Faith Style

I’ve had an amazing opportunity to work with wardrobe consultant Safina Khimani. She offers a 3-part Signature Style package that includes an initial meeting where you bring an inspiration board (another use for dreamboards!) and talk about your tastes, your lifestyle and your loves, a wardrobe consultation, where she comes to your house and goes through your clothing with you and finally a shopping trip! This weekend was part 2 for me!

It was an amazing experience to try on everything I own to show Safina. How I felt about showing her was often the determining factor of whether something stayed or went. If I was kind of embarrassed and unsure – gone! If I wanted to walk in beaming – keep! One thing I noticed was how important it was to me to express what it was about a particular item that had drawn me. So even if the piece wasn’t that successful, we knew that in my wardrobe I wanted sparkle, tailoring, sass, that kind of thing.

This experience wasn’t about someone else telling me my style. It was about getting clarity. It was about reminding myself what I truly love and holding that as the standard. For example, I like to dress a little bit formal. I don’t feel at my best in yoga pants or comfy jeans. I also work from home, so it’s a bit silly to pull out pinstriped pants or a sparkly shirt, right? Not so, says Safina. “Every day is special.” “You love it, you feel great in it, so why not wear it?” And the moment she says that, I know that I believe that too. That I’ve always believed that. How did I forget?

Safina set me a great tool for remembering. I’m not generally a shoe person, but I’m wild about the 2 pairs I have in that picture. I just lit up when I showed Safina the vintage metallic kitten heels. So, she told me to use that as my standard. “If you don’t love it as much as those shoes, let it go.” The goal is to aim for that lit-up energy when I pull anything out of my closet and put it on. Imagine!

And so I cleared with enthusiastic abandon. 4 large garbage bags of clothing will be finding new homes. I’m sure I’ve bagged up at least half of my wardrobe. Now when I get up in the morning and look at my options, sure, there’s a lot less to choose from but I love what’s there. And if those limitations mean I put on a spangly top or a pretty dress to spend the day at home and coach my clients – awesome! I feel great.

Raising your standards can be a bit intimidating. Often our wardrobe and our lives are filled with the mediocre because we know we can have it. It’s achievable. How do we know we can find/get/achieve the amazing? We don’t know. But we can have a bit of trust in ourselves and the Universe and take the chance. We just might find something truly remarkable on the other side. I’m going to go for it! How about you?

How can you get rid of the mediocre to make room for the amazing?

Guest Blogger

Jamie Ridler MA CPCC is a creative living coach and founder of Jamie Ridler Studios.

Kimberly Wilson is a teacher, writer, do-gooder, entrepreneur, and eco-fashion designer currently obsessed with paris, potbelly pigs, and all things sparkly. She is the creative director and founder of tranquil space – named among the top 25 yoga studios in the world by Travel + Leisure, author of hip tranquil chick and holds a Master’s in Women’s Studies.

When not bookstore browsing, you’ll find her sipping heaps of tea, crafting new designs for TranquiliT, or leading retreats. Her work has been featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio, in Daily Candy, Fit Yoga, US News and various books. With a passion for do-gooding, Kimberly launched Tranquil Space Foundation to bring yoga, creativity, and leadership to women and girls and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Social Work.

She lives in a cozy raspberry-colored flat in Washington, D.C. with two fancy felines named after French impressionists, a supportive beau, and a sassy black pug. Indulge in musings on tranquilology through her blog and podcast,tranquility du jour. Learn more at kimberlywilson.com.

Her most recent accomplishment is tranquilista. What is a tranquilista? according to Kimberly “a tranquilista is a woman who embraces her many sides: spiritual (she’s a tranquility-seeker), creative (loves style), and entrepreneurial (calls her own shots). She hearts fashion and philanthropy…entertaining and enlightenment….She is full of aspirations and always seeking inspiration. Oh, and she sparkles. Literally.” I found this book particularly inspiring because I always thought spirituality meant living a life dedicated to a particular religion (as most of us are taught). I had envisioned that a spiritual soul was simple, no material possessions and especially no sparkle. But over the years I’ve come to learn that is so far from the truth. You can be a spiritual soul and wear stilettos, you can do-good and have a successful career/business and you most certainly should embrace your sparkle. Kimberly is one of those women who fill the room with love and her spirit is contagious.  I had the pleasure of asking this super chic female a few questions on style, see why I just adore this fabulous lady.

S: Why do you think Style is important?
K: Style reflects how one feels and thinks. It’s an amazing way to practice creativity and self-expression in everyday.

s: What are your secrets to Authentic Style?
K: I dress in a way that reflects my passion for chic comfort. I’m always donning noir, live in layers, and enjoy adding a touch of flair through accessories. Red lipstick and noir eyeliner are musts and accessorize my new bob. I enjoy tying scarves around my wrist, handbag, head, and neck.

S: What are the items in your life that you absolutely couldn’t live without?
K: Lipgloss, laptop, my TranquiliT wardrobe, ballet flats, long necklaces, big cocktail ring.

S: What are your newest obsessions?
K: The 2-in1 TranquiliT ballet top over lounge shorts. It looks like a super short dress but I can teach in it, practice yoga in it, and have done TV interviews in it (while also donning tights and tall boots). I haven’t worn shorts in years so it feels liberating. Also, loving feathers in my hair and a headband worn across my forehead.

S: Do you have any exciting news you’d like to share with us? Or can you share what your inspired to do next?
K: My new book, Tranquilista, will be printed in Russian and maybe Dutch, too. I’m honored that the message of spirituality, creativity, and entrepreneurship is going global. Also, I’m heading to LA, Portland, Denver, Massachusetts, and Texas this summer – would love to connect. Currently, I’m focusing on my Master’s in Social Work studies, building out a new studio in Arlington, Virginia, and contemplating my third book.

I am writing to tell you about some of the most exciting news I’ve heard this summer…

Women are taking this summer off from trying to do, be and have it all!

That’s right, we are all so tired of working so hard and never feeling like it’s enough that we’ve decided to start a modern-day revolution, and sister super woman, you are invited!

(men, if you have an overworked superwoman in your life, share this and she’ll love you for it.)

It’s called the Summer of Self Love, and although none of us are going to run off and tie-dye our leather handbags anytime soon, I think we’d all like to stop working so hard and start enjoying more peace, love and happiness in our lives. 

It all starts this Saturday with a FREE virtual tele-call put on by three women who really know what it takes to achieve and accomplish what you want, without exhausting yourself in the process – Marci Shimoff, the queen of happiness and best-selling author of Happy for No Reason, Kris Carlson, the queen of inner peace and best-selling author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Women and Christine Arylo, the queen of self-love and author of Choosing ME before WE.

I really love what these women teach. They are real and wise, and they’ve had to learn everything first-hand, so what they teach works. They’ve lived like multi-tasking energizer bunny on steroids, exhausted themselves, and learned that life doesn’t have to be that way, when you know how to ‘be’ you life differently.

Overwhelmed & Overworked and What Can We Do About It?

Their take is that we have all been trained to be 21st Century Super Women, brought up to believe that we can do anything, so now feel pressured to do everything… perfectly… now and at the same time. Each has created powerful processes and insights that help women break the patterns that keep them working so hard… you know, powering yourself through your life… trying to hold it all together… not getting too emotional… driving yourself until you’re exhausted.

What they’ve discovered is that what we all learned in college and in our climb up the ladders has prepared us to survive in a man’s world, in a man’s way. We weren’t taught how to thrive as a woman… so woman to woman, these women are offering the best of their wisdom to women around the world so that we can achieve and accomplish what we want, without exhausting ourselves in the process. 

Click here to register for free now

Join them for an inspiring and eye-opening Saturday morning coffee-talk and get the smarts on:

• Why women are no happier today than in the 1970s, even after all the freedoms we’ve gained
• How to increase your personal happiness without adding to your ‘to-do’ list
• How to stop sweating the small and big stuff
• What Feminine Super Powers are and why it is SO important to harness them just as much (or MORE) than your “manpowers”

This knowledge is wisdom you can’t afford to live without if you ever hope to have that peace, love, happiness and freedom you work so hard to attain (that is after all why we all work so hard, isn’t it?)

Here’s to living a life where we are free to do what we love… and be happy and at peace doing it!

Faithfully,

Safina Khimani

 

P.S. If you can’t make the LIVE call, no worries… you’ll get a recording so you can listen in later. Just sign up now by clicking on this link, and you will get an audio via email on Sunday.

P.P.S. Invite the other overworked super women you love to join this Summer of Self Love Revolution. They are all invited! CLICK HERE.

There are some key things that every woman can do to make a shift in her life. Things that will affect her mood, change her stance and open up her style. At a recent event I hosted I gave the attendees the following challenge, don’t worry its fun! These small changes will make a huge impact on you – I guarantee it.

Dedicate 2 hours this weekend to detox your closet. Try on every piece of clothing. Doesn’t fit? Donate it. If you’re hanging on to it because it might fit you once you lose 10lbs, have the courage to purge. We dress for the here and now. Keep only what you absolutely LOVE and throughout the process be strong. The less you have the more you’ll have to wear, it will be easier to get dressed in the morning and most importantly the clothing you put on you’ll love so you will instantly feel fabulous.

For one week get up 15 minutes earlier than normal to put on the makeup you wouldn’t normally apply. Add jewelry and accessories that you may often ignore. You work hard at every other aspect of your life so do yourself the honour and do the same for your style.

If you haven’t had a bra fitting in the last 6 months – getter done! Eight out of ten women have neglected to have a professional bra fitting and it has been noted that most women aren’t wearing the right size. There a many bra boutiques that require no appointment and provide the service FREE.

Get used to the idea that everyone regardless of body shape benefits from alternating their clothes. Doing so regardless of price point will make them look infinitely more expensive because they will fit you like a glove.  During your detox identify what needs alteration whether it’s hems, sleeve lengths, waistlines etc… and send it off.

Wear sexy undergarments for 7 days. Sometimes it’s what you put on before you get dressed that makes an outfit feel sexy and gives you a boost of confidence. Lingerie serves two very important yet different roles. First, the right undergarments can lift, hold in, smooth out and enhance your body’s natural attributes. And second, lingerie can make you feel prettier, sexier and more feminine.

How many times have we vowed to go to the gym come January, to ignore the fast food drive-thru in our rush to get to the next appointment, or even promised ourselves to do better, be better? I’m guilty of every one of those broken promises, so this year I have two fabulous suggestions. First, make a choice, not a resolution. Instead of signing a contract with your superego, reach out with your heart. Second, choose to honor yourself by focusing on your style, boosting your confidence and choosing to feel fabulous. Test out my challenge for one week ONLY and notice the changes in yourself and in your life, then decide for yourself, has it made a difference in your world?

*As written for Pretty Savvy

When we were girls, we danced at a moment’s notice. We danced to the radio. We danced with the wind. We danced our hearts out. We danced to our own drum.

And then something happened. And we stopped.

Groove Back is the place to start again. Space. Time. Music. That’s all it takes. For an hour and a half , you are invited to remember that you are a dancer. Yes, you.

Why Groove Back?

Once we’re grown up, where do we dance? Weddings? Not often enough. Dance class? Too structured, too focused and often too intimidating. The club? Been there. Done that. Not interested in being squished, grabbed or hanging out with kids. We just want to dance. Why should it be so hard?

It isn’t!

At Groove Back…

• Dress to please your inner dancer. If a long, flowing skirt make you swirl, wear it! If Lulu Lemon pants set you free, bring it on! If sparkle makes you feel like a dancing queen, go for it!
• Get grounded. At Groove Back, we ask that you dance in bare feet or soft-soled shoes (jazz or ballet slippers, sneakers) to keep you grounded and free to move.
• Pick your favourites. The music for Groove Back is a pre-set playlist loaded on the DJ’s iPod. Once you’ve bought your ticket, you can make a request. If the DJ has it, it’s on. If not, you’ll have the option to buy the song for the Groove Back library with half the proceeds going to charity.
• Expand your horizons. Music of different eras, paces and styles will be played. Groove Back invites you to open your heart and move your feet to new tunes and to new vibes.
• We create the space. Groove Back takes place in modest surroundings. But just like the best parties happen in the kitchen, the best groove happens when we leave our hearts on the dance floor, when we share the space with our tribe, no matter where we are.

The First Ever Groove Back Event: Toronto

• Date: Sunday, June 13, 2010
• Time: 7:15-9:00 pm EST
• Location: A studio in Broadview & Danforth Neighbourhood.
• Groove Back Passport Price: $12 in advance. $15 at the door. Space is very limited for this inaugural event so get your passport early!

Groove Back Passport for the Toronto June 13 Event on sale now!

Passports are non-refundable. Please note this particular event is for women only.

Not in Toronto? You can still get your Groove Back!

• On June 13th, I will be sharing our playlist.
• Set aside the time. Get your groovin’ clothes on. Hit play and enjoy!

Okay, maybe I AM addicted to 40-day self love practices, but hey, there are way worse things to be addicted to! This addiction actually brings me more LOVE vs. less, so I say, let’s keep the 40-day self-love practices going all year long.

I am just coming off of a 40-day self-love practice of Receiving, and the one that preceded that was the 40-day Taking Care of ME practice that many of you have been doing the last 40 days. We started on Feb 13th and finished yesterday, March 25th by everyday waking up and asking ourselves, ‘What do I need to do to take care of ME today?”

So what is next? When I asked this question I got inspired by two things… 1. Last year, one of five 2009 themes was “My body is my moving temple.” I spent a whole year trying to bring that into reality and ended the year with a B-.  I want more! And 2. At the Madly in Love with ME Celebration on February 13th, I asked two transformational artists to perform something that embodied the energy of My Body Is My Temple, so that women could literally FEEL what that would be like. My friend Kalila danced an amazing temple dance, and Lone Morch created this amazing movie, My Body As Temple which you should socheck out on our you tube channel.

This all leads me and you! to

the “My Body is My Temple” 40-day Self Love Practice

which is the perfect practice to do now! We just celebrated Spring Equinox last weekend which is all about renewing and replenishing. Spring is a time to start shedding all that extra energy we were holding on to to keep us warm and cozy during the Winter months. In the Ayurvedic tradition it’s one of the main times to do a full body cleanse. And lets face it, Spring is the time right before bathing suit season, so many of us may have our bodies on our minds.

My relationship with my body has never been my strongest relationship. For me it’s not that I hate her, it’s that I forget about her. Like I can go months without looking at my toes, feeling my calf or noticing that I have this appendage called an arm. I take my body for granted, as if she is always going to be there to be the workhorse I have always expected her to be. As an achiever I have driven her past the brink of exhaustion on many occasions to ‘get the job done’ and the truth is that I have treated her more like a piece of machinery at my beck and call than as the temple that she deserves to be treated as.

The other truth is that without her, I would be nothing. I don’t exist on this planet without her. My spirit needs this form to be on this earth. None of the passions, missions, dreams I have can be accomplished without her. And although I like to think that I am in charge of her, the truth is that very quickly, if I don’t adore her the way a temple deserves to be adored, she will be in charge of me, and I won’t be able to do a darn thing about it.

Just think about any time you didn’t feel good physically — from a canker sore to a cold to a much more serious condition – you were at the mercy of your body, and the only way to change the situation was to treat her well.

Well, what if we treated her well before she revolted and got sick?

What if we treated her well, despite our judgments on what she ‘should’ be?

What would it be like if we treated our bodies like temples, and everyday that was the lens through which we made choices?

I am not sure what the answer is to that last question, but I want to know, and that is why today, I say YES! to this new self-love challenge…

Passionate about great style, Sha Anderson has brought together a french and vintage inspired fashion for ladies and little girls. It is owned and designed by the stylish soul herself who is living life to her fullest with her little family in charming Melbourne.

Working with talented international designers, Sha has created designs such as the Mon Chic Clutch collection exclusively her own. Chic by Sha is also an Australian pettiskirt label whose signature designs are the Vintage Lace, Chic prints, Vintage Tattoo Wear and Mini pettiskirts celebrated by soon to be brides, flower girls and fashionistas worldwide.

1. Why do you think Style is important?
A: Style is important because how you represent yourself to the society is how you’re perceived.  It shows that you take care of yourself and creates confidence.

2. What are your secrets to Authentic Style? How do you stay true to yourself, while running a household, business and raising children?
A: My secrets to Authentic Style is the classic looks.  I’ve always liked classic looks instead of seasonal fashion as it is always in style, easy and because it is a look that suits me and my body.  Dressing what suits you is key as it is part of who you are.  I try to stay true to myself while having many tasks on my plate by keeping myself healthy, as it is truly how you feel that determines how you’re running the day.  I am very careful with my meals, exercise regularly and having a positive circle of friends and family who keeps me happy and positive which I think is such a gift.  All these help me stay focused on my life and running a business.

3. What are the items in your life that you absolutely couldn’t live without?
A: I absolutely cannot live without Vaseline.  Now that it is very close to winter in Australia, Vaseline helps avoid dry hands and lips better than other brands.  I also can’t live without my skinny jeans, jacket, camera (I love taking photos!) and my handphone for checking emails while on the go.

4. What are your newest obsessions?
A: Shoulder jackets and epaulettes.  They’re chic and lift your look instantly.

5. Do you have any exciting news you’d like to share with us? Or can you share what your inspired to do next?
A: I am so excited on my upcoming photoshoot session with Shannon McDonald Photography for my winter collection.  It will be shot in one of Melbourne’s charming Victorian building and the look book for the collection will be very chic and simple.  Chic by Sha will also be participating in a fashion market event in June which includes local designers and more.  I’ve had photography in my list of to do list for some time as I love taking photos.  But I guess that might take the right time to fully establish to a professional level.  I am pleased to share on my next inspired thing to do though which is to expand my business in another exciting category hopefully by the end of the year.  Can’t wait!

We are conditioned today to think that more is better, that we need a lot of stuff and that it’s taboo to wear the same thing more than once in any given week. The need for more has created wardrobes full of waste, sucking up our money and valuable time. Most of us have closets full of clothes but nothing to wear, we spend too much time figuring out what to put on in the morning rather than spending that time having breakfast with our loved ones. There is an easy fix if you’re up for the challenge – pairing down and noticing waste.

Have you ever wondered why kids like to wear their favourite Spiderman t-shirt or floral pink sweater every day? Children are super intelligent and not privy to the societal norms we are pressured by. They ask to wear the same thing purely because they love how they feel in it.

Getting dressed in the morning should be easy and fast. We want to feel confident and amazing in anything we put on, and if that means wearing the same thing three times in one week (as long as it’s clean of course) so be it.

We have tons of clothes that are just okay, and when we aren’t feeling so hot we’re more inclined to wear those average-deemed clothes. The dilemma is that okay clothing makes us feel just that – okay.

If our closet had only clothes in it that we LOVED, that made us smile from ear to ear, and made us feel happy, anything we put on would be an instant mood booster.

If we have a closet overstuffed with clothes that are 20% fabulous and 80% okay we’re doing ourselves a disservice. In the words of Jacqui Ripley “It’s said that clutter stresses us out by creating visual noise. The same can be said for an overstuffed wardrobe.” Take a moment and look at your closet, do you feel the same? By subtracting we can add so much more value.

Start your own wardrobe detox, purifying your closet of all the needless, loveless items. Once you’ve done that your wardrobe will represent only your best and allow for easier choices when getting dressed.

Take a quick test, count up all the items in your wardrobe, include coats, shoes, scarves etc. Let’s say you have 100 items and on average their cost was $50. That means you have $5,000 worth of clothes in your wardrobe.  Most people only wear 20% of what’s in their wardrobe on a regular basis – the other 80% is wasted. That could mean $4,000 wasted. Most people replace their clothes every 7 years and many spend 10% of their income on clothes – all of the waste adds up over a lifetime.

Understanding our shopping patterns helps us identify our bad habits. Do you own 6 pairs of black pants, 3 white dress shirts or maybe 4 argyle sweaters? Notice what you have, what you buy too much of, get rid of the excess and be conscious of it next time you go shopping.

Pairing down saves us money now and in the long run and will make life a lot easier for us in the morning. The more we have the harder it is to achieve greatness. Life is complicated as it is, our closet shouldn’t add to its complexity. It should reflect our personality, be fun and most importantly be easy. It’s much better to have five dresses we absolutely adore rather than fifteen that are just okay. Mediocrity is a sin; don’t settle for anything less than your best.

What are you going to subtract from your wardrobe this week?

*As written for Pretty Savvy