We all get into style ruts. And sometimes it’s hard to break one without guidance, support, or a swift kick in the butt. You can wait for Stacey and Clinton to come drag you and your clothes to New York, but I wouldn’t wait too long. Doubt that’ll happen.

Instead, how about learning the skills you need to plan a complete style transformation from top to bottom? You can hire a personal stylist to help you–always a solid plan of action.

We have another idea: come along with us on a journey of Personal Style Transformation in our eight-week online, interactive program. You will learn the “science” behind what styles work and don’t–via body type, personal color analysis, and style personality–and how to put it all together and manage your wardrobe.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably bought pieces that you’re not sure how to style. So they hang there. And hang there. Enough!

Consider joining the Personal Style Transformation program with a friend or two. This way, in addition to everything you learn, you can also buddy up and help each other when it comes time to do a closet sweep and “shop your closet.” As a grand finale project, you’ll be debuting your new style to your friends and family *and* sharing it with your classmates.

It’s dress-up, only for real!

The Personal Style Transformation program is about YOU. We know you’re already great. We want to help you match the inside with the outside. Step into the next evolution of who you know yourself to be.

And guess what? We’ve decided to offer a one-time scholarship to the person who writes the best 300-word essay about why you need a style update. Attach a photo! Please send it to Alison at alison@wardrobe911.com.  Entries are due on Monday, June 21.

For more information, visit the Wardrobe 911 Style Institute. The course begins on June 28th and we’ll be updating the site with all the pertinent details of how to enroll soon, so sign up to get notified.

Image consulting. Does it make you think of power suits and button earrings? Of course, it’s not really that bad, but born in the 1980s, there are many people who still have that association. Even the term “image” can sound a little, well, superficial.

At the Wardrobe 911 Style Institute, we believe style is deeper than that. We believe that style is—and should be—the clearest reflection of who you are and who you want to be next.

Because of this, we’re attracting a new generation of stylists. Many of our stylists have had previous careers in fields ranging from education, business and marketing, retail, law, counseling and coaching, as well as color and design-related industries.

One graduate of the Style Institute is Kelli Harker. Located in Calgary, Canada, Kelli owns “Soul Reflection,” a full-service personal style consulting business. After much of her own soul-searching, Kelli left her corporate job to embark on a new chapter of her life.

“Though I had known for a while that I wasn’t being true to myself in my career,” Kelli admits, “I wasn’t sure what to do. I wasn’t even really entertaining the idea of entrepreneurship. I started asking my friends, ‘What do you think of when you think of me?’ And so many of them said shopping. Style. I couldn’t see it because I was caught up trying to figure it out. It was right under my nose.”

“So, I started Soul Reflection. What the name means is that I’m not just about the rules. The rules work—body type, color, personality. But mostly I strive to connect the inside with the outside. I guess I don’t even like the term Image Consultant. I like Image Coach. I want to ask my clients, ‘How do you really want to express yourself?’ I like to give them permission to explore another side of themselves. I like to remind my clients how amazing they are. I want them to feel that when they’re with me.”

“What I love best is that I’m owning my creativity again. That side of me has been re-born. I have so much energy for my business because it’s mine! I’m not working crazy hours because I have to; I’m working because I want to.”

Kelli jumped into her business and then found the Wardrobe 911 Style Institute’s Personal Stylist Certification Program.

“The Style Institute came to me at the perfect time.”

“Would I have been moving quickly toward my business? Yes. But what I have learned with the Wardrobe 911 Style Institute has made me really solid in my foundation. I can’t say enough about how good this program was for me. It was the right course at the right time. I needed it. It taught me all of the technical style skills, along with great business training and materials.”

Kelli goes on to talk about her day-to-day life: “I’m really enjoying my days now. I’m enjoying being out with clients and in shops. My days are spent feeling like I’m on purpose. I’m always thinking about how I can make somebody’s day better. Getting paid to do that feels like a bonus. I’m really enjoying being out connecting with people. I’m not sitting at home in a home office. I’m taking risks and figuring it out as I go along.”

Kelli’s booking clients and style trips to New York City now. So check her out at www.reflectyoursoul.com.

For more information about an exciting new career in this up and coming field of personal styling, check out the Wardrobe 911 Style Institute.

Happy Friday everyone!

As you may have noticed, the site recently underwent a big makeover — we like to keep it fresh and interesting for you!  Similar to undergoing an individual makeover, it helps us stay out of that style rut that we all tend to fall into from time to time.  So, it’s the perfect time to announce our new Personal Style Transformation program.  It’ll be directed and led by our new VP of Education and Training, Alison.  She’s an amazing coach, teacher, and guide and she has something really important to share with you — something that is based on all the values we share here at Wardrobe 911 — I was moved by her story as I hope you will be too.  ~Teresa

Hi all!

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m sort of a “late-bloomer” when it comes to style. I’ve always had an eye for color and design—I wore a stunning full-length, turquoise Thai silk dress to my college graduation in 1984 and was mistaken for the “fashion designer”— but I was just too busy with other things in my 20’s and 30’s to focus on fashion.  I was traveling, learning languages, starting a business school, building a career and figuring out who I wanted to be when I grew up!

The truth is, I was busy.  Despite wanting to be stylish, I just didn’t know how to make that happen on a day-to-day basis. Friends and family would say that I’ve “always been stylish,” but I know that it’s been kinda hit or miss. (If you join the program, you’ll have the chance to share some of your “style-don’t” photos! ) But about five years ago, I got even more interested in style as something real and important. As a life coach, I began to acknowledge the central role that body image (and wellness) played in each of my client’s happiness and saw how it was reflected with style.

There is plenty of evidence about image and how we’re judged by appearance. Though it’s indisputable, maybe you’re still not convinced that it really matters. Honestly, I dressed well enough in my career to excel and succeed. I coulda done better style-wise if I knew then what I know now. But that’s not why I care, really.

To me, style is about that whole snowflake thing. There’s only one of me: how I express who I am and what I want to “say” makes me, me. Knowing what you love and even why is part of that.

This morning my mother said, “My mother loved cornflower blue,” as she handed me some cornflowers and the most beautiful periwinkle hydrangeas. I love those blues too. As a trained stylist, I now know some of the reasons why. I guess we can’t ignore the power of genetics, but there’s also a part of it that is a mystery. Nature, nurture, and maybe something more.

But I can’t talk about style without also dealing with the issue of our bodies. We’re living with an epidemic of obesity and eating/lifestyle related diseases. I’m a dancer and, though I’ve never been professional, started dancing in high school and soon after began an obsession with my weight and size that took years to unravel and heal. At the time, there was still no word for “eating disorder,” but I began to revel in the attention and sense of control I had by eating  just few raisins and seeing my sinewy muscles through my Danskin.

It’s been many (many) years since I made peace with my body and eating. (As a small thread of the program, I’ll share how.) I have far fewer nags about my “flaws.” I’ll let myself go there, but not for very long. There’s always way more good about me—and you—to waste energy obsessing about it. Over the years, I have trained in a variety of dance and fitness techniques that are still central in my life—I’ll tell you about that another time— and take really good care of myself. I also think I look pretty darn good as I approach 50. I’m going to my 30th high school reunion today.

As I guide you on a Personal Style Transformation journey, I want you to know this: at the heart of style is a commitment to celebrating who YOU are. Of course, there’s the technical part—fit, proportion, color, style personality, managing your closet—and we will teach you that. Teresa’s one of the best out there. It’s really cool stuff and it creates a framework for bringing out the best in who you are. But I also hope that you end the battle of negative self-talk about your body. It ends here with us. See your body as an artist would.

Feeling good about and in your body is really all you’ve got. Everything else that you love depends on it. Your work, your relationships, your health. Style—however you will define that—is an important part of that equation.

For me, the spirit of style is this: Love Yourself Now. Don’t waste another day. You can buy another pair of shoes, but you only have one pair of feet!

There’s a little notebook on the table here. It says, “Life is too short to not have a little umbrella in your drink.” To me, that’s what style is about. It’s your life. Today. Live it with style.

Join me for the Personal Style Transformation online program!

We want to thank the readers who participated and shared their touching stories about their mothers.  Here are Stephanie’s inspirational comments.

“A mother’s job is to make her children’s lives better than her own.”  I thought about Mom’s statement as deeply as a 6-year old could. What did she mean?It was a comment she made in passing. She doesn’t even remember saying it. Why would she? She’s been putting my needs before her own since the day I was born – it’s become so second nature to her that when I attempt to thank her for her sacrifices she is taken aback. To her, it isn’t a sacrifice. It’s a way of life.
When she bought me a new car and continued to drive hers past 200,000 miles, she insisted that she wanted to keep hers to “see how far it would go.” When the economy went downhill, and everyone worried about their 401k, she smiled and considered herself lucky not to have lost any money. She had put hers into my law school education rather than a retirement plan.

Looking back, it doesn’t seem rational that a woman who made so many sacrifices could be so happy, but it’s a mother’s way of life. A way of life, a way of sacrifice, and above all – a way of love.

Happy Mother’s Day to all and be on the lookout for more product giveaway contests in the future!

What is your style mantra? A style mantra is a word or several words that create a statement about your personal style and inner self. This style mantra also provides you with inspiration as you shop for yourself so that you buy clothes and accessories that best reflect you. For example, if you are a classic person, you probably stay away from trendy items.
Teresa has designed Wardrobe 911 Style Mantra cards so that you can have fun creating your own mantra. These stylish and unique small cards serve as a reminder about who you are or want to become. The words on the cards reflect the top 25 style words that were consistently chosen by our clients from the hundreds of consultations we’ve conducted. These inspirational cards are made of super-heavy card stock in corresponding colors for you to select from and use. For example, if you are “polished”, then we associate that word with the color teal. If you consider yourself modern, then the color of the card is purple.
Here are Teresa and Maria’s Style Mantras:

• Teresa: Elegant, Stunning and Creative

• Maria: Classy, Feminine and Modern

Check out the Style Mantra cards in our Style Shop and review all the clever ideas on how to use these cards. These are also a nice gift and a good excuse to get together with your friends to uncover your style mantras.
If you’re a personal stylist, these cards are great to give to your client as a special thank you or leave-behind.
Create your own style mantra and display it in a creative way. Share a picture of it with us on Facebook (just tag Wardrobe911)! Our favorite mantra will receive a Wardrobe 911 tote. Entries must be submitted by April 10th, 2010.

Perhaps you are looking for a new career or you want to enhance your career? Did you know that a personal stylist or image consultant’s average profit margin is 80% which is higher than a multi-level marketing job? And you don’t have to rely on selling products to your friends, your friends’ friends, asking friends to join your network, etc.

In addition to the educational modules listed below, we are excited to announce that Teresa interviewed celebrity make-up artist, Robert Jones! He is also the best-selling author of the fabulous Looking Younger, Makeovers that Make You as Young As You Feel . Robert’s beauty secrets are revealed during the Beauty and Grooming Module.

Curriculum

• Module 1: Image + Identity

• Module 2: Fashion Fundamentals

• Module 3: Body Type

• Module 4: Personal Style

• Module 5: Personal Coloring

• Module 6: Wardrobe Planning

• Module 7: Wardrobe Management

• Module 8: Styling Tools + Tips

• Module 9: Makeup + Grooming

• Module 10: The Style Consultation

• Module 11: The Closet Sweep

• Module 12: Personal Shopping

• Module 13: Add-On Service

• Module 14: Business Startup Essentials

• Module 15: Marketing Essentials for Success

• Module 16: Certificate Project

Want to learn more? Don’t wait too long – enrollment ends February 10th!

And finally, I can let the secret out…the Wardrobe 911 Style Institute (www.styleinstitute.net) is getting ready to open for enrollment!

It’s the first-of-its-kind interactive learning environment and online training for personal stylists and image consultants. That means, no matter where you live, you can now take advantage of our well-respected training.  If you’re interested in being notified of the launch, please visit our Style Institute site to learn more about image consulting and get on the list.

We’ll be announcing all the details shortly but only to those that have signed up to be notified. It’s first rate and I can’t wait to share it with you!

Join us on Facebook!  Let’s talk style!

We are looking for four women who have one of the four body types to do a quick model ’session’ with us at a top retailer in downtown San Francisco.

Date:  Monday January 25

Time:  Between 10 am and 12 pm.  You will only be needed for 30 minutes — we’ll let you know which time slot you have once you are selected.

Body Types Needed:  one hourglass, one rectangle, one inverted triangle and one triangle.  If you don’t know your body type, take our quick quiz:  www.wardrobe911.com/quiz

What Will Happen: We’ll have you try on two outfits and we’ll take your picture. That’s it! You don’t need to be a professional model but you must sign a model release form so we can use your picture.

How to Apply:  Please send a picture of yourself and list your body type, height, dress, pant + top sizes to STYLE at Wardrobe911.com. We are looking for REAL women so don’t be afraid to apply.  To thank you for your time, you’ll get a Wardrobe 911 Recipe Box signed by me and some personal tips to move your style forward.

I’m looking forward to meeting you!

Many of you have probably heard about the four seasons for determining what colors look good on you.  Simply by the basic color of your hair, skin and eyes you are put into one of four boxes — or twelve (as some systems are now.) I have always had a problem with this because many individuals are mistyped into a category of colors that don’t work for them 100%.

We are all so very unique in our physical characteristics and coloring.  The difficulty in provide any type of solution for the masses is bound to have problems because what may work for one person may not work for another.

My studies in art and color for the last 30+ years have found me coming back to Johannes Itten’s (a former Art Theory professor at the Bauhaus) incredible observation that each individual has her “own private conception of color harmony.”  He also discovered that our subjective predilections for certain colors are mirrored in our own physical and psychological characteristics.  Having conducted hundreds of color consultations on individuals, I find this to be true.

About a year ago, I started developing a personal color system based on color theory and the principles that Mr. Itten espoused. It’s based on the three attributes of color: hue, value and saturation.  And, it takes those three attributes and applies them to all the various colors in your hair, eyes and skin (there is more than one!)  It truly identifies your best colors for you on a very personal level — there is no pre-made kit — your palette is fully customized for you.

Finally, the personal color system is ready and available for personal wardrobe and color consultants to use.  And we have stylists in our directory (Gretchen, Cori, Kelsey and myself) who currently have the system and offer color consultations for individuals  in DC, Philadelphia, New York City, Toronto, Upper New York, San Francisco and Tampa.

Have you had your colors done with the season system?  If so, what was the result?

+++++

If you’re interested in image consultant training and color analysis, check out our online program through our Style Institute.

We learned more about color theory and then worked with clients using Teresa’s new Wardrobe 911 Personal Color System. It’s amazing. I used it while working with a client this week with outstanding results.

For readers in the Metro-DC area, I am ready to analyze your colors and present you with your personal color palette which you can use while shopping. I can even do a “home party” for those who may want to have a girls-night-in. Also, a gift certificate for a color session with me is a great idea for the woman who has everything! Jenny is also prepared to work with clients on the West Coast of Florida. Let us know if you’d like more information.

My name is Kelsey and I’m excited to be part of Wardrobe 911’s Stylist Collective and I wanted to introduce myself as the new Style Correspondent for the East Coast!

I am a stylist and make-up artist for the entertainment industry and now have expanded my services to include customized personal style consultations for my clients. I plan on sharing fashionable style advice and makeup tips with you.

A little bit about me:  My company is named Style & Image by kelsey. It’s based in Center City, Philadelphia and services the surrounding regions including, New Jersey, New York and Delaware. I offer one-on-one Image Services to assist clients with grooming, makeup and hairstyling.  All services are tailored to each client from wardrobe coordination, to makeup and hair.

My style philosophy is all about having the right accessories and making sure you have your basic go-to beauty products, then experimenting with new products for various looks and styles.  Stay tuned for fun tips and ideas as the holiday season approaches!

Parents tell me The Guide is an especially helpful tool for their grown up kids as they transition from school to work because it shows them how to add value quickly when they join their new employer, along with advice on what not to do. And of course there’s a section on appropriate dress! Order a copy before December 22nd and I’ll send you my business etiquette booklets (a $16 value) at no charge. Happy holidays!

Hi there Wardrobe 911 Readers!

As a new West Coast Style Correspondent to the Wardrobe 911 Style Blog and member of the Stylist Collective, I wanted to introduce myself.  As a personal style consultant and founder of Cara Henderson Style Consulting, I dress clients for success throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.  Whether you work in San Francisco’s downtown financial district or in the business casual environment of Silicon Valley, or if you are taking a weekend get-away to the Napa/Sonoma wine country or attending the opera opening, my job is to make you feel confident about yourself and your wardrobe!

The San Francisco Bay Area has a unique style that includes both cosmopolitan and urban attitudes along with influences of the laid back, West Coast, California lifestyle.  The Bay Area is the birthplace of new and fresh ideas, yet it is also steeped in tradition.  All those aspects that make San Francisco such an interesting and dynamic place are also reflected in the way people dress in such a diverse city.

I am here to keep you informed of new trends, tricks-of-the trade (from my many years styling wardrobes for advertising) and to solve your daily and seasonal wardrobe issues. I am excited to hear from you with questions about style and fashion, as well as your challenges.

Come join us at the chic Specialtees Boutique for a 2 hour Secrets to Style program and for shopping with Teresa and Maria after! Specialtees will be providing attendees with a 20/20 Girlfriends Discount Card*, a gift, wine and dessert.

Teresa will provide a unique look at what designers and styles work best for you. You’ll receive an overview of the different silhouettes and body types and will be guided through various image tools to determine your silhouette.

Thursday, October 22
6:00 to 8:00 pm (store stays open until 9 p.m.)
Specialtees
985 Moraga Rd
Lafayette, CA 94549

Fee + Registration

$75 — includes worksheets + a Wardrobe 911 Recipe Box. You will be forwarded a quick style assessment upon registration that will need to be completed before the workshop.

Sign-up now!  There are only five spots left.
*20/20 Girlfriend Discount Card – attendees that do not have this card will be provided one at no charge. The card entitles the customer to a 20% discount on regular priced merchandise until 1/1/2010.

We are looking for a Fall Intern here at Wardrobe 911 and if you know of anyone in the SF Bay Area that might be interested, have them check out our Join Our Team page. 

Stylist Training

• The October 3-4 Bootcamp is next weekend. Registration ends this Saturday.
• November 14-15 has been added.  Early registration ends October 17.
• Get more info and register here.

Secrets of Style Workshop

We’re holding a workshop at Specialtees in Lafayette, CA Thursday, October 22. Spaces are filling up fast so register early to enjoy a fun evening with me and Maria.

In any case, as we here at Wardrobe 911 enjoy some time with our families, we hope you do the same.  And, if you’re in the mood for shopping, here’s some great Labor Day sales to enjoy (they end today!):

• Bluefly.com – Get an extra 25% off of your purchase.
• Banana Republic – 30% off their Fall picks
• Gap - Spend $75, get 15% off, $100 get 20% and over $150, get 25% off.
• Old Navy – Fall styles for $10
• New York & Co – up to 60% off selected styles
• Bloomingdale’s – get an extra 30% off on reduced merchandise
• BarefootTess.com – 25% off styles except new ones (use code LBW)
• Ebags.com – save 20% off (looks like EVERYTHING!)
• Torrid.com – 50% off clearance items

Dear readers, a very good friend of mine needs your help.  If you have a close friend or know of someone who is a compulsive shopper who wants to share his or her struggles in this amazing film, please forward this on to them. And make sure to view the film teaser on their site — it gave me the chills watching it.  Thank you!!

Are you a compulsive shopper who would like to share your story?

Director, Joel McEwen is creating a new documentary film, American Dream, aimed at raising awareness of compulsive shopping in America.

As a former compulsive shopper, Joel seeks to shed light on both the psychological and cultural forces that have brought about America’s epidemic of compulsive shopping. What is it that drives us to fill our lives with “things?”

The consciousness raising nature of this thoughtful film has attracted interviews from such socially conscious celebrities, activists and academics as Danny Glover, Ed Begley Jr., Howard Zinn and others.

We are searching for a compulsive shopper who lives in California and who would feel comfortable in front of a camera, and would like to share with us the reasons behind their shopping, as well as their opinion on what has caused the rise of this epidemic in America.

If you would like to raise awareness by sharing your story in our film, please send us just a few paragraphs about yourself – your name, age & general area of residence, and some insight into your situation. How does compulsive shopping affect your day-to-day life? Does compulsive shopping hold your life back through debt, or other financial obstacles? Has the ritual of shopping replaced other, more productive or personally beneficial activities you may have previously participated in?

**Update: Please contact Kristin through the American Dream web site directly if you’d like to contact them about being in the film.

Simply put, you submit a picture of the loved piece that you’re struggling with and a BRIEF history including where you like to shop online.  Each month, we’ll pick one to feature and show you how to wear it and what to wear it with. So start snapping pictures and get your submissions in for this month – located in our ER Room. The first How Do I Wear This? winner will be featured on October 1.

This is a unique class offered. It includes knowledge as well as processes. Great class, enjoyed!

I learned an incredible amount of information — it was perfect for anyone starting out or just gaining more knowledge.

I learned much more than expected. Thank you for a weekend of training! Everything was very informative!

This workshop is led by Teresa Morisco, Wardrobe 911’s Chief Stylist, who will teach you invaluable personal stylist technical skills and knowledge. And she even shares her trade secrets! Included in the workshop is the NEW Personal Stylist Business Start-Up Kit and other training materials which will help you launch or grow your business.

Further benefits include an opportunity, by invitation only, to join the Stylist Collective. The Stylist Collective gives you the opportunity to advertise your business in the Find-a-Stylist section of the website and to obtain further skill training.

Early registration tuition ends this Saturday, September 5, 2009 so sign up soon! This is a FABULOUS fashion educational and business opportunity.

Questions? Please contact us or get on a waitlist for future bootcamps.