11 Fall 2022 Fashion Trends

As a personal stylist for women, it’s my job to stay on top of trends, but also to guide each client to stay true to her authentic personal style and choose pieces that flatter her frame. This can be a major challenge for a woman as the new shiny objects are so alluring, but can also end in disappointment. If you have tags on clothes still in your closet, I’m talking to you:)

Not to worry! The key is to choose pieces that communicate your authentic personal style while also staying current. One way to do that is to see what’s out there right now, then narrow down your choices to see what’s right for YOU.

This fall, it’s all about the 1970’s or the 1990’s. If you lived through one of both of these, you’ll likely have feelings about both. But just remember, inspired by doesn’t have to mean pieces that are literal copies of items from the past. Avoid costume-like looks by including vintage inspired pieces with more modern touches. To get you started, here’s what’s happening right now in Fall Fashion. As always, I’d love to hear what’s resonating with you.

Hack Her Style: Client #5, Ella

Hack Her Style: Client #4: Taylor

What is a Catsuit and When (Why and How) Would You Wear One?

As a personal stylist for women, I’m all over researching trends for each season. it’s true. I guide each client to choose pieces that are authentic to her personal style, flatter her frame and are functional for her lifestyle. But, it’s also important the style feel current, so adding in a few pieces each year (or season) is a great way to do that. The key is to select items that are just right for you rather than pieces that will just camp out in your closet with tags on.

One of this year’s breakout items is the catsuit. And while I can hear you gasping and wondering why I’m even bringing this up, I can tell you that for some women there are times and places that this beauty is just the thing. Let’s see if that means you.

The 50 Best Labor Day 2022 Deals Including Choices with Inclusive Sizing and Sustainable Options. It’s Time to get your Retail On!

As a personal stylist for women, I’m not sure what’s more exciting- a 3 day weekend or the stellar sales that Labor Day brings. This is the ideal time to stock up on pieces you’ve been waiting for or find something new that catches your eye. I’ve included several sustainable, fair trade and plus size options. There are also maternity and petite finds. Just keep your personal style key words, color palette and body type in mind and get your intentional shopping on! Here’s a list of some of my favs. Expect some familiar faces and some fun new ideas to explore. As always, let me know how it goes.

Featured Client: Caitlyn

What can I say? I’m pretty much losing my mind over here. As a personal stylist for women, I’m always absolutely delighted to share a client transformation with the Poplin community. It’s taken ages to make this photo shoot happen and it was well worth the wait. Not only is Caitlyn a powerhouse at her job as a leader in tech, she’s also crazy photogenic, up for anything and ready to show the world what style looks like. Enjoy the photos and a video to make you feel like you were there with us.

Oh! If you happen to notice another stunning woman, that’s Poplin client Laura. We’ll share her photos and video soon, too!

The 10 Black Owned Clothing Brands that I'm Currently Obsessed With

Things have changed in the fashion industry since 2013. That’s when your very own personal stylist for women wrote a blog post about my then favorite black designer. I researched for hours in search of other options that spoke to me. Sadly, there were very few black voices that were being amplified. There’s still a long way to go, but for now, I’ve got some real favorites.

After finding myself lost in the rabbit hole of the interwebs, I found my favorite resource for Black owned brands and spent the rest of the day totally immersed. So, how about I save you some time and share?

One of my favorite aspects of this list is the purpose behind nearly every brand. Helping clients shop their values is a passion of mine and this list is filled with values based options. From shopping BIPOC makers to brands that have an unwavering commitment to the environment or those that give back to communities in the US or Africa, this is one inspirational list. A few of the brands have manufacturing in the US. Others, are dedicated to inclusive sizing and color palettes. Many are embracing multiple paths to make the world better. Shopping them is a great way to support this approach.

Poplin Finds for Your Classic Style at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

As a personal stylist for women based in Seattle, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale used to be a key milestone in my year. After all, Nordstrom is a beloved hometown company and this sale is the opportunity to shop fall pieces on sale before the prices increase. Genius. Clients would pre-book shopping trips during the sale. I’d plan for a sea of wishlists highlighting items. Then, came COVID.

Not only did clothing needs change rapidly in 2020, but the ripple effects on the fashion industry continue to have a very real impact. Ongoing supply chain issues, halts and delays in production due to COVID cases, shortages of qualified retail staff and more have made it easy to forget all about Anniversary. If those weren’t enough, my visits to Nordstrom stores over the past few years have been disappointing as the better finds were available online and not in stores.

Until now. I hit a local Nordstrom early last week to see the pre-sale and to peruse summer clothes. I was ELATED to find pieces I wanted to buy. Full disclosure: I was deep into warm weather clothes that weren’t on sale, so if that’s your jam right now, Nordstrom is still a solid go-to. As for fall pieces on sale, I’ve got those, too!

So, we’re back to my annual list of anniversary finds. In fact, there are 5 lists- Each one devoted to one of five archetypal style key words: Effortless, Classic, Edgy, Creative and Boho. Fun fact, those are also on the main Poplin Pinterest personal style boards on the website. So, if you enjoy the list, hop onto Pinterest and see recommendations from other retailers. One more thing, make sure to explore all the boards. After all, you may not see yourself as having a classic style, but a chambray shirt or pair of jeans is pretty classic. So, you’ll find those in the “classic” group. Have so much fun and LMK what you think!

Poplin Finds for your Effortless Style at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Ready to embrace your effortless side while saving some cash? This is a great place to start. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale kicks off today and items always go quickly.

We’re back to my annual list of Nordstrom Anniversary Sale finds. In fact, there are 5 lists- Each one devoted to one of five archetypal style key words: Effortless, Classic, Edgy, Creative and Boho. Fun fact, those are also on the main Poplin Pinterest personal style boards on the website. So, if you enjoy the list, hop onto Pinterest and see recommendations from other retailers. One more thing, make sure to explore all the boards. After all, you may not see yourself as having a classic style, but a chambray shirt or pair of jeans is pretty classic. So, you’ll find those in the “classic” group. Have so much fun and LMK what you think!

What to Wear to that Summer Wedding

As a personal stylist for women, I know that this is the time of the year that I start hearing from panicked clients frantically searching for the ideal outfit for that summer wedding… or those several summer weddings. This year, the struggle is more severe. After all, it’s been a few years since most of us have attended a large event with a dress code. The COVID 15 or 20 is a factor for many, not to mention the social anxiety of traversing the style continuum from sweats to cocktail attire. If none of those obstacles apply and you are an extrovert like me who is elated for this opportunity to kick things up a notch, you might also be faced with the daunting challenge of shopping right now. COVID has not only left a mark on our psyches, it has had a significant impact on our choices from supply chain issues to inflation. Finding that ideal dress that is both available and affordable is harder than ever.

Not to worry, Dear Reader! I’ve got you covered. I’ve been living in this space for weeks as I shop for clients and for myself and I’m here with solutions. Have some fun with it. Remember, what matters most is seeing the people you love IRL, not what you are wearing. But, really, when you love what you are wearing, you are bound to have a much better time and be happy with the photos afterward. Off we go!

Welcome To The World Of Shapewear

Editor's note: Below you'll find another blog post from Jessica Burton. Jessica brings her wealth of knowledge including an expertise in undergarments and her warm personality to this post. Love her and you will, too. Enjoy!

Shapewear has been around for quite some time now. Depending on the clothing you’re wearing, you’re likely to find just about any type of design when it comes to shapewear these days. The real question though, is what do you do with those particularly hard to wear outfits? Do you often find that those tricky dresses and skirts just sit and collect dust in your closet? As a personal stylist, I’m here to give you some inspiration and show you that you can confidently wear those items. Below you will find choices for shapewear that will properly fit under those difficult ensembles, along with new, innovative styles.

5 Essential Bras To Fit All Your Lifestyle Needs

Editor's note: Welcome to Underneath it all: 5 days of Undergarments. Below you'll find a guest blog post from Jessica brings her wealth of knowledge including an expertise in undergarments and her warm personality to this post.

Finding the right type of bra for your outfit can be a challenge. I know just how important it is to be comfortable but also fashionable at the same time. Depending on your body type and the outfit you’re wearing, specific styles of bras will be needed. While most women ditch their bra the second they get home from work, the goal here is to make sure you feel both comfortable and beautiful at the same time. You no longer have to sacrifice comfort while looking good. You can have the best of both worlds! Below is a list of bras to help for every day or those very special occasions in your life.

Top 5 Bras For Your Wardrobe

How to Look Amazing in a Sweatshirt

As a personal stylist for women, I get all sorts of questions about what to wear and how to wear it. As a stylist during the pandemic, those questions move quickly to loungewear and how to look great while being supremely comfortable. Fortunately, functionality has always been at the core of Poplin, so answering these questions is easy.

Personally, I’ve never been much of a sweatshirt person. I always felt pretty sloppy in them. Historically, I’ve owned one or two at a time, if any at all. Now, I have an entire drawer of sweatshirts and I wear one most days. I love the versatility, the ability to wash them so quickly and with all the germ awareness we’ve developed over the past few years, they feel much cleaner than a sweater because you can bleach them or wash them in hot water. Options abound. The key is ensuring that you feel like your authentic self AND that you are still communicating your style at the level that makes you look and feel your best.

First off, you’ll want to choose the right sweatshirt for your body type and your authentic personal style. Plus, it should obviously be cozy. Otherwise, what are we doing here? Here are some ideas to kick things off.

Coachella 5.0: Your Elevated Tie Dye

As a virtual personal stylist for women, I’m all about monitoring trends and deep into the internet. If you, like me, are a fan of Japandy (the hybrid of Nordic and Japanese style that very much speaks to our home design), then you’ll love the Shibori Tie Dye Blog post. If you are into tie dye, but not so much the Japanese inspired version, then wait no more. This treatment is at an entirely. new level now with luxurious pieces that feel handcrafted and specially made just for you. I’m thinking Boho, Luxurious, Elegant.

Here’s a collection of my favs right now. As always, let me know what you think and have a great time shopping.

4 French Girl Style Brands You've Never Heard Of

As a personal stylist for women, I get LOTS of questions about how to channel, “French Girl Style.” Over the years, I’ve come to understand that French Girl Style, more than anything, is a state of mind. It’s about an effortless self confidence that isn’t focused on showing off brands or following trends. Typically, it means having a capsule collection of pieces that make her look and feel great. A striped shirt (naturally), jeans, a classic button down shirt, a black dress or two. Then, the flavor pieces come in as something unexpected, likely edgy or sexy to amp everything up. This could be a leather jacket, textured hosiery, a bold lip or accessories in her signature color. Yup, her signature color. A beautiful Parisian friend of mine explained to me years ago that French women like to have one color that is their, “signature color.” It comes up again and again in her wardrobe. Otherwise, it’s all about neutrals. (My friend’s color is pink.)

So, if you are going for a literal interpretation of this approach, you now have it. If, on the other hand, you are looking for an Amercianized version of this, looking to some specific brands can help you lock in your target. I’m a big fan of all four of these sites. I expect you’ll find them as addicting as I am. Each one offers a different aspect of French Girl Style. All of them exuding the confidence, sophistication and effortlessness that we are pining for. Have fun with it and as always, let me know how it goes.

Elevated Loungewear: Hip Options for Home

As a personal stylist for women, I’ve had a hybrid work schedule for over 8 years. I’ve spent that time hopping from a client’s home to a retailer to creating online resources for her from my desk at home. Throughout the pandemic, I’ve heard from a number of clients struggling to find the balance of comfort and style while working and often parenting from home and now heading into the office one day a week or a month or maybe never. It’s tricky, but it absolutely can be done. And fortunately for all of us, designers and retailers have doubled down on loungewear so there are more attractive options than ever before. Here are some of my favs.

9 Ways to Enjoy Shopping with Less Guilt About Climate Change

As a virtual personal stylist for women, I hear a sea of concerns from my clients and the Poplin community. These range from dressing for various occasions to understanding how to create new outfits and much more. For many of my clients, and for me, climate change and sustainability are important factors when thinking about style. In fact, you can see past blog posts on sustainability here including how to care for items to help them last longer, my favorite sustainable brands and more.

Loving to express yourself through clothing and making responsible choices for the environment are not mutually exclusive. In fact, your personal style is not just the colors or silhouettes that you adore, it also includes communicating your values through your clothing. Yes! It’s possible to balance your love of style and your commitment to the next generation. Here are some ideas to get you started.

6 of the Best Pants for Working From Home or the Office AND the Shoes that go with ALL of them

As a personal stylist for women, I’m hearing lots of questions about how to navigate your wardrobe when it’s unclear whether you’ll be working from home or the office. I hear you.

Many of the large tech firms in Seattle were planning to head back to the office in September and now that date has been pushed back to the first of the year. And for folks who are in the office right now, many of them are only there a few days a week with the rest of their schedule taking place from the comfort of home. That can be a blessing and a curse.

Whether you are working in the Pacific Northwest or somewhere else in the country, COVID-19 is undoubtedly affecting your daily wardrobe decisions. A number of new clients are wondering if they need two wardrobes: one for the office and one for home. That, my Dear Reader, is not how we roll.

Here at Poplin, we’re all about functionality. You dress for yourself first and foremost. When you feel like your authentic self, you will conduct. your work with more self confidence, less brain power spent on body shaming or worrying about your look and more time spent kicking ass all day long.

So, how do we do this? It’s all about intentional dressing. One aspect of this approach is ensuring that your pieces are functional for your life and with minor tweaks, can work in various scenarios. For example, swapping your house shoes or sneakers or flats, heels or boots. The same pair of pants has an entirely different vibe when its paired with a different shoe.

Need proof? Every pair of pants on this list will work with all of the shoes listed below. Believe it.

Here’s your go-to for styles that are comfortable at home, but don’t make you feel like a slob AND can work just as well when you head off to the office. Have fun and let me know how it goes!

P.S. One key aspect of the Poplin approach is ensuring that all your pieces will work with one another now and into the future. How do we do that? One way is to limit your new pieces to your color palette. Everything in that palette will work with everything else, some bolder and some less so. You can see that in action below.

Comfortable and Stylish Pants for Work AND Home

The Color of the Season also Happens to Match Everything in your Closet

So often, we think of black, white, grey, brown and navy blue as our neutrals- meaning they go with everything. As a personal stylist for women who happens to be based in the Pacific Northwest, this also means that I see a whole lot of closets dominated by those colors. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are other colors that can act as neutrals in your closet. My favorite of those also happens to be EVERYWHERE right now: Green.

Yup. Oh, yeah. Olive green is a neutral, you say. But, it’s not just olive that can expand your wardrobe and offer you unexpected color combinations. All shades of green have something to offer. As I like to say, the stem never clashes with the flower. Green works with everything in nature. The key is knowing which green is appropriate. Simply match the intensity of your green with the color you are going for and you are solid. You may find that some combinations are too much for you. That’s fine. But, they do work. It’s just about your authentic personal style. Also, you can tone it down by introducing another neutral into the mix- say white, navy or black, as examples. Need some visuals? That’s what I’m here for.

Get Your Green On!

Get Your Favorite Styling Services During COVID-19

It’s true. As a personal stylist for women, I spend the majority of my client focused time one on one with each client. So, how does that work while we are all limiting our contact with the outside world to prevent the spread of the coronavirus?

A number of services translate nicely online. In the words of one remote client,

Although I live thousands of miles away from Seattle, Mellicia did an amazing job on our Skype conversations hearing out my laundry list of fashion likes and dislikes and then ensuring that my Uber Wishlist reflected me and where I wanted to take my new look. Not only did she provide me with some ideas for beautiful articles of clothing to add to my closet, but she also helped me gain more confidence in mixing and matching new and old pieces to create a fresh new look. I highly recommend Poplin's services, especially to those who live outside of WA!

-Marina J., Salt Lake City, UT

To make it easier to know what works and what doesn’t right now, here’s a list of the current Poplin services. (At the time of this post, we are in Phase 1.5, which allows for limited personal services. 1:1 services are restricted to 30 minutes with social distancing and masks. Because Poplin services are comprehensive, they are better suited to full service virtual sessions rather than brief in person sessions.)

Poplin + You Right Now