Wrinkle Free Heaven

Recently, my brother and cousin were on the look out for some wrinkle free dress shirts. These are two men who have to wear button downs everyday for their professions, and my brother even has to sport a tie. As I assisted with their purchases, I had a good conversation with these two about the value of the wrinkle free cotton shirt, one that I found insightful and helpful as a personal shopper:

1. For obvious reasons, they are easy. You wash, you dry, and you hang it up. Done.
   
2. The quality of the cotton is thick, which helps make the shirt look sharper (without the added chemical starch).
3. They come both in button down and non-button down collars- great for the versatility of tie vs. non tie.
4. As you wear the shirt throughout the day, it doesn't wrinkle. You know that "post car ride wrinkle"- that's why men wear jackets. But with these shirts, it's just not necessary.

Both Brooks Brothers and Nordstrom make a great no iron shirt- I've heard men rave about them for years. And here's a tip, fellas- Brooks Brothers is having their summer clearance NOW- 50% off (so these shirts are $40 now) and Nordstrom is having their Anniversary sale through August 1st...(shirts are also $40).

Wrinkle Free, my brothers!

Forward...March!

If you haven't already noticed, fall items are out. And it's time to buy them. Because, let's face it, when we want wool trouser pants or a cashmere sweater, they will be much more expensive and harder to find! This fall, one particular trend is catching my eye, and perhaps yours too.

The military jacket.

I never particularly loved this look, until I scored a lovely Ralph Lauren dark denim military jacket for $26 recently! It's absolutely perfect- fitted with a little stretch, with the iconic large gold buttons to sharpen the look. In fact, it was so perfect, my mom and sister immediately went out to buy one for themselves. After all, we live in three separate cities :)

I liked this Ralph Lauren jacket- military with a twist...and in white!I also liked this knit version (although it's juniors- ignore that. it's way too cute to pass up at that price.) Whatever you decide, pay attention to three things:

1) the buttons (the golder, and more intricate, the better)
2) the rugged feel (it should have a little edge to it- after all, it IS a military jacket)
3) the pockets (all military jackets have multiple pockets- the more utilitarian it appears, the better)

It's at least one way you can ignore the summer heat and look forward to brisk fall!

21 + 10...never too old

Now that I'm working in retail, I'm discovering all kinds of little "finds" at a discount. I coveted a co-worker's black blazer with adorable ruffles and the perfect weight for cool indoors (malls are notoriously freezing)...only to find she paid $15 at Forever 21 for it!

I NEVER (and I mean never) wanted to go into that store. It looked like a tween's haven, and believe me, I am long past my tween's. Well, since my co-worker said she was 21 times 2 plus 6...I figured I had a shot to discover something there that wasn't too inappropriate for my age.

I found the $15 jacket (yes!) and came across some other terrific finds- again, remember the quality of these items are what you pay for, but honestly, when you want something that looks nice, but aren't really interested in paying for trends at high prices, Forever 21 has a monopoly on the market.

I adored this jacket, which is reminiscent of some much more expensive St. John...check out the comparison!
And who wouldn't love these gardenia stud earrings that are SO much like Chanel or Kate Spade??Honestly, I'm ok with 21 + 10....