I'm Baaackkk!

Well, well, well.  Thought I forgot about the old blog, didn't you?  Yeah, I guess I did.  But my long-term memory is better than my short-term, so here I am!  Let me tell you where I've been... I know it's no excuse, but at least allow me an explanation.

I got a new job!  And I love it!  I still do some merchandising at American Eagle, but I am now also a product consultant at Sephora!  My local mall is opening a Sephora inside JC Penney (SiJCP).  The other consultants and I have spent countless hours learning, merchandising, cleaning, you name it... we had our soft opening this past Saturday, and the reception has already been overwhelmingly positive.  Grand opening is Friday; it's going to be nuts, and I can't wait!

I have a new-found love of skincare, and as much as I always loved make-up and beauty products, I have learned that investing in a bit more expensive product is well worth it. (That sounds so "not me," doesn't it??) Needless to say, expect some beauty product reviews and tutorials on here in addition to fashion posts.

Let's see, what else have I been up to?  I was in the cast of a musical as well as working on costumes for it.  The show closed the first weekend in May, and that Monday was my first day at Sephora.  I have also been volunteering in the theatre's office to learn a little more about the business end of theatre.  As much as I love the art, there is always a bottom line, and business acumen is always a marketable skill.  At a marketing committee meeting, I pointed out that our theatre doesn't have a great social media presence.  I will soon be starting a blog for the theatre! (Which, admittedly is what inspired me to start blogging here again.)  I'm sure I'll link to that as soon as it's up and running.

So I've been keeping pretty busy, but the good news is that I rarely have time to be bored.  It's good to be back, fashionistas!  Until next time (and I promise it will be sooner rather than later)!

X's and O's
~VeeLynn

Naturalizer Woman

Greetings, fashionistas! I haven't posted in a LONG time, but rest assured that the blog has hardly been forgotten.  I have been working a whole lot and not necessarily dressing to the nines. (Or the eights for that matter...) So not only have I not had time to blog, I haven't had much to blog about. At least as far as my own wardrobe is concerned.

Back in April, I mentioned in this post that my snake print heels were from Naturalizer. Ans they're actually cute!  Brands like Naturalizer, Easy Spirit, Aerosoles, and White Mountain get a bad rep as "old lady brands" because they are geared toward comfort. To be honest, they have traditionally put comfort over style, but that has been changing in recent years.

They sort-of match my decor.

Granted, my Naturalizer heels aren't my usual 4" stilettos, but they are almost 3" tall and the heels are thinner than my chunky heels from my last post.  At the bottom of this post, I linked the websites for the four brands I mentioned earlier.  Most of the brands can be purchased at stores like Macy's, Penney's, Bon-Ton, etc.  They all do have some definite granny shoes, but sift through the different categories and see what you can find!  Here are my recommendations for which brand to check out for different types of shoes.  Keep in mind, I only browsed the individual sites briefly, so this is just a generalization. (And my opinion!)
For Heels: Easy Spirit and Naturalizer
For Flats: Naturalizer and Aerosoles
For Wedges: Aerosoles
For Sneakers: Easy Spirit and Aerosoles (both have cute slip-ons, too... similar to Toms)
For Flip Flops: White Mountain
For Winter Boots (Uggs type): White Mountain

Site Links:
Naturalizer
Easy Spirit
Aerosoles
White Mountain

Keep your best foot forward!
~VeeLynn

BOOTylicious

I thought I should share this sooner rather than later.  Remember the boots I was wearing in my last post?  You don't?  No need to scroll down, here's a refresher:

Hey, there's my floor!

I got these on the SUPER CHEAP.  They were originally $69; way more than I was willing to pay for a pair of black faux-suede boots.  My current pair, though, was in dire straights and I was in need of this winter wardrobe staple.  How much did I pay?  $14.  Yes, you read that correctly.  FourTEEN dollars.

The secret to getting super cheap shoes is to wait until the end of the season. The temptation is a killer, but all good things must go on sale.  Then clearance.  I have to admit that part of my savings came from my employee discount.  But even so, they still would have been only $17.

The danger of waiting until the end of the season is that there are slim pickings by the time things are 75% off.  I lucked out because I am a size 5 1/2 and not many people can wear that size.  It's a little more difficult if you are one of the more common sizes (7 - 9).  The good news is that not many people want to pay full price for things, so unless there are sales or coupons, there is a decent chance that there will be lots of leftovers for us bargain vultures.

Have a general idea of what you want (ie, black suede flat boots) and go from there.  I know that "black suede flat boots" sounds super specific, but in the world of women's shoes... it's not.  Being uber picking can be detrimental.  "I want black suede flat boots with three buckles at the top and two around the ankle," limits your options severely, even at the beginning of the season.  Also, don't be hung-up on your shoes being "so last year."  Would you be able to identify what year a pair of boots is from?  Unless you're Calvin Klein himself, I doubt it.  But just in case you were wondering, Mr. Klein, these boots are by Rampage at Macy's.  This is where less detailing can be helpful.  More on that in another post.

Stay BOOTiful!
~VeeLynn

Ask Anything: Size Matters

Tonight, I had my very first fashion consultation... via Facebook Messenger. It makes me so happy that my friends come to me for advice! I thought that this one situation could benefit a lot of people, so I asked her permission to post. Here we go:

"I need some fun spring outfits - the problem is that my size is right on the verge of regular/plus size. I'm a 14-16. Where do I find knee length dresses?" -- Kristy

Believe me, when it comes to shopping for unusual sizes, I'm the queen of the castle. I happen to fall on the opposite end of the spectrum from Kristy. I can wear children's sizes. (Some good buys there for you tiny gals. But, this is for another post... I digress.) Kristy is an awesome bargain shopper, so like moi, she loves stores like TJ Maxx and picks through the sale racks at department stores. Because, let's face it, who doesn't love a good buy?  Sometimes, though, necessity (or gift cards) demand that we splurge.

My first thought was Lane Bryant, but Kristy is not a true plus size, so their clothes tend to be baggy on her. After minutes of greuling deliberation and feeling like a failure at my future career path, I suggested that she try stores like Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor LOFT, or New York & Company. These stores are great for women of all sizes. Their clothes are great for day-to-night looks, so even though they may be a little pricier, it is always a good investment. Something you can wear to multiple occasions.

One thing about these stores is that there is a lot of vanity sizing going on. What does that mean? It means that their clothes tend to run about a size too large, so that when you need a size smaller than normal, you feel great. So goes the theory. For example, at Ann Taylor I am a size 00 petite or XXS petite. A double-zero I am not. How does this benefit women like Kristy? She would actually be one of the median sizes at these stores, allowing her to move up or down a size or so given the fit of individual garments.

Check out these stores online! Something for all shapes and sizes!
Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor LOFT
New York & Company

Happy shopping!
~VeeLynn

Welcome!

Hey hey!  Welcome to Tatters to Trousseau!  I'm usually awful at keeping-up with blogs, but fashion is something that I have a great deal of passion for, so I think I'll be better with this one. ;-)

So, what is this blog?  There are literally thousands of fashion and beauty blogs out there in the blogosphere... how is this one any different?  I have more clothes than I know what to do with, and I'm probably about 3 steps away from being on an episode of hoarders.  I haven't grown since about 7th grade, so I never HAVE to get new clothes, but who can resist the call of the wild shopping mall?  Of course I have given some old things away to charity... something about glittery hearts and butterflies doesn't quite seem to fit my personality anymore.  Also, I may not have gotten any taller, but I have definitely gotten fatter since I was 13. :-/

Well, that was a lovely summary of my history, but I still haven't answered the question.  How is this blog different from other fashion blogs?  I always had an inkling that my clothes would come back into style.  So even if I hadn't worn them for years, maybe, just maybe, they would be wearable.  Even if you haven't been hoarding clothes for the past 15 years like some people (ahem), I can show you how to take some of your old accouterments and make them new again!

Not only that, but I'm killer at bargain shopping.  I will share some of my best bargain finds, and help you make your own bargain buys.  Sometimes "bargain shopping" gets a bad rep.  You can get great, brand name stuff for awesome prices, even at stores like Macy's.

Thanks for reading, fashionistas!

~VeeLynn