Trendsetter Spotlight on Stylin' & Profilin'
We recently had the pleasure of catching up with one of our Trendsetters, Andrea Browne, resident of action-packed Washington D.C. and founder of the urban gal blog, Stylin’ & Profilin’. We got her to spill about her year-round closet staple, some smart shopping tips, and the late-90s fashion fads she used to don (trust us, they seem epic).
**Shop It To Me: How long have you been blogging, and what inspired you to start?
**Andrea Browne: I’ve been into fashion and writing since a very young age — always reading magazines like Mademoiselle, Cosmopolitan, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. What inspired me to start my blog was simply that I couldn’t find any sites that spoke to women like me: A young professional who likes to look nice, but doesn’t want to spend a fortune or waste money on low-budget “fast” fashion. If I’m going to spend my hard-earned money on clothes, shoes and accessories, they need to last even if I’ve gotten them at discounted prices. My goal with S&P is to share fashionable, frugal and quality finds with my readers, as well as discuss current trends and style news, as well as review products that I think would be of interest to them.
SITM: Name one fashion or beauty essential for each season that you can’t live without.
AB: A fashion essential I can’t live without no matter the season would be trouser pants. They’re a classic wardrobe staple that never go out of style, no matter if it’s spring or winter. You can dress them up or down and still look super sophisticated. A beauty essential that I can’t live without is cocoa butter lip balm. Keeps my lips moisturized without the stickiness of lip gloss.
SITM: Okay, spill it. Any favorite online stores?
AB: I shop mostly online and frequently at ASOS.com, NineWest.com, Piperlime.com, Nordstrom.com and Loft.com. There’s usually always a sale of some sort on all of these sites.
SITM: What determines when you buy full price items vs. when you buy sale items?
**AB: **There’s nothing worse than buying something full-price then seeing it on sale for half that amount a few weeks later. This is exactly why I never buy anything that isn’t on sale. If I see something at full-price that I really like, I’ll bookmark it and come back it to a couple weeks later. If it’s on sale by then and my size is still available, then it was meant to be.
SITM: Now that you can choose to see your Shop It To Me email organized by either retailer, by clothing type or by brand, what method do you prefer/why do you shop that way?
**AB: **I’d prefer to see it organized by retailer, simply because there are certain stores I frequent often and some I don’t because of pricing and sizing. If it’s a store I know ahead of time I can’t afford or that I know their clothing doesn’t complement my shape, there’s no point in me clicking on it.
SITM: How do you normally build an outfit? Walk us through your process.
AB: When it comes to putting together a look, I usually start with the bottom (skirt, trousers, shorts, etc) and build from there. If it’s a looser fit pant or a full skirt, then my top is likely going to be more form-fitting and vice versa. I accessorize most of my outfits with a statement necklace, bangles/cuff and a cocktail ring.
SITM: We’re all about time-saving here at Shop It To Me. Can you share a time-saving trick that’s part of your daily routine?
AB: I usually pick out my outfit for the workday the night before and will iron it then, as well. Knocks off about 20-25 minutes from my morning prep, which is precious, precious time for a slow mover.
SITM: Any embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions or a fashion faux pas you want to share?
AB: Being a teen in the mid- to late-90s, I made some bad, bad fashion choices (but in my head, it was cute at the time). Back then, it was all about bodysuits paired with vests, baggy jeans and two-inch stacked heels — just terrible!
SITM: Tell us something unique to you — after all, it’s what makes you YOU!
**AB: **I never leave the house without a pair of earrings on. I have a short, cropped haircut and feel “naked” without them.
**SITM: Anything else you want to share?
**AB: ****Here are some of my favorite recent S & P posts
- 9 Summer Totes You’ll Love
- What to Wear . . . to Work
- Real Style With David Meister
- Closet Case: How to Stylishly Organize Your Wardrobe
Follow Andrea on her blog, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.
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