Do you have clothes in your closet you have never worn? Or wore once and abandoned? Well a new business in Chicago is helping women look better and start wearing a hundred percent of their wardrobes. Personal Vogue (www.personalvogue.com), started in March of 2007 by former corporate VPs (and fashion-lovers) Linda Jordan and Kathy Brosmith, is helping women learn what looks good on them, get rid of pieces that are ill-fitting or misguided and never waste money on wardrobe again.
Jordan believes that this is a particular challenge for Midwestern women, who tend to shop at outlets or buy things because they are on sale. They have found that only twenty-five to thirty-five percent of their clients own a full-length mirror.
“How do you know what you look like if you don’t have a full-length mirror?” she asks, still shocked. After requiring that new clients make that purchase, the ladies take clients through a six-step process towards a “healthy wardrobe,” which Jordan defines as wearing a hundred percent of what is in your closet and always looking good. Jordan promotes owning less clothing, but including more high-quality pieces that can be mixed to make dozens of great outfits. Personal Vogue also offers a style party, where you and your friends can get several hours of Jordan and Brosmith’s expertise for $375 while sipping on libations and munching on snacks.
As for style in 2008, Personal Vogue dismisses “trends” as something not to waste time and money on. But Jordan says gray is here to stay and she likes to see red and animal print in wardrobes, particularly in a shoe or handbag. Every woman should own several white blouses they can dress up or down and leather is always a good choice, if paired with something sexy and fun like a high boot or a lacy camisole. Chicago women—follow this advice and we can all look less like outlet store victims and more like the stylish, in-control women that we are. (Beth Dugan)
