POP (up)!

Today was a very exciting day for Skinny Jeans.  First, it was the one year anniversary of my store location opening!  I am so proud to be a part of such an amazing team and cannot believe how far we have come.  I can’t wait to see what happens in the future.  Love you girls!!!!

SECOND!  Today was the first day of the Sundar Imports Pop Up Shop.  I have been waiting for this day for three months.  I am sure you are thinking….what the h-e-double-hockey-sticks is she talking about?  Well, let me fill you in!  Sundar Imports is a cool little shop started by some moms in Hudson, Wisconsin who (in their own words) :  “shared a love for fair trade fashion with frill and a personal vision to make the world a little brighter!”  The shop currently appears every few months for 3 days and is filled with fair trade goodies from around the world.  The ladies at Sundar spend oodles of time looking for clothing, jewelry, bags, headbands, etc. which are inspired by artisans around the world.  They have featured items made from recycled saris, old cassette tapes, and even acai berries.  So for the next two days (sorry, they are closed for today), they will be sharing their wares with the local area.

Of course, being the lover of all things fashion, I arranged to meet my friend, Leah, at Sundar after work.  I said if she was interested in a particular clutch shown as a teaser on their Facebook page (make sure you “like” it!).  Leah is nothing if not determined.  She showed up an hour early and waited on a bench for the opening.  Twenty minutes prior I pulled up, just as a few other ladies showed up and the line began.  I would have a picture of the line, but I did not want to lose my place as #2 in line!  One of my favorite parts of line, was making “line friends”.  Naturally, I love to chat and we had a blast talking to those around us.  

At five o’clock on the nose, the doors opened (thank goodness, since it had started to rain).  I felt like it was Black Friday at Wal-Mart, except we were all sociable and fun!  The girls lined up were all so determined and eager, but who could blame them.  The items Sundar  Imports has are so cute!  Girls were grabbing pants, dresses and accessories up as quick as they could.  Changing rooms were filled with as many girls as possible at a time and there was a overall feeling of camaraderie at the shop.  Some of the hot items (from my observations) were the navy lace Astoria dress, which our line friend Michelle managed to snag as you can (see her extreme joy in the picture above? YAY!), a cute rouched hoodie, a great scrunched scarf  and the adorable Sundar Frill Pant.

Downside?  These poor girls are so popular, the line to check out can get a little long.  But they seem to always be streamlining to make things faster and easier.  When something is this cute and fun, isn’t it worth the wait??  Besides, it is always a great excuse to make MORE line friends.  Do you see my friend, Shannon, waving from the front of the cash/check line while my other friend ,Tracy, laughs?  If you think that line is long, you aren’t even really seeing the credit card line.  Wow.  But can the girls at Sundar help it if they are popular?  Nope!

While at Sundar Imports, I noticed a lot of familiar faces.  Half of the shoppers are our shoppers at Hot Mama!  It was so much fun to see these ladies out and about, supporting another amazing company.  Did I mention Hot Mama and Sundar have some of the best customers ever?  Not that I am biased or anything…

Of course, I would not be a good blogger if I did not purchase some wares to sample myself.  I DID try on the navy lace dress, which I was amazed to see fit (and was cute) but I passed due to the disagreement between the neckline and my boob size.  However, I left with an adorable headband (for me…not my kids…just sayin’), the recycled clutch in navy from New Delhi, and the Mirasol Farm salt scrub. 

I would be an even worse blogger if I did not mention on of the cool changes I have seen since the last Pop Up shop.  This time around, Sundar Imports is donating 5% of their sales to The SOURCE.  The SOURCE is a newly formed resource organization serving the needs of the Hudson community. Its purpose is to provide a place where Hudson area residents can interact with volunteers to identify the best available social services to meet their needs.  I love that Sundar Imports not only has a global focus, but a local focus as well.  Can these ladies get any more fabulous?

So if you are in the Hudson area this weekend, please be sure to visit Sundar Imports!  They are located  in Hudson, Wisconsin at 220 Locust Street (right below Knoke’s Chocolates, so stop in for a sweet, chocolaty treat as long as you are in the neighborhood).  This time around, they are open September 21 (5:00 pm to 9:00 pm), September 22 (9:00 am to 6:00 pm), and September 23 (11:00 am to 4:00 pm). 

If you can’t make it this weekend, hopefully I will run in to you in a few months at Sundar Imports for holiday shopping.  Don’t worry, I will bring my wish list to make it easy for you.

Denim – An Insider’s Guide!

Jeans.  They are a big part of my life.  I absolutely LOVE wearing them.  I love helping people find their perfect pair.  Basically, I spend most of my time being around and doing something I love.  Pretty cool, huh?! 

However, not everyone loves jeans, or, at least, not everyone loves shopping for jeans.  It can be more stressful than shopping for a bathing suit for many people.  I have talked many people off the ledge when denim shopping and a good denim education is the thing which seems to help the most.  Well, that and the customer actually trusting that after doing this for the past year and a half for forty hours a week (approximately 3100 hours), I just might know how a pair of jeans are supposed to fit better than they do (I don’t go into your work and tell you now to do your job, do I?).  So if YOU feel you can trust me, here are some tips to make your denim shopping experience easier!

FINDING YOUR PERFECT PAIR

Go tight or go home! Most denim stretches, so when trying them on, go for a snug fit.  If they fit perfectly right out of the gate, they will bag out, creating the dreaded “Diaper Butt” we all fear.  If you can grab a handful of fabric in the butt or crotch of the jeans, they are too big. If your jeans are touching your skin, that does not mean they are necessarily too tight.  If your jeans require you to literally jump up and down to get into them, they are not necessarily too tight.  If you can’t button them (at all), zip them, or sit down in them, THEN they are too tight.  Some jeans relax and conform to your body more than others, so trust the wisdom of the stylist you are working with who advises you to try a different size.  I have several pairs of jeans that I jump up and down like a fool to get into but relax like crazy after getting them on.  My kids think Mom getting her jeans on is hilarious.  It is always fun to jump around with an audience.

When buying denim, I tell all my customers to wear the denim around for an hour before cutting the tags off.  Make sure they do not over or under relax on you.  You can also try your denim on first when shopping and keep wearing them around while you try on tops.  This will also give them a chance to relax and for you to see how they will fit in the long run. 

Be prepared to pay up!  If you wear denim every day, it's a small price to pay for a great fit.  So what makes that great fit cost so much?  Premium denim brands often retain their fit models (can you imagine being paid a retainer to put on jeans?  Sweet!).  These same brands also bring in better fabrics and focus on details such as distressing, which is usually done by hand, not by a machine.  It is details like this which may raise the cost of the jean, not just the name.  In my own experience, I have found my premium denim lasts longer, creating a better cost per wear than lower priced brands.  I recently consigned my first pair of premium denim, 7 for All Mankind, and they were still in mint condition after 8 years. 

Look in your rearview mirror!  Most people will see you from behind and that is where most people will judge how your denim looks.  Make sure you check out how your butt looks in a 3-way mirror. Ask a friend, a stylist, or a nearby shopper for help.  Make sure you look at where the pockets are placed, is there any sagging underneath, are they riding too low or too high. Ask yourself, does that tushie look like a cute little peach (YAY), a flat pancake (nay), or two pigs fighting under a blanket (nay).

Nip, tuck! No piece of clothing is meant to fit you specifically.  It is designed to fit a general body type.  With that being said, it is normal to get alterations on your denim. Most denim is meant to be hemmed (unless you are blessed with super long legs, which I was not).  Do you have a juicy booty and tiny waist?  Take it in and avoid gapping in back.  These are easy fixes for any tailor worth their salt.  If you are going to have the perfect pair of jeans, why wouldn’t you want to ensure the perfect fit for your body?

Try all kinds! When trying on denim, try all kinds of denim on. You may discover that you love boyfriend jeans.  Or skinny jeans.  Or boot cut.  There is a plethora of options when it comes to denim, colors, cuts, fabrics.  How do you know what you will work if you do not try things on?  Often, there is more than one option which will fit and flatter.  Try them all and find out which you love the most.  Be open minded with fit and fabric. Remember, the right fitting pair of jeans will make you look slimmer, the wrong pair of jeans will do the opposite or worse!

To bling or not to bling?  I get asked this question a lot.  Well, this one is a personal choice.  Since it is my blog, I am going to share my own opinion on this one, but you make your own decision.  I do not wear blingy jeans.  It is my belief that if you need to put diamonds and heavy decorative stitching across your rear, your trying to cover something up.  I prefer my ass to speak for itself in a pair of jeans.  Also, it is something a high school girl wears, not a grown woman.  Again, just my opinion.

 

So there you have it!  Some easy tips and tricks to remember when you are buying your next pair of jeans.  Hopefully, this will help to take some of the stress out of looking fabulous in your jeans.

*Special thanks to my booty-licious models, Emily and Lisa, who were kind enough to let me take pictures of their frontal and rear regions for my blog.*

*Denim featured above:  Nico Skinny by Hudson and Piper by AG via Hot Mama*

The Thrill of the Hunt.

Three days ago, my husband gave me his blessing to buy everything on my wish list at work.  What?  Seriously?  I could not believe it. My frugal hubby, who just last week was telling me I needed to keep an eye on my spending, told me to get crazy and spend some of our hard earned money on myself.  Friends told me to take the money and run, not to look this gift horse in the mouth.  It is 3 days later and I have still yet to spend the money.  I can't help but wonder why?

After thinking about it, it finally hit me.  Much like the episode of Sex and the City where Aiden and Carrie are getting along too well, I was missing the thrill of the hunt.  Not just the hunt for those amazing finds or deals, but the hunt for MAKING the purchase and bringing it home.  I was getting to shop without the drama.  No calculating, hiding, sneaking around, just smooth shopping on the horizon.  No need to hide part of the purchases in the closet or in the trunk until I can get it past him at a later date.  I was missing the excitement and drama that is usually attached to a big shopping trip!

OK, ladies.  Let's be real.  We all try to pull things over on our men, especially regarding shopping.  We know we do it.  They know we do it.  It is all part of what keeps our relationships exciting.  The excuses  we make, the half truths, and the outright lies are all the thrill of the hunt which is shopping.  Can you honestly say the following has never left your mouth?

• "Oh, I have had that forever..." - Since when does forever equal one week?
• "These never go on sale.  It was such a good deal, I couldn't pass it up."  - Really?  Never goes on sale?  Just this one time?  No one really believes that, not you, not him.
• "No, I only spent $XXX today." - Yeah, right.  You probably spent twice that and hid the rest on your "secret" credit card or used your cash stash.
• "I just haven't worn that since before I had the kids." - This one was my favorite.   It doesn't work anymore, but it did for awhile.

There are hundreds, if not thousands more I could add to this list.  I am sure my hubby could even add a few of his own.

Really, it is by far not the worst problem to have.  I am sure most of you are screaming at your computer/iPad/phone screens that I am an idiot for waiting this long, even if my husband has spoiled the hunt for me. I am extremely thankful my husband desires to make me happy.  The way to a man's heart may be through his stomach, but my path just might start in the closet.  Happy wife, happy life, right?!

In the end, I will suck it up and go shop.  It is a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

Well, I'm in trouble....again.

My husband is balancing the checkbook.  Yup, he still does this every month, sitting down with a pencil, highlighter and calculator.  I like to call those our "fight" days.  One time, he even tried to do it on our anniversary!

This month, he has discovered my early love of the new Sephora which is opening only a scant mile from my work.  What is worse, my cousin is the manager and has the ability to talk me into glorious pampering items designed to make me look and feel fabulous.  What is not to like about that?  You think he, of all people, would WANT me to be as amazing and relaxed as possible.  Happy wife = happy life, right?  Apparently, not in the eyes of my spouse, who would like me to curb my obsession with Sephora and my place of employment, Hot Mama (HA!!!!  Not going to happen).  It is times like this I must be reminded of the following:

 Yes, I would love to purchase every single Benefit, Philosophy, or Urban Decay product waived under my nose, but I must remind myself that it will disrupt the wedded bliss usually I experience at home.  It is up to me to reign in my own love of delicious products to sooth the savage beast I am married to tonight.

BUT, fear not, my intrepid readers!  Fall is my favorite season for fashion and my hubby has already been warned of and agreed to some shopping adventures for me.  I am now weighing my love of Sephora with my love of Hot Mama.  Hmmm.....which do you think is going to win????  So in the near future, I will be reminded of this following:

And I can't wait!!!!

To be continued......