I've said it before, we all have a little Seasonal Affective Disorder in us. If for no other reason, but because our calendars are on hyper drive this time of year. Every day has a zillion commitments and even though the days are technically longer, we still can't do it all. So, if this time of year has brought you a feeling of overwhelm, you are not alone. I thought you might enjoy some streamlining from your very own personal stylist.
Here we go!
Over the last few weeks, I've had a number of clients use words like, "earthy," and "natural" when describing their personal styles. You, Dear Reader, know how essential style keywords can be. Along with the do's and don'ts for your body type, style keywords can help you ensure that your clothes are communicating exactly what you want them to.
Lucky for me, the lovely and talented Jill Griffin was just a click away to empower me to offer up locally hand made jewelry for the earthier set of my client base. I met Jill last year when one of my clients hosted a trunk show for her. (I went home with a black leather cuff.)
And, because I think of you, Dear Reader, as my virtual client, I wanted to make sure I share her pieces (and the client discount) with you.
A number of months ago I started hearing about Normcore. Chatter on the inter web turned into real media attention and an official trend. We can thank the good people at New York Magazine (one of my VERY favorite mags, by the way) for updating the rest of us earlier this year. Opening up the newest issue of Lucky today, I see that Normcore is now a topic for Main Stream America.
With that in mind, I feel obligated to give this trend some attention, though, truthfully, I'd prefer to give it as little attention as possible. However, my first obligation is to you, Dear Reader, so it's important that you can discuss Normcore at a dinner party or the office and sound like you know what you are talking about.
Read MoreSure, the bow tie takes a certain type of person to pull off. But, I'd venture to say that when you (or your fella) take the plunge, all parties involved will be glad you did. The key is styling. Before we get to that, let's make sure you know who won. Was it you?
What to Wear with a Bowtie. Go!
Read MoreWho doesn't love the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale? For the unindoctrinated, Anniversary (as the groupies call it) gives Nordstrom cardholders the chance to shop the fall trends now. Even better, they are on sale.
Yes! They go on sale now, then up to full price after the sale. And few things are as painful as watching something you saw on sale go up to full price... unless, of course, YOU bought it for the lower price.
Nordstrom card holders get early access to the sale July 10th- 17th. That's today! Don't have a card, you can still get one:)
I find that the most challenging thing about Anniversary is facing the concept that summer will eventually end. That makes it tough to shop for cold weather clothes. Plus, you've got to start thinking about fall trends to buy those pieces that you will undoubtedly yearn for come October. With that in mind, here's a guide to fall runway trends that you can shop for now and ensure you are comfortable and cool in the Northwest Winter weather.
If you aren't a card holder, you can see (and buy!) the Anniversary deals after July 18th.
Editor's note: Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson. This time, I've added in options from Rent the Runway so you can rent a dress to save you a little cash. We've included straight size and plus size examples. The strategies are the same. And, Rent the Runway now includes plus size options. Huzzah!
Did you know that Jordan's research on Sizeism was recently featured in an article in the Everett Herald? Check it out! Love her and you will, too. Enjoy!
Dear Reader,
As a warm summer approaches so does the up-swing in summer wedding invitations. It can be a bit of a struggle to find the right thing to wear for each type of wedding, so I have created a breakdown of different types of wedding attire requirements and my suggestions for each. As you know, it's important to be appropriately dressed for the occasion without becoming overheated in the warm weather. Don't worry! I'm on it.
Read MoreWhether you read local or national news, you're undoubtedly hearing about today's milestone: Washington's first legal marijuana shops opened this morning. Clearly, the only way, well, one way, to celebrate this momentous occasion is to dress the part. After all, we are the Evergreen State.
Months ago, the good people at DIGS Showroom in Ballard held an event featuring Portland brand SoleStruck. Not only did I have a lovely time, leave with an incredible swag bag that just keeps on giving (thank you, DIGS!); but I also bought a pair of edgy and functional heels. Thrilled, we went home. By the next day I was a proud winner of a free pair of shoes from SoleStruck. Woot!
And so it began.
Editor's note: Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson. Jordan's research on Sizeism was just featured in an article in the Everett Herald. Check it out!Love her and you will, too. Enjoy!
Dear Reader,
This month one of my dear friends got engaged, and it got me thinking about bridal gowns and weddings. She is a magnificent woman and I caught a bit of the wedding bug! So, curled up with a morning cup of tea I lazily scrolled through the wedding tag on Pinterest and Tumblr and got little butterflies of happiness for her. Though talking with a good friend later the same day I reflected that I hadn't seen any plus size brides on the main tag of Pinterest, and very few on Tumblr. I know these brides are out there, so I was confused and sort of hurt. I reached out to one of my friends who is a fierce plus size woman who was married two years ago and asked her about her gown search.
Read MoreThere are two extremes for the fashionista:
Most of us fall somewhere in between. And, like having your very own personal stylist, many of us have always secretly yearned for a professional organizer in our lives.
Editor's note: Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson. Jordan's research on Sizeism was just featured in an article in the Everett Herald. Check it out! Love her and you will, too. Enjoy!
Dear Reader,
Few things are more gratifying than shedding your work clothes after a long day and putting on something comfortable. While pulling on my trusty old college sweats and a tank I wondered what others wore to hang about...So I went on a quest. I questioned family, friends, and co-workers looking to find what people preferred. I found that most like loose fitting pants that stretched yet still held a shape, and a jersey tank or tee. One gal mentioned that she called this look "lounge-chic." She described it as the balance between comfortable shoes that are easy to move in while maintaining the ability to open the door or run to the grocery store without embarrassment.
So I wanted to see how I could elevate my own lounge wear to "lounge-chic" and naturally, I wanted to share my findings with you. Because Poplin Style Direction focuses on knowing what works best for your body shape (as well as your personal style) I wanted to utilize the body types to help pinpoint some great choices for various body shapes.
As you know, Dear Reader, I am a personal stylist for men, women and kids. Although the blog predominantly focuses on women's fashion, I LOVE chatting about kids styles and the perplexities involved.
On a personal note, our three year old envisions a different occupation every day and builds his ensemble accordingly. Frequently, we're adding jersey numbers out of colored masking tape to tees or reflective trim along cuffs for our little fireman out of, you guessed it, masking tape. So, tip #1 for dressing a toddler with a vision: start with masking tape.
I digress.
When our little ones transition from baby to toddler, it can be challenging to navigate the fashion terrain. Here's a trivia question to wow the crowd at your next playdate,
Part 2 of 2. See part 1 of 2.
Is it weird to refer to yourself as an expert? After reading the tips from Hanna and Annie, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to add a few more beach essentials. My Beach Must Haves for you are below. Normally, I'd also include a wet bag, but Annie is so good! She beat me to it. I'm tempted to write a post with beach must haves for the little ones and the fellas. If that interests you, leave a comment!
I don't know about you, Dear Reader, but my teen years were spent in thrift stores. On the eternal quest to find something that communicated who I was through my clothing and managing to stay within my teenage budget was no easy task. Parenthood has made every minute more valuable and my love of shopping has shifted to brick and mortar stores and online. But, my love of vintage coats will never die. And that is where the Citizen got me.
Citizen Rosebud AKA Bella is a die hard lover of all things vintage. With special love for American-made items, she knows her history through clothes. Each dress, each coat, every pair of shoes has a story and Bella is dying to tell it to you.
Read MorePart 1 of 2
As you may know, I spend a great deal of time near the water. In our city, it's so easy to do. With the Summer Solstice right around the corner, I thought I'd share some of my favorite tips for hitting the beach. Even better? How about I ask two other very knowledgeable women to do the same. Please enjoy some helpful tips directly from professional organizer, Annie Traurig and hair and make-up artist, Hanna Mazur.
I remember fantasizing about the day H&M would finally come to Seattle. Then, it did- with three stores opening almost simultaneously. Suddenly, I didn't need to buy 10 pairs of tights every time I visited New York or Chicago. Life was good.
This month, life just got a whole lot better. Enter COS (Collection of Style). The H&M owned brand is all about effortless, paired back basics. Timeless minimalism for men, women and kids. While we don't have a brick and mortar COS in Seattle, we are FINALLY able to shop the brand here in the states thanks to the magic of the inter web.
Thanks VERY much to the Velouria team for hosting last night's Art Walk event. The husband and I were there chatting it up and helping raise funds for YouthCare. 10% of every sale last night will support the organization's work to end youth homelessness.
AND, every person who purchased something online or in the store yesterday was entered into the drawing to win either a free Uber Wishlist (that's a $575 value!) or a Justin Marx Photography print.
Enough talking, let's see who won!
Read MoreOur house is filled with fashion enthusiasts. Our daily conversations are often dominated by current events, work updates, food and fashion. And we love it.
As a personal stylist for men, women and kids, I'm often asked about my favorite boutiques for each. With Father's Day right around the corner, it seems only right that today's Seattle Sunday post highlight a men's boutique for the hip man, Ian. Plus, when you mention Poplin you save 15%.
Read MoreMan, have I got the weekend of dreams planned for you. (And, it starts today!)
Summer is here (despite today's rain) and that means longer days and the relentless desire to get out and do things, meet people, look pretty. It's possible our entire city has some level of seasonal affective disorder. We pay the price in the dark and gloomy months; but this time of year is when we shine. So, as you are putting the final touches on your weekend plans, why not indulge in something for yourself?
Read MoreHave you ever noticed that you have certain stock answers to often asked questions? Maybe the first time someone asked you a particular question, you answered quickly. You were being funny or you were nervous, maybe disinterested or perhaps you really didn't feel like revealing too much about yourself.
Who knows?
As the question has come up again and again over the years, you've developed this auto response.
Read More