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nordstrom’s anniversary sale

I use the Nordy’s Anni Sale for two purposes: to get ready for fall/winter with some elevated essentials, and to snag a few lust items that I can use immediately…because we all believe in IG (that’s instant gratification, not Instagram!) My 11 perfect pieces are:       ​ ​

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Stores & Sites to See

j.crew is hemorrhaging

They’ve been attempting a financial and sartorial turnaround across the last year or two ~ they let go of the popular creative director Jenna Lyons and then they revamped their overall style messaging from upscale, suburban gamine to understated urban fem. But J.Crew is still hemorrhaging… So their new strategy is to go the way of Starbucks! It’s hiring Adam Brotman as president and chief experience officer. Brotman hails from Starbucks Corp. What’s the goal? My guess is to up customer

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Becca Cosmetics, bronzer
Instagram

Never Ask, “Where Did You Get That?” Again!

How To Shop Monica’s (@Blueprint4Style) Instagram You shouldn’t feel funny asking where I got something or how much it costs…I’m pretty easy but if you do, worry no more! Just shop my instagram and you can get all of the items I snap delivered to your inbox (and I’m none the wiser)…. To make it happen, follow THREE easy steps: Follow me on Instagram {here} Sign up once via Instagram or {HERE} When you see a photo of something you

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Men's Matters

Old Face, New Clothes: Nick Wooster

Name: Nick Wooster Former Occupation: fashion director for Bergdorf Goodman Current Calling: clothing designer Age: 54 years old/young Say What?: coming this fall, in collaboration with Italian brand Lardini, it’s everything Nick wanted but couldn’t find You heard right…the capsule collection will include linen blazers, button-downs, and summer tweed tuxedos! I’ve followed Nick on Instagram for a little bit and appreciate his style sense and his sense of humor – which you’ll see ON the clothes because apparently Lardini added

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Men's Matters

“Right as Rain” Quote

“Ninety-nine percent of rainproof products are woven. Typically, that means synthetics that won’t patina like cotton or leather. But as Italian brand called Ten C makes great coats that are actually knits. They’re based on the fabric used for convertible-car covers, which needs to be able to stretch. It allows them to get back that worn-in look I really love while remaining waterproof.” –Chris Gibbs, owner of Union, in L.A. Moral of the story: you need waterproof stuff and you

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Stores & Sites to See

How Much Should I Spend on Clothes?

Have you ever had a more loaded question?! But the answer is apparently pretty simple…. Accordingly to financial planner Peter Dunn, 5% of your monthly budget should be allocated to clothing. BOOM! Done! Seriously, the translation on that is If your salary is under $30K then Zara, Mango and ASOS If you’re around $75K then Outnet, Nordstrom and Madewell For those $100K and over then Shopbop, Anthropologie, and go brand-specific As a wardrobe stylist, this may be a difficult number

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Dresses & Outfits

Shopbop Sale & Spring Style

The taste of spring got me started and now this Shopbop spring sale has the good times rollin’…it’s 25% off with code SPRING25 and I’m focused on pieces that can go allll day. Fell in love with this flare dress…(with some heels and a blazer if it’s still chilly)

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Stores & Sites to See

Sale: Madewell

It’s the baby sister to J.crew but FIRE! Madewell is making awesome stuff that lasts, is contemporary and relevant, has a classic underpinning, and Kin Ying Lee is battig 100%! I don’t typically post sales but I found several pieces that I not only purchased but recommended to clients because we’re ALL ready for spring and what better way to shake off the winter blues than by shopping! There are lots of pieces worthwhile but I found four pieces that

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biggest rpice drop
Stores & Sites to See

THE Ul-ti-mate Bargain Hunter!

I’m not a bargain hunter and everyone knows this….but there’s a new website that you need to check out because it tracks the real price drops across 54 online retailers! It’s devoted to fashion and, yes, you have to login using Facebook. Check out Biggest Price Drop! You now have an easy way to make sure those shoes you want are truly a bargain…! Caution: the prices change constantly so you’ve got to be vigilant. This ish just got real…

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bodysuit-blouse-bradamant
Stores & Sites to See

Tuck-er Up!

Do you ever have trouble keepin’ it in your pants (or skirt)? Well Bradamant has solved that problem for us! Bradamant understands that part of being a professional woman is looking and being put together literally and when your shirt tails are running rampant outside of your bottom, you lose a little something. [Enter stage left] Beautiful tops that stay put – because they are blouses with a bodysuit bottom! I saw the Warrior (loved the name!), and immediately decided

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Stores & Sites to See

Pay Yourself to Shop

Sounds weird right? But it’s true ~ since you’re shopping, why not get a little back for what you spend?! If you shop using Ebates, you will! I discovered Ebates while at a conference earlier this year and even though I scooped these Chloe shades for nothing (gifted), I was enthralled by the concept of getting something more than a bill for shopping {sheepish grin}. Ok, so next you’re wondering if the stores you shop are available using ebates and

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donuts, doughnuts, breakfast pastry
Stores & Sites to See

Where Are The Donuts

Whatever happened to the “donut”? It was a simple, uncomplicated piece of dough, fried and then dipped in some sugar. I venture to say it was the working man’s morning pick-me-up….and then it disappeared. What replaced it were low-fat options, organic ingredients, non-fried dough, and sausage biscuits. Gone are the days of Freddie’s Doughnuts (a longtime Buffalo, New York landmark) and in its place are Krispy Kreme’s and Dunkin Donuts. The original frycake has been redone to be less fat,

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Stores & Sites to See

Denim Day! Imogene + Willie

Do you love denim? How many pairs of jeans do you own? You ever heard of Imogene + Willie? Maybe Matt & Carrie Eddmenson? Ok, what about RRL and Rogan? Here’s your denim education: +Matt and Carrie Eddmenson are a husband-and-wife team + Imogene + Willie is a family business that does denim +RRL and Rogan are denim brands +They’ve taken their skills in-house since 2008 and now do one-of-a-kind and made-to-order denim +I tried on a pair and my

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Men's Matters

Men’s Shopping

location: Montreal owner, Michel Brisson place has a Savile Row service ethic emphasis on suiting especially bigger sizes on-site tailor Get to Michel Brisson Indeed, I’ve been and it’s worthwhile!

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Buzz

The 25 Most Expensive Stores In the United States

Which ones do you shop at regularly? Here’s how the most expensive stores in the United States were determined: bundle.com looked at proprietary data from 20 million Visa and Mastercard holders plus average receipt amounts based on millions of transactions (and filtered out places like wholesalers, manufacturers, and big department stores). 25. Prada, New York City: $1,429 per visit 24. Saks Jandel, Chevy Chase, Maryland: $1,457 per visit 23. Escada, Beverly Hills: $1,466 per visit 22. Vera Wang Bridal House, New York City: $1,493

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Stores & Sites to See

Good D.C. Eats

If you’re ever in D.C. and want to get a glimpse of where the deals are made (outside the White House), check out any of these “power spots”…. Breakfast: Blue Duck Tavern (24 & M Sts NW) ~ be prepared to spend around $25+ and don’t leave without trying the wood-fired pecan sticky buns Lunch: The Monocle (107 D St NE) ~ you’re going to spedn $55+ for a dry lunch and upwards of $65 with soemthing to wet your palate; it’s

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Stores & Sites to See

Best Shopping

Here’s Travel & Leisure’s roundup of the best luxury and antique stores, independent boutiques, and home decor shops. Which ones have you been to? Do you agree? What is your favorite haunt?

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Stores & Sites to See

J.Crew Cashmere Shop

It’s J.Crew. So it’s a brand you know. It’s Loro Piana cashmere. So you know it’s quality. I like J.Crew enough but this is not about the brand but about the quality of the product. J.Crew’s cashmere is sourced from the same place as high-end retailer Loro Piana, so that means you’re getting exceptional quality. The J.Crew Cashmere Shop is vast, it’s worthy of a visit, and definitely worth the purchase. I’m getting a few. Which ones are you investing

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Stores & Sites to See

Ideeli Does Fashion Week at Fab Prices!

Anyone “participating” in New York Mercedes Benz Fashion Week (#NYFW)? Ok so if you’re not going to any shows, did you at least do Fashion’s Night Out (#FNO) ~ ya know, when the stores stay open late so you can spend your money while well-known style personalities offer advice, DJs spin on the 1s and 2s, and the discounts are slightly better than normal? Well if you can’t attend any of the shows and if you missed Fashion’s Night Out,

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Stores & Sites to See

J.Crew Fall Lookbook

We’ve be sharing some of the trends for Fall 2012 and today we’re looking at J.Crew‘s Fall 2012 Lookbook. Why we don’t necessarily agree or like all of the trends, we’ve chosen 8 looks to highlight what you’ll be seeing in-store and what you can order now: pointy toes embellished fabrics textural prints slim fits classic cuts (lots of 60s styling) navy is the new black My favorite look is No.26 {I love the entire look and would rock it

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Stores & Sites to See

Carol Lim: A Fashion “Two-fer”

Do you know Kenzo? They’re a 42-year-old label founded by Takada Kenzo in Japan in 1970. He quickly changed his focus to parfums and by 1987, launched Kenzo Parfums.  Kenzo is part of the LVMH empire and is now under the direction of Carol Lim along with co-creative director Humberto Leon. Ever heard of Opening Ceremony? The international chain of “young & hip” mini-boutiques that showcase emerging talent and established designers. The stores are known for their offbeat collection and

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Stores & Sites to See

Just Be-COS

COS stands for Collection of Style and is a store with no U.S. presence. I’ve seen them in Paris and although I wasn’t prepared to make any purchases, I loved it for the clean lines, uncomplicated styling ~ very Celine-esque and Carven feel. Here are the critical points: it’s an H&M upscale brand H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson is opening several locations this year! it’s for men and women their focus is on high-end design, decent quality and reasonable pricing = nothing too

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Stores & Sites to See

Can We Give You $175 To Spend?

We’d like to give you a gift certificate for $175 to spend at Lands’ End Canvas. To get it, just do the following: subscribe to the blueprint for style email newsletter ~ here get one friend to subscribe to the newsletter too (make sure they complete the “Referred By” portion) Like Lands End Canvas on Facebook cross your fingers and wait for the WINNER announcement on August 1st BONUS: get one additional chance for each additional friend who subscribes! I

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Stores & Sites to See

The Perfect Denim (Fit) For YOU!

Click below and you’re on your way to figuring out the right denim options for you (men & women alike). I did ~ and I’m a believer! The Blues Jean Bar Blueprint for Style has worked with The Blues Jean Bar before (see Diamonds & Denim), so we’re well aware of their extensive stock and options but everyone wonders which denim they should get. This fit quiz will help you figure that out….from there, it’s all about looking good.

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Stores & Sites to See

Watch as Target Stores Grow Up!

Target turns 50 this year and they’ve come a long way baby! Focusing on their fashion endeavors, they started out selling bargain filler items for your closet, shoes that were cute and worked in a pinch, and accessories that didn’t scream super stylish but added something fun to your look. In early 2000, they launched collaborations that didn’t necessarily get tons of press, but they’ve come full circle and starting May 6, 2012, they kicked off The Shops at Target.

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