What to Swap?!?!

You might be asking yourself, "Do I have anything stylish in my closet to contribute to a swapping party?"  Going through your closet to find great pieces can be a lot easier than you think! We have all made purchases we regret, the sale item we couldn't resist, that piece that was a size too small or the the thing you bought on a whim and haven't yet taken off the price tag. Here's a guide to help you make the right decision on what to let go and swap. The key thing to keep in mind is to trade something you hardly wore for something you'll never want to take off.

Items That Should Go:

1. Tags still attached: How long has it been hanging in that closet of yours? You either have no idea how to wear it or you don't feel comfortable enough in it to leave the house.

2. The piece you've only worn once: You tried it out and saw hideous pictures of yourself in it so why would you hold on to something like that?

3. Too small/ too big: If you tend to fluctuate in weight, feel free to have section for these pieces but you must keep in mind, it may be best to let them go. Sometimes we think we will lose or gain weight, but why have a mindset of something uncertain?

4. Shoes: Uncomfortable, too tight, slipping out of them or only wore them once.

5. Jewelry and more jewelry: This is a big one ladies! We tend to emphasize cleaning out our closets but if you take the time to go through your jewelry box, you'll find that 3/4 of those pieces have hardly been used at all. Mostly because of you've forgotten about them or received them as a gift.

Now you should be ready to pack your things up and kiss them goodbye. Instead of taking them to Goodwill, consider swapping them out.  This gives you the chance find pieces that you'll wear more than once.  Not only that, it gives you an excuse to go out with your girlfriends or solo, and enjoy a weekday getaway.

Join us! Seattle's 1st Annual Swapping Spree on August 31st will not only be a swap, you will have the opportunity to indulge in beauty services by local experts, Duque Salon and Tiffany Nash Beauty. Don't miss your chance! Purchase your tickets and find more information at swappingspree.eventbrite.com.

The proceeds of this event are benefiting AdelantNow.org. Additionally, your un-swapped items will be donated to Jubilee Woman's Center - "To provide woman a supportive place to live and an opportunity to learn will become self-reliant in housing and employment".

No More Dress Drama

Dresses are ultra feminine, lightweight, and easy to wear. Why not stock up?

SLEEK AND CHIC

 

Nordstrom $168

Color your professional world with a sleek dress and print.
Style Tip: Avoid clingy dresses if you are uncomfortable exposing your figure

 

SEXY ALL OVER

Caché $138

Hugs all the right places and will give you the ultimate sexy summer look. Easy travel piece that can be dressed down with nude, flat sandals or dressed up with strappy gold heels.

Style Tip: Remember, the trick to a tight dress is it has to hug all the right places, if you feel at all uncomfortable, move on to the next sexy dress.

ULTIMATE SAFARI

Banana Republic $130

Instead of cargos and and olive green top, try the style in a bright color. The tie-around waist, pockets, and sleeveless cut make this the ultimate safari piece.

Style Tip: Make sure the tie sits right on your mid section, if it accentuates your midsection in a negative way, avoid this cut.

YOUR EASY NEUTRAL

White House | Black Market $128

Tired of florals? Here is another one of Mother Nature's prints: the leaf. The detailing in the band around the middle adds a bold, unique flair. Wear a pair of red heels and you're dressed up and ready to go.

Style Tip: This dress is travel-friendly, casual, and also a dressy.

CASUAL YEAR-ROUND

J. Crew $59.50

Boots and sandals - they both compliment this dress. Easy-to-wash and a good piece for going to the farmer's market or for a lazy Sunday.

Style Tip: Have fun with the belt! Find one with texture, print, or a bold color.

"I like being a woman, even in a man's world. After all, men can't wear dresses, but we can wear the pants."
~Whitney Houston

Summer Sandals Under $50

Summer in Seattle is the most beautiful time of year, but it's short visit makes light weight tops, open toed shoes, and colorful pieces the last thing you want to invest in. I do recommend to have at least one nice sandal to wear with everything for the 2-3 months that we have sunshine. Last year's sandal may not make the cut, check to make sure it doesn't look worn and torn. Below are styles that will update your summer wardrobe.

PREPPY

Anthropologie $49.95

Stripes look great on tops and dresses but how many people have stripes on their shoes? Wear this season's hottest trend on your feet!

CASUAL

Swell.com $38

Instead of wearing your plastic flip flops to run errands try a style similar to the one above.

 

EDGY

ModCloth.com $32.99

This black chunky cut out sandal will provide you with style and comfort.

BOHEMIAN

Topshop $50

Wear these with denim, cropped pants and flowy skirts. It's intricate knit detail makes this soft and whimsical.

FEMININE

Piperlime $39.99

A great neutral you can combine with all your favorite colors this season and the best part, it will elongate you legs.

"Give a girl the correct footwear and she can conquer the world"
~ Bette Midler

Travel Worthy Pieces

They say packing light is the best way to travel but it’s tough to accomplish when you have so much to pick from. Here is a list of must have pieces and why you need them on your next vacation!

BLACK AND WHITE TOP

LOFT $49.50

You can wear a colorful cardigan, colorful (budget friendly) jewelry, white denim, black skirt, endless possibilities! Think of this as a blank slate to style any way you choose.

Style Tip: Black and white pieces are good year round!

NATURAL COLORED BELT

Anthropology $29.95

Looks great over a black dress, floral loose fitting top, even over a skirt with a tucked in top and cardigan for work.

Style Tip: When shopping for a belt, take a top or dress with you that can be belted. Try a skinny belt, medium size belt, and thicker belt. Ask yourself, which you feel most comfortable wearing.

SOLID COLORED DRESS

Max and Mia $68

The magic of this piece is you can wear it with wedges in the summer and boots in the fall. I know you want your money to stretch as far as possible.

Style Tip: Although this can be worn in Fall, make sure to inspect your pieces. If it looks tired and worn, don’t think twice about letting it go and finding a new dress.

CROSSBODY BAG

Steve Madden $24.99

If you are going on a plane or to the park, you want to carry as little as possible. The best option is a crossbody bag that is small, a neutral color, and sits nicely against your body.

Style Tip: The point is to carry as little as possible, don’t overstuff!

BELTED UTILITY JACKET

Armani Exchange $79

You want a jacket that is lighter color than your black jacket! Look for light brown, beige, or gray. These pieces can be combined with all your colorful tops.

Style Tip: Don’t wear that boxy GAP jacket hanging in your closet from years ago. Find a new one that flatters your figure and updates your look this summer!

COMFORTABLE SANDALS

Chie Mihara

I love a sexy sandal but if you are going to be walking around and want an option other than your plastic flip flops, here it is!

COLORFUL JEWELRY

Chico’s $34

Sometimes you can find great jewelry for a good price at Chico’s. These earrings above are chunky and bold great with anything from a dress to jeans. You won’t want to take your favorite expensive pieces, so have fun with colored gems!

"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world."
~ Ada Louise Huxtable

Save the Girls III

Materials used: Blue fabric, purple fabric, feathers, gold muffin cups, and purple glass beads

Price: $17.68

Time spent sewing: 8 hours

I believe in miracles.... I know the impossible IS possible.

Growing up, one of my best friends was a boy 5 years younger than me and I always felt it was up to me to take care of him. Laughter is the best medicine, he was the silliest most entertaining kid to be around and through it all, his mother was battling breast cancer.

The cancer one day had litteraly spread to her whole body and there was nothing the doctors could do. In bed, motionless, she was about to give up. No one could make her feel at ease. Then suddenly the thought of her 3 children brought her out of bed and immediatley the pain had left. At her next doctor visit, EVERYONE was completely stunned....it had dissapeared, the cancer was gone.

2011 marks more than 10 years that this brave woman is cancer free.

Participating in Save the Girls is my contribution to help find a cure. I've seen my friend and his family struggle and in the end find releif, but there are still many others battling.

My bra this year was inspired by salsa dancing since all I did the week before was practice for the NW Salsa Competition. It was a pleasure to donate my time and prick my little fingers trying to sew it all by hand.

Thank you to Little Black Dress Events for putting together another great event!

Article by NW Source: http://www.nwsource.com/shopping/blog/save-girls-designer-bra-fashion-show-features-models-clad-celebrity-designed-brassieres?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4ded1b91858b4aff%2C0

Expect the unexpected

Let me share with you a new client who LOVES to shop, owns many designer pieces, and had only worn the same few items over and over again. She found me at my consignment boutique and told me she knows she has great pieces but needs help condensing her closet and finding out how to use what she already owns.

When I opened her closet I couldn’t believe the variety of clothing she had. I could tell she knew how to search for quality and understood what she liked but wasn’t making the most of her wardrobe. When I asked her how she would describe her style she explained, “I love to attend art shows and like to wear the unexpected, but I am not showing off my creative side as much as I’d like.”

I had three sessions with her and after the first consultation she couldn’t believe how many outfits could come from her wardrobe and she saw her pieces in a whole new light. The best part was to hear her say she wanted to go out more because she feels so good in everything now.

Three ways to achieve the unexpected look:

Mix Prints!

A floral top can be combined with polka dots or stripes. Just make sure you have the right shoe to bring together the look. Here I used a pale yellow heel to add more color and lighten the look for springtime!

Casual vs. Dressy

Why women don't wear their favorite pieces more often? They categorize their shoes, tops, pants, skirts, etc as casual or dressy and strictly use it that way. Look at how great this outfit looks! A cotton striped "casual" top with a flirty floral "dressy" skirt and of course the perfect shoe a color blocked flat sandal to make this "dressy" skirt appropriate for a summer day.

Combining different textures

I wouldn't pair a cotton tee and a cotton vest, instead wear a silky floral top and a long coton vest in a slightly heavier weight with your favorite black pants and sandals. A laid back, effortlessly put together look. People will look at how great you look and wonder, how does she do that?

That is just a little sneak peak at the magic of combining pieces in new ways. Try something new, have fun with the pieces you love and wear them more often.

Special Finds You Won't Believe

Thrift store shopping can be a treasure hunt if you have patience and know what to look for. I thought I'd share a few things I found for clients, all different ages and styles.

Vertigo - Size: M - $12.97

This client loves color and classic pieces, the zip up jacket above is flattering and a great material for travel. It's warm enough for Seattle and bright enough for spring.

Black and White Top - Size: M - $7.99

Everyone can use a nice black and white top for spring/summer, it's perfect for pairing with colorful cardigans and tailored jackets.

Green Sweater - Size M - $9.97

I'm loving this peapod color for the season, bold hues and khaki make a great combo. Gold jewelry adds a nice glamorous touch to this green as well.

Ann Taylor - Size M - $9.97

A red top and white pants look so hot. Perfect detailing along the neckline makes this top great to wear underneath jackets or on it's own!

$2.99- Necklace

Stock up on fun jewelry, these are glass beads with a floral painted design and braided chain.

Liz Claiborne - $29.97

Okay, so I kept this one for myself but look at the beauty of it! No scratches looks brand new. I say if you are going to spend less on a bag, venture away from the typical black handbag. You can have fun with the style and color if you spend less, take a risk!

BARGAIN SHOPPING TIPS:

1. Inspect the piece: No stains, rips, tears

2. It should look fairly new

3. It must FIT correctly

4. It should fit your signature style, just because it fits, doesn't mean you will wear it.

5. Fall in love with the piece and not the price tag.

"I love fashion it's artwork you get to wear." - Fendi