One Color Palette, Fewer Clothes--More Style!

Dear Leslie,

Since January, I've lost almost 50 lb.  As you can imagine, I pretty much needed an entire new wardrobe.  I checked out your site and signed up for a personal profile, and I also ordered the Style Recipes eBook.  I love both, but the recipe ebook gave me a really great place to start revamping my wardrobe.  After purging my closet of numerous bags of clothes that no longer fit, I printed off the "Essential Basics" checklist to take shopping with me. 

I followed the recipe ebook advice and came up with a basic color palette (for me, black, white, tan, gray, turquoise and lime green).  So now everything goes with everything and mixing and matching is easy.  I'm amazed at how easy getting dressed in the morning has become.  I actually look forward to it!
Now that I have the basics covered, I'm looking forward to using the personal profile to add more fun pieces to my wardrobe. 

Thanks for helping me get started on a whole new me! Jody S

Link to MSP's "Style Recipes" eBook that will quickly improve your style: Style Recipes: 25 Items, 100 ways to wear them!

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!

What are you still missing?

The number one reason you stand in front of your way-too-full closet in the morning and exclaim, “I have nothing to wear” is because you still are MISSING key pieces!

What are you still missing???

By not having the necessary key pieces (wardrobe basics) you’ll continually stress out with a “what to wear” dilemma every time you open your closet. Who needs added stress to start their day?

For example...Have you ever purchased the “perfect” shirt at the mall only to come home and find you have nothing to match it? If so, your closet is still missing what you really need and you keep purchasing 'quick fixes' for your wardrobe. So what are you waiting for? Let’s find out what you really need in your closet so each morning (or evening) when you set out your clothes--it’s like shopping in a stylish boutique!

The majority of your clothing should mix and match—or not hang in your closet at all. The only exceptions should be special occasion clothing (you hopefully have hanging in the back or another closet).

“Do I wear this—ever?”

If not, why is it STILL in your closet?

Your clothes should pay YOU rent! Since closets are usually smaller than we would like, keeping clothes in there that aren’t being worn is silly and takes up valuable real estate. Give them the boot or have them pay you rent, lol! PURGE unworn items so you can organize what you DO wear and start a list of things you still need.

“What to have in your closet” (3 main clothing categories)

1. The Basics: I can’t stress enough how vital your basic pieces are! They are your foundation for everyday dressing. They need to fit well and make you feel like a million bucks when you wear them. Have your basics altered for proper fit as needed.

Must-have Basics include:
__Classic dark wash jeans

__Flat-front pants

__A-line skirt (dark solid color)

__Pencil skirt

__Sheath dress

__Button-down blouses

__Classic tees

__Denim jacket

__Classic pumps

__V-neck sweaters

A v-neck sweater can be dressed up or down...

 2. Dependable Extras: These garments always work! They are your favorite “go to” pieces when you need to feel confident and you’re not sure what else to wear. You trust their fit, color and style. They are true investment pieces that have earned their keep in your closet over time.

Dependable extras include: __Classic blazer

__Cashmere v-neck sweater

__Timeless LBD

__Trench coat

__Pencil skirt

__Gabardine wool trousers

Little Black Dress, LBD (can be any neutral color, simple design)

(comes in purple too!)

A 'LBD' is like a blank canvas...

3. Sassy Stuff: These are the “fun” pieces you wear to “Show Your Style” SYSter! They may be a classic item or a trendy piece. They are the right accessories and seasonal updates that distinguish your sense of style from the masses.

Sassy Stuff includes:
__Long strand of pearls (can be worn multiple of ways)

__Chanel-like scarf

__Michael Kors handbag (any classic designer bag)

__Cole Haan pumps

A quality, classic shoe is an investment you will wear over and over again...

EACH SEASON ADD...Trendy style makers like:

 __Tribal inspired bangles

__Statement necklaces

__Floral print skirt/or trendy dress

__Metallic flats (or bright-colored ones)

__Patent leather belt (extra wide/skinny/or animal print)

__Sheer georgette ruffle blouse

Start with your Basics list and then go from there. I promise you will have more peace in the morning and start each day with a positive attitude PLUS fabulous style!
Love, Leslie aka MissusSmartyPants

Love a good makeover story? So do I!

I'll bet you love a good makeover story? So do I!


Here is the link to view Pam's 'before' and 'after' photos!


With Pam's sweet personality...it was such a pleasure to help her get her style renewed! I know you will find her style-story inspirational and want to get started on your own style makeover from MissusSmartyPants!

(Pam and I meeting at the mall!)



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Finding Style in Chaos

Everything in its place and a place for everything. It's certainly comforting to have organization in your life. However, it's not an easy task to keep things in order (especially when you tend to procrastinate). It takes daily routines to bring organization and peace into your daily life (thank you FlyLady for helping us).

 I love organization and everything in its place....but sometimes to get new ideas (and outfits) I have to get creative AND let chaos take over!

Give in to the closet chaos! Set your timer for 15 minutes and as you go through your closet (one shelf at a time)...de-clutter items you no longer wear. Think of new ways you might wear each item OR get them out of your closet! Don't hold on to something you are not going to wear (clutter)...bless someone else.

Get in your closet and create a mess (or go through the mess one shelf at a time).

Mixing things up creates new outfits!

Think about it. Any great artist had a messy studio! When the creative juices get flowing--it gets messy. Yeah, you have to clean it up, but some good comes of the mess so don't feel bad about it. It is part of the process and there are lots of great things "hiding" in the depths of your closet that you have simply forgot about.

Give an old sweater a new lease on life! Can you match up a scarf that has the same color in it and wear them together?

(photo Ann Taylor Loft)

Stop frowning at that pile of laundry. Instead, think of it as an opportunity. That pile of laundry holds potential outfits! As you start putting away laundry, think of ways you can wear that turtleneck under (or over) your sleeveless sheath dress, think of how you can layer that green cardigan (or wear it as a shirt) with a jacket over the top. What jewelry would look fabulous with that light lavender tank you are putting away? How about wearing two necklaces at the same time with that lavender tank???



Stop wearing the same predictable combinations. Yes, they look great together, but putting that purple jacket with something else besides the same gray pants would really wake up your closet's potential! You have more clothing choices (combinations) in your closet than you realize!

Is your "hot spot" the bedroom chair? If so, as you tackle this hot spot, perhaps you can see some new mixing and matching potential here. How about wearing those black pants with that curry sweater (you slung on that chair) and add your layered pearl necklace that never gets worn? You might just create some new looks as you do you de-clutter that hot spot!

Your chaos holds creativity! Embrace the chaos and work with it. Start your routines and let your creativity flow in the process. Who knows what you'll find..."you can do anything for 15 minutes"!



Would you have ever considered wearing a sequined top and a striped knit scarf together....in one outfit?

(photo Ann Taylor Loft)

Find style in your chaos...15 minutes at a time. I like to put on up-beat music and put away my clothes...all the while I'm thinking of how else I might wear each item. It's a great thing to do as you lay out your clothes the night before too.

This outfit below was created out of my "closet chaos"...I had never worn this green tank over my sheath dress before. Since the tank is casual in style, I decided to wear my gray sweater hoodie to pull the whole look together.

Have you ever "found" new outfits amist your clutter? Share with me your closet creativity stories...