Support Pro-Women, Pro-Immigrant, Pro-Earth Groups with Your Purchase of Great Style

Style goes well beyond the clothes you wear. As a personal stylist, my job is to help get inside each client's head and help her express herself through her apparel. As we know, that's only one way to amplify your voice. It's always a good time to support organizations and brands that are consistent with your values.

Yesterday, I visited with local gem dealer, Monica Stephenson, founder of iDazzle. She uses gemstones to help her build community and support ethical sourcing. You'll see more on that in a future blog post. My discussion with her was just another reminder of the importance of standing together to support issues we care about. Each of us can make a difference.

A tribe of brands are supporting pro-women, pro-earth and pro-immigrant groups right now. When you make a purchase from any of the following brands between now and Monday, January 23rd, 2017, twenty percent of your purchase price will go to support the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights and Earth Justice.

Because I believe strongly in the work these organizations are doing, especially at this pivotal time, Poplin will donate 20% of all proceeds from now through January 31st, 2017. #whyimarch #imarchfor #womentogether

3 Reasons To Get Your Portrait Taken NOW

Hello Dear Reader!

I'm a big fan of local photographer, Amy Catherine. She helps Seattle women look and feel beautiful. So, as we dive into the New Year, let's celebrate YOU. Below is a guest post from Amy as well as a super fabulous deal for Poplin readers. Enjoy!

-Mellicia

Goodbye to the Limited.

If you have yet to hear, the Limited is gone. Well, the brick and mortar stores are gone. Right now, you can still score crazy deals online. It's unclear whether the brand is officially closing up shop or just going to online only. What is clear, is that we'll have one less place to go for affordable office basics. Alas.

To pay homage to the Southcenter Store and the team that I adored, here are a few images from the past three years. Special thanks to all the clients who have been texting me about this. Have thoughts on the big news? That's what comment sections are for.

Your Coat & You: Staying Warm Does Not Mean Sacrificing Style.

As a personal stylist for women, I talk a lot about your developing strategies to ensure you rock your authentic personal style everyday. Of course, most people love the sound of this. But, when life throws them a curveball, like late nights up with a child or an especially cold day, that style is thrown to the wind.

I'm here to assure you, Dear Reader, you can look smashing and be comfortable. Shoes can be functional and hip. Dresses can be flattering and fitted. The mysteries of fashion are many and the goal on this blog is to decode them for you.

As of late, the weather has been crazy cold. Perfect for kids, less perfect for those of us with an especially stylish (read: lightweight) coat collection. No need to revert to your down parka everyday (unless that's your style, of course). There's a solution.

WANT: Warm, Stylish Coat that Isn't too Expensive.

Now, Please.

Ask These Ladies What to Wear to the Holiday Party.

If anyone can answer the eternal question of what to wear to a holiday party, it's a Poplin client. After all, she can turn to her trusty password protected online personal profile for guidance. It lays out what pieces are flattering for her frame, and what aren't. It also includes a list of recommended retailers based on her personal style and budget.

Plus, Poplin clients get new pieces either on a shopping trip together or via an Uber Wishlist. And, of course, a Poplin client can view outfits on her mobile phone to help her choose the perfect ensemble for the big night.

Sound appealing? Poplin Gift Certificates are available online and are just the perfect size for your stocking. Here are some lovely ladies to motivate you. And make sure to check out the recent blog post highlighting pieces that are just right for the holiday party but can actually be worn on the daily afterward. I'm obsessed with local maker Foxglove and owner Selena Kearney has taken the brand to an entirely new level. Enjoy!

P.S. You'll receive an additional hour of styling absolutely FREE with any package purchase before 12/24/16.

Some of the Beautiful Ladies of Poplin.

Get One Hour of Styling FREE.

My Favorite Things, Poplin Giveaways, shop local, Women's fashionmelliciaDecember 7, 2016Image Consultant Seattle, Personal Stylist for Women, Poplin style discounts, Seattle Personal Shopper, Seattle Personal StylistComment

Cocktail Dresses, Your Prom and How a Dress Can Change Your Life.

I would never allow someone to talk to me the way I talk to myself.

-Anonymous/ A large number of people on the planet

Feeling beautiful on the outside has an indisputable impact on the dialogue happening on the inside.

Stop. It's Shoulder Time.

Our shoulders are continuing to have a moment. If your body is triangle shaped, meaning your hips are noticeably larger than your shoulders, this is a dream. Really, the shoulder trend works for nearly every body type, you just make different choices to find what flatters. The most challenging situation is rocking bold shoulders when you already have broad shoulders. In this case, you'll need to REALLY bring the eye to your lower half, balancing out your shape. Try a super wide leg pant or culottes (tailored at the top, of course), or an a-line skirt made from stiff material. If the skirt or trousers is in an eye catching color, made from an attention getting texture like brocade or is a fun print, even better.

Regardless of your body type, if you love the bold shoulder movement, here are some ideas to get you in the mood. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Shoulders, Oh My!

The re-souL Collection Giveaway. A Winner is Announced!

The list of reasons to sign up for the Poplin email list is a long one. For instance:

Crazy Deals for Black Friday. Go!

Hello Dear Reader!

If you are on the Poplin email list, you are receiving a Poplin on Point email every other Friday. That email is a cherry picked list of limited time only offers from my favorite retailers and brands. Today's email is jam packed with offers thanks to Black Friday!

It's so good, I'm sharing with blog readers, too. If you like it, make sure to sign up for the Poplin newsletter so that you'll receive this type of info on the regular. Plus, this Monday we're announcing the winner of a FREE pair of shoes from the re-souL Collection! In order to enter, you must be a subscriber to the Poplin email list.

Three more things

Your New Favorite Way to Take Action: The Friend Review

Every year, I write a Thanksgiving post. It tends to focus on my experience volunteering with homeless youth through our styling sessions at YouthCare. This year, I thought I'd mix things up a bit. This is a crazy time. There's this persistent feeling that we need to take action, now, always. Yes, this can (and should) be political action. But, action comes in many forms. So, today, I propose a little something special that will make you feel and remind the people in your life how much you appreciate them.

Say, "Hello", to the Friend Review.

Brooches. It's a Thing.

Brooches always make me think of Madeline Albright or someone's grandmother. Either way, it's likely you have one or two sitting in your jewelry box that haven't seen daylight in years. if you've been waiting to feel like brooches are cool again, get ready. As a personal stylist for women, I've noticed that clients often feel like brooches are intriguing and intimidating at the same time. So, I thought I'd help give you a little inspiration with some unconventional options. After all, the purpose of a brooch is to to communicate your personal style in an individualized way. Ms. Albright often used her brooches to communicate her feelings about an event or situation. You can choose to be that specific or just tell the world that you like sculls, for example. The options are all yours. Now, off you go!

Brooches for Cool Kids- That Means You.

4 Ways to Style Your Legs When Rocking a Skirt or Dress. Go!

Lately, it's been all outfits all the time for me. What do I mean? Well, for one of my clients, I create outfits using anything she owns, take photos and then she can scroll those pictures every morning to ensure that getting dressed takes less than 5 minutes. My husband often refers to this as, "the secret sauce."

This time of year, the inevitable question comes up when I'm chatting with clients about their outfits: "and so, with what? Tights?" Whether you are rocking ankle boots, mid calf, heels, over the knee boots, you name it; you're going to face this question. Here's the thing, your hosiery serves a purpose and communicates your style. So, let's break that down to help you look like the very best version of you everyday. Start by imagining wearing one dress and one pair of shoes. Now that you have that image, picture wearing these different hosiery options with that outfit as I describe the pros and cons. This should help you get a clear view of the effect of various options. Also, these photos are from a site I adore: Celebrity Hosiery Daily. It's a dream. Make sense? Off we go!

Your Legs, Your Style

Two Great Reasons to Head to Target

It's true. You don't really need an excuse to head to Target. But, let's say you are trying to decide if you should hop in and grab basic supplies or linger for a while for a little, "me," time. These collabs might just convince you of the latter. After all, the Target/ Marimekko collaboration was such a strong success, I have a great deal of confidence that these will be equally compelling.

2 Target Collaborations that are Worth Your Time

Valuable Reminders For Us All Courtesy of Trans Youth.

The Ruby Room Fashion Show is THIS Sunday. The Ruby Room provides prom dresses for girls who wouldn't otherwise have the right dress for such an important occasion. Tickets are affordable, the show will be AMAZING and every dollar goes to this worthy cause. (Plus, I'll be a judge and I've already picked out my outfit. So, there's that.)

It got me thinking about the trans youth that also enjoy this benefit thanks to organizations like The Ruby Room, YouthCar & so many others. So, I'm reposting this from February. I feel very grateful for the opportunity to help trans women cultivate their personal styles.

Chloe + Isabel Ups Your Style Game & 100% of Proceeds During October Go To Fight Youth Homelessness

Without question, my very favorite combination is fashion and purpose. Whether it's the upcoming fashion show for the Ruby Room that raises money to ensure local teens have hip prom dresses or re-souL's generous donation of brand new shoes for homeless youth, looking good makes everyone feel better.

So, I am THRILLED to partner with Mitra Ramen from Chloe + Isabel for the month of October. If you haven't checked out Chloe + Isabel, now's the time. Representatives host pop up shops each month that bring stylish, classy accessories into your life. Mitra is an engineer who channels her love of fashion through her work making us all beautiful with Chloe + Isabel. AND she donates 100% of her profits each month to a different nonprofit. Seriously.

This is officially the perfect time to check out the brand, up your style game in a way that is authentic to you AND help end youth homelessness. Every dollar counts and it feels amazing to show off your pieces while sharing a few words about the impact you've made. Enough talk! Below, I'm highlighting some of my very favorite pieces. This is only the beginning, be sure to peruse the site on your own. No special codes needed. Every purchase supports YouthCare. Happy shopping!

Some Things to Keep in Mind When Doing Your Shopping With Chloe + Isabel

You Asked. I Answered. Welcome to the New Products Page!

I'm so grateful to you, Dear Reader, for completing the Poplin Survey. Thank YOU. You offered up so many fresh ideas and I've been having the time of my life implementing them. For example, quite a few folks asked for more packages at various price points AND a discount for existing clients. Well, I have great news for you.

New Poplin Packages to Fit Your Needs.

My Favorite U Village Shops Including Joie!

Let's face it, Nordstrom plays a key role in Seattle style. As a personal stylist, I find that the vast majority of my new clients use the retailer as an easy way to learn about new brands. As a result, Vince & Joie are two of the most popular brands that come up in conversation.

So when I discovered the new JOIE store at U Village, I had to share! The ladies are lovely and the selection is much larger than you'll find at a larger retailer. This got me thinking, there's some pretty stellar shopping at U Village. Let's make sure you know some of my favorite places to go.

15+ Shops Worth (re)Visiting at University Village (in no particular order)

How to Wear a Long Vest.

As we welcome fall, we also say, "hello," to some new styling challenges. As a personal stylist for women, I'm hearing a lot of questions about vests. Should I wear them? Can I wear a vest indoors? What's the point? After all, there are no sleeves.

And the list goes on. I fell in love with vests a few years ago with my first leather vest. I picked it up on sale at Nordstrom and wasn't sure if it was for me. Quickly, I discovered the magic of vests and have been rocking them on the regular ever since. Here are a few tips if you think you are ready to try out this trend. (If you think you might be, that means you actually are, by the way.) FYI- Vests of all lengths are pretty spectacular, depending on styling. I'm focusing on long vests in this post and will offer up suggestions on shorter options in future posts.

6 Ways to Wear a Long Vest

Must Have Now: Metallic Ankle Boots

I've been searching for the perfect pair of metallic ankle boots for over a year. If that seems excessive, I think so, too. But, first, I imagined metallic ankle boots without having actually seen a pair. This is a common approach of mine. Dream it. Then find it. As a personal stylist for women, I do this for my clients, too. That's part of the fun of the job.

My theory was that metallic ankle boots would be an amazing neutral. After all, you've likely heard me champion mixed metals for a couple of years now. Metallic ankle boots seemed like the ideal completion of an outfit with metal accessories. To be true to my personal style, I have been looking for a pair that are show stoppers, but not too over the top, reasonably priced (because this is an experiment) AND had a heel height lower than 3 1/2 inches. That's a tall order.

I finally found a pair