MuMu Mansion’s Style Philosophy!I believe that style evolves—with our age, our lifestyle, our jobs, and the times. But the biggest influencer of our style is our sense of self. When we feel free, we dress free. When we feel guarded, we dress guarded. When we live for other people’s validation, we dress for other people’s validation. The journey to self-love and self-acceptance is long and bumpy, so I’m not suggesting you wait until you’ve “arrived” to make-over your style. I believe developing your sense of style, dressing in a way that represents who you are and how you feel, in fact will help you discover more love and sympathy for yourself and your body. Here are some things to remember

when thinking about your style and wardrobe choices. !Being attractive to other people should not be your main goal.

Someone will always think you’re unattractive, over-weight, under-weight, too pale, too dark. When we dress to please other people we are setting ourselves up for perpetual insecurity. Confidence is truly the most attractive

quality. !Thinner is not better.

Do not pick clothes based just on how “thin” or “flattering” they make you look. We are allowed to be heavy, and lumpy, and show our guts if we please. The idea of being uncomfortable in shape-wear all the day (or only

wearing black) because it keeps people from having to see our rolls—is simply an oppressive and outdated idea. !

Style is meant to be fun, not financially irresponsible. My goal is to help my clients scale down on what they have and what they “need.” The popular “shoe-addict” philosophy—where we just buy more and more because we “like” something—doesn’t really fit most of our

financial lifestyles. We need staples—things we love and can wear often—and then we need new fun items to spruce those staples up and put a little pep in our step. Some people are bigger on investment pieces—a great new bag or shoes that will last a long time and can we worn everyday. Others like less-expensive, slightly more

disposable items that won’t last long but may be trendier and you can get more for your buck. !Beware of Confused Shopping

I have a lot of clients say, “I don’t know what I’m doing so I just buy stuff and then I can’t figure out what to wear it with.” Once you have a better sense of your style, what you know you like and feels good on you—you can start to shop with more intent. For instance, I know I like certain colors and silhouettes on me—so when

I’m skimming through a store I’m looking for those things. Do I sometimes try something new? Yes. But I don’t buy random things just because I like how they look. !

Where are you going? Another form of confused shopping is buying things that don’t fit your lifestyle. For instance, I am a work-from home mother of a toddler that lives up 60 stairs and goes to a party MAYBE once a month. Heels are simply not a big part of my life anymore—so as much as I may “like” them I already have 20 great pairs that aren’t

getting much wear. Figure out what you do and where you go most days and shop to have the best choices for those situations. I’d rather buy a pair of red patent leather pointy toe flats, some neon pink Vans, and some leopard ballet flats that I can rotate through most days—than a $200 pair of heels I will maybe wear twice a

year. The “special occasion” part of your closet should be pretty small.

!Melinda’s top 10 tips for quick and easy style

1. Denim • Shirts (over a dress to make it more casual, over something kinda ugly/too casual, with jeans, with heels or

sneakers)Jackets (same purpose as shirt but better in cooler weather) • Distressed Jeans (go with everything!) The rest of your outfit can be pretty plain. I wear ripped jeans and

some type of t-shirt with lots of jewelry most days. 2. Jewelry • JEWELRY IS EVERYTHING—the exact same outfit with and without jewelry are totally different! I get a way

with VERY casual clothes—sometimes literally pajamas (always buy black)—by throwing on a few necklaces and bracelets.

• Layering—short, long delicates. Something unusual/unexpected. Mixing metals. • One (or more:) bold statement pieces are an easy way to pull a look together. 3. Shoes Unique, bright, leopard, comfortable shoes can make any outfit. You can wear all black every day but if your shoes are leopard and neon pink you make a statement. Same with great boots—jeans and a t-shirt during the cooler months with a great pair of boots?! The clothes are almost irrelevant. 4. Hats/Head wraps • Perfect for quick fixes, bad hair days, easy “style”. • Always be on the look out for hats—vintage stores, Ross, etc. Try on different styles, get second opinions,

until you find shapes that you know work. • Scarves are everywhere! My favorites are at yard sales for $.50! Depending on the size/ shape the type of

tie will be different. See my Facebook page (facebook.com/MsMelindaAlexander or @MuMuMansion) for tutorial.

5. Sunglasses • The EASIEST answer to no makeup/tired face. I pretty much never wear makeup on days I work from home.

But a great fun pair of oversized glasses always help disguise the fact that I might still have sleep in my eyes:)

• Start with cheap ones. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. Again, get second opinions about what works on your face. Once you know what you like, you can consider investing in a nice pair (but not if you have a toddler:)

6. Lipstick THE BEST CHEAP LIPSTICK IN THE WORLD is WET N WILD MegaLast Lip Color. Black bottom/clear top. $1.99. Almost every good color that MAC has. PLEASE TRY IT. 7. Eyebrows Shape: I’m pretty sure I just figured out my eyebrows this year. We all have different natural shapes so don’t try to emulate someone else’s but more so experiment with the best version of your own. Color: This is important. Too dark or the wrong shade completely can be a big problem. Experiment, take pictures, and ask for a second opinion. Product: There are so many! But I really like pencils—they’re just easier for precision and a quick easy fix. Once you’ve mastered that you can play with the powders but I think they’re harder for novices. 8. Uniform • Find your look. What are you comfortable in? What do you feel cute in? What makes sense for you lifestyle.

Now buy more of those:) • I wear different versions of the same few uniforms most days. • Jeans (or jean-shorts), cute t-shirt or razor back tank tops—with sandals or sneakers. • “Grown-up pants” and a cute t-shirt, with ballet slippers or sandals. 9. Special Pieces When shopping I always have my eye out for unique fun pieces that I know will add a pop to my “uniform”, or are in the same silhouette as my uniform but are more unusual. I love prints so I’m always looking for ones in items that I think I can get a lot of use out of (i.e. “grown-up pants”, easy jackets, shoes). 10. Selfies The key is to TAKE MANY! People think I’m so photogenic, when in reality I took 30 pictures to get that one. Do it at home, alone, and experiment with different angles. You will eventually start to learn the angles and poses that you like best. Don’t be embarrassed—just practice. And never snap from below! !

Look for more in my full Style Guide this SPRING:How to shop vintage, how to shop discount stores, how to balance silhouettes, how to wear kaftans, easy hair, simple makeup, good bras, best bags, styling the “all black” look, the importance of leopard, and why to start,

and stop, reading magazines.