The Ruby Room: Because You've Had the Power All Along.

You’ve always had the power, my dear. You’ve had it all along. – Glinda, the Good Witch, Wizard of Oz

If you read this blog with any regularity, you are well aware of my love for helping out. As a personal stylist, I have the incredible opportunity to help individual women seize control of their personal style, the way the world perceives them, the way they see themselves.

I love this feeling and am very fortunate to have a job that allows me to experience it on a regular basis. Equally gratifying is empowering other people to give back in a way that is meaningful to them. A little inspiration goes a long way. So, today's post is all about celebrating local treasure, The Ruby Room. It's much more than you can imagine. Off we go!

The Ruby Room: It's More Than Just a Dress.

What's the Most Flattering Bathing Suit for my Bust Size?

Things have changed. It used to be especially challenging to find a swimsuit if your top half was a different size or proportion than your bottom. No longer. Now, a wide range of retailers and brands offer mix and match suits. As a personal stylist, I'm often asked for advice on finding just the right swimsuit and the top of that equation can make or break success. Wonder no more, Dear Reader. Here's what you need to know.

At Last, The Perfect Bathing Suit for Your Body.

You just can't deny it anymore. It's time to pull out your swimsuit. If it's been a while, why not invest in something new that makes you feel fabulous? After all, if it's not working for you- it's not you, it's the suit. As a personal stylist in Seattle, I'm well aware of the mysteries involved in finding the right swimsuit for your figure. So, this week we'll be diving into finding the right suit for you. Our first post in this series is all about the ideal suit to flatter your figure right now. Here we go!

Know Your Body, Know Your Swimsuit.

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Enormous congratulations to (drumroll please)

How You Should REALLY be Shampooing Your Hair.

There's nothing more exciting than discovering a new hair trick in a magazine. Not surprisingly, there's nothing more disappointing than discovering that the new miracle trick doesn't actually apply to you. We've all been there. It's not you, it's the technique or the product. This is why I'm thrilled to share some of local hair stylist Karen Reichert's tips on shampooing. If you have yet to hear about Karen, you and I have been out of touch too long.

We're giving away a free cut and color from Karen and the winner will be announced tomorrow! (Friday, May 19, 2016 on this blog.) Sign up to receive the Poplin email for one entry and like Poplin on Facebook for another. Learn more here. For now, let's jump right to what you really need to know about shampooing your hair. Go!

My 10 Favorite Things Right Now

It's been a while since I've sent out a list of my very favorite things. Let's be clear. I am absolutely addicted to a laundry list of items. As a personal stylist for women, my goal is to write blog posts that help you maintain a personal style that is authentic to you. Your look should communicate who you are and be functional for your life. My favorite things are a collection of items that encompass who I am. Ideally, you'll find that some of them speak to you, as well. As always, I love to know what you think and hear about some of your favorite things. Off we go!

My 10 Favorite Things Right Now

The End of Labeling Women's Bodies.

I met with a new client yesterday. As she was talking about her style challenges, she mentioned weight gain. She said, "I used to look like you. Thin. Able to fit into anything at the store. Now, it's much more difficult."

Like me? Let's be clear, I'm on the heavier side of my weight continuum. Thin like me is not what I expect someone to say. But, it was the reminder I needed exactly when I needed it. Really, we are our own worst critics when it comes to weight. And, this battle over plus size, medium size, extended sizes and the like has me thinking a lot about this. So, I ask you:

Why Do We Need Body Labels at All?

Prince-Inspired Pieces that are Authentic to Your Personal Style

Many years ago a friend hooked me up with $10 tickets to see Prince at Key Arena the same night. I bought them at 3 in the afternoon, just hours before the show. It was the Musicology Tour. I was working in an office filled with really wonderful people who had families and lived in the suburbs. Naturally, while they seemed to share my enthusiasm, none of them had any intention of going to the show. After much frustration, I interrupted a meeting and made a big speech about how missing Prince would look to their children. "Do you want your children to look at you the way you look at your parents who missed the Beatles? If you want your kids to think you are moderately cool years from now, you need to see this show tonight." Three of them gave into my pressures and off we went.

Needless to say, it was amazing.

So as we blast Prince from our speakers, let's let him, the fashion icon and musical genius influence us yet again. Here's a collection of pieces* that remind me of him and still remind me of you, Dear Reader. Heading to work or running around with the family while looking hip, wearing clothes that are functional and owning your style words. In the words of the man himself, "Your always walking your way."

Prince in Your Closet

Celebrate Earth Day with Sustainable Shopping and Sales!

What to do? It's Earth Day AND the day after we lost Prince. I'm wearing purple as I write this and will be following up this post with a Prince inspired piece to go live this weekend. So, for now, I'll focus on Earth Day. Why? Well, a sale at Coclico is a good reason.

I love the idea of slow shopping: Creating more meaningful experiences and buying fewer pieces, shopping that is better for the world. This is why shops like Velouria hold a special place in my heart. That being said, it's a real commitment. And for me, and most of my clients, sustainable pieces are a, "nice to have" versus a "must have." When price, size and style come into play, sustainability often comes in last.

So, for today's Earth Day post, I wanted to offer up some realistic options to integrate some slow shopping into our lives. Off we go!

Baby Steps for Slow Shopping

Including Some of My Favorite Brands

How to Host a Clothing Swap for Charity.

Long before I was a personal stylist for women, I was hosting clothing swaps. Now that I volunteer to run styling workshops for homeless youth each month to benefit YouthCare, a Seattle-based nonprofit that supports young adults experiencing homelessness, I am especially dependent on clothing swaps. Why? Because my generous clients host swaps and any pieces that don't head home with an attendee are donated to YouthCare to be used in our styling workshops.

Over time, I've had an array of folks ask me how to organize a successful swap that is delightful for attendees and also benefits the community. Luckily, I live for these types of questions. So below you'll find my 10 steps to organizing your very own clothing swap for charity. It's long, but it has a level of detail that ensures you will throw the swap of a lifetime. And, hey, before we started, thanks for even considering doing this. It will be fun and have an incredible impact on people in our community. I already like you.

10 Steps to Hosting a Clothing Swap for Charity

3 Simple and Inexpensive Ways to Up Your Style Game

Few things are as inspiring and pleasing as seeing a really put together person on the street. It's like a little surprise. You're walking along and unexpectedly you see something (or someone) dashing, perhaps even a bit glamorous, that freezes the moment. When this happens, I often want to take a photo to document such a glorious display of fashion sense and personal style. Usually, I keep it to simply complimenting the person, which I'd encourage. Everyone leaves happy. After all, we all benefit from seeing something beautiful. And to me, fashion is a form of artistic expression. Anyway, enough of my musings. Let's get to the practical portion of this post, shall we?

In stark contrast to this euphoria, is that moment when you notice that the sophisticated fella who looks like he just walked out of an issue of Esquire is carrying a floral reusable grocery bag. Recycling- sexy. Carrying a super feminine woman's reusable grocery bag- not so much. (Unless, of course, he's carrying it for the woman he is walking with, which is pretty much the most attractive thing ever.)

As your personal stylist, I want to help prevent you, Dear Reader, from making these mistakes that keep you from realizing your true, very stylish and authentic, potential. Don't worry, they don't cost much.

3 Ways to Up Your Game Right Now.

How do I Wear More Than One Color in an Outfit?

If you've met or seen photos of me, you're pretty familiar with my love of color and print. This becomes noticeably more prominent simply because we live in the Northwest. After all, we love our grey. (Don't tell anyone, but I'm a huge fan of grey, myself.) As a personal stylist, I help women discover how to communicate who they are through their clothing. For some women, that includes color and print. For others, it does not. Both are great. Really. We don't all need to "wear more color." That being said, I find that many women would like to integrate more color into their wardrobe. But, the question is exactly how. And you know, Dear Reader, I live for these sorts of questions. So, here's a quick tutorial on mixing and matching colors in your outfit. P.S Here's a fun fact: Sir Isaac Newton was the first to organize colors around a wheel starting with the different wavelengths of light. I love Wikipedia.

It's Time for a Little Intarsia.

As a personal stylist, I'm always on the lookout for the next wave. I have a feeling that once I plant this seed in your brain, you'll start to see this everywhere. So, here we go: get ready for intarsia.

How to Make Your Shoes Work for You and SO Much More.

Poplin Giveaways, Style Tips, Women's fashionmelliciaMarch 30, 2016Personal Stylist Seattle, Personal stylist women, what do I wear with grey ankle boots?Comment

One Client's Story From A-Z

First off, thanks for reading the blog, Dear Reader. As a reader, you know that I style women, primarily in the Seattle area. What you may or may not know, is exactly how it all works. I'm not the sort of stylist who selects pieces for someone and heads out the door. I don't swing by for an hour, size someone up and make recommendations.

Instead, my goal is to empower each client to understand her individual personal style as well as what pieces are ideal for her body type and her budget. Most importantly, I want her to enjoy getting dressed and feel confident in her look everyday. I want clothes to be a form of self expression that gives her the momentum to take over the world. All of this takes an investment from me and the client. And that investment pays off.

I thought you might like to see how it all works by focusing on one client. So, here we go!

It's All About the Block Heel.

There's nothing like a great spring trend. As a personal stylist, I am always on the lookout for what is current and how that translates for each of my clients. As a fashion enthusiast, I'm pretty much obsessed with this sort of thing. This is one of those situations where I just sit and count the minutes, waiting for the weather to change so that I can finally rock those open toed shoes with reckless abandon. This year, those shoes simply must either have laces or have a block heel. If you missed Poplin contributor Jordan Richardson's post on the Case for Laces, take a look. For now, let's focus on the uber functional and stylish block heel.

20 Glorious Block Heels.

Find the One that is Right for YOU.

Marimekko & Target?!

These are very happy times, Dear Reader. You likely know my complete adoration of all things Marimekko. For example, while standing outside the dressing room in the Marimekko outlet in Helsinki, Finland, I showed off my finds to my husband. He turned toward me and said, "I'm pretty sure the only reason we came to Finland was so you could come here."

Indeed. The purchase was on.

You've likely seen me rocking Marimekko dresses, using the paper products and of don't get me started on the jewelry. Not sure? Whenever I'm wearing a crazy bold shapeless shift, it's likely I'm wearing Marimekko. So, when I heard the latest news from the Finnish brand, I had to share.

Culottes in Cold Weather? Yes, Please.

One of my favorite things to do is look at the traffic on the Poplin site. I'm fortunate enough to see what content is the most popular and what isn't doing as well. This month, one post from last fall is off the charts and I can see why. It's cold. And culottes are awesome. So, if you missed it, take a look at my 7 tips for wearing culottes in cold weather. Enjoy!

Lessons From Trans Youth.

I'm very lucky to have the opportunity to hold monthly styling sessions for youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The Poplin styling sessions are limited to the youth in the Barista Training Program, who are in this eight week program to learn everything you need to know to be a Barista including customer service, job skills and life skills. You can learn more about the program here.

Over the last few years, I've noticed the population changing. And, I'm doing my best to change with them. Last year we saw more young women who were pregnant. So, we offered assistance with clothes that are appropriate for job interviews but also practical as your body changes. This year, I've been really amazed at how the younger generation sees gender in such a fluid way. I've tweaked the sessions to included an opportunity for attendees to identify their pronouns (she/her, he/him or they/them). I've learned a lot.

I've also had the extraordinary experience of repeatedly helping trans youth transitioning from male to female. This one has really had an impact on me. Nationally, LGBTQ youth are estimated to be about 40% of the homeless population. I'm especially proud of ISIS House, a transitional living house designed to meet the unique needs of LGBTQ youth and their straight allies. It's the only one in Washington state and one of the few programs like it in the nation. YouthCare never disappoints.

During these sessions, I'm struck by the lessons that trans youth have to teach the rest of us. So, as your very own personal stylist, I'm passing these learnings along.

Valuable Reminders From Trans Youth.

body image, Giving Back, Style Tips, Women's fashionmelliciaFebruary 23, 2016Personal Stylist Seattle Women, YouthCareComment

My Favorite Things Right Now

I could make these lists all day. The life of a personal stylist:) As we head into spring, here's a list of my favorite things right now.