Essential Wardrobe: The Classic White Blouse

The classic white blouse likes everyone and everyone likes the classic white blouse. Denim likes it, trousers like it, skirts like it, jumpers like it. If one garment of clothing were going to act as student body president, it would be the classic white blouse. Below are some candidates for your empire.

Upper Figure Options
Closet empires are not equal opportunity employers, and the Upper Figure need not employ white blouses with little gaping buttons for the benefit of tradition. Keep it clean with an open neckline to break up the line of the bosom. Fit the girls first and tailor the rest. Apply belting and tucking assistants as appropriate to offer appropriate shape and style.

Middle Figure Options: The keywords are cascade and camouflage. Show off your arms, your lovely neck, but keep the soft lines of your figure under banded tops and tunic style cuts with a finished hem that will not be tucked in.

























Lower Figure Options: A defined waist with a skirted peplum to cascade over the hips, never fails a southern endowed lady.


























Hourglass Options: Tie it, belt it, band it: whatever you need to do to show off the center of your torso.

























Linear Options: Keep the neckline high and embellish to allude to volume and curves.


























If you have warm undertones in your complexion consider wearing an ivory or honey beige as opposed to a cool white.

Get the full package: A customized look book and a 60 minute virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of closet managers, at excessively competitive wages.

Essential Fashion Basics

I heart fancy: imaginative prints, elaborate embellishments, delicate adornments. And there is a time and place for pantsies of fancy, but before we move into niche specialists, we must employ the basics. One must lay their closet foundation before they can start adding crown molding, dormers, and cupolas.

Each of these items should be fastidiously selected. For these garments are your clothing managers. They serve a multifarious role and keep all your closet underlings in line. As you interview, ask about their ability to highlight your best assets, express your signature style, and flatter you mercilessly.

These week we will be interviewing some of the top positions in your closet empire. On tomorrow's agenda: the classic white shirt.

Get the full package: A customized look book and a 60 minute virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of closet managers, at excessively competitive wages.

Shopping Tool Kit: Froogle

I adore pastry cases. Looking at all the pretty treaties with all their pretty friends is a charming little pleasure. Pastry cases allow you to easily pick the prettiest treatie because everyone's on display (unlike those sneaky stealth menus).

Froogle (now called a much less cute and clever: Google Product Search) is a virtual pastry case. You can compare all the lovelies and their prices in a single screen. Type in "High-waisted Pencil Skirt" and you'll get a screen generous with pretty pencil skirts which you can narrow down by any imaginable flavor: brand, store, price, seller rating, etc.

It is in one word, delicious.

Shopping Tool Kit: eBay Saved Searches

I want my own robot.

She would match the white socks and answer e-mails when I fall victim to digital tsunamis. She would find me the sold out Victorian black boots in my puffy pink cloud of a daydream.

I am yet to discover the appropriate model, but I have found a solution for the last requirement: eBay Saved Searches

Sometimes you wait too long on something. You gamble away your chances on a material soul mate by greedily waiting for a further mark down, or you leave you pretty unattended through slovenly procrastination. Now you can't stop thinking about this item, knowing you two were supposed to be together. The only option left to you at this point is eBay: the land of second chances.

But sometimes even eBay breaks your heart. Every item that seems to work is already in the SOLD column. You want to continue searching day after day, week after week, but your busy robot-less life won't allow it.

There is hope. Tell the eBay Robot you want Frye Adrienne Button Boots, and she will send you an e-mail every time someone posts a listing matching this criteria. Leaving you time to match the white socks and answer a few more e-mails.

Shopping Tool Kit: Amazon Universal Wish List

Thoreau and I like theoretical shopping. Henry liked to buy farms, in his own words, "In imagination I have bought all the farms in succession, for all were to be bought, and I knew their price. I walked over each farmer's premises, tasted his wild apples, discoursed on husbandry with him, took his farm at his price, at any price, mortgaging it to him in my mind; even put a higher price on it -- took everything but a deed of it -- took his word for his deed, for I dearly love to talk -- cultivated it, and him too to some extent, I trust, and withdrew when I had enjoyed it long enough, leaving him to carry it on. My imagination carried me so far that I even had the refusal of several farms -- the refusal was all I wanted -- but I never got my fingers burned by actual possession." (Walden, Ch 2: Where I Lived and What I Lived For). For H.D. believed, "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things
which he can afford to let alone."

Although I'm not ready to move into my lakeside cabin, I do believe we can all get by with a little less (especially if we love what we do get a little more.) One tool to aid this endeavor is the the Amazon Universal Wish List. This splendid apparatus allows you to add every imaginable desire, from any website, to a central cart. Not only does this allow you to cool the passions of a temporary, but unnecessary desire, but it also allows you to keep track of items until their price and personal value match.

"Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!" There's nothing better than a little more of that.

Shopping Tool Kit: Shop it To Me

There are times when I like to buy pretties full price. It usually happens at the beginning of the month when my shopping budget has received a fresh renewal. A frock and I lock eyes across the sales floor, I am drawn by its novelty and stylistic familiarity. There it is with all its friends, one in every size and color, smelling like clean tissue and distilled steam. I pick my mate up, holding it in my arms as I take it to the fitting room. I emerge with every curve cradled in exquisite details. And then I know in my heart that we must be together while it is still perfectly pressed and all its buttons are intact. My stomach drops at the thought of my size being depleted.

The rest of the time, I pick my lovelies up in the sale rack. It's not that I don't adore these items, I've been watching them for weeks, but it was not our time to be together, not yet, not until the price tag has been corrected.

Well there are some tools to help you in your quest to watch after well loved items that have the wrong price attached to them. And that is our focus this week: putting together a shopping tool kit. Our first feature is Shop It To Me.

Here's how it works, you put a pretty check next to your favorite apparel brands (such as Theory, Prada, Armani, Ella Moss, Juicy Couture, Seven Jeans, DKNY, or BCBG). The search becomes personal as you complete a profile of sizes. Then their shopping robots scour the websites of leading retailers like Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdales, Banana Republic, Gap, Zappos and Bluefly and send you a Salemail™ - a daily or weekly email summary of which new items go on sale in your size. Upon receipt, you can clickity click over to snatch your beloved up.

Here is my invitation for you. Make sure to enter your own e-mail at the end of the sign up process. Then you can send it to 10 of your friends and get a $10 gift certificate to Banana Republic, JCrew or Bloomingdales.

Fitting Room Friday: Shopping Strategies

She's smart, disciplined, athletic, healthy and gorgeous, she's Kara Bagley. And she won't settle for anything less than wholesome grains on her family's table (her cooking blog could change your life so clicker, clicky, click) and wholesome deals in her personal closet. This week we've been on a bargain safari, avoiding treacheries like junior fits and design malaise. And now our adventure has brought us full circle, but this time we're heading to the sale room, cutting through the jungle of options to uncover lost fashion.

Shopping Safari Day Four: Old Navy

I have to give props to a store that can carry a shoe in this style and a coat with this print. Granted, these items will only last for a season, but there are times when wisdom promotes the purchase of short lived clothing. When you're buying an extreme trend, when you're in the process of changing your weight, or when you know our chosen activity will quickly destroy your uniform. Well in those cases, you'd better make a stop at Old Navy. But when it's short lovely life has been lived, please show it respect by giving it a respectful end. Cardigan Empire does not condone the wearing and exploitation of clothing carcasses.

Site 1: To the Pinks

Button Front Cardigan

Sheer Cotton Gingham Shirt
High Rise Denim Pencil Skirt
Sueded Trim Canvas Ballet Flat

Site 2: Dual Analogous

Printed Empire Top
Ruffled Cardigan
Roll Up Ripstop Cargo
Embellished T-Strap Sandal
Floral Canvas Hobo

Want a personalized guide on your own shopping safari? Reserve a 60 minute virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of uniquely customized ensembles, at excessively reasonable prices.

Shopping Safari Day Three: Kohls

If your signature style dial is magnetized by modern wavelengths, I must recommend a stop at Kohls. It's not that indigenous ruffles and pleats do not grow here, it's just one of the few places you'll find an architectural shape like the Elle Ponte Jacket without breaking three digits.

Site 1: Modern Primaries

AB Studio Floral Sheath Dress

Croft & Barrow Topper Jacket
Keds Spright Wedge Shoes

Site 2: Feminine Edge

SO Flower Headband
apt. 9® Ruffle-Tier Chiffon Henley
apt. 9® Floral Pleated Skirt
Simply Vera Vera Wang Diamond-Lace Capri Leggings
Simply Vera Vera Wang Plumosa Dress Heels

Want a personalized guide on your own shopping safari? Reserve a 60 minute virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of uniquely customized ensembles, at excessively reasonable prices.

Shopping Safari Day Two: JCPenney's

Mom's pet name for it was Pennies. Patiently folded arms within its perimeter were rewarded generously with a See's chocolate. With a sharper edge of modern and a flirtier flash of femininity than I remember seeing while hiding amidst the garment racks, I now recommend giving it a fresh glance. What I amply appreciate is affordable fashion available in womens' sizes. While juniors get far more freshy trends for their money, the cuts are simpler and do not accommodate as many curves as a fully matured lady acquires. With no further introduction, welcome to JC Penney's.


Site 1: Hued Triage

Worthington 3/4 Sleeve Jacket

Worthington Pleated Blouse
Worthington Sailor Pant
Payless Dexter Kent T-Strap

Site 2: High Waisted Glamour

Worthington Belted Cardigan Sweater
Worthington Pleated Front Blouse
Worthington Sateen Skirt
Croco-Embossed Linen Satchel
Worthington Lulu Peep Toe Mary Janes

Want a personalized guide on your own shopping safari? Reserve a 60 minute virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of uniquely customized ensembles, at excessively reasonable prices.

Shopping Safari Day One: Forever21

Today we begin an epic week of adventure for budget priced pretties. We will be entering new territories, previously uncharted on Cardigan Empire. Not everything in these locations should be approached. Many of the items are constructed specifically for the primitive figures of adolescence. The racks will be lush with strange and foreign fashions, please obey the rules we've discussed for the safety of your own esteem and personal style. Our first stop is Forever21: a fresh, trend savvy home of economically conscious fashion.

Site 1: Tailored Calico

Rose Garden Cropped Cardigan

H81 Silk Floral Blouse
Exec Wool Blend Skirt
Nora Platform Pumps
Pearl Centered Flower Ring

Site 2: Modern Tropical

Cap Sleeve Swing Blazer
Sindy Strapless Floral Dress
Marble Centered Foliage Cuff
Tera Gladiator Sandals

Want a personalized guide on your own shopping safari? Reserve a 60 minute virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of uniquely customized ensembles, at excessively reasonable prices.