dressing for comfort

Comfortable Clothes that Breathe from Baltimore’s New Store, “The Joshua Tree”

November 19, 2013 by Nancy Goldblatt Leave a Comment

Did you know most of the clothing you wear is made of fabric grown with lots of pesticides?

How much of these pesticides are being absorbed into your skin?

One of the few plants that does not need protection from pesticides is hemp.

It’s possible to purchase 100 % hemp clothing.

Because hemp clothing breathes, it’s extremely comfortable.

In Baltimore, Maryland, you can find hemp clothing and other clothing made with comfortable sustainable fabric at “The Joshua Tree.”

“The Joshua Tree has been in business 16 months. It’s located in Baltimore’s Mt. Washington neighborhood near Whole Foods.

I discovered “The Joshua Tree,” one day after I finished shopping at Whole Foods on Smith Avenue. I had previously seen a big sign that said, ” Eco Friendly Clothing””.

One day when I was not in a hurry, I decided to follow the sign. I discovered a store full of clothes and accessories grown sustainably.

This store carries hemp, soy and organic men’s and women’s casual clothes. The styles are forward-thinking, inexpensive to up-scale and also sewn “sweatshop-free.” You will also find locally made scrubs, soaps and aromatherapy oils.

I bought a pair of ecoSkin leggings that are so soft and comfortable, I can barely tell I am wearing pants

Joshua Tree turquoise dress — Dress at the Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree Wallet — Wallet from the Joshua Tree

The Joshua Tree also carries, jewelry, hats, wallets, and socks, all made with sustainable products. It’s a great place to find gifts for that special person as well as shop for yourself

The address is 1340 Smith Ave, Baltimore, Md. 21209, behind Whole Foods. Phone : 971-570- 0732. for hours.

Are you a woman whose size and shape has changed. Do you have too many clothes but not much you can wear?

Nancy Goldblatt, Wardrobe Wizard can help you decide what clothes to keep and what to give away. She is available to work with you in person if you live near Baltimore, Maryland or on-line if you are not local.

Nancy is a Color 1 Associate and for over 20 years has helped women whose size and shape has changed to choose their best styles and colors.</strong> <strong>Contact her at: Nancy@wardrobewiz.com, or 410-235-5325

Look Slimmer By Dressing Smarter

February 18, 2012 by Nancy Goldblatt 2 Comments

Clothes can make you look heavier or slimmer

Has anyone ever said to you “You look thinner out of your clothes, than in your clothes.”

Before I became an Image Consultant and learned how to dress my body type, I went to a beach retreat. When I put on a bathing suit, several people said,” You look thinner out of your clothes.

At the time, I felt confused by their comments. Before I put on my bathing suit, I was wearing an oversize top and wide-legged pants.

Can you guess what I was doing wrong?

By wearing wide-legged pants with an over-sized top, I was hiding my thinnest parts.

When wearing separates, where one piece is loose and unfitted, the other piece should be more fitted. Our eyes automatically search for the narrowest place to look. If there is no narrow place, because you are wearing a loose top and bottom, you will look heavier than you are.

If you are thinner from your waist up, you will look better with fitted tops and more loosely fitting bottoms. And if you are heavier from your waist up, you will look thinner in unfitted, tops and more tapered or fitted bottoms.

Choosing the right fabrics can take pounds off your silhouette

What fabrics and styles should you avoid wearing when you are trying to look slimmer?
What fabrics are figure friendly

You can use clothing weight and shapes, and color to create visual tricks to get people to focus on your face, eyes and mouth.

You can strategically place color and clothing lines, so that people look at your face and just glance at your body.

What Not To Wear

Avoid stiff fabric or thick fabric, ruffles, heavily textured fabrics, shiny fabric or fabrics that are too thin and cling to the body.

Also, avoid wide horizontal stripes, and large horizontal patterns.

What To Wear

Choose fabrics that drape and are medium weight in your most flattering colors

Jackets, A Great Way To Look Slimmer

I love jackets because they are “workhorses,” that can camouflage a tummy or large waist, buttocks or hips.

To look slimmer you must choose a jacket that flatters your body and ends at one of your narrowest places.

(If you don’t want to wear a traditional jacket, you can layer an unbuttoned blouse or cartigan sweater over a shell for a more casual jacket look.)

If you have a wide mid-section, and waist-line but relatively narrow hips you you need to wear a jacket that ends at your narrow hips.
If your mid section is wide you will look better in a jacket that has at least 3 or 5 buttons. Two buttons usually stops at the stomach area. This is like pointing an arrow at your widest body part.
If you have a defined waistline (your waist is 8 to 10 inches smaller than your hips) you can wear a jacket that tapers in at the waist. Avoid a jacket with darts and a defined waistline, if your waist line is not much smaller than you hips.
If you have a small waist and a large buttock or large hips, avoid a jacket that ends at your waist because it will emphasize your buttock or hips. A better choice for you is a longer jacket that tapers at the waist and stops at the narrowest place near your thighs.
Don’t wear a jacket that is too long, because it will make you look shorter .

Wear Layers To Look Slimmer

To create a longer, slimmer look,wear your jacket open. You can wear your jacket with a skirt or pants of the same color and wear a blouse or t-shirt in a different color.
Your can change the color of your shell or blouse and have a different outfit.
By wearing your jacket open, you can create two vertical lines and the illusion you have a waistline, because only a little of your waist shows.
Wearing clothing that skims your body shape and is not too tight or too loose will make you appear slimmer.
Don’t be afraid to get your “ready to wear,” clothing altered to get a fit that looks like it was made just for you.

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Nancy Goldblatt is available to work with you no matter where you live. If you live in Baltimore, Md or surrounding areas she can work with you in person. If you live other places, she can work with you on-line using digital pictures.

After a woman works with “The Wardrobe Wizard,”she will have a wallet of her best colors and styles, and a pared down closet. She will be know how to mix and match her best looks so she can get dressed “lickety split,” and look great everyday.

“The Wardrobe Wizard,” also works with younger women and is available to work with men. She was trained by Joanna Nicholson, founder of Color 1 Associates, an International Image & Style Company.

Nancy@WardrobeWiz.com, 410-513-9496, WWW.WardrobeWiz.com

Wonder Why You Feel Self Conscious?

October 12, 2011 by Nancy Goldblatt Leave a Comment

Are you self conscious about your appearance?

Or do you have a friend or relative who is self conscious?

I want to share with you a story and a theory as to why a person might be self conscious.

When I was younger, before I became an Image Consultant, I was dating a guy named George.

I was waiting for George to pick me up. I had a few minutes and I laid down to take a quick nap.

When I woke up I looked in my magnifying mirror to check my makeup.

I was horrified to see the beginnings of a pimple on the end of my nose.

My doorbell rang and I had no time to pop the pimple and camouflage it with makeup.

George greeted me with,

“You look nice tonight.”

“No I don’t, I have a pimple on the end of my nose. “ George squinted at me.

“I can’t see it.”

“Well it’s there, right on the end of my nose.”

George still could not see it.

I admit, that George’s eye sight was not the greatest.

On the other hand, I have eyes like an eagle.

I see every little detail, especially my flaws.

Even as a child, I would notice the smallest flaws in my appearance.

I would also notice when other people looked bad or looked good.

I thought everyone was as visually aware as me.

When I read the book,” How Your Child Is Smart,” by Dawna Markova, I discovered that not everyone is as visually aware as me.

I used to think my self-consciousness was entirely due to my mother being so critical of me.

I now believe my “learning style,” how my brain is wired, was the other contributing factor.

Have you been self-conscious since you were a child?

The way you process information may be the cause.

I will try to explain about learning styles in the next few paragraphs.

We all use our eyes,(visual sense) our bodies (kinesthetic sense) and our voices and ears (auditory senses) to learn.

There are six different learning styles or learning orders according to Dawna Markova, teacher, therapist and author of many books including “Your Child Is Smart.”

The order in which we use our senses determines how we are smartest, what makes us feel balanced and what sense is the slowest to come but most deeply felt.

In her book,”Your Child Is Smart,” Dawna Markova describes these 6 different learning patterns. The difference in learning styles, is the order in which we use our senses.

There is a front or conscious sense (the way we “bite,” into information) and how we are most aware of whats going on outside of us.

The middle or next sense uses the sub-conscious to help us be aware of both inside and outside and sort information.

The third step in processing information into our brains and bodies is called the unconscious or back channel, It is the slowest to come but often the most creative part of us and the most deeply felt.

Two of the six learning patterns begin with the Visual pattern. These are VKA- Visual, Kinesthetic and Auditory and VAK,- Visual Auditory and Kinesthetic.

If you have the VKA or VAK pattern, you will be visually aware, and you are likely to be self-conscious.

When you have this learning style, you feel what you see.

When I got trained as a Color 1, Personal Image Consultant and learned how to use color and proportion to look visually balanced, something amazing happened.

Because of my VKA learning style, and feeling what I see, when I looked in the mirror, and I saw that I was visually balanced, my feelings of self-consciousness began to disappear.

If any of those old negative messages tape recorded in my brain pop up, I take a deep breath and use “positive self talk,” to turn off the messages.

My old self consciousness has been replaced by self-confidence.

Before I knew how to put myself together using color and proportion to look visually pleasing, I felt self-conscious.

Now, because I know I look visually balanced, I can leave the house and not feel self-conscious.

If you are self-conscious about your appearance, especially if you have felt that way since you were young, it’s likely that you are visually smart.

Here are some other indications that you are visually smart.

Do you learn best by reading or watching
Do you feel energized when you write
Are you comfortable with direct and sustained direct eye contact
Do you organize by writing lists?

If are visually aware, you still use your kinesthetic and auditory senses , but in order to process information, you first have to see something or at least visualize it in your imagination.

Does this sound like you?

If you are self-conscious about your appearance, this does not mean you have low self esteem or that you are self-centered. It’s more likely that the self-consciousness comes from the way your brain is wired to process information.

I have talked in past posts about the magic that happened for me when I discovered what colors and styles looked good on me.

You can have this magic too.

The way to overcome self consciousness is to get educated about what looks good on you.

When you learn how to look visually balanced, using flattering colors and styles, you can replace self consciousness with self confidence.

Want to know what your learning style is?

Get “Your Child Is Smart,” by Dawna Markova or go to her website,www.Smartwired.org.

The website is targeted towards parents who want to understand their children.

If you want to understand your “Inner Child,” I highly recommend ,” Your Child Is Smart.” I believe this was Dawna’s first book. She has written about 6 or 7 books but I found her first book the easiest to understand.

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Think you might be ready to replace self-consciousness with self-confidence? To far away to meet in person?

Call or e-mail to set up a Complimentary 20 minute telephone consult. The telephone consult I am currently offering is FREE, with no obligation, but I only have a few of these slots available each month.

The purpose of the telephone consult is to help you determine what your fashion personality is and to help me better understand what your needs are. Say goodbye to those, “Nothing to wear moments.” I am now doing long distance consultations using the telephone, and digital pictures sent on-line.

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Nancy Goldblatt, “The Wardrobe Wizard,” is a “Color 1,” Personal Image Consultant who specializes in working with mid-life women whose size and shape has changed and who have too many clothes and “nothing to wear.” After a woman works with “The Wardrobe Wizard,”she will have a wallet of her best colors and styles, and a pared down closet. She will learn how to mix and match her best looks so she can get dressed “lickety split,” and look great everyday.

Nancy@WardrobeWiz.com, 410-513-9496, WWW.WardrobeWiz.com

“The Wardrobe Wizard,” also works with younger women and is available to work with men. She was trained by Joanna Nicholson, founder of Color 1 Associates an International Image & Style Company.

Where does it lie? (angelheartlee.wordpress.com)
Blog post by Kay Couture (fashionindustrynetwork.com)

Wardrobe Clutter: Why Do You Have So Many Unworn Clothes?

May 8, 2011 by Nancy Goldblatt 1 Comment

Nancy2-Original 4 — Nancy Goldblatt, "The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,"

Why do you have so many unworn pieces of clothing? ( Part 1 of 2 parts)

When I was a little girl, I secretly believed I was a princess. I was very “sensitive,” and when the school librarian read, ‘The Princess and the Pea,’ to us, I knew I must be a princess in disguise.

When I was twenty years old, many years before I became an Image Consultant, that little girl part of me that still believed I was a princess in disguise finally found “the dress.” I was living in Chicago and I spotted the dress in Marshall Fields. I bought it thinking I would lose a few pounds and be transformed by the dress. I put it on many times, but when I looked in the mirror, I had to take it off. I was never able to wear it out of the house.

Maybe some of you can relate to this. I called it my princess dress because it reminded me of the dress Disney’s princess in the Sleeping Beauty movie wore. It was a dark blue velvet dress, with princess darts and a deep v neckline. “Princess Fiona,” from the movie Shrek wore a similar dress.

I loved that dress but it did not love me. In my “princess dress,” I looked more like the version of Princess Fiona after she kissed Shrek and turned into an Ogre.

The dress was my size, but even after I toned up with exercise, I never looked good in it. It hung in my closet for several years unworn. Finally, I gave it to a friend who was the same height and weight as me. The minute she pulled it over her head she looked fabulous in it. She looked like a ” true princess,” in the dress.

Why did it look so wonderful on her and so terrible on me?

Let me help you answer this. The answer is shape. The dress was shaped like my friend who had a small waist and wide hips. I have narrow hips and a wide rib cage. Even at my thinnest, because of the structure of my bones, my waist was never small. The dress hid my narrow parts and emphasized my wide parts. The dress complimented my friends shape because it was shaped like her.

Here is a simple but important rule to remember. Buy clothing that widens where you widen and narrows where you narrow. (This rule can also be applied to buying shoes.)

Most women wear only 20 % of what they own. So how many items do you own that you do not wear? Do you find yourself putting something on and taking it off ?

Why can’t you wear it? There are 7 reasons why you can’t wear it. to find out see part 2 “Why Do You Have So Many Unworn Clothes?” and discover some possible solutions.

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Nancy Goldblatt, Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore, is a Color 1 Associate. For over twenty years, she has been helping women whose size and shape has changed, to shop their closets.

She specializes in color analysis , and face and body shape analysis. After a client works with “The Wardrobe Wizard”, she will have a pared down closet with “mix and match pieces,” and the ability to put her own best looks together.

Nancy works with clients in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area as well as long distance customers. She can now do online consults. To find out more: Contact the Wardrobe Wizard at nancy@wardrobewiz.com/ or call 410-513-9496 for a complimentary, no obligation 20 minute telephone consultation to discover your fashion personality and find out what “The Wardrobe Wizard,” can do for you.

Looking Good In Cold Weather

December 17, 2010 by Nancy Goldblatt 3 Comments

Its the middle of December and its below zero and there is snow on the ground in Baltimore. I have seen lots of people so bundled up that only their eyes are showing.

If you care about your appearance but still want to stay warm when you venture out on very cold days, here are some guidelines that will enable you to still look visually pleasing.

1. Wear shoes or boots that repeats the color on your head. If you are wearing a hat, repeat your hat color or if you have lots of hair that shows, choose shoes or boots that are hair color. This will visually help you to look “pulled together.” Our eyes automatically search for repeated colors. When you wear a hat and shoes that are the same color the eye travels up and down to the repeated colors and this is relaxing to the eyes.

Here are a few examples: With a hat or hair that is dark brown wear boots or shoes that are dark brown. If you have a moss green hat, that you love, try to find moss green boots. If your hair is black and lots of hair shows even with your hat on, consider black boots or shoes.

2. Choose a coat color that is flattering to your skin. (Note : not everyone looks good in black). But if you already have a black coat choose a neck scarf that repeats your eye, or skin color. This will give you a “color break,”and the black coat will not look so harsh against your skin.

3. Unsure which colors are flattering to you? Get Joanna Nicholson’s books Dressing Smart for Women and Dressing Smart for Men at Amazon.

4. Consider getting a “Color Analysis,” from a Color 1 Associate. This is a very accurate “non-seasonal approach,” that allows you to wear every color in the right shade. To find a Color 1 Associate in your local area contact Joyce Harris at Color Style. Her e-mail is Joyce5001@aol.com. She also can sell you copies of Joanna Nicholson’s books.

Nancy Goldblatt, Personal Image Consultant & The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore is a Color 1 Associate with over 20 years of experience. She is available to do your colors if you live in the Baltimore, Washington corridor. Contact her at 410-235-5325 or nrgoldblatt@gmail.com (She can teach you how to shop your closet and eliminate what doesn’t work, mix and match in new ways and she’ll suggest what you need to fill in the gaps)

Shopping Tips for Fall: Using High & Low Tech Assistance

September 3, 2010 by Nancy Goldblatt Leave a Comment

I was recently talking to a client who had taken her ” Wardrobe Wizard Color Chart,” and her line drawings with her when she went shopping. She showed these to a sales person who knew the store stock well. The sales lady helped her pick out lots of separate pieces that really looked “cute together.” Unfortunately, by the time she got home she did not remember what went with what. The solution I suggested to her was to use her camera phone or digital camera next time she goes shopping. Here are some shopping tips that will make it easier for you to shop for clothes.

Tips when shopping for new items for your wardrobe:

Before you go shopping, shop your closet. Use your camera phone or a digital camera to take pictures of the clothing you wear most often. If you do not have another person to photograph you in your clothing, lay the pieces on your bed and take a picture of the different ways you mix and match your separates.

Load these picture on your computer, save them and print them out. Take these pictures with you when you go shopping. The process of shopping your closet and photographing what you wear should help you be more aware of the gaps in your wardrobe. Every time you buy something new photograph it and add it to your saved file. Eliminate photos of any clothing you eliminate from your wardrobe.

1. When you actually go shopping ask the sales person to take pictures of you ( with your camera phone or digital camera) wearing pieces you are considering purchasing.

This is especially helpful if you are unsure about purchasing the items. A picture will let you know if the clothing is really flattering.

2. Bring items from your closet that are “orphans.” ” A closet orphan,” is anything you are unable to wear because you have nothing to wear it with.

3. Bring some straight pins shopping so you can see how the clothing you like will look when it is hemmed or altered in strategic places.

4. Bring the shoes that look good with pants if you are shopping for pants or shoes that look good with skirts if you are looking for skirts or dresses.

Nancy Goldblatt, “The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,” is a Personal Image Consultant trained by Color 1 Associates. She specializes in working with midlife women whose shape or size has changed. She is available to work with individuals and groups in Baltimore, Md and surrounding areas. Her website is WWW.WardrobeWiz.com/

She hopes to soon be able to do “virtual image consulting.” This will mean she can work with individuals anywhere in the world. Watch this blog for more information to follow soon!

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

June 14, 2009 by Nancy Goldblatt 2 Comments

How many of us look in the mirror and see only our flaws?

I worked with a beautiful woman yesterday, helping her go shopping in her own closet. She has lovely, wavey red hair, hazel eyes, and a curvey body. When she put items on and looked in the mirror she saw only her flaws. She has a defined waistline but has been most comfortable wearing baggy tops since she has not lost all of the weight she gained when she had her daughter seven years ago.

The baggy tops actually make her look heavier. Because I know that women are most likely to wear what they feel comfortable in, I needed to find a way to help her feel comfortable and wear her tops in a figure flattering manner.

I suggested she have the tops we both liked taken in slightly on the sides or have darts put in for more waist definition. She did own a few form fitting tops including a shell but did not feel comfortable wearing the tops because she thought her hips and bun looked too big. When she put a jacket on and left it open over the shell she loved the look. She called it “The Bomb .” I also taught her a technique she could use when she looks in the mirror to determine if something flatters her. I am hopeful that with time and using this new technique to look at herself she will be able to focus on her “real beauty,” instead of her flaws.

She was able to eliminate many items in her closet that did not work and she now has some new ways to mix and match her clothes. When she gets the other pieces of clothing altered she will have many more things to wear. We are going shopping next week to fill in the remaining gaps in her wardrobe. Because she hates to shop, I am going to do a little preshopping to make sure the places we go have the items she is looking for.

Nancy Goldblatt, “The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,” is a professionally trained Color 1, personal image consultant. She specializes in working with women whose size or shape has changed and who have lots of clothes and nothing to wear. She is also available to work with individuals and groups in Baltimore and surrounding areas. Contact her at 410-235-5325/ nrgoldblatt@gmail.com/ www.WardrobeWiz.com

Can You Make The Body You Have, Look Like the Body You Want?

May 5, 2009 by Nancy Goldblatt 2 Comments

Welcome to Dressing for Comfort, Confidence & Style, a brand new blog from Nancy Goldblatt, “The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore.”

Nancy is a professionally trained personal image consult. She was trained by Color 1 Associates in 1991. Her passion to help other women learn to love themselves and be less self critical came out of our own struggles to feel good in her short, plump body. One day in 1990 she discover a book by Mary Duffy called, “How to Make The Body You Have Look Like The Body You Want.”

After reading the book she realized that this is not possible but you can still look good no matter what shape or size you are. The way to do this is to understand your shape and choose clothing that flatters your shape. Looking good is not about wearing the latest trends or being skinny and tall. Its about understanding your face and body shape, knowing your most flattering shades of color (most people can wear 40 -90 shades) and understanding how to combine colors so you can look your best and feel confident wearever you go.

Nancy Goldblatt, “The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,” can be reached at nancy@wardrobewiz.com or 410-235-5325/ Her website is www.WardrobeWiz.com/ She is available to work with individuals and groups in Baltimore and surrounding areas as well as work virtually using digital pictures and webcam.

dressing for comfort

Choosing the right fabrics can take pounds off your silhouette

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