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It was bound to happen eventually: my first "real" job. After six summers spent waiting tables, scanning groceries and making overpriced coffee, I've finally finished school and landed a summer position as a Citizen intern.
But once the initial excitement wore off, I started to worry: What would I wear? Like the many students just about to start a first post-graduate job or a summer-long internship, I'm realizing that it's time to put sweatpants and late-night study sessions in the past and focus on assembling a polished look suitable for an office.
Sure, I've had a few internships that required that I swap my uniform of T-shirts and jeans for dress pants and heels, but I simply shopped in my sister's well-stocked wardrobe. Practically the only items that could pass for "professional" in my hoodie-filled closet were a pair of black pants, a cashmere V-neck, a few blouses I bought for a previous internship, and an ancient Gap button-down shirt I've owned since high school. Oh, and I can't forget my black all-purpose pumps I wear when flip-flops or skate shoes won't cut it.
The worst thing about student shopping? We're generally quite a poor lot. So even though I've managed to save $900 for this project, it looks like I have to give up on my dream couture wardrobe (which resembles the one Anne Hathaway wears in The Devil Wears Prada).
But I still feel overwhelmed at the thought of abandoning my beloved loungewear, so I book an appointment with Teresa and Terry Lee McCarthy, owners of Kanata-based Image Solutions Group, to help steer me in the right direction.
The enthusiastic mother-daughter team offers to measure me for something called the Fashion Fit Formula, a system developed in Maryland by businesswoman Janet Wood that is based on 12 vertical measurements of the body. The McCarthys are the Canadian directors of operations for the Fashion Fit Formula and they claim the personalized measurements will help me find the most flattering hemline lengths, sleeve and skirt lengths, and necklines.
According to Teresa, only one per cent of women can stroll into a store and leave with an outfit that will fit perfectly without being altered -- and based on my often disastrous shopping experiences (forced to consistently buy too-long pants when you're five-foot-four comes to mind), I can believe it.
"The Fashion Fit Formula measures your skeletal frame and is independent of weight loss or gain so it will last forever," she says. "This is the starting point to buying a wardrobe. It saves you a lot of money over the years because you will not make inappropriate purchases."
Plus, when you have these measurements, you can revamp the clothes you might already have bought and have never worn because they didn't fit properly. "There is a good chance items can be tweaked for a lower price than a new outfit. It's like shopping in your own closet," Teresa says.
I also learn about how to dress for my body type. Apparently I am an "A-frame," which is a slightly more polite way of saying "pear-shaped." I'm told I should try to achieve balance by widening the shoulders and steering clear of anything that draws attention toward the hips.
Which is something I didn't consider when buying grey wide-leg pants earlier this year. For our second meeting, the McCarthys ask me to bring along some clothes I already own. Feeling very much like one of Stacy and Clinton's charges on What Not to Wear, I'm told in no uncertain terms that my Katharine Hepburn-esque cuffed pants are totally wrong for me.
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"Someone who is your height should not wear cuffed pants," says Teresa. "They work best on tall people." The angled pockets also draw attention to my hips, something an A-frame like me should avoid at all costs.
"They still have the tag on them. If possible, you should return those," suggests Terry Lee. Hmmm, maybe buying clothes that look good on the size 6 store mannequin really isn't the best strategy.
The next factor to consider is colour. Wearing the right shades makes your skin look smoother and younger, say the McCarthys. For the first time, I have my colours done -- there's something about this that seems very '80s -- and it turns out I am a "cool winter," meaning I look best in greens, blues, purples, blue-based reds, pinks and, thankfully, black. I also learn which colours I could base my wardrobe around, and which colours work better in accent pieces like a bag or shoes.
But most importantly, the McCarthys offer me some great tips on what I should buy to furnish a first office wardrobe.
They suggest starting with a "capsule wardrobe" that contains enough basic pieces to mix and match as many as 30 outfits so that I can get a lot on my limited budget. On their list: three skirts, or two skirts and one pair of pants (or any combination of these); two jackets; one dress; five tops (they suggest three blouses and two sweaters, one of which should be a cardigan); one all- weather coat with removable lining ("And it has to be longer than all of your skirts or dresses," says Terry Lee. "If you go shorter, make sure it is a lot shorter." ); one pair of leather pumps (preferably in a basic shade like black or brown, and with a heel no higher than six centimetres); one leather bag; and one leather belt.
Armed with this knowledge, I head confidently to the mall. But I'm alone and consequently find myself staring absentmindedly at the racks. I'm trying to resist the urge to mannequin-shop. I try on tons of clothes, but can't make up my mind (and can't bring myself to trust the salespeople's opinions).
Despite having a list, I go home practically empty-handed with just two pairs of pants (I have yet to return the Hepburn-esque ones) and a white blouse. The second day I recruit my sister, an expert shopper who proves to be a great help. Not only is she honest about what looks good, she also has a great eye for picking things that I wouldn't dream of trying on. Case in point: a purple sweater, which I would have never chosen for myself. It's flattering and, it turns out, is a shade on my colour wheel!
Overall, I end up modifying the program slightly, since I already own a few suitable blouses and sweaters. I have a great red belt, but will need another in a neutral colour. Also, I can't find shoes I like in my size, so it looks like the all-purpose pumps will have to do for the time being. I'm able to splurge a bit on a skirt suit since I won't need to buy a new bag (my purse collection is enormous as it is), and I decide to put off the coat shopping until it gets colder. And despite all the useful colour advice I got, I learn that I'm not ready to give up severe black just yet.
My finds so far? A black skirt and matching jacket, two pairs of pants (grey pinstripe and dark blue), a black dress, a black sweater vest, a purple sweater, a white blouse and a black leather belt, all for a grand total of $742.99, which leaves money for shortening pants and jacket sleeves.
A full consultation with Teresa and Terry Lee McCarthy costs $250 and includes two visits with the consultants, Fashion Fit Formula measurements and a workbook with personalized tips to help you organize your wardrobe and edit your closet. A package without the workbook costs $125 (which is what I had done). Having your colours analysed costs $100.
For more information, visit their website at imagesolutionsgroup.ca.
The Fashion Fit Formula is directly aimed at
consumers, but stores will also soon have
access to new technologies to help customers
achieve a better fit. Canadian Apparel, an
industry magazine, reported on these
advancements in its September/October issue:
Alana Toulin is an Ottawa writer. She begins her summer internship with the Citizen next month.
© The Ottawa Citizen 2007
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