Help Me Jesus! I Have Nothing to Wear Giveaway with Shari Braendel
Ladies it is about that time to pull out the fun fall fashions {boots and scarves}! And speaking of fashion……do I have a treat for you {and perhaps a fashion overhaul} My funny and fashionable friend, Shari Braendel. I’m so excited Shari is joining us today for a Q & A segment as well as sharing her love for Faith and Fashion.
Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of her book, Help Me Jesus! I have nothing to wear or sample color swatches {which Shari will personally choose!} picked by Shari}
Now meet my dear friend and fashion guru Shari.
As America’s #1 Christian Personal Style Coach, Shari Braendel inspires thousands of women each year to new levels of confidence at conferences around the globe. With an encouraging heart and vibrant effervescent spirit, she helps women see themselves the way God might. After receiving her degree in Fashion Merchandising, Shari began her career writing dress codes for corporations while overhauling wardrobes of female executives in Miami’s business district. She is the author of Help Me, Jesus, I Have Nothing to Wear and is the founder of the only Christian Image Consultant Certification Program in the country.
She recently launched Reveal Your Dignity, a JR Fashion Stylist Program for high school and college-age young women. God has given Shari a dream to flip the fashion industry right side up by teaching young women that how they dress reveals more than they realize. She desires to inspire girls of all ages to dress with dignity. Shari has been featured on Focus on the Family, The Total Christian Television Network, K-Love, and Moody Radio. She is the Beauty and Style Expert for Christian Mingle, the Style Editor for WHOA magazine and Brazilian Editorial Mezuza’.
She is the proud mother of Army West Point basketball player Luke Morrison and triplet stepdaughters, Kim, Carly and Jessica. She resides in Charlotte, NC with her husband David, three lazy cats and her 102 pound yellow lab.
Drum roll…and now for our interview with Shari.
1. What prompted you to write, Help Me Jesus, I Have Nothing to Wear!?
This book is a re-launch of ‘Good Girls Don’t Have to Dress Bad’. Because it is a fashion book, it’s important that we keep up with trends so it doesn’t become ‘dated’. Zondervan thought it best to retitle and recover the book along with updating photos and shopping guides. I’m especially excited about the new title because we found that it is a fabulous book to give as a gift. Women were hesitant to give ‘Good Girls Don’t Have to Dress Bad’ as a gift because their friends may think they dressed bad! The new title is a phrase we all might catch ourselves saying from time to time, ‘Help Me Jesus, I Have Nothing to Wear!‘ I’ve heard from many women that they’re giving the book to friends now and we’re all very excited about that!
2. What do you hope this book does for Christian women today when it comes to fashion?
The goal behind this book is to help Christian women have some guidelines when it comes to dressing. Most of us don’t have a clue where to start when it comes to looking our very best in clothes. Through no fault of their own, women are left to the mercy of fashion magazines and store displays to show them how to dress and most of us just don’t look like those models so how can we expect to look like that in clothes?
My heartfelt prayer is to give women direction on how to look remarkable while representing Jesus well. Yes, rules are made to be broken when it comes to clothing but until we know the rules, we don’t even know we’re breaking them! I also believe that if I can free up a woman to feel confident in what she wears, then she can be freed up to pursue the passions that God has given her. So many women never pursue what God has for them because they aren’t confident in their outer appearance. My book helps them gain insight into being a self-assured woman by learning how to dress to reflect their best self.
3. What do you hope this book teaches them about faith and how it relates to fashion?
I hope it reminds women they are beautiful (Psalm 45:11) exactly as they are and that God did NOT make a mistake with them. Whether a woman is thin or fluffy (we don’t call it fat around here!) I hope they realize that beauty is God’s idea and instead of hiding under sloppy clothes or revealing too much of their body with skimpy skirts and low cut tops, Jesus girls can be confident wearing clothes that fit and flatter.
4. You have a fabulous giveaway, tell us about it!
I am giving away one copy of my new book and a set of color swatches!
I will personally analyze the winner of the color swatches by having her send me a headshot so I can determine what colors are best for her. The best colors for someone are based on their hair, skin and eye color. For your readers who want a color analysis, they can get an online analysis at www.ColorEnalysis.com or visit me at www.FashionMeetsFaith.com.
As a special bonus, I’d like to invite anyone who comments here to join us for a special webinar on Tuesday, September 16th at 9pm EST, where we’ll be discussing fashion tips for Fall and also have a special guest on inner beauty. If you’d like to join us, please email [email protected] we’d love to have you join us!
Some final words from the fashion guru herself, Shari…
Hi beauties, I’m thrilled to be here on the ONE AND ONLY amazing Karen Ehman’s blog to bring you information on fashion and faith! I appreciate Karen for allowing me the opportunity to speak into the lives of her readers about the sometimes delicate topic of fashion in regard to Jesus girls.
When God first gave me the idea of speaking on the topic of fashion and faith I prayed about it for seven years…yes, you heard me right…SEVEN YEARS! Though I was a little slow in acting on what I knew God told me to do, I wanted to make sure I didn’t hear Him wrong. Fashion and FAITH? Why yes, ladies, that’s what I get to speak and write about. And almost 10 years later, He’s still directing me on the same path.
To help you understand a little better about what I do, I’m the one who gets to speak at women’s conferences and tell ladies that they might need a new bra because the one they have just isn’t working any longer (cause they’re hanging just a little too low!)
I also get to teach middle school and high school girls that how they dress reveals so much more than their bodies…it reveals their character. I also give guidance to women with low body confidence and instruct them on this sensitive issue by providing tips on dressing that change the way they see themselves.
The world can be a harsh place because people judge us simply by what we’re wearing, without us ever saying a word, so by teaching women to feel confident in how they dress can actually change the way others perceive us AND change the way WE see ourselves.
I hope you’ll visit me at www.FashionMeetsFaith.com.
Shari Braendel
Now for the giveaway.
Don’t miss your chance at these fabulous giveaways! Leave a comment below on why you’d like to win Shari’s book Help Me Jesus, I Have Nothing to Wear! or why you’d like the color swatches.
I would like the book. I have color swatches. Thanks!!
Sounds like a great book for all of us.
I could not believe my eyes when I saw this post in my email today! I am one of those women who was not born with much fashion sense. I was actually bullied for many years because of my appearance and inability to look “feminine” enough. I remember crying so much about it that my sister sat me down and had me watch “What Not To Wear” to try to help me out a little bit. I was always especially distressed by the bullying because I thought that who I was as a person should be enough. I did not understand why my appearances had to matter. I’ve learned now that appearances do not make the person, and at the same time, how you present yourself can influence the kind of impact you can make in the lives of others around you. When you present yourself as put together, and confident in who you are, your appearance becomes less of a distraction and more of an addition to the unique contributions you bring to the table. I’ve dedicated my life to working to improve the lives of others around me in the field of social work. While I have improved somewhat in my professional appearance, I could still use some help as it is incredibly frustrating for me to not know how to dress in such a way that matches the woman that I am. God gave us all unique gifts, and this is not one of mine. Thankfully we are a body of believers, which means that this heart can reach out to a helping hand. Thank you for your work! I look forward to learning more.
I would LOVE to have a copy of this book for several reasons. First, I am a mom transforming from wearing work-out clothes as a daily wardrobe to ACTUALLY being able to work-out (if I wanted too :-) because my children are getting older. I think my wardrobe may have hit warp speed on accident and skipped a decade of fashion! Second, it is not that I lack clothing to wear; it’s that I don’t know what outfits to wear and which ones to donate. I held on hoping argyle sweaters would come back into style, because that’s the last time I remember being (double negative) “not unfashionable”. I am sure I have clothing in my closet that will never be the right style for my body shape, that would be perfect for someone else (sadly/thankfully many with the tags still neatly attached). Finally and MOST IMPORTANT, I would LOVE to see this type of fashion being “exposed” to many of the young girls in my town. Yearly, middle school girls attend an Abstinence Tea funded by a nonprofit charity called Hope Outreach with guest speakers to help remind young soon to be woman that abstinence is still an option! Yes, I live in the Bible Belt, which is always fashionable in my book. Even if I don’t win a copy of the book…I absolutely ADORE that you published this book and that perhaps someday soon I can walk into a young miss clothing section and see designer labels made for young ladies!
I am definitely going to check out your website. It is always a struggle with a daughter and shopping. She just began college and we went shopping for clothes that would be appropriate for job interviews, her job (for a professor) etc. It was so frustrating seeing what the sales person kept recommending for her saying it was the style and totally appropriate! Some things were so not! Ugg! Very frustrating experience.
I am very excited about this book!! I work for a christian clothing store and this would help me help others that come in my store. My husband and I are also responsible for the youth group at our church. I have been looking for a way to talk with the teen girls about dress and self esteem.
I tend to wear the same things over and over because I don’t know what looks right together. This would be awesome!
monk5 at charter dot net
I would love to win either prize! My pinterest is full of outfit ideas, but it is difficult to piece it all together into one wardrobe for me. Thanks for this contest.
LOVE THIS! I’m 45 and often feel caught between styles that are too young and feeling like I look frumpy. I tend to “play it safe” but would love some FUN in my wardrobe! Great post!
I am 57, single and have lost some weight, I want to be fashionable and not frumpy!
I would love to use your book to guide me to make over and lift my confidence to be out in the dating world! Chrisitan Mingle is a great site!
Thank you.
LuAnne
Being over-weight or fluffy as you call it, can be disheartening when trying to dress fashionable and modest at the same time. Would love to read this book!!!
I feel like I am stuck in a shorts/jeans and a t-shirt for the every day and then a nice t-shirt and nice pants for outtings. I just feel stuck in a rut clothing wise.
As I’ve gotten older, I’m 63 now, I am having a harder and harder time trying to figure out to wear. I’m luckily still the same size I was when I was in my 20’s, not anything I did, my family is just thin. I have the most trouble when it comes to church. And I’m also not sure sure the colors I wore 40 or more years ago are still the right ones for me. I’ve started back to sewing, a little at a time, and there are so many fabrics out there! Colors and patterens and stripes and on and on. I really need someone to help, I can’t go to the nicer stores (too expensive) where they help you figure it out for you and that’s why I decided to sew too, but actually thrift stores seem to be even less. It’s been a long time since I saw how much a pattern is now a days! Anyway, I could use either one, they would both help me out a lot! Thank you for your article and offer. God bless!
I am a mom of 2 college age girls, I am starting a new job, going back to work after raising my wonderful daughters. I have never felt “put together”. I so admire the women who are. Help! I would love to have your book and advise to give me some confidence going back to work. God bless you!
I would love the swatches. I”m not very good at that sort of thing, but I want to learn at least the basics because I have a tween-aged daughter who’s a bit fancier than me.
I’m just over 40 and have been intimidated by “fashion”. I’m interested in finding that balance of looking nice and enjoying how the Lord made me but not wanting to draw attention….how does that all work? :)
Now that Coldwatet Creek is our if business I no longer know how to dress myself! LOL I only shipped the outlet store with a coupon and sometimes even that was a fashion disaster!
So many times I go shopping for clothes and thinking that I made a great purchase, until I wear the clothes and then realize just how horrible I look in them. I find myself saying, “I have nothing to wear” quite often.
As a mother of six who just went back to work full time in a high school, I could really use some help!
I would like to win because I’m a pastor’s wife with absolutely ZERO fashion sense! Don’t ask me about the time our Children’s Pastor painted my toenails in the bathroom during Sunday School because, “You can NOT be seen out there with THOSE sandals and naked toes!” Only a true friend would have the courage to do that and now, since we’ve moved to a different church….I’m on my own! :p
I have always wondered what colors would looked best with my skin tone and hair color. This opportunity is exactly what I need! Thanks!
I need HELP!!
I feel like I’m a fashion disaster – I am on the “fluffy” side, and can rarely find clothes that look decent & I feel comfortable in :( I’d love to win the book or swatches. My teenage daughter would benefit too.
My kids are getting big now and I want to focus on getting myself back to dressing well now that I have time to shop and look for the right items. When they are little, I just didn’t have the time or money!
This would be so fun! I had not thought about fashion that way.