Saturday, May 11, 2013
Do you vehemently refuse to wear that winter coat even one more time? Has this crazy spring weather got you all distressed over getting dressed?
My clever brother tells me spring in the mid-west suffers from bi-polar disorder. One day it's 75 and sunny, the next it's 40 something and rainy. So how in the world are we supposed to know what to wear? That pretty floral print scarf I just bought . . . should I wear it with my winter jacket? That doesn't sound right. Or how about jeans, boots and a turtle-neck sweater in May? That sounds ridiculous, but hey, that's exactly what I had on just a few days ago. As a seasoned wardrobe advisor, this is what I do and this is my best advice. Keep the calendar in mind, but dress for the weather. It's the smart and stylish thing to do. I also recommend some classic closet items that come in very handy this time of year: Layer, layer, and then …
Monday, February 18, 2013
Everything is on sale and NOW is the time to shop, right? Not so fast, Kimosabe!
In my Style Central column last month, I suggested that now would be a great time to clean out our closets and our dresser drawers and I totally stand by that decree. However, when it comes to replenishing our staple pieces, now may or may not be the best time to shop. I know this because I just completed a thorough closet edit with a client and then went on line to help her shop for some winter staples and guess what? Not good. Great prices on quality items? Absolutely. Great selection and a complete stock of sizes? Forget it. Very frustrating, to say the least! But I don't know why I was surprised. It makes total sense that in mid-February retailer stock is pretty much the dregs and the leftovers. Example: I saw a great pair of women's …
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Three easy ways busy moms can look professional while being cool on the outside and warm on the inside!
Professional businesswomen who have kids at home often tell me they have virtually zero time for themselves. No kidding! Just trying to keep body and soul together is a challenge! When the children are making endless demands and bosses are doing the same, they tell me their wardrobes take a back seat. Their "look" usually consists of tops and bottoms that are thrown together helter-skelter as they race out the door to drop off the kids at daycare and hope to heaven they at least remembered to wear underwear. Add the fact that it's currently 95 degrees in the shade and 60 something in the office? Good luck with that. The Wall Street Journal ran an interesting article recently about summer dressing entitled, Baby it's Cold Inside (Style …
Saturday, July 7, 2012
How many times will we do the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome? Too many to count, I'm loathe to admit.
Nora Ephron, critically acclaimed humorist, author, screenwriter and film director (Sleepless in Seattle) just recently passed away. When I heard the news, I wept. I cannot imagine a world without her. She was talented, accomplished, down to earth and best of all, she was really funny. Ephron was also notorious for wearing scarves and turtle neck tops. She made no bones about it. She was not going to show her neck in public. Clearly, she did not like her neck. In fact, she even wrote a book about it! One of the funniest books ever, I might add. Oddly enough, it is titled, I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman. I would probably have to say the same about my neck, except for the fact that I don’t ever look at my neck…
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Why shopping is not for the faint of heart, weary or time-constrained among us.
Read on for a practical approach to this and other profound questions of life.
Do you occasionally ponder some of life's more perplexing mysteries? Like what do they do with the fat they remove from no-fat desserts, and just how exactly do they remove it? Or—I love this one from my 4-year-old brother many years ago, "Why does God make weeds?" Why indeed. Currently I'm asking myself, "Why is it so darn hard to find classic clothing in stores these days?" It's ridiculous. No wonder more and more folks are hiring personal shoppers like me. Please don't get me wrong. I appreciate the business, but even I am becoming frustrated lately. Case in point, my client, let's call him John, needed a new trench coat. First, I perused the various store websites. It's always a good idea to see what they are currently offering in …
Saturday, May 5, 2012
When it comes to bridal gown fashion and style, Vera Wang continues to lead the way.
For years I was a faithful fan of the TV show Project Runway. Every episode started with these words of advice to aspiring new designers from the veteran fashion judges: "Remember... we want to see your unique point of view as a designer in every single piece you create." I would hear their admonition and think, boy oh boy. That's a tough nut to crack. Exactly how does one show their unique point of view in a clothing design? Then I read a recent article about the famous designer Vera Wang and I got it. She did exactly that. After 17 years as senior fashion editor for Vogue magazine, she began her design career and opened her first bridal boutique showroom in 1990. It was located at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City. The store had …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Salon Hype owner Ross Bartolomei says soft, natural hair with a bit of wild streak is the look that's in this spring.
With the early arrival of spring this year, downtown La Grange is already looking like a runway show. A walk by shops and restaurants along La Grange Road reveals spring fashion has arrived as well, modeled by La Grange residents who are excited to forget winter and move on to summer. If you want to look right this spring, the top is a good place to start, suggests Salon Hype owner Ross Bartolomei. "Everything is about nature right now," Bartolomei said and suggested La Grange women consider a softer, natural look for this season if they're considering a change. "We're seeing a kind of '50s and '70s mixed thing right now." Whether you want to go short or long, Bartolomei said, the look is natural with a bit of a wild side. This is a change…
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Saturday, February 11, 2012
Some red carpet moments are just too good to be true, while others make us cringe. What will it be like this year?
Going to the movies with friends is always fun, but most of us see movies in our living rooms these days. Call me old fashioned, but I still love seeing a good film in a real theater where the screen is huge and the lights are low. I'm not what one would call a movie buff—you could fill a thimble with my knowledge of the industry. However, I am a huge fan of watching the Oscars. This year Billy Chrystal will be back at the helm, and it's anybody's guess as to which flick will get best pick. Although my favorite, Midnight in Paris, is an unlikely winner, overall it was a wonderful year for movies. There was literally something for everybody. And it should be a very good year for fashion as well. If the Golden Globes were any indication, …
Sunday, January 8, 2012
You can rid yourself of closet clutter now and forever by following these simple steps .
This month is the perfect time to tackle that closet cleaning project you've been meaning to start. It can be a daunting task, to say the least. Why? Because the truth is, most of us have way too many clothes to deal with. We tend to add new things and not get rid of anything. You'd also agree that organizing and cleaning are not exactly at the top of a list of fun ways to spend our time. So, what happens? We procrastinate and ultimately end up giving in to the clutter—lots and lots of clutter. It's not fun and it's not helping us in our efforts to always look and feel our best. Enough! Turn up the volume on some favorite tunes (preferably music that makes you want to dance), turn on all the lights, throw open the curtains and just do it…
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Will one-hit wonders never cease? Probably not, but boots will always endure.
When Nancy Sinatra became popular with her 1966 hit song, These Boots Are Made For Walkin', I wondered, who told her she could sing? Then it dawned on me. Her father, of course! Looking through the old blue eyes of love, no doubt. But, here’s something for which I give Nancy Sinatra all the credit in the world. She single-handedly made boots the fashion statement of the decade. It’s true. When go-go boots hit the style scene, girls of all ages across the globe went wild for them, especially in London, New York and California. As a matter of fact, they even became prolific in my little college town of Winona, MN for heaven sakes. We all bought them and we all wore them every chance we got. Who knew? The extraordinary thing about the '60s …
Nancy Pipal
3:19 pm on Monday, May 13, 2013
And Thank you too, Carol. I know that it's been wicked downtown the past few weeks. You are so smart to have a coat that has a good lining but isn't a winter coat per se. Mine is worth it's weight in gold! more ›