Congrats to Jennifer for being nominated for "Woman Owned Business of the Year"!

It is an honor just to be nominated. I am a huge supporter of Women's Initiative and all of the great work they do with Bay Area women to get the work training needed to get their own businesses up an running.
*Women’s Initiative for Self Employment announces the Woman-Owned Business of the Year awards, recognizing women business owners throughout the Bay Area for their contributions to their community and the local economy, and who are examples and mentors to aspiring female entrepreneurs. The Woman-Owned Business of the Year Award winners will be recognized at local events, at the San Francisco Business Times “Women’s Small Business Month” event, and in the San Francisco Business Times and the San Jose Business Journal, as well as other local media.

Please join us to be part of this effort and help us celebrate women who are creating jobs and stimulating the economy.

About Women's Initiative

Women’s Initiative for Self Employment is the largest microenterprise training and funding organization in the country. For more than 20 years, the Bay Area nonprofit has been providing low-income women with the business training, access to funding, and ongoing support to start and grow their own businesses and become financially self-sufficient.

*Info courtesy of Women's Initiative.

Target "targets" the Frugalista

Target just launched their new StyleBoutique (formerly Target Design for All). They've target-ed the rise of the Frugalista, "defined as “a person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.” This could become the nom de guerre of the 'recession warrior'.1” Target knows that "Frugalistas know how to out-dress, not out-spend." And they plan to show you how to do it as well, simply by signing up for the email newsletter.


1 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/magazine/23wwln-safire-t.html
Images courtesy of Target.com

Why I'm in this business!!

I was so blessed to receive an email from a friend of mine, who is also a client, telling me about the rave reviews she got from some items she purchased with me at our latest shopping appointment at Ambiance...

"I wanted to tell you what a hit I was at the wedding I went to with John*. I wore the navy and black fitted French Connection dress. So many compliments!! One person asked me if I was a SF designer, because I looked so hip and trendy."

I love to hear things like this. I was so happy for her that I had to blog about it. It's for reasons like these that I'm in this business. Fashion is not just about how you look. It's about looking as great on the outside as you feel on the inside, and letting the rest of the world see it too.

Thank you Jane* for sharing the news!

*names has been changed for privacy

Some Styles are Just Timeless, Even When They're Trendy- Take the Little Black Dress aka "LBD"

I don't get paid to promote anyone, or get any kickbacks from retailers for bringing my clientele to them or even mentioning them in my blog. But when I find a retailer that excels in a certain aspect, I feel I must acknowledge them.

I am constantly online shopping. That doesn't mean I always make a purchase. Think of it as window shopping via the world wide web. I like to scroll through the various items online and make "wish lists" of the things I would buy if money were no object... sad but true. This also helps me to know what retailers are carrying in-store at that time.

I was searching around for LBDs (little black dresses) to update my look for some upcoming dinner parties I have scheduled. Neiman Marcus really impressed me with their wide selection of LBDs selection. My clients have hear me say over and over, my spiel on classic clothing. The little black dress, just like trech cpoats, never really go out of style. They just reinvent themselves every year. Classic does not have to mean boring.

You have to take a look for yourself! Here are the ones that I am looking at:

Black Halo Mini Jackie Dress
Cutouts are all the rage this fall, and this mid-priced number is oh so chic and a little cutting edge.












Herve Leger (pronounced air-veh lay-cher) Scoop Neck Dress
Okay, so maybe this tight-like-a-wetsuit dress isn't ideal for a dinner party, but this line (designed by Max Azria from BCBG) is the ultimate skinny dress. For the large price tag, I think I'll keep looking, but I can dream.











Robert Rodriguez Cutout-Shoulder Dress
I have a few RR dresses in my closet. I love that this dress incorporates the cut-out trend that is so popular right now, plus the one shoulder trend. I usually shy away from buying pieces that try to incorporate more than one trend because I feel like they go out of style more quickly. But for this well designed piece, I'll make the exception.

The BCBG Signature Cardi-Wrap: #1 Item Purchased by Clients

The number one item most of my female clients purchase is the signature cardi-wrap from BCBG. Why, you ask? Because I believe adding that extra layer can take your outfit from drab to fab. Being able to incorporate that one extra little "umpf" to your outfit makes you look more put together and complete. Of all the sweaters I have shopped for, for the various body types out there, this is the one my clients rave most about. For example, my client Amy last Wednesday said that "she loves" the black sweater wrap we purchased over a year ago. As we were shopping for more outfits this week, we were both amazed at the number of new looks that would be perfectly completed by that same cardi-wrap.

Retailers Pushing EARLY Christmas Sales- Start Shopping Now

Don’t be surprised to find Christmas sales located next to the school supplies and swimsuits this summer. Sears for example already has a “Christmas Lane” set up in their stores offering "Free shipping on Christmas Lane purchases over $60.” Is this really helping consumers beat the holiday rush, or have they gone Christmas in July crazy?

I blogged previously that about the inventory scare last-minute shoppers will find themselves in come late December. Why the rush to start holiday shopping? “Toys “R” Us claims there’s a need for early Christmas deals in tough times.1” I frankly agree. Shoppers (not just the addicted ones like me) are going to appreciate being able to spread their holiday shopping bills over a few months instead of having them all due in January. That’s on top of the fact that there may not be very good selection by the time we get our butts to the mall in December.

I suggest you start thinking about shopping early, and most importantly, have an expert help you ☺


1 “Why Christmas Is Coming Early This Year”, Aug 3, 2009 by Elaine Wong
Image courtesy of Toys"R" Us

My Official Spanx Haute Couture Review

As previously posted, I purchased a pair of Spanx to go under my wedding dress. They recently introduced their new Spanx Haute Couture line, and I figured it was the perfect shaper to go under my dress for a fancy event such as a wedding. here is what Spanx has to say about the product:

Luscious Lace Mid-Thigh Shaper

$128

• Exclusively developed scalloped shaping-power-lace with additional layer of mesh support smoothes hips and flattens stomach
• Lace waistband lays flat under clothing
• Silky shaping microfiber smoothes hips, thighs and bottom
• Laser precision cut hem offers invisibility under clothing
• Cotton gusset provides comfort and breathability

I ordered them, tried them on, and here is what I thought:

Pros: The lace was really pretty, and a nice change from the basic and boring (yet fully functional) design of most shapers. But this no-show lace proves that seamless doesn't have to mean ugly. I liked the variety of colors offered on the Spanx website, which were not all available to me on NeimanMarcus.com when I purchased mine. As for the fit, they were just as comfortable as my other Spanx products, and the lace didn't itch. The mid-thigh length is great as a replacement for tights/nylons because you can still wear shorter dresses and wear sandals because it's footless.

Cons: Maybe it's just my body type (curvy in all the right places), but I found the mid-rise of this shaper, which means it hits around the middle of your stomach, to cut into me at a weird place. Every time I sat down, it started to roll down my mid-section. The high rise "Power Panties" have worked much better for me over the years. Unfortunately for me, I have a low back wedding gown and can't wear high-waisted anything. Just to note, one of the contributing factors to the "rolling down" effect is because it was a bit too small. In the regular Spanx line, I wear a size large (I want shaping, but not to feel like I'm in a sausage casing). Even after eating a steak I can still feel comfortable in that size. Apparently the sizing runs smaller on the Haute Couture line (I double checked the size guide online), a large being a size 8-10 instead of 12-14.

Final Thoughts: I would have kept the product had they offered a larger size or the sizing stayed true to their original line. No one wants to have to wear a shaper. But if we're going to, it should at least be pretty. I give them a B+ for creating a beautiful product but not offering larger sizes.

Item description and picture courtesy of Spanx.com

“One-third of Shoppers to Cut Back for the Holidays”- Are You One of Them?

My fiancé forwarded me an interesting email he received with a report on holiday shopping this year. For those of you type-A planners (like myself) this could be good news. For those of you that wait until the last minute to shop for Christmas gifts, beware…

BIGresearch reports that a third of shoppers plan to spend less than they did last holiday season, while 3% plan to spend more. In terms of inventory, some retailers are still undecided. "They're not going to want to overstock, but they're not going to go lean, either, and not hit their sales targets," an NRF executive said. USA TODAY (8/3)

What they are predicting is that most retailers are going to underestimate the power of consumerism during the holidays, even in a recession. So all of you last minute people are going to be left shopping empty shelves. Shop early this year people!

While many retailers are focusing on the important back-to-school season, some — including Sears, Kmart and Toys R Us — are so holiday-happy, they rolled out "Christmas" sales last month.

"We may see consumers beginning their holiday shopping a bit earlier than past years, finding deals now and stretching their holiday bills out over several months prior to the holidays, instead of watching them all come due in January," Goodfellow says.

Quotes taken from Jayne O'Donnell, USA TODAY

Finally! Pictures from the Botox Express Success Event July 21, 2009

You've been asking, and I have been remiss in posting any of my pictures from the Botox event I went to July 21st. So finally, here they are. My apologies.

They had beauty stations going on all over the room from local SF artist, including hair design and makeup application.

Jill Siefert (left) and two hair stylists from 77 Maiden Lane

There was a pretty good turn out for the event. Tons of free food and drinks to celebrate the cause. Remember that this Botox event supports our Dress for Success San Francisco.

Myesha Smith (DFSSF Graduate) and Renee Surcouf (Executive Director of DFSSF)

Yetunde Schuhmann (Founder/Executive Director of The Innovative Fashion Council SF, left) and me
I got compliments all night, but then I look at my hair in this picture and can't understand why!

And finally, the woman we were all there to see... Vanessa Williams! Yes she does look as amazing in person as she does on TV. And admittedly, she says it takes four stylists for her to look that good all the time.
Sorry this picture is so dark (that is her on the right). There was poor lighting, and apparently I need a new camera because I was sitting in the front row and she still looks tiny here.

A big thank you to the St. Regis Hotel for hosting this very fun event.

UPDATE- I have purchased a pair of Spanx

I have just purchased a pair of Spanx from their new Spanx Haute Couture line at Neiman Marcus, to go under my wedding dress (see my other post as to why) . I'll be sure to report back my honest opinion.

Ambiance Summer Fashion Party!!!!

The people at Ambiance "really like us", but not half as much as the well-dressed women of San Francisco love their wide selection of moderately priced fashions. I have introduced this store to more than one of my clients. One in particular (Lisa, you know what I'm talking about) has had an amazing amount of success shopping here. They have a ton of selection from jewelry, shoes and handbags to dresses, tops and coats, etc. They are already reasonably priced, but now you can get all of their goodies at a discount!













When: August 6, 2009 5-9pm

What: Summer Fashion Party with door prizes every half hour, free eco bag for every customer

Why: 10% off regular & 20% additional off sale prices!!!!!

Where: Ambiance, 1864 Union St btwn Laguna & Octavia (Marina locationn)

Skinny Jeans Bad For Yor Health?

According to 944 Magazine, they are!

"Suffering for the sake of fashion is not an uncommon practice. Many people wear some painful threads and accessories simply for style. But the newest fashion risk is the skinny jean. Experts are finding that women (and men) who wear jeans that are too tight may risk suffering from a nerve problem called meralgia paresthetica. Tight jeans put pressure on the femoral cutaneous, a nerve that runs through the thigh, which can cause tingling and burning through the leg. Couple the skinny pant with high heels and you increase the risk. It has also been said that skinny jeans can cause infertility in men. No one is recommending that all ultra-tight pants should be thrown out and never worn again, it's just that maybe they should be worn in moderation."

Keep in mind, that only a small percentage of the population can actually pull-off this style of pant. It makes me wonder about the compression of shapewear like Spanx.....

High Fashion Knitting: Create sumptuous knitwear with Wool and the Gang's knit-kits

Put down those knitting needles and check this out! Want to test those lightning fast purl stitch skills against some high fashion? Now is your chance to get in on the action. Net-A-Porter introduces Wool and the Gang's knit kits. Check them out...

I especially like the Lil' Joe waistcoat kit:

"Wool and the Gang make knitting glamorous with their fun and fabulous gray Peruvian wool D.I.Y. waistcoat kit. Whether you're looking for the perfect gift or to learn a new skill, it's time to pick up your needles and get in on fashion's coolest hobby.

Gray Peruvian wool cropped vest. Wool and the Gang vest has an open front, rolled seams and a contrast knit trim. Knit kit comes in a paper presentation bag and contains: a vest pattern, 4 balls of gray Peruvian yarn, a pair of 10mm wooden knitting needles, a sewing needle and two patches, (including an EXCLUSIVE 'Knit-a-Porter' patch). 100% wool. Handwash."


Images and quoted text courtesy of Net-A-Porter.com.

Spanx goes Haute Couture

As I am sure it is with most brides, it's ll about the dress. I easily found the one I knew, just knew, I had to spent my last day on this earth as Miss Jennifer Held in. It wasn't until I tried to find underwear to go with it that was the problem (low back in a 36DD is a lot harder than you would think). So of course I had to go online. But I think I have solved the problem with a low back bustier from Entiise Lingerie.

While I was looking around, I stumbled across this exciting bit of news, Spanx has just released their new Spanx Haute Couture line! Currently available at Neiman Marcus, it is a varied mix of invisible-under-clothing-lace accented shapewear. With the security of Spanx, and the super feminine design, you can't miss taking a look. I used to hate Spanx. Honestly, I did. I don't like that feeling of being "sucked in". One look at a picture of me in a certain form fitted red dress (no I will not be posting it) without some shapewear underneath has cured me. No fashion fear is worse than going out in public looking bad and not knowing it. At least with my Spanx I don't have to worry about my lumps and bumps getting more attention than I do, especially in red.