capturing an audience

My love of fashion was established when I was a teenager. It may have started with Brooke Shields and the Calvin Klein ad. The power of an image has everything to do with branding. Millions upon millions of dollars are spent building a brand in order to capture an audience and garner their business. In the case of Brooke and Calvin Klein, the marketing heads chose to use a provocative message, and many say exploit a child, for the sake of hitting a home run in the world of advertising. Not the most altruistic approach but highly effective.

There may be a few people who are not familiar with the image I’m referring to – and that was 1980!

Every new business has to figure out their own strategy to branding and more often than not, with far less funds than that of Calvin Klein. Last week, the TSALT brand had their first photo shoot. As marketing director, I was in charge of putting the team together. Starting a company takes a lot of time, resources and of course money. Choosing where to spend is integral to the success of any new effort. Lucky for us, we have some amazing talent right here in Old Town, Alexandria. Having a great understanding of the power of shopping local, it was a strategic decision to incorporate the following women into our first photo shoot.

Sarah Hallee ~ Manager of Mint Condition
If you didn’t already know this, Sarah is a photographer and shared with me how she wants to build her fashion portfolio.

Elizabeth Whitcomb ~ Bellacara
Utilizing Elizabeth as our makeup artist was a perfect fit- my only hurdle was making sure we didn’t interfere with the opening of the boutiques – this meant a 7 AM make-up / wake-up call.

Flowers were in full bloom in Tamara’s garden but we were so grateful to The Enchanted Florist for putting together two stunning arrangements on such short notice – thank you Gina!!

A lot of people have been asking us what types of clothing TSALT will be designing. Tamara has been very aware of how few choices women over 40 have in finding stylish clothing that addresses changing bodies. It’s no wonder women have so many problems finding clothing that fits. It seems just as soon as you have figured out a style that works for you, any number of things can occur such as pregnancy, jobs or just plain getting older – too many moving parts!

One thing is for certain, arm coverage is high on our list of concerns at TSALT. We are putting a lot of emphasis on jackets that can be worn with denim and dresses. Many of the styles are driven from vintage clothing that Tamara has collected over the years. I will attest that these are AMAZING! I’ve tried on some of the styles and they are so versatile and exactly what I have encouraged my clients to include in their own wardrobes. Finding jackets can be difficult when they are too structured as there can be issues around the bust for some women. There are no buttons or zippers (thus far) in the collection but this could evolve as we come to understand some of the difficulties of getting items on over the head as we age. This is what makes the wrap dress so ideal.

The other topic of concern that TSALT strives to address is the “muffin top”. Making sure that tops are long enough and not clingy is the goal. Lastly, we have two fantastic interns working with us who are in their early twenties. Having their influence keeps us relevant and balanced in the design efforts. Some pieces are clearly designed for an older woman but knowing how to make a few adjustments for a younger audience will make TSALT a brand designed for a variety of ages. Last weekend I was at my niece’s wedding. I wore a dress from the collection and did not disappoint the bride or the bridesmaids. They all loved the dress and it was extremely comfortable and age appropriate.

These are a few pieces from the collection. If you would like to be part of our focus group, please email me at alicia@tullebox.net. We are in need of some varying size bodies to assess styles and fit.

• About the author
• The latest from Alicia

Alicia McCaslin

Stylist | The Tulle Box

http://www.thetullebox.net/

aliciamccaslin@me.com

Alicia was born and raised in Alexandria, and married a local boy. She is happily married and the mother of two amazing children and one adorable and terribly smart border terrier named Dixie. Alicia has always known she was a creative. She collected editions of Vogue from junior high on and has always loved clothing and design. She studied interior design at VCU and parlayed that degree into commercial interior design, the web design, and ultimately found herself managing a local boutique and serving as a stylist to many Alexandrian women. She now has a successful full-time styling business, The Tulle Box, and makes it her business to make her clients feel great about themselves and the way they look.

• 

  Buy Less, Choose Well 

  By Alicia McCaslin

  06.11.21
• 

  Do You Struggle With Analysis Paralysis?

  By Alicia McCaslin

  05.14.21
• 

  While You Were Sleeping

  By Alicia McCaslin

  04.16.21