CLOSETIQUE STYLING™

OPERATION:Comfortable.Style

Denise — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:14:36 +0000

Just drafted a blog post that took me an hour to write. Rather than scrapping the entire thing due to frustration, I’m just going to post with limited writing – mostly images of pieces that I find inspiring as we head into the colder season where comfort and warmth are paramount regarding fall/winter style.

Inspiration: The temperature is falling in NYC, and with the falling mercury, a new-found focus on comfort and warmth.

T by Alexander Wang (www.alexanderwang.com)

Bella Luxx (www.bellaluxx.com)

Cape by Meg (www.megshops.com)

Equipment Silk Blouse (www.equipmentfr.com)

Inhabit (www.inhabitny.com

Beyond long legging (www.iambeyond.com)

Frye Dorado Short (www.thefryecompany.com)

Ugg bootie (www.uggaustralia.com)

Free People footless tights (www.freepeople.com)

Theodora and Callum scarf (www.theodoraandcallum.com) – honestly, you can wear these scarves countless different ways!

It’s.Belly.Bump.Season!!

Denise — Wed, 25 May 2011 15:03:56 +0000

I had a Closetique session with a regular customer of mine last night. What a treat to see her after our really helpful and fun session last spring. And even more of a treat is that she is pregnant this go-around. She was looking to find pieces from her closet that she could continue to wear through the first half of her pregnancy – and much to her surprise, we were able to salvage quite a few pieces that she didn’t think she could fit into anymore!

The key to dressing stylishly while pregnant is simple. Don’t lose yourself in the pregnancy. Sure, your body may morph, your boobs may feel like they are about to explode, and your hips may widen at a rate that is quicker than the rise of LinkedIn’s stock post-IPO, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dress like yourself. Yesterday, one of the things that became a running theme was the placement of certain pieces on the body. For instance, a circle skirt that may not fit at the normal waistline anymore can easily be worn just under the breast to give the illusion of a high-waisted baby-doll look. Tuck in a fitted tee-shirt, tie a pretty silk sash around the top of the skirt, and voila, you have a ‘dress’!

I’ve also been a really big fan of maxi skirts the past several years. Even though I’m on the slightly vertically challenged end of the spectrum (“5’3-and a half on a good day;-)”, if you style a long skirt with a silhouette that is cut closer to the body, it can actually lengthen and slenderize. I think the same can work for the early months of a pregnancy as well. Just be sure there is ample material to allow movement (and gives the little one room to breathe!) This skirt from Free People is perfect. However, since it is a bit see through, you’ll need to layer a slip or leggings beneath it, but it can easily carry you through the first 2 trimesters…in style!

Lastly, don’t feel relegated to maternity wear. Many women do not want to invest in expensive mommy-to-be clothes that will collect dust once the baby pops out, so get creative with what you’ve got in your closet. Also, Old Navy maternity can become your best friend. Steer clear of the sloppy-looking tunics, and focus your purchases on a few comfy pairs of stretch pants. Befriend the unbuttoned button-down layered over a pretty cami look like one of the buyers at J. Crew, Lisa, did so well in the June 2011 catalog here. How cute and put together does she look?

La.Vie.Boheme.Spring.2011

Denise — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:59:53 +0000

Bohemian. A word that evokes so many different emotions, illusions and images.

A style that is much more than just a style. It’s a way of life. Free, spirited away, romantic and nostalgic, with a cool air of mystery and darker charms within. Think gypsies, donned in bright mismatched layers, fumbling through dark caves built into the Macedonian mountains. Think beach girls, clad in white diaphanous dresses, hair perfectly kissed by the sun, dancing on the beach underneath a soft-lit moon. Think urban bookworms, enraptured by their first-edition of “On The Road” handed down by grandparents, paper-thin pages barely legible. Bohemian simply never goes out of style. It is timeless – but, if there is a season befitting of this look, it is Spring. The season of freedom, renewal, self-expression and creation. LA VIE BOHEME!

Stylist: Denise Hatzis
Photos: Mikey Pozarik
Makeup: Freedom Momperousse
Hair: Scarlet

I’m not crazy, I’m just super organized….

Denise — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:40:45 +0000

With the weather finally turning (slowly, but surely) toward Spring, my desire for organization increases tenfold. This is the season which best symbolizes the beginning of life and new creations. Ultimately, we all come out of our hibernation hideouts, our cozy nests and shed the dry, cold winter like snakes shed their skins.

With that in mind, organization becomes a key aspect of my spring-time regimen. It enables me to see the pieces that I have in my wardrobe, so that I can prepare for spring/summer shopping – which has always been my favorite time for shopping.

Just as Thom Yorke says, I like “everything in it’s right place”. This is when The Container Store shines – yes, they are spendy, but no other shop has the pick of the litter when it comes to canvas bins, boot hanger hooks (thanks to Desmonique Bonet for opening my eyes to these , and clear shoe boxes (they all click together and line up perfectly!)

Hang clothes by color and like-type together. For example, (all from light to dark) – skirts, pants, dresses…

My hangers of choice are the the Huggable Hangers – they are thin (take up little space in precious real estate of small apartment closets), are non-slip (I love hanging my silk camisoles to prevent wrinkles), prevent shoulder nipples (never cute, because even Lady Gaga wasn’t “Born This Way”), and are very gentle on the most delicate pieces. Quite an investment (about $1 a pop) so I have been purchasing them in increments – I still have about 30 left to buy so you’ll see some of the remnant plastic hangers in there. Next time I do this, they will all be gone!

Hanging boot hooks – I purchased the Double Hanging Closet Rod for extra hanging space below my jeans…

I used a shoe rack on the overhead shelf to hold my oversized shoe boxes – they created more space for extra storage bins where I keep my styling and wardrobe supplies (lint remover, double-sided tape), tights, and shoe bags. Always have linen spray handy – and a sweet silhouette print of a boy and girl…

If you have some extra wall space in your closet (I’m very fortunate to have a walk-in), use it to hang hats, belts, bags…

and scarves…

…and if at all possible, spruce up the space with some elements for creative inspiration. It will make your closet feel more like a boudoir than a hold-all for shoes and dirty laundry. I have added some prints with inspirational quotes and colors. A buddha, mala beads and a dreamcatcher from when I lived in an ashram in Colorado – all bring me back to my yoga practice even when thinking about fashion – and a Carnivale mask that evokes fun party memories.

Want your closet to look like this? Shoot me an email at denisehatzis@gmail.com and we can schedule a Closetique Spring Cleaning session!

New Styling Work – “The Chill of March” Featured in Laundry Magazine

Denise — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 23:15:47 +0000

THE CHILL OF MARCH brings to mind hat-bedecked office men coming home late from the big city, lonely housewives chain-smoking long cigarettes besides cold chicken and vegetable dinners and a colorway of muted neutral hues. Although this shoot was slightly Mad Men-inspired, it took on layers of subtle complexity more difficult to project through images alone. With no words or soundtrack to elicit the characters’ emotions, we relied heavily on the styling of clothes, hair, makeup and props to depict a young couple, obviously unhappy in their relationship and current situation. As the fashion stylist, I wanted our unhappy wife to almost melt into her surroundings as easily as she was disappearing into her unhappy relationship. To show this, I chose dresses muted in tone – and very similar in hue to the backdrop. The ladder-climbing husband is dressed in simple corporate attire with touches of early 60′s accessories, but upon deeper inspection, one will detect that despite his apparent disinterest in his wife, in each image he connects with her symbolically with a tie matching his wife’s dress.

WARDROBE:
Female model: Shareen Vintage
Male model: Stylist’s personal collection
All accessories: Stylist’s personal collection

For the original editorial, please visit www.laundrymagazine.com.