A Girl Needs A Little Fresh Inspiration Now and Then!

How often do we take the time to gather as women and share our personal interests and inspirations for style over brunch?  Whether you are the fashion savvy or the fashion needy, that's exactly what we did at our recent Freshen Your Fashion Workshop.  We crowded around the table with scissors, magazines and catalogs in hand to create our new inspiration boards for fall and winter.  Knowing what we already had in our closets, we combed over the pages for what would be good complements to add to it this season.  Then we went into my closet and, using my board, we were inspired to put new combinations of outfits together.  I love using my inspiration board to take the panic out of that old familiar feeling of desperation every morning:

 "What am I going to wear today"? 

Each woman brought a few favorites from her closet and talked about how she would wear each particular piece. Soon we were encouraging each other to wear our things in new ways .  Each beautiful woman was growing in her confidence to step out of her "clothing comfort zone" and into the possibilities of new fashion trends and techniques! 

Later that morning we took a field trip to a client of Bloom's closet that lives close by.  It was great to see what components made up ShawNa's wardrobe. She had organized it to accommodate great layering techniques:  long tunics, short sweaters or jackets, leggings/skinny jeans, skirts, boots, scarfs, and jewelry.  A lot of diversity, creating a lot of interest! 

The "cherry on top" for me was giving the women one last exercise, by having them create an outfit from ShawNa's closet that reflected their own style...imagine that! Each woman did an amazing job.  Not only did they assemble great outfits, but completed them with shoes and jewelry to match! I believe that every woman left with the confidence to return to her own closet and "Freshen her Fashion"

VOILA!!

       

                         

Cruising with Contrast

I recently met with Cindy, a beautiful woman both inside and out.  She is preparing for the vacation of a lifetime.  A 28 day cruise around the Hawaiian Islands including the exotic destination of Bora Bora. Cindy is a counselor by day and has an adventurer's heart for vacation...and she was ready to cruise!  

A scarf tied in the back for a shrug like feel.

As we quickly started to put outfits together, Cindy saw possibilities she had never seen before. Her wardrobe had the best structure I had ever seen, including a variety of colors, classic pieces and assorted fabrics. Every piece was bought with intention.  She had a theme in her color choices of Black, White, Taupe, Green and Blue.

We started building her wardrobe with a foundational piece, like pants, then paired them with many options of complementary tops.Cindy also mentioned she wanted to be prepared for the ships air conditioning or late night ocean breeze, and would like a little something for over her shoulders. By adding a contrasting 3rd layer it gave the outfit more interest. For example, if the pants were cream, with a taupe top we added a black shrug for more interest and contrast!  Soon we were calling it 3D dressing, referring to a third pop of color in her outfit. Just that little bit of whimsy and the unpredictable.  There is no doubt that Cindy will be one of the best dressed women on the cruise because of her strong clothing choices and playful combinations.

This is such a fun time in fashion!  So much freedom to be creative and express yourself in layers, contrast and color! As you're preparing for the holidays or a special time away, I would love to help inspire you to look and feel your best. 

6 New Trends for the Working Woman this Fall

I often meet women who like new fashion trends and want to update and incorporate them in their wardrobe. The problem is they are not completely confident they can wear them.  They may think they are not young enough, thin enough or even tall enough.  I encourage women to celebrate who they are today, start small and gain confidence. Instead of buying a dress in animal print, consider a belt, scarf or shoe in their favorite color of that print.  Also, I suggest that my clients concentrate on implementing one or two new colors into their wardrobe for the upcoming season.  For example, bold colors are a playful twist on the usual warm fall colors.  Pair a hot pink blouse and possibly a hot pink animal print purse with your standby classic pant or skirt.  Building a "closet of classics", then adding new colors, will give you more possibilities and updated trends.  Go ahead and jump into this fall with confidence!

1.  Houndstooth, Plaid or Tweed

2.  Boots

3.  Animal Prints

4.  Bold Colors

5. Classic Black and White

6. Blazers

It's Back 

Freshen Your Fashion Workshop!

By Popular Demand

This workshop consists of 3 sessions.  We start with appetizers and finish with desserts 

and have a whole lot of fun, inspiration and instruction in between!

Grab a Girlfriend and Join Us.

$10 off if you bring a friend.

Call the Village Merchants in Monument to reserve your spot

375-5438

Dates are Aug. 15, 22 and 29

6:30-8:30 pm

Cost is $75

Freshen Your Fashion Workshop

Bloom A Fresh You recently held a fun and interactive 3 session Workshop called Freshen Your Fashion.  Every week women personalized their wardrobe by adding new fashion inspirations, implementing practical organizing tips not only for their clothes but accessories too, and adding accessories to their outfits, to take their look to a new level...called "Pile on the Style".  

The last week each woman brought one of her favorite accessories from her closet then we went into my closet and made a completely new outfit, using new trends and ideas!  One woman commented: "We used to play in our friends closets when we were little, why did we stop"!  What fun we had as we encouraged each other to look their best!

Destination Shopping

The Situation

Dee was specifically in the market for a dress for an upcoming evening wedding in CA.  Her only requirement was that she wanted it to be "a little bit of sexy".  

The Profile

Dee has become a friend and long time client of Bloom A Fresh You.  Her style is sophisticated casual. Her personality is funny and playful and at the same time deep and sensitive. Dee travels extensively and her time is at a premium.  We had a small window and needed to be focused and intentional in our shopping.

The Solution

We shopped 10 stores in 3 hours.  She was game to try on anything and everything I suggested!  We found a lot of great options, but none of them were exactly what she was looking for...you know what I mean? Too short, too big, too expensive, too... Then, what looked like a tangled mess on the hanger, became the perfect dress...after giving it second look.  It was a black halter dress, with oversized pockets and an inverted and top stitched hem.  Simply gorgeous on!  So Audrey Hepburnish!  With what Dee had budgeted just for the dress, we were able to find the dress, sweater (for evening), shoes, purse and jewelry.

 Mission Accomplished and More!