Styling Tips featured in the segment:
- Keep it simple -- One trendy item at a time is plenty. A plain older tee with jeans you pull from the back of your closet can be made fabulous with a new embellished belt or a patterned scarf and solid cardigan. Avoid wearing an Ed Hardy hat with a similarly graphic tee or you'll end up looking like Jon Gosselin.
- In a word: shoes -- Don't let a rundown pair of shoes or an overly trendy, outdated pair make you look shabby. Spend the money on great quality upfront and invest in maintenance to keep the heels and soles looking new.
Speaking of shoes, don't be afraid to push the envelope in pairing sexy, super high or especially fashion forward heels or boots with an ultra conservative suit. For those of us who have conservative workplaces, there's a certain amount of sly satisfaction in slipping on five inch platforms or leopard print pumps in the morning as your sole concession to a wilder side outside working hours. And the good news is that you don't have to shell out the cash for real Louboutins or Jimmy Choos. Check out www.endless.com for a great selection of knock-offs from brands like Jessica Simpson.
- Don't be timid about altering an older item in your closet -- Cut off a pair of cargo pants to make a casual pair of updated shorts or knee-length capris. Crop an awkward pair of jeans to ankle length. Turn an elastic knit summer dress (that you never wear because of the post-baby belly) into a skirt that can camouflage your middle. Cinch a jersey wrap dress with a wide belt to give it an instant makeover.
- Ask for honest feedback -- A younger colleague at work can be a good source for fashion trends that are in style but still appropriate for someone at your age. Or better yet: just ask which items of clothing are a "dead giveaway" that someone is a mom. Be prepared to run home and throw half your closet away later that day. Tool around an H&M for inspiration - then hit Ann Taylor or J.Crew for interpretations of the trendy styles in more mom-friendly sizing.
A word to the wise: H&M fit models seem to be pre-pubescent, tween-age girls, and a size 4 equals a size 0 in most other lines.
- Shop on your lunch hour -- Go to this cool new site called Flit which enables you to enter one search term (over the knee boots, for example) once and seek that item out at all of your favorite stores online from Banana Republic to Nordstrom or even Target.
- Buy plain main pieces and accessorize with the trends du jour -- For example colorful, lightweight scarves (available anywhere) or patterned tights or chunky necklaces and bangles can make even plain pencil skirts or white button-downs look instantly updated.
- Invest in at least one great pair of jeans in that season's updated cut -- Currently skinny, but that could change soon, so be sure to check out the celeb rags or ask your junior colleagues that fit you perfectly. And don't even think twice about the triple digit pricetag. Every WoMo deserves at least one hot outfit for "date night" and in the meantime, your butt will still look great running around at the park on Sundays.
About Aimee Grove:
Aimee has been writing for fun and for profit since high school. An accomplished journalist for more than a decade who has covered topics ranging from travel and lifestyle to business and marketing, Aimee's byline has appeared in such publications as Forbes, Via, Diablo, How, Contra Costa Times and San Francisco Magazine, where she penned a regular gossip column called "The City Mouth." In her last reporting gig before crossing over " to the dark side" of PR, she served as the West Coast Bureau Chief of PR Week magazine for two years.
For the past nine years, Aimee has worked in public relations, serving as the Vice President of Consumer for nationally acclaimed PR firm, Allison & Partners, whose clients include Best Western, ARAMARK, Michelin, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Progressive Insurance, Philosophy, Kimpton Hotel Group and Boost Mobile.
For her clients, Aimee has run award-winning, integrated marketing campaigns involving social media, digital strategy, public affairs, guerilla street teams and strategic media relations, as well as providing crisis communications counseling, penning executive speeches and coordinating special events. She is a noted speaker and media source on issues related to media relations and consumer marketing.
Married, with a 3-year-old son, Tavish, Aimee and her family live in shoebox-sized apartment in San Francisco where they dream about moving someday to the beach or the burbs. She is an honors graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara.
About Marcie Carson:
She is founding Principal and Creative Director of the award-winning, Los Angeles-based graphic design firm IE Design + Communications.
Marcie began her career in fashion at the consummate eighties apparel chain, Contempo Casuals, where she worked as the trend-setting liaison between the buying and marketing departments.
In 1993, Marcie's love of vogue continued when she toured as a costume assistant for Madonna's "The Girlie Show" (now there's a book!)
Eventually purchasing her first Apple computer and following her longtime passion for graphic design, she founded IE with her punk rock husband (who was just retiring from music after gigs with Green Day, Blink 182 and Sublime).
Consistently honored by every major design organization, Marcie and her work have appeared in countless books on graphic design, including prestigious titles from Taschen and Graphis.
IE's impressive roster of clients has grown to include names like: Getty, BMW, Disney, UCLA, Dole and Hilton. Marcie has been a longtime contributor to the design industry by participating on judging panels and guest lectures, appearing in magazines, as well as getting nervous speaking at various events across the country.
Marcie graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara where she earned a double-major in Communications and Fine Art.
She and her husband Corey live in Southern California with their two sons, Macley and Cayden. And despite the couples' music roots, the closest they get to touring with a band these days is listening to The Wiggles on family road trips.
