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.

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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Warmish weather is finally here!  It’s time to trade in your fleece jacket for the fleece vest, faded Levis for capri pants and strip the wool socks out from under your Birkenstocks!

If it is your choice to wear the above-mentioned, please carry on.  If a sleeker, more sophisticated warm weather look sparks your interest, there are ways to achieve it and still be comfortable, even while traveling.
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Spring Color Combo Trends are not for the faint of heart.  Bold solids in outrageous combinations will certainly keep you awake, maybe even blow your mind.

Here are the rules:

Know which colors to wear by your face.  Don’t overwhelm your skin with unflattering colors.

Keep the garments simple in structure.

Skip prints and patterns.

Use bright accessories.

As always, I delved into the recesses of my closet and threw some things together.   No purchasing allowed!

Here is what I came up with:
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Meet Shirley:  the bubbliest apple I have ever met.  Positive, unbelievable energetic, encouraging and down-to-earth.  You can’t help but feel happy around this woman.  Shirley was my very first Ahead of the Curve client four years ago.  She never once insinuated I didn’t know what I was doing back then.

Recently, I had the pleasure of helping Shirley clear out her closet.  Being a winter in coloring and an apple in shape, it was fairly quick work:  get rid of the boxy, sage green shirts.  Everything else was cute, like Shirley herself.

To the point:

Short, boxy tops obscure the narrowest area of Shirley’s torso:  just under the bustline.

Black and white are a winter’s perfect neutrals and the small print is perfect for a petite frame; the empire waist accentuates Shirley’s narrowest torso spot and the straight skirt flatters the hip and leg.  Too much volume in the skirt would widen the lower body and natural waist.  Also, the hem stops at the knee, making her legs look longer.  The top of the dress was a bit too big from shoulder to armpit; a simple alteration fixed it.  This is just right!