Wise Glam™

The Essential Definition of Fashion

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 03:12:00 +0000

"Fashion measures peoples attitudes, morals, views, and delineations in society, reflects economic status, and creates "tribes" that one aspires to join."

Steven Faerm

Maternity Clothes at Forever 21... Really?

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 06:29:00 +0000

OK, I am a little slow and this is a couple of months old, but heck I have an opinion about it. I am a little confused who the target market is for Forever 21. See, I thought that their target market was teens and college age. According to their site, "Forever 21 has been chosen as one of the top three teen shopping brands nationwide." Yes, teens, not early, mid, late 20's or 30s, teens. With the launch of Faith 21 last year, their plus-size line, and their popularity, I get that because it is cheap fast fashion, the store has become appealing to a little wider demographic than the teen/college age market; but the fact is that the main target market is still teens. Therefore to launch a maternity line is making a statement albeit the Company's open Christian views- teen pregnancy is not that bad, you can suffer through your bad choices in style. NO! pregnant teens shouldn't get to look cute, they should be in the naughty corner with all privileges taken away including fashion while contemplating their bad choices! What is worse is that the line is first launched in 5 states and 3 of which have the highest teen pregnancy rates.

Shame on you Forever 21 for not putting dollars into teen abstinence being that you are conservative Christians or at the very least, safe sex programs.

Johanna Blakley: Lessons from fashion's free culture

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 23:25:00 +0000

There are so many great insights from this video including the following quotes from the speaker:
"fashion, whether you like it or not, helps you project who you are to the world"

Fast Fashion Giants - a new term i learned in this video,the term represents companies that are notorious for knocking off and simplifying high fashion designs and selling them at affordable prices - Forever 21, H&M, Zara, Express etc...

"How do high-end luxury brands stay in business? if you can get it for [a low price, why pay more]...Tom Ford (formerly the lead creative director at Gucci and YSL) said...'we found after much research, well not much research actually, we found that the counterfeit customer was not our customer'"

My favorite quote in the whole video "THERE IS NO REST FOR THE FASHIONABLE"

the higher FORCE that tells us what to wear on a daily basis

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:13:00 +0000

This is probably one of my favorite scenes from this movie (The Devil Wears Prada - Cerulean Sweater), except that I had never really thought about it until I watched the movie again for the umteenth time. I have pondered this fact and realized that I have never dressed myself, there is always a higher force telling us what to wear on a daily basis, whether it is mom at 2 or the fashion industry at 30 something. I have to wonder, do we really have free choice when it comes to dressing ourselves?

Will You Be Somebody if You Wore Expensive Clothes?

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:15:00 +0000

Rock and Republic
Berlin in Vacate Blue $241

Why do you wear what you wear? I have several theories on this question, which I will write at a later time but in the mean time I found this interesting passage in a book that I am currently reading - Fearless by Max Lucado -

"Fashion designers tell us, “You’ll be somebody if you wear our jeans. Stick our name on your rear end, and insignificance will vanish.” So we do. And for a while we distance ourselves from the Too Smalls and enjoy a promotion into the Society of Higher-Ups. Fashion redeems us from the world of littleness and nothingness, and we are something else. Why? Because we spent half a paycheck on a pair of Italian jeans.

But then the horrors of all horrors, the styles change, the fad passes, the trends shift from tight to baggy, faded to dark, and we’re left wearing yesterday’s jeans, feeling like yesterday’s news. Welcome back to the Tribe of the Too Smalls."

Thoughts?

Should I Save it or Spend it?

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:47:00 +0000

Those of you that have been following this blog are aware of of the $50 Shopping Spree Program. This is the first month of the program and I have $13 left over from April rolling into May for a total of $63. Well... I recently cashed $75 in rewards from my 2% cash back credit card reward program. Should I add it to May's budget for a total of $138 and spend it all OR should I save the $75???? Vote on the poll to the right! I an interested in your comments too!

Falling off Your High Heels is a Confidence Killer

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:34:00 +0000

This past weekend I saw a woman who was walking as confidently as she possibly could in her 4 inch skinny heel platform shoes. She was walking slowly but confidently none the less. As she was walking, she fell off one of her heels and did a quick look around to see if anyone had seen her. After straightening out, she was less confident as she continued about her way... as I was observing this, I reflected on how much we as a female society overlook the cost of being fashionable. She probably bought platform shoes that were so high because it was the in thing to do, not only that there was probably no consideration whether she would be able to last an hour in them let alone walk in them. “But they were so cute!” is the number one reason why we buy anything right? One would think that the criteria should be "can I walk in these shoes" but alas it is not the top criteria. The point is why torture yourself with something that is going to make you less confident as you get about your business? Ladies, please consider this the next time you go shopping for shoes. 4 inch heels are great to look at but not fun to fall off of.

They Said I was a Valued Customer, Now They Send Me Hate Mail!

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:17:00 +0000

OK I promised that this would be a blog topic – how I got out of credit card debt. It would be hard to tell you how I got out without telling you at least the summarized version of how I ended up with credit card debt up to my eyeballs. I am comforted by the fact that many women will identify with me.

I was 19 when I got my first credit card (CC) from Capital One with a $200 credit limit and at 21% APR. Of course like any teenager that liked nice things I quickly maxed out my card. Then I applied for a Macy’s card (then called “the Bon” i.e. Bon Marche); that CC had a $200 credit limit too and as you can guess that maxed out quickly too. Finally a CC company that gave me a break and offered me a CC that had a spending limit of $1,500 and then another, those eventually maxed out too. I applied for store credit at Express which was my then favorite store. The APR was 18% better than 21% right?

By the time I graduated from college, I had 3 major CC’s that were maxed out and 3 store CC’s that were also maxed out that I was paying the minimum balance on (ironic considering the fact that I was a finance major). The killer of all credit cards was the Express store credit. Here is how they kept me going back to their store countless times: every time I was close to my limit they would increase it by $300 here and $500 till I was under several thousand dollars (I am still mad at them). I kept telling myself that if I can make the minimum payment then I am good.

You may or may not know this but paying the minimum balance on a $1,000 CC at 20% interest will take nearly 9 years to pay off! YES almost a decade. It is like that fat that you have been working off for years by doing a 5 minute cardio exercise – its true!

Picture of Rebecca Bloomwood desperately trying

to get her credit card out of the ice-block

When I watched Confessions of a Shopaholic I could relate to Rebecca Bloomwood. I have been reading reviews of Confessions of a Shopaholic and the female critics are less than impressed by the film because apparently it personifies women as a liability to human society. She (the general woman) loves pretty things and enjoys the experience of shopping so much that she becomes addicted, and it shows in the crippling amount of debt that has piled up over the years. Though the film hyperbolizes the character, her love for shopping, and dodging debt collectors, I think at one point in our lives we have experienced a version of Rebecca Bloomwood.

Ok back to how I got out of CC debt and have remained CC debt free for the past 5 years now.

As painful as it is STOP spending for a year – YES you can go for a year without spending anything on clothes.
Pay more than the minimum payment. Start with the CC that has the highest APR, pay that one off while you continue to pay the minimum on the others (if you can transfer as much as you can to a CC that has a lower rate)
IGNORE all CC offers in the mail. In fact you can opt out by registering at http://www.donotmail.org
If you are contributing to a 401K at work, contribute the minimum to get your company match and use the rest of your cash to pay off your credit card debt.
Adjust your tax withholding just a tad bit to give you a little extra $ in your paycheck (talk to your HR)
While paying off your credit cards don’t leave yourself dry of a cash reserve for emergencies.
If you really have to go and buy something join my “$50 Shopping Spree” campaign.

Getting out of CC debt is not easy, believe me I have war stories, but it is doable and takes a lot of discipline. It is a complete paradigm shift.

Giving your Shoes and Clothes more Mileage

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:19:00 +0000

I have a pair of shoes that I have not worn since last summer because one of the shoes doesn’t have a heel tip anymore. I also have a few pairs of pants that I have not worn because they are a size too big. I have come the realization that these pieces of clothing are becoming an expensive investment. What do I mean by this? The idea is to have each piece of clothing have a high return on investment by wearing them as often as possible to reduce the cost per wear (CPW). Now the less you wear something, the more expensive it becomes because the CPW is still quite high.

The first inclination is to go out and buy a new pairs of shoes or pants… but why not just take the shoes to your local shoe repair for the heel tips and the pair of pants to the drycleaners for alterations. This saves $$ that you would have spent on new things and instantly puts your pieces of clothing and shoes back into rotation thus giving them more mileage.

Let me Reward Myself

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:10:00 +0000

This tax season has wiped me out mentally! It was one of the longest returns I have filed yet and for the first time I owed this year!I rushed to the post office and made it in 5 minutes before closing time to get my return most marked April 15. After filing my taxes, I had planned to go to the Seattle Fashion Week student competition final round but I was stuck working until 11.45pm on a proposal that was due today. As soon as I submitted the proposal, I grabbed my purse and dashed for the door to get myself a “I worked hard, I need a reward” treat. Got in my car and then remembered that I only have $13 to spend per my $50 Shopping Spree Program. I slumped my shoulders and got out of the car sad by the thought of no reward. I get back into my office and my husband has surprised me with a 1hr hot stone massage! So I do get my reward after all!

$50 Shopping Spree

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:32:00 +0000

I am a ~~recovering~~ luxury spender not a shopaholic. I take pleasure in buying what I want, when I want. I am not necessarily into super expensive designer clothing, but I do like quality and like to sometimes impulsively indulge myself with pieces of clothing and accessories that have been crafted well with particular attention to detail. As I have grown older, I have become more concerned about 401-k's and investments, savings, building personal wealth etc. I am also proud to note that I am credit card debt FREE, it wasn't easy though! (blog topic for another day).

Anyway, in an effort to continue saving money while looking fabulous, especially in this unpredictable economy, I have launched the “$50 Shopping Spree” program. I know some of you are already shaking their heads right about now because 50 bucks aint much at all! The idea is to fit as many wise glam things as possible in that budget and blog about it.

The rules of the “game”:

I can’t spend more than $50 per month if I am spending each and every month that is; however I can save the entire $50, or any portion left over in any given month and spend the dollars later for something(s) that costs more than $50. This ‘program’ excludes my purse budget of $300. If I find a purse that I love for less, then the rest of the loot goes towards the shopping spree pot of cash. I think this is going to be so much fun! I am very excited to find out how I am going to be creative about not compromising my style and desire for quality.

At the end of April I will do a "month round up" and share what I bought, where I bought it and how much it cost. So far this month I have spent $37 during my field trip to Dress Barn, $13 left. Click here to read more about it. Let the journey begin.

What does "Haute" Really Mean?

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:15:00 +0000

The word haute has gone viral in the fashion community and is used today as a synonym for “chic, hot, fashionable, fancy, stylish, very trendy, desirable, etc…” and is a barometer for how great something is whether it be clothing, personality, beauty, hair style, the way a person carries themselves, car, music, art, anything! But what does the word really mean?

Pictured: Christian Lacroix Spring 2009

haute (a french word) literally translated into English means “high”. In a more formal sense, typically the word haute is paired with couture – haute couture. Let’s explore the origin of the word…Originated from designer Charles Fredrick Worth’s work in Paris in the mid 19th Century. Haute Couture in the French fashion community and since its was coined generally refers to made-to-order garment for a specific customer, made from high quality expensive fabric with exquisite craftsmanship paying extreme attention to detail. A lot of people probably don’t know this but the term “Haute Couture” is a protected by the laws defined by the Paris Chamber of Commerce. The law states that only companies mentioned in the list drawn each year by a commission that is part of the Ministry of Industry in France can use the label “Haute Couture”. Official members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture 2010 per Wikipedia are:

Adeline André

Anne Valérie Hash
Balenciaga

Chanel

Christian Dior

Christian Lacroix
Dominique Sirop
Franck Sorbier
Givenchy
Jean Paul Gaultier
Maurizio Galante
Stéphane Rolland

Not just anyone can be on this list as you can see by the length of the list. Haute Couture in modern times are garments made for the runway and are generally not for sale. So in essence what we now call haute fashion is really prêt-à-porter i.e. ready to wear fashion. The word in today’s urban language is being inappropriately used when extended to anything other than clothing, if we wanted to get technical. I doubt prêt-à-porter is a term that would catch on like wild fire...I suppose only the highly enthused, sophisticated, fashion-educated and fussy would care about the distinction and insist on correcting us all when we say "so-and-so's outfit was haute".

Dress Barn Field Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 22:04:00 +0000

The name Dress Barn doesn’t exactly scream glam, chic, stylish or whatever word you use to describe fashionable clothing; but...once you get over the name you will be pleasantly surprised to note that they do have very cute dresses both for casual and work at really affordable prices (mid $30’s). Some of their dresses have been featured in O Magazine, Galmour and RedBook. Their site doesn't have much of anything so I didn’t post any Wise Glam fav picks, however, I will show you the dress I bought for $34.

Picture by Sharon Abdul, Dress Barn Dress $34

PS: also bought the tights in the picture at Dress Barn for 60% off, worked out to be $2.49

They also had some pashmina scarves for under $20 that you can use to add a touch of sophistication to any of your outfits.

Picture by Sharon Abdul, Dress Barn Pashmina Scarves

Accessories at Chico's

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:59:00 +0000

I have always passed over Chico's and never walked in until the other day. Granted, the store is targeted toward more mature women thus thought there would be nothing in there for me! I was very surprised to see amazing BOLD accessories of good quality and priced to sell ($13-$40). Most of the accessories were statement accessories. My favorite were the following:

Most of these items I have selected are under $30. I don't wear earring but there were lovely earrings on their site. There were some accessories that were in the store but not on the website so it is worth the trip to check them out. Click here to check out the entire collection. I guarantee with these accessories, you can transform a plain and simple outfit into a fashion statement. The world is your runway as Chico's would say.

The Target in Me

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 06:01:00 +0000

I think I am starting to find the Target in me. For many years, I have been going to Target and have NEVER found anything I have wanted to wear or that fits well. One of my friends says “when I am a bugé I go to Targé”[with a French accent]. Perhaps I have never found anything because I didn’t have the patience or time to look. Today I went with the sole mission to check out every line, review the quality of each line and note where you will get the best value for your money. A lot of people like to shop at Target because the merchandise is cheap $ wise and it’s a step up from Wall Mart with better styles. In the same breath, consumers of Target don’t feel bad about throwing something out when it wears out or becomes out of style because it was so cheap $ wise to begin with. This is how we women end up with a closet full of worthless clothes and nothing to wear.

My thoughts:

Merona is where you will get the best value for your money. They make most of their clothes with 100% cotton and 100% linen and the styles are classy. They do not follow trends so that means you will get to wear the items for many years to come and will have the best CPW (cost per wear) for these items. I didn't post any pictures because the items looked by far better in person than the catalogue picutes online.

Jean Paul Gaultier Line – Not even worth it as I suspected from an earlier post. A few of the dresses are made with cotton but a number of the dresses are made with 100% Nylon but it’s the cheap kind, the texture makes it feel like plastic.

Liberty of London – I was not very excited by the line, the prints seemed to be too busy for me but also the fabric that is used for this line was not of good quality and the tailoring was also not of good quality.

Converse - Had potential, the line was cool casual but I was put off by the top I tried on, it fit perfectly but it was unraveling in the seams. This indicates that it is probably not a good buy because it will wear really quickly.

I didn't have time to check out the accesories, but one thing I do know is that it is definitely not worth it to get your hand bag from Target, the bags are mostly made with synthetic material. Next time I got to Target I will check out the accesories.

The Story Behind ModCloth

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 07:41:00 +0000

I came across ModCloth a few weeks ago while I was on Huffington Post. I don't usually click on web-ads but this one somehow caught my eye. Anyway I browsed through the site to learn a little more about what ModCloth is all about. The clothing company has a very interesting vintage inspired collection from indie designers mostly under $100 targeted towards young college age women. What fascinated me about ModCloth was that two 17 year old high school sweethearts started this clothing company in 2002. By 2005 the Company had 104 employees! In the same year, the founders presented their business plan at Colorado State University’s Venture Adventure and lost. In the spring of 2009, the Company received $2M in venture capital funding and were reported to have grossed sales of $15 Million. Now approximately 25 years old, the young entrepreneurs continue to grow their business and keep on keeping.

Kuddos to the founders Susan Gregg Koger and Eric Koger for sticking to their dreams and overcoming some of the obstacles that comes with starting any business.

Wise Glam Picks:

Mood Changing Cardi's

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 02:46:00 +0000

Seattle weather has been gray and raining, not as warm as we would like…its quite depressing really. I am not going to let the weather eclipse the joy of spring! To lighten the mood and add some color to the dull grayness here are some cardigans I found under $50.

Nordstrom $27.90

Nordstrom $39.90

Bye Bye Bleach Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 01:47:00 +0000

It is so annoying when your favorite white or color shirt gets a stain on it or starts to discolor in the under arms (perhaps I am using the wrong deodorant). I have tried bleach and it only makes it worse not to mention the after smell of bleach that lingers on forever. Finally a home remedy that you can use on all your whites and your colors without sacrificing the fabric to the bleach gods.

Step 1: wet the stained area with luke warm water and rub in a pinch of baking soda,
Step 2: soak your stained clothes in a basin with 2 tablespoons baking soda, 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts cool water overnight
Step 3: throw your clothes in the wash with the rest of your laundry

And voila! Stains are gone and your clothes don’t smell like bleach.

My Very First Blog Award

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 04:48:00 +0000

I am the new fashion blogger on the block and very honored to receive a blogging award from The Outfit Maker. I would like to thank my hubby, family, friends and readers for supporting my blog. I sure am having a hellava good time blogging about things I love!

Thank You Outfit Maker!

Unusual Purses

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 04:29:00 +0000

Today I was checking out Macy's purse sale (referencing an earlier post, YES the quest for a purse still continues), I came across a Bodhi purse that was originally priced at $318 now on sale for $177 - see first picture below. I googled the designer to see how eccentric the designer is and I was pleasantly surprised to find the collection quite stylish but also very expensive! I only found a few pieces that were unusual and impractical. Still not sure what occasion one would accesorize with these purses. This may be one of those things a purse collector would collect to display in their basement museum of purses or something who knows...

in order and original prices:

1) Bodhi Temple Tote -$318

2) Bodhi Accordian Tote-$385

3) Bodhi Bowtie Hobo - $650

In-between Toppers

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 06:32:00 +0000

I am sure like me, you can't wait to be sun kissed in Summer. In the mean time, a great must have for your closet is what I like to call an in-between topper - it is that trench/jacket that you wear when it's too cold for a cardi but it's not cold enough for a wool winter coat. It is a topper you will wear all through spring, summer nights and fall.

I bought a couple of toppers about 2yrs ago under $100. I wear them with casual and with dressier work clothes - definitely one of my best CPW (cost per wear) items in my closets.

Here are a couple of options from Nordstrom to inspire you:

This Miss Sixty Studded Trench comes in Ivory (shown in picture) and Black going for $86.

Chic, water-resistant trench with a split lapel is dotted with studs for a smart update on a classic style. A buckled belt cinches the waist, while a pleated back skirt adds feminine charm. Front button closure.
Side slant pockets. Studded back yoke. Polyester lining. Cotton/polyester; machine wash.

This Nick & Mo Lightweight Topstitched Trench comes in Veridian (shown in picture), Mellow Yellow and Black going for $51 on sale

Contrast buttons and stylish topstitching grace a ultralight, textural trench cinched with a tie belt. Notched-lapel collar is gathered for added shape. Side pockets.Cotton; machine wash.

Wise Glam recommends at least one black topper that you can wear with everything and one additional one that brings out your colorful personality.

6000 Louboutins!

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Today something definitely caught my eye! Romantic novelist Danielle Steel is reported to have 6000 pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes. That is insane! To get a good grasp... a pair runs around $700 on the low end and around $1,500 on the high end. This means she has an approximate $500,000 collection in just one designer and who knows what else she has in her closet. OK people something is definitely wrong with this picture! If you had an extra $100 what would you do with it let alone an extra $500,000?

Prepping Your Feet for Sandal Season

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:43:00 +0000

Ladies, sandal season is almost upon us and no one wants to look at crusty feet! Here is a tip to prep your feet for sandal season.

Ingredients:
2 table spoons of baking soda (found at the grocery store)
1/2 tea spoon of tea tree oil (found at the drug store)

Pour very warm water into a basin and pour the above mentioned ingredients and stir till baking soda has dissolved. Soak your feet into the basin and relax for about 7-10 minutes. The baking soda works to soften the dead skin on your feet, while the tea tree oil works as an antibacterial and antifungal. Scrub your feet with a pumice stone/foot scrubber. Rinse your feet and feel how smooth they are. Immediately after drying them, rub on a foot cream of your choice, I like to use Gold Bond Foot Cream. If you feel inspired color your toes yourself – No more costly pedi’s, especially the ones that use the razor to peel off the dead skin! Do this once a week or once every 2 weeks depending on how dry your skin is.

Arm and Hammer Baking Soda 16 oz ~ $2
Tea Tree Oil 4 oz ~ $12
Gold Bond Foot Cream ~ $8

Gabourey Sidibe and the Fashion Community

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:42:00 +0000

Actress Gabourey Sidibe is getting some flak from the fashion community because of her size. Apparently the idea of her appearing in Vogue magazine was rejected because of that very reason. A remark that was quoted in the Huffington Post - "She's a joke in the fashion community. What she wore on the red carpet at the Academy Awards wasn't a dress, it was a tent." Seriously? That is so offensive and upsetting to say the least.

While most designers debut their new best pieces in skinny models, the reality is that Vogue consumers vary widely in size and it’s high time they featured normal sized girls and big girls in designer couture too, who knows it may increase readership. What the fashion community calls “plus-size” is what the real world calls normal. There are a number of big girls in the entertainment business that the rest of the real world identifies with like Monique, Queen Latifah, Jill Scott the list is endless. I am so tired of people’s weight being so topical, so what if someone put on a few pounds? The fashion and entertainment industry puts so much pressure on the people of that community and consumers of that world by emphasizing that weight loss is the key to beauty and acceptability. While America has an obesity problem, people should take the necessary steps to stay healthy, however, skinny is NOT the definition of beauty! The fashon community may laugh at Gabby, but she is laughing all the way to the bank with her pay from Precious the movie.

Other Big Girls that look absolutely amazing!

Jessica Alba - 2010 Tribeca Film Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon I.A) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:30:00 +0000

Jessica Alba wore this outfit (dress and shoes) by Proenza Schouler at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival program launch in Hollywood this week.

My opinion: She looks like she stole her big sister’s dress and tried to rock it! It would have worked better if the dress was fitting to her body but unfortunately this dress does nothing for her. The shoes have potential but they are too busy... not sure what her focal point is - the shoes or the dress. I say lose the dress it doesn't fit well.