Mention wardrobe image to lots of women and you might see ’em cringe ever so slightly.

The bloggers who came to our forest party last week, however, have just a little better handle on their wardrobe image thanks to Nicole Longstreath of The Wardrobe Code!

Nicole covered such a broad range of topics as she talked to our group. She got us to discuss how fast fashion outlets like Forever 21 and H&M may initially make you feel good because you’re buying lots of clothes for less money, but end up being a bad choice in the long run because of the poor quality and fit. It just kind of puts your wardrobe image in the toilet.

She brought up something I had never thought of before. Buying from those stores, no matter how good the deals are…  It means you’re okay with someone overseas making a dollar a day so you can have a cheap garment. It makes you think, guys. But it also leaves you with a conundrum… literally everything is made overseas these days. How do you get around that so you can have a better outlook on your overall wardrobe image?

Nicole offers up the Goodwill store. Lots of older items are available that were made in America at the time. When you shop thrift stores, you’re recycling. And the selection at a Goodwill store is so much more varied than what you’ll find at the Banana Republics and JCrews, even more varied than the department store. With that extensive variety, you can really start to figure out your own personal style and what you’re drawn to, which also helps boost your wardrobe image.

I am a strong supporter of The Wardrobe Code, because Nicole’s way of thinking can give you a solid start to getting dressed in the morning. Here’s a photo I snapped at Craftcation of her “four pieces of a good outfit” formula:

Thanks so much for making the trek to Long Beach to talk to my blogging friends, Nicole! Here’s to everyone having a little better wardrobe image because you took the time to speak with us.

Don’t forget about this week’s Hearts and Laserbeams giveaway! Enter our forest party blog giveaway to win a set of four wine painted coasters!

Click here and scroll to the bottom to enter!