casual

Mommy Chic: Easy style stay at home mom clothes- YES, you can wear yoga pants!

Stay at home mom
Ok, not too old  for one of our 15th anniversary online posts, but rather important in honor of Mother's  Day. Yes, ladies you can look pulled together when you have a super casual lifestyle. have read with this week's Mommy Chic post. -S.H. What to wear when all the moms are fashion plates. Let's discover stay at home mom clothes for a mom who is is changing schools and feels the need to compete with the new moms in town. I hope you don't judge me on this but I feel like I'm being judged and need wardrobe help on my stay at home mom clothes. I'm a stay at home mom and really love that. We've relocated and my daughter

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Stylist Advice on how French women look chic in flats & you can too!

One of the many Bonus Expert Interviews in my C'est Chic Crash Course is on the topic of how to master Parisian Chic Anywhere! A key element to French chic style is giving up the heels here & there and wearing flats. But "their" flats never look frumpy or dumpy. So I pulled up this post on how French women look chic in flats and thought it was the perfect time to revisit the style advice. Whether you're a Francophile or not, we bet you've wondered how French women look chic in flats, and so has our latest reader's inquiry...  Dear Sharon:  I've been wearing flats again since they've come in and out of fashion over the past few years but I've yet

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What to wear when you work from home AND a peek at my office. Here’s some stylist advice

This week's look back post to celebrate the 15th anniversary of FocusOnStyle online, tackles the conundrum I face every day and you may too if you are an entrepreneur... what to wear when you work from home. Ya know, how to pull yourself together when no on really sees you and you still need to feel both great about yourself and comfy. Besides, get it together in a flash for when you need to look professional on a Skype or a fast meeting. I've been deep with my team working on the bountiful (I over delivered 10x) assets for the C'est Chic Crash Course (you've signed up to join me, right?) and have to admit that I've been spending a lot of

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French Chic at a Certain Age: Man-Tailored Jackets in the way Ines de la Fressange works them

Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012 - Chanel
Oh la la... I'm shooting another segment for the C'es Chic Crash Course and so much is going on here on FoS. It's a triple threat for this week's Summer Spotlight of Ageless Style + highlights  from FocusOnStyle's Best of 15th Anniversary online, PLUS, Day Three of the three-part FoS series Ageless, Age-Appropriate French Chic At A Certain Age. Master this style: How to pull off classic man-tailored  jacket like Ines de la Fressange's tuxedo and school boy looks Wearing a jacket can get a bit tricky. If you're busty, you end up looking boxy (wear it open). If the jacket is too conservative, you just added 10 years to your appearance and, worse, the aura of being inflexible and boring (avoid anything

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How To Find Your Style…

The timeless man-tailored elegance from Ralph Lauren
For this week's 15th Anniversary online post, let's look back at this double-header style motivation post on FocusOnStyle from 1999 on how to find your style. If chic style is what you're after, I can help you redifine what chic is for you in my C'est Chic Crash Course. I hope you'll join me. How to find your style can be perplexing. But not if you simplify what you need to know to look great… Two-Up For Something New: Stymied For Style and Fashion Puzzle [dropcap]D[/dropcap]ear Sharon: I've just switched careers and aside from the obvious more casual dress code, I am having some daily doldrums regarding my appearance. Everything from makeup (or the lack thereof) to the horrific amount

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Is There An Appropriate Dress Length For An Older Woman

This week's look back at one of FocusOnStyle's 15th Anniversary stylist advice posts takes into account the old addage of just becuase you could doesn't mean you should. As gorgeous and as in impeccable shape that you may be, knowing when and when not to flaunt it all, and how much, can be key in putting your best look forward. --S.H. Can I wear a short skirt at 57? I recently purchased a casual knit dress via mail order. I love this dress! The fit and soft purple wine color is great on my average size figure. My problem-- the dress is about 2" above my knees. Can a woman my age wear a shorter dress? If so, should I

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On Trend- How To Wear White Right a la Gwyneth Paltrow and Kelly Rutherford

For this week's 15th Anniversary of FocusOnStyle online, and in honor of the warmer weather (finally!), let's revisit timeless tips on how to wear white BEFORE the old adage of waiting for Labor Day. I don't know about you, but looking light & brght is tops on my list after this wicked winter. Postcript: since the writing of this post, I know own a couple more white coats! --S.H.   >> RELATED: White Clothing Care Tips- You Don’t Have To Marry the Drycleaner (if you don’t want too)  I'll Have What She's Having: White clothing tips to not look like a bride, a nurse, or the Good Humor man! According to old school fashion rules, Memorial Day is the official time to finally break

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Sneak ahead with the comfort sneaker shoe trend now at couture too

Oh, my! Sneakers shown with dress clothes at couture... that's Chanel haute couture, and not Juicy! The women's comfort sneaker trend is going strong as just witnessed at the latest Paris couture shows, but do you know how to look chic in comfort shoes and put together? (Rather than the opposite which can be kinda schleppy, to say the least) Look from the Spring-Summer Haute Couture collection photographed by Karl Lagerfeld. via Chanel-News It's official, wearing a sneaker in style should no longer be left to the street stars as even Karl Lagerfeld sent a parade of models out clad in comfortable shoes at the recent Chanel Couture show. Now the ball is in your court when it comes to passing up

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Dress Up an everyday jacket, from the must-have motorcycle to a basic blazer

Dress Up an everyday jacket, and you too can be red carpet ready in one of your favorite go-to toppers Holiday party season is quickly coming upon us & we might not want to buy a one off outfit. Why not take a spin on something that you can style infinite ways? Let's take inspiration from what these A+ fashion starts wore to the 'Mademoiselle C' premiere recently, both singer Ciara and fashion titan Carine Roitfeld donned their own takes on dressing up what could be considered an everyday jacket. >>DISCOVER: Age-Appropriate leather jackets and how to shop & wear one As you can see, both opted top their head-to-toe black outfits with jackets that are casual enough to be

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The Ugly Shoe Guide: The comfort shoe trend is going strong! Check out the Birkenstock influence at Celine and more

Fugly to some, chic + cool for the rest! The Birkenstock comfort ugly shoe trend is one Spring 2014 runway highlight to take advantage of this season & the next  It's all a matter of how you put together this runaround trend. Call it a rerun, but for the moment we're calling it a homerun where comfort is key. And if you were around the first time, we can only imagine your collective gasp at the thought of the Birkenstock sandal, that quintessential 90's era shoe going high fashion. But it's true, they're back, and most importantly maybe not a bad option after years of skyhigh heels dominating the runways. Looking for French Chic style tips? Right this way with

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Do you want the perfect way to dress up jeans? Try classic plaid!

I'll Have What She's Having: Cozy and casual chic plaid that's the perfect way to dress up  jeans Sometimes dressing up is really a spin on what could be dressing down. Truth be told, I love plaid. Especially red plaid. Always have. My vintage Geoffrey Beene red plaid coat may come out of retirement soon. For me, plaid runs the gambit from my collection of cowgirl chic western shirts to classic American sportswear iterations, like my Geoffrey Beene vintage red plaid coat, pictured left, that I may just pull out and wear again. Aside from its classic heritage, plaid is VERY much on trend this season.  What it does best is dress up your jeans in a snap. Just look at the

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How to wear booties + what summer boots to transition to fall

Verena Kerth attends Herlitz during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014
I'll Have What She's Having: Not too hot, not too cold summer boots + how to wear booties off-season I know, I know. It's getting to that time where you want to wear something new but you're still settled in the final days of summer (can you believe how fast it flew by?) and not quite up to investing in more warm weather clothing. Surely, it's still too sunny to think fall. So what to wear? Summer boots, the kind that can transition to fall have your name written all over it! Low heel ankle booties have been on the radar for a few seasons (thank you Isabel Marant & all those Parisian girls), and don't seem to be losing

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Celebrities in jeans looking normal- no big woot, just as it is

Sarah Jessica Parker wearing Level 99 Janice Ultra Skinny jeans
I'll Have What She's Having: Shazam, I have it already! Everyday style inspiration by way of Sarah Jessica Parker, Charlize Theron, Jessica Alba and Katherine Heigel You gotta love the headline, "Celebrities in jeans looking normal" because rather than oohing and ahhing about a fantasy gown or talking about their bodily (im)perfections, let's look at what celebrities wear when they are just being normal. Duhhh, it looks a lot like us. >> MORE: Jeans See, it takes some tzuj to get all aspirational and starlike. During the day, while running errands, having Mommy time, or simply working from home, these "big" names look pretty dang normal. Doesn't that make you feel better? SJP in Level 99 Twisted Seam Tomboys in Crater

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