6 Places to Get the Best Retail Customer Service in the Seattle Area.

As a personal stylist for women, I spend a LOT of time in stores, on websites, talking with folks about clothes and so much more. It's a whole lot of fun and it also makes me feel like I'm bursting with information to share on any given day. My work goes in waves. Sometimes more clients will choose Uber Wishlists and I'll be online quite a bit. Other times, shopping is the preferred way to go and I'll be in retailers all over the area for hours on end. After all, I pre-shop before the client arrives so the pieces are waiting for her to try on with me there to offer guidance and feedback.

In recent months, I've had several questions about my favorite places to shop. Really, that question is complicated. Am I shopping for myself, for a client, just for inspiration? I can find great pieces at some locations but less than desirable service. So, while I'd go there to support a client's goals, I wouldn't send her there on her own knowing that she won't get the best service to help her meet her needs. This brings me to today's blog post. It's hard to find great service. And, while many of us may enjoy online shopping, there are always times when we just want to run out and pick something up for an upcoming occasion. As a client, I can be there to help. If you are a member of the Poplin community, I'd like to offer my assistance, as well. So, here, my Dear Reader, is the list of my very favorite places in the area for stellar service. And if you want it to be even better, tell them I sent you. Wondering if this is paid for by someone or secret product placement? Nope. These are 100% my favorites with no outside influence or payment. I hope you enjoy them!

6 Best Places for

Great Customer Service in the Seattle Area.

A Big Night for Poplin Clients, Everling Jewelry & Naked Truth Beauty

Sometimes you just want to scan a photo gallery. Lucky for you, I just posted two galleries from last night's client event featuring Naked Truth Beauty, Everling Jewelry AND a

A Wishlist for the Reader

accessories, Body Types, Designer Label, My Favorite Things, plus size fashion, Poplin Events, Shoes, shop local, Style Tips, Women's fashionmelliciaAugust 12, 2017Personal Stylist Seattle, Personal stylist women, Seattle Wardrobe ConsultantComment

Naked Truth Beauty is Finally Available in Seattle!

Let us begin with my obsession with Naked Truth Beauty. The founder, Lauren Evashenk, makes luscious makeup for lips, cheeks & eyes that is totally 100% natural. No chemicals. No words you can't pronounce. Only quality ingredients that you feel good about on your body. Plus, they look great!

In fact, I haven't worn makeup all summer (shhh) except

Must Know Now.

Man, my life is filled with hot tips. As a personal stylist for women, I'm fortunate to learn about all sorts of innovative, surprising and delightful things. Thanks very much to those of you who send info my way and to all of you for listening when I offer up ideas. My list of cool things is getting too long to manage, so I'm going to share it with you here and recycle the piece of paper. Let's hear it for efficiency.

Super Cool Things That are Top of Mind Right Now.

Styling Up Your FREE Geneva Dress from Universal Standard

Let's begin with the reason I'm such an evangelist for Universal Standard . (In case you are wondering, these aren't sponsored posts. Poplin just gets a dress to give away.) I really just love this brand. As you likely know, we're giving away one Geneva dress to a lucky Poplin email list subscriber. You can increase your chances of winning by sharing the giveaway and can have an even greater shot by entering multiple times. So, why are we doing this?

Well, US starts at size 10 and let me tell you, as a personal stylist for women, that space between size 10 and 16 is a tricky area. It's pretty common for our weight to fluctuate (mine certainly does) and when your fluctuation causes you to go from "straight sizes" to plus sizes, that often adds a layer of judgement, defeat and frankly, fewer fashionable choices. I'm not a trainer or a nutritionist, etc. Therefore, my general feeling is you don't need to change your body, you just need to change your clothes. Should you choose to tackle weight loss, you are more likely to succeed when you feel beautiful everyday in your clothes. Should you choose not to go down that path, you'll still be happier looking beautiful everyday. In short, it's a win win.

Universal Standard allows women to stick with the same great brand they love even if/when their weight fluctuates past 14. Even better? If your size changes within a year of purchase, you can exchange your piece for your current size. Seriously. Yes, US is everything.

We're looking forward to the brick and mortar store opening in the coming months. At that point, keep your eyes peeled for a Poplin event at the shop. For now, it's all about winning this Geneva dress! So take a look below at my suggestions for styling, just to get you started. Have thoughts, feelings, or questions? Please share! And remember to enter and/or share with a woman in your life who'd love to win!

How to Style the Geneva Dress from Universal Standard

Last Minute Father's Day Gifts/ Glorious Gifts for the Fellas. Go!

As you know, Dear Reader, I'm a personal stylist for women primarily in the Seattle area. But, that certainly doesn't keep me from diving into all sorts of super cool menswear options. I'm always keeping a list of noteworthy options for the men and at some point is just gets too long to keep to myself any longer. Lucky for us, Father's Day is a nice excuse to share a sea of awesomeness that will be helpful to you now and in the future. Let me know what you think!

10 Places to Shop and Things to Buy for

the Fella in Your Life.

Win a FREE Pair of Shoes from the re-souL Collection!

If you read this blog with any regularity, thank you. AND, you must know how much I adore Ballard's own re-souL. My first big post focusing on the brand went live in November, 2013. Wow. How time flies. Now, I'm a dedicated re-souL enthusiast. The extremely well made shoes are designed in Ballard and made with supple Italian leather. Plus, each pair is equal parts fashion and function with special care given to ensure every pair is crazy comfortable.

Since that initial post, I've been fortunate to become friends with the brains behind the brand (Legh and Maggie) and partner up with Maggie on the YouthCare Styling Sessions. In short, I couldn't be happier to introduce the shop and this crew to the world. If you are already a re-souL fan, you'll be especially excited about our giveaway.

Here's how it works. Simply sign up for the Poplin newsletter to be entered. If you are already on the Poplin email list, yes, you are entered. But, wouldn't you like to increase your chances? Simply enter again and be given all sorts of options to increase your likelihood of winning. Tweet, share, post. Whatever you do. It will get you closer to a pair of shoes of YOUR CHOICE from the re-souL collection.

The winner will be announced this Friday. So, don't delay. Enter now! Until then, how about some suggestions for styling these gorgeous shoes?!

Off we go!

The Perfect Mule is a Part Timer

So What's the Deal with Amazon's Echo Look?

If you haven't already heard, Amazon just launched Echo Look. The goal is for Alexa to act as your fashion assistant. I've had all sorts of questions about the product and what it means both for Poplin and for clients. As a personal stylist in Seattle, the home of Amazon, it's clear I'll have an opinion. So here it is.

First up, what is it exactly? Here's a video to explain.

Echo Look and Current and Future Poplin Clients.

If Alexa is already a big part of your life, you may see the Echo Look as a natural fit. My goal is

Best Gifts EVER.

I recently had a conversation with a client about gifting. She said, "I wish you did wishlists for gifts because I know you'd have great suggestions." That naturally led to a conversation about finding the perfect gift which leads me to this blog post. Yes! Of course I have ideas! And you, my Dear Reader, are about to hear/ read all about them. Off we go!

My Favorite Gifts for the People You Love.

Look Your Best as You Pink Out for Planned Parenthood

Today's the day! Pink Out for Planned Parenthood. There are all sorts of ways to take action. As a personal stylist, my job is to ensure that you look great while supporting your favorite causes. So, here are a few of my favorite suggestions right now.

Pink Out in Style

How Do I Wear a Fanny Pack (aka Belt Bag)?

This whole 80's resurgence can be tough to swallow. If you remember Regan, you also remember fanny packs. And, more importantly, you remember your horrified expression viewing photos of fanny packs out in the world on tourists and the like. Fanny packs became decidedly uncool.

As your very own personal stylist, I'm here to tell you when times change, when trends emerge and which of those trends YOU can rock with confidence.

On that note, I'm here to reintroduce you to the fanny pack.

Fanny Packs 101: How and Why You Wear a Fanny Pack, also Known as a Belt Bag.

How to Inject Your Personal Style into your Work Attire

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Ever since I saw this photo of Minnesota State Representative Ilhan Omar, it's been on my mind. It can be very difficult to communicate you personal style while wearing your work clothes. In my experience as a personal stylist for women, this is especially true for women in male dominated industries. Technology, government and executive level positions can be particularly challenging because a woman often wants to be taken seriously and may worry that being perceived as feminine or fashionable somehow takes away from the content of her message.

Because of this, I'm always on the lookout for high profile women that can serve as examples to other accomplished women, when it comes to finding strength and self expression in their personal styles.

In the category of fashionable women in government, Representative Ilhan Omar is at the top of my list. Here are a few lessons you can take from her when getting ready every morning.

Lessons for Powerful, Fashionable Women from State Representative Ilhan Omar

Your Coat & You: Staying Warm Does Not Mean Sacrificing Style.

As a personal stylist for women, I talk a lot about your developing strategies to ensure you rock your authentic personal style everyday. Of course, most people love the sound of this. But, when life throws them a curveball, like late nights up with a child or an especially cold day, that style is thrown to the wind.

I'm here to assure you, Dear Reader, you can look smashing and be comfortable. Shoes can be functional and hip. Dresses can be flattering and fitted. The mysteries of fashion are many and the goal on this blog is to decode them for you.

As of late, the weather has been crazy cold. Perfect for kids, less perfect for those of us with an especially stylish (read: lightweight) coat collection. No need to revert to your down parka everyday (unless that's your style, of course). There's a solution.

WANT: Warm, Stylish Coat that Isn't too Expensive.

Now, Please.

Pieces that Slay at the Holiday Party & the Day After & the Day After That....

Oh, it's happening! Seattle-ites finally have the opportunity to pull out all the stops. Well, sort of. As a personal stylist in Seattle, I am well aware of the struggle to look fab while not overdressing. I'd argue that being the best dressed person in a room is never a bad thing. Although, it's true. You want to be within the realm of the rest of the group. A formal at a football game is not ideal.

So, with that, here are some options for holiday dressing that you can wear after the party's over. You, my Dear Reader, are going to kill it!

Own the Room in these Pieces at the Holiday Party and Everyday After

The re-souL Collection Giveaway. A Winner is Announced!

The list of reasons to sign up for the Poplin email list is a long one. For instance:

Brooches. It's a Thing.

Brooches always make me think of Madeline Albright or someone's grandmother. Either way, it's likely you have one or two sitting in your jewelry box that haven't seen daylight in years. if you've been waiting to feel like brooches are cool again, get ready. As a personal stylist for women, I've noticed that clients often feel like brooches are intriguing and intimidating at the same time. So, I thought I'd help give you a little inspiration with some unconventional options. After all, the purpose of a brooch is to to communicate your personal style in an individualized way. Ms. Albright often used her brooches to communicate her feelings about an event or situation. You can choose to be that specific or just tell the world that you like sculls, for example. The options are all yours. Now, off you go!

Brooches for Cool Kids- That Means You.

Let's Kick Things Off With the Peacemaker- Stunning Pieces Made by Vets & Their Families

Sometimes Veteran's Day can feel like a random day to get last minute childcare for the kids or discover the bank is closed. But, it only takes a minute or two to be reminded of how fortunate we are for the men, women and their families who put our country before themselves. Really. Sure, we thank individuals for their service and are generally referring to their willingness to put themselves in harm's way. But, it goes well beyond that incredible gift they give to our country. The spouses who forgo career advancement because of necessary moves or scheduling to accommodate a spouse who is deployed are only a few of the really impressive choices these folks make. So, in the wake of our recent election and on this national holiday, I thought I'd focus on some fashionable pieces that support our military families. If you have some other suggestions, please send them my way!

Enjoy the day. I hope you get to spend it with someone you love.

Very Hip Products

Made By Vets and Their Families

4 Ways to Style Your Legs When Rocking a Skirt or Dress. Go!

Lately, it's been all outfits all the time for me. What do I mean? Well, for one of my clients, I create outfits using anything she owns, take photos and then she can scroll those pictures every morning to ensure that getting dressed takes less than 5 minutes. My husband often refers to this as, "the secret sauce."

This time of year, the inevitable question comes up when I'm chatting with clients about their outfits: "and so, with what? Tights?" Whether you are rocking ankle boots, mid calf, heels, over the knee boots, you name it; you're going to face this question. Here's the thing, your hosiery serves a purpose and communicates your style. So, let's break that down to help you look like the very best version of you everyday. Start by imagining wearing one dress and one pair of shoes. Now that you have that image, picture wearing these different hosiery options with that outfit as I describe the pros and cons. This should help you get a clear view of the effect of various options. Also, these photos are from a site I adore: Celebrity Hosiery Daily. It's a dream. Make sense? Off we go!

Your Legs, Your Style

Two Great Reasons to Head to Target

It's true. You don't really need an excuse to head to Target. But, let's say you are trying to decide if you should hop in and grab basic supplies or linger for a while for a little, "me," time. These collabs might just convince you of the latter. After all, the Target/ Marimekko collaboration was such a strong success, I have a great deal of confidence that these will be equally compelling.

6 Best Places for

Great Customer Service in the Seattle Area.

Super Cool Things That are Top of Mind Right Now.

How to Style the Geneva Dress from Universal Standard

10 Places to Shop and Things to Buy for

the Fella in Your Life.

The Perfect Mule is a Part Timer

Echo Look and Current and Future Poplin Clients.

My Favorite Gifts for the People You Love.

Pink Out in Style

Fanny Packs 101: How and Why You Wear a Fanny Pack, also Known as a Belt Bag.

Lessons for Powerful, Fashionable Women from State Representative Ilhan Omar

WANT: Warm, Stylish Coat that Isn't too Expensive.

Now, Please.

Own the Room in these Pieces at the Holiday Party and Everyday After

Brooches for Cool Kids- That Means You.

Very Hip Products

Made By Vets and Their Families

Your Legs, Your Style

2 Target Collaborations that are Worth Your Time