Closet Organization: Hangers

When composing your closet environment, assemble your own personal boutique.  Your closet should already be cleansed of all wardrobe impurities, so as you reassemble each pure and pretty piece, make sure its visible, accessible, and attractively presented.

This is possible even if your closet isn't lined in Florentine Rosewood and couldn't comfortably accommodate an extended family gathering.  

Even the humblest of closets, can be improved by a minimal investment in a set of matching hangers. 

My hanger of choice is the soft grip breed.  I appreciate its slip-preventing velvet coat, its space-reducing slim frame, and its shape-protecting rounded corners.

I will also accept wooden, satin, and even tubular hangers.  The only hangers I refuse to allow in your closets are wire hangers.  The wire can rust and stain your clothing, the pointy edges create unsightly shoulder nipples, and even your dry cleaner has to resort to safety pins to keep strappy numbers attached.

If you don't believe me, watch and learn from the Beverly Hills Organizer.

PS:  This same box is available at Costco for $14.99

Closet Organization

Closet Organization has been selected for the coming week.    Come back for a nifty neat wardrobe.

Book Review: The Sartorialist

The Sartorialist

by Scott Schuman

Sartorial: From Late Latin sartor, tailor.  Of or pertaining to clothing or style or manner of dress

As a devoted logophile, addicted to fancy synonyms, the concept had me at appellation.


And I've adored the Sartorialist blog cataloging street fashions on real people for many moons, but now a book of the best.

id est: Missy Milano, I fancy this modern fancy, sans the life span truncating addiction stick.  



And what focus on next week?  Closet Organizing Tools, Detestable Fashion, Plus Sizes?  It's like too many pretty shoes, vote in the comments and help me decide.

Book Review: How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World

How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World

by Jordan Christy

 

"In a society driven by celebutante news and myspace profiles, women of class, style and charm are hard to come by. The Audrey and Katharines of the world continue to lose their luster as thongs, rehab and outrageous behavior burn up the daily headlines. But, despite appearances, guys still want a girl they can take home to their mom, employers still like to see a tailored suit and peers still respect classy conduct. So is it possible to maintain old fashioned virtues in a modern world without looking like a starchy Amish grandma?"

Book Review: How Not to Look Old

How Not to Look Old

by Charla Krupp

I recommend this selection with some misgivings.  The tips are sound and the theory is legitimate, but Fräulein Krupp
violates Cardigan Empire Code. 


Let's imagine a canonical closer alignment, shall we?  First a retitling, "How Not to Look Irrelevant".  For age is NOT a negative attribute.  

Someday I hope to have an undeniably modern cut of entirely white and silver hair. I enjoy the smile lines around my eyes, and although I could do without the worry lines between my eyebrows, it's a visual teacher.


And are the labels young and hip truly complimentary?  They seem so trifling and transitory.  Being fresh and relevant, ensures you are connecting with the present.  Living until you die, consistently changing, learning, and evolving. 

So now you can enjoy this book with a CE disclaimer.  I do own it, it is useful.  Keep the supporting tactics, loose the underlying thesis.

Procure a book customized to your own fashion journey in a personalized fashion look book.

Book Review: Hungry

Hungry: A Young Model's Story of Appetite, Ambition, and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves
by Crystal Renn

Procure a book customized to your own fashion journey in a personalized fashion look book.

Book Review: Icons of Fashion

Icons of Fashion
by Gerda Buxbaum

Lets be honest, sometimes I just like to look at the pictures.

And I like that these ones are arranged by theme rather than chronologically.

And the essays are well written when you are craving something verbal with your visual.

Procure a book customized to your own fashion journey in a personalized fashion look book.

Happy Birthday to the most cleverest, most fashionable, most wonderful Mister who also happens to belong to me exclusively. Hearts to ATB.

Book Review: How to be a Budget Fashionista

How to be a Budget Fashionista

by Kathryn Finney



Is it possible that retailers soak sweet virgin pretties in dopamine? How else can we explain the new outfit addiction? Kathryn Finney begins to explain how to manage and train the well-dressed monkey on the back.



For example:



"The more you save, the more and longer you will be able to spend. Budget fashionistas must save as much as they spend per month on clothes. For example, if you have $250 after paying all your expenses, at least $125 of it should go into your savings account. Deposit the other $125 into a completely separate interest bearing checking or savings account with its own debit card and checks, to be used specifically for shopping. That way you will be able to keep track of the money you spend on clothes."



or



"Know the names of sales associates. Sales associates are a great source of information on upcoming sales and have access to Friends and Family coupons, which offer up to an additional 25% off merchandise." And might I add, maybe your salesy friend will call you when the pair of pants you've been lusting goes on sale.



Check it out from your local library, and in the meantime check out the Budget Fashionista Blog.

Procure a book customized to your own fashion journey in a personalized fashion look book.

Book Review: The Little Black Book of Style

The Little Black Book of Style

by Nina Garcia

"confidence is captivating, powerful and it doesn't fade, and that is endlessly more interesting than beauty."

A petite, eloquently penned guide on fashion basics. Quaintly illustrated and dotted with quotations by famous designers. It prettily presents tips on how and when to wear an ensemble, clever combinations of colors & textures, finding inspiration for signature style, and quite a bit more.

However, my favorite theme was guidelines on projecting confidence onto your imperfections:

"I marvel at a six-foot tall woman in stilettos, a big bottom woman in a curve hugging skirt, a flat chested woman in a tight, low-cut t-shirt. When a woman embraces her imperfections, they can become her greatest strengths, definers of her character and spirit."

Write that in lipstick on your mirror, and join me tomorrow for another addition to your nightstand.

Procure a book customized to your own fashion journey in a personalized fashion look book.

Fashion Book Reviews

On the docket for this week, fashion book reviews, come back my pretty bibliophiles.

Free Shipping at SprinklesOnTop

If you entered the SprinklesOnTop Giveaway and didn't win, there's still a prize in store for you.

Enjoy Free Shipping on your fetching felted pretties through March 31, 2010. Just mention Cardigan Empire in your order notes.

SprinklesOnTop Giveaway Winner

Heidi Jo's two comments pushed her into spot thirty-five, the winning digits of the SprinklesOnTop giveaway.

Hear Hear Heidi Jo!

Contact me and let me know which pretty little adornment you'd like to see crowned on your beautiful baby girl's head.

And I can no longer masquerade under the false pretense that Miss Munchie isn't a Utopian existence. She really is sublime. Forgive me for self-indulgently posting the rest of Miss Bagley's 4-month fashion shoot. I will try to justify my self indulgence with a smattering of tips.

1) Make sure your baby garments do not require ironing. Babies lounge, lounging equals wrinkles. And do I even need to mention a veto on dry cleaning?

2) Tights are in my opinion far superior to socks. Not only do they smooth out the diaper line, but they actually remain on.

3) Cute outer-panties are a perfect finishing touch, especially if your diminutive dear one finds cotton as orally irresistible as mine does.

Hearts, hearts, with a unicorn thrown in for good measure.

How to Dress a Baby: Baby Muffin Top

Baby Flaw #2: Muffin Top

My Cookie's contours mirror those of a baby penguin. Her waistline is 106% of her bust and 113% of her hips. Her dairy cache curves lusciously over the edge of her diaper in every direction. And when she stands in her bouncy chair and flaps her arms, there is no mistaking the resemblance to a certain aquatic, flightless fowl.

Her mini middle figure is delectable, but newborn mainstays do not flatter it. A onesie and baby sweatpants, secured by an elastic waistband around her butter bulge, make her look like she's ready to check into a wee rest-home.

Her figure looks far sweeter in waist skimming, rather than belly clinging, silhouettes: empire waistlines, untucked tunic tops, a-line dresses...

If she is going to wear a snapper and lounge pants, you can bet it will be chaperoned by a jacket or sweater to clean up the spill over.

Ensembles which bring attention to her rolly, polly limbs are also a plus.

And the same rules apply in adult sizes, my middle figured mamas.

Another Chance to Win: Twitter about the SprinklesOnTop giveaway and leave a confirming comment for another chance to win.

Text to Tweet: "Fetching Felt Baby Headband Giveaway @ Cardigan Empire: http://budurl.com/sprinkles"

In case you missed it, here is your link back in time to yesterday's launch of the SprinklesOnTop Giveaway

Baby Baldness: SprinklesOnTop Giveaway

Baby Flaw #1: Baldness

Babies are expert paraders of attractive features. Assets such as velvety smooth skin and milky fresh scent are used to acquire food on demand and persisting attention. However, even sublimely sweet bundles can benefit from personal styling.

The top of the list of Baby Lady's Body Dressings do's is actually the top of her fuzzy head. Even if dear baby's head isn't mishapen from long hours of lazing prone, dear baby does not yet have luscious locks to frame her delicate features and distinguish her from her male counterparts.


Hence a giveaway, from SprinklesOnTop, offering fetching felt adornments for cherub's crown. The soft, stretchy base cradles nearly all sizes from newborn noggins to toddler top stories. Meaning it will grow with your child allowing you to get a decent cost per wear out of something in the early evolving closet. Unlike the headband I attempted to craft with my own simple hands, these headbands remain sound without any finding fall out or un-raveling strings. Each piece is a work of art, and Julie will even craft something special just for your bundle if you ask.

Win, for free, your own SprinklesOnTop headband, just follow protocol below:

Either: Go to SprinklesOnTop, inspect their petite pretties, and leave a comment on what you would select for your baby's fringed coiffure.

And/Or: Follow Cardigan Empire on Blogger and leave a confirming comment on this post.

The winner of the SprinklesOnTop Giveaway will be selected on Friday, March 12th. The winner gets to select a SprinklesOnTop Headband of her choice.

In the meantime, if you want to receive a pretty little package posted from SprinklesOnTop, mention Cardigan Empire in the order notes, and get a free Samantha Bow with purchase.

Come back for detailed instructions on baby flaw #2 tomorrow.

Dressing the Baby Body Type

16-17-15
These are the dimensions of perfection, also identified as my cherub's bust, waist, and hip measurements.

This week we will be addressing the dress of a delectably squishy, middle figured baby body type.

We will also be giving away an accessory from Sprinkles on Top

Dear Empress: How Can I Style Curly Hair?

Dear Empress,

How do you style your hair? Do you curl it? Or is it natural? I live in Alabama, and please believe me when I say, the South Really needs some style!

Sarina Southern Belle


-----------------------------------




Deep twilight infomercials, a dark and guilty pleasure that doesn't usually involve my credit card. But this televised endorsement is my tress coiling secret.

Dear Empress: How can a Mommy Tummy go Spanx Free?

Dear Empress,

"The Mommy Tummy" issue, aka muffin top, aka middle figure, aka apple. Do I really have to wear spanx every day? . . .

ps I do exercise but the skin well it just does not behave!

Mommy Julie
(Adventures with Gigi)


-----------------------------------

Mummy Julie,

Following are a quartet of ensembles cut to flatter a middle figure, no spandex shapers required:

ensemble one. empire waist & mid rise. Tie your waist a handful of inches above the mark and achieve the same narrowing effect. Then match the rise on your denim to your widest breadth. The waistband will act as a corset ensuring your soft delicious center isn't squished above into a muffin top or below into a mommy pouch.

Items in this set:
Springing Splendour Embroidered Top, $30
Old Navy Womens Rinse B The Dreamer Boot-Cut Jeans, $19
Darling Sue Chain Jersey Tie Necklace, $23
Pink Studio Women's Gypsy Flat, $79

ensemble two. ruffles & layers. Tiered ruffles shadow fleshy folds as do a-line sweaters and structured jackets.

Items in this set:
Tutu Tank, $68
Fae Blossom Gray Sweater Cardigan, $50
Joe's Jeans 'The Muse', $70
Pearly Confection Teardrop Earrings, $13
Pink Studio Hobbs Peep Toe Wedge, $96

ensemble three. gathered hems & boyfriend. If your body narrows as it descends, a gathered hem blousing across the hips will showcase it. Pairing the look with a straight cut boyfriend will ensure your ensemble doesn't fall out of balance.

Items in this set:
Barcelona Peasant Top, $23
CJ by Cookie Johnson 'Love' Boyfriend Jeans, $130
Floral Creme Vintage Button Ring, $13
Pink Studio Women's Trinity Criss Corss Low Wedge, $58

ensemble four. tunic style hems & wide waistbands. Never, never tuck additional items into your mommy pouch. Instead of expanding the bulge, find a tunic style top with a finished hem that can lay flat against your corseting wide waistband

Items in this set:
Amethyst Geode Silk Top, $39
Paige Premium Denim 'Hidden Hills' Bootcut, $190
Hasina Orange Beaded Bracelet, $17
Pink Studio Norma Leather Sandal, $44

In summary my delicious mummy tummies, find a mid rise pant and pair it with a top that falls flat over the waistband.

Thinking pretty,
Your Empress