Spain has once again proven that it is the world leader when it comes to the commercial fashion scene for women. Mango is a Barcelona-based apparel chain that operates in 81 countries and 5 continents. Its young and enthusiastic employees’ have an average age of 30 and about 82% are female. It targets demanding modern, urban and cosmopolitan women.

“Mango is dedicated to the distinctive design, manufacture and marketing of clothing and accessories for women only”. Despite their Spanish heritage – Mango is not Zara. The merchandise at Mango is richer, less mainstream and more avant garde. It is also of superior quality and hence more pricey. Shopping at Mango feels like shopping in a boutique - not unlike BCBG stores in America. The good news is that it is completely affordable despite the swanky environment they create for their consumers.

Mango seems to have what it takes to compete with well established brands like Zara (sophisticated fast fashion) and H&M (funky cheap ‘n chic). It is another one of my absolutely favourite shopping destinations – especially good when looking for professional or dressy attire. Make Mango a place to peruse if you are after a runway look at a reality price.

Mango is rapidly expanding into the US market. It has a store in Santa Monica and plans to open stores in LA, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Seattle by the end of the year.

If you live in the Northern hemisphere, you may have noticed that retail stores are full of autumn merchandise. The first item that retailers tend to replenish going into the winter season is jeans. The best assortment of size, length, wash and style is available right now. This does not only hold true for women, but for men and children as well.

Some stores will offer denim specials at this time of year, to help move huge volumes that have been bought in. If jeans for the family is on your shopping list – now is a good time to buy them.

Stylish people are not only well dressed, they are usually also perfectly polished. Style icons like Kate Moss and Sienna Miller that exemplified the “just got out of bed look” are a rarity (and have the advantage of being adorned with designer clothing). The rest of us need to be immaculately groomed.

This doesn’t always come naturally, so here are some tips that will make it easy for everyone: 

• Dress well – your clothes need to be current, fit well and suit your body type irrespective of your fashion persona.
• Stay neat, clean and crinkle free – make sure that your clothes are ironed, stain free and in place when you wear them.
• Wear well cared for clothes and shoes – refrain from wearing anything that’s shabby.
• Make sure your eyebrows and lips are defined – eyebrows frame your face and shaping them is imperative (see “Make-up, or Make-down?“). Nourished lips (gloss or a bit of lipstick) always seem to finish off an outfit.
• Style your hair – acquire a hairstyle that is simple, easy to manage and that you can keep down if you want to. A hairstyle that requires you pull it back with numerous hair slides, clips and anything else resembles clutter (especially if they have to compete with accessories), and clutter is not good grooming. If you are going to pull your hair back, a neat low pony tail with a side parting is always classy.
• Care for your hands and feet – keeping your nails one length is important but wearing nail colour on your hands is not. If you wear open toe shoes – it’s always a good idea to have buffed your feet.
• Accessorize correctly – be mindful of how you match your accessories. Wear pieces that compliment your outfit without resembling a Christmas tree.
• Shave and wax regularly – There is nothing more polished then smooth shiny skin.
• Maintain good posture – standing up straight always makes you look taller and slimmer.
• Wear a scent – people should be able to tell when you have arrived if they can smell you before seeing you.

Looking polished is not just for those that need to look professional. You can look polished while you garden, shop, cook, travel, take the dogs out for a walk or play with children in the park. It’s not about being smartly dressed – it’s about being well groomed.

Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly epitomized immaculate grooming.

Through my experiences as a personal dresser I’ve been relieved to find that I’m not alone when it comes to having fussy feet. There are varying degrees of fussiness and basically 2 solutions:

• Buy comfortable shoes
• Doctor existing uncomfortable shoes

Shoes that are hard on the inside and that lack arch support are a common problem. We are instantly drawn to sneakers because of their cushioning comfort. The good news is that sneaker comfort technology has filtered down to smarter and prettier shoes. Certain shoe brands have specialized in this which doesn’t make thick-soled-caveman-looking sandals your only option. Look for brands like Josef Seibel, Think!, Beautifeel, Oh Shoes!, Indigo, Bally and Cole Haan. Thanks to the fact that Cole Haan is owned by Nike, we can expect to find classy shoes with all the comfort. These brands also offer numerous styles for men.

The bad news is that shoes like this are pricey. It’s the price you are going to have to pay if you have fussy feet!

Chic, comfortable shoes from Cole Haan, Oh Shoes! and Think! They are available at department stores or specialized footwear stores like The Walking Company.

Women are fortunate when it comes to dressing for warm summer weddings and occasions – breezy dresses and open toe sandals without hose is perfectly acceptable attire. Gents, on the other hand are expected to swelter in shirt, tie, jacket, socks and closed shoes unless otherwise stated on the invitation. Are there cooler dressing options for men for formal occasions? This has been a frequent “Ask Angie“ over the last few weeks.

Unfortunately, if the dress code is formal, men will still have to bring a dinner jacket, and wear socks with dressy shoes. They can, however, drop the tie:

• The Prada look: An ultra trendy look of black pants, black pinstripe shirt, black jacket and no tie. Alternatively, try an iridescent navy, brown or burgundy shirt instead of a black pinstripe one. As long as the ensembles’ palette is dark and monochromatic, they’ll look formal enough. Tom Cruise often wears this look on the red carpet. It’s a super look for formal evening functions.
• The light suit and bright shirt: A tan suit with any brightly coloured shirt usually works best for this look. It’s always festive to wear a bright colour in summer which makes this ensemble especially suitable.

Dressy collared shirts will allow gents to look formal enough without ties. With a spot of luck there will be air conditioning as well.

The Prada look from Nordstrom, and Light suit with bright shirt from Macy’s, both formal, but without ties.

Cleaning out your closet, getting organized and practical about what’s inside of it is worth every minute of the effort. The end result makes my toes tingle with delight. Seeing neat and tidy piles of clothes can sometimes make a hectic morning seem more calm.  It sounds absurd, but perfectly displayed clothing, shoes and accessories seems to have a positive impact on the way you dress. Without fail, ordered shelves and rails seem to start off my day with clarity.

Messy closets are problematic because you can’t find what you are looking for in them. It therefore:

• Takes you twice as long to get dressed for anything
• Makes you spend unnecessarily on the duplication of items
• Makes you feel like you have nothing to wear despite the fact that your wardrobe is bursting at the seams

The easier it is to see the entire contents of your wardrobe, the easier it is to choose an outfit. Sorting out the clothes and accessories in your closet has to be done with forethought and planning. It’s not just a question of hanging up things that are on the floor. The aim is to be able to shop in your own closet. Stay tuned on how to create a happy, efficient and comfortable personal dressing environment – rather like your favourite store.

Aspirational closet organization with a little help from Organize-it-Online and Aztec Closet Systems.

Despite recent innovations like the Hanky Panky, the G-string panty (or thong) is not for everyone. But now there is an alternative route to invisible panty lines: “the no panty line promise” modern brief by Jockey underwear. Sue introduced us to them in a recent comment and as soon as I had a chance I did a fit trial.

They are brilliant! Boy short style underwear is my preference and these are the most comfortable pair I’ve worn. The fabric composition is a nylon spandex blend with 100% cotton gusset. Panty lines are kept invisible by overlocking the hems instead of finishing them with elastic. There is enough stretch in the fabric to keep them perfectly in place the entire day (no panty plucking).

They are available at Macy’s or any other department store that stocks Jockey underwear. Colours are abundant and run from a sizes S to XL. Thanks to Sue for sharing this valuable information. At $8.50 a pair – we have another solution to visible panty lines!

The Modern Brief from Jockey.

The most common foot size that I dress is an American size 9 (European size 40). Size 9s are fairly easy to find, but things get tricky from thereon upwards. A subscriber to my blog has shared information with me about a solution to this very problem. She has a daughter with a size 12 foot and they battled to find pretty shoes until they discovered Kathryn Kerrigan, an online store for tall women.

Sizes range from 6-12 and prices seem reasonable. If you are tall and need a size 12 shoe, or if you know somebody that does - the above site might prove useful.

NYDJs are ideal for mature women carrying weight around their midsection. The brand is marketed as the “tummy tuck jean that’s made for real women with curves.”  It’s available in regular and petite and up to a size American 16. Their cut has a girdle effect for the tummy area with straight or boot cut shaped leg widths. They are also offered in dark washes which are always a better idea when it come to denim.

I cannot take credit for finding this brand of jeans. My friend Laurel (another personal dresser at Dress for Success Seattle) took a chance and bought them for a friend’s 68 year old mother who is a perfect size 12P. They fitted absolutely splendidly! They were updated, chic and elegant. Well done to Laurel for getting her friend’s Mum jeans on the absolute first try (a tall order for most) and thank you for sharing this valuable information with us. 

You might not be the target customer for NYDJ’s, but if you know some else who might be – pass on the good news.

NYDJs from Nordstrom.

Some of the biggest fashion disasters happen with tops that are made out of jersey. Jersey is a thin, clingy and unforgiving fabric. Jersey tops reveal the outline of every part of your torso, and this is not for everybody. Men and women with a little extra around the middle who wear low rise pants and clingy jersey tops unfortunately resemble muffin tops. This blog entry is a sequel to “rising above your belly”, which encouraged ladies who carry a bit of weight around their waist to wear higher rises. Now that you have a solution for your bottom, what should you do for your top?

Here are a few solutions:

• Wear knits other than jersey – look for cotton, viscose and merino wool blends. Their thicker texture is less clingy, more flattering and very versatile.
• Layer your clothes - this will draw attention away from your mid section. Pop another layer…
  • under your knitted /woven top (e.g. camisole or longer length t-shirt)
  • over your knitted/woven top (e.g. jacket or cardigan)
• Look for prints and texture – knits with textures and prints have better “camouflaging capabilities” then plain versions do.
• Wear button down woven blouses and shirts – the rigidity of form fitting garments made of woven fabric will skim the contour of your body perfectly and give you a pretty waistline.

Stay away from jersey and opt for chunkier knitted tops or shapely woven shirts to eliminate “muffin top” syndrome.