Blog – Page 8

COST PER WEAR NOT PRICE IS THE BEST FOCUS

by Traci McBride

We spend our lives investing — investing in a belief system; investing in relationships, from romantic to partnerships, and our children; and investing in life experiences. Although those investments are not financial, they are time investments — a commodity nonetheless.

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Throughout our lives we are also investing in our skills, education, training, and knowledge, expecting a return on investment. When we take a course to learn a new skill, such as a new language, we expect it to help us communicate, perhaps while traveling in that country or to receive a promotion at work or to build our resume and make us more desirable for other opportunities. Obviously if you get that much out of learning a new language, it pays off in so many ways. Likewise, when you invest in professional support, such as a CPA, Realtor, business consultant or health coach, you have a expectations of having benefits to save money, choose the right area to live in, make more money, and improve your health.

If you invested in college (or if you parents did), you did so to become a well-rounded individual in order to make a difference in the world and earn a living for your entire life. When we invest our time, energy or money in anything, we expect something in return. Even with the simple act of purchasing a ticket to the movies, we expect to be entertained for our investment.

We invest in grooming (nails, hair, skin etc.) to look our best and feel good. Americans invest billions of dollars in clothing. Yet most do not have a plan for the return on investment (ROI) and hardly even think about it. We randomly purchase whatever is on the mannequin at the local mall – not giving any thought to how that investment will pay off. We shop the latest trends or stock up from the clearance rack without a plan. I often watch teens and 20-somethings shop, and I can tell no one has ever taught them to be mindful consumers. It is a skill that is not being taught to the up-and-coming consumers.

I would like to suggest being mindful of what you are investing in. Do you want to just purchase a fad item ($25) for the summer (divided by five wears equals cost per wear $5), knowing it will have a quick expiration? That’s fine, but what are you willing to invest and what do you expect to receive for that investment? Are you mesmerized by a leather motorcycle jacket for hundreds of dollars or will a faux version be a more practical investment?

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Purchasing a men’s suit ($500-plus) is a substantial investment; knowing the right style, fit, and color is important to know up front. What criteria do you use to decide if it’s the right investment? Wear it one time a week for five years equals CPW $1.92, plus dry-cleaning it one time a month equals $180 a year divided by 52 equals $3.46 CPW.

Do you get overwhelmed in your closet not knowing what to keep and what to shed? Do you find you often have buyer’s remorse? Value, not price, is the best focus when shopping. Perhaps investing in a wardrobe stylist is your next step. Want to invest in your personal brand? The key to being successful and reaping the benefits of a clear message that is communicating 365 days a year is to have a professional support you in what you are visually communicating. Learn what you want your visual branding to communicate and know how to do it with the right cuts, colors, fabrics, and a multitude of other details.

Suggested criteria for investing in your closet:

Will this create five or more outfits from what I already own?
Is it in my power color palette?
Realistically how often will I wear this item?
Is this item a transitional piece between seasons?
What is the quality – have I ever owned this brand and how did it hold up?
Does this item need special care? Am I willing to take care of it?
Is this a classic I can get years of wear from?
How do I feel when I wear it?
Do I need to invest more into this item to make it fit properly?

DON’T BUY THE HYPE

by Traci McBride

“Fashion is made to become unfashionable.” – Coco Chanel

Just because retailers sell it and push and tell you “everyone” must have this season’s trend, don’t buy into it. Look at it from an image consultant’s perspective. Having been in women’s closets for a few years now, I tend to see the aftermath of buying into designer and retailer hype.

Yes, I know it’s hard to resist sometimes — it’s cute, you see it everywhere, it’s displayed in clever arrangements at the stores, the style and fashion TV and print media bury you in smart glossy photos and tell you THIS will make you stylish! Heck, even Clinton Kelly (“What Not to Wear”) has admitted that, as an editor for a fashion magazine, he had suggested all women need to wear red lipstick to be sexy! (The lipstick company was a major advertiser.) Now he will tell you that that was a lie — only wear red lipstick if you have a nice mouth and white teeth, as that will be the focus. If red doesn’t enhance your skin and mouth, DON’T wear it!

Figure 1: Much too young to become carbon copies of each other. What sets you apart from the crowd?

A common sight I find in closets is “garment orphans,” which women will admit were attempts to look stylish gone wrong. They end up either not being able to pull a complete outfit together with the item, or each time they put it on they didn’t feel comfortable enough in it to confidently pull it off, so they would take it off, hang it up, and eventually they stopped trying it on all together.

All of this investment in you ends up being wasted. Studies show women have in their closets at any one time $6,000 to $10,000 worth of garments, accessories, shoes, etc, but they only wear $2,000 to $4,000 of it! Now I’m all for investing in yourself — but investing in a wardrobe that flatters your lifestyle, your body shape, your personality, your skin tone and your budget is the key to wise investing and longevity.

The other common situation is playing it safe and ending up with a sea of black garments with pops of color, which often drains your color, imagination, creativity, resulting in your looking older, bored, stuck and exhausted. Many women only own and wear solid blouses, solid pants, solid jackets and solid shoes. Good lord, where is the inspiration? Heck, even bankers deserve to show some personality!

No one I know is born with a style manual — it is a learned talent (thankfully). Let yourself off the hook. You do not have to be great at everything! If I need a landscape design, I hire a designer; when I need to do my taxes, I hire a CPA; when I need an electrician, I hire one! The point is knowing that you need help, a little or a lot. Many times it’s a fresh perspective that is needed: to look at you and your shape and your proportion while listening to your goals and wishes and understanding your day-to-day lifestyle, all the time evaluating with you all the components of your wardrobe. This will establish your Signature Style Recipe and the nuts and bolts of creating it.

So while a Closet Detox is the first step, it certainly isn’t the only step needed. Your personal brand is an ever-changing journey as we elevate, mature, and develop into the next stage of our lives. The best part is that you can begin at any point and any age.

CLEVELAND REAPS THE BENEFITS OF RE-BRANDING: ARE YOU READY?

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by Traci McBride

Once upon a time our fine city had its share of frumpy days, treated like the inappropriate guest that showed up to a decadent event at The Ritz wearing flip-flops and cut-off jeans. For decades Cleveland was disrespected and was the butt of the joke on every late-night talk show. The city resigned itself to this outside view. It started wearing sweat suits, the over-sized shirts that hid it. The city played small and believed what others said about it.

But not so long ago a few smart people started talking about Cleveland’s image and tagline and how it was time to evolve the city. They enlisted other like-minded individuals and hired the right organizations and professionals to elevate the city’s brand.

The city’s goals were established, then measured; soon the city was fitted with tailored suits and dresses made of the finest fabrics on a budget the city could manage. Garments that, when worn, communicated what the city really wanted people to know at a glance: that Cleveland is modern, ageless, educated, friendly, relatable, and welcoming, and has a great sense of humor.

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As the City of Cleveland embraced the new image, other cities and organizations from afar took notice and came to visit. Businesses began investing money into the city with new jobs. Condos and apartments began filling with people wanting to be a part of Cleveland’s new image. Articles in national newspapers and magazines were published about Cleveland being the “comeback city.” Soon everyone wanted to be in Cleveland to witness its reinvention, even if only for a quick visit for its 219^th birthday, a convention for politicians, the Gay Games or to see a hometown guy play basketball.

Rebranding is an ever-evolving opportunity for cities and the individuals that love them. As Cleveland is elevating, are you ready to step into the spotlight? Are you ready to visually communicate the best of who you are?

AVOID BEING INVISIBLE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

by Traci McBride

As the party season kicks up, and Cleveland is on fire with new hotel and restaurant openings, we have many opportunities to attend some stellar events. These events are perfect for meeting potential clients, employers, friends, dates, and spouses — whatever you’re looking for, and sometimes not what you may have been expecting (in a good way).

Careers and relationships are impacted by our behaviors, positively or negatively, depending on the choices we make. I suggest you show up with the intention of having fun and connecting with others. If this event is sponsored by your company or hosted by a client or business association, err on the side of conservative in both behavior and dress.

I attend networking events on a regular basis, and I continually see many people that just are not comfortable being at these events. Usually from across the room you can recognize those who are not making the most of their time and are giving the wrong impression of who they are. First, let me share the signs of becoming invisible while asking: Do you recognize yourself or your colleagues in this description?

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INVISIBILITY SIGNS:

Dressing safely – Many times it is all black, with little to no texture, shine or style. The only item that stands out is the white nametag they gave you at the door.

Wearing poor-fitting clothes – Too big is frumpy and sloppy while too tight is desperate or night-clubish.

Closed body language – Hands in pockets, crossed arms, caved or slumped shoulders, wall leaning, fidgeting, and hand grooming your hair or lint off your clothes. Texting or being on your phone tells others not to approach and is always rude.

Odd facial expressions – Wearing your resting face, deer in the headlight, glaring or frowning.

HOW TO AVOID BEING INVISIBLE:

When you know better, you do better: Read a book, take an online teleseminar or hire a coach on how to overcome whatever is your obstacle.
Only wear what really works: Fit rules. Your clothes do not have to be designer to make you look your best. Fit your body shape, and have your outfit tailored to fit you.
Wear what makes you feel confident: We walk, stand, and talk differently when we are dressed our very best and we feel it. Trust me, others will respond because they will feel it too.
Know and wear your POWER colors: This tip alone will have you standing out for all the right reasons — not only for others to notice you but also for all those social media pictures. All those group pictures posted the next day will have everyone melting into each other with floating heads – except those wearing their power colors. They will stand out, and their connections will notice that.
Dress to your strengths by knowing your body shape: This tip, along with No. 4, will save you an abundance of time, frustration, and money.
Avoid all black all the time. I’ll repeat this that statement until the day I die. All black wardrobe = rut. Be deliberate wearing black. I prove this to my clients over and over again. Wear your power color near your face – always. Men, you can achieve this with your shirts and ties; ladies, with clothing, scarves or jewelry, even lipstick.
Scale your accessories to your frame. Nothing wrong with a flattering statement necklace — it’s when you wear the statement necklace, the statement earrings, the statement bracelet, and statement ring that you’ve gone way too far over the limit.
Mind your P’s and Q’s. Ask more about the other person than sharing about yourself. Ask open-ended neutral questions that are not too personal in nature if you are meeting for the first time. Have a great handshake and give excellent eye contact. Avoid monopolizing one person’s time and have a smooth exit strategy should you get cornered.

It’s human nature to want to be noticed, valued, and respected. When you dress as if you respect yourself, others will give you respect. A little self-awareness goes a long way to practicing the body language and facial expressions that will encourage others to interact and engage with you.

ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE

Traci McBride is the wardrobe stylist of TeeMcBee Image Consulting and is a longtime supporter of nonprofit Dress for Success-Cleveland. She encourages readers to subscribe to her timely newsletter, schedule a style strategy call, or request Tee Speaks to infuse your staff or organization with a passionate professional punch of style to elevate and benefit everyone. Visit www.STYLEDbyTee.com to connect and be inspired.

MIXED MESSAGES: ARE YOU ALIGNING YOUR PRESENCE TO YOUR IMAGE?

by Traci McBride

If you are not getting enough business or being connected to the right people, it could be because you are not creating a “presence” — who you are and what you stand for authentically. Soft skills will support your visual message.

Have you ever received a compliment from someone with a scowl on their face? You get a mixed message. How about when someone stands in front of you saying how much they enjoyed meeting you, yet they keep their hands in their pockets and speak in a monotone voice with no change of expression? Mixed message.

Recently I was at a networking event and one woman stood up to introduce herself as a creative graphic designer. Yet she was dressed in neutral, dated clothing. Mixed message.

Think about how you walk, talk, and act when you are dressed-up for a special event vs. wearing athletic clothing. Very different experiences, right? Well, between those two scenarios, who is drawn to you personally and professionally will be very different as well.

Your wardrobe influences how you feel and how others perceive you. Being self-aware enough to recognize that and improve it will support you having more of everything you want and the experiences you want in life.

Dressing for your profession is important and something to keep in mind, but being authentically you, wearing colors and textures and proportions that communicate for you at a glance, is a self-care service you will benefit from 365 days a year. Here are some tips to get you started.

Do an honest evaluation about how you feel in your clothes. A look in the mirror will help you decide if you really are presenting yourself the way you want to.
Ask a few trusted, honest people in your life that will tell you their perspectives.
Spend some time in your closet evaluating your wardrobe. Tap into how you feel as you do this. Are the items well chosen and good quality or mostly bargain discounted quality, dated, and tired items?
Take note of styles, fabrics, and colors that you see others wear or in magazines and online, and journal your thoughts and feelings while doing so. This is a good way to begin to see yourself from a fresh perspective.
Create a style vision board or book online or do it “old school” with cardboard — create your new sense of style. Once you have fleshed out some ideas, take the next step.
Go to the store and try on some of the colors, cuts, and styles you’ve been putting on the style vision board. You don’t have to buy them at that time but just see what you look like in them.
If any of this is overwhelming, call StyledbyTee for a step-by-step style re-boot created just for you. You are never alone in this!

HARNESSING YOUR SUPERPOWER

by Traci McBride

We all have superpowers, yet we don’t always maximize them. Think in terms of your personal image. What sets you apart from the people around you? Do you have great posture, a quick smile, and mindful body language? Perhaps you have impeccable manners or are easily able to build rapport with others.

As I spend time with individuals in their closets or local dressing rooms, I find that many are unaware of their superpower, and when I point out something about them, they are shocked as if they never considered it a plus. Most people, especially women, have difficulty being objective about themselves.

So what is your special superpower? It could be something physical, such as shapely legs, big eyes, a strong jaw line, or some other feature. Play it up — not in an overtly sexy way but with a nice balance to your overall look.

I know several people who have excellent recall of names and details people have shared with them in casual conversations. I’m not good at that at all, and I admire them for that superpower, which motivates me to practice that trait.

Have you ever met someone with whom, for some compelling reason, you want to reveal details that you just wouldn’t normally offer? It’s probably because they have a superpower of a trusting energy.

Think of this: I know a photographer who can easily and quickly coax the best and truest of her muse out of a child or adult. Superpower!

Or an insurance agent that radiates honesty and real knowledge that helps an individual make the best choices to protect their dreams, rather than being a sales person who is selling a product. Superpower!

How can you harness your superpower while appreciating the superpowers of others? Do you know people who might have the superpowers of compassion, creativity, intuition, bravery or empathy? Some of us are blessed with more of these traits than others. Use them to lift others and make others feel, loved, heard, appreciated, and valued.

I would love to know what you believe is your superpower. Email me at Traci@TeeMcBee.com.

I WANT to know – really!

8 WAYS TO TELL IF YOU ARE STUCK IN A STYLE RUT & 8 WAYS TO MOVE OUT OF IT!

by Traci McBride

8 Ways to Tell If You Are STUCK In a STYLE RUT

8 Ways to Move OUT Of It!

EYEWEAR: the One Constant

by Traci McBride

Those of us that need to wear eyeglasses have so many choices in just this one accessory.

Now, usually having choices is a good thing. I say that because many personality types get overwhelmed with too many choices, and when that happens they tend to go basic.

I often ask clients as I do a Closet Detox what made them choose the garment that we are evaluating. The usual response is that they like some features of it but not all; the result is that they change their mind about wearing it. This is because the garment isn’t resonating with them; it’s not aligning with their true self on some level. Here are some of the comments that are shared with me when this same logic is applied to eyewear.

“I choose black glasses because black goes with everything and I never know what color I’ll be wearing.”
“I picked tortoise to stand out from basic black.”
“I decided to play it safe.”
“I didn’t know the best color to choose so I defaulted to wire frames.”

Needing to wearing prescription glasses is new to me. I’ve been able to get away with ‘cheaters’ for years but now I need bifocals for ease of driving, and seeing in detail is obviously important. Because the cost of prescription eyewear is restrictive for many, they don’t order more than one pair at a time – and making a long-term commitment to one pair is daunting. So many factors play into choice besides color, print, texture. You also must consider shape, weight, comfort … and if you need thicker lenses you might be limited by which frames you can choose.

As you consider the tips below keep in mind that knowing what your personal POWER COLORS are is key. This is a tool that will save you countless time, energy and money. Why? One you know this powerful information you can apply it to your entire wardrobe, which in turn will makes mixing and matching in your closet effortless. This will then lead back to focusing on a color for your eyewear that will play back to everything in your closet. Everything comes full circle.

Consider shape and proportion.The lens shape should mimic the natural shape of the eyebrow (except if the frame styling is avant garde like this example). An arched eyebrow is flattered by a complementary arch in the frame/lens top; a straighter brow is complemented by a flatter frame/lens top design.
Choose glasses that help create the illusion of an oval face shape. If you have a slim jawline that makes your chin look pointy, avoid aviator styling and frames that are broad at the top. They will make the jaw appear slimmer. Square jawlines are not flattered by a square frame or lens shape. Round faces will only look rounder wearing round shapes. The solution? A frame or lens that is broad at the eyeline, which makes square and round faces appear more oval.

Check lens depth. The bottom edge of the frame/lens should end above the flare of the nostril. The “Ideal” nose length is one-third of your face length. If a nose is proportionally shorter in length, choose a shorter frame/lens depth with a flat, higher set or upward arched-style bridge. If the nose is longer, consider a deeper frame/lens with a thicker, lower set or downward-dipping bridge.

Show-off your personality. I have an over 60 friend/client that loves polka dots so she has polka dot eyewear, but it goes with 80% of her wardrobe because her wardrobe reflects who she is. She is fun, outgoing and spontaneous so everything she does is truly authentic. Yes the glasses are black and white with the statement pop. Even if you are in a conservative business, showing a bit of personality and playfulness will be endearing and make you more approachable.

Consider tinted lenses. Many people have made their eyewear their trademark. No reason you shouldn’t consider doing this as well. You don’t need to follow the trends – bust out and ownit!

Don’t be shy. Try on many styles and colors. I find when you first see yourself looking completely different from the norm it can be scary – most will just stick with what they have always done. But eventually if you follow that reaction you will be so stuck in a rut and bored by your look.

So how do you know which look is for you?

Solution: Put your smart phone to work for you! Take a photo of every single pair that you think you kind of like. Then take a day or two or more to keep seeing yourself differently through your photos. Print them and hang up in your closet or office. I find when you begin seeing yourself differently, you become more comfortable taking a step outside of your box.

ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE

ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE

ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE

ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE

ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE

ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE

ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE

ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE

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