That’s according to Jacqui Stafford, a style expert and frequent guest on The Today Show and The View. “Once you figure that out, you’ll be able to get dressed—and look amazing—within minutes,” says Stafford. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. Stafford spills her easy, affordable fashion tips and tricks in her new book, The WOW Factor: Insider Style Secrets For Every Body and Every Budget. In the tome, Stafford goes beyond shopping advice to give readers body confidence, and the know-how to look and feel their best at any size, shape, and age. We caught up with Stafford to talk about her new book, women’s wardrobe staples, and why every single day is a day to be fabulous. Prevention: What inspired The WOW Factor?Jacqui Stafford: I wanted to make a fashion book every woman could relate to, no matter if she’s a size 2 or 20. A reference women can keep with them in their bag, to pull out when they need confidence. How did you come up with your body shape scale, spliting women’s bodies into five categories: sunglass, fragrance bottle, heart pendant, cocktail ring, and lipstick.Most of my clients use the words “apple,” or “pear,” but those shapes don’t make them feel good or help them like their bodies. So I came up with exquisite symbols women would want to be, like a lipstick or a pendant. You want to be a pendant rather than top-heavy. Once you figure that out, you can maximize the clothing you already own, so you don’t need to spend any money. What’s the biggest challenge you face dressing your clients?Persuading women to ignore the label or size tag on clothes. You’d be surprised how many women would rather squeeze into something that doesn’t fit than go the next size up. But that’s a mistake—you want to go for the fit. No one is looking at your tag and saying, “Oh, she’s wearing a size 14 instead of a 10; horror!” Are there any fashion myths you often dispel?Women think black is safe, but it’s actually boring. It can drain you, so if you do wear it, break it up with color. Add in a little crème or print, be it a top or accessories. Lighter-reflecting, softer shades worn close to your face can help brighten your complexion, reducing the spotlight on your “flaws.” How about for beauty?You don’t need a ton of products to look after your skin. I love BB cream, because it packs everything into one. (New to BB cream? We’ve got you covered with The ABCs Of BB Cream.) And you can wear new trends. The biggest mistake women make is getting trapped in a style rut. Tame trends by sprinkling them in with a shoe, fabulous bag, or bold piece of jewelry. What do you consider wardrobe staples?A chocolate or black blazer. It’s the one thing I’ll let you have in black, because it’s nice, slim-fitting, and really flattering on every woman. I also love dark wash, boot-cut jeans for a more polished look that you can also wear to work; accessories; a great fragrance; belts; scarves. Scarves really make a big difference. Pairing one with a white t-shirt and jeans will automatically make you look stylish. Why do you love the mantra, “Every day is a new opportunity to feel fabulous,"?I want women to be able to wake up every day and think, “I’m really fantastic.” Not “Ugh, I wish I was thinner. I wish I was prettier.” The truth is, if you walk down the street with your head held high, you’re going to emanate that. That is the WOW factor. More from Prevention: 10 Tricks For Turning Around A “Fat” Day Questions? Comments? Contact Prevention’s News Team.
