Where Would You Shop?
Choosing where to shop these days is half the battle. If you haven’t determined where you would shop if you had a greater budget, there’s no better time than Winter Clearance season on the entire calendar.
By fashion personality types, a few pointers:
- If your style is purely functional, then it only makes sense to shop at those places which are most convenient for you. Most fun, too. This probably accounts for the fact that the stores I would choose to shop at, if money were no object, are all within a few doors of each other.
- A few chains cater somewhat to the Romantic, but the frequently overlooked western-type store is worth a look.
- What kind of classic are you? Classics of various shapes and sizes have probably already noticed that Talbots is offering 25% off already reduced clearance prices.
- True or false: For the contemporary classic, who mixes classic pieces into uniquely personal ensembles, the trick is to select the store that suits your age category?
- What I am really waiting for is the big reductions at Ann Taylor. For me, their stuff is primarily dressy social. If I were glamorous, I’d wear it for everyday.
- Now I realize that a true trendsetter is not going to be pinned down about where to shop, so I’m just going to throw out one suggestion: there’s lots of crazy bargains at the discounters (TJMaxx, Nordstrom Rack, and the clearance centers).
Allow me to be transparent. My reason for a post of this type is mainly to find out — where do you like to shop?
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WFMW: Washing Cashmere
How much would you spend to clean a sweater for which you paid between $1 and $10?
Routinely I wash my cashmere sweaters in my washing machine, then dry them flat on top of the dryer. I had a problem once; turned out there was velcro in the load (nasty stuff, velcro). Even then all that was wrong was a tiny hole, which I made like the Europeans and repaired. You’d never know it was there.
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Coming This Week: A Mix-it-up Fashion Lab
Announcing this Friday’s Fashion Lab in which I attempt to create new combinations suitable for Spring wearing out of pieces that are normally only worn in one way. Is that mysterious enough for you?
Look here for more inspiration:
- My own (last year’s) Shop Your Closet
As always, everyone is invited to play. Let the games begin!
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Congratulations! #3 Has Arrived at MInTheGap!
MInTheGap became the proud father of his third child yesterday.
Three reasons to pop on over and say ‘congratulations’:
- Well, every birth is a blessed event, right?
- If you like birth stories, this one is a good one.
- I’m still trying to get 5 people to leave a comment over there and say that I sent them (it’s for some kind of contest). Thanks Jenna and Elleabelle.
Congratulations Man!
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Are You Ready for the Return of High-Waisted Pants?
Karen Walker Spring 07, Coutorture photo. I’ve never been one to fuss with suspenders, or risk white pants, still there’s something fetching about this ensemble.
After yesterday’s “Should I keep it?” discussion, what are your thoughts about high-waisted pants?
Mine:
- If you’ve never bought low-rise pants, don’t start now.
- Unless low-rise pants fit you like high-waisted pants, in which case, stock up!
- My romantic trendsetter daughter has been looking for them for over a year. It’s probably inevitable.
- This flat-front look is very clean.
- Length-balancing with pant outfits. This look is done perfectly, because the top blends with the model’s head.
(Check out Danielle’s Jordache jeans. They look super cute on her!)
An aside: Is there an easy way to get the text up near the picture? The Wordpress instructions are beyond me.
Update: thanks Mary. This is better. Not exactly what I had in mind, but I’ll keep playing with it.
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Fashion Lab: Should I Keep It?
Cast your vote: Should I keep it?
- If fit were the only consideration, this jacket would be a keeper. It fits flawlessly with or without a belt. The problem? (Those of you who see the description in your browser already know.) It’s polyester! (Someday I’ll do an entire post on the evils of wearing polyester clothing, including at least one you’ve probably never thought of.)
- The print in this blouse is perfectly in scale with my features and, when combined with charcoal gray, the colors are fine. The problem, again, is the fabric. And individual style idiom. Can you see me in leopard?
- These jeans reminded me of the ones pictured back here, and I found them for $8 yesterday at Goodwill, on the boutique side. I’m not really considering biffing them.
- When I pictured these shoes back here Anonymous said, “your shoes kill an otherwise chic ensemble”. I love these shoes! Look at the shapely heels! Help me out here, ladies, are they totally tacky?
- One more thing, as long as we’re talking about this outfit, would you recommend wearing this together? On a Casual Friday, out to Thai, with a bunch of hero’s co-workers?
Now, if you’ve been closet-cleaning and would like us to vote on your items as well, you may send me a link to a post and I will add it to this post. Oh, and, of course, I will come over and give you what help I can.
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Gap Clearance Through Feb 1, 2007
Clearance sale at gap.com - last chance for up to 70% off!
Still categorizing posts … only 350 to go!
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Between My Peers Classic: Social Insecurity
Last year, when I had been blogging a few short months, I wrote the following. Although a few of the details have changed since then, by and large the problem remains. Only now it doesn’t bother me as much, because I have you lovely people in my life.
Perennially, probably related to the dark days of winter, I experience social insecurity remembering that most of my social supports are contingent upon the age of my children. Our Bible-study is limited to couples with children through high-school age. I could remain a member of my home-schooling support group when I am no longer home-schooling, but do I want to? Seems somehow grasping. In MOPS leadership, I am but a guest as it is.
This summer, I will not even be needed to drive the ladies to the free movies. It isn’t so much that I need to be needed, although you task-oriented people may choose to believe that. No, I will be losing my opportunities for fun. Being shy, or maybe just slow to warm up, I am most comfortable where I can belong simply by showing up.
How sad to be excluded merely on the basis of having completed this season of life. It’s going to be a long time before I am 55.
To which my sister replied, in part:
I still think that you should volunteer at one of those programs that gives work wardrobes to women who are getting off welfare. You would be awesome at helping them pick out work-appropriate outfits that make them feel and look their best.
Which brings me to my reason for bringing this up today: the must-read blog youlookfab, free advice from a fashion pro (which I am not). I will confess some blog-envy; her site is well-organized and illustrated (which mine is not). But primarily I just want to recommend it. Thanks to Maria Palma at The Runway Scoop, for her referring link.
Are you wondering what the connection is? Angie is involved with Dress For Success Seattle, which goes back to my sister’s comment.
I’d love to hear what the rest of you think. Where do you get your social needs met?
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Cleaning Your Closet: The Big Three
In preparation for this week’s Friday Fashion Lab, this week is a great time for closet-cleaning. Typically, in this blog, I bring you the “long-hand” method of figuring out what to wear; in this case, I am cutting right to the chase.
If you could eliminate one look from the landscape, what would it be? Here’s mine.
Ladies, if you are over 35, the following should no longer be any part of your wardrobe:
- Reverse silhouette pants, aka relaxed fit. You may choose straight leg, boot cut, boyfriend fit, flare, easy fit, stovepipe, cigarette leg, skinny fit, or any number of other designations. But no harem pants.
- What my daughter calls “those obnoxious big sweaters”. If the shape of your sweater resembles a sweatshirt, it must be smooth, fine and drapy. No nobby knits and awkward embellishments.
- Mini-skirts. While just above the knee is okay, above that looks at best dated and at worst desperate. A straight black skirt, 4 inches above the knee, is not classic.
Check out where your style idiom places you on the Fashion Train, and shoot for congruence. When in doubt, get your best contemporary friend to help you sort through your stuff. Or ask us. This Friday.
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My Big Fat Handbag Post
Jennifer at Snapshot needs a new purse. Handbags. Can’t live with them and can’t live without them. (Well, if you’re toting a diaper bag, like Jenna is, you can live without them.)
Wendy to the rescue! She has put up a wonderfully thorough post covering her thoughts about bags. Since the question concerned trends, here are my thoughts about a few of the fashion trends Wendy called out:
- Huge bags: I agree that the size of the handbag should be in scale with apparent body size. It turns out, according to this post at Kiss Me Stace, there are physical risks to be concerned with. (Designer Ella also has a whole blog devoted to bags, if you want to peruse.)
- Clutches: While they certainly look darling, I want to be able to use my hand for something other than holding my purse, which makes a strap like Karen described (wide strap that is the perfect length for slinging over the shoulder and fitting in at your waist) ideal.
- Conventional wisdom dictates a neutral purse, but I agree that a purse as splash of colour is at least as functional and alot more fun. I lump the soft metallic leathers in this category — an accent. I also agree about not going too light; in reality, no pink for me.
- Most of the people who responded to my handbag question were not in favor of the little pockets on the outside of the bag. But I sort of wish I had one for my cell phone and one for my keys. It’s a personal thing.
- One more thing to avoid: the new clear bag. Just say no!
One other thing: my daughters have done very well with fabric bags. What I would studiously avoid, though, is vinyl. The straps just break.
Right now, Wilsons Leather, where I bought my everyday purse, has alot of bags on sale for $29. It’s definitely worth looking!
Update, January 25: Designer Ella is running a “What’s in Your Clear Bag?” contest. Check it out at Pursed Lips.
