How would you like to walk into a room and get noticed? Would you like your opinions to be heard, or your boss to notice and reward all the good work you’re doing? When you follow simple guidelines and dress to bring out your true radiance, you will discover a power within that you didn’t even know existed, and your life will change for the better. We all know how good it feels to receive a compliment about something you’re wearing. Has it been a while since someone gave you a compliment?
Let’s examine all the things that could be preventing those compliments from streaming in:
LITTLE BLACK DRESSES, PANTS, SKIRTS, TOPS, ETC.
How many times have you heard the fashion industry say that you need a little black dress? Do you wear black almost every day? Think black makes you look thinner? Well, it’s all a bunch of fashion industry myths. Black doesn’t make you look thinner – it’s the style and cut of a garment that will make you look thinner. And, for most of us, there’s a better color choice than black. In fact, most people don’t look their best in black! I will show you YOUR BLACK.
Let's hear your stories about wearing black!
NOTHING TO WEAR?
Do you ever feel like you have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear? Here’s the reason – no matter how many pieces of clothing you have hanging in your closet, if the colors don’t mix and match, if they are inappropriate for your lifestyle, if they’re torn or stained, or if they’re too small or too big -- then you have nothing to wear! How many times a week do you say "I have nothing to wear" ?
BUYING ALL THE WRONG CLOTHES?
How many mistakes are hanging in your closet -- with the tags still on? You knew it was a mistake when you bought it, but you bought it anyway for a variety of reasons – you were in a hurry and had to have something new to wear to an event, or you went shopping alone and the sales person talked you into it. Whatever the reason, you wasted your money because you did not have the knowledge of what colors and styles look best on you. So there it hangs… When you shop with color and style guidelines, you can walk away from anything that falls outside those guidelines. With color and style guidelines you will shop more efficiently, save money by avoiding buying mistakes that hang in your closet, and you’ll enjoy shopping more!
DON’T KNOW HOW TO SHOP FOR CLOTHES?
Ever walk into a clothing store and feel completely overwhelmed with all the choices -- not sure what looks good on you? How many times have you turned around and walked out of a store without trying ANYTHING on? How would you like to walk into a clothing store, make a beeline for the right clothes, and get out without buying any mistakes or wasting time trying on clothes that just aren’t going to look good! Get in and get out.
AT THE MERCY OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY
Most of us feel we’re at the mercy of the fashion industry. We buy styles and colors that are the latest fad, or because it’s in our price range, or it’s the IN fashion this year, even if it doesn’t look particularly good on us. Instead of buying something that looks good on a manikin wouldn’t it make more sense to know what colors, styles, and accessories bring out your best features, your uniqueness? When you do, everyone will see YOU –not necessarily your clothes. As we get older, our bodies are changing, styles are changing, and I’ll bet many of you are still hanging onto your old clothes that expired years ago! Remember, your closet is NOT a museum!
THE SECRETS TO GETTING THAT PUT TOGETHER LOOK!
Have you ever been in a public place and seen a woman that turns heads because she looks perfectly put together? Do you wish you could have that put-together look? When you look at a well-dressed woman, you see her radiance. She lights up. She stands out. That’s because every single thing she put on that morning, every color, every fabric, and accessory brought her RADIANCE out. How can YOU bring out your radiance and beauty? You will understand how to bring out your best features when you understand the secrets of your own PERSONAL BLUEPRINT.
YOUR PERSONAL BLUEPRINT
Your personal blueprint consists of the way you look TODAY -- your face shape, your skin tone, eye color and hair color, your body structure. It also includes the way you move, the way you speak -- and even your personality. It’s the essence of you! These are the components found in every person, and they all work together to make you unique and wonderful! When you dress in a way that supports your personal blueprint, the real you will show up! Next week I’m going to show you some Personal Blueprints. Each of the blueprints represents a unique set of characteristics and is linked to a set of colors and styles that are right for the blueprint. When you know your Personal Blueprint, you will know what COLORS and STYLES look great on you!
See next week's blog for these Personal Blueprints, and see which one is YOU!
I didn’t know I would become a style consultant. Up until a year ago, I was immersing myself in art marketing. This was after spending 25 years in the computer industry. I have always been in the “helping people” business -- so why not be in the business of helping people look and feel good! The following story explains how it all came about – which may only be interesting to me – but it goes to prove that you just never know where your brilliance and joy will come from.
As a young woman, I was attractive and sexy enough, and adept at getting attention. This wonder woman-like power enabled me to confidently walk into a room and own it. Somewhere between the ages of 40 and 45 I started feeling my super powers fading – I was becoming invisible – and it was shocking. I was no longer commanding attention when I walked into a room – there were younger, more exciting women to draw peoples’ eyes away from me. My solution was to sigh, resign myself to invisibility, and chalk it up to growing older.
Some years later, I attended an art marketing class where one woman, quietly minding her own business in a corner of the room, drew everyone's eye. Some combination of her outfit, her jewelry, her hairstyle, her aura made her "pop" so she was the focal point of the entire room. I was intrigued.
When I complimented her on her outfit, she told me about a program she had just attended where she learned about her colors and style, and she said it changed her life. She encouraged me to attend the same program. I did.
It changed my life.
I learned that I was wearing the wrong colors and styles for my “energy” - which consists of my coloring, body type, the way I talk, the way I walk, and my personality. Instead of enhancing my energy and personality, I was watering it down with clothes that did not highlight my best assets. After learning this, did I immediately change the way I was dressing? Heck no! I fought it for almost a year – after all, I was comfortable in the outfits that filled my closet, but slowly I started buying new clothes that reflected my energy. Then something amazing began to happen. Friends, family - and complete strangers - started complimenting me. The most surprising compliment came from a gentleman in Trader Joe's grocery store -- he came up to me and said, "...I'm not trying to pick you up, but I had to come over and tell you how fantastic you look."
There IS something to dressing in the right colors and style. It gave me the courage to make major changes in my wardrobe and hair style, and that’s when life became really interesting!
I felt so much better about myself – I wasn’t invisible anymore. That’s when the light bulb came on for me – if I’m going through this dramatic transformation, maybe I can help other people do the same. And that’s how True Colors by Linda was born.
The Premise of True Colors by Linda
True Colors by Linda is based upon the fact that you can walk into a room and OWN it when you dress in the right colors and style. Anyone can “own a room” at ANY age. Why? Because when you dress in a way that enhances your body and your personality, people will notice and they’ll want to get to know you – they won’t even know why, they are just drawn to you. You are unique and have many gifts to offer – and you, too, can easily learn how to “own a room”.
Many of us walk around invisible because we’re dressing in a way that confuses people. I used to be invisible, but didn’t realize it could be any other way. How about you? Think of your energy like a radio signal – when you dress in a way that is in harmony with your energy, your radio signal is clear and strong. When you dress in the wrong colors and style, the radio signal becomes weak and full of static. If you’re like me, you can tell when people aren’t really noticing you – their gaze travels quickly past you and settles on someone else.
On the other hand, have you ever experienced this? You put on an outfit that makes you smile, and you feel especially confident, and all day you get compliments from friends and colleagues at work. Maybe you’re not exactly sure what it is about the outfit that works, but you know that whenever you wear it, you have a great day. Wouldn’t life be grand if every outfit you wear made you feel great – and that positive energy was reflected back at you over and over, all day long, by everyone around you?
I noticed that once my wardrobe got organized with all the right colors and styles, getting dressed became a piece of cake, a joy. I know that I can mix and match almost anything in my closet. Now I have an exponential number of outfits I can create, and every one of them makes me look and feel fantastic. You can organize your wardrobe, too.
Shopping is easier and faster – I zero in on the colors that look good on me, and then I zero in on the right style. Yes, it’s rare to find both the right color and style together, but when I do, I buy it! And what I’ve learned is that I don’t need as many clothes as I used to – because everything I buy works for me, I don’t waste my money on clothes that hang in my closet unworn. You can shop faster and save money, too.
How to save money and own beautiful clothes
My favorite discovery in the last few years has been consignment clothing stores and thrift stores. I never shopped for used clothing before – yes, I used to donate my gently, and sometimes never-worn, clothes to worthy organizations such as Goodwill and Salvation Army, but it never occurred to me to shop in their stores for my clothing. Well, that has changed. What I discovered is a world of hidden gems and what I call "other peoples' mistakes." Imagine how many other people do exactly what I used to do -- buying clothes that turned out to be a mistake. All those compliments I’m getting these days? “Recycled” clothing, shoes, and jewelry!
How do you find your local consignment and thrift stores? First, ask your friends who may or may not be willing to share their closely guarded secrets. Then, if that fails, just Google consignment and thrift stores in your local city.
The biggest bonus - consignment and thrift stores are not based on the fashion designers’ seasonal whims of colors and styles. You can find YOUR colors and styles almost any time of the year, in sections neatly arranged by color. Plus, the most obvious bonus is the price – it’s like buying a seldom driven car previously owned by a “little old lady” – the quality is still there, but the price tag is substantially reduced. Remember this: If the color and style is right for you, it will LOOK EXPENSIVE.
You, too, can look like a million bucks!
Next week's blog: Show Up In Your Most Beautiful Self! I'm going to talk about what's holding you back from showing up in your most beautiful self.
How many times have you heard the fashion industry say that you need a little black dress? Do you wear black almost every day? Think black makes you look thinner? Well, it’s all a bunch of fashion industry myths. Black doesn’t make you look thinner – it’s the style and cut of a garment that will make you look thinner. And, for most of us, there’s a better color choice than black. In fact, most people don’t look their best in black! I will show you YOUR BLACK.
Do you ever feel like you have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear? Here’s the reason – no matter how many pieces of clothing you have hanging in your closet, if the colors don’t mix and match, if they are inappropriate for your lifestyle, if they’re torn or stained, or if they’re too small or too big -- then you have nothing to wear! How many times a week do you say "I have nothing to wear" ? 
Most of us feel we’re at the mercy of the fashion industry. We buy styles and colors that are the latest fad, or because it’s in our price range, or it’s the IN fashion this year, even if it doesn’t look particularly good on us. Instead of buying something that looks good on a manikin wouldn’t it make more sense to know what colors, styles, and accessories bring out your best features, your uniqueness? When you do, everyone will see YOU –not necessarily your clothes. As we get older, our bodies are changing, styles are changing, and I’ll bet many of you are still hanging onto your old clothes that expired years ago! Remember, your closet is NOT a museum! 
Have you ever been in a public place and seen a woman that turns heads because she looks perfectly put together? Do you wish you could have that put-together look? When you look at a well-dressed woman, you see her radiance. She lights up. She stands out. That’s because every single thing she put on that morning, every color, every fabric, and accessory brought her RADIANCE out. How can YOU bring out your radiance and beauty? You will understand how to bring out your best features when you understand the secrets of your own PERSONAL BLUEPRINT. 
