Ask Tracy: Necklines

Q: I have broad shoulders, how do I know which neckline is right for my shape?

A: Broad shoulders are often considered an asset, as they can balance the proportion of a larger lower half. (Alas, majority rules that for women the "ideal" shape continues to be the hourglass.) However, if you think your shoulders need to be minimized, a v-neck is the most universally flattering neckline. If you have a small bust, choose a wider vee; those with a larger bust should opt for a narrower vee. Avoid boatnecks, as well as cap and pouf sleeves, which will make your shoulders appear even wider (and are thus good for those with narrow shoulders).

Closet Bootcamp

Pollen season got you sneezing? Then there’s no better time to stay indoors and conduct your own closet bootcamp, a makeover for your wardrobe! 
If this is your first time to spring clean the closet in many a season, the task can be daunting, which causes many to continuously put it off. Make cleaning out the clutter a priority and give yourself a realistic timeframe in which to complete the job. Consider hiring a professional wardrobe consultant, as often it takes an objective outsider to give you that needed push to let go of certain items. When I am assisting a client in purging a wardrobe, we inventory each garment - deciding what to donate or consign (don't add to a landfill by just trashing garments, even those in poor condition), and separating items that need repair or could be revived with alterations. For those unworn but still hard to let go of garments, we analyze the reasons behind the resistance, sometimes resulting in a mini therapy session but ultimately freeing for the client. Common excuses include: "That might come back in style." To which I say, yes, but you will want the 2012 interpretation (with the excpetion of items with special vintage appeal). Or, "I'm dieting and hope to fit into that again." I'm all for goals, but often these items serve as reminders of what you might view as a failure, thus undermining confidence. How long has it been since you could fit into the item in question? If more than 3 years, perhaps it is time to embrace your current shape.
Should you chose not to hire a professional, perhaps you could enlist a friend to assist and keep you motivated, promising to return the favor in his or her closet.   
Once properly purged, here are some tips to give your closet a new and improved image:
- Use all the same hangers to give your closet a uniform appearance.  The right hanger will also help clothing keep its shape. I like slimline felt or velvet covered hangers or the plastic store hangers; both keep even sleeveless garments from slipping off the hanger. Like Mommy Dearest, I detest wire hangers because they leave divots in shoulders and, in this humid climate, can rust. Tubular hangers take up too much space and the tops don’t swivel.
- Hang clothing in the same direction: facing the left if you are right handed, facing the right if you are left handed.
- Group clothing by type: tops, jackets, skirts pants, dresses, etc., all in their own category.
- Within each category, sort by color. While there is no correct template, I use the order white, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, grey, black. For mutli-colored items, use your best judgement as to the primary hue.
- Within each color, sort by sleeve length: sleeveless, short sleeve, 3/4 sleeve, long sleeve.
- Especially if you have a small closet, let no space remain unused. Empty floor space can be used for multi-level shoe racks, and walls can be used to install shelves for folded knits or hooks for handbadgs, hats, scarves, etc. In my closet I installed two long tie racks, one I use for nightgowns, and another I use for camisoles. 
- Neatly fold delicate knits on shelves, perhaps in clear bins to separate t-shirts, finer knits, sweater sets, etc. And make sure item is clean before you put it up - what moths seek is bits of food and perspiration left on clothing.
- Make sure your closet is adequately lit. Good lighting allows you to interpret colors and identify fabrics.
The method behind what non Type-A folks may see as madness, is that the ability to see a true picture of what is actually in your wardrobe will make dressing easier and help you avoid impulse and duplicate purchases. Additionally, an organized closet allows for an expanded wardrobe. Often people find themselves so overwhemled by voluminous closet contents, it's as if they can't see the forest for the trees, the old "I have a closet full of clotes and nothing to wear." And so they resort to wearing the same 4-5 outfits repeatedly. By separating these "safe" combinations, and clearly displaying in front of you the contents of your closet, you are encouraged to be more creative in your mixing and matching. 
After your closet makeover, don't let it revert to an ugly ducking! Purge at the beginning of each season, with a good rule of thumb being to part with items you have not worn in the past two years. In between seasons, I recommend keeping a bin (mine is located in my laundry room) in which you throw in give away items as you come across them. Know the location of a favorite charity's donation bin, and periodically make a deposit. (I use the Hannah Home bin at Whole Foods.)  
One of my favorite quotes by fashion guru Tim Gunn is, "What is a closet, really, but a catalogue of the different personas we have auditioned and discarded? Hanging there in our closets are reminders, both good and bad, of who we are, who we’ve been, and who we’ve hoped to be." While true, I suggest only keeping evidence of your current persona in your closet! Style isn't rocket science, after all, and with all of the other responsibilities in your life, you owe it to your self to simplify the process of getting dressed. 

Celebrating Earth Day in Style

Top Five Ways to be greenCHIC

1) Edit your closet.With the help of a consultant or on your own, take the time to go through each item of clothing in your closet. Remove those items that don't flatter, don't fit, look worn or, for whatever reason, you simply don't wear. This excess in your closet just prevent you from seeing and wearing the good stuff! Also take out items that need to be repaired and put them in a pile to take to your tailor. Either donate or consign your edited items. In other words, when it comes to your closet, less is more.

2) Recycle your clothing.
According to the Council for Textile Recycling, Americans discard 11.9 million tons of clothing, shoes and textiles each year. Rather than throw that torn t-shirt in the trash, donate it to a group such as The Salvation Army or Goodwill, which sells such items to fabric recycling groups. Or, see if your item falls into a category of a few clever companies who have devised ways to bring items too shabby for donation full circle, keeping them out of landfills. One such company is Nike, who will accept athletic shoes of any brand, turning them into "Nike Grind," a material used in sports surfaces (basketball courts, running tracks) donated to children's organizations. Another is Patagonia - drop off used Patagonia or Polartec fleece garments at a Patagonia store or mail them to the company's service center, and they'll recycle the old fabrics into new clothing. Council for Textile Recycling www.weardonaterecycle.org                                                         Nike Reuse-A-Shoewww.nikereuseashoe.com                                                                     Patagonia Common Threads Garment Recycling www.patagonia.com/recycle

3) Use a greener dry cleaner.
Even better, try to avoid dry cleaning as much as possible. My clients have heard me lecture about the evils of conventional dry cleaning, as it is both bad for our clothes and the environment. The standard solvent is perchloroethylene (PERC), a central nervous system depressant that is listed as a hazardous air pollutant under the federal standards. I advise that clothing be immediately removed from the plastic bags, so the chemicals won't be held in and damage your clothing even further. However, the PERC will slowly be released into the air in your home. So the best solution is to ditch your conventional dry cleaner altogether. Spot clean or machine wash when you can, and if you must dry clean, a less toxic alternative is a GreenEarth dry cleaner, a silicone-based solvent used in modified dry-cleaning machines. To find a GreenEarth cleaner near you, go to www.greenearthcleaning.com.

4) Be material-istic.
Choosing eco-friendly fabrics is important not only to the environment but to your health. Take cotton, for example - you've seen all those commercials portraying cotton as the "feel good" fabric. Well, it's actually an environmental disaster. Growing conventional cotton is THE most pesticide-intensive process in the world. Only 3% of the world's farmland is used for growing cotton, yet conventional cotton uses about 24% of the world's insecticides and 11% of the world's pesticides (50 million lbs. in the US alone) - which permeate the air, damage the soil and seep into the water supply. All of those chemicals in the field translate to about a third of a cup of chemicals (which include such known cancer-causing agents as cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite and trifluralin) on your cute little cotton tee. So...opt for organic cotton, which is becoming more available in the marketplace. Other eco-friendly fabrics include silk, cashmere, linen and wool. (For green goods, visit Molly Green boutique in Homewood or check out www.greenwithglamour.com.)

5) Bag the shopping bags.
Shopping bags, both paper and plastic, are bigger environmental offenders than you realize. Recycle your bags and/or reuse them by taking your favorite one with you on your shopping trip for all your purchases. Even better (since many of those high-end bags are made of a laminate paper-plastic combo and cannot be recycled), give up bags completely and carry a chic tote in which to bag all of your buys.

Style Miss of the Week

Proving that stylists often have differing opinion, my take on Kristen Stewart's frock for the 2012 Kid's Choice Awards is that it is a definite miss. The Stella McCartney electric blue mini dress might suit someone else, but it is ill-fitting on Kristen: the sleeves are too long, bodice bunchy, and the high neckline and ribbon belt are unflattering to her boyish figure. Plus, the perfectly matching shoes are just that...too "matchh-matchy," bringing to mind bridesmaid dyables. (Did Kristen and the 10-year old in neon green behind her call each other the night before to coordinate?) The hue, which would work on someone with an olive skin tone, is not complimentary to Kristen's fair coloring. And as far as accessories go, the thumb ring has GOT to go. So sorry, Kristen, but this stylist finds your look to be lacking.

Ask Tracy: Spring nail polish

Q: What are the "in" nail polish colors for spring/summer? Can I wear trendy shades to the office?

A: It's easy being green this spring, as the freshly grown hue tops the season's trend in nail polish. Look for shades in mint (Revlon's Minted), pistachio (Essie's Navigate Her), and teal (Opi's Fly), which is green mixed with blue. On the opposite end of the spectrum, color expert Pantone's color of the year, Tangerine Tango, has inspired sunny shades from mod bright (Sephora by OPI's Paisley Attention To Me!) to coral (Sonia Kashuk's Tango Mango), which is orange mixed with red pigment. Also popular is layering sheer shades over opaque polish to add sparkle, opalescence or textured glitter (try Essie's Luxeffects or CND's Effects). These trendier shades tend to look more current on shorter nails, and a professional application is recommended - both techniques add sophistication. 

But keep in mind these shades are not suitable for all workplaces. Unless you work in fashion or another creative industry, which encourages being on the cutting edge, this look is too trendy. Especially if your office dress code is professional, you should opt for a more subtle shade and keep nails, saving edgy colors (even on toes) for the weekend or vacation. Fortunately, nude polish is also popular  - this year the shades are more skin tone than ballet slipper (try Zoya's Cho or Farrah), so just find one that best compliments your complexion.