The Closet Coach

A reader writes to ask where she can find a good, all-purpose black blazer. You know the kind: you can wear it with jeans, to work, or on a date night.

My reader has a silhouette with narrow shoulders, so she especially needs a blazer that will balance out the widest part of her body, through the hips.

Blazer silhouettes that flatter the pear shape

So let’s start with that garment shape. First we want to add definition to the shoulders. The easiest way is with shoulder pads. Really. (Don’t worry, we’re not going to get all Alexis Carrington here–we’re talking light padding.)

And make sure the jacket fits here perfectly. The end of the shoulder seam should align with the end of your shoulder bone. In fact, a wardrobe staple like this one is worth tailoring to fit if needed.

Draw the eye upward with detailing around the collar. Or try a statement necklace or sassy scarf!

The jacket should also taper in at the waist, to emphasize your narrowest area and further create an hourglass shape balancing top and bottom. A boxy cut will just make you look bigger.

And watch out for pockets on the hips; square ones can add bulk while angled ones can be more flattering.

Finally, make sure the length is right: you don’t want the bottom of the jacket to end at the widest part of your body, which is most likely your bottom or your thighs. Look for one of two lengths: at or just above your hipbones (best if you are petite), or fingertip length.

7 black blazers for the pear shape

Here are 7 options for an all-purpose black blazer, in price points from Target to Platinum Card.

• Target Mossimo Women’s Fitted Blazer. A good, basic blazer in cotton. At this price, it’s good as a starter item or a backup. (Target.com, $30)
• LOFT Cetta Jacket. A better quality item, with peplum gathering in the back hem for a little more definition in the waist. (LOFT, $89.50, on sale for $59.99)
• The Limited Seam Pocket Jacket. In a polyester blend, this jacket should drape nicely and the front pockets are tucked into a seam. (The Limited, $138)
• Alice + Olivia Structured Leather Panel Blazer. I love the leather detailing and the unusual hemline. This is not your mama’s black blazer. (Alice + Olivia at Neiman Marcus Last Call, $173, marked down from $495)
• Ann Taylor Tropical Wool Stand Collar Jacket. Here’s a sleek equestrian-inspired silhouette with flattering seaming and a stand collar in wool. (Ann Taylor, $228)
• Ralph Lauren Devinne Wool Jacket. I like the subtle pinstriping in this jacket; it’s as versatile as a solid black blazer but with a little more visual interest. With a 30” hem length, this is best for taller women. (Ralph Lauren, $270)
• Reiss Ameris Jacket. This military-inspired jacket draws the eye upward with epaulets at the shoulder. It does have hip pockets, so you’ll want to try it on to see if it works on your body. (Reiss, $325, on sale for $162)

[Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links.]

Share the love

Thanks for reading. Did you like this post? Please leave a comment or share it with someone else; just use the handy sharing widget below.

(Want to get more shopping tips and fun insider stuff? Join The Style List. It’s like a secret club in your email inbox! And when you join, you’ll get my free email series, 7 Days to Better Shopping. It’s my gift to you!)

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!

Share the love

Thanks for reading. Did you like this post? Please leave a comment or share it with someone else; just use the handy sharing widget below.

(Want to get more shopping tips and fun insider stuff? Join The Style List. It’s like a secret club in your email inbox! And when you join, you’ll get my free email series, 7 Days to Better Shopping. It’s my gift to you!)

*Bonus fun

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

This is the closet in our master bedroom. The house was built in 1948, a time when wardrobes were much smaller than they are today.

As much as I try to keep my (seemingly all black) clothing wardrobe tightly edited, I still have a 2011 library of clothes and a small closet to fit it in.

How do I do it? Here are a few of my tips–and compromises.

How to fit a big wardrobe into a small closet

• Maximize existing closet space. As you can see, I have a shoe hanger over the door, and a pants hanger rod hanging from the single closet rod to double the hanging space. I have swimsuits and coverups in baskets on the floor, as well as my taller boots. Handbags (in the dust cover bags) are on the shelf above. Finally, I fit the maximum number of shirts on the top hanging rod with Huggable Hangers. Yes, they really do work!
• Use other available space. I have foldable seasonal clothes in storage tubs in the basement, hanging seasonal clothes in the (even smaller) spare room closet, current seasonal folded clothes in my dresser, dresses hanging on a hook on the back of the bedroom door, and a few more things that I should probably get rid of in a storage tub that fits under the bed.
• Add an armoire. Before there even were closets, people hung their clothes in armoires, and they still do. I have a dual set from IKEA; one side is folded clothing (T-shirts, lightweight sweaters, tank tops and camisoles, exercise clothing) in the baskets with wallets and small leather goods on the top shelf, and the other is shoes + hats. See? You don’t have to be Paris Hilton or Mariah Carey to have a shoe closet!
• Kick your husband out. Remember what I said about compromises? I got the entire bedroom closet, such that it is, and my husband took the closet in our downstairs addition. (Lest you feel bad for him, his closet is bigger. Come to think of it, who got the better deal here? :)
• Keep on editing. Although it apparently sounds like I’m drowning in clothes, I do try to minimize the sprawl! One good rule of thumb is to remove one garment for every new one you add. I won’t pretend I’m always successful at this, but I do try. And every season, when I swap out the seasonal clothes, I re-evaluate these things that have been sitting for 6 months and almost always find something to prune.

Your turn

• Do you have a small closet, too, or are you one of those lucky ducks with a great big walk-in?
• If you have a small closet, how do you fit everything in?

Share the love

Thanks for reading. Did you like this post? Please leave a comment or share it with someone else; just use the handy sharing widget below.

(Want to get more shopping tips and fun insider stuff? Join The Style List. It’s like a secret club in your email inbox! And when you join, you’ll get my free email series, 7 Days to Better Shopping. It’s my gift to you!)

Reader L.M. writes, “I’ve lost a lot of weight but I’m still planning to lose more. I’m afraid to buy new clothes now since I’ll (hopefully) just have to turn around and buy more clothes later. In the meantime, I feel frumpy in my baggy clothes. What should I do?”

First of all, congratulations! Losing weight isn’t just about looking better, of course, it’s about feeling better and becoming a healthier you.

You’re right; it wouldn’t be practical to replace your entire wardrobe yet if you’re planning to continue losing weight. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy new clothes on your new body right now.

Weight loss isn’t an overnight process, so why wait until the end to reward yourself for your hard work?

Wearing a few things in a smaller size will also remind you of the success you’ve had so far and inspire you for the journey still to come.

Here’s what you can do right now to update your wardrobe.

How to update your wardrobe while losing weight

• Flaunt a smaller waistline with a new pair of jeans. They don’t have to be expensive to be cute and flattering; you can find on-trend styles at mainstream chains like Old Navy and J Jill. And don’t forget your local thrift stores.
• Show off your toned legs with a skirt. Have you been giving your gams a workout? Let it show! Look for easy, budget-priced options at stores like H&M or websites like Asos. An A-line skirt that hits just above the knee reveals the narrowest part of your leg while also making your waist appear even smaller.
• Reveal your strong arms. Always covered them up before? Now’s your chance to try some shorter sleeved or even sleeveless styles. Unleash your inner Michelle Obama!
• Have fun with accessories. If you really want to minimize your expenditures, stick to accessories. Belts in particular are a great way to emphasize your ever-shrinking middle; look for designs that can be cinched in to varying degrees so they can adapt to a smaller waistline.

And if you ask me, any happy milestone–like weight loss–is an excellent excuse for a pair of new shoes!

You be the Coach

• What are your suggestions for adapting a wardrobe during weight loss?

[Flickr Creative Commons photo: Charlotte Astrid]

Share the love

Thanks for reading. Did you like this post? Please leave a comment or share it with someone else; just use the handy sharing widget below.

(Want to get more shopping tips and fun insider stuff? Join The Style List. It’s like a secret club in your email inbox! And when you join, you’ll get my free email series, 7 Days to Better Shopping. It’s my gift to you!)

Debi Mazar in a Stella & Dot necklace

I have a good idea how to pick out a top or skirt that look good on me and will work well with my wardrobe. Shoes? No problem!

But when it comes to jewelry, I always feel stumped. Invariably I wind up buying the same kinds of things over and over. Even when I do buy interesting pieces, I’m not very good at thinking of creative ways to wear them.

To the rescue this week comes my good friend and independent Stella & Dot stylist, Janiré Hopkins, who knows how to rock a statement necklace. This week she’s teaching us how to become a jewelry-wearing diva.

How to choose and buy jewelry

Q: I’d love to branch out more with the kinds of necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings I wear but I don’t know where to start. What are your suggestions?

A: Think of jewelry as an extension of yourself. There are many sides to us as women. I recommend choosing jewelry the same way you choose shoes: you have your flirty sandals, chic kitten heels, your very sensible work pumps, drop-dead gorgeous high heel boots, etc. Step outside of your comfort zone when choosing accessories.

Q: Do certain kinds of jewelry look better on different body/face types?

A: Yes and no. :-) Your coloring will play a factor in what looks good on you. But how many times have you been told blue is not your color, only to find yourself looking fabulous in a blue dress? I have olive skin and therefore convinced myself that silver was not for me. Turns out I was wrong.

Q: What key pieces of jewelry should every woman have in her wardrobe?

A: I am firm believer in Tim Gunn’s list of must haves and really encourage women to follow the same principles when creating a jewelry wardrobe. [Editor’s note: Love him!]

Make sure your jewelry wardrobe contains pieces that:

• you can wear every day/every way, no matter your outfit (dress, jeans, sweater)
• are classic and always stylish (think pearls, stud earrings)
• you can wear on the weekend, when you want to be casual but still chic

I also think everyone should have a statement piece in their jewelry wardrobe, the equivalent of that red wrap dress you wear when you want to turn heads.

Q: How should I store my jewelry and take care of it?

A: Your jewelry should be the last thing you put on when getting ready, and the first thing you take off when winding down.

Q: Are there any jewelry wearing mistakes I should avoid?

A: Don’t overspend on trendy pieces. When stepping outside of your style comfort zone, make sure your investment is minimal. That way, if you end up not loving the piece, you haven’t spent a small fortune on it.

Q: What’s your favorite piece of jewelry–and why?

A: I love mixing classic pieces with statement pieces. I’ve been known to pair gold stud earrings with the Amanda Necklace, which features dyed white jade, coffee glass, gold sand glass, brown mother-of-pearl, and resin beads linked by hammered gold rinks.

About Janiré

Janiré Hopkins is an independent stylist with Stella & Dot. She is a budget fashionista who is a little obsessed with fashion, mid-century modern furniture, design & photography. She’d probably be more obsessed if she weren’t busy being the mother of six amazing kids. You can also find her on Twitter at @chicgeekstyle or at her Tumblr blog, Chic Geek Style.

[Photo courtesy Stella & Dot]