Wardrobe Archives - Clare Maxfield

Jul 24 2018

#100 days 100 outfits – days 61-80

Day 61-80 of my #100days100outfits challenge.

During these 20 days, I had some real highs and some real lows and it really forces you out of your comfort zone to expose your life this openly. I know I had a choice as to what I posted and I was very excited about the day I was dancing for my Gold Star medal in Latin ballroom dancing. That day I danced ChaCha, Rumba and one of my favourites Pasodoble.

For those people following me on instagram, they would have seen snippets of my skirt coming together. that was a great day. Sadly day 73 was spent farewelling a school friend. She was an amazing woman and we will never forget Jo (Spencer) Sharp. She was always on social media, commenting and keeping in touch with everyone. She was only pint sized, but very strong willed and always good for a laugh.

Day 75, I did what I never do and that was to stay in bed all day. I had the sorest throat and aching body and could see no value in getting up.

So what lessons did this past 20 days teach me? I truly thought I was going to run out of options yet I still surprised myself.

I’ve realised, in hindsight, that when I am not feeling well I turn to my jeans. Clearly, they are my fall back items. When my brain was foggy I could fashion jeans with a fresh top.

It was very exciting to rediscover my above the knee boots.

Finally, as I am planning my wardrobe to enjoy the final 20 days, I am now thinking about what I really want to wear. It now feels really important again as we remember what we first see and what we last see. I am even holding garments back for the last weeks.

I have to say. It has been a great exercise and i am really lovng what I am discovering about myself, my wardrobe adn what I really really, yes, really do like. It seems that the comments I am receiving, your taste is very similar to mine.

So to everyone who has been supporting me and commenting, thank-you. It has truly made this fun.

Apr 30 2018

Don’t forget it – Wear it

I’ll wager you have items in your closet that you love but have only worn a few times thinking they’re too good to wear for everyday events.

The tragic truth is if you don’t wear them you’re likely to end up giving them away because they’ve gone out of fashion.

A better idea is to work out how to dress them up or dress them down and wear them – in any case being a little overdressed will only have people thinking you’ve got somewhere exciting to go. And that’s got no downside. ?

We are all consumed by fast fashion so I have decided to challenge myself and you to 100 days of 100 outfits, no repeats, and no shopping. Everything I will wear must already exist in my wardrobe.

I’ll be starting my 100 days, tomorrow on the 1st of May, the first day of winter here in Australia and well, for no other reason, than it is starting with a 1. I am expecting this challenge to be harder than I am anticipating as I have two training courses in the middle of this 100 days and I discovered last month that I have a process when I am training of wearing the same outfits. I really do wear 20% of my wardrobe 80% of the time. Well not for the next 100 days.

You can follow my daily outfits on Instagram at claremaxfield, or on my Facebook page at Clare Maxfield Image

As you follow my progress you might discover that you want help with your own wardrobe. I can help you in person or online. Contact me for more details on how I can help you maximise your wardrobe dollars and look fabulous every day.

Feb 25 2017

How to dress the Champagne (rectangle)shaped woman in Autumn Winter

Champagne Woman autumn winter style by claremaxfield featuring a shirt dress

With Autumn just a few days away from us here in Melbourne I thought it was timely to run a series of posts that highlight how each of the body shapes should dress.

I’ll be posting the updates in this order.

Today Champagne – AKA rectangle

Then Cocktail AKA Hourglass, Margarita AKA Heart or inverted triangle with full breasts, Martini, aka inverted triangle with full shoulders, Ruby Red Wine, AKA round, apple or soft and finally Whilemina White Wine AKA pear or triangle.

To discover your shape do the quiz here

If you live in the northern hemisphere, You can read my posts from September last year to get an indication of how to build your spring summer capsule.

Champagne shape.

These are your top 5 Do’s and Top 5 Don’ts

Do find designs that create the illusion of a waist
Do wear clothing that skims your body
Do wear fabric that drapes
Do chose jackets with multiple buttons
Do wear clothing with straight lines through the design, decoration and print.

Don’t

Don’t wear anything that is highly shaped at the waist
Don’t wear cross over dresses
Don’t wear anything overly full at the hips
Don’t imagine cinching your waist tight will give you a smaller waist
Don’t buy anything tight on your waist and loose at your hips or bust

Champagne (Rectangle) body shape Spring Summer recommendations

Feb 23 2017

Poor professional image choices can create problems you never anticipated

Studies have found that we we make decisions based on how much we like, trust and will promote a person based on how they look?

Can you afford to let opportunities slip through your fingers, simply because you couldn’t be bothered that day.

Because you didn’t think it was important?
Because you didn’t think anyone would notice?
Because you were in a hurry?

Never let something you can control create problems. The way you look at work can erase simple issue especially when…

You look like you are in control.
You look like you can do the job.
You look like you care.

It really is that simple to avoid problems which can easily be avoided. Take the time to get a great working wardrobe.

Make sure that you have everything clean for work each day.
Make sure that it fits you perfectly. Don’t bring anything home which requires alterations. Go straight to get it adjusted.
Make sure that your clothes are up to your job. That they make you look sound and act like the professional that you are. Don’t look like your assistant or that you are still job searching. Dress for the role you have now, not the one you were last in.
Make sure that your clothing fits your lifestyle and your values.
Make sure it is something which will be easy for you to look after. Buying clothes which require care which you don’t have the time or inclination for is also a waste of your time and your money.

So there you have it. A brief update on what you can do to ensure that the way you look makes you look great. Every day.

Sign up to my website to get all of my posts as they come out 3 times weekly. Or you can find me on Facebook at Clare Maxfield Image

Feb 18 2017

Got a wardrobe full of clothes and nothing to wear?

This morning I received an email from a client who was working through my Personal Branding course. She was concerned that her wardrobe was not varied enough for her lifestyle.

Her question reiterated just how important it is to know not only what you do, your lifestyle but also what you truly value.

Ideally, your lifestyle should be represented equally in your wardrobe. By that I mean, if you work 50% of your waking week your wardrobe should consist of 50% of it being appropriate for work. The greatest mistake I see many clients making is that they indulge in their happy areas. For younger clients, they have an excess of party clothes. For my health and fitness motivated clients their wardrobes consist of an excess of fitness gear and for my mummies, they have lots of clothes that they can throw on quickly and will wash easily, require no washing and can put up with the wear and tear of running around after infants and toddlers. It is only the male and female executive who knows the value of their work wardrobe and that is where they invest their most money. Mind you these people are also at work 80% of heir waking hours so it is unsurprising.

The biggest complaint I hear from most people is that their either “have nothing to wear” or they “never feel any good” in what they wear. Both complaints are very valid and easily fixed. For the ‘I’ve got nothing to wear’ women it is time to start planning your wardrobe. This is a 3 step process.

Plan out your lifestyle and discover how much of your wardrobe you need to allocate to work clothes, social clothes, event clothes, exercise clothes relaxation clothes and whatever other special needs/hobbies you might have
Assess what you have in your wardrobe. Do your clothes match your lifestyle and your values.
Create a plan of what you need and follow it.

To understand how your lifestyle breaks down you can create a chart of what you do from hour to hour every day of the week. Break it down into work hours, social hours, special event clothing and of course, relaxing at home. If this all sounds too hard, you can do my lifestyle quiz here.

Once you know what your lifestyle looks like you can start analysing your wardrobe. This will answer why you have nothing to wear. Your wardrobe and your lifestyle are not aligned.

The next step is to discover what you value. This will answer why you may or may not ‘feel any good’. For some people looking great is everything so it is important to plan who they spend their wardrobe dollars. For others, they forget that they have to consider this at all. This can be highlighted in your values and can assist you in stepping up to get ready for that promotion. If you are wearing and buying clothing which does not support your values you will just leave it in your wardrobe and believe that you truly have nothing that makes you really feel good. To discover your values I have a really simple quiz right here.

Normally I would be telling a client to have let’s say 50% of their wardrobe for work and maybe 25% for social events and the rest for relaxing around the house, exercising, gardening etc. In this woman’s case, she was confused as she was happy to wear the same clothes for work as she was to go out with her friends for a casual dinner. You see, in her personal values, her highest values were in sensory, economy and aesthetics. Not influential, social or status. Therein lay her quandary. She was very happy being comfortable in clothes that looked good. She would wear her lovely comfortable clothes to work and be happy to go out in them. Having a high economical value also meant that she didn’t need to necessarily spend money on clothes she didn’t need. Her clothes worked for her. She was balanced. All we need to work on with her is ensuring that her clothing now suits her frame.

So, don’t let someone tell you that there is a one-size solution for everyone. Discover what your life consists of and ensure you have the right mix of clothes so that you always have something to wear and then also make sure what you are buying supports your values. Now you will also feel great in everything that you wear.

Remember, if you are still stuck after completing the quizzes I am available to help you with your clothes either face to face or via skype.