Frugal is the new Black

Recessionista:  A person who is able to stick to a tight budget while still managing to dress stylishly.

There are many ways to look Fabulous on a Budget and I’d like to touch upon the ones that I use or ones that have been passed onto me. 

1.  E-clip coupons.   Great big discounts can be found online.  Coolsavings.com offers coupons on everything from clothes to groceries.  Simply print out the coupons you want and use them as you would the kind you used to clip.  Other great savings sites include (I put *** next to the sites that I use):

ideeli.com ***

giltgroup.com ***

ruelala.com ***

retailmenot.com ***

Froogle.com

Zappos.com

Smartbargains.com

Overstock.com ***

Coupon.com

Couponcabin.com ***

bluefly.com

Coolsavings.com

Samplesale.com

Thebudgetfashionista.com

Dailycandy.com

couponmom.com ***

2.  Eating out has never been so Stylish and Affordable.  Restaurant.com offers $25 restaurant certificates for $10.  But, wait, it gets getter.   Go to couponmom.com, and there is a code for savings from 40% – 90% off the $10…so, you can get a $25 restaurant gift card for $2-$6.  The “fine print” is usually no Saturdays, and you must spend $35.

3.  When I do online shopping, I go to ebates.com first.  I do a lot of online shopping at nordstrom.com, and by going to ebates.com first,  I earn  can get 3% – 6% Cash Back.  I literally get a check back from them.  Since 2006 I have received over $400 cash back, from using ebates.com as my portal.   Bloomingdale’s, Barnes and Noble, Sephora, Home Depot… many, many stores participate in this.  All you need to do is sign up.  You do not receive any Spam, any unwanted email, you just go to ebates.com first, and receive quarterly checks.  It’s that easy.  And no one is the wiser…except your pocketbook, which has more cash.

4.  Hit up sales.  Sign up for shopittome.com’s salemail.  They email you when brands you have chosen go on sale in your size and area.  it’s like your own personal shopper.  Dailycandy.com regularly lists designer sales in selected cities.

5.  Wear what you have.  Shop in your own closet.  I’ve been doing it for years.  Honestly, you probably have gems hiding in there that you haven’t seen in years, and they deserve to see the light of day!  You know that sparkly piece you wore on New Year’s Eve?  Give it everyday life by pairing it with a pair of jeans and great shoes.  Dress down a dress with a long boyfriend cardigan and tights, and pair a black dress with a jean jacket…like I did here on a night out with Mer Mer.  (Warning…this is a pic previously used, but it works for this blog).

6.  Before you start shopping, clean out your closet so you know what you have and what you need…and I mean Need, not Want.  Dont get sucked into impulse spending sprees…they just add to the clutter.  Or, you can shop in these gal’s closets.

and one last parting comment:

Not all men are irritating…some sell us new shoes.

xoxo

T.

Bears Ballyhoo

It seems all of Chicago is talking about the Chicago Bears and their “unstylish” play on Sunday against the Washington Redskins.  I was at the game, and I must say, it wasn’t their finest game…may have been one of the worst I have Ever seen.  So, in keeping with the theme of the week, I thought I’d add an extra blog about some of my adventures (or misadventures) while attending the Bears games.  They may not always play well, but I always have some good stories to share. 

As many have come to realize, it’s no secret that I’m a Chicago Bears fan.  Even when they are playing lousy, I’m still a fan. ( And on a brief baseball note, people Always ask me…Are you a Cubs fan, or a White Sox fan…and I always respond…I root for chicago, but angle towards the Cubs).  Back to the Bears…I may not like the way they’re playing, but I do try to look on the bright side of things…and the bright side of things will be some of the shenanigans that have occurred this year.   

1.  While attending the game with Patrick and 2 friends, one of my friends got 2 bags of Popcorn, the combo caramel/cheese kind, from Nuts on Clark.  To be shared by 4 of us.  The bag was Dripping in grease.  Loved it.  My friend (let’s call her “Carla”)  was indulging a bit (her words) , and the guy behind us (who was rather unbecoming and a jerk) told her, “You’re eating that popcorn like you’re on your way to the chair”.  She asked, “electrical chair?”, and he said, “Yup”.  She was not happy and told me that was a “life-changing comment”.   Good news is we still had a blast.  Bad news is the Bears lost.

2. While waiting in line to get the bus to our parking garage, the “gentleman” behind me commented on my cheetah-print flats, which was paired with my boyfriend-ripped jeans, my Bears studded t-shirt (from my friend Cathy), white t-shirt underneath, and Kate Spade backpack.  He was giving me a hard time re: my choice of footwear.  (He probably should have commented on my poor choice of jeans…as women my age shouldn’t be wearing “boyfriend-ripped jeans).    We bantered a bit (he may have been over served, I was not).  He argued that I haven’t been to near as many games as he has.  I told him I’ve been a season ticket holder for 10+ years, then may have boasted about my 1st row seats  (not My finest hour)… and he said, and this will be plastered on my tombstone, “What are you, all of 32?”.  Good news he thought I was 32.  Bad news the Bears Lost.  Excellent Day!

3.  Pam Oliver is a Fox Sportscaster, and has my dream job.  She’s beautiful, intelligent, well-spoken, knows the game, but, I must say, she is  the Worst Dresser.  Now, we know I’m not into dissing what others wear, but when the guys Behind me are commenting on her “b**t” (their term was more crass), ill-fitting jeans (and they were actually grey), and poor choice of jacket, then it’s a problem.  A big problem.   The outfit didn’t fit, and was unattractive.  Perhaps she didn’t realize she’d be on TV?    She needs to comment on the game, not allow her appearance to become part of the sport (or unsportsmanlike conduct) .  She must make decent money, and my suggestion is she needs a stylist.   A good one. 

4.  I guess I have a resemblance to Trisha Yearwood.  I don’t see it, but apparently many people do.  Three times at Bears games, I have been asked for my autograph…The first time, I was sitting in my seat, and a guy came down, kneeled down next to me in the aisle, and said, “My wife is a Huge fan…can I have your autograph”.  I smiled, and shook my head No.  I wasn’t sure what was happening, and thought maybe someone was playing a joke on me.  He never said anything about Trisha Yearwood.  When he left, I heard the people behind me say, “that’s Trisha Yearwood”…and the other guy said, “No, it’s the girl from Wings”.  I am neither.  2 weeks ago, when heading up the stairs to the restroom, a woman grabbed my arm, smiled and said, “OMG…you’re Trisha Yearwood”…Nope.    You get the idea…this is a picture of Trisha Yearwood…and in trying to show myself in the best possible light  (as most 32-year olds do ), I did choose the best picture of her I could find through google, and one in which she looks “thin”.

5.  My last point is restroom Etiquette at Soldier Field.  This happened last December in one of those 15 degree days…a bathroom attendant thought it a good idea to have all the women come INTO the bathroom, squeeze in, and not have to form a line out of the door.  She thought 2 lines would do the trick.  The only problem is one side has 10 stalls, the other had 4…so , the people on the left were moving more than twice as quick as the line on the left…and the people coming into the door, were taking the stalls near the open door.  The women waiting in line were NOT happy…So, I took matters into my own hands, approached the bathroom attendant, congratulated her for thinking “outside the box” (I don’t like that term, but it works here ), and told her I was with the Bears organization and had been called to investigate the problem with this bathroom.  While we appreciate the initiative, it clearly is not working.    She acquiesced to me, and allowed women to wait in line like we have done for years.  The women in the restroom were giving me high-fives and a whole lot of “atta girls”…Good news is the women were able to take care of business.  The bad news is the Bears did not.  They lost.

6. Actually, there are indeed 6… after the Bears lost to the Redskins on Sunday (boo)… Cutler appeared at the post game press conference.  He was wearing a cowboy-style plaid shirt (not His finest choice).  The announcer said, “I guess he didn’t realize he’d have to speak at the post game conference, based on his choice of shirt”.  See…everyone notices what everyone else is wearing! 

“When his wife asked him to change clothes to meet the German Ambassador: If they want to see me, here I am. If they want to see my clothes, open my closet and show them my suits.”
Albert Einstein

I guess Cutler is on to something.  Though he does clean up pretty well.

And, as always…Go Bears! 

xo

T.

Holiday Shopping…My Way!

First and foremost, am I the Only person who is driven Crazy by Christmas Ads and displays in the stores?  I mean, for Pete’s sake..it’s not even Halloween yet!

So…back to the blog… Holiday shopping done my way…and how I keep my sanity.

That’s not really the secret…but, it really doesn’t hurt.

I am usually done with Holiday Shopping by Thanksgiving.  Don’t hate me.  It’s just the way I survive.  Holiday shopping looming over my head drives me nuts, so I try to be efficient, organized, and have most of it done by Thanksgiving.

I handle the holiday shopping 2 ways…what I buy in the stores, and what I buy online. 

I write a list,  check it twice, carry it with me at all times from September on, of who I buy for, and when I find something that I love, I buy it, and cross it off the list.  This works for those on my list, who don’t provide me with a wish list.  It’s important to find items that ”move me”, and when I’m out shopping and see something I think someone will Love, I get it.  I loathe Christmas shopping from Thanksgiving – Christmas Eve. I have friends and relatives who Love shopping the day after Thanksgiving.  I’d rather stick needles in my eyes.   I don’t do well with crowds (unless it’s a Bears game, or a rally for me) so for those items that I need to “browse” for, I do that from September – November.   Easy, painless, and I give myself ample time to fill those lists.

Now “Santa” shopping is a bit trickier, because Santa has to wait for the kids to give him their lists…Let’s say for others who give “me” their lists, here’s what I do.  I check the internet first, for everything on the list.  And then I check it twice.  Most items on these lists can be found online.  And, it’s really easy to track, because you receive a confirmation email.  The boxes can be shipped to your home, or somewhere else…and can be opened when “others” are not present.  And, if you are concerned about shipping costs, (I mean, who isn’t?) you can check out www.couponcabin.com, or retainmenot.com,  for lists of shopping discounts.  Many, many retailers during the holiday season offer free shipping.  Plus, shopping via the internet, you can check to make sure you are getting the lowest possible prices.  And, you aren’t driving to the crazy malls, trying to find parking, and trying to find that specific gift, which you would have gotten online anyway! 

A fatal mistake would be ordering many times, from the same retailer, and paying that $8 or $12 shipping cost more than once.  Make sure when ordering online, you are ordering everything you want from that site/store, to alleviate numerous shipping charges.  And, if something isn’t correct, you can wait till after the holidays to return the item to the store (when it’s not a mad house at the malls), so you don’t have to pay the return shipping fees.

The good news is Patrick doesn’t read my blog, so he won’t kill me for posting this.

The good news is while Meredith may actually read my blog, she’s 5 hours away, so cannot kill me for posting this.

Happy Holidays! (UGH)

xoxo

T.

The History of the Fashion Journal

It would appear my desire for journaling outfits, goes back farther than even I remembered.  At a recent reunion, a friend from high school reminded me that during math class, there was a guy in our class, (who shall remain nameless)  who (much to my amusement) only wore 3 shirts.  The concept of someone only having 3 shirts, baffled me, so I wrote which shirt he wore to class, Everyday…for the entire school year.  In the back of my notebook.   She said that was one of her fondest memories of me and that class.

Mon – rugby

Tue – light blue

Wed – short sleeve yellow

Thur – light blue

Fri – light blue

Yes, there were days when the same shirt was worn 2 days in a row.  Now, his sister had a plethora of clothes…cute clothes, and the family lived in a lovely home, with 2 cars, and went on nice vacations.  So, please don’t think I’m a mean, cruel person who is poking fun at those less fortunate than ourselves…it wasn’t (or at least didn’t appear to be) for lack of funds that he only wore 3 shirts.  I do believe he just didn’t care.

You know what?  Good for him…who cares?!  Of course, at the time I did, but that was back in the 80′s…now, it doesn’t matter.  I still find it amusing, and even now he may still only wear 3 shirts (though my sense is his wife may have put a stop to that), and funny enough,  there are indeed days when I may wear 3 shirts.  This is what makes the world go round…and you can bet your bottom dollar, that on those days that I choose to wear 3 shirts, they will be noted in my fashion journal, so they’re not seen by the same people, at least for a reasonable period of time.

SHOPPING SLANG:  Fashionality (n).  One’s personality expressed in their clothing.

xoxo,

T.

Are you Ready for some Fashion?

Warning:  This blog is longer than my usual, so LAP…proceed at your own risk…but I hope you do indeed, proceed.

And, I’ve blogged more than my typical once a week, but that is because some women felt slighted by the Men’s blog on Friday.  I aim to please, and hope you are , indeed, pleased.

While perusing the internet, reading about the Bears win (yippee),  I came across this article about what women can now wear to football games…Ahem, sound familiar?  Though, I must admit, not sure they could have pulled off an entire company line 3 weeks after my blog about what to wear for football…but it is indeed fishy, nonetheless.  Here are excerpts from the article, with my comments in bold.

A brand-new women’s NFL fashion line launches this week — and for the first time wives of famous players and coaches are modeling the clothes, the New York Post reported Wednesday.  Goody!

 What’s a WAG to do?  I googled this, and a WAG is a “wife and girlfriend”…though I’m sure they prefer to keep those separate. (Brett Favre!!! OMG).

NFL superstars’ hottie wives and girlfriends put their panties on one leg at a time, and they worry about their men just like regular folks do.  “Hottie wives”… what in the world?  Why not just be smart, intelligent women, who can pull off looking great at an NFL game?

The “Fit for You” collection is targeted toward 29-to-40-year-old females, although it is expected to score big with all women — a growing market that makes up 44 percent of NFL fans. And fashionable football lovers will relate to the real models, a spokeswoman said.   Unfortunately, I, nor most of my friends are no longer in this “target audience”.  I say women over 40 are the new target market! 

“We see models, and we’re not sure how to relate it to our own lives,” says Michelle Tannenbaum, who is married to Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum. “Now we see these women who are smart, strong and great role models for women.”  Hey, I just said that… They may be onto something after all.

 “The wives who participated in the campaign said, ‘This is so great. I never knew how to dress this jersey up,’” reveals Tracey Bleczinski, the NFL’s vice president of apparel.  The girl has a point…not much you can do to dress up a jersey…and pretty sure it’s not the appropriate time to pull out that tiara.

 The new “Fit for You” clothing line is a departure from typical women’s sports apparel, which for the past decade has used a “shrink it and pink it” philosophy: Take a man’s jersey and make it smaller and girly colored.  Or, you can actually buy an XL girls jersey, which they have for every team in Pink!

 

The new collection features thousands of new products including logo’d jeans, branded yoga mats and even a purse made of recycled license plates. The items are cut, fit and geared toward women versus the standard, classic, oversized gear.  Here’s another Fashion Don’t…don’t use a purse out of recycled license plates… I cannot ever imagine where that would be a good look.  Of course, if you have one, and want to prove me wrong, bring it on, but I believe a picture is worth a Thousand Words!

 

 “We’ve taken the approach that we have the right products for women and now have products that fit them,” Bleczinski says of the line. “We’re tapping into fast fashion.”  Fast Fashion…oh yeah, that’s gonna be a future blog.  For those of you who didn’t google that term, as I just did, Fast Fashion is what retailers refer to as trends that are taken from the “catwalk” to the retail store, quickly.  Kinda like when you see a dress at the Academy Awards, and a week later you see a similar dress put out by ABS by Allen Schwartz.  I didn’t have to google that to know that means “Knock-off”.

I don’t know ladies, I think wearing your team colors, or an NFL jersey, if you can pull it off, is great.  But I love the fact these gals think the NFL jersey’s need dressing up.  I think those Super Model-types (Giselle) look pretty darned cute in their husband’s jerseys.  Hence, why I like to stick with my team colors, but that’s just me.

Go Bears!

xoxo

 T.

This One’s For the Boys

Men’s Fashion tips?  Hmmh…well, I did say I would answer your questions, and  “Frank” asked about “tips for men” and I do believe that requires its own blog.  So, for” Frank”, Geoff, Jason and Bruce (I think those are the only men who read this)…Enjoy…This blog’s for you.

I think these tips originated from a GQ article, but am not entirely sure.  I’ve tweaked it to put my own spin on it.   Even if you take one or two tips from it, I can die a happy blogger.  My work here would be done.   For the men, not women…I still have lots of fun thoughts upcoming for the Girls.

Ok Gentlemen…Here is What you need to know about men’s fashion:

1. Know your tailor. Even the best suits need altering. In men’s fashion this is probably the most important detail that is not always adhered to. Pants need to be shortened, jackets need to be brought in, sleeves need to be narrowed (yes, you can ask your tailor to slim down your sleeves), and buttons need to be realigned with button holes .
2. If you’re going to buy “off the rack”, you should always buy your correct size, then have a tailor customize it to your body.   Have your tailor size the sleeves so they stop at the hinge of your wrist (not halfway down your thumb) and to size the pants so they break once (not gather in a baggy mess at your heels). Having your tailor properly fit your suit is the difference between being appropriately dressed and being stylishly dressed.
3. Custom tailored suits and even dress shirts are another option. Custom tailoring means that everything will fit right – and if you need to have a lot of alterations done on ready-made clothes, it may be an economical alternative.  www.jhilburn.com  (sorry, that was a shameless plug).
4. Always match your socks with your suit. Another must in men’s fashion. When choosing socks, the basic rule is to consider the suit instead of the shoe—in other words, if you’re wearing a navy suit with black shoes, reach for navy socks. And when wearing a light suit, make sure the socks are darker than the suit but a shade or so lighter than the shoes.
5. Please do not wear a tie that is too slim. Unless you’re a hard-core men’s fashion guy who favors a super skinny tie, stick with one that measures about three inches at its widest point. It will be narrower than traditional ties, but not by too much. Tie one on and you’ll look modern and sophisticated. We assume that’s the look you want to achieve!
6. Remember your undershirt. This one’s an interesting and tricky men’s fashion tip. If you’re wearing a conventional white broadcloth dress shirt (which means it’s fairly see-through), you have two options: Skip the undershirt and you’ll look clean and stylish. Or, if you’re a hairy guy who perspires a lot and you feel safer in an undershirt, wear a crew neck. The lines of a V-neck or tank top will be visible beneath your shirt and tie and you’ll look cheesy. GQ suggest that if you prefer a V-neck or tank top, you might consider other dress shirts.
7. Put your wallet on a diet. Your wallet should not be as fat as a burrito. Buy an elegant, slim leather credit card holder and stock it with your essential cards. Then, fold your cash in a money clip. All that other nonsense can go in your desk drawer. You don’t need it.
8. Wear brown shoes—with nearly everything. Black dress shoes are easy—they’re understated and tasteful. In men’s fashion, the GQ experts say that brown dress shoes up the style factor. People notice them. They go best with gray, khaki, or navy. Dark brown shoes are easier to pull off than light brown ones.
9. Put toe taps on your leather-soled dress shoes. They will significantly increase the shoes’ life span.
10. If you’re going to own one sweater, make it a charcoal gray v-neck. It goes perfectly with a dark suit in fall or winter and with jeans or cords in spring.   
11. A black belt works with khakis, jeans, suits, everything.   Invest in a good one, and it will last for years. 
12. Update your eyeglasses and sunglasses.  This goes for women as well.
13. And, the last men’s fashion tip is: Invest in a classic one or two-button tuxedo with peak or notch lapels. It makes no sense (stylistically or fiscally) to rent a tuxedo each time you attend a black-tie event.

Now, it would be impossible for me to write about stylish men, without including a picture of my high school boyfriend.  KIDDING… he’s much too old for me, but he always look Fabulous, and a blog with a picture of George Clooney, makes the women happy.  Heck, it should make the men happy as well.

Next week it’s back to the Girl’s… For you 3 men who follow my blog, I will fawn all over you no more than once per month.  This is longer than my usual blog, since Men’s topics will be highlighted only monthly.   Please enjoy and savor these Dressed to a T – He blogs.

xoxo

T.

Finding your Style

Ok, so I may have fibbed…I’m going to turn a comment on my blog, yet again, into a post. 

“OK Terry, here would be my question. I imagine you have friends that fall across the fashion spectrum…super trendy to sort of frumpy. We both know where I fall (bottom half). How do I slowly make progress to the other side? I don’t think it has as much to do with budget as it has to do with effort and commitment. I would like to be more fashionable (with the least amount of effort,  HA!)”

This is my response:

Hi  Carol – I would suggest looking through magazines and pulling pictures of “looks” that you like. Find out if you are classic (which I think you are), trendy, preppy (yes, it’s coming back), or a combination of both. I am a combination. I take classic items, and match them with trendy items. It’s important for you to develop your own sense of style. Wear what you like, what’s comfortable for you, and what makes you feel Fabulous.”

No matter how old you are, it’s never too late to develop your own sense of style.  I  did this for myself, by emulating “looks” I liked in magazines.  Not from runways (because those models do NOT look normal, and I have never in my life seen something on a runway that I would actually wear), but ads in magazines, or pictures of celebs that I thought looked great,  happy, and appeared to be comfortable with who they are. 

This runway model is not a look I choose to emulate…

Jennifer Aniston, regardless of what you think about her, always looks great.  She has developed her own sense of “style”.  I’ve never seen a picture of her where she looks bad, or disheveled… Even out running errands, as the above picture may indicate, she looks great, put together, and confident in her own skin…of course, who wouldn’t feel confident in her skin?  Well, maybe Angelina Jolie, but I’m not a fan of hers, and don’t care for her style, nor her tattoos,  so no need to delve further into that!

With the exception of the occasional high heel shoe or  boot, I rarely wear something that is not comfortable.  I do not wear tight jeans, because I enjoy breathing.  I  like one favorite brand of jeans, and buy 5 of the same pair. They are Ralph Lauren, and I get them at Nordstrom (or nordstrom.com to be exact).   I don’t have cleavage, so that’s a non-issue, so no need to flaunt what I don’t have.  I love skirts and dresses.  Love high heels, love boots.  I wear a lot of black…not because it’s slimming, but because it goes with everything,  and is easy to mix and match with.  Plus, I’m really clumsy.  I trip, spill, and get things dirty.  The black doesn’t show so much of my “mishaps”.   I always throw a cardigan over a blouse or t-shirt.  I wear scarves and shawls from Sept – May.  I rarely go out without earrings, my rings, and a watch.  and I like to funk things up with vintage jewelery. 

I found this little tidbit in an article, and it is so right on.  I will elaborate on this in a future blog:

Ensure that your wardrobe is built around some style staples which will take you from season to season and can be dressed up or down. A good coat, a little black dress, a wrap dress, well cut denim, a classic pair of black pants, cashmere cardigan and a stylish crisp white shirt. Update these looks every season with some fab accessories.

Truly, it’s like I wrote it myself. 

That is me in a nutshell…that is my “fashion style”.  Wear what is comfortable and doesn’t show as many stains, and fake an air of confidence that cannot be bought in any bottle.  Love what you wear, and you will be loved in it.   All of us can pull off appearing smart and stylish…every day of the week.  and you can take that to the bank…of course, you will not receive a deposit slip, but I think it’s a great line!

Happy Friday!

xoxo,

T.