A New Spring in Your Step: It's Not so Bloomin' Hard

As a wardrobe stylist and image consultant, I
have many clients who have either been through a divorce or are currently going
through one. I also
have clients who are starting a new career or entering a new stage in their
lives. I treat them
all the same.  Going
through any change in your life beckons a “soul-searching” process, it allows for re-invention.
I want to start by telling a story about a
client of mine who is a dating consultant.  One day my client was throwing a
seminar and invited me to fill a seat in the audience.  She claimed I might find it
quite interesting.  As I sat and listened to the stories of dates gone badly, I realized that
I was in a room full of woman and men that were STUCK in their current situations.  What was the common denominator I
thought?  As I looked around, I noticed
woman and men trapped  in a time warp
with their hair, make-up and clothing.  I
felt that I held the key to help all these people get un-stuck.  The only problem was how do I sit in the back
of the room and pass out business cards to all these people in need of some
wardrobe services....  “Hi my name is
Katrina, and I am a wardrobe consultant and I can help you.”  I don’t think this would’ve gone over so
well.  I might as well give them a ticket
and performed citizen’s arrests.  It was
at this seminar that I also realized that there is so much more that goes into
the healing process before someone can actually get back into the game of
dating. 
Assuming you are ready to get things moving
along, I start by asking you this question.  What is in your
closet?  Do you look
into your closet and get completely overwhelmed.  Are you scrambling to find
something to wear every time you get dressed?  How many outfits do you have
hanging on your treadmill?  The key to stress-free dressing is to get your closet in
order.  I recommend
buying a coat rack and spending the day pulling everything out of your closet….a
cleansing of the wardrobe, if I may. 

After you have pulled everything out, I now
ask that you go through every piece of clothing one-by-one.  I know that this is a tedious undertaking, (which is why people hire me to do this for them), but you will be amazed at what you have been hanging on to all these years.  Whatever remains on that rack
will now need close examining. 
Is the clothing in good shape?  Is there visible wear and
tear?  Is the
clothing current?  At
this point, you will try really hard to convince yourself that whatever is out
of date, will eventually come back. 
Don’t do that! 
Whatever is out of date will come back, but it won’t come
back the way you have it hanging in your closet. 

You have the opportunity to re-invent yourself after a divorce, why not do
the same for your personal style.  
You have to make sure that you are comfortable (not in an
elastic waist pant kind of way), but in a confident way.   Are you wearing heels for the
first time in your life and can’t walk in them?  Are you trying to portray
something you are not?  In order to be confident in what you are wearing, you cannot completely
throw your own personal style away. 
You need to just create a more –refined version of
yourself.   Examine
your personal style and start by asking yourself if you make a good first
impression. 
How do you know whether or not you make a good
first impression?  The sad reality of dating is, no matter how many cookies you make for the
senior center or how many inner-city kids you mentor your first impression will
make or break your date.  Going on a date now, will be completely different then what it what it
was before you were married. 
You are a different person, and what was acceptable to do
and wear before, may have expired by now.


A refreshed wardrobe and pinning down your
first impression are both ways to get yourself in the game.  Once you have established your
winning style, you will feel good about yourself and will carry yourself in a
whole new way that will even leave you impressed.
My philosophy as an image consultant is to
treat every day as a dress rehearsal.   
I believe that no matter what you do, the minute you leave
your home you are the main actor of your life and the show must go
on.    Take care of
yourself.  Make sure
that your hair is fresh and your make-up is subtle.  A natural face is much better
than a completely over-made-up face. 
Make sure that your clothes are presentable; this means no
wear and tear, stains and wrinkles. 



Remember…..you are not looking to change
who you are, you just want a new and improved version of yourself.


Katrina Bischoff,stylist/wardrobe consultant/personal
shopper
A-dresstheissue.com 
kitkat1012@optonline.net"

Katrina's
experience includes work in the PR department of Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills managing in-store events,
designer appearances and fashion shows. Additionally, her responsibilities have included work
with the media. Her experience includes working closely with
Neiman's "studio services" group styling outfits for model
shoots, magazine covers, and the entertainment industry.