How to wear them correctly: for an all over relaxed look, pair them with a flowy top or tunic and flat sandals. For a more polished look pair with a fitted top or tank and blazer or cardigan. Belt a flowy top to accentuate your waist, or for a little sex appeal or to elongate legs, wear with a cropped top.

What else I love about these bottoms? They can give your ensemble a whole new flavor! You can choose a tribal print and pair with bold wooden jewelry, a  stripe for a nautical flare with a floppy hat, opt for a peek a boo sheer pair and so on and so on!

Still not sure the best way for you to pull this look off? I can help! Let’s go on a shopping trip together to try this trend as many ways as we can until you too fall in love!

I am personally in love with the Cambridge Satchel Company’s neon satchels! While contemplating which neon shade I want to invest in first, I bumped into another little jewel at Target! The Xhilaration cross body bags in neon yellow and green. So whether you choose to shop online from the UK or at your local Target, you can easily be on neon trend this spring!

 Cambridge Satchel Company: £98.00

Xhilaration Target: $20-$24

**By the way, now that I’ve got your attention- which shade Cambridge Satchel should I get?? Green, yellow, orange or pink?

Why are they so popular? Well imagine a booklet filled with pictures of put together looks from your very own wardrobe, complete with shoes and accessories and you’ll understand! Its like your own personal issue of Vogue, and you already know that all the cothes in it fit and look good on you! Look Books are major time savers when getting dressed in the morning or when packing for trips. Instead of digging through drawers and rummaging through your closet, you can just simply thumb through a book! And there it is layed out for you, down to the shoes and accessories! They are also super helpful in keeping you and your closet organized. And my personal favorite part of it all? The fact that you can hold onto them season after season. Start feeling like your in a clothes funk? Trouble deciding what to wear? Pull out the ol’ Look Book again for fresh new ideas!

Here are some real live examples:

And what are these clients saying about their look books?

“…the most important and best for me – you took pictures of all my outfits and put them in a little album which I keep on my bedside table. When I want to go somewhere, I check the weather then flip through the book and select an outfit. How easy. I use to agonize over what to wear, trying things on to see what goes with what. Now it is so simple. Thank you Thank you Thank you.”

I assure you, once you have and use your very own Look Book, there’s no looking back! For info on how to get your own, check out my Look Book service or package or email me at tricia@itrustintricia.com.

Here are pictures of 3 ways I made these boots work for me.

   As you can see the boots are pretty blah from the front, and accentuate my not so skinny calfs! So I chose to wear them with footless tights. Just an inch of my skin showing between the tights and the boots almost frame the top of the boots and break things up.

I also used a pair of fur trimmed fleece socks from Aldo, and instantly changed my Boutique 9′s to the “the boots with the fur”

Then I also added a pin to glam them the up a bit!

DIY is even a great way to update an old pair of boots or shoes. You can use necklaces that wrap around, strentchy bracelets, anklets, small belts, clip on earrings, pins, lace, fur…you name it! Get creative and really make your footwear your own!

With a large assortment of brands, styles, sizes and accessories there was something there for everyone!  I walked away with a great pair of jeans while Tricia walked away from the event with a jacket to die for!  What else made this event amazing?? Live music with a DJ made it fun to shop around and talk to other buyers or to the women and men giving away their perfect collection of clothing.  Before leaving we made sure to get a picture of us from Boldfacers!  Go to www.boldfacers.com to look through their photo gallery and to find the best of the best in Boston!

worn as a swing cardigan

Used a bit of creativity when getting dressed this weekend! I have had a cardigan/poncho for just over a year and I have never worn it. For no good reason either; its a great color, soft, cozy material and can be worn two different ways. I just kind of kept overlooking it in my closet and never put together a fab debut outfit for it, so I wasn’t too excited to wear it. But I decided the other day was the time to show this poor little sweater the light of day. Now to dress my bottom half… I had just washed all my fav jeans the day before and they were still a little damp. Hmmm what sub-par jeans to wear now?? Then I pulled out a pair of Guess jeans that I just had to have at least 5 years ago. As soon as I got them I ran to the tailor and got them hemmed because I just knew they were about to be my new favorite jeans…and then I forgot about them and never wore them! Not once! So while wearing a cardigan I haven’t worn in over a year how about busting out those jeans that never made it on too?

And ta-dah, they worked perfectly together! A great example of why I hesitate when clients ask what should be edited out of their closet. Because sometimes you do have great pieces, maybe you just don’t have another garment to make the outfit complete just yet? Like when ankle boots made an appearance in the early 2000′s- skinny jeans weren’t in yet and flare leg didnt fit into the top of my ankle boot to show of the detail on top, so I didn’t wear the booties for a few years. But they still fit and were on trend when I did wear them! So no, I do not advise obeying the rule I have heard many times, “if you haven’t worn it in a year get rid of it”. My, that’s harsh!

When deciding whether or not to part with clothing consider the following:

- Did you wear it the past season and if not why? Perhaps just because the weather did not agree, or the occasion did not arise? If so then the fact that you didnt wear it for a year (which in reality means 6 months for those of living north of the equator due to seasonal weather) is not enough of a reason to part with it just yet.

worn as poncho and belted

- Is this a wardrobe basic or a truley trendy peice? Because while trends do come and go, and some short lived, Wardrobe basics and essentials have  amuch longer shelf life.

- Is the garment ripped, faded or otherwise damaged beyond repair? If so, then it must go because there is just no excuse. I don’t care if you physically canstill wear it around the house, it doesn’t mean you should!

- the item has sentimental value. Your university’s sweatshirt? A concert tee signed by the band? By all means hold on to your memories, I would never tell you that you have to throw it away. However, I will say that it may not take up valuable closet space where something more useful can be hung, or in a prime position where you will be tempted to wear it. You should keep it as a memorabilia, not a shirt you can wear out to a casual lunch!

- And keep in mind, my twice a year Style Swaps are great places to bring those clothes once you are ready to release them, because someone else will love you for it! Items still in good condition you just dont have the lifestyle or bodytype for anymore, swap ‘em!

But excitingly enough, its the small 90′s elements that have made their way back on trend, and mix in perfectly with modern twists.  I’m loving the suede booties. The bright colors- fuschia, purple, royal. The spandex/bandage minis. Thin boxy blazers. Colored denim. Oversized sweaters with skirts and booties. Sweetheart necklines even! Anyone remember the grunge, Nirvana Doc Martin trend? The style is back, only now in the form of vintage, soft worn lace up boots to pair with high socks or tights and a floral flowy dress. Remember Kelly Bundy’s second skin body dresses and minis? They’re back in a sexy way worn with tights and booties or paired with a blazer. Did anybody else tuck in only the front of their t-shirt and left the back out? Now in 2012 we’ve got cute cropped tops that are slightly shorter in the front, giving the same appeal but more form fitted and mature.

What 90′s revival element are you rocking??

The answer is no, wardrobe consultants are not just for the rich and famous. They are for all types of people- those who are so into fashion they love to share their finds and bounce fashion ideas off of a professional, those who despise shopping, those who feel overwhelmed by it, and those who love shopping and pick out great pieces in store, then get home and aren’t sure what to wear them with and how to incorporate them into their wardrobes. They are for new moms, young professionals, students and everyone in between. People who have just made a lifestyle change, or for those who need one. Those who are “having a clothes fit” (as one of my clients would say!) where you are just sick of all of your clothes, they don’t make you feel good anymore, and you stare into your closet for 20 minutes every morning trying to figure out why its full, yet you have nothing to wear!

In short, anyone and everyone could benefit from working with a wardrobe consultant. Clothing is something you have to wear everyday, and it is the way you present yourself to the world and visually set yourself apart from others. 

I came up with a set of specific questions as well, that you can ask yourself to help further determine if you should work with a wardrobe consultant:

• Do you have clothes hanging in your closet that still have tags on them? If so, why haven’t you worn them yet?
• When a season is officially over, do you have any seasonal pieces that you didn’t wear at all? If so, why didn’t you wear them?
• Are you unsure about how to dress for your body type?
•  If you needed to buy a specific item for an upcoming event (say a special occasion, job interview, etc;), would you be unsure of how to dress for the occasion? Would you walk aimlessly around the mall because you don’t know what store to go to in order to find what you’re looking for?
• Do you tend to stick to the same, safe color palette when shopping?
• Do you find that you buy separate pieces when shopping, then can’t find anything to match with them when you get home?
•  Do you lack confidence in the outfit combinations that you choose?
• Do you regularly see a hair stylist, nail technician, etc., and pay for styling advice and services? If so, don’t you think it would be just as valuable to receive fashion advice on your clothing style as well?
•  Is your closet an overwhelming, unorganized mess? Do you just pull out whatever is most available to wear because you are scared to reach into your closet’s deep, dark depths of the unknown?

 If you answered yes to any of the above, a wardrobe consultant can help YOU!

 **A bonus: I offer free style evaluations where we can meet and discuss where you see your fashion future taking you and how I can help get you there. Email me at Tricia@itrustintricia.com to set up a meeting today!

Still unsure??? Check out some of my client’s testimonials on my website, Thumbtack or my Yelp page to see if you relate to any of them! Real people who gave honest reviews of their experience working with me!

If you are looking for a trend to make your legs appear longer, this combo is a great trick! The high waist starts your visual elongation at your real waist (so tuck in your shirt to really show it off), and the horizontal pattern in the tights continues to draw the eye down, giving the illusion of longer, slimmer legs.

I liked this combo so much I even wore it again (with a different top tucked in) on my latest appearance of Style It Up tv! (Be on the lookout for the shows airing later this month!)

   Get your own Mark tights online now!

The detailing in this gold sequin stand out “bib on steroids” (okay I made that term up so if you haven’t heard that one before I can understand why!) can be your stand alone piece for the night. You don’t even need much else as far as accessorizing, and you will feel glamorous.

This cropped top not only adds print to your LBD, but the gathering on the arms, draping of the fabric and the high slit in the back completely transform any look.

Visit Bobbles & Lace now, online or in any of their four locations, to get ‘em before their gone!