What I Want as a Consumer

Everyone who has ever gone shopping has experienced the frustration of going from store to store hunting for what seems like the simplest, easiest to find items, but every time finding nothing at those stores because they are stocked full of the wrong kind of items. Not that every store should have exactly the same kind of items, or that there shouldn’t be any room for individuality or originality by designers, but stores that are full of 100% trendy, oddly designed clothing, in strange colors, and fits, shouldn’t be surprised that their stock is not selling well and that they are now having to cut back prices and give into consumer demands for constant sales.

It seems that stores that have caught onto the idea that they need to be producing less stock during this economic slump, even though they are doing so, are producing stock that is seemingly intended to reel in more customers by their attempts to design “original,” “unusual,” or “new,” clothing. They are actually driving customers away who would rather buy traditional pieces that would last for a couple of years instead of being out of style within 6 months. We don’t have money to waste anymore.

As a consumer, every time I spend a dollar at a store I am casting a vote for whatever item it is that that store produced which I am now buying, and every time I refrain from buying an item I am casting a vote against that item that that store has produced.

Here are some examples of what I want more of, and what I want less of as a consumer at Gap:

More jeans that are in simple styles; non-exaggerated boot cut, straight (not skin tight skinny!), and gently flared trouser jeans are styles that are classic and don’t end up looking dated.

These boot cut, dark wash, simply styled jeans get my vote, and I would wear these for as long as they lasted without feeling out of style:

On the other hand, these throwbacks from the 80’s in a hideous light rinse, with goofy “carpenter pants” details, in a super wide bell style will remain hanging on the rack while I’m around:

This cardigan is good. Very classic, even downright basic, and also offered in a load of different colors, and wearable with jeans, or a skirt, or a dress:

This boyfriend cardigan is tolerable. Yes, the boyfriend cardigan is a current trend, but it’s a doable trend that actually looks good when it’s worn in a slim, fine-knit style over jeans, or a pencil skirt; it also looks good belted with a skinny belt at the natural waist. My main complaint about this particular boyfriend cardigan is that the two bright colors they carry are magenta and a salmon color, yuck! I also would rather have a lighter, more silvery grey (instead of that heather grey) and a white, or cream color:

This horizontally, “rugby” striped cardigan is just plain ugly by my book and not worth the $48 bucks. I wouldn’t even pay $8 bucks for it because I know that it would sit forever in my closet; I would only be able to wear it with plain colored shirts and bottoms, not to mention that horizontal stripes are unflattering on 99% of the population:

All I can say is, wow, what were they thinking (what were they drinking?) when they designed this atrocity, unless they had expectant mothers in mind? Even as a pregnant mother I might draw the line :

These cropped jeans for summer are all right, I like the slim fit and the colors are good, but the length is a big turn off unless I could get them hemmed. Cropped pants that end at my mid-calf make me look like I have stumpy legs; the most flattering length for anyone for cropped jeans and pants is for them to end at the knee:

These white cropped jeans are more on the right track but still a little too long:

These are just laughable, they are so unflattering with in the flared cut that ends a couple of inches above the ankle and they wouldn’t look good on any body type!:

This simple knit top with a the ruffle placket is pretty but needs to be offered in some more basic colors, black, brown, and cream:

This drop waist, horizontally striped top from Gap is pretty ugly on the other hand!:

Can ya hear me, Gap? Any thoughts from my readers? What would you prefer to see more or less of in stores?

Anna

Building Blocks

I mentioned in my previous post about not wanting to buy very much this season. I want to keep my new wardrobe items to a minimum and give my outfits creative looks by adding accessories. But, it would be impossible to survive with just those few items that I picked if I didn’t already have staples in my wardrobe that I rely heavily on every time I create an outfit.

If you’re literally starting from ground zero this upcoming spring, here are my recommendations for building blocks in your wardrobe:

1. One, to two pairs of jeans. I like having a pair of bootcut and a pair of straight legged jeans because it adds more variety to my looks and it’s easier to pair blousier, looser tops with my straight legged jeans, and fitted, knit tops with my bootcut jeans. I can’t say it enough times, buy dark rinse jeans for an instant dressier, classic look. Don’t buy jeans that look like this.

2. A good bra or two, or three, is very much part of your outfit; choose a bra for good support, lining, and smoothness, and then forget about it when you are wearing it under your outfit. Get it replaced every few months if it is getting worn and stretched out!

3. A light trench coat or rain jacket for windy spring days.

4. A cardigan for layering over t-shirts and blouses. Cardigans, in all sorts of styles and colors, are widely available in stores like Target, Old Navy, Gap, and AE. Pick up one, or two in a bright and a neutral color.

5. A full and a straight skirt in easy to wear fabrics, cotton, denim, or light wool for Sundays, or dressing up occasions.

6. Shoes! The ever classic Converse, a pair of mary-janes, a pair of bright flats, boots, and a pair of pumps are what I need to survive the last blasts of winter, and chilly spring days, which in most places it’s still too cold to wear open-toed shoes. I’ve learned the hard way that it pays off to buy an actual shoe, not a cheap imitation made at Payless, or Old Navy. Those sorts of shoes can be worn just fine for short periods of time, and if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to spice up your shoe wardrobe then those are the places to go. But, if you need serious shoes for walking around town, then buying cute, comfortable shoes is a must. The struggle is to find cute, comfortable shoes. Don’t fall for the trap that, in order to be stylish, you must always wear heels. With the loads of shoe choices out there, opt for flat boots, mary-janes, ballet flats, pumps with a 1-1.5 in. heel, or Converse sneakers when walking around city blocks.

7. A black, and white camisole is a must these days when tops and dresses are lower cut, or made out of thin material. I even prefer wearing a camisole with my t-shirts to create a smooth contour, and to make sure when I’m bending over that I don’t play peek-a-boo.

Anna

The Plan for Spring

Spring is hovering in the air, despite the onset of rain and clouds, and when the sun clears them away the mind turns toward blossoms, and green grass, and new clothes.

How, how, how to create a Spring wardrobe this year without spending hundreds of dollars at Anthropologie, Boden, J. Crew, or Banana Republic? I want to take basics, t-shirts, jeans, and sweaters, and mix them up with bright, vibrant accessories that would stretch a couple of t-shirts and a pair of jeans as far as they would go. Here’s what I came up with.

2 long-sleeved t-shirts, long sleeved for those April showers ahead:

This in Bodega Bay, and Blue Slate.

3 short sleeved t-shirts for layering under sweaters:

Gap short-sleeved tee in black

Old Navy short-sleeved t-shirts in this color blue, and dark grey.

Dark rinse, mid-rise, boot cut jeans for wearing out casually:

Lightweight wool, classic cardigan in Bright Royal Blue:

2 brightly colored scarves for gloomy, overcast days:

Neutral colored canvas handbag; large enough to comfortably fit everything I need to haul around with me, small enough not too look silly on my short person:

A set of bangles in a bright color:

It doesn’t seem like very much, but the key lies in many different types of accessories, accessories that don’t cost an arm and a leg, but add pizzaz to that tired, old t-shirt that has been worn to death. As you may have noticed, another key is to “theme” your colors. I’m not talking about buying the exact same color for every item of clothing, but looking at what I chose you can probably tell that I like blue and yellow, a lot, because those are the two colors that work from me. When I open my drawers and look at the clothes hanging in my closet I can more easily create and put together outfits when I own clothes that coordinate color wise, and when I am confidante that the colors I’m wearing look good on me. From time to time, I’ll take “risks” and wear a bright color that I wouldn’t normally wear, but it’s not a crime to stick to colors that look good with your skin and hair. If you feel that you want to try out the color of the season, whether it’s regal purple, mustard yellow, or bright red, try it at first in the form of accessories, such as a scarf, or a non-expensive purse, or shoes.

I hope, while mixing these new purchases with some of my wardrobe staples, to make it through Spring without buying much more. It’s a challenge to me to come up with new, creative outfits from only a handful of items to wear this Spring and I hope I’ve inspired you to do the same!

Anna

Sales Everywhere

This is what I just bought for the nice price of $29.99:

From Gap’s Final Sale where they have wool coats marked down to $35.00, t-shirts for $5.99, and sweaters and cardigans for $11.99. You just can’t beat those prices. Of course, be sure and check out Gap’s other sale (though, it’s not final) that has just as many bargains.

Perhaps, they stole the idea of a “final sale” from J. Crew’s Final Sale where you can find high-quality t-shirts marked down to $6.99-$9.99 in a wide variety of colors and styles, dresses marked down to $19.99-39.99, and loads of other bargains. If you hold out long enough, though, J. Crew might just do another one of their 20-30% off your entire order again, and then you’d really be getting a bargain.

Old Navy is taking 30% off orders of New Spring arrivals at checkout.

Banana Republic has already marked down their new spring arrivals and is combining that with 25% off your entire order.

Anywhere you look, sites and stores are having massive sales. Not necessarily a good sign, but if you’re looking for bargains for your wardrobe you don’t have to look far.

Anna

Review: Winter Silk Silk Camisole

The hunt was on. I bought my first 100% silk dress slipped it on and looked at myself in the mirror. Something was wrong. The dress itself was pretty, but it was a wrap dress with a v-neck that exposed my cotton camisole. Therein lay the problem. Layering the cotton under the silk was wrong and deadened the sumptuous, silky look of the dress.

Where to find a silk camisole? All the regular stores that I shop at didn’t carry silk camisoles when I looked, and any other possibilities were as expensive as the dress!

Finally, after a Google search, I found a site called WinterSilks with many different choices of 100% silk camisoles for bargain prices; most were listed at $25 and under! I selected a favorable looking style and ordered it.

I received my order within 4-5 days and happily opened it to try on with my dress noticed a few things:

Pros:
The cami was lightweight and felt wonderful next to my skin.
The fit was just right as a Small, not too loose as I might expect a non-clingy fabric like silk to be, and not too tight.
The construction of the garment was good; there were no loose strings, and no sloppy seams.
I didn’t know this before, but silk is known for its insulating proprieties, surprisingly since silk is so thin. I wore this cami under a sweater a few nights ago and stayed toasty warm. Much warmer than I have with plain cotton camisoles before. I’ll probably save up to buy another one it insulated me so well!

Cons:
This was NOT a suitable modest layering piece as I had expected it to be. The cami was lightweight but it was also a bit too sheer to wear with a deep v-neck. With a dress or top that doesn’t truly need a good camisole underneath I’d wear it and let the lace be exposed a bit, but anything beyond that would show more than I want people to see!
The fit was right, but when so much of the cami was exposed and also layered under my non-structured silk dress, nothing really helped to hold it in place and the cami was prone to slipping to the side a little bit. With a more structured blouse, or dress, this cami is perfect.

My rating: 4.0 out of 5

I was disappointed that this camisole didn’t cut it a modest layering piece under my dress, and I still need to find a better camisole for my dress, but in the meantime I’ll let the it hang in my closet until I save up the money to order another camisole. I would probably buy from WinterSilks again but would consider a silk/modal/spandex blend as these would not be as sheer and would be better suited to modest layering, maybe one of these:

Anna