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@marjorywarren-blog
I am reflecting on my youth. I am trying to recall female role models I admired as a young girl who inspired me to be better, stronger and more willful. Other than the determination of my mother and one female grade school teacher no one fills this vacancy. No one except female TV personalities I grew up with.
Taking Calculated Risks
Two or three years ago I would haven’t never done what I just did yesterday!
Yesterday, I had a vendor press me for money up front. Business slowed
and I had to cancel an order towards the end of last year. I almost never ever do this. We all need to support each other and am very sensitive to the needs of my suppliers. I also know if and when I do, if it is a big vendor, there will be huge repercussions directed to me.
Well, yes there was :) Yesterday. I had two choices. Bend over backwards and scrape
the money together, or tell them if they can’t be a bit more flexible with a customer who has supported them for many many years, there are lots of clothing lines that will!
Of course, waited for the reply from the owner all day was a little nerve wracking. You see,
this line of clothing is in my top three! Thier brand brings in a lot of customers! Playing daredevil was very risky. I did get the call. It was the owner. He acknowledged I have been a customer of theirs for a long time and will back off.
Over the years I no longer think the end of the world is coming if I lose a vendor, or lose a customer, or even lose my lease. I have worked it all! Once I realized my business is
Small Business Journey
My neighbor came in my store yesterday and told me her retail business is closing.
She then said she felt very bad about herself. She had never not succeeded in something in 35 years.
I felt for her. This weighed on my mind all day. I passed the story onto a friend of mine.
Her reply was so simple. “That’s really good for 35 years”!
Her spin on this really made me think. Yes, it is really good. In fact, it is a great record! Many times when things aren’t going our way, we forget everything we have ever accomplished and hyper focus on the present. We only see our failures and forget to backtrack at our record of achievements.
How we have become successful in the first place has been a chain of events, stepping stones and building tools and knowledge. Even if my neighbor has to close her business, she has to remember one thing. She built her business, ran her business and it was at one time successful!
She can do it again! If she chooses not to start another business and find employment, that is o.k.!
This is not a failure. She is not a failure. This is a process that we all are all going through. What comes out the other side is a risk in all entrepreneurships but the value we obtain from the journey I think is well worth it!
New Year Resolution
I have never made a New Year Resolution. I hate the pressure. What I think is important today may not be so important next week. I think this is called "No Foresight". We all have different wishful thinking lists. Books you want to read, research you want to do, connect with old friends, eat better, don't be passive aggressive, take better care of your health,.......workout.......
Since my work is primarily woman driven, since I am 55 years old and since we are all primarily in the same boat, I am going to start discussing Over Fifty Health and Fitness on my blog.
We can get so lost and frustrated with all this aging health stuff. It is so fluid and always evolving. Myself, I think I get a firm grip with my health one week and the next week everything has backtracked. Genetically, I have come from a gene pool of tall and thin physiques with long life spans from my dad's side of the family Also, I come from a gene pool with a long list of health issues and early deaths from my mom's side. Like all of us, we are in a constant balancing act.
This is where I want to start. I try to stay fit and healthy. I want a good quality of life as I get older. I want to be able to do yoga at 80 years and stave off all the genetic predispositions I am programmed for.
I want to avoid and pills and pain as long as I can. I want to keep up with my daily to do list without having to compromise because of my health. I know not all of this is possible but I also know some of it is. It is up to me and only me to apply creative preventative health care for myself.
So this is what I want to do. I am going to start sharing my health and fitness choices. I am going to start sharing information I think you may want to read. If you have no interest, just pass on all of this. If you do, I hope we can share as a collective of our ups and downs of being a mature woman and help each other.
I have thought about this for a long time. I just returned from visiting my family over the holidays. Every time I visit my mother it breaks my heart. She has been in bed with a crumbled spine due to Osteoporosis for 20 or so years. I believe in my heart this could have been avoided, even partially and my mom could have had a better quality of life than she has had.
This is what I have learned from my mom.
We have to be our own advocates! No one else will :)
Change Can Be A Good ThingOctober 19, 2015 17:52
I have been eyeing women on the street lately sporting great short hair cuts totally dye free. I think all these women look great! I am fantasizing with the thought of growing out my color and cutting off all my hair. Honestly, I never see my neck unless I spend most of my day searching for that elusive hair tie. I am sick of coloring my hair. I am tired of hiding the white roots crawling over my head. I am bored of even having to think about it. I am craving to show off my age with I think will be white/silvery hair and letting my long locks make way for a more stylish and current look…..
I did this once before in my lifetime. I was about 17. I had hair down my back and I cut it all off. I ran into the bathroom crying. Until it grew in, I never left the house without wearing a pair of earrings. My figure was very boyish so, of course, I thought I looked like a boy. I am sure I did. I have worked through this childhood trauma with years of therapy and I am ready to move on…..(just kidding)
According to Mary from www.therighthairstyles.com …. A woman doesn’t stop being a woman with age. Changing looks and experimenting with styles is in her nature. However, with years we strive for more comfort, and short hair is a good base for low-maintenance hairstyles which look stylish and aren’t perceived as “old woman’s helmet-like ‘dos”.
I am envisioning one of my Beautiful ANU wool scarves wrapped around my little neck. My neck is feeling the autumn chill ‘cause there is no hair there! My silvery grey pixie cut frames my face and I am Empowered…I am Woman! A Silver Fox with a Mature lack of Mane…..Even if haven’t yet the courage to cut all my hair off, these women did and they look fantastic! I am in love with this look!
I had lots and lots of women in my store the other day! I have a small store so lots mean 3. Sometimes I stand in the hallway to give the ladies extra room but if I am needed I stand in the middle of the room and direct traffic like an Air Traffic Controller.
Small is sometimes good.
I don’t have to move my footing, just pivot as I multi-task until all questions are answered, all needs are met and happily, purchases are made.
It is interesting to watch people interact in a small space.
We all have to be polite, sharing time and space with others. Most of the times, women interact, jumping into an open conversation, adding their two cents, sometimes three. It adds to a supportive atmosphere. Occasionally not…..that is why I have that little chair facing the corner…..I truly love these times of women revery. We all have our own agendas, but a small, cozy space sometimes creates a little magic amongst ourselves.
And that is such a good feeling!
A customer came yesterday, took a slow gaze around my little store and offered me an incredible business idea. I am not going to tell you because I think it is that awesome, but the core value of the idea really hit me.
WE ALL HAVE TALENTS.
We all have something of value to offer. The we I am talking about is the women over 50 crowd. Getting older is not the most exciting prospect.My hips can attest to that! What I have recognized lately is all the accumulative knowledge, talent, wisdom...whatever you want to call it.... I possess and can offer.
While working on my website, I was in awe of the amount of work it took to get it up and running. I was also in awe of how undefined my job description really was, and is!
Learning the back end of a website,lighting for product photography, photo editing for product shots, entering all the product and data, product copy, trouble shooting all the problems and fixing them.....I could go one. What surprised me is how fluid the process became. The outcome can always be better and it will be a continuing process. What I took from this huge learning curve was I possessed many talents cultivated over my life time and many fell into place while I was working on this project. Many of the talents for the "new jobs" I had to take on I already owned, building them along my lifetime. I had just tucked them aside and happily brought them out front and center without even thinking twice.
We all have accumulated a vast amount of knowledge, creativity, passions, along the way. I have started to recognize mine and appreciate them. I hope YOU CAN!
MOTHER/DAUGHTER SHOPPING
So much information is exposed in such a short time.The dynamics of a mother/daughter relationship unfolds before my eyes. Sometimes, very entertaining, other times not so much, but many times heartfelt.My favorite visits occur when both ladies enjoy my clothing and find each other outfits off the rack. I am constantly surprised when the daughter emerges from the dressing room wearing a big smile on her face along with an outfit or separate she looks and feels great in. Previously, a similar piece she is trying on had been sold to a much older woman.
I am always amazed how an article of clothing can look so good yet so different on different age women and even sometimes different body types. Watching both women try on clothing is like witnessing a science experiment.This is what shopping should be at times.Trial and error. Trial and error.Many of us have settled into comfort zones and uniforms over the years. I push women to step out of these safe patterns and make an effort to try on an article of clothing they would dismiss as Not for Me!
Honestly, I fall into the same trap.
A customer comes in and immediately I process their body type, clothing size and acknowledge what kind/color of outfit they are currently wearing. Then when thumbing through the clothing racks, my real job kicks in and I start visiting pieces initially I wasn’t thinking of pulling for my customer. I start getting a little creative.This process doesn’t always work. Sometimes we don’t have time to play and explore. When we do, the outcome has its surprises. This is why mother/daughter shopping is such an informative session for women and myself. They start to have fun and experiment.Then come the surprises! Not always a success, but when a happy customer walks out the door with a great blouse the daughter initially pulled for the mother, then tried on herself and loved it...…..always a moment that I don’t forget. Be creative. Try a new color,play with different necklines, experiment with an assortment of pant styles….you may really surprise yourself...and go shopping with your mother :) http://bit.ly/1Cqp9qm
The Monochromatic Look
O.K. So, I will let the cat out of the bag. I am a woman’s store owner/clothing stylist that has Tourette Syndrome. It has eased up as I have aged, but there are still some very strong and sometimes fun vestiges of this annoying Syndrome. One of my favorite is word games. This is what I call it. Briefly, my brain registers a word then continually offers me a pallet of choices spinning off from the original. Maybe you have a version of this little play on words rattling around your head from time to time. When you have Tourettes, it doesn’t stop and can get stuck for a very long time.
The reason I am telling you all this, is of course, the word ‘Monochromatic’. Since the idea for the blog popped into my head, I sit in my store deciphering the word list my brain is presenting to me. I try to choose the correct one.
.... a partial list…..
Monsoon
Monocle
Monolithic
Mononucleosis
Audio syncratic
Synthetic
Citrus.....
Don’t ask me the logic. There isn’t any. Now that I been able to choose the correct word to use in this stylist blog, hopefully you can happily read about the wonderful attributes dressing in a Monochromatic color scheme offers:)
The definition of monochromatic colors is all the colors (tints, tones, and shades) of a single hue. Monochromatic dressing is simple, elegant and easy to achieve. I do have some of my petite customers adamantly dressing only this way. One color dressing elongates the figure.
To add depth to your outfit play around with different textures. If you are top heavy, use a heavier texture on the lower portion of your figure.This will help balance your body structure. http://bit.ly/1F42Jun
The Schmatta Discussion
Friday, July 3rd 2015, the discussion in my store evolved around the Yiddish word Schmatta. A customer came in looking to buy a Schmatta. She is Jewish as well as my visiting friend so we had a very Yiddish conversation.
Now I am a transplanted Irish/ raised Catholic from a small non Jewish town in Canada. Although I have familiarized myself throughout the years of living in NYC with Yiddish slang, I am not an expert in all of its “rich expressions, especially terms of endearment (and of course, complaints and insults)”. I have to admit, I am most familiar with the term Schmatta. Since I own a clothing store, the word has come up occasionally. For obvious reasons, hopefully it was not directed at my merchandise.
My customer reflected on her childhood, remembering days gone by as her mother begged her not wear her Schmatta as she left the house. As I child I remember an irate mother wearing a Moo Moo ( an Irish Catholic Schmatta from the 60’s) screaming at her teenage daughter as she left for school, hurling insults and threatening the poor girl with Catholic mother guilt
and the horrors of teenage promiscuity. I remember worshiping the stubborn girl for repelling the parental control as she husseled down the street towards high school wearing Bell Bottom Jeans! These were my memories of my Schmattas of my youth. I know it may not be exactly the same, but pretty darn close.
My customer promised me that a Schmatta was not really just a rag. To her it could be something she could just throw on, an easy wear, something to cast at a chair or crumple in a ball when coming through the door at the end of the day. My girlfriend had a story of waiting for the bus as a child and her grandmother yelling out the window to come back in the house and at least iron that Schmatta!
Although I do not want to hear the word Schmatta when a customer looks at my merchandise, I do want them to think of my clothing as cozy and comfortable and wearable and livable. Maybe that is really what a Schmatta is.Like Linus’s blanket!
Pennsylvania high schooler Alexus Miller-Wigfall’s cleavage allegedly got her kicked out of her senior dance.
Pennsylvania high schooler Alexus Miller-Wigfall’s cleavage allegedly got her kicked out of her senior dance.
BODY SHAPES
Body Type A: Hourglass
The hourglass figure has a small short waist about 8” to 12” smaller than breasts and hips.(Just a general measurement). The Hourglass does not have to have an ample bosom. This is a figure with proportioned bust and hips. It is the most sought after body shape in our modern American culture. Famous hourglass figures include Marilyn Monroe, Hally Berry and Jessica Rabbit. Hourglass figures need an open neckline to break up the breadth of chest if she is big breasted. Choose dresses that lift your breasts to help elongate your waist. Jackets with a cinched waist will help the breast not tent out with fabric. Avoid boxy tops and dresses. Soft fabrics work great with this figure.
Body Type B: Rectangle
The Rectangle figure can be a very masculine shape. Broad shoulders, no waist definition, proportioned bust and hips. Usually the Rectangle body shape has a larger ribcage. This figure has very little or no curves.Kim Cattrall, Sheryl Crow and Jennifer Hudson are famous Rectangle figures. This figure needs some optical illusions to help create a more feminine silhouette. Soft, flowing fabrics that can drape and tie will help with illusion of shape. Show off wrists and forearms with ¾ length sleeves.Lends to a more feminine edge. Work in prints with patterns that can help lead the eye to curving lines. Break up the Rectangle solid shape and create curves with fun ruffles, prints and accessories. Wide leg pants, tulip cut skirts. Define the waist detail such as a belt or sash.
Body Type C: Apple
The Apple figure, I find, is one of the most common, especially as women get older. After menopause, waists can fill out adding to the apple shape. The waist is larger than the breasts and hips. The Apple figure has a broad back and carries most of her weight above the hips. Famous Apple figures include Oprah and Rosie O’Donnell. Similar to the Rectangle figure in style direction. The Apple should never accentuate the waist (like the Rectangle) but skim over the waist. Empire waists nip the smallest part of her torso and helps lift the breasts, elongating the torso. Avoid clingy fabrics.V necklines and flared hemlines balance the top heavy body. Longer jackets opened in front will lengthen the body and camouflage the tummy.
Body Type D: Pear
The Pear figure has a small bust, smallish shoulders, long torso and wide hips usually with heavier legs. Your tush is not necessarily large but your weight is mostly on the lower half of the body and the leg length is shorter. You have a defined waist. Famous Pear figures include Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sandra Bullock. The Pear figure needs balance, balance, balance. Fill out the shoulders with a puffier short sleeve or a shoulder pad if need be. Open the neckline to give the illusion of broader shoulders. Use pattern, color, texture and accessories on the top part of your body to balance your hips. Detail the waist with a belt. A-line skirts work great with a Pear figure.
With the descriptions above,you will get a general feel for where your shape fits. Once you discover your shape, you can learn how to accentuate your best body attributes and down play your least flattering. I am keeping this really simple for now, representing 4 body shapes. The Pear, The Apple, The Hourglass, The Rectangle. The less complicated, the easier to dress yourself.
In case you needed further confirmation that unrealistic beauty standards affect girls at an early age, SheKnows Media is here to help. In a new video from the digital media company’s Hatch program, young girls discuss body image and how it&...
STOP THE LOLLIPOP LOOK!
I think the most common statement I hear from women in my store is “My legs are the thinnest part part of my body, so I always wear leggings with a top that hides the rest”. If you are a member of the thin legged woman/ hide my post menopausal body group I want you to start looking for women on the street wearing this outfit. You will be able to spot them fairly quickly. There is a lot of you out there! Once you start noticing this woman start to take stock with what they look like. Something like a lollipop? Some women have the idea that they need to highlight the thinnest part of their body without regard to how it affects the look of their body structure. I have discussed BALANCE in previous blog posts. Here it is again. I strongly suggest one of the most important learning curves for women to know how to dress is BALANCE. If your body is top heavy, meaning you carry your weight above your legs, at least a slight fullness in a pant or skirt will add balance to the broader top portion of your torso. This lends to a more balanced silhouette and a much more flattering figure. I have proven this theory hundreds of times in my clothing store. It only takes a little adjustment and your outfit will be so much more appealing! Give it a try :)
COLORS I LOVE
Who are the 'Color Gods' making the quarterly decisions that rule the world or at least the garment buying for major department stores? Some seasons I just don't get it. This season I do because it is all about me! The spring colors for 2015 are some of my favorite…. wait for it…. because I look good in them! Aside from my own narcissistic slant on Aqua Marine and Toasted Almond, I think that this charming almost retro palate offers most women at least a few sweet choices for spring. Pantone Color Institute's Leatrice Eiseman describes "the minimalistic color choices reflect the movement to disconnect from technology and create a quiet zone". Lucite Green, Scuba Blue, Toasted Almond, Strawberry Ice, Tangurine, Custard and Marsala thrown in a closet generates "the remembrance of retero delights, folkloric and floral art". Leatrice Eiseman knows her stuff this spring! LOVE THEM!
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What an inspiration!