How do you evolve your style from the more adventurous look of your 20’s to reflect the successful career woman you have become in your late thirties? Renata is a woman who over time has thoughtfully made this transition.
After a few years of living in Southern California she is enjoying her return to the Bay Area with a sojourn on a houseboat in Sausalito. We met there on a sunny afternoon to chat along with Kara, our photographer.
Renata exudes an interesting mix of qualities, an air of femininity and assured confidence, blended with a hint of mystery. With very fair skin, brunette hair and green eyes, her appearance is striking. She is definitely not the kind of woman who is chasing after the latest style trend.
“When I was 17, I became the manager of a boutique in San Diego. I loved dressing the windows and making women feel excited about how they looked. “Dressing the windows was also critical in the evolution of my personal style. It was my job to create outfits interesting and compelling enough to draw new customers in to the store.”
“ In my 20’s I had a full-time job during the day and was bartending at night. This was a time of experimenting and learning about my style. My clothes were more adventurous, colorful and eye catching.
“I don’t follow trends, I follow my body. I define my style as simple, structural, classic with a touch of bohemian chic. For me confidence is the ultimate style. So if I’m confident, I’m stylish. If I don’t feel 100% myself in the outfit – I take it off. I really try to feature my assets, I’m well aware of my weak areas are and I defuse them.
In her 30’s as a business executive, her style became more classic, refined and mature. She understands clothing as a visual language of communication and dresses for the audience she is meeting. When meeting with a conservative client, she is respectful and dresses conservatively, but adds her personal touches with jewelry, scarves and other accessories.
“I don’t follow trends, I follow my body. I define my style as simple, structural, classic with a touch of bohemian chic. For me confidence is the ultimate style. So if I’m confident, I’m stylish. If I don’t feel 100% myself in the outfit – I take it off. I really try to feature my assets, I’m well aware of my weak areas are and I defuse them. Because I don’t enjoy shopping, I am incredibly decisive when I do. I either like it or I don’t and I don’t over think items. I learned the hard way that over spending on clothes does not help your style at all. So now, I only buy a few very special items over the course of the year. I pay a bit more for them but they last and again I’m really looking for timeless fashion. Dresses are great. Just, add accessories and you’re done. My skirts tend to be at the knee or below and I love wearing interesting tights, especially to add a bit of punch to an all black outfit.”
Renata wears hats both for style and to protect her fair skin. Her makeup is simple, she loves cocktail rings and always looks for original accessories on her travels. She uses stylish messenger bags for walking her lovable rescue dog Sienna, and loves a bold statement clutch to finish off an outfit for evening.
This is a woman who has given careful thought to her image and over time has evolved a style that reflects her intelligence, her exuberant personality and individual character.
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