Johanna has worked sales, management and merchandising in boutiques and for corporations selling a variety of clothing: from trendy west coast fashions and swimwear to Italian, French and Australian lines, to couture designs. She has both a flair and a passion for wardrobing her clients.
The introductory consultation is for gathering information from the client. Basic stats such as size, preferred color palette, style of pants and necklines are noted. Other qualitative information is discussed: the client's lifestyle, activities, events and occupation are factors which will influence the merchandise selection.
The goal of the closet consultation is to come up with a strategy for the coming season. This is also an effective tool to look at the client's wardrobe history (as with the introductory consultation above) to discern which pieces were effective and ineffective over the past season. In the closet consultation, under-utilized pieces are discarded and gaps in the client's wardrobe are assessed. The closet consultation can also be a collaborative discussion as to how the client and the stylist will interpret the coming season's trends to fit the client's image and lifestyle.
The goal of the merchandise selection is to provide the client with the optimal pieces for one's lifestyle. The client may opt for the stylist to shop independently and bring the merchandise to his/her home; other clients prefer to shop with the stylist. Both methods are effective, depending on the unique request. For a seasonal wardrobe shop, it is preferable for the stylist and client to shop together due to the quantity of merchandise; for a dressy event, or business presentation, a selection of pieces is purchased in advance and brought to the client's home.
Merchandise selection trips to NY and Europe also offered.
The craft of a stylist is to clothe the individual with style. Clothing is a form of expression and the success of a stylist is measured by the client's belief that she has a variety of choices. Each piece and outfit is appropriate for the occasion: a business presentation, a black tie dinner or a European vacation.
Drawing upon current and future trends, and the client's unique taste, the stylist service facilitates the client's image of herself as she would like to be viewed: sophisticated, professional, comfortable and appealing.
This spring select dresses which are representative of your age. “Baby doll” styles embraced last spring may be worn for beach cover–ups this year. Proper waist silhouettes are emphasized -or an extended empire waist – as long as the line is more tailored through the body.
A cool romantic look for spring – is the sheer runway tops and tunic dresses (e.g. Chloe, Stella, Dries) - most of which require taut skin and some confidence. Make sure your undergarments compliment the overlay. Silk laced and cotton under-pining peaking out from some of these styles should ideally have a vintage feel – undergarments should not be reminiscentof the exposed 80’s bra strap look.
Add bright colors to your spring selections – saturated colors read beautifully in intense summer’s light and give your skin a warm glow at night as well: fuchsia, hot tangerine, evergreen, citrus yellow.
We all dress a bit more casual in the summer. Check your feet to ensure your footwear matches the level of your dress. No flipflops with dressier skirts, dresses or pants. Ignore those who tell you - “oh, you can throw it on with a pair of flip flops” (yikes!)
Liberty flowers on blouses, and bohemian prints on skirts and dresses make a small showing. If you like this look – pick one piece here and there….and compliment it with a structured piece so you don’t appear as a apparition from the 60’s but rather as a individual inhabiting a playful piece.
Check back soon for more fashion tips from Johanna!
For initial correspondence, please email Johanna@JohannaFoster.com or call her at (617) 869-7769.