Let us start with Stepford Nevers
A Stepford wife never wears black in the spring or summer. She never shops for quantity over quality. It is better to have one or two exceptional items then ten subquality items. She never wears pants. Never anything made of denim. Never "athletic shoes". Never CULOTTES! Never pantyhose. She never goes without "foundational garments". Never a baseball cap. Or a sports jacket. She wouldn't be caught dead in a jumper! Never terrycloth. Never wears a t-shirt. Or (heaven forbid!) a sweatshirt. Never a large heavy purse. She never wears long dangly doodads for earrings. But she never goes without jewelry either. Or lipstick for that matter!
We need to discuss the foundations
A Stepford wife always wears a bra. And may I recommend Frederick's of Hollywood http://www.fredericks.com/ for great support. And a Stepford Wife's underwear always matches. I recommend getting one bra and two panties when buying a set. The panties are washed more often than the bra and your matchy sets will look better longer.
And for under those form fitting dresses I love the girdles at http://girdlebound.com/. They come in every support range. And they have some cute ones to please the hubbies :) They also carry some nice hosiery.
You may want to think about investing in at least one good, custom made underbust corset. There is nothing like it for getting that tiny waist look. It is worth the investment. Meschantes Corsetry http://www.meschantes.com/ has very nice mid priced corsets. They have a Ebay store also. There are alot of reputable corset makers. A well made custom corset is worth its weight in gold under that special outfit.
As we all know, you don't wear stockings with your open toe sandals that you should be wearing this summer. But if it were winter, you would need stockings. These are worn with a garter belt or with a girdle with garter straps. This little piece of undergarment will keep your husband smiling ;) Go with whatever your husband prefers. These stockings come sheer, with back seams, cuban heels, netting, the options are endless. I don't think I need to mention your feet should never be in need of a pedicure.
Clothing Styles
Since it is still summer, we will cover this seasons recommendations. Pastels are always safe. Have your colors checked to make sure you are wearing the most flattering shades for your color type.
Dresses are preferred. But a frilly blouse and skirt will do. A full flowy skirt is always nice. A pencil skirt can be worked too. But always feminine. And always form fitting. Feminine can be thought of as the opposite of masculine. This means stay away from manly materials and cuts. No denim. No thick cottons. Look for light flowy feminine movement in the material of your clothes. I wish you all had a local Stepford Dress Shop. But I know you don't so you just have to hunt in the regular department stores. It can be a challenge but worth it. Also a good seamstress can do wonders to get that fitted look. Or maybe you can sew. There are fantastic patterns for dresses. You are the lucky ones :)
A V neckline is slimming to the whole look. Also a square neckline can be flattering. Discuss with your husband how low a neckline should be. Too low is tacky. A strapless is acceptable with correct strapless foundation. And a halter dress is .... perfect....
And for that old fashioned picnic or gardening, a pair of Capri and a fitted blouse with wedgies can be adorable. The blouse can be tied at the bottom for that "country girl" look.
Stepping Around Stepford
Shoes. Sandals. Sexy, strappy with a heel. A sexy slim heel. Kitten heels are acceptable if you have trouble with balancing. In colors to match your outfits. Or white or off white, or light beige. You can get alot of use out of a nice leather sandal with a sexy heel for the summer. And don't let a picnic put you in a panic. The above picture is a wedge sandal. This is your friend when walking on grass. Your heel will not sink into the grass and dirt like your everyday heels.
Accessories
Accessories are like the frosting on your cupcakes. It can make them tantalizing and delicious or leave them dry and dull.
A handbag should be small to medium (never large) and have a small strap or handle. The feminine kind you carry in your hand. A woven straw handbag is always nice. This goes with almost any summer outfit. Some come with flowers or ribbons. The one in the picture is a Gretchen Scott basket weave handbag. Very cute and feminine.
A straw hat in the summer months is a must. Go to a hat shop and try on as many as you like. It is better to have one or two superb hats that look nice with your face shape and fit nicely than ten "Walmart" hats. (Where I personally wouldn't be caught dead!) You just need to wear them. Once you start you will never want to stop.
Jewelry should be in good taste. You are not living in the Playboy mansion. No long dangly earrings. No earrings in the shape of animals or leaves. Pearls are always a safe choice. Diamonds are versatile. Semi precious stones that match the color of your outfit always in good taste. And the necklace and earrings should always match.
A watch should be small and dainty. Diamonds are always appropriate around the face of your watch.
Scarves are fun. But, need I say it, they should match what you are wearing. Stepford style tip; a matching scarf tied on the handle of your handbag will add some feminine flow to your outfit.
Gloves are wonderful. A dainty off white or ivory pair will get you started. Get a pair that are just to or above your wrist for daytime. May I recommend Cottonlovers http://www.finalegloves.com/c809.html as a place to start. I absolutely love these. They add so much to an outfit. Once you get used to wearing them, you will love them. It will be like your hat, you won't be able to leave the house without them.
No true Stepford wife would use a paper Kleenex. There is nothing more feminine than a lacy handkerchief in ones handbag. A spray of your perfume onto it before you pop it into your handbag will give you a lift every time you open your handbag.
Hair and Makeup
This subject will be covered more indepth in the future. Wear your Hair to please your husband. Mine likes mine blond and curly. So that is how I wear it. I am sure your hubby has told you in the past how he likes it. Did you listen? Now is the time. Otherwise, invite him to come to the salon with you and get it just how he likes it, no I am not kidding...... Isn't that the point of a Stepford Wife? To have a happy husband????
You can accessorise your hair with ribbons, flowers or hair band.
Wear your makeup to please your husband, once again. My husband likes dark eyeshadow and eyeliner. He loves it when I wear false lashes. So I wear it the way he likes it. I wear a modified version in the daytime, not quite as dark but enough to keep my husband happy. Then if we go anywhere in the evening I will darken it up and add false lashes. And when we are alone, well, we can just say, look out Elvira :) Ask your husband. Believe me, he will tell you what he likes. He may like red lipstick or the natural country girl look. Experiment and get the look he likes. If it is too gawdy for daytime, wear it at least at night when you two are alone. And a modified version for daytime. He will love you for it. Men are very visual, and makeup plays right into that area.
