Ep.33 A Fashion Expert Weighs-In

"Fashion is like art. It means something different to everyone," says Deborah Sorlie, a former Nordstrom show coordinator and personal shopper.  What could be more fun than wrapping up 2022 than talking about fashion and the latest trends for spring? 

Deborah Sorlie is now a personal stylist and wardrobe consultant, who has a large Instagram following.  She is very passionate about helping midlife women feel more confident in embracing their age.  I love her clean, classic style and her mission to push aside ageism.

In this episode Deborah and I discuss:
-The basics every woman needs
-Cleaning out the closet
-Hot trends for spring 2023 
-Color trends - Pantone color of the year is Viva Magenta
-Shoe and boots 
-Fast fashion

Deborah loves Herbal Face Food plant-based products for her skin care routine.   She is particularly fond of the the Serum and The Cure.  She is not a company spokesperson.

You can follow Deborah Sorlie at:
https://deborahsorlie.com/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/deborahsorlie/

I am a huge fan of Revaree for vaginal dryness, and I have been a very happy customer for almost two years!
Check out all Bonafide's sexual health and wellness products at https://hellobonafide.com/
Use discount code AFAF25 at checkout for 25% off on any subscription purchase.

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*Transcripts are done with AI and may not be perfectly accurate.

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Transcript

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

trend, wear, fashion, closet, spring, deborah, put, people, instagram, brands, waist, love, talk, boots, shear, life, color, called, fun, ruffle, midlife, women

Unknown Speaker  0:00  
When I began this podcast back in May, I really wasn't sure how long I would be doing the show. According to one of my podcast guests, the average podcast only lasts seven episodes. Well, we are 34 shows in. And not only have we lasted beyond seven episodes, asking for a friend is ranked in the top 5% of podcasts globally, in less than eight months. The support of you the listeners means so much to me. You've been engaged and brave to ask questions of our guest experts. You have shared the show with your friends and your families. And you have found us on social media, I do have a favor to ask. Please rate and review the show when possible on your favorite podcast platform. This really does help us find more listeners. Your followers on Instagram and Facebook are also very much appreciated. I'm already hard at work planning shows for 2023 and excited about the topics that we're going to share. But please let me know what you would like me to cover on future episodes. I love getting input, and it keeps us relevant and current for our listeners. Thank you again for listening and supporting asking for a friend. From our editor Kelly and me, we appreciate you and we'll see you in the new year. Health, Wellness, career, relationships and everything in between. We're removing the taboo from what really matters in midlife. I'm your host Michele Folan. And this is asking for a friend. Welcome to the show everyone as we wrap up 2022. With this final episode, I wanted to do something fun. And what is more fun than talking fashion and trends. Our special guest today is a former Nordstrom fashion show coordinator and personal shopper who is now a personal stylist and wardrobe consultant. Not only do I love Deborah swirlies, clean, classic style, but she is also very passionate about helping women feel more confident in embracing their age. Welcome to the show, Deborah.

Unknown Speaker  2:32  
Oh, thank you for having me. I'm so honored to be here to talk to you about fashion.

Unknown Speaker  2:37  
Oh, I am so excited to have you here. I've been wanting to do a show on fashion for quite some time. I also think that you can be a great inspiration to other midlife women, because I think you're doing some really neat things with your social media presence as well. I want to find out a little bit more about you and your background and your family and where you're from, oh,

Unknown Speaker  3:00  
well, I grew up in Pennsylvania. My education. My background is in art. I was an art teacher for time. Speaking of all of the elements that come together and pull you into where you are today. That art background has tremendously helped me with my career in fashion. I grew up there. And then in my 20s, I moved to Park City, Utah, and then met my husband there. And then we moved to California. And we've been in San Diego over many years. It's considered home to be right now and we love it here.

Unknown Speaker  3:34  
That's great. And you have kids?

Unknown Speaker  3:36  
I do I have a 29 year old son and a 26 year old daughter, and they're both thriving young adults and so happy for both of them. They're doing what they love to do. And they both are somewhat involved in the arts as well. I'm really proud of them. Oh, that's

Unknown Speaker  3:51  
great. That's interesting that your art background has really been a big influence in what you do today and helps you with that aesthetic because I think there is a real aesthetic to fashion.

Unknown Speaker  4:03  
Absolutely everything I learned for instance, Color Theory sculpture, I loved graphic arts, painting, all of that combined who is involved in the textures of fabrics and how they go with other colors. It just translated itself so easily into fashion. It was just a natural for me to move in this direction for my life.

Unknown Speaker  4:24  
The other thing too is now that your personal style consultant for people, you have a website, you can actually do a lot of this virtually now.

Unknown Speaker  4:36  
COVID put a kibosh on so many things for so many people out there, virtually you can do it, especially when I'm editing a wardrobe. It's absolutely possible. However, I love going in and seeing the fabrics and how they fit the client and how they are up against each other natural light. It's always better when it's in real life. But absolutely that can be done virtually as a matter of fact act, my sister just called me we're going to FaceTime tomorrow because she's going on a little getaway. And she wants to know what to wear. And I'm like, let's do it, it's absolutely easy to do it that way too.

Unknown Speaker  5:12  
And that's fun. Yeah, but you would also really benefit from getting into someone's closet, oh, it's not just seeing the new stuff. It's seeing what their base wardrobe looks like,

Unknown Speaker  5:23  
exactly the in real life thing. And you see how they react to when they pull out an item. And I can tell, they don't really like it. So we talked about it, or they don't want to get rid of it. And it's obvious that maybe they should, it's a very, very emotional thing for that person trying to go through their wardrobe. And I always tell them, This is why you need a third person, because that third person isn't attached to those clothes, and we can see them for what they are on you. It's just sometimes it's a relief to fill up a bag of clothes and donate it somewhere.

Unknown Speaker  5:58  
How do you go through your own closet and decide? Now, I think this is a good question, because we all have those things we hang on to. But how does Deborah Sorlie go through her closet and decide what to keep? And what to get rid of?

Unknown Speaker  6:16  
That is such a good question. Actually, this is how I do it. And I do recommend this to my clients as well. I recommend getting a rolling rack and pull sections of your clothing out all of it all the shirts, trial them on and then you soon begin to see Oh, this one's pilling. This one it's had its life. And it's now time to replace it. You just go through one by one and then you put them back into the closet. And then of course, there's going to be maybes, there's going to be donates. And there's going to be alterations. These different piles that you make are what will help you be less emotional about things. I love the trends. And I love what's happening. So I have to see what do I have in there that's going to work with the trends that are happening? Do I have my classic pieces that are worn out and they need to be replaced? That type of thing? I just go through one at a time. Sometimes it takes me a whole weekend. Sometimes it takes me a week, it just depends on my energy level and how much I want to do in a day.

Unknown Speaker  7:22  
Do you do that each season? No, truthfully,

Unknown Speaker  7:26  
I'm so busy with my Instagram that I would love to. And I have to be motivated to do it. I get to it, probably at least once a year. And like you said each season if I do it twice a year, that is really good for me. When you clean out your closet, it is refreshing. And you're opening the door to have new wonderful items in your closet.

Unknown Speaker  7:50  
I think this conversation is very timely, Deborah, because a lot of us are struggling to get out of our Lulu lemons, whatever your legging of choices, and really take a look at our own wardrobes because we probably need to get back to wearing real clothes to some extent.

Unknown Speaker  8:12  
It's so true. COVID did us a lot of not great favors in that aspect, where if I did a client, she was going on a big trip. And she said Deborah, I've been wearing sweats in a sweatshirt for two years. Now I don't even know what I need. What I don't need, it is a very true factor. I think the upswing is that we're getting into bright colors, we're getting into things that we can actually wear out on a date or go out with a girlfriend. It's like those things that were laying in our closets we can now start wearing and I think the new fashions are reflecting that. Nothing wrong with sweats and being comfortable at all. But it's time to start bringing out the other clothes that are in your closet that you haven't worn in two years. Starting joining them and wearing them to places I mean, why not get dressed up and go to the grocery store? I mean, why not? I tell my clients, you know, you have to wake up and get dressed anyway. Why not look fabulous? Now grab that outfit that's gonna make you feel good, right?

Unknown Speaker  9:15  
I know. And I will tell you I have been slowly transitioning even though I am working from home most days. I am really making an effort to do more each day because I do feel better when I put on a pretty sweater and look a little more professional. I hear you on that. Yeah. Let's talk a little bit about basics. When you are working with a client, what are some of those basic things that people need to have in their closet?

Unknown Speaker  9:51  
Yes, I've given many seminars on this topic. There are absolute classics and the reason why you always want to have them in your closet. Because a they're timeless, B, they're meant to be there as the basic first layer that you put on. That would be a classic white shirt, a good black pair of pants, a blazer, a trench coat, great pair of jeans that you love putting on, I have a sixth one. And it's that little black dress. To me, those are the classic pieces that you should always have in your closet, you can mix and match even just those pieces together and have a fabulous outfit. Those are the basics and key. And those are the splurge items, you want to have items in your closet that are the classic pieces that are going to be timeless and lasts for a long time. The way they're tailored, the way they're cut the way they fit your body. If you fall in love with, say, for instance, a pair of pants, and they're just not there. It is so worth it to have alterations come in and get the fit just right for you. I'm a strong believer on definitely having those classics in your closet.

Unknown Speaker  11:10  
Do you have a favorite splurge store where you always seem to find really good basic pieces.

Unknown Speaker  11:18  
Yes. You mentioned earlier that I am a former Nordstrom employee, my heart and soul is in Nordstrom. It's so funny because whenever I walk in there, I'm like, Oh, I'm at home now. Because I just know the quality's there. And I know they carry many brands that I love. The service is impeccable alterations is fabulous. There. It is always my go to store. I feel like I know where I can go to get what I need either for myself or my client because there's so many people there that are willing to just help get it right for you. So that's my go to store always Nordstrom love them.

Unknown Speaker  12:03  
Do you have a favorite place to shop that is more budget friendly?

Unknown Speaker  12:07  
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I tell my clients listen, I will shop where ever you want me to you name the place. I'll meet you there. No brainer. I love TJ Maxx. I do have a variety of items. A lot of people think oh, those are the castoffs from last year, it's not true. They do have fashions that are happening and that are on trend. And they're at the price where a lot of people can afford. The only glitch with that is that you have to be a treasure hunter. When you go there you have to be patient because they're not going to have a full size run. You'll have a piece here that you like a piece there. I like to shop with my clients there because I'm able to find pieces to put together that they wouldn't have thought to put together. It's a fun time for us to be together and to explore what that store is all about. But I find a mix of those two very easy to accommodate a customer.

Unknown Speaker  12:57  
That's great. It's fun. Yeah, I have both those stores right near me. So Oh, good. Yay, me. Yes, I want to talk a little bit about denim. Sure, because I'm one of these people that have several pairs of jeans in my closet. But I always default to my skinny jeans, because those are the ones that look the best on me or I think they look better on me than my others. What is the thought right now about skinny jeans versus girlfriend cut versus boyfriend cut versus flares. I mean, what the heck is going on?

Unknown Speaker  13:36  
No skinny jeans just took us over and became our legging during COVID. And it was just easy and boots were great with it and everything. That was a trend that was long lasting. So if you invested in those pieces, that's great. Looking at what's happening in spring for denim, currently, what I'm seeing is the straight leg gene, which is the sister to the skinny jean. Also the opposite of that the wide leg gene, which is so great because it can accommodate that shape that doesn't have that skinny leg to where although the wide leg gene I'm seeing a high waist in that. And also with the straight leg gene. I'm seeing a high waist with that now, looking forward to spring. What I'm seeing is it's a very wide leg almost exaggerated. And that's great too. I mean, I just think the whole point in jeans. And you just said it perfectly. You said I love my skinny jeans. And if that is what makes you feel the best and then go to that. As a matter of fact in spring Prada brought back the skinny pant. Wow. Everybody was like whoa, wait a minute. I thought we were done with that but they're doing a skinny pant, not necessarily skinny jeans. They're not done with that and why Like, like I said, suits many different body shapes that they're like, Oh, finally, you know, I can wear something that's flowy and not so tight. My recommendation is to try it on. Because there's different waist heights too. There's the high waist, there's the low cut waist. There's the in between. Everybody shape is a little bit different in your comfort zone is a little bit different from person to person. They say who's they? But they say you should have at least 10 pairs of jeans in your closet, because there's so many varieties out there. And not every type of gene goes with every mood of outfit. Oh, gosh, I'm way beyond the 10 in my wardrobe. But that's another story. For spring two, we're seeing embellishments on jeans, which is fun, because we did that several years ago. We were seeing on the runway, some embellishments done to jeans. It's kind of fun, something new and fresh. So very habit.

Unknown Speaker  15:56  
Should we get out our butt Dassler again. Well, let's not go there. Okay. Oh, I'm dating myself.

Unknown Speaker  16:06  
Funny thing with designers is that what goes around comes around, you see it come around again. But the designers have a way of just tweaking it a little bit to make it a little different than how you wore it back then. They want to make you buy it. They want to make you love it. That's my scoop on jeans.

Unknown Speaker  16:22  
All right. I think that's good. Let's keep talking spring because you're it's kind of around the corner. Yeah, you and I talked about this. When we first spoke I brought up the whole ruffle thing. ruffles on dresses, ruffles on shirts. I'm okay with a ruffle. But someone like me who's five, two. If I wear a dress with ruffles on it, I look like I'm going to bow down. I was wondering if that ruffle trend will continue into the spring and summer. Trends are

Unknown Speaker  16:58  
funny because they are not for everyone. Also, when you look at the trends for each season, especially the shows the fashion shows, please remember that they are meant to entertain, you will see exaggerated versions of what a trend is it's almost in your face like oh, wow, that is definitely something right there. And they're meant to really shout out this is going to be a trend in in me looking at all the trends that were coming out for spring. I didn't really care for some of them. I loved a lot of them. Getting back to your question about the ruffle. I think that was a very soft, feminine time. I am honestly not seeing that so much. What I will tell you is what I am seeing and I've got my big fat cheat sheet here. And I'm just going to start to the top and go through it. Stop me if you have any questions. Oh, this is perfect. I love it. Just remember this is for spring 2023. The good news about trends especially over the last couple of years because of COVID They've hung on from season to season which is good for our pocketbook. But now we're seeing this upswing and some fun things that are coming in for spring. One of them is cargo pants, remember those. These are cargo pants with big pockets, lots of pockets. I think it's meant to be so that your hands free so that you can put your stuff your lipstick in your pockets. I love all the styles. They had it from satin to cotton to all types of styles. That's a new pant that's out there. Another trend that I'm seeing is shear Now just hold on to your hat right now. I'm talking shear like lingerie shear. When you see a trend like that, you may go Oh, no, no, no, not for me that is I am not going to wear that. But there are ways to wear shear. You could wear a blouse that has shear sleeves in it. I have a shear tunic that starts at my neck and goes all the way down to my ankles and I put a pair of black pants on it and a black tank underneath it. The trend is still there, but it's not like you're seeing everything on me. Just take it with a grain of salt when you see shear what that could possibly mean to you.

Unknown Speaker  19:15  
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Unknown Speaker  20:04  
We talked about jeans and oh my gosh, okay this trend. I cannot wait. It's feathers fringe. Tinsel Rafi I mean talk about let's put fun into our clothes because now we can wear them out. And I'm seeing it on jeans on blazers, around the cuffs of your blouses. I'm seeing feather bandeaus that you just put that on and put a blazer on top of it just really fun items out there that have those on them.

Unknown Speaker  20:37  
It sounds like textures coming back.

Unknown Speaker  20:40  
Oh yeah. Let's just talk about texture and pleasing the eye letting you see what's out there for this season. I was looking at this going oh my gosh, I can't wait to see what's in the stores. Now you asked about dresses and that ruffle. What I'm seeing is one of the things they showed in the shows was exaggerated hips. Almost from the 16th century and it was exaggerated. What I'm also saw along with that was a drop waist dress which we can relate to that it is not exaggerating your hips but it is dropping the waist to show off your longer waist and to see where the waist is now starting at a different line on your body. As far as the type of dresses I'm seeing bando dresses, strapless dresses that are calling looking and perfect for putting a blazer over it for going out in the evening. Just very elegant. Very simple. Another fun thing I saw was maxi skirts like down to almost floor sweeping. I saw beautiful denim one which they had a white blouse with it one of the classic pieces and a really cute pair of boots. I just thought okay that's fresh for spring. I love that

Unknown Speaker  21:55  
you were going to talk a little bit about color. What are your thoughts about color in the forecast for spring.

Unknown Speaker  22:02  
Pantone just came out with a color of the year. It is called vivid magenta. It is beautiful. It is the most gorgeous color, a plum pink colors. Matter of fact, I'm going to post about this color because it is just an uplifting color. It's vibrant, it is life. It is everything that we need right now. And I'm just so I'm so excited about this color of the year. Alongside that they are also showing acid green, that really intense green color, which I found was very interesting. But that's not the color of the year. The vivid magenta is the color of the year. alongside those vivid colors are the neutrals. Just a blending of several neutrals together for work were just the softer side of just easing back into work with a very relaxed look that I love the neutrals together. They never get old to me. That's as far as what I have seen for color leaving behind that Barbie core pink, which I fell in love with. It's kind of going into this more powerful magenta color, which

Unknown Speaker  23:08  
is great for spring. Deborah is wearing pink right now just so everybody knows. Now how about Navy, is navy still important for spring?

Unknown Speaker  23:18  
Yes, I mean Navy is such a rounding color. It's kind of like black, another side of black that you can wear with all those bright, gorgeous colors. I just always think it's the anchor. Navy is always an anchor, and I love navy blue and black together. I just think that's just very classy look. And it's easy. It's a no brainer. Those two colors are easy to put together and they don't clash. Good question on the Navy.

Unknown Speaker  23:45  
I do like the idea of wearing Navy and black together really can extend some of your pieces in your closet if you can wear those two together. And that's good. I like that. Can we talk a little bit about boots since we're in boot season? My question is toe shape and heel shape right now.

Unknown Speaker  24:07  
Good questions. I'm gonna go straight to the height of the boot. The one that I'm seeing that most of our tall boots, the boots that go to your knee over going over the knee. The tall boots that hit right at your knee. Okay, I'm seeing cowboy boots, their cowboy heel and a pointed toe. I'm seeing the tall boots with a square toe and maybe a lock heel. Seeing also pointed boots with a very straight and tall heel to it more elongating the body on that and of course you're going to still see the booties out there because there's such a variety including the cowboy boots in the booties that's going to always be a favorite with no matter what pants you wear. That was the big thing. As far as other shoes for spring. I'm seeing the ballet flats At and believe it or not, Mary Jane's with that little strap across your arch and talk about shear. I'm seeing shoes that are shear that have a mesh to them in the booties and pumps that have a shear top to it following that shear trend that's happening for spring. And guess what? An elevated flip flop. Oh, wow. Yay. Okay, we can wear comfortable shoes, and it's just a new spin on the flip flops. So take a look at those for spring. Again, with everything that I say not every trend in the shoe department is for you. So go with what's comfortable, the heel height included the pointy toe, the non pointy toe. And one last trend that I'm seeing wishes for spring, our ties, where you see a little tie like a lace up either on a boot or shoes, just be looking for that and see if that appears in the stores that you shop in. Okay, the last thing are sneakers, we just got so comfortable around out there. The one thing that stood out the most with sneakers are the treads, you can see the treads on them. There's so many varieties out there with the colorblocking on them in neutral tones and different brands that carry them. But the tread was the one trend that I saw that stood out the most to me, I'm going to ask Santa for those for Christmas or birthday.

Unknown Speaker  26:21  
That's awesome. I'm glad we talked about the boots, because it seems to me at least when I'm in the stores, almost anything goes these days. I told you also when we first spoke, I said I have this pair of brown boots that I have in a box down in the basement. But they have almost a kitten heel to them. And they're really super pointy, and I haven't gotten them back out yet. I don't hang on to a lot of things. But when I find something that fits really well, I'll keep them hoping that they will come back.

Unknown Speaker  26:56  
Oh, I have those items as well in my closet. And those are my most loved treasures. Because I love them for all the reasons that you said that they're well made. And they're just a favorite. When I clean out clauses, I really don't encourage people to get rid of those favorites because they will wear them along with that. And fashion is that I style women for 50 plus. And I feel that we have come of age where we are in that stage of our life. We've had experiences, we've had these exclamation points in our life that have brought us to where we are right now. We are not invisible. We are here and we're going to be representing this age group. And that's why I'm so passionate about encouraging women through fashion to wear what they love. Were what makes them feel absolutely fantastic every day. You know, if you put something on and you're asking somebody does this look Academy, nine times out of 10 Take it off, it's not really making you feel good about yourself. And I just feel aging is a process that allows you to become who you have accumulated throughout your entire life. And I stand for that ageism, we're against that movement. Because we are alive and beauty has absolutely no age. That's basically what I stand for. And I'm all about it. And if I can turn a client into a direction that she's feeling fantastic about herself, it makes me feel so good that she's there and that she's wearing what she absolutely feels confident and loves. Isn't that really what it's about?

Unknown Speaker  28:36  
Oh, absolutely. I see fast fashion. And I see what 25 year olds are wearing. I think when we get to our age, we can say that looks really great on you. But that's not for me. It's empowering, right to be able to say, oh, you know what, I'm not going there. You can still embrace trends, but do it on your time and make it your fashion make it something that you carry off with confidence.

Unknown Speaker  29:11  
Absolutely. Because if you don't carry it off with competence, you're not going to pass it off. You know what fashion is like art. I really truly feel this way. It means something different to everyone. If that is not hitting you in the right zone of all I love that, then don't wear it and it's okay. It's okay. Because we don't want to look like a teenager or 20 year old we want to look like ourselves. If we can rock that short skirt with pair knee high boots, you go for it. I'm all for that too. So it's about confidence.

Unknown Speaker  29:45  
Absolutely. I did have a couple more questions for you. I have always wondered where this trend originated. It was the French tuck I do it. I take my oversized sweaters and I tuck in the front. I do it with shirts, because I do think it looks nicer. But where the heck did that come from?

Unknown Speaker  30:12  
Well, you know why people do it number one, is because it gives you a waist again, and it kind of covers a little bit of the back that you may not want to be showing off there. The people in France have been doing this for ever, forever, ever. The funny story about it is if you remember the show Queer Eye, yeah, each guy was in charge of some type of style and fashion in the world, whether it had to do with your home, or your clothing. And there was one guy on there and his name was tan, France. And he popularized it again, calling it the French tuck. He just sensationalized it again, although it's been around forever, it just became a thing. And we still do it to this day. That is the brief history of it. It's not a big story, but I just feel that it seems like every single time when I put a tarp on, I'll first try the talk and see how that looks. Or a half talk. Have you ever done that? Where you take a blouse and you just tuck in one side of the blouse and leave the other side? Hey, yes,

Unknown Speaker  31:14  
I have seen that. I have not embraced that yet. Hey, listen, I just got on board with the French talk. Let's not push it.

Unknown Speaker  31:23  
Oh, no baby steps baby steps. Okay. All right. But it's fun different way to wear a tarp to emphasize a little bit of your waist.

Unknown Speaker  31:31  
I embrace it. I do like the other question I had for you. As you look into spring, are the Blazers still real oversized? Like they were in the fall?

Unknown Speaker  31:43  
Yes. Oh, my goodness, they talked a lot about the oversized blazer, you know, honestly, I'm good with that. But I'm not going to put a whole closet of that. Because trends are meant to be a trend, you enjoy it, you use it put with your classics, and then you know, wait to see what's coming up next. But yeah, it's there for spring, definitely spring 2023.

Unknown Speaker  32:03  
We've talked a little bit about fast fashion and that sort of thing. But I want to know your opinion on this. We have those things that are trends. It's like they're hot for a minute, where's all that stuff gonna end up because it's the $25 little dress she bought at Amazon or whatever. Do people in your circles talk about that fast fashion trend.

Unknown Speaker  32:26  
I mean, the last thing that we want in this world is landfills to fill up with clothes that are just not good for the environment. And it's a very serious topic, a lot of brands are turning to sustainable clothing, where they're taking plastic bottles, and they're breaking them down and making them into clothes. Or they're taking old clothes and repurposing them into fabrics for new clothes. I love that. And I stand behind that. There's a couple brands that I really like that do just that. And I think also shopping in consignment stores, and thrift stores. There are so many treasures in there that somebody has done with an item it's worthy of still wearing because it's still intact. It maybe even not designer piece that you couldn't afford. But you wanted to add something to it. I found so many treasures in consignment and thrift stores that it's just fun, you know, I would take off with my daughter and say, Hey, let's see what we can find today. And we're always surprised by that. I like to encourage that too. And also, there are many places that accept clothing for women who are trying to restart their lives and they don't have the budget to do that. So when I clean out a closet, I asked them, Do you want to donate it? I'd be happy to take it to my place of choice. But let's make use of this for the next set of hands to appreciate it. I'm all for sustainable clothing. Yes.

Unknown Speaker  33:50  
I love that. I think that's a great philosophy to have. You look phenomenal. I have to say, I would love for you to share with our listeners a little bit about your own routine. Do you work out? What do you do to take care of yourself? Deborah,

Unknown Speaker  34:06  
I do work out I try to get in at least three days. And of course the older I get, I really feel I need to be more conscientious of that and put that at some point my day. Lifting weights. Walking is also good for my bones. Because some of us are into facing osteoporosis and we don't want to have to live our lives worrying about falling and core work is important to me. And believe it or not, if you remember, I go to a Jazzercise class and I love it I have for years and years and years and years and they still have classes all over the United States. Plus, that's my workout routine. I live in a neighborhood where I can walk so if I can't get my car and drive I like to walk to because it's good for my phones and doing that and I just enjoy the outdoors. As far as my diet I really don't die it I just eat really clean. I don't really lean towards any processed foods and a little secret My daughter is a nutritionist. So she's got me all cleaned up with all the right things to eat and to clean out my pantry. Honestly, one big tip she told me, she said, Mom, if you would drink more water that would solve most of your problems. If I can get down one of those swell bottles, if I can get down two of those, I'm doing good. But three is so much better for me. I just think it helps with my brain. I'm not foggy, I just feel like it's just keeps things flowing. It's a very simple, basic routine. But I'd like to not go on any kind of a trendy diet. That's just not me. That's not the way I like to roll with that. I did that in my 20s. And it didn't work for me. So I'm just sticking to clean living right now.

Unknown Speaker  35:44  
I think that's great advice. What about some of the beauty products you like? Do you have any brands that you particularly like?

Unknown Speaker  35:53  
Full disclosure here, and I'll be very transparent. I am not a beauty blogger. I'm all about clothes and fashion. But every now and then I am approached by brands and they'll say will you try it and if you try it, will you talk about it and there is one brand and I will talk about it all day. It is the secret sauce. It's the Holy Grail. I mean, to me it is I've seen the difference. And the name of the brand is called herbal face food. It is fairly new. And I'm going to get my notes because this company is off the charts. The most potent serum I've ever used. It is 100% plant based. There's a scale, it's called the ORAC scale, or AC and that stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity. And they are off the charts on that scale. They're one of the highest ones. And they came out with a serum, once called the serum and the other ones called the cure. And a serum is for dryness lines, wrinkles, brightness, firmness, skin tone, large pores, it kind of covers everything. But then the cure is where you spot treat with that. It's for things like eczema, extreme sun damage, psoriasis, moles, skin tags, acne, I've seen a difference in as little as three days with using herbal face food. And then they just recently came out with a soap. And they also have a face cream, which is brand new, which I'm going to talk about on my Instagram, I stand behind this product 100%. And I will tell you, when you put it on your skin, it has a tingling sensation to it, that tells you it is working. I'm telling you it smells like a spa, when you put it on. It is fantastic. I could talk about other products. But this is just my number one go to. And I love it. I love it. 100%.

Unknown Speaker  37:48  
I'll put that in the show notes.

Unknown Speaker  37:51  
Okay, and they're not paying me to say this.

Unknown Speaker  37:53  
I think that's great. I endorsed a product recently on Instagram that I didn't get paid for either, but I thought I need to share. I appreciate that. And I totally respect that

Unknown Speaker  38:03  
good. And it's one that I really believe in because I've seen the results on me. That's why I stand behind it. It's a great product. Even if you try it. That's all I say just try it. And I think you can even send it back if you go Oh, not for me. Good.

Unknown Speaker  38:19  
That's a good company that does that. Let's talk a little bit about your Instagram, because I'm always fascinated with people that have a presence on Instagram. When did you decide to put yourself out there? Because I think it's brave.

Unknown Speaker  38:34  
Yeah, that is a good phrase put yourself out there. It was January of 2019, almost four years ago, that I was thinking to myself, wait a minute, I have all this background I have so much I can offer and teach educate women over 50 How to Put clothes together. I've done this for 30 plus years. I mean, why not? Plus, I had a cheerleader I had my 20 year old would now 26 year old saying Mom, you absolutely can do this and a couple of my girlfriends encouraged me to so I sat down, put my nose to the grindstone to figure out technology how in the world do I do this but my passion was for teaching women how to embrace your age. Now. I created that hashtag and registered it and you'll see it at the bottom of every post that I do on Instagram because that's how strongly I believe that is so important. No matter what age you are. Just embrace that where you are right then wrinkles in all are no wrinkles that embrace it now, I felt that if I could put it out there and show physically how to put outfits together how to dress so that you didn't look silly or you didn't look out of place or you didn't look like it was really your age, or how the heck do I wear a trend? How do I do that? And I call it let's sophisticate that trend up and make it look like something that a 50 plus year old can wear that's all The backstory on why I felt convicted in doing my Instagram. And I'm so thankful for all of my followers. They're very loyal. And they comment and they encouraged me. And it was just this love affair that I've had with fashion all these years I get to share it was so many women out there, and it just brings me tremendous joy.

Unknown Speaker  40:22  
That's fantastic. I do follow you because I love your classic look. And that's how I found you. I was just nosing around on Instagram one day. And then I thought, oh my gosh, she would be perfect for guests on the show.

Unknown Speaker  40:36  
So that means so much.

Unknown Speaker  40:38  
I love what you do. I will continue to follow you and I will make sure that our listeners know where to find you. That's awesome. Thank you so much for being on the show. This was delightful.

Unknown Speaker  40:50  
Well, thank you, Michelle. It's been so much fun just digging through all the fashion stuff, bantering back and forth about all of those aspects and it was such a thrill for me to be on your show. I'm honored. And thank you so so much. Thank

Unknown Speaker  41:05  
you Deborah. Follow asking for a friend on social media outlets and provide a review and share this show wherever you get your podcasts, reviews and sharing help us grow

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

35 Asking for a Friend


Mon, Dec 19, 2022 . 8:39 AM

41:34

Owner: Michele Folan
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
trend, wear, fashion, closet, spring, deborah, put, people, instagram, brands, waist, love, talk, boots, shear, life, color, called, fun, ruffle
SPEAKERS
Speaker 2 (71%), 
Speaker 1 (28%) 
1
Speaker 1
0:00
When I began this podcast back in May, I really wasn't sure how long I would be doing the show. According to one of my podcast guests, the average podcast only lasts seven episodes. Well, we are 34 shows in. And not only have we lasted beyond seven episodes, asking for a friend is ranked in the top 5% of podcasts globally, in less than eight months. The support of you the listeners means so much to me. You've been engaged and brave to ask questions of our guest experts. You have shared the show with your friends and your families. And you have found us on social media, I do have a favor to ask. Please rate and review the show when possible on your favorite podcast platform. This really does help us find more listeners. Your followers on Instagram and Facebook are also very much appreciated. I'm already hard at work planning shows for 2023 and excited about the topics that we're going to share. But please let me know what you would like me to cover on future episodes. I love getting input, and it keeps us relevant and current for our listeners. Thank you again for listening and supporting asking for a friend. From our editor Kelly and me, we appreciate you and we'll see you in the new year. Health, Wellness, career, relationships and everything in between. We're removing the taboo from what really matters in midlife. I'm your host Michele Folan. And this is asking for a friend. Welcome to the show everyone as we wrap up 2022. With this final episode, I wanted to do something fun. And what is more fun than talking fashion and trends. Our special guest today is a former Nordstrom fashion show coordinator and personal shopper who is now a personal stylist and wardrobe consultant. Not only do I love Deborah swirlies, clean, classic style, but she is also very passionate about helping women feel more confident in embracing their age. Welcome to the show, Deborah.
2
Speaker 2
2:32
Oh, thank you for having me. I'm so honored to be here to talk to you about fashion.
1
Speaker 1
2:37
Oh, I am so excited to have you here. I've been wanting to do a show on fashion for quite some time. I also think that you can be a great inspiration to other midlife women, because I think you're doing some really neat things with your social media presence as well. I want to find out a little bit more about you and your background and your family and where you're from, oh,
2
Speaker 2
3:00
well, I grew up in Pennsylvania. My education. My background is in art. I was an art teacher for time. Speaking of all of the elements that come together and pull you into where you are today. That art background has tremendously helped me with my career in fashion. I grew up there. And then in my 20s, I moved to Park City, Utah, and then met my husband there. And then we moved to California. And we've been in San Diego over many years. It's considered home to be right now and we love it here.
3:34
That's great. And you have kids?
2
Speaker 2
3:36
I do I have a 29 year old son and a 26 year old daughter, and they're both thriving young adults and so happy for both of them. They're doing what they love to do. And they both are somewhat involved in the arts as well. I'm really proud of them. Oh, that's
1
Speaker 1
3:51
great. That's interesting that your art background has really been a big influence in what you do today and helps you with that aesthetic because I think there is a real aesthetic to fashion.
2
Speaker 2
4:03
Absolutely everything I learned for instance, Color Theory sculpture, I loved graphic arts, painting, all of that combined who is involved in the textures of fabrics and how they go with other colors. It just translated itself so easily into fashion. It was just a natural for me to move in this direction for my life.
1
Speaker 1
4:24
The other thing too is now that your personal style consultant for people, you have a website, you can actually do a lot of this virtually now.
2
Speaker 2
4:36
COVID put a kibosh on so many things for so many people out there, virtually you can do it, especially when I'm editing a wardrobe. It's absolutely possible. However, I love going in and seeing the fabrics and how they fit the client and how they are up against each other natural light. It's always better when it's in real life. But absolutely that can be done virtually as a matter of fact act, my sister just called me we're going to FaceTime tomorrow because she's going on a little getaway. And she wants to know what to wear. And I'm like, let's do it, it's absolutely easy to do it that way too.
1
Speaker 1
5:12
And that's fun. Yeah, but you would also really benefit from getting into someone's closet, oh, it's not just seeing the new stuff. It's seeing what their base wardrobe looks like,
2
Speaker 2
5:23
exactly the in real life thing. And you see how they react to when they pull out an item. And I can tell, they don't really like it. So we talked about it, or they don't want to get rid of it. And it's obvious that maybe they should, it's a very, very emotional thing for that person trying to go through their wardrobe. And I always tell them, This is why you need a third person, because that third person isn't attached to those clothes, and we can see them for what they are on you. It's just sometimes it's a relief to fill up a bag of clothes and donate it somewhere.
1
Speaker 1
5:58
How do you go through your own closet and decide? Now, I think this is a good question, because we all have those things we hang on to. But how does Deborah Sorlie go through her closet and decide what to keep? And what to get rid of?
2
Speaker 2
6:16
That is such a good question. Actually, this is how I do it. And I do recommend this to my clients as well. I recommend getting a rolling rack and pull sections of your clothing out all of it all the shirts, trial them on and then you soon begin to see Oh, this one's pilling. This one it's had its life. And it's now time to replace it. You just go through one by one and then you put them back into the closet. And then of course, there's going to be maybes, there's going to be donates. And there's going to be alterations. These different piles that you make are what will help you be less emotional about things. I love the trends. And I love what's happening. So I have to see what do I have in there that's going to work with the trends that are happening? Do I have my classic pieces that are worn out and they need to be replaced? That type of thing? I just go through one at a time. Sometimes it takes me a whole weekend. Sometimes it takes me a week, it just depends on my energy level and how much I want to do in a day.
1
Speaker 1
7:22
Do you do that each season? No, truthfully,
2
Speaker 2
7:26
I'm so busy with my Instagram that I would love to. And I have to be motivated to do it. I get to it, probably at least once a year. And like you said each season if I do it twice a year, that is really good for me. When you clean out your closet, it is refreshing. And you're opening the door to have new wonderful items in your closet.
1
Speaker 1
7:50
I think this conversation is very timely, Deborah, because a lot of us are struggling to get out of our Lulu lemons, whatever your legging of choices, and really take a look at our own wardrobes because we probably need to get back to wearing real clothes to some extent.
2
Speaker 2
8:12
It's so true. COVID did us a lot of not great favors in that aspect, where if I did a client, she was going on a big trip. And she said Deborah, I've been wearing sweats in a sweatshirt for two years. Now I don't even know what I need. What I don't need, it is a very true factor. I think the upswing is that we're getting into bright colors, we're getting into things that we can actually wear out on a date or go out with a girlfriend. It's like those things that were laying in our closets we can now start wearing and I think the new fashions are reflecting that. Nothing wrong with sweats and being comfortable at all. But it's time to start bringing out the other clothes that are in your closet that you haven't worn in two years. Starting joining them and wearing them to places I mean, why not get dressed up and go to the grocery store? I mean, why not? I tell my clients, you know, you have to wake up and get dressed anyway. Why not look fabulous? Now grab that outfit that's gonna make you feel good, right?
1
Speaker 1
9:15
I know. And I will tell you I have been slowly transitioning even though I am working from home most days. I am really making an effort to do more each day because I do feel better when I put on a pretty sweater and look a little more professional. I hear you on that. Yeah. Let's talk a little bit about basics. When you are working with a client, what are some of those basic things that people need to have in their closet?
2
Speaker 2
9:51
Yes, I've given many seminars on this topic. There are absolute classics and the reason why you always want to have them in your closet. Because a they're timeless, B, they're meant to be there as the basic first layer that you put on. That would be a classic white shirt, a good black pair of pants, a blazer, a trench coat, great pair of jeans that you love putting on, I have a sixth one. And it's that little black dress. To me, those are the classic pieces that you should always have in your closet, you can mix and match even just those pieces together and have a fabulous outfit. Those are the basics and key. And those are the splurge items, you want to have items in your closet that are the classic pieces that are going to be timeless and lasts for a long time. The way they're tailored, the way they're cut the way they fit your body. If you fall in love with, say, for instance, a pair of pants, and they're just not there. It is so worth it to have alterations come in and get the fit just right for you. I'm a strong believer on definitely having those classics in your closet.
1
Speaker 1
11:10
Do you have a favorite splurge store where you always seem to find really good basic pieces.
2
Speaker 2
11:18
Yes. You mentioned earlier that I am a former Nordstrom employee, my heart and soul is in Nordstrom. It's so funny because whenever I walk in there, I'm like, Oh, I'm at home now. Because I just know the quality's there. And I know they carry many brands that I love. The service is impeccable alterations is fabulous. There. It is always my go to store. I feel like I know where I can go to get what I need either for myself or my client because there's so many people there that are willing to just help get it right for you. So that's my go to store always Nordstrom love them.
1
Speaker 1
12:03
Do you have a favorite place to shop that is more budget friendly?
2
Speaker 2
12:07
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I tell my clients listen, I will shop where ever you want me to you name the place. I'll meet you there. No brainer. I love TJ Maxx. I do have a variety of items. A lot of people think oh, those are the castoffs from last year, it's not true. They do have fashions that are happening and that are on trend. And they're at the price where a lot of people can afford. The only glitch with that is that you have to be a treasure hunter. When you go there you have to be patient because they're not going to have a full size run. You'll have a piece here that you like a piece there. I like to shop with my clients there because I'm able to find pieces to put together that they wouldn't have thought to put together. It's a fun time for us to be together and to explore what that store is all about. But I find a mix of those two very easy to accommodate a customer.
1
Speaker 1
12:57
That's great. It's fun. Yeah, I have both those stores right near me. So Oh, good. Yay, me. Yes, I want to talk a little bit about denim. Sure, because I'm one of these people that have several pairs of jeans in my closet. But I always default to my skinny jeans, because those are the ones that look the best on me or I think they look better on me than my others. What is the thought right now about skinny jeans versus girlfriend cut versus boyfriend cut versus flares. I mean, what the heck is going on?
2
Speaker 2
13:36
No skinny jeans just took us over and became our legging during COVID. And it was just easy and boots were great with it and everything. That was a trend that was long lasting. So if you invested in those pieces, that's great. Looking at what's happening in spring for denim, currently, what I'm seeing is the straight leg gene, which is the sister to the skinny jean. Also the opposite of that the wide leg gene, which is so great because it can accommodate that shape that doesn't have that skinny leg to where although the wide leg gene I'm seeing a high waist in that. And also with the straight leg gene. I'm seeing a high waist with that now, looking forward to spring. What I'm seeing is it's a very wide leg almost exaggerated. And that's great too. I mean, I just think the whole point in jeans. And you just said it perfectly. You said I love my skinny jeans. And if that is what makes you feel the best and then go to that. As a matter of fact in spring Prada brought back the skinny pant. Wow. Everybody was like whoa, wait a minute. I thought we were done with that but they're doing a skinny pant, not necessarily skinny jeans. They're not done with that and why Like, like I said, suits many different body shapes that they're like, Oh, finally, you know, I can wear something that's flowy and not so tight. My recommendation is to try it on. Because there's different waist heights too. There's the high waist, there's the low cut waist. There's the in between. Everybody shape is a little bit different in your comfort zone is a little bit different from person to person. They say who's they? But they say you should have at least 10 pairs of jeans in your closet, because there's so many varieties out there. And not every type of gene goes with every mood of outfit. Oh, gosh, I'm way beyond the 10 in my wardrobe. But that's another story. For spring two, we're seeing embellishments on jeans, which is fun, because we did that several years ago. We were seeing on the runway, some embellishments done to jeans. It's kind of fun, something new and fresh. So very habit.
15:56
Should we get out our butt Dassler again. Well, let's not go there. Okay. Oh, I'm dating myself.
2
Speaker 2
16:06
Funny thing with designers is that what goes around comes around, you see it come around again. But the designers have a way of just tweaking it a little bit to make it a little different than how you wore it back then. They want to make you buy it. They want to make you love it. That's my scoop on jeans.
1
Speaker 1
16:22
All right. I think that's good. Let's keep talking spring because you're it's kind of around the corner. Yeah, you and I talked about this. When we first spoke I brought up the whole ruffle thing. ruffles on dresses, ruffles on shirts. I'm okay with a ruffle. But someone like me who's five, two. If I wear a dress with ruffles on it, I look like I'm going to bow down. I was wondering if that ruffle trend will continue into the spring and summer. Trends are
2
Speaker 2
16:58
funny because they are not for everyone. Also, when you look at the trends for each season, especially the shows the fashion shows, please remember that they are meant to entertain, you will see exaggerated versions of what a trend is it's almost in your face like oh, wow, that is definitely something right there. And they're meant to really shout out this is going to be a trend in in me looking at all the trends that were coming out for spring. I didn't really care for some of them. I loved a lot of them. Getting back to your question about the ruffle. I think that was a very soft, feminine time. I am honestly not seeing that so much. What I will tell you is what I am seeing and I've got my big fat cheat sheet here. And I'm just going to start to the top and go through it. Stop me if you have any questions. Oh, this is perfect. I love it. Just remember this is for spring 2023. The good news about trends especially over the last couple of years because of COVID They've hung on from season to season which is good for our pocketbook. But now we're seeing this upswing and some fun things that are coming in for spring. One of them is cargo pants, remember those. These are cargo pants with big pockets, lots of pockets. I think it's meant to be so that your hands free so that you can put your stuff your lipstick in your pockets. I love all the styles. They had it from satin to cotton to all types of styles. That's a new pant that's out there. Another trend that I'm seeing is shear Now just hold on to your hat right now. I'm talking shear like lingerie shear. When you see a trend like that, you may go Oh, no, no, no, not for me that is I am not going to wear that. But there are ways to wear shear. You could wear a blouse that has shear sleeves in it. I have a shear tunic that starts at my neck and goes all the way down to my ankles and I put a pair of black pants on it and a black tank underneath it. The trend is still there, but it's not like you're seeing everything on me. Just take it with a grain of salt when you see shear what that could possibly mean to you.
1
Speaker 1
19:15
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2
Speaker 2
20:04
We talked about jeans and oh my gosh, okay this trend. I cannot wait. It's feathers fringe. Tinsel Rafi I mean talk about let's put fun into our clothes because now we can wear them out. And I'm seeing it on jeans on blazers, around the cuffs of your blouses. I'm seeing feather bandeaus that you just put that on and put a blazer on top of it just really fun items out there that have those on them.
20:37
It sounds like textures coming back.
2
Speaker 2
20:40
Oh yeah. Let's just talk about texture and pleasing the eye letting you see what's out there for this season. I was looking at this going oh my gosh, I can't wait to see what's in the stores. Now you asked about dresses and that ruffle. What I'm seeing is one of the things they showed in the shows was exaggerated hips. Almost from the 16th century and it was exaggerated. What I'm also saw along with that was a drop waist dress which we can relate to that it is not exaggerating your hips but it is dropping the waist to show off your longer waist and to see where the waist is now starting at a different line on your body. As far as the type of dresses I'm seeing bando dresses, strapless dresses that are calling looking and perfect for putting a blazer over it for going out in the evening. Just very elegant. Very simple. Another fun thing I saw was maxi skirts like down to almost floor sweeping. I saw beautiful denim one which they had a white blouse with it one of the classic pieces and a really cute pair of boots. I just thought okay that's fresh for spring. I love that
1
Speaker 1
21:55
you were going to talk a little bit about color. What are your thoughts about color in the forecast for spring.
2
Speaker 2
22:02
Pantone just came out with a color of the year. It is called vivid magenta. It is beautiful. It is the most gorgeous color, a plum pink colors. Matter of fact, I'm going to post about this color because it is just an uplifting color. It's vibrant, it is life. It is everything that we need right now. And I'm just so I'm so excited about this color of the year. Alongside that they are also showing acid green, that really intense green color, which I found was very interesting. But that's not the color of the year. The vivid magenta is the color of the year. alongside those vivid colors are the neutrals. Just a blending of several neutrals together for work were just the softer side of just easing back into work with a very relaxed look that I love the neutrals together. They never get old to me. That's as far as what I have seen for color leaving behind that Barbie core pink, which I fell in love with. It's kind of going into this more powerful magenta color, which
1
Speaker 1
23:08
is great for spring. Deborah is wearing pink right now just so everybody knows. Now how about Navy, is navy still important for spring?
2
Speaker 2
23:18
Yes, I mean Navy is such a rounding color. It's kind of like black, another side of black that you can wear with all those bright, gorgeous colors. I just always think it's the anchor. Navy is always an anchor, and I love navy blue and black together. I just think that's just very classy look. And it's easy. It's a no brainer. Those two colors are easy to put together and they don't clash. Good question on the Navy.
1
Speaker 1
23:45
I do like the idea of wearing Navy and black together really can extend some of your pieces in your closet if you can wear those two together. And that's good. I like that. Can we talk a little bit about boots since we're in boot season? My question is toe shape and heel shape right now.
2
Speaker 2
24:07
Good questions. I'm gonna go straight to the height of the boot. The one that I'm seeing that most of our tall boots, the boots that go to your knee over going over the knee. The tall boots that hit right at your knee. Okay, I'm seeing cowboy boots, their cowboy heel and a pointed toe. I'm seeing the tall boots with a square toe and maybe a lock heel. Seeing also pointed boots with a very straight and tall heel to it more elongating the body on that and of course you're going to still see the booties out there because there's such a variety including the cowboy boots in the booties that's going to always be a favorite with no matter what pants you wear. That was the big thing. As far as other shoes for spring. I'm seeing the ballet flats At and believe it or not, Mary Jane's with that little strap across your arch and talk about shear. I'm seeing shoes that are shear that have a mesh to them in the booties and pumps that have a shear top to it following that shear trend that's happening for spring. And guess what? An elevated flip flop. Oh, wow. Yay. Okay, we can wear comfortable shoes, and it's just a new spin on the flip flops. So take a look at those for spring. Again, with everything that I say not every trend in the shoe department is for you. So go with what's comfortable, the heel height included the pointy toe, the non pointy toe. And one last trend that I'm seeing wishes for spring, our ties, where you see a little tie like a lace up either on a boot or shoes, just be looking for that and see if that appears in the stores that you shop in. Okay, the last thing are sneakers, we just got so comfortable around out there. The one thing that stood out the most with sneakers are the treads, you can see the treads on them. There's so many varieties out there with the colorblocking on them in neutral tones and different brands that carry them. But the tread was the one trend that I saw that stood out the most to me, I'm going to ask Santa for those for Christmas or birthday.
1
Speaker 1
26:21
That's awesome. I'm glad we talked about the boots, because it seems to me at least when I'm in the stores, almost anything goes these days. I told you also when we first spoke, I said I have this pair of brown boots that I have in a box down in the basement. But they have almost a kitten heel to them. And they're really super pointy, and I haven't gotten them back out yet. I don't hang on to a lot of things. But when I find something that fits really well, I'll keep them hoping that they will come back.
2
Speaker 2
26:56
Oh, I have those items as well in my closet. And those are my most loved treasures. Because I love them for all the reasons that you said that they're well made. And they're just a favorite. When I clean out clauses, I really don't encourage people to get rid of those favorites because they will wear them along with that. And fashion is that I style women for 50 plus. And I feel that we have come of age where we are in that stage of our life. We've had experiences, we've had these exclamation points in our life that have brought us to where we are right now. We are not invisible. We are here and we're going to be representing this age group. And that's why I'm so passionate about encouraging women through fashion to wear what they love. Were what makes them feel absolutely fantastic every day. You know, if you put something on and you're asking somebody does this look Academy, nine times out of 10 Take it off, it's not really making you feel good about yourself. And I just feel aging is a process that allows you to become who you have accumulated throughout your entire life. And I stand for that ageism, we're against that movement. Because we are alive and beauty has absolutely no age. That's basically what I stand for. And I'm all about it. And if I can turn a client into a direction that she's feeling fantastic about herself, it makes me feel so good that she's there and that she's wearing what she absolutely feels confident and loves. Isn't that really what it's about?
1
Speaker 1
28:36
Oh, absolutely. I see fast fashion. And I see what 25 year olds are wearing. I think when we get to our age, we can say that looks really great on you. But that's not for me. It's empowering, right to be able to say, oh, you know what, I'm not going there. You can still embrace trends, but do it on your time and make it your fashion make it something that you carry off with confidence.
2
Speaker 2
29:11
Absolutely. Because if you don't carry it off with competence, you're not going to pass it off. You know what fashion is like art. I really truly feel this way. It means something different to everyone. If that is not hitting you in the right zone of all I love that, then don't wear it and it's okay. It's okay. Because we don't want to look like a teenager or 20 year old we want to look like ourselves. If we can rock that short skirt with pair knee high boots, you go for it. I'm all for that too. So it's about confidence.
1
Speaker 1
29:45
Absolutely. I did have a couple more questions for you. I have always wondered where this trend originated. It was the French tuck I do it. I take my oversized sweaters and I tuck in the front. I do it with shirts, because I do think it looks nicer. But where the heck did that come from?
2
Speaker 2
30:12
Well, you know why people do it number one, is because it gives you a waist again, and it kind of covers a little bit of the back that you may not want to be showing off there. The people in France have been doing this for ever, forever, ever. The funny story about it is if you remember the show Queer Eye, yeah, each guy was in charge of some type of style and fashion in the world, whether it had to do with your home, or your clothing. And there was one guy on there and his name was tan, France. And he popularized it again, calling it the French tuck. He just sensationalized it again, although it's been around forever, it just became a thing. And we still do it to this day. That is the brief history of it. It's not a big story, but I just feel that it seems like every single time when I put a tarp on, I'll first try the talk and see how that looks. Or a half talk. Have you ever done that? Where you take a blouse and you just tuck in one side of the blouse and leave the other side? Hey, yes,
1
Speaker 1
31:14
I have seen that. I have not embraced that yet. Hey, listen, I just got on board with the French talk. Let's not push it.
2
Speaker 2
31:23
Oh, no baby steps baby steps. Okay. All right. But it's fun different way to wear a tarp to emphasize a little bit of your waist.
1
Speaker 1
31:31
I embrace it. I do like the other question I had for you. As you look into spring, are the Blazers still real oversized? Like they were in the fall?
2
Speaker 2
31:43
Yes. Oh, my goodness, they talked a lot about the oversized blazer, you know, honestly, I'm good with that. But I'm not going to put a whole closet of that. Because trends are meant to be a trend, you enjoy it, you use it put with your classics, and then you know, wait to see what's coming up next. But yeah, it's there for spring, definitely spring 2023.
1
Speaker 1
32:03
We've talked a little bit about fast fashion and that sort of thing. But I want to know your opinion on this. We have those things that are trends. It's like they're hot for a minute, where's all that stuff gonna end up because it's the $25 little dress she bought at Amazon or whatever. Do people in your circles talk about that fast fashion trend.
2
Speaker 2
32:26
I mean, the last thing that we want in this world is landfills to fill up with clothes that are just not good for the environment. And it's a very serious topic, a lot of brands are turning to sustainable clothing, where they're taking plastic bottles, and they're breaking them down and making them into clothes. Or they're taking old clothes and repurposing them into fabrics for new clothes. I love that. And I stand behind that. There's a couple brands that I really like that do just that. And I think also shopping in consignment stores, and thrift stores. There are so many treasures in there that somebody has done with an item it's worthy of still wearing because it's still intact. It maybe even not designer piece that you couldn't afford. But you wanted to add something to it. I found so many treasures in consignment and thrift stores that it's just fun, you know, I would take off with my daughter and say, Hey, let's see what we can find today. And we're always surprised by that. I like to encourage that too. And also, there are many places that accept clothing for women who are trying to restart their lives and they don't have the budget to do that. So when I clean out a closet, I asked them, Do you want to donate it? I'd be happy to take it to my place of choice. But let's make use of this for the next set of hands to appreciate it. I'm all for sustainable clothing. Yes.
1
Speaker 1
33:50
I love that. I think that's a great philosophy to have. You look phenomenal. I have to say, I would love for you to share with our listeners a little bit about your own routine. Do you work out? What do you do to take care of yourself? Deborah,
2
Speaker 2
34:06
I do work out I try to get in at least three days. And of course the older I get, I really feel I need to be more conscientious of that and put that at some point my day. Lifting weights. Walking is also good for my bones. Because some of us are into facing osteoporosis and we don't want to have to live our lives worrying about falling and core work is important to me. And believe it or not, if you remember, I go to a Jazzercise class and I love it I have for years and years and years and years and they still have classes all over the United States. Plus, that's my workout routine. I live in a neighborhood where I can walk so if I can't get my car and drive I like to walk to because it's good for my phones and doing that and I just enjoy the outdoors. As far as my diet I really don't die it I just eat really clean. I don't really lean towards any processed foods and a little secret My daughter is a nutritionist. So she's got me all cleaned up with all the right things to eat and to clean out my pantry. Honestly, one big tip she told me, she said, Mom, if you would drink more water that would solve most of your problems. If I can get down one of those swell bottles, if I can get down two of those, I'm doing good. But three is so much better for me. I just think it helps with my brain. I'm not foggy, I just feel like it's just keeps things flowing. It's a very simple, basic routine. But I'd like to not go on any kind of a trendy diet. That's just not me. That's not the way I like to roll with that. I did that in my 20s. And it didn't work for me. So I'm just sticking to clean living right now.
1
Speaker 1
35:44
I think that's great advice. What about some of the beauty products you like? Do you have any brands that you particularly like?
2
Speaker 2
35:53
Full disclosure here, and I'll be very transparent. I am not a beauty blogger. I'm all about clothes and fashion. But every now and then I am approached by brands and they'll say will you try it and if you try it, will you talk about it and there is one brand and I will talk about it all day. It is the secret sauce. It's the Holy Grail. I mean, to me it is I've seen the difference. And the name of the brand is called herbal face food. It is fairly new. And I'm going to get my notes because this company is off the charts. The most potent serum I've ever used. It is 100% plant based. There's a scale, it's called the ORAC scale, or AC and that stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity. And they are off the charts on that scale. They're one of the highest ones. And they came out with a serum, once called the serum and the other ones called the cure. And a serum is for dryness lines, wrinkles, brightness, firmness, skin tone, large pores, it kind of covers everything. But then the cure is where you spot treat with that. It's for things like eczema, extreme sun damage, psoriasis, moles, skin tags, acne, I've seen a difference in as little as three days with using herbal face food. And then they just recently came out with a soap. And they also have a face cream, which is brand new, which I'm going to talk about on my Instagram, I stand behind this product 100%. And I will tell you, when you put it on your skin, it has a tingling sensation to it, that tells you it is working. I'm telling you it smells like a spa, when you put it on. It is fantastic. I could talk about other products. But this is just my number one go to. And I love it. I love it. 100%.
37:48
I'll put that in the show notes.
37:51
Okay, and they're not paying me to say this.
1
Speaker 1
37:53
I think that's great. I endorsed a product recently on Instagram that I didn't get paid for either, but I thought I need to share. I appreciate that. And I totally respect that
2
Speaker 2
38:03
good. And it's one that I really believe in because I've seen the results on me. That's why I stand behind it. It's a great product. Even if you try it. That's all I say just try it. And I think you can even send it back if you go Oh, not for me. Good.
1
Speaker 1
38:19
That's a good company that does that. Let's talk a little bit about your Instagram, because I'm always fascinated with people that have a presence on Instagram. When did you decide to put yourself out there? Because I think it's brave.
2
Speaker 2
38:34
Yeah, that is a good phrase put yourself out there. It was January of 2019, almost four years ago, that I was thinking to myself, wait a minute, I have all this background I have so much I can offer and teach educate women over 50 How to Put clothes together. I've done this for 30 plus years. I mean, why not? Plus, I had a cheerleader I had my 20 year old would now 26 year old saying Mom, you absolutely can do this and a couple of my girlfriends encouraged me to so I sat down, put my nose to the grindstone to figure out technology how in the world do I do this but my passion was for teaching women how to embrace your age. Now. I created that hashtag and registered it and you'll see it at the bottom of every post that I do on Instagram because that's how strongly I believe that is so important. No matter what age you are. Just embrace that where you are right then wrinkles in all are no wrinkles that embrace it now, I felt that if I could put it out there and show physically how to put outfits together how to dress so that you didn't look silly or you didn't look out of place or you didn't look like it was really your age, or how the heck do I wear a trend? How do I do that? And I call it let's sophisticate that trend up and make it look like something that a 50 plus year old can wear that's all The backstory on why I felt convicted in doing my Instagram. And I'm so thankful for all of my followers. They're very loyal. And they comment and they encouraged me. And it was just this love affair that I've had with fashion all these years I get to share it was so many women out there, and it just brings me tremendous joy.
1
Speaker 1
40:22
That's fantastic. I do follow you because I love your classic look. And that's how I found you. I was just nosing around on Instagram one day. And then I thought, oh my gosh, she would be perfect for guests on the show.
40:36
So that means so much.
1
Speaker 1
40:38
I love what you do. I will continue to follow you and I will make sure that our listeners know where to find you. That's awesome. Thank you so much for being on the show. This was delightful.
2
Speaker 2
40:50
Well, thank you, Michelle. It's been so much fun just digging through all the fashion stuff, bantering back and forth about all of those aspects and it was such a thrill for me to be on your show. I'm honored. And thank you so so much. Thank
1
Speaker 1
41:05
you Deborah. Follow asking for a friend on social media outlets and provide a review and share this show wherever you get your podcasts, reviews and sharing help us grow

35 Asking for a Friend


Mon, Dec 19, 2022 . 8:39 AM

41:34

Owner: Michele Folan
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
trend, wear, fashion, closet, spring, deborah, put, people, instagram, brands, waist, love, talk, boots, shear, life, color, called, fun, ruffle
SPEAKERS
Speaker 2 (71%), 
Speaker 1 (28%) 
1
Speaker 1
0:00
When I began this podcast back in May, I really wasn't sure how long I would be doing the show. According to one of my podcast guests, the average podcast only lasts seven episodes. Well, we are 34 shows in. And not only have we lasted beyond seven episodes, asking for a friend is ranked in the top 5% of podcasts globally, in less than eight months. The support of you the listeners means so much to me. You've been engaged and brave to ask questions of our guest experts. You have shared the show with your friends and your families. And you have found us on social media, I do have a favor to ask. Please rate and review the show when possible on your favorite podcast platform. This really does help us find more listeners. Your followers on Instagram and Facebook are also very much appreciated. I'm already hard at work planning shows for 2023 and excited about the topics that we're going to share. But please let me know what you would like me to cover on future episodes. I love getting input, and it keeps us relevant and current for our listeners. Thank you again for listening and supporting asking for a friend. From our editor Kelly and me, we appreciate you and we'll see you in the new year. Health, Wellness, career, relationships and everything in between. We're removing the taboo from what really matters in midlife. I'm your host Michele Folan. And this is asking for a friend. Welcome to the show everyone as we wrap up 2022. With this final episode, I wanted to do something fun. And what is more fun than talking fashion and trends. Our special guest today is a former Nordstrom fashion show coordinator and personal shopper who is now a personal stylist and wardrobe consultant. Not only do I love Deborah swirlies, clean, classic style, but she is also very passionate about helping women feel more confident in embracing their age. Welcome to the show, Deborah.
2
Speaker 2
2:32
Oh, thank you for having me. I'm so honored to be here to talk to you about fashion.
1
Speaker 1
2:37
Oh, I am so excited to have you here. I've been wanting to do a show on fashion for quite some time. I also think that you can be a great inspiration to other midlife women, because I think you're doing some really neat things with your social media presence as well. I want to find out a little bit more about you and your background and your family and where you're from, oh,
2
Speaker 2
3:00
well, I grew up in Pennsylvania. My education. My background is in art. I was an art teacher for time. Speaking of all of the elements that come together and pull you into where you are today. That art background has tremendously helped me with my career in fashion. I grew up there. And then in my 20s, I moved to Park City, Utah, and then met my husband there. And then we moved to California. And we've been in San Diego over many years. It's considered home to be right now and we love it here.
3:34
That's great. And you have kids?
2
Speaker 2
3:36
I do I have a 29 year old son and a 26 year old daughter, and they're both thriving young adults and so happy for both of them. They're doing what they love to do. And they both are somewhat involved in the arts as well. I'm really proud of them. Oh, that's
1
Speaker 1
3:51
great. That's interesting that your art background has really been a big influence in what you do today and helps you with that aesthetic because I think there is a real aesthetic to fashion.
2
Speaker 2
4:03
Absolutely everything I learned for instance, Color Theory sculpture, I loved graphic arts, painting, all of that combined who is involved in the textures of fabrics and how they go with other colors. It just translated itself so easily into fashion. It was just a natural for me to move in this direction for my life.
1
Speaker 1
4:24
The other thing too is now that your personal style consultant for people, you have a website, you can actually do a lot of this virtually now.
2
Speaker 2
4:36
COVID put a kibosh on so many things for so many people out there, virtually you can do it, especially when I'm editing a wardrobe. It's absolutely possible. However, I love going in and seeing the fabrics and how they fit the client and how they are up against each other natural light. It's always better when it's in real life. But absolutely that can be done virtually as a matter of fact act, my sister just called me we're going to FaceTime tomorrow because she's going on a little getaway. And she wants to know what to wear. And I'm like, let's do it, it's absolutely easy to do it that way too.
1
Speaker 1
5:12
And that's fun. Yeah, but you would also really benefit from getting into someone's closet, oh, it's not just seeing the new stuff. It's seeing what their base wardrobe looks like,
2
Speaker 2
5:23
exactly the in real life thing. And you see how they react to when they pull out an item. And I can tell, they don't really like it. So we talked about it, or they don't want to get rid of it. And it's obvious that maybe they should, it's a very, very emotional thing for that person trying to go through their wardrobe. And I always tell them, This is why you need a third person, because that third person isn't attached to those clothes, and we can see them for what they are on you. It's just sometimes it's a relief to fill up a bag of clothes and donate it somewhere.
1
Speaker 1
5:58
How do you go through your own closet and decide? Now, I think this is a good question, because we all have those things we hang on to. But how does Deborah Sorlie go through her closet and decide what to keep? And what to get rid of?
2
Speaker 2
6:16
That is such a good question. Actually, this is how I do it. And I do recommend this to my clients as well. I recommend getting a rolling rack and pull sections of your clothing out all of it all the shirts, trial them on and then you soon begin to see Oh, this one's pilling. This one it's had its life. And it's now time to replace it. You just go through one by one and then you put them back into the closet. And then of course, there's going to be maybes, there's going to be donates. And there's going to be alterations. These different piles that you make are what will help you be less emotional about things. I love the trends. And I love what's happening. So I have to see what do I have in there that's going to work with the trends that are happening? Do I have my classic pieces that are worn out and they need to be replaced? That type of thing? I just go through one at a time. Sometimes it takes me a whole weekend. Sometimes it takes me a week, it just depends on my energy level and how much I want to do in a day.
1
Speaker 1
7:22
Do you do that each season? No, truthfully,
2
Speaker 2
7:26
I'm so busy with my Instagram that I would love to. And I have to be motivated to do it. I get to it, probably at least once a year. And like you said each season if I do it twice a year, that is really good for me. When you clean out your closet, it is refreshing. And you're opening the door to have new wonderful items in your closet.
1
Speaker 1
7:50
I think this conversation is very timely, Deborah, because a lot of us are struggling to get out of our Lulu lemons, whatever your legging of choices, and really take a look at our own wardrobes because we probably need to get back to wearing real clothes to some extent.
2
Speaker 2
8:12
It's so true. COVID did us a lot of not great favors in that aspect, where if I did a client, she was going on a big trip. And she said Deborah, I've been wearing sweats in a sweatshirt for two years. Now I don't even know what I need. What I don't need, it is a very true factor. I think the upswing is that we're getting into bright colors, we're getting into things that we can actually wear out on a date or go out with a girlfriend. It's like those things that were laying in our closets we can now start wearing and I think the new fashions are reflecting that. Nothing wrong with sweats and being comfortable at all. But it's time to start bringing out the other clothes that are in your closet that you haven't worn in two years. Starting joining them and wearing them to places I mean, why not get dressed up and go to the grocery store? I mean, why not? I tell my clients, you know, you have to wake up and get dressed anyway. Why not look fabulous? Now grab that outfit that's gonna make you feel good, right?
1
Speaker 1
9:15
I know. And I will tell you I have been slowly transitioning even though I am working from home most days. I am really making an effort to do more each day because I do feel better when I put on a pretty sweater and look a little more professional. I hear you on that. Yeah. Let's talk a little bit about basics. When you are working with a client, what are some of those basic things that people need to have in their closet?
2
Speaker 2
9:51
Yes, I've given many seminars on this topic. There are absolute classics and the reason why you always want to have them in your closet. Because a they're timeless, B, they're meant to be there as the basic first layer that you put on. That would be a classic white shirt, a good black pair of pants, a blazer, a trench coat, great pair of jeans that you love putting on, I have a sixth one. And it's that little black dress. To me, those are the classic pieces that you should always have in your closet, you can mix and match even just those pieces together and have a fabulous outfit. Those are the basics and key. And those are the splurge items, you want to have items in your closet that are the classic pieces that are going to be timeless and lasts for a long time. The way they're tailored, the way they're cut the way they fit your body. If you fall in love with, say, for instance, a pair of pants, and they're just not there. It is so worth it to have alterations come in and get the fit just right for you. I'm a strong believer on definitely having those classics in your closet.
1
Speaker 1
11:10
Do you have a favorite splurge store where you always seem to find really good basic pieces.
2
Speaker 2
11:18
Yes. You mentioned earlier that I am a former Nordstrom employee, my heart and soul is in Nordstrom. It's so funny because whenever I walk in there, I'm like, Oh, I'm at home now. Because I just know the quality's there. And I know they carry many brands that I love. The service is impeccable alterations is fabulous. There. It is always my go to store. I feel like I know where I can go to get what I need either for myself or my client because there's so many people there that are willing to just help get it right for you. So that's my go to store always Nordstrom love them.
1
Speaker 1
12:03
Do you have a favorite place to shop that is more budget friendly?
2
Speaker 2
12:07
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I tell my clients listen, I will shop where ever you want me to you name the place. I'll meet you there. No brainer. I love TJ Maxx. I do have a variety of items. A lot of people think oh, those are the castoffs from last year, it's not true. They do have fashions that are happening and that are on trend. And they're at the price where a lot of people can afford. The only glitch with that is that you have to be a treasure hunter. When you go there you have to be patient because they're not going to have a full size run. You'll have a piece here that you like a piece there. I like to shop with my clients there because I'm able to find pieces to put together that they wouldn't have thought to put together. It's a fun time for us to be together and to explore what that store is all about. But I find a mix of those two very easy to accommodate a customer.
1
Speaker 1
12:57
That's great. It's fun. Yeah, I have both those stores right near me. So Oh, good. Yay, me. Yes, I want to talk a little bit about denim. Sure, because I'm one of these people that have several pairs of jeans in my closet. But I always default to my skinny jeans, because those are the ones that look the best on me or I think they look better on me than my others. What is the thought right now about skinny jeans versus girlfriend cut versus boyfriend cut versus flares. I mean, what the heck is going on?
2
Speaker 2
13:36
No skinny jeans just took us over and became our legging during COVID. And it was just easy and boots were great with it and everything. That was a trend that was long lasting. So if you invested in those pieces, that's great. Looking at what's happening in spring for denim, currently, what I'm seeing is the straight leg gene, which is the sister to the skinny jean. Also the opposite of that the wide leg gene, which is so great because it can accommodate that shape that doesn't have that skinny leg to where although the wide leg gene I'm seeing a high waist in that. And also with the straight leg gene. I'm seeing a high waist with that now, looking forward to spring. What I'm seeing is it's a very wide leg almost exaggerated. And that's great too. I mean, I just think the whole point in jeans. And you just said it perfectly. You said I love my skinny jeans. And if that is what makes you feel the best and then go to that. As a matter of fact in spring Prada brought back the skinny pant. Wow. Everybody was like whoa, wait a minute. I thought we were done with that but they're doing a skinny pant, not necessarily skinny jeans. They're not done with that and why Like, like I said, suits many different body shapes that they're like, Oh, finally, you know, I can wear something that's flowy and not so tight. My recommendation is to try it on. Because there's different waist heights too. There's the high waist, there's the low cut waist. There's the in between. Everybody shape is a little bit different in your comfort zone is a little bit different from person to person. They say who's they? But they say you should have at least 10 pairs of jeans in your closet, because there's so many varieties out there. And not every type of gene goes with every mood of outfit. Oh, gosh, I'm way beyond the 10 in my wardrobe. But that's another story. For spring two, we're seeing embellishments on jeans, which is fun, because we did that several years ago. We were seeing on the runway, some embellishments done to jeans. It's kind of fun, something new and fresh. So very habit.
15:56
Should we get out our butt Dassler again. Well, let's not go there. Okay. Oh, I'm dating myself.
2
Speaker 2
16:06
Funny thing with designers is that what goes around comes around, you see it come around again. But the designers have a way of just tweaking it a little bit to make it a little different than how you wore it back then. They want to make you buy it. They want to make you love it. That's my scoop on jeans.
1
Speaker 1
16:22
All right. I think that's good. Let's keep talking spring because you're it's kind of around the corner. Yeah, you and I talked about this. When we first spoke I brought up the whole ruffle thing. ruffles on dresses, ruffles on shirts. I'm okay with a ruffle. But someone like me who's five, two. If I wear a dress with ruffles on it, I look like I'm going to bow down. I was wondering if that ruffle trend will continue into the spring and summer. Trends are
2
Speaker 2
16:58
funny because they are not for everyone. Also, when you look at the trends for each season, especially the shows the fashion shows, please remember that they are meant to entertain, you will see exaggerated versions of what a trend is it's almost in your face like oh, wow, that is definitely something right there. And they're meant to really shout out this is going to be a trend in in me looking at all the trends that were coming out for spring. I didn't really care for some of them. I loved a lot of them. Getting back to your question about the ruffle. I think that was a very soft, feminine time. I am honestly not seeing that so much. What I will tell you is what I am seeing and I've got my big fat cheat sheet here. And I'm just going to start to the top and go through it. Stop me if you have any questions. Oh, this is perfect. I love it. Just remember this is for spring 2023. The good news about trends especially over the last couple of years because of COVID They've hung on from season to season which is good for our pocketbook. But now we're seeing this upswing and some fun things that are coming in for spring. One of them is cargo pants, remember those. These are cargo pants with big pockets, lots of pockets. I think it's meant to be so that your hands free so that you can put your stuff your lipstick in your pockets. I love all the styles. They had it from satin to cotton to all types of styles. That's a new pant that's out there. Another trend that I'm seeing is shear Now just hold on to your hat right now. I'm talking shear like lingerie shear. When you see a trend like that, you may go Oh, no, no, no, not for me that is I am not going to wear that. But there are ways to wear shear. You could wear a blouse that has shear sleeves in it. I have a shear tunic that starts at my neck and goes all the way down to my ankles and I put a pair of black pants on it and a black tank underneath it. The trend is still there, but it's not like you're seeing everything on me. Just take it with a grain of salt when you see shear what that could possibly mean to you.
1
Speaker 1
19:15
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2
Speaker 2
20:04
We talked about jeans and oh my gosh, okay this trend. I cannot wait. It's feathers fringe. Tinsel Rafi I mean talk about let's put fun into our clothes because now we can wear them out. And I'm seeing it on jeans on blazers, around the cuffs of your blouses. I'm seeing feather bandeaus that you just put that on and put a blazer on top of it just really fun items out there that have those on them.
20:37
It sounds like textures coming back.
2
Speaker 2
20:40
Oh yeah. Let's just talk about texture and pleasing the eye letting you see what's out there for this season. I was looking at this going oh my gosh, I can't wait to see what's in the stores. Now you asked about dresses and that ruffle. What I'm seeing is one of the things they showed in the shows was exaggerated hips. Almost from the 16th century and it was exaggerated. What I'm also saw along with that was a drop waist dress which we can relate to that it is not exaggerating your hips but it is dropping the waist to show off your longer waist and to see where the waist is now starting at a different line on your body. As far as the type of dresses I'm seeing bando dresses, strapless dresses that are calling looking and perfect for putting a blazer over it for going out in the evening. Just very elegant. Very simple. Another fun thing I saw was maxi skirts like down to almost floor sweeping. I saw beautiful denim one which they had a white blouse with it one of the classic pieces and a really cute pair of boots. I just thought okay that's fresh for spring. I love that
1
Speaker 1
21:55
you were going to talk a little bit about color. What are your thoughts about color in the forecast for spring.
2
Speaker 2
22:02
Pantone just came out with a color of the year. It is called vivid magenta. It is beautiful. It is the most gorgeous color, a plum pink colors. Matter of fact, I'm going to post about this color because it is just an uplifting color. It's vibrant, it is life. It is everything that we need right now. And I'm just so I'm so excited about this color of the year. Alongside that they are also showing acid green, that really intense green color, which I found was very interesting. But that's not the color of the year. The vivid magenta is the color of the year. alongside those vivid colors are the neutrals. Just a blending of several neutrals together for work were just the softer side of just easing back into work with a very relaxed look that I love the neutrals together. They never get old to me. That's as far as what I have seen for color leaving behind that Barbie core pink, which I fell in love with. It's kind of going into this more powerful magenta color, which
1
Speaker 1
23:08
is great for spring. Deborah is wearing pink right now just so everybody knows. Now how about Navy, is navy still important for spring?
2
Speaker 2
23:18
Yes, I mean Navy is such a rounding color. It's kind of like black, another side of black that you can wear with all those bright, gorgeous colors. I just always think it's the anchor. Navy is always an anchor, and I love navy blue and black together. I just think that's just very classy look. And it's easy. It's a no brainer. Those two colors are easy to put together and they don't clash. Good question on the Navy.
1
Speaker 1
23:45
I do like the idea of wearing Navy and black together really can extend some of your pieces in your closet if you can wear those two together. And that's good. I like that. Can we talk a little bit about boots since we're in boot season? My question is toe shape and heel shape right now.
2
Speaker 2
24:07
Good questions. I'm gonna go straight to the height of the boot. The one that I'm seeing that most of our tall boots, the boots that go to your knee over going over the knee. The tall boots that hit right at your knee. Okay, I'm seeing cowboy boots, their cowboy heel and a pointed toe. I'm seeing the tall boots with a square toe and maybe a lock heel. Seeing also pointed boots with a very straight and tall heel to it more elongating the body on that and of course you're going to still see the booties out there because there's such a variety including the cowboy boots in the booties that's going to always be a favorite with no matter what pants you wear. That was the big thing. As far as other shoes for spring. I'm seeing the ballet flats At and believe it or not, Mary Jane's with that little strap across your arch and talk about shear. I'm seeing shoes that are shear that have a mesh to them in the booties and pumps that have a shear top to it following that shear trend that's happening for spring. And guess what? An elevated flip flop. Oh, wow. Yay. Okay, we can wear comfortable shoes, and it's just a new spin on the flip flops. So take a look at those for spring. Again, with everything that I say not every trend in the shoe department is for you. So go with what's comfortable, the heel height included the pointy toe, the non pointy toe. And one last trend that I'm seeing wishes for spring, our ties, where you see a little tie like a lace up either on a boot or shoes, just be looking for that and see if that appears in the stores that you shop in. Okay, the last thing are sneakers, we just got so comfortable around out there. The one thing that stood out the most with sneakers are the treads, you can see the treads on them. There's so many varieties out there with the colorblocking on them in neutral tones and different brands that carry them. But the tread was the one trend that I saw that stood out the most to me, I'm going to ask Santa for those for Christmas or birthday.
1
Speaker 1
26:21
That's awesome. I'm glad we talked about the boots, because it seems to me at least when I'm in the stores, almost anything goes these days. I told you also when we first spoke, I said I have this pair of brown boots that I have in a box down in the basement. But they have almost a kitten heel to them. And they're really super pointy, and I haven't gotten them back out yet. I don't hang on to a lot of things. But when I find something that fits really well, I'll keep them hoping that they will come back.
2
Speaker 2
26:56
Oh, I have those items as well in my closet. And those are my most loved treasures. Because I love them for all the reasons that you said that they're well made. And they're just a favorite. When I clean out clauses, I really don't encourage people to get rid of those favorites because they will wear them along with that. And fashion is that I style women for 50 plus. And I feel that we have come of age where we are in that stage of our life. We've had experiences, we've had these exclamation points in our life that have brought us to where we are right now. We are not invisible. We are here and we're going to be representing this age group. And that's why I'm so passionate about encouraging women through fashion to wear what they love. Were what makes them feel absolutely fantastic every day. You know, if you put something on and you're asking somebody does this look Academy, nine times out of 10 Take it off, it's not really making you feel good about yourself. And I just feel aging is a process that allows you to become who you have accumulated throughout your entire life. And I stand for that ageism, we're against that movement. Because we are alive and beauty has absolutely no age. That's basically what I stand for. And I'm all about it. And if I can turn a client into a direction that she's feeling fantastic about herself, it makes me feel so good that she's there and that she's wearing what she absolutely feels confident and loves. Isn't that really what it's about?
1
Speaker 1
28:36
Oh, absolutely. I see fast fashion. And I see what 25 year olds are wearing. I think when we get to our age, we can say that looks really great on you. But that's not for me. It's empowering, right to be able to say, oh, you know what, I'm not going there. You can still embrace trends, but do it on your time and make it your fashion make it something that you carry off with confidence.
2
Speaker 2
29:11
Absolutely. Because if you don't carry it off with competence, you're not going to pass it off. You know what fashion is like art. I really truly feel this way. It means something different to everyone. If that is not hitting you in the right zone of all I love that, then don't wear it and it's okay. It's okay. Because we don't want to look like a teenager or 20 year old we want to look like ourselves. If we can rock that short skirt with pair knee high boots, you go for it. I'm all for that too. So it's about confidence.
1
Speaker 1
29:45
Absolutely. I did have a couple more questions for you. I have always wondered where this trend originated. It was the French tuck I do it. I take my oversized sweaters and I tuck in the front. I do it with shirts, because I do think it looks nicer. But where the heck did that come from?
2
Speaker 2
30:12
Well, you know why people do it number one, is because it gives you a waist again, and it kind of covers a little bit of the back that you may not want to be showing off there. The people in France have been doing this for ever, forever, ever. The funny story about it is if you remember the show Queer Eye, yeah, each guy was in charge of some type of style and fashion in the world, whether it had to do with your home, or your clothing. And there was one guy on there and his name was tan, France. And he popularized it again, calling it the French tuck. He just sensationalized it again, although it's been around forever, it just became a thing. And we still do it to this day. That is the brief history of it. It's not a big story, but I just feel that it seems like every single time when I put a tarp on, I'll first try the talk and see how that looks. Or a half talk. Have you ever done that? Where you take a blouse and you just tuck in one side of the blouse and leave the other side? Hey, yes,
1
Speaker 1
31:14
I have seen that. I have not embraced that yet. Hey, listen, I just got on board with the French talk. Let's not push it.
2
Speaker 2
31:23
Oh, no baby steps baby steps. Okay. All right. But it's fun different way to wear a tarp to emphasize a little bit of your waist.
1
Speaker 1
31:31
I embrace it. I do like the other question I had for you. As you look into spring, are the Blazers still real oversized? Like they were in the fall?
2
Speaker 2
31:43
Yes. Oh, my goodness, they talked a lot about the oversized blazer, you know, honestly, I'm good with that. But I'm not going to put a whole closet of that. Because trends are meant to be a trend, you enjoy it, you use it put with your classics, and then you know, wait to see what's coming up next. But yeah, it's there for spring, definitely spring 2023.
1
Speaker 1
32:03
We've talked a little bit about fast fashion and that sort of thing. But I want to know your opinion on this. We have those things that are trends. It's like they're hot for a minute, where's all that stuff gonna end up because it's the $25 little dress she bought at Amazon or whatever. Do people in your circles talk about that fast fashion trend.
2
Speaker 2
32:26
I mean, the last thing that we want in this world is landfills to fill up with clothes that are just not good for the environment. And it's a very serious topic, a lot of brands are turning to sustainable clothing, where they're taking plastic bottles, and they're breaking them down and making them into clothes. Or they're taking old clothes and repurposing them into fabrics for new clothes. I love that. And I stand behind that. There's a couple brands that I really like that do just that. And I think also shopping in consignment stores, and thrift stores. There are so many treasures in there that somebody has done with an item it's worthy of still wearing because it's still intact. It maybe even not designer piece that you couldn't afford. But you wanted to add something to it. I found so many treasures in consignment and thrift stores that it's just fun, you know, I would take off with my daughter and say, Hey, let's see what we can find today. And we're always surprised by that. I like to encourage that too. And also, there are many places that accept clothing for women who are trying to restart their lives and they don't have the budget to do that. So when I clean out a closet, I asked them, Do you want to donate it? I'd be happy to take it to my place of choice. But let's make use of this for the next set of hands to appreciate it. I'm all for sustainable clothing. Yes.
1
Speaker 1
33:50
I love that. I think that's a great philosophy to have. You look phenomenal. I have to say, I would love for you to share with our listeners a little bit about your own routine. Do you work out? What do you do to take care of yourself? Deborah,
2
Speaker 2
34:06
I do work out I try to get in at least three days. And of course the older I get, I really feel I need to be more conscientious of that and put that at some point my day. Lifting weights. Walking is also good for my bones. Because some of us are into facing osteoporosis and we don't want to have to live our lives worrying about falling and core work is important to me. And believe it or not, if you remember, I go to a Jazzercise class and I love it I have for years and years and years and years and they still have classes all over the United States. Plus, that's my workout routine. I live in a neighborhood where I can walk so if I can't get my car and drive I like to walk to because it's good for my phones and doing that and I just enjoy the outdoors. As far as my diet I really don't die it I just eat really clean. I don't really lean towards any processed foods and a little secret My daughter is a nutritionist. So she's got me all cleaned up with all the right things to eat and to clean out my pantry. Honestly, one big tip she told me, she said, Mom, if you would drink more water that would solve most of your problems. If I can get down one of those swell bottles, if I can get down two of those, I'm doing good. But three is so much better for me. I just think it helps with my brain. I'm not foggy, I just feel like it's just keeps things flowing. It's a very simple, basic routine. But I'd like to not go on any kind of a trendy diet. That's just not me. That's not the way I like to roll with that. I did that in my 20s. And it didn't work for me. So I'm just sticking to clean living right now.
1
Speaker 1
35:44
I think that's great advice. What about some of the beauty products you like? Do you have any brands that you particularly like?
2
Speaker 2
35:53
Full disclosure here, and I'll be very transparent. I am not a beauty blogger. I'm all about clothes and fashion. But every now and then I am approached by brands and they'll say will you try it and if you try it, will you talk about it and there is one brand and I will talk about it all day. It is the secret sauce. It's the Holy Grail. I mean, to me it is I've seen the difference. And the name of the brand is called herbal face food. It is fairly new. And I'm going to get my notes because this company is off the charts. The most potent serum I've ever used. It is 100% plant based. There's a scale, it's called the ORAC scale, or AC and that stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity. And they are off the charts on that scale. They're one of the highest ones. And they came out with a serum, once called the serum and the other ones called the cure. And a serum is for dryness lines, wrinkles, brightness, firmness, skin tone, large pores, it kind of covers everything. But then the cure is where you spot treat with that. It's for things like eczema, extreme sun damage, psoriasis, moles, skin tags, acne, I've seen a difference in as little as three days with using herbal face food. And then they just recently came out with a soap. And they also have a face cream, which is brand new, which I'm going to talk about on my Instagram, I stand behind this product 100%. And I will tell you, when you put it on your skin, it has a tingling sensation to it, that tells you it is working. I'm telling you it smells like a spa, when you put it on. It is fantastic. I could talk about other products. But this is just my number one go to. And I love it. I love it. 100%.
37:48
I'll put that in the show notes.
37:51
Okay, and they're not paying me to say this.
1
Speaker 1
37:53
I think that's great. I endorsed a product recently on Instagram that I didn't get paid for either, but I thought I need to share. I appreciate that. And I totally respect that
2
Speaker 2
38:03
good. And it's one that I really believe in because I've seen the results on me. That's why I stand behind it. It's a great product. Even if you try it. That's all I say just try it. And I think you can even send it back if you go Oh, not for me. Good.
1
Speaker 1
38:19
That's a good company that does that. Let's talk a little bit about your Instagram, because I'm always fascinated with people that have a presence on Instagram. When did you decide to put yourself out there? Because I think it's brave.
2
Speaker 2
38:34
Yeah, that is a good phrase put yourself out there. It was January of 2019, almost four years ago, that I was thinking to myself, wait a minute, I have all this background I have so much I can offer and teach educate women over 50 How to Put clothes together. I've done this for 30 plus years. I mean, why not? Plus, I had a cheerleader I had my 20 year old would now 26 year old saying Mom, you absolutely can do this and a couple of my girlfriends encouraged me to so I sat down, put my nose to the grindstone to figure out technology how in the world do I do this but my passion was for teaching women how to embrace your age. Now. I created that hashtag and registered it and you'll see it at the bottom of every post that I do on Instagram because that's how strongly I believe that is so important. No matter what age you are. Just embrace that where you are right then wrinkles in all are no wrinkles that embrace it now, I felt that if I could put it out there and show physically how to put outfits together how to dress so that you didn't look silly or you didn't look out of place or you didn't look like it was really your age, or how the heck do I wear a trend? How do I do that? And I call it let's sophisticate that trend up and make it look like something that a 50 plus year old can wear that's all The backstory on why I felt convicted in doing my Instagram. And I'm so thankful for all of my followers. They're very loyal. And they comment and they encouraged me. And it was just this love affair that I've had with fashion all these years I get to share it was so many women out there, and it just brings me tremendous joy.
1
Speaker 1
40:22
That's fantastic. I do follow you because I love your classic look. And that's how I found you. I was just nosing around on Instagram one day. And then I thought, oh my gosh, she would be perfect for guests on the show.
40:36
So that means so much.
1
Speaker 1
40:38
I love what you do. I will continue to follow you and I will make sure that our listeners know where to find you. That's awesome. Thank you so much for being on the show. This was delightful.
2
Speaker 2
40:50
Well, thank you, Michelle. It's been so much fun just digging through all the fashion stuff, bantering back and forth about all of those aspects and it was such a thrill for me to be on your show. I'm honored. And thank you so so much. Thank
1
Speaker 1
41:05
you Deborah. Follow asking for a friend on social media outlets and provide a review and share this show wherever you get your podcasts, reviews and sharing help us grow