A Diva State of Mind

A day in the life of a shopping appointment with yours truly

Most client appointments last for two hours but this past Sunday Celia and I were on a mission! We spent FOUR hours shopping to add new pieces to her wardrobe for the spring season. Whew!

After crafting a shopping list based on a closet audit, we started the day at TJ Maxx. You can get a lot for your money at stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls without sacrificing quality (i.e we found a nice faux wrap black/white printed Ralph Lauren dress). I went through racks and racks of dresses, pants, and tops pulling pieces for Celia to try on. After loading a cart full of clothes, we spent the next hour to an hour and half going through everything that was selected.

The focus was to find pieces Celia can wear that would give her business casual outfit options for work but could also work in more casual environments. The pieces purchased also needed to mix well with what she currently has in her wardrobe. After spending two hours in the store, Celia walked away with 11 tops, a pair of printed pants, Ralph Lauren dress and a nice tan handbag for spring.

TJ Maxx was just the beginning! We headed to Columbia Mall to continue our shopping excursion. We found great spring pieces from The Limited, LOFT and New York and Company including ankle pants, floral tops, pastel tops, lace dresses and jewelry. We concluded the appointment with a trip to ALDO to buy peep-toe leather booties Celia originally found online.  They will look great with boyfriend jeans and a blazer.

Here are a few of the pieces I selected for Celia to add to her wardrobe this spring season:  

More The Limited…

It’s hard to put into words the entire shopping appointment experience, but I wanted to give you some insight into what it’s like for a stylist/client shopping appointment, whether it is for a seasonal wardrobe update or special event. Some people HATE shopping, but with a stylist by your side to select pieces for you, it can be a less daunting task! Think of it as going shopping with your stylish friend

What items are you adding to your wardrobe this spring?

For more information on styling services, be sure to check out www.styledbykeri.com. If you are interested in working with stylist, please contact me at [email protected]

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.

Last month I featured by client Celia, who I have been working with for almost a year. After working together for a few months, she forwarded my contact information to her friend James. Thank you Celia for the referral! James was in a similar situation; he had recently lost weight and needed new clothes. James went from wearing a size XL to medium so everything in his closet was too big!

James was in a style rut after losing weight. He didn’t know his size or where to shop so he kept things to a minimum when it came to his wardrobe. Since he wanted to start from scratch, after his initial consultation, James was tasked with getting rid of anything that was too big in his closet. We made a shopping list and hit the mall a few weeks later for his first appointment. We shopped for three hours to begin rebuilding his wardrobe while staying within budget!

One thing I really love about being a stylist is watching people get excited about how they look in clothes. I picked out a Banana Republic vest for James to try on and he immediately loved it. His words: “oh I like this!” It’s priceless to watch clients pick out colors or patterns of new clothes they normally would not have selected on their own. I always let my clients have a say in what items they’re going to buy. After all, if you don’t like it you won’t wear it.

As I’ve mentioned before, rebuilding a wardrobe takes TIME. James and I started working together right before the fall/winter season so most of the items purchased so far were for colder months with a few transitional pieces like tees, button ups and jeans. After two shopping appointments, he’s gotten a grip on his size and where he likes to shop. If he is ever unsure, he doesn’t hesitate to hit me with a “what do we think about this?” text. Of course I don’t mind; that’s what I’m here for! We will soon be meeting again to start tackling his spring/summer wardrobe. Plus James has gained a little more muscle so those medium shirts may now be a little snug!

 *His office is casual so he can wear jeans to work. However, he won’t be wearing Jordans and hoodies to work! Not on my watch!

By March 2012, my client Celia had weighed over 200lbs and was a new mom. She also had high cholesterol. That year, she decided it was time to drop the weight and become healthier not only for herself but also for her son.  

Fast forward to April 2013. By then, Celia had been working out regularly, eating healthy and losing weight. She was ready to work with a stylist to dress her new figure. Let me say that I have witnessed an amazing transformation since I started working with Celia and I couldn’t be more proud!

When Celia and I met for her consultation, we talked about her style goals.  Celia was a clean slate. She needed new clothes, an understanding of what looked good on her and how to put outfits together.  We were literally starting from scratch. At this point, she was the first client I had ever worked with that had lost weight and needed to create a new wardrobe. Oh the pressure! It’s one thing to tell a client they need a few new tops for the spring season. It’s another to make a list of ALL the wardrobe items a woman in a new body will need. Do you know how many wardrobe options women need to have?!

After her initial consultation, we met to complete two closet audits and we got rid of everything! If you could have seen the piles of clothes!! After only leaving enough clothes in her closet to wear until we went shopping (like they do on “What Not To Wear”), Celia and I sat down and created a list from scratch; jeans, skirts, pants, various length tops, blazers, etc.

When we first met, Celia wasn’t big on color and prints. She liked grey, black, brown and white. While we knew we would be purchasing new wardrobe pieces, she wasn’t really fond of the idea of wearing them in various colors. She appreciated a more simple wardrobe color palette.  Celia had lost weight by the time I started working with her but she really didn’t transform until a few months later when she reached her ideal weight and cut her hair. She was a new woman with a new confidence! She loves to show off her figure and every outfit must include color or print. If an outfit I put together doesn’t include color or print, she doesn’t hesitate to let me know! 

Rebuilding a wardrobe for any reason is a huge task and takes TIME! We’ve been working together for 7 months and we are still adding items to our shopping list as we continue to meet for various appointments. I would advise anyone that needs to start over when it comes to their wardrobe to consult with a stylist. You’ll have a lot of questions and need guidance on where to being. Being able to consult with someone will make the process of rebuilding a wardrobe less daunting.

This month, we’ll be putting together outfits for Celia’s 30th birthday. She wants to show off and it’s my job to make sure she does!

Read more about Celia’s weight loss journey in PYNK Magazine. For more information on my styling services, visit www.styledbykeri.com.

On New Year’s Eve, I stood in my closet and thought to myself “what I am going to wear?” I wanted to wear something festive since I was the cohost of a NYE house party. I also wanted to shy away from my go to skinny jeans (or pants), a top and blazer outfit.  After trying on a few outfits, I remembered that I had a pair of sequin shorts from Caché that hadn’t been worn in over a year. Sequin + NYE = of course!

I experimented with pairing different lightweight tops with the shorts, but I wasn’t feeling the outfits. After a few more trial and error moments, I came up with this look below: my sequin shorts paired with a button up and polka dot sweater. I completed the look with a fun statement piece and teal booties. It’s a nice mix of preppy meets party!

It’s easy to wear sequin shorts, pants and skirts with tanks, cute blouses and jackets.  However, if you want to transition those fun pieces to the winter season, pair them with sweaters (yes you can wear sequin ANYTIME you want. Not just during the holidays).

If you’ve struggled with how to wear sequins during the winter months, use my outfit and the looks below for inspiration:

Shop sequin shorts, pants and sweaters here:

More Ann Taylor…

 

Tonya of Elaine Luxe accessories needed new photos for her website and she asked me, makeup artist Jeneal Davis, hair stylist Camille, Natasha of The Weave Whisperer and Kiyanna to come together to help her create new looks for her site!

Two weeks ago, we met bright and early in Old Town Alexandria.  And yes I do mean bright and early; 6am to be exact! While Jeneal and Camille worked on makeup and hair, I put together looks for the models.  For this shoot, we used clothes from my closet and Tonya’s closet (you do what you gotta do)! For the first look, prints served as the backdrop to the Elaine Luxe accessories. The second look complimented the smokey eye makeup Tonya wanted the models to wear.

Check out some behind the scene photos:

After dressing the models, we hit the streets of Old Town. Natasha and Kiyanna sure do know how to give face!! Modeling for these two was effortless!

Here are the final photos by photographer Brian Hoeg:

The new website for Elaine Luxe launched on Monday! The brand is for those who want to make a statement when they get dressed. Elaine Luxe accessories take ordinary outfits to the next level! Please check out the entire collection of handcrafted accessories at www.elaineluxe.com!

I had a great time working with this team on the photo shoot. It was really a lot of fun! Thank you Tonya for selecting me to style the looks for your site; I hope to work with you again soon

As often as I talk about styling, I thought I’d walk you through a shopping appointment I had with a client last month. Of course, the stores and the length of the appointment will vary per client, but I wanted to give you a preview of what you can expect if you hire me to help you shop!

Last month, my friend and new client Curron texted me and said “I need your help.” We met for a consultation to discuss what exactly he needed help with when it came to his wardrobe. Like many people (men and women), he struggled with making decisions about what to purchase when he went shopping. He knows what he likes, but he experiences hesitation when it comes to making a final purchase decision. Should he get a specific pair of jeans? How do certain shirts look on him? Like many of us, he needed help finding items he wanted to purchase and need reassurance that the items he liked were a good choice. 

Since Curron had already gone through his closet and purged clothing that no longer fit or just didn’t work anymore (I’d normally do this for clients before going shopping), we made a list of the items he wanted to add to his wardrobe: graphic tees, polos, cargo shorts, jeans, khakis, ¾ length shirts and more! We also added Fall pieces to the list like a leather jacket and sweaters. 

Please note: all items on a client’s shopping list are not purchased during one shopping appointment.  The shopping list is used for multiple shopping appointments and when clients are shopping on their own.

Banana Republic

A few weeks after the consultation, I met Curron at Tysons Corner Mall. I chose this mall because it featured every store I wanted to shop in order to find exactly what was on the list. I got to the mall before the scheduled appointment to pull pieces for Curron to try on. I do this with all clients; they arrive at the first store and they immediately head to the fitting room. It saves time and is convenient for clients. Curron met me at Banana Republic. This store wasn’t originally on the list of places to shop but when I saw they were offering 30% off sale, I definitely had to stop by. I’m glad I did! Curron left the store with a really nice chambray shirt, polo and red sweater (it was on sale so we couldn’t pass it up)!

Jeans from Express

Following Banana Republic, we went to Old Navy, Hollister, H&M and Express. After three hours of shopping,  Curron left the mall with cargo shorts, the chambray shirt, sweater, graphic tees, two pair of jeans from Express (they were on sale for $17.99 each) and a few other pieces (while staying under budget)!  The jeans from Express included a salmon pair. Yes guys, you can wear jeans and pants in COLOR!! Have fun and experiment. To be honest, I was surprised Curron liked them. But I’m glad he stepped out of his comfort zone and tried them.

Five stores in 3 hours!

Following a shopping appointment, like all clients, Curron received a “recap” which included what was purchased at each store (i.e. Banana Republic: Chambray Shirt size L). I also sent an updated shopping list which will be updated every so often based on any shopping he does on his own or future shopping appointments.

To be honest, I was nervous to work with Curron. After all, he’s my first male client! But a little nervousness is good for you! We had a great time shopping and I look forward to working with him again this year to continue to update his wardrobe.

Over the past couple months, my friend Renee has been revamping her wardrobe; she recently lost weight so it was time to get rid of clothes that were too big and replace them with pieces that fit. However, like many women, she got stuck wearing pieces the same way. So last Saturday, I went over to her house and we spent 3 hours going through her closet creating new outfits; 2 casual looks and 22 outfits that she could wear to work.

Renee has a lot of color in her closet so I really wanted to focus on showing her how different color combinations worked together. Every time she tried on an outfit and stepped in front of the mirror she would say “I love this” or “I would’ve never put this together!” When I got home, she texted me and said “You changed my life!” That statement definitely moved me.  Being a personal stylist is about more than putting outfits together. It’s really about helping women feel good about the way the look. Loving the way you look definitely plays a roll in how you feel about yourself. It takes some time, but once a woman learns how to dress her body and put looks together, she becomes more confident and proud of her body.

Here are a few of the outfits created from her wardrobe.  She purchased items from Target, H&M, Old Navy and EXPRESS. If you’ve been in a style rut, hopefully these looks will provide some inspiration. Please excuse the quality of the photos.

If you’re like Renee and feel like you need help putting outfits together, please contact me! I’m here to help you get full use out of your wardrobe. Believe me, you have more outfits in your closet than you think! Contact me at [email protected] or 301-836-1451 to schedule a free consultation.