“Oh, I remember this dress…”

There’s something different about choosing an outfit for Kara.

Karen looks at a wardrobe and wonders, Where could I wear this?

Kara looks at the same wardrobe and says, Oh, I remember where I wore this.

That’s because Kara is my future self. In the world of The KARA Effect, she has already been to the places Karen is still imagining. She has worn the dresses, taken the trips, attended the celebrations—and collected a few stories along the way.

And this plum gown definitely has a story.

The Plum Special Event Look

For Kara’s latest wardrobe, I chose a long, flowing plum gown with a softly gathered waist and romantic sleeves.

Then, because Kara has never been one to under-accessorize, I added sparkling amethyst-inspired jewelry, coordinating plum heels and a beautiful little evening clutch.

The finished look is elegant without feeling overly formal. It could work for a wedding, theatre opening, gala, anniversary dinner—or some wonderful future occasion you haven’t even thought of yet.

And that’s where Shop It or Remember It gets interesting.

You can shop the pieces that inspired Kara’s wardrobe.

Or…

You can put yourself in them.

What If You Saw Yourself in the Dress First?

Before buying an outfit for a special occasion, we usually imagine ourselves wearing it.

Would that color look good on me?

Would I feel comfortable?

Is it really me?

But with AI image creation, we can take that imagination one step further.

Save the wardrobe sheet and use it with your favorite AI image creator to create a Future Memory of yourself wearing the look.

But don’t stop with the dress.

Give yourself somewhere to go.

Maybe you’re walking into a beautiful restaurant in Paris.

Maybe you’re attending opening night on Broadway.

Maybe you’re at an awards dinner, a wedding overlooking the ocean or a celebration you haven’t even been invited to yet.

The location doesn’t have to make sense today.

That’s rather the point.

You’re creating a memory from the future.

And Then There’s the Clutch…

I originally added a purse to Kara’s wardrobe for a very practical reason.

She needed something to do with her hands.

When I’m creating videos of Kara modeling her gowns, a small evening bag gives her something natural to hold, move and interact with.

But almost immediately, the purse started becoming something more.

So it got a name:

Kara’s Keepsake Clutch

You see, Karen carries her Future Memory Bottle, covered with pictures of where she’s going.

Kara carries something different.

Little reminders of where she’s already been.

At least, that’s the story I’m beginning to imagine.

Maybe there’s an old theatre ticket inside.

A hotel key from Paris.

A photograph.

A cocktail napkin with a telephone number scribbled across it.

A seashell from a beach we haven’t visited yet.

And knowing Kara, possibly something that couldn’t physically fit inside the bag in the first place.

She’s developing a bit of a Mary Poppins problem. 😉

Clothes Can Tell a Story

That’s what I’m enjoying most about creating these wardrobes.

At first, I thought I was simply putting together outfits.

A gown.

Shoes.

Jewelry.

A handbag.

But once I started placing those pieces onto Karen and Kara, they became props in a story.

The Future Memory Bottle tells us something about Karen.

She’s looking ahead. She’s creating pictures of where she wants to go and carrying those reminders with her.

The Keepsake Clutch tells us something about Kara.

She’s looking back from that imagined future, carrying little pieces of the adventures she’s already had.

Karen carries the future she’s creating.

Kara carries the memories she’s already made.

And somewhere between those two women is the life we’re creating right now.

Shop It or Remember It

That’s the idea behind The KARA Effect Wardrobe Department.

If you love Kara’s plum evening look, you can Shop It and find the pieces that inspired her wardrobe.

Or you can Remember It.

Save the wardrobe sheet. Create an image of your future self wearing the outfit. Put her somewhere wonderful.

And then tell yourself the story.

Where is she?

Who is she with?

What is she celebrating?

What happened just before that picture was taken?

And perhaps most importantly…

How does she feel being there?

Because the most interesting thing about Kara’s wardrobe isn’t really the gown.

It’s the life she’s wearing it in.

So, as Kara would say:

“Now the question is… where are you going to wear yours?”

See it. Remember it. Become it.

— The KARA Effect