I Like Reese Witherspoon

I read a ton of magazines. After years of soaking in all the gossip, I've grown fond of certain stars and have a chip on my shoulder about others. Reese Witherspoon is one of my favorites!

First of all, I love her style. Her hair always looks gorgeous, even when she's racing around town in a ponytail. She rarely wears inappropriate clothing, and she manages to look beautiful and feminine without looking skanky or slutty. Too many Hollywood moms think style means showing off eye-popping cleavage.

She's done a good job of managing her public persona, too. I often see pictures of her taking her kids to church. I enjoy reading her interviews because she seems honest and relatable. She's a very wealthy woman, but she's also a wife, mother, and working mom. And did I mention I love her hair?

Are there any stars you admire? Why? Why not? 

Have a terrific day!

Tweet

Share

Style Plateaus

Has your hairstyle been the same for a decade? Are you using the same makeup techniques from when you were in high school?If you're currently in high school, you can ignore that question. What about your clothes? Do you own any trendy items?


I've been on a style plateau for years. Part of it is budget, part of it is an aversion to shopping, and the other part is insecurity. I don't want to look like I'm trying to be fifteen years younger than I am. And short hair on me looks horrible, so I keep it long.

I do have a few shortcuts to make it seem I've gotten off the plateau, though.

• Check out the latest makeup colors and trends in fashion magazines. Purchase a lipstick or eye shadow in the current shades for an instantly fresh look.


• Emulate Jennifer Aniston or Jennifer Lopez or any of the other gorgeous celebrities in regards to their hair. They keep the same basic style for years, but they update the color, the highlights, and the way they style it.


• Stick with basic jeans, slacks, and foundation shirts and sweaters, but add a few inexpensive trendy shirts to keep your look up to date. Also, study the shoe, handbag, and jewelry trends to add a polished air to your outfits. If you can't afford much, head to Target for similar items or a discount store like TJMaxx.


• Shop in your closet. You probably wear the same things in the same combinations over and over. Take the sweater you always wear with the same jeans and swap the jeans for a pair of corduroys. Add a blazer and a necklace. You have a new look for free.

Are you, like me, on a style plateau? Do you have ways to make it appear you aren't on one? Or are you usually up on the latest styles?
Have a terrific weekend!

Tweet

Share

Clothes. Style. Yikes.

Audrey Hepburn. Two words that bring delight. If you've watched Sabrina, Roman Holiday, or Breakfast at Tiffany's, you know what I mean. The woman sparkled--and her style!--I want some of that!

Obviously, many other women still want some of that, too, because her look continues to influence fashion today. I recently read Audrey Style by Pamela Clarke Keogh (loved the book!), and I was captured by how flawless and effortless Audrey always appeared.

It got me to thinking--how would I define my style?

Soccer mom? Casual professional? Throw-on-five-year-old-jeans-and-call-it-good writer?

None of the labels really fit. I don't have much of a clothing budget, nor do I enjoy shopping for clothing in malls. The stores seem to have a lot of one style and not much of anything else. The current pieces don't flatter me. Empire waist? Makes me look five months pregnant. Super low-rise skinny jeans? Yeah, I'm laughing pretty hard at that one! Even Ann Taylor and Banana Republic--the go-to uniform stores for professional women of childbearing years--don't fit my life.

Here's the thing, I love clothes. I adore it when I throw on a great-fitting pair of jeans with a sweater and the whole image snaps in place. However, too many items in my wardrobe are good but not great. They don't fit well or they're old or they aren't a great color for me. Do you have this problem too?

My solution is to shop consignment shops and thrift stores. It allows me to try new looks for very little money. And I can't tell you how many designer clothes I've found with the tags still on! I always find perfect jeans at thrift shops, probably because they've been through the wash and have already shrunk.

Now mind you, growing up, the last thing anyone in my family would do is shop at a thrift store, but these shops have grown in popularity over the last few decades. Yes, 80% of the clothes are nothing you'd wear, and of the other 20% only several items will be right for you. But it's a fun way to enhance your wardrobe without breaking the bank.

How would you define your style? Do you want to burn most of your wardrobe? What precisely do you not like about it? Or do you love your clothes?

Have you ever browsed the clothing in a consignment shop? Was it fun or did it give you the creeps? We all have our own comfort levels, and some second-hand stores are better than others.

Join me on Friday to post one goal!

Tweet

Share