Resale shopping is a great way to saves lots and lots of money and buy clothing and accessory items you might not normally be able to afford. For some of my personal styling clients where money is no object, they still love finding great deals on designer new-to-you clothing because who doesn’t love a bargain? This fall’s trends don’t necessarily need to purchased at RETAIL stores. Current fall trends like military-inspired looks, leather motorcycle jackets, ankle boots, pencil skirts, feminine, romantic blouses, double-breasted trench coats, and gold embellishments and ...

Vince is not what I would consider a budget collection, but even just incorporating one or two pieces into your wardrobe this fall will make you feel immeasurably happier. Excellence in fit, fabric, and comfort are Vince standards, but you’ll also feel special wearing Vince and, dare I say, cool? The fall collection has hundreds of items — shown here are some of my favorites. For those of you in Portland, I just got off the phone with Erin, my favorite salesperson at Mercantile, and she said they just received over 100 Vince items in stock. Very exciting news! I’m happy to shop with...

Photo courtesy of walletpop.com. Where I live (in beautiful Portland, Oregon), parents of most school-age children have about two weeks left of summer fun before the new school year begins. For those of you parents that are far from ready, I’ve got some strategies to make shopping for junior less stressful. 1. Make a plan. Don’t leave the house without making a list of necessary items. Parents should make the shopping list first and then review it with their children. Managing a child’s expectations is critical to minimizing the battles at the mall. Make sure that the kids know what...

Photo courtesy of TheBeautyStop.com. I have yet to get a single gray hair — I swear on my late Great Grandma Gray’s very full head of gray hair (she had a few strays on her face too, but it totally worked for her). When the time comes, I may turn to Frederic Fekkai, the superstar of New York hair care.  Fekkair says, “There are degrees of gray. We start out with a few gray hairs. More come in and we get up to about 20 percent, then 30 percent, and eventually our hair is over 50 percent gray. That’s the natural progression of gray hair (for most...

Today’s post title is the tagline for the Urban Bliss Life website. I’m a HUGE fan, but I should disclose that I’m also the STYLE: Fashion & Accessories Contributor. Click on the link to view my latest post, “On Trend vs. Trendy.” From the “about” page of Urban Bliss Life: This is the intersection of sublime urban chaos and imperfect peaceful bliss. This is life, unparalleled in raw beauty. On these pages, you will find no sugar coating, no unnecessary drama, no quiet acceptance of anything less than extraordinary. Urban Bliss Life is a new modern + fresh...

Studio 6 (KOIN PDX) "Kindergarten Fashion" The first day of kindergarten can be filled with excitement, nervousness, and maybe a little uncertainty — especially in figuring out the answer to the age-old question of “What to Wear?” Yesterday, I stopped by Studio 6 on Portland’s KOIN TV for a fashion show with five adorable five year-old “models” looking all sharp and ready for their big day. Kindergartners-to-be, Alicia, Jake, Daphne, Jett, and Lyla modeled clothes, backpacks, and lunch boxes from Little Urbanites, Crazy 8 (budget chain of Gymboree),...

Tomoko Ogura, the women’s fashion director for Barneys New York, answers style questions in this week’s nytimes.com. Ogura’s expert answers? Scarves and stripes. Two items I can’t live without and sounds like I’m not the only fan. The Q & A: What’s your best-selling item right now? “A.L.C. dresses, in particular the navy and white striped jersey T-shirt dress (shown below, $295). Andrea Lieberman has nailed the stylish yet comfortable dress. She uses beautiful Japanese and Italian fabrics that are luscious to the touch.” What’s the one thing...

Photo courtesy of nytimes.com. Not including underwear, shoes, and accessories, could you do what other “sixers” have done and wear only six carefully-planned items from your closet for an entire month? Stella Brennan, 31, an insurance sales executive from Kenosha, Wisconsin did just that. Her six chosen items were: A black blazer from H & M Pants from H & M Two button-down shirts — one black and one pink A pair of Old Navy jeans A pink T-shirt. Brennan’s experiment, called a “shopping diet,” is one of several discussed in a recent nytimes.com article titled,...