All Wrapped Up

Well, kids. It's getting cold. Case in point, last weekend the east coast got hammered with our first snowstorm (October 29th!) which resulted in a slew of power outages and damage across multiple states. Goodness, you know what that means...

It's COAT SEASON! Woohoo!

I'm back working a little retail for the holiday season, and I have been selling coats like crazy. Last night, I worked with these two women to find the most perfect coat. They hemmed and hawed about whether THIS was the year to finally quit spending money on coats that were "cute" but simply lacked the quality and warmth factor to sustain multiple winters. Lucky for me, I was armed with ample suggestions :)

So, if you're on the hunt for the winter coat you need, let me share a few tips:

1. Buy quality: look for strong reinforced seaming and details that won't rip off, tear or pull
2. Know what you wear underneath: I talk with women all the time about how they want a coat to "fit"- but realistically, they aren't considering how heavy of a top that may be worn under the coat. If you tend to wear heavy sweaters or layer a lot, buy a coat that gives you a little room in the arms and bodice.
3. You don't have to pay a lot for a good coat, but yes, if you want a coat to last 10-15 years, you should pay a little more. Think price per wear!
4. A few designers to look out for: Hilary Radley, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Guess and Laundry make a really great coat. If you are willing to spend more for one that may last longer, it's true- Burberry, Mackage, and Moncler will reign.
   
   
   How fabulous is this puffer coat? I'm obsessed :)
   
   
   
   
   

Design Sponge

Ironically, when growing up, I wasn't the creative, artsy one. I have several friends who were way more deserving of that title...they studied art in college, had a hand in printmaking, jewelry or painting, even sold some of their pieces. That definitely surpassed me.

I think I started to embrace my creativity as I got older- maybe looked at it differently since I wasn't the standard artistic person, but I knew that I loved design, clothing and all things color related! So, when my dear friend K shared this GREAT website with me, all the artistic, creative juices in me have really started to flow. Design Sponge is amazing!

Here's a sampling of my favorites...

My mom (a seamstress and lover of all things in the sewing world) would love knowing that I actually paused for a few moments and considered embroidery after seeing this little gem. It's a tea towel calendar, with the "2012" stenciled in for an easy to follow pattern- love it!


K and I swooned over this couch reupholster project- I want a yellow couch now too! Although my cute little condo could never fit this beauty. Hope you enjoy the design world :)

The Great White Shirt 2

Many moons ago, I wrote on laundering best white t-shirt and since then, I have also discovered the best white button-down for ladies.

I've been on the hunt for a new white button down for over a year. I wanted several specific things: thickness (hate when it's too thin and you can see everything underneath), softness (clearly cotton, but want it to feel like you have owned it for years), no-iron (b/c honestly, I hate to do it), and appropriate pleating (so it actually fits me, rather than bags out).

Perhaps too ambitious? I was beginning to think so, until Banana Republic released a line of no-iron blouses that are PERFECT! I went in, tried it on, and it was as if the heavens opened up at last.


If you happened to receive the Wednesday coupon deals at BR for the month of October, you have the option to shop for one full price item at 40% off. So, now that $59.50 is down to $35.70. And just like that, the search is over.

Alleluia.

Who's Next for Target?

Remember Michelle Obama's inauguration dress?

Remember the designer?

Remember how Target partners with famous designers?

Jason Wu...welcome to Target on February 5th!

13 Pieces, 31 Days of Style!

Do you read LUCKY magazine? If not, you missed a really terrific insert in the October issue that paired up with Banana Republic.

Somewhat reminiscent of my last post on Project 333, Banana Republic has created their own twist: they show you 13 key pieces (naturally from this Fall's collection) that you can wear 31 different ways! I was thrilled when I discovered that my own closet already contained more than half of the suggestions above, which positions me well for this little experiment.

This isn't a particularly novel idea, but I do like how manufacturers are thinking about the consumer. I mean, we can't all purchase 13 new pieces of clothing at once. I added it up: their total wardrobe for all 13 pieces totals $1332.50. But here's the reality: They are banking that you probably have 4-5 of their suggestions, and then will maybe purchase 2-3 more to complete the look. Still money in the bank for Banana. And you (and me) will be able to create 5-10 new outfits with those few additional pieces.

So, I'm gonna try it. This will be good practice for my 33 items for 3 months challenge when the cold weather sticks.

Stay tuned...