Michelle Madhok - Wear This Now: Your Style Solution for Every Season and Any Occasion

SAY GOODBYE TO THE CLOSET STARE

A s women, we spend an average of two years of our lives standing in front of our closets, debating what clothing to put on. Two years! In that same amount of time, you couldve graduated from business school, renovated a house, landed your dream job, planned a wedding or done a thousand other more interesting things.

Youre not to blame: Not one woman is immune to the closet starethat moment when you gape at your wardrobe and realize that not one single piece is right for the occasion youve found yourself in. (Men, however, are mostly immune to this. Their version is the refrigerator stare, which occurs when nothing looks good enough to eatit is much less life-threatening.) The key is planning. Were here to map out your fashion life and prepare you for the events you cant yet foresee. Keep this guide on hand to consult when faced with the most daunting sartorial crises. Think of this book as a crash course in fashion survival, with extremely cool clothes and insider tips for how to score them without breaking the bank. This is intended to be a resource for years to come, helping you build your wardrobe (hitting up sales along the way) and knowing when and how to wear what youve got. The next time youre standing in front of your closet before the big date, the big interview or the night out with the girls, youll know just what to wearright now.

WHO WE ARE AND WHY YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO US

Were editors, writers, businesswomen and, most important, shoppers. We go to fashion shows and market appointments and can spot a trend (and a fake bag) from a mile away. Michelle Madhok is the CEO and founder of SHEFINDS MEDIA, a network of websites for women in every stage of their life, from career-minded girls (shefinds.com) to brides (bridefinds.com) and moms (momfinds.com). The sites are all about how to get the best bang for your buckand be entertained and get styling ideas along the way.

Eileen Conlan is the senior editor, fashion and lifestyle, of SHEFINDS MEDIA, which includes shefinds.com and bridefinds.com. She spends day after day checking out the best trends, news and deals available online and sharing them with readers. She was previously a writer and editor at Marie Claire , and has toiled away in many a magazine fashion closet, from Vogue China and Elle to W , where, along the way, she learned how to style pretty much anything, from cardigans to belts, and anyone, no matter what their shape.

We are both passionate about making sure youre stylish every single daywe get it, and want you to get it, too, whether youre a fashion beginner or a serious veteran.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK (PREFERABLY NOT AS A COASTER)

Wear This Now is your go-to reference every time you think to yourself, I have no idea what to wear! Whether youve just graduated from college or are considering retirement, this is a universal problemwe all want essentially magic closets that can just present us with exactly what to wear now, no matter whats happening. As the seasons change and the invitations flow infrom potentially awkward high school reunions and Thanksgiving feasts to tricky-to-pack-for business trips or dinner with your future in-laws. Well get you covered, from head to toe, in the chicest way imaginable, 365 days of the year. This is a reference guide youll check for every closet crisis and use to avoid it. Eventually, youll get so good at it, you wont even need us anymore. Maybe your closet is brimming with possibilities, but you need help with those unexpected challenges that creep upyou know, the impromptu road trip or meeting your Match.com dates parents for the first time. Once youve soaked up our knowledge and added your own flair (everyones style is different), your only fashion woe will be what to do with all that time you used to spend staring at your closet.

First, well guide you through your closetwhether your closet is an enviable walk-in or a makeshift armoireand help you uncover which pieces work for your body and lifestyle. By following our guidelines, every purchase you make will be a smart one. This book will see you through winter, spring, summer and fall, with an easy-to-follow essential shopping checklist for each seasonfrom a sweltering office in winter to a beachfront resort, to what you should have on hand for a ski trip, a Friday night date, a country club wedding or a black-tie work event, and how to look effortlessly pulled together in even the most treacherous weather.

Well assist you as you navigate the trickiest terrain. Well help you dress to impress for every holiday and situation you find yourself infrom New Years Eve through Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and every wedding, promotion and milestone in between. Well share the most ingenious shapewear on the market to have on hand for those (lets face it: inevitable) fat days, too, and how to get it all online, so you never waste your precious time sorting through those messy, crowded sale racks. Thats not all: As shopping experts, we know which days to shop for the best prices and well let you in on our secrets so you can get serious deals. When were finished with you, your closet will be so well stocked, youll be able to tackle even the most daunting fashion storms with style and grace.

We believe that shopping should be fun, not just another chore to add to your growing to-do list and that getting dressed should be easy, not a drag. You dont have to have all the money in the world, or a team of personal shoppersjust a little bit of savvy, and some knowledge about what works best on your body. And since every day/invitation/event is different, were here to help you plan for it all, and dress in a way that is flattering to your particular body type. Youll barely have to think about it.

Ours is not one of those books that tells you that you have to buy a $15K watch to be chic (ahem, fashion magazine editors, were looking at you). Instead, we focus on how to build a wardrobe with no-fail staples that will work for your body and your lifestyle. Follow our simple rules and checklists, and youll be on your way to the wardrobe youve always dreamed of. We focus on value and believe in quality over quantity. Well show you how to work the Fashion Math for high-priced items we recommend because they pay off in the long run, and well share our easy fashion equations to guide you toward putting together fabulous outfits in a pinch. However, we want to save you money wherever possible, which is why weve included all our outfit-procuring strategies in these pages.

PART II : THE ESSENTIALS
HOW TO LOOK STYLISH EVERY SEASON