Mother's Day Special Offer

In honor of Mother's Day, I'm offering a special on my Closet Cleanse service. We will identify your wants, needs and style goals during a phone Style Consultation. The Closet Cleanse maximizes the style potential in your current wardrobe. During this hour and a half appointment at your home, we will determine what to keep or toss, and I will put together outfits with clothing you already have. We will create a shopping list of key pieces your wardrobe may be missing. Read more about it here.

All this for $100! ($50 savings off the regular rate)

This service also makes a great gift for the other mothers in yours life who deserve to treat themselves! Or drop a not so subtle hint to your  husband by emailing him a link to this page! Gift certificates are available!

Now you can book online, by email or phone! Don't wait! Treat yourself now, Moms! You deserve it!

Virtually Styled Part 1

---

It used to be if you wanted to buy clothes you had to take a trip to the mall but with the internet there are many great fashion websites and apps out there to help you with your wardrobe. I did a little research in an effort to help you choose which of these is right for you, and I shared what I’d learned with Sistina Giordano on Bridge Street today.

Le Tote was described by one blogger as the Netflix of fashion. It’s a monthly subscription and they send you 3 articles of clothing and 2 accessories styled for you based on your Style Profile and My Closet selections. Wear. Return. Repeat all month. Membership includes unlimited clothing and accessories at a rate of $59/month. Free priority shipping both ways. To receive your next tote, return your WHOLE TOTE by placing the items in the return poly-bag with your return shipping label already attached. Any items kept are marked as purchased to you. I put items in my “Closet” and when the items arrived I found so many pieces I loved and could mix and match with  my own closet. Customer service is great and I love the idea that you have unlimited number of items and you don’t have to keep anything if you don’t want to. Great way to try on trends too. Highly recommend, especially for busy women who don’t have time to shop but want to mix up their wardrobe. Also comes in MATERNITY!!! All pieces featured in today’s segment were from LeTote. LeTote is available online and as an app.

Stylebook is a virtual closet for your real wardrobe: keep track of what you own, save outfit ideas, plan what to wear on the calendar, create packing lists, and get statistics on your clothes. The new Outfit Shuffle feature will mix up clothing categories into new combinations, which is especially great because it’s easy to get in fashion-rut. They give users tips on how to get their real closets just as organized as their virtual closets. It’s cool that you can shop and search sales, and then easily import your purchases into your “closet”. With the Stats feature you can see a list of the items you never wear - then donate them. And really I’ve wanted a virtual closet since I saw Cher’s closet in Clueless!! On the show today I mentioned there is a men's version too but it's actually not availble yet- but it's the works so stay tuned becasue it's coming soon! Stylebook is an app available for iPhone and iPad and Cost: $3.99

Snap+Style delivers personally styled outfits and advice directly to the user’s mobile device or desktop. Take a picture or ask a question. Give a budget or refer to your virtual closet. Submit a styling request directly through the app or desk top and it is sent to a real personal stylist. The stylist knows what your style is, what your body type is, what you want to enhance or hide because you input that into your profile. Once the stylist is finished putting together the outfit, you get a push notification showing your customized shoppable outfit with tips on how to wear it. If you need tweeks or don’t like what the stylist has put together, you and the stylist can continue the conversation until the outfit is just right. I like that this app is free to use. You can snap a picture of let’s say a pair of shoes you own and they will come back with an entire outfit around the shoes. Turnaround time to be style depends on where you are in the queue/line but for $1.99 in app purchase you can jump the line. You can also shop the look from the app, and you can create a virtual closet too of clothes you already have.

I’ll be back in a few weeks with an inside look into more of these stylist services available online and on the app store. Is there one you are curious about and would like me to look into for you? I’d love to hear from you so comment below or email me at thesmalltownstylist@gmail.com.

The Dos and Don'ts of Wedding Attire

It’s getting into wedding season! No doubt you’ll be receiving your invitations to spring and summer weddings, but knowing how to dress for all the different styles of events can be tricky. Even if the hosts mention the appropriate dress code in the invitation, many people aren’t sure how to interpret that. Today on Bridge Street on Channel 9 WSYR, Sistina Giordano and I broke it down for you so choosing your outfit can be fun and easy. This is a fun topic and we ran out of time during the show, so here's everything we talked about PLUS MUCH MORE so you can be prepared and chic for any time of wedding:

• Consider the time of day of the event. A daytime wedding is usually more casual than an evening event.
• Consider the venue- or call them to ask about the event.
• When in doubt ask the wedding party. They know what they are wearing months before and can give you some insight into the dressiness of the event.
• Follow the Golden Rule: don’t wear white, if for no other reason than you don’t want to offend the bride.

Deciphering Dress Code Designations:

White Tie- The Most Formal

Men- tux with tails

Women- gown or cocktail dress in neutral color

Black Tie- more common, also formal, usually an evening affair

Men- tuxedo

Women-gown or cocktail dress. Colors & prints can be bolder.

Formal or Black Tie Optional- speaks for itself

Men- tux or dark suit

Women- long dress or cocktail dress. More options available here.

Beach Formal-usual outdoor but dressy

Men- Linen or light colored suit, pants or khakis

Women- dressy sundress

Semi Formal or Dressy Casual- somewhere between formal and casual

Men- Suit or shirt and tie with dress pants or khakis

Women- Evening: cocktail dress or tea length dress in dark colors  Daytime: sundress or similar

Informal or Casual- Anything goes but that can make things tricky too because so many options

Casual doesn’t mean sloppy. ABSOLUTELY NO jeans, shorts, tank tops or sneakers.

When in doubt I’d rather be too dressy than too casual.

Thanks to Lord and Taylor at Destiny USA for all the great looks featured on today's show! There is a special Prom Fashion Show on March 5th from 2-4pm so be sure to visit their website for more details and information on the special guest.

Missed today's segment? Click here to watch now. What do you think is the biggest mistake people make when dressing for a wedding or dressy affair?  I’d love to hear from you so comment below or email me at thesmalltownstylist@gmail.com.

I Love NY

I am not going to lie. I miss living in NYC. But if absence makes the heart grow fonder, I feel the fondest about New York. This visit was long overdue and I enjoyed every minute of it. The universe conspired to make it a great weekend with good weather and my itinerary was filled with my favorite things: food, family and shopping!

I stayed with my cousin which is super fun because I feel like a real New Yorker coming and going from her Chelsea apartment. While she worked I walked to Chelsea Market, a food hall, shopping mall, office building and television production facility, and enjoyed a delicious raisin scone from Sarabeth's. The next day I took the subway down to Tribeca to visit my friend, mentor and former employer, and we spent hours reminiscing about our time working together. From there I walked up to Soho and grabbed myself a fresh, delicious yogurt from Chobani. How funny that they manufacture their products in upstate near my town, but I alway make sure a stop at their store in Soho is part of  my visit to the city.

 I met up with my cousin just in time to see Bernie Sanders supporters march down Broadway with a large #feelthebern banner flying. We spent the rest of the afternoon wakling and shopping and walking and shopping.

I couldn’t leave NYC without dinner at my favorite burger place, Lucky Strike in Soho, with my cousins and brother. Nothing like walking around the city to make a girl hungry for a delicious burger and fries. Thankfully my cousin’s apartment is around the corner from a Starbucks, and ordering on their app made grabbing a coffee and hitting the road easy, heading up to Westchester for brunch with my best friends.

Never enough time to catch up with my college roommates- our lives have changed over the years but when we are together it’s like no time has passed. On my ride down and back I listened to Lena Dunham read her book Not That Kind of Girl- can’t wait for season 5 of  Girls to start next week. My boys surprised me when I got home with my favorite Chinese food dinner, chocolate cupcakes from Mrs. Kelders, and a dozen red roses. Now that’s what I call a weekend getaway! See you soon, NYC!

What do you like to do when you visit NYC? I’d love to hear from you so comment below or email me at thesmalltownstylist@gmail.com.

What’s Trending for 2016

I don’t know about you but I’m getting tired of wearing the same winter items from my closet. But we’ve got several months left before spring arrives. It’s a good time to add a few pieces to your closet now to mix in with your current wardrobe- change things up a little. Today I talked with Sistina Giordano on Bridge Street about some of the top trends for 2016 to incorporate into your wardrobe NOW! Click here to watch the segment.  

SHEARLING   We are still in the middle of winter and so shearling is both stylish AND functional. It will keep you warm and cozy. Also many local retailers have outerwear and winter styles on sale which makes it a good time to buy. I like the aviator inspired bomber jacket with shearling color by Tommy Hilfiger- it’s two trends in one piece.

SLIPS & LINGERIE FOR DAYTIME    Think lingerie-inspired tops and dresses. Think lace & satin. The designers are showing slip dress but I’d try a simple camisole top to start. This trend will take you from winter into spring. Layer now under a cozy cardigan and wool coat. In the spring wear with a lightweight jacket or cardigan. I remember this trend from the late 90’s- I liked it then and I like it now.

FLORALS   Liberty print flowy tops and floral dresses but I like to wear them in an interesting way by pairing with motorcycle boots or a leather jacket. This is another style that will take you into spring. And it’s another style that is reminiscent of 90’s grunge which I love.

FLARE DENIM JEANS    Thankfully we are moving away from skinny jeans and are getting back into universally flattering bootcut jeans. This trend was one I reported on last spring but it’s been slow to arrive in Central New York. Trust me- you want to get yourself a pair of flare leg denim. Last week’s post Denim Dilemma tells the story of my frustration in finding (or rather NOT finding) this style  locally. Do me and yourself a favor and if your favorite store doesn’t carry them be sure to tell the manager you want it!  You can’t go wrong with a dark wash, But maybe try a light whiskered wash to reflect another big trend which is Bohemian/70s style.

Did you miss the segment? Click here to watch it now. All items featured were from Lord and Taylor at Destiny USA. What are the trends you are going to work into your wardrobe now to give it a mid-season refresh? I’d love to hear from you so comment below or email me at thesmalltownstylist@gmail.com.

*Images from @harpersbazaar & @nytimesfashion on Instagram*

Denim Dilemma

I’ve been extremely frustrated this year looking for the perfect pair of jeans. Bootcut denim is back (as I posted on The Small Town Stylist and talked about in my Spring Trends segment on Bridge Street in 2015). They are featured in fashion spreads and on the most stylish Instagrammers. Bootcut, flares and wide leg styles are much more flattering than the skinny jeans we’ve been seeing everywhere the past few years. Much to my dismay, finding these styes has been an impossible task in my small town. Sometimes it takes several seasons for the trends to make it here. I live in denim. I know what I want and what works best for me. I like to wear a dark wash, so my jeans wear out pretty quickly and I need to replace them every few years. Finding the perfect denim is difficult, and since trends come and go it’s usually not possible to find the exact same style I’ve come to love. I embraced the skinny jean trend but I NEVER gave up on my bootcut jeans and have been wearing the same pair by J.Crew until they are now frayed at the bottom and worn thin at the knees. So the search has been on for a year to find a replacement. The key with denim is to TRY IT ON, which also can be hard to do in a small town because boutiques have limited sizes and styles. Here is a good denim style guide by goop.com. I often have to try the larger department stores or order from online shops that have a good return policy and offer free shipping and returns.

I’ve been super frustrated about this, but I didn’t give up. After almost a year of looking for my perfect flare jean, I finally found two pairs I really like at Lord & Taylor. There were like 5 pairs of flare jeans among about 500 pairs of skinnies. The stars must have aligned for me to find two pairs in a dark wash with a mid-rise and in my size! Of course they need to be hemmed- they are about a foot too long- but my search is over. Actually, is the search ever over? In a year they will get faded and I’ll be looking for a replacement. But in the meantime I am feeling some relief.

What is your favorite style of denim and why? Where do you like to shop for jeans and why?  I’d love to hear from you at thesmalltownstylist@gmail.com or comment on my Facebook page.