Mixing It Up

Q. from Dana-I am so tired of my sweater sets, should I just toss them?

A. from Joyce-No. Try mixing it up.

This floral rosette tank top from J.Crew($98) gives new life to an old cardigan. p://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/sweaters/jcrewcashmere/PRD~96101/96101.jsp

Little Fashionistas

(not my actual kids)

This past weekend I took my twelve year old daughter and three of her friends shopping.

One of the stores they like is H&M. It is a great store for preteens and teens, because the clothes are trendy and inexpensive. Fads changes and teens grow quickly, so quality is not an issue for them.

While I was waiting for my little fashionistas to try on the entire store, I found a purple knit scarf for $14.90 for me. I think H&M is great for accessories or a little fun blouse to add to your wardrobe. If you do choose to shop there, look at the quality of the fabric, the cut of the item, and age appropriateness of the piece. The price may be tempting, but choose wisely.

http://www.h&m.com/

Shades of Gray

Bright bold colors all everywhere this fall.

Worn with black makes a bold statement.

But if that is not your style, try putting your berries and bright blues, and greens with grays.

Gray neutralizes the overall brightness of an outfit creating a sophisticated elegant look.

This dress and cardigan are from Magaschoni. If this is more than you wish to spend (it is for me)- just look at it as an example of what works. http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod65350096&parentId=cat18040733&masterId=cat18040732&index=65&cmCat=cat000000cat000001cat000003cat18040732cat18040733

Just Right

Fall, it's not hot, it's not cold-It's just right.

And so is this cotton cardigan from Anne Klein.

For $69.50 this machine washable sweater can be worn with jeans on a casual day or slacks/skirt to work. Either way, you will look stylish and fabulous. http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2982766/0~2376776~2374327~6012183~6012185?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6012185&P=1

Crossing the Pond

GEORGETOWN WELCOMES

KAREN MILLEN ENGLAND

PLEASE COME JOIN US FOR THE GRAND OPENING OF THE HOTTEST WOMEN’S WEAR DESIGNER IN LONDON

Tuesday, August 26, 2008
11:00 am – 8:00 pm
1259 Wisconsin Avenue
Washington, DC 20007
202.333.0280

Finally, time to relax

Now that the kids are heading back to school, you can finally relax with that hot cup of coffee. It's time to think about you-and your fall wardrobe.

With the economy the way it is, it's more important now than ever to plan your purchases wisely.

Make a list of what you need and want( yes, they are two different things), and a budget. I always suggest to my clients to spend on the basics and find your trendier pieces for less.

One good way to get started is browse through the websites, see what is available and what you like. If they are too expensive, just use them as an idea. Think of them as inspiration pieces-you can always find something similar for less.

Here are a few websites to get you started:

http://www.shopbop.com/ http://www.neimanmarcus.com/ http://www.revolveclothing.com/

True Adoration

Whether you are shopping locally or going out of town,

Here's how to find the perfect place to shop...

StoreAdore

I love this website.

Whenever I am traveling to a new city or wanting to try somewhere new at home,

I log onto http://www.storeadore.com

I plug in where I'm going and what I'm looking for. Then, I print out my list and off I go.

Along with detailed shopping info, they have an informative blog, discounts and contests, and a community to read and leave comments.

Meredith Barnett (former editor of Lucky Mag) and Cristina Miller, best friends and avid shoppers, created this fabulous site. With all the great information on this user friendly site, you will find what you want in no time; but this site is so much fun you may not want to leave. They have become the go-to girls for great finds. StoreAdore is the mapquest for shopping.