A Diva State of Mind

It’s great to help clients get their wardrobes ready for a new season, but it’s even more fun helping them put together a look for a special occasion. My clients James and Celia attended a surprise birthday party this past Saturday. The dress code called for no jeans. Here are the looks we created.

James wanted to channel his inner GQ for the birthday party. Although we could have tailored pants he currently had in his closet and found a vest, James wanted a new outfit from head to toe and I completely understood. Sometimes when you know you have an event to go to, you just want a new outfit.  We spent a couple hours shopping earlier this month which resulted in a nice Tommy Hilfiger navy pinstriped three-piece suit (the jacket wasn’t necessary for the party), grey shirt and grey pinstriped tie. The look was completed with brown shoes and belt.

One great thing about having James as a client is that I am consistently challenged. I’m well versed in woman’s wear, but certain things like men’s suiting was a new avenue for me. It was also new territory for James since he’s lost weight last year and is working on dressing a new body.

When Celia first heard about the party, she was ready to go shopping for a gown!! But after seeking some clarification on the wardrobe, it was determined that she did not in fact need a gown; she just needed to dress up.

Last year, I found a black Urban Outfitters jumpsuit on sale for Celia which served as the perfect option for her to wear to the party. We went shopping earlier this month to find heels & accessories. After trying shoes on for what seemed like hours, we found a pair of black pumps from Nine West that had a black/white chevron design on the heels. Since she LOVES mixing prints, I recommended she purchase the Love, Cortie “Ashleigh” clutch.  Celia is in need of more clutches to her wardrobe arsenal anyway and since animal print is a neutral, she will get a lot of use out of the clutch.  The look was completed with black earrings from ASOS and a gold ring and cuff from Macy’s.

Celia really does become another person when she gets dressed up and shows off her new figure! I love the confidence she exudes every time she takes a photo.  It’s very different from the woman I met a year ago. Such a transformation!

Both James and Celia looked great at Saturday’s party if I do say so myself! ;) Their enthusiasm and upbeat personalities makes styling them so much fun! They own every look they wear. I am looking forward to more GQ moments and fabulousness with these two this year!

Special offer: schedule a styling appointment now through April 26th and save 20% off! For more info on styling services, visit www.styledbykeri.com.

Although I sent this offer via my newsletter, I wanted to make sure I shared it with you in case you currently don’t receive the newsletter, which you should! You can sign up here.

Although it snowed on Monday, according to the calendar, today is the first day of Spring! That means if you haven’t done so already, it’s time to get your wardrobe ready for the new season. To help you get a head start on preparing your wardrobe for spring, I am offering a special discount!

If you need help putting together new looks with your current wardrobe, learning how to mix and match or need to update your wardrobe, I am here to help! All appointments booked now through April 26, 2014 will be 20% off!! All new clients will receive a FREE style consultation prior to their first appointment. 

Please click HERE for more information on styling services available. To schedule your consultation and to book an appointment call 301-836-1451 or email me at [email protected]. I look forward to helping you put your best foot forward this springs season!

While women have asked what to wear to Brunch For A Cause this Saturday, I figured the guys would like some inspiration too.

Fellas, while you could wear a sweatshirt and Jordans to brunch, I encourage you to try other options! You don’t have to put on your Sunday best, but you can experiment with prints, boots, sneakers other than Jordans and accessories like scarves (yes men wear scarves).

This first look is for the guy that likes a simple outfit; no fuss. This is an outfit I’d definitely style one of my clients in for brunch. Pair black jeans with a nice printed hooded. In case you get hot and want to remove the sweater, wear a printed tee or long sleeve shirt underneath the sweater. It’s more interesting than a plain black or white tee. Complete the look with high-top sneakers, a black belt and watch. Don’t forget your to spray on your cologne!

This second look a great casual winter outfit. Switch things up and put on corduroy pants instead of jeans. Pair the pants with a printed sweater or cozy knit cardigan like the one below from J.Crew.  Layer either piece with a chambray shirt. Shy away from sneakers and complete the look with brown combat boots, which is a little edgy. or pair the look with Clarks Desert Boots. To show off that nice watch, slightly push up the sleeves of your sweater and shirt.

If you love wearing sport coats and blazers but don’t want to look like you’re going to work, wear them with jeans! Pair a navy blazer with light jeans or a grey blazer with dark jeans. Add a long sleeve shirt underneath the blazer and have fun with accessories by adding a printed scarf (I was inspired by these looks here.) You can wear casual shoes like Clarks; a great alternative to dress shoes and more dressy than sneakers.  If you’re not a fan of casual shoes, pair this look with sneakers like converse or Polo high top sneakers.

Fellas, would you wear any of these outfits?

If you haven’t purchased your ticket yet for A Diva State of Mind Presents: Brunch For A Cause! please get yours today at http://brunchforacause.eventbrite.com. It’s going to be a great time!

Many have asked for suggestions on what to wear for Brunch For A Cause this Saturday. The dress code for a Saturday afternoon charity brunch in the middle of winter should be casual chic (we’ll save the sundresses for this summer). Have fun with color and textures; pairing looks with boots or booties.  Regardless of what you wear, you should look well put together.  Below are four outfits to serve as inspiration when you’re going through your closet Saturday morning to select an outfit.

Since it’s still ridiculously cold outside, all of the looks feature winter items (sweaters, boots and fur). The first look is an easy one to recreate. Pair your favorite skinny jeans with a long sleeve shirt and fur vest. If you don’t have a fur vest, you can pair the top and jeans with a blazer or add a printed scarf to add visual interest.  For those who love heels, pair this look with heeled booties. If you want to take a break from heels on the weekend, pair this look with flat black boots. Since the color palette is so dark, add a pop of color with bright lipstick and your handbag.

You may find that you wear a lot of black and grey during the winter months. Brighten things up my wearing a cream sweater with green cargo pants (or skinny pants). If you think you’ll be too hot wearing a sweater, especially after you have had a few mimosas, pair the green pants with a cream blouse. Layer the look with a fur vest which can be removed.  Although they are lighter than black and grey, colors like cream and green are still neutrals so you can add a pop of color with a bright statement necklace. Keep the makeup light and natural.

This third look is inspired by a client appointment I had last week. While going through my client’s closet, I found a sweater dress and put together a similar look like the one below. I told her it would be perfect for the charity brunch. This is a great look for the woman that isn’t big on heels but still wants to look chic. This is also great for women who are bigger on the bottom. The blazer and scarf bring the eyes up and help balance the lower half of the body.

Pair your favorite sweater dress with a blazer. Instead of wearing a necklace, switch things up and add a printed scarf to break up the solid colors. I know what some of you are thinking “do all of these colors go together?” Yes they do! Grey, navy and brown are all neutrals so they mix well together. Because they’re neutrals, you have the option of wearing any color scarf and handbag. Complete the look with blue eyeliner, blush and a nude pout.

This final look is the ladies who love to rock a sporty chic outfit. We all know that leather joggers were very popular last year. And since leather is becoming a staple, this style of pants will be around for a while. Pair your leather pants with a printed sweater.  You have the option of wear booties or wedge sneakers. Dress up this outfit with accessories like stacked bracelets and your favorite watch. Complete the look with a dark polish (I love wearing dark nail colors in the winter)! This is a great option for those days where you just don’t feel like wearing jeans or a dress.

What do you think of the looks? Have they sparked some ideas on what you plan on wearing to brunch on Saturday?

If you haven’t purchased your ticket yet for A Diva State of Mind Presents: Brunch For A Cause! please get yours today at http://brunchforacause.eventbrite.com. It’s going to be a great time!

My line sister Shontadra hit me up on Twitter yesterday and asked for outfit suggestions. She has a lunch date right after a Saturday chapter meeting. We are required to wear business casual clothes to our meetings. Since my LS will be going from meeting to lunch date without having time to change, I put together some business casual looks that are professional but would also do a great job showing off her figure, while leaving something to the imagination of course!

Shontadra reminded me last night to keep in mind that her body top is bigger on top. She has large “girls” so the key to creating the ideal hourglass shape is to deemphasize the top half of her body with wrap tops & dresses and bring attention to the bottom top half of her body.

If you love wearing dresses and don’t currently have a wrap dress or faux wrap dress in your closet, I recommend you purchase one ASAP! This style of dress is flattering on all body types. For a woman who is bigger on top, the v-neck neckline actually deemphasizes the chest and holds the girls in place. If the neckline was too high, it would make a woman’s check look bigger. If a woman is bigger on the bottom, the v-neck would bring attention to the top half of her body. The fabric of wrap dresses skim over the hips so whether your bigger on top or bottom, it doesn’t add volume. For someone with a boyish frame, a wrap dress helps create curves. And the wrap effect across the midsection snatches that waist and hides the midsection, helping to create an hourglass shape.

If you want to trick the eye, find a printed dress like the Diane Von Furstenberg one below. The eye doesn’t know where to look when a woman wears a printed dress, essentially helping to camouflage problem areas (i.e midsection).  Complete the look with fabulous boots, a grey bag and neutral makeup. Save the smokey eye for an evening date.

Shop wrap dresses here:

More Karen Kane…

The second look takes up the sex appeal a notch but is still very appropriate for a meeting. Pair an animal print skirt with a blouse. Animal print is treated as a neutral, so while I used a black blouse for this look, any color will work. Specifically fushia, red, colbalt and coral. For Shontadra, I’d recommend a top that doesn’t have pockets on the chest. As mentioned above, the goal for her is to balance the top half of the body, so I’d recommend wearing color and/or print on the bottom half of her body to bring attention away from her chest. Use accessories and lipstick to add a pop of color. Of course if the temperatures drop, this look and the wrap dress outfit can be paired with tights.

You may want to wear pants instead of a dress or skirt. That’s fine but shy away from the typical black dress pants. That screams “I’m going to work.” Remember, a date follows the chapter meeting so you want the outfit to be business casual but also fun and flirty. The cream top on the right will work for women who don’t have a large chest. A collar that high and in that color may actually make a women with a large chest look bigger on top. For someone like Shontadra, I’d again recommend a top that doesn’t go all the way to the neck.

Finalize the look with pointed toe heels to elongate the body. If you aren’t too worried about height and rather break up the preppy look with some edge, opt for a bootie instead. Seal the look with eyeliner, mascara and blush.

Shontadra, I hope you have a fun on your lunch date! Let me know what outfit you put together for the special occasion.

What do you think of these looks? To see more looks created for various occasions, check out my Style Gallery.

Tis the season for holiday parties and festivities! With so many events going on this month, you’ll want to step your best foot forward. I recently had a new client appointment where we created new work outfits, but also selected her NYE outfit. It’s never too early to start thinking about what to wear for the various occasions you have scheduled this month.

From personal shopping to creating new outfits with your current wardrobe, there are a plethora of options available to get you ready for your next holiday outing. Please visit www.styledbykeri.com for more information on styling services and to schedule a consultation!

P.S. Don’t forget to RSVP for the Holiday Pamper & Shop Party. I’ll be there along with celebrity stylist Apuje Kalu

My friend Jasmine asked for suggestions on how to wear winter white (aka off white or cream) during the fall/winter season. She avoids wearing the color because she’s not sure how to wear it with other pieces in her wardrobe. Like black, grey, navy and brown, winter white is a neutral and can be worn with ANY color! Here are a few suggestions.

One of my favorite pieces to wear in winter white is a knit sweater.  Take things up a notch by pairing a winter white knit sweater with leather (or faux leather) pants instead of leggings. Because the black leather pants and off white serve as neutrals in this look, use accessories like scarves and booties to add patterns and color to the mix. This is a great casual chic outfit that can be worn on weekends when meeting friends for lunch. If you’re not big on leather, you can pair a winter white sweater with black jeans instead.

 

If you’ve struggled with wearing winter white in the workplace, then the next two looks are for you. Since winter white is a neutral, you can create an all neutral palette by pairing a turtleneck with a navy skirt and light brown booties. The tan cardigan is optional. I added it for those that are in extremely cold climates (Jasmine does work in Pittsburgh). For this look, the outerwear and necklace serve as the statement pieces. However, any color coat will work with this look.

The second work option is to pair a winter white lace sweater with pants in a bold color like cranberry or plum (I couldn’t decide which pants to include in the look so I featured both). In this case, the sweater allows the pants to take center stage. You know I’m a fan of chambray shirts being worn under sweaters, so you can pair a chambray shirt or any button up of your choice (in a solid color or pattern) with a winter white sweater. Add some visual interest by completing the look with pumps in a fun print.

The final outfit suggestion is another casual chic look, great for a date night or dinner out in the city. When we think of winter options, we automatically think of sweaters. Don’t be afraid to experiment with winter white in various silhouettes like the wrap blouse below. This top is great for women who want to camouflage their midsection. It’s also a great option for women who are bigger on bottom. It adds visual interest to the top half of your body. Again, I couldn’t decide between a printed jean and one in color so I featured both (gotta give you options)! Complete the look with a structured jacket, studded clutch and smokey eye!

What do you think of these looks? Feeling inspired to wear winter white this season?

Back in August, I discussed why a chambray shirt is a wardrobe must have (for men and women). You can wear this shirt with just about anything.  Because chambray shirts are lightweight, you may have wondered how you can wear the shirt during the fall/winter season when we’re faced with cooler temperatures. No worries, this post is for you!  Below are three ways you can wear your chambray shirt during the fall/winter season.

One of my favorite layered looks is pairing button ups and chambray shirts under sweaters. This first look features yours truly A few weeks ago, I wore my chambray shirt under a LOFT stripe sweater to a client appointment. I completed the look with a bold statement necklace. You can wear your chambray shirt under a sweater OR a luxe sweatshirt. If you want to take this look a step further in terms of layering, you can add a blazer.

My sweater & necklace are no longer available, but you can recreate the look with these pieces:

More C&C California…

After reading my post about chambray shirts, my friend Jovonne asked “Can you wear them with regular denim jeans? Does it matter if the jeans are lighter or darker?” You can absolutely wear these shirts with regular jeans. Denim on denim is definitely on trend. You can transition that look to the fall/winter season by pairing your denim on denim look with a fur vest and boots. You can keep the sleeves long or roll them up to 3/4 length.

Recreate the look with these pieces below:

More Forever 21…

Chambray can be worn under sweaters, vests and cardigans! They’d look great under thick button up cardigans like the Topshop one below. You can pair the shirt and cardigan with a leather pencil skirt and booties. This is a great look for work. This is a prime example of how to incorporate trends (burgundy aka oxblood and leather) into your work attire. For an after work or weekend look, switch out the leather skirt for leather pants.

Get the look below:

More Topshop…

Are you feeling inspired to wear your chambray shirt this fall/winter season?

To view more looks and learn more about styling services visit www.styledbykeri.com

As you know, I have used the blog as an opportunity to promote my styling business. However, having ALL my styling information on this site (services, testimonials, portfolio) was starting to get a little crowded!

So I came up with the idea of creating a new site All things related to my styling business can now be found at www.styledbykeri.com. If you click on the “Styling Services” tab at the top of this page, it’ll take you directly to the site. A Diva State of Mind^®is still my styling business, but the website gives me more room to share all services that are available and showcase my work in a more organized manner.

Please be sure to check out the Styling Services page. I have added new styling services to meet your needs! Additional services include lookbook styling, monthly styling packages, bridal styling packages and more! A complete description of all services available can be found HERE.

If you are interested in working with a stylist, please contact me at [email protected] or 301-836-1451 to schedule a FREE consultation! Please note, styling services are NOT limited to the DC area.