Recommendations & Beauty Products

The beautiful Michelle Obama, this lady knows how to cover he wider bottoms with vibrant colours and silhouettes. Notice her eaarings, you're forced to notice them because they stop right above her clavicle which adds width to her shoulders making her torson and hips look proportional.

Clinique Facial bar soap in Mild or Oily for Combination Skin and Adult Acne.

Again, Michelle wears a festive cardigan with appliques on the upper half of her body to hide the wider hips on the lower half. Her pants are also low-rise which elongates her legs.

Lovejoy by Nars

Ballerina Pink by Essie

Francois Nars makes highly-pigmented make-up resulting in beautiful shades and contrasts on skin of colour. His first campgain featured Naomi Campbell!

Simone looks best in muted lip colours because her lips are so full and wide, saturated colour tends to look messy. Bobbi Brown creates beautiful shades in pale pink and browns ideal for Simone's complexion.

On our final day of consultations I asked Simone if there was anything else that she wanted to cover in terms of personal image. She felt confident with her clothing but she wanted her face to match her new image. For years Simone has been plagued with acne especially on her lower chin. She has tried many products but done seem to give her the flawless skin that she so desperately wants. Since we had one day left, I mentioned that whatever comes out externally is normally an indication of what's going on internally. I challenged her for the next two weeks to cut out refined sugars, candy, to try sweating for an extra 15 minutes a day and to closely monitor her bowel movements.

I also suggested that she use Clinique Mild or Oily Facial bar. Often toted as being a skincare line for Caucasian women I have had awesome results with Clinique and I appreciate that they use natural ingredients and do not test on animals.

I also gave Simone a brief tutorial on makeup and introduced her to BLUSH! I think blush looks great on woman of colour but most are scared they'll look like clowns if they wear it. We chose a shimmery copper blush for Simone called Lovejoy by Nars and a Nude lip gloss by Bobbi Brown called Honey 2. It's a huge misconception that Black woman look good in purples, blues and reds. We tried a few of those colours suggested by a make-up artist and the result were quite comical. Again it's important to find an artist who has experience with black skin and one who understands that our skin is rarely one tone. Simone looks best in fresh nude palettes and she doesn't need much to look "done". So a make-up artist with a light hand is necessary.

In conclusion my recommendations for Simone is that she fully embrace her achievements thus far and celebrate the new body she has. I would like her to keep repeating her mantra daily and adopt an additional source of exercise each week (running, skipping or Zumba class). I think she should try buying a skirt or dress in her desired size and block off every Friday for "Friday Fits" to see how close she's come to her goals, chart it and make necessary tweaks so she doesn't hit a plateau.

I applaud her for giving her clothing away to a worthy cause and I think she should honor herself with purchasing something new every week. Clothing is very accessible and affordable so it doesn't have to be anything expensive, a new belt, tights or lip gloss things are she can purchase without my help which in turn will give her confidence when buying her statement and big ticket items down the road.

Now that she is prepared for Spring with her new purchases I would like her to catalogue all the clothes in her closet including accessories and shoes. I believe this will help her in moments of frustration and it will help her to assemble outfits on a time crunch. and I want her to meet my objectives of always being able to put forth a clean and classic look because she knows what she has and what best works for her.

I recommend that she try some of the new trends for this coming summer i.e. the utilitarian look, nautical wear and a-line summer dresses. I think all will look fabulous on her as along she remembers to dress her proportions and match her body. I hope that she will invest in more work wear and establish a wardrobe of 10 no-fail suits with matching shells/camisoles and skirts/pants.

I also recommend that she take the time to tend to her personal grooming. Since she works in Public Relations and Marketing she is constantly selling her brand. Little things like nail maintenance and eyebrow grooming are key and create a polished look for clients. I suggest because of her fair colouring that she pick pale pinks or nudes for her manicures. Essie Ballerina Pink is a staple for the hands of powerful women.

When we first started our consultation I asked Simone if she had a style mentor, she thought for awhile and came up with no one. I think that has been one fo her major hurdles, finding women who share her body type and now that she realizes that she's in wonderful company she has found her mentor.

....drum roll please....

Michelle Obama one of the most famous pear shapes on this planet! I'm so happy that Simone has someone to emulate and I encouraged her to make a vision fashion board and clip out styles she likes so she can have perspective and ideas when she shops.

I want to thank Simone for being my first client and for trusting my judgment. She was a pleasure to work with and I'm so proud to see how much progress she's made in a week. I hope this is my first of many clients and I can't thank her enough for being patient with me while we shopped our way from Mississauga to Bay Street. I also would like to thank you Nyla, for being a delight in class and for giving me the confidence to pursue a career in Image Consulting.

Happy Shopping!!!

xx

Topaz Yolande Mckenzie

Dressing the Endomorph/Romantic Body

This is perfect example of Simone playing up her best features while hiding her perceived flaws. The long shirt covers her hips and thighs. The scoop neck creates a bit of bosom. The green scarf is fresh and moves the eye upward again masking a trouble stomach areas. The longer sleeve also creates a more streamlined look and slims out the upper body.

Simone has mixture of A and O body type. She is classically romantic as she as curves, a full face, and her hips are widest part of her body. The following are some tips for dressing an A/Pear shaped body.

Typically people with pear shapes have long legs and a short torso

Simone's legs are longer compared to her upper body. She has a high waist that is higher than her bent elbow.
Fix that with:
Accessories and details that draw the eye down like for example print skirt, sash belt.

Medium long to long tops.
Jackets and sweater that end at hip-level
Untucked tops
Low rise pants and skirts
Bags that end around hip-level
Flats or shoes with low heel

Dark colors minimize & light colors maximize.If she wants to draw attention to a certain part of her body - like her firm breasts or toned legs, wear white or another light color on that part.
Generally, light colors create a focal point, while dark colors take the attention away. Stick to light colors for areas that you want to enhance and be seen! For example, if you want to draw attention away from your arms and to your toned chest, wear a white V-neck top and layer it with a dark colored cardigan.

Since Simone has curvy hips and a butt, she sometimes runs into wardrobe malfunctions because she likes to wear hip-hugging skirts. The skirt will enhance her curve. So to create symmetry she will need to add more weight on the upper part. So to balance the overall shape she needs to add a top with volume IE. ruffles.

Accessories, Drapings, Shoes OH MY!

Let's build some outfits! The following are some pieces that I suggested and Simone bought over the past week. I featured the two looks to left- the tailored boyfriend jacket and the ruffle blouse in salmon as a base for her Spring/Summer outfits. My ideal look for Simone is too look fresh, classic and timeless. She is young woman working amongst mid age people and I want her to blend with her workmates without neglecting her personal style. The following are a short list of accessories, belts, shoes, pants and skirts that I believe best compliment Simone's body type. I was sensitive to show her clothes that will compliment her boday now at it's current weight and 10 pounds from now.

Accesscories

Accessories are the bookends of every great outfit. Simone doesn't wear jewelry normally, so it was fun to introduce her some pieces that would refine her outfits. Her body type dictates that most accessories should be above waist and chest level. For example a longer necklace would look good on her as it would give an illusion of a cleavage. Her writs are quite thin so a statement watch would create balance and add a fun piece of menswear which is very "in" right now. I also stuck with silver pieces as gold looked too harsh on her. Brooches are fun ways to add definition to the neckline, showcase cleavage or draw the eye upward. As earlier stated Simone does not wear necklaces or earrings, so I found a quirky brooch from Club Monaco that's balances both the yin/yang of heavy and fragile.

The love knot bracelet compliments her thin wrist and it has a rich history. The knot signifies
"never-ending" and as a newlywed she found it esthetically pleasing to be reminded of the love she has for her husband. The love knot bracelet is quite heavy, yet creates allusion of thin arms which Simone appreciates.

The watch-I actually own this Michael Kors watch and I love it. It's heavy yet feminine, retro yet current. When Simone mentioned that she needed a watch that she could wear both to work and on the weekends I automatically thought about this watch. This watch is a statement piece and when one is transitioning from college dorm to the corporate arena I think it's important to look for pieces that will leave an impression on people. Again, image is everything and this watch says she knows the trends yet she appreciates the timelessness of the round faced watch. When we first entered MK Simone gravitated towards a bright purple watch. I reminded her that if she's wants to come across as mover and shaker that purple would have to be kept outside of the board room. She agreed eventually and I'm glad to say that she's pleased with her purchase and has been complimented frequently at work.

Purses

I suggested that Simone invest in 3 purses: Casual, Work and an Evening clutch. Nothing disturbs me more than seeing women in a formal gown carrying a huge hobo bag. I chose these three bags because they're classic and made with real leather. Ladies should not waste their money on pleather because the shape and material wear away after time. I also picked structured bags with strong lines for Simone since I thought they would compliment her curvy body best.

Work-The bag above is Prada and though pricey, holds a multitude of things, has various compartments and a strong bucket shape which will fit seamlessly with her clothes. Again the structured hand bag looks better since it will be waist length and we don't want to create an illusion of width by sporting a shapeless bag.

Semi-Formal-This hot red clutch is BCBG and I love the iconic flower symbol on their purses and clothes and I think its makes this red leather bag look feminine. Again Simone will be wearing this clutch waist height so the popping colour will draw away from the hips and will add a boost to her mostly monochromatic outfits. I was concerned that red might clash against her fair complexion, but I think it suits her perfectly as blue and black would wash her out. The bag allows holds a lot of things and looks good with formal gowns or at an after office event.

Casual-Simone owns several Coach bags so she was happy to add another one to her collection. Again this bag is roomy, structured, falls above the waist and again features the bucket shape. Coach is a classic line which features many fine leather goods. This purse is no exception. I love the weight of the bag, it feels substantial yet it doesn't wear her. The tan on brown colouring makes it easy to mix and match with most things in her closet. In my opinion colours like camel, black and grey are base colours. You can add anything to them and they'll always look polished. I told her when in doubt grab those colours first and build your outfit around it.

Simone does NOT wear belts, she always viewed them as unnecessary. This belt from BCBG is perfect for her body shape because the skinny to thick shape of the belt distracts the eye from looking below the waist and the weight of the belt defines her torso. I love that this belt has a slight equestrian feel to it and the leather was manufactured to look worn. It's also versatile because it can be worn with pants or to accentuate a shift dress.

The gladiator shoe- Since Russell Crowe made this shoe popular again, this is now the go-to shoe for young women in the summer. Though trendy, the straps elongates the foot and the studded detailing are fresh and funky. This shoe is comfortable and can be worn with most summer dresses and jeans during the summer. Walking into a room with these shoes will definitely turn heads! The gladiator shoe comes in various styles both long and short. We tried some longer styles together but thought it best to steer clear from them because the straps made Simone's legs look bulkier and squat. I also thought they looked too literal. It's important not to take all trends literally. Harem pants, cowboy fringe and high fashion running shoes look good on celebrities and the runway but often don't translate in the real world. It's very important that your clothes give an honest reflection of who you are or you'll run the risk of looking uncomfortable and unfashionable.

Work pump-This shoe is a mishmash of Holly Golightly and Sarah Jessica Parker. Classic shoe with a twist, the shoe ornament is detachable so that make this shoe quite versatile and it's light and supportive enough to wear in both Fall or Spring. I love the detailing of the "shoe brooch" and the rounded toe resembles a shoe from the 1940's. Totally ladylike and can be worn with most semi-formal outfits.

Flat shoes, this shoe with look great with most of casual wear and depending upon her outfit with some of her work wear. This one inch heel makes a comfortable shoe and the pointy toe elongates her feet. At 5, 10 the flat shoe still looks polished where as someone of a shorter stature 5,4 would risk look squat and stubby.

Ever one needs a great peeptoe with an ankle strap. Women from Marilyn Monroe to Naomi Campbell understand the allre of this shoe style. Simone has defined legs but is concerned about her smallish calves. This shoe will create a fluid line and at 3inches is high enough for her pants and yet low enough for her to manuever around the office or cocktail party. Patent leather is making a steady comback amongst fashionista because of way of pumping an ordinary outfit with some glamour.

I love this skirt! Again it's all about the details and the belt gives the illusion of a petite waist. This skirt was perfect on Simone as it didn't cling or pull. When wearing skirts it's important to have the right "fit" because it will look as if your hiding your shape or trying to look "sexy" Since Simone has a Romantic Personality Sexy it's very easy for her to look "overdressed or sexy" so I was pleased when I found this skirt that gave balance with sexy yet professional. We bought this skirt in a size 10 and Simone thought it would look best in a size 12. I reminded her if a garment is a bit loose the it will make her look a little bigger and that's not the affect she wants. It's about being streamlined even if that means standing up straight and holding in your stomach.

The Pencil skirt, this one comes in a muted grey which is good for Simone as she loves charcoal and this skirt can be dressed with vibrant colours or darker ones depending on her mood. It's high waisted and falls nicely over her hips without hugging them or creating a sausage look. It hits above the knee which elongates her legs which are can tend to look a bit bulky in box and a-line skirts. This skirt has a side zip which I tend to prefer over the back zip. I think it creates a leaner silhouette and it's easier to get on without assistance and it's FULLY LINED. This skirt is a definite staple and the added stretch means that it won't lose its shape after its been washed. Score for Simone!

This pant was met with doubt:) I love it because it's flared and the waist hides lower stomach pooch. This pants sits a bit below the waist which Simone didn't particularly care for, but when paired with on her blouses she really liked the effect. Straight legged pants look great on Endomorphs, well pretty much all pants do and this pant play up her curves. It's a great silk blend and again the flare looks awesome with flats, boots or heels.

This pant style the Jackson Fit by Banana Republic is perfect for Simone's figure. This pant is described as being a lightweight wool for a beautiful drape and feel. It's wide leg and and that gives it a modern update. This versatile pant goes from lunch hour to cocktail hour. I cannot stress the importance of a lined pant. This pant falls beautifully on top of the toe and though wool it's till light and can easily transition from winter to spring. It has belt loops that support wider and thin belts. It also comes with a matching jacket that Simone bought as well. An added bonus is that Banana Republic does tailoring on site, so she was able to turn the cuff of her pants and get the arms of her jacket lengthen and for FREE!

Jackets!! My favorite wardrobe piece. Simone was in desperate need of a jacket and this one by Banana Republic is perfect. I strongly believe in the power of a trench coat because it brings glamour to any outfit. Jeans, skirts or leggings. Since Simone has a defined waist this coat belted will look smashing on her. It's lightweight and water resistance which is added bonus. I also suggested that she invest in a statement scarf. Women in France have been wearing scarves thousands of ways and it's a nice way to add a pop of colour against Khaki. This jacket hits right above the knee which is perfect for Simone as anything longer would emphasize her wide hips.

* This blouse can easily transition from work, under a blazer and skirt, to play with jeans or shorts.

I love this blouse, the muted colour and the frills. Perfect for an endormorph/romantic body type. The ruffle details draws the eye upward and scoop neck gives a bit of depth to her small chest. It's also cute with a cardigan.

Ruffles are HUGE this spring/summer. This colour with pop against Simone's fair features, I love that it's a bit unstructured to hide her belly and it's sleeve hides an untoned arms. This blouse again can be worn various ways from day to night.

Casual

* Simone's "OLD" look-Mum Jean and unflattering blouses. This blouse is doing NOTHING for her skin tone.

*Below the "NEW" look-she looks classic, leaner and ready for the weekend!

Casual

This section is normally difficult for me because I don’t really believe in casual. I'm normally overdressed, so it was challenging to not throw another dress on Simone. I think it's important to help your client reach their particular style goals and not tyrn them into carbon copy of yourself. Simone loves to be comfortable, she often finds herself lounging around in LuLu Lemon and Yoga wear. I delicately reminded that Yoga wear is for Yoga:). Simone mentioned how difficult it was to find balance in her closet. She normally felt stuck when going out on dates with her husband because she always felt over dressed or too casual. I suggested that she search for affordable and stylish clothes again at Banana Republic and GAP. Simone needs to be very careful when choosing her casual clothes, though comfort is the main objective, it’s important that she stays away from huge sweatshirts and leggings. Her body type (Romantic/Endomorph) needs streamlined clothes so I suggested a nice pair of jeans (long and lean from GAP), collared shirts and a bright cardigans.
What can I say about cardigans EVERY WOMAN MUST HAVE A FEW in their closets. Totally versatile and perfect for Winter. Spring, Summer and Fall. I love cardigans in bright lovely colours and it’s a wonderful band aid to undefined arms. I believe you can never have too many black cardigans and that you should purchase them in the best material possible i.e. Merino wool/Cashmere. I chose this Teal for Simone because with her light complexion, because Teal is a fresh interesting colour and it looks amazing on women of colour I also want to break her out of dark shades which have the tendency to make her look sallow and sickly. I knew I wanted a white blouse underneath and putting her in a black cardigan, white blouse and dark blue jeans would be too 1996. If you catch my drift.

Her pants are boot cut which is flattering on her tall frame, I also chose to keep her blouse un-tucked to draw attention away from her rounder stomach. Though she doesn't have accessories on I suggested some classic pieces that can take her from day to night, accesories post to come!

Simone looks pulled together and fresh, I love how confident she looks in her pictures and it's lovely to see her blossom right before my eyes.

Up Next!

Accessories: Shoes, Belts, Handbags, Prints and drape!

Personality Style/Semi-Formal

* Simone's trouble areas her stomach and hips are well camoflaughed in this dress and with her shoulders back and held held high she looks lean and toned.

* This dress gives Simone a sleek silhouette ans she looks professional and classic. The look everyone woman should want to acheive in the board room.

I picked this BCBG dress for Simone because I love its structured lines which gave her a classic look and the fabric (a light wool blend) which doesn't cling to her hips and defined her waist. I love that the dress is transitional and can be worn with her black pumps, open toe strappy sandals or with tights with black or brown boots. The dress has a slight puffed sleeve which again draws attention away from her lower half and it has a fabulous ruched neck, which is visibly appealing and lends a funky edge to the dress. The dress is also versatile as it comes with a belt which can be worn loosely to the side. I suggested that Simone jazz the dress up with either a statement brooch or her classic Tiffany charm bracelet. This dress is a definite keeper, so much so that I snatched one for myself in black. It’s fully lined which again I believe creates a slim silhouette for curvier women. As for her hair I suggested wearing it off the face so again all the attention could focus on the upper half of her body. Since she’s tall she normally towers over people, so it’s important that her face be fully visual as hair in the eyes can come across as aloof, disinterested or sneaky. I think she looks great in this dress, it’s out of her comfort zone but you could never tell by her huge smile.

Personality Style/Work

Check out these looks from Talbot for inspiration!

Romantic/Dramatic
Simone is new to exploring the world of fashion and she has dipped her toes in tentatively to find what best suits her body frame. I notice that she sticks to looser empire style dresses which look shapeless and sloppy on her tall frame. She tends to wear flats and sticks to dark grays, blues and creams.
While going through Simone’s closet I noticed that she did not have much semi-casual or weekend clothes. Everything seemed to be either really fancy or sweatpants. Her work attire was dated, she was wearing Gap shirts with unlined and often shapeless skirts. She used her height to stay out of heels of any kind. Though she stated in her personal evaluation that she wanted a classic and refined look. Her image said nothing of the sort, she looked like a frumpy Mum or someone who works from home. Her job at Tim Hortons demands that she look poised, elegant and confident at all times. She at times is the face of Tim Hortons and she is often sent to different provinces to represent Tim Horton. Her job in Publicity and Marketing insists that she look warm and friendly yet serious and authoritative which can be hard balance to achieve.
I suggested to Simone that she stay away from unstructured clothing and prints. Her body structure is medium to large so she should stay away from busy prints on her lower half. After throwing away a lot of her clothes, I was able to start with a blank canvas and lead her towards a more elegant and most importantly corporate style. Together we broke her closet down into 3 sections.

Work

A majority of people spend upwards to 70% of their day at work so it's very important that one is deliberate about their clothing attire for the office. As of late the term business casual has become so watered down and that it's not unusual to see someone in the office in shorts or flip-flops. Simone works in corporate Canada so wearing flip-flops not only isn't an option for me her but it could be viewed as career suicide. I knew that in order for Simone to be taken seriously and for her to view herself as an equal contributor on her communication team that she would have to but together an outfit that said I'm present and I'm intelligent. Repeating her mantra was quickly becoming second nature to her and I found her to be much more confident on picking blouses that complimented her style and without making her looking dowdy.

In the above picture we have her work outfit.

She is wearing a pencil skirt by Banana Republic. Again, Pencil skirts are a daring bet for Endomorph women but I find if you go up in size they don't cling as much to the thighs. Simone loved her skirt and I reminded her that she could center dozen of outfits around her skirt.

Next we have a ruffled blouse from Club Monaco. This blouse is gorgeous and timeless. Ruffles are everywhere and this blouse though slightly see-through is fashion-forward yet will give many years of wear. I believe in classic pieces and investing in good fabrics because stretching your dollar especially in these economic times is important. As a newlywed with a new house, Simone cannot waste her time at stores like Dynamite and Suzy Shier her clothes need to go the distance.

Her cardigan is from Banana Republic and it's a beautiful eggplant colour which seems to be all the rage this spring in Milan. This colour is universally flattering and for her pale complexion it gives her skin warmth which is important as she can look pale at times. She finishes off the look with a pair of round toe pumps with a 2 1/2 inch which is perfect for walking around comfortably at work and chasing down the streetcar on the way home.

Below are some simple tips for dressing the Romantic/Endomorph Body for Work:

For business/corporate situations match your handbag , shoes and belt. Black shoes should be matched with a black handbag. This is not a time to get creative with your accessories or to wear colored shoes.

Choose clothing material that reflects the season. Heavy fabrics and tweeds are best for Fall and Winter and will look out of place during Summer, as light linen fabrics will look out of place during Winter.

Always wear a belt where there are belt loops . Choose a good quality leather belt and don't be tempted to wear a flashy or plastic belt. If you don't like belts choose pants without loops

Business Dress Codes

Formal Business Attire- For women this constitutes business suits (a matched skirt and jackets) and, in most workplaces, pantsuits (matched pants and blazer). Closed-toe shoes (no sandals), blouses, hose and conservative hair, jewelry and makeup are expected.

Corporate Casual Looks-Working women have interpreted this to mean everything from shorts to sundresses, but in its most literal sense it means "smart business." Dressy pants and a blouse, sleek jersey knits and skirts and tops are all examples of corporate casual. Denim, T-shirts and flip-flops -- all '90s phenoms -- are only acceptable in the most casual of work environments.

Casual Friday - Depending on the business, this can mean anything from corporate casual instead of formal looks or "Wear your company logo polo and jeans." If in doubt, ask a superior.

http://www.clubmonaco.com/

http://bn.com/

Styles for Body Type

* Above are you some pictures of celebrities who are PEAR SHAPED! I found showing Simone these pictures to be very helpful, I explained to her that EVEn celebrities had body issues and that they have stylists who pull outfits that accentuate their curves and hide their flaws.

My favourite part of this weeks consultation! I love searching for the right outfit and It was my mission to find Simone 3 perfect outfits for work, weekend and semi-formal events. After purging her closets of LOADS of things, we said our goodbyes, donated to local charities and moved on.

I explained to Simone that because of her body type (Endomorph) it was really important that she focus on highlighting her upper torso which happened to be defined and taut. I came up with this easy guideline for her to take with her while shopping.

Since Simone's trouble spot are her hips, she needs to focus everything above torso, that means she should stick to close-fitted blouses and tops with great details and volume. She should look into beautiful blouses with delicate patterns, beading, epaulets, boat necks and varying textures. When dealing with textures I would suggest Merino Wool or Cashmere over a chunky wool which might back her upper torso look larger than necessary. She should also gravitate towards strapless dresses, cowl necks and turtlenecks all will look smashing on her and she can easily pull them off.

For pants, Simone should stick with boot cut jeans and pants. The hem falling on top of her shoe will elongate her body creating a fluid crisp line. She needs to steer clear of trendy jeans such as skinny jeans or capri which will emphasize her thighs and curves and cut her off right in the middle which will make her look stumpy and uneven.

Jackets
Cropped jacket and cardigans
Adds a stylish twist of width on your upper body
Jackets that fall just above the hips
It's the best jacket and coat length that doesn't place a lot of attention to your curves.
Longer hemlines that hit right on your hips or longer will accentuate your curves.


A-line skirts/Pencil skirts
A-line skirts skim your hips without drawing too much attention to them.Though most fashion bibles and even our textbooks admonish Pear shaped women to stay away from Pencil skirts, I personally thing they look flattering on EVERYONE. I pulled a few pencil skirts for Simone and though apprehensive at first sh ended up buying 3! I think they looked lovely on her as on as they were high waisted and had a split in the back. I found that it made her torso look smaller and the skirt which hit right on the knee gave her a classic Jackie Kennedy look. She was quite surprised on how pulled together she looked.































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