If you, like me, have become totally enamored with silk slip dresses, this is the blog post for you. Yes! They are everywhere. And Yes! They are feminine, functional and can be flattering. They can also be challenging to work with as the weather cools off. If you adore the idea of a silk slip dress but find that it doesn’t feel flattering on your frame or is a chore to style, we’ve got you covered.

Before we begin, All Saints has a stellar collection of “2 in 1s” or “two-fers.” Either name refers to a sweater that comes with a silk slip dress. They are beautiful and not inexpensive. This is one of my favorites. Enjoy a wide variety of prices and several styling options just for YOU. As always, I’d love to hear how it goes. Happy Fall, Dear Reader.

How to Shop for the Best 46 #EdgyPieces at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2023

Few events are as impactful as Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale, at least when you are a personal stylist for women:) Yes! Seattle is the home to Nordstrom HQ and that alone makes us love this sale. But, what truly sets anniversary apart from the others is that the sale consists of items for fall that are on sale first. When the sale is over, the prices increase. So, we have the opportunity to stock up on items that we’ll be wearing as the weather changes, rather than items that are from last season.

As a member of the Poplin community, you know that seeing something you like that is within your budget and available in your size is not reason enough to purchase it. The most important factor to determine whether or not you make a purchase is confirming that this piece communicates your authentic personal style and is available in a color that works for you. This color can bring you joy or be in your color palette. Ideally, it will do both.

Every woman has a unique authentic personal style and our goal is to help her harness that style and have the confidence to wear pieces that make her feel like the best version of herself. Anniversary is a great place to start that journey. The Poplin Pinterest Boards are another resource to get you there.

So this week, we’re combining the two. Each day we’ll share a blog post featuring my favorite items from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2023 organized by style key words. You’ll see incredible finds in a range of price points and sizes for your Effortless, Minimalist, Boho and Classic Style. So, get ready to shop and as always, let me know how it goes! Welcome to Day 4- Edgy Style.

My Fashion Inspirations and More Secret Stuff in the Poplin Interview in WomanCake Magazine

As a personal stylist for women, I spend my time highlighting my clients and empowering each one to dress like her authentic self effortlessly everyday. It’s not often that I talk about myself. So, when the powerhouse creator of WomanCake Magazine, an online magazine highlighting women over 40, I was delighted to share my insights on all sorts of things.

Have you seen WomanCake yet?

Not Loving Your Neck? Here's What to Do.

As a personal stylist for women, my conversations with clients go well beyond clothing. Naturally, we often discuss weight fluctuation, shifting identities and aging. Yes! There are a zillion clothing options for you to choose from and of course, flattering your frame has a major impact on how you feel. But the most important filter when choosing an item is whether or not it aligns with your authentic personal style. Does it fee like YOU? Does it feel like the YOU that you want to be, not the one that avoids risk of rejection or embarrassment. We’re talking about the you who wears that leather jacket or those wild shoes. Or perhaps this is the you that feels more comfortable in “menswear” or clothes that feel genderless. Whatever your innermost desire, that’s the you that the world deserves to see.

I’m in my late 40’s and am well aware of the changes in body, skin and hair that women my age are experiencing. Body acceptance is about loving your body where it is right now and finding beauty in it at every age and every size. This is absolutely achievable.

Body acceptance does not mean that you have to embrace changes that you don’t love. After all, we’ve got tools to address this. One of the most common concerns I hear from women over 45 is a sudden awareness of their necks. And not in a good way. When we’re younger, our necks aren’t really a thing and then one day… they are. So, if you’ve suddenly discovered your neck, here are some tips to help you love it again.

A Deep Dive into Vulnerability, Courage and Making New Memories

As a personal stylist for women, I’ve spent years working with individual clients, writing newsletters and blogs spending time with truly extraordinary women. If you’ve been following the blog for some time, you may have never even heard my voice. If that’s the case, now’s the time to hear me on the most recent episode of the Courage Effect.

If you’ve heard me on various platforms, you might be thinking that you’re in the know already. Not this time.

My recent conversation with Suzanne Weller, host of the Courage Effect, is unlike any public conversation I’ve had before. It’s intimate, with me sharing about some very difficult aspects of my upbringing and simultaneously, full of hope, joy and actionable tips for rewiring your brain.

Featured Client: Bridget

As a personal stylist for women, sharing client stories with the entire Poplin community is one of my very favorite things to do. Personal styling is an intimate business and I have been extraordinarily fortunate to work with hundreds of truly inspiring, kind, brave women who are beautiful on the inside and out. They say that things will happen when you need them to and Bridget was the perfect client for me at exactly the right time. A Creative who exudes generosity and strength, Bridget lives with intention soaking up every day. She went all in with the Amplified 360 Package. It includes the traditional services: Closet Edit, Uber Wishlist, Tailoring, Virtual Styling and Outfit Creation PLUS an Intimates Wishlist and a Photo Shoot. This is my attempt at making you feel like you were with us along the way. If you find half as much joy as I did, it will be a success.

Finally! Pinterest Decoded

As a personal stylist for women based in Seattle, I’m all about teaching my clients how to dress themselves and leveraging technology to make getting ready as easy as possible. It’s true, technology can be a blessing and a curse sometimes. But, it’s all about how (and how much) we use it. Is it making our lives better? My goal is to ensure that when it comes to harnessing your authentic personal style and getting ready every day, the answer is a resounding, “yes!”

Each Poplin client has a password protected webpage just for her. It tells her instantly what pieces flatter her frame, what colors make her look her best and more. Her profile defines her authentic personal style, shows photos of outfits made from her new and existing pieces and is a vast resource for her moving forward. It includes a list of brands a retailers that are ideal for her and a collection of Pinterest boards that can inspire her when she’s ready to dream or to shop. Sure, the online profile is only available to Poplin clients, but if becoming a client isn’t in the cards for you right now, you still have access to those magical Pinterest Boards. They are organized by body type, personal style key words, values and a few bonuses just because. (I’m looking at you undergarments and loungewear boards.)

If you check out the Poplin Pinterest Boards regularly, you may think you’ve seen it all. But, with 45 boards, it’s easy to have missed some. So, here’s your chance to find some inspiration, outfit ideas, product options and just all around eye candy. And remember to pin from the blog to help drive more traffic to Poplin. Every action makes a difference, my friend. Thanks very much for being here and have a great time.

How do I Know What Brands I Should Buy?

As a personal stylist for women, I get lots of questions about style from clients, readers, friends and members of the Poplin community. Recently, someone shared with me her struggles about brands. Here’s her question:

For people like me who have never really paid attention to brands but are now starting to get pricier/nicer clothes, I'm super curious about brand ethos and what it says if I wear that brand.
For example, I was out shopping for a winter coat to replace my beloved Michael Kors one that I got at Costco before I knew anything about the MK brand. Now I'm trying to replace it and wondering what an "Eddie Bauer" logo says about me vs... I don't know, a Kate Spade or a Eileen Fisher or a Canada Goose logo.
I'm starting to learn some brand ethos (Kate Spade is young but classic but colorful! Eddie Bauer is for people who actually go outside, Mark says!) but I have no idea about so many of them, and I'm hesitant to buy anything with any brand identifier in case I accidentally wear something that is not the vibe I want to convey! I envision myself going to a business meeting with the equivalent of JUICY on my butt and not realizing it ha! But so many clothes, especially outerwear, have some kind of identifier.

Excellent question! Fortunately, there are answers. Off we go!

Know You've Got Style? Here's How to Take it to the Next Level

As a personal stylist for women, my job is to help each client ensure that what is on the outside aligns with what is on the inside. At Poplin, we’re all about helping you communicate your authentic personal style, understand what flatters your frame and find makers that align with your values, whenever possible. And we do all this while walking the walk. It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress. And, it’s about making every day just a little bit better than the one before, whenever we can. Because when you wear clothes that feel like YOU, you’ll have more self confidence and show up in the world differently. You’ll know who you are and unequivocally understand that what you have to say matters. You’ll know what it likes to feel seen. Feeling good about how you look isn’t an indulgence, it’s a must have.

But what if you already feel great about how you present yourself to the world? What then? Well, I’ve got news for you. It’s time to take your style to the next level.

Earlier this week, I spoke at the Ellevate Network’s Evening of Style at the Armoire Headquarters. It got me thinking about some things I’d love to remind you of, Dear Reader. So, off we go!

The Universally Flattering Cut that Minimizes Your Stomach and Celebrates Your Curves

As a personal stylist for women, I’m all about giving each client concrete tools to help her look and feel her best every day. Her clothes should communicate her authentic personal style and give her confidence. Each piece should flatter her frame and whenever possible, align with her values.

My client, Jane, was ready for a change. It was time to elevate her look and embrace her feminine side in a sophisticated way. After going through a divorce, she was ready to wear clothes that made her feel confident, sexy, edgy and still functional for life with her little one. As a woman in her early 40’s, she opted for pieces that felt appropriate and pretty, but often ended up feeling forgettable. Her closet edit revealed 50’s inspired fit and flare dresses with some bohemian pieces thrown in.

Giving her both the permission and the tools to embrace her feminine side and celebrate her figure transformed the way she showed up at work and in life. In her words,

“Working with you has given me so much confidence. I wore one of the All Saints dresses yesterday to work. OMG. I could have hugged you, I felt so great.”

In the case of this All Saints dress, the secret is ruching.

Connecting with other Women in the New Year

As a personal stylist for women based in Seattle, I spend the vast majority of my time with women. It’s rare. I know. Until I started this business nearly a decade ago, the majority of my friends have always been men. My female friends were typically women who weren’t into clothes or style and predominantly didn’t wear makeup. So, my interest in style often stood out.

Things are very different now. It is a true gift to have met a diverse collection of extraordinary women who continue to be supportive, inspiring and authentic. And while I am grateful for my existing community, I know there are even more like minded women out there. Women that I can learn from, that make my life better just by knowing them AND that also want to make the world a better place.

I’ve had lots of questions about how I find these women. And that, my Dear Reader, is what this post is for. Full disclosure- so many of them are Poplin clients! It’s true. I absolutely adore my clients. Here are some other ways that might help you if you are on the hunt for a similar collection of incredible women. As always, let me know how it goes!

15 Holiday Gifts You've Never Thought Of

I like the idea that COVID won’t permeate every aspect of our lives, especially when it comes to the holiday season. Based on conversations with clients and friends, it’s clear that trying to find the ideal gift often also means considering how that relates to our current very strange state of being. As a personal stylist for women, I often tell people that my job is to “see” people. When I meet a new client, I listen to her and try to see what she sees as her aspirational style. Then, using her budget, body type, lifestyle and personal style, I translate that into a strategy to help her embrace her authentic personal style. Uber Wishlists are a solid representation of how I translate her words into actual items. This, my Dear Reader, is essentially spending 8 years of my professional life gifting.

11 Fall 2022 Fashion Trends

As a personal stylist for women, it’s my job to stay on top of trends, but also to guide each client to stay true to her authentic personal style and choose pieces that flatter her frame. This can be a major challenge for a woman as the new shiny objects are so alluring, but can also end in disappointment. If you have tags on clothes still in your closet, I’m talking to you:)

Not to worry! The key is to choose pieces that communicate your authentic personal style while also staying current. One way to do that is to see what’s out there right now, then narrow down your choices to see what’s right for YOU.

This fall, it’s all about the 1970’s or the 1990’s. If you lived through one of both of these, you’ll likely have feelings about both. But just remember, inspired by doesn’t have to mean pieces that are literal copies of items from the past. Avoid costume-like looks by including vintage inspired pieces with more modern touches. To get you started, here’s what’s happening right now in Fall Fashion. As always, I’d love to hear what’s resonating with you.

Hack Her Style: Client #7, Ranya

Hack Her Style: Client #6, Beth

Hack Her Style: Client #5, Ella

Hack Her Style: Client #4: Taylor

Hack Her Style: Client #3, Chandra

Hack Her Style: Client #1, Jessica

7 Days 7 Clients. Countless Ways to Hack Her Style

As a personal stylist for women based in Seattle, I’ve spent nearly a decade working with hundreds of women to elevate their style. At Poplin, every client is different, but the structure is the same. We identify her body type, personal style key words, color palette, budget, lifestyle and values to create a strategy for her authentic personal style. Each client has a password protected webpage that gives her the tools to get dressed every day. We call that her online personal profile. Next up, we use her personal profile to guide every decision as we edit her closet. Does this piece communicate her personal style? Is it flattering for her figure? Does it communicate the level of success she’s achieved? If not, it’s out. Those questions and more are integral to the Closet Edit experience.

During the edit, I make a shopping list of items that would supplement her existing wardrobe and use that list to create her Uber Wishlist. An Uber Wishlist is a list of up to 40 items from a variety of retailers that work in tandem with her existing pieces to create a cohesive wardrobe that is functional for her life and helps her look and feel her best.

After ordering from her Uber Wishlist, we collaborate to ensure each piece is an essential piece to accomplish her style goals. I show her how to style it, how it should fit, when she’ll be wearing it, and more. Often, we also tailor a number of pieces both from her Uber Wishlist and from her existing wardrobe. After all, why buy something new if your existing piece can simply be tailored to do the job?

The styling process all comes together with her outfit session. This is when I create images using her new and existing pieces (including accessories) that she can view each morning on her phone, empowering her to understand what to wear in less than 5 minutes. I know. Right?!

Whether you are an existing client, a member of the Poplin community or new to Poplin, it’s both fun and helpful to see how another woman is harnessing her authentic personal style. That’s why we’re doing 7 days focused on 7 different clients. You’ll see the Uber Wishlist and Outfit photos for each. You won’t see photos of the clients. If you’d like those, check out the client stories page.

After all, we don’t do photo shoots with every client. But, this shouldn’t keep you from the opportunity to hack a client’s style. So, enjoy the next 7 days and please let me know what you think, how these are helpful to you and any exciting discoveries. From items to retailers to pairings, it’s time to hack her style.