Sharon Haver – FocusOnStyle.com

MY BLOG:

STYLE YOUR SUCCESS, LIVE YOUR DREAM...


The FocusOnStyle Blog
Helping You + Your Business Get Out There!

Make it your business to live your dream…

 

I inadvertently started my blog during my infant son’s nap time back in 1999… before the term ‘blog’ was even popular.

Through it all, I believe…

Your style is your fingerprint in all that you do… it’s how you see the world + how the world perceives you.

 

The blog archives go back to the beginning and are updated regularly.  You’ll find 1,000’s of posts about modern business, branding, positioning, marketing, photos, fashion, style, beauty, lifestyle… and most importantly, how to do anything authentically. Enjoy!

The Blog Posts...

Pantyhose and Sandals, Oh My

Pantyhose and Sandals, Oh My Urgent, I need to know if you can wear open toed shoes with nylons for a nice evening out in the city. -Nutty Over Nylons (San Francisco, CA) If I had a coin for every time someone asked me some version of the same "pantyhose with sandals" conundrum I would have enough money for a lifetime supply of different Manolo's for every day of the week! Sheer nude hose worn with very open toe shoes or sandals looks weird. A small peek-a-boo open toe shoe looks fine when worn with hosiery. Bare feet and a perfect pedicure are best with sandals. Tip: if you need the support of pantyhose and you're wearing pants, hack the

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Screwed the Bet, Forced to Cross Dress

Screwed the Bet, Forced to Cross Dress Hi, um... I have a small problem. My name is Tom. I'm 18 and I, um, made a bet that the Michigan Wolverines were going to beat the Tennessee Volunteers in football. Well, it got out of hand and I either pay $250 all around or live like a woman for a week- panties, bra, makeup… the whole thing. I don't have $500 so I'll go with the woman thing. I need advice. I'm not asking friends because I want to keep it between us three guys. Please help me. -Dragged to Drag (Franklin, TN) Sweetness, there are two things you must keep in mind: 1) The only sure thing is that most

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Tricks to Look Trim. Hide the Winter 5!

Tricks to Dress to Look Trim. Look Slim Now with tips to hide winter weight gain. Dear Sharon: Okay, I admit it, I have put on my winter layer of flubbery fat. It's not as if I'm a whole size bigger, it's just that my clothes suddenly pull and cling in a rather unflattering way. My question is, how can I hide these five pounds with clothing (without expanding my wardrobe, so to speak) when I know the weight will come off by spring? - Pants Runneth Over (West Bloomfield, MI)   Dear Pants Runneth Over: Did you say stash the wide whale? Corduroy that is! Most of us do put on a bit of pudge in the winter and it

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Bitten By Design…

Label Queen, Why Are You So Mean? Bitten By Design, Label Queen, Why Are You So Mean? So, what's with those itchy, scratchy labels that bite you in the neck, prick you at the waist, and rage ravage on your fly? Gone, for the most part, are days of silky designer labels, gently crossed-stitched into a garment so delicately that you almost shed a tear when one of its tiny threads begins to dishevel. In its place are labels with sharp, jutting fangs that Nosferatu would envy. Why did a classic black dress turn into a film noir classic? Penny pinching! The apparel industry uses less expensive polyester material for 75% to 80% of all labels found in mass-market stores,

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Men in Hose- Love It or Leave It

Re: Men in Hose- Love It or Leave It. RE: Men in Hose- Love It or Leave It Thanks Sharon for your open-minded comments about men's hosiery. There are many men, including myself, who wear hosiery for comfort, support and looks. Several hosiery manufacturers now offer products for men. Nylon & lycra are soft, man-made fabrics that feel very smooth to the skin, unlike rougher wools & cottons that men traditionally have had no choice but to wear. Whoever said these fabrics were strictly limited to women? In my opinion, hosiery works equally well for men and women (we both have legs) and men should not be intimidated to adopt some clothing that has been traditionally, in the last century

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Put Words In Your Mouth…

How to Say Thank You Oh, you remember thank you notes- they are one of the things that etiquette experts harp about and just the things that leave linguistic acrobats in a flutter. Well, now there's no excuse to procrastinate about writing a witty and meaningful thank you. Stylething from Focus On Style, the latest trends, hippest ideas, coolest things in beauty, fashion, and style. If it's hot right now, it's a Stylething! Someone gave you a gift. Someone went the extra line. Someone is just wonderful. Well, say thanks darn it!!! No, no, not those mumbled words in passing. Not even an instant replay of Steve Martin's famous "Nooo, thaaaaank yooooooooou" skit. Something more worthy of another's thoughtfulness… yeah,

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In the Diaper Bag…

Do's for the Stylish New Mom Listen up funky mama, who's toting the bag? It's about you, not Pooh! So, don't forsake your personal style when it comes to schlepping, diapers, wipies, pacifiers, bottles, bibs, toys, and a little book. As if a brand-new baby won't rock your world, what happens when, suddenly, you go from looking cool, stylish, and collected to a land of putrid pastels? You lose a big sense of yourself, that's what! Listen up funky mama, who's toting the bag? It's about you, not Pooh! So, don't forsake your personal style when it comes to schlepping, diapers, wipies, pacifiers, bottles, bibs, toys, and a little book. Enhance your style with the new breed of diaper bags

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The ‘Roids That Rule…

Wallet-Sized Photos in a Snap The Polaroid Mio Instant Camera camera snaps wallet-sized instant photos that can easily be stashed between your credit cards and business cards. Stop feeling stupid because you don't have a photo of your precious darling to yank out of your wallet and show the forced to be admiring crowd. Not everyone can get it together to make little wallet-friendly photos and, face it, it's just not cool to schlep around a mini-photo album. But Polaroid[/link] took away the shame in not being able to share. The Polaroid Mio Instant Camera snaps wallet-sized instant photos that can easily be stashed between your credit cards and business cards- they're so sleek that even grandmamá may want to

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Tipping Etiquette In A Hair Salon

Tipping Etiquette In A Hair Salon What's an appropriate tip for a stylist who highlights your hair that takes about 2-3 hours? (Hutchinson, MN) t' not about the time it takes, it's about the bill. But, of course, the extra effort should be a tipping consideration. It's safe to say that a 15 -20 % gratuity for service in a hair salon is standard. In high-end salons or urban areas, a 20% tip is more the norm. If two stylists are working on your hair, each should get a 10% tip. The person who washes your hair, or an assistant, should be tipped between two and five dollars. Technically, the owner of a salon should not expect a tip, but

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Fake Fur, Real Style

Ride the Furry Fashion Trend Fur is gorgeous… no doubt about it! We just prefer looking at it on the backs of the critters from whence it came.How can you ride the trend of great, big furry hats, mile-long minkish boas, Mad Max inspired shaggy vests, or decadent high-pile fuzzy bed throws and still muster virtue in your vanity? Fake it, baby! Fur is gorgeous… no doubt about it! We just prefer looking at it on the backs of the critters from whence it came. How can you ride the trend of great, big furry hats, mile-long minkish boas, Mad Max inspired shaggy vests, or decadent high-pile fuzzy bed throws and still muster virtue in your vanity? Fake it, baby!

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Booty Call The Best Boots To Update Your Wardrobe And How To Wear Them

Classic Cut Dear Sharon: I love calf-high and just below the knee boots. What outfits do these look best with? Can we still tuck in our jeans? Help me out! -- Absolutely Bootabulous (Curtice, OH) Dear Absolutely Bootabulous: What can't you wear with boots this season?!? The right pair of boots is a sure-fire wardrobe picker-upper like no other. Living in fear of what outfit looks best with a boot is dressing without any spirit of personal style. Expand your options- add contrast to flimsy, flirty dresses with a lace-up boot, continue a sleek monochromatic line of a sheath dress with a sculpted heel knee-high boot, or vamp up schoolgirl pleats with a hacked-off booty and great tights.No wardrobe should

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Big Date Hair…

How To Glam Up In No Time Big Date Hair by top hairstylist Charles Worthington - Stylething at Focus On Style Fudge puppies! How could you possibly not realize that today wast-h-e day???!!! Don't get your tresses in a tangle… pick up a book and find out how to have impact-making, glamorous hair in a snap! A book, you ask! Aren't all hair how-to books full of fancy-pants, self-important hairdresser tips that only an ambidextrous octopus could master on her own??? Well, you can toss that cute chapeau away. Look at Big Date Hair- part of the Dream Hair series- by London hair guru Charles Worthington. Part funky cartoons, part gorgeous photographs, all how-to… this book follows the paths of

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Neckline for Broad Shoulders

Neckline for Broad Shoulders What type of neckline will compliment broad shoulders? (Willows, CA) A nice healthy set of strong shoulders absolutely makes clothes fall better. But, when healthy starts to veer to overpowering, a bit of clothing camouflage is in order. To create the illusion of a more balanced silhouette, opt for necklines that bring the eye down, like a simple V-neck or open shirt collar. Accessories, like the very of the moment, long oblong scarf will also compliment broad shoulders. Avoid boatnecks, puffed sleeves, or heavy shoulder pads that will only add width. -November 26, 2001

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