10 Ways to Get Your Style Fired Up Again

10 ways to get your style fired up again:

1. Catch a flick. Movies are very influential on the fashion world. Costumes are used to set the mood, personalities, and time period. Take a moment and think of movies past and present. For example, ‘Flash Dance’ suddenly every teen girl wore tunics and leg warmers; ‘Annie Hall’ started the trend of dressing like Diane Keaton. Or ‘Legally Blonde’, a Tiffany heart necklace became the norm for every girl’s wish list.

2. Lace up your sneeks. Go to your mall and lock your wallet in the trunk!  Go window shopping (not spending) and check out the storefronts. Observe the latest styles and trends and make note of the ones you love.

3. Become a couch potato. Watch TV just to see what the characters are wearing. Check out what “older” women wear…like the women on CSI, Oprah, The View, and Kelly Ripa. Find same-shaped celebs and copy their style!

4. People who need people. People watch. Admittedly, this is one of my favorite things to do! Go to the mall, a park or cafe and watch people--and more importantly what they are wearing. Critique what they are wearing and if you think it’s working…let them inspire you.

5. Sign on the dotted line...online. Sign up for emails from your favorite stores. Even if you can’t afford to always buy from them…let them inspire you with new styles each season.

 Want a quick way to becoming more stylish? 

Invest more in wardrobe essentials that you can wear a variety of ways....

6. Go ask Alice. Or, any other trusted friend, sister or those whose style you admire. There is nothing like getting inspiration for your style from a real person.

7. Gloss over the mags. Take a look at the magazines. I’m not talking teen magazines. It can be any magazine from Redbook to Woman’s Wear Daily. A variety of magazines will show women of all ages. Look at what they are wearing.

8. Talk with your teen. No, don’t have THE talk!  Ask them for fashion ideas, silly! They may not quite get where you are coming from—heck we don’t get where they are coming from either! It’s worth a try--they are walking billboards for all the latest styles and trends!

9. Stamp your passport. Travel! Different cultures can inspire your style. See what is popular in another country. I remember going to Paris, France as a teen. The classy styles the women were wearing became “fashionable” years later here in the States!

 10. Don’t be a victim. Know when to pass on a style or trend. It is more important to dress age appropriate…don’t dress like your daughter or grandmother either! You need to be comfortable in your own skin.

Go to MissusSmartyPants.com! For the ultimate fashion tips and style help. Join MSP for weekly style advice and follow the fit guidelines and you will learn to dress for your body type like never before!

How to Liven Up Your Basic Black

Do you wear black more often than any other color? It's the "easy button" in style, isn't it? 

Here basic black is livened up with color and texture....

Automatically grabbing something black first thing in the morning doesn't require much thought--and before a cup of coffee who wants to think? The problem is after awhile your style lacks creativity--and well, looks BORING! Soon you begin to look like you'll be attending a funeral on a daily basis. If this is starting to sound like you, you need to lighten up and liven up all that black in your wardrobe!

Don't purge all the black--work with it! With these tough economic times, I don't know a woman that is willing (or should) chuck all her black clothes from her closet!

So, here's how to liven up all the basic black in your closet...

1. Wrap an animal print scarf around your neck or wear an animal print belt. Even a sweater in an animal print will work! Nothing brings black and brown together better than an animal print!

2. Add a chunky mixed metal and pearl necklace to your basic black outfit. The sparkle and shine of a cute necklace will brighten up basic black.

3. Now's the time to wear those pink shoes that you don't thing go with anything!

4. Wear a different color/texture of tights. Try gray tights---they will lighten up your black and they are the "hot" new color for fall!

5. That bright red handbag that hardly gets used? All black would give it center stage!

6. Wear your favorite colorful sweater or blouse under your basic black suit.

7. LBD w/ low neckline?...wear a colorful choker or layered dyed pearls and show off your sassy neckline.

8. Don't shy away from mixing black with other neutral pieces like navy shoes or a brown belt.

9. Have something you don't think "matches" anything? C'mon wear it with your basic black. Soft pastels, grays, mauves, blush pinks...all look great w/ black!

Polka dots, checks and stripes (as long as they are different scales) can be mixed and matched with black!

10. Wear your basic black with a textured jacket, tweed pants or a nubby scarf. Black is the perfect backdrop to any unique textured item.

Don't ditch all your black! Black is a "fab" wardrobe choice because it's classic, goes with just about everything (given the chance) and it doesn't show small smudges--plus you can wear the same piece differently in one week (no one will even notice)!

The black in the skirt's print, the tank and boots all are "livened up" with

the use of the light denim jacket...

Black basic pieces do stretch your wardrobe dollars--it's up to you to get creative with your style!

Love, Leslie