Blog Archives

Mixed-media tees

11/28/2014

Let's mix things up by adding a bit of embroidery, chiffon, leather, or tweed to everyday cotton tees...

Banana Republic Mixed Media Tee, $49.50 minus 40%

J. Crew Factory Embroidered-front Tee, 5 colors, $26.99-$28.99; also on ebay

J. Crew Factory Leather-sleeve Tee, $32.99

J. Crew Factory Tweed-sleeve Top, $33.99

Ann Taylor Chiffon Back Tee, $29.99 minus 40%

Madewell Tweed-front Tee, $54.99 minus 25%

Piperlime Skies Are Blue Mixed Media Tee, $29.97 minus 40%

Piperlime Skies Are Blue Mixed Media Tee, $29.97 minus 40%

Zara Mixed Fine Knit T-shirt, $39.90

GAP Heathered Colorblock Tee, $18.86 minus 40%

Winter blues

11/25/2014

In the coldest months, we typically wear our darkest colors--charcoal gray, navy, black, & maroon. Our summer colors are stashed in the back of the closet. But I don't let winter weather get me down--I put on my sky-blue summer shirts...

GAP gingham shirt, old La Redoute gray sweater, Boden Sixties Mini

J. Crew shirt, Forever 21 sweater, Piperlime skirt

Similar shirt:

Similar J. Crew printed voile popover, $29.99

Abercrombie shirt, GAP cardigan, GAP pants

Abercrombie & Fitch Womens Fallon Shirt, $29, free ship

GAP Ultra Skinny Pants, $35.97 minus 30%

Similar cardigan:

J. Crew Factory Always Cardigan, $19.50

I wear white year round :-)

J. C. Penney Joe Fresh jeans, J. Crew Factory popover shirt, GAP cardigan

Similar shirt:

J. Crew Factory plaid popover, $34.50

J. C. Penney Joe Fresh™ Slim-Fit Moto Jeans, $19.50 minus 20%

I wear a lot of button-downs--especially for work--but I think any summer shirt will work.

I think colors are lightening up for this winter in general; here are a few examples:

Boden Tweed Kilt, $108 & Contrast Pocket Sweater, $68.60

Boden Romy Sweater, $74

Boden Fair Isle Sweater, $82.60

What's your favorite color to wear in the winter?

Personalization: the cut of things to come

11/25/2014

Personalized pricing

About a year ago, I realized GAP gives different discounts to different customers. I'd picked out something from their website & had a 30% off discount code across the top banner of the page. But when I called up the GAP site on a different computer, a 40% off discount banner appeared. The moment I logged into my account on the site, the discount reverted to 30% again.

Why would GAP offer me, a loyal customer, only 30% off but offer a stranger 40% off? Here are a couple possible reasons:
1. I return 90% of what I buy there. I might actually be their worst customer.
2. They already have me; they want to attract a new customer.

No matter what the reason, I think it's unfair to offer different discounts, but I also think personalized pricing, personalized sizing, personalized shopping will soon become commonplace.

Personalized styling

I've recently come across two websites that will customize clothing to your specifications...

eShakti

"eShakti is the #1 in women’s fashion clothing in the USA for custom-clothes - made to your size and style. For those who just want standard sizes, everything is also available in sizes 0-36W."

www.eShakti.com

PERFECTLY.ME

PERFECTLY.ME

"Perfectly.me is going to break the mold long held by the fashion industry. We offer women’s personalized apparel, sold by stylists and designed to fit, flatter and embrace each unique individual.

Our goal is to make women feel confident about the way they look, no matter their size or shape. We use a personalized approach to style and clothing. Trained and certified personal stylists will work with clients to evaluate their body shape and proportions, coloring, and lifestyle, to determine their style personality and then deliver very personalized wardrobe suggestions."

Personalized service

We have personal trainers, personalized interior designers, & image consultants. An image consultant will assess what you have & then help you assemble a wardrobe to help you achieve your career or personal goals.
Several stores also offer personal stylists or live chat--have you ever used the service?

The other day I received an email offering me a personal concierge through one of the online stores where I shop:

I predict we'll be receiving more emails of this type.

The bottom line

Our eyes are bigger than our stomachs: I'm not the only one returning 90% of what I buy--especially online. Returns flood most stores & result in huge losses for most retailers (more on this topic in this article from New York Daily News here). But would you return something that someone personally helped you pick out? And items customized to your size & style are rarely returnable. In short, personalizing saves companies money.

Because I'm a bit of a whimsical shopper, I like the option to return what I buy. I've also discovered that the more trouble I put into customizing a piece, often the less likely I am to wear it. I also like being anonymous by shopping online & returning through the mail. Although I appreciate the trend, I'll be trying to steer clear of personalization.

What about you? Have you ever worked with a stylist or had something personalized for you?

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Is it worth it to have your clothes altered?:
An ROI analysis

All about me:
some thoughts on the selfie

Put-your-hand-on-my-knee skirts

11/22/2014

A trend in skirt shapes includes what I'm calling the put-your-hand-on-my-knee skirt, an asymmetrical wrap style that plays up one exposed knee. Be looking for them at this year's holiday parties...

Topshop Chunky Zip Wrap Skirt, $84

Topshop Chunky Zip Wrap Skirt, $84

Same skirt >>

Asos French Connection Nevada Leather Skirt with Split Detail, $157.29

French Connection Nevada Leather Skirt, $129.99--out of stock in all sizes

H&M Wrap-style Skirt, $24.95

Nordstrom Fringe Trim Wrap Skirt, $72

Nordstrom Altuzarra Ruffle Detail Wrap Skirt, $790

Asos Lavish Alice Asymmetric Split Pencil Skirt, from $18

Zara Asymmetric Sarong Skirt, $79.90

Holiday tees

11/21/2014

Holiday & seasonal tees for men, women, babies, & kids

For men...

Next Blue Penguin T-Shirt, $22

Next Green Elf T-Shirt, $29

Next Navy Reindeer T-Shirt

AEO Holiday Graphic T-shirt, $14.99, buy one get one 50% off

For women...

Next Polar Bear Burnout Christmas Top, $33

Next Sequin Snowflake Top, $40

Next Sequin Snowflake Top, $40

J. Crew Factory Reindeer Scarf Collector Tee, $22

dELiA's Charlie Brown Christmas Sweatshirt, $34.90

dELiA's Christmas Woodstock Long-Sleeve Top, $26.90 Buy One, Get One 50% Off

For little ones...

GAP Festive Marl Graphic Tee, $18.95

GAP Festive Marl Graphic Tee, $18.95

GAP Festive Graphic Tee, $14.99 or two or more for $11 ea

GAP Festive Graphic Tee, $14.99 or two or more for $11 ea

For girls...

LittleMissMatched Reindeer Tee, $21

LittleMissMatched Candy Cane Zip It Tee, $21

Boden Stripy Glitter T-shirt, $21

For boys...

Joules Boys' Festive Screen Print T-Shirt, Grey Marl, $29

Joules Boys' Festive Screen Print T-Shirt, Navy, $29

Joules Boys Long Sleeve Applique T-Shirt, Red Ninja, $37

Wise Mr. Owl

11/15/2014

Mr. Owl

Ann Taylor Owl Split Back Sweater, $79 minus 40%

back

J. Crew Factory Owl Collector Tee, $16.50

Madewell owl sweater, $88

Owl necklaces make lovely gifts for teachers...

Treasure Tower Lucky Feather Enchantment Celebrate Wisdom Silver Owl Necklace, $16.99 minus 15%

Dogeared Wisdom wise owl necklace on tobacco, gold dipped, $30; also in silver & on tobacco or on chain

Nordstrom Shea's Wildflower Felt Owl, $5.60

REI Woolrich Motif Crew Sweater, $59.99

REI Woolrich Motif Crew Sweater, $59.99

Anthropologie Forest Fete Tunic, $39.95

For babies, kids, & teens...

GAP Owl Bodysuit, $9.99 minus 30%

Boden Big Appliqué T-shirt, $30

Boden Skinny Graphic T-shirt, $28

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Let's ditch the models altogether

11/12/2014

You're standing in a field in the middle of winter wearing a flowing dress & heels. You're waiting for a train in a small station Europe carrying your fine leather weekender bag. You're playing your violin on the street with a troupe of musicians; you're wearing a lace mini-dress. Surely these are weekly occurrences for you--or so the fashion catalogs imply.

When you see clothing modeled on beautiful women in glamorous situations, are you compelled to click "buy now"?
Do you relate to the women or buy clothes based on your most glamorous vision of what you could be?

Can You Spot...?

Can you spot what's wrong with this beautiful photo from the cover of the latest Anthropologie catalog?

Answer: Does it seem odd to you that the women in this photo are dressed in summery lightweight clothes while the accordion player is in a heavy wool sweater & pea coat?

Fiction vs. reality: The Empress's New Clothes
The advertising industry is brilliantly creative, & we don't even expect the images to be realistic. We assume the scene is staged, & the photo of the model may be photoshopped. It seems photoshopping a model's photo would be false advertising, & yet we're not buying the model; we're buying her clothes--or are we?

The ultimate example of the Empress's New Clothes in my opinion is swimwear & lingerie modeling. The garment itself & the amount of cloth are negligible--mostly we're seeing just the model's body & skin--she's nearly naked.

My students point out to me that young women are heavily influenced by the thinness of the models. The models serve as role models of beauty that lead girls & women to see themselves as fat & imperfect. Eating disorders & a desire for plastic surgery have been the result as we strive for an unhealthy body size & flawless features.

The movement toward using real people as models
Several stores have run campaigns using real people as models. American Eagle Outfitters has received perhaps the most attention for its #AerieReal campaign featuring real, unphotoshopped girls in Aerie lingerie & swimwear. I posted a paper by 19-year-old Erica Aguilar on this topic here.

Many stores like ModCloth, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, & Nordstrom also welcome real shoppers to upload into the reviews photos of themselves wearing the clothes--either from the dressing room or from home. GAP, Boden, & other stores share photos from bloggers wearing their clothes. Title 9 has always used real women to model their clothes.

Are real people a better choice?
If you ever browse through the shoes at Zappos or 6 pm.com, you've probably at one point met April & Hannah, the models in the videos for each shoe. The fact that they model every shoe makes you wonder if the whole operation is made up of just April, Hannah, & a couple warehouse guys, but we know better, right?

Anyway, while very nice & pretty, April & Hannah are fairly average girls; they do not appear to me to be professional models. They walk around gracefully in the shoes & tell you the shoes' best assets, but they are not the types that strut down a runway with the wind in their hair like the models in the videos at White House Black Market.

While the videos really do help you to know what the shoes are like before you buy them, sometimes after I click on the video, I no longer want to buy the shoes. Some of the mystique is gone, the image I'd imagined of myself in the shoes.

To me, the answer is that we ditch the models altogether.
I've bought clothes online at times based on a glamorous display, based on how they looked on a model, & based on how they looked on a real person. Sometimes these clothes have worked out for me, & sometimes they haven't. Sometimes I've bought something because I've admired how a blogger or a friend looks in it--those clothes are often the least likely to suit me. We bring so much of our personality to how we dress; an outfit might look perfect on someone else, but that doesn't mean it'll look right on me.

When I look at clothes on a dress mannequin, I can still imagine myself wearing them for everyday use or for an event.

An image I've held on to from Real Simple magazine

Some catalogs like NorthStyle & Sierra Trading Post routinely display their apparel on dress mannequins rather than on people. Some stores like Sahali hang the clothes on a clothes line. When we surf almost any store online, we see flat images of each clothing item, most not shown on a model. When we go out shopping, clothes are hanging on rounders & racks; even in shop windows, they're displayed on dress mannequins. On a walk through the mall today, I noticed the black mini-dress featured in the photo at the beginning of this post displayed on a dress mannequin in the Anthropologie window--with a fuzzy coat over it, I might add :-)

We don't need to be influenced by stick-thin, photoshopped models with airbrushed skin. We don't need a catalog or magazine to create an imaginary scene in which we picture ourselves making a grand entrance. While I enjoy the inspiration of seeing clothes put together in new ways, I don't need to see them on a woman in a castle. For the most part, I can conjure up my own everyday scene where I'll be wearing the style.

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Just be you:
19-year-old Erica Aguilar's article on American Eagle's real beauty campaign

Top 10 Fashion Rules--from boys

11/10/2014

10. Whatever's at the top of the drawer is
what you wear.

9. All colors match all other colors.
Socks don't need to match--neither with
your outfit nor with each other.

8. For the most part, you only need one pair
of shoes.

7. For the most part, you only need one kind
of outfit regardless of the occasion.

6. Shorts are the preferred choice year round.
And you never need a jacket. Ever.

5. It doesn't matter how much your clothes
cost.

4. If your pants are too long or too big, turn
over the waistband a couple times.

3. You can fit your entire body into your shirt
by pulling up your knees if you're cold.

2. Clothes belong on the floor.

1. If it's uncomfortable, don't wear it.

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Top 10 Fashion Rules (for women)

Foxy lady

11/8/2014

"You're a stone cold fox"
--Trip Fontaine in Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides

Quite a few foxes are running about, sometimes in glasses, sometimes without. While character sweaters are not new, they seem to me playful & festive.

Joules Womens Character Knit Marsha Sweater, Tan Marl, $120

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Nordstrom Caslon® Patterned Long Sleeve Sweater, $29.90

Intarsia: "a colored design knitted on both sides of a fabric"
--Merriam-Webster Dictionary

ModCloth Just the Fox, Ma'am Sweater, $72.99

French Connection Fox Knitted Jumper, £19

What does the Fox Say?!

ebay Knitted Jumper Fox Glasses, $26.88; also available at Amazon, $18.58-$21 search "fox sweater"

For kids...

Jacadi Paris Fox motif sweater, $99

Old Navy Fox-Graphic Tees for Baby, $8 minus 25%

Boden Fun Applique Dress, $39.60 (also available at Nordstrom, $44)

My best friend across the street: a fashion history

11/5/2014

Growing up in El Paso, I was lucky to live across the street from my best friend. We spent most every day together in action--flying kites, roller skating, playing badminton, exploring the caves near our house.

My friend had something special about her--it was in her mannerisms, her energy, her attitude. Even her handwriting had a special flair & grace. I admired her & her style from the start.

I think her beauty might have come from how she wore her clothes more than from the clothes themselves--after all, we were mostly just wearing jeans & sandals. Still, unlike me, my friend had the mom who would take her shopping at the nicest stores, so she had access to the latest trends. Her jeans were Sasoon; her sandals were Famolare.

My parents didn't take me shopping; I would occasionally pick up something here & there but never at the mall; some of my clothes came from Mexico from the huge supermarket/warehouse stores where we bought groceries.

I remember I got a sweater with butterfly sleeves (dolman) from a popular upscale store as a birthday gift, & it was so special to me--I wore it constantly. Clothes seemed to mean everything by 7th grade, & I craved the latest fashions.

Fast forward 20 years. My friend became a flight attendant, & I spent many years in school in my native city of Denver. My friend would stop through town on flight layovers, & we'd meet.

One year, she told me that she wanted to open a shop that sold just jackets & boots. She herself was dressed that time in riding pants, tall boots, a blazer, & a close-fitting v-neck cream-colored cardigan worn as a top.
A thin gold necklace with a tiny charm hung from her neck. She had traveled the world. She looked as always sophisticated, hip, & elegant.

On another layover, my friend told me she was obsessed with ugly shoes--the uglier the better. She was wearing at that moment fairly ugly chunky brown booties with a block heel. For the first time, I couldn't decide if I agreed or disagreed with her fashion taste of the day. At that point, I'd taken up the going look of a Denverite: outdoorsy wear--turtlenecks, puffy vests, & cargo pants.

Today, my friend is married with two small children.
I haven't seen her in a few years. In the last photo I saw of her, she was wearing an animal-print top & black pants, looking sophisticated & beautiful as always.

Here's a photo of my elegant friend & her husband from just last weekend :-)

Have you had a friend whose style you've always admired?