as opposed to a shirt-tail hem.  This will give you more options to wear it untucked 
  • Oversized and longer – wearing your shirt as a tunic? A great idea! 
  • Something more structured and fitted. Perfect as a layering piece.