Author: Scarlett De Bease

How To Pack Up Your Winter Clothes

Written by Scarlett De Bease on March 25, 2015. Posted in Caring for Clothes, Organizing Tips.

Out with the cold, and in with the new and warm weather clothes.

Many women switch out the contents of their closets when the seasons change. Up to the attic, down to the basement, or in a spare bedroom’s closet will soon go, and not soon enough, all the cold weather clothes.

In the March 2015 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine there is a tip to use bundling to pack up clothes for storage. However, if you have been reading my posts, you know that for years I have been using bundling for packing my carry-on, and only, suitcase when traveling.

Truthfully, every women should not need to switch out her closet, no matter what the size as she really needs far fewer clothes than she realizes. If you want to know what clothes you should be keeping, wearing and buying, I will be happy to have a 15 minute call with you, at no charge.

Contact me if you want to take advantage of my gift and time.

This chart from OneBag.com provides easy to follow bundling directions.

“With some exciting changes in my career and life, I was ready to simplify my wardrobe and create a fresh look. Scarlett helped me decide what to keep and what to toss, how to create great outfits by putting my current clothes together in new ways and what to shop for to round out my wardrobe. Working with Scarlett was such fun! My closet is now very organized with clothes that fit well and flatter.”

Jean Haynes, Ct.

Copyright © Scarlett Image™., All Rights Reserved. THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Comfortable Shoes For Standing and Walking All Day

Written by Scarlett De Bease on March 11, 2015. Posted in Image and Style, Shopping Tips, What To Wear.

Whether speaking, walking, mingling, networking, or partying for extended periods of time, nothing can cramp a women’s style, mood and feet more than uncomfortable shoes.

Oh sure they might have looked all pretty at the start, but then as your feet got to know them, all hell broke loose and your toes and soles were throbbing in pain.

Now you can’t concentrate on what you want to say because you are in such discomfort, and you wince at each step you take as though you stepped on a nail.

It may actually feel like you are standing on nails!!

And please, if on stage do not kick of your shoes, or everyone will be looking at your feet instead of hearing what you have to say.

One option is wearing sneakers with dressier outfits, as it’s a fashion trend that might work for you.

Think Diane Keaton in Annie Hall.

That is not my personal style, so I don’t wear sneakers with dressier clothes. Yet, still my feet are comfortble because I wear, and find for my clients, brands that have cushioning and look stylish.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and look for wider withs to give you more of an ahhhh vs ouch feeling.

P.S. Don’t let your shoes become a ‘shoe’ toy for your pet. You won’t believe this story and how my client’s problem was solved with excellent customer service. FYI The shoes in this story were in the $340 range, and they still kept the dog.

Want More Tips?

Did You Know You Are A Speaker?

Written by Scarlett De Bease on March 4, 2015. Posted in Image and Business, Image and Style, Uncategorized, What To Wear.

Do you attend networking events and introduce yourself and your business?
Do you attend parties and talk to other guests?
Do you speak to your clients?
Do you speak to your superiors?
Do you speak to your co-workers?
Do you order your own coffee at Starbucks?

Guess what? YOU are a speaker.

You don’t have to speak on a stage or at the front of a room filled with people looking to you for information and inspiration to be a speaker.

Every time you open your mouth, you are introducing yourself along with your own personal and business brand.

No matter if you are speaking to one or many, you should always be confident that your outfit matches your talent and sends a positive message.

“I don’t know if Scarlett has ever been described as a clothes-whisperer, but now that I have worked with her online and over the phone, when I went on my first shopping trip afterwards, I heard her lilting voice in my head saying, encouragingly. . .remember to stick with the colors and necklines that are best for you. It made shopping much easier, and I am delighted with the how great I feel in what I selected. Thank you, Scarlett.”

Sandra Lundgren Director, Communications and Marketing at American Optometric Association

Copyright © Scarlett Image™., All Rights Reserved. THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyrighted to their respective owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it to appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

The Opposite Of What To Wear =Naked

Written by Scarlett De Bease on February 25, 2015. Posted in What To Wear.

Oops. I must admit that I was dressed very inappropriatley a few weeks ago. I mean, I really messed up.

It all started when I treated myself to a Spa day and for the record, I rarely treat myself to a day of bliss. The irony is not lost on me, as many of the women who hire me, are indeed treating vs ignoring themselves.

I chose to end my day with a Shiatsu massage, and when I made the appointment I remember being asked if I minded having a female therapist. I thought it was odd that I was asked that.

I showered and put on the provided fluffy white robe and joined all the other ultra relaxed women on lounge chairs, waiting for their treatment.

When my name was called, I was brought into the spa treatment area and was introduced to my male therapist. Ohhh, they must have asked if I minded having a male therapist. No matter, as I don’t care.

The Opposite Of What To Wear =Naked

When he brought me into the room, he looked rather puzzled and wanted to know if I understood that this was a Shiatsu massage, and not one using lotions and oils. I told him, that I did not and no problem. I was already so relaxed, nothing was going to effect me. Except I was asking myself why did he look at me that way and wanted to know if I knew what I signed up for.

So, as soon as I got to my bag, I dug out my receipt for my massage and saw these few words:

Please wear loose clothing.

Oops.

For the record, he left the room while I laid on the massage table, and I was covered by sheets.

Note: Read dress codes very carefully.

Want more tips? CLICK HERE

How To Hide Your Grey Roots

Written by Scarlett De Bease on February 18, 2015. Posted in Image and Style, What To Wear.

Did you notice how when the book Fifty Shades Of Grey became a best seller and the subject of almost every social gathering, grey became extremely abundant in women’s clothing departments?

Grey clothes are not flattering on most women.

In my work, I have seen a lot of money wasted on grey clothes that do not complement most women. It often dulls their skin tone, hair, and eyes. Another example of trends not equalling flattering.

For example, when your grey roots are showing, wearing grey will make them far more obvious.

When your grey roots are showing, wearing grey will make them stand out.

In my experience, there are two exceptions. The first is for women who have salt and pepper or all-grey hair. Wearing the right shade of grey, will accentuate their hair and be very complimentary.

Look how fantastic Jamie Lee Curtis looks with her natural hair.

The second exception is that some women’s eye color is enhanced when wearing grey, although I suggest adding another color that will bring out the eyes even more. Typically blues will do the trick and work well with grey.

So if you are not so crazy about people or yourself, noticing your grey roots showing, don’t wear grey from the waist up.

Want more tips? CLICK HERE

“Scarlett, Ever since my consultation with you, I have rolled up my sleeves and, most important, purchased a blouse, a suit jacket and a sweater in TEAL my new found color. I have gotten so many compliments on these clothing items and how they make my blue eyes look bluer. Congratulations on completing your book.”—Linnea Levine

Do You Value Yourself?

Written by Scarlett De Bease on February 11, 2015. Posted in Image and Style.

Work, work, work. Family, cooking, food shopping, work, work, work. Does this sound like your life too?

I love my work yet rarely pamper myself, spend the money or take the time to treat myself to things I need so as to be good to myself.

And then, I heard this:

“What you resist, is what you most need to do” as spoken by Jane Pollak. She guided 15 women, myself included, in a two day and night retreat, in the gorgeous Berkshires of Massachusetts. We learned, laughed, laughed some more and discovered how much we can and should do for ourselves.

What You Resist, Is What You Most Need To Do

Then it dawned on me. The reason I occasionally hear a woman tell me that she really wants to work with me, but the time is wrong, is because she is resisting doing something important and much needed, for herself.

Men don’t do this. They go to the couch to sleep, or a game with their pals. They excel at shutting out the world so they can re-fuel and re-charge, yet way too often women put themselves last.

It isn’t just about money, time or weight that a woman doesn’t end her frustration with figuring out what to wear or take care of herself in some other way. Nope. It is more about fear, ego, and resistance to taking care of herself.

A woman needs to value herself

“We accept the love we think we deserve.” ― Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Love yourself ASAP. Get a manicure, haircut, massage, or just take a nap.

Contact me when you decide you’re worth it.

Want more tips? CLICK HERE

My recent article in Huffington Post.

Don’t Make These Shopping Mistakes

Written by Scarlett De Bease on February 4, 2015. Posted in Image and Style, Shopping Tips.

I feel the need to share with you what I always tell my clients:

Do not buy multiples of the same top, dress, skirt, or pants.

It can be tempting when you think you have found the perfect fit or style, to buy a few in different colors or prints. I see this in almost every closet the first time I work with a new client.

The end result is, way too often you will have multiples of the wrong fit, style, and color.

As your body changes, what was once your ‘GoTo’ look, is no longer looking as good as it used to.

Think about how much money you may have wasted when you discover that you got caught up in a very common situation:

Replicationitis. Def. The inability to realize that you keep buying and/or wearing similar clothes over and over again.

An additional issue is that your wardrobe is very limited, and you basically look the same in every out and you most likely have BORING outfits and wardrobe options.

You won’t have a manageable closet if you keep buying what you already have, and squeeze it in along with all the multiples you no longer wear. Sound familiar?

You can’t improve or change your look by buying the same thing over and over again.

No matter what size your closet or wardrobe may be, knowing how to organize it will allow you to have more choices and peace of mind.

Want more tips? Subscribe HERE.

“I loved working with Scarlett in my closet! It was fun and enlightening. Scarlett spotted some things that I have never worn and showed me how great they look when matched with the right accessories. She made choices that would never occur to me, and they were great! She showed which colors and cuts look best on me and suggested a few items needed to fill the gaps in my wardrobe. She employs a “less is more” strategy, so you will end up paring down rather than expanding what you own. If you’re looking for a way to get a new wardrobe by reassessing what you already own with a fresh, stylish eye, invite Scarlett into your closet.You will be very pleased.”

Jennifer N. Boyd Boyd & Associates LLC

Are You That Girl?

Written by Scarlett De Bease on January 28, 2015. Posted in Image and Business, Makeup.

Recently a new client wanted my suggestions for what she should do to get the best outcome for her upcoming headshot session. She was very unhappy with how the photos came out in her previous session, and did not want to use those photos.

MakeUp Tips For Your Eyes

I created multiples outfits for her to choose from for the upcoming session, but offered tips for her makeup as well.

Eyebrows are often forgotten, and it is no wonder as they slowly disappear from our faces as we get older.

Take a look at how faint Marlo Thomas’s brows are in the now, compared to her before photo. If she were to emphasize her brows a bit, she would look dramatically better.

You don’t want to be That Girl, as in the pictures above.

Frame your face, by filling in your brows. Take an angled brush and lightly dip it into an eyeshadow that is a shade lighter than your brow color and dab it along your brows. You can use a pencil instead of eyeshadow, but be very light with your application.

Try it, you may like it!

I started using a product called Rapid Brow, as I am always experimenting for YOU, and I can happily report that it works.

Here are before and after pics from their website, as I did not think of taking a before shot of mine.

makeup tips for your eyes

Having fuller eyes either naturally or with makeup, will take years off your appearance and frame your beautiful eyes.

“I had an upcoming conference with NO time nor desire to shop for a new wardrobe. I called Scarlett after reading her blog for many months and she saved the day. She came, spent a few hours with me going through my closet and helped me create a series of perfect outfits. The best part, at the conference a colleague complimented me and told me what I was wearing was a great look. Funny thing was, I had everything in my closet all along but had never added the boots, scarf and earrings”.-Cathi Nelson President l APPO

Copyright © Scarlett Image™., All Rights Reserved. THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

You Should Be Top Heavy

Written by Scarlett De Bease on January 21, 2015. Posted in Image and Style, Organizing Tips, Shopping Tips.

Here is a photo a client sent me of her closet, after using some of my organizing tips with the clothes bought from our shopping for cold and warm weather clothes.

Two seasons in one closet.

My point is not to show you what can be done when using my wardrobe and organizing tips, but to show that you don’t need tons of clothes to have a fully functional and great looking wardrobe.

This is a closet for two, and my client’s clothes are on the side facing the camera. Notice how are there are far more tops than bottoms. When a wardrobe is ‘bottom heavy’, you will have very few outfits, but when ‘top heavy’, the combinations are endless.

Remember that whatever size you are has nothing to do with having great clothes and outfits.

You don’t need to change your body to change your wardrobe challenges. Singer and songwriter Meghan Trainor got it right, and her video will bring a smile to your face.

Tip: Both your tops and bottoms need to be the right fit, style, and color for you in order to be able to create multiple outfits.

If you are looking to build, re-design, or dream, there are more closet ideas from Houzz.com.

“Scarlett has a true talent for pulling disparate items of clothing, shoes, and accessories from your closet and turning them into amazing new outfits! She is so professional, warm and respectful. If you have fallen into the trap of wearing the same four outfits over and over again then it’s time to hire Scarlett. I feel as if I have a new business wardrobe, something I really needed!” Julie Jansen – Professional Speaker, Coach, and Author