It’s time to register for Ahead of the Curve’s new class at Whatcom Community College!  If you have had a consultation with us in the past, this is the class for you.

$39, March 4, 2012, 9-12 at WCC

Follow the link to register today!

The Art of Style

Here is the latest YouTube video from Ahead of the Curve and Anchorlight Productions.  When I figure out how to embed this video, I will do that.  Follow the link though.  It’s fun, I promise.

Darla Has A Ball

Does anyone want to play a little game with me?   Come on, it’ll be fun!

It’s called Stingy Style and here are the rules:

1.   Pick a current style trend that you would like to emulate, such as polka dots, lace, wide-leg trousers, cobalt blue or anything else that catches your eye.

2.   Put together an outfit following these criteria:

The main garment MUST be from a consignment, thrift or vintage shop.   Not everything has to be purchased used, just the main piece.  Get creative and put together a complete outfit using as many bargains finds as possible.

3.  Take a picture and post it on the Ahead of the Curve Style or Labels Facebook page.

4.  Name the trend and where the pieces of the outfit came from.

I’ll go first.

Trend:  Polka Dots/50’s Retro

•Black and white polka dot shirtdress (Labels)

•Wine suede ankle strap Nine West retro heels (Labels)

•Teal cardigan to mix it up (Costco)

•Vintage-style pink drop earrings, handmade by Shawna Kitzan

•Vintage beaded top handle purse (impossible to hold while holding wiggling puppy)

Who’s next?  Post your picture and description on the Ahead of the Curve or Labels Facebook page to play along!

The difference between fashion and style is similar to the difference between sweet treats and dinner.   Style is timeless, the building blocks of a classic wardrobe, and, like protein and vegetables, are hearty and satisfying.   Fashion is a smorgasbord of goodies, decadent and dangerous and should be consumed in moderation.   Stylish pieces, well constructed and made of the best fabric you can afford, are the foundation of your wardrobe.   Less expensive, trendier pieces can be thrown into the mix to keep those classic pieces looking hip, hot and current.  Choose carefully for the goody that you are pretty darn sure will be worth the calories.

So which trends are worthy of indulgence?  Happily, there are some amazingly wearable trends this fall, great for most body shapes that will not quickly look dated.  Wide leg trousers, bright pops of color and scarf-patterned dresses top my list.
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Deja Vu Consignment

16111 SE McGillivray Ste. F, Vancouver, WA

(360) 253-9053

***The Update***

Since the last time I visited DejaVu the store has doubled in size and is now spacious, bright and well-organized.  Anything said to the contrary in the following review is hereby negated.  The place still ROCKS, now more than ever.

Went Saturday shopping with my sisters and we all scored absolutely perfect designer dresses.

In a town like any town, in a strip mall like any other, there is a consignment shop called Deja Vu, which is a fairly common name for a consignment shop.  My expectations were low, specifically, I anticipated slim-pickings.   The sale racks on the sidewalk announced 50-75% off, which usually means polyester granny dresses and 80′s blazers.  Happily, astoundingly, the rack was loaded with excellent quality, perfect-condition garments:  Ami, Anne Klein, Anne Taylor, Banana Republic and many others.  There were several adorable jackets that appeared to never have been worn and demanded admiration.  The original prices were a little high for consignment but at 75% off, they were better than just right.

Inside the shop, the sale continued with a rack devoted to Chico and Cabi.  The displays at the front of the store held designer brands and a fantastic selection of handbags and accessories.  Rounders through the middle separated clothing by size and type.  There were the standard three “Tops” rounders labeled by Small, Medium and Large but also a rounder specially for blouses and one for shirts (such as Foxcroft).  This set-up was a bit confusing at first, but this shop has so much inventory that the divisions are clearly necessary.

Off to the right were racks of pants, skirts and jeans, a wall of dresses and a little selection whimsically labeled “Cute Things.”  While shopping the racks, I resisted the urge to drag a mountain of stuff into the changing room and spend wads of cash.  Resistance was difficult because virtually every garment in the store was so freaking CUTE that every rack could have been labeled “Cute Things.”  Most jackets were priced in the twenties and most blouses in the teens.  My sister shopped the sale rack and bought a silk Ann Taylor blouse and denim vest and spent less than $15.  She has more self control than I do.   A little Banana Republic suit ($34) with wide leg pants and a cropped jacket looked at me like a brown-eyed puppy in a pet shop window.  Better to just resist completely.

This gorgeous silk blouse was about $13.

Boots lined the high shelf all around the store.

At the back of the shop was a small selection of plus-sized clothing, a clearance rack, shoes and a small jewelry case, all worth scouting.  The plus-size racks were small but well selected and priced with some very nice jeans for about $15-20.

Deja Vu was a wonderfully pleasant surprise.  The little touches matter so much in a consignment store:  beautiful dressing room curtains, organization and good lighting, adequate labeling and sturdy display racks.   It is not difficult to make a consignment shop feel like a boutique and this one is beautifully done. This isn’t the place to shop if you are looking for a shop full of bargain basement prices but for mid to high end wardrobe pieces (including suits) Deja Vu is most certainly worth your time.

There are some things that, unfortunately, need to be said, especially with flu season coming on.

If you are not feeling well, do not go shopping.  Iffy tummy?  Burbling bowels?  Just stay home.  Shop another day.

If you are already shopping and the iffy and/or burbly hits you, proceed quickly to the nearest exit.  Even if you are in the dressing room, half into a really cute top that is totally on sale, GO HOME.  Drop the top on the floor and run, darling, run to your car in your bra, if you must.  If you cannot make it home before the tsunami of bodily fluids erupts, at least it will be contained in your own vehicle where you can clean it up later yourself.  No apologies or embarrassment necessary.

Even the parking lot is a better choice than the dressing room.  The rain always comes again.

Unacceptable choices:

Vomiting in the corner of a dressing room and covering it up with the garment you were trying on.

Stopping into a store for no other purpose than to use their bathroom when you are violently ill, instead of being violently ill in your car or by the side of the road.

Someone has to clean that up, you know, and they are probably making minimum wage.

Other things that are reportedly done in dressing rooms, but should not be:

Relieving oneself

Changing feminine hygiene products

Sexual activity

Please, ladies, only just change your clothes in there.

For those of us who would never dream of doing any of the above-it is entirely possible to try on clothing without taking your shoes off.  It requires similar skills to using a public restroom without actually touching anything.

Believe me, I am just as shocked as you are.

Recently an AotC client recommended that I visit a store up in Vancouver, B.C. called Armadillo.  So I did and so should you.

Armadillo is a little shop of designer deals, sure to suck you right in. Everything inside is real-deal designer, overages and sample sale goods.  Some of the prices are several hundred bucks, worth the money if you’ve got it.  However, if you browse… there are many, many garments for $40 or even less.

They are located on Granville Street, before you get to the stretch of boutiques and consignment shops.  It isn’t hard to find, just hard to park.  For some reason the day I was there, a band of musical geniuses were playing the blues on the sidewalk right outside the door.  There was something surreal about shopping designer goods on sale and listening to the best rendition of “You Give Me Fever” I have ever heard.  As experiences go, it was up there.

My score:  this German-made Tuzzi shirt, tie in the front or the back, $20.  The fabric is like nothing I have ever felt before, like a stretchy cloud.

If you go, take the time to chat with the owners.  They are knowledgeable, really friendly and eager to help you find what you’re looking for.

The clothing industry is one of the most wasteful and overproduced industries on the planet.  A cruise through any mall in America will show you endless “teeny-bopper” shops full of flimsy fabrics and here-for-the-moment trends.  The stuff is cheap, both in price and quality, not meant to last for more than a season.  The prevalence of low quality clothing marketed directly at young women is a testament to the wealth and wastefulness of this country and mindless desire for quantity over quality.  On one level, this makes a certain sense: teenagers are still growing, their mentality is all about exploration, finding their niche in life.  It is an emotionally transient time with costumes to match; however, there are more costumes in every Forever 21 than a small country could ever wear. And then there is my personal pet peeve:  the free t-shirt.  Every event, charity, marathon and jog-a-thon doles out these style abominations, only vaguely reminiscent of the human form.  They are made of low-grade cotton, which is grown with pesticides and rivers of precious water, exported to sweatshops worldwide and returned to us for that all-important opportunity to announce our participation in a fill-in-the-blank event.

A textile worker takes a break at dawn after sanding jeans all night at a clothing factory in Guangdong Province, China. The blue dust from the jeans is a heavy irritant to the lungs. The factory where this worker is employed uses a wear-and-tear process to achieve the fashionable distressed look for the approximately 10,000 pairs of jeans it produces every day. Thousands of workers labor around the clock scrubbing, spraying, and tearing jeans in order to meet the production demand. China is one of the world’s largest producers of jeans.  (from ehp.com/Waste Couture)
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One skirt three ways:  Wild, Tame and In-between

I recently scored a screaming hot Labels deal, a United Colors of Benetton skirt for $9.99.   Absolutely unpassupable!  Lime green on lime green houndstooth, so not an obvious choice for versatility and it’s a little too short, the hem comes to just barely above the knee.  It would be a miniskirt on anyone else.   My knees, which are concurrently chubby and saggy, will show, so opaque tights are an absolute must. That fact, combined with the wool fabric makes it a fall/winter skirt.   Hmmm… a designer Italian two-season garment for $10.  Not bad.  Heel height is a must as well, to lengthen out the stubby legs.

Now, what to wear it with…
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Every once in awhile a guy will ask if I “do style for men,” but usually, it’s their significant other that is asking.  The answer is yes, but none of those guys actually call.  It is a rare thing to see a well-dressed man.  Well-dressed, by the way,  does not mean a 3 piece suit and the physique of an athlete, although that never hurt anyone.  What defines style for men is essentially the same as for women:  accentuate the positive, camouflage the negative and keep it simple.  The cut of clothing should mirror stature.

Tall, lanky men should stick with slim cut trousers, no pleats or extra fabric, tailored shirts and jackets and slim shoes.  Loose, baggy clothes make skinny look scrawny. Avoid gorilla arms and high-waters with long-enough sleeves and pants.  Don’t sacrifice on length-you can’t make ‘em longer.  Search out the proper fit.  Have fun with horizontal stripes and layering.  Wear contrasting colors to break up the body-line.  Shorter or heavier men need to lengthen, but you have that covered already.

Short, slim guys really need to keep it simple with sharp, clean lines and superb tailoring.  Bulky or too-big clothing will only serve to make you look smaller, like a kid playing dress-up.   Jackets must fit in the shoulder, taper to the waist with a hem that stops at the bottom of the rear.  Choose flat-front pants, slim shoes and tailor everything.  Accept the fact that everything you own will need to be cut down to size.  That’s just the way it is.

The larger man can slenderize his middle with a few tricks.  Square off the shoulders with small shoulder pads.  Choose boxy cut sweaters and jackets with hefty fabrics and built-in waistline detail.  Shirts can have big bold patterns and colors but avoid clingy knits, horizontal striping and ribbed waistbands.  Ribbed waistbands put that tummy on a shelf and if you raise your arms, whoops, there it is!  Pants can be single-pleated, although, pleated pants MUST have a cuff to weigh down the extra fabric  created by the pleat, thus keeping it from ballooning out around you.  A wide straight pant leg with a flat front is best.  Choose sturdy shoes, wide ties and big accessories.

ZZ Top said it best, “Every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.”  Think about it.