This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of No nonsense. All opinions are 100% mine.
I’ve been doing some major business planning over the past few weeks and it feels scary and exciting to see all my goals on paper. I plan to do even more speaking engagements this year as well as more intentional promotion of my work through video marketing.
One of my projects for the first half of the year, for instance, is to get a professional videographer to shoot me in a promotional speaking reel for my business. I was talking to a potential video company on the phone and at some point realized that I will need to get makeup and stylish clothes for this shoot(s). Yikes. My minimalist closet is full of clothes I wear often, but to be honest, most of the items are pretty plain, kind of blah, not video worthy to me.
So then I started thinking about what I wanted to look like, physically, in 2013. More polished, but still not too fancy.
Minimalist chic.
For me, that means well-fitting clothing that isn’t too expensive. Versatile pieces that I can mix and match. Fun, colorful accessories. And cute, comfortable shoes!
My main challenge with making any upgrades in my wardrobe though, is that I strongly dislike shopping for clothes at this point in my life. I try to avoid the mall as much as possible. And I prefer to spend my money on other things! But, I am committing to being more mindful about how I want to look, at least in my promo videos, speaking engagements, public events and client meetings. I can’t stay in my pajamas and jeans all the time, even though I do work from home LOL.
For fall/winter I tend to wear tights a lot when I go out, but they’re – yep, you guessed it – all black and gray! But I actually really like the new colorful tights from No nonsense tights and leggings. I love that they’re super affordable and can be easily found at food & drug stores as well as mass retail outlets. I could see myself wearing the yellow or fuschia tights with a black dress or pencil skirt and a pair of funky shoes.
Check out No nonsense on Facebook and on Twitter @benononsense. And I’ll keep checking for tips from Jill Martin, who is helping No nonsense educate women on how to wear the brand’s new colorful tights and leggings.
Adding a pop of color with simple accessories like these just might help me upgrade my minimalist style in 2013. We’ll see!
Are you planning to upgrade or switch up your style this year? If so, how?
happyblackwoman
happyblackwoman
happyblackwoman
happyblackwoman
Hi Rosetta
I can help in this area. I have a virtual style service called Wear Your Brilliance eStyle. It’s a 4 week course that address color, body type, fashion style, and how to shop effectively. It’s cost-effective for those whom a personal stylist is not in the budget. Let me know. Contact me by visiting my site at http://www.ayofashola.com. Take the Style Quiz and at the end include your name, email and virtual style. Ill take it from there.
Ayo, I followed your link and I love your blog and FB page. You have a new follower and you can trust I’ll be talking you up.
Rosetta, I hope more readers will comment to fellow bloggers, follow and share links. I check out spaces like yours to engage and connect. Isn’t connection what we really want?
Thanks for being here.
LaTonya – I have a feature called CommentLuv installed in the comments section of the blog for this very reason. I suggest you click through to the link at the end of many ladies comments if you want to check out their blogs. I try to connect with HBW readers online and in-person as much as I can, and I have many spaces in which I do that. Unfortunately, that means I do not get to respond to every single comment, tweet or Facebook post – let alone checking out every single blogger who posts here. I’m glad you have found ladies here who you would like to follow beyond HBW. I hope that’s one of the great things about the site – that you do make those connections!
Rosetta, I hope my comment didn’t come across as a criticism because it wasn’t. I was speaking generally about readers connecting with each other and not you the host. I’ve been online a long time in the same position you are here so by no means do I think you don’t do enough. I’ve read comments through links in comments. Not seeing CommentLuv. I’ll look again.
Read my latest blog post…31 Days, A love letter to my future self
Okay, I see it. How does it work? Does it automatically add links.
Read my latest blog post…31 Days, A love letter to my future self
Hilarious! Now I see. Do I sound like a crazy woman? I’m not. I’m old and haven’t been around in a couple of years. So many new widgets. So if a blogger is active, her latest link shows?
Read my latest blog post…31 Days, A love letter to my future self
Yep! That’s how it works.
Start by thrift shopping! You can find a ton of wonderful pieces at Goodwill, Value Village and your local thrift stores!!
Minimalist Chic.
I love this . . . especially because it refutes the idea that you have to spend a bunch of money to look like a million bucks. You CAN be stylish and frugal. (This is something I am reminding myself more and more these days as I’ve decided to really pare down on clothes shopping in order to save for some major life purchases….)
Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Read my latest blog post…Monday Morning Memo – Self-Care as Political Warfare
I wish you much success on updating your ‘minimalist chic’ look. You know I’m all for anyone’s style upgrade. The look you put together is very cute; however, wearing more than one animal print piece at a time can be overwhelming, esp since you have a small frame. You should definitely have fun with fashion though and colorful tights are a great way to do so.
Read my latest blog post…and so it begins… it’s a new year!
And this is why I need help LOL. I’ve always just bought pieces I liked, without really thinking about how they go together or fit for my body type. But since I’m gonna be paying for people to help me create promo stuff for my business, I feel like I need to start thinking about my style a bit more. Still not really my thing, though. I’ve considered hiring a stylist of some sort, but my clothing budget is way too tiny right now!
I was at a seminar last weekend, where the speaker wore full black: black turtleneck, black A-line cord skirt and orange-red tights. She was the brightest thing in the room – without overdoing it. All eyes were on her. However, you need to be aware that this will draw all eyes to your legs.
Succesful women speakers, whom I would consider well-dressed, tended to wear neutral colours (black, grey, navy, brown or even a white button down shirt) with something colorful at neck level – eg a scarf or necklace to draw eyes to their face.
That’s why I think that outfit (while very lovely) above is missing something to pull the eye up, like a scarf or at least some sort of brooch.
You can be your own stylist, if your budget is tight: Take the time to try your things on and have someone take pics of you. Selfies won’t work, as you very rarely get full-length pictures. Then you can look at them and analyze them.
My style is very casual. Trying to wear more colours, just like you. http://spinsterscompass.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/fashionably-late/
Thanks for the No nonsense links; gotta get a few items from them sometime. Just “liked” their page, too.
Read my latest blog post…Weekly Photo Challenge: Illumination.