They say there are two biggest problems in a woman's life: 1) too few clothes; 2) too little closet. Although it may sound paradoxical, it very accurately captures the essence of my recent anxieties. On the one hand, there was this hu-u-u-ge overstuffed closet of mine that would make Carrie Bradshaw herself green with envy. On the other one, every single item in it, gorgeous as it was on a hanger, had either betrayed me by revealing the dark secrets of my body it was meant to conceal, or had got me disappointed with the lack of its team-work: it just didn't match with anything I had or was about to have. Even worse, they were all so similar in color, character and style - black&white, conservative, and business-like - that every time I felt a little naughty and wanted to express a less formal side of me I had as much freedom as a straightjacket clad dude.
My closet called for some serious revision. I realized that; but whenever I went on a shopping spree willing to indulge in fashion whims that were unattended before, I ended up accumulating more and more of the stuff that was already abundant in my, to put it mildly, less than a perfect wardrobe. My hand instinctively reached out for something familiar and habitual that I hoped would work out just fine, but it never did.
It was then when I heard about Donna. A friend of mine told me that I probably needed a second opinion about my style choices from a professional who could evaluate my body shape and face type, my personality and lifestyle to create a personalized fashion menu that I would find totally satisfying and delightful. Donna is known to be an expert in color and style analysis, and rightfully so. I came to her cozy Union Square office on a bright Friday morning, feeling shy and reserved (as always when I have to meet new people) and ready for a harsh verdict on my fashion style. Donna greeted me with a warm and welcoming smile and after a few minutes of our conversation I felt like I was in my living room among my long known friends. She did my color analysis showing and teaching me how to complement my hair and skin color with the appropriate makeup and color palette. She used her own cosmetics line on me that worked perfectly even with my highly demanding skin: sensitive and very reactive. After that, she gave me as a present a customized color fan featuring those colors that suit me best and we headed off to the nearby stores to put all that theory into practice. I am not sure about others, but for me shopping for clothes was always just a little less time-consuming and tedious than a major spring cleaning. I was walking aimlessly for hours between the racks of pants, skirts, dresses, jackets, and blouses, not particularly sure what it was that I should be looking for, trying on a bunch of different pieces, returning them to their original place, and repeating the same procedure on the next floor, only to come back home exhausted with a new addition to my already impressive collection of black trousers.
At least this is how it used to be. Until I met Donna who showed me a different approach to shopping, the one that yielded better results with less effort. Knowing my colors and keeping in mind my style preference, she scanned the clothing racks to pick out only those items that suited my personality and were a perfect color match with my skin and hair, thus saving us a good couple of hours. She chose various outfits - casual, business, and "going-out" - to show me how I can look my best on different occasions and how I can build an exquisite and versatile wardrobe with a limited number of clothing items by using smart "mix and match" techniques and proper accessories . At one point, standing in a dressing room and looking in the mirror at the girl who was wearing a flirty blue dress, big bold earrings, and a radiant smile I felt that I had just discovered within myself that stunning woman who was hiding herself for a long time beneath shapeless and plain clothing and who just now came out to reveal her true self and her secret beauty.
Thank you, Donna, for the unforgettable shopping experience, for the valuable fashion and style advice, for encouraging me to try out new things and not be afraid of experimenting, for the genuine passion you put in your work, but most importantly, for helping me discover myself and become the best I can possibly be. read more