Thanks goodness schools have dress codes that are mostly reinforced, but what about outside of school?  The mall? The movies? School sporting events?

Our girls are influenced by their friends, magazine models and celebrities when it comes to fashion. What are some ways we can help our daughters dress modestly, have positive body image and still own a wardrobe that is trendy?

How to Help Your Teen be Trendy and Modest

• Encourage her to be a trendsetter. New fashion trends are started all the time; do not be afraid to try something different. Just because all the girls are wearing short shorts, mini skirts and plunging necklines, does not mean you have to.
• Know your body. Try clothes on so you know what looks good and flatters your figure. We are all built differently.
• Set a fashion standard for yourself and stick to it. Others will respect you for your modest taste and choice in clothes.
• Exercise is good for us. If you can stand to lose a few winter pounds exercise and eat healthy. Avoid the starving and crash diets that bring on other issues.

We want our girls to be healthy, happy and feel good about themselves in clothes that are modest and trendy. For my own daughter these are the first four steps.

How do you and your children make decisions about fashion that you both agree on?

Robin Greene is a mom of a teen daugther and a teen son.  She is also Kindergarten teacher at her local Christian school. Robin enjoys trying to find ways to save money, spend time with family and freelance write for mybabyclothes.com. Your little one will be the cutest one at their next play date in their new Spring baby clothes or a beautiful baby tutu with a matching baby headband.

Is it my ankles? My Collar bone? My Calves? My biceps? My cheeks (either end)? My hair? My feet? My wrists?

What part of me will make my fashion statement a street stopper?

As a Mom, its easy to get busy thinking about everyone else and neglecting parts of yourself. I’m not talking about these parts, I’m talking about the pieces of you that, no matter what—even after baring children—are spectacular! If you think about what you want every person in the world to see, then that’s the part of you to showcase this year. Don’t think about covering up all your wobbly bits when spring styles come out, but show the pieces off that make you feel like the amazing person you are.

How to Show Off in Spring Fashions

Collar Bones

If you like your collar bones, then confront your closet, find a deep V, put a little bronzer on them for definition and you’ve found your power.

Legs

If you love your legs, wear longer cardigans and shorter skirts.

Arms

If you love your arms, find some pants you are comfortable in and a hot colored top for 2012 and rock your biceps like everybody is looking.

Waist

If you have a tiny waist and aren’t so sure about the rest, then grab the spring belt that will cinch you like you’re in a corset from the 1800′s.

Feet

If it’s your beautiful feet (goodness knows we’re not all blessed with those), then pack up your boots and hit the shops for a cute little open toe, so you can put your best foot forward.

Hair

If you love your hair, take an extra 10 minutes and find a new spring style and own it! If it’s your hands, get tops with shorter sleeves and accessories to flatter your skin tones and shape of your wrist.

The thing is, there is one particular part of your body that is spectacular.  One piece of you where your confidence lies. If you start there, your confidence will grow and soon you’ll be more comfortable in your body and your fashion.  That body part is your “A” game, girls, and when you think about Spring 2012, you can certainly bring it!

Hot colors to look for this spring according to Pantone Fashion:

What are your new favorite Spring fashions?

Mary Beth Rust is a full blown Creative living in Virginia with her husband, two boys and two dogs. Most days are spent chasing the chaos of the boys, but in between she finds time to get involved in the fashion community, be a graphic designer for a family owned business and blog about all things Fashion and Design. She is also a co-founder of  The Art Line, a group for Creative Women looking for inspiration and sourcing. Her blog is http://artfashionfurniture.wordpress.com.  She can also be found on Facebook and Twitter, @AFF_MBRust. Visit Mary Beth’s NICU Facebook page.

I certainly love some celebrities’ style. Like Audrey Hepburn. So simple, clean, and beautiful—Ann Taylor-esque. That used to be me when I worked in Corporate America. But, it definitely doesn’t define me now.

I now find myself in kind of a hodge-podge state, wondering what my style is period. Can any of you work-at-home gals relate? It’s like I have multiple style personalities:

• The work-at-home attire
• The going-out-during-the-day look (to meet a client, lunch with friends, etc.)
• The cocktail-party style

My Work-at-Home Attire

When I’m behind the computer for 10 hours straight, I’m all about the comfy factor. And to achieve that, some days, I relish in the whole layered look. Layered meaning wearing two t-shirts—one with short sleeves and the other with long sleeves to go underneath the top layer. Aren’t two always better than one… except in summer?

As the perfect companion to this double tee look, whenever I can get away with it, I wear my favorite Old Navy flip flops. You know the kind? They’re on sale for usually about $5.00 and are probably the worst shoes ever for your feet, but are so comfy you just can’t help yourself? I made the mistake of all fashion mistakes by wearing them with socks earlier this winter. I know! Horrible, right? But, I just can’t seem to get into winter this year and some days it was just too cold to go out without my socks on. I embarrassed even myself and put a stop to it!

Since this hasn’t been my look until recently, I only have about one pair of jeans, so I pretty much wear the same pair all the time. My sis made me buy some Target jeans yesterday. The jury is out on whether they really look good or whether she was just being kind. I’ll have to show Allison, because she’ll be honest with me. Everyone needs an Allison in their fashion life!

My Going-Out-During-the-Day Look

Because I’m not a comfy dresser at my core, unless I’m really lazy (which happens a lot, but don’t let it confuse you), I love looking somewhat put together when I go out during the day. I’ll be straight up with you. I love black. I would wear monochrome black all the day long paired with bold MAC eye shadow just so people didn’t think I was trying to copy Johnny Cash. However, wearing monochrome black all the time gets old. So, now, I wear all black with bold wool tights (like my favorite mustard colored ones from H&M).

My Cocktail-Party Style

This next part is what stumps me and this is where the hodge-podge style comment comes into play. I love getting dressed up for an event! I seriously die for cocktail party attire even if it requires walking really slow as I learn how to move from $5.00 flip flops to three-inch heels. I like pretty dresses, fun tights, and getting as close to my dream of being 5’9 as possible. Red lipstick and bold MAC eyeshadow is the icing on the cake… or fun short hair with awesome highlights.

Why does this stump me? Because I can’t find a common thread among all three looks. I don’t feel overly conservative or comfy, but I don’t feel really bold in my style either.

Which Celebrity Defines My Personal Style?

So, which celebrity most closely defines my comfy behind-the-computer look with a simple, but nice go-out-during-the-day look with a fun style that pops for cocktail parties? You tell me!

What celebrity most closely defines your style? Do you like to dress up, or are you more comfortable with the casual look?

Photo courtesy of flickr.

Here’s the challenge: You must choose 15 pieces of clothing that will be on your only wardrobe for 30 days. You can have all the accessories you want. Outerwear doesn’t count. Jammies, skivvies and exercise clothes are free passes as well.

How’s that sound? A bit insane?

It was.

But it also provided the greatest sense of style and lifestyle clarity I’ve had in a long time.

For the month of September I participated in Felicia Sullivan’s Ultimate Closet Editing Challenge. The impetus for this insanity was simple. Was it possible to live simply? To apply some creativity to mixing and matching instead of mindlessly purchasing? To get back to basics and be thoughtful about clothing and style?

I had to publicly commit to my 15 chosen pieces. I will admit to cheating a small handful of times, but nothing outrageous. (If you count not choosing almost NUDITY at the office not outrageous —and I DO.) There was a big difference mentally for me between the first half of the month and the last half. Having almost all my clothes “taken away” from me immediately, put me into an almost desperate mindset.

OMG! What will I WEAR?! I have to PLAN and make sure things are CLEAN…

And, yes, that was the case. It was a true definition of the mindset of scarcity. I have LESS. It’s harder to work with LESS. I don’t like having LESS. LESS is worse than MORE.The first two weeks were a cocktail of hard and frustrating and boring and interesting. At the halfway point I moaned about my lack of options (partially due to the lack of FALL where I live). But I also started to realize a few things.

The most important thing I discovered was that I really liked nice things. Sounds ridiculously simple, but here’s where it became important to face that and own it. I love nice things. When I love something, I wear it more and take great care of it and generally feel great. This holds true for a Michael Kors ensemble or a $12 necklace from J.C. Penny. There is nothing wrong with any of that.

What is wrong is to buy things just to buy them. Quantity will never trump quality. Buying for quantity is a scarcity mentality. Buying for quality is full of abundance—regardless of price.

I now view my wardrobe not as my closet, but as my collection. Because a collection is thoughtful and interesting. It is beautiful and inspired and full of joy. And since my clothing and style are a reflection of who I am—why not choose beauty and thoughtfulness and inspiration and joy?

I did a huge closet clean out right before beginning this challenge. I thought I had done a good job—and at the time I had. But two days after the challenge ended, I went in and cut some more. Ruthlessly. I’ve never been so thrilled to donate or give away clothes that not only take up valuable space in my closet, but also no longer represent the style I choose or the person I am.

To commemorate this challenge and its importance, I had a portrait done. I was plainly certain about its elements— naked and an empty bag. I can’t think of two better images to describe the end of this challenge. A blank slate and an empty bag –

Imagine if you were that blank slate and your bag was empty. How would you fill it?

What’s stopping you from attaining your authentic style and authentic collection?

The great thing about shopping nowadays is that you can accomplish a lot online. You and your kids can peruse through tons of clothes online with various styles and designs that reflect your child’s interests and personality – sure to get them excited to strut their stuff all the way to their classrooms. So what are the hot clothing items for your kids this season? And what does your child REALLY look for when selecting a new tee or hoodie?

Party Topic

This Tuesday, join the #gno Twitter party from 9-11 ET (8-10 CT, 7-9 MT, 6-8 PT) with Threadless Kids and chat about back-to-school, your child’s personal style, shopping trends and more for the upcoming school year.

Be sure to click here to check out this week’s giveaway where you can enter for a chance to win one of FIVE $50 gift certificates to Threadless Kids, a new kids’ t-shirt line from crowdsourcing poster child Threadless.

Party Details

• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• Sponsor: Threadless Kids
• When: Tuesday, September 7 from 9-11 p.m. EST (8-10 CT, 7-9 MT, & 6-8 PT)
• Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! http://bit.ly/TKgrid (Use hashtags #gno and #ThreadlessKids.)
• Topic: Back-to-School Tips for Success
• Who: Brand Panelists: @ThreadlessKids @ThreadHelp @ThreadMom Community Panelists: @childhood @digitalkadi @hoo_dee_hoo @juliecole @mabelhood @soulfulparent @momtrends Moderators: @jylmomIF @Dadventurous @troypattee and @momitforward
• Party Favors: Enter for a chance to win one of FIVE $50 online gift certificate to Threadless Kids: http://bit.ly/bflPMz.

RSVP

Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.

Looking to find a stylish steal of a deal and have fun while doing it? Don’t take it from me, learn a few tips from the pros, my USFs—Allison from Petit Elefant or @petit_elefant, Carina from Jet Set or @jet_set, and Melissa from Isly or @melissapher.

Here is what I learned this past weekend while thrifting in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah!

1. Get Organized and Connected!

While the actual shopping was fun (yes! I admit it!), the whole thrifting experience would have been void without friends. Sharing your finds is half the fun, so having one person organize the event—invite people, create a schedule, e-mail information—was extremely helpful. Before the outing, I loved knowing who was going, getting pre-shopping tips, organizing carpools, and chit chatting back and forth on e-mail to generate excitement.

(From left: Allison, Marie, Emily, Carina, and Melissa)

2. Prepare an Itinerary.
Receiving a schedule of the thrifting events was awesome, because it gave us a play-by-play of the day’s activity. That way, if we had to arrive late or leave early or only had a certain amount of time we could be there, we could plan accordingly.

3. Provide Pre-Shopping Tips.

For non-thrift-shopping gals, receiving a few helpful pre-shopping tips like these made the whole experience easier:

• If you’re looking to buy furniture, measure the space in your house and bring the dimensions with you so you don’t buy a piece that is too large or small for the space.
• If you’re looking to buy clothes or shoes, wear clothes that can easily be removed and put back on.

4. Choose Vintage Stores Close in Proximity But With a Variety of Products.

When shopping with 10+ gals, especially on a snowy day, make sure to schedule your stops close together. We went to several stores within walking distance and then drove to another two also within walking distance. I loved the diverse mix of products in each of the stores. I bought a red hat in Retro Rose and a cute silk dress at The Green Ant. Other stores sported bottle collections, furniture, a vintage Jack-in-the-Box, and extensive jewelry collections.

5. Tempt the Palate.

What’s an outing without food? Starting and ending on a delicious note not only kept everyone’s tummy’s full and happy, but also provided an extra opportunity for socializing.

Choosing the eateries also played a role in both setting the tone and wrapping things up in savory style. We went foreign for breakfast with Belgian Waffles from Bruges and to Gormandise Bakery “famous for its spectacular desserts” for lunch.

6. Open Your Mind and Your Pocketbook, But Not Before Haggling.

Being a non-thrifting gal myself prior to this event, part of its success for me was simply being open minded. I didn’t think the silky number would fit and wasn’t in the mood to try things on. Peer pressure got me into the dressing room and out of the store with a cute dress perfect for me at a great price ($20 folks!). Of course, I had to be willing to pull out the pocketbook. Frugal isn’t free! But, I did learn the price is always up for negotiation—a little friendly haggling!—one thing I wouldn’t dare do at Nordie’s.

7. Capture the Event!

One of the funnest parts of the experience was taking pictures as we went from store to store. Check out the entire activity on Whrrl by clicking here!

A seasoned thrifter? New to the game? Leave a comment with your tips, questions, or advice.