Shopping with Purpose

Hi Everyone! It's so nice to be back blogging after my looong high seas adventure. What was the first thing I did when I got back? Yep, you guessed it!

Let’s face it, I love shopping, and as my friends routinely point out to me, I have no qualms about spending my money… What could possibly go wrong, right?

Admittedly, this does tend to get me in trouble from time to time because I’ll end up with clothes I don’t need (is there really such a thing?), spend too much, or make somewhat questionable fashion choices in the heat of the moment while in the spirit of shopping. Trust me, I could do a “what not to wear” from my closet at times as easily as I could do a fashion blog. I’ll spare you the pain of seeing my previous shopping blunders. It is all good though! Why? Because we learn from our shopping mistakes… or at least we are about to start learning now ;-)

Given my history of somewhat frivolous shopping habits, I’ve taken to being diligent about shopping with purpose and with specific goals in mind. My latest shopping adventure proved to be a wonderful example of my new strategies successfully in motion.  I was lucky enough to find myself this past weekend at the Providence Place Mall (one of those insidious, three story malls with tons of stores). But before I get into what works for me when it comes to being an effective shopper, I want to talk a little about learning the stores you frequent and tailoring your expectations accordingly. During this particular trip I visited Forever 21, Express, and H&M. Knowledge of the ins and outs of each store comes with experience, so I’ll share mine with you now:

Forever 21 – As the name implies, F21 is targeted towards a younger crowd (teens and early twenties) and are sized to fit typical body types of that age group while being super “trendy”. Whenever I shop there, I ask myself “Is this age appropriate?” (I’m 28, so with many items, the answer is no). Luckily F21 has a huge variety of styles with several different lines, one caters to a slightly older, more contemporary look... this line is called “Love 21”, and is geared towards more adult body shapes, it usually has its own section in most locations. This is where I focus my efforts and find classier pieces that better fit my body and wardrobe.

Forever 21, in my experience, is pretty hit or miss… but has potential to offer unique hidden gems of creativity. Items are way cheaper than most places, which is awesome for shopping on a budget, however, as you may imagine sometimes (not all though) the quality suffers as a result. Clothes from F21 will fall apart, seams will come loose, there will be errors in stitching… its only a matter of time (I've often joked that the name means the clothes will only last 21 days, but thats probably a bit harsh). If you are ok with a little mending, you can easily sew things back together. If not, just set your expectations for your garments to have a limited lifetime. I encourage checking out F21 online to shop, the in-store locations are pretty jumbled, I sometimes feel like I’m literally rummaging through a teenage girl's room looking for clothes to borrow. The organization online makes finding things you want much easier.

Express – I love most pieces from Express, they have clean lines, sophistication, and just the right amount of femininity for my taste. Unfortunately, Express is also expensive, as many “name brands” can be. It pays big dividends to watch for sales at these places, they happen regularly, so be patient… twice a year or so they may even hit clearances where everything is 50% off (or more!). Don’t fall into the trap of paying full price, it takes a bit of vigilance to wait for the sale but it’s well worth it, especially for more expensive items. Express has a rewards program, many stores do, it’s not much, but saves you $10 here and there, every little bit helps! You can also shop online which is nice to catch quick sales and snipe a piece you’ve had your eye on in the store for a bargain.

The tailoring of Express clothing trends towards favoring more slender, less curvaceous body types and is subsequently more flattering for those who have more subtle curves (I fit into this category… one more reason Express is a good store for me). Not everything they sell fits that description, but its a definite trend in their lines. Also, I have found that sleeves on Express tops are always too narrow. Tops that fit me wonderfully across the back and chest are often pretty tight around my forearms. I work with it, but if you have more muscular arms, it may cause fit problems. Bottom line, if you're looking for higher quality, classy looking apparel, and don't mind spending more... Express is a good match for you.

H&M – H&M is another one of my favorites. It falls pretty nicely between "F21" and "Express" type stores, offering a reasonable range of prices, great clearance deals if you can catch them, and a solid variety of styles from which to chose. I’ve found sizing is pretty consistent without many quirks. The clothing tends to be geared towards more of the mid/late twenties age group and up on average; it still has some edgy/trendy vibes but airs usually more conservatively than F21. It is a shame there isn’t a location nearer to me or I would shop there more often. They have an online store, however I’ve never found it to be as helpfully accessible as other sites… not entirely sure why. 

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Given that these three are probably my most common stores to shop (aside from ideeli.com), I know my sizes in these stores by heart, so shopping at these locations (and online) is a bit faster and more reliable than at stores I’m not as accustomed to. I don’t always have to try everything on (though it never hurts and saves on returning items).

So, how do I go about shopping with purpose? There is no right or wrong way to shop, I firmly believe that shopping should make you happier! If it doesn’t, then try approaching it differently. Below are a few tips that keep me on track and happy whilst spending my hard earned money.

1. Set a budget – I’m probably the worst at this one, however setting a budget forces me to be a pickier shopper. Its good to be picky. If I can only spend $100, then I want to get the most for my money. That doesn’t necessarily mean buying a bunch of cheap items though, I want value, not quantity. For example, a nice $100 jacket that goes with everything, and I’ll wear often is so much more valuable in my wardrobe than 10, $10 tops that all look cheap.

2. Keep a Running List of what you Need or Want – Write it down or just remember it, however you want… there are always items we need either for an upcoming occasion, replacing a worn out piece, rounding out a gap in your wardrobe or jumping on the latest trend. The point of this list is to keep yourself focused in the sea of shiny, glamorous, advertisement filled stores designed to coax your hard earned money from your wallet. Having reminders of what I’m looking for helps me develop this jedi-like focus I need to not simply buy an entire store (if only I could!). I love using Pinterest to keep a list of wants and needs in picture form, its fun and useful! Check out the link to see my list in action. I also often provides motivation for shopping for me (as if I’m ever lacking motivation to shop!). Identifying things you’ll need in the future well ahead of time saves the stressful panic of trying to find things at the last minute.

3. Allow Yourself to be Fluid while Shopping – My best discoveries, as with most of life, are of things I wasn’t looking for to start. If something catches your eye, go for it! Let shopping inspire you. Don’t get locked into looking just for specific things on your list. Creativity comes from not being restricted.

4. Evaluate each Purchase before you buy – Ask yourself those difficult questions to really decide if something is right for you.

1.     Does this fit and is it flattering?

2.     Does it fit into my budget? Is it on sale? Or can I get this for less later? 

3.     Is this a stand alone piece? Or is it something likely to be used in combination with other things (layering, etc)? How does this go with the rest of my wardrobe?

4.     Do I have an occasion to wear this? Will I wear it often?

5.     Is this on my list of needs and wants?

6.     Does this fit my personality/style?

If you answer yes to all or most of these then it’s probably a great choice, if not… there are so many options out there, why settle for something that isn’t exactly what you want? If you are unsure of a piece, be sure of the return policy!

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Let's see how I did!

The Plan: Expanding my summer wardrobe by finding some cute, loose fitting tops, and a pair of nice white pants to be more of a staple piece. Oh! and explore... thats always part of the plan.

The Budget: $200 

The Results!

I ended up spending about $240, so not too far off my goal, but still over (yes, I'm still a work in progress). But! I ended up with 9 new items, so it was a good haul.

I bought several button up, flowy blouse tops at Express that are perfect for stylishly beating the heat as well as a found that pair of white pants on my list. One great thing about light colors on the bottom with darker colors on top is that it emphasizes your lower half, this is a great trick for those looking to lessen the appearance of broad shoulders. Take a look at one of the tops and the pants: 

Essentially I purchased everything I "needed" at Express, but since I went there first... I obviously had to check out my other favorite stores, just in case there were treasures to be found :-)

And there were!

Both this lovely creme, polka dot, tank top (F21) and the purple crop sweater (H&M) were amongst my purchases. I loved the color on the sweater (the pictures don't do it justice really), its soft, was basically a homerun in all the other evaluation categories too. Crop cuts (the bottom hem of the shirt is cut higher than normal hitting at the waist rather than the hips) help define the waist, which is usually flattering. Plus, it was only $10 and I know I’ll get plenty of use out of it throwing it over just about anything, probably my favorite purchase of the putting. The polka dot trend has recently struck my fancy so I figured this top from F21 would have possibilities as a bottom layer piece to add a fun, more feminine texture to an outfit (as you can see here). At $12 if it doesn’t work out, its not a big loss.

And more!

(with dramatic lighting)

This dark grey ruched sleeveless top (H&M) caught my eye and it fit, so the rest is history. I have a weakness for this gunmetal color which just so happens to be one of my colors! If you're looking to find your own best colors, check out my guide to color analysis. The ruching on the sides is super flattering. Ruching can be used to break up the body's true lines as well as hide any areas that may have a bit extra. It will be a great top for a night out. Now I just need someone to take me!

Thanks everyone! It's nice to be back blogging for you!

I'm pretty psyched about it, as is my wardrobe ;-) 

If you have any shopping tips please head to the "A Stylish Transition" Facebook page share!

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Sleeve Types to Slim Your Arms and Shoulders

I’ve had this topic on the back burner since we discussed flattering necklines. As you might guess, sleeves and necklines are both important factors in how we style our shoulders and upper bodies. Broad shoulders and muscular arms are often features of our bodies we wish to diminish to create more feminine lines in our upper body. Lucky for all of you… I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve to help do just that! (Sorry, I really couldn’t help myself)

Without much more of an introduction, let’s proceed to the list of sleeve types and with each one we’ll look carefully at how it affects the lines of our bodies. The list is longer than you may expect, as you probably have noticed by now, I like to be thorough so we’ll look at everything. Since I don’t have about half of these in my wardrobe, I’m going to be pulling all the examples from the web. It’ll be both fun and educational… get excited!

Spaghetti Straps & Tank Tops

So spaghetti straps aren’t technically a sleeve (so no pictures for you!), but worth mentioning. As was mentioned in our necklines discussion, thin straps often serve to accentuate size and bulk through contrast rather than reduce it. Save spaghetti straps for under layers on your favorite looks. For bare arm/shoulder looks, wider tank top straps should be a preference. They will break up the width of shoulders much better than their thinner counterparts. See how compared to a spaghetti strap, my shoulders appear a bit less bulky? Tanks for noticing!

Sleeveless

Sleeveless styles feature… you guessed it, no sleeves! This style creates a vertical line right where your arm and shoulder meet. The length of this line is what the eye notices as the “size” of the top of the arm. If you have muscular/built shoulders, this will be a longer line, reinforcing the appearance of a large upper arm and shoulder. Obviously, this is not what we want… avoid sleeveless looks unless you are comfortable with this effect or are able to minimize it through other style choices such as deeper cut neckline.

Cap

Cap sleeves are the shortest of the actual sleeve types, serving to “cap” the top of the arm. The important thing for us to notice when considering cap sleeves is where the bottom line of the sleeve falls on the arm and also the angle that it creates. Cap sleeves can range from only slightly longer than sleeveless, all the way to what you would consider a “short” t-shirt length sleeve. Shorter cap sleeves will make shoulders appear wider or full size by creating a horizontal line across the full width of your shoulders where the tips of the sleeve fall (blue line above). Additionally, just like the line that “decides” the size of your arm on a sleeveless style, the location of edge of the sleeve in cap styles will dictate how large your arm appears (red line above). If this falls right across the thickest portion of your arm, your upper arm will likely look bigger. With longer cap sleeves, there are happy sweet spots on your arm. Try to find cuts that make our blue shoulder line fall lower and angle of the red arm line closer to horizontal than vertical for this style to be most flattering. It can be tricky however, I usually shy away from cap sleeve types or use them layered under other things. 

Short

Short sleeves we are all pretty familiar with as they are common on most t-shirt styles. Though the length may vary slightly, the edge of the sleeve will usually hang horizontally. Short sleeve styles are fairly neutral as far as flattering your upper body, just be sure the sleeve is not tight around your upper arm as this will certainly emphasize the upper arm.

Puff

Puff sleeves, living up to their name, puff out at the shoulders. The extra volume makes shoulders quite literally larger. Obviously, this is not a desired feature for a part of our wardrobes if shrinking shoulders is our goal. So, you may ask, are all hopes of ever wearing this style gone in a puff of smoke? If it is a style you adore (I find it quite cute on the right person myself), stick to subtler puffing and try to find styles that perhaps just puff up a little rather than out, this will minimize any widening affects. If you have smaller arms and shoulders, have fun with puffs, you’ll likely be able to rock the look!

Butterfly

The next style to flap its wings onto our list is the Butterfly sleeve. Loose fitting and flowy, butterfly sleeves tend to give a whimsical and ethereal look to a top, especially with lighter fabrics. This is a style that is truly ideal for larger arms and shoulders as bulky lines are lost in folds of the sleeve itself. Lengths can range from short (left) to usually about halfway down the arm (right).

Bell

A bell sleeve is a sleeve that flares out towards the wrist. The flare can start immediately from the shoulder or at any point along the sleeve. This creates the shape of… ding ding! You guessed it, a bell! Much like a buttery sleeve, you will benefit from losing the line of your arm as the sleeve flows down. Additionally, the extra visual “weight” of the extra fabric lower will balance out a bulkier upper body. Be careful with over doing a bell sleeve however, it’s easy to ring your way right into a 70’s throwback or renaissance faire look if you’re not careful. Keeping it contemporary, subtle, and elegant will make the bell sleeve a great look for you.

Leg of Mutton

Yep… you heard right… Leg of Mutton.  Also from my research, it is sometimes called a Juliet sleeve (which sounds much more romantic). This style, in all of its glory (left), is a puff sleeve on steroids. In much more subdued incarnations (right), it can achieve a cute romantic look, worthy of a star-crossed lover. Again, same rules apply here as the puff sleeve… if you want to take a bite of the Leg of Mutton sleeve, keep the horizontal poofing to a minimum or try to find styles with a poof lower on the arm. Lighter weight fabrics will help reduce the shear weight of the style so it doesn’t appear too visually “heavy”. 

Bishop 

Characterized by a billowing sleeve captured usually at the wrist by a more form fitting cuff, the Bishop sleeve has similar benefits to the other looser sleeves we have looked at. The one difference is that Bishop sleeves eventually come to tighter end point… be aware of the location of this point and whenever possible this should be a thinner point on your arm. I wouldn’t make Bishop sleeves a staple of my wardrobe, however for some variety they offer a more creative and feminine look than an average sleeve.

Raglan

Raglan sleeves (sometimes called baseball sleeves) are a particular cut of a sleeve where the sleeve itself extends to the neckline of a garment. This style of cut creates seams which will create the appearance of a longer arm (elongating the arm helps to create a slimming effect), while also breaking up the shoulder line, another helpful feature to shrinking broad shoulders. 

Dolman

 A Dolman sleeve is a style of cut where the underarm portion of the sleeve connects to the rest of the garment much lower than other sleeves which connect around the armpit. Though the depth of where this seam begins can vary, it creates a more voluminous sleeve that drapes down off the arm. The dolman sleeve masks the true shape of the arm. Again, larger arms will be concealed and appear smaller in comparison to the wider opening. With this style you do however sacrifice a more defined waist, which isn’t a bad thing just something to be aware of. Loose fits like this pair well with form fitting bottoms such as skinny jeans or leggings. They also offer a great palette for accessories.

Half, Three-quarter & Long

These are really just referring to the length of any type of sleeve. Half sleeves hit at about the elbow. Three-quarter length hits about mid forearm (suspiciously about three-quarters of the way down your arm). Long sleeves are the full length of the arm to the wrist. Three quarters length sleeves are often touted as the most flattering of the lengths and at least on me, I tend to agree with that claim. The length covers the upper arm, while highlighting your wrist, the slimmest part of the arm. Long sleeves can easily be pushed up or folded over to a three quarter length as an option too.

One point worth noting when considering sleeve length is that lengths subconsciously guide the eye to that level, long or three-quarter sleeves draw subtle attention to the hips, similarly, half sleeves hone in on the waist while short sleeves on the bust. This being said, sleeves just call a bit more subliminal attention to an area but don’t really change your body’s lines.

Whew! We’re done! Hopefully now with a greater appreciation for all that sleeves offer in styling options. I’ll leave you with one final bit of advice: If you want to wear styles that we’ve discovered are less flattering (there are many gorgeous looks out there in this category), just be sure that you are doing other things like deepening a neckline or using dark color to deemphasize in addition to balance out the effects.

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Cheers, Kayci