shopping Archives - Page 7 of 9

Struggling with a “Good Deal”

I get lots of offers, and I'm sure you do too. Often, I find myself thinking about the offer a whole lot more than I really should, and a LOT more than the offer deserves... How to sort this out? Advice welcome; let me share with you my current dilemma.

I just received this in the mail. I have a very well-documented love of Eileen Fisher clothing and design, so seeing this in my mail will of course immediate spark my interest - at least to see what she's got new and interesting for this season called "spring", which I don't understand, here in sub-zero Chicago...

Flip over the mailer, and I get more intrigued:

If there's ANYTHING I like more than a tidy list of garments, I don't know what it is. ... View the Post

Start with Art: Abstract by Nicolas de Stael

February 15, 2014 This beautiful work is Abstract, by Nicolas de Stael, and these cool, subtle colors are amazing for the upcoming summer. First, I'm looking for a neutral from within this painting. If you're comfortable wearing white, or if you have a good relationship with your dry cleaner, I would start with the crisp clarity of white for the initial four summer garments. Sandals that pair white with silver, and some silver loafers, might be all the change you need to update your existing wardrobe in this direction. If you're nervous about wearing this much white, substitute the deepest petrol blue...

If you've got budget and ambition to add to this summer wardrobe, look to the cool ... View the Post

Quarterly Shopping: 4th Quarter 2013

December 5, 2013

I discovered when I was on my seemingly endless road trip that I wore the same earrings for 11 straight days - the earrings pictured above. I love that sort of thing - when I find something that's so perfect that I don't mind constantly wearing it...Since the beginning of October, I bought the earrings, a striped sweater, and a new pair of grey pants to replace the pants of years gone by that collapsed from fatigue. Belovedest bought the terribly beautiful scarf for me... I already adore it.

I don't have the charcoal skirted leggings yet - they aren't going to be in the store for 2 weeks, but they're my last purchase for 2013. The link for the skirted leggings takes you to the black version, which are ... View the Post

The Shopping Sweet Spot

I live within walking distance of TWO Nordstrom Racks. Two. For those who don't share my good fortune, those are the stores where everything that didn't sell at Nordstrom goes to be flogged off at discount prices. While the store is mostly filled with dreck, there are almost always a few unspotted (but soiled) gems lurking around - especially if you're a fan of the kind of clothes that look sort of "meh" on the hanger.

So recently, I wandered into one of the stores and spotted a couple of grey Eileen Fisher tank tops, in her signature fabric that drapes beautifully, wears like iron, and flatters everybody! And my first thought:

"I could use that!"

Sigh... The world is full of things that could be ... View the Post

Dream SPECIFIC Wardrobe Dreams!

What's your dream wardrobe?

Be specific. Imagine that the first cool fall day has arrived (if you're in the Northern Hemisphere), and that you open your closet/armoire/cupboard door and you see it: the Dream Wardrobe.

How many outfits?

What are they? A grey mini-skirt with a grey tunic sweater, grey tights, and silver flats? A simple black wool dress with an amazing paisley scarf and low-heeled black suede pumps? Dream specific dreams.

And then write them down, or draw them...

Now distill these various outfits down to their necessary component parts and pieces.

Now figure out what you already own...

Your shopping list then looks like this:

For me, personally, my autumn purchase plan is the ... View the Post

More about Preloved

August 16, 2013

A number of readers have been curious about my Preloved shirt that I bought a few weeks ago in Toronto. Well, I adore it, and moreover, I really like the entire premise of the company...Even if you're not nuts about the idea of clothes made of multiple fabrics, Preloved has some wonderful things to consider:

A tote bag made of khaki pants, lace, and leather - I think this is SO beautiful.

A hooded sweatshirt for children - what a brilliant idea!

A couple of old tee shirts, made into a pillow.

I do not get commissions from Preloved; I support them enthusiastically because of their thoughtful solution to the endless global problem of garment waste.

love,

Janice ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Planning for a New Season, and learning from success

Everybody talks about learning from failure, but there are some excellent lessons to be learned from our successes, too.I've been really loving my summer wardrobe, and thus have decided to carefully think about the garments that I'm wearing frequently, and consider the possibility of finding a cool-weather version of those garments. Building on my summer successes, if you will.

First and foremost, I'm wearing a black tank FREQUENTLY. The logical shift for cooler weather, to my mind, will be a long-sleeved top with a similar cut and a similar neckline. Something like this:

So my favorite summer outfits will transition like this! A simple tank and skirt, with a cardigan over my shoulders, will become more like a ... View the Post

Pantone Fall Colors, and the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

July 28, 2013

I might be the last blogger in the world to be mentioning the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, but it's certainly worth mentioning, IF you have a clear idea of what you're planning to purchase for this fall and winter. Nordstrom marks down selected NEW merchandise for a couple of weeks, before returning those items to their regular price in early August. IF, AND ONLY IF, you KNOW what you need and want, this can be a great opportunity. If you just wander in unprepared, you're doomed - everything looks delectable, and you will leave laden with parcels, flat broke, and confused...

I'm going to show you a few things that are currently on sale, and I've chosen them to reflect the colors that Pantone has advised ... View the Post

Choosing a scarf – Hermes, in black

June 10, 2013

Many people ask me how I choose the scarves I buy... (I can hear my mother, replying "Veeeeery carefully!") Most important, absolutely, is that you should LOVE the scarf. Not just like it, not just think that it goes well with your wardrobe - you've got to feel strongly, and perhaps in a way that you can't explain rationally. The appreciation of beauty is a gut-level reaction that can't always be verbalized, and can never be faked. This is as true for an inexpensive scarf picked up at a street fair, just as much as it's true with an Hermes - it should be true for anything that goes into your closet, frankly...

So, hypothetically, you've narrowed your choices down to six different scarves. All Hermes, all ... View the Post

Do you actually WEAR your favorite clothes?

May 10, 2013 Yesterday, when I was getting dressed, I reached out for my favorite silk jacket. It's from Eileen Fisher, it's a color she calls cobblestone, which is sort of bronze/grey/green, and when I wear it I look tall and thin and young, and AMAZINGLY stylish. I reached. And then I pulled back. WHAT????? Somewhere in the back of my mind lurks this voice that says "oh, save that for a special occasion..." Really? At my age? It's not like I'm going to get dirty on the playground, nor spill chocolate milk on myself at lunch. (mmmmm....chocolate milk....) What's the worst thing that can happen?

I might be the best-dressed person at work. (Oh bother) ... View the Post

Do you HAVE a clothing budget?

I field a LOT of criticism because I show very expensive clothing in my prototype wardrobes. Constantly, I am told that "I can't afford ______."

So I ask the writer to tell me what their clothing budget is, and I will try to work within their budget to find some things that they will like.

Nobody - EVER - has come back to me with a number.

We all know, possibly to the penny, what we're going to spend next month on our housing costs.

We know within reasonable limits what our utility costs will be. Ditto for transportation, food, retirement savings, and personal care expenses.

Is clothing LESS of a necessity?

But for most of us, the clothing budget is like a force of nature. Or driven completely by whims. Or ... View the Post

Denim shirt – Found!!!

I'm over at Tish's today, extolling the wisdom of buying one perfect dress, and wearing it constantly...

And as for what I've been up to:

This is the winner - from J.Jill - NO breast pockets, princess seams, 100% cotton - but not bulky or heavy. AND it's available in Misses, Petites, (yaaaay, no sleeve shortening for me!), Womens and Talls.

Why can't more companies provide a wider range of sizes?

Honestly, if I needed new clothing in a hurry, J. Jill might be the first place I would go, if only because I know that I could buy things that would not need to be altered. Petite clothes are THAT rare, and save me a lot of time and alteration money... ... View the Post