Personalized Shopping On-line

As more and more women live busy lives, shopping on-line has been a convenient way find the perfect wardrobe additions. For 20 years I have been selling Carlisle through trunk shows in the Pasadena area. Unfortunately not everyone could come in person during the specific dates of the showing, or because they lived too far away, or they were simply too busy at the time of the show. Now any woman in the USA at any time of the day or week can shop with Carlisle and Per Se via the on-line site. I still offer personalized advise as needed via email or phone. If the client is someone I do not know, I have them fill out a profile with information about their life style needs, figure type, coloring, and preferences. They can even send me a head shot and full length photo of themselves to help me visually.

www.carlisleboutique.com/bwxcxn

Sweater Care

Now that we can finally wear sweaters in Southern California it's time to think about proper care. Though you may not be able to tell it, the cardigan pictured here is a cable knit. It should not be hung on a hanger both because of the weight and looseness of the knitting. Hanging will lead to the shoulders stretching out and the entire garment. "growing" or lengthening. Occasionally you may have a light-weight tightly woven knit sweater that can be hung on a padded or heavy hanger, but usually sweaters should lay flat.

Snags and pulls are another care issue with sweaters. Larger loose weaves are prone to being caught on protruding objects. Tight weave can easily be snagged, so watch that your jewelry and purse have no rough edges.

Moths love lunching on the food particles dropped on your sweater, even those particles you do not see. So dry clean them for sure at the end of the season, but also during the season as needed. You can even wrap your sweater up and place it in the freezer over night to kill any bugs or eggs that might be inside your favorite wool or cashmere pieces.

What is your color contrast level?

Most women know about seasonal colors or at least which colors look best on them. Have you ever considered what contrast level in a print works best for you? The model on the left has a medium contrast between her hair color and complexion. The dress is also medium contrast: beige and brown. This is one of the reasons this dress looks great on this model, the contrast levels agree. If the dress was black and white (the ultimate in high contrast), then someone with dark hair and a fair complexion would look especially striking because the again the contrast levels agree.

Contrast level is one of the items I note on my client's profile. It's a subtle element. Sometimes though a certain garment color and the styling of a garment will trump contrast level when making a purchase decision. Just become aware of your personal contrast level. Look at the prints in your closet. Are they low, medium or high contrast? Which do you feel best in?

Tights and Black Sheer Hosiery

Often women over 50 will tell me that a certain skirt in the Collection is too short for them. Yet my opinion is that with tights or dark hosiery you can wear a shorter skirt if you have good legs. Look at the short black skirt at the left. In this photo the model almost looks like she is wearing pants because the skirt, tights and shoes create one long look. Hot this season are tights with boots also. The model on the right is wearing a chiffon flowing skirt with sheer black hose. The hosiery definitely is the finishing touch to this elegant lady look. Bare legs just will not do here.

Cypress Jacket $545 Angelic Satin Blouse $295

Intrigue Skirt $235 Caviar Chiffon Skirt $255

See www.wardrobeperfect.com for more about the Carlisle and Per Se Collections.