What to Wear on a Date

After polling both myself AND my husband, it was conclusively agreed that effortless conversation was the number one social indicator of a successful date.  And an easy conversation begins before you ever part your lipstick-stained pout.

Following are four steps for successful speaking in clothes:

Step one:  Mirror
Simultaneous head nodding and mutual head tilting are physical manifestations of an intangible connection.  Strengthen the link via wardrobe.  If he is East Coast prep and you are West Coast bohemian, consider the nautically striped maxi dress.  Find points of fashion commonality and gently orchestrate efforts to look like a couple.

But don’t forsake your genuine nature but do make token acknowledgments of the culture you are visiting.  This includes the company and the environment.  Even if you wear high-heeled slippers to bed, be willing to adapt to casual encounters.  While it’s better to be overdressed than under, aim for a variance of under ten percent when compared to your surroundings.

Step two:  Don't Speak in Trends
Women use fashion-forward clothing to stamp out their social hierarchy, but most men don’t speak exotic fashion dialects.  Make sure you send him social cues in a language he can understand.  Happy banter begins with common language, so reserve the harem pants for your girl’s night out.

Step three:  Avoid Sartorial Expletives and Raiment Rambling
Your clothing should make an introduction, not dominate the conversation.  While you may see the plaid jumpsuit as a perfect translation of your inner core, wait for a more committed relationship to share it.  Just as tackling religion and politics isn’t advisable on an introductory date, neither are overly bold or personal clothing items.  Hint at your rich soul through whimsical accessories rather than virtually flashing your date with a neon mu-mu complete with screen-printed traffic signal.

Step four:  Be comfortable 
The only thing equivalent to the repellant power of sweat pants is a preoccupation with clothing restrictions or potential wardrobe malfunctions.  If it requires double sided tape, overly constrictive undergarments, or other acrobatics, opt out.  It’s very difficult to be charming when you are simultaneously sucking your abdomen in and tugging your skirt down.

Likewise, don’t corset your natural style.  Now is not the time to audition for a new role.  Prepare your best, genuine self then shed your self-conscious glances in the mirror.  Focus your energy on investigating the other person.

What to Wear to a Job Interview

In another life, I reigned countess professional
Business suits stapled my high school senior year,
favoring a briefcase over a backpack.
Graduated in Marketing,
added the MBA acronym.
Interned with GE,
job offer from Accenture.
Vice president before the age of twenty-five.

Doubt not what may appear to be an unassuming fashion flirt at present.  Trust me when I say, I can help you dress for a job interview

Step one:  Determine the dress code
Somewhere in the eclipse of the last decade, dotcom scruffies partnered with premium denim manufactures and admitted flip flops, screen printed t-shirts, and short pants into the corporate closet. Fortuitously, inevitable economics and time-honored taste burst that bedheaded bubble, yet in the rubble we are left with only hazy shimmering hints at what used to be clear dress code boundaries.

Thus savvy employment pursants assume the role of industrial anthropologist and ask insiders about day to day dress.  Established vocational vestiges are direct indications of corporate culture.  If the office standard includes jeans, t-shirts, and high tops, don't dryclean your suit.  Adopt the office orthodox but elevate it ever so slightly with a blazer.

Arriving in the cultural equivalent of either a prom gown or pajama knickers shows a lack of regard for the trade's traditions.

Step two: Add yourself
Don't forget to bring yourself to the interview.  Secure every uniform snap, but add a touch of your own charisma: a brooch on your blazer, a scarf on your satchel.  Mix three parts conformity with one part creativity to stand out and above the competition.

And should the costume you assume for the audition makes you feel self conscious, perhaps you should reconsider your character choice.

Step three: Orient your details
Now is the time to indulge your OCD tendencies.  A run in your stockings translates into sloppy phone etiquette.  A missed button on your shirt sleeve indicates a tendency to miss deadlines.  Shoe scuffs construe a propensity to send e-mails san-spellcheck.

Step four: Go underboard
Avoid undue distractions: dark sticky lipstick on your teeth, maniacal hair tossing, strong, musky odors.  Makeup should be simple and pretty.  Hair should be neat and secure.  Scents should be clean and fresh.

Limit yourself to three accessories and select a bag and overcoat based on the fact that they will be the first and last thing your interviewer sees.

In short your interview outfit should introduce you from across the room, act as a reference in favor of your skills and abilities, then get out of the way.

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Homemaker's Uniform: Texture & Shine

Today, the conclusion to ardent Annie's Query. The harried homemaker's bedecking backswing can unfortunately roll into the sartorial gutter, repeating the same fashion routine, even with the application of different accoutrements.  


To strike a striking ensemble next bowl, add interest with one of the five fundamentals:

• Color: The hue or chroma, strategize anywhere in between monochromatic and double split complementary
  (when it comes to durability, darkness cloaks far more.)
• Pattern: The print of the fabric, with a spectrum open betwixt solid and mismatched motifs
  (unintentional additions to an already variegated background are far less likely to be noticed.)
• Shape: The garment's architecture, tailored to form, loosely draped, or stiffly outlined.
  (Highly architectural garments tend to require the greatest level of laundry related maintenance.)
• Texture: The tactile quality extending from sleek silk to nubby wool
  (The sleeker the fabric the more likely it is to perish.  When favoring longevity, opt for coarse.)
• Luster: Light reflective quality, from brilliant lame to matte burlap
  (Shine can also be applied through accessories which will hold their new long after your t-shirt has born pills.)

I tend to fatigue the first pair, so I ventured towards the latter couple in this final exemplary ensemble.
   

A small amount of texture goes a long way in
galvanizing a black knit. 

Shine isn't allergic to daylight.
These glossy bermudas are refined yet undemanding.

Smart enough to shake the hand of an unexpected neighbor
yet durable enough to shake dust from dirty floor maps.

Let Cardigan Empire fashion your closet to your lifestyle.  A complete Fashion Package: combines a theoretical look book & a practical virtual shopping session

What's your favorite way to add interest to an outfit?

Homeaker's Uniform: How to Style Hair without Heat

We proceed with part deux de Mère Annie's Question.  Your attentive peepers may have observed my tucked away tresses in the the Homemaking Uniform premier.  Pinning it like that in the Ante Meridien allows me shiny effortless curls when the Mister gets home Meridien Post.   

Nigh to Coco's cute curls

Watch the subsequent shortie film to learn yourself how,
thanks to Sister Ashley for learning me about the existence of this video.

Hair that does itself while I vacuum or change diapers. 
That's executive Homemaking multi-tasking. 

Homeaker's Uniform: How to Add Casual Accessories

Dearest Empress,

For one who spends the majority of her days defending one's home from dirt and grime from within and without (namely, a homemaker) what should the uniform be?

Like you, I have 2 littles and from morning until dinner, we are typically home. I don't want to dress up -- I have thrown out countless shirts in the last month due to stains (grease, baby fingers, etc.) in an attempt not to hoard, and yet, loathe falling into the frumpy mom category.

Help!
Annie

Dear Annie,
Your question could not be more auspicious.  Please allow me to answer thoroughly in three dainty discourses.  Today: accessories. These add-ons wear at a leisurely languid pace unlike their more fragile body covering cousins.  

Denim bermudas and a t-shirt make a loveless marriage, but add a headscarf and earrings and heartbeats will race.  The same goes for hats, necklaces, colorful flats, and bracelets.  

Click here for a scarf tying education
or watch my favorite girls with glasses below

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Mommy Uniform Giveaway

Sponsored by

Once upon a time, years before the establishment of Cardigan Empire, a dark epoch reigned. A work-from-home executive Cinder-Reachel hardly saw a soul that wasn't attached to an e-mail all day. Day after day, she was alone in her tower typing ever typing from from early dawn to latest dusk. Soon Cinder-Reachel began to turn down video conference calls knowing her hair looked afright and wearing dully colored knit sleeper pants all day. For while she had a closet full of lovely clothes, they all required ironing and/or dry cleaning.

Gladly Cinder-Reachel learned to live fashionably ever after, and was never again held captive by a lack of casual wear. Especially not when she became a mother. For this was her most glorious role ever.

As a mother, my pumps have shrunk to kittens and I've tissued my cashmere & silks to make room for more jersey & cotton. Nevertheless, casual wear is not a surrender of style, casual wear is an artful combination of form and function.

Take my Striped Boyfriend Cardigan bequeathed by Shade, casual quality experts, Shade Clothing. Let us examine this specimen by the exacting casual cardinals:

Fabric: 55% cotton + 45% acrylic foreshadows machine washable durability. This modal blend will protect against pilling and over stretching.

Figuration: As my sharp sighted photographer can confirm, there is frosting on my sleeve from making gingerbread houses. And a little strippedy pattern (or any pattern for that matter) makes these kind of embellishments less visible.

Form: Soft, cozy, and pocketed. Perfect for cuddling in the rocking chair while keeping dropped pacifiers, abandoned socks, and other necessaries within arm's reach.

Yesterday's Waffle Henley, also alms from Shade Clothing, passed the casual gauntlet exquisitely as well. The geo-floral print camouflaged Coco's post breakfast renderings. The sillouhette had nary an excessive fold of fabric to fussle bundle's bath or any other items on our agenda. And the cotton-polyester blend survived the washer-dryer combo beautifully.

Get your own Mommy Uniform by cyber-commuting over to Shade Clothing where you can get an additional 25% off all sale items + free shipping

Or you can enter up to two times for a chance to win a $25 Shade Clothing Gift Card.

Chance 1one1: Become a fan of Shade on Facebook and leave a confirming comment on this post.

Chance 2two2: Go to Shade Clothing, inspect their lovelies, return to this post, and submit a comment on your nomination for your own Mommy Uniform.

The winner of the Shade Mommy Shopping Spree will be selected at 8 am on Monday, December 14th. The winner gets a $25 Shade Clothing gift card to apply to her Mommy Uniform of choice.


1 hundred 98 cents = your own Casual Wear fashion look book cheat sheet.

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book can include your own casual wear recommendations and much more.

* Post Script 1: Yes, I am a lower figure wearing a long cardigan, but I bought a size larger than my top half requires and only buttoned the top button, to avoid inappropriate clutching of my triple threat.

* Post Script 2: An addendum to casual wear basics: add an accessory. A simple necklace, stud earrings, it says, I'm important enough for trivialities.

* Post Script 3: I heart the diaper bag, so many useful things. My favorite at-hand staple is wipes. Beyond their intended purpose, they make handy little spot removers.

Fitting Room Friday: Personal Branding

Fitting Room Friday: Personal Branding on Howcast

Nominate someone you know with a unique blend of fabulous. Submit their Sartorial details so we may recognize them on Future Friday of Empirical Fashion:

Your Name:
Your Email Address:
Nomination's Name:
Nomination's Email Address:
Nomination's Blog or Web Address:
Pithy Title for nomination's Signature Style:
Brief Narrative on your Friend's Personal Fashion Brand:
Visual of the Vision (if you have one, send me a simple snapshot which represents your nomination's personal style)

Personal Branding: Versatility

Illustrious Aileen returns, effortlessly flaunting the adaptability possible through Sartorial Branding. For mother consistency bears a dear little dividend in versatility.

Radically diverse species of styles can not procreate ensembles. Sure a horse and donkey can produce a lovechild, but do you really want to wear a mule? A closet which reliably issues the same brand of style can be easily rearranged in multitudinous fashion genetics.

Now some heterogeneous diversity does yield robust results. If your wardrobe only holds tulle skirts and wrap sweaters, you might as well bread weakly cousins. Feel free to mix opposites, just be sure they share similar core foundations.
















If executed appropriately you, like Aileen, can take a single piece from dinner reservations to bambino chasing.

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book includes your own rules of personal branding and much more.

Personal Branding: Consistency

This is Mrs. Aileen. She is a Laid-back Bombshell, but you already knew that. You could see it in the sharp silhouette of her color-blocked dress, juxtaposed against the soft ruffles of her open cardigan. Aileen is a laid-back bombshell Monday through Sunday. There are no bohemian ponchos on Thursday or modern career jackets on Wednesday casting doubts on who exactly this diva is. Aileen is unmistakeably, undeniably Aileen 365 days of the year.
















Now think of your most favorite icy cold, bubbly fresh soda. Imagine its pretty little can or bottle. What if each time you purchased your treatie-treat, it wore a new color, a new typeset, a new name. How would you know which of those cans held your signature nectar. How could you fail to doubt that they weren't adjusting the magic formula as well?

Sartorial branding delivers a similar function. While I don't suggest a strict uniform for individuals (other than those who have an Einsteinian schedule and a detestation for clothing selection), I do suggest personal consistency.

Consistency doesn't necessarily come from wearing the same twinset and chinos everyday. You can be consistently offering the same message while switching between hues and textures.

Soder-pops consistently change their advertising, they even have special holiday addition packaging, but you never doubt that they're the same delicious internally.

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book includes your own treatise on personal branding and much more.

Personal Branding

Stone-washed Levi’s 501s, black mock turtleneck, gray New Balance trainers, and no belt. It's more than a uniform, it's a personal brand, and Steve Jobs has been loyally enforcing his hallmark for handfuls of decades. The ensemble says simple, easy to use, a dedication to only making additions and decisions which prosper your master goal.



Now who is this computer guy in the suit? This first revision of Steve Jobs looks kind of fancy and complicated. With all those buttons, one might fall off. His computers probably have lots of buttons too. What do all those buttons do?

Clothing does more than aid your feeling of personal prettiness, nay clothing places you in society. Perhaps not in the clean little class boxes that it did when only Aztec royalty could wear cotton, but certainly it speaks to what you believe in, what you're rebelling against, and whom you care to share tea with.

In the last month Cardigan Empire has executed some sartorial branding itself. First, we (that would be in the royal sense as Cardigan Empire is a community of one) outfitted a greenish (environmentally friendly hue, not inexperienced cast) high tech company tailored towards the young techno-savvy demographic. In preparation for filming their commercial, they needed ensembles that said, "Shalom, not only do I plan to shield the earth through the power of my technology-savvy conscious, but I also intend to squirrel away a few bucks in the process."



Then there is the creatively successful CEO straddling both ancient societal wisdom and emerging media revolution. She needed outfits that said, "Yes, I am clever and creative and commanding and certainly more than a little bit fabulous."

Houndstooth Shift
Kate Spade Gladly Pump

Boucle Cape
Nevera Pants
Farylrobin Colette Peep Toe Pump

Brands are not just for dr. professional multinationals. No, a brand is for your exclusive introduction into the world's drawing room as well.

This week on Cardigan Empire we will be reviewing the benefits of a personal brand, and demonstrating how to put one together yourself.

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book includes your own signature style treatise and much more.

Fitting Room Friday: Life Uniforms

Meet Missus Rebecca Court: mother, hair stylist, socialite.

Life Role One: Casual



Meadowland Sunset Tees
Crowd Favorite Bermudas
Nearly Needlepoint Satchel

Life Role Two: Social




Candied Corsage Blouse
Raleigh Drawstring Capris
Smidgen Peep Toe

Life Role Three: Dress



Coming Dusk Necklace
Tatra Vista Shell
Stretching Acres Cardigan
Sandy Stretch Belt
Spontaneity Skirt

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book can include your own life role recommendations and much more.

Life Uniforms: Casual

Casual wear is consistently one of the most poorly stocked sections of a woman's wardrobe. I've found what should be extinct species of clothing: long crotched jeans, stretched neck t-shirts, and mousy nosed shoes. These items are subsisting miserably, worked unreasonably past exhaustion. Some good hearted soul should start a new PETA faction: People for the Ethical Treatment of Apparel. But clothing abuse aside, what are you doing to yourself and your figure? Simply tragic. Emperors around the world must invest in enjoying their everyday lives. Yes, your empires are busy enterprises, but make some time to procure a proper pair of pants and a stain-free top. Below is a step by step guide to exploring the casual side of clothing.

1. Fabric: There is a time and place for machine washable materials: broadcloth cotton, jersey knit, stretch denim blends. Even better if the fiber does not require the warmth of an iron to look respectable. There are few greater pleasures in life than grabbing a garment, hot and fluffy from the dryer, and enveloping yourself in it while it is sweet with the scent of fabric softener. This raw pleasure undoubtedly trumps pealing the sterile plastic from a dry cleaned return.

2. Figuration: Apply a pattern. Not only are patterns an excellent form of self expression, they are also a superior disguise for tiny finger prints and other results of everyday life.

3.Form: Soft, cozy, and yin. You should look forward to sporting your informal friends. Like a nostalgic bowl of mac & cheese, they should draw you in emotionally. And even better then a well-worn pair of sweats, they not only feel delicious, they look delicious.

Below is a comfy casual Friday ensemble:



























In Between Seasons Cardigan: Keep one folded up in your purse, like a first aid kit for over air-conditioned restaurants
Helianthus V-Neck: Not a button or zipper to interrupt the pleasure of a pull-on top
Nights Adrift Crops: Comfy not schlumpy little short pants
Fine Fescue Hobo: Wet wipes or carpet samples, this will carry whatever you have need of with discreet efficiency
Rave Review Sandals: Turn that dirty old flip flop into a fly swatter
Double Swan Earrings: Like delightful dreams swimming around your head

1 hundred 98 cents = your own Casual Wear fashion look book cheat sheet.

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book can include your own professional wear recommendations and much more.

Life Uniforms: Professional

Before establishing the empire, I was a Dr. Professional. My career spanned from secretarial mini skirt suits to vice presidential power slacks. And during this occupational orbit, I learned a few strategic wardrobing tactics which I am delighted to share with you fellow doctors of profession.

1. Cut: Nothing says casual like revealed skin. Following is an abridged inventory of stretches of flesh that should never be visible in the office: the midriff, the upper thigh, the chest crevice, the lower back and its continuum. Not only should these items be cloistered when standing demurely, but they should remain under wraps when you bend over, raise your arms, and lean forward. Also ensure that your clothing skims rather than clings; offer a smooth outline rather than a detailed delineation. It's not that these areas are unappealing, quite the contrary, they are far more interesting than your annual budget report.

2. Color: Dark hues report in proper business tones. Unlike their flighty pastel counterparts, dark colors speak of grounded, responsible individuals. But that doesn't mean you are limited to black, navy, and gray. You can have a pop of color, but make sure it's a taste, not the entree. There's a reason that the crimson power tie is a staple and the crimson power suit never quite caught on.

3. Class: Stay in good taste and excellent repair. If you look sloppy, people will assume you don't spellcheck your e-mails. You might be an obsequious grammarian, but people are bound to make assumptions. As you enter the office you should be flawless from your scuff free shoes, to your properly hemmed trousers (breaking at your instep), to your cleanly pressed blouse.

Below is a sharp little banker formal ensemble:

































Nordstrom's Mac & Jac Linen Jacket: Wearing a jacket doesn't require a matching suit. You'll get more wear out of separates
JCrew Solid Silk Garland Cami: Keep a little bit of pretty and color close to you at all times
White House Black Market Sateen Pencil Skirt: Fresh for spring with appropriate feminine allure
Banana Republic Jefferson Medium Shoulder Bag: Because your lappy needs a proper home
Endless Luichiny Miami Pump: Black never has to be boring
Ann Taylor Black Diamond Studs: Your jewelry should not jingle nor jangle

1 hundred 98 cents = your own Professional Wear fashion look book cheat sheet.

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book can include your own professional wear recommendations and much more.