Best known for his copies of Academy Awards gowns, designer Allen Schwartz appears regularly on Entertainment Tonight as a style expert and also frequents fashion segments on CNBC, CNN, the Today Show and Oprah.

I spoke with Allen today about his choices for this year’s “red carpet inspired” dresses.  Each year, Allen and his team watch the Oscar’s and furiously sketch many of the designer gowns worn by the movie stars.   By morning, they’ve decided which dresses they will replicate, and in record speed, A.B.S. versions of the gowns hit the stores in May.

What does he look for when deciding which dresses to replicate?

“We’re looking for who really looks pretty.  But also a dress that is wearable, that is forgiving.  We think about a broader audience.  Not everyone looks like J.Lo!”

His choices this year:

• Cameron Diaz’s strapless Oscar de la Renta
• Jennifer Lopez in Armani Prive
• Sandra Bullock in an embelished Marchesa column
• Kate Winslet in Yves Saint Laurent
• Penelope Cruz in a garnet Donna Karan

“They all looked amazing.”

Dresses will be available in stores in May, carrying a retail price of $200-$345 instead of the $20,000-$30,000 of the originals.  For more information about where you can find A.B.S. dresses, visit www.absstyle.com.

UPDATE:

Less than 48 hours later, Mr. Schwartz and his team have completed the dresses!  They shared with me this photo:

From left, the inspirations:  Penelope, Jennifer, Kate, Sandra, Cameron

Whether we like it or not, the world makes judgments about an individual based on appearance.  Being attractively dressed and put-together makes a good first impression for job interviews, meetings with clients, and first dates.  Dressing to look your best says that you respect yourself and what you’re doing.

Research about first impressions at Harvard University concluded that we make an in-depth and long-lasting impression in a mere two seconds.  Perhaps more surprising, the first impression is seldom subject to change.

When you meet someone face-to-face, 93% of how you are judged is based on non-verbal data – your appearance and your body language.  Only 7% is influenced by the words that you speak.

Is your appearance communicating the right things about you to make a great first impression?

Contact me if you need some help!

Most people wear 20 percent of their wardrobe 80 percent of the time. And whether you’ve gone through some major life changes or you haven’t cleaned out your closet in years, almost everyone can use a closet overhaul! The goal of the closet cleanup is to get rid of the things that do not fit or flatter you, and make room for an ‘active’ closet – one full of clothes that you will wear all the time.

During the closet cleanup, we go through everything in your closet and when necessary, you will try things on so that together we can determine what should be kept, altered, or given away. I can create outfits out of clothing you already have and later provide you with a shopping list of key pieces your wardrobe might be missing.

The closet cleanup is a great thing to do before going shopping because you get a true inventory of what you have and what you need.

Contact me to make your appointment today!

“True elegance consists of not having a closet bursting with clothes,but rather in having a few
well – chosen items in which one feels totally at ease.” -Coco Chanel

Thanks to everyone who came out to support this great organization!  For more information about Dress for Success, go to www.dressforsuccess.org.  Information on the new RI affiliate can be found here.

“Working with makeup artist Kirsten Brusse and hairstylist Racquel Donnelly from Vis-a-Vis Hair Design, Jill Marinelli and her team give women a chance to treat themselves to a complete makeover similar to those on shows like What Not to Wear.”

For that extra something special, consider a makeover for yourself or a loved one!  Including a haircut and style, professional makeup application and wardrobe styling, the makeover is also documented by professional photographer Marisa Bettencourt.

An appointment with the JM Stylist Makeover Team is a treat for any woman – and a wonderful gift.

Click here for photographs of previous makeovers as well as more information about the team:  Jill Marinelli, Kirsten Brusse, Racquel Donnelly and Marisa Bettencourt.

For more information and pricing for this exclusive service, please contact me.

Redefine and refresh your image with the help of a trained stylist… and say goodbye to stressful mornings looking for something to wear!

I offer in-home style consultations, closet edits, personal shopping and workshops.  Whether your closet is a disaster, you’re stuck in a style rut, or you just don’t know how to dress your post-baby body, I can help you sort it all out!

Learn how to dress for your body type and reflect your personality in your wardrobe – so you can look and feel great.  Whether you work in the home or at the office, I can help simplify your life by redefining and refreshing your image.

Click here for more information about working with me.

For that something extra special, consider a complete makeover for yourself or a loved one!  Including a haircut and style, professional makeup application and wardrobe styling, the complete makeover is also documented by professional photographer Marisa Bettencourt.  The complete makeover is a treat for any woman and a wonderful gift.  Gift certificates are available.

Click here for photographs of a complete makeover.  For more information and pricing for this exclusive service, please contact me.

The Makeover Team

	Jill Marinelli is a personal stylist and regular contributor to The Rhode Show on FOX Providence. Her work has also been featured in RI Monthly magazine. Jill helps women of all ages and sizes develop style and confidence through wardrobe updates that are both functional and fun!www.jmstylist.com
	Kirsten Brusse is a professionally licensed makeup artist with over 15 years experience working for companies like Trish McEvoy, Bobbi Brown, Chanel and Stila. She has an extensive portfolio of weddings, magazine and television work. As well, Kirsten teaches classes and seminars that focus on each woman’s unique beauty and a “less is more” approach to makeup application.www.myjolivisage.com
	Racquel Donnelly is a hair stylist at Vis-a-Vis Hair Design in Providence. A graduate from Warwick Beauty Academy, her professional highlights include vintage updos, mini-makeovers, and styling for The Rhode Show.
	“I love telling a story with my photography…some of my favorite shoots are those where I get to capture a beginning, a middle and an end.” When she’s not taking pictures, Marisa enjoys oil painting, sewing and working as a preschool teacher. She lives in RI with her husband, filmmaker David Bettencourt, their three sons and a yellow lab named Dunkin Donuts.www.marisabettencourt.com

Over the past few years, I have found myself overwhelmed with a desire to be near beautiful things. I love being in the presence of art, even if it’s in the form of a tea towel from Anthropologie. So many simple things like this have been delighting me – it’s as if my senses have been heightened and the mere sight of a pencil skirt can take my breath away.

This appreciation of beauty and fashion is a relatively new experience for me. I guess you could say I came out of the closet with it. For years I denied myself the enjoyment of such “vain” pursuits in order to pursue things I deemed more meaningful.

As it turns out, working as a stylist is the best marriage of beautiful and meaningful for me. Helping people improve their self-esteem through self-image is incredibly rewarding. I can now allow this focus on fashion to coexist with a deeper side of my self. After years of thinking I had to choose between one or the other, I am thrilled that I don’t have to choose after all.

This time of year finds me looking for low-maintenance tricks to help me look my best.  And, ladies, there’s nothing like dry shampoo to save you time and effort in the morning.

A powder blend that removes excess oil from hair, dry shampoo has been around since the 70’s.  My dry shampoo of choice, Ojon, contains clay and claims to leave less residue than the powdery blends of the past.  Just rub it in and the clay in the powder absorbs oil and boosts volume instantly.  No water necessary!

I know of no better way to prolong a blow-out.

See for yourself!

stylist tip:  experiment and use sparingly at first – too much can make brunettes look a little gray-ish.

When Rhode Island Monthly magazine contacted me to style a photo shoot for their New Year, New You issue, I immediately agreed.  They were looking for a local woman in need of a makeover and chose Bethany, a working mom from East Greenwich.  I love makeovers, and even more so when the subject is a mother.  Many of my clients are moms who have found it difficult to re-establish their sense of style after having children.  It is always a pleasure to be part of a process that can do wonders for one’s self-esteem and confidence.

The contrasting separates that Bethany tended to wear were visually cutting her in half.  To create a longer, leaner silhouette, I chose black Alice + Olivia pants and paired them with an embellished navy Gold Hawk top and Minnie Rose cashmere shawl, all from Kristina Richards Studio in Cranston, RI.  The shades of blue and black created a more cohesive look that flattered her body and elongated her silhouette.  She actually looks 10 pounds thinner in the “after” photos!

For the full article about the makeover that Bethany called, “a fun uplifting experience”, click here.

Bethany was also invited to appear on The Rhode Show on FOX Providence.  Click here for the full interview.