Find Your Personal Colors from the Color Wheel
Color is the cheapest way to camouflage figure issues. It’s significantly cheaper than plastic surgery and carries few health risks. Everyone can wear some version of every color. For example, everyone can wear red, but maybe not the same type of red. A more muted (think dull), bright (think clear gloss), or intense red (think as much red as one can dumped into a color) would look better on you.
A quick way to uncover what colors look great on your is to hold a piece of gold fabric and a piece of silver fabric to your skin in a setting with lots of natural lighting. If the gold looks ...
Read MoreHM new Celebrity Designer Bridge Lines
Trend Central reports today on the arrival of a new designer to low price-ultra hip H&M’s roster. The store is resurrecting Elio Fiorucci, a popular resort wear designer from the 70s, in June. Fiorucci joins the incredible shrinking Chanel designer, Karl Lagerfeld and my favorite Isaac Mizrahi, as designers who are trying to stay relevant to the masses through mass market retailers. Lagerfeld, who has been quoted as stating he only makes clothes for the thin and fabulous, obviously has no problem making clothes for the cheap.
Next up . . . Stella McCartney
Read MoreWhere to Shop in San Francisco
Budget Fashionista Tip: When traveling, only shop at the stores you don’t have in your hometown—it will help you build a unique wardrobe.
I love San Francisco. You have the water, breathtaking views, delicious food, and when things start to get boring, a nice earthquake comes along to shake things up. San Francisco also has amazing fashions—this IS the place that invented the “Boho Chic”.
This past week I was in S.F. speaking at a large conference of business women in the bay area. Still hurting from the Internet crash of 2000, the attendees were eager for tips on how to look ...
Read MoreWest Elm: Affordable Fashions for Home
I’ve been on a quest to find well constructed, expertly designed furniture that doesn’t cost more than my home. For a long time, the only option seemed to be Ikea, whose furniture is of questionable quality, but incredibly affordable, or Design Within Reach, whose furniture is of high quality and expertly designed (Eames inspired dining chairs for well under $200 bucks), but borders on the edge of expensive.
Enter West Elm.
The store, with it’s catalog and web site, is a less expensive Crate ‘n’ Barrel, for those who like clean lines in their furniture. Find upholstered bucket ...
Read MoreNew Outlet: Seattle Premium Outlets
Budget Fashionistas in the upper Pacific Northwest no longer have to travel to neighboring cities like Portland or Vancouver to find deals on designer fashions. Chelsea Premium Outlets, the folks behind the fame Woodbury Outlets, have opened a new outlet mall just outside of Seattle.
The new outlet mall, cleverly named Seattle Premium Outlets, boasts outlets from big name retailers like Burberry, Ann Taylor, Nike, and Banana Republic. Sign up for their VIP club to get exclusive coupons and deals to your favorite outlets.
Seattle Premium Outlets
10600 Quil Ceda Blvd.
Tulalip, WA ...
Sell Your Old Clothes on eBay
At the end of every season, I clean out the closets in prep for the upcoming season. This time consuming, but strangely gratifying, task is done over a three-day period and includes several plastic lawn bags and at least one nervous breakdown.
After at least three glasses of white wine and four mini fashion shows in front of my full length mirror (does this lime green jacket still work?), I come up with four piles of clothing—keepers, keepers but need help, gifts to Sally (a.k.a Salvation Army), and moneymakers (things to sell).
The selling of the old for the funding of the new is a ...
Read MoreEthnic Look Part Deux: Cotton Skirts
I refuse to pay over $30 bucks for trendy items, especially ones that are inherently cheap in their nature.
Like the whole cotton broomstick/prairie skirt/just back from Bali trend. I love the skirts; they are incredibly comfortable, lightweight, and provide just the right amount of coverage for my ever expanding backside. However, $200 bucks for a basic cotton skirt is absolutely ridiculous. Plain and simple.
What’s a fashionista to do?
Head to your local PayHalf, H&M or Strawberry’s, where you can get 10 different cotton skirts for the price of one. Focus on the fit The skirt ...
Read MoreHow to Score Outlet Mall Coupon Books for Free
I’m probably going to get banded from outlets malls for saying this . . .
Never, ever, EVER, purchase the little coupon books for outlet malls. First, it is really ridiculous to make you pay for something that actually encourages you to spend more money. Second, you can get them FREE by logging onto their websites.
Most outlet malls, like the Chelsea Premium Outlets (owners of Woodbury Commons), allow you to print out a coupon to get the coupon book. If you are shopping with more than one person, make sure you print out coupons with their names on it. For some reason the outlet ...
Read MoreLa Redoute: Affordable French Designs
La Redoute is the French equivalent of H&M, featuring the latest styles and exclusive bridgelines from designers like Jean Paul Gaultier (of Madonna cone breast fame) and Vanessa Bruno at prices that normal people can actually afford.
The Jean Paul Gaultier corset dress is so hot, that people will swear you picked it up on your last trip to Paris. Prior to discovering La Redoute, the only thing I could afford from Cacharel was their Anais Anais perfume. Thanks to the online fashion mecca, I can actually purchase a bag from the designer without having to eat ramen noodles for next 3 ...
Read MoreHow to Unshrink a Wool Sweater
You can stretch your sweater by soaking the garment in a tub of gentle hair condition and lukewarm water. DO NOT wring the sweater, but after draining the sink, press the sweater against the side of the basin to drain the excess water. Remove the garment and lay it flat on a really thick towel that is very absorbent. Use another towel to blot the excess water away. Gently pull the sweater into the desired shape. Let the sweater air dry flat.
Interesting Fact: A similar procedure, called blocking, is used by high-end knit designers like St. John Knits to “stretch” garments to a larger ...
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