Okay gang, today I saw it all. Part of me is remembering how 'challenged' some women are when it comes to getting dressed. I will say it over and over and over until all of you get it. FINISH THE LOOK!!!!!!!
Why do you go to the trouble of buying this great skirt, the perfect blouse, the killer jacket and stop there? What about all the accessories that are going to pull this together. I can hear you now. You have that scarf from three years ago that sort of goes with everything and the earrings that are sort of okay and a belt from the 80's (and I am not taking 1880's which would make it interesting). Stop right now.
Rather than buying a new outfit, buy accessories. That's right go crazy and if you are going to spend $1,000, spend it on shoes, bags, scarves, belts, gloves, etc. You get the picture. That is a much better investment.
Also, as I have said before. black is not black is not black. Likewise, navy is not navy is not navy. Match everything ladies or go with a contrasting color if you cannot match colors. It is a much cleaner look at the end of the day.
Finally, black pumps do not go with everything. They do not, they do not, they do not!!!!! Please do not wear black shoes with a navy skirt or pants. Try taupe, a rich medium brown, burgundy, grey anything. Just stay away from black. Not only does it look bad it looks lazy. It seems as if you were too tired to look for the right shoes to go with your outfit.
And I know they say that your bag and shoes do not have to match but I am old school. Do not carry a black bag while wearing navy shoes. If you want an all purpose color that you can grab and go with select red. Make it an over-sized clutch or a briefcase style bag. That allows you to get away with the bright color and the not really matching your shoes.
Be bold but do not be out there. Make sure you would not be ashamed if you met yourself on the street. You never know how may be lurking around the corner.
a la prochaine
Debra
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Fall Fashion Previews
I am literally crawling out from under all the Fall Fashion Magazines !!!!If you subscribe I am
sure you do not have to worry about missing out on your hand weights routine ! As usual they have hit the newsstands and mailboxes and are fully loaded
I usually flip page by page and look for my favorite designers .Just a hint which is not a mystery, the high rollers are mostly on the first 25 pages,the designers with the ching !!Advertising is quite expensive .No ,articles the first time around !!! On my second time I look for
my favorite ,musthaves,additions to my "WANT IT " LIST... and unconsciously ,the fashionista will shake their head @ future ,immediate items headed for the markdown rack ! I can't help it...
it is just in us .I am sure Debra and Kenney can concur .
Once I have ooh and aah a couple of times ,I will dogeared the pages .Even growing up on the East Coast ,there was always something special about fall clothes .The hues, the rustic fall colors , the patterns and blends of fabrics that seem to pop out from the pages .
As I had mentioned in my last entry ...boots are off the charts this year .But please have your outfit well pulled together before you sport your grand investment . There is nothing worse than
to have on your sporty boots whatever style you purchased and you have pulled out from the very back of your closet an distorted look that may only match the boots in color if anything!!!!!!!
Bad choice !!!!Please take time to look at your revised closet and rearrange some looks on a Saturday afternoon ,and try it on totally .You will be surprised to see you have the looks to pull
it all together and if not , you will know what to add to our list.
This is just a first in a series.................It actually took a lot out of me to write about fall on the
possibly the hottest day in San Francisco .The humidity is over the top .We usually call it earthquake weather . People everywhere are lounging@ the cafes,front steps and open windows
trying to find a breeze .Time for a iced tea .
A demain ,
Janice
sure you do not have to worry about missing out on your hand weights routine ! As usual they have hit the newsstands and mailboxes and are fully loaded
I usually flip page by page and look for my favorite designers .Just a hint which is not a mystery, the high rollers are mostly on the first 25 pages,the designers with the ching !!Advertising is quite expensive .No ,articles the first time around !!! On my second time I look for
my favorite ,musthaves,additions to my "WANT IT " LIST... and unconsciously ,the fashionista will shake their head @ future ,immediate items headed for the markdown rack ! I can't help it...
it is just in us .I am sure Debra and Kenney can concur .
Once I have ooh and aah a couple of times ,I will dogeared the pages .Even growing up on the East Coast ,there was always something special about fall clothes .The hues, the rustic fall colors , the patterns and blends of fabrics that seem to pop out from the pages .
As I had mentioned in my last entry ...boots are off the charts this year .But please have your outfit well pulled together before you sport your grand investment . There is nothing worse than
to have on your sporty boots whatever style you purchased and you have pulled out from the very back of your closet an distorted look that may only match the boots in color if anything!!!!!!!
Bad choice !!!!Please take time to look at your revised closet and rearrange some looks on a Saturday afternoon ,and try it on totally .You will be surprised to see you have the looks to pull
it all together and if not , you will know what to add to our list.
This is just a first in a series.................It actually took a lot out of me to write about fall on the
possibly the hottest day in San Francisco .The humidity is over the top .We usually call it earthquake weather . People everywhere are lounging@ the cafes,front steps and open windows
trying to find a breeze .Time for a iced tea .
A demain ,
Janice
Friday, August 21, 2009
Not So Bad Afterall
Hello from the great Pacific Northwest!!!
Well fashion is a bit different here. It is not as I remember. Having left the area to pursue my own path over 20 years ago, it is interesting to be back as more than a visitor. The sights and sounds that I remember are still here and the sleepy little town that I left is now a bustling metropolis. As you make your way between Seattle (the main city in the area) and the Eastside (which is the land of Microsoft) it is really great to see the entire persona of the area shift.
I grew up on the Westside (in Seattle) and twelve years ago, my parents packed in city life and moved to the burbs. At the time everyone was horrified. However, I must say that being able to escape the city and get into an area where there are trees, open spaces and neighbors at a distance is great. Okay, I am only a 10 minute drive from downtown Seattle so I am not remotely located in West "get me out of here".
One of the great things is being able to check out the site of one of the divisions of the Fashion Project. It has always been our intention of locating the multi-label showroom in Bellevue. Until this trip, I had some reservations. The intent was based on my father's assessment of where it would be best to capitalize on the love of fashion, the availability of customers and of course, the access to money.
Okay, there are a lot of Microsoft people here and they are not hurting for resources. But what I did not realize is the number of women who have time in their days to do nothing but hang out and shop. It is great. I went into a Nordstrom Rack at 11 AM on a Friday morning and it was packed with the line going out the door. This told me all I, and the rest of the Fashion Project Team needed to know. A multi-label showroom, open to the trade and to the public wholesale+ will be an incredible venture here.
Not only are there women into fashion, they are into the art of the bargain. In the right location we can also capture the women from Seattle who are willing to make that 10 to 30 minute trip across the pond (Lake Washington) to get that great Balenciaga at a great price. Not only that, I need to 'brave up' and see if I can get an appointment with Kemper Freeman and have a discussion about his love of fashion and his willingness to be a sounding board, participant and part of this great venture.
Fashion Week in Bellevue is sponsored by Mr. Freeman, who is of all things, a real estate developer. I'd love to have some insight as to what triggered his love of fashion and how he melds it with his love of development. However, he may be just like me.
There is a beauty and simplicity in the design of a building or a complex. Underlying the simplicity that everyone sees is an intricacy that you would only recognize if you truly understood the beast. Maybe it is the same as the sweep of an archway or the curve of the treatment of a great skirt, or the combination of a series of building to form a beautiful complex or the seven easy pieces that allow you to build a wardrobe using system dressing. Whatever it is, Mr. Freeman brings the women of Bellevue an incredible fashion experience each fall.
Okay it is not a preview of what is coming in spring. It is actually a series of trunk shows featuring the fashions that are available for the current season. While for those of us in the industry, it may be a technical blunder, we need to remember that we are a privileged few who get to go to runway shows, hang out at showrooms and brush elbows with those who know what is coming. The rest of the world sees snippets of what is coming by browsing through magazines and logging onto websites to see clips from runway shows. Mr. Freeman puts them all front-row, center and gives them the fashion thrill they all seek.
So as I continue to settle in for the next couple of weeks, I will keep you abreast of 'fashion in the Pacific Northwest'. I will also say this; if Mr. Freeman desires to make Bellevue the fashion capital of the west coast, I am willing to help him do that. This is home for me and frankly, while the scene in LA is vibrant, bustling and established, this is the land of Nordstrom, Inc.; it is the land of Microsoft; it is a place with an extremely independent, can do attitude. Frankly, being a Pacific Northwest girl, we can take LA, no problem. All we need to do is band together and make the statement that Bellevue is fashion's new Mecca on the west coast.
We will take this one step at a time. First LA, then New York. We will leave Paris and Milan alone. They will always be fashion. However, maybe with the love Mr. Freeman has for fashion and my unstoppable (and yes somewhat over-the-top) belief that this really is the place, who knows? It could happen.
a la prochaine
Debra
posting from Bellevue
Well fashion is a bit different here. It is not as I remember. Having left the area to pursue my own path over 20 years ago, it is interesting to be back as more than a visitor. The sights and sounds that I remember are still here and the sleepy little town that I left is now a bustling metropolis. As you make your way between Seattle (the main city in the area) and the Eastside (which is the land of Microsoft) it is really great to see the entire persona of the area shift.
I grew up on the Westside (in Seattle) and twelve years ago, my parents packed in city life and moved to the burbs. At the time everyone was horrified. However, I must say that being able to escape the city and get into an area where there are trees, open spaces and neighbors at a distance is great. Okay, I am only a 10 minute drive from downtown Seattle so I am not remotely located in West "get me out of here".
One of the great things is being able to check out the site of one of the divisions of the Fashion Project. It has always been our intention of locating the multi-label showroom in Bellevue. Until this trip, I had some reservations. The intent was based on my father's assessment of where it would be best to capitalize on the love of fashion, the availability of customers and of course, the access to money.
Okay, there are a lot of Microsoft people here and they are not hurting for resources. But what I did not realize is the number of women who have time in their days to do nothing but hang out and shop. It is great. I went into a Nordstrom Rack at 11 AM on a Friday morning and it was packed with the line going out the door. This told me all I, and the rest of the Fashion Project Team needed to know. A multi-label showroom, open to the trade and to the public wholesale+ will be an incredible venture here.
Not only are there women into fashion, they are into the art of the bargain. In the right location we can also capture the women from Seattle who are willing to make that 10 to 30 minute trip across the pond (Lake Washington) to get that great Balenciaga at a great price. Not only that, I need to 'brave up' and see if I can get an appointment with Kemper Freeman and have a discussion about his love of fashion and his willingness to be a sounding board, participant and part of this great venture.
Fashion Week in Bellevue is sponsored by Mr. Freeman, who is of all things, a real estate developer. I'd love to have some insight as to what triggered his love of fashion and how he melds it with his love of development. However, he may be just like me.
There is a beauty and simplicity in the design of a building or a complex. Underlying the simplicity that everyone sees is an intricacy that you would only recognize if you truly understood the beast. Maybe it is the same as the sweep of an archway or the curve of the treatment of a great skirt, or the combination of a series of building to form a beautiful complex or the seven easy pieces that allow you to build a wardrobe using system dressing. Whatever it is, Mr. Freeman brings the women of Bellevue an incredible fashion experience each fall.
Okay it is not a preview of what is coming in spring. It is actually a series of trunk shows featuring the fashions that are available for the current season. While for those of us in the industry, it may be a technical blunder, we need to remember that we are a privileged few who get to go to runway shows, hang out at showrooms and brush elbows with those who know what is coming. The rest of the world sees snippets of what is coming by browsing through magazines and logging onto websites to see clips from runway shows. Mr. Freeman puts them all front-row, center and gives them the fashion thrill they all seek.
So as I continue to settle in for the next couple of weeks, I will keep you abreast of 'fashion in the Pacific Northwest'. I will also say this; if Mr. Freeman desires to make Bellevue the fashion capital of the west coast, I am willing to help him do that. This is home for me and frankly, while the scene in LA is vibrant, bustling and established, this is the land of Nordstrom, Inc.; it is the land of Microsoft; it is a place with an extremely independent, can do attitude. Frankly, being a Pacific Northwest girl, we can take LA, no problem. All we need to do is band together and make the statement that Bellevue is fashion's new Mecca on the west coast.
We will take this one step at a time. First LA, then New York. We will leave Paris and Milan alone. They will always be fashion. However, maybe with the love Mr. Freeman has for fashion and my unstoppable (and yes somewhat over-the-top) belief that this really is the place, who knows? It could happen.
a la prochaine
Debra
posting from Bellevue
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Importance of Being Earnest
Again, I know this is a fashion blog but this is an important post. The Importance of Being Earnest was penned by Oscar Wilde. There are many interpretations of the meaning of the title. To me it is about knowing yourself. It is about having the courage to face who and what you must face. It is about being able to stand in the face of everything you revile and move through it anyway.
Starting next week, I will be blogging from a different venue. I am going to park myself in Bellevue, Washington for a while. It will give me the chance to regroup and figure some things out. It will give me a much needed respite from the rigors of putting together the Fashion Project. I admit that I am tired and that I need some serious R&R.
Janice will still be blogging from San Francisco and Kenny will post photos, some day. So I am going to hang out at the Bellevue Collection, play in the land of Microsoft and enjoy the water and mountains that surround the Puget Sound region. It will be a different fashion perspective so it should be good for all of you readers.
So ladies as you make your investments this fall, remember that you need to be true to yourselves. Don't go for something because one of the fashion magazines says it is all the rage or because Janice, or I, think it is great. If it isn't your cup of tea, let it go. That is allowed.
So in my attempt to be 'earnest' I am going to do my best to get back in the saddle ASAP. I am going to forge ahead with my dreams and I am going to be kind to myself. This is the me time I have so greatly needed. I will be in the company of the dressmaker who got me started down this road many years ago. When you need some TLC what better place to go than home.
Okay, Saks works too; but, it will cost you more.
a la prochaine.
Starting next week, I will be blogging from a different venue. I am going to park myself in Bellevue, Washington for a while. It will give me the chance to regroup and figure some things out. It will give me a much needed respite from the rigors of putting together the Fashion Project. I admit that I am tired and that I need some serious R&R.
Janice will still be blogging from San Francisco and Kenny will post photos, some day. So I am going to hang out at the Bellevue Collection, play in the land of Microsoft and enjoy the water and mountains that surround the Puget Sound region. It will be a different fashion perspective so it should be good for all of you readers.
So ladies as you make your investments this fall, remember that you need to be true to yourselves. Don't go for something because one of the fashion magazines says it is all the rage or because Janice, or I, think it is great. If it isn't your cup of tea, let it go. That is allowed.
So in my attempt to be 'earnest' I am going to do my best to get back in the saddle ASAP. I am going to forge ahead with my dreams and I am going to be kind to myself. This is the me time I have so greatly needed. I will be in the company of the dressmaker who got me started down this road many years ago. When you need some TLC what better place to go than home.
Okay, Saks works too; but, it will cost you more.
a la prochaine.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
There is no business like SHOE business !!!!!!
OMG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The shoes that are offered this fall are on a scale of 1-10 , about a 7 ...some are still for
stilt walkers .My feet cringe with pain without even trying them on ,just perusing the
latest fashion magazines .BUT ..the boots are off the chain..in otherwords there is something for everyone. Debra had said in her recent entry that I was going to write about the Fall's
preview on boots ,honestly it took me a few extra days because I went back to websites and
found 3 more I personally love . Yes ...my investment this fall are the boots .
I have to lay to rest my Joan and David riding boots ..that were purchased many moons ago !
But I must reiterate that I paid a pretty penny for them and my investment paid off .
The pricepoints ,styles , availability are present this fall I am so excited .My wish list is now up to 6 pairs ..3 that are a definite ! First the colors are very basic ..black,hues of brown , some grey
and few decorative pieces .I will not say what stores carry the best selection but that is easy to come to a conclusion after looking @ the largest retailers in the bay area .
Most boots fall in the categories of flat/riding boots ,fashion ,patent ,overtheknee,short booties
peeptoe,scrunch...to name a few ,See what I mean ?Even frye boots are back .
If I reveal my latest choices ,you may wear my size and run to buy the last pair .There are designers that have boots as low as 295.00 ,100% percent leather , fine construction etc .One caution with the over the knee boots , be sure they can manage over the calf .Some are very very slim .Most vendors will give the circumference 14"-18" . Go try on a pair and find your fit ,
in case you are one of those on line shoppers .Not ,I .I love the smell of the new leather in the store. Last but not least some of the fab designers with somr great boots this year are as follows.
..........Paul Smith,Cole Haan ,Elizabeth and James, Givenchy ,Jimmy Choo, Taryn Rose ,Chloe,
Sigerson Morrison, Candela,Burberry ,Costume National ,Michael Kors ...Oh yes..there are choices . Have fun with your decision making and get some great tights to complete the look !!
A demain ,
Janice
The shoes that are offered this fall are on a scale of 1-10 , about a 7 ...some are still for
stilt walkers .My feet cringe with pain without even trying them on ,just perusing the
latest fashion magazines .BUT ..the boots are off the chain..in otherwords there is something for everyone. Debra had said in her recent entry that I was going to write about the Fall's
preview on boots ,honestly it took me a few extra days because I went back to websites and
found 3 more I personally love . Yes ...my investment this fall are the boots .
I have to lay to rest my Joan and David riding boots ..that were purchased many moons ago !
But I must reiterate that I paid a pretty penny for them and my investment paid off .
The pricepoints ,styles , availability are present this fall I am so excited .My wish list is now up to 6 pairs ..3 that are a definite ! First the colors are very basic ..black,hues of brown , some grey
and few decorative pieces .I will not say what stores carry the best selection but that is easy to come to a conclusion after looking @ the largest retailers in the bay area .
Most boots fall in the categories of flat/riding boots ,fashion ,patent ,overtheknee,short booties
peeptoe,scrunch...to name a few ,See what I mean ?Even frye boots are back .
If I reveal my latest choices ,you may wear my size and run to buy the last pair .There are designers that have boots as low as 295.00 ,100% percent leather , fine construction etc .One caution with the over the knee boots , be sure they can manage over the calf .Some are very very slim .Most vendors will give the circumference 14"-18" . Go try on a pair and find your fit ,
in case you are one of those on line shoppers .Not ,I .I love the smell of the new leather in the store. Last but not least some of the fab designers with somr great boots this year are as follows.
..........Paul Smith,Cole Haan ,Elizabeth and James, Givenchy ,Jimmy Choo, Taryn Rose ,Chloe,
Sigerson Morrison, Candela,Burberry ,Costume National ,Michael Kors ...Oh yes..there are choices . Have fun with your decision making and get some great tights to complete the look !!
A demain ,
Janice
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Changing the Game
Well everyone, pre-Fall is on the floors and the sales are in full flight. The disappointing thing is that the buys are very 'thin'. I am not talking about body type; I am talking about selection. If somehow you were awarded a fiscal year-end bonus or you were one of the few fortunate souls who actually received a cost of living increase, don't assume you are running to the stores to make that great purchase. It ain't there!!!
I have scouted the big four in San Francisco and was really not terribly disappointed that I am on the same fashion budget as most of you. The way to characterize the buys was from dismal to hideous. Just to let those who are interested know the big four are Neiman Marcus, Saks, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's. O yeah, there is also Macy's. I guess we have the big five. You can normally go to each and find that "I really want to add this to the wardrobe " piece. Not this time.
I will not name the establishment as I speak of the buy. It would not be fair. I have to remember that if you are building a wardrobe, there may be some interesting pieces. However, I am enhancing a wardrobe and that makes a difference.
Dismal means, needing assistance. Hideous means, why did you bother. I have to admit when I was at the establishment with the hideous buy I became agitated and was not my normally pleasant self with the sales associate. She rubbed me the wrong way as she bristled at my logical questions.
When you ask "are you getting other items in for the sale or has everything arrived?" and "are there some great pieces I missed by not coming the first week of the sale and if so, do you have them in a look book so I can place an order?" you don't expect a sneer. When you get the response, "these are really great pieces" and "what else would you want to see?" attached to that sneer, I get a bit miffed.
So now it is time to perform and put the associate in her place. Her role is to provide me with a pleasant shopping experience. Her role is to make sure that she knows what I am looking for and make suggestions. Just because it isn't in her department doesn't mean it is not in another. What are my choices as I look for the piece I want to add to my wardrobe?
As she followed me around, hungry for that sale and assuming that I would desperately buy just anything I dug in. When I say I am just looking the response should be, "if I can be of assistance or if you see something you would like to try, my name is ______________ and I would be happy to help". You do not lurk. You do not provide editorial comment. You do not tell me what I cannot wear because of body type. How do you know it is for me?
Now I have more than dug in. NOW I am about to dig into her, be it ever so gently. I held up a garment and asked "what is this? Is it a tube dress? Is it a skirt? Is it layered with something"? I knew what it was but I wanted to show her the impracticality of the garment. When she replied it's a skirt I laughed and asked "how do you sit in this? You can't sit in this. What is this fabric? Is this silk jersey? Your behind would be permanently imprinted in the fabric once you sat for more than 30 seconds". Then she showed me what she would pair with it. It went from unwearable to remarkably unwearable.
My next question was "Who is the buyer for this department and how do I get in touch with that person"? Well the associate went sideways, told me how experienced and professional the buyers are and if I had questions I could speak to the store manager. Unless he made that hideous buy, I have no questions for him or her. I want to know why fashion challenged people are allowed to place buys for women who are willing to drop $8,000 on a coat. I want to know why you think I will drop that $8,000 simply by seeing the coat in a look book. I want to try it on before I invest that kind of money.
It actually got worse. I asked to see the Armani jackets that were there for the season. Out of her mouth comes, "oh ma'm, you can't wear Armani". I understood her comment. I could never get my shoulders in the jacket comfortably. However, you ask me what size I would like to try.
For those of you who think she was sparing me the humiliation of not fitting into a garment, you are wrong. Most stores will not order the larger sizes. They all like to believe that people with style, taste and money could never wear more than a size 10 or 12 (which the designer department buyers consider extra-large). Armani manufactures up to a size 16!! If I am willing to purchase the 16 to get the comfortable fit in the shoulders and have the garment altered to fit properly elsewhere, then I can wear Armani, can't I!?
So what the customer hears from that comment is "OMG you are much too large to wear Armani". Not a way to get me back to your store or snag me as a client for you ever important client book. If they work on commission, and they do, not a way to bolster that paycheck. She should have said, "System-wide we did not order anything over a size 12 in Armani. We do have a couple of other designer jackets that I may be able to order for you. Would you like to see them"?
For all of the women out there reading this blog I want to give you some comfort. The average woman in America wears a size 14. Sixty percent of the women in America are a size 12 or above. Janice and I met with someone the other day who gave us some food for thought on language. If size 14 is average and you wear a size 18, you are referred to as a 'plus size' woman. Even at a size 14 you are considered a 'plus size' woman. What if, like Raye states, you are 'above average'. In my book, above average means you have surpassed mediocrity and attained greater heights.
Raye also pointed out how powerful the words are by stating that if you wear a size 8, you are below average. How painful is it to be labeled, below average? If you are below average then you are simply not up to par. So as women, sales associates, fashonista, etc. let's really think about how we label other women and ourselves. Fashion should, and does, come in all shapes and sizes. Fashion is for everyone irrespective of age, dress size, ethnicity, race, etc. We all love it and we all deserve it.
So, the buys aren't great and don't expect fall to be much better. Retailers are saving the best for pre-fall 2010. I have to believe that and I have to believe that with our help, the industry will see great improvement by then.
Janice is going to blog about boots. 'Tis the season. And just on the off chance she forgets to mention these, the Costume National over the knee boots are hot!!!!!
a la prochaine
Debra
I have scouted the big four in San Francisco and was really not terribly disappointed that I am on the same fashion budget as most of you. The way to characterize the buys was from dismal to hideous. Just to let those who are interested know the big four are Neiman Marcus, Saks, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's. O yeah, there is also Macy's. I guess we have the big five. You can normally go to each and find that "I really want to add this to the wardrobe " piece. Not this time.
I will not name the establishment as I speak of the buy. It would not be fair. I have to remember that if you are building a wardrobe, there may be some interesting pieces. However, I am enhancing a wardrobe and that makes a difference.
Dismal means, needing assistance. Hideous means, why did you bother. I have to admit when I was at the establishment with the hideous buy I became agitated and was not my normally pleasant self with the sales associate. She rubbed me the wrong way as she bristled at my logical questions.
When you ask "are you getting other items in for the sale or has everything arrived?" and "are there some great pieces I missed by not coming the first week of the sale and if so, do you have them in a look book so I can place an order?" you don't expect a sneer. When you get the response, "these are really great pieces" and "what else would you want to see?" attached to that sneer, I get a bit miffed.
So now it is time to perform and put the associate in her place. Her role is to provide me with a pleasant shopping experience. Her role is to make sure that she knows what I am looking for and make suggestions. Just because it isn't in her department doesn't mean it is not in another. What are my choices as I look for the piece I want to add to my wardrobe?
As she followed me around, hungry for that sale and assuming that I would desperately buy just anything I dug in. When I say I am just looking the response should be, "if I can be of assistance or if you see something you would like to try, my name is ______________ and I would be happy to help". You do not lurk. You do not provide editorial comment. You do not tell me what I cannot wear because of body type. How do you know it is for me?
Now I have more than dug in. NOW I am about to dig into her, be it ever so gently. I held up a garment and asked "what is this? Is it a tube dress? Is it a skirt? Is it layered with something"? I knew what it was but I wanted to show her the impracticality of the garment. When she replied it's a skirt I laughed and asked "how do you sit in this? You can't sit in this. What is this fabric? Is this silk jersey? Your behind would be permanently imprinted in the fabric once you sat for more than 30 seconds". Then she showed me what she would pair with it. It went from unwearable to remarkably unwearable.
My next question was "Who is the buyer for this department and how do I get in touch with that person"? Well the associate went sideways, told me how experienced and professional the buyers are and if I had questions I could speak to the store manager. Unless he made that hideous buy, I have no questions for him or her. I want to know why fashion challenged people are allowed to place buys for women who are willing to drop $8,000 on a coat. I want to know why you think I will drop that $8,000 simply by seeing the coat in a look book. I want to try it on before I invest that kind of money.
It actually got worse. I asked to see the Armani jackets that were there for the season. Out of her mouth comes, "oh ma'm, you can't wear Armani". I understood her comment. I could never get my shoulders in the jacket comfortably. However, you ask me what size I would like to try.
For those of you who think she was sparing me the humiliation of not fitting into a garment, you are wrong. Most stores will not order the larger sizes. They all like to believe that people with style, taste and money could never wear more than a size 10 or 12 (which the designer department buyers consider extra-large). Armani manufactures up to a size 16!! If I am willing to purchase the 16 to get the comfortable fit in the shoulders and have the garment altered to fit properly elsewhere, then I can wear Armani, can't I!?
So what the customer hears from that comment is "OMG you are much too large to wear Armani". Not a way to get me back to your store or snag me as a client for you ever important client book. If they work on commission, and they do, not a way to bolster that paycheck. She should have said, "System-wide we did not order anything over a size 12 in Armani. We do have a couple of other designer jackets that I may be able to order for you. Would you like to see them"?
For all of the women out there reading this blog I want to give you some comfort. The average woman in America wears a size 14. Sixty percent of the women in America are a size 12 or above. Janice and I met with someone the other day who gave us some food for thought on language. If size 14 is average and you wear a size 18, you are referred to as a 'plus size' woman. Even at a size 14 you are considered a 'plus size' woman. What if, like Raye states, you are 'above average'. In my book, above average means you have surpassed mediocrity and attained greater heights.
Raye also pointed out how powerful the words are by stating that if you wear a size 8, you are below average. How painful is it to be labeled, below average? If you are below average then you are simply not up to par. So as women, sales associates, fashonista, etc. let's really think about how we label other women and ourselves. Fashion should, and does, come in all shapes and sizes. Fashion is for everyone irrespective of age, dress size, ethnicity, race, etc. We all love it and we all deserve it.
So, the buys aren't great and don't expect fall to be much better. Retailers are saving the best for pre-fall 2010. I have to believe that and I have to believe that with our help, the industry will see great improvement by then.
Janice is going to blog about boots. 'Tis the season. And just on the off chance she forgets to mention these, the Costume National over the knee boots are hot!!!!!
a la prochaine
Debra
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