I recently had the opportunity to review a copy of Inspired Style, a book co-authored by Julie Maeder along with 20 other top image experts.
Although I am not the most stylish (or even trendiest) person around, I have always enjoyed learning about style and strategies to help me look my best. I remember once having a friend do a color test on me. I knew that certain colors made me appear bright, full of energy, and even made my skin appear to glow. Other colors made me look pasty, ashen, or worse yet, like a walking corpse. At the time, that was the extent of my color knowledge. After the color test, though, I learned that I was a “winter” and looked best in jewel tones. I also learned, that the trick to wearing other colors was to simply keep them away from my face. I could wear the earthy and muted tones on my lower body, and look great.
I also learned that as with many things, your color analysis can change with age.
In agreeing to review Inspired Style, I hoped that I would learn a few more tricks to help me always look my best.
About Julie Maeder…
Julie is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor , where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Art and Design. She spent many years as an Art Director, then transferred her skills to the canvas of living, breathing, people. Julie says that her love for image consulting “comes from the absolute joy I get in helping others feel good…no, great about themselves!”
About Inspired Style…
Inspired Style is the key ingredient to helping you understand and define your personal style, which is so much more than clothes and fashion. Several chapters will lead you on a journey of self-discovery of who you are and what makes you such a unique person. Then use the rest of this book to quickly rev up your style, thanks to the twenty-one experts who have come together to give you the most innovative image strategies they know.
Table of Contents
• The Law of Attractive
• Love Your Body, Love Your Life!
• The Yin and Yang of Style
• Reinvent Yourself
• Develop Your Personal Style
• You Are More than Just a Season
• Strut Your Style
• Shapes of Style
• Stepping Out of Sweatpants and Into Style
• Accessory Challenge!
• It’s Not Your Grandma’s Girdle
• Work Your Wardrobe
• Face Fashion
• Secrets of a Stylish, Yet Savvy Shopper
• Building Your Perfect Wardrobe
• Your Personal Proportionality
• What Do Your Glasses Say About You?
• Cultivating Your Authentic Style from the Inside Out
• Looking Great at Any Age
• Special Occasion Dressing
• The Finishing Touches to Your Style
One of my favorite quotes in the book is from Cheryl Obermiller. She states, “When what you say, and how you appear are not in harmony, people will almost always believe that what they see is the truth.” How true is that in life? I mean, if you say, “I am fine,” but say it with a snarl and a scowl, chances are, people will believe otherwise.
I appreciated the chapter on reinventing yourself, by Julie Maeder. Julie writes that your clothes tell a unique story and challenges the reader to discover what their wardrobe is saying about them. My wardrobe currently says I am a frumpy mommy. But, with the addition of several new blouses this week, perhaps that will change.
The chapter on finding the perfect glasses for you (What Do Your Glasses Say About You? by Michele Bayle) was also an interesting read. I’ve always found shopping for eyeglasses to be a challenge. Perhaps because when I am trying on eyeglasses, I can’t SEE how they look because they don’t have my prescription in them? More than once, I have taken a friend with me to help me choose new frames, because I wanted an honest opinion of how the frames looked on my face.
The half-frames I currently wear are a soft rose color and with the bottom half being rimless, they almost disappear. Since I don’t have eyelashes or eyebrows, I’ve always thought that this worked best for my face.
I am due for an eye exam, and am thinking about changing the shape of my eyeglasses with my next pair, though, since my face is round. Perhaps a more angular frame would add definition?
What do you think?
Inspired Style is available from New Leaf Image Consulting and on Amazon.com.
Win it… New Leaf Image Consulting would like to give one lucky Lady V dZine reader their own copy of Inspired Style.
Mandatory entry… In one sentence or less, tell me what your current wardrobe says about you.
***Please note- this must be done before any bonus entries will count***
Bonus entries…
- +1- Follow me on GFC—right side bar, comment with your user name.
- +1- Like Lady V dZine on Facebook and comment back here with your screen name.
- +1- Subscribe to Lady V dZine by RSS or email and comment back with the e-mail you signed up with (one each)
- +1- Follow Lady V dZine on Twitter AND tweet this contest using @ladyvdzine and linking back to this post- comment with your tweet status (may be done up to 4x/day, at least 30 minutes apart)
- May use “#win Inspired Style book @ladyvdzine (11/11) http://goo.gl/TZjJ #style #Christmas #giveaway”
- +1- Share this giveaway on your Facebook page and comment back with a link to the share (may be done 1x/day).
- +1- For each current giveaway that you enter- comment with name of giveaway
- +1- For each non-giveaway post that you submit to StumbleUpon *may use the button in the top/bottom of each post to submit- comment back with your Stumble Upon profile and name of the post you submitted.
- +1- For each non-giveaway post that you leave a RELEVANT comment on- comment back with post title or link to post.
- +5- Blog this contest linking to this post- leave 5 comments here with a link to your post
The fine print…
Contest open to US addresses.. Contest ends at 11:59 a.m. CST on 11/11/2010. Winner will be selected randomly. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond with mailing address. If no response is received from the winning entrant, a new winner will be selected. Prize will be forfeited and donated to charity if not claimed by primary or alternate winners.
The fine folks at New Leaf Image Consulting provided me with the aforementioned complimentary product to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions express are 100% my own and are based on my own experience. Your experience may differ.
katie says
My wardrobe says : Please buy more, we are tired of wearing the same clothes from years ago!
katie says
I am a GFC Follower
katie says
I liked you on fb (ashoppersquest)
Nina says
MY current wardrobe says “young mom trying her hardest to look frumpy” LOL
Nina says
I follow on GFC
Nina says
Like you on FB via Nina Say
Emillie says
My wardrobe typically expresses me as a working woman.
Emillie says
I follow – gfc
Emillie says
I subscribe – google reader
Emillie says
I subscribe via email – using my @gmail.com address
Charlotte Kay says
My wardrobe says that I am trying to stay current, but I have a limited clothing budget.
Charlotte Kay says
I am a GFC follower:)
Charlotte Kay says
I like you on Facebook, Charlotte Bushong Saltzman
Charlotte Kay says
I am a subscriber,
chakasa58 at gmail dot com
Charlotte Kay says
I follow you on Twitter, @CHAKASA58, and tweeted today
Charlotte Kay says
I entered the giveaway for A YEAR WITH GOD
Shannon Baas says
My current wardrobe shows I don’t like to spend much on clothing.
Claire says
My current wardrobe says that I really like the clearance racks from two years ago. 😉
Claudia says
My wardrobe sceams “this outfit is from a consignment shop”
Emillie says
I entered the 1 to 10 counting giveaway.
hisprincess886(at)yahoo(dot)com
Emillie says
I entered the zibra giveaway
hisprincess886(at)yahoo(dot)com
shawna says
It would say blah blah, I’m not very stylish at all.
Diane Baum says
My current wardrobe says I am on a low budget, very casual, relaxed like to have fun and badly in need of a style change!
Ed Nemmers says
Comfortable and relaxed would be my style!
susan smoaks says
my current wardrobe is classic and comfortable
Veronica Garrett says
My wardrobe says I am stylish but practical.
Jane H says
My current wardrobe says that that I’m not as young as I used to be. 🙁
Heather says
That I like things simple and comfortable.
Heather says
RSS subscriber!
Sand says
It says I need to lose weight!
lknott says
It says, I have to wear something and I don’t care how I look!!