| Q&A with Mary Lou Andre |
Q&A with Mary Lou Andre
Author of Ready to Wear: an Expert’s Guide to Choosing and Using Your Wardrobe
Q: How did you get started in this business?
Mary Lou: As a girl I loved the touch and feel of fabric, whether I was draping it on my Barbie dolls or my mother. I studied journalism and fashion marketing at UMass Amherst and spent several years in public relations. I always enjoyed going through my friends’ closets and pulling together outfits from unrelated pieces. In 1992, I turned this passion of mine into a business, Organization by Design.
Q: You earned the seed money to start your business by doing something that perfectly reflects your dressing well philosophy.
Mary Lou: Yes. I sold my wedding dress. I didn’t realize it at the time, but parting with the dress symbolizes what my business is about. My message to women is to fill their closets with flattering, functional pieces while getting rid of items that no longer serve them. The day I wore the wedding dress was one of the best in my life. But after that, I no longer needed it. It was just taking up space. Fortunately my husband supported my decision to sell the dress to start a new, exciting chapter in our lives together.
Q: Why did you write the book?
Mary Lou: I have coached so many women over the years and they’re all struggling with the same issues. They have closets stuffed with clothes, but little understanding of what works together and what looks good on them. As tiny children we learn to dress ourselves, but how many of us learned how to pull together an outfit that makes us feel comfortable and confident? I realized that women everywhere share the same wardrobe dilemmas, so I wrote the book for them. Ready to Wear helps all women — regardless of the size of their closets, their budgets or their clothing — to help them gain control over their wardrobe and develop their own unique style to look their personal best.
Q: With fashions changing so frequently, do you find that women are confused about what to wear?
Mary Lou: Absolutely. I advise women to invest in classic pieces that withstand the test of time. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t buy a few fun, trendy styles, but to do it with the understanding that these items will become quickly outdated and will take up valuable closet space.
Q: Workplace norms have changed as well. Does your book address that?
Mary Lou: Yes. In fact, a chapter in Ready to Wear is devoted to professional image. We talk about the different categories of business dress: traditional, classic business casual, relaxed business casual and After 5, which are those events that take you straight from the office to a work-related function. Because people judge one another by how they look, our message is that ‘business casual’ is an oxymoron. When dressing for the office, it helps to think business first, casual second.
Q: You’ve been helping women with their wardrobe issues for more than a decade now. What is the dilemma you most frequently hear about?
Mary Lou: Most often when a new client calls us, it’s because they have too many clothes and nothing to wear. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked someone out of racing out to buy a brand-new outfit for a special function. When we look in her closet, we usually find a dozen outfits she didn’t even know she had just by mixing and matching unrelated pieces. I call this “shopping in your closet.” The first section of Ready to Wear describes how to shop in your own closet, discard pieces that no longer work for you, and find entirely new ensembles you didn’t know you had!
Q: So women don’t have to spend a lot of money to dress well?
Mary Lou: Absolutely not. My book contains many money-saving hints, including a shopping strategy designed to prevent impulse-buying. Looking and feeling well-dressed and confident is not reserved for wealthy fashion models. Believe me, this is something that everyone woman can accomplish — and without breaking their budget.
Mary Lou Andre is Founder and President of Organization By Design, Inc., in Needham, Mass., and dressingwell.com. Her book, Ready to Wear: An Expert’s Guide to Choosing and Using Your Wardrobe, was released March 1 by Penguin Group Inc. For more information about Mary Lou and Organization By Design, Inc., visit www.dressingwell.com or contact her at 781-444-0140.