Retail Therapy Couch

The Best Father's Day Gift Idea

Father's Day is right around the corner and I always struggle with what to get. A tie? A shirt? A Book? A gift card? A "Best Daddy" T-Shirt?? I don't know...

Same old ideas for Father's Day Gifts

Well, last week I had an epiffany. One morning I woke up suffering from the worst allergies (I don't like Spring) and decided to call it a "sick day", and curled back in bed. I glanced over at my husband getting ready for work and noticed that he was wearing the SAME black suit, with the SAME white shirt, and BORING tie. Then, I glanced at the closet and noticed it was full of great shirts, ties and suits. I screamed, asked sweetly, "Why don't you ever wear that check shirt?" He huffed, lovingly said, "I don't have anything that matches it". I thought- yes and you do, you just don't know how to put the outfit together. And Viola!! My idea for the BEST FATHER'S DAY GIFT popped into my head. I'll mix and match his clothes for him so that I don't have to see him wear the same outfit over and over so that he can easily choose, and wear, a perfectly paired outfit. He left, I popped an antihistamine and decongestant, and sprung into action. I had 5 suits, 9 shirts and 16 ties to work with. I came up with 200+ outfits. My husband came home from work and exclaimed (he really did exclaim), "This is the Best Father's Day Gift!".

So, I pass this great gift idea on to you, my friends... Now, did it take some time to do? Yes... Are there things I could have done to make it go faster, or at least a little easier? Yes... Here are some tips on the "how tos" to create the "Best Father's Day Gift".

How to Create the "Clothing Catalog":

1) Let Technology be your friend!- Had I thought about this earlier I probably would have kept my husband's phone and downloaded one of the many apps out there. I've used StyleBook before and it's been easy to use. While I think it most likely would've taken the same amount of time to take the pictures, the difference would be that he now would have a digital catalog of all the items he owns, and can access the pictures anywhere, anytime and even add / delete pictures.

Use an App!

2) Make it a Family Affair- The more people there are to do the work, the faster it will go. It's a great kid-friendly Father's Day project. Depending on what is age appropriate for your little one, you can have them count the clothes, name the colors, sort the ties and shirts, work with you on matching colors and even be your little gopher by having to find and get "the green tie" or "blue shirt".

 

Get the kiddos involved!

 

"How To" Create the Outfits:

1) Pattern to Solid Ratio- If the man in your life is P.Diddy, Johnny Depp or an uber cool guy, having 3 patterns, meaning a pattern suit, pattern shirt and pattern tie, will work. Or, if he's comfortable with it, then go for it! But, if he's in the middle or even more conservative usually 0 to 2 patterns work fine. Feeling a bit conservative? Go for 3 solids. Want to step it up a bit? Go for 2 solids and a pattern. Taking it up, but not quite the P.Diddy level? Go for 1 solid and 2 patterns.

Solid Suit, Solid Tie, Pattern Shirt- 1 Pattern, 2 Solids

Pattern Pinstripe Suit, Pattern Tie, Solid Shirt-               2 Pattern, 1 Solid

2) Color / Pattern Match- I'll admit that putting together men's clothing can be a bit intimidating with all the various patterns, colors etc. Easiest thing is to find a common core color in both items and match those. For example, if you have a thin blue stripe shirt and a blue and pink stripe tie, the core color is blue and they match up with each other. But, also be careful with the pattern. You do not want to just stick two core colors together, think of the scale of the patterns and make sure they work together.

How NOT to color match- Even though there are blues here, the patterns do not match

How TO color match- Purple in each and the patterns compliment each other

Anyone have other ideas on how to mix and match suits? I'd love to hear them. Wishing all a Happy Father's Day!

This season's winner of the ugly shoe- Wedge Sneakers

They pop up here and there, always rearing their strange heads. You try and look the other way, but it won't escape you, and the next thing you know you are at the shoe store spending ridiculous amounts of money on the ugly, trendy shoe, you swore you would never buy... We've all been there, some more (ahem..) than others, but we all find ourselves purchasing either Uggs, Birkenstock sandals, Teva sandals, Five Finger Shoes, Crocs, etc etc. This season, the Wedge Sneaker slips into the #1 spot for the ugly trendy shoe we MUST have. We have to thank designer Isabel Marant for bringing this to the forefront. She showed her "Willow Leather and Suede Sneaker" at her Sp 13 show last year, and it sold out instantaneously, and I said "uh oh"... And there it was again, shown for F 13 and, yup, I said "uh oh" again...

Isabel Marant Willow Leather and Suede Sneaker. marantfanshop.com

 

But, like its predecessors, I went from "yuck!" to cozying up to the idea of wearing the ugly wedge sneaker. After all, with the wedge, concealed or not, it gives height as compared to a regular sneaker. For us petite people, that's worth it!!! So, I've decided to bring you to my dark side as well. If you're looking at the sneaker and saying "this trend is for juniors only" or "what the heck am I supposed to wear those with?" Well, I'm here to say, it's a trend for all ages and you really can wear them with ALMOST anything.

 

First and foremost, because of the bulkiness of wedge sneakers they should be worn with narrow bottoms, so stick to skinny jeans, leggings, narrow ankle pants or skimmers. Short to mid length skirts and shorts are good too. Here are some ideas-

 

Believe it or not, you can go "classic" with the wedge sneaker. Pair it with skinny jeans and a trench coat for an early spring look.

Madden Girl Shoes, Hickory Wedge Sneakers- macys.com ; 1969 Curvy Skinny Jeans- gap.com ; Merona Womens Trench Coat- target.com ; Stripe Scoopneck Tee- usa.tommy.com

 

Meeting friends for Sunday Brunch? Pair wedge sneakers with skimmer jeans and a fabulous tote for a casual summer look.

Unlisted Shoes, Of-fence Wedge Sneakers- macys.com ; 1969 Legging Skimmer Jeans- gap.com ; Womens Drop Shoulder Jersey Top- oldnavy.com ; MICHAEL Michael Kors- Jet Set Signature tote- nordstrom.com

 

Want to embrace your edgy side? Pair wedge sneakers with black leggings or skinny leather pants, a rock and roll tee and a biker jacket.

Target Shayenne High Top Grey- target.com ; 1969 Legging Jeans- gap.com ; “Rock” Graphic Cut Off tee- nordstrom.com ; Studded Faux Leather Biker Jacket- nordstrom.com

Do you yah! or nay! the wedge sneaker...

 

Flowers in Bloom, under the snow...

I was hoping that today would actually be sunny and mild tempratures as the weather people were predicting on the East Coast. A hint of spring in the air would have been perfect as I talk about the floral trend for Spring 2013, right? Well, instead, looks like we got a sneak attack from old man winter and woke up to SNOW!! Ugh... I really need to have a conversation with a certain groundhog... Anyway, I'm officially done with this winter, and figure it's about time we move on and talk about spring's biggest trends. I'm so excited for this spring- the prints, the colors, the sillouettes and, of course, the shoes!!

Let's start with florals. There are so many fun ways to wear floral prints. Dresses are the most obvious choice, but the floral dresses for this spring are far from the "Laura Asley" dresses of the past. They are fun, modern and even sexy. Layer a floral dress with a button down shirt or wear a blazer over one for a cool spring work look.

 

Click on images below for style info.

For me, floral pants = fun. There are so many ways to wear floral pants, you can dress them down and yes, you can even dress them up. I like to go the casual route and floral pants are my go to for weekend wear, that is when it starts warming up... Pair floral pants with a casual tee, some ballet flats and a fun necklace.

 

Click on images below for style info.

 

I know there are a lot of skeptics out there when it comes to florals. I sometimes hear, "florals are way too girly". To that I always say, there are many ways to wear floral prints. You can even make floral prints "edgey". Pair a floral top with a moto jacket, cage sandals and fabulous envelope clutch for a night on the town.

 

Click on images below for style info.

 

What are some of your favorite ways to wear floral prints?

Trend "Watch"

I love watches, they are my most favorite accessory. Besides serving the inherent purpose of telling us the time of day, watches add life to an outfit. And oh, what life these watches will bring us this spring. There are so many fun offerings this season, from neons to neutrals to leather wrap bands to tortoise (real and faux) to big face watches to fabulously sophisticated pendant watches to so much more... Here are some fun ways to dress this season's watch trends.

 

Brights and neon colors are a consistant theme throughout spring, so it's no shock that you'll also find them in watches. Brights can be seen as accent colors in watches or all over. Throw caution to the wind and pair your bright neon watch with a bright outfit. Or contrast the bright watch with cool pastels or neutral colors.

 

(Click on images below for item detail)

 

Black and white is another fabulous trend this spring. In clothing there is a lot of contrasting of the colors with block prints or stripes. Pair a black watch with a white dress for the true contrast affect. Or mix and match black and white throughout your outfit.

 

(Click on images below for item detail)

 

Tortoise watches bring a sense of sophistication so pair your watch with a classic navy blazer and a white button down. Or a kelly green blouse and white pants.

(Click on images below for item detail)

Yup, it's still cold...

I, like many others have complained, tweeted, facebooked and screamed about how cold it's been. Yes, I know it's winter and yes, I know I grew up in NYC so I should be used to it, but I'm not. I'll blame it on the fact that I've been living on the west coast for the past 3 1/2 years... Yeah, that's it, that made me soft.... I guess now that I'm back on the East Coast, I'll just have to deal with it... Kicking and screaming mind you, but I'll deal with it.

Afterall, it's not easy facing those dark, dreary, cold days and having to walk through "black" snow and slush. But, even in the height of winter, you can still stay on trend. So toss those polar fleece pants and sweatshirt aside, or actually, reserve them for when you're cuddled on the couch watching a movie, and face the day with your head up high wearing a fabulous winter coat and snow boots!!

Some of my favorite trends for this winter are fair isle sweaters, fur snow boots, riding boots, combat boots, corduroy pants, long belted sweaters, puffer coats, infinity scarves, color mixing and layering everything!

Here's an example of an outfit that'll keep you toasty warm and looking good. A fun fair isle sweater paired with cobalt blue corduroys a puffer coat and warm furry winter boots. Stay Warm, spring is only 48 days away!

staying warm by retailtherapycouch featuring a crew sweater

Elie Tahari puffy coat
lordandtaylor.com

Corduroy pants
kohls.com

Sorel waterproof boots
nordstrom.com

Old Navy crew sweater
pinterest.com

Asleep on the Couch

Helllooo!!! I know, it's been way too long. Something called "life" came in the way, and unfortunately, as a result, "Retail Therapy" slept and watched TV on the couch, for a very long time... What happened? A lot happened!! I'll just stick with the overall picture- First, my family and I re-located cross-country, A-Gain... Then, there was school-hunting because... my little stinker started Kindergarten- yippee!!! And of course, house hunting, we've lived in 3 places so far... At the same time all of this was going on, I lost someone dear to me, my Grandmother, and that, well, knocked the wind out of me. She's so much to me, including, my style icon. She always looked impeccable and made sure everyone around her looked impeccable :) I finally just got around to reading some of my fashion magazines that had piled up, and the ideas came flooding. It was time to wake up, get off the couch, and start doling out some retail advice.

This post is dedicated to my Grandmother, not only did she love fashion and jewellry, but nothing gave her more pleasure than spending time with her Great-Grandchildren. So, here are the top Fall / Winter 2012 fashion trends for the kiddos.

Color me Silly- It's hard for color to escape a childs' wardrobe... This fall, crayon brights and neon colors, as accents, dominate. Take a bright red or yellow top and match it up with grey pants or a dress for a balanced look.

 

Brights- Carters.com

Brights- Carters.com

 

Follow the Pattern- Patterns are everywhere in kids clothing. From plaids to stripes to color blocking to mixing up differnt patterns in an outfit. Pair a plaid shirt with a striped sweater, not only will it make your little one giggle, but he'll be looking right on trend!

 

Pattern Mixing- Plaid shirt with Fair Isle Sweater- Crazy8.com

Stripes- Crazy8.com

 

Fabrics that are smooth as a baby's....- Warm cuddly fabrics like corduroy, flannel and brushed twill are, thankfully, strong this season. Pair cordury pants with a flannel jacket for a great school look on a snowy day.

 

Corduroys and a flannel shirt- gapkids.com

Color Cords give a fun look to a classic pant- gapkids.com

 

Rock and Roll- Rock and Roll is definitely here to stay. Music graphics and rocker type looks were big during Back to School and still contiue all the way into the holiday season. Pair a guitar graphic tee with a black cordoroy blazer and pants for an edgy holiday look.

 

Drum Set tee, flannel and dark denim- OshKosh B'gosh

The "Rocker" look-                  The Children's Place

 

Fair Isle / Folkloric Patterns- Fair Isles have a tendendcy to come in and out every fall season. But this season is the most dominat I've seen it in children's wear.

 

Folkloric and fairisle patterns- gapkids.com

 

Caped Crusader- I love ponchos and capes because they do double duty. Not only do they keep the little ones warm, but they keep them looking stylish too!

 

Fashionable and warm- OshKosh B'gosh

 

I hope this post was helpful. There is a lot more to come, but it'll still be slow moving while we settle into the Empire State. Please let me know if you have any comments, questions, suggestions for blog posts, etc. I'm more than happy to answer them all!! As my favorite therapist, Dr Frasier Crane says, "I'm listening".

 

 

Do you Cobalt Blue?

I'll admit, I did not go near the color cobalt blue for a while. Yes, it's the trendiest color this spring, however, store displays of cobalt blue pants, chartreuse sweaters and pink earrings conjured up (bad) 80's memories. But, I looked beyond the intense colors and have come to embrace the cobalt blue color trend.

a) Pair a cobalt blue tee with black denim for an evening out.

 

Click images for product details

 

b) Cobalt blue khakis and a white tee offer a fun relaxed look.

 

Cllick images for product details.

 

c) Looking for a great wear to work look? Pair a crisp khaki suit with cobalt blue handbag for a splash of fashionable color.

 

click images for product details

 

Texting, now accessible in the winter

This post isn't a typical fashion post. I came across something so genius that I had to share!! Who has been in this situation- it's freezing cold and your cell phone rings, what do you do? a) ignore it because it's too cold to take your gloves off to answer it. b) take time to get your gloves off, hunt for your phone and then miss the call because it took too long to answer. c) keep your gloves on, hunt for your phone, answer the phone and send a text a to your friend. If you answered c, then you must have come across one of the fabulous touch friendly gloves that are out on the market now.

Agloves Sport

You may be asking- how does it work? Well, the long and short of it is that a conductive thread is used to sew the gloves or fingertips. Here's a link to Agloves "Science Behind the Gloves" for more information.

There are many companies out there that offer "touch screen friendly" gloves. Inc. magazine did a comparative of three popular gloves, giving Agloves 3 out of 3 stars. In addition to the 3 mentioned in the article, there are Burton (the ski gear company), offers glove liners, and Isotoner, to name a couple more.

Stay warm and text away!!

But, PLEASE for your safety and the safety of others, text responsibly, do not text and drive.

Bold Denim Colors

Believe it or not, spring is right around the corner. A great way to say adios the coldness of winter and the sun of spring is to embrace one of this spring's hottest trends- Bold Colored Denim.

Now, I'm not suggesting you run out and buy a pair of hot pink jeggings, just add a pop of color to your denim look.

So as not to be overwhelmed by the color, pair the bold denim with a neutral top. For example, bright yellow jeans and an oatmeal or beige top.

Curvy Cropped Denim Jeans- Ann Taylor

To keep it simple and casual pair the denim with flats and a relaxed solid tee.

Elie Tahari "Vanessa" Straight Leg Jeans- Nordstrom Exclusive

If you do want to be daring and go all out with bold colored denim, I still suggest keeping the top simple, but maybe spruce it up a bit with stripes, another Sp 2012 big trend.

Lauren Jeans Co. Jeans, Modern Skinny Leg Jeans- Macys

The Trunki, Stylish and Practical

Oh my goodness, I know, it's been 4EVER since I have blogged. So much going on, went to Asia for vacation, came home to a flooded house, etc etc... Think you get the picture. Anyway, Happy New Year to all!! Today's post strays away from what I normally write about, but it's such a fabulous and stylish product, that I had to write about it- Enjoy!!

The Trunki ®, sold in the US by Melissa and Doug, is a carry on suitcase that doubles as a ride-on toy. I was armed with the Trunki® when I travelled to Asia, with my 4 yr old, during the holidays!!! And it was fabulous. Are you ready for this? SHE took responsibility of her Trunki ®. SHE pulled it, SHE made sure SHE got it from baggage screening, and SHE watched it as we stood in line at the gate. On top it all, it’s cute and stylish. The “normal” Dora and Thomas the Train back packs were not quite going with our matching travel outfits so I opted to buy the Trunki ®, and it was worth it. By the way, this is just advice based on my personal experience. I am not, in any way, being paid to endorse this product…

OK, so, traveling with the Trunki ® is as easy as:

a)       Fill the Trunki ® with games, snacks, change of clothes etc.

b)       Wiz through the airport or rail stations with your kiddo scooting along on his own. Or, it comes with a pull strap for easy “towing”.

c)       Board, and slide the Trunki ® under the seat, or in the over head compartment.

d)       When you start hearing “are we there yet”, and still have 12 more hours to go…. Pull out the Trunki ® and offer up the games and snacks as mentioned in point a.

e)       Sit back and relax

The Trunki ® comes in fabulous, trendy colors and designs. It is recommended for ages 3 and up, and can carry up to 100lbs. MSRP $39.99. Additional accessories are available, such as a saddlebag and stickers. Available at various retailers, including melissaanddoug.com.