360DigitalInfluence

Happy fall!   Today is the first day of fall.   That means its time for the closet change.   For me, that means going in my hugely oversized closet and taking all my summer/spring stuff  and moving  it all  to the back of  my closet.   It will be nearing winter by time I actually get around to doing it properly.   For now, I will simply fight my way to the back of my closet like a hunter going into the jungle.   Not ideal at all.  

The new season is also a good time to take a look at your wardrobe and decide what items are keepers and what items are not.   My friends love when I do this.   Inevitably, there will be something with a tag on it that will be given to a friend or charity.   We all need to remember, the more we purge, the more we can buy.   At least for me that is how it works.   Seriously though, make sure you have all the staple pieces in your wardrobe — make a list of what you need.   Don’t keep the little black dress that has turned grey; even if you love it.   It is not flattering.   Let’s move on and buy new.  

And, fall brings in new trends.   Some are very exciting such as bold colors like purple and blue, but others are a lot less desirable.   That brings me to my recent shopping trip this weekend that was prompted by a coupon.   I fell for it…a direct mail coupon from my local shoe store.   Hey, in today’s economy, we can all use a coupon, right?   Plus, it does not matter what the economic situation is, many of us women won’t stop buying shoes.   So, I stroll in to find thousands of great shoes to sift through.   One of fall’s hottest trends in shoes is the open toe bootie.  I take an open minded approach to it because at first glance, they look somewhat ridiculous.   Afterall, it looks like you bought a book and chopped the front part off.   I am game so I proceed to try on some styles.   Turns out; I am right…the open toe booties are ridiculous.   I just could not get them to work.   The whole open toe part was distracting me from the style of the shoe.   I just could not get past it.   What I did love where the oxford booties.   SO cute.   I bought a purple and black satin pair that really  rock.   You have to check them out.   You can find similar styles on www.nordstrom.com or www.zappos.com.

From shoes I went right to clothes.   As I said, there are a lot of trends I love.   The whole rocker look is back so leather and shiny, slick  are all the buzz.   I am loving it.   When you are not rocking it out and want to show your more femine side, look for florals and ruffles.   Like the spring, you will see them all over the stores this fall.   There are two things I am out to find that I was unable to this shopping trip, one of them is the one shoulder dress.   It is elegant and sexy at the same time.   And, I need to find me a comfortable but trendy boyfriend carnigan.   I will go this weekend on another hunt.   I have to hit Anthropolgie.   Did you see the latest catalog?   They have great stuff.   And, it is such a great store to hit the sales room where you can find great clothes for a lot less.

So, to the piont of this all, I want to warn everyone that even though you see a trend in a magazine, online or on your favorite celebrity, before going out and stocking up, be sure it fits your  personal style.   For me, I won’t be sporting the fringe.   I just don’t have the cowgirl in me. At least that is what it reminds me of - old western movies.   I also can’t bring myself to wear plaid.   Maybe to bed, but that is it.   All those patterns are just not becoming on someone who is not a size 2!   Menswear.   Not going to try that one either.   I mean do you really think that Katie Holmes looks good in those oversized jeans - check her out on www.people.com.   And, she is doing the ankle fold that I did in the 8th grade with my Z Cavirichis.   Again, not a size 2, don’t try mens jeans stick to the skinny jeans.   However, there are some menwear inspired styles that may work like a cute vest, but when it comes to muting the sexy style of a woman, I don’t suggest it.

If you are not sure what is hot and what’s not this season, go check out some of my favorite sites: www.fashionclub.com, www.style.com, or www.fashiontribes.com.

Happy shopping!