Author: Scarlett De Bease

How Long Should Your Pants Be?

Written by Scarlett De Bease on May 13, 2014. Posted in Image and Business, Image and Style.

What message does wearing pants that drag on the floor say to you?

This is a photo of a saleswoman in a better department store, and I could not help but notice, that her basic black pants were dragging on the floor.

Do you get the message that she is neat, organized, creative, and pro-active? Would you want her advice on how you look in the clothes you are trying on in the store, or how to decorate your home?

My guess is that you would answer no way!

I am all for wearing comfortable shoes, especially when standing on your feet for hours, but pants need to be tailored to be just above the floor, not touching, or in this case dragging on the ground.

The easy solution is to have just two pairs of basic black pants. One pair tailored for flats and the other for a heel. This way you will look polished and professional and not like you borrowed someone else’s clothes or wearing hand-me-downs.

NOTE: The same guidelines apply to dark denim and/or white jeans.

When Do You Feel Best About Your Body?

Written by Scarlett De Bease on May 13, 2014. Posted in Image and Style, Makeovers, Shopping Tips.

The result of a poll of 4,000 Oprah magazine readers is very telling and quite relatable.

The numbers that stuck out the most to me, after all, I am a wardrobe stylist and personal shopper, were the answers to the following poll question:

When do you feel best about your body?

10% When I catch someone checking me out

14% When someone compliments me

14% When I’m killing it at the gym

30% Other

32% When I’m wearing a fabulous new outfit

What a woman wears wins!!

Yet why then do so many women put off discovering the clothes that will allow them to love choosing what to wear?

STOP the madness!!

Don’t let weight struggles or guilt, keep you from looking and feeling good about yourself now.
Size, age, stress, budget or time should never keep a woman from taking care of and feeling good about herself.

Please tell me in the comment box below, When Do You Feel Best About Your Body? If anyone chooses Other, could you let me know what other is?

Pssst…Overheard In The Dressing Room

Take a look and listen to one of my clients in the video below talk about her first shopping experience with me.
P.S. YEARS went by till she finally made a personal shopping appointment with me and it looks like she won’t wait that long again.

About Scarlett

Scarlett De Bease, a professionally trained Image Consultant and Wardrobe Stylist, is the founder of “The Always Know What To Wear Program™“. As an Image Consultant, Entertaining Speaker & Savvy Personal Shopper, she shows women how to project confidence & success by always knowing what to wear.
As a bonus, Scarlett’s tips will help you Look Younger, Thinner and Taller while projecting Confidence & Success as you now will be wearing the clothes that fit and flatter you the most.
Since 2006, she has successfully changed the lives of many women, by showing them the correct clothes, colors, styles and accessories that will flatter them the most. If you keep buying clothes and still have nothing to wear, Scarlett will make it possible for you to always know what to wear.
Scarlett specializes in make-overs, that are fun and informative. She brings The What Not To Wear experience directly to your home or office, but without the tears, fears and trash can. Scarlett shows women how to Stop Stressing About Dressing.
Scarlett’s tips have nothing to do with size, age, income level, career, etc – It’s not about where you shop, it’s about what you buy.

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 to appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Clothes Shopping tips To Always Know What to Wear

Written by Scarlett De Bease on May 6, 2014. Posted in Image and Style, Shopping Tips.

Have you worn everything you bought on your last big shopping trip?

Recently one of my clients told me how she was so excited that she had worn everything she bought on our first clothes shopping trip together.

What struck me, was that I never thought that it would be any other way, but her comment reminded me how often women do go clothes shopping and how very often simply end up not wearing what they purchased.

Have you found yourself doing the same when clothes shopping, therefore experiencing buyer’s remorse? Well, it happens to the best of us, but the trick is to learn from our mistakes so as to not keep repeating them.

Here are 4 Don’ts to keep in mind the next time you feel the urge to go clothes shopping.

1. Just because the price is right, does not mean you’ll ever wear it. If it isn’t right for you at full price, it won’t look better on you at 50% off.

2. Resist the urge to buy what you already have. Ex: Another black dress or pants.

3. Don’t buy the ‘must have’ color, unless it looks good on you!

4. Never buy something too big or small. Only buy what fits now, as you can always shop again if and when you need another size.

Are you tired of buyer’s remorse? Let’s shop smart together! Book a call with me, and I’ll help you find clothes you’ll actually wear and love!

“Thank you Scarlett for helping me let go of the stress of dressing. It was very interesting learning that I am a summer palette of muted colors as well as the best neckline for the shape of my face. Who knew that gold jewelry was the preferred metal for my skin, hair, and eyes? It was fun trying various outfits as we went through the closet of clothes, shoes, scarves, and jewelry! Thanks for taking pictures cause I would NEVER remember. Wow, by the end of our time together I knew what would work or not work and I love that you recommended some missing items in my closet You really helped me gain control. Felt GREAT getting rid of the things I had no idea what to do with or wear with. Most of all, thank you for the CONFIDENCE that you instilled. Dressing will be much more fun!”
– Cindi Melkerson

Want To Eavesdrop On A Dressing Room Conversation?

Written by Scarlett De Bease on May 6, 2014. Posted in Image and Business, Image and Style, Makeovers, Shopping Tips. 4 Comments on Want To Eavesdrop On A Dressing Room Conversation?

Pssst…Overheard In The Dressing Room

This really was exactly what I hear in my client’s dressing room and it takes place with every woman I take shopping. No exaggeration, no kidding!

As she entered the dressing room and saw it filled with clothes and accessories, my client’s eyes and mouth opened wide. After a few seconds of rapid eye blinking, she asked, “all this for me?”

“Of course,” I replied, and here are the pants you need, tops in your colors and those comfortable shoes I told you about.”

Looking slightly overwhelmed, she asks “What should I try on first?”

“Start with these pants and this top”, I said as I handed them to her, and began to step outside the room to give her privacy.

Right before I went thru the dressing room door, she looked at the top I handed her and proclaimed, “There is no way this is going to look good on me.”

“Try it on anyway”, I said. “You need to try on what I have brought in here, and although not everything will look great on you until you try it, you can’t really know what will flatter you once it is on your body”.

As I closed the door, she shrugged her shoulders and looked at me like I was crazy, and was quite confident she would HATE the top.

Thru the closed door I heard a gasp, and after asking “May I come in?”, she opened the door. She stood there smiling from ear to ear in awe, and exclaimed, “I love it”. “I just can’t believe it”. “I would NEVER have picked this out by myself”.

I smile proudly and thought to myself, “I love how this happens EVERY time I take a client shopping”.

Pssst… have you ever had that “no way this will look good on me” moment in a dressing room? Let me take the guesswork out of shopping for you! Book a call with me today, and let’s discover pieces that will make you say, “I love it!” just like all my clients do.

“Before I worked with Scarlett, I bought random pieces of clothing and would go thru my closet everyday, trying hard to figure out what to wear. Now my closet is organized, thanks to Scarlett by color and filled with clothes from our shopping trip, that easily co-ordinate with each other. Picking out what to wear is now a joy. Thank you Scarlett!

She now knows what to wear.

Sandra Sergeant – Caring Solutions

How To Hide Belly Fat, aka Muffin Top with Clothes.

Written by Scarlett De Bease on May 6, 2014. Posted in Image and Business, Image and Style.

With close to 21,000 views on my YouTube video, Muffin Top? How To Hide Belly Fat with Clothes, and with so many new followers, I felt it would be nice to offer some more tips on how to minimize the muffin top in our clothes, and only see it in the adorable muffin tins in the above photo that my niece sent me.

So besides the tips, I give in my video, try these 3 tips below as well.

1. Don’t wear clothes that used to be your size. Just because you can get it on, does not mean it fits well. When we put on the wrong size, ripples and ridges appear from our middles being pushed and squished to fit into too tight clothes.

2. Avoid pure white on top, as often it accentuates the dreaded muffin top.

3. Look for tops that have some movement to them, so the fabric is not hugging tight against your skin.

When I choose the clothes for my clients to try on when I fill the dressing room up for them during a personal shopping trip, they are often surprised by my choices and thrilled at how much thinner they look.

Remember it is NEVER about the size in the label, as only the fit matters which will make the muffin top seemingly disappear.

Photo Credit: Jezebel.com

How To Make a Good First Impression

Written by Scarlett De Bease on May 6, 2014. Posted in Image and Business, Image and Style.

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” is a familiar saying. Ruth Sherman a well-respected public speaking coach added, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Seth Godin wrote a blog a while back about the importance of finding your business brand essence. His point, and I agree, Is that you shouldn’t have to search for it as you should already know what your message and purpose in your business already is. I loved this final line in his blog post:

“Clothes don’t make the man, the man makes the man. Clothes (and the brand) just amplify that.”

It isn’t just what you wear, but how you speak and what you want others to believe you are capable of.
You are like a wrapped gift to all those around you. I help make your wrapping paper and bows reflect how fabulous you really are, but what’s inside is just, if not even more, as important!

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.

I Almost Lost My Client With Nothing To Wear

Written by Scarlett De Bease on May 6, 2014. Posted in Image and Business, Image and Style, Makeovers, Shopping Tips.

Today, you are not going to read my words, as this is a story meant to be told by the client I almost lost.

“For the past 13 years, I have been a stay at home mom & personal trainer. My closet was full of workout gear & two-sizes-too-small designer clothes from the ’90s.

A few weeks ago, I accepted a job at a local arts organization. Realizing how dire my clothing situation was, I immediately called Scarlett whom I had met a few years prior. Scarlett’s sophisticated style and beauty had left an impression on me!

Scarlett explained the two-phase process: first, she would come to my house and put together outfits from the clothes in my closet; second, we would go shopping to fill in the blanks.

When I told her I had NOTHING to wear, I was not kidding. Phase one resulted in a very large pile of clothes to donate because, well, they were all too small and hadn’t been worn in over a decade! Scarlett did a fabulous job spinning straw into gold, but the reality was that I needed everything: socks, shoes, boots, jeans, dress pants, sweaters & shirts!

I have never been a “shopper”. I have always had body image issues and so the thought of standing in front of a department store mirror with another person in the room picking out my clothes for me was more than I could handle. I emailed Scarlett to say I couldn’t go through with the second phase.

Scarlett understood the depths of my anxiety and her compassion was evident. I finally agreed to meet her although my anxiety level was at an all-time high. I wanted to flee the dressing room; I tried every excuse to get out of there. Scarlett calmly replied, “You are going to try on everything first.” And I did!

A few hours later, I left the department store with an entire new wardrobe! By the time I left, my anxiety was gone; I was happy & relaxed.

The following day, I went shopping on my own to look for a few additional items and the experience was radically different from anything I had ever known. I entered stores with confidence, knowing exactly what I was looking for and able to try on clothing without feeling anxious.

Today was my first day at work; the only sartorial issue I had was deciding which of my many beautiful garments to wear! My morning was 100% stress-free! I even took a selfie to email Scarlett so that she could see how fabulous I looked and felt!” – Tiffany Barnard Davidson, Weston Ct.

Pssst…Overheard In The Dressing Room

She really did try every trick to get out of that dressing room, but for her, not myself, I stayed focus on the goal of making it possible for her to see how great she can look and feel about herself.

Truth is that a year before I had another client who had a meltdown due to severe body image issues, and I wasn’t going to let another wonderful woman cheat herself out of looking and feeling fantastic!

I cherish the journey my client took with me, despite almost losing her.

Are you feeling stuck with nothing to wear and unsure where to start? Book a call with me today, and together we’ll transform your wardrobe and boost your confidence—just like I did for Tiffany!

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.

Branding Yourself

Written by Scarlett De Bease on May 6, 2014. Posted in Image and Business, Image and Style. 4 Comments on Branding Yourself

A few years ago I had the pleasure of hearing Kate White, former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, speak to an entrepreneurial women’s networking group.
Ms. White shared with great vision, honesty, and humor, many of her business and life experiences that have caused her to become stronger and successful.

Naturally, I bought her latest book, I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: Success Secrets Every Gutsy Girl Should Know, that was available for sale at the end of Ms. White’s talk. I simply couldn’t resist getting more of her experience and advice, and halfway thru, I was not disappointed.

Kate White refers to a lesson in branding yourself from, my secret crush, Donny Deutsch an advertising and marketing guru who I’m pictured with above. Donny Deutsch.
Donny, yeah I wish we were on a first name basis, stated:
“that a brand is a set of values. Values are your beliefs and what make you you . Your brand isn’t how you wear your hair, what color your eyes are, or how you dress. Values are at your core. Your brand values actually inform your dress, your look, and how you act.”

I love his last line!!

The majority of my clients are women entrepreneurs who realize that their personal image is a large part of their professional brand image and they want to be sure their values are being seen in a positive and authentic manner.

The first time Donny Deutsch and I were at the same affair, he asked me what I do. I now know he was really asking, how do you brand yourself?
I told him that I am an image consultant and show women how to look younger, thinner and taller. He smiled, and responded with an approving nod and stated “very nice”! He approved of my brief mission statement, and I was proud of my brand image and values. It also was quite nice to chat with my branding expert idol.

P.S. He also flashed his twinkling eyes and smile at me and said he could use some styling advice too. Wink, wink.

“Thanks to you Scarlett, I got two ‘wow you look great’ comments today.”

—Sharon McCormick, Durham, Ct.

About Scarlett

As a bonus, Scarlett’s tips will help you Look Younger, Thinner and Taller while projecting Confidence & Success as you now will be wearing the clothes that fit and flatter you the most.

Since 2006, she has successfully changed the lives of many women, by showing them the correct clothes, colors, styles and accessories that will flatter them the most. If you keep buying clothes and still have nothing to wear, Scarlett will make it possible for you to always know what to wear.

Scarlett specializes in make-overs, that are fun and informative. She brings The What Not To Wear experience directly to your home or office, but without the tears, fears and trash can. Scarlett shows women how to Stop Stressing About Dressing.
Scarlett’s tips have nothing to do with size, age, income level, career, etc – It’s not about where you shop, it’s about what you buy.

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.

Don’t Box Yourself In!

Written by Scarlett De Bease on May 6, 2014. Posted in Image and Style.

Want to know a better way for how to cover up a tummy?

Have you been tempted to buy a top that covers the stomach and often hips as well?

I certainly have, but I don’t box myself in and don’t want you to do that either.

Take a look at the below top.

By wearing a top shaped like a box, you create a square shape to your body, which makes you look larger than you are and hides any hint of a female form. The curves women have should be celebrated and enhanced no matter what size she may be.

I show my clients how to choose clothes that accentuate the positive, reduce and often eliminate the negative, so that the tummy, hips and whatever else may be a trouble spot, simply disappear.

Certain seaming, cuts, and angles of clothes do a great job of covering up without boxing you in and I love finding them for my clients.

The top, below, once sold by Chicos, has a great detail which creates an angle in the front, thereby avoiding the boxed in look and also creating the illusion of a smaller waistline.

Actually, Chicos has come a long way from the boxy, largely printed tops they were once known for, and I am thrilled that they have added great details that flatter women and cover up the oh why did I eat that tummy.

Keep this in mind next time you reach for a top that will cover you up, and remember to not box yourself in.

“Thank you, Scarlett – so much great advice – my closets are so, so much easier to navigate – You made editing easy and possible – the idea of getting dressed without the hassle and wasted time and money is just thrilling – so many better things to do. I am thrilled with “Less is More.” —Christine Biddle