Neiman Marcus-And what they tell us

I love what Neiman Marcus calls coats and sweaters: Unique Outerwear.

So you know what you can do? Wear a coat that is different then what everyone is wearing. If the coat is a bit baggy-wrap a leather belt around your waist. Grab an inexpensive silk flower or large rhinestone pin and attach it to the lapel.

I was given a bunch of vintage and costume jewelry pins. Wear a bunch of pins around the collar bone of your jacket almost in a collage form, wearing pins that perhaps match in metal color or shapes that fit together.

If you have a wrap from a previous season, purchase a vintage fur collar and tack it to the edge of the wrap. Just a few little stitches, and you have a new stylish wrap. Then when fur is not wanted anymore, just snip those stitches and you have your two separate pieces again. Attach the fur collar to a sweater and wear a pin.

Velcro is great. Just a couple of stitches to attach the velcro to your wrap, sweater and fur and now you can change. You can wear your wrap over the sweater that has the fur attached.

I have noticed that the layering is very different. It used to be the lace tank under a tee and that is still great! Now wear a sweater, a short jacket on top of the sweater and then the wrap. You will be snuggly warm for the winter, can take off the various layers when you are in the car or going indoors. Velvets, wools, silks, cottons all combined in one wardrobe. I have to admit, this style and layers is great for the thinner gal, but I try to get away with as much as I can do without looking too heavy or heavier than I am. But I still play.

You possibly have alot of clothes in your closet that you have not worn and want to get rid of and that is what most clutter free people tell you. I like to keep what I have and use it and reuse it. I have a closet that I keep my clothing in and twice a year go through. Also, keep some cedar chips or blocks in the closet to keep those pesky moths away from your wools. My mom had a cedar cabinet that she store the clothing in.

SALVATION ARMY CLOSING UP

The lights went out, one more person coming up behind me, shux, I have to leave now.
I remember my way back though!

Fur

Back in the late 70's, my aunt gave me her dolman sleeved long fur coat. Unfortunately, being a student, I was not able to put the fur away for the summer months which left the pelts of the absolutely gorgeous fur coat fall apart. People on the streets of Boston would stop me to comment on this coat. It was so warm, nothing like it and so chic, I just couldn't help but admire it myself.

Today, September 29, 2010, I do not have that coat, but I do have some fur collars and faux fur collared sweaters.

As I was visiting a thrift shop on Monday, there were some pretty real fur collars lying on top of a rounder just waiting to be bought. I did not need them, because that would have been too spend thrifty. Just an idea for you though, look around in thrifts and consignment shops for pieces of fur or a sweater that you can remove the collar to change your sweaters and blazers.

Place the fur collar on top of a blazer collar, perhaps use a pin pendant to keep in place or attach velcro to the collars of your blazers and a piece of velcro to the fur and you can switch anytime you want. Some velcro is just sticky so that you do not permanently have to sew onto your blazers collars. Try to make your fashion easy and duable for change.