Using Less and Getting More: Behind the Scenes with a Client

I love it when clients allow me to show photos from their outfit sessions. I know you as readers love it too. When preparing these posts, I always try to come up with a theme for them despite there being to real theme to these sessions with clients. Looking at these photos, I realized we used the same accessories, particularly the shoes, over and over again, proving that if you buy the right things, you can do more with less.

Before we get into the outfits, I need to introduce this client as this is the first time I am featuring her. As usual, to protect the identities of the women I work with, I am giving this client an alias. I have decided to call her Ms. Effervescent. I have a feeling that Ms. Effervescent is going to laugh when she finds out her name because I don't think she has been feeling particularly effervescent lately. However, I stand by her name because she is the type of person you immediately feel comfortable around. The first time I spoke with her I had the feeling like I knew her. She is easily brought to laughter (every time I work with her I am convinced I am funnier than I really am) and is totally open.

Ms. Effervescent is in transition, which is quite common with clients who call me. This is why I said I thought she would laugh when she finds out the alias I gave her. Transition isn't always fun, but it's my job to see past that. What I see is a lovely, positive, generous, intelligent and open person who is just going through some temporary stuff.

Using Less and Getting More: Behind the Scenes with a

Client

Here are some of the outfits we put together. Ms. Effervescent is a new client so this was all achieved after one shopping trip and assimilating it with some of the pieces she already owned.

Outfit #1

Rare is it that I pull jumpsuits for clients, like this one from MICHAEL Michael Kors. However, knowing this client, her style and her love of maxi dresses, I chose to pull this one as a maxi dress alternative. Much to my surprise, not only was Ms. Effervescent willing to try it, she really liked it. It looked amazing. To give the ability to dress it up and down, I added a pair of navy heels from Michael Kors and flatter nude sandals from Franco Sarto. Because the jumpsuit is a halter with a tie front, I suggested these earrings as to not compete with the activity around the neck.

Outfit #2

Photographing this navy dress from Badgley Mischka does not even come close to doing this dress justice. It's so incredible. Imagine something Joan Harris would wear on Mad Men. Ms. Effervescent loves dresses and this one was a winner. Using less and getting more, I gave my client several show options to not only give her variety but to show her how this dress could go from work to a night out. Unfortunately, the cat does not come with the outfit. As you can see, those navy heels were used again.

Outfit #3

Being a maxi dress lover, and a lover of the color red (No seriously. In 15 years of doing this, no client has loved the color red more that Ms. Effervescent), this maxi dress from Olsen was perfect. Olsen is a line I have only recently become acquainted. It's nice. Some of the clothes are a little matronly and others are really ageless. This dress falls into the easy ageless category. I have her three casual shoe options, a Cole Haan style in silver, a nude sandal from Franco Sarto and taupe sandals from Me Too. In order to get more with less, when shopping for shoes, selecting neutral colors like these was important. The look was finished with a denim jacket and navy cardigan that Ms. Effervescent already owned.

Outfit #4

These pants from Lauren Ralph Lauren became a favorite of mine this season. When I saw they came in red I knew I had to pull them for my client. I styled them with a v-neck sleeveless top from Calvin Klein, denim jacket and several jewelry and shoe options. The base stays the same and the shoe and jewelry options give it more variety. I used the Cole Haan sandals, a pair of Tahari peep toe sandals, Me Too sandals, super comfortable snakeskin Rockport flats and cognac Vince mules.

Outfit #5

In this look, I used the same Lauren Ralph Lauren pants and styled it with a super cute sleeveless top from Theory. I grabbed the scarf from Ms. Effervescent's vast collection and I think she was shocked that it worked so well with the red pants. It can be hard to figure out what colors to wear with red besides black. Cognac and shades of tan can be wonderful alternatives. Getting more with less, I used a lot of the same shoes and sandals as options again.

Outfit #6

In this look, I kept the base of the outfit exactly the same and made it look less warm with a black and white scarves, black sandals and silver flat sandals from Cole Haan.

Outfit #7

A third way I styled the base of this outfit of Lauren Ralph Lauren pants and the Theory top was by using the Nic + Zoe cardigan Ms. Effervescent purchased and the different tan sandal options, the Tahari peep toe sandals, the flat Franco Sarto style and the super casual Me Too styles. By swapping our the shoes Ms. Effervescent is able to take this outfit different places.

Outfit #8

I love these jeans from Lafayette 148 that Ms. Effervescent bought. They're a light ivory which means she'll be able to wear them well into fall. For summer, I styled them with a new Nic + Zoe printed top and tank that the cardigan can be layered over. I used she same shoes, plus a pair of incredibly comfortable wedges from Cole Haan, and jewelry again in these looks.

Outfit #9

I gave Ms. Effervescent two layering options when I styled the jeans from Lafayette 148 with the olive Nic + Zoe tank, the Baltic colored cardigan from Nic + Zoe and a denim jacket. Another scarf that Ms. Effervescent owned worked beautifully with the colors in this outfit, as did a pendant that she owned. I have her the Rockport flats, Tahari peep toe sandals and Vince mules as three shoe options.

Outfit #10

Another look using the jeans that I created with Ms. Effervescent's favorite color was this one. The top is from Olsen and the accessorizing components include the same shoes previously used, gold necklace and lariat pendant, white scarf and her denim jacket.

I hope you enjoyed taking a look at some of the outfits I put together for Ms. Effervescent and that you got some tips on reusing the same pieces to create multiple looks. Thanks to Ms. Effervescent for letting me share these photos.