Mar 14, 2016
Hi GYPO reader! I’m Nikki and I am the girlfriend you call when you need help shopping for work. I am a wife, mother, closet chocaholic, shoe addict, and healthcare administrator with a passion for improving the suit to express your personality. For women who don’t wear suits as part of their daily wardrobe, the idea of buying a suit feels like trying on a bridesmaid’s dress. They feel overpriced, don’t fit well, and you can count on your fingers the number of times you are going to wear it.
Fear not! I am here to help you so that you don’t break the bank and that you let your personality shine.
First, take a deep breath and let’s start with a few suggestions by scenario. TIP: To browse these looks, check out my Pinterest Board HERE.
Scenario #1: The job interview for a business casual job. First, congratulations on the interview! I know this is overwhelming and worrying about what to wear and how you will look just adds to the stress. If this is not a business professional job, you do not have to wear a full suit. Instead, let’s plan 2 outfits with a little different look for each step of the interview process, one for the first interview and one for the call back (because you are AWESOME and you will get a second interview).
LOOK #1
In your closet, I bet you have a black, gray, or navy blazer. Pull it out and really assess it.
These are the key thins to look for in assessing each piece from your closet
- If it is pilled, use a sweater defuzzer to touch it up.
- If it doesn’t fit well, talk to a tailor and for less than $20 it can likely be spruced up.
- If you think the buttons make it look cheap, change them.
- If it is wrinkled, steam it.
- If it is stained or dingy, clean it.
NOTE: You don’t have to wear a dress shirt. Alison has suggested a couple of pieces that you might already have in your closet that will work. This Pleione split neck blouse is a great idea for adding some personality under a blazer or this solid colored blouse would also work. (Don’t be afraid to use fashion tape or a safety pin to avoid showing too much cleavage.)
Critical question: Pants or a skirt?
Really, it has to do with your comfort or confidence. The important thing is fit and length. Your skirt should be no more than 2 inches above your knee and be conscious of how it fits when you are seated. Use the same bullets above when assessing your pants or skirt.
Since we aren’t doing a traditional “suit,” don’t match your bottom to your jacket. Gray is a good option paired with navy or black. Another option is a small print like a houndstooth with black. If you are more comfortable in flats, then wear them. Heels should be 3 inches or less. Don’t be afraid to bring in a pop of color with your shoes, but avoid things that look like evening, event or formal wear. Make sure they are clean and polished.
LOOK #2
Recycle the blazer and pair it with a printed- pattern dress. HINT: Don’t be afraid of patterns and color – you want your personality to show and the blazer is going to subdue the print.
- This can be a shirt dress, like this.
Another option is a cardigan with a dress shirt and pants or a skirt. The dress shirt gives you structure and the cardigan makes you approachable. Don’t forget the bullet points from above.
Final Touches: Go for simple and polished.
- A statement necklace is a great way to bring in personality if the outfit is a little bland.
- Do not over-spanx yourself (the sucker-upper cutting off your oxygen is a bad idea and the tugging to resituate the uncomfortable garment can draw unwanted attention to it).
- This is not the day to try a new hairstyle or make up routine.
- Spritz a mascara wand with hairspray to tame fly aways, and look like you with your make up.
- Remember to make sure your nails are neat (they don’t have to be painted).
- Bring your smile.
Scenario #2: A mom reentering the workforce and needing to rebuild or update your professional dress wardrobe
I have been where you are. I re-entered a business-professional environment a year after having my son, and I found my body had changed and my favorite suits didn’t work. As all new moms know, there is not a lot of cash lying around for new additions to the wardrobe. I used my closet, inexpensive stores like Target and Old Navy, and quarterly splurge buys.
I shopped my closet first.
I found I had a great ponte knit black dress and a black and white tweed blazer that worked. I also had a pair of gray trousers that still worked. Don’t be afraid to seek out a tailor or consign your closet to give you some spending money to replace your wardrobe. (Mommy Tip: Don’t forget the hair band trick with a slimming cami like Yummie Tummie can help you make your pre-baby clothes work if you are trying to get by.)
I bought one all-purpose black pant suit, and then I was creative to tweak it, using some of the tips in the first section of this article to make it my own.
Alison displays some great pieces that you can use on her Work Wear Style Challenge Pinterest board. Just look at them as pieces to mix and match with your suit.
Survival Tips: If you have to shop
- I actually really like Old Navy’s pixie ankle stretch pant. In the small prints, it has a little something fun visually and looks more expensive than it is.
- You can get a decent blazer to mix and match at Target. They also have some great print dresses to add to the mix.
- For your splurge, shop sales – The Nordstrom semi-annual sale is a great one. They will run Theory and Halogen suits on sale and you can get a great pair of shoes that can elevate an outfit.
- As mentioned above, use blouses you already own.
- Statement necklaces can really change the look of an outfit.
- Scarves are another option (Mommy Tip: I keep a scarf tied to my bag for the day along with a statement pin in case I need to cover a baby’s shoulder snuggle that might have left some breakfast or something else on my blazer)
- Changing buttons can elevate the look of a less expensive blazer.
The biggest mistake people make is not looking comfortable. Each day put on your suit of confidence. You are an amazing asset to that organization and you belong. Confidence is what sells the outfit.
Scenario #3: The special presentation or work event
I recently gave a presentation in Washington, D.C., and I wanted something new without breaking the bank. I actually took a cue from a girlfriend and bought a black and white houndstooth ruana on sale. I paired it with my ponte knit black dress, tights and my red heels and I had more compliments than I can remember. It has become a favorite winter staple and I have paired with my black trousers and a turtleneck as well as black jeans for another conference travel day. By going through my bullet points of making sure my clothes looked new and fit well, no one care that I wasn’t wearing a traditional suit. The confidence of being comfortable in what I was wearing and using the red heels and print to show my personality gave it the appropriate boost.
Another option instead of a new outfit, is a new statement necklace. I recently paired my navy suit with a light blue dress shirt and a pink statement necklace. The pink popped amidst the sea of blue and even though, the outfit is a staple people thought it was new because the necklace changed it. A new shirt or shoes will do this, too. My best tip is go for something colorful or unique to show off your personality.
Thank you for taking time to read my post. I would love to know what you thought and answer any questions you might have. I will try to respond to your comments below.
About Nikki
I am healthcare administrator with over 14 years of experience. I believe you should dress for the job that you want, but I don’t think you have to sacrifice your style and personality to fit in. I have been dressing my friends and colleagues for years. In addition to style, I have passion for Southern Hospitality and Customer Service.
Learn more about Nikki at Southern Service Style
Mar 9, 2016
Spring is the time to slough off the gray, dry, sallow skin of winter for fresh glowing healthy skin. In today’s Ask Alison video I’m sharing my three favorite beauty trends for spring 2016. Which one will you be trying?
Trend #1 – Fresh Face
My favorite trend for springtime skin and makeup is a fresh face. To achieve this look, follow these three steps:
1. Exfoliate
Winter skin needs exfoliation to get rid of the dryness and dead cells that have accumulated. Use a gentle exfoliator in the shower to reveal fresh glowing skin.
[St. Ives Apricot Scrub]
2. Moisturize
Moisturized skin radiates health from within. Be sure to apply before adding your foundation. When your skin is hydrated it gives you a fresh, natural look.
[It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream]
3. Even Tone
The point is to even out your skin tone without covering up your pretty natural skin. Use concealer or a CC cream to cover up dark spots and/or redness.
[It Cosmetics CC+ Cream]
4. Add Color
The fresh face look doesn’t require much color. Just apply a bronzer for some contour, a couple of coats of mascara and a swipe of bright lip color to complete this look.
[Too Faced Sun Bunny Natural Bronzer]
[Neutrogena Cherry Pink Color Stick]
Trend #2 – Bright Pastels
Pale pastels were all the rage last year but 2016’s pastels are a bit punchier. Think bubblegum pink, bright yellow, teal and coral. Pick your favorite for a fun spring mani/pedi. Sandals anyone?
[OPI ‘Suzi Nails New Orleans’]
Trend #3 – Blue Eye Liner
A little blue eye liner is a nice way to step into spring. Use it on the inner rim of your eyelids for a hint of color. Bonus: blue makes eyes look bigger and brighter.
[Maybelline Lasting Drama Eyeliner]
It’s Your Turn: What beauty trends are you most excited about for spring 2016? Tell us in the comments.
Mar 7, 2016
By Monica Kuebler
We spend an enormous amount of our precious time and money these days trying to find the right clothes, shoes, shades of makeup and smile transforming products to make ourselves look more beautiful. It could seriously be a full-time job, am I right ladies?
Not only are we trying to look more beautiful but we are trying to defy our age despite the fact that we will always be aging. And yes girlfriend, you in all your timeless beauty products are in fact aging, like it or not. We’re all in the same boat on that one. But, you certainly don’t have to “look” like it or in my case act like it!
As a holistic health and fitness practitioner for over 15 years and founder of Whole Health Elements, I have found that there are two constant things that have the greatest impact on your perceived age.
The quality of your skin and how well you move.
While the latter is super important in its relation to our health and youthful “looking” appearance I really want to talk to you today about the former, the quality of your skin.
Your skin is your largest organ and the quality of its appearance can tell us so much about what’s going on in the rest of your body.
- Do you have eczema? There’s a strong likelihood that you may have digestive dysfunction, flora imbalances, food intolerances and/or hypochlorhydria (not enough stomach acid).
- Acne? It’s likely that your diet is too high in refined carbohydrates, you have a hormone insufficiency or imbalance, excess iron in your diet or your levels of vitamin A, E, zinc or magnesium are not sufficient.
- Psoriasis? This crazy condition is possibly due to liver, biliary or pancreatic dysfunction, mental stress (because who doesn’t have that!), adrenal fatigue, genetic predisposition (thanks to Mom or Dad), constipation, colon toxicity, food intolerances or sensitivity to soap, bleach, etc.
- Boils? This painful and terribly annoying issue is a sign that your lymph and kidneys need to be drained and likely a formal detoxification for bacteria/fungi/yeast needs to be completed.
- Skin rashes? Possible causes are sensitivities to the proteins, casein and gluten, excessive sunlight exposure, digestive dysfunction, diets high in fried foods/hydrogenates, a calcium or magnesium deficiency, a food allergy or a contact allergy or sensitivity.
Did you happen to notice the one thing that every health issue above shares? Yep you guessed it, (or maybe you didn’t but that’s okay you are still awesome for reading this far) digestive system disturbance!
Your skin is one of the best measures of your digestive health. So doesn’t it make sense that if you work to improve the quality of the function of your gut and digestive system then that will affect the look of your skin from the inside out? Of course it does!
Most of us for the majority of our lives have been eating the standard American diet (SAD) of refined, processed and sugary-laden foods. In addition, our food supply has become over-ridden by non-natural foods and food-like substances that our bodies no longer recognize as foods but rather foes.
Over time this abundance of foe-foods breaks down the integrity of the lining of our digestive system (gut) which allows all kinds of gnarly things to happen to our skin. When we eat these foe foods our bodies start to see them as invaders and try to fight them off for our benefit but often the system backfires. Pretty soon we’re dealing with auto-immunity problems and a whole host of symptoms and issues. Not fun.
Instead of spending your precious time and money on more seaweed face creams and anti-aging serums from the atmosphere of Jupiter to gain more beautiful, youthful looking skin I encourage you to take a trifecta approach:
1) Hydrate your body well by striving for half your body weight in ounces of water daily. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs. then your daily goal should be 75 ounces of water.
2) Identify and eliminate the foods that are offending your gut and disrupting your digestive function and skin health.
3) Add the best product to restore your gut health and achieve youthful, radiant, spectacularly glowing skin from the inside out…..homemade bone broth!
Yes, bone broth. I’m talking about the bone broth your grandma’s grandma’s grandma made and likely used for every health ailment under the sun. The bone broth that brings people back to life from decades of sickness, chronic degenerative problems and so much more. The bone broth that can make your skin light up like never before with a look and feel that no product will ever be able to give you from the inside out.
A greater number of Americans are taking more responsibility for their own health and healing and are looking into more traditional healing remedies which has caused this ancient elixir’s popularity to surge recently.
Bone broth is an excellent nourishing food to help heal the lining of the gut as well as helping to heal damaged tissues and joints. Being rich in collagen it provides awesome benefits to your skin, nails and hair making them shiny and strong!
Bone broth is high in protein and helps satisfy your appetite for those of you that are trying to eat less but not feel starved. It can also help to regulate your hormone levels if consumed regularly.
Broth is high in minerals which makes it a fantastic remedy for building strong healthy bones and is completely beneficial for almost every health problem on some level.
Simply put, great health comes down to mineral balance and digestive happiness friends and bone broth provides both!
So, do you just drink it? Yes. Swap some broth out for your morning cup of joe or afternoon tea or drink some with your meal. On cold days I heat some up, add a whole clove of garlic, a pinch of Himalayan salt and enjoy the comfort it brings me. When I am on the go I add it to a thermos on my way out the door and drink from it throughout the day to help me stay hydrated despite the dry wintery air.
You can also use your bone broth in soups, stews and sauces in your weekly meals, there are no rules to bone broth! Just try to maximize the quality of the bones that you use to make your broth. Bones can be used over a few times to draw out all the nutrition density that they have to offer.
Where do I get the bones? Ask your butcher if they have any bones in the back of your local store, find a local farm or save the bones from your meals until you accrue enough to make a batch of broth. I roast a whole chicken in my slow cooker weekly and use the leftover carcass to make broth each week.
Here’s a great recipe below for nutrient dense homemade bone broth. Give it a whirl and you’ll never opt for the canned store bought version ever again as it’s not nearly the same thing. Here’s to achieving beautifully youthful skin through bone broth friends!
Super Healing Bone Broth Recipe
Yields: Approximately 4 quarts
Time: 10 min prep; 4-24-hour simmer
Ingredients
4 quarts of filtered water
2 Tbsp. of organic raw apple cider vinegar
2-3 pounds of bones from pasture raised chickens or cattle
2 chicken feet for extra collagen goodness (this is completely optional but very beneficial to your broth)
3 organic carrots (no need to peel)
2 organic celery stalks
2 organic onions (include the paper skin to add a beautiful color to your broth)
1-2 Tbsp. of organic coconut oil
2 cloves of organic garlic
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
1 tsp whole peppercorns
½ tsp of cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. sea salt
Handful of fresh parsley
Directions
Fill a large stockpot or slow cooker with the water, bones and raw apple cider vinegar. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes before turning on the heat. This helps to draw more minerals out of the bones for maximum nutritional benefit
Turn the heat on and add the vegetables and other ingredients except for the parsley.
In the first 2 hours of cooking you will need to remove the impurities the form at the top of the water. It will be in the form of a frothy or foamy layer or “scum” that you can scoop out with a spoon and discard.
Let the broth simmer for as long as you’d like from 2-72 hours, the longer it cooks the more nourishment you will draw from the bones and the better your broth will be.
30 minutes before it is done, add the parsley.
Let the broth cool and remove the vegetables and bones and anything else you can. Then strain the mixture using a fine sieve, strainer or cheesecloth for the finer bits of bone, vegetables and spices.
Store your broth in glass containers in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze in BPA-free plastic containers for 3 months.
Heat up a mug of broth and consume 1-4 times daily or add it into other dishes such as gravies, soups, sauces or stews.
ABOUT MONICA KUEBLER
Monica Kuebler is a Holistic Health Practitioner and healthy living expert with over 15 years of experience. She has an extensive background in health and wellness and currently run her own business offering health coaching, personal training, nutrition coaching and more. Monica has a passion for educating, empowering and encouraging others to achieve their health and wellness goals through natural, holistic and healing methods.
She holds multiple certifications in various areas of health and wellness including a Bachelor’s degree in Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise from Virginia Tech. Monica is a certified personal trainer through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) and a Board Certified massage therapist (BCTMB) through the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). She is a raw food educator, certified Metabolic Typing advisor (CMTA) and Weston Price Foundation member and Chapter Leader. She is also a Young Living Essential Oils independent distributor.
You can learn more about Monica and her business at www.wholehealthelements.com.
Mar 2, 2016
The Pretty Fix is a monthly feature at Get Your Pretty On that features my top five picks for the month that you can shop for on your own to stay in style…all at a price you’ll love. The idea for it was born out of frustration that some of you have had with other monthly box services that you feel “miss the mark” or are too pricey.
Each month, the Pretty Fix includes five items that I personally recommend to stay on trend. This month features pieces to get your spring 2016 wardrobe started off on the right foot. Each item represents one of the hottest spring trends.
Oh and the best part? You can get every piece in the fix for around $100 total.
Consider me your budget-minded personal shopper. Here’s your March Pretty Fix.
MARCH PRETTY FIX TOTAL = $117.50
Spring Trend: Boho
The floppy hat is a boho basic that’s big for spring. It’s going to be great with everything from spring dresses to t-shirts and jeans. If wearing a hat feels like “too much” for every day, try one when you’re on spring break or when spending time out in the sun.
Spring Trend: Floral
A pretty floral scarf is an instant way to add some spring style to your outfit. Use the colors in your scarf for inspiration to create the rest of your outfit around it.
Spring Trend: Pastels
This pink nail polish is a go-with-everything neutral pastel that looks great on fingers and toes.
Spring Trend: Neutral Booties
If you don’t have a pair of neutral peep toe booties yet, RUN, don’t walk to get this pair. They are as soft as butter and the comfiest heels I’ve ever owned. They look great with skirts, dresses, cuffed jeans, flared jeans, you name it. This will be your most worn pair of shoes for spring, I promise!
Spring Trend: Tassels
Tassels are definitely having a moment. Try this easy trend with a tassel necklace that you’ll want to wear every day. Here’s a similar tassel necklace.
Spring Style Challenge Preview
The Spring 2016 GYPO Style Challenge is coming up in a few weeks. Registration opens on March 24th. You’ll get your spring trends capsule wardrobe shopping list plus 21 days of fresh spring outfit ideas delivered to your inbox daily. Get on the spring notifications list HERE to be the first to know when the challenge opens.
Here’s a sneak peek outfit from the Spring 2016 Style Challenge.
It’s Your Turn: What trends are you most excited about for spring 2016?
Feb 24, 2016
By Anne-Michelle
BUSY AS A MOTHA
As a mother of four children, ages five months to 11 years, I thrive on being busy. I work full time, work out four days a week, work in my children’s classrooms each week, make homemade goods that cater to my son’s numerous food allergies, host an allergy-free food blog called The Allergy-Free Project, recently began venturing into the world of capsule wardrobes for my athletic tween daughter and husband, and teach early morning barre and interval fitness classes in my “spare time.” While this schedule may sound overwhelming to some, it makes me super excited when I am able to accomplish all of this each and every day.
I HEART LULULEMON
It may surprise you that among all of the activities that I thrive on pursuing, fashion is the last thing on my list of priorities. Did you see the activities above? None of them included shopping, getting ready, or a capsule wardrobe for myself. I admit that I live in my Lululemon clothing, my hair is usually tied back in a ponytail, and even my very low key makeup doesn’t get put on very often.
#IWOKEUPLIKETHIS, LITERALLY
A few years ago, when I was growing out my beloved ombre after it had pretty much fried my hair, I heard about overnight headband curls. The first day I tried it, I received several comments at church about how great my hair looked. I told the ladies what I had done, and they were shocked something so simple could produce such flawless locks. I was thrilled this may just be the look for me! Two days later, I wrapped my hair the night before I taught a 6am fitness class, and clients were dying to know what time I had to wake up in the morning to get my hair looking so “done!” I even had the shirt #iwokeuplikethis made to reiterate that I really did wake up like that! I even got to the point where I refused to use heated styling products of any kind and instead would shower and air dry my hair the night before I had to go somewhere, just so I could do my overnight curls instead of a blow dryer, hot rollers, and a curling iron!
MY SECRET TO THE PERFECT BED HEAD
I have mentioned my headband curls to people for years, but I never gave too many details because I wanted to keep it my little secret…until now! For the first time, I have documented exactly how to get my tousled, luscious locks both with a step-by-step photo tutorial and time lapse video.The notes at the end of this post include several tips and tricks that I’ve learned along the way. Be sure to comment below, so I can help answer questions to help you get the perfect results.
Happy looping, twisting, and twirling!
xoxo, Anne-Michelle
5-Minute Overnight Headband Curls, a Step-by-Step Photo Tutorial
Tools:
brush
headband (I used this one in the video: Under Armour Headbands 6-Pack)
bobby pins
Step 1: Start with dry hair.
Step 2: Brush your hair, and identify your natural part.
Step 3: Place the headband, and smooth out your hair.
Step 4: Loop a section of hair around the headband.
Step 5: Pull the loop over the top and through the bottom. Repeat.
Step 6: Continue looping the last strand, and secure with a bobby pin.
Step 7: Repeat on the second side.
Step 8: Ensure that all hair looped, and curls are even.
Step 9: Go to bed! Forget about the curls, and sleep as usual.
Step 10: Wake up! Admire your messy ‘do.
Step 11: Remove the bobby pins, and slowly release the curls.
Step 12: Finger comb your hair, and spray to set!
Voila! 5-Minute Overnight Headband Curls
5-Minute Overnight Headband Curls, a Time Lapse Video Tutorial
Tips, Tricks & Troubleshooting
- Always start with bone-dry hair. Do not dampen it. In this video, I started with clean hair that had been air dried all day — no heating products were used. I have gone without washing my hair for up to seven days just by wrapping my hair in a headband at night an using dry shampoo to balance any oiliness.
- Brush out your hair well! When you release your locks from the headband the following morning, you will only be finger combing it, so you want to get as many knots out as you can the night before. I have had my hair styled and curled, then brush it out and wrap it in the headband, and the curls come out even better as time goes on.
- Find a headband that is secure, but not so tight that it will leave a mark on your forehead. You don’t want to spend the entire day waiting for a mark to go away! That will definitely detract from your locks! In this video, I used the Under Armour 6-pack of headbands for less than $8.
- Practice makes perfect. Try out this hair style when you don’t have anywhere to go, so you can remember what worked and what didn’t. If you don’t love the look when you wake up, ask yourself these questions: Did I smooth it out enough before I started looping? How large were the sections of hair that I looped? (Maybe next time try 1″ sections, 2″ sections, etc.) Were the curls even around my face? Did I only finger comb it, or did I use a brush?
- As you wrap your hair around the headband, make sure the headband continues to lay flat on your head with the stickier side remaining down. Don’t let it get wrapped up and curled with the hair because it will not curl evenly.
- The messier your hair is as you sleep, the better it looks when you wake up. This is meant to be a carefree look, so try different styles — part it on the opposite side you normally would for more body, try not to secure it with bobby pins at night to see how the ends turn out in the morning, try larger loops around your face and smaller loops in the back, or vice versa.
- Do you have layers? If so, I recommend twisting and pinning two to four curls around your face and/or crown of your head before putting the headband on, especially if the pieces fall out of the headband as you begin wrapping them.
- The more often you use the headband, the more your hair will become “trained” and it may not take to the curls anymore. Don’t let this happen! Maybe your headband is too stretched out — try a new one! Maybe it’s a chance for a new haircut, more layers, a new hair color, or a new way of twisting to keep your hair on its toes.
Be sure to visit The Allergy-Free Project for Part II of 5-Minute Overnight Headband Curls where I will show you how to go from overnight headband curls to sweaty workout hair, and back to your overnight curls without washing your hair!
ABOUT ANNE-MICHELLE
Anne-Michelle is a health-conscious mama of four from Northern California living a lifestyle that focuses on allergy-free eating, healthy foods, safe beauty and household products, and capsule wardrobes.
