25 Apr 2012 This N That 18 comments

Stylist Review – Sequins and Stripes/ES Style

Hello loves! As mentioned yesterday, I am excited to share with you my Elizabeth Schneider Style consultation by our beloved blogger, Liz, from Sequins & Stripes. My friends and family were so intrigued by me hiring a stylist, I decided to do an extensive recap. So let’s get straight to business!

{ES Style}

The process began by completing a personal questionnaire. Liz offers a plethora of services to meet all kinds of needs. I personally desired to know what flatters my body shape and to create new outfits using what I already own. I was not in the market for purchasing new clothes, so the “Lets Explore” option was perfect for me. Liz is Chicago based, but offers E-consulting for you out of towners! I have attached my completed questionnaire for your very own entertainment. My answers are italicized. And NO judging kids!

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Personal Style Assessment 
Clients of Elizabeth Schneider, Sequins & Stripes LLC 

Hello! Let’s get started, shall we? My goal is to help you be your best self, and style plays a big 
part in that process. Our first step is figuring out just what defines your personal style, so take a 
minute {or a few days} and answer the questions below: 
1. Please describe your personal style in three words: preppy, cutesy, stripes 
2. How would you detail your outfit on a typical day? For work? A night out?  
My outfits often depend on how much time I have to get ready, especially work.  I am ALWAYS on the run so I usually just throw on my go to’s and don’t put much thought into it. 1. For work I have these black minnie pants from JCrew and I would probably wear them every day if I could get away with it. I wear a lot of black pants and dresses. I don’t have to think as hard to come up with a pairing. For the days on weekends…I am constantly mixing things up. These are probably when I come up with my cutest outfits since I am not in a rush and have a ton of time. For going out I have noticed I wear these same skinny jeans I got from Forever21 Every. Single. Time. My friends probably think they are the only jeans I own! Haha. In general, I ALWAYS have to have studs in my ears. I feel completely naked without them. I wear a watch 90% of the time and lucky if I get a bracelet or necklace on. I have tons of scarves and wear them often. They are cozy and an easy way to work color in my outfits. My work and day outfits are my best collaborations but the whole going out thing is my downfall. Used to be the complete opposite in college! Not sure what happened… 
3. Who/what do you use as fashion/personal style inspiration?  I absolutely adore Elin Kling. Her clothes are clean lined, modern and easy. I am currently all about adding color to my black/white/gray/tan wardrobe. I really refer to blogs a lot (especially yours!) for style and ideas. Also, I am a sucker for Jcrew. It is the one label that has been consistent in my wardrobe since middle school. I will even try to find similar, cheaper versions of JCrew items I like. 
4. What style would you like to see incorporated into your wardrobe? I would love to incorporate more classics and basics into my wardrobe (which not sure what those are exactly). Then learn how to jazz it up with accessories. I know I can’t pull off every trend, so I am not looking to be a trendsetter by any means. I just want when I look back 10 years from now, I won’t be like “what was I thinking!”.   

5. Does your wardrobe typically change season to season? Absolutely. 
6. Do you ever have issues assembling outfits? Yes and no. I feel like sometimes I have the pieces but just can’t put them together. I am really bad at mixing up pieces. Example, I result to the same sweater and pant combo. I won’t ever put that same sweater with a blazer and skirt to change it up. I have always wished they had Garanimals for adults! 
7. Do you prefer to wear neutrals {black, gray, white, beige} or color? Yes, but I have really 
changed my tune lately. I love color and won’t let myself purchase anything if it isn’t in a color.  
8. Do you accessorize your wardrobe? If so, in what ways? I always wear studs and a watch. And necklaces are probably 50%, bracelets 25%. No belts. 
9. Where do you like to shop for yourself? Please list store names. Bloomingdales, Nordstroms, H&M and JCrew outlet. 
10. How would you describe your body type? I have a gymnast/swimmer body. Wide shoulders, longer torso and have a bit of junk in the trunk! 
11. Do you have a hard time dressing for your body? I think sometimes I don’t wear the most flattering shapes on my figure. But I don’t think my body is too difficult to dress for either. The wide shoulders has always been a problem…If I get a smaller size shirt or jacket, it is tight on top but fits my body better. If I get the larger size, it fits my shoulders great, but too big on the bottom. 
12. What do you hope to get out of this consultation? I want to learn the life long skill of knowing what looks best on my body shape. I am really looking forward to getting an outside opinion other than my friends and mom (god bless them!). I think my friends are too nice and I don’t take criticism well from my mom b/c…well, she’s my mom! I just want to look very well put together and add some dimension to my outfits. 
Please take your time filling out this assessment and answer these questions honestly. I am here 
to help you, and the more information I know, the better! Once I review your assessment, I will 
create your personal styling strategy and we can discuss the next steps of this process.  
Elizabeth Schneider 
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Easy peasey to complete! Liz prefaced everything as light and fun and no prior prepping. I am not a very fashiony/modely person, so this approach really went a long way for me. She put me at ease and I did not feel nervous or embarrassed to show her those things lurking in the depths of my closet. Eeek!
Dressed in a light, gold sweater, skinny jeans and leopard loafers, Liz arrived to my humble abode with a charming smile and peppy attitude to match. Within a matter of seconds she made a b-line to my closet and we were knee deep in my wardrobe.

{knee deep in clothes!}

She initially had me pull my “go to” work, casual and going out looks to give her a sense of what I regularly wear. Then we sifted through almost Every. Single. Piece of clothing in my closet. The whole process took 2 hours. She suggested how to wear certain items, paired them with other articles in my closet (things I would have never even thought of!), what pieces to purge and even suggestions on tailoring. Along the way she popped in clever tips and tricks such as these:

  • the bottom of your shirt should fall above or below your widest point
  • florals and stripes are a fabulous combo
  • try rolling the bottom of your jeans with a skinny cuff (versus wide) to help elongate shorter figures
  • scooped and V neck tops are most flattering for wide shoulders (like me!)
  • incorporate different textures of fabric to add depth and dimension
  • skinny jeans should fall below the knob of your ankle

I put together some before and after examples. The “befores” are exact outfits I have worn in the past. (P.S. My boyfriend shot these quite willingly and didn’t complain at all (lots of sarcasm here). Bloggers, how do you get your better half to do this all the time?! Brownies, alcohol, control over the remote? What’s your secret? I told him I am hiring a male photographer to shoot my next bikini post instead…joking, joking!) So any who, where were we? Oh yes…the before and afters!

Hopefully you can get a sense of what I learned (keep in mind these pieces have been around the block or two). Within a matter of hours, I had a whole new wardrobe without purchasing a single thing! I am actually excited to wear old articles and pieces I have only worn a couple of times. And the BEST part is, after using ES Style, you can contact Liz for quick suggestions or an outside opinion for no fee. (Miss Elizabeth you are in trouble!)

With clothes draped all over my bed (evidence of a true fashion affair) and a couple quick camera snaps, Liz was off just as quick as she came. A few days later, a “final notes” email popped in my inbox. Her recap included items she felt I should incorporate into my wardrobe. Actual examples were hyperlinked to each suggestion, as well as promo codes and sales. Talk about the cherry on top! Here is what she said:

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Hi Nicole,


It was so great to meet you on Saturday and I hope that you walked away from the appointment feeling better about your closet and the endless outfit options you can put together! Below are a few pieces that I think would be great additions to your wardrobe to enhance what you already have:

J.Crew Italian Leather Skinny Belt {on sale for $29.99!} – I love this fuchsia color and it is the perfect width to pair with dresses, skirts, and cardigans!
Dolce Vita Archer Flat Sandals {$69} – You may have a favorite flat sandal for Spring/Summer, but I think this would be great for your trip to Italy because of the slight heel, fun colors, and chic shape. I think these would go great with your maxi dresses, short dresses, cute jumpsuit, and rolled jeans. Also, Shopbop is have a sale that ends today, enter INTHEFAMILY20 and checkout for 20% off your order!
Madewell Leather Belt {$48} – Again, I think adding a more casual brown belt can break up a few pieces that you own. Pair this with black dresses, casual skirts, and transform something that you think is primarily dressy into a more casual version. 
H&M Striped L/S Tee {$17.95} – I would purchase a stripe tee in red and navy stripes. Unfortunately you can’t shop H&M online but they have great choices if you are able to pop into a store! I would pair this with your white lace skirt {and really any other skirt}, long Banana Republic sweater vest + denim shorts, colored jeans, mix with prints, your blazers, patterned scarves, honestly everything. 
J.Crew Featherweight Cardigan {$65} – I know you said that you usually like to have your shoulders covered, and I think this is a great option for Spring/Summer nights. I love the idea of a bright color {I love the belvedere red!} or a neutral to easily pair with everything {like the ivory!}.

Denim – If you are looking to purchase a new pair of skinny jeans, I would definitely take advantage of Shopbop’s sale which I mentioned above! J.Brand, Paige, and Citizens of Humanity happen to be my favorite options. I would steer clear of a legging jeans and stick with a skinny leg {that way you can still cuff/roll your denim on occasion!}. But sale ends tonight! 🙂

You honestly do not need many additions to your wardrobe, just a few accessories and pieces to finish off an outfit. I would highly recommend purging the pieces that you no longer wear, do not fit well {this is a huge issue in our closets, even though we may love it, if it doesn’t fit, you will never wear it}, are piling and beaten up, and have not evolved with your style. If you try to organize by style, assembling your outfits will be much easier and you will be able to see these pieces together and how they work together in your closet. 
Please don’t hesitate to contact me should you have any questions in the future! Have an amazing time on your trip + thank you again for giving me the opportunity to work with you!

Best,
Liz Schneider
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Overall, Liz is just an absolute doll and I had SO much fun with her! I mean how often do you get the focus entirely on you, alongside a fashionista with a keen eye?! It is a great investment for not only your wardrobe, but your confidence and your future purchases. It even motivated me to weed out the bad and get to organizing my closet. If you like what you see here, be sure to see check out her website (love “her favorites” section) and blog. And if you book her, just tell her Nicole sent ya. Hope you enjoyed my review and remember we are never too old to play dress up!

xoxo

Note: I in no way knew Liz prior to booking my appointment nor received complimentary services in return for doing this post. I genuinely love Sequins and Stripes, have always wanted a stylist and must try everything in Chicago at least once!