Financial and Fashion Fitness

Hello, Friends!

Its been a while since I last posted. Taking a little break with the financial diet. I did manage to eck out a styling session with my personal stylist for Fall. We remixed what I have and talked about where I could spend money if I had it to spend. I invested in some new suede pumps. Pre-kid, I wore a lovely pair of 4 inch Mui Mui suede pumps all winter. Post-kid, I need something more mommy friendly. It is always risky to purchase comfort shoes. You risk looking like you are wearing stylish nursing shoes or cartoonish styles. But thank goodness suede makes a difference. I picked up these little gems on sale. A great investment as I wear them at least twice a week now.

I have also continued the jewelry acquisitions. Again, no precious stones were involved. One of my favorite new designers is Lanno. These necklaces are made from leather and cotton and less that $100. What a great way to spice up a simple jeans and tee. 

In respect to the financial diet, my limited clothing budget has really helped us hit our targets. Selling my Forrester for a Prius also helped. We are on track for our goals so far. My husband is shocked that after so many years of exuberant spending, we could turn on a dime and start to make some real headway on savings outside of retirement. Its become a bit of a budgeting game, and every month we put more away we are inspired to keep at it.

Yours truly,

Style Illiterate

Financial diet meets fashionphile

The family is undertaking some pretty aggressive financial goals for the foreseeable future. My husband and I realized that we have reached a point in our lives where we are ready to commit to an agressive plan to pay off our home in an abbreviated period. Can we do it? Time will tell. And situations change. But it all comes down to the small choices we make each day.

I know. You are currently thinking, "how boring!" What's more boring than being fiscally responsible?! Well let me tell you. Its driving to your nice restaurant in your nice station wagon singing Depeche Mode's Black Celebration album at the top of your lungs like you are still in 8th grade. Yes, folks, middle age has arrived and the winds are shifting.

What does this mean for my love of fashion? For starters, all the care I have taken for my clothes, shoes and accessories should pay off in being able to wear my wardrobe without a lot of replacement for several years to come. For example, I still have my black trench from 1999, my red wool coat from 2006, and my D&G gold sandals from 2008, and they are all in great condition. There are some basics that will have to be replaced during this time, like under garments, but the cost of that is significantly less compared to the wardrobe investments (read: leather coats and cashmere sweaters) that I've made in the last few years. Secondly, I will use any small clothing budget I eck out during this time for wardrobe styling instead of clothing. That's right - mix and match is the magic to refreshing a look. Finally, it means maintaining my weight is critical to maintaining my wardrobe. This was one piece of advice I received early on working with personal stylists. And it is so true. You don't have to keep buying clothes if you previously bought quality items, care for them, and maintain your weight for your wardrobe.

So fun purchases are off the list, but fun styling is even more important. This ever evolving blog will morph to more frugal fashion selections. And maybe the occasional financial post for my friend Marina.

Yours truly,
(Now Frugal) Style Illiterate

This is what I live with

You may have heard me talk about my fashionable husband in the past. Here he is in his full glory heading off to work without any help from personal stylists. Yes, those are baby blue pants with cognac shoes. Under the funnel neck pea coat, he is sporting a purple shirt, navy tie and grey v-neck sweater. And he is just going to work at some technology company. How could I not try to step it up from my dead head t-shirts and tevas?! Or maybe a better question is how could he fall for a girl like me looking like he does? I think its my loud laugh. In any case, this will be 15 years of wedded bliss this September. And he still inspires me to stretch my fashion skills on a daily basis. 

Sunshine

How I get dressed in the morning without thinking...

The most notable thing about this outfit is the great ability to move in it. While it looks very fitted, the jacket is super stretchy. The shoes have a wide heel. And the jeans are slightly baggy. As my husband would say, its all in the details. Notice the pintucking in the jeans. They are a casual, baggy style, but the pintucking takes it up a notch. The nude shoes have an elongating affect. And the sweet bow top balances the razor, "f-yeah" necklace.

How do I get this comfortable, effortless look, you ask? Well, I certainly don't just find inspiration when I wake up in the morning. A seasonal styling session with Alethea really shortens the morning ritual. This session consists of pulling out everything in my closet for the season and seeing how it works together in the latest silhouettes. We simply mix and match until we accomplish the right look. Notice all of the shoes at the bottom of the pic? This ensemble required 4 different shoe attempts before we landed on the right pair. And I love that we have a combination of old and new items in this picture. The jacket and the top were last year while the jeans and the shoes are new. After each of these sessions I end up finding some items to donate, some to store and what works from past years for this year. It really keeps my closet and look fresh and focused. And it only takes an hour of work with Alethea so I don't have to over think every single morning what I should wear.

But this is how I roll since I don't know how to dress myself. 

Yours always, 

Style Illiterate

Date night duds

The great thing about maintaining your clothes over many season is the ability to combine fresh pieces with old reliables. My shoes and necklace were finds from over 3 years ago on Gilt and Banana Republic, respectively. The Pat Benatar jacket, as my boss likes to call it, is last Spring's Stella McCartney for Adidas. The additions from this season are the new mesh shirt and the Rag and Bone jeans. What does this equal? Date night!

On a related note, my favorite date night fashion combination is when my cute husband sports his most conservative powder blue pants and purple shirt, and I'm attired in the Pat Benatar look. Such a perfectly matched couple.

Finally, thanks to my stylist, Alethea, for the ever evolving style inspiration. This is her work.

And happy date night to you, too!

Function over form

Sometimes you just have to choose function over form. At 88 degrees near the equator, I would say that is  a good time. St. John be damned, in the Dominican Republic no one cares if I've considered Resort 2012. This is a place to play, and play hard. Jumping over 27 waterfalls - check. Eating dinner in a local barrio - check. Neck deep in the ocean - check. Clothes - optional. Rash guard - necessary. Fashion was out the window on this trip and it was wonderful.

Storing Clothes

I have just finished up with my Fall/ Winter clothing storage ritual. This little practice has helped me keep my winter jackets for well over 10 years in some cases. After a season is over, there are a few basic steps I take. While it seems a bit time consuming, it really saves time and money in the long term. And I don't have to fight the lines for fixing pieces when the season starts again. I'm all ready.

1. Dry clean Most heavy wear pieces visit the dry cleaners. I don't take anything to the dry cleaners more than once a year. Dry cleaning can wear out your clothes faster than anything else, so I use this technique sparingly. And once a year is sufficient to keep my clothes fresh.
2. Hand wash I hand wash all wool and cashmere before storing. 
3. Repair I repair any damaged clothing. My favorite red jacket had a torn up lining this year. It is much cheaper to take this to a tailor to repair than replace the jacket. 
4. Replace I buff my boots and replace any heels. 
5. Store All off season clothes are stored in cloth bags. This was a new recommendation from my stylist, Alethea, this season. Cloth bags allow your clothes to breathe and leave them with a chemical smell. Throw a few cedar balls in there to avoid the moths. 

That's about it. Do you have any seasonal fashion rituals that you adhere to?

Top of the trend: Colored pants

If you haven't bought colored pants or jeans yet, proceed with caution. These colored darlings are every where right now, and this is a sure sign that we are at the end of the trend. We will return to our regularly scheduled programming of dull colors in the Fall.

So what do I mean by caution? Well, if colored pants are a key ingredient to your personal style, you should buy, buy, buy! I took this approach a couple of seasons ago with the shirt dresses. You should always buy deep into a trend if it is your personal style any season. If this is not part of your personal statement, then don't spend more than $20-50 if you want to experiment with the trend. And do something a little more now, such as some of the prints or or newer colors like mauve or lavender.

I have red and blue pants that I will wear through the summer and then gently store until I need another pop.

What trends are you investing in this year?

Petite trend: Pintuck pants

Last year I happened to come across a relatively inexpensive pair of pintuck jeans. Ok, it was really a  steal at $15. Since it felt a little trendy, I didn't want to spend much money on them just to try out something new. Well, sometimes you get lucky. This trend has turned into a basic tool in my wardrobe.

Some of you may be scratching your heads. What is pintuck, you ask? Literally, a pintuck is a pleat in the fabric. For pants, a pintuck is a very small pleat or seam sewn typically down the front of the pant. The advantage for the petite ladies is that this simple pleat has a great elongating effect. More simply said, I feel taller. I have subsequently bought 4 pairs of pintuck pants and jeans.

Since this is not a wide trend, these styles are not the easiest to find. But there are several examples out there this season. The color versions from Asos and Diane Von Furstentburg can border on a Mad Men set. I personally prefer a skinny or straight leg version for pintuck, but AG Jeans is doing some dark wash flare that are nice too. I found my recent editions on Gilt, picking up some dark grey Nili Lotan trousers and James Jeans. The picture here is a very classic DVF style.

I dream of jewelry

After realizing I am all stocked up on basics this season - plenty of jackets, tees, jeans, and shoes - I have decided to turn my attention to jewelry. For the record, the most expensive piece of jewelry I own is my wedding band. That's right, wedding band. There is no big rock on this band. I have no passion for precious stones or real metals. My bar is much lower. I try to avoid things that turn my skin green. Nevertheless, I have decided to pay some attention this season to jewelry. Much like great outwear, outstanding jewelry can make a very simple tee and jeans into a stand out outfit. And you don't have to think that much. White tee, good jeans, good shoes, simple jacket and a great necklace - done.

So my quest for jewelry begins. While I lean toward traditional on the clothing front, I find jewelry is a great way to add comic relief or a bit if "f-yeah" to an outfit. There is one designer that I just can't stop drooling over, but I haven't willed myself to shell out the cash yet. Iosselliani is an Italian jewelry designer that uses lots of different textures, metals and colors for each piece. The picture here includes brass, silver, crystals and horns. That's right horns - "f-yeah"! You get my point.

Luv Aj is also great for adding a little bit of rock and roll to my more conservative style. And its a more affordable price point. Lulu Frost is lovely for bigger pieces. If you are in the Seattle area, a great place for unique finds is Hitchcock up in Madrona. My friend, Erica, introduced me to this shop and they in turn introduced me to Iosselliani. If you can appreciate international shopping, FarFetch has one of the best selections I've found online.

The one thing I have found challenging for jewelry shopping this season is that there is a ton of brass and gold. These two tones are not my friend. Silver and blue based tones are my primary palette. I keep repeating to myself "I will not buy unless it is silver," tempting though the brass may be.

What jewelry designers are you coveting this year?

Spring has sprung

 

This is my favorite outfit so far this season. Check out the conservative duds with the "f-yeah" necklace. One of my colleagues tells me this necklace scares him. I love the juxtaposition of the nice girl sweater set against the the rock and roll necklace and shoes. The early tan doesn't hurt either for putting me in the summer mood. 

Are you in the summer mood yet?

P.S. Please ignore the messy wardrobe. What was I thinking for this background?!

Red Pants

Many years ago my wardrobe consisted of black, white, tan, and grey tones. This was pre-stylist and represented both the conservative nature of my job in corporate America and my lack of understanding on how to use color. Any use of color I could muster was "cute-sy", bordering on childish. Since finding a stylist, I have better understood how the right colors make me look better, brighter, and younger. Yes, forget fancy creams and pick the right color to loose weight and look younger in seconds. If you need a refresher on your colors, check out this earlier post.

On to the color trend of the moment. If you have not purchased colored jeans in the last year, you are either terrified of the potential fashion faux pas or you may be living under a rock. Anyone producing jeans these days is making green, yellow, red, purple, hot pink, and cobalt blue versions of their favorites. With all of the colored jeans being produced in the last year, one must ask themselves, is this trend for me? Or will I regret the photos in 10 years?

The trick to the trend is to wear these jeans with more basic colored tops - white, black, navy or tan. If you must do a print, stay with these basic colors but choose a plaid, stripe, or small print. Keep it simple out of the gates so you can warm up to the color trend. Color blocking (using two vibrant colors side by side) should not be attempted as the first venture into colored jeans. Otherwise, you may find yourself running and screaming away from color for the foreseeable future.

Are colored pants just for women, you ask? In 2009, I traveled to Italy and found many men sporting brick red pants. My husband is a brave soul. He picked up the color trend long before me with red, blue, pink and pale blue pants to boot.

I am happy to report I've successfully ventured into both red and blue jeans in the last 12 months. I'm steering clear of green and yellow, which are outside of my complementary color family. I have attempted one color block outfit, though I don't think I will return to that again soon. Maybe in another couple years.

Sincerely,
Style Illiterate

Color block travel

I'm 4 months into a new job that requires me to travel quite a bit. My normal trip starts with a cab to the airport at about 4:30 am, which allows me to step off the plane directly into afternoon meetings. So I need to look professional and be really comfortable for the long commute. Getting this look down is a challenge that I'm still working on. Here is an attempt at the color block theme. Sadly, this shot misses the leopard print shoes which make drab a little more playful.

Always a work in progress,
Style Illiterate

Brand segments - Did I share this already?

I realize in my earlier post today that I use some terms that might not be familiar to you. These are a little bit "industry" terms, but I find them useful in understanding some of the advertising and positioning that brands take. 

• Haute Couture: Synonymous with “high fashion,” haute couture is a derivative of the French term “high sewing.” In France, the label “haute couture” is a protected designation and you must be a member of the syndicate. Designers, who attain this elusive and coveted title, produce custom-made clothing for the world’s most influential and wealthiest. These styles are not sold online, but are sold direct by designers to clients.
• Luxury: Prêt-a-Porter, Designer or “Ready to Wear” is one-step down from Haute Couture relative to price and exclusivity, but still serves a discerning and well to do client.  An example of sites focused on luxury includes net-a-porter.com, Barney’s, and Shopbop. The highest end of Nordstrom and Barney's is really Luxury.
• Bridge: Literally, the bridge between Contemporary and Luxury. Many luxury brands have alternative labels for the bridge market. Missoni has M Missoni. Chole has See by Cloe. Marc Jacobs has Marc by Marc Jacobs. Saks, Nordstrom, Barneys and even Amazon carry bridge products.
• Contemporary: This segment presents mid-priced fashions both fashion forward and quality driven. Oftentimes, these designers interpret fashions from the couture houses, making these fashions readily accessible. An example of sites includes J Crew, Banana Republic, and Anthropologie.
• Fast Fashion: Quickly produced product in a cost efficient manner, delivering “high fashion looking” garments, at the lowest price possible. The name relates to the manner of which items from the runway manufactured predominantly overseas with an extremely efficient turnaround. An example of stores includes H&M, Old Navy, Zara, and Urban Outfitters.
• Discount: Usually looked at loss leaders, have quickly adapted to the fast fashion concepts leveraging their consumer’s buying power and reputation to fashion exclusive designer collections. An example of stores includes Wal-Mart, Target, JC Penney, and Sear. 

That's my quick lesson. I think I might be Style Literate today!

2012 Shopping Guidelines: Part 2

Greetings, friends!

So you've probably already dipped your toe in shopping for fashion online. Maybe you have already cultivated a set of brands and know your sizes in these brands. Now you are ready for the brand aggregators. That's just a fancy way of saying Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Macy's, Amazon, etc. All the same rules from my first shopping entry apply (See original post) - don't forget to sign up for emails to watch for sales. What is different about shopping at department stores online?

1. Much broader brand selection allows you to shop one store.
2. A variety of price points across the store allows you to shop high and low.
3. The integration of online and in store is typically better than the single brand shops.
4. They typically have better selection of special sizes like petite and plus.

So let's review a few stores today that span the experience.

Nordstrom - Free shipping and free returns all the time. Nuf said. You can use the online shopping like your dressing room. Nordstrom legendary customer service carries over to its online space. I can also purchase online and pick up in the store. This lets me secure the item and determine if I need alterations when I arrive. Nordstrom also lets me shop by familiar in store department names like TBD, Savvy, or via C. This helps me orient price point and quality quickly. The site is aesthetically beautiful, which makes me happy to shop there. I can shop moderate (like Adidas) to designer (Prada). I can shop for a full season at Nordstrom if I need to. The one thing I don't like about Nordstrom is the lack of multiple views of items. Many other online retailers shot 3+ angles of a single garment. Nordstrom regularly only has one. This makes it a little harder to make a purchase decision.

Macy's - Just like the in store experience, the online shopping feels transactional. The site is functional. You pay shipping fees on purchases less that $100. You pay to return items, as well. Macy's doesn't have bridge or designer collections. I can shop moderate (like Adidas) to contemporary (Rachel Roy). Macy's doesn't allow me to pick up at the local store, but I can return at the store for free. I find Macy's great for filler pieces, but rarely shop a full season there.

Amazon - This is a bird of a different feather. You really need to know how to shop on Amazon to be successful with fashion there. Once you figure it out, it can be a great place to buy brands you love. First thing to consider here is Prime membership. This gives you unlimited, free shipping on products sold by Amazon. In costs $79 a year. For those who buy electronics and household items all year long, this makes a lot of sense. Moving on. While most people browse other clothing sites, many people search on Amazon. This can result in catastrophic results. Just type in evening dresses and you can giggle at the results. So instead of searching, please browse to clothing! Use the left hand navigation. Select clothing or shoes and wa-la. Ok, not quite. Select women. Now you are there. Select the category you want to shop. Once you are here, you gotta refine to get a manageable set of results. Are you tired yet? Let me tell you my trick. I just shop the contemporary shop. These are closer the brands I like and once I find an item I like, I can easily find other similar items on the detail page. And there are great brands, too - Joie, Winter Kate, Robert Rodriquez, Halston Heritage, etc. Amazon offers discount to bridge brands. I always select "Prime" as a filter to ensure my two day delivery applies and I get free returns. The last thing to know about Amazon fashion shopping is that Clothing and Shoes are two separate departments with two different return policies. On clothing, Amazon as the sellers offers free returns. On shoes, when Amazon is the seller, returns are not always free.

That's all for me today. I'll review more stores with each purchase.

Yours truly,
Style Illiterate

Corporate function

So my current work environment allows me to wear jeans most days, but I still have to pull out the corporate attire from time to time. I abandoned the formal suit look about 7 years ago and went for more mix and match suiting. Luckily, I have pieces that I can dress up or dress down. This outfit, for example, can be easily in formalized with jeans on the bottom or a jean jacket on top. Versatility is key to any happy wardrobe and happy dresser.

2012 Online Shopping Guidelines

Hello Friends and Happy New Year!

As you may be able to tell from my blog, I like to shop. My obsession since my baby arrived three years ago has turned from the in store shopping experience to the online shopping arena. And no, this is not a New Year’s resolution post to give up shopping. Instead, I want to share with you the lessons I have learned over the years, the best places to shop for what, the hidden ugliness to online returns, and other online shopping lessons.

Buying fashion online can be a little tricky. To be effective, you should know a few things in advance.

1. Cultivate specific brand stores for basics that have reliable fit. Yes, this will lead you to mall stores - JCrew, Banana Republic, Madewell, Loft, Gap, All Saints are good examples. After you know your fit/ sizes for a particular brand you will never have to stop in a mall again! Alternatively, cultivate specific brands you can rely on that are sold across multiple stores – James Jeans, Splendid, Frye as examples. This will allow you to shop multiple sites for the same brand. And don’t get hung up on size. I rang from a size 2 to a size 12 depending on the brand. The question is not the size, but the fit.
2. Sign up for the emails. These places have sales so frequently online that it feels like robbery to pay full price. Yes, that means you will have to clear out your inbox every morning until 9 AM with the sales news, but once you get the rhythm you won’t buy full price again.
3. Read the fine print. Some online stores are better than others on general returns, but even stores with the best return policies have final sale items. This means you can’t return it at all – no exchanges, credits or refunds. If you are unsure on a product, you don’t want to buy final sale (unless the deal is so good you don’t care if you lose the money to your curiosity).
4. Shop the competition. Once you have a specific item you want to buy, if it sells across multiple sites, be sure to check out the competition. This ensures that you will get the best deal. There are some sites like shopstyle.com that do an amazing job helping you with this research. No need to go site to site.

Now that you’ve prepared yourself, lets talk about some of the major players.

Gap/ Banana/ Piperlime – On the positive side, when you shop at these sites, you can have one shopping cart. Piperlime is definitely the more fashion forward of the three in the family and there are a range of price points across these families. Sizes, however, are not consistent. A Gap 6 does not equate to a Banana 6 to a Piperlime 6. You must know your size in the brand. Items are eligible for returns from 30-45 days. They make it easy to print off a UPS label to return from the site. Returns take about 2-3 weeks to credit your account. They are usually pretty good about getting your order right. The challenge with these guys is if the mess up something about your order, it is very hard to get it back on track.

J. Crew / Madewell – These are in the same company family. Sizes are cut pretty similarly for both stores. Both companies provide pre-printed labels for returns. I have even returned items that said “final sale” that they credit my card for. I have had no problem returning in store or online.  Returns are credited within two weeks to my card.

Anthropologie/ Urban Outfitters – These are the same company family. Since they stock a variety of labels, sizes are all over the place. Anthro has a very loyal set of customer reviewers so it is pretty easy to get good information from fellow shoppers. People even provide pictures of themselves with height/ weight measurements. The sad news is I have consistently had problems returning online items in the store.  My husband doesn’t like me shopping here anymore since it takes two or three more follow ups to get returns resolved.

All Saints – You might not have this store in your city yet. It is a London based shop. A little bit steam punk. I like it to punch up my basics. My husband is a rabid All Saints shopper. He can’t say no to a sale. And returns are easy breezy.  Labels are provided.

Ok. That’s all I have the energy for tonight. Next post, department stores and Amazon.com…

Yours truly,

Style Illiterate