What to Wear business shares fashion links for women
Two new eBooks by a Naperville woman and her sister can guide women seeking retail therapy to make better clothing choices than "a one-off piece here or a random shirt there."
Jill Wittwer and her sister, Mary Raddatz of Mequon, Wisconsin, make up What to Wear Collective, their personal styling business that has released two eBooks on wardrobe essentials targeted toward women 40 and older.
The books offer direct links to about two dozen wardrobe essentials, which Wittwer and Raddatz have styled into 100 outfits fit for a variety of moods or occasions.
"Providing shoppable links for our customers, I think, is key," Raddatz said. "They can't go to the stores right now. We've made it as easy as possible for them to just click on a link and it brings them right to the item we're recommending."
The links direct customers to stores including Banana Republic, Gap, Nordstrom, Talbots, White House Black Market and Zappos for staples including jeans, cardigans, tank tops, blazers, blouses, skirts and slacks. Many of the items come in extended sizes such as tall, plus or petite.
"A little retail therapy or a little distraction with shopping or purchasing something new is a welcome distraction from everything that's going on," Wittwer said. "We want to make sure people are spending wisely and making good investments, not a one-off piece here or a random shirt there. If they are making the decision to make a purchase, let's have it be smart."
"The Ultimate 22-piece Spring/Summer Casual Wardrobe Capsule" and "The Ultimate 22-piece Spring/Summer Business Casual Wardrobe Capsule" sell for $37 each or $59 for both.
Wittwer and Raddatz say the books offer what typically would be a $600 value through their business, in which they go shopping with a customer to pick out versatile and stylish pieces, then return to the customer's home to arrange them into curated outfits and snap photos for a "look book." for several years.
"It's a valuable resource for them to just have at their fingertips," Raddatz said about the eBooks, available at https://www.whattowearco.com/.
The sisters formed What to Wear Collective after each had worked separately as a stylist for several years.
Wittwer describes her style as "slightly whimsical" and says she loves "blending high and low fashion." Raddatz describes hers as "tailored" and says she enjoys mixing in designer pieces to create "on-trend, yet timeless looks."
Recently, they've been using Instagram at whattowearco and Facebook at facebook.com/whattowearinfo/ to reach clients with features including a "live closet edit" and a "share what you wear" challenge.
The sisters' website also offers a "9 Pieces/9 Ways Stay-At-Home Wardrobe Capsule," perfect for finding something other than yoga pants to wear for different experiences around the house.
Wittwer said her stay-at-home fashion advice is to use style to bring joy and a sense of normalcy.
"Maybe go to your closet and look at what are your favorite pieces or what is your favorite color - things that make you happy or give you that little extra spark when you're pulling your outfit together," she said. "Change it up a little bit if you're feeling like you're in a rut."