Ready for spring already!!

Wow, I'm such a slacker. My first entry for 2010 and it is already February. Seeing that I could barely get anything on the page until now, I've decided to make this an easy one and share with you one of my favorite designers of the moment.

Rebecca Taylor has modern and girly pieces that when layered together, create feminine outfits with an edge. I think anyone can wear most of these items--the flowing shapes will flatter many body types. If you're not a girly girl, throw on a leather jacket or blazer with any of these and you still have that delicate look with a more crisp finish.

Her clothes retail at a higher price point then some would prefer, but I guarantee that if you find an item you like, you'll wear it enough times to more than justify the price. Just remember the Cost Per Wear rule when you need a reason to purchase. Here is one explanation of this rule (take it or leave it). :)

For example, if you spend $500 on a great winter coat, wear it for about 100-150 per year over the next five years, it’ll cost you about $.67 to a $1.00 every time you wear the coat. The more you wear the coat, the lower the cost per wear. On the other hand, the trendy top you bought for $20 at your local Old Navy, that you wear only three times before throwing it out, costs you around $6.50 everytime you wear it, making it almost SIX times as expensive as the coat.

You can find Rebecca Taylor online at the following links:

www1.bloomingdales.com

www.neimanmarcus.com

www.saksfifthavenue.com

www.rebeccataylor.com

www.net-a-porter.com

Happy Shopping!!

Home for the Holidays

Is it November already??? Why does the end of the year always feel like it arrives with warp speed? I love the holidays, but not necessarily the tasks and duties that come with them (i.e. food making, gift buying, and crowd handling).

So, as a means of entering slowly into this holiday year, I like to do something that makes me feel ready to begin the madness, and that prepares me for a season of fun, frivolity, and PARTIES!! The weather is now officially cold, so it's time to revive the winter wardrobe. UGH!! I can hear you groaning and moaning. I know, I know, it doesn't seem like a fun exercise at all, but if you incorporate a little music and a lot of wine (hehe), you will get through it!!

If done well, you will have a workable winter closet that makes getting dressed quite enjoyable. The first step is to take all of your summer clothes out of the drawers and put them into piles: summer, seasonal, and c'est la vie. The summer pile goes up in the attic for another year. These are clothes that are too thin or skin-bearing for the cold, winter days.

The seasonal clothes are layering pieces that you will be able to wear under cardigans, jackets, or even over turtlenecks and long-sleeved shirts. This is where you can really get creative. If you're unsure if something will work, try it on and see!

The c'est la vie pile are the clothes that you didn't wear at all this summer. You probably didn't wear them the summer before either, but decided to hang on to them, just in case. Two years and no wear? Say goodbye. If you have a bag or box at the ready, it is much easier to just throw the clothes in the box as if you are simply organizing everything. Once the c'est la vie pile is in the box, you will most likely have forgotten what is in there and it will be easy to throw it in the car and head to your local Goodwill (or save the clothes in good condition for next summer's consignment delivery).

Once this part of the process is complete, you can get out your winter wardrobe and begin to organize your closet and drawers with those pieces. Think about a system that works best for you. Would you prefer everything to be color coordinated or organized by style? Do you wear pants more often than skirts? If that is the case, you might want to hang them where you can get to them most easily. These might seem like minute details, but they will really help to get you out the door in a pinch.

You can even organize your sweater drawer. Think about putting the ones you wear on a regular basis in one drawer near the top, and the heavy, blistering cold weather sweaters in a bottom drawer (or top if you live in, say, Colorado or Alaska). Pants and jeans can go in another drawer, or be hung in your closet.

Feel free to send me your organization tips for the winter season!!

Spring Cleaning

Ok, I realize summer is almost officially here (June 21, 2009), but there is always time for a little spring cleaning! With the economy creeping along, wheezing its way back to strength, this is a perfect time to reevaluate your goods. We are all trying to save and not spend on items we really don't need anyway. As much as it kills me to say it, this includes clothes and shoes (GASP!!)

BUT---do not fret my little fashionistas, for help is on the way! I am sure that most of you have a fantastic wardrobe hidden among all of the closet hangers; you just have to rediscover it.

This is no small project, but it is one that will result in a revived, refreshed wardrobe that could carry you through the summer, and on to better economic times! In order for this process to be successful, you must go through most if not all of your summer wardrobe (save winter for another time).

Your goal should be to determine whether each piece of clothing or shoes should be kept, tossed, donated, or consigned. I would recommend having a storage box or some type of container for each of these categories. This may seem like a logical and rather simple task, but I would bet that once you get going, you will realize that it is not so easy to part with your favorite plaid blazer, or that puffy sweater grandma knitted you oh so many years ago. You must be STRONG and make these tough decisions! They will pay off in the end, I promise. Think of it this way, an extra hanger in the closet just means one extra space for a new item (once the credit card is paid and the bank account is balanced).

Tomorrow....confronting your fashion demons.