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Contact us
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By email or at 202.352.7120 |
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Greetings!
Despite the lousy weather, I had a great long weekend. It was cozy indoors, with good friends, good music, good food, and a roaring fire. (Plus our annual MLK Day outing to the Lincoln Memorial.)
Last week's Wardrobe Workshop was quite a success, with exercises and advice designed to get participants out of their 2009 rut. If you missed it, you're in luck, because I've reprised parts of the evening in the article below.
If you're ready to make some BIG changes this year, you'll be interested in my upcoming events. Stay tuned for "Coffee and Collage," coming in February, where a very small group will start to identify their personal style by creating an artwork. (Don't worry -- no artistic talent or expertise required!) I'm also planning a workshop on accessories. Stay tuned for more details about both.
In the meantime, best wishes for a fabulous and stylish 2010!Warmly, Keturawww.TheWardrobeWorkshop.com
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| Reinventing YOU
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The start of a new year, even well into January, is an exciting time of reflection and renewal. Many of us make New Year's resolutions, a tradition that reaches back to the ancient Roman god Janus, the two-faced figure who looks back to the past and forward into the future.
It's no coincidence that the first month of the year is named for this god. After all, what better metaphor is there for the start of a new year?
But what does this have to do with clothing and personal style? Here's the answer: Our image needs to move forward along with the rest of our life. We're not the same person we were a year ago, or two years, certainly not five or 10. Our image -- our personal style as a total package -- shouldn't be the same, either.
Our clothes serve as our banner advertisement, the first thing people see about us. They telegraph to the world who we are -- how well prepared we are to play the role we're about to play, whether that be mom-on-the-go, mid-level manager, retiree busy with volunteer work, or newly minted MBA.
If we don't change our ima ge to keep up with the changes in our life, we're sending an outdated message about who we are -- about our values, interests and experiences. Does it matter? Of course! We might be taken as younger than our years, even though we're trying to establish our credibility and seriousness in a first job. We might not be taken seriously at work if our job requires a high level of experience and expertise but we're still dressing like a recent college grad. Or we might seem older -- the last thing most women over 35 want.
Wondering if you're sending an unintentional message about yourself -- whether any of these scenarios apply to you? Just take a look in your closet. Are you hanging on to things that are too big or too small? Or do you have clothes in your closet you haven't worn in a year (or 10)? These are vestiges of the past that, frankly, you're unlikely to go back to. (Yes, you very well might lose weight, but are you really going to want celebrate that achievement by donning a slightly pilled pullover from three years ago?)
Now take a look in the mirror. When did you last update your glasses? If it's been more than a year or two ago, it's time for a change. What about your hair? It's important to get a fresh hair style every year or two. Nothing ages a woman faster than a style years out of date, like a bob with straight-across-the-forehead bangs. It's possible that you and your stylist have gotten in a rut, and you may need to change salons. (Are you wondering if any of these describes you? I'm happy to help you figure out you're due for an update.)
Change is good. But there's a catch. To move forward in becoming the woman you want to be in the future, you need to live some things behind. That's okay; you're not that woman any more.
So ask yourself this question: Who do you want to be, and how do you want to be perceived? What kind of message do you want to send in 2010? And how will you turn this idea or image into a reality -- and what will you need to leave behind to get there?
These answers are your map for getting from where you've been to where you're going.
This journey can be a powerful one of self-discovery, and it's important to remember a few key things. To become your best self right now, you have to leave your old self behind. It's time to say GOODBYE. This can lead to deep feelings of regret, and that's understandable. But you need to do it to embrace the self you are right now. And that woman is equally fabulous! So identify what's truly special and beautiful about her -- about YOU: Embrace it, and shine a spotlight on it.
I'd be honored and happy to accompany you on this journey; let me know if you're interested, and we'll schedule a strategy session to figure out how to get you from here to there.
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