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Wednesday, February 4, 2015

FASHION WITH TESSA--GUEST AUTHOR AND FASHION EXPERT DIANE VALLERE

We’re always happy to welcome back Diane Vallere to Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers. After close to two decades working for a top luxury retailer, Diane Vallere traded fashion accessories for accessories to murder. In addition to the Style & Error mysteries, she writes the LEFTY-nominated Material Witness and Mad for Mod Series. Diane launched her own detective agency at age ten and has maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since. Learn more about Diane and her books at her website. 

Samantha Kidd’s Fashion Personality Profile Tester
While between jobs, former fashion buyer Samantha Kidd has hung out a shingle as a stylist. In order to help her understand her client’s needs, she gives them a quiz to determine their fashion personality. Take it and see what your choices say about your style:

1.  Choose a pattern:

2.  You’re indulging in a favorite treat. You choose:

   A.  Steak, baked potato, and iceberg salad
   B.  Takeout
   C.  Cheese, grapes, bread, and bottle of wine
   D.  Sustainable Krill and Plankton compote, mangosteen mochi for dessert

3.  Your favorite style of pants are:

   A.  Hi-wasted pleated trousers like Katherine Hepburn would have worn
   B.  Jeans
   C.  Hemp drawstring waist
   D.  Whatever Nicki Minaj wore in her latest video
  
4.  You win tickets to the Academy Awards, all expenses paid, including a shopping spree for your outfit. You wear:

   A.  Something Grace Kelly might have worn
   B.  A long gown to hide your flip flops underneath
   C.  Vintage caftan, arm filled with bangle bracelets, shoulder duster earrings
   D.  A black tuxedo and a mountain of pearls

5.  Your favorite Johnny Depp:


   A.  Cry Baby: put a man in a black leather jacket and a white T-shirt and he’s good to go.
   B.  What’s Eating Gilbert Grape: Who needs all the crazy costumes?
   C.  Pirates of the Caribbean: Long hair, head wrap, and a vest. He’s like Rhoda in drag.
   D.  Edward Scissorhands: Very Jean Paul Gaultier!

Results:
Mostly A: Classic. You have classic style. Forget trying to keep up with the latest trends. You look (and feel) your best when wearing styles that transcend trends. Stock up on twinsets, pencil skirts, jeans, and trousers, and accessorize with scarves and pearls. Effortless!

Mostly B: Casual. Who has time for fashion? You want to look good and feel good. Play with proportion: oversized sweaters with leggings or sporty zip-front jackets with skirts. Add in sneakers or rubber soled shoes and a messenger bag in your signature color and you’re good to go!

Mostly C: Bohemian. You’re a free spirit and your style shows it. Go for loose tunics in colorful, abstract prints and loose weaves, and pair them with frayed hem jeans. Forget earth shoes…go barefoot! All the better to show off your paisley-painted pedicure.

Mostly D: Fashion Forward. You can list designers like others list the state capitals and wouldn’t be caught dead in last year’s trend. Check out RentTheRunway.com—it’s like Netflix for fashion—and spend your money on subscriptions to Italian Vogue. Who cares if you can read it? Fashion is the real international language.

Some Like it Haute
Fashion expert Samantha Kidd is in the hot seat. After agreeing to help her ex-boyfriend’s former girlfriend with a runway show, she’s attacked in the parking lot outside, landing in the hospital. And when a garment goes up in flames on the catwalk the day after the attack, the situation turns explosive. She recruits a smokin’ hot photographer to turn up the heat on the investigation, but even the third degree won’t expose an angry arsonist. With a crash course in sizzle, Samantha’s curiosity leads her into another inferno, and this time she either faces the fire or gets burned.

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14 comments:

Hank Phillippi Ryan said...

I can't resist your quiz! But I am SO predictable.

Hurray for the new book!

xoxoo

Judy Penz Sheluk said...

Fun quiz, though I'm C,C, B, D, B...in other words, I am all over the board!

Unknown said...

Hank, Predictable just means you know who you are!

Judy, at least you know you're not A!

Liz Milliron said...

Three As, two Bs - so I'm balanced between classic and casual?

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Diane and Lois! I am a combo girl. Mostly lean to classy styles. Fun! And congratulations on the book, too.

Unknown said...

Mary-classic and casual are an easy complement. (I never ever ever ended up scoring what I wanted on these quizzes. I used to go back and change my answers until I ended up with the score I wanted!)

Vicky-thanks! Combo means you get to double your wardrobe :)

E. Ayers said...

That was fun. But I could have told you what I am before I started.
:-)

Congrats on the new book. Sounds like a a fun read.

Liz Donatelli said...

I'm casual with classic flare.
That was fun!

Angela Adams said...

I always enjoy taking these little quizzes.

Melissa Keir said...

The quiz was fun! I see I'm mostly casual but I couldn't seem to adjust my casual style to two questions- The Academy Awards (yep, I want classic there) and Johnny Depp (none of them did it for me!)

Your book sounds like a whole lot of fun! I wish you all the best!

Unknown said...

E. Ayers-glad you had fun with it!

Liz--Yes, you have flair!

Angela--I agree, these are always fun. (fun to make them up, too!)

Melissa--I guess I didn't leave much wiggle room on the Johnny Depp question :)

Nelly B. said...

I love this! I'm Bohemiam. Hah! I wish. They're missing a category that I would totally nail: Sleep-Deprived Working Mother of a Moody Teenager.

Epona said...

I'm a cross between Classic and Bohemian (2 of each), and well aware that it's a tough combination to dress! But I think of my style as Retro Classic.

Unknown said...

Nelly, There's a character in SOME LIKE IT HAUTE that is very close to your Sleep Deprived Mother role :)

Epona, Bohemian classic! That *is* a challenge (but that's what makes shopping fun!)