I recently helped my daughter Christina and her girlfriend get ready to attend their prom, and it got me thinking about the steps I take to help my clients get ready to step into the spotlight. My philosophy with my clients has always been to help them look and feel great, while honoring who they are — finding a personal style that feels authentic to them.

As soon as my daughter received the invitation for prom, I kicked into “work” mode! I began thinking about the steps we would take to make sure she looked her best while still feeling like herself. In Fashion Feng Shui® language, her Essence is Wood — sporty and casual. She doesn’t like being too dressed up, doesn’t wear much make up or fuss with her long, curly hair. In her terms, she says, “I don’t want to look like I tried too hard” — which always makes me laugh!

Before we headed out to shop for dresses, I looked at the girls’ skin tone to get a sense of the colors that would work best and have them looking fabulous. With color palettes in hand, we set out for the mall, which can be an experience in itself with teens! Luckily, because I already knew her Essence, I had a sense of what she might be drawn to and what she would steer clear of. Knowing your Essence really takes the stress out of shopping. It helps you know exactly what styles feel right and comfortable on you so you don’t waste a lot of time trying on things the sales associate thinks would look GREAT on you! (I know they mean well, but they don’t know you or your style, so it is harder for them to get it right.)

We found a beautiful blue dress to enhance her eye color and simple makeup that didn’t look “overdone” for her. Christina looked gorgeous and glamorous … but still herself. Here are some tips to help you shine brightly for your next spotlight opportunity:

• Where and What — Consider where your event is being held and who will be attending. Your invitation or confirmation should give you some information about the dress code or appropriate attire for the event. Is it a business event? Are you the speaker? Are you attending as a guest? Will you be indoors or out? All these will play into deciding what you should wear.
• When — Consider the time of day your event is being held. Is it day or evening? For daytime, you’ll want to go with business or business casual attire. An evening event is probably dressier — a cocktail dress might be more appropriate. Your makeup and accessories should suit the time of day too. For daytime, you can get away with wearing less makeup and just play up your natural beauty. But for evening, you’ll want to kick it up a notch to add more drama and compensate for low lighting. Daytime accessories should be fun and light (but appropriate for the event), while in the evening you can glam it up with bolder pieces and more sparkle.
• Plan Ahead — Shop early for the best selection and to allow time for alterations. I don’t know anyone who can buy clothes off the rack and not have to have some type of alteration, so plan for that. If you’ll be wearing something you already have in your closet, take it out and try it on a week or more ahead of time. Does it need alterations or dry cleaning?
• Choose Colors Wisely — Bring you color palette along when you go shopping so you can choose a color that is flattering to your skin tone and brings out your best. Wearing the colors in your palette will make you stand out and shine! If you haven’t invested in a color analysis yet, I highly recommend you do. It is a great tool to have in your toolbox, saving you time, money and frustration when you shop.
• Shop till You Drop — Okay, not really. Most women don’t want to drop at the end of shopping! But if shopping really stresses you out because you’re just not sure what colors and styles look great on you, invest in yourself by working with an image consultant. The peace of mind you’ll gain in knowing exactly what colors and styles to look for is worth every penny! The investment of learning about what works for your body, your essence and your intentions will pay you back many times over.

I’d love to help you find your authentic style with a Fashion Feng Shui consultation or Color Analysis. Contact me at Laurie@LaurieMandato.com to schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation, and let’s get started!

©2010 Laurie Mandato

Tags: Fashion Feng Shui, personal style

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 10th, 2010 at 7:00 am and is filed under Wardrobe and Style. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.