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My Image Expert™ is the premier image consulting and fashion consulting firm that caters to individuals, celebrities, athletes, small businesses and corporations word-wide.  Providing unparalleled services to help clients maintain their professional and personal image makes My image Expert the leading innovator in self-transformation.  Our expert stylists, image consultants, and beauty consultants are well regarded and educated in the fashion and beauty industry in order to provide the best clothing solutions, fashion advice, and makeover services. We provide image consulting and fashion consulting services throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Philadelphia, Baltimore and DC.  My Image Expert also offers remote services to out of town clients in need of expert advise and image consultations.

Founded by Erika Chloe Grundland in 2006, My Image Expert™ has over twenty image and fashion experts who can assist you with all of your fashion and makeover needs.  Erika Chloe has over 10 years experience in the fashion industry as a New-York based fashion designer, editorial fashion stylist, on-air television fashion expert, contributing editor, lecturer and founder of custom clothing collection E.C. STITCH.   She has designed private label collections for  Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales, Macy’s and many other retailers.  As a New York stylist she has worked with FHM Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar Magazine, Redbook, Cosmo Girl, Virgin Records, E- online, and many more.  As a personal stylist and fashion designer, Erika knows how to translate trends into practical everyday style solutions that work for each individual body type.

Fashionable Gym Clothes

It’s an odd occurrence that when the cold season comes around, the exercising goes down, and we start to gain the pounds.

It’s tough to keep up any normal exercise routine when all your body wants to do is eat massive amounts of carbs and hibernate for the winter. Even if you can’t afford a gym membership, there are plenty of things that you can do in the house with simple household items. Now, I am nowhere near fully knowledgeable about how to keep your body in perfect condition, but I can however help you out with which clothes to work out in. It can be a little intimidating when you first walk into a sports store and really intimidating when you look at one of the fabric tags. Here is a short but sweet break down of some of the most regularly used fabrics in activewear:

Cotton/ Polyester Blends- Cotton has been the most sought after fabric since its first known cultivation, over 8000 years ago in Mexico. It’s one of the softest materials you can find which makes it a forerunner in active wear. One of the drawbacks of wearing cotton or a cotton jersey is the stretch factor. It doesn’t have much resistance, so when it stretches, that’s it, no going back. However, if you buy something with a cotton/polyester blend you will get the softness of cotton with the stability of polyester.

Antron Nylon – Antron Nylon makes up the orientation of many of those shiny looking garments in workout clothing. Think swimsuits and you’ll get a good picture of what this type of fabric entails. It is a fabric full of strength and durability but not the most comfortable for most things outside of swimming.

Lycra/Supplex – Lycra, the 90’s fabric, is one that is used in almost all forms of clothing. It is a type of spandex that incorporates the characteristics of both Nylon and cotton, giving it the stretch and recovery, as well as the semi-softness of the cotton.  Supplex is the new and improved Lycra for the 21^st century. This fabric tends to dry very quickly and holds its color incredibly

Climalite – Climalite is a fabric produced by Addidas that feels like a cotton jersey and has the characteristic of wicking. Wicking is the wonderful ability of a fabric to take your perspiration and transfer it to the top of the fabric where it can dissipate into the atmosphere. Doesn’t that sound nice? It’s a wonderful fabric and I haven’t found one I like so much that feels the way it feels and does the spectacular. But everyone’s different, so next time your shopping, for activewear or otherwise, check the fabrics, you may be surprised!

By: Brooke Brazil, assistant NYC Image consultant and personal shopper for My Image Expert New york

Fall Coat Guide

Coat season has arrived for many of us, which leads to the question, “Which coat will I wear this season?” There are many styles to choose from and many things to think about when choosing the right style for your body type. As an image consultant, the faux-pas that I see most often with women wearing coats is women being engulfed by a plethora of winter fabric. As a petite woman, you never want to overpower yourself; you should be the key element, not your coat. For women of a slightly larger size, being the key element isn’t a problem; all this does is add to yourself instead of downplaying problem areas and accentuating your prize-winning ones.

The Trench Coat: As a stylist and image consultant I very rarely find myself saying this but, this is a coat I would recommend for all women, because it accentuates the waist and hides the bumps. It is classic and time-faring and can be found in most stores every fall and winter season. You can go for the classic Banana Republic style in a camel color or a more edgy London look as in Burberry’s recent collections. Both are reasonably priced and the quality with last you a lifetime. With all of the options now , you can individualize it with buttons or no buttons, with zippers or no zippers. There are so many different renditions out there, it should be easy for you to find one that reflects you in a classic and timeless way.

The Pea Coat: Yet another classic. The pea coat was initially created for European sailors, made out of thick wool to protect against the elements. Fortunately today we have a little more say in the production. They are generally still made out of wool and tend to have wide, overlapping lapels and large double columned buttons (double-breasted). Because of the wide lapels, this cut works wonders on those who have narrow and/or sloping shoulders. It brings the body into a more balanced state. They range from short and above the waist to nearly touching the floor. Be wary of the longer designs because the pea coat has a naturally square demeanor. A medium length, right above the knee tends to be the most flattering choice.

The Red Riding Hood Coat: Technically this coat is referencing the hood aspect of the design but generally it tends to be fitted at the waist and bell out until right above the knee. It is a very youthful and fun look and works wonders for Pear shaped bodies. It comes in both double and single breasted styles, though generally the single breasted is the cut to go for. The hooded element gives the style a little bit of a whimsical look instead of the very military inspired coats that dominate the retail world.

The Fur Coat: As of late, this style has become extremely popular, referencing Soviet Russia and 50’s glamour. One point to keep in mind is, fur coats tend to run on the bulky side, making the wearer extremely top heavy. So if you are naturally top heavy to begin with, this style should be avoided. One of the upsides, they tend to cover any flaws you may have because they take on a shape of their own entirely unrelated to yours. Women of taller stature tend to fare better with this style. Another point to remember when purchasing real fur, there comes with it quite a large amount of upkeep. Moths tend to love to make their home in these coats and they will need a treatment every now and again to keep that natural sheen to it. Synthetic fur on the other hand can look quite real and will not have any of these problems (not to mention you won’t have PETA breathing down your neck.)

Remember that you should be wearing the coat and not the other way around!

By: Brooke Brazil, assistant NYC Image consultant and personal shopper for My Image Expert New york

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Fall Trends

Fashion trends have exploited long and flowy bohemian style skirts for the summer.  We have seen them everywhere from the runway to the magazines.  For fall, I’m beginning to see many sleek, long and dark colored skirts in blacks, dark grays, deep purples and heavy maroons. They appear to be a longer version of the pencil skirt and come down to the shin.  Unfortunately, as amazing as they look when pulled off correctly, many-a-time they are not.

The main culprit of these long pencil skirts is the immense amount of fabric that is used to make these skirts. Now think about the logic in wearing a mass amount of fabric in an area that tends to be a trouble area for most of us. Not really a good idea.  However if you lack shape in the hip area, than this trend could prove to be beneficial for your body type.  Try wearing a fitted cotton tee in an analogous color to create a seamless look.

Skirts that sit on the waist and not on the lower hip can be a wonder in covering a belly that has had too many pre-season pies. Also make sure that the waist is cinched in with either a belt or other fashioning of your own.  Fabrics with patterns may also help because they draw they attention away from your problem area.  These skirts tend to look the best on women with mid-range heights.  If you shorter than 5’5 than your skirt length should be above the knees.  When buying a long skirt make sure the fabric has a little stretch in it because there is nothing worse than being completely constrained by your own garment. As your online personal stylist I’m going to ask you to do me a favor and play around with some patterns this month. There are a lot of great ones out there right now, especially with this 70’s revival.  Most importantly, have fun this fall and stay warm!

By: Brooke Brazil Assistant NYC image consultant for My Image Expert

New York Fashion Week: On the Inside

NY Fashion Week: S/S 2011

As a personal stylist, image consultant and fashion designer-in-training one of the top joys of this industry entails New York Fashion Week. It’s every young designers dream to show under those bright white tents in Bryant Park, although very few get the privilege. I’m not sure if you all are huge followers of NY Fashion Week but many times keeping an eye out for the top designers will give you a little hint as to what trends will be coming in for the following seasons. Generally store such as H&M and Forever 21 will take looks from the runway and turn them into more affordable versions. For instance, something to note in almost all of the designer shows was the look fitting outfits, a pleasant departure from the skintight leggings, pencil skirts, and barely-there dresses. The likes of Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, and Tory Burch all rocked the harem pants, 70′s trousers and baggy shirts, getting back into that sophisticated, unconcerned look. Why yes, I do role out of bed looking like this.

Another person to note was the brilliant Tom Ford, who released his first women’s wear collection in over six years. After leaving Gucci in 2004 Ford branded his own name into a much needed upscale menswear line of suits. His debut self branded women’s wear collection was a smash hit, using many of his past muses and celebrity clientele as his model roster to hype the occasion. The best part is that all of that is  not the stand out bit of the whole escapade. One thing to realize about the fashion industry in this day and age is how blown up it has become as far as technology goes. This year you could literally buy the clothes as they were coming down the runway via a device in the audience. Tom Ford, the relative rebel decided to do things a little differently. Instead of over exposure, Ford decided to keep his show completely exclusive allowing the writers and reviewers in, but not their photographers. The only photographer in attendance was his own sanctioned, Terry Richardson (who despite his serious lack of character, is one of the top photographers in at the moment.) So no one will know what the clothes look like except by description, until December when the line will hit the racks. What makes someone want something more than not being able to have it? Especially in this instant gratification era. Ford said he wanted to make Fashion fun again, an experience, like it was in the sixties. Let’s hope it works!

What are you’re thoughts? Favorite designer this season? Fashion accessible online or the experience of boutique shopping? Let us know!

By: Brooke Brazil, assistant fashion consultant, My Image Expert New york

The Wonder of Wool

Wool tends to get a bad rap as a homely and unsettling fabric, but little did you know the amazing benefits that come along with wearing wool. As a personal shopper I have learned that many people stay away from buying wool due to allergies or the “feel of hand”.  However, wool comes in all different grades and textures ranging from comfortable to chic. Wool is one of the best investments you can make because of these five major reasons:

1. Breathable: Because wool is very porous it has a very high breath-ability rate. You won’t feel restricted or clung to because the fibers of wool tend to have a bit of a crimp in them leaving the weave a little more open then most fabrics.

2. Absorbent: Wool can absorb up to thirty percent of it’s weight in water allowing it to be comfortable in both warm and cool weather. It will pull any excess moisture off of the body and release it into the air. The reason it can do this is because the center of the fiber, called the “medulla” is empty allowing for water room. If ever your wool clothing becomes too dry you can always steam it to gather any missing moisture.

3. Dye: Dying wool is one of the many amazing realities of wool. It is super absorbent and once died will not loose the color or fade with washing. It will dye all the way through leaving you with rich and full colors.

4. Clean: There is a beauty in the way that wool literally sheds dirt and allows spills to roll right of. Because of the thickness of the fiber, dirt and spills sit right on top of the fabric instead of soaking inside, making it so much easier to clean.

5. Wrinkles: Because of the orientation of wool, it is very hard to wrinkle. Need I say more?

Be careful to watch how you clean wool, getting it dry cleaned is the safest and easiest way because there are so many things that can turn wool into a hot mess including: shrinkage, a high reactivity to bleach and damage by detergent. But because of it’s cleanliness, you shouldn’t have to get it cleaned as often as some of your other garments of different fabric. Even though wool is slightly more expensive it is worth the investment.

Fun Fact: In Australia there are 40 sheep to every person.

By: Brooke Brazil, assistant New York Image Consultant for My Image Expert.

Darting the Issue

The magical world of darts. It’s likely you’ve heard the word and possibly know what one is, but what exactly do they do? Darts are those lovely seams near the bust or waist line that either bring in extra fabric or let out fabric to make your garments fit properly to your curves. Here are a few examples of darts and how they can make or break an outfit.

French Darts: Oo La la, the French Dart. I have a love/ hate relationship with this dart. On one hand it gives your garment a beautiful retro feel, a flashback to the 50′s in a modern way. On the other hand there are so many things that can go wrong with this dart if not tailored properly. It is the dart that begins at the waistline side seam and runs diagonally to the apex of the bust. The main problem that occurs with these darts is that they seem to run straight up to the apex instead of falling slightly lower than the apex (½ inch to an inch.) This in turn creates what we will call the Madonna effect, making the bust slightly pointier then we’d like. So when trying on a garment with French darts make sure they are properly fitted.

Side and Waist Dart: These darts can make for a wonderful sheath dress when elongated into the lower portion. This can be a timeless dress to add to your wardrobe. Because there are both side and waist darts it will be extra fitted in the torso area leaving it open to either a pencil skirt bottom or an A-line bottom. These dresses are great for hourglass figures because it accentuates the curves, most importantly the smallest part of the body, the waist.

Gathered Shoulder Darts: Gathered Should Darts tend to add attention directly in that area so it stands to reason that if you have broad shoulders and wish to diminish them, shirts and dresses of this style should be avoided. In the contrary, if you have slight shoulders this tailoring will add some balance to this area.

There is your designer tip for the week, and remember, don’t be afraid to have your store bought garments tailored. No one has the same exact body so why would we all fit into the same exact dress? Now you can go into your tailor with a little more knowledge and a little less fear!

By: Brooke Brazil, assistant New York Image Consultant for My Image Expert

Do Denim Right!

JEANS!

Was that enough to scare you clear across the room? Don’t worry, me too. Women tend to shy away from denim shopping because it is  never a good experience. Why? Because you don’t know what you are looking for and when you don’t know what you are looking for you spend 90% of your time trying on things that don’t fit properly and make you look awkward. Even though we tell ourselves, it’s the pants and not the body, it still doesn’t feel great to try on things that don’t fit. As an image consultant I see women day in and day out trying on styles that are “trendy” instead of garments that are right  for their individual body type. Trust me when I tell you, wearing a bottom that fits right will communicate effective body language as opposed to wearing what’s in fashion. That being said, here are a few examples of denim styles and which body types to wear them with in this upcoming fall season:

• Pear Shape: For a pear shape,(you hold most of your weight in your bottom half, mainly in your thighs) try a straight leg/ boot cut jean. The side of the pant should come straight down from the width of the hips to the ground. It will help portion out your lower half. Remember that everything should be in proportion to each other. Wear your jeans slightly above your hips and not directly on them which will draw attention to that area. Darker denim is the prime choice for slimming over accentuated hips and thighs.
• Apple Shape: Apple shaped bodies store weight in the midsection (usually in the waist and stomach) so the goal is to even out the proportions and balance your midsection and hips. Apple shapes also tend to have skinner legs and  flat bottoms so flared bottom/ boot cut jeans should do the trick. Wearing jeans that have a lighter wash and pockets in the back can give a little more volume to those who have a flatter backside.
• Ruler Shape: Ruler shapes lack curves that would otherwise define the waist and create an hourglass shape. The trick is to wear things that accentuate the curves that they do have which can usually be found in the legs or thighs. Skinny jeans or a narrow boot cut style will do the trick. Avoid anything too tight around the ankles.
• Hour Glass: Hour glass firgures have the luxury of looking good in almost any style. Be it trouser fit, skinny jean, or boot cut, just make sure to wear your jeans slightly above the hips and not directly on them. Like the Pear shaped bodies, a darker and clean cut jean can deaccntuate a wider hip.

Happy fall shopping!  For more information or articles related to body structure and fashion tips you can visit our Featured article section at www.MyImageExpert.com

By: Brooke Brazil, assistant New York Personal Stylist for My Image Expert

Bountiful Braids

From Princess Leah to Little Annie Oakly braids have always been around but it was just that, they were particular to movies and childhood memories. Now however, they’ve become a hot commodity. They’re no longer tied with pigtails in the play yard but can now be worn as a chic and sophisticated up-do. Here are a few ways to achieve these twisted wonders and a few variations to keep things up in the air:

1. A simple and always easy style is the double braids on top. To achieve this look part your hair in the center (or off to the side if you prefer the asymmetrical look). Take about an inch of hair from the very front of your head, on each side of your part and braid it back regularly. Not a French braid but a regular. This allows you to play with the form of the braid a bit more. When finished braiding, pin both braids in the back of your head with bobby pins. Crossing them in an X shape is always a classy alternative. Allow the braids to droop just a little bit to give them some natural form. Afterwards give your hair a soft curl or light tousle with a curling iron and you’re good to go!

2. Not only did they give us wonderful fries and yummy bread, but the French also gave us braids. Or their version anyway. A French braid is a very classy version of the American braid and it tends to stay in place much better. You’re less likely to have fly away hairs. You begin with three pieces of hair a little lower than the very top of your head. Start braiding like a regular braid and as you move down keep adding hair to the outside piece before you pull it into the center. By the time you get to the nape of the neck you will have used up all of the hair and you can braid the rest regularly.

3. The fish bone braid can be slightly tricky if you’ve never done it before but when you master it, it is oh so worth it! Begin by splitting your hair into right and left portions. Those portions will then be split into two pieces, leaving you with for equal pieces.  The outside right piece will come in the middle of the two left pieces and then the outside left piece will come in between the two new right pieces. Continue this until you are at the end of the rope. Then tie it up, throw it to the side and roughen it up a bit if you want more of a bed head look.

4. Thus far we’ve gone from easy to difficult on the braid scale. So let’s end it off with an easier twist to the braid. An actual twist! Part your hair on the top, down the middle. Split your hair into right, left and back portions. Throw your back portion into a loose and messy bun. On each side of the part grab about an inch of hair and start twisting it. As you go along add a little bit of hair into the twist. When you eventually run out of hair to add just keep twisting it to the end. Cross the two twists above the bun, wrap it under the bun and pin it.

Whether your hair is long, short, or in between you should find something on this list that works for you! And yes, you can wear it at any age.

By: Brooke Brazil Assistant NYC Personal Stylist for My Image Expert

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Image Consultant says, Lace at any Age is OK

Let’s face it, lace makes us feel sexy. It’s delicate and feminine and whether or not you adhere to that mantra in your everyday life, every once in a while it’s fun to play a little dress up, whether it’s outside or in the bedroom. So the image experts are to help you find a few ways to wear lace age-appropriately:

1. Lace Tights: The lace tights are back and bigger than ever.  Another flashback to the eighties with a few upgrades. As you all know, I’m not the biggest fan of eighties fashion but with every fashion faux pas comes a silver lining. The proper lace tights can be an amazing statement piece but it should stay as that, a statement piece.  Pair it with a solid color dress and solid color shoes. It’s a lot of pattern on a large amount of your body; you don’t want to overpower your viewers with too much. One of the first things you learn in art school is to help the viewer follow a line of direction, ending in the focal point. In this case that would be your legs. So they better be prepared for all that attention. Because it’s a much edgier and sexier look I would leave these dames to the twenty year olds. And make sure to watch the patterns you choose because too intricate can make you look like you have a disease on your leg.

1. Lace Undergarments: Lace undergarments are something that can be worn at any age as well. Let me rephrase that…lace undergarments are something that can be worn at any age, if worn under the proper clothing.  Sometimes its nice to feel a little sexy knowing your wearing a black lace bra underneath your top, but the rest of your co-workers do not need to know the same. NO black lace under white, or low cut tops.  It’s very unprofessional and could highly affect your working environment in a negative way. Now for that special someone feel free to wear that white top…..or not.

1. Lace Dress: The lace dress only really works as a mini to knee length dress, because the moment you lengthen it, you begin to attract 17^th century roll players, which of course is completely suitable if that is what your in to. If not, I would suggest keeping a very modern cut. I would also suggest minimal accessories because the dress is bold enough as it is and right smack dab in the middle of your body. Black lace will be a very, very sexy choice of dress; if you’re not quite ready for that I would suggest more of a baby doll look with a cream or white colored dress depending on your skin tone.

1. Lace Bolero Jacket: Aaahh. The lace jacket. This is such a sexy sophisticated garment. It’s the perfect thing to amp up a drab outfit. It transcends age and screams class. A nice thin tank and a pair of skinny jeans and you should be off and ready to go! My only suggestion with the Lace Jacket is to wear your hair down or in a pony tail/ braid because the moment you fully put it up you’ll be referencing the 17^th century damsels. I would recommend this to all age groups from eighteen to eighty-eight.

1. Lace Bag: Lace bags are something that I generally avoid for the mere fact that it’s an object that is very hard to modernize. They generally come in a hippie knitted lace or a flower girls white and beaded box bag.  No and no. There are a few exceptions including the Valentino duffle but it’ll cost you! If you do happen to find a nice and delicate clutch it’s a piece that can stand the test of closet time.

By: Brooke Brazil Assistant NYC Personal Stylist for My Image Expert

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