Finally Inspired

Funny - this is the longest I've gone between blogging on this site since it's inception.

My 2nd to last blog was about staples and standards, then I was supposed to come back to you and tell you what you could add to these to spruce up your wardrobe. A ton of purple and teal was invading my department, and I just couldn't get on this bandwagon. Purple was in when I was in 7th grade, and it should have stayed there.

I never got inspired, until now.

I have two items on my mind which I think every 20-70 year old, up to a size 12 should have. Boyfriend jeans and leggings.

Boyfriend Jeans:

Now please don't look at the way they are being worn - just look at the jean. Not too tight, can be a bit looser than this.

I was not going to give in to this phase, I thought it would be out before it's in. I was at Old Navy one day during summer, don't ask me why, most of their stuff is craply made. I came across these BF jeans. They were $40 and no where on them did they say "Old Navy" so I tried them on and they looked cute. I wore them all summer long with flats, flip flops, heels, dressy tops and t-shirts. Finally comfy jeans that looked cute.

I thought they were going to be put away with the rest of the summer clothes, until one day I saw them on a girl in the mall. She had cute/girlish combat boots, white socks showing at the top, BF Jeans and a short chunky sweater. TOO CUTE! So there it was, my BFJ's were going to last for the winter. I have similar boots, I have white socks, I have cute short jackets and sweaters, plus funky belts.

You should get a pair, but please, not too tight, they should be sort-of baggy. Also, if you are short, have them hemmed so you only roll them up twice, no more, or else they will be bulky on the bottom.

Leggings:

I have no pics yet, I am trying to find them dressed like I like.

I was against leggings, they show every darn dimple and curve that I don't want to be seen. Until I went to Zara. www.zara.com

They have the most amazing leggings. They are thick and tight, they suck stuff in and smooth stuff out. I still won't show my butt, but at least if the wind kicks up I won't want to be sucked into a sink hole.

So far I've worn them with my riding boots. Please, please, wear them with flat boots. Unless you are going clubbing, or a super hot date and want to get lucky that night, flat riding boots are the way to go. At the knee or over the knee (the latest style). I stress the flat boots because the leggings are sexy, they are, trust me. So leggings with high heels or tight small tops = trampy.

I wear them with sweater dresses (which are mini's), I have a 3/4 length light fabric trench I wear them with as well. Now today I saw the cutest thing. A girl at work was wearing them, with her riding boots, with an over sized jean shirt, I think it's called chambray - it's very light, and she had it open a bit and wore a white tank underneath. Super cute!!! This is my next look.

So the thing to remember with leggings, they must be thick - not thin or see through, tight, and buy one size smaller than you think you are.

You do not have to be skinny to wear them. You just have to have the right tops that cover your butt and upper thighs.

I'll be looking for some photos, but until then, happy shopping.

Where it all started

This last week has been a history lesson for me, on where this fashionista got her start.

I went to see "September Issue" with my friend Quincy. For those of you not familiar with this movie (I really wasn't either) it's about the real life "Devil Wears Prada" Anna Wintour, the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue. It's a documentary about the 2007 September issue of Vogue - the biggest issue ever, which takes approximately 5 months to create. While watching the movie, I have to be honest, some of the fashion portrayed was so over my head, very Couture. I am your everyday woman stylist, that's really my niche so far. Avante-guarde, cutting edge is not my thing - at least not yet.

When we got out of the movie Q shared with me the meaning of this movie to her; her father was a photographer, did some shoots for Vogue (he was mostly an album cover producer/photographer) and they would comb over each Vogue issue and look at the photos as art. (Q forgive me if I am not telling the story correctly) Then I mentioned how my Dad was a clothing designer and had a showroom in the California Mart when I was in elementary school. I started to remember how my dad would bring home swatches of fabric and samples of the clothes he would be sending into production. How I wished I could fit into those clothes, but for once in my life I was too little. Then I had a flash back of designing clothes for kids: I was in 4th or 5th grade, I was frustrated with the jeans they had at this "hip" store for kids. All they had for design were a star on the pocket, and I wanted more. Satin was very in at the time as were rainbows, moons and stars so I drew several pairs of jeans with satin pillow stars and moons on them. The stars and moons would be raised and puffy, like a little pillow. I remember thinking, these would sell!!

Fast forward to today. I attended my Fathers, cousin's, wife's funeral in Glendale. She was a huge socialite in the Armenian community (she was Persian Armenian, I am Jewish Persian - they are Christian - same but different) anywhoo, I think it was held at the biggest Armenian Church ever. The place was packed, standing room only. I went with my Grandma (Dad's Mom) and my Aunt (Dad's sister). During the service, most of it was in Armenian, all I could understand was when they said her name and Jesus name. I was left with my mind to wander. Every time I get around a large group of Persians I am fascinated by their mannerisms, their formality and their sense of style. I mean you could pick out the non-Persians from a mile away, they were dressed appropriate (it was noon) but simple. Not the rest of our gang, from the young to the very old, there was Dior, Channel, Prada, Christian Louboutin and more. I was sitting there next to my Grandma and realized RACHAEL ZOE HAS NOTHING ON MY GRANDMA! My grammy was accessorised to the hilt! She had two rings on each hand, one small real jewelry and one big - I mean big, costume, fashion rings. She had bracelets on both hands, a long necklace, a french manicure, a black cardigan which had ruffled pleats on the sleeves and down the center. Now look, this woman is in her late 80's, she's getting injections in her eyes so she can keep her eye sight, one eye is no good, she lives on her own, no one dresses her. She was her own fashionista! I got a big "ah ha" sitting next to her.

When I was younger my Grandma used to say to me "terrem merra coocheek or terrem merra bizourge" which means your butt is small or your butt is big. She would tell me when I was too skinny or too fat. She was always fussing over me, telling me how models wear their hair and I should wear it that way - she's say "cut hair like this - very model". It used to bother the crap out of me. My dad would ask me what I was going to wear before we went to a function, and then tell me "you are NOT wearing that". Oh I hated the fuss the Persians made over our appearance. And look where I am today!

I don't mention my Mom much with all this glitz and glam. She wasn't glitzy - she was classic. She was more focused on my manors, my grades and how I treated my friends, (I didn't listen to her much). My Mom used to put her hair in a bun, put on a bit of green shadow (70's my friends), mascara, a light lipstick and she was stunning. All that Persian glitz would have looked silly on her, she didn't need it. She's a natural beauty.

So there's a bit of my history.

Staples and Standards

Fall season is upon us. It's coming. The day before Halloween you'll be thinking to yourself, when is winter coming? Then the day of Halloween there it is. It happens every year for us Californians.

Before you starting shopping for fall clothes and getting caught up in all the purple and teal that is out there. Ask yourself this question, how are my staples? Are they in good shape? Do they need updating or replacing? Make sure your staples are clean, hemmed properly, in style, don't look worn out and then you can go and add fun colors and a few trendy items.

Now most people have either black or brown in their wardrobe. Some have both, but most have a majority of one. I do have brown and creams, but all my staples are in black.

Here's what should be in your closet right now, if it's not, these are the first things you should look for.

To make it easier - I am going to assume your choice is black and not brown.

Staples in Black:

Slacks = nice, dressy, wool gabardine, fully lined. Depending on your shape, slim leg or boot cut is good. Big wide legs are out. I have 3 pairs, all slightly different styles.

Coat = one 3/4 length (unless you are under 5'2, your length should be just above your hips) wool, double or single breasted. Be careful not to buy one too cheap - target etc. They tend to pill if they are made cheaply. It's worth it to spend some money on this coat, it should last you for at least 5 years.

Skirts = I have a wool mini I wear with tights and flat riding boots. 1 pencil skirt, wool gabardine. If you are 5'7 or above, a long straight wool skirt looks great with a bulky sweater that sits just above your waist and riding boots.

Boots = one pair of good, flat, just below the knee boots - riding boot style. These are great to wear with dresses and skirts, add in some fun patterned tights.

Shoes = ankle boots, flat and high heeled.

Sweaters = I have several black sweaters: small cardigan to wear with dresses, bulky cardigan for warmth, thin layering v-necks, crew necks and wrap sweaters - all in black.

Tights = thick opaque, sheer, and fun patterns.

Shirts = long sleeve t-shirts = preferably from JCrew

So search your closet and see what you have that resembles this list. If you are missing them, go out and get them. Nothing else. Then once you have them, let me know.

My next blog is about how to add to these staples for a fabulous fall wardrobe.

Shopping

I believe shopping is an art. I mean shopping well. Getting the most for your money. Some people know how to do this well, some just don't care - because money is no object, and some just don't know how. I am blogging for the "just don't know".

I was at a few stores yesterday, and could not believe the sale prices. They were slashed low, low, low. If you didn't know, all fall merchandise is now coming into the stores, so they have to move the summer items out. Some of the summer items are old, been there forever, no one wanted them, and they haven't moved since the beginning of summer. You do not want these items. But how would you know? Well unless shopping is a hobby of yours, like it is mine, you wouldn't.

I like to thank God for my photographic memory. I walk through stores literally taking inventory of their new items. I know I don't need them now, nor do my clients. It's 100 degrees right now, who needs boots, coats and sweaters?? BUT we will want them by mid to late October, and then will be frantically looking for them in November. So I take stock now, in my mind. Same goes with the sale summer items, I know what is fairly new and what's been sitting there.

Back to the sale. Some of the summer merchandise was shipped in only a few weeks ago, it's new merchandise, this excites me! Right now they are slashing prices. I love a bargain. But be careful. Do not buy it because it's a good price, buy it because you need it, will use it, and have more than one or two uses for it. For example: at Banana Republic, they have a high end line, they are copying high end designers and charging a high price for these items. I found a hot pink, silk, designer copy, jacket, it was so adorable, would look great at work, and would definitely dress up my work clothes, which I do need. It was $57.00 - cheap! I asked myself this question, "how often will I be able to wear this?" the answer is maybe 4 times a year. If it were black, I wouldn't have thought twice about it, but it was shocking pink, and would stand out so much, that everyone would remember it. I put it back. Instead I bought a sweater which I know I will get a lot of use out of ($19.99) and a dress which I can wear in summer with sandals or winter with leggings and boots ($34.99). Great buys and more than a few uses.

I hope this helps you during your shopping excursions.

Men - Fall Preview

I have been thinking for weeks of what to say to you men about fashion. It's not as easy as I thought it would be. We women can wear some funky trends and not look stupid. But men, not so much. This blog entry does not apply to rock stars (that means real musicians, who make their living by playing music on stage). Nor does this apply to any guy under 30. 

Please keep in mind when looking at most of these photos, they are taken from the runways in Milan and Paris. The fashions are exaggerated, the looks are fierce, but not realistic for your average guy. Just like us girls, most of us won't dress exactly like the models on the runway, BUT we'll take these looks and tweak them to adjust to our age and figure. 

What's out:

Jeans with a lot of detail on them, i.e. True Religion jeans or anything like them. See picture below. I don't know when True Religion and Ed Hardy hit the streets, but all of a sudden I am seeing guys with these jeans, paired with an Ed Hardy shirt, EH hat, EH jacket and too much silver jewelry, shoes with a ton of design on them and funky glasses. It looks silly. Keep these pieces to a minimum. If you own these pieces, you probably paid a lot for them and you don't want to toss them. So please, wear one item at a time, NOT together. You look like you are trying too hard to be hip and it looks silly.

What's in: The classic look, tailored, not flashy, embroidery to a minimum, clean lines, slim slacks, clothes that actually fit you. Dark on Dark, no pastels. Not over sized jeans - you are not a rap artist, stop with the baggy jeans. If you are slim enough to tuck shirts in.....believe it or not, tuck it baby. 

The trench coat:

Dark or light in color, light or thick in material, casual or dressy. One thing to remember when shopping for all clothes: Please make sure they fit. That means the seam on the shoulder lines up with the edge of your shoulder. If the shoulder seem is over your shoulder, the jacket is too big. Also, if you can wrap the coat around you, meaning if the buttons don't JUST meet, then it's too big. Men tend to dress in clothes that are oversized. If you are short,big clothes make you look shorter, if you are heavy, it makes you look heavier. Stop dressing like a rap star. Notice the pants in the pictures, no wide legs here. Also, a nice pair of boots, not cowboy boots and no boots with emblems on them please.

Double breasted suit:

If you are in need of a suit, this is it. It's so tailored, slim pants, shiny well made shoes, yummy. This is a sharp look. Again, no pastels please. And, please make sure you are fitted correctly. Nothing looks worse than an oversized suit on a man.

Henley

The Henley is in, it's basically a thermal shirt with buttons. But again, notice, it's not 3 sizes too big. Now if you have a pot belly, you should not tuck this in. Notice his jeans, THEY FIT!!!! you can see his thighs and I bet you could see his butt from the back (we girls like that). I know what most of you are thinking, "if I dress like this I will look gay". This is not so. Now, I have nothing against gay men, I love gay men. But I do know you straight, macho men are terrified of "looking gay". Well as long as you don't wear hot pink, tuck your pants into your boots or show your midriff, you will not look "gay". Trust me.

Fatigue Jacket

Love this look!!! Love the guy in the grey jacket......sorry I got off track. OK back to fashion. 

This jacket comes in many styles, long or short - I prefer the long. But if you are short, get the short one. It comes in heavy cotton, almost as thick as jean material, leather, suede or light cotton. You can get a few of these for fall/winter. Just make sure they look very different from each other. It's basically a cargo jacket. Just make sure it does not have a million buttons, snaps or hanging ties.

Again, notice, the pants fit and are slim. 

Slim slacks for the following: Short men that are not overweight, men up to about 6'2 who are not overweight. If you don't fit in this category then the opposite applies:  your pants should still fit your waist, butt and thighs, the width of the pants should be the same from the thigh on down to your ankle, do NOT let the pants taper down from the knees and get slim.

We'll attack shoes on the next blog entry.

Now this maybe a little overwhelming for you. I notice that once a man gets into a style, he stays with it forever and it's almost impossible for him to venture out into a new look. My advice, shop with me or go to a men's clothing store and just start trying some of these items on, ask for help (hard for you men, I know) and just see if you can picture yourself in some new threads. Don't buy anything right away (again, hard for you men, you usually go in, buy it and leave).

Change it up!!!!

MEN

It’s Fathers Day this Sunday and I’ve been thinking about how I can incorporate men into my fashion website? I started doing some research, looking for men’s fashion dos and don’ts. While I was doing this, I thought, no matter how well you are dressed, if you are not groomed – we women notice, I mean really notice. It’s like a girl who's dressed to the 9s and her toenail polish is all jacked up. The look is ruined. So this is my ode to men. Grooming first, fashion next.

For some of you, you probably think spa’s are only for women. This is not true. All women love a groomed man. Some more than others, but we like you to look “clean”. Here’s what clean means:

1. No nose hairs, none whatsoever! If you want us to eat with you, and or kiss you, we cannot see nose hairs sticking out. Go to a beauty supply store or Target and buy a nose hair trimmer, about $20.00 and use it weekly, NOT monthly.

2. Eyebrows. Waxing them is not limited to woman. You would be surprised what a little waxing can do to enhance your face. If your eyebrows look like crazy pubic hairs going every which way on your forehead, if they are trying to meet with each other, if they are big and bushy or all around not groomed looking, get them waxed. Rose in Studio City is the best (Wave Salon (818) 981-9437). She will not make you look like a woman. You will not look like you’ve had them waxed, she is the best!

3. Skin: If you’ve never had a facial, then you have blackheads, period. We can see your blackheads when we talk to you. It’s gross. A facialist will squeeze them out, plus massage you and make you feel great. Ask Todd, he knows. Burke Williams is overpriced and they do not give you a thorough facial (they don’t squeeze enough, they are more pampering than getting the job done).  Ask some well groomed girls in your area where they go and make an appointment ASAP. Buy some moisturizer and eye cream; use them daily, you’re not getting any younger.

4. Hair: Start looking at men’s magazines. Get some ideas, then take them to your hairdresser and update your doo (that’s short for hairdo). Do not, no matter what, get highlights. Unless you are a REAL rock star who performs on stage to more than 1000 people and this is how you make your living, you may not have hair dye touch your head. If you are really starting to bald, shave it and tan your head.

5. Feet & hands: Feet can be gross. If a girl has never said you have pretty feet, then your feet need help.  Are your finger nails jagged from biting, dirty, cuticles (that’s the skin around your nail bed) dry and yucky? If you answer yes….Do your nails look nice and trim? And if you answer no……then for gosh sakes get a manicure! We are looking at your hands thinking, “Those things want to touch me?” Do not, I repeat, do not get clear nail polish on your hands or feet. You don’t have to go that far, just get them cleaned up and buffed.

Do these things and woman will notice. You will get positive attention from us girls, trust me.

Fashion tips coming up shortly.

Cheap vs. Expensive

I've always been a frugal shopper. It started way back in elementary school, my dad owned a women's clothing manufacturing business downtown and we would do the majority of my clothes shopping downtown. I was sample size, so we would get a lot of my clothes at the California mart. My dad would always coach me before we entered the showroom "remember, don't act like you like anything, just let me know what you like and I'll do the rest". My dad was a master haggler and I learned from him. Also this kind of shopping meant that you could not go with a specific need in mind, you just bought what was a good deal. One time I ended up with 10 sweaters, I didn't need 10, but the guy gave my dad a good deal for the bunch. Only shoes and underwear were bought at department stores. I learned how to look through piles of clothes for that one great deal. I didn't know what it was like to walk through a regular store where everything is laid out so nicely with mannequins showing you how to wear clothes.

Not until I was in high school did I start buying in regular stores, and the prices really shocked me. I was used to wholesale prices, and here were jeans for $80 and I knew I could get 4 pair for that price downtown!  Needless to say shopping at Marshalls, Ross, T.J. Maxx, Nordstrom Rack is easy for me.

BUT I caution you, you must know what you are doing.

Having worked in Nordstrom for the past 5 months I have been exposed to some of the best clothing. I have tried on clothing which I normally would never try on because I couldn't afford it.  

There really is a big difference between cheap and expensive clothing.  Case in point - t-shirts: I used to shop at Target for t-shirts. I thought why pay more, it's just a t-shirt. Well after 2 washings the shirt fell apart and was so thin it looked see through. So now I buy all my t-shirts at J Crew. They are 2 x the price, but the quality is magnificent. 

Trendy: There are a lot of trendy looks out there right now = the peasant blouse for one. I had my eye on a Diane von Furstenburg blouse, it was over $300 and was a bright melon color, I wanted it so bad! I even saw it on Donna on 90210 (I am now recognizing designers clothing on tv- this is new). I did not have that kind of money to spend on one blouse and the color was so bright, I could only wear it a few times. So I went to Forever 21 with this exact blouse in mind. You can't go to these less expensive stores without a plan, you have to know what you are looking for. Well I found a similar replica and bought it. It looks fabulous and it cost $21.

Expensive: I was recently at the outlets in Cabazon. Here's another retail scam you have to look out for. Did you know that some of the clothes there are made ONLY for the outlets, which means they are made cheaper? Also, they advertise something that's on sale - but not really. Example: I was in the Michael Kors store, being we have MK at Nordstrom I know what's new, old and all the prices. They had trouser jeans advertised as being on sale from $119 now were $99. Well those exact jeans are on our sale rounders for $59 and I got an additional 40% off. So the outlet is not always the lowest price. However, I did go a visit Diane von Furstenburg, again because she's in our store, I knew what to look out for. I found the blouse I had been eyeing, but it was in a black & white pattern, much more subtle and could be worn on numerous occasions, plus it was $130. So I bought it, my first designer shirt.

I've just recently been going through my closet, cleaning out what does not fit or what I don't wear and I realize now that I can't afford to buy cheap anymore (something my Mom told me her Mom used to tell her) . Do you know how many shoes I am tossing? Mostly because I didn't want to spend the money on more expensive ones. Looking back, I wish I could trade in my 3 semi-cheap shoes for one good pair.  So from now on I will only buy cheap clothes if they are super trendy and I know I won't wear that look by next year. Everything else I will buy in quality not quantity.

Spring / Summer must haves

I posed the question "what should I blog about next" on facebook here's the responses I received:

"How women with 38DD's can find something to fit into... That shows some skin w/o looking so cheap!" "Or Women that owe sizes on their bra size, so they don't look like little boys!" "How about a few ideas of clothing or accessories that are "must have" for spring and will work to freshen up your current wardrobes staples?"

I will try to answer all three questions:

For the "Must Haves" I think tops & summer dresses are it. 

Tops = Fun, flirty, blousey tops in fun colors. No black. I couldn't find pictures of tops with jewelry, but a long gold or silver necklace with charms/tassels at the end look great (Forever 21 for $6). (Jewelry note: big necklace+small earrings OR Big hoop earrings+small necklace - for both, add a few bangle bracelets. )You can wear these tops with jeans and flats or dress it up with heels. Or go a little dressier and wear some hot black or if you dare white slacks and some heels and you're done! Also, bermuda shorts and heels or flats with these tops are CUTE! No big skirts - you will look too puffy.

Tip for tops & spending your money wisely: I've been at Nordstom now for 5 months. I've been exposed to designer clothing, trying it on, seeing it on stars in magazines and tv (which helps me get ideas of how to wear it).  So now, when I go to less expensive stores (Forever 21, H&M, etc) I know what I am looking for. Think about it, where do these cheap stores get their ideas?? But if you go to these stores and you don't know what you are looking for, you will come out looking cheap - we don't want that! Now, for staples (shoes, handbags, jeans, sweaters, slacks, suits and dressier items)  you must spend good money - or else it looks cheap and that's not the message you want to send out.

The other must have is a summer dress. I used to think I would look like I was wearing a schmatte (Yiddish for rag), but I was pleasantly surprised. If you don't like your arms, you can pair the dress with a cropped cardigan (old navy & H&M) make sure they only hit you under the "girls". Any longer and you'll look like a box. NOW if they are too long, have them hemmed. This look is not just for tall thin girls - believe me! Also, wear this dress with flats ONLY.

PS if you have giggle - jelly - IE, like most of us, your legs and butt are not rock hard - PAH-LEASE buy some spanx and wear them under ALL dresses and skirts. We don't want to see your butt eating your underwear.      These styles above for our girls with "big girls"

 

These styles above for our girls with "little girls"

Hope this helps !

Muffin Top

I've been working at Nordy's (that's what us veterans call it) now for almost 5 months and the biggest complaint from women (not girls) is this funky mid-section they grew between 30ish to 40ish years old, especially around the time when their hormones started to change.  When these bodies are in hip jeans it creates a mid-section roll which sits on top of the waist band of the jeans so lovingly referred to as the "Muffin Top". Everyone is trying to avoid the muffin top but they want to wear hip cute jeans. This is a problem!

The low rise jean has been an ongoing trend and I don't see this trend going away soon. Last year designers TRIED to re-introduce the high waist pants, even ones that were skinny.....oh they were so awful. Did you see the "Guess" ad in Vogue?  Even these beautiful thin models looked big in the mid section = which is almost impossible. You know, there's a brand of jeans called "not your daughters jeans" and they market a "tummy tuck jean" that have 90% spandex and are so high waisted, they look like they sit right under your boobies. Definitely NOT hip jeans. I remember Saturday Night Live did a spoof commercial for "mom-jeans" they were so awful! So these high waisted jeans are not an option.

Anyhoo - back to the subject of this post - the "Muffin Top" which will now for the rest of the post be referred to as MF.

There is a way to not starve yourself or have lipo, wear these cute low waisted jeans AND not show your muffin top. I have become an expert at this since it's the #1 request.  The secret is in what you choose to wear on the top half of your body. What not to wear = form fitting tops, hugging the mid-section, tops that narrow at the waist line, tight t-shirts and the worst of all - shirts that are too short exposing the MF.

What to wear - tops that "blouse" at the waist area, empire waist tops, and ones that gather right at the mid-section and blouse out. Also, bright colors which bring the eye up which will slim the hip/booty area.

Here are some tops I would recommend:

         

   

    

Please note - all photos are on skinny models - however I don't dress skinny models in real life and I know these tops work on real bodies. Also - the tighter the waist band of the jeans - the more the muffin is squeezed to the top. 

PS If you have big boobies - the empire waist tops are the best, they accentuate your "girls"  and hide the MF at the same time.

I like my job....

I don't know why, but it's strange for me to say I like my job. 

Let me digress...........For those of you who don't know me very long, I've worked in corporate office jobs right around the same time I started dating my then boyfriend turned husband, Ronnie, about 10 years ago. I got used to weekly staff meetings, managing staff, projects and events. Reporting to bosses, creating reports,working lunches,  giving presentations in meetings, handling budgets and the list goes on and on. Very corporate! I have all the smart suits to prove it.

September 11, 2008 is when it happened, I took Linda shopping and we both loved it. She suggested that this was my calling and all I could think of was "how do I turn this into a bus

iness"?. My last mentor also said she felt very strongly that I needed to have my own business, but since I never took her shopping, she didn't know what type of business to suggest, right?

So from September to the end of November I researched fashion jobs, but still applied to jobs in my old field. 

In November I thought maybe I'll work at Neiman Marcus as a personal shopper. Of course I picked the snobbyist store, and highest title. You have to work from the bottom to be hired as a personal shopper. Then I thought Nordstrom, in marketing, we studied a book called "The Nordstom Way". I was very familiar with their business and liked how they treated their customers. 

One day I tried to apply on line, but I thought their website was down so I called them. I ended up getting the friendliest HR assistant on the phone. We started to chat, I told him a bit about me (sold myself hard!) and he told me nothing was open, but to call in a week. I called a week later and he told me to call in a few days, well this went on for weeks! Then one day he called and asked me to come in on Saturday to interview with his manager. I came all dressed up early that Saturday and was pumped for my interview. I was quickly shot down by the other assistant who told me "the HR manager didn't expect me

, there were no openings, why was I there, who arraigned this.....etc." She said she could interview me, BUT WAIT I want the head honcho to meet me, she is the decision maker, not this little assistant!!! Thank goodness I didn't listen to that voice and had an interview - which went really well. Again, I was reminded there was no openings and they were cutting people.

One week later I received a call from Karen (my now boss) to come in for an interview, they had an opening. (that's God by the way)

December 2, 2008 I started working at Nordstrom. The first week I worked there, my ego wrecked havoc on me. What was I doing folding clothes, didn't they know I ran $2,000,000 budgets per community x9 communities (I was the marketing manager for a new home builder). I would be emptying someones dressing room and I would say to myself, "they don't know who I am". Oh the ego is an awful thing! I struggled not to let others see what I was thinking. I thought I was so better than ever

yone and had done so much more than them, but didn't want them to see it. THE EGO! So yucky.

Well fast forward just a few months and so much has changed. That boyfriend who became my husband - we are getting a divorce, I am moving into an adorable guest house tomorrow AND last week I looked at my boss and said, "just so you know, I like my job, a lot" and she said "oh

 sister it shows".  

Change is in the air and it's good!

I really like going to work. At work, I can take 

you to any department and sell any item. I was in Women's shoes two days ago, searching like mad for a customer.  I can sell mens clothes, kids clothes = you 

name it. No one tells me where to go or when. It feels like I am an independent contractor. I love the freedom.

But, it's not so much Nordstroms, its the job of transforming someone. Helping them get to their better selves on the outside. Seeing their face twist up when I show them an outfit they would never have picked, knowing it would look fabulous on them, and seeing their face light up when they put it on. Teaching them the tricks to get around their "problem" areas. Shocking them when I tell them not to buy something because it does not look good.

My biggest love is my clients I've had outside of Nordstroms. They let me into their home to critique their clothes. That takes a lot of courage on their part and delicacy o

n mine......which is being acquired by the minute! I don't want to offend them, but want to tell them the truth and know in the end their appreciate it. 

I love dressing people, It's like a project for me that is so easy! The words, styles, suggestions, colors, cut and fit all just seem to flow from my mouth. All those years of admiring fashion I guess really sank in deep and now their coming out. 

Best of all, I see them light up.  I get to be the girl that solved their question. The one who made them look, then feel great. I love this.

Yes, I know I have found my calling. I just received my business cards, so cute! The website is next, then mass marketing. So watch out Rachael Zoe!!

  

My shopping day with Linda !

My first "official" customer

Thanks to the encouragement of friends telling me this is "my thing".....I am officially going to make helping people feel great in their clothes a business. I ordered business cards this week - that was a big commitment. It took me hours to figure out exactly how it should look, and I have a feeling once they arrive, I will want to change them again.

I had my first paying customer. She was recommended by a friend (Q) and she's seen me every Thursday night for over a year now - hopefully I am some sort of attraction and she asked me if I could help her find some fun clothes for her. So like a big girl, I wrote up a proposal and sent it to her. She agreed to the terms (Imagine that) and off we were! 

I met her at her house for our first meeting which included evaluating her current clothing to 3 groups: What we can work with, get tailored, and give away. I loved doing this. I loved being invited to her private space, the fact that she opened up herself and her closets to me was a treat. As we laughed at some items, like a shamata dress she's kept since she was pregnant years ago, then ah ha'd at why she kept items that had sentimental value to her, we went through everything. Even her little daughter helped. I organized her closets and was done in one hour, and planned for two. I forgot that a big part of this job is organization and I'm a VIRGO - organized to the T! I wanted to go back and organize some more, I know it sounds weird, but it's true.

Our 2nd meeting was at Nordstrom Rack. Our goal was to purchase a lot of clothes within her budget. Now you have to know, going to the Rack is a lot of work. It's like looking for a diamond in a hay stack. You know it's there, but you have to search, search hard and then search again. It's not like a department store where everything is neatly laid out. I arrived 30 minutes before her to do some pre-shopping. Once she got there we went straight to the dressing room. Again, not like my Nordstroms where I can put everything in your nice dressing room and come to check on you. Here, it's 10 items max. We had a lot to try on, so I was going back and forth while she patiently waited for me to bring her more clothes. The first trip was not very successful. So back out on the floor we went, again looking for the diamond. The 2nd trip was much better, we found tops, dresses, pants, wraps and fun sweaters. Items which brought out the best in her figure.  It was a lot of work for her trying on all those things, I know she was pooped. I did receive a text from her the following day letting me know how happy she was with what she bought.

I truly enjoyed these two meetings. Both were on my day off, but it didn't feel like I was working. It felt more like I was helping, and when I help someone, I feel great about myself. So maybe that's the secret to doing what you love?

So who's next?

SHOES

I have friends that are asking me to write about shoes. "What shoes should I wear" they say. My answer to a color confusion is gold or silver, they go with everything. Now, I know I am Persian and it's in my blood to love gold, not so much silver, but we love flashy stuff, so that's where silver comes in. Flash back: when gold and bronze became popular in the early 80's, oh my family was so happy. My Grandma was trying to steel my gold shoes!! BUT BUT BUT, this is coming from fashion know how, not the Persian in me - trust me gold and silver flats look fabulous.  I explain later.....

Before I get into what to wear let me just say this. I've noticed that in the last year or two shoes have taken a dramatic turn, a turn so different it's left me stumped and I haven't bought much in the way of shoes in the last two years. AH Don't be crazy - I have bought some, just not the usual amount. I look at the shoes that are displayed in the department stores, the ones that are given the best real estate on view for all to see and all I can think of is OUCH! The straps are ridiculous, like gladiator meets striper heals. This is all the rage in heals. Yes, they do look hot. But let me say this, if your feet hurt or you can't walk properly in these shoes, you look like an idiot. Period. Ladies, make sure you can walk comfortably in your shoes before you buy them.  How you walk, how you carry yourself says more than what is on your feet. Do you watch Oprah, do you see her fabulous high heeled shoes (it's the first thing I look at her when she's on)? Well guess what, she's SITTING in those shoes same goes for Kelly (skinny bitch) Rippa! That's why she can walk on stage in those 4" heels, elongate her legs, THEN SIT! So I walk by all those shoes in the stores stumped on what to buy, are you feeling me?

OK back to gold and silver.  Spring and summer are coming so black and brown shoes will not always do it. Let's say you have a cute skirt, white background with yellow and green in it, what shoes do you wear? Do you have to go out and buy yellow or green shoes? NO I say, silly to this matchy matchy look! Wear silver or gold ballet flats or sandals. Not flip flops. Flip flops are good for sweats, shorts, casual stuff - but they do not complete an outfit. You walk sloppy in them, therefore your outfit becomes sloppy and you look frumpy. Ballet flats are adorable, with pants (make sure your pants are hemmed and not dragging on the ground) Capri's (OH don't get me started on Capri's - they better be wide legged or else you look like you gotta big butt and most of them make you look like your legs are short) shorts, skirts and dresses. You don't have to get gold or silver ballet flats, but please stay away from black and brown. Get crazy! There are all sorts of fun colors out there, I especially love the animal prints. Do you know that an animal print flat can take the place of your brown or black shoe? OH yes, sister! But please, do not wear any other animal print with it. One animal print on one body part please (unless you are Persian).  IF you must get black, get patten leather with a gold or silver emblem on them.

Also, if shopping for ballet flats the shape is very important. They need to have an elongated front. If they are too round or moccasin like - you will look like you have platypus feet. 

Please keep in mind shoes is a subject which can not be covered in one posting. Today's entry is about flats and color.  Girls, we do wear high heels and we know we look hot in them, so I will elaborate on that in the future.  

$$ Tip: right now on target.com they have silver flats for $19.99. So if you are unsure about this and don't want to invest a lot of money, buy those and try them out. I am sure you'll love them and purchase a good pair in the future.

Let me dress you

I had the fortune of starting Nordies the first week of December. From day one we were busy, busy, busy. LOVE THAT! When I am at work I gotta move, it's always been that way. I remember telling a head hunter in 1990, don't give me a job where I have little to do, I will drive everyone crazy trying to find something to fill my time (pre-Internet era of course!). 

So since the holidays are over, the slow down has hit us! No one is shopping for a hot superbowl outfit these days. Wednesday was another ho hum day, I cleaned everything, re-arraigned clothes, took all the breaks possible, purused all the other departments and nothing to do until Ashley came into my department and said the magic words I love to hear, "I need help". I felt like the trumpets started going off in my head - dah dah! I asked her questions to figure out what she needed. Is this for work or fun, she said "both". Then I asked her what she did, she's a elementary school teacher for special ed kids. OK my heart sank, she must be sweet right? And, not a ton of money, so we had to pick items that could go a long way. She told me her wardrobe was bare, no color (AH HA!), nothing updated, she needed everything and needed to be shown how to wear it. I felt like Clark Kent turned to Superman in an instant.......here we go! 

We picked the basics, 

Black & brown slacks: these were on sale for $40.00 each, they looked fabulous, they flared a bit at the bottom, just enough to thin out and elongate her legs.  Brown & grey dressy cardigans (on sale $20.00 each) and tan casual cardigan (short cardigans for her - she had an adorable bum - of course she did, she's 25!) With the brown cardigan, I picked a yellow ruffle shirt to go under or a pink t-shirt. Yes brown and pink - C.U.T.E. Also, the pink T can be worn with the grey cardigan. She originally loved the ruffle shirt in hot pink, and my motto is if you LOVE something, get it in two colors, at least you won't wear out the one. Plus you'll be happy you did. I also picked a "sweet pea" top. These are great for layering and give a lot of color and fun to an outfit. Can be worn with jeans or slacks. Boot cut jeans (David Kahn's - I highly recommend, they don't show your crack and they are not high waisted either - you still feel cool and look classy). One adorable red jacket a

nd yellow ruffle shirt underneath, this can be worn with her new jeans and gold flats or dressed up with slacks or dressy dark jeans and heals. There was more, but I can't remember everything.....

Ashley was so fun, showing me each outfit as she went along and insisted that I show her how to wear everything and with what shoes. You know I love this!!!! Who me, tell you what to do, Oh stop!!!  

 I remember being in my mid-20's thinking, I can now start buying some staples for my closet, expensive suits, jackets, etc. I realized I was no longer growing (upward that is) and it was time to stop shopping at Contempo Casuals the 80's version of Forever 21 and start shopping at Bebe (this was way back when bebe first started, they carried only suits, that were extremely fashionable and well made).

She came out of the dressing room and brought everything I suggested, except the expensive jeans (she'll be back - we all need one dark, wide leg jeans - for date night!). We exchanged emails and I told her I would send her a link to my blog. See her comments below.

Trade secrete - when wearing a cardigan, or jacket (not ooohhh it's cold outside jacket, but this I am wearing to complete my outfit jacket) button only one or two buttons right under your boobs. Leave the rest undone. This will give you a smaller waist and if you have a print shirt under - it will elongate your torso, the eyes looking at you will be forced to go up and down, not side to side. 

Katya,

You are GREAT! Thank you again so much for all our help yesterday. I can't even tell you how many compliments I got today on my new outfit. Even my students were complementing me. I felt so good and my closet is so happy to finally see color in it. You always kept my budget in mind and were super helpful.... unlike most sales people who are just super pushy and only care about the sale, rather than the customer. I just checked out your blog. I am going to join. I love it....definitely something that I will check often.

I wish you so much luck with your business. I honestly believe that if you follow your passion and believe in yourself anything is possible. I can tell you are the real deal. You have a natural ability for this business..not only do you have excellent fashion sense - you also have a great personality which will take yo so far in this type of business. This will not be the last you hear from me. My Mom wanted to know if you do personal shopping for men as well? 

You are such a beautiful person and I look forward to watching you progress.

Ashley A.

Color color color

Spring is coming and the fun colors are in! I am so happy.....no more black, black, black! Anyone can wear color, tall, short, big and small. I know what you're thinking....."but I look good in black". Well yes, you do. But after a while, it starts to look and feel like a uniform and before you know it, you are trapped into buying only black.

Here's some ideas for the girls with a black only wardrobe: Add in a colorful wrap (I LOVE WRAPS- they fit all sizes and shapes) or a scarf. Wear your black pants and top then add in a colorful cardigan. HOW BOUT THIS, silver and gold are still in (we Persians never knew it went out). You can add in a big crazy silver belt to your jeans, black shirt outfit. 

Yellow - this is a big color this year and next in line are bright pink, orange and kelly green (no pastels please - we'll leave these for babies). I love an all white outfit - guess what? It's slimming and looks crisp and fresh, throw in a scarf with white and yellow then add silver, gold or yellow flats. Everyone will comment on how cute you look. Promise.

O.K. one last thing on colors. Stop with the "matchy, matchy, matchy" - meaning my earrings match my bracelet match my purse match my shoes etc. This dates you to ole'lady. You are not an ole'lady. If you have 2 colors in your outfit, I challenge you to add a 3rd or get crazy and add a 4th. Imagine, crisp white pants, white cotton t-shirt, silver ballet flats, cardigan with pink, orange and yellow in the cardigan - the cardigan tied around your shoulders. You'll be ready for spring in no time.

Tips: I love JCREW! Go to their store and try on their chino's. They come in a variety of fits (Favorite, City, Original) and fun colors. Once you figure out your fit, check their on-line sales regularly. Right now the ones I like are $14.99!! Their clothes are high in quality and they go up to a size 16, they carry tall and petite! Also, they have the very best t-shirts, my favorite are the perfect fit t-shirts. They are thick enough that they don't show your bra and everything else underneath. Right now, they are on sale too. I know you'll buy your basic black & white, so I challenge you to buy two more colors!!

PS. If you are "color challenged" I'd love to help you!

 Pic 1 - Here's your basic black pants with SILVER shoes and a yellow top - love it!  Pic 2 - I bet you didn't think orange and pink go well with khaki....and you thought you could only wear white or dark brown with your khaki pants - WRONG!

 Pic 3 - Classic grey pants and white shirt with purple, YES I said it PURPLE shoes and an orange cardigan. 4 colors! who knew!

   Pic 4 - taken from the JCrew catalogue -Chinos. 

My ranting for the day.

I'm just saying....if you have a clothing aficionado in your presence, take her advice! GEEZE. Today I worked from 1 to 9 and attempted to dress dozens of women. See the word "attempted". Now I know my style may not be your style, I get that! I love orange, it may look like crap on you, I get that. 

Example:

More than what you wear - it's the size of what you are wearing. I would say 80% of customers I come in contact with are too large for what they are trying to squeeze into or are smaller people wearing clothes too big. I had a woman who was petite, tiny, tiny and she tried on a medium sweater, it looked like a dress on her, and she wanted to wear it with tailored pants. She looked like a little girl wearing her moms clothes. I had to plead with her to try on the small.....she finally did and bought it - but UGH the persuading I had to do. I mean she looked ridiculous in the medium. 

FYI - Petite does not mean skinny! Please get the word out there! Petite means your limbs are shorter than the regular size clothes. If everything you buy you have to get the pants hemmed, the sleeves are too long, the jacket which is supposed to hit you at the hips is hitting you mid-thigh, well then my friend, you are petite. You can be a size 12 and be petite. 

Then I was approached by a customer who should be shopping in plus size, and she was squeezing into large tops (not XL, nooo she wanted large only). Now look, I once had to shop in the plus shops - it's not fun, it took some time for me to get out of denial and into Layne Bryant, plus everyone I know wants to be smaller than they are (even if they don't need to be) so I do sympathize. BUT acceptance is the key. If you are squeezing into clothes to small, then guess what you look like? You look like you "used" to be smaller and now your clothes don't fit. You are telling the world you have gained weight (you may not have = but this is the message you are sending out) with new clothes!

My point - use another set of honest eyes when trying on clothes and heed their advice.

OK I am done ranting.

This was a fun day!

I am working at Nordstroms in the Topanga Mall. The last time I worked in retail, I was adding shoulder pads to my shirts that already had shoulder pads. I would slide them under my bra strap.....never washed them for fear they would lose shape, so they were greyish in color. NICE! I looked like a line backer - slash -  rocker with hair as big as Jon Bon Jovi. So get how long ago that was????

When I first started this job, I sent an email to everyone letting them know about my new adventure and inviting them to the store. I have the ability to shop the entire store and set items aside for when my clients arrive - as if I am Norstroms personal shopper.  I didn't really expect any of my friends to come shop with me - I mean who wants the pressure, but so far I have been pleasantly surprised. My best guy friend sent me his Santa's list, then came to the store and we knocked out most of his Christmas list. It was fun to see him and I loved that I was able to do this service for him. He's a busy guy and always on the road. Then my a girl friend called wanting some jeans and sweaters. We have some jeans on sale in my dept. that are not super low (you know - the jeans so low they show your va jay jay) and not so high you feel like a dork. So I set aside a dressing room for her, filled it and gave her feedback to help her make her decisions - now this did not feel like work. We chatted and laughed for a bit, you know - it felt like two girl friends shopping. Plus she's happy and I helped - love that!

You may not know this = but we are all on straight commission at Nordys, so some days it feels like I am a clothes pusher, getting strangers in the dressing room and bombarding them with items hoping they'll buy something. It's a struggle, because I am brutally honest. If it does not look good and you ask me, I am telling. I may not get the sale, but I'll have my integrity.  I can't spend my days at work obsessing about my sales, it sucks the energy out of me, and that's not why I am there.

SO the super fun day:

I have another girl friend, we've been friends for a long time! When I first told her about this job she said she'd come to shop. I thought she was just being nice. She called this week and scheduled an appointment with me to come the following day. She was looking to dress up her wardrobe which is mostly cute jeans, sexy tops, juicy sweats and t-shirts. It is so helpful when I know what you already have = and when she told me the look she was going for "Country Club / Dating attire" I knew we needed to up the antie a bit. She has a knock out figure and not much looks bad on her (don't hate her). So off I went......every department like money was no object, pulling adorable tops, flowing tops, almost all colors and a few black slacks to really dress it up instead of jeans. At the end of the day I got in my car and thought, "she's going to see all I picked out and feel the pressure to purchase." I felt so uncomfortable.  I called her and let her know "if you leave with nothing, it's really ok, no pressure". She told me not to worry.  Well the next day came and she was there when I got to work (love that). Again, it felt like two girls shopping, was I really working?? We ran around the store, picked up some more clothes and headed straight to the dressing room. Some of the tops were PERFECTO, and the black slacks HOT! Exactly the look I was going for.....and she liked it. We updated her look, made it more sophisticated, but still hot, and I gave her some other ideas on what to purchase outside of Nordys. I was meant to do this. I could feel it! It brings me so much joy to get you to try things you might not normally try and love the new look I have given you. It's a control thing for sure! I love being the boss of you! OK so it was now tally time. We go off to the register and I start ringing and the total starts growing $200 then $500 then $800, ok final with tax just under $1000. I'm thinking, she's going to kill me, return everything later, or start taking items off the bill, what did I do - I pushed to hard! Then I hear "GREAT I was hoping to keep it around $1000". I laughed so hard, REALLY under $1000 is good??? At that moment I said "you are now in my blog!". 

What am I doing here??

Let me begin by telling you - copying is the sincerest form of flattery. A friend suggested a few months ago I should start a fashion blog......and I thought that was a novel idea but I'm already emailing, reluctantly getting texts on my phone, I'm on linkedin and facebook....so another computer thing - no way!

Well here I am! 

This last year has been about change, change and more change. I am 40 and wondering what I want to do when I grow up. So you'll be following my journey with me and see what God has in store for this new year.

So from the title - in my mind, I have always been a Persian Princess, no really. My father was born and raised in Iran (they like to call it Persia) his mother is from Russia and swears we have "blue blood" we are royalty! My father met my Danish mother in London and years later they were married and had me in Denmark. We moved to North Hollywood when I was in 1st grade. All the Persian's followed my dad to California, and so I was raised Persian. I believe this is where the little fashionista in me began.  When I was 12 or 13 my uncle Sebou came here from Paris, he was a well known hair dresser, very flamboyant, and swore he was straight (right!). PS there are no gay Persian men - per Dad.  Anywhoo - he came to stay with us and thus began my quest to look fabulous. He taught me how to put on make-up, did my hair, and took me shopping. We bought pink and green espadrilles, a matching bag and a pink summer dress. From this moment on.....I was hooked. Who knew you could feel so good from looking good. I know it sounds a bit vain, but hey look around. Who's walking around in a potato sack?? We like to look good, right? 

Just to give you a little background on growing up Persian in LA, here's a few things that stand out in my mind:

Going to a family funeral and realizing 90% of the women were in Chanel suits and from the youngest to the oldest everyone's hair and make-up was PERFECT, as if they just came from the salon. Young or old, pretty or not, every Persian woman is "done". Whether they are going to the market, the funeral, or an evening out - they are done! 

Don't get me wrong, I love being Persian. I love our quirks, family craziness, beliefs, strong accents (I can imitate a Persian living in Sherman Oaks perfectly and will do so at any given time) food, customs and more. 

So here I am blogging, sharing with you my journey into the fashion world plus what ever else comes my way.

My first tip:

Pants (jeans or slacks): If they are smaller at the ankle than they are at the knee......unless you are a size 0-2, if you put them on, you now look like a pear, and not a slim one either.  OR If your pants don't brush/lean on your shoes, if they are flooding, toss them out......you wear them and you now look like a box with ankles and feet.  Boot cut, wide leg (not crazy wide) this is the way to go! This goes for all pants, sweats, slacks, jeans, etc. This goes for all heights, weights and shapes. Trust me. I've dressed enough people to know.