2 Fundamentals to Dressing Well

Photo credit: aleksandrinavezilka.wordpress.com   

Go here to read an article from Elle magazine in which Hollywood costume designers offer advice on what it takes to dress well. In short, it's all about tailoring and foundation garments. Oh, and wearing turbans.

Inspire and Empower Women

 Image credit: dressforsuccess.org

I popped into Talbots today to order some red jeans; I've been on a quest for such pants for a few years now. While there, I learned about Talbots' "Dress for Success" event. On Saturday, March 7, at the La Cumbre Mall location in Santa Barbara, the store is asking for  "nearly new," professional attire and monetary donations to benefit Dress for Success. This organization's mission is to "promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life."

The event at Talbots starts at 9 am and includes light refreshments, a gift card drawing, and a display of the store's new arrivals. I hope you can attend this event and support this meaningful cause.

Word of the Hour

The "bundercut"  has to be one of the silliest new words to have ever come out of the fashion world (which is saying something!).

Any guesses?

A bundercut is, according to Ingrid Schmidt of the Los Angeles Times, "a buzz cut on the sides with a man bun on top."

A Bit of a Secret

Image credit: makesmith.com



What follows isn't really an insider tip, since I received it from someone outside the apparel business. But this gem of a store does seem to be a bit of a secret: Make Smith Leather Company. You can read all about this wonderful, family-run spot on its website, but know that going there will give you a much fuller picture of Make Smith's fine products and attention to detail. I know of no other local store where you can have a belt custom made (and I have some ideas for more styles they can offer!). I am coveting the tote bag above and think a bespoke belt for my brother would be a lovely gift. Check it out at 117 W. De La Guerra Street, Unit C, in Santa Barbara.

Local Color

Image Credit: sbluggage.com

Was it a good idea to stow my heavy purse in my already heavily loaded tote bag today? No, it was not. One leather strap popped off so I had to carry it awkwardly from the bottom to and from my office. Years ago, the family-run Santa Barbara Luggage did a splendid job of repairing a client's purse, and I've always been happy to recommend their work.

Today I brought in my beloved tote bag and was told it could be repaired. I was so relieved! Apparently there is a backlog on repairs so I may need to wait a couple of weeks. I saw this as positive news: People are repairing and spiffing up what they already have instead of buying something new. 

Speaking of sensible spending habits, I learned that Santa Barbara Luggage has a consignment store within the shop. I noticed some very nice handbags and wallets as well as some beautiful, high-end men's shoes. Finding high-quality consignment for men is a challenge in this town. If more men ask for it though, I imagine it will catch on and even more great pieces will end up in consignment stores. Santa Barbara Luggage is located at 609 Chapala Street.

Outfits for a Week

Image credit: theviviennefiles.com

In this month's Coastal View News column, I imagine spending $500 (or less) for a week's worth of outfits. Go here to read it on page 6. There are also loads of photos like the one above on Pinterest featuring outfits for a week.

Brave

My girls when they were young.

Perhaps you have already read the post, "I Let My Toddler Dress Me for a Week" from Babble.com. I instantly wondered just how old this toddler was and how kooky the outfits would be. My now-teen girls dressed pretty wacky when they were toddlers, and I did not let them choose my outfits. I think the author's son did a pretty decent job, and I applaud her for not changing her shoes when they did not match (twice!). I may ask my 13-year old to choose my outfits for a week or at least once a week since she usually has something to say about my ensembles. My 16-year old is not very interested in clothing anymore, but she sure loved to dress up when she was little!

A Small Window of Time

Image Credit: preferredwindowanddoor.com



I try to give myself small windows of time during the day to get little chores and errands done. Thus,  I enjoyed reading an article about small chores that could be done while getting ready for the day. Since this tends to be the time when most of us do not have a minute to spare, I made a list of things I could accomplish in my dressing area when a small window did open. Here is my list:


1. Cut and file toenails.

2. Sharpen eye and lip pencils.

3. Comb pills off of sweaters.

4. Pluck eyebrows (I find most advantageous time for this chore is when I am in the car; the light is always just right. But my daughters frown upon this practice for some reason. I still keep tweezers in my car!

5. Cut dangling threads off clothing and scarves.

6. Fold tops and place them nicely on shelves.

7. Clean my makeup brushes. Go here for how to do this.

The other night I was waiting for my older daughter to get ready and found myself with a few minutes to kill. I filled the time by sharpening my eye and lip pencils, a task that had needed doing for awhile. The next time I put on makeup, I was so pleased that the pencils were sharp.

Vegan Clothing

Image credit: TheLimited.com


I glanced at the headline, "Guilt-Free Style" in the Los Angeles Times this week and was intrigued by the term "vegan fashion" under it. According to the article, with new technology and fabrication, "when you feel and see it [fake leather], it looks and feels like leather." I can vouch for this, anecdotally. The other night I wore my new ($68, pictured above) black faux leather jacket out with friends. We hugged each other as we were saying good-night, and one friend touched the jacket again, saying "Oooh! Yummy." When I told her it was fake, she was astonished.

While I was pleased to learn that better faux leather could mean less animal cruelty in the name of fashion, the article gave no information about the environmental impact of producing vegan leather. Time to do some research!

The Impossible Dream?

Photo Credit: Emilyrecommends.com (Dickies t-shirt)


It shouldn't be so hard to find a simple white T-shirt that fits well and does not require a bra and camisole underneath to make it wearable in public.  Yet I have tried on $10 shirts from Old Navy and $75 ones from Michael Stars and James Perse,  and ones at every price point in between to no avail. Why is this so hard? If you have reached T-shirt Nirvana, please let me and Wardrobe Wisdom followers know (unless it was a long time ago and/or you purchased it in a far-away locale). Then no gloating, please.