What's New With Michele Benza?

Bonjour a tous!

I trust this email finds you well. Just want to give you an update on what’s happening at Michele Benza, Image Consulting & Posture.

Public Speaking - This year I decided to challenge myself even more by accepting speaking engagements. I found a formula that works great for me and that is fun and engaging for the audience. I was recently invited to participate in an Education Day for Interior Decorators. This Q&A presentation was followed by a one-on-one image consulting session for the participants. Attendees were very happy and I received many complimentary remarks. This one event has precipitated more invitations to speak at events.

Articles - My articles have received nice reviews and are now published on www.50fabulous.com, www.bawj.com, www.sfgate.com, and www.marin.com. More and more readers are signing up to receive my columns directly in their in-boxes. I am also proud to announce that I have co-authored an e-book about image and etiquette. As soon as it is released, which I expect to happen in about four weeks, I will send you an email.

Spring/summer – Right now I am busy exploring the stores and discovering the trends for spring and summer. I particularly like the ‘nude’ color that has appeared on the scene as well as the various shades of blue. Fabrics are all about structure and so is hair. Tribal has made its appearance with beautiful colored printed fabrics, and for those who shy away from bangles, I urge you to wear lots of them!

Paris! – A trip is in the prep stage. This May, I will be window shopping to bring you the latest trends as well as shopping with clients in my favorite fashion capital. If you would like to join me in Paris and spend some time shopping, let me know so I can reserve some time for you.

Lastly– Now that spring has made its entrance in most of the stores, I am working with clients to help them build their spring/summer wardrobe, so if you need assistance, remember I am just a phone call away.

Best wishes.
A bientôt!

Michèle

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Looking Back and Looking Forward

By
Michele Benza

Wishing You All You Wish For Yourself

And Those You Love

in

2010!

2009 was a great year! Thanks to so many of you. I am so grateful that I had the privilege to meet with some of you online and even face-to-face.

If 2009 had some bumps in the road I saw those as positive experiences as they made me wiser and stronger and brought me back to reality. As my younger son, Greg, said to me one day: “Mom, when I have obstacles I think of a river full of boulders. The river flows around the rocks and just keeps going.”

During 2009, I addressed quite a few subjects in my columns – from “Style on a budget” to high heels and hats! And very importantly, “Beauty From The Inside Out”. I had a lot of fun writing these newsletters for you. The most fun was “Hats are Back, Hats are Hot!” The day I wrote that was very busy and I was late with my column. Between two clients, I ran to “Hats on Post” in San Francisco and told Peg Purcell, the owner, about the column. In fifteen minutes, with my cell phone as our only camera, we documented the article. It was fast and it was fun!

“Style on a Budget,” the newsletter published early 2009, especially received many positive comments. I was still in shock about the financial collapse and was wondering what would happen next. Naturally, I wondered if my small enterprise could survive. I’m happy to report, not only did it survive; it thrived! I’m especially happy to have helped so many men and women who came to see me because they did not know what to wear for a job interview, or because they were feeling lost or in a rut. With a little tweaking of their image, a reevaluation of their wardrobe, they felt refreshed, inspired and managed to regain their self-confidence. And thanks to technology I’ve been able to help many people in small towns across the USA and across the oceans east and west.

So what’s up for 2010? I’ll keep contributing to 50fabulous.com and Bay Area Women’s Journal. I’ll work hard to bring you relevant and interesting topics.

As I’ve said many times before, fashion happens on the sidewalks–no longer on the runways–for everyday people like you and me. As for the magazines, they’re fun to read but remember all those beautiful men and women perfectly coiffed and dressed, are there to seduce you into spending money. Those beautiful people on paper do not exist in our everyday workplaces and communities. Don’t let them bring down your self-esteem! These days’ photographs are altered so rapidly and so dramatically that the models always appear to be ‘perfect.’

Since January is a time when we often make New Year’s resolutions, I have a good suggestion for you: start your own style notebook. Be your own model and your own fashion reporter.

My wish for 2010 is that natural beauty prevails and becomes the new standard.

Bonne Année à tous,
Michèle

P.S. If there are any topics you’d like me to write about, please let me know.



*Work with Michele*
You can work with Michele on-line or face-to-face.
Call or email for a private appointment with Michele
You’ll be thrilled with the results.
415.956.3025 michele@mbenza.com

Hats are Hot! Hats are Back!

I had such a fun time!

Hats are Back and Hats are Hot!

By
Michele Benza

Hats are transformative

Winter beware! I am prepared. I have warm overcoats, water resistant raincoats and a toasty puffer to fend off cold, rain and icy winds. Well almost prepared. All I lack now are a couple of great hats to keep my head warm and dry and add glamour to my look.

I love hats but must admit that I don’t wear them often enough. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to see that this accessory no longer belongs to the exclusive domain of haute couture. Hats are Hot! Hats are back! And fashion magazines are splashing the message across their pages.

Hats are the perfect way to add a touch of class and style to your outfit day or night. Hats can be utilitarian too. In the summer, they protect our skin from damaging sunrays. And when you’re having a bad hair day, the best thing to do is hide your hair under a hat! The French call a hat for this occasion, a ‘Cache-misère’- loosely translated, a cover-up or camouflage.

Since hats are all over the place this season, I thought it would be helpful to introduce you to professional milliner, Peg Purcell, owner of Hats on Post in San Francisco, www.hatsonpost.com.
Peg has had a lifelong passion for hats and has been wearing them since age three when her father bought her a Wee Scottish Hat! She is trained in millinery design and has expertise to share. If you want to make a hat smaller or larger or you wish to revamp an oldie into an elegant goodie, Peg has the answer.
How you care for your hat depends on the fabric used, whether to clean, reshape or store it. If in doubt, bring your hat to Peg and she will tell you specifically what you need to do.
When it comes to buying a hat, keep in mind what Peg said to me. “Your face is ‘the picture’ so consider the hat as the ‘frame.’ Don’t you love that concept? Peg added that a hat should not only frame your face but also reflect your personality and complement your physical proportions. The general rule is to choose a hat that counterbalances the shape of your face. But you know me, I tend to bend the rules and even break them on occasion. And I am not inclined to put anyone in a box.
Here are some guidelines to be considered when buying a hat:
• The shape and size of your face and head.
• The height of your forehead.
• How your eyes are set.
• How your eyebrows are set in relation to your nose.
• Is your nose short or a bit long?
• Demeanor and even height are important factors as well.
Come to think of it, choosing a hat is similar to picking out the right pair of eyeglasses.
Equally important is the reason for the purchase: What function does your hat serve? Is it for sun protection, for everyday use or for a special event? Is it for a gala, a wedding, a wine tasting or are you buying it to uplift your spirits and help you feel playful and lighthearted?
If you feel shy about experimenting with hats in large stores, find a really good hat store in your area like Peg’s, where you can receive one-to-one guidance in finding the perfect hat in comfort and privacy.

Before hitting the streets with your brand new chapeau, I recommend you try it on at home to get used to it. You may even want to personalize it by adding a brooch, a feather, a veil…and transform your basic hat into today’s hottest trend, the “Fascinator.”


Now, let me take off my hat and thank you all for the wonderful support you have given me since I opened my image-consulting studio in 2004. My grateful thanks for making my progress possible.

BEST WISHES FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Michele

Feel free to forward to anyone who could benefit from this newsletter

HOLIDAY GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE
*Work with Michele*
You can work with Michele on-line or face-to-face.
Call or email for a private appointment with Michele
You’ll be thrilled with the results.
415.956.3025 michele@mbenza.com

THE DOWN COAT

I love the “puffer.” It is soft, warm and lightweight and can be worn in town as well as in the mountains. The “puffer” is also a good way to resist colds and flu as it will keep you toasty warm and protect your from freezing winds. By the way, the French translation for “puffer” is “doudoune.” I like this better as it makes me feel as if I’m nestled in down and feathers.

Designers, it seems, are enamored with the “puffer” this season, so I decided to head to the department stores in search of the perfect way to combine fashion with function this winter.

The first puffer I found looked perfect but it was bright gold. Pfff. I don’t think so. Gold? Honestly, who wears a gold puffer?

Lots of puffers got my attention but there was always something that did not work for me: a fake fur on a hood that made it look cheap, or the material looked like it should be used for garbage bags, or the puffers were either too short or too bulky…

I was on the brink of losing heart but decided to go back to my first find: the gold puffer. I looked at it closely, considered it again and again, but no—I really couldn’t wear it. It looked like something to be worn on stage at a rock concert. Not my style, and, simply put, too flashy.

As a professional shopper I am very persistent and when I am looking for something, I make sure I find it. I found a sales associate, and asked her if the gold puffer was available in black or brown.

She came back from the stockroom with every color of the rainbow, except black or brown! “Did you look in the fitting rooms?” I inquired. “There may be one there.” She had not. Luck was on my side! There was one in a fitting room, in black!

Upon closer inspection, the fabric was acceptable and it was made of down and feathers. Enough feathers to provide structure and enough down to provide warmth.

Let me just say, it is a real penance to try on a puffer in a department store in the middle of summer. The things we do for fashion! But at least, I know I won’t be cold this winter.

The size small was a bit snug in the hips but back on the rack, tucked in behind the original gold puffer was, if you can believe it, a size medium in black! Quelle chance!

The medium fit me very well and has a totally acceptable “look.” However, items like these always seem to be priced accordingly. One must pay dearly for a perfect fit. The brand is “Dries Van Noten” not a brand known for its “petits prix” (small prices). Courageously, I looked at the price tag: $1200, but it was on sale: 50% OFF!

I jumped in excitement. And, in addition, this particular day the store was offering an additional discount of 30%!

This was in my budget, so I paid up immediately knowing that I would wear my puffer often. I happen to take the ferry to work and back and usually walk about 20 minutes each way. With my fabulous new puffer, I am now eager for the weather to cool off enough to warrant wearing it. I just wish that my new purchase had a hood, but no big deal. I will find a great hat. But what the hey…this will be the subject of my next column. Stay tuned.

But meanwhile, check the new puffers out. They’re fun, functional and fashionable!

Michele

Feel free to forward to anyone who could benefit from this newsletter

A HOLIDAY GIFT THAT WILL LAST A LIFE TIME!

*Work with Michele*
You can work with Michele on-line or face-to-face.
Call or email for an appointment.
You’ll be thrilled with the results.

415.956.3025 michele@mbenza.com

High High High Heels!

What are the fashion designers doing to us?

Shoes appear to have replaced bags as the driving force in the fashion accessories department and extreme stiletto heels are the fashion statement of the season.

I have a love-hate relationship with stilettos. I love them because they make women look sexy and powerful. I hate them because I can’t wear them as often as I wish and that makes me feel nostalgic.

They certainly enhance our legs and help make us look slender and taller. And as we all know, they seem to impact men’s libido and elicit many more compliments from the male of the species.

However, these perilously high heels make it hard to walk with ease and without breaking an ankle. Even the professional models find these stilt-like heels difficult as evidenced at the recent fashion shows.



But as treacherous as the current crop of stilettos may be, retailers claim they remain a much sought after fashion staple.

Fortunately, as always happens in the rarified world of high fashion, the extreme styles on the catwalk will be somewhat watered down by the time they reach the retail floors. Like the mini-dresses seen on the runways, these same dresses will have longer hems to make them more appealing to the public at large and thereby increase retail sales. Money rules!

With all of this said, don’t write off the sky-high heels entirely. To be sure, it requires effort to wear them. And those extreme heels with ankle cuffs can make us look strong and authoritative. However, if you choose to wear them, be sure to wear them with a simple dress.

Here are some more pointers to guide you if you decide to splurge on this extravagant trend. (Remember though, heels do not need to be long and thin to be considered fashionable.)

• Buy the proper size. I so often see women wearing high- heeled shoes that are too big. There should be no space between the heel of the foot and the shoe.

• Be aware that when wearing hosiery, the foot will easily slide out of the shoe and very likely lead to a fall or twisted ankle.

• No matter how high the shoe, take extra caution to keep your balance. A graceful or sexy shoe is pointless if it causes pain or makes you walk in an ungainly manner, or worse, makes you fall.

• Practice at home before venturing out in your heightened state!

• Wearing high heels is all about femininity. When you walk in these heels think about a giraffe, not an elephant. Stand tall and upright. Elongate the waist, relax and rotate the shoulders towards the back and drop them down. This will open up your chest and help lengthen your neck. Make sure the chin is parallel to the floor.

• Take small steps. Place your heel down first then your sole. Pay attention to your foot alignment. Toes should be pointing straight forward. As you walk be sure your legs are parallel and close together. Try to walk a straight line. And for a more sensual walk, move your hip slightly forward as you take a step. WALK SLOWLY AND GRACEFULLY.

I must confess I have been known to buy a pair or two of super high heels just to own and admire them. Once in a rare while I’ll cautiously wear them in my studio or at parties when I know there is valet parking. And I mean cautiously because a few years ago, I twisted my ankle in a pair of high heels and broke a bone in my right foot! Bummer! Since then I've been wearing mostly flats, which do not match my usual feminine style.

However, I am happy to report that those of us wary of extreme heels will at last be able to find moderately high heels that are attractive and très chic. The latest trend among shoe designers is to make the same shoe available in two, sometimes three, different heights. Prada seems to be the originator of this long-overdue sales trend. Our feet will thank these designers for many years to come.

Ah, I can hear you already saying to me: “Michele, what about cost per wear?” To which I reply: “Aren’t rules made to be broken?”

Viva la femme!
A là prochaine.

Michele

*Work with Michele*
You can work with Michele on-line or face-to-face.
Call or email for an appointment.
You’ll be thrilled with the results.
415.956.3025
michele@mbenza.com