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Fast fashion – Know Before You Buy, Advice from an Indianapolis Fashion Stylist Reader alert: This blog about “fast fashion” contains heavier content than my usual posts. So if you’re not feeling that, I understand; you might want to skip this one. But as an Indianapolis Fashion Stylist, I think its important to keep up with issues within the fashion community. I recently read Dana Thomas’ book, Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes. It provides a disturbing look at the human and environmental carnage caused by an industry that produces billions of cheap garments a year, most of which are discarded after only a season or two. She calls it “a complex and epic-sized mess.” A few examples of why she says this: While about half of the Los Angeles Garment District’s 45,000 workers are paid at least minimum wage, the other half are undocumented workers paid as little as $4 an hour, and they work in badly ventilated, rat-infested sweatshops. Poorly paid garment workers in poverty-stricken countries labor in dirty buildings that are often locked to prevent them from leaving. Workers have died in garment factory fires because they couldn’t escape a locked building. Americans sent nearly 10 tons of discarded clothing, much of it fast fashion, to landfills each year. Thomas calls out big-name brands like Zara, H&M, Gap, and others she says perpetuate the problem but says she finds hope from those who take a more responsible approach—like Zero + Maria Cornejo. The socially responsible and environmentally friendly Cornejo produces almost all of her ready-to-wear items within New York City, primarily does business with suppliers in the city’s Garment District, and pays her workers fair, living wages. My advice for my Indianapolis Fashion Stylist clients is [...]

In light of recent events, it is important now more than ever to support our black community. As the world mourns with the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahumaud Arbery, and so many more individuals, it's a good time to support black designers in the fashion industry. Purchasing from the following brands goes a long way. These brands are great to not only enhance your Personal Styling, but also as a great way to support the black community.  Below are five Black-owned fashion brands to shop from today, tomorrow, and forever. Jinaki Jinaki was created in 2012 by Sharufa Rashied-Walker while she was living in France at the time. Her design aesthetic  includes vibrant dresses, skirts, jumpsuits, and tops directly inspired by indigenous african textiles. Jinaki focuses on bright and bold prints that reflect African culture in a modern way. Over the past eight years, the brand has gained great traction. Jinaki has been worn by Taraji P. Henson and featured in countless publications. In addition, Sharufa Rashied-Walker won the Designer of the Year  for Young, Gifted, and Black Award in 2018, alongside many other amazing accomplishments. Jinaki comes in at a rather reasonable price range, with most dresses only costing $200. I recommend trying out this brand for my Personal Styling clients as a power brand for your next big vacation. The colors and prints are sure to make anyone standout. LOLA ADE The LOLA ADE name comes from the designer's West African heritage. According to their website,  Lola Ade (pronounced "Luhh-lah (like lullaby) AHH-Day") is a Nigerian name from the Yoruba language. Lola translates to "Wealthy" and Ade means "Crown." Lola has immense pride in her Nigeria culture, which helped her develop her design aesthetic. [...]

Accessories that Elevate Your Summer Style! Although you may already have your summer glow, the first official day of summer isn’t until June 20th. With the changing of the seasons comes the changing of the accessories. Accessories are a key part of any outfit. They can truly make or break your look. However, don’t let that scare you. Accessories are a great way to spice up your outfit, and really let your personality shine through. I spent the past few days perusing the mostly empty malls to see what was on display for the season. Here are these Personal Stylist recommendations of four summer accessory must-haves that will help transition you into the perfect summer style. Personal Stylist’s 2020 Must-Have Accessories Recommendations Espadrille Sneakers: No summer is complete without the perfect pair of sneakers. Summer is the epitome of casual laid back outfits, and you can’t have a laid-back outfit without sneakers. I am particularly loving espadrilles sneakers. Espadrilles are a summer staple. They actually date back all the way to the 13th century. The roping style was used for the lower class. However, in the 1970s they were brought back into style in a wedge form, which quickly became a classic. Nowadays, with more and more people choosing comfortable sneakers over heels, espadrille sneakers feel like the perfect compromise. I found these Superga sneakers at Macy’s and they also happen to be on sale. These sneakers come in a wide array of colors and are the perfect touch to finish up your outfit. Pair them with boyfriend jeans and a striped tank top for a chic French style look! Hair Accessories: I promise hair clips are not just for little girls! Every store this Personal Stylist wandered into was showing [...]

As an Indianapolis Fashion Stylist, I sometimes get called to help out with the most fashionable day of a young couple's life, their wedding.  I have a lot of fun doing wedding styling. I'll help the bride pick her dress or sometimes I help the mothers of the bride or groom. It is a fun activity! I have learned the mother of the bride/groom often struggle for many reasons. I thought I'd cover that in this blog since one client is fresh on my mind.  Indianapolis Fashion Stylist Tips For Mother's of the Bride/Groom Dress For You, Not The Bride A lot of mothers tell me they are really unsure of what to wear to their child's wedding. Especially if they do not want the big, traditional mother-of-the-bride dress es that is out there. So many mothers think they need to pick a  big, heavy, satin, beaded, and lacy dress. It's just too much, especially for a summer wedding.  So my first piece of advice is to stay true to yourself and your style. If you don't want this kind of dress there are other options. You want a dress that flatters you and you feel comfortable as well. You don't have to sacrifice style for that. Give Yourself Time Allow plenty of time to shop and don't give up easily. Don't shun bridal stores. Sometimes they have more options than the typical website or department store because they can order in sizes and colors. Don't Try To Be A Bridesmaid Don't try to "match"the bridal color scheme. If anything, try to coordinate with it. With so many colors and options, it's hard to match anything. My Indianapolis Fashion Stylist advice is to ask the [...]

As a member and president of the Association of Image Consultants International Chicago Midwest Chapter, I am privileged to interact with other Image Consultant professionals who help people look their best and present their best image at work and to the general public. I also have access to learn from fashion designers. Those innovators who create and produce the clothes we wear and love. Last week, our AICI Chicago Midwest Chapter held an online event called Conversations with Mexico City fashion designer Jaimie Hemsani. We listened as he described his journey to becoming a designer and then how he does his art and craft in day to day operations. Here is The recording from the interview:  Watch My Conversation with Jaime Hemsani Now Becoming A Fashion Designer It was fascinating to listen to Jamie and how he "thinks!" It was so different from the path that I took to becoming an Image Consultant and it was interested to get a different perspective from the designing world. But you can tell when someone is made for a career. I Asked about when he knew he wanted to be a fashion designer, or at least work in the industry. Hemsani said it all started with a party he was going to attend with his mother. "I wanted to wear something different from everyone else, and I didn't have that in my closet," he said. So with the help his mother, Hemsani created a special piece that was uniquely his, that no one else had ever before! Truly the designer was born. Hemsani didn't immediately pursue his dream for a fashion career. He went to college and majored in chemical engineering. It was helpful to him, but eventually he pursued [...]

Everyone says to me: Beth, you're an Indianapolis Image Consultant, how do I make sure I am always appearing my best? That seems like quite the loaded question, but I do have some easy-to-follow rules to live by if you're always trying to keep a good image of yourself in mind. Personal image is something we own as individuals, but it's always good to reflect on ourselves to see if we're portraying the image we want. Indianapolis Image Consultant's Tips For A Great Personal Image:  Avoid Ill-fitting Clothing Clothes that are too big or too small, too long or too short look cheap and unkempt. They can make you appear sloppy or disorganized.  Unless your clothes are custom-made, find a good seamstress or tailor to manage hems and such. Give Yourself the Sniff Test From bad breath and body odor to heavy cologne, people are turned off by strong smells. Unpleasant odors leave negative impressions. It’s good to know that, after a short time, your sense of smell becomes immune to a fragrance. Some people take it too far in the opposite direction and douse themselves in too much in perfume or cologne. Don’t be that person either. Revealing Too Much In a professional work environment, low necklines and short skirts detract from credibility.  With that in mind, it's helpful to always have a professional jacket on hand.  A short sleeve shirt or sweater doesn't cut it.  When making a presentation or talking to upper management, throwing on a blazer will give off the impression that you mean business. Watch Your Tounge Your image isn't portrayed just in what you wear, as an Indianapolis Image Consultant, I often remind my clients to watch what they say. [...]