TOOLS TO USE FASHIONING YOUR OWN MAKEOVER
Stacy London and Clinton Kelly can make over only one person a week on their show, What Not to Wear, but London has these ideas for doing your own fashion audit:• Create a ''look book'' of photos of clothes and accessories you like. Include pictures of women -- celebrities or ''real'' women -- whose style you like, who have similar hair and skin coloring.• Find your body type in the book London and Kelly co-wrote, Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Body (Crown Publishing, 2005, $18.95). They show 26 body types of men and women, and detail what flatters each most for work, weekend and evenings.• Watch their show on The Learning Channel for wardrobing tips and advice on how to shop.• Find trustworthy sales associates at your favorite stores, use a free personal shopper at stores (Macy's and Nordstrom have them), or hire an image consultant.• Look beyond the price tag to figure out cost per wear of an item. You can justify spending more for a really great jacket or pair of pants if you'll wear them for years.• Embrace change. If you always wear black or neutrals, try some color.• Give it some effort. ''Clinton likens getting some style to taking care of your teeth,'' London says. ``You might not want to go to the dentist, but if you don't take care of your teeth, they go away. If you don't take care of your style, your self-esteem and identity go away. It's a muscle you have to exercise to keep.''Forget Anna Wintour. Stacy London may be the most feared woman in fashion.
London has become famous for the sharp critiques she gives makeover subjects on The Learning Channel's What Not to Wear. She doesn't bat an eye when a person's entire wardrobe is tossed into the show's famous trash can and defies anyone who will tell her that four-inch heels are uncomfortable.
London, who was an assistant at Vogue and the senior fashion editor at Mademoiselle, says the pursuit of personal style is more than chasing trends. ''There is something delightfully superficial yet surprisingly emotionally rewarding about looking good,'' she says. ``It makes you feel more confident. It's a means of self-expression and a great tool in building your own self-esteem.''
The down side is that women ages 30 to 50 think they've got to be perfect, she says. ''The daughters of the feminist revolution feel like they're being held to a standard that says they have to have a great job; be a mother, wife and have good friends; and go to the gym and look like a million bucks in their clothes every day,'' London says. ``These women are suffering real battles with self-esteem that will affect their children, marriages and what they can do in the world.''
Knowing what fits and flatters you, and how to shop, can simplify the process.
'I think everyone has an `inner Stacy,' '' she says. ``If people would trust their instincts, and shop slowly and intelligently, no one would need me.''
After five years doing the show, London says she sees the same issues over and over. ''There are those who never shop and hold on to clothes forever,'' she says. ``A woman will brag that she can still wear clothes she wore in high school, but the problem with that is you look like 1984.''
Just because you can still fit into your old clothes doesn't mean they make you look good.
''Clothes are like visual currency,'' she says. ``If they're dated, you're not trading in the same currency as everyone else, and it gives the impression that you're not keeping up with the times.''
On the flip side are the obsessive shoppers. ''If you only think about trends and let the industry dictate what you wear, you don't develop personal style,'' London says. ``What you need to do is create filters through which you can translate trends to suit your body, age and lifestyle. If you can work with those, you will spend less, and style will start with you.''
The subjects on What Not to Wear, just like women everywhere, have a hard time picking clothes that look good on them. Even after being coached on what to wear, they end up buying the wrong things. Why?
''They're so intimidated by style that when you put them in a store, they are overwhelmed. There are too many choices,'' London says.
To shop well, slow down, she says. Set aside a couple of hours and visit your three favorite stores. Bring a list of what you need, and try not to get distracted. Don't settle for items that are ill-fitting, but be willing to do some minor alterations if they're needed.
London says something her show has taught her is that a makeover doesn't begin and end in your closet. ''I've seen people change so drastically. They'll get better jobs, get married,'' she says. ``The thing about a makeover is that it's very visceral and fast. It allows you to think about different areas of your life, and all of a sudden, you're not stuck.''
