personal branding

Seattle Street Style – “Fun” Neutrals

April 6, 2016 by Bethany Siggins

Whoever said neutrals are boring didn’t know this lovely gal. Meet Niusha, new to Seattle from Dallas, TX, who was kind enough to allow me to snap her today on the street in Bellevue Square. She has a great love of fashion and style, and she also happens to be a brilliant MBA with a background in advertising and supply chain. Seattle is lucky to have her!

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I love how she mixed a variety of neutrals in her outfit, and they all work beautifully together. Plus, the bright white at the top of her sweater brings the focus up to her gorgeous face. With the addition of the zippered handbag and stylish sunglasses (plus her radiant smile!), she’s totally pulled together and quite a head-turner. Thanks, Niusha!

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Stay tuned for more Seattle street style!

2016 – What’s New with You?

January 28, 2016 by Bethany Siggins

I honestly have been avoiding the “New Year” topic for several weeks to give you an opportunity to recover from the barrage of “New Year New You” e-mails and product endorsements. I find it very tiresome. It is the same story each year. What will I do differently this year? What improvements will I make? And more importantly, though cynically, how long can I keep these promises before abandoning them altogether? We have the best of intentions.

I do not make New Year’s resolutions. Rather, I like to take a personal inventory. I like to look at how I improved (or did not improve) over the past year. And then I like to look forward, both personally and professionally. What are some things I would like to learn this year and what are the steps I can take to do that? How can I positively impact the lives of others? What do I love to do and how can I make time for those things?

Rather than making resolutions, just take a little time to plan for good things for yourself in the New Year. What did you find yourself missing last year? Maybe you wished for more time to yourself. If so, sit down and plan a few outings for yourself or for yourself and a few friends. If you do not plan it, it will not happen. Maybe you would like to feel better. If so, visit your doctor, a dietitian and a personal trainer who can give you a plan of action. You get the idea. Planning is the key. With no plan, there is no change.

Do not sit there and wait for whatever life will throw at you. And believe me, it will. Make a few plans and steer the ship for yourself. Of course your plans may sometimes be thwarted. That’s life. But if you do not have a plan to thwart, isn’t that worse?

Make a few new things happen this year. Happy 2016, everyone!

Siggins in Seattle

June 16, 2015 by Bethany Siggins

Hi, everyone. My apologies for not keeping up with my blog, newsletters, etc. Our move from Dallas to Seattle on January 23, 2015 was harder on my body, my mind and my soul than I had anticipated. But here I am, still standing (better than I ever did – to copy a phrase from Elton John).

Why We Moved

My husband John took a job in executive recruiting for Amazon Web Services, which necessitated a move to Seattle. It was a very difficult decision for us as we weighed many pros and cons for moving to Seattle versus staying in Dallas. Ultimately, we looked at the bigger picture and took a longer-range view. This job would provide John with a great career challenge and an opportunity to work for one of the world’s fastest growing companies.

Where We Settled

We had not been told before the move how difficult it is to buy a home in Seattle (low supply, high demand). Despite the odds, I trekked out almost daily to see homes all over the city and on the east side as they call it here. Many people were praying for us, and it showed. God was in control. In 30 days’ time (miraculous by Seattle standards), we had a contract on a home in West Seattle. We took the above family photo on the back deck of our home in April. At least John and I appear happy about it!

We moved into our lovely blue craftsman home over Easter weekend. We love West Seattle, which has a gritty, urban feel mixed with a friendly, small-town vibe. In addition, we live 1-1/2 miles from Alki Beach, which is where many Seattlites congregate in the warmer sunny days of summer. So, along with being new residents of the Pacific northwest, it looks like we will be “beach” people, too! Who would have thought?

What’s Next for the Blog

In the coming days, weeks and months, I will introduce you to some of the places I’m visiting in Seattle and in West Seattle and keep you in the loop on what I am doing here. Thank you for reading! I miss you, Dallas! xo

Fall Trends 2014

August 19, 2014 by Bethany Siggins

At the end of each summer I produce a card of fall trends, a reference of the biggest trends of the season, in anticipation of fall fashions which begin hitting the stores at about that time. I simply love fall fashion, the rich colors, the textured fabrics and the beautiful leather goods. To me, fall fashion is worthy of investment. Trends come and go, but if you purchase wisely (read: not too trendy) and you take care of your things (yes, pay attention to care instructions), your investments will last you several years (at the least!).

If you love something but cannot afford it, look for the best version of the knock off or scour vintage stores for something similar. As you know in fashion, everything old is new again, so it is quite possible what you love has been done before in a previous decade. One fall I really wanted a moto jacket, but I did not have the budget for a leather jacket. So, I purchased a pleather version and wore the heck out of it. A few years later, I got the real thing.

My fall 2014 trends card does not cover all the trends, so below is an extensive list . If you would like a trends card and a couple of extras for friends, message me. I would be delighted to send them to you!

Colors: cobalt, steel, dark red, moss green, pastels, orange and jewel tones

To see a list of the Pantone fall 2014, click here.

Fabrics: shearling, leather, tweed, knits, fur, metallic and velvet

Prints/Patterns: plaid, abstract, color blocking, patchwork and diagonal lines

Oversized: coats, collars on coats, dresses, sweaters (including turtlenecks) and pants

Office: midi skirts, pant suits, sharp blazers, pin stripes, menswear and neck tie blouses

Details: feathers, accordion pleats, fringe, sequins, western and puffy sleeves

Top layer: ponchos, capes, varsity jackets, bombers, blanket coats and fur-trimmed parkas

Bags: bucket, totes, jeweled clutches and fur top-handle handbags

Shoes: sneakers, flats, ankle boots, brogues and ankle-strap heels

Beauty: ponytails, braids, oversized buns, colorful cat eyes, nude and berry lips and nude and Bordeaux nails

Whew, I probably missed a few, but not many. If you need assistance finding what suits you, call me. I love making the shopping experience quick and easy. I especially enjoy helping people find pieces they would have never considered if they had shopped on their own! Happy Shopping!

Amp Up Your Career Style

July 25, 2014 by Bethany Siggins

I was recently asked by Polished Dallas, an organization that connects young professional women to discuss career and faith, to write a blog post. Since my subscribers may not have seen it, I wanted to share the post with you here on my blog. Enjoy!

It has probably happened to you on countless mornings. You drag yourself to your closet, and you stare blankly into the abyss of clothes, uninspired and uncertain what to wear. Chances are when you started your career, you purchased the basic work wardrobe required for your job. The trouble is, that basic wardrobe does nothing to excite you, and it most certainly does not communicate your personal style.

My Best Tips

There is hope! Here are my top 5 tips for adding pizzazz to your hum-drum work look.

(1) Start with color. Admit it, your wardrobe is a sea of black, brown, navy and gray, isn’t it? Make a concerted effort to look for colorful tops to wear under jackets. A raspberry heel, a cobalt blue handbag or a turquoise necklace would also do the trick. Wearing something colorful to work brings a smile to your face and it makes those around you happy, as well.

(2 Look for pattern. This one goes hand-in-hand with color. An outfit that lacks pattern is a real snooze. Stop playing it safe by purchasing only solid colored pieces for your closet. Patterned tops and shells look outstanding under basic work jackets and cardigans.

(3) Add eye-catching “third” pieces. A third piece is my word for blazers, jackets and cardigans. No work look is complete without one. You may not wear it all day, but at least you have it on hand for meetings, luncheons and events where you wish to look smart and credible. When buying a blazer, steer clear of the banker look. Look for shapely cuts, an intriguing texture or creative details.

(4) Seek out interesting shapes and details. In other words, look for classic pieces that go beyond the classic formula: pick a leopard pump over a basic black pump, try a printed sheath dress if all of your work dresses are solid colors, or experiment with a-line skirts if you principally own pencil shapes.

(5) Let your accessories do the talking. Accessories are the “soul” of your outfit, and they tell your story. This is where your creativity and personal style is best expressed at work. Even if your closet is full of wardrobe basics, your image takes on new life with fabulous shoes, handbags and jewelry. So even if you would rather play it safe with your clothing selections, you can still look like a woman with a strong sense of her own style with the right accessories.

I can help!

So, get out there and start sprucing up your wardrobe with these tips in mind. If you need help, call me. I would love to assist you!

Bad Combos? Pink & Green and Orange & Black

March 19, 2014 by Bethany Siggins

One of my wonderful readers said he dislikes pink and green in combination and orange and black. I agree, those are difficult color pairings which are best avoided in most cases. However, since I’m not one to say “never” in most cases, I set out to create two Polyvore sets with these colors together. What do you think? Are they a hit or a miss?

To be fair, I think the pink & green he was referring to was petal pink with apple green. That does sort of take me back to being five again. In this outfit, the pink is just about purple and the green is sea foam. It is quite a lovely color pairing to my eyes. What about yours? The orange and black outfit works because the jeans are charcoal rather than jet black, and the orange of the blouse is sheer and it is broken up by a plethora of white polka dots.

Throw another forbidden color combo at me, and I’ll see if I can crack it. Thanks for reading, and thank you for your comments and shares! Have a happy Wednesday!