Cashmere - An Addiction You Need

The most cozy, comfortable feeling I can imagine is to be swathed in head-to-toe cashmere.  Heaven!!!  Thankfully, cashmere is now available at all price points and in most stores, so I can feed my addiction without robbing a bank.  If you share my fetish, read on and I'll tell you how to wrap yourself in this most luxurious, cuddly comfort for less than you'd imagine.

Cashmere is more expensive than wool because it is made from the underbelly hair of goats that live at high altitude.  (And no, they don't have to harm the cute little goats-they're shaved and turned loose to regrow their miraculously soft, sinfully delicate hair). 

Quinn - A Cashmere Goat - Living the Dream!

Cashmere is softer, silkier and more cloudlike than any wool could ever be.  When I said that I wanted to be wrapped in it like a blanket, I meant completely surrounded, in a tracksuit, socks, gloves, beanie, shawl, coat and scarf, all of which are, thank God, available at less than Kardashian prices.  Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft sell lovely sweaters in clear, melting colors.  Topshop offers hats and gloves in prices that only have two digits on the tag!  Macy's and Bloomingdale's have always sold sweaters in multiple styles and diverse colors in the $100-200 range.  J. Crew, Banana Republic, Anthropologie and Nordstrom all sell beautiful cashmere pieces at affordable prices.  So now you can surround yourself with this most luxe of all wools without surrounding yourself in high credit card bills!  What a happy coincidence in the dog days after the holidays!!  And what a wonderful way to celebrate the fact that "trend" is today, but "style" is forever!!!

Nordstrom - Cashmere Boatneck Sweater

Anthropologie - Cashmere Top and Shorts

Macy's - Turtleneck 

Topshop - Cashmere Scarf

Leggings - They Never Went Away - Yay!

Well, favorite readers, Thanksgiving is over and even my leftovers are finished!  Hope yours are too, because Christmas cookies are about to make an appearance and the fudge, prime rib, goose and cakes are right behind!  So how do we get through the Christmas party season stylishly but with some degree of comfort?  The answer is one hyper-trendy but totally stylish word-LEGGINGS!

Free People Chenille Leggings

Yes, I know.  You thought leggings were gone, never to return.  But I gotta tell ya, leggings are very much "in" now and they are everywhere!  The difference between then and now?  The old style had you wearing black leggings with a patterned sweater.  On trend now?  Patterned leggings with a solid sweater or tunic.  And these patterns are IDEAL for holiday parties, because they are being shown in metallics, animal prints and bold color combos sure to make you feel, and look, festive!  

Free People Byzantine Sweater Leggings

Leggings go perfectly with today's ankle boots but for fun, try them with your over-the-knee boots!  Keep the sweater simple and go for the gusto of big hoops or statement earrings.  Looking fab AND wearing an elasticized waist?  It doesn't get any more comfortable or fun!  So wow your party pals with your great outfit, all the while knowing that you have "room" to indulge!  And remember......"trend is today, but style is forever"!!!!

Spanx Faux Leather Leggings at Nordstrom

Metallic Print Leggings

Chictopia Suede Leggings

Zara Metallic Leggings

Shop Small to Shop Big!

Hi everybody!

Haven’t heard from me in a long time, huh?  Time just seems to get away from us, with the summers crowded with kids’ activities and vacations, the school year restarting and then the holidays - time really flies by!!  And here it is, holiday time already and time for an exciting new aspect of Style Savvy - the GIFT CERTIFICATE!!!  We now offer gift certificates that a loved one can purchase for you or you can buy for them - either way you win in the “easy” department because while it may be easy, it’s a gift that lasts and lasts!  Style Savvy gift certificates are good for personal shopping, wardrobe makeovers and gift buying for friends, family and business colleagues - and they don’t expire for a YEAR!!!!  So you can buy one for a dear friend who’s coming to town to visit, or your mom can buy you a closet redo, or you can buy your husband the gift of organization………the possibilities are endless!!!  I’ve even had clients buy them for out-of-the-country visitors so that they have “Vegas” clothes as soon as they arrive!  Now isn’t that both “stylish” and “savvy”?  Go to stylesavvyonline.com and buy one today - and give the gift that keeps on giving - the gift of STYLE!  And remember, “trend is today, but style is forever!!!!" #shopsmall #holidaywishlist

Be like . . .

You know that meme that's running wild on Facebook encouraging you to "Be like ......."?  Well, mine would be......

This is Charissa.

Charissa was looking for a wardrobe update.

Charissa found Lindsay and began dressing to flatter her figure.

Charissa looks like a million bucks.

Be like Charissa.

In what I HOPE will be the first of a series, I did before and after shots of Charissa.  Before she looked like an average young woman, unconcerned or not sure of how to dress her body to maximize her assets.  BUT THEN.  I put her in a close fitting black cotton shirt which emphasized her waist, a pair of heels which elongated her legs and some accessories which flattered her and finished the look.  The ensemble is classic, easy to wear and can be dressed up or down by the accessories, as you can see.  

The earrings are by Dannijo, the bag is a Stella McCartney and the chain is from JewelMint.  

Charissa is smart and called Lindsay.

Be like Charissa.

Showering Anytime Soon?

I just threw a bridal shower at my house, along with my co-hosts, Lue and Karen.  We had such a blast and the bride was so pleased that I thought I would tell you about it-just IN CASE you were planning on throwing one or attending one!

We stuck to the bride's color scheme of red, black and white with red roses and candles, white baby's breath and candles and black ribbon, napkins and candles.  (Anybody getting the idea that I love candles?)  Sticking with the bride's wedding colors takes a huge burden off of how to decorate and allows you to get a little funky, like adding sprigs of rosemary to be the greenery in the flower arrangements ( wow, did that smell good!) and twining red, white and black ribbons around the candles, along with pearls and more rosemary.  We even dressed in red and black!  (And, ladies, if you're going to or giving a shower, DON'T wear your gorgeous two hour heels without having a stand-by pair to slide into when you hurt!)  

We spent a lot of time discussing the wedding ( duh! ) and particularly what the mothers would wear.  I reminded them to bring pashminas or boleros in case of over-air conditioning and to have spare shoes along for dancing.  We also put together a kit of essentials for the big day-pads to remove deodorant stains, dental floss and mouthwash, hairpins and needle and thread, touch up makeup and, most importantly, WATERPROOF MASCARA!!!!!   

By the time our guests left, I had given some advice on what guests should wear, like doing their own riff on the bride's colors by wearing pink to complement the red or grey or silver to sparkle against the black.  

Personally, I'm wearing a light grey dress and a headpiece from TS Tiaras because, as Coco Chanel would have said, "in order to stand out in a crowd, one must always be different"!

Some Tailor Made Advice

My tailor is my best friend.  I barely know his last name and, although I've met his wife, I don't know if he has children.  I know two things about him.  He's an alterations genius and he's expensive.

Very few of us are perfect off-the-rack sizes.  From your hips down you may be a 14, but your waist is a 12.  Or, broad shoulders may take a size 8 to a size 14.  Whatever your figure flaw, your clothes will always look better if you have them tailored.  A good tailor will hem jeans so they look identical to the original hem, waist or legs .......just better.   REALLY good tailors can remake a shoulder or a collar so that it looks perfect and no one will ever know it was once schizophrenic.......half fitting and half not.  But be warned.  This kind of a talent will run you some bucks........like $225 to tailor a two piece suit.  But it's WELL worth it!  Sure beats spending the $4000 a perfectly tailored suit will cost you!

I have several good tailors that I run to when my outfit needs a psychiatrist.  These geniuses take the pleats out of slacks, shoulder pad out of leather jackets and shorten suit jackets so that they look like James Bond is wearing them.  Wanna take a $500 suit and make it look better than custom made?  Call me!  I'll fit you with the right tailor who'll fit you with the right look which will make you look like THAT guy or THAT girl.  You'll feel like you've added a new outfit to your closet and you'll once again be excited to wear it!  The "proof is in the puddling, love"  and that's why "trend" is today, but "style" is forever!