What Heather's Wearing NOW!

Heather, my first What Not to Wear victim, is learning to mix and match her glorious wardrobe. Most of her pants are still being tailored (a must, ladies), but she's embracing the new -- but still very "Heather" -- look! Here's what she wore this week:A colorful printed top (a bit out of her fashion comfort zone but too chic to resist) with a high, defined waist, paired with dark trouser jeans and suede camel wedges. A basic, yet detailed (making it a bit more fashionable) knit brown tee with cotton khakis and brown patent leather flats. Heather had been wearing these pants with heels (in preparation for a flood?), but she learned about where your pants should hit your shoes (the hem should graze the bottom of the shoe's heel). Black 1960s-inspired swing sweater paired with a basic white tee, trouser jeans and the BARGAIN of our shopping experience: $20 Banana Republic heels (they were originally $120!).
Heather pulled off Friday casual chic in her gray twist-front shirt (that emphasizes the narrowest part of her torso), a red cami underneath (adding a pop of color) and jeans. Perfect!

Doesn't she look AWESOME?!

Stay tuned for some shopping FAQs about our What Not to Wear experience. And some tips for adding style and polish to your everyday wardrobe.

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Warning: This post may not be suitable for some husbands...

...or it may be just the kick in the pants your husband needs (ahem, CHRIS!).

SO, I've been working on a top secret DREAM JOB project for the past four months. I was "hired" by my friend Heather's AMAZING husband to host WHAT NOT TO WEAR for his very deserving wife.

Here's the thing about Heather -- she's gorgeous. BUT, like a lot of women who give birth, take care of their families and juggle work, church and family commitments, Heather needed to rediscover her personal style.

Her husband armed me with a wad of cash (literally a white envelope loaded with A LOT of money -- if you want to know the exact amount, e-mail me at heywickstroms@gmail.com) and we set up the ambush.

STEP 1: The Salon
Luckily, one of the clients Heather and I work with is a swanky Aveda Salon and Spa. With the help of our bosses, we set up a "client meeting." Upon arrival at the salon, Heather was faced with this:
Here's her fake smile and what-the-heck-is-going-on-here reaction shot (also, a "before" picture). Before she could run in the opposite direction (trust me -- she almost did!), we whisked her away for a spa pedicure/manicure.
Next on the agenda: hair. I wanted Heather to have a low-maintenance but sophisticated style. We evened out her length and gave her subtle layers. Then we framed her stunning face with a short fringe of side-swept bangs.
STEP 2: The Shopping
The night before our ambush, I pre-shopped and put clothes on hold for Heather. This allowed us to hit more stores in a short amount of time and gave us a strong start to our two-day extravaganza.

Our goal was to find great-fitting basics to serve as the building blocks of a mix-and-match wardrobe. Heather was a trooper, trying on everything I could throw at her. And drinking up (okay, maybe being force-fed) my constant instruction about fit, color, fabric, texture, neutrals and pulling an outfit together.
By the end of day one, we had the start of a great new wardrobe and still some cash left over.
STEP 3: Taking Out the Trash
After two intense (and exhausting) days of shopping, we headed back to Heather's house for an old-fashioned CLOSET GUTTING. First we emptied every article of clothing from her closet. Then we tried on the clothes and talked about fit and quality. Many items were sacrificed to the black plastic hefty gods.
My favorite sacrificial items: the man shoes (as worn by me). I thought these were her husband's! Next we began building outfits, mixing her new wardrobe with the items that survived the trashing. I laid out her pants and showed her how to mix her tops to make chic and interesting outfits. Here's me, sweaty and tired (and rocking red lips), but still firing off fashion advice!
We added pops of color to her business wardrobe. We talked about ways to pump up her casual looks from slubby polo and faded jeans, to flattering tees, layering pieces and updated denim. We even walked through the fine art of picking neutral colors and patterns and using them to their fullest advantage.
STEP 4: Made Over!
At the end of the day, we created an entire wardrobe full of new pieces to highlight, flatter and draw attention to Heather's innate natural beauty.

Our shopping list included:

- a chic hobo bag
- a pair of trouser jeans
- 7 pairs of work-appropriate trousers
- 8 layering tanks and tees
- 5 blouses
- 4 cardigans
- 5 pull-over sweaters
- 2 jackets
- a dress
- 5 pairs of shoes
- a pair of earrings

Here's one of Heather's chic ensembles, a classic Jackie O-inspired jacket paired with tailored black slacks.

Stay tuned during the next couple of weeks for daily outfits from Heather's What Not to Wear makeover.

Oh and husbands, call me. Wait. That sounds awkward. What I'm trying to say is give your wife the gift she's dying for -- a bucket full of money to buy clothes and shoes. And let me be the one to help her!

And Chris -- yes, please!

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but what are YOU wearing?

By now we're all WELL aware of the extent of my narcissism. And although I promise this is a science experiment, FORCING ME to wear more of my clothes, you can think whatever you like (as long as it's complimentary toward me).

It won't surprise you to discover I have SUPER stylish friends. What's more, they send me lovely, illustrative e-mail messages, like the one your about to read.

So now it's your turn. Friends (or blog happener-uponers), I'M TALKING TO YOU! Send me pictures (camera phone quality encouraged) and an outfit recap and YOU TOO can share your style with the ENTIRE WORLD (or at least those who frequent this, the most fabulous corner of the interweb).

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This morning we went to an organic dairy farm with my family (2 sisters are in town visiting with their kids), so the urban cowgirl within was calling. This morning I put together an ensemble that just might be experiment worthy and on a budget that I must say is one of my personal bests.

- grey Calvin Klein "wrangler" style jeans ($10 at the outlets)
- non-chunky Dr. Marten brown leather boots with wrap around leather straps and tassel ($50 in NYC)
- dusty blue fitted v-neck H&M sweater ($10)
- crushed suede brown leather jacket ($20 at a discount store in Vienna)

The picture doesn't do the outfit justice, especially since the jacket hides the cutest part of the jeans (the pockets), but you get the idea. Humor me at least! You should get some level of satisfaction knowing that your blog is inspiring women across the country to put a little more thought into their outfits each morning!
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Kels,

You are one HOTTTT Tamale! Talk about BANG FOR THE BUCK! Your endorsement check is in the mail.

xoxo,
Bec

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