THINK GREEN!

No, I'm not talking about recycling! Green is without a doubt the go-to hue for the fall season. Now, I must admit . . . just 2 years ago you would not have caught me dead in the color. Although I may have loved the piece, if the color was green, the first thing out of my mouth was: "I don't do green!" I think the color routinely reminded me of Emerald City in "The Wizard of Oz," not exactly the place you reflect upon when you think about must have fashion trends.

Fast forward to last fall when I became somewhat obsessed with the color after Gucci did this beyond fab snakeskin bag in forest green. It literally took my breath away. After seeing this magnificent creation, I began embracing that particular shade as a neutral that could be worn with black, navy, brown, or tan. The next thing I knew I was in Soho at one of my favorite shoe boutiques, Keito, purchasing a pair of "too fierce" platform leather and suede booties in the hue. The end result has been a love connection that was well overdue!

From fabulous ponte dresses to Chanel inspired tweed jackets to cashmere cardigans and platform pumps - you will definitely find that must have piece to add to your wardrobe. After all, it can be easy being green.

bebe Launches Petite Line!

We asked and apparently bebe finally listened! This week the brand known for its uber chic styles officially launched its petite line, a much needed remedy for those of us who must get every pair of pants we purchase hemmed!

The petite selections are targeted to women 5'4" and under, and include jackets, pants, and jeans. In the past, bebe has occasionally done a few of their pants in petite lengths, but the selection has been quite limited. By the time you realized the item was sold in petite sizes, they were completely sold out.

The line currently includes 11 pieces, and is available exclusively at bebe.com.

5 Easy Steps to a Fiercely Organized Wardrobe

Ever step into your closet and feel like you have nothing to wear?  It may not be just because you have become bored with your current wardrobe. More likely than not, it's because you can't see everything your current wardrobe has to offer.  Most of us don't go into our kitchen pulling out every drawer and frantically searching for the forks, knives, and spoons.  Why? Because each of the utensils has its place in what you refer to as the "silverware drawer."  Your closet should reflect the same organization! You can't expect to look fashionable on a daily basis if every morning you're searching for that one piece to make your outfit pop and you NEVER find it. If you want to make getting dressed as simple as it should be, follow these guidelines for a well organized wardrobe.

1. Separate your wardrobe by season.  Have an area for your spring/summer clothes and another area for your fall/winter clothes.  (If you're anything like me, you probably have separate closets for each season!)

2.  Within each season, separate your casual, work, and "After 5" clothes.  This will make it easier on those days you oversleep and need to pull together an outfit for work in a nano second.

3.  Sort your clothes by type.  All of your shirts should be together, skirts, pants, jackets, etc.  I would also encourage you to further break this down into groupings.  For example, if you are organizing your shirts, place your sleeveless tops together, followed by your short-sleeved tops and then your long-sleeved tops.

4.  Color coordinate!  Group your white shirts together, followed by your cream shirts, moving from your light shades to your darker shades, and ending with black.  Repeat this step for each type of clothing.

5.  Organize your shoes so you can see them.  If there's not enough space in your closet to display all of them, keep the shoes you tend to wear most often in plain sight.  You should store the others in either their original boxes or clear plastic boxes.  Place a photograph on the box so you can easily identify the shoes in each box. 

One more thing - and this has nothing to do with how you organize your closet, but I would be remiss if I didn't address it now.  Get rid of the wire hangers . . . all of them!  If you care about the quality of the clothes you buy, then you should care about how well you maintain them.  Wire hangers are meant to transport your clothes from the dry cleaners to your closet.  After they have served this purpose, they should be disposed of properly (or recycled).  They are the quickest and easiest way to cause your clothing to lose its shape (because they can't support the weight of most garments) and to get stains (they rust over time).  Invest in a heavy duty hanger.  I prefer wood, but there are some high quality plastic ones on the market as well.  If space is an issue (wood and plastic hangers do take up quite a bit of space), try Real Simple Slimline Hangers.  Whatever you decide, just throw away the wires!  Your clothes will thank you, and so will I!

A Sneak Peak at Fall 2010

Photo from style.com

Fashion waits for no one ladies! Although we just participated in 4th of July festivities this past weekend, and temperatures are soaring into the 100's in some areas of the northeast this week, fall clothing has already hit the stores. I know - I know: it's hard to think about trying on that gorgeous shearling or fur-trimmed leather when you're sweating bullets. However, if you wait until the first frost hits to begin scooping up those must have items for the season, you will be disappointed. So for you brave souls who will risk your bronzer dripping down your face in the interest of fashion, here's a quick preview of some of the must have items for the fall.

While this is the third fall season that grey and shades of plum have ruled the runway, there's a new kid on the block: navy! Many designers have put their individual spin on the actual shade of blue, so be on the lookout for deep blues with a hint of purple as well as gorgeous shades of sapphire blue. Since nude and blush tones were a big trend for Spring 2010, it seems fitting that the shade has darkened a bit for fall, and camel has emerged. We're seeing this shade in everything from chic platform boots to fabulous cashmere coats and satchel handbags.

By far one of my favorite trends of the season is texture. Tweeds are very strong, and you will see many wardrobe staples blending leather, suede, wool, and nylon. I must say that Versace did it best in this ultra funky coat (pictured above)they sent down the runway at the Nordstrom Fall 2010 Designer Preview Runway Show. And speaking of textures, sweater dressing has made a strong comeback from chunky knit coats to dresses and even boots!

Finally, I am loving all of the booties we're seeing - particularly the lace fronts! Cross-body bags, both mini and full-sized, are a big trend that carried over from the spring, and are joined by structured hand-held doctor bags. As far as accessories are concerned, "more is more," so layer those bangles and necklaces to continue looking "fashion fierce" once the temperature drops. Happy Shopping!

(P.S. You can pick up several of these trends at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this month. But hurry - the presale has already started!)

MAYDAY MAYDAY . . . I've Outgrown My Closet!

I can't begin to tell you the number of times I've heard the following line from clients or potential clients: "I will call you to go shopping for clothes when I lose weight." Now, I totally understand wanting to get to that perfect size so you can rock that fabulous LBD you have now tucked away in the back of your closet. However, should the goal to shed those extra 5, 10 or even 20 pounds mean that you put off looking good until you reach your optimal weight? I think not!

Creating your personal style is a process, and it shouldn't be governed by the almighty scale. It is important that you look and feel good at any age, and at any size. I'm not advocating that you run out and buy an entirely new wardrobe at a size you absolutely loathe, but it will only make you feel worse if you don't have a few pieces in your closet that make you feel fabulous when you wear them. We as women are very emotional, and the constant reminders to lose weight (e.g. the rack of clothes in your closet that are two sizes too small) tend not to push us to the gym, but rather to the head table at a pity party. In my experience, you will only lose the weight when you look in the mirror, embrace how you look today, and think: "Wow! I could look even better if I shed those additional pounds."

Instead of declaring "I refuse to buy anything until I lose some weight," take an inventory of your current wardrobe.  If you need a few pieces to look good NOW, buy them. Just resist the urge to splurge. And about that rack of clothes you can't fit . . . HIDE THEM! They will only make you feel worse every time you open those closet doors, and that my friend is a NO NO!

Summer Must Have: Feminine Sun Hat

Sad to say, my internship blogging for Be Fashion Fierce has come to a close.  As my final blog, I'd actually like to talk about something I've had an interest in for a while now, but haven't had the chance to address.  After never wearing a hat in my life (except for playing softball in my younger years), I've been intrigued by the hats that are in stores for Summer 2010.  Since purchasing a large black hat that looks like I'm ready to go to the Kentucky Derby--in a sundress--I've grown to love hats, and I think everyone should have at least one. They are the best accessory to a sundress! Here are a few of the hottest styles . . . wear them to church, to weddings, to the shore, out for a day of shopping with the girls, or whatever occasion you may find.

Can't Get Enough of those Wendy Brandes Gold Snake Earrings?

"The size, style, feel and quality of the original Cleopatra earring kicks asp!" ;-) Well said by Wendy Brandes herself! Since Sex and the City 2 made it's debut last week, the talk of the town has been about Wendy's gold snake-like Cleopatra earrings. If you took a look at last week's blog, you'll notice that I found a look for less for these earrings. Since then, I've had the pleasure of communicating with Wendy Brandes regarding these earrings, and I decided to do a follow up for all of you on how to get the REAL DEAL earrings -- still at an affordable price! These earrings retail for only $450 dollars and are beautifully shaped and made out of sterling silver. Every fashionista must have a statement piece of jewelry, and these earrings are certainly a MUST HAVE for summer.  Make sure you check out Wendy's website at www.wendybrandes.com. You can even check out her blog where she talks about the earrings in the movie and her trip to see the movie with friends -- all of whom sported the Cleopatra earrings!

Wendy Brandes wearing her signature Cleopatra earrings