Fantastic Pair of Danskos

I have a fantastic pair of Danskos - Grape-colored Giselle Mary Janes that I purchased to travel overseas last summer. I bought them in an effort to avoid the standard “uniform” of tennis shoes and jeans that make your average American tourist stick out like a sore thumb. I remember being so nervous to buy them. They are purple, after all! They are also the first pair of shoes I’ve purchased that clear the $100 mark.

Over a year later, these are still my go-to shoes. I wear them with skirts and jeans, with funky hound’s-tooth shorts, and camel corduroys. They have pounded the pavement with me everywhere from Beijing to D.C. The combination of muted purple nubuck, rounded-toes with slightly-contrasting topstitching, and mary jane styling walk the perfect line between funky and classy.

Tips for Graceful Dressing

Dress is one of the important aspects of body language. A woman should be careful about her dress. Between graceful and gaudy there is very narrow margin. Inappropriate dress will have great negative impact. A woman’s classic dress adds value to her image.

Avoid wearing high heels. You will have to be careful in keeping your balance while wearing them. You should pay good attention to the height of the heel.

The best attire is the one that gives comfort and confidence. Custom made clothes enhances one’s image and is comfortable to wear. Avoid wearing poor fit attire as it makes you uncomfortable. Of course tight fits enhances certain aspects of your body, but they also magnify imperfections and flaws and are uncomfortable to wear.

A woman can wear little jewelry, which are not in complicated design. Too much of jewelry which are in different shapes, sizes and colors creates a bad look. Wear jewelry, which are simple. The style, shape, color and size of the jewelry should be similar.

A woman can wear attire that exhibits a healthy sense of femininity. It need not be boring and rigid. Following the tips given a woman can dress to enhance her image.

Upcoming Fall Fashion

With the hot weather gradually leaving us and awaiting autumn, we should also be on the lookout for hot fashion tips. First, belts are really hot this year. Now, there are so many different kinds of belts, and so many ways to wear them! I love the new waist belts, because for the ladies with curvier tummies, it makes the illusion that you now have a smaller waist. There are thin and thick waist belts, but I really recommend the thick kinds if you want to appear to have a smaller waist. They also look amazing with a flowy top and printed tights. Speaking of printed tights, that leads us to our next topic. Black tights have been in fashion forever, and now, it’s time to do something a little crazy! Many fashion designers are now introducing us to printed tights. The colors and patterns are endless, and can look good with almost anything. You can pair them a dress and heels, or a long top with a belt and some cute boots—the combinations can go on forever! I hope these fashion tips opened your eyes to fabulous and upcoming looks!

Bench

One of the most popular apparel brands in the Philippines is Bench, along with many foreign brands. Bench is Filipino-owned, with a number of branches in different countries. Almost every big mall in the Philippines has a bench store in it.

Bench caters clothing and vanity needs for both men and women. herbench/ (TM) is the trademark for products that target the female customers. The store’s products include clothing items (tops, bottoms and dresses), accessories (caps, handkerchiefs, bags, shoes), underwear, vanity items (colognes/perfumes, sanitizers, pocket tissues) and even food. The clothing items are very simple. Teens and young adults like myself are the patrons of the said brand.

The last thing I have bought there are hand sanitizer (Bratsplash alcogel green apple) and a bottle of cologne (Bare Me Not). They have promos from time to time and end-of-season sale. I am proud of Bench because it is already in the international scene. I like its products because they are simple but elegant and durable. They have never been outdated. Of course, they are very affordable. You can buy a shirt for Php300 or $6, approximately and I’g going to do that after this HIT.

God Bless The Salvation Army

I’m not too proud to say my favorite place to shop for women’s clothes is The Salvation Army Thrift Store. I usually go on the last Friday of the month because this is when they mark down the price even more, to get ready for the next month.

I know exactly what I’m looking for before I walk in the store, name brand clothes only. The staff really works hard coordinating all colors, short sleeve, long sleeve, pants, dresses, summer and winter items. Most of the stuff I don’t even have to look at, I’ve been doing this so long I can spot a good item when I’m walking in the door. I never waste my time with junk, only the good stuff for me.

The following is a few of the items I’ve purchased within the past three months: Tommy Hilfiger shirts and jeans, Liz Claiborne dress pants and dresses, Talbot’s dresses, Aeropostale shirts, Victoria Secrets shirts and too much more to mention. All these items were in excellent condition and just needed washed or cleaned. Some of the items still had the price tags attached. Most women will buy something they “just have to have” wear it one time and wonder “what was I thinking?” In the past 2 years I’ve lost over 100lbs and it is great getting these name brand clothes that I could never wear before, at such a great price. I’ve not paid over $5.00 for anything! Of course, there have been times that I couldn’t find anything, but that only builds the anticipation for the next visit.

The store has a huge variety of customer, most of them looking for a bargain just like me. The best thing is…..there’s always a sale, a huge variety of brands and you can always “make a deal”.

Women’s Suede Pants

I purchased a wonderful pair of washable suede pants at a fantastic sale at Loehmans in New York City. They fit beautifully with a low rise waist, comfy and roomy legs and a luxurious and resilient fabric. These were my first pair of washable suede pants and I was very impressed because they truly held their shape despite being washed several times. The black fabric stayed black and did not get a grayish hue so they still look brand new even though I have worn them multiple times. They look stylish, they’re versatile as I wear them for work and for leisure activities and I get many compliments on these pants. I am on the look out to purchase another pair if I can find them.

My Favorite Article of Women’s Clothing

My DKNY dark blue jeans are by far my most favorite clothing item. I found them on sale at Macy’s about 2 years ago during the Christmas season, marked down from their original price of $70 to the more reasonable cost of $30! They were in the junior’s section – an area I normally don’t frequent now – but I was drawn to it by the racks of appealing jeans and pants that were on sale.

The jeans are a size 4, and are slightly flared at the bottom. They are the only pair of jeans in my closet that mold perfectly to my shape, and I’ve worn them frequently (at least once a week) enough to prove that. Since they’re a dark blue color, I am comfortable wearing them for running errands, but also for slightly dressing up, when I attend casual get-togethers. To “punch them up,” all I have to do is pair the jeans with a nice-looking top and gold sandals, or black leather boots, if the weather is chilly.

It also matches beautifully with many of my clothing pieces, from dark colors to light shades such as lavender, and even works well with my bright orange t-shirt. And the jeans are weather-versatile, for the most part. Their material is not exceedingly thin, but not thick. It’s of terrific quality, in my opinion. I love wearing them for the mild climate we get in the Northeast during fall and spring. When it gets chilly, all I have to do is layer underneath leggings, and it still feels incredibly comfortable – not too loose, but not tight, either. Just perfect! The only time I stop wearing my DKNY jeans is when the summer temps exceed 90 F.

Trendy Women’s Clothes

My favorite place to shop for clothes is Lane Bryant. This is mostly because I am a plus-sized woman who hates department stores and likes to be trendy. I mostly shop at Lane Bryant for pants, shorts, and Capri-pants. I also shop there if I need something dressy and for pajama bottoms. They have GREAT sales too. They always have a sale corner where clothing is dirt cheap. They also offer, at different times of the year, a friends and family shopping discount of 40%, as well as what they call Real Women Dollars (for every $50.00 you spend you get $25.00 to use on your next visit). Sometimes they even have double Real Women Dollars (for every $50.00 you spend you get $50.00 to use on your next visit).

The most recent thing I purchased from Lane Bryant is a pair of bright blue pajama bottoms. They are 100% cotton and wonderfully comfortable. I live in their knit pajama bottoms. I can’t wait for their next good sale!

Always look for coupon codes when clothes shopping online!

Online shopping has been a boon for me. I hate to shop in malls and don’t even like to think about dueling for spaces in the parking lot. Dealing with dressing rooms, hot stores, crowds – not for me.

One thing I have learned is to ALWAYS do a Google search for discount coupon codes, even to high-end clothing places. I would say that 8 times out of 10, I get at least something off the price. It may be 10%, 15%, 20% or even free shipping, which is more than the discount. These apply to shoes, accessories, and outerwear, or pretty much anything you can think of. When the item is on sale, and you have a coupon code, it is a wonderful bargain.

Lord & Taylor

I have fantastic luck at Lord & Taylor. Really, their markdowns are substantial and I have gotten designer items at less than I could get anything at Wal-Mart. They have a semi-annual sale in the spring and fall, and if you get an additional markdown by mail, it is amazing. This is not cheap merchandise, it is high-quality, and in some cases, designer clothes. I see a lot of other working women like me there, looking for work wardrobes.

The last time I was there, I got a pale blue Philosophy blouse marked from $89 for less than $7. I know people don’t think of L&T as a bargain house, but if you go at the right time and get on their mailing list, it can be.

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