At-Home Styling by Celebrity Stylist, Rene Garza

10 highlights from our virtual styling event with Rene Garza!

Sandhya Shahdeo, one of FFC’s Seattle Directors, opened “In Your Closet” for the virtual community to join celebrity stylist, Rene Garza, live from his studio. Garza gave one-on-one personalized advice on willing viewers’ style and wardrobes. From 90 minutes of personalized feedback, we have singled out what resonated with our viewers and team most…

College student style survival tips:

Our first guest Kaylee, presented a list of classic challenges when in a university setting (and other big life transitions). “ Weather is confusing, how to dress for bipolar skies “ Rene says to layer up! Don’t be afraid to mix seasons either, wear a turtle neck under a dress or a hoodie over a skirt!

Q: “I feel like I’m still discovering my style, where do I start?”

A: Rene advises all of us to try styles on to make us a little uncomfortable – “after the first few days the discomfort will fade and you’ll get used to the way it feels” – challenge ourselves and take note of style inspirations carefully. 

Q: “All my stuff hasn’t arrived yet, I don’t have my normal wardrobe to choose from…”

A: Rene considers any major life change to be a perfect time to experiment with style! Especially college, job changes, moves, etc. You have a fresh start. If you have limited resources, try combining what few things you do have in new ways!

A: “I’m on a budget…” That can actually be a style advantage! From clothing swaps to thrifting, college towns (and living) is a glorious place for style on a budget.  It also forces us to get out of our style comfort zones which is exactly what tends to invite creativity into our wardrobe.  

For the dapper professional:

• Layer up professional-wear, try putting a T-shirt over a collar. 
• Experiment with shape of necklines, especially in layering.
• Identify jewelry and accessories that work for you. There are elegant pieces for men like simple chains and watches that can tie an otherwise “standard professional” look together. 
• Tailor. Remember that clothing is made for the masses. Per Rene, “In my 20 years of styling there have been so many instances of putting the same dress on different sizes from 10 to a 2 and it looks completely different on each of them.” A temporary solution may be to safety pin it.

Live IG & FB FAQ: 

“How can I get “holiday festive” minus the classic red-greens vibes?”

“Metallic, sequins, and shiny things can make for perfect added glitz even in small doses without falling into cheesy holiday clichés.

Intermission

Intermission closed with an explosion of color, sparkles, and rock and roll when guest Cayetana wowed us with a tour of her wardrobe. 

Balancing self expression with “keeping it professional”:

A work friendly outfit base is fitted, structured and relatively basic, lay on your personality flares on top of it. Never completely give in – you won’t be comfortable, you won’t feel like you, and you won’t focus well. If the option is available to you, find work that embraces who you are on the inside and expresses you on the outside. 

How to prevent minimalism from going stale: 

• Break up the lines. Add collars, simple jewelry, color pops to avoid monotony. One of the beautiful things about minimalism is it emphasizes the unique design of each human, so make sure the colors compliment the skin tone and the body’s shape. 
• Since less is more, well fitted (or not so well fitted) pieces are extra noticeable and therefore tailoring could be a style-savor. Hem long pants, take in the wastes, etc.
• A lot of Japanese styles work really well for a minimalist palate, they are simple styles with a little twist like the seams on the outside or an extra flare in the sleeves of a really classic suit.  

Maximizing Versatility – Instant Casual to Classy: 

• Versatility is being able to go from one activity to another without having to do a full outfit change, but having the essentials for these different activities on hand will keep you in the style game. This includes a suit to throw over a T, a sweater for cool weather, and a jacket for a night out (maybe keep an extra under layer at hand too for staying out all day)
• Don’t fall for monotony! A basic doesn’t mean boring. Switch up a smooth knit with a cable knit or something textured. Try color blocking (wear various solid colors)