The 10 Black Owned Clothing Brands that I'm Currently Obsessed With

Things have changed in the fashion industry since 2013. That’s when your very own personal stylist for women wrote a blog post about my then favorite black designer. I researched for hours in search of other options that spoke to me. Sadly, there were very few black voices that were being amplified. There’s still a long way to go, but for now, I’ve got some real favorites.

After finding myself lost in the rabbit hole of the interwebs, I found my favorite resource for Black owned brands and spent the rest of the day totally immersed. So, how about I save you some time and share?

One of my favorite aspects of this list is the purpose behind nearly every brand. Helping clients shop their values is a passion of mine and this list is filled with values based options. From shopping BIPOC makers to brands that have an unwavering commitment to the environment or those that give back to communities in the US or Africa, this is one inspirational list. A few of the brands have manufacturing in the US. Others, are dedicated to inclusive sizing and color palettes. Many are embracing multiple paths to make the world better. Shopping them is a great way to support this approach.

Poplin in Forbes!

Ever wonder what your very own personal stylist for women thinks about the blazer dress trend? When the good people at Forbes reached out, I had lots to say.

What to Wear to that Summer Wedding

As a personal stylist for women, I know that this is the time of the year that I start hearing from panicked clients frantically searching for the ideal outfit for that summer wedding… or those several summer weddings. This year, the struggle is more severe. After all, it’s been a few years since most of us have attended a large event with a dress code. The COVID 15 or 20 is a factor for many, not to mention the social anxiety of traversing the style continuum from sweats to cocktail attire. If none of those obstacles apply and you are an extrovert like me who is elated for this opportunity to kick things up a notch, you might also be faced with the daunting challenge of shopping right now. COVID has not only left a mark on our psyches, it has had a significant impact on our choices from supply chain issues to inflation. Finding that ideal dress that is both available and affordable is harder than ever.

Not to worry, Dear Reader! I’ve got you covered. I’ve been living in this space for weeks as I shop for clients and for myself and I’m here with solutions. Have some fun with it. Remember, what matters most is seeing the people you love IRL, not what you are wearing. But, really, when you love what you are wearing, you are bound to have a much better time and be happy with the photos afterward. Off we go!

Welcome To The World Of Shapewear

Editor's note: Below you'll find another blog post from Jessica Burton. Jessica brings her wealth of knowledge including an expertise in undergarments and her warm personality to this post. Love her and you will, too. Enjoy!

Shapewear has been around for quite some time now. Depending on the clothing you’re wearing, you’re likely to find just about any type of design when it comes to shapewear these days. The real question though, is what do you do with those particularly hard to wear outfits? Do you often find that those tricky dresses and skirts just sit and collect dust in your closet? As a personal stylist, I’m here to give you some inspiration and show you that you can confidently wear those items. Below you will find choices for shapewear that will properly fit under those difficult ensembles, along with new, innovative styles.

When A Bra Won't Do The Job: 5 Bra Alternatives for Tricky Dresses

Editor's note: Below you'll find another blog post from Jessica Burton. Jessica brings her wealth of knowledge including an expertise in undergarments and her warm personality to this post. Love her and you will, too. Enjoy!

With warm summer days ahead, it’s time to break out your favorite sun dresses and sleeveless tops. While backless, one-shoulder and strappy dresses are a great option, it can sometimes be tricky finding the right type of bra to pair with them. Well, fear not. Your personal stylist is here to help! You can rock these looks while feeling supported regardless of your bust size. Say goodbye to the days of feeling limited with purchases just because finding the right type of bra can be intimidating. Below is a list of fun and functional alternatives to help take the place of a traditional style bra.

Life Changing Seamless Underwear

Editor's note: Below you'll find a guest blog post from Jessica Burton. Jessica brings her wealth of knowledge including an expertise in undergarments. Love her and you will, too. Enjoy!

Whether you are working out at the gym or wearing a new dress at a wedding, having underwear lines can truly ruin an outfit (not to mention just be plain embarrassing). Finding the right style of underwear can be intimidating to begin with, but as a stylist, I’m here to help educate and provide guidance to help you choose the style that will be best for your body type and aesthetic preference. Below are the top brands for each style of underwear to fit your lifestyle needs, comfort level and ensure that you feel confident. With new, modern techniques for removing underwear lines, you’ll want to ditch your old pieces and start wearing these cool, comfy options on the daily.

How to Look Amazing in a Sweatshirt

As a personal stylist for women, I get all sorts of questions about what to wear and how to wear it. As a stylist during the pandemic, those questions move quickly to loungewear and how to look great while being supremely comfortable. Fortunately, functionality has always been at the core of Poplin, so answering these questions is easy.

Personally, I’ve never been much of a sweatshirt person. I always felt pretty sloppy in them. Historically, I’ve owned one or two at a time, if any at all. Now, I have an entire drawer of sweatshirts and I wear one most days. I love the versatility, the ability to wash them so quickly and with all the germ awareness we’ve developed over the past few years, they feel much cleaner than a sweater because you can bleach them or wash them in hot water. Options abound. The key is ensuring that you feel like your authentic self AND that you are still communicating your style at the level that makes you look and feel your best.

First off, you’ll want to choose the right sweatshirt for your body type and your authentic personal style. Plus, it should obviously be cozy. Otherwise, what are we doing here? Here are some ideas to kick things off.

9 Ways to Enjoy Shopping with Less Guilt About Climate Change

As a virtual personal stylist for women, I hear a sea of concerns from my clients and the Poplin community. These range from dressing for various occasions to understanding how to create new outfits and much more. For many of my clients, and for me, climate change and sustainability are important factors when thinking about style. In fact, you can see past blog posts on sustainability here including how to care for items to help them last longer, my favorite sustainable brands and more.

Loving to express yourself through clothing and making responsible choices for the environment are not mutually exclusive. In fact, your personal style is not just the colors or silhouettes that you adore, it also includes communicating your values through your clothing. Yes! It’s possible to balance your love of style and your commitment to the next generation. Here are some ideas to get you started.

6 of the Best Pants for Working From Home or the Office AND the Shoes that go with ALL of them

As a personal stylist for women, I’m hearing lots of questions about how to navigate your wardrobe when it’s unclear whether you’ll be working from home or the office. I hear you.

Many of the large tech firms in Seattle were planning to head back to the office in September and now that date has been pushed back to the first of the year. And for folks who are in the office right now, many of them are only there a few days a week with the rest of their schedule taking place from the comfort of home. That can be a blessing and a curse.

Whether you are working in the Pacific Northwest or somewhere else in the country, COVID-19 is undoubtedly affecting your daily wardrobe decisions. A number of new clients are wondering if they need two wardrobes: one for the office and one for home. That, my Dear Reader, is not how we roll.

Here at Poplin, we’re all about functionality. You dress for yourself first and foremost. When you feel like your authentic self, you will conduct. your work with more self confidence, less brain power spent on body shaming or worrying about your look and more time spent kicking ass all day long.

So, how do we do this? It’s all about intentional dressing. One aspect of this approach is ensuring that your pieces are functional for your life and with minor tweaks, can work in various scenarios. For example, swapping your house shoes or sneakers or flats, heels or boots. The same pair of pants has an entirely different vibe when its paired with a different shoe.

Need proof? Every pair of pants on this list will work with all of the shoes listed below. Believe it.

Here’s your go-to for styles that are comfortable at home, but don’t make you feel like a slob AND can work just as well when you head off to the office. Have fun and let me know how it goes!

P.S. One key aspect of the Poplin approach is ensuring that all your pieces will work with one another now and into the future. How do we do that? One way is to limit your new pieces to your color palette. Everything in that palette will work with everything else, some bolder and some less so. You can see that in action below.

Comfortable and Stylish Pants for Work AND Home

My Favorite Things Right Now

As a personal stylist for women, I’m always on the lookout for valuable recommendations for my clients and my community. At Poplin, we are all about simplifying your life and making getting dressed a stress free experience. Plus, we like cool stuff.

So here’s my download of all the things that are making my life better right now. Let me know what you think!

My Favorite Things Right Now

Hooray for the First Client Photo Shoot of 2021!

What better way is there to celebrate the Summer Solstice than with a Poplin client photo shoot at the beach with Chamonix Films? As a personal stylist for women, I’m always ELATED to share the style evolution of my clients. We’ll have more photos and info on Poplin client, Sarah’s journey in the coming weeks. For now, enjoy this super fun glimpse of our evening together. Fun fact: Sarah values sustainability so all of her items were made with this in mind including sustainable fabrics, fair trade workers, local makers, etc. Interested in a client photo shoot? That’s part of the Amplified 360 Package. It’s.a good one.

P.S. Equally of note, I’m wearing a crop top. Believe it, ladies. You can wear a crop top at any size. It’s about balancing your frame and pairing wisely. In this case, I’ve got high waisted wide leg jeans with fringe at the hemline as well as eye catching jewelry and lipstick up top. But make no mistake about it, I’m out in the world in a crop top. Yes, you can.

Jonesing to Shop? Your Guide to Relevant 2021 Spring Trends

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t worn a heel since February of last year. So, the idea of spring fashion trends seems wildly out of step with my everyday life. That being said, as the sun has come out, I’ve found myself gazing at a dress or two online and only coming up for air hours and several websites later. President Biden’s announcement that there should be enough vaccines for all Americans by May put a major spring in my step. Sure, having “enough vaccines” for everyone doesn’t mean we’ll be wearing heels again in May, but at least there’s light at the end of the tunnel. And, I, for one am ready to bring that fresh enthusiasm to my wardrobe.

So, here we are. Most of us at home in the softest pants available, both dreading and dreaming of the day when putting together a full outfit is not a special occasion of its own. To get you started, I thought I’d offer up Spring Fashion Trends that actually mean something to you, right now, and in the coming months. This is a big list, so we’ll break it into a few posts. Enjoy! And, as always, let me know what you think.

2021 Spring Fashion Trends for your Real Life In and Out of Lockdown

Get Your Favorite Styling Services During COVID-19

It’s true. As a personal stylist for women, I spend the majority of my client focused time one on one with each client. So, how does that work while we are all limiting our contact with the outside world to prevent the spread of the coronavirus?

A number of services translate nicely online. In the words of one remote client,

Although I live thousands of miles away from Seattle, Mellicia did an amazing job on our Skype conversations hearing out my laundry list of fashion likes and dislikes and then ensuring that my Uber Wishlist reflected me and where I wanted to take my new look. Not only did she provide me with some ideas for beautiful articles of clothing to add to my closet, but she also helped me gain more confidence in mixing and matching new and old pieces to create a fresh new look. I highly recommend Poplin's services, especially to those who live outside of WA!

-Marina J., Salt Lake City, UT

To make it easier to know what works and what doesn’t right now, here’s a list of the current Poplin services. (At the time of this post, we are in Phase 1.5, which allows for limited personal services. 1:1 services are restricted to 30 minutes with social distancing and masks. Because Poplin services are comprehensive, they are better suited to full service virtual sessions rather than brief in person sessions.)

Poplin + You Right Now

In It Together #6: What to Wear While You are in Quarantine

As a personal stylist for women, this is a very weird time. I want to provide my community with the support you need while also not pretending that we live in a vacuum. I’ve been laying low on clothing suggestions, but I’ve had SO many questions about what to wear now. As your resource for how to wear pieces that make you feel like your authentic self by embracing your personal style, I’m hearing from many folks that you need me now more than ever.

So, let’s solve this problem of what to wear each day, shall we? And, as always, thanks for letting me know what content you need right now.

By the way, today’s recommendations are all from Nordstrom. After all, shopping local right now is VERY important and Nordstrom is our hometown hero. The company’s HQ is here including thousands of incredible folks who have my life and likely yours much better over the last several years. So, let’s help make sure this company is with us on the other side. If you are shopping, start with local shops, brands and makers, if you can.

How to Choose Your Outfit of the Day During the COVID-19 Crisis

Must Haves for Spring 2020: Bermuda Shorts

If you’ve been looking around and feeling like shorts are getting shorter all the time, you are correct. In fact, short shorts and hot pants are coming on strong for spring and summer. But, rest assured, if that isn’t your jam, there’s a new alternative that is on trend and crazy comfortable.

As a personal stylist for women, it’s on me to find pieces that are just right for the real world and also make you look and feel your best. I’m also having the time of my life digging into spring fashion trends so expect to see a number of different choices popping up in your inbox over the coming weeks. The last post featured my favorite colored leather and vegan leather for the season. In case you missed it, you can find it here. Next up: Your latest 90’s flashback, Bermuda Shorts.

Spring Must Have: Bermuda Shorts (Especially as Part of a Summer Suit)

Must Haves for Spring 2020: Colorful Leather

Man, if you are stuck in the house working from home on this beautiful spring day, this is just what you need to put yourself in a positive head space. Spring Fashion. Let me say it again, Spring Fashion. As a personal stylist for women, I pay attention to trends, naturally, but my work is really about helping women translate those trends into their everyday looks.

Here are some pieces that are sure to bring you joy.

Spring Trend: Colorful Leather (and Vegan Leather)

Fashion and Function: Over 30 Winter Coats that are Just Right for your Body and your Style

If the snow storm has taught us anything, it’s that it’s vital to have a winter coat that you adore and is also ready for crazy cold weather. As a personal stylist for women, I’m all about making sure that your pieces are functional AND communicate your authentic personal style.

Remember, if you can only afford to upgrade one piece in your wardrobe, it should be your coat. You make the majority of your first impressions wearing your coat. Whether you are walking in the door for a coffee meeting, heading from building to building or ready for a night out, your coat can make or break your look. Here are some favs! Enjoy.

The 30 Best Winter Coats for Your Body Type. Go!

25 Hip Sustainable Brands and Retailers

As a personal stylist for women, I’m focused on ensuring that every woman’s clothing communicates her authentic personal style. That style is also reflective of her values. For some, those values mean supporting local designers. For others, that means putting more towards sending her kids to college and less on clothing. I find that most of my clients fall somewhere in between. They would love to purchase pieces from brands and makers that are paying attention to sustainability and fair wages, but they also need to stay budget conscious. Others are watching large and small retailers go out of business and are really just in search of somewhere new and interesting to find those treasured items. With so many questions on this topic, I decided to put together a blog post filled with new places to explore to find makers and retailers that align with your values. So, start thinking about your own priorities and take a look at the list. As always, please let me know what you think. Happy holidays!

25 Brands and Retailers for Sustainable Shopping

One FREE Hour of Styling + All Your Questions Answered about Money + Style (in person!)

As a personal stylist for women, I spend a great deal of time discussing budgets with my clients. We talk about when to invest, when to cut back, when to buy new and when/if to buy used. A lot goes into balancing your money and your style.

What’s more fun than getting a crash course about how to elevate your style while respecting your financial goals? How about an entire evening filled with engaging, fascinating and friendly women who are there to learn the same thing? Register now for an evening of Money + Style with Poplin Style Direction hosted by the Koa Club. Here’s what you need to know.

Money + Style

The VERY Best Shoes from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

As a personal stylist, I know how much my clients adore the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Our hometown store holds a special place in the hearts of many and of course, we all simply refer to it as, “Anniversary,” well aware that THIS is the time to pick up all your favorites for fall. I know. It’s weird, shopping for fall in early stages of summer. But Anniversary allows you to pay the sale price on fall pieces and watch the price rise when the sale is over. Items go FAST and right now we are enjoying Early Access. If you have a Nordstrom card, you can shop now, too.

Whether or not we’ve got time scheduled together shouldn’t prevent you from seeing some of my favorite deals. Here’s an assortment of the women’s shoes I’m swooning over. Enjoy!

Before we begin, please remember that Poplin is an affiliate so when you are ready to purchase, click through from the images on this post. if you do, Poplin may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. These commissions are small but mighty. Let me assure you, they add up and help keep the lights on. Or more accurately, they help make it possible to spend time writing blog posts that are 100% my views without tinkering or influence from anyone else. Thanks for being here. Enjoy!

The Best Women’s Shoes at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale