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It's Heating Up!
The weather is heating up, but let’s stay cool and professional!
Whether you are going to the office or plan to be on a zoom call, professional dress in the summer doesn’t have to be complicated or boring. Some offices even have a more relaxed dress code in the summer. Be sure to be knowledgeable of your company policy regarding your wardrobe and overall personal presentation and if you aren’t sure, ask for a recent copy of the company handbook. A sleeveless button blouse can be a nice option. Personally, I like this option because the shoulders are not completely exposed. If deciding to go with a thinner strap, you can pair it with a lightweight breathable cardigan sweater, vest, or blazer. Moreover, I would actually keep a blazer or cardigan on hand in the office to combat the frigid air conditioning, or for a meeting that might call for a more polished look. This happens frequently! Now, let’s talk about color. A bright color is a great way to feel all of the summer feels at work. Sometimes it’s easy for me to get trapped in wearing mostly black and neutral colors. The summer is a great time to add that pop of color that you may not normally wear, or that you’ve been wanting to try. Don’t feel like you have to go too crazy! You can subtly pair a bright color with a neutral pant. Grey is a nice switch up, especially if you typically wear black skirts or pants. For me, the ankle pant is my preferred length over a capri cut.
Some other thoughts to consider:
1. Will this garment show my sweat stains?
2. Is my neckline workplace appropriate?
3. Does my skirt hemline rise to an uncomfortable length when I sit down?
4. Can I walk in my shoes?
5. Can I navigate the workday without tugging, pulling down, or adjusting my outfit?
6. How comfortable do I feel overall in this outfit?
Most importantly, make sure to embrace your personal style while being professional in the office or your work from home office. Your style is uniquely you, and should make you feel comfortable and happy!
Do you need assistance in developing your personal style? I’d be happy to help!
To get started, we’d first have a 15-minute conversation. To set this up, I can be reached at stylist@fathiasavory.com when you are ready.
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I have a fashion confession: I think I might have been a jewelry hoarder. And not a hoarder of fancy, expensive pieces. While cleaning up and organizing my home recently, I found bags and containers of jewelry. Some of the pieces are turning, broken, missing a mate, cheap, and just don't fit my current style.
As I go through the process of cleaning out my jewelry, I'm considering putting a spending freeze on fashion jewelry and/or buttoning up my budget. I want to invest in what could be considered a fine jewelry capsule, just like a wardrobe capsule.
My wedding anniversary was last month. As I browsed through photos, I came across a beautiful photo of my great grandmother's ring. Her ring was my something blue. My great grandmother passed away years before my wedding, and it was very special to have a piece of her there on my special day. I would love to have special timeless jewelry pieces to pass along to generations to come. Do you have memorable jewelry pieces in your family like this?
Types of Jewelry
Jewelry is typically categorized into two categories: Fine Jewelry and Fashion Jewelry. Some add a third category which is a little more affordable than fine jewelry called bridge jewelry or semi-fine jewelry. That’s completely up to you!
Fine Jewelry: expensive precious metals (solid gold, silver, platinum, etc.) , gemstones, known for details and quality.
Fashion Jewelry: inexpensive materials such as textiles, beads, base metals (brass, copper, aluminum, etc.), simulated gemstones, etc.
Here are examples of 5 Fine Jewelry Pieces (please click picture for product details)
● Stud earrings
● Stacking rings
● Hoops
● Pearls
● Dainty Necklace with pendant
Did you know that it’s possible to build your fine jewelry piece by piece? Many people feel pressure to have several pieces right away. Building your collection over time not only allows the space to only have pieces you truly love but also turns it into a fun journey that you can continue for years to come.
For my clients, I use the same basic foundations to build your jewelry as I would for clothing: body shape, lifestyle, and style personality. Using this foundation allows you to find your ideal aesthetic so that when you visit a new jewelry store or jewelry show, you are able to filter what is best for you with just a few glances. This takes so much guesswork out of the equation and allows you to be confident in your decisions. After all, many jewelry pieces are pricey!
When it comes to cost, it’s best to have a budget in mind for both what you want to spend on individual pieces (by item) and the maximum cost you’d be willing to pay when you visit a store/show. Keep in mind things like a warranty plan, service plan, and insurance as well- in case of an emergency.
You can use any of these five jewelry items and interchange them with other pieces of your fashion jewelry. You can pair diamond stud earrings with a bold statement fashion necklace or layer with your dainty fine jewelry pendant necklace. The classic styles/designs will go a long way in building several looks. I’d love to help you get started building your jewelry collection piece by piece! To get started, we’d first have a 15-minute conversation. To set this up, I can be reached at stylist@fathiasavory.com when you are ready.
How To Build Your Jewelry Collection with 5 Fine Jewelry Pieces
Pivot Coworking Space Cantonsville, MD
A Mother's Day Wish List...
A Mother’s Day Wish List
The holidays are so much different this year, aren’t they? Mother’s Day is now coming up, and I’ve been personally putting a lot of thought into how I’d like to celebrate. For starters, this pandemic really made me step back and applaud all that I do as a mom. If you know me, you know that I'm not one to brag about myself. I'm usually the opposite, so critical of myself, and always striving to be better- not perfect- but better. I am a mother to a five-year-old and one-year-old. We have been in quarantine for how many days? I've lost count. Also, I fully acknowledge that I cannot do this journey apart from my faith, family, and friends. They have been so important in me even being able to see the need and importance in celebrating myself. Usually, when we celebrate Mother’s day, I don’t really need to do too much. However, this year I want it ALL and I want it to start with me.
What I mean by that isn't the mentality of “I am woman, hear me roar” or self-indulgence, not that either of those things is wrong. What I want is to give myself grace, celebrate the wins, struggles, happy times, and sad times as a mother. I mean, I also want a delicious meal, flowers, and a few other things that I really love. Here are a few items on my list. I already started getting some items in the mail.
Wish List
(Shop items by clicking on the picture)
Beauty
● Jade roller
● Matte lip creme
● Nail polish
Health/Mental/Spiritual
● Bible
● Bike
● Puzzle
Fashion
● Shoes
● Loungewear
● Headband
Home
● Flowers
● Storage for office
● Bookshelf
Food
● Cookies
● Tea
● Gourmet meal
Now, let’s start creating YOUR wishlist.
Here are a few questions to help this process:
● What act of self-care can I fit into my day?
● How can I take care of my body today?
● What do I love about myself?
● What makes me feel replenished?
I truly hope that this year you will also take the time to celebrate YOU with your family and friends too. Wishing you a wonderful Mother’s Day.
Pivot Coworking Space Cantonsville, MD
Virtual Services | The Savory Style Starter
Virtual Services | The Savory Style Starter
During this tough time, we are making things a bit easier by providing more virtual services. One of those services is called the Savory Style Starter.
This service is a one-hour virtual styling session designed to help lay the foundation for your wardrobe. During this session, you will learn the fundamental components of embracing, embodying and enjoying your true self at every stage in life.
The Why
Over the past few weeks, several people have asked: "how is business?". Truthfully, I had really stepped back to process everything. I wanted to help others navigate through this tough time while remaining sensitive to our current environment. Finding the right balance was important to me as a business owner and friend to my clients.
I created this package as we adapt to this current climate, while still being able to honor the value of my professional expertise. This new package is a great entry point to investing in YOU. I am still offering the majority of my other services, the only difference is that everything is now virtual. I have worked with clients virtually over the past few years and have since developed practices and tools that work best for my business.
The What
Here is a behind the scenes look at how this service works!
First, each client will complete a questionnaire that will analyze:
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Body Shape- Your size is not the focus, but your body shape is key to finding clothes that fit properly.
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Lifestyle- Your daily activities create a framework for building a wardrobe.
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Style Personality- Your personality is your motivator for your style and interpretation of fashion.
After the assessment, you will receive a summary of the session and five Savory Style Starter closet recommendations. The recommendations will help create the foundation for a wardrobe that easily works for you.
The Where
The appointment will take place using Zoom. Once you speak with me about a time/date you will receive your unique link and code! Just send an email to me at stylist@fathiasavory.com
Sounds great! What is the cost?
The Savory Style Starter virtual package is $149*
*As a reminder, we provide special packages and pricing for individuals that are unemployed and seeking employment. While we wish we can extend this offer to everyone in need, appointments are limited.
10 Tips for Efficient Online Shopping
Over the past few weeks, so many people have turned to online shopping (even more so than before)! I have used this method of shopping over the years for myself and clients. In that time, I have learned some best practices for shopping online that are even more helpful given the current situation.
When I complete online shopping for clients they are given two tasks. First, they complete a style evaluation (identify body shape, best colors, and style personality) and second a shopping questionnaire. For questions on this, please feel free to send me an email stylist@fathiasavory.com
For some of us, money is tight right now but the sales are good! This is tough. I would encourage you before you click to buy, to step back and really evaluate your wardrobe. We want to make sure you are adding items that are complementary to your wardrobe and meaningful to your style goals.
In full transparency, I too am scaling back on my purchases. Have you re-evaluated your style and spending goals? Take some time to evaluate what is best for you. This decision is up to you, I only wish to offer my perspective and that’s always with your best interest in mind. If you need assistance, I’m just a phone call away! Below are my top 10 tips for online shopping.
I use an amazing shopping tool for clients. They can click through curated shoppable links for each of the images.
Book a complimentary consulation today!
10 TIPS FOR EFFICIENT ONLINE SHOPPING:
1. Know your measurements and use the size charts to determine best fit when selecting garment size. Use flexible measuring tape or string (lay flat to measure) to record your sizes.
Doing this ahead of time makes the online shopping experience easier, and returns too- you will have less returns by knowing your exact measurements! Make sure to update these measurements every 6 months.
2. Read the reviews for the retailer and individual garment items.
And not just the good ones! By reading the bad ones you get an indication of what went wrong and if it’s happened more than once.
3. Review in detail the return policy.
15 or 30 days? Store credit or full credit card refund? Paypal isn’t feasible, or it is ok to receive returns? Check it all out so that there are no surprises.
4. Establish a budget and stick to it.
Revisit this budget at least once per month to see if anything needs to be adjusted or if you are staying on track.
5. Look for those investment pieces.
The core of your wardrobe should be quality items that you can wear multiple times.
6. Price point does not equal quality.
Enough said!
7. Read details about the fabric.
Does the fabric flatter your body? How does the fabric feel against your skin? What are the care instructions?
8. Compare prices.
It’s hard to not get attached to an item when we see it, but it’s always a good idea to make sure we are getting the best deal possible. Then you can use any money you saved towards something else if you want to!
9. Keep a record of sites that you love along with sizes that worked for you.
The research is done, so now you can enjoy yourself without worry.
10. Make sure the website is secure and shop where you trust. Don't overshare your personal information.
Looking for things like “https” at the beginning of a URL is helpful.
I hope you learned something new and found these tips to compliment your current online shopping experience!
Wardrobe & Lifestyle Edit
When working with clients I often do a complete wardrobe edit. As a special treat in today’s blog, I’m going to show you exactly what this process looks like so that you can get an idea of how this can be accomplished.
Step 1: Questions
Let’s start with some questions:
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How do you feel when you put on your clothes?
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Do you feel that they fit who you are as a person? Or are you just wearing what you feel you should be wearing?
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Does what you wear bring you down or lift you up?
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Does your wardrobe connect with your lifestyle?
These are not easy questions, nor are they always something that we actively consider. But these questions can actually affect us on the inside when we don’t even realize it. That’s why I like to start here internally, then work our way to the outside image.
Step 2: What category best defines your current role?
My typical clients fall into three categories:
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Professional
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Working parent
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Stay at home mom
Where do you fit into these categories? Is there another category that we should be
considering?
Step 3: Pie-Charts
Within these categories, I will next have my clients evaluate how their time is spent by hours and creating percentages- ultimately equaling 100% when all is said and done. It’s an easy way to show us very clearly how much of our time is spent at work, with family, social activities, and recreational activities.
If you had to graph this in a pie chart, what would your chart look like? Where would you say that most of your time is spent?
Step 4: And finally, the wardrobe!
Next, let's take a look at your wardrobe. It’s helpful to make a separate chart! What would this chart look like based on each item in your closet corresponding to your lifestyle: sportswear items, suits, party dresses, and other necessities? How different is your current chart from this new chart? Do you feel like you are well represented based on your lifestyle and wardrobe, or do you feel changes need to be made?
As an example: For a working parent is your professional clothing proportionate to your working hours going to the office?
Going through these steps will help you edit and build a wardrobe that works best for you! I hope that you found this helpful. For more on this topic and how to do this in a way that is most helpful, please feel free to reach out to me at: stylist@fathiasavory.com
