Wardrobe Goals

Is it finally time to shed those layers? Can we really pack-away the parkas? I have to say I’m usually the last one to ditch my turtlenecks this time of year.

Springtime can be iffy in the weather department, so our wardrobes must to be ready for whatever mother nature throws our way. Getting through April looking springy without freezing to death can be tricky. But, with a little planning, you won’t be caught off guard. Just like the weather, spring to summer dressing can be a slow transition. Here are a few simple steps to follow:

1. Make a list of spring/summer events; graduation parties, weddings, showers, weekend getaways

2. Remove heavy sweaters, wool pants and coats from your closet and dry clean them, I highly recommend Mulberry’s Dry Cleaners

3. Move all “spring to summer” and “fall to winter” transitional pieces front and center in your closet and make it a priority to wear them now      

4. Take a bootie, shoe and sandal inventory

5. Keep light colored suede jackets and boots in the rotation for early spring wearing

6. Take out all darker accessories including heavy winter handbags, think lighter and brighter moving forward

Must haves for your Spring wardrobe

Bring on the florals for spring. From active wear to formal wear floral prints continue to be an obsession.

Snakeskin Prints

My personal favorites

This is a gradual tan facial serum that can be used every day to give a little glow to your skin or to keep-up the glow after a beach vacation.

AGOLDE Jeans – frayed hem ankle

This is the perfect time of year to try something new! Instead of making the same old New Year’s resolutions that are oh so tough to keep, how about a new mindset as we start another year.

Here are a few ideas to get you thinking in a new way in 2019.

               Cut the Clutter

Declutter a room, entryway, closet, drawer, or cabinet. Having too much “stuff’ can be stressful. If you never take inventory of what you own, it’s hard to see what really makes you happy. Paring down your belongings, and keeping organized spaces in your house can be one of the biggest time savers. Living in less clutter and having designated spots for things can have a calming effect on your mood.

Vow to take 10-20 items out of your wardrobe that you haven’t worn in 2 years. The goal here is to be mindful of what you own and to try and understand the emotions behind why you hold on to things. It can be a literal tug of war if you happen to be a “clothes horse”, yet so want to be a minimalist. Owning fewer items that you cherish can be accomplished.

Marie Kondo has a new Netflix series (I highly recommend) that mirrors her book about cleaning up and decluttering your living spaces. While working with a family that was overwhelmed with too much “stuff” Marie asked, “are these the items that you want to take into your future?” That is such a great question. Buying new things and not getting rid of anything just adds to the confusion. Take a step back and consider wearing and keeping what you love the most.

My philosophy has always been that your closet is a valuable piece of real estate, so what you put in it must justify the space that it takes up.

                  Something New

Post-holiday is a good time to ponder trying something new.

Try a new beauty product; it’s amazing the variety of cosmetics and body lotions you can find that are natural and sustainable. Check out the environmental working group’s site where the group lists and rates hundreds of skincare & beauty products based on toxicity levels. You can look-up what you are currently using and see how it rates. https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

I found a body lotion and face cream from “Just the Goods” that are truly natural and very affordable. I highly recommend The vegan lipstick in Sweetheart Rose.

https://justthegoods.net/

https://justthegoods.net/products/vegan-lipstick-by-the-all-natural-face-in-sweetheart

If you love fashion and can’t wait to wear the latest trends (me!!) try Rent the Runway. It isn’t just for special occasion dressing; they offer many work and weekend options too! Explore top designers, newest colors, and hottest styles, your pocketbook and the landfills will thank you.

“Buy less, live more – Inspiration for women ahead of the curve.”

tps://www.renttherunway.com/plans?act_type=top_nav_anon_gated_t3

Proud to be a Pink Partner! This is a cause close to my heart. My mother passed away in 2010 at the age of 70 after a two year battle with Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

 

 

I’m partnering with Park Nicollet Foundation and Park Nicollet Jane Brattain Breast Center to help ensure local women in need access to breast cancer screening. Throughout October, I will donate $25.00 for every “Closet Consultation” appointment booked and the proceeds will benefit the Jane Brattain Breast Center Mammo a-go-go Community Outreach Program. This initiative brings breast health education and no-fee mammogram screening and no-fee diagnostic follow-up into our community.

 

Click here to learn more about the Jane Brattain Breast Center, the Be Pink initiative, or to make a direct contribution: https://www.parknicollet.com/specialtycenters/jane-brattain-breast-center/be-pink

 

Click here to book your closet appointment: LynneKehne.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are the latest trends? Where should I shop?

 

These two questions are what clients ask most often, especially while in the midst of a season change. My answers depend on who is asking and what their personal style is. Perusing online Refinery 29 or the Zoe Report online is an excellent way to explore the extreme examples of the current fashion trends. My advice is stay true to yourself while taking cues from new fall trends. Tweak things and incorporate bits and pieces into your wardrobe as each new season hits. Think about trends as inspirations!

 

Crazy color combinations are flooding the fall runways. Watch for chestnut neutral tones paired with neon oranges, yellows and pink. Gotta love Sara Jessica Parker in the neon pink trend…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, bell sleeves and cold shoulders… As Heidi Klum says, “One day you’re in & the next day you’re OUT!” Seriously, it was a great two year run for these trends. If you already own them, wear them. There is no shame in extending the wearability of a post-trend piece like the cold shoulder, preferably if it’s a print. In regard to sleeves, the hot tip here is look for a subtle puff sleeve as a replacement for the bell.

 

The faux fur trend is on the rise. Remember the teddy bear coat that was everywhere last fall? This faux fur beauty I found from Apparis, and you can see it in person at Melly in the Galleria. I’m obsessed with the animal print coat!

 

Trends:

Animal prints

Plaid blazers

Adidas

 

 

Side stripe track pants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puff sleeve tops – replacing the bell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graphic vintage tees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White tops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colorful faux-fur topper -Camel was last year’s color

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Handbags in Chestnut

 

 

 

 

Where I Like to Shop

 

Galleria

Melly- Lily Pulitzer, Ecru

H.O.B.O- Cashmere sweaters

Marmi Shoes- Specializes in narrows and extended sizes
InVision- Eyewear (Robert Marc frames)

 

50^th & France

Equation Boutique- Just for fun

Nani Nalu- Beachwear

Luxury Garage Sale- luxury consignment

 

Wayzata

Anthropologie-Statement Tops

Merilou- Tess & Tricia jewelry

North 44- Veronica Beard

Fashion Avenue- Consignment

 

MOA

Nordstrom- Everything

 

North Loop

Statement Boutique- West Coast casual

Lole- Montreal-based casual lifestyle brand cool workout and travel clothes
 

Grethen House- SEA clothing
Key North Boutique- Sustainable fair trade and local
 

Martin Patrick 3-Men’s clothing – If you haven’t been to this awesome men’s clothing and home décor store, you need to run there now! (More on this gem next time.)

 

But don’t go it alone. It’s a wild, exciting fashion world out there and you have me to be your guide!

 

Booking time now for fall appointments.
Click here to book an appointment: LynneKehne.com

 

(Click on pictures for link to products)

 

 

 

 

Can the clothing you wear make you feel more or less confident? Does looking good make you feel good? I believe the answer to both of these questions is yes.

 

Dressing a certain way can boost your attitude and performance. Whether you are leading an important work meeting or spending time out on the golf course, the clothing you choose does matter. When you dress in your “best uniforms” you know you look good and therefore you feel empowered and exude a confidence in the way you carry yourself throughout the day.

 

(Best uniforms are those outfits in your wardrobe that if no one was looking you would wear again and again because you feel your best in them.)

 

We have all had those moments when an unexpected social situation sends you running for cover. The thought that stops you in your tracks is, “why did I wear this today?” Ugh! My advice is to only have your “best looks” hanging in your closet. If it doesn’t make you feel confident, out it goes. So whatever you are holding onto that doesn’t make you feel proud to wear; it’s time to send it back out into the world. It could quite possibly become someone else’s best uniform!

 

I think there is a reason we shop and have the desire to have new clothing. It’s because putting on the right outfit makes you feel like you can do anything!

 

Dawnn Karen is the youngest professor at The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York. She is a self-described “fashion psychologist”. She defines fashion psychology as, “the study of how color, image and fashion affects human behavior”. Karen is not the first to explore this blending of fashion and psychology. The University of Delaware offers a course called “Social Psychological Aspects of Clothing”, and The London College of Fashion added an undergraduate major in the psychology of fashion last year.

 

In my experience of dressing clients over the years, I have come to realize that some things just don’t change. Clients want to fit into the social norms of dressing and to feel like themselves. My job is to incorporate the current styles with the client’s needs depending on their tolerance for color, trends, social status, and personality. This is where I think the psychology comes in. We are all individuals and carry our own biases whether we heard a negative comment from a mother, father, friend, co-worker or fashion expert. It doesn’t matter who said “you can’t wear that color”, it can stick with us.

 

I think all of this psychology about what we wear and how it affects us does matter. Colors you wear affect how you feel and how others feel about you. Check these insights on the psychology of color, do you have similar feelings when it applies to you?

 

Black is the power color if you need to exude confidence and control. The negative side of wearing black is you can seem too serious or unapproachable.

 

Blue is a color of trust. Most people like blue tones and feel comfortable wearing shades from navy to teal. But, if the tone is too pale it can come across as weak.

 

Red is a color of intensity and it can trigger emotions. If worn during a large group presentation where you need to be the focus, it can be a great color to be the center of attention. At other times its best in small doses if you are in a corporate environment.

 

Wearing high contrast clothing is a sign that you are very comfortable with yourself. Low contrast or wearing muted colors, depending on the situation, can make you appear to be more approachable.

 

I have a vivid memory of my own relating to color from early on in my career. While working as a wardrobe consultant, I was interviewing my potential new client proudly in my chartreuse green linen suit and the client (confidently, in her black suit) says “I hate that color green, no one should wear that hideous color, and I hope you are not thinking of putting that color on me!” Of course I convinced her that not every color or style looks good on everyone and that I knew the chartreuse would definitely be the wrong color for her skin tone, and the rest is history.

 

The bottom line is to wear what makes you feel good in any situation. I’m here to help you find your own personal “best outfits” that are just right for you.