Stop Embarrassing Yourself!

Here are the TOP TEN Fashion Mistakes according to Fashion Pshychologists..
Ya, that's right its your moment of truth..

The doctor is in... your closet! (seriously.. ignore the bad jokes.. but not the post :P)

AGE:
1. Too young: Aging can involve a grieving of your former young self, part of this grief process includes DENIAL. Move toward acceptance and act your age.
This includes throwing away Seventeen magazines when you are forty, staying out of stores that serve as hangouts for the local middle schoolers, using crazy patterns and cutesy colors sparingly, lowering the hem of your skirt and pant, and raising the décolletage line of your dress or shirt. If you are wearing the same clothing as your daughter you may need to seek professional fashion help!

2. Too old: Nothing is more depressing than seeing a bright young thing dressing like Marian, Madam Librarian. The way to keep a wardrobe fresh is to purge the items that have come around a second time and get the new and improved versions of them. Open up the spaces of the body which includes wider leg trousers and v-necks. Keep the classics but spice them up with an appropriate trend for your age, which could include a change of a shoe or bag. Identify your assets and bring attention to them with your clothing and accessories.

BODY:
3. Too tight: Shrink wrapping yourself into your clothing will not fool anyone. You will not look a size smaller, but in fact make yourself look even larger. Keep casings for your sausages! If you see a pull, stretch, rip, or strain do not buy or wear the item. Sizes are not standardized in the everywhere, so a size 2 may be a size 10 in another store or even within a designer's line. Ignore the number. It does not measure your worth! Just find the right size.

4. Too loose: Would you put a sack over the Mona Lisa?
 Then why in the world would you wrap yourself in an oversized garment? Do not hide from the world. Find outfits that fit you properly, which means fitting the largest part of your body and tailoring the rest if necessary. If it is comfort you seek, there are other alternatives to the over sized sweater or stirrup pant. Try a great wrap dress or jean. Trust me they can compete with your ratty sweatshirt any day of the week!

LIFESTYLE:
5. Too safe: Just because your life consists of staying at home to take care of your children or sitting in an office all day does not mean you can't buy an outfit that is an outlier. A statistical outlier is that data that lies beyond the norm. If you fashion norm would only include jeans and a t-shirt buy an outlier, like a cocktail dress. If your fashion norm would only include a suit, buy a cashmere lounge set. These outlier garments are great ways to try new things and think out of your box!

6. Too out there: If you still have your maternity clothes and you have just gone through menopause your wardrobe no longer serves a function. If you haven't seen snow in years and your closet is crammed with ski gear and winter wear, your closet wants its space back. You wardrobe should be useable. If the items in the closet don't match your life, and you are finding you have "nothing to wear". Find out what your life requires of you and get the wardrobe to match.


COMFORT:
7. Too casual: Are you oriented times four? In psych terms, that means oriented to time, place, person, and situation. Your outfit should reflect your orientation to who you are, where you are, when you are, and what you are doing. Wearing a ripped leather mini and bikini top when you are an octogenarian senior executive (who) raising money for a conservative initiative (what) in a church (where) during the dead of winter (when) may land you in a psych ward!

8. Too formal: All dressed up and nowhere to go doesn't make wearing sequins to a camping trip appropriate. A bit hyperbolic but true. If you are bracing the elements, such as skiing, biking, hiking, working out, or sailing, keep it simple with activity and weather appropriate ensembles. Remember your clothing will get dirty. Looking high maintenance is not attractive and using clothes that are too formal for an occasion can translate that message loud and clear. Your outfit should fit the occasion (see #7). If you seem to overdress add sparkle sparingly and think separates. A pair of jeans can look great with a white tank and sequin boyfriend blazer or jeweled platform pumps. If you look completely overdressed, just remove the "too formal" item.


IDENTITY:
9. Too predictable: I won't mention any names but there are some celebs out there who can have their heads chopped off, and you know who they are by the outfit. Wearing the same thing over and over again, even in different colors, can be bland. How would you like to eat the same meal every day? Be a feast for the eyes and change it up a bit. Avoid the temptation to get the same garment in different colors. Pick up the wardrobe item that makes your heart race a little because it is a "risky" piece. Start small by changing a shoe or accessory and then move to larger clothing items.

10. Too away from self: Trying too hard to be anyone but you often leads to fashion horrors. Clothing should enhance who you are not render you unrecognizable. If you can't find your fashion identity look at design elements of other items you like such as décor, photographs, paintings, and sculptures. Use these colors, patterns, and forms in your wardrobe.


Inquiring minds want to know.... tell me your list of fashion mistakes and tips! What are your tips for Winter Fashion?