Basic Wardrobe Planning Strategies: Strategy #2

Basic Wardrobe Planning Strategy #2: Uncompromisingly ChooseYour Best Fit & Styles...is useless, if it is ignored. If it is ignored, it also diminishes the effectiveness of the other two basic wardrobe planning strategies.

It doesn’t matter if you build a wardrobe that includes appropriate pieces/types of business clothes, unless they fit you well and are styles that create the image that you choose to project.

Wardrobe planning is about selecting the key women's clothing pieces that will form the foundation of your professional wardrobe. It is important to get Strategy #2 right when it comes to making these choices. As Stacey London, co-host of TLC's What Not to Wear often advises guests "never settle for clothes that don’t fit."

Business attire that is too big looks schlumpy and doesn’t hide what we think it's hiding. Clothes that are too small tend to look tacky and diminish our credibility.

Neither of these outcomes is a good thing, especially not in a work environment…

Fit, like this Stella McCartney wool pant suit on this woman, trumps style in my book any day, even though this beautiful women's suit is also quite stylish.

When it comes to women's clothing, if you must choose between style and fit…choose fit. However, that fortunately isn’t a choice that most of us have to make. We are able to choose both, even if we have to downsize our wardrobes or are on a tight budget.

Stand in front of a full-length mirror wearing a womens business suit or women's clothing of any sort.

Are there any puckers or unwelcome gathers? Any unsightly pulls or over-stretched fabric? Do any buttons look as though they’re about to blast-off? Can you lift your arms above your head or reach forward comfortably without stretching a seam beyond its capacity?

Do you look lost in the clothes? Are they shapeless looking because they fail to skim or hit your figure any where?

Is the natural waistline of the jacket closer to your bust-line or hips than it is to your natural waist? Do the full-length sleeves look like three-quarter length sleeves instead or like they're suffocating your hands?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions…chances are the garment isn’t a good fit.

However, all may not be lost…thank goodness for tailors and skilled seamstresses/dressmakers. Hems on women's clothes can be raised and sometimes even lowered…gapping waistbands can be taken up…and darts can be altered.

However, when the women's clothing misfit is extreme, beyond the repair of even a skilled tailor or your repair budget…don’t settle…even if the garment is the perfect color and you can think of ten other redeeming qualities for the piece…please, leave it on the rack.

Most women have a preferred style of clothing. These styles may vary from traditional, classic, romantic, and earthy to trendy and sexy. But even though we may have a preferred style, it doesn’t mean that we don’t like to cross-over to another style on occasion.

Savvy women in business also understand that they may have to edit their personal style a bit for the workforce. Sexy for an unrelated business evening out can be a bit different from sexy in the workplace. The same holds true for earthy and all the other personal styles.

The "rules" for basic business attire and apparel in general are similar, but they are a bit more stringent when it comes to work clothes.

For example, let's say this woman is an assistant to the manager in a manufacturing company and she aspires to be the head of quality control...she may not gain much respect as a serious candidate for the position by exposing excessive cleavage, sporting over-sized earrings and wearing heavy make-up.

When you're strategizing basic wardrobe planning...knowing what your style is and modifying it for work, you begin to create a brand for you and become known for having a certain type of style...which can be a good thing...because chances are, when you add talent and a good work ethic to that, you'll be thought of when the job or opportunity that you have your eyes set on opens up.

There are some cuts of clothing that work better on some body types than others. When you know what style of garment cut works the best for your body, it makes selecting professional pieces so much easier.

For example, women with banana shaped bodies tend to benefit from wearing dresses that are well tailored and have curve-creating seaming and darts. When compared to a dress that only has side seams, women's dresses that also have dual darts/seams in the front and back of a dress, allow for better tailoring and fit, which can make a ruler body look curvier.

In addition, the upper flap pockets and the lower slit pockets on this Oscar De La Renta boucle sleeveless shift dress add dimension and volume right where banana body shapes can usually use it...the bust and hips.

Now, this dress might bit a little too little for traditional work environments, but add a charcoal jacket or blazer, layer a collared blouse underneath it, add some nude hose and appropriate pumps to dress it up a bit...and it could work.

That’s Basic Wardrobe Planning 101: Strategy #2…don’t compromise, choose your best fit and styles.

Next...if you're ready, move on to the last strategy, or you may go back and review the introductory wardrobe planning page or strategy #1...just click the appropriate link below::

Learning how to build a wardrobe using basic wardrobe planning strategies is critical to developing a business clothes wardrobe that creates a goal-oriented, authentic appearance that gets you noticed

Strategy #1 challenges you to commit to looking your best in clothes that fit your figure and compliment your personality…uncompromisingly choose your best fit and styles.

SBI!

Basic Wardrobe PlanningStrategy #2:Uncompromisingly ChooseYour Best Fit & Styles

Basic Wardrobe Planning
Strategy #2:
Uncompromisingly Choose
Your Best Fit & Styles