Finding jeans can be especially challenging. Once you find a brand you love, it's common to want to stick with that and just call it a day. But then, after a while, we all want something new, the style is discontinued or it suddenly doesn't fit like it used to. Regardless of the reasons, it can feel like we are on the perpetual hunt for denim. With that in mind, as your very own personal stylist, I thought I'd offer up some suggestions for the right pair of jeans for you right now. After all, fall is just around the corner. Off we go!

Flattering (and current) Jeans for Every Body

The Modernized 70's- Plus Size Edition

Editor's note: Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson.

Hello Dear Reader,

As fall encroaches on our summer I am sure you are noticing the magazines and stores beginning to bear a striking resemblance to store fronts, fabrics and prints of the 1970's. Now dear reader, whether you have already lived through the 70's and its fashion extravaganza, or you missed it, this fall seems to be bringing the whole tidal wave back again. So how do you survive it!? Whether you are a fan of suede and fringe, or not, there is ways to inch around the biggest trend of the cooler months, or dive right in.

Personally, my favorite parts of the revival are layered flapper fringed dresses, the color orange, and long flare jean with platforms. Other highlights are long duster coats in various fabric textures and weights, suede for days, itsy ditsy floral print, shift dresses, acid colors with neutrals, and mock turtlenecks. So what may work best for you? I've cultivated some of the highlights of the next season and matched them to some tricky styling points to ease you back into shag carpeting.

Athletic Thighs + Long Flares + Platforms = Legs for Days

My Favorite Things Right Now.

Hello again, Dear Reader!

I've missed you. As a personal stylist, I work with clients to ensure a level of personal care. It's vital that we all take a step back, take some time to regroup and invest in ourselves. I couldn't face you if I didn't do the same. So thank YOU for your patience and support as I took a little break. I'm officially back full force and just in time for fall fashion. Let's begin with some of my favorite things right now.

My Favorite Things Right Now.

How do I Style Clogs?

FACT: I adore clogs.

Interestingly, clogs are defined as, "shoes that are made completely or in part from wood." That means shoes like my recent find from Ballard boutique re-souL are clogs, despite having an ankle strap. So, there's that.

Since the moment I posted photos of my visit to re-souL, those clogs have been front and center in nearly every conversation. My friend in Colorado even called to ask where she could find a pair (re-souL, naturally). But, despite the enthusiasm over these timeless wonders, it's evident that people often struggle with styling clogs. No more, Dear Reader. No more.

5 Ways to Rock a Clog

J Crew and You.

We've seen a lot of changes at J.Crew in the last few years. It is true. But, if you have or have ever had an affinity toward the brand, take another look. There's likely something just for you. As your very own personal stylist for women and kids, it's vital that I keep you, Dear Reader, in the know.

J.Crew and You.

Style Tips, Women's fashionmelliciaJuly 21, 2015J-Crew, J-Crew Mercantile, J-Crew OutletComment

Because French Kids are Just as Glamorous as French Women.

We had the pleasure of spending the evening surrounded by French people... in Seattle. It was lovely. In fact, the entire experience felt like a vacation. It began with local beer at Standard Brewing on South Jackson. The beer is brewed on site and the ambiance is reminiscent of my neighborhood bar in Brooklyn. (Rest assured, they have growlers to go when you are short on time.) Then, off to a spectacular dinner on the patio at Marjorie in Capitol Hill. (Any restaurant with a turntable in the restroom and a shaded outdoor patio is the place for me.) Really, it was the perfect evening to celebrate our very good friend who happens to also be French.

The entire event reminded me of our country's obsession with French women. We celebrate our impression that they take great pride in how they look and insist on continuing to find time for themselves after they have children. It's not easy, as we all know. So, it's certainly logical that we'd be big fans of this behavior.

They also seem to manage dressing their children in clothing that most adults would be thrilled to own. As your very own personal stylist for women and kids, I had to ask: where does it all come from? Thanks to my good friend and birthday girl, Helen, here are some suggestions if you'd like your child's fashion to be a little more French-inspired.

Even better? They are both having massive sales right now.

Helen's Favorite French Retailers for Kids

(and the Rest of Your Family, too)

Get Your Shopping On.

Things are crazy in Poplin-land right now. Why? You ask. It is full blown summer. That means that when a new client is ready to transform her look, she's also ready to do it quickly before her upcoming vacation. It's all adrenaline all the time. And, what type of adrenaline could be more satisfying than that associated with shopping? For me, none.

But there are additional factors that make this a special time to pay attention. As your very own personal stylist, it is only right that I share this news with you, Dear Reader, just in case you missed it.

Reasons to Shop Right NOW.

A Pop of Power! Plus Size Style

Editor's note: Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson.

Hello Dear Reader,

I hope you are all staying cool in these record breaking warm days. Who knew the PNW could sustain such heat, Yowza! In the hotter times I know I feel a bit more sluggish and have trouble motivating myself to dress up; so I try to look for throw on pieces to make it easier. Lately I've been thinking about power pieces, pieces that stand out and look instantly put together. I've culled together a couple eye catching, easy to wear pieces that will see you through the summer and into the cooler months.

Stand Out Styles

Get This Nail Polish.

As a personal stylist, I'm often asked what is the "must have" piece of the season. I'm always hesitant to answer this question because I believe that every woman is different. The unique combination of her figure, her personality, her lifestyle, her budget and her personal style determines her must have piece, not what the magazines are telling her.

That being said, it's vital that we all stay current.

And, in order to keep our looks fresh, we need to know what's out there. My current obsession is "mood nail polish." More accurately, it's a hyper color shirt from the 80's on your nails. That's right. Watch your nails shift from orange to yellow as cold water alters their temperature. Or, go for purple and pink.

If you like _ Then Try out _

Editor's note: Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson.

Hello my dearest Reader,

One of my favorite parts about working with Poplin is that I get to share some of the latest and greatest industry news with all of you. One of my hobbies among the glitter and paint strewn across my desk is illustrating, and some of my favorite pieces to illustrate are up and coming designers and their wares. For this I get an excuse, if you will, to follow closely upon the heels of plus size industry big wigs and shakers to see what is coming up that will inspire me!

Last Minute Father's Day Gifts. It's Not Too Late.

Happy Father's Day, Dear Reader.

Holidays are a nice time to reflect on life with the ones we love. Personally, I'm a huge advocate of surprises, so there is much planning that goes into these seemingly innocuous holidays. Although, I must admit that I'm not above the last minute gift. So, before you make that call home, let me just make a few quick suggestions in case you are just realizing you neglected to send something over to dear old dad.

Last Minute Father's Day Gifts that are Still Right on Target

This is where I shop.

As a personal stylist for women and kids, people are always asking me to list my favorite retailers. Here's the thing: where I like to shop for myself may not be the place I'd send you. After all, it's all about identifying your personal style, not trying to make you embrace mine.

That being said, I do have a lengthy list of retailers that I adore and send clients to on the regular. Interested?

Summer Sandals- Narrow and Wide Widths

Editor's note: Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson. It's more common than you would think to struggle to find the right width of shoe. Lucky for us, Jordan is on the case!

Hello Dear Reader,

I come to you today with just a quick little post about SHOES! As we approach the summer months, school letting out and vacations being planned; we find ourselves in need of the ubiquitous sandal. Like finding an amazing boot for fall and winter a perfect summer sandal is an elusive but worthwhile endeavor. Just like clothing, finding a great fit can be a challenge especially for those of us with narrow or wide width feet. So while I myself was on the search for a great summer sandal, I thought I would share my finds!

Date Night Heel

Must Know Now: Zara, Uniqlo and Nordstrom.

One of my favorite parts of living in the Northwest is the ramp up in spring and summer. Let's face it, we all have Seasonal Affective Disorder. Need proof? Check out your social calendar. I expect it is jam packed. The challenge during this time of year is choosing what to share with you, Dear Reader.

As your very own personal stylist for women and kids, I'm so overcome with joy about a long list of developments. I'm opting to focus on big news with three large retailers that I love: Zara, Uniqlo and Nordstrom. I hope you are on the Poplin email list as there will be more good stuff to come in this week's email. Off we go!

The Biggest News (for us, anyway) from Zara, Uniqlo and Nordstrom.

Summer Workwear - Plus Size Edition

Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson. Like what you read? Jordan's research on Sizeism was featured in an article in the Everett Herald? Check it out!

Hello Dear Readers,

If you caught my last post I went over some styling tips for the warmer months since summer can be a rather challenging season to dress in. I touched on tricks to minimize or maximize parts of the body to make you as comfortable as possible. In summer there is an added challenge of dressing cooler but also appropriately for ones' workplace. Therefore, I've decided to offer summer styling ideas for various work places. Enjoy!

Your Summer Work Wardrobe

Retailers for the Woman who is ready to Rock Menswear

My favorite thing about Facebook is discovering that two people you thought were unrelated are actually connected. Two friends from different circles, different cities, different generations. Last week, I was informed of one of those happy accidents. Thank you, Facebook.

As it turned out, two friends of mine from different worlds both mentioned me in a comment string for a mutual friend of theirs. She was looking for help for yet another friend finding menswear-inspired clothing for women. You know how much I LOVE helping people out with this sort of thing. So, as your very own personal stylist for women (and kids), it seems only right that I share this information with both friends, their friend, her friend and anyone else who might be struggling with this. Because everyone deserves the joy of expressing him/herself through fashion. Here we go!

Side note: Yes, I understand that menswear-inspired pieces, androgynous pieces, "butch" pieces, etc. are not all the same. Nor am I in any way grouping folks together. The goal here is to offer up some resources for shopping. I'll let you take it from here.

Rocking the Menswear- Inspired Look? Here's Where to Shop.

My Favorite Things Right Now

Who knows why I own a gorgeous three piece suit? I don't. And, by three pieces I mean a skirt, trousers and jacket that all coordinate. After all, I'm a personal stylist. I don't have any conservative corporate events to attend. I'm not representing another entity. I'm representing myself. And, so began my extreme closet edit. That and a few more of my very favorite things right now. Off we go!

My Very Favorite Things Right Now

Summertime Solutions

Three things: 1. Below you'll find another blog post from Poplin contributor and plus size fashion guru, Jordan Richardson. Like what you read? Jordan's research on Sizeism was recently featured in an article in the Everett Herald? Check it out! 3. She wrote this prior to this beautiful weather. Love her and you will, too.

Hello my dear readers,

As spring settles into full swing with its hectic weather patterns, I cannot help but cherish and look forward to those sunnier warmer days ahead. Though with the sun and heat comes a potential deluge of new styling challenges that can be difficult to traverse. A lot of us are uncomfortable with certain areas of our bodies, and with the warmer months approaching that usually means less layers and clothes, which can at times be uncomfortable. I am hoping to offer some solutions on minimizing the areas you're not as hot on, and maximizing the ones you adore, while remaining comfortably cool in these months to come.

Hey, What Ever Happened at that Poplin Event at The Limited?

What ever happened? Let me tell you!

All Poplin Style Direction clients and individuals on the Poplin email list were invited to the recent Spring Forward event at The Limited SouthCenter. It was glorious.

Here's what they got:

My Five Favorite (Almost) Waterproof Shoes for Summer. Go!

It's a wonderful thing, living on the coast. Whether you are prone to wandering along the beach for some alone time, digging in the sand with the kids, or something in between, you must have functional shoes to supplement the experience. After all, celebrating the moment is really what it's all about, right? Fiddling with challenging shoes or choosing to stay on beach blanket to avoid walking is, in a word, unacceptable.

To many clients, this means a super functional hiking or walking shoe, fashion be damned.

Naturally, as your very own personal stylist, I'd argue that you can still look incredible and live an active lifestyle. With that, I'm offering up my five favorite waterproof shoes for summer. You'll never think of rubber the same way again.

Flattering (and current) Jeans for Every Body

Athletic Thighs + Long Flares + Platforms = Legs for Days

My Favorite Things Right Now.

5 Ways to Rock a Clog

J.Crew and You.

Helen's Favorite French Retailers for Kids

(and the Rest of Your Family, too)

Reasons to Shop Right NOW.

Stand Out Styles

Last Minute Father's Day Gifts that are Still Right on Target

Date Night Heel

The Biggest News (for us, anyway) from Zara, Uniqlo and Nordstrom.

Your Summer Work Wardrobe

Rocking the Menswear- Inspired Look? Here's Where to Shop.

My Very Favorite Things Right Now

Here's what they got:

Affordable and Ideal in the Elements. Yes, please!