I love the change of seasons.  Living in the Midwest we get a little bit of everything.  Some years though we go from winter right into summer.  Spring might last a few weeks, if we are lucky, then it’s hot and humid until Fall, late Fall that is.  You get dressed knowing you will go from chilly air condition to sweltering heat and back again, all day long.

Going to the office, you can keep professional and stylish, even with the extreme temperature change.  Many of Etcetera’s pieces are great for three seasons.  Layering is important and can take you from office to dinner and A/C to 90 degrees.  Our Opposite suit is a great example, pair with your favorite pop of color and a great scarf.

If you are like me, I go casual when hanging out with the kids.  Throwing on a run around dress or a great knit with shorts is easy and keeps you cool.  You should pay attention to patterns, fabric and fit. Wearing prints and dark colors hides wrinkles and perspiration stains. Lose tops don’t cling as much.  There is nothing worse than sitting at a sporting event with sweat running down your back for all to see.  We have all been there and a great print or dark color doesn’t show the whole world you are melting!  A cotton or linen is always a good option and go with white or another light color, also keeps you cool in the sun.

When going to a dressy evening event, it may start off really warm, then the temperature drops and you are chilly.  A great colorful scarf or wrap always comes in handy and many summer versions are thin enough to fit in your bag or tie onto your purse as a little decoration.

Finally when it comes to make up and hair, I always say less is more.  I have found some great products I love and they help keep my make up in place on my face!  I always start with sun screen – Rodan & Fields SPF 50 is my fave.  I have a great powder that sets your make up, called Make Up For Ever – HD Microfinish Powder. I use it to set my eyeshadow in place with a little Mac Extended Play Gigablack Lash mascara to give my eyes a pop.  For your hair, messy updos are an easy option – I love The Small Things Blog for hair tutorials.

Happy summer ladies, safe travels and stay cool!

  Jennifer Stuhlreyer, Sales Consultant

READ POST

The fashion industry is creative and constantly evolving to reflect or direct what women want.  Thank goodness!   Wouldn’t it be boring if year after year everything remained the same?  Unfortunately, some women still go by old fashioned rules that have been handed down from generation to generation.  What might have been true 30 years ago is so off target today.   Let’s talk about a few of these fashions dos and don’ts, and you can test your Fashion IQ.

True or False:  HANDBAGS AND SHOES MUCH MATCH

This is so 1950’s and I think of June Cleaver, white gloves, and pearls.  Red shoes OR a red bag can look fantastic with the right outfit.  Red shoes AND a red bag – boring and predictable, lacking in imagination.  Besides, I don’t know of any woman who has the time to change out her handbag on a daily basis.

True or False:  HORIZONTAL STRIPES MAKE YOU LOOK FAT

The common thought that horizontal stripes make you appear wider may not necessarily be true.  Dr. Peter Thompson, (as well as others), a psychologist and expert in visual perception at the University of York, has found that horizontal stripes don’t make you look fatter.  He showed pairs of pictures to volunteers.  In each pair, the same woman was wearing vertical stripes in one picture and horizontal stripes in the other.    The volunteers had to choose which they thought looked bigger.  Contrary to popular belief, people tended to judge the horizontally striped woman to be slimmer.

I think Etcetera’s Stripes cardigan and Banded jacket will look great on everyone, especially because the horizontal stripes on these pieces give width to the chest and shoulder zones, making the hips appear narrower.

True or False:  WEAR ONLY ONE BOLD COLOR AT A TIME

Color blocking is still a popular trend.  Wearing bold colors together work best when colors are of the same intensity. Follow these basic guidelines when selecting colors:

• Select two colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, such as deep pink and poppy red, or royal blue and emerald green

• If you want to accent your outfit with a third color, choose one from the opposite side of the color wheel, such as a bit of orange to accent cobalt blue and emerald green.

• Another easy option is to a pop of bright color with your accessories.

True or False:  DON’T WEAR BLACK WITH BLUE

I think this pairing goes together as well as love and marriage.  The trick is to keep it from looking dark or accidental.  Add a pop of color and/or shine with accessories or jewelry.  This also applies to Black and Brown, which used to never be paired.   Etcetera marries black and navy and pops the entire look with beautiful royal blue.

True or False:  DON’T WEAR GOLD AND SILVER TOGETHER

By all means, mix them up.  Metallics are a neutral and work beautifully together.    When wearing gold and silver necklaces or bangles, keep to a similar size for a cohesive look. Experiment with different combinations. It’s usually best to mix a basic, classic design with a more complex one, such as a solid bangle with a more intricate bracelet, and perhaps a delicate chain bracelet.

True or False:  TALL WOMEN SHOULDN’T WEAR HEELS

If you have been blessed with height, why would you not flaunt it?  Heels make your legs look great.  Who doesn’t want that?

Some Things Haven’t Changed:

I do, however, have rules I can’t imagine I’ll ever break.  But who knows, times change and so should we!

•  The only one who should wear white to a wedding is the bride.
•  Don’t wear double denim (same color) unless you want to look like a cowboy.
•  Pajamas shouldn’t be seen in public.
•  It’s better to be overdress than underdressed.

READ POST

When you think about “golf wear,”  you may not think “Etcetera,”….but perhaps you should.  Ever since I began selling the line five years ago, I have been quietly using some fabulous Etcetera pieces to spice up my golf wardrobe!  As an avid golfer and self- proclaimed fashionista, I have found that our collections provide certain skirts, shorts, tops, and an occasional pant that will suit a golfer “to a tee.”   Not only do many of the fabrics (cotton –spandex) lend themselves to the sport, but the great prints and incredible styles and fit fly in the “club-face” of traditional golf wear that often tends to be boxy and unflattering.  And the same feeling of confidence I get from wearing a great Etcetera dress or suit is what I feel when I don a pair of Etcetera shorts or skirt on the course.  The game IS mostly mental as you may know…..soooo  if you LOOK great, you will PLAY great!  (It’s always ALL about the outfit for me!)

Here in New England where a chill is still in the air, the appropriate golf attire is certain to be a snappy pair of pants and a sweater.  What better choice than the Scottish inspired Tattersal pant…a windowpane plaid made of cotton and just the right amount of elastane for comfort and movement paired with Nightbloom…the perfect polo jersey top with a nice collar as required by many golf clubs.  Top it all off with the Malibu cardigan for warmth without sacrificing style thanks to the fabulous lacing down the sleeves.

If it’s warm enough already where you are golfing, then get into the swing of things with one of my favorite tops from the Spring collection called “Leger.”  For one thing, it’s cotton/spandex AND has every color under the sun destined to match any of your existing solid shorts or skorts;  but I love it with our Carmen Bermuda…a bold but completely appropriate length short for the game with pockets to hold your ball and tee.

“Getting on the green” can be as easy as slipping on “Lilypad”…our polo type cotton viscose sweater in the hottest color of the season.  But what makes this outfit a “hole in one” is our fabulous skort called Blackrose.”  Wear it on the course as a pair of shorts, then change up the look for the 19^th hole by adding the skirt AND the incredible “Banded” jacket that will have everyone “getting their green” up!

And lastly, let me leave you with a pair of great whites…our stretch tech Bermuda short called “Angelica.”  It’s the quintessential canvas for any of your golf tops.  I suggest you look to the “skyline” T shirt…a stretch jersey with a great geometric print and the fun, unexpected, asymmetrical neckline.  It never hurts to add the “Spy” cardigan and you will be swingin’ in style.

The world of golf wear is clearly still evolving, but why wait to find the perfect golf outfit from the traditional stores when you can be sure that ETCETERA has you covered.  “Dressing to the nines” for 18 has never been so easy!

  Naomi Salvatore, Sales Consultant

Naomi is a veteran news broadcaster and radio personality who in 2000 traded early mornings on the air at WPLJ-Radio in New York City for early mornings changing diapers back home in Rhode Island, where she currently resides with her husband and 2 young sons.  5 years ago, she decided to go back to work at a job that was flexible with her “mom schedule” and allowed her to combine her communications skills and love of people with her passion for fashion.  As an ETCETERA consultant, she has found the perfect fit.  When she is not shuttling kids to soccer or basketball, she can be found shopping for her clients, doing commercial/voiceover work, or out on the lynx where she, her husband, and 2 boys make the perfect foursome!

READ POST

For many of us preppy-chic fashionistas, we are still in mourning over our beloved, barefoot, juice stand maven, Lilly Pulitzer, who introduced our moms to bright Palm Beach colored prints with tropical and silly animal motifs.  Much to some photo album chagrin (or cherish – depending on whom you talk to) this same woman inspired numerous beach pictures of our siblings in a coordinating rompers and shifts. I remembered gleefully searching each new purchase to find the name “Lilly” swirled and hidden within the prints. I “oohed” and “ahhhed,” thinking of the effort and planning the manufacturing process had taken.

Lilly Pulitzer and her iconic fabric

Fast forward a few decades and we discover that digital printing is by far one of the most exciting developments in the textile industry. Not only does it provide endless opportunities for customization, small run printing, prototyping and experimentation but it also brings down the production price. Designs can be created digitally with almost any graphic design software, allowing for the pattern to repeat, or for it to be custom engineered to fit the products’ cut and sewn pieces. Another great benefit is that digital printing is environmentally green, using only the exact amount of inks needed directly onto the fabric, resulting in minimal to no waste.

Enough about the process, let’s look at the results: Marc Jacobs of Louis Vuitton made the loudest splash during the Spring 2013 show by using large geometric shapes in “mod” yellow and white, as well as various size black and white racing flag prints to catch our attention.

We are fortunate that digital printing has been incorporated throughout the Spring and Summer Etcetera collections – lending layers of color to floral and tribal prints. Our most magnificent examples are the Borealis top and the Expressive sleeveless blouse:

The Etcetera Borealis top is an ikat print in violet, purple, fuchsia, white and blues. Its silky satin fabric and dolman sleeves gives it a flowy, relaxed feel.  Pair it with slim white denim (Moonlit) or purple twill pants (Grape). It can also be worn more casually with our white short-shorts (Egret).

http://www.etcetera.com/collections/spring2013/lookbook/77/

Expressive is Etcetera’s patchwork print sleeveless blouse in white, navy, blues, black and tangerine. It looks fantastic popping out under a black or navy suit (Obsidian), even better pulling out its royal blue tones under our Composition jacket, or team it with tangerine denim pants or white Bermuda shorts (Creamsicle and Angelica).

http://www.etcetera.com/collections/spring2013/lookbook/45/

   Kristie Sheanshang, Sales Consultant

Kristie Sheanshang writes the style column for Cincy Chic, has a monthly “Dare4Flair” TV segment on FOX 19, represents the Etcetera clothing line as well as the Rodan + Fields Dermatologists skin care line,both of which will help you Create Compliments each and every day. As a style consultant, closet cleaner, personal shopper and public speaker, Sheanshang enjoys helping women look and feel fantastic by finding clothes and skin techniques that best fit their body, lifestyle and wallet – without looking like everyone else. Flair is a 2011 Winner – Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce WE Celebrate “Businesses WE Watch.”

READ POST

It’s the beginning of a new season for Etcetera and our Summer trunk shows are in full swing. There’s no doubt which trends will make their way to our closets. We are all loving prints, prints and more prints!  And, what’s not to love about the summer COLORS!? While some of the SUMMER trends are already a big success (think about all the floral and geo prints, for instance), other trends (cut-outs, short suits and bermudas) are just waiting for the warmer weather to make their grand entrance.

Here is what’s on my SUMMER “IT” list for the sunny days to come:

Prints Charming

Whether you’re into the mishmash, mismatch colour craze or the head-to-toe “print blocking,” this IS the season for prints charming (or charming prints)!  I am in love with Etcetera’s digitally-infused animal prints such as the Border and Maasai dresses. Pair these darlings with a platform sandal and you are ready for day or night fun! Or for a sleeker look, try the Caravan halter dress—a fashionista must have!

Garden Party

Flower Power is larger than life this summer! The extra-large blooms, leaves and tree prints are seen ev-er-y-where . . . from the department stores to fashionistas on the street! Throw on your Wayfarers (yea, they are taking summer by storm, too) with either Etcetera’s Fleur blouse and skirt or our dazzling Blooms dress . . . and you’ll be ready for any back yard barbeque!

Lacey Lace

You’ve seen this feminine fabric on everything from dresses to jackets, but what’s our new fave?  Etcetera’s sassy tailored lace shorts, Belladonna.  You can pair these with a loose-fitting top (I am obsessing over our feminine blouse, Muse) for a perfect, simple and classic summer look!

Effortless Shapes

What’s not to love about the runway’s flowy, winged and geisha-inspired pieces? They are fun, flirty and easy breezey!  Etcetera’s trapeze-shaped sleeveless tunic, Eve, pairs so well with black leggings to make the simple, ‘Back in Black’ trend.  Another favorite is the Renegade blouse—it’s just divine with our Carmen bermudas! Can you say, LOVE it?

White Out

Although the black and white combo is vying to be this season’s hottest trend, WHITE is THE quintessential essential summer staple. It’s the one color that no woman should be without in the days of summer. Etcetera always rolls out a fabulous white blouse, but the ultimate is this summer’s Links blouse — giving this classic look a new whole new twist.  You can throw it over a swimsuit, tuck it into high-wasted shorts, or throw it on over a colored pair of jeans. So fresh!

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for those spur-of-the-moment beach trips, poolside gatherings, or whatever other spontaneous summertime activity comes my way. Whatever you’re planning (or not), Etcetera’s amazing SUMMER Collection will have you covered for fashion & fun!

 Lynette Earley, Area Development Manager

Lynette Earley is one of Etcetera’s bloggers who will share her thoughts on trends, style, fashion and fun with a her sunny, southern charm. When Lynette is not busy managing and recruiting as an ETCETERA ADM in central Florida, she is likely serving others in some way.  A self-proclaimed busy bee, Lynette is the consummate volunteer, teen-age boy mom, free-lance writer, pink freak and girly girl who loves traveling, reading, exercising, paddleboarding, yoga, fashion, girlfriends and beach time!

READ POST