I’m in awe…. again

It was a most inspiring speech. Eloquent. To the point. Optimistic. And, there on the balcony, was his wife.

I just adore her. She seems to approachable…. so normal. And the purple looked just awesome on her. You just KNOW when a color is RIGHT. There were other aspects of this outfit that made it perfect for Michelle Obama.

She does not have much of a chest for a tall lady as she is. This blouse had the perfect drape for a small bust. It made her look fuller and better proportioned. She has a great waist which was accentuated with the high and defined waistline of her skirt. In fact, I did not realize it was a skirt/blouse outfit until I studied the pictures more. Michelle Obama also has killer arms. Her arms are muscular and strong. This is a great asset. Likely to stay even when she gets older.

Look at those arms! This blouse does her right on every aspect.

Yedomi

I know it is not Spring yet.  On the calendar not for a loooong time.  Unfortunately.  However, when the sun is out, even in February, people perk up.  Sit on the bench next to my store and chat.  Everyone is friendly and cheerful.  We NEED the sun!  And yes, my store is packed with spring dresses.  Such as the one that Naomi picked out the other day:

Not only does she look adorable in it (she did throw on a big coat to walk over here from Splurge) – but look at her:  She designed a piece of jewelry to match the dress perfectly!

The dress by Hazel is made of a lightweight silk/cotton mix, ends in three tiers and is fully lined.  The straps on the embroidered bodice are adjustable.  That particular day, Naomi wore it over a pair of jeans.  She pulls it off so nicely, I am proud for her as my walking, beautiful advertising.  Needless to say that I am a major SUCKER for her jewelry.

the pain of choosing

Adding to my earlier post about the brand names, I have added this new brand to my store and I am so in love with it.  Partly because all I see in fashion magazines right now are girly styles.  I believe the reason for that is the dire state our economy (and not only our’s, the entire world’s economy).  Therefore, the fashion designers are embellishing every design.  We now have ruffles, embroidery, full skirts, dresses that remind of the 40s.  Everything womanly and VERY feminine.

Am I am so glad to have been born a girl.  I get to wear all this.  And there is nothing like a pretty skirt that makes you feel beautiful.  The way it swings around your legs.  The reflection in a window when you walk by.  The pretty colors.

That is why I have such a hard time choosing from all the pieces that Elisha showed me the other day.  Ruffly tops.  Layered.  Eyelets.   Full swing skirts.  Flowy fabrics.  Sheers.  What am I supposed to do?

For now, I am just going to upload my favorites.  And look at it from a different perspective.  And, of course, ignore my budget completely.

Popular vs. Unknown

This is the time of year.  Sales people call EVERY day to find out whether I am attending this show or that.  They not only call, they also stop by.  Sometimes unannounced, sometimes I make an appointment.  Irregardless, they all want to sell their wares.

In the beginning, I felt that when I had looked at something, pulled it out, announced it was beautiful – I also had to buy it.  Because most of the sales people are really nice and they have got to make a living too.  I do not do that anymore.  Instead I ‘write’ ‘notes’.  (all new language here for a teacher….)  I take the notes and take pictures of the items when I have a camera on me.  And ponder.  Most of it should be budget driven.  SHOULD.  It comes in handy when one knows about their finances.  Definitively.

But lately, I am also thinking about the popularity of a certain name.

As I wanted to be Miss Europe here, I wanted to pride myself in the European Style AND Names.  Turns out that whenever I mentioned a certain brand name that I carried, there were actually very few people whose face lights up when they heard it.  Those customers had actually traveled to Europe and had admired the brand there.  Not so for everyone else.

So much for wanting to be different.  Which also resulted in a few items that I have left over from the DAY I OPENED THE STORE.  And no, I will not admit which pieces they are or point to them.

Then came this winter and I had some sort of an eye- opening experience.  I started to sell SmartWool.  A very well-known brand and not cheap for socks.  I sold out of them TWICE.  And there are a number of stores that sell them, even in my neighborhood.  This is a well-known brand, people know what they are getting, the price does not matter – and they come back for them.  This is SOOO cool!

I am now thinking that there might be something to an item that gets mentioned in a magazine.  I also wonder whether Jason Wu will suddenly be famous because of Michelle Obama.

I have not drawn major conclusions on this issue.  But is is certainly worthwhile to think about.  Maybe it only applies to socks.