If you like _ Then Try out _

Editor's note: Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson.

Hello my dearest Reader,

One of my favorite parts about working with Poplin is that I get to share some of the latest and greatest industry news with all of you. One of my hobbies among the glitter and paint strewn across my desk is illustrating, and some of my favorite pieces to illustrate are up and coming designers and their wares. For this I get an excuse, if you will, to follow closely upon the heels of plus size industry big wigs and shakers to see what is coming up that will inspire me!

Last Minute Father's Day Gifts. It's Not Too Late.

Happy Father's Day, Dear Reader.

Holidays are a nice time to reflect on life with the ones we love. Personally, I'm a huge advocate of surprises, so there is much planning that goes into these seemingly innocuous holidays. Although, I must admit that I'm not above the last minute gift. So, before you make that call home, let me just make a few quick suggestions in case you are just realizing you neglected to send something over to dear old dad.

Last Minute Father's Day Gifts that are Still Right on Target

This is where I shop.

As a personal stylist for women and kids, people are always asking me to list my favorite retailers. Here's the thing: where I like to shop for myself may not be the place I'd send you. After all, it's all about identifying your personal style, not trying to make you embrace mine.

That being said, I do have a lengthy list of retailers that I adore and send clients to on the regular. Interested?

Summer Sandals- Narrow and Wide Widths

Editor's note: Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson. It's more common than you would think to struggle to find the right width of shoe. Lucky for us, Jordan is on the case!

Hello Dear Reader,

I come to you today with just a quick little post about SHOES! As we approach the summer months, school letting out and vacations being planned; we find ourselves in need of the ubiquitous sandal. Like finding an amazing boot for fall and winter a perfect summer sandal is an elusive but worthwhile endeavor. Just like clothing, finding a great fit can be a challenge especially for those of us with narrow or wide width feet. So while I myself was on the search for a great summer sandal, I thought I would share my finds!

Date Night Heel

Must Know Now: Zara, Uniqlo and Nordstrom.

One of my favorite parts of living in the Northwest is the ramp up in spring and summer. Let's face it, we all have Seasonal Affective Disorder. Need proof? Check out your social calendar. I expect it is jam packed. The challenge during this time of year is choosing what to share with you, Dear Reader.

As your very own personal stylist for women and kids, I'm so overcome with joy about a long list of developments. I'm opting to focus on big news with three large retailers that I love: Zara, Uniqlo and Nordstrom. I hope you are on the Poplin email list as there will be more good stuff to come in this week's email. Off we go!

The Biggest News (for us, anyway) from Zara, Uniqlo and Nordstrom.

Summer Workwear - Plus Size Edition

Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson. Like what you read? Jordan's research on Sizeism was featured in an article in the Everett Herald? Check it out!

Hello Dear Readers,

If you caught my last post I went over some styling tips for the warmer months since summer can be a rather challenging season to dress in. I touched on tricks to minimize or maximize parts of the body to make you as comfortable as possible. In summer there is an added challenge of dressing cooler but also appropriately for ones' workplace. Therefore, I've decided to offer summer styling ideas for various work places. Enjoy!

Your Summer Work Wardrobe

Retailers for the Woman who is ready to Rock Menswear

My favorite thing about Facebook is discovering that two people you thought were unrelated are actually connected. Two friends from different circles, different cities, different generations. Last week, I was informed of one of those happy accidents. Thank you, Facebook.

As it turned out, two friends of mine from different worlds both mentioned me in a comment string for a mutual friend of theirs. She was looking for help for yet another friend finding menswear-inspired clothing for women. You know how much I LOVE helping people out with this sort of thing. So, as your very own personal stylist for women (and kids), it seems only right that I share this information with both friends, their friend, her friend and anyone else who might be struggling with this. Because everyone deserves the joy of expressing him/herself through fashion. Here we go!

Side note: Yes, I understand that menswear-inspired pieces, androgynous pieces, "butch" pieces, etc. are not all the same. Nor am I in any way grouping folks together. The goal here is to offer up some resources for shopping. I'll let you take it from here.

Rocking the Menswear- Inspired Look? Here's Where to Shop.

My Favorite Things Right Now

Who knows why I own a gorgeous three piece suit? I don't. And, by three pieces I mean a skirt, trousers and jacket that all coordinate. After all, I'm a personal stylist. I don't have any conservative corporate events to attend. I'm not representing another entity. I'm representing myself. And, so began my extreme closet edit. That and a few more of my very favorite things right now. Off we go!

My Very Favorite Things Right Now

Summertime Solutions

Three things: 1. Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson. Like what you read? Jordan's research on Sizeism was recently featured in an article in the Everett Herald? Check it out! 3. She wrote this prior to this beautiful weather. Love her and you will, too.

Hello my dear readers,

As spring settles into full swing with its hectic weather patterns, I cannot help but cherish and look forward to those sunnier warmer days ahead. Though with the sun and heat comes a potential deluge of new styling challenges that can be difficult to traverse. A lot of us are uncomfortable with certain areas of our bodies, and with the warmer months approaching that usually means less layers and clothes, which can at times be uncomfortable. I am hoping to offer some solutions on minimizing the areas you're not as hot on, and maximizing the ones you adore, while remaining comfortably cool in these months to come.

Hey, What Ever Happened at that Poplin Event at The Limited?

What ever happened? Let me tell you!

All Poplin Style Direction clients and individuals on the Poplin email list were invited to the recent Spring Forward event at The Limited SouthCenter. It was glorious.

Here's what they got:

My Five Favorite (Almost) Waterproof Shoes for Summer. Go!

It's a wonderful thing, living on the coast. Whether you are prone to wandering along the beach for some alone time, digging in the sand with the kids, or something in between, you must have functional shoes to supplement the experience. After all, celebrating the moment is really what it's all about, right? Fiddling with challenging shoes or choosing to stay on beach blanket to avoid walking is, in a word, unacceptable.

To many clients, this means a super functional hiking or walking shoe, fashion be damned.

Naturally, as your very own personal stylist, I'd argue that you can still look incredible and live an active lifestyle. With that, I'm offering up my five favorite waterproof shoes for summer. You'll never think of rubber the same way again.

Affordable and Ideal in the Elements. Yes, please!

Your Bra Can Change a Life. Free the Girls!

I originally wrote this post over a year ago. During this week's Styling Session for homeless and formerly homeless youth at YouthCare, we had a wave of young women asking questions about bras. We measured a few of them, helped several find bras and discussed fit throughout the process. These are things your mom or another significant woman in your life usually helps you with. It was really an honor to have these young women feel open to having us help with such a sensitive topic. I wish I could show you, Dear Reader, the look on one of the women's faces when she realized that SHE would be leaving with three NEW bras. I liken it to Christmas morning.

Because of all of this, I'm opting to share this info again. After all, every woman deserves a bra that fits. And, if you have some lying around at home that are ready to be donated, you'll be glad to know where to send them. Enjoy!

Must Know Now: Spring Trends that are Right for You Right Now.

While I am well aware that this uncharacteristically warm weather is not good for the world, it has been magical for the wardrobe. On my visit to the the Finerie Colab last week (I hope you've been- apparel including lots of local designers, housewares, design, oh my!), team member Jeannie said to me, "you look like the perfect balance of spring and winter."

Thank you very much, Jeannie.

Upon reflection, I realize that's not an easy tightrope to walk. As your very own personal stylist, I thought I'd share some of spring's trends with you, Dear Reader. And, of course, how to rock them right now. Enjoy!

Spring Fashion Trends You Can Wear Today.

Let's do this.

The Patriotic Shopper (as in crazy deals for President's Day Weekend)

Oh my! There's nothing like a little retail therapy to make up for not having President's Day off. Wait? You have it off? Well, live the dream, sister. Whether or not you'll be clocking in on Monday, you can start shopping now with CRAZY discounts.

If you'd be so kind, please remember to click through from the list below as Poplin may receive a commission on your order with absolutely no extra cost to you. Thanks very much for reading the blog and happy shopping!

Date Night for the Authentic You.

As a personal stylist, I identify each client's body type and help her learn how to dress to flatter her figure. Equally important, I ask her a zillion questions to get to know who she is and how she sees herself in the world. The apex of this process is the identification of style key words. I ask each client to identify key words that she'd like people to use to describe her personal style. Then, we use those words as filters when determining what works best in her closet. You can see examples of these three words on the client page.

These next few weeks are all about romance. Whether or not you are planning an outing on February 14th, the holiday's existence has likely inspired you to up your game for a night out. With that in mind, you, dear Reader, inspired me. Below you'll find ten pieces I adore that convey specific key words. Perhaps integrating them into your current collection will help you find your personal style. Need a little more guidance? That's what I'm here for.

The Authentic You on Date Night

The Dapper Man and Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is designed to take some time to enjoy the ones we love, or at least that's what they tell us. I like to think of it as a nice opportunity to put in a little extra effort to look and feel smashing and ensure that if there is a fella in your life, he has the opportunity, rather than the obligation, to do the same.

Sometimes, that can be effortless. Frequently, it is not. So, if you or the gentleman in your life is struggling with February 14th, let me offer some guidance.

The Dapper Man and Valentine's Day: From the Perfect Gift to Creating the Ideal Look

The Plus Size Pulse- Collaboration

Hello Reader,

Seems like forever since I got on the horn to ya'll and I am happy to be back with some fabulous updates of happenings in the plus size world. This month we has some pretty great revealings made by two players in the fashion world.

One:

body image, Body Types, Style TipsmelliciaFebruary 2, 2015Personal Stylist Seattle, plus size fashion, Women's fashionComment

Winterizing Part 2: Chantelle Riley Saves Your Hair

You've heard from the Queen of Brows, now you get to hear from the Hair Queen, Chantelle Riley.

Who is this Chantelle Riley, you ask? She's been Katrina's hair stylist for years (good things come in twos) and I've quickly become a huge fan.

Oh, Dear Reader, you know I'm always looking out for you. And, the best way to illustrate Chantelle's infinite knowledge of haircare and her generous demeanor is to share a few of her tips. I've asked her to give us the 411 on how to care for your hair in the winter. With any luck we'll be hearing more tips and tricks from her throughout the year.

Chantelle's Essentials for Winter Hair

Style Tips, Women's fashionmelliciaJanuary 22, 2015Chantelle Riley, Personal stylist, Seattle, Stylus, Winter Hair Care, womenComment

Winterizing Part 1: First Up- Your Skin Courtesy of Katrina Rising

For those of you who read this blog with any regularity, thank you! And, you are likely familiar with my immense adoration for Cake Skincare Owner, Katrina Rising. Not only is she the brown queen (mine are more glorious everyday thanks to her magic), she's also a scientific genius when it comes to skincare.

You may have also heard me go on and on about how difficult it is to get in to see Katrina. Not to worry, if you are on a wait list, I have some comfort for you. I've asked a few of my local favorite gurus to offer their best advice on taking care of yourself during the winter. While we know we need to amp things up, it's only a few dedicated souls who do. Over the next week, you'll hear from them as well as some tips from me on taking care of your clothes this time of year.

Fortunately, we're kicking things off with Katrina's advice on keeping your skin beautiful. And, my skin is proof that she knows what she's talking about. Enjoy!

3 Winterizing Essentials Courtesy of Local Favorite Cake Skincare

My Favorite Things Right Now.

Hello!

It's been too long. As you may have noticed, I took a bit of a break from the blog to focus on clients and family. But now I'm back full force. As it is Sunday, I'd normally kick things off with a Seattle Sunday post featuring a local brand, boutique or stylish person. However, I feel a bit of separation anxiety from you, Dear Reader, so instead I'm going to share all the things I've been obsessing over for the past few weeks.

Before I begin, let me say that I'm also in the throes of planning for the year. So, if you have a special love for a type of blog post (Seattle Sunday, plus size, kids fashion, menswear, style tips, pick me ups, etc.) please feel free to reach out. I'd love to incorporate your feedback into my planning. With that, off we go!