Let's talk about how successful you are.
Read MoreAs your very own personal stylist, I think a lot about what works for your individual style. That means your body type, your budget and how you want to express yourself with your clothing. This also includes how you like to spend your time. If you live in Seattle, it's highly probable that you spend some portion of your time savoring high quality food that is responsibly sourced, drinking coffee and entertaining out-of-towners. And, of course, let's not forget shopping.
All worlds collide at JCOCO's new pop up store in Bellevue Square. So, today, it's all about JCOCO and you'll soon see why.
Local chocolatier Seattle Chocolate launched its couture brand, JCOCO, over a year ago. You may have seen my post when things kicked off. As you can imagine, this is chocolate at its finest.
5 Reasons Why You Need JCOCO in Your Life
Read MoreAs 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?
Read MoreIn addition to styling women, I am also a personal stylist for kids. As you can imagine, I'm on the eternal quest for hip, high quality and affordable children's apparel. It's fun. It's time consuming. And, it can also be incredibly rewarding when something inspirational comes along. Enter: Holt & Lulu.
I discovered local brand Holt & Lulu a few years ago and highlighted the company in the blog last year. That was just the beginning. Now, you can find a number of pieces at Nordstrom.com and expect to find more there this summer and fall. As you may know, Dear Reader, we are in the midst of the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale. That means crazy savings on all sorts of pieces. In this case, it also means crazy deals on Holt & Lulu.
Holt & Lulu: Clothes for Hip Kids
Read MoreHappy Mother's Day, Dear Reader. As your own personal stylist, I'd like to start the day by thanking you for reading the blog and for entering (I sure hope you entered!) the Finerie CoLAB Mother's Day Giveaway.
If you like Poplin Style Direction on Facebook, follow Poplin on Instagram, follow Poplin on Twitter or subscribe the Poplin newsletter, you were entered to win $100 gift certificate from the Finerie CoLAB for you and another one for your mom. That's $200 in total! That's right. If you do all of the above that's four entries.
If you shared the giveaway on social media, you were entered 10 times for every share! Believe it.
So, to celebrate Mother's Day, it's time to announce our winner. Here we go!
And the Winner of $200 to spend as you choose at the Finerie CoLAB is
Read More
I am obsessed with the Finerie CoLAB.
There are two stores: The Finerie and The Finerie CoLAB.
The Finerie CoLAB is in a temporary location and will be moving from 2nd and Virginia to Western Avenue in the coming months. What does that mean to you, Dear Reader? It means get there now and then again after the move. From housewares to apparel, accessories to furniture and everything in between, this swanky spot is filled with unexpected items.
Owner Tanya Friberg takes special care to curate a collection of unique items from local, national and international designers. You'll find well-known brands like Desigual. In fact, the Finerie and CoLAB are THE place for Desigual in the Northwest. But, you'll also find a plethora of labels that are most certainly new to you. I'm loving Bitte Kai Rand and de Rosairo right now. And, because of the constant change in inventory and the Finerie's commitment to keeping the shops as destinations, you won't find pieces online.
Where you will find them is in my closet, for starters.
5 Reasons to Visit the Finerie CoLAB Right Now.
Read MoreHappy Sunday, Dear Reader! If you follow Poplin on Instagram, you've likely seen photos documenting my visits to Dermaspace over the past couple of months. The experience has been unforgettable. Recently, I've become especially infatuated with the beauty rituals of previous generations and how they have resurfaced under new names. False eye lashes (hello Diana Ross, who incidentally also had falsies on the bottom), minimizing the number of times per week we wash our hair and let us not forget about blow outs.
So, when I discovered that a natural skin treatment created in the thirties had become all the rage in LA and New York, I had to learn more. Lucky for us, downtown Seattle's Dermaspace is the only location offering this treatment north of San Francisco. I jumped into three treatments over two months to understand this sci-fi meets holistic approach to skincare. As your very own personal stylist, I also fearlessly documented the steps. Who puts a photo of herself in a helmet reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter on the internet? I do, Dear Reader. Just for you. Because we're cool like that.
Dermaspace: Your Glamorous Grandmother Schools you on Skincare.
Read MoreSomething I love about being a personal stylist is the opportunity to learn from others. Every client is different. She has different preferences, different aspirations and always teaches me something new. Sure, my goal is to teach her how to ensure that her clothes project her authentic personal style. But, that's only the beginning. The process should be transformative, enlightening and above all, enjoyable.
Something I especially love about being a personal stylist in Seattle is the commitment to community and giving back that I see again and again with each new client. Whether it is a preference to purchase clothing made in America, or with companies who take corporate social responsibility seriously, or quality over quantity, it's not uncommon for new clients to inform me that their clothes are much more than adornment. It is true. Our clothes have the power to communicate our values.
Which brings us to Combat Flip Flops.
Read MoreOkay, okay. Seattle Sunday on a Tuesday? Well, this was a jam packed weekend volunteering with the F-Factor Fashion and Fitness workshop for foster girls at Ryther Child Center on Saturday. Then, one of my lovely clients co-hosted a Clothing Swap to benefit Youthcare on Sunday. Needless to say, Seattle Sunday was put on hold.
However, if I could shout Chantelle Riley's name from the rooftop every morning, I would. So, I couldn't bear to wait another week to tell you all about Chantelle and my hair.
From Brittle to Beautiful:
Chantelle Changed my World (via my hair)
Read MoreHave you ever been truly mesmerized by a piece of clothing?
I have. The feeling is well beyond my normal shopping euphoria. When I discover a piece like this, the quality of the fabric and the workmanship sucks me in. Now, imagine this feeling and add in innovative designs that are at the same time minimal and intricate. That is SCHAI.
Read MoreHappy Sunday, Dear Reader. If you've been missing these Seattle Sundays, let me know. In 2014, I had a goal of a Seattle Sunday post every week. For 2015, you'll be seeing a local brand, boutique or maker every other week. Of course, when I discover something glorious, you'll be seeing that immediately on Instagram. (In fact, for those of you who follow Poplin on Instagram, you likely saw photos from the Don't Call Me Ma'am launch party.) Enough chit chat, let's get to the Redmond based brand.
The skincare bar at the Don't Call Me Ma'am Launch Party. Also the only people in the place authorized to wear makeup.
When a skincare line is bold enough to throw a, "Naked Party," you know you can trust their equally bold point of view: natural beauty at every age. Oh, yes. I said a naked party. What's that, you say?
Invite local fashionistas to journey to a launch party sans makeup. Believe it. A room (mostly) filled with women who followed the directive. Lucky for those of us who did, skincare professionals from the company were waiting to give us a sample of the brand spanking new skincare line. I met another guest who became my BFF for the evening and had the opportunity to interview one of the company founders. As your very own personal stylist, it's only right that I share all my learnings with you. Here we go!
Don't Call Me Ma'am: Because You Value Your Skin and Your Time.
Read MoreLet's talk about my hair.
I'd like to pretend that I have as much knowledge and passion for hair as I do for clothing. But, I do not. That's why I surround myself with people who do. Or, at least I try to. The challenge is that I'd LOVE someone to guide me about all things hair. As in, all things pertaining to MY hair.
In short, I'm looking for the Poplin Style Direction of hair. And I think I've come close to finding it. If you are a hair aficionado, you've likely heard of TONI & GUY, the highly acclaimed London hair brand known for "setting the fashion agenda" in the UK and beyond. Identical twin brothers Jason and Robert Townsend are part of the brand and have just opened up Essensuals London in Capitol Hill. They made me prettier, smarter and happier. And I'm confident, Dear Reader, that they can do the same for you.
Why a Visit to Essensuals London Will Change the Way You Think About Your Hair Forever
Read MoreRemember that day, so long ago, when you discovered what having your eyebrows waxed could do for your face? Or how about when you tried a shaper for the very first time? Or a push up bra? How much do you wish someone had told you years ago about the importance of sunscreen on your face?
It's these unspoken truths that transform how we look and feel. And let me tell you, Dear Reader: lash extensions are your next addiction.
What lash extensions from the Lash Factory did for me and what they can do for YOU.
Read MoreIt may or may not be obvious, but I think long and hard about the subject of each Seattle Sunday post. What are clients asking me about? What's my favorite new discovery? What do readers NEED to know right now?
With that sort of attention, it's been excruciating for me to hold off on this post. But, it was worth the wait!
My hands down favorite shoe store in Seattle is re-souL. That's right. Hands down.
Because of this adoration, I wanted to kick off the holiday season with a post about this Ballard boutique filled with high quality Italian-made shoes for men and women. But a post just isn't enough. My interview with owners Maggie and Legh Burns resulted in so much valuable information that you'll be seeing tips and tricks from them throughout December. And, read on for more information about how YOU could win your very own pair of men's or women's shoes from the re-souL collection. Off we go!
Why a Visit to re-souL is at the Top of your Holiday To-do List
Read MoreIt's just as cool outside as it is inside. Man, you are going to love it.
One of my very favorite gifts for men is a subscription to Esquire magazine. Trust me. It's never a mistake.
But as we head into prime gift giving season, I thought I'd help you, Dear Reader, find the most perfect gifts — besides a magazine subscription — for the man in your life. No matter his age or income, the American man has a plethora of tools at his disposal to look impeccable. Of course, a great coat and a high quality pair of shoes are paramount. But what's next? As a personal stylist, I hear this question all the time.
I'll tell you what's next: accessories. And you can find every one you need, for every man you know, at Madrona's Hammer + Awl.
Three Phases to Accessorizing the American Man at Hammer + Awl
Read MoreA friend and client recently said the most extraordinary thing to me, "Wow. You have the most symmetrical eyebrows I've ever seen." First, I should point out that this client actually DOES have incredibly symmetrical eyebrows. You know the ones, with the beautiful arch. Yes, those. And, thanks to mother nature, I actually don't have them.
Until now.
If you read this blog with any regularity you've heard my seemingly endless praise of Katrina and the Cake Skincare team. I've been dying to write this blog post so that you, Dear Reader will have a glimpse of the transformation I've been experiencing since my first visit with owner, Katrina Rising.
Cake: If You Can Get In, Get In Now.
Read MoreHow many times have you visited Pike Place Market and noticed the breathtaking storefront that is Alhambra? I'm guessing quite a few as owners Serpil and Shakir Kaymaz opened this Seattle Boutique 25 years ago.
Inspired by the Alhambra Castle in Spain, the interior is even more gorgeous than you'd expect. Serpil, Shakir and their team clearly put a whole lot of love and attention into selecting the pieces they carry.
It seems only right that you, Dear Reader, have a little incentive to visit Seattle's best kept secret — which has been right in front of you all this time.