Glam Slam: Feel Good Fashion

We all know Stacy London for her famous no-nonsense style advice on TLC’s “What Not To Wear.”

But there’s a whole other side to Stacy that we don’t always get to see on the show. Style for Hire, a national network of personal stylists she co-founded, has teamed up with the educational “Look Good…Feel Better” workshop program to boost cancer patients’ self-esteem and confidence with lessons on managing the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment.

“Personal style is first and foremost about confidence. I want women to feel that strength as they fight to become cancer survivors,” Stacy says. “The impact that the Look Good…Feel Better program has on women is positive, empowering and enlightening, and we are honored to bring the Style for Hire mission, philosophy and national resources to this great cause.”

Stacy will kick off this new partnership with a live streaming “virtual” workshop on Tuesday, November 1st.She will be joined by celebrity makeup artist Carmindy (also from TLC’s What Not To Wear), who will lead the skin care, cosmetics, nail segments of the program, and by hair stylist Linda Whitehurst, who will talk about hair care and hair alternatives such as turbans, scarves and wigs.

Here we share some of their star-powered tips to help everyone “Look Good and Feel Better.”

From Stacy London, Co-founder & Stylist-in-Chief Style for Hire, Co-host of TLC’s ‘What Not To Wear’
Style Tip #1: Skin color and color often change during cancer treatment, so it’s important to wear not only the most flattering shapes, but colors as well. Fill your wardrobe with universally flattering colors such as emerald green, amethyst purple, ruby red and sapphire blue. These vibrant “jewel” tones are a quick and effective way to create a sophisticated look in your day-to-day life.

Style Tip #2: When undergoing cancer treatment, weight loss or weight gain is a common side effect and can be difficult to dress. In general, camouflage weight gain by wearing thinner but still structured fabrics, dark colors and more open necks. Clothes should skim the body and shapes should not overwhelm. Camouflage weight loss with thicker fabrics, extra layers, and structured shapes to add bulk. Hiding more of the body, such as with long sleeves, turtlenecks and longer pants, will also assist in camouflaging weight loss.

Style Tip #3: Fill your wardrobe with natural, soft fabrics. The most forgiving fabrics against sensitive skin are cotton, silk and cashmere. Stay away from scratchier fabrics like wool and polyester, as they will agitate skin that has become sensitive from cancer treatment.

From Carmindy, celebrity makeup artist, TLC’s ‘What Not To Wear’
Makeup Tip #1: A woman going through cancer treatment can lose not only the hair on her head but also lashes. To give the illusion of a thicker looking lash line, apply an eyeliner along the upper and lower lash line and use an angle eye shadow brush dipped into a little powder eye shadow in a matching shade and trace over top. This will help to smudge in the liner and create more depth for a naturally defined look.

Makeup Tip #2: Dry, flaky patches can dull your complexion, so switch all your makeup products to more moisturizing formulas. Go for creamy facial cleansers, rich hydrating moisturizers, and cream highlighters and blushes.

Makeup Tip #3: If puffiness is a problem in your face due to treatment, use a big fluffy powder brush and sweep a bronzer in a C formation from the temples, along the sides of the face and under the cheekbones for a naturally contoured look.

From Linda Whitehurst, hair stylist, National Project Director for ‘Look Good…Feel Better’
Hair Tip #1: Almost all wigs have to be custom cut on your head to remove excess hair to make them look natural. Choose a salon or wig boutique that includes cutting service with the purchase.

Hair Tip #2: Oversized cotton scarves work really well. When you have a lot of fabric, it is easy to wrap and twist to give the head more fullness. I like swimsuit cover-ups—they are lightweight and when folded in half, give good coverage and can be found in bright colors.

Hair Tip #3: You will not want to wear a wig all the time. Purchase some soft hats and maybe hair halos to wear under a hat instead of a wig.

For more information on Style for Hire or Look Good…Feel Better, go to www.styleforhire.com or www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org. For the live streaming on Tuesday November 1st at 2pm EST, click here.