When you think of an exciting wardrobe, do the colors black, brown, tan and gray come to mind? Not so much. Luckily, injecting color into a neutral palette is our Trendsetter Color My Closet’s bread and butter. Founder Lauren Battistini shares some tips on how to add color successfully.

The majority of people are stuck in a color rut wearing the same neutrals of white, khaki, grey, brown and black day after day. Bringing your closet to life with color is simple if you follow this plan.

The lovely Lauren Battistini, founder of Color My Closet

In order to add color appropriately, reconsider the neutrals you are using. Neutrals serve as a wardrobe foundation and can work for or against you when building the right color mixes in your closet. If your skin tone is very warm, then your neutrals should be ivory, khaki or camel, and brown. If you are cool, then whites, grays, and blacks are ideal. Those who are neutral generally use soft white, taupe, and soft browns or blacks.

Begin adding color in small doses with accessories. Scarves, hats, jewelry and handbags all work well and allow women to experiment with color in a low-cost way.  Another trick is to use any two neutrals and one color-for example, black, white and cobalt. The neutrals coordinate and the addition of just one color contrasts beautifully to create more interest in an outfit ensemble. Another option is to mix two colors with one neutral-for example, magenta, bright yellow and gray.

Using unexpected color combinations makes for a refreshed and creative wardrobe. Consider navy and coral, pink and taupe, yellow and turquoise, or violet and green, or a monochromatic look with varying shades of blue. The only rule of thumb is to use colors that have a similar look and feel. For example, bold and vivid colors mix and match seamlessly, but adding muted colors to that mix creates an incongruent wardrobe.

Another way to incorporate color is to use your three favorite shades and build your wardrobe around them. If you are uncertain of which colors to select, then consider the four universally flattering colors: true red, turquoise, teal and eggplant.

Whether you choose to incorporate color sparingly or in large doses, it makes a huge difference in your appearance and attitude about getting dressed every day! Color should be embraced, not feared.

        

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If someone told you you were trendy, would you be flattered? Some people love following trends and others think the word “trend” implies a style that’s follows others and lacks originality. Our Trendsetter Angela of Lipgloss Break shares her thoughts. If you like what you’re reading (and love makeup tips and giveaways), check out her blog!

Angela loves that Harajuku girls are always making up their own trends.

According to dictionary.com, a trend is style. Trends and styles start as simple designs and/or ideas from individuals. There is no ‘trend committee’ that gathers around a table to decide what is ‘trendy.’ I think it’s an evolution of fashion, always evolving, from one season to the next, and influenced by designers and media, but it doesn’t have to be…it can be influenced by you.

I love trends, they keep things interesting. What if we all still wore fig leaves everywhere? Yes, I would be able to get ready for work a lot faster in the morning if that were the case, but what fun is that?

Everyone has their own trend ‘line’ that they follow. Some may follow the latest trends from NY Fashion Week, others may make their own. Either way, since you’re the one who is practicing the trend and/or wearing it, it’s yours. It’s your trend, you yourself make it different. Follow your own trends. Remember, trends keep things interesting!

        

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They’re refreshing, always in style, mostly sweet and sometimes tart. No, not a pitcher of lemonade — they’re our guest bloggers! We’re happy to introduce Trendsetter Thursdays!

As the name implies, every Thursday we’ll put up an article written by a Trendsetter (someone in our network of favorite sites).

Trendsetter Thursdays are a great way for us to introduce you to some amazing bloggers you may not already be familiar with. In the past we’ve had seasoned fashion experts write about appropriate interview outfits, a professional stylist put together an Oscar-worthy look, and a stylish men’s editor create sophisticated formal outfits using clothes from Old Navy, JC Penney and H&M, just to name a few.

We’ve had so many great contributors, we’re happy to feature them on our site on a regular basis so you can know when to look out for them. Here’s to some great Trendsetter Thursdays to come!

        

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Enter a place where the vibe is ultra trendy, the clothes are comfy and the ladies aren’t afraid to have fun with fashion. Welcome to the juniors department.

Shop It To Me is a treasure trove for juniors brands! They’re listed in the women’s clothing section of our site. Here are a few we carry:

View and add brands: To see the full list and add them to your preferences, log in to your account, edit Women’s Clothing – Brands and click “Show all brands”.

Request a brand: Don’t see a brand you love? Email support@shopittome.com to request it.

If you haven’t added juniors brands to your Salemail preferences yet, here’s a taste of what’s in store. I put together these summery outfits with items from my Sale Spot. This entire outfit totals $133.84!

1. Lucky peace coin earrings, Reg: $28, Now: $14
2. American Eagle floral shift dress, Reg: $44.50, Now: $34.95
3. Nordstrom patent bow clutch wallet, Reg: $88, Now: $59.90
4. Gap metallic ruffle sandals, Reg $39.50, Now: $24.99

This look is very comfy casual, and also made entirely from items in my Sale Spot. The grand total is $252.23. It only costs $140.93 without the bag, but I think the funky fringe tote is worth the extra money.

1. BDG solid crew, Reg: $24, Now: 14.99
2. Aeropostale vertical stripe scarf, Reg: $19.50, Now: $9.99
3. Lucky fringe bag, Reg: $159, Now: 111.30
4. Seychelles red pumps, Reg: $82, Now: $66
5. Free People leafy check skirt, Reg: $88, Now: 49.95

If you end up finding any great pieces, we always love hearing about it. Email us at support@shopittome.com to let us know what you found!

        

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New brands alert! We’ve added even more great labels so you can snag them at super low sale prices!  Log in to your profile today, and click “edit brands” to add some of the latest & greatest to your Shop It To Me Salemail… the “New Brands” tab will make it easy for you to add the Women’s and Men’s brands!

        

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It’s terrible, but with all the news of Forever 21 making such similar knock offs that both Trovata and Anthropologie are suing them, it makes me want to run right out to Forever 21 and see what kind of goodies I can find on the cheap.

Top row: Forever 21, bottom row: Trovata
Photo from The Cut

In the spirit of designer rip offs, I found an extremely affordable pair of Hayden Hardnett shoe look-alikes from Urban Outfitters. The real ones have received a lot of attention from the fashion blogger community. Would you go for the real thing or spring for the imitator?

Hayden-Harnett Iskia Link Wedge, $238
Shoes for Lovely People Camilla, Reg: $128, Now: $69.99

        

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Some trends come and go. Others come, go, and then keep on coming back (regardless of whether or not they are welcome). Case in point: the jelly sandal. I rocked them on the playground as a kid, saw a brief resurface a few years ago, and now…they’re baaack! This time, however, they are not limited to your local discount store bin. Top designers are creating some pretty lust-worthy jellies this season. Here are a few that have caught my eye:

1.  Chanel PVC flip-flops, 2. Burberry T-Strap Jelly Sandal, 3. Tory Burch “Reva” Jelly Flats, 4. Givenchy Lace Up Jelly

Since their price tags (in the $95-$200+ range) do not quite match their material, I will wait for the stylish jellies to show up in my Salemail before taking the plunge. I am, however, pretty set on having a pair of the trendy waterproof shoes by Summer time! What are your thoughts – will you be giving in to the reoccurring trend?

        

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Dear Fellow Graduates,

The time has come to begin planning out your grad-day wardrobe. How can you look stylish wearing an over-sized “gown” and that silly fabric-covered cardboard on your head? Yes, this can be tricky…tricky, but not impossible.

There are two ways to do this:

1. Start with a cute summery dress, and build upon your main piece – use bright colors and prints as inspiration for the rest of your look.

2. Save the floral frock for, say, your graduation party and stick with something simple. A basic canvas will leave you with endless possibilities for shoes and accessories! (This is my recommendation. Lets face it, you will be covered up for the majority of the day and your cute summer dress deserves more than that.)

The next step is to style your feet. You want something that will make you stand out, but doesn’t say “hey, let’s hit the clubs”. Come on, you don’t want your granny to see that! Stick with an open toe, not-so-strappy shoe that shows your ankle. Here are a few I found on Sale Spot that I am eyeing for myself:

1. Stuart Weitzman – ‘Dorothy’ Pump

2. Emilio Pucci – 793995

3. L.A.M.B – ‘Tamika’ Sandal

Once you’ve found the shoes, the rest is cake. Think necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. If you choose super-busy shoes like these Pucci ones, I would suggest picking one of the three — you don’t want to distract too much from the huge “it’s over!” smile on your face!

Draw attention to your lovely manicure with a giant cocktail ring, or let that hat come in handy, bringing all eyes to your earrings!

As for a necklace, I found one that is simply perfect for the event – either to wear or to give to your best girlfriends as a graduation gift:

“Free Bird Necklace” By Free People

I love the way they are layered, and how appropriate is the name?! Plus, at just $19.95 a pop, the graduation money you are about to receive could go a long, long way!

So let the countdown begin! With exactly one month to go until my graduation ceremony, I must call on you for a tiny favor: Which of the shoes do you think would make me a glam graduationista?

Your friend and 2009 graduate,

Laura

        

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Welcome to Guest Blogger Thursday! Every other day I see fashion bloggers showcasing some amazing vintage store finds. Do you think the focus on vintage fashions has increased with the decline of the economy? Our vintage expert guest blogger Deanna of Things Your Grandmother Knew weighs in. Check out her blog to read more about vintage fashions, and to see snippets from her impressive collection of vintage magazines.

With all the current focus on the economy and comparisons to The Great Depression, it’s become quite vogue for fashion publications to preach about the virtues & values of buying vintage clothing & accessories. In theory it makes sense because buying vintage means much cheaper prices than buying new — even rare vintage designer pieces are quite often less expensive than new modern designer couture.  But in practice…?

Vintage Popularity Boom: Truth or Fiction?

There’s been a lot of press lately that the biggest spending has been in the area of *ahem* intimate adult products because people are staying home to save money. If that’s true, people need a lot less clothing!

And while some folks may be turning to vintage to pinch a few pennies, mostly what I hear from new-comers is how frustrated they are by it; shopping for vintage fashion is not the same experience as shopping at your local mall or department store.

Because “old &/or used clothing” is usually either worn-out or thrown-out, not much of it survives, leaving each piece found to be a one-of-a-kind (or darn near it). This means that even shopping for something simple, like a black skirt or a white blouse, is even more difficult than finding your size in the clearance racks at Macy’s… And that’s before you factor in the trouble of finding a vintage item in your size.

Try Vintage On for Size

Sure, the relatively small number of vintage garments for sale automatically limits size availability; but then there’s the matter of what I call the time-size-spread.  The time-size-spread doesn’t (only!) refer to what happens to our individual hips overtime, but has happened to the collective American body too.  Women were smaller than today… They were shorter, affecting where waistlines rest, hemlines land, and sleeves sit at the wrists.  People were slighter too. Not just due to build being relatively proportionate to height (some of which is based on nutrition as well), but because those from decades before us physically worked much harder than we do and had more compact figures.  Combine this with no real uniform size standards, and you can’t necessarily just go to a rack & grab the same size you would at Bloomie’s.

If I sound negative about buying vintage fashion; I’m not.  I and plenty of others thrive on the challenge of thrifty thrilling discoveries which not only are fun to wear but make other fashionista’s turn green with envy (both in terms of the uniqueness of our finds and the wad of cash left in our fabulous vintage handbags).  But searching for vintage clothing and accessories is as much a hobby as it is a passion for fashion; to be happy in your hunting you should be prepared for the labor (of love!) involved.

But, hey, since it’s part hobby, you can feel quite justified to dip into your “entertainment” budget too.

Tips for Navigating the Murky Vintage Waters

Should you decide to stick your toe into the pool of vintage fashion shopping (and I hope you do!), here’s a few things to help you in the pursuit of unique fashions at thrifty prices:

• Measure yourself. Everywhere; bust, shoulders, around your arm, arm length, waist, hips, inseam — as much as you can.  And carry these measurements with you.  (Keep them nearby when shopping for vintage fashions online too.)
• Measure the clothing. Along with your measurements, carry a measuring tape with you so that you can measure garments on the rack/hanger.  Measurements aren’t a guarantee of perfect fit or meant to replace the fitting room experience, but they’ll help you weed out garments which will not fit you and you won’t have to exhaust yourself in the fitting room or waiting for one.  (Many vintage shops have very limited and small fitting rooms, so you may have to wait a bit to get in.)  When shopping online, you are encouraged to contact the vintage fashion seller regarding any measurements not listed &/or you are unsure about.
• Measure your time.  Shopping for vintage fashions isn’t a “just a quick dash into the store” sort of a thing.  Give yourself plenty of time to shop.  Making it a leisurely experience will add to your fun.  Plus you never know what you’ll find roaming the racks — like this retro bowling shirt score for hubby! This goes for online shopping too.  (Browse page by page, linger looking in a category rather than just using a site search etc.)
• Gauge your expectations. Expect to go home empty handed.  Not only is this possible, but for some of us (based on size, fashion tastes, wallet etc.) it happens more often than not… Feel free to talk about the fab finds that got away — fishermen do it, why not shoppers hunting for elusive vintage clothing and accessories?

And above all, when you capture a vintage fashion, brag, brag, brag! Show it off as a trophy like any big game hunter would do — you’ve earned it!

        

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It’s your other mother’s day today – Mother Earth, that is! There are so many stylish ways to be good to her. Here are a few ideas.

• Support eco brands. Loomstate, Patagonia and Edun all use organic fabrics. Looking for vegan handbags? Matt & Nat is to leather what Morningstar Farms is to meat. It’s faux, fabulous and the closest you can get to the real thing.  All are available on Shop It To Me.

Edun ‘Equality’ Cardigan, Reg: $225, Now: $134.90
Matt & Nat grey ‘Kali’ large hobo, Reg: $240, Now: $144
Loomstate men’s organic cotton ‘Meow’ t-shirt, Reg: $60, Now: $36

• Learn Earth-healthy practices. Our Trendsetters Red Lips, Green Heart, Fashion, Evolved, Girlie Girl Army and Dame have a ton of great tips to help you develop eco-friendly habits all year round.
   
• Reuse and repurpose. Reusable bags are an easy way to reduce waste. Remember – bags don’t have to be labeled “reusable” to be used as such.

1. Gap tassel tote, Reg: $49.50, Now: $19.99
2. J. Crew canvas boardwalk magazine tote, Reg: $78, Now: 39.99
3. Rebecca Minkoff canvas ‘Bread & Wine’ tote, Reg: $120, Now: $72

• Wear renewable materials. Not only are materials like silk and bamboo ultra soft and luxurious, they can also be replenished quickly.

However you choose to consider the Earth in your fashion choices, there are a ton of options to stay stylish at the same time. Happy Earth Day!

        

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