Are you a cautious person?

I know I am. Someone I used to work with often teased me for being risk- and change-averse. And it’s true.

In matters of personal style, though, I often think it makes sense to throw caution to the wind. Here’s how I look at it. What if you were to try something different — two colors (or three!) together. Or the addition of a jacket with an outfit you’ve never worn that way. Or, say, a shoe that doesn’t “match” the rest of your outfit but that pleases you nonetheless in that combination.

Really — what’s the worst that could happen? Will people line up in the street to jeer you? Will you lose your job, your dignity ….? Of course not!

So why are we so afraid to take risks? What’s the worst that could happen? We all make mistakes — it’s just that in this arena, our mistakes only last as long as it takes to get back home and change our clothes.

But on the up side — when we take those risks, we sometimes discover things about ourselves we never knew before.

Like, for instance, that we look awesome in that particular shade of green. That our red shoe looks amazing with our purple dress — and everyone seems to agree. Or we look good in that kind of hat, something we’ve never worn. I often hear a complaint from my clients that they have no style — and my standard response is that they simply need to be a little less careful, to add that something extra to their outfit — even if they’re a littl unsure about it.

So next year, let’s all resolve to take a few more risks.

Try a new hairstyle (it will grow back!) or highlights. Go crazy with nail color. Add a layer or an accessory to your outfit before walking out the door. Buy a handbag in a … gasp! … color! And please, let me know how your risk-taking works!

(Note: Images are, from top, from B. Jones Style, Style & Pepper, and Fashion for Nerds — personal style blogs by three fantastically creative women.)

Finally, though, in the waning days of summer … here it is! (Anthropologie clearly doesn’t want me to put a picture on my site, though.) And the best part is that it will do nicely in the early part of the Fall.

What have you been toting your sunscreen in this summer?

Those who know me know I adore jewelry, and clients know I am always on the lookout for cute jewelry that makes a big impact at a low price point. These pieces fit the bill. I quickly found what I wanted for myself (in Eucalyptus). (Very, very unfortunately, I was unable to find any pictures I could upload here.) Even though I liked it right away, I wasn’t sure it would look great with a lot of stuff I own, but it turns out that because it’s in the right colors (for me), and so are most my clothes, it looks great with a lot. I also splurged on this (in coral). It’s got a great hippie vibe, which I love.

A few other favorites are here and here.

The best part of the jewelry is that it is made in Ecuador by women artisans from renewable resources, namely, tagua and acai nuts. As the company’s owner described it, the tagua nuts are harvested twice a year, shaken down by men who climb the trees for that purpose. Everything about the nuts that aren’t used for jewelry are used for something else, either fertilizer or other things. The jewelry has empowered the women artisans to buy things for their families they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford. All this, and the jewelry looks great, too!

What’s your favorite looks-great clothing or accessories that also has a great story behind it?

(Ketura Persellin is a DC-based image consultant and personal stylist. Contact her for a complimentary session designed to identify that strategy that will most easily get you the style you’ve always wanted.)

Shoe diversity by KeturaP featuring open toe pumpsS

Some women are more adventurous with their clothes than with their shoes — they realize the don’t want only black dresses, pants and T-shirts, but they don’t quite see that the same principle applies to their shoes, too.

My advice for this type of woman is to start slowly. You don’t want to shock your system. Consider a nude heel, the shoe of the moment. There are variations at all price points and heel heights. They look fresh and modern with almost everything. The other shoes to have are some sort of animal-textured heel or ballet flat. They’ll go with almost everything, too — and add immediate interest to your go-to basics. (Just don’t be afraid to mix them with other prints, too.)

From there, you can just go crazy — a colored ballet flat, metallic sandals, colored strappy heels. Go crazy!

What’s your most adventurous shoe, and how do you wear it? Leave me a comment and let me know — I want to hear about it!

(Need help finding the best shoes? Ketura Persellin is an image consultant and stylist in Washington, DC, and area suburbs.)

Keeping cool in the heat by KeturaP featuring metallic gold shoes

It’s hard to know what to wear when it’s beastly hot outside, but here’s what I came up with — what works for me personally:

First, a bare-up-top top/tunic/mini-dress. This can work on its own or over cropped, breezy pants or some sort of longish shorts. (Many women complain that their upper thighs rub together when it’s hot, which is why the pants or shorts work. Or just put some bicycle shorts on under the minidress.)

Next: flip-flops. My go-to flip-flop of choice is the Birkenstock Gizeh, a fresh pair every summer (because I wear them into the ground). But this pretty gold flip-flop is a nice alternative. Certainly we don’t want to be wearing rubber ones all summer, do we?!

Next, big earrings. Why’s that? Because it gets too hot to wear a lot of other jewelry — bracelets, necklaces, rings — they’ll all make you sweat. It’s often just not worth it. However, unless you are rock climbing or something, it always looks better to wear a cute pair of earrings.

Water — gotta rehydrate!

A big ethnic-inspired bag. I love a good summer bag, one that doubles as a weekend bag or beach bag or whatever.

A great nail polish, in a great color. It’ll act like another piece of jewelry.

Finally, a scarf or shawl for when the sun sets and it gets a little chilly, or when you duck in to a movie theater during the day as a respite from the heat, only to find that you’re suddenly freezing.

Have I left anything out? What are YOUR staples when the mercury soars? (And what will be on your playlist?)

Photo: AP

I hadn’t thought I would post these pictures, because I don’t really have a lot to say about them, but they are so fantastic and Michelle Obama looks so beautiful, that I couldn’t help myself!

Note how she has taken off her wedding/engagement rings and put one on her index finger instead. I like that, although I imagine someone somewhere will criticize her for it.

Photo: Chris Jackson, Getty Images

Photo: AP

I can’t decide which outfit/look I like more, they are both so great! (On second thought, I have to go with the white dress, because it is just so incredible and outstanding. And evokes Jackie Kennedy’s look on a state visit to England many years ago.)

Which do you like better?

This woman's colors flatter rather than overwhelm her

A reader asked me yesterday about color, and the timing is perfect, because I thought a lot about color during the Association of Image Consultants International conference last week, in Orlando.

She wrote:

Ah, that’s certainly a color conundrum. The kind of clothes we may like are available in colors that don’t flatter. (Add some budget or figure challenges into the mix and you can really get frustrated.) In any event, here’s the short answer to the reader’s question: This is a GREAT time to find ways to make those wonderful cement gray colors work for warm complexions like yours. Gray with gold metal or yellow or orange looks current, and when those warm colors are put next to the face, can transform a cold gray into something that flatters warmer complexions.

Gray warmed up by KeturaP featuring glass shades

Here’s the longer answer: Occasionally most of us find ourselves wearing colors that don’t flatter. It could be because we saw something we just love and have to have, even though it won’t flatter our face. It could be we’re short on time or money or have trouble finding things that fit well … so when we see something in an olive green but we ourselves are really cool in color, we get it anyway.

I was lucky enough to attend a session during which a panel of four self-described color geeks batted around thoughts about color. Some of their thoughts:

6. Going dressy? Go darker. At the conference, one color pro was asked about alternatives to the LBD, for those who don’t look great in black. She recommended looking for your usual best colors, but in darker shades. Case in point: This image consultant looks wonderful in a dark copper, and she says she’s what she looks for when she’s shopping for a dressy occasion. Here she is:

Often I see clients who have had or are undergoing some sort of life transition. Often, it is mothers of young children who no longer have paid work or who do their jobs from home. Supporting them as they make this transition is a really satisfying part of my work. Today, for instance, I worked with a young mom who has a full-time job but does it from home, often with her three-year-old also at home. Her standard work attire: a cute but comfortable T-shirt and jeans.

We did two important things during our session, apart from weeding out clothes that no longer fit her, since she’d recently lost a little weight.

First, we edited out the T-shirts that weren’t even nice enough for working in at home … because even when she’s by herself, she wants, needs, and deserves to look and feel great!

Second, we made more room in her closet and her life for who she is right now by getting rid of the corporate suiting she’d worn for years. They just didn’t suit her current lifestyle.

Who are YOU right now? And does your current wardrobe reflect and support who you are right now and all the many roles you play? What changes would you need to make so that it would? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

"30 Lipsticks," by EmmaKisstina, on Etsy

I’ve been having a crazy fantasy lately…. It’s the one where I take over the huge walk-out basement in my house as my studio, where I’ll do color consultations, show Etcetera collections four times a year, write my book (in the works!), etc.

So fun!

Of course, better than actually rolling up my sleeves and doing all that work is thinking about decorating that huge space.

And then … I stumbled across a now-new-favorite blog, Sterling Style, and found some great art with which to decorate said studio. The artist has a lot of very adorable pieces, and it was a little tough deciding what to get. This piece is great, though, and I can see it framed over my desk. (And check out the drawing of Louboutins, with their signature red soles. Love those.)

Louboutin Pair Medium, by emmakisstina on Etsy

By the way, I love everything about this new blog find and the blogger’s style … except that she has convinced me I now MUST have this.

What an amazing line-up of accomplished and beautiful women. (Here is a great bunch of images of the White House celebration.) And of course not to take away from their accomplishments, but check out their great clothes and jewelry! I wish I could have been there — it looks like such a fun and glamorous evening.