Shine on, Literally!

It is clear that the holidays are upon us and in full swing. Stores are starting their extended hours, people are planning out their Christmas shopping and decorations creating the North Pole are on display. For some this maybe to early, while others it is just a constant reminder of what is coming. 

Now working in the mall I spend a lot of time with not only clothes, but walking around stores and something that I have noticed is the over take of metallic and shiny clothes.  Little silver  or gold tops entwined with sparkles are everywhere. I have found myself saying more times then not, "this would be great for the holidays," like I really have anywhere to go, NOT. However, I assume that is what the intention is for people to purchase these specialty items with thought of the holiday coming. 

I'm informing you that the shine trend is on and if you need any special clothes for upcoming parties or just cause like me you feel the need to buy, there is some really great stuff out there. You can find the shine in every form, heck even pants. Color is also not an issue with this trend you can have traditional silver and gold,  or metallic colors. The thing is any thing with a little bit of sparkle is holiday appropriate. 

I also think that this trend always comes about around Christmas time, sparkle maybe be popular at other times during the year, but it is magnified to the extreme around the holidays.

These are some of the sparkly clothes that I have taken a liking to this holiday season. This is a little shrug from Banana Republic that is super cute and comes in gold and silver. Below is a black sparkly top by Marc by Marc Jacobs that is simple and really cute, I love the contrast between the black and silver. 

Just a few items and to get you guys thinking.

Tis the season,

Good luck finding your perfect holiday outfit!

Less Clothes = More Pressure

One thing that's been on my mind is something that I read about the fashion industry this summer. It was an article about how retailers were going to purchase less clothes because they wanted to avoid markdowns and sale prices, due to this change less clothes were going to be produced. Obviously this is inevitable because not every item of clothing is going to do well with buyers, but if there is less product available there is more pressure to buy.

I have seen this change from two perspectives as a shopper and as a retailer.

While we are only a month or two into the prime winter season, I've dealt with customers at the Ridgefield Ski Shop in need of essential pieces like fleeces or specialty items like dressy tops.  In the store we have already sold out of most of the items that are doing well and are left with only a few sizes.  In previous years I would simply call the company and order an extra top or a new size run for stock. However, this is usually much later in the season.  Each time I've called the vendor to get these items, they have been sold out completely, or only have random sizes and colors left. None that would suit my customer.  The customers are then left to search for a second best item and hope it is in their size.

As a shopper the situation has come about that I've been searching for specific items like a poncho or hot pink blouse, while I was exploring all of my options I decided on the one I really loved, the poncho I happened to like was by INC, however when I went back to the store to buy it, GONE...SOLD. The associate told me the store only got a few and she wasn't sure who else had it. Fortunately it was available on line, so I acted fast because who knew for how long.  


The fashion industry is trying to make a change and have more full price selling. As a shopper there is not much time left to think about if you really want the piece because chances are that might be the only one that the store has and it might not be there when you come to terms with how much you love it. There is less opportunity left for the shoppers to make a decision, the pressure to buy increases because of the decrease in product. If you don't buy it now it wont be there when markdowns begin.

Bargain shopper now takes a huge risk waiting to see if their item makes it to the sale rack, my advice, if you love it look for a coupon and buy it. It may not be as cheap as you would like, but if you love the item you'll wear it enough to spend a little extra.

Don't give up on those sales racks  ladies, the chance of finding a treasure is always there, just don't depend on it to purchase your items.

Keep it Classy with Trends

I have always said that fashion is a very expensive passion to have because with all of the constant changing in styles from season to season there is always pressure to buy. Each season new trends emerge as must haves, and we all run out to purchase these items and incorporate them into our individual style.

This season some of the must have styles are ponchos, booties, wedge shoes, and gem tones. With the constant changing in fashion some of these trends only last for one season or barely take off.   As Hedi Klum says in project runway, “One day your in, one day your out.”

However, that’s not true with all things..

Fur accents and lace are a few more trends that are popular among designers this season. However, I think that these are classic trends, meaning that they are something that is always in style but peaks in popularity. Fur and lace items are always being designed, but simply depend on the season if they are extremely popular among buyers. This happens to be one of those seasons where they are flying off the selves and appear in all styles and colors. However when lace are fur and not must haves, you are not looked down upon for wearing them out of trend.

For example I have worn fur boots by Tecnica since I was in high school because I like them better than UGGs and most of my coats have had fur-trimmed collars. Some people may have thought it was over the top or wanted that style for themselves, but as you can see in the past eight years fur has never been definitively out. Same with lace shirts paired under a blazer or  lace dress are very classic. I believe the same rules apply for leather and animal print.

I am a classic dresser and try to get versatility out of my clothes; I see endless opportunity with lace, fur, leather and animal print no matter the time. Other trends are worn countless time in one season and then they sit in your closet waiting to be worn again. Buyers need to remember fashion works in cycles as trends evolve and reemerge.

This isn’t to say that trends aren't fun to add to ones wardrobe, they just aren’t forever pieces, but there are forever trends.