The Closet Coach

If you’ve paid any attention to fashion news last month, you heard that Banana Republic introduced a new collection in collaboration with “Mad Men” costume designer Janie Bryant containing pieces inspired by the show and the era in which it’s set.

They even held a contest in conjunction with AMC with the grand prize of a walk-on part for the entrant with the best photo of themselves in full “Mad Men” style.

I’m a huge fan of “Mad Men” so these two things gave me an idea. Could I create a look in full “Mad Men” style using pieces I already have in my closet?

Here’s my attempt at “Mad Men” style–without going to Banana Republic.

Step 1 was a bracelet sleeve length cardigan; there are two in the “Mad Men” collection. I happened to have two, a grey one with a white polka dot pattern and another in a gold-and-brown animal print.

Step 2 was a blouse to wear underneath the cardigan. I don’t have any pussy bow blouses (yet), but I did have this Peter Pan collar shirt I bought on consignment. It seemed appropriate for an outfit evoking the early to mid ‘60s. Because the shirt is white with black piping, that determined which cardigan to wear.

Step 3 was to choose a bottom piece. Although I have several pairs of cropped pants, none of them had quite the right cigarette pant silhouette. I decided to go with a grey pencil skirt, another classic ’60s shape.

Step 4 was shoes. Many of the looks in the “Mad Men” collection featured black pumps, so it was an easy choice to pull out my black kitten heels.

The final step: accessories. Some of the looks were belted and with the cardigan over the waist of the pencil skirt, I felt like this outfit needed one, too. With all that grey, I could’ve gone with black, but I thought the red had a nice pop. And what ’60s outfit is complete without a strand of pearls?

So there you have it: my version of Banana Republic/“Mad Men” style.

• How do you think I did?
• What’s your favorite “Mad Men” look?

Shirt: Consignment. (similar, $70 from Topshop)
Cardigan: Old Navy. (similar, on sale for $14 at Lord & Taylor)
Skirt: Elie Tahari. (similar, $59 at J. Jill)
Belt: Target. (similar, $38 at Lord & Taylor)
Shoes: Nine West. (similar, $139 from Endless)
Outfit level: 4.

[Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links.]

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This week’s Friend Friday is about aspirations: dreams, goals and wishes. Katy was inspired by two separate blog posts in which the blogger quit her day job and started on the path to self-employment, and her own sister who decided to quit her job and start her own business.

As Katy correctly notes, putting your dreams down on paper is often the first step to realizing them.

1. Fess up – if you could do anything professionally what would it be?

This is an interesting one for me, because I actually have two sets of interests.

The first one is interactive (or online or digital) marketing: strategy, search engine optimization, social media, ad campaigns, analytics, user experience–the works. Lucky for me, this is my day job; I’m the Director of Marketing at an interactive agency. Even so, I am constantly looking for ways to expand my knowledge and evolve my role.

The second one is style and creative–writing, drawing, photography, video. Right now, I nurture this side with this blog. At the same time, I’m actively planning to grow it into a business. Would it be great if it someday grew into a full-time gig? Sure. What blogger doesn’t dream of turning it into her job? But I’m not announcing that I’m quitting tomorrow. Not only am I not ready, but some of my co-workers read this! :)

2. What draws you to this?

The common thread in both areas is helping people find answers, whether it’s helping a client understand their site analytics or creating a marketing strategy that will effectively drive traffic, or helping a reader learn how to dress herself better or find the perfect garment.

Marketing is my analytical brain and style blogging is my creative brain.

I also find much overlap between the two. The energy of one helps feed the energy of the other.

3. When did you first start dreaming about this ideal?

I didn’t so much dream of marketing as I evolved into it from various roles in the online world (producer, project manager) over the past 15 years.

The dream of a style blog–and someday a stylist business–came to me one afternoon in March 2009 while I was gardening. I think it had been gestating for a while, and there it was. I started The Closet Coach the same day.

4. What’s holding you back from going all in?

Maybe I’ll go “all in” to blogging one day. But for me, “all in” to one thing I enjoy means “all out” of another thing I enjoy. That’s not a choice I need or want to make right now.

5. Sometimes the first step is the hardest… what’s one step you can take now on the way to realizing your dream?

It’s strangely karmic that this question (and topic) has come up when it did. This month I started meeting with a business coach with the express goal of planning, shaping and focusing both spheres of my life, both as separate and as complementary efforts.

We’re off to a great start and I can’t wait to see where the path takes me.

For anyone else looking to give some shape and definition to their dreams, I highly recommend this post by Karen Walrond of Chookooloonks on having “ A Definite Chief Aim.”

[Image: This isn't happiness, found via Pinterest]

Steve Jobs had to dress like this ... before he could dress like this.

Update 10.6.11: Steve Jobs, 1955-2011. Rest in peace. You will be missed.

Have you seen “Crazy, Stupid, Love” yet?* (If you’re a member of the Style List, you already heard me rave about it.)

One of the many funny scenes involves a manly makeover administered by Ryan Gosling’s ladykiller character to Steve Carell’s schlumpy married man, in which Gosling takes Carell’s white New Balance sneakers and throws them away, asking “Are you Steve Jobs? Are you the president of Apple Computer?”

The implication, as communications coach Steve Gallo wrote in a post for Forbes, is that Steve Jobs can get away dressed in white running shoes all the time, but you can’t–because he’s Steve Jobs and you’re not.

But it wasn’t always true, not even for Steve Jobs. Early on in his career, he wore suits and ties just like the rest of us.

It wasn’t until he returned to Apple, and returned the company to success, that he could afford to wear his now-standard uniform of black turtlenecks, Levi’s 501’s and white running shoes.

So what can Steve Jobs teach you about style?

• Dress for what’s next. Until you make your own million (or billion), dress for the job you want, not the one you have.
• Know what works for you. You don’t have to have a wardrobe as regimented as Jobs does, but when you find a look you like, let it guide you. There’s nothing wrong with creating variations on a theme.
• Be aware of where you are. It’s not by accident that the “uniform” Jobs settled on is one that works well in an environment of techies and creatives, as many of the Apple faithful are. He didn’t swap three-piece suits for golf clothes. Think about where you are. Are you dressing to fit in or stand out? No matter which it is, be deliberate with your choices.

This doesn’t mean that only successful technology executives can throw away the fashion rule book. They just have a little more freedom than we do!

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*Bonus fun

If you haven’t seen it, here’s a little taste of “Crazy, Stupid, Love”:

I spent some time over the weekend cleaning through tubs of storage in my basement. I’m a bit of a pack rat, so I had way too much stuff saved over the years, most of it tchotchkes, scrapbooks and other mementos–including photos from my ’80s youth.

The photos above are from 1987 and 1988, around the time of my senior year in high school. Pretty stylin’, huh? :)

Looking at these old photos made me think about the ways my personal style has changed over time. And the ways it’s stayed somewhat consistent.

What’s consistent: My color preferences. That’s a lot of black and white up there. My attempts to integrate more colors to the contrary, my current closet’s range of hues isn’t a whole lot different.

What’s changed: My clothing silhouette. Back in high school I was really thin. Like, shopping at the 5-7-9 store thin. For reasons that make no sense to me now, I was self-conscious about this and wore baggy clothing to conceal my body. (I know, I know! Yet another reason you should love the body you’re in; if not now, when?)

Today I don’t have the problem of feeling too thin! Yet I’m much more comfortable wearing more body-conscious pieces that fit and flatter the shape I’m in now. I’ve learned that baggy never works to make big look smaller or smaller look big; it just makes everyone shapeless.

As much as I feel I have developed a strong sense of personal style over these years, I also know–and hope–that my evolution hasn’t ended. I wonder what I’ll notice when I look back on today’s personal style in 20 or 25 years?

• How has your style evolved over time?
• What has stayed the same and what has changed?
• Do you think style should change over time or do you think it should stay consistent?

This week for Fashion Beauty Friend Friday, we’re talking about how blogging–particularly fashion blogging–has made us see things differently.

1. Since you began blogging do you notice a change in the types of things you gravitate towards while shopping?

I’ve got a closetful of black clothes and my preferences definitely lean toward clean, classic and maybe even minimalist (have I bored you yet by talking about Calvin Klein?). But reading other fashion blogs has spurred me to think more about bolder accessories and a greater use of color.

2. Do you find, as a fashion blogger, that you dress differently from your family and friends? Do they comment on that?

The other way around, actually. I already dressed differently from most of my family and friends, and that’s what spurred me to start a style blog. I thought I had something to offer others through my own choices.

3. What’s the weirdest fashion that you secretly like, even if you aren’t bold enough to wear it?

Ooh, that’s a good one. Probably the dramatic, architectural styles of the Japanese designers, like Commes des Garcons and Junya Watanabe. I also admire the audacity and technique of the late, great Alexander McQueen.

4. Looking at current trends – what would you like to try but need to build up the courage to do?

I don’t know if there are any current trends that require actual courage to wear? Maybe more of a “what-the-hell” attitude!

Platform shoes, though? They scare me a little. I would love to be able to pull off a truly fierce shoe, but my feet would rebel against me.

5. Toot someone’s horn – what fashion blogger out there inspires you with her bold fashion choices?

I’m looking forward to reading everyone else’s answers to this question so I can discover some new bloggers. I tend to read bloggers who have a similar sensibility to mine, rather than ones who are trying to be bold or different or edgy. It’s always good to break out of one’s comfort zone from time to time.

[This post is part of Modly Chic’s Fashion Beauty Friend Fridays.]

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[Photo: Noel Zia Lee]