Situation:

My client was ending her long time career as a freelance consultant and transitioning into an entrepreneur. She needed clothes to show that she was a serious business professional while she was networking that she could change out of quickly when she had to switch into yoga or surfing instructor mode.

Challenge:

As a water baby who always has her feet in the sand, my challenge is to create a wardrobe that works with her lifestyle but still looks ‘put together’ even right after she gets out of the ocean. She never knows who she might meet as a potential client or partner on the beach or around town and wants to look her best at all times.

At the same time, she can’t really wear suits, business clothes or look too ‘businessy’ since she owns an active lifestyle business and conducts much of her networking and business in an ocean setting or yoga studio.

Solution:

This was actually a pretty simple solution. I found a new collection of skirts, cute dressy pull-over shirts, sexy flat sandals and simple cotton jackets. When she gets out of the water, she can simply pull one of her skirts and shirts on over her swimsuit and she immediately looks like a business owner instead of a casual surfer chick. Because most of her wardrobe items are cotton, they are washable and will dry quickly in the sun.

Now that she has released her clunky Birkenstocks and added a few pairs of cute feminine sandals, she is now light years ahead of her old casual chunky style!

Her business is thriving and I am so proud of her. Check out her school and philosophy at Mary’s website.

What My Client Said:

Hi Kathi,

Thank you so much for all your help! I can’t tell you how excited I am about our shopping adventure.

I had a session with a client yesterday evening and the first thing she said was “oh my god, you look great!” – just a few changes can make such a huge impact!

I can’t tell you the difference I feel with my new wardrobe – it’s so fun to have something cool and creative to wear every day, what an amazing change!

Mary McGibbons-Craft

Waves of Change

This extremely busy and successful writer loves to do yoga and had a very casual appearance even in her work place. Her sandals, casual cotton and yoga attire did not reflect  how really talented she is. She holds a very prestigious job as a writer for a well-known and respected celebrity.

This was her daily image before her makeover:

My mission was to glam her up a bit and give her clothes that were as easy and comfortable to wear every day as her yoga clothes. This way, she could run out the door in a hurry, work long hours and still look like she spent a lot of time getting ready for the world each morning.

We changed her hair a bit so that it was easier to maintain and found clothes that were literally ‘throw and go’ dresses and other easy to match pieces. Getting rid of the ankle straps on her sandals elongated her legs and added height to her stature. Now she is just as comfortable as before the makeover but appears much more polished with the same amount of effort as before.