Anna & Kristina’s Beauty Call: Tracey (relaxed professional) | Anna Wallner & Kristina Matisic: Official Website

Our candidate for our first episode of Anna & Kristina's Beauty Call is Tracey, a film industry lawyer in her mid forties. She works in a creative and fairly casual environment, and wants to look polished for meetings but still be able to do her running around comfortably.

Tracey: Before

Style Mission

For Tracey, our goal is to create a relaxed professional look.

Our guest expert Lisa Tant, Editor-In-Chief, Flare Magazine, had these tips for us:

As a lawyer, Tracey needs to project some authority.
Since she’s also in a creative field, she can stand out and have a bit of an edge to her wardrobe instead of blending in.
Her clothes should enable her to command the attention and respect she deserves professionally.

Look Book

After an afternoon of shopping, we came up with two looks for Tracey.

Look 1

Tracey After 2

The first look we put together is shades of grey. It’s a versatile colour, and it all matches. Grey is the new black! (At least, that’s Kristina’s opinion.)

We picked out a flowy, sheer top, with a funky vest and some straight-legged trousers, bold jewelry, and some edgy yet comfy heels that we felt were versatile enough for pants and also for Look 2.

Grey sheer patterned blouse, $39.95 at H & M
Grey vest, $29.95 at H & M
Grey trousers, $110 at Banana Republic
Black t-strap heels, $90 at Aldo
Black bead necklace, $9.95 at H & M
Black-silver bracelet, $7.95 at H & M

Expert opinion from Lisa Tant:

The top is shapeless, and the cut of the vest doesn’t flatter her body. It puts all the attention on her hip area, which is what most women want to avoid.
Instead, belt the top to give her waist some definition, and put it with a slim pencil skirt for a younger, fresher, more modern look.

Look 2

Tracey After 1

For Tracey’s second look, we went for an easy yet elegant, waist-defining green dress, punched up with some eye-catching, architectural accessories. The fabric of the dress is a synthetic blend that is washable and doesn’t wrinkle. We added a light grey, cashmere-blend cardigan (not pictured), as a versatile piece for many outfits.

Green tunic dress, $69 at Jacob
Cardigan (not pictured), $75 at Tristan
Wide black leather belt, $55 at Tristan
Black t-strap heels, $90 at Aldo

Expert opinion from Lisa Tant:

Great colour. It makes her eyes pop and sparkle, and her skin look alive.
A dress like this is very versatile, dress it down or dress it up.
Get rid of the bow on the belt — it’s too little-girlish.
The shoes are cool and different, but in this case, the t-strap shortens her leg and cuts it off. They don’t work for this outfit.

Did our style picks make the “Do List” or “Don’t List”?

We got some things right, like the green dress, which gives her good shape and compliments her features. But other things didn’t work out as well as we thought they would on Tracey. Look 1 was a bit of a bust. Look 2 was a partial success.

Tips we learned on this show:

Don’t be afraid of colour. Break your fashion rules and try colours you wouldn’t normally try. (Lisa Tant)
Pay attention to your body shape. Avoid boxy, shapeless tops that hide your curves. Instead, use belts and fitted tops to highlight your features. (Lisa Tant)
Remember to keep your receipts. (Kristina)
Every woman should have a full-length mirror in order to help her find her style. (Designer Carolina Hererra)