I am so excited to introduce you to my good friend, wardrobe assistant, and Stella & Dot stylist, Kitty!
She is one of my favourite fashionistas with a super sense of style. She knows just what to put together to make some gorgeous outfits! With her stylish advice she has gotten me out of a rut more than a few times.
The other night we sat down together to talk fashion and beauty and accessories, and she gave me some great info, encouragement and tips to share with you.
What is it about beauty and fashion that you enjoy?
I always had a lot of acne as a teenager and was very self conscious about my skin, so I was into skin care. I would try to find the perfect makeup for acne scars and learning that those things are just a cover up, and true beauty comes from God. For fashion, trying to adorn yourself to boost self esteem is just external. As I matured, I understood that beauty and fashion can help people with their professional image and give a boost in confidence as well, to look polished, put together.
It’s also about finding your own style, and pieces that would help you to do every day, whether you’re a mom, student, working professional, just finding your own style . What’s comfy, effortless, yet looks nice. Dressing nicely should not be a chore. That’s a very important thing, because a lot of times it seems like dressing presentably is a chore and not fun.
What advice would you give to others in regards to building an effortless wardrobe?
Finding what works for them. TAKE THE TIME TO TRY THINGS ON! If you don’t try it on you never know! Or you might really like a piece but it doesn’t look good on you. If the cut of the shirt is wrong for you, it won’t look nice on! Ask other people. Ask your husband, boyfriend, best friend, because they will know what looks good on you as well. Look for what gives you confidence. Sometimes you just need to go out of your box – out of the baggy sweat shirts and pants, try that fitted shirt and see if it works!
For jewelry, find some pieces that are basic. Determine what looks best on your skin tone (gold, silver, or other metals). You can buy a lot of pieces, but if they’re not cute or a lot of effort to pair with an outfit you’re not going to wear them.
Try mixing and matching some accessory pieces together to see how they work together. Layering works for jewelry as well as clothing!
Do you have any tips for styling for the upcoming summer season?
So this season it’s about a lot of bright colours. Traditionally you would only layer brights on white or dark, but now it’s layering brights on bright. So don’t be afraid to layer your neon yellow with oranges, hot pink, or green! A pop of colour is a great way to spice up your wardrobe, whether you do it in a beautiful mixed print scarf or turquoise earrings.
Coloured jeans are also hot right now – try mint green or lavender purple for some beautiful colours.
You can also tone down your outfit with neutrals. Layering again! Get pieces you can wear separately or together for an arm party.
Remember – its ok to layer and mix metals. Jewelry can really make or break an outfit. You can be wearing no jewelry and when you put a piece on it totally changes the look.
Tell me a little bit about what got you interested in Stella & Dot?
Right away the jewelry caught my eye, and I do love jewelry! Then I found out from my friend, who is a Stella & Dot stylist, that working with them is a great part or full time job opportunity. It offers women flexibility and chances to style their lives. It’s super easy to start up and maintain and its fun because you get to meet other women, earn some extra cash – every little bit helps! You also get to help people find styles that would help them to pull together an effortless look.
And the jewelry is super cute! They have also recently started carrying some really cool bags – and who doesn’t love a great bag as an accessory!
What happens at a Stella & Dot Trunk Show?
First, gather your girlfriends. I’ll bring my jewelry, scarves, bags and other accessories, and we’ll have a fun “ultimate personal styling experience”. Stella & Dot has something for everyone!
You’ll have an opportunity to touch and feel the pieces, try them on, and your stylist will help you find the look that flatters you, ones that you can wear everyday, or for special occasions. SEEING how one piece of jewelry can give you a different look, or be worn different ways, begins to open up whole new possibilities.
When you host a trunk show, you will have access to some pretty sweet exclusive offers, products and discounts. At Stella & Dot we love to spoil our hostesses! You can also earn free and half-off accessrories for hosting a trunk show.
Now for the bonus – a giveaway! Tell me a little bit about this great bag.
This bag is called “How Does She Do It”. It is one of my favourite bags from Stella & Dot! It is very versatile and comes in a few different styles. Whether you use it as a carryall, or snapped down into a satchel, it is great for every day use or traveling.
It can also be worn different ways, and it’s the perfect size for a laptop or to use as a diaper bag. There are also a lot of fun little extra details – charm detailing, beautiful liners, leather straps. And of course who doesn’t love the internal water bottle pocket!
Kitty, thanks so much for sharing some great tips, ideas and products with us – not to mention this fabulous bag for the giveaway! In closing, how important is quality to you when choosing accessories?
Very! I would definitely choose quality over quantity. Quality is very important because a lot of the time it affects the way it falls on you. Or, if you buy a cheap bag, if you use it every day, it will break in a few weeks. The lining will start to fade, the edges will fray. But a good quality bag used every day will last you a long time.
Enter to win the How Does She Do It bag from Stella & Dot!
*Giveaway open only to residents of the Greater Toronto Area*
