Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Lydia Hamilton-Monnie, owner of Milwaukee’s newest women’s favorite place to shop, Boutique Larrieux. I was on a mission to visit this new hot spot and see what I could find for my clients. I was not disappointed. Lydia kindly welcomed me and spent quite a bit of time with me giving me a tour and showing me all of her wonderful clothes, which range in price from $40-$400 so there’s something for everyone. The clothes start at size 12 and go to size 24, but if you’re a smaller size, there are plenty of beautiful accessories that are worth the trip.  

Her store is located at 717 N. Milwaukee St. Milwaukee, WI 53202     (414) 465-8297
  

Here are some of my favorite things in the store (none of the pictures do these garments justice; you need to see them in person):  

Cap-sleeved striped blouse, Designer: Lundstrom, $114; Tencel faux denim pant, Designer: Lundstrom, $198

Chantilly lace waterproof coat, Designer: Lundstrom, $388

Red jersey v-neck dress/tunic, Designer: Monif C., $175

Beaded three-quarter length sleeved maxi dress, Designer: Kiyonna, $200: Black one-shoulder matte jersey dress, Designer: David Meister, $398

Cherry faux belted cotton pique dress, Designer: David Meister, $318

Royal blue one shoulder tiered ruffle dress, Designer: yystudio, $280

Black silk organza dress, Designer: Kenley Collins (yes, Project Runway; there are quite a few of her designs here); Blue purple ombre short sequin dress, Designer: Monif C., $208

You most likely have strategies for the important aspects of your life-career, financial, physical and possibly spiritual. Do you also have a strategy for your wardrobe which is a huge part of how other people judge you for the other aspects?

Here are some tips to assist you with this important process:

To begin, you need to know what color palette/season you are. If you are wearing the wrong color, it doesn’t matter how great your clothes are; you won’t look as good as you can.

You also need to work with your shape as it is presently. Don’t live for the future. Always strive to improve but don’t let ideas of future body changes (unless you’re pregnant) determine how you present yourself today.

Once these are checked off you can get down to business with your wardrobe. First, you need to sort items into piles as follows:

-Colors in my season

-Colors not in my season

-Items that fit well

-Items that don’t fit

-Items that need repair

-Items that are beyond repair

-Items that are from before the mid 2000s (1980s, 1990s, etc.)

-Items that have sentimental value (be brutal and choose very carefully)

Once these piles are made, get the garbage bags ready to put everything in that you will be donating. These piles will be: colors not in my season, items that don’t fit (unless they can be tailored), items that aren’t from the current decade (or at least from the mid 2000s). Don’t donate items that are beyond repair, just toss them.

Whew! Doesn’t it feel good to have a much more controlled wardrobe of items that make you look and feel great? This is the first step in creating and carrying out your wardrobe strategy.

This post is not about fashion. It’s about helping stop the cycle of child abuse. I am consulting with Ray’s Consulting Group in the presentation of the national program Nurturing Parenting Workshop for Facilitators. Yes, you will learn to be a facilitator of this evidence based program.

This training provides the philosophy, extensive hands-on practice, several Q&A sessions, and tips for your own successful implementation of group and home-based Nurturing Parenting Programs and the Adult Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI-2).

Carmen C. Ray, the owner of Ray’s Consulting Group is one of the few certified national trainers of this program. Come get trained from the best.

Here is the link for more information and to register. You need to act quickly because it’s this week, January 27 thru January 29, 2010. http://raysconsultingandtraining.com/

I am not getting compensated for this endorsement. I just believe in doing everything necessary to stop child abuse permanently. Be part of the solution.