Mary Lou Andre

Watching the incredible talent of the young female athletes playing in this year’s NCAA basketball tournament earlier this month made me cheer from the inside out. The tournament also took me back to my own days of playing basketball.

A Salute to the Non-Profits in Our Midst! Since opening my business, I’ve been committed to helping people regardless of socioeconomic status experience the power of dressing well.

Celebrate your own March Madness with a fashion spin and binge some really great style-inspired shows and movies.

Introducing “Inspiration & Style” with Mary Lou Andre ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   Welcome March! Happy 20th Anniversary Ready to Wear & the Art of Being a Badass GrandmaMarch is always a special month for me, and this year it’s extra special. Twenty years ago this weekend my book, Ready to Wear: An Expert’s Guide to Choosing and Using Your Wardrobe, was published by Penguin, forever changing the footprint of our firm.Overnight we were able to serve more people with our proven Dressing Well Methodology which the book allowed me to document for the very first time. We’re proud to now have these same guiding principles in a self-study video course available to all and to teach them in all our online programs too. The book has certainly kept pace with modern technology while promoting timeless style, proving that an organized and systematic approach to dress can last a lifetime, even when trends come and go.We are also grateful for all the people the book has brought into our world, including many of you. Thank you for your ongoing support. One of the special people the book attracted to us is Dr. Ellen Chaffee, known throughout her home state of North Dakota as one of the original “badass grandmas!” Ellen bought my book when it was first published and was drawn to its practical advice and easy to implement strategies. Like many of you, she was navigating the busy world of work, leadership, and family life, and the book brought order to her closet. Although she regularly traveled to Boston to visit her daughter Kerry and grandsons, she never found the time to connect with us to schedule an appointment. When she learned she could join our online programs and work virtually with us, she (and Kerry!) were all in. My first call with Ellen was lively. I learned that she was the past President of not one, but two colleges in North Dakota and had been active in local and state politics after leaving university life. Paired with Dressing Well Stylist Jen Coletti, Ellen retired her “college president” suiting (and persona!) to make room for more casual and updated styles. Little did I know that our adventure with Ellen had just begun. This past August, Ellen reached out to me again, this time looking for assistance building her professional wardrobe back up for what she described as her true calling and dream job. I certainly perked up! Becoming a Badass Grandma At age 79, she was about to step into leading AGB, the Association of Governing Boards for colleges and universities across the United States, as its new President. She was uniquely qualified given her professional experience and deep commitment post-career driving legislative initiatives as part of “the badass grandmas,” a group of 20 mostly retired women political activists in her state that she (a Democrat) co-founded with her friend Dina Butcher (a Republican). The group was named by Dina’s 17-year-old grandson Owen and his friend Cole after seeing Ellen and Dina on a billboard promoting their work. The group remains active and is united by a deep desire to stand up for more accountability in state government. Read this article in Forbes for the rest of this inspiring story. On our call in August, Ellen confided that the first thing she did after accepting the AGB position was to schedule time on my calendar. She wasn’t sure if the organization knew her age and wanted to be sure it didn’t become a topic of conversation or a distraction from the work at hand. Let’s just say her next trip to Boston included a shopping trip with me! Shopping Success On Ellen’s shopping list: smart business separates (we discovered she was much better suited in petites than she realized), colorful jackets, tops and blouses to brighten her up while elevating her presence, an outfit with just enough bling for an awards ceremony in DC, and modern yet still comfortable shoes. Her new job requires monthly travel to meetings, conferences and the like. So how does dressing well support the art of leading and living well—while being a badass grandma too? Shares Ellen: “When Dressing Well came online, l joined their programs immediately. It was freeing to part with so many clothes and get help identifying new things that I was excited to wear. Suddenly last fall, I agreed to lead and represent a national association with 40,000 highly distinguished members and three national conferences. The call to Mary Lou was a lifesaver. I am not only confident and comfortable with everything in my closet but also enjoying more compliments from peers in every age bracket than I have ever received in my life. Yes, dressing well is cool, even for this badass grandma!“ Photo Note: Ellen (in her “badass” leather jacket, purchased prior to our trip!) and daughter Kerry after our successful shop. We hit four stores in 3 hours and emerged victorious! The teal jacket has been altered to perfect the fit. Everything else was “Ready to Wear!” What’s Your Next Chapter We all have next chapters. What’s yours? I’d love to learn more about you, your lifestyle and current style aspirations. They do change from year to year and chapter to chapter. It would be our pleasure to help you rediscover the power of dressing well in your own life and empower you to emerge with a new pep in your step! Book a Connect Call with Mary Lou Andre From all of us at Dressing Well, here’s to you! Mary Lou AndreFounder & CEODressing Well, Inc. mlandre@dressingwell.com Know others who might enjoy our everyday style made easy tips and ideas? Please forward this email. They can sign up to receive our blog updates and e-news directly at dressingwell.com/blog. Get Social with Us! Dressing Well, Inc. www.dressingwell.com©2024 Dressing Well. All rights reserved.     Return to Main Newsletter Page

    How To Frame Your Pitch Every entrepreneur is familiar with rejection, especially when it comes to the infamous business pitch. It’s not all about you and your great idea; as soon as you step into the room, your personality is being categorized and your value is assumed based equally on your pitch and your personal potential. Greetings from New England! 60 degrees and sunny last Saturday, and clear yet very cold today in my beloved city of Boston. The Boston waterfront never disappoints, you just need to be dressed for it! Although the predicted nor’easter didn’t hit my town too badly this week, we were ready with the shovel and it got me thinking about our clients, too. If you live in an area with winter weather, you get used to clearing out the snow so you can hit the road fast and effortlessly. When we first work with a client in their closet, we’re often “shoveling out” so that they too can hit the road in record time, regardless of the weather. Here are five quick tips to help you “shovel out” your own closet, no matter where you live: 1. Divide and conquer. If your flirty eyelet summer dresses and bathing suit cover-ups are currently snuggled up next to your blazers, sweaters, and formalwear, it’s no wonder you’re confused about what to wear in the morning. A great first step to eliminating closet confusion is to identify any off-season attire and move it to another space. Additionally, always consider how you live as you organize your closet. If you work or volunteer outside your home, separate the clothes you wear for in-person situations from pieces reserved for more casual days at home. 2. Consider the 80/20 rule. Most of us can confidently say that we wear twenty percent of our clothes eighty percent of the time. Go through your closet piece by piece and play tough love with the eighty percent that doesn’t owe you a nickel. Our favorite thing to say to clients is “Do you love it? Do you wear it?” The answers will be very telling, and once you get going, it will be easy to make good decisions about what stays in your closet. Make piles for tailoring, donation, and also textile recycling—anything stained or beyond repair should be let go for good! 3. Shop in your closet first. This is our favorite firm rule of thumb! We often find new winning combinations for our clients that they would never have thought to put together. A great way to start mixing things up while getting a targeted shopping list going is to create complete outfits (try them on head to toe with accessories) and then identify any pieces that would make the outfit even better (aka these loafers are ok, but modern booties would make this look fantastic!). 4. Give your shoes a makeover. In winter, our footwear has to work hard for us. Make sure your shoes reflect the same level of polish as your daily attire. At a minimum, get a shoe polish starter kit at your drugstore for around $10 so you can quickly remove salt and water stains. For heel repairs, tricky scuffs or hardware issues, find a great local cobbler—they do still exist! 5. Sort your jewelry. Finally, getting your jewelry under control is a great use of time when you’re stuck indoors (yes, even Florida has rainy winter days!!). Like clothing, separate jewelry by season. For instance, beachy and bohemian jewelry that looks best worn in warm weather can be easily stored in pouches or zip lock bags and tucked away with other summer clothing and accessories. When you can actually see your winter accessories more clearly, you start to wear them more. Consider hanging necklaces near your main dressing area and finding a good home for earrings, bracelets etc. too so you can easily locate them. Last Word Tackling closets often leads to other household organizing: kitchen cabinets, medicine closets and the like. It’s a great way to take control of being indoors and create space when it feels like the walls are closing in on us. So get in your closet and start shoveling! You’ll feel so good come spring. She will be coming. She always does. Best for the weekend ahead — How To Frame Your Pitch Every entrepreneur is familiar with rejection, especially when it comes to the infamous business pitch. It’s not all about you and your great idea; as soon as you step into the room, your personality is being categorized and your value is assumed based equally on your pitch and your personal potential. Mary Lou AndreFounder & PresidentDressing Well, Inc. mlandre@dressingwell.com How To Frame Your Pitch Every entrepreneur is familiar with rejection, especially when it comes to the infamous business pitch. It’s not all about you and your great idea; as soon as you step into the room, your personality is being categorized and your value is assumed based equally on your pitch and your personal potential. PS. Need extra inspiration to shovel your closet this weekend? Our Dressing Well Method self-guided video course can help. Value priced at just $99, it includes five 30-minute lessons to motivate you to tackle your closet (and overall style!) step by step. Order today, access immediately. You’ll be soooo glad you did! Get Social with Us! Dressing Well, Inc. Toll Free: 800.578.3770 Local and International: 781.444.0140www.dressingwell.com ©2024 Dressing Well. All rights reserved.     Return to Main Newsletter Page