Saturday, May 11, 2013
Do you vehemently refuse to wear that winter coat even one more time? Has this crazy spring weather got you all distressed over getting dressed?
My clever brother tells me spring in the mid-west suffers from bi-polar disorder. One day it's 75 and sunny, the next it's 40 something and rainy. So how in the world are we supposed to know what to wear? That pretty floral print scarf I just bought . . . should I wear it with my winter jacket? That doesn't sound right. Or how about jeans, boots and a turtle-neck sweater in May? That sounds ridiculous, but hey, that's exactly what I had on just a few days ago. As a seasoned wardrobe advisor, this is what I do and this is my best advice. Keep the calendar in mind, but dress for the weather. It's the smart and stylish thing to do. I also recommend some classic closet items that come in very handy this time of year: Layer, layer, and then …
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Figuring out what new fashion trends are worth our time and attention can be tough going these days. Here's a rather tricky trend that you can make work, but only if are willing to give it a try!
If you've seen any fashion magazines or store catalogs lately, you have likely noticed the proliferation of wild and crazy color/print combos out there this spring. And I must admit, it's quite refreshing after such a long steady diet of winter black and grey! But the craziest combos of all are not red, green, blue and orange all together now. Rather, it's the mixing of various prints and patterns along with the red green blue and orange. Even stores with traditionally more conservative fashion layouts like Talbots and J.Crew are showing the most outrageous combinations of colorful florals, stripes and animal prints I've ever seen! For young women who are having fun with fashion and still experimenting with their own sense of personal …
Monday, February 18, 2013
Everything is on sale and NOW is the time to shop, right? Not so fast, Kimosabe!
In my Style Central column last month, I suggested that now would be a great time to clean out our closets and our dresser drawers and I totally stand by that decree. However, when it comes to replenishing our staple pieces, now may or may not be the best time to shop. I know this because I just completed a thorough closet edit with a client and then went on line to help her shop for some winter staples and guess what? Not good. Great prices on quality items? Absolutely. Great selection and a complete stock of sizes? Forget it. Very frustrating, to say the least! But I don't know why I was surprised. It makes total sense that in mid-February retailer stock is pretty much the dregs and the leftovers. Example: I saw a great pair of women's …
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Boots and shoes for women are always a challenge as fall turns to winter. Check out some of the latest styles and some advice about what to buy this season!
Gold toes, towering heels and buckles galore! That’s what’s out there in the stores these days, and trying to take a more moderate middle of the road approach when shopping is definitely not easy! I discovered this while shopping for myself recently, both on-line and in the dizzying vastness of Nordstrom’s shoe department. I needed to replace my beloved but badly bruised and battered black ankle boots. I hated like heck to say goodbye to those boots. They were the perfect combination of comfort and style. They were also devoid of any telltale signs of “trendy” like bows, buttons, buckles, exaggerated toe shape, cowboy vibe, etc. Translation? I could wear them for many years and not worry about staying fashionably in style. And boy did I …
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Three easy ways busy moms can look professional while being cool on the outside and warm on the inside!
Professional businesswomen who have kids at home often tell me they have virtually zero time for themselves. No kidding! Just trying to keep body and soul together is a challenge! When the children are making endless demands and bosses are doing the same, they tell me their wardrobes take a back seat. Their "look" usually consists of tops and bottoms that are thrown together helter-skelter as they race out the door to drop off the kids at daycare and hope to heaven they at least remembered to wear underwear. Add the fact that it's currently 95 degrees in the shade and 60 something in the office? Good luck with that. The Wall Street Journal ran an interesting article recently about summer dressing entitled, Baby it's Cold Inside (Style …
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Why shopping is not for the faint of heart, weary or time-constrained among us.
Read on for a practical approach to this and other profound questions of life.
Do you occasionally ponder some of life's more perplexing mysteries? Like what do they do with the fat they remove from no-fat desserts, and just how exactly do they remove it? Or—I love this one from my 4-year-old brother many years ago, "Why does God make weeds?" Why indeed. Currently I'm asking myself, "Why is it so darn hard to find classic clothing in stores these days?" It's ridiculous. No wonder more and more folks are hiring personal shoppers like me. Please don't get me wrong. I appreciate the business, but even I am becoming frustrated lately. Case in point, my client, let's call him John, needed a new trench coat. First, I perused the various store websites. It's always a good idea to see what they are currently offering in …
Saturday, May 5, 2012
When it comes to bridal gown fashion and style, Vera Wang continues to lead the way.
For years I was a faithful fan of the TV show Project Runway. Every episode started with these words of advice to aspiring new designers from the veteran fashion judges: "Remember... we want to see your unique point of view as a designer in every single piece you create." I would hear their admonition and think, boy oh boy. That's a tough nut to crack. Exactly how does one show their unique point of view in a clothing design? Then I read a recent article about the famous designer Vera Wang and I got it. She did exactly that. After 17 years as senior fashion editor for Vogue magazine, she began her design career and opened her first bridal boutique showroom in 1990. It was located at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City. The store had …
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Isn’t spring always the best time to clean anything and everything? Here are 5 tips to keep in mind when your closet has reached critical mass status.
You may have seen the ads that Carson Pirie Scott ran on TV recently. They offered discount coupons for every item you bring into the store for donation. I thought what a great idea! What a clever incentive to get rid of items one no longer needs, wants, or finds useful. I decided to take full advantage of the offer. It was time to purchase a few of my can’t-do-without cosmetics, so I proceeded to peruse my closet for items I might donate to Carson's Good Will drive. Please keep in mind that I try to keep my closet in tip-top shape. I purge on a regular basis so that when clients come to my studio for style workshops, they can see how an organized closet should look and function. Obviously, as a professional wardrobe advisor, I need to …
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Thinking of shopping for a new handbag this spring? Here are some timely tips for choosing just the right purse for you!
I had the time of my life a couple of weeks ago when I lunched with two of my favorite former students. They’re all grown-up now, but still completely adorable. Curious about my current career, the conversation ultimately turned to fashion, and one of the girls said she was in the market for a new handbag. She saw one she loved at a nearby department store, so after lunch, the three of us sauntered over to take a look. The bag was gorgeous. It was also very large. When she held it up to her slim little frame, she all but disappeared. Oh boy. Not good. And then she asked me the $64,000 question: “Do you think it's too large for me?” With those big beautiful blue eyes searching for approval, it killed me to tell her the truth. Clearly …
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Some red carpet moments are just too good to be true, while others make us cringe. What will it be like this year?
Going to the movies with friends is always fun, but most of us see movies in our living rooms these days. Call me old fashioned, but I still love seeing a good film in a real theater where the screen is huge and the lights are low. I'm not what one would call a movie buff—you could fill a thimble with my knowledge of the industry. However, I am a huge fan of watching the Oscars. This year Billy Chrystal will be back at the helm, and it's anybody's guess as to which flick will get best pick. Although my favorite, Midnight in Paris, is an unlikely winner, overall it was a wonderful year for movies. There was literally something for everybody. And it should be a very good year for fashion as well. If the Golden Globes were any indication, …
Nancy Pipal
3:19 pm on Monday, May 13, 2013
And Thank you too, Carol. I know that it's been wicked downtown the past few weeks. You are so smart to have a coat that has a good lining but isn't a winter coat per se. Mine is worth it's weight in gold! more ›