Sarah Palin competing in the swimsuit competition for Miss Alaska Pageant 1984
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Online Shopping Without Breaking The Bank
September 19, 2008
We all know about ebay and etsy as great discount buys, but where else can you shop online and save on great clothes? These are my favorite buys:
Discount liquidator featuring items from: metrostyle, chadwick’s and Brylane home. I’ve purchased tons of great items here, most recently, a cute baby blue halter for $1.99.
The plus size sister to CCO. Here you can find products from Jessica London, Women Within, Romans and Brylane Home. Recently they just introduced an entire section for La Redoute final clearance items (their US brand is going out of business). I found a great pair of leather boots on this site for $29.99, and a Blazer for $7.99!
I think Kohls is often underestimated as the great discounter that they are! If you do a little bit of searching you can find some really great buys! I recently got 2 graphic polos for $6 each!
What are some of your favorite discount sites?
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Where to Shop in NYC… and Still Keep Your Budget!
September 16, 2008
When shopping in NY it is important to keep an open mind. Sometimes the best finds are in the seedy little tourist shop, or a street vendor. Sometimes you have to dig to find a great bargain. Here are some of my secret bargain shops on 34th street… A good NYer secret… if you don’t want anyone to know where you bought it, keep a bag from another store in your purse. When you leave the store, transfer your purchases. No one will know that adorable little dress came from the sample sale on the corner of 35th and 8th, or that great pair of pants came from Conway! Oh, and if anyone wants to know where you got your adorable little fill-in-the-blank, keep your secret by saying it was a gift.
Conway
A New York staple, but no one ever admits it! This is a great place to find cute dresses for $9 or great accessories. This is my favorite stop for cute t-shirts and tanks! I stock up on their $4.99 tanks and $3.99 camisoles!
Strawberry
Adorable and trendy are fantastic! Adorable, trendy, and affordable – perfect! Two floors overflowing with clothes, these are just some of the great finds there: Opaque tights: $4.99-$12, Print Chiffon Ruffled Tank: $19.99, Cute Striped Cardigan: $16.99, and Plaid Tunic: $16.99.
Cinderella
An accessories mega-store located on 8th ave. With some digging you can find the cutest hats, and costume jewelry. Right now they are offering a two-for-$10 hat sale.
Again, don’t be afraid to peruse the places you normally wouldn’t step foot it- I have firmly decided that I don’t want to pay standard retail price for any of my clothing choices anymore. Look for sales, offers, street vendors, bargain shops, and sample sales. NY is known for great shopping – NYers know where to go for a great bargain. Tune in all week to see great places to bargain shop… both on location and on the web!
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The “Juicy” Inside Scoop
September 9, 2008
I recently went on an undercover mission when I found out about some shady business practices involving Juicy Couture. The first thing I did was check out their stores in Manhattan.
Here’s what I discovered:
1) Almost all of their employees were petite blonde girls
2) The customer service experience was horrendous. I am a size 14, and walking into the store I was immediately made to feel like I should leave. In addition to that the employees couldn’t answer my questions about: fabric, origin, durability, etc.
Most disturbing of all was my discovery of their discriminatory hiring practices.
I have an inside source that has told me of several instances where someone wasn’t hired because they were too “urban,” “fat,” and someone was actually fired because they were transgendered. In fact Gela herself asked that the trans. employee be terminated because he didn’t fit the “image.” My source was told to only hire someone who was tall, blonde and “model-type.”
When my source went to speak with the HR director (who is African American) about her personal issues with hiring discrimination, she was told that if she didn’t want to comply her job was on the line, and then she was told they were planning on firing all the managers, and replace them with new store managers who better fit what Gela’s idea of the “juicy image” was.
I don’t know about you, but I will not support any business that discriminates against their own employees. I was astonished when I heard that stores still run this way.
What do you think of Juicy Couture?
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Q&A: Why Do Certain Designers Only Make Clothes in Small Sizes?
September 3, 2008Jakki Says (regarding Abbey Dawn, Avril Lavigne’s Clothing Line through Kohls):
I am a size 14-15, so until [Avril] comes out with a line for girls who aren’t anorexic looking I can’t see myself buying her clothes. This is exactly my style which is why it makes me so angry that Avril only wishes to sell her clothing line to skinny girls. There are plenty of us plus size girls who like this style too, so I have to wonder if she did this on purpose or not?
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Jakki -
Being a size 14 myself I completely understand your frustration. For years I refused to shop at any store or brand that did not carry a full arrange of misses and plus sizes (even if they did carry a 14). However, after I started working in the fashion industry I started to realize why certain brands might offer only a small range of sizes. Whenever an item comes in extra colors or sizes it adds and exponential amount of time and money to create the samples, catalog/site product information, and production time. For a smaller brand like Avril’s she probably didn’t have the initial customer base that would have supported the larger range of sizes. Some companies have no excuses for not carrying plus sizes (which is considered any size over a 12 or 14 depending on the brand), but in her case, or other short lived brand line it may not be lucrative.
5 Career Must Haves
August 28, 2008Every woman should have these top five career classics in her wardrobe. If you do, you will be ready for business at a moment’s notice. You will never be out of style, or worried about the latest business trends, with these classics at hand.
Always flattering, always ready for business, a 3 piece suit in black or gray will go with anything. Aim for simple cuts and avoid trendy suits as they will have to be replaced regularly. If you are working in a professional environment you will probably need several, but for those who work in a business casual environment 2 or 3 will be enough to suffice. Keep them clean and pressed and you will always be ready to impress!
Great under your three piece suit, or alone with black pants. This shirt will always make you look sharp, and is always in fashion. Look for a flattering cut that is well tailored with perfect seams. Cotton is the best fabric, and will go with pants or a skirt for a crisp look in any season.
This classic is great for any season. Look for a long sleeve sweater version for winter warmth or sleeveless for summer and spring. The turtleneck goes great with anything; skirts, pants, capris, or jeans. Look for a punchy bright, or a mellow classic tone. Make sure it is fitted, in a flattering color.
These shoes will go with anything in your wardrobe. They will dress up jeans, finish off your 3-piece suit or go with you on you evening out. Make sure they stay polished and scuff free. Black shoes are best, but if you can’t get enough beige, brown and white are also great to have on hand.
A great bag will be with your in the board-room or for a romantic night on the town. Make sure it is lined, with sturdy shoulder straps. The more pockets and compartments the better.
You can get all of these and so much more at Kohls, your go-to for the modern plus size career woman.
What are your career staples?
Buyer’s Remorse; Shameful Shopping?
August 26, 2008
We have all experienced impulse shopping and had the painful ping of buyer’s remorse. However, what happens when you don’t just experience remorse, but an intense feeling of shame and self loathing? According to a study of 222 college students by Sunghwan Ti, marketing/consumer studies professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, several students experienced shame from their impulse purchases.
Their shame caused them to turn to negative coping methods, such as hiding the impulse item, not opening their bill, becoming defensive when asked about their purchase, or mentally beating themselves up about it – increasing negative feelings of self worth.
Many of these impulse buys are related to an instant feeling of happiness related to the purchase. Who hasn’t felt that? According to Duffy Spencer, a psychotherapist who works with people with buying issues, she advises people to recognize that the consequences are not worth the momentary happiness.
Some quick tips to curb bad shopping habits:
- Make a list of what you need before you shop
- When you are looking through a catalog and see something you like, mark the page, but not the item. In a couple of days if you come back to the page and cannot remember what you wanted, don’t buy it.
- When window shopping (online or in a store) leave your wallet somewhere else, then if you get the urge to buy something, you won’t be able to spend.
- Think of something else you really wanted, and imagine the money you didn’t spend going towards that other item.
Are you a shameful shopper, or are you a budget savvy fashionista?
A Worthy Project
August 21, 200840% of LGBT youth attempt suicide
In 2004 the suicide rate hit the highest it has ever been in 15 years
Suicide is the leading cause of deaths among 15-24 year olds
Gay teens have TWICE the suicide rate than any other group
What are we going to do to stop this? How can we bring hope to LGBT youth?
Introducing: The Coming Out Project
The Coming Out Project is a teen LGBT suicide prevention video that will inspire, educate, and comfort youth that have had a hard time coming out, lost family or friends (by coming out to them), don’t know how to come out, or who feel ostracized for being gay.
Coming Out Project Casting Call
Seeking LGBT people for a TV & Movie Production in the NYC area. No experience necessary. Must be willing to share your ‘Coming Out Story’ and sign a model release. Have fun being a part of a creative teen suicide prevention project, add experience to your resume and work with an award winning photographer. If you are interested in participating in this unpaid project, please fill out the Submission Form below and provide the following information;
1) Personal Contact Information
2) A brief paragraph of what makes YOUR coming out story unique or special
3) Your Age (Must be 18 years of age with proof of ID)
4) Link to your Headshot OR Website.
5) Occupation (What You Do for A Living; Student, Teacher, Etc)
6) Availability for a Taped Interview on Thurs, Fri or Sat
Cost: $25 Donation Fee
Callbacks will begin Sept 1st, 2008!!!!
For More Information Click Here
Steve & Barry’s To Be Auctioned
August 20, 2008Yet another brand to file for bankruptcy, the Washington-based retailer began the auctioning process yesterday. It is expected that the investment firm, Bay Harbour, is going to purchase the hard-hit chain. Steve & Barry’s attorney; Weil, Gotshal & Manges Llp. are hosting the auction at their Manhattan office.
Steve & Barry’s is expected to sell for about $163 million. Despite the economic downturn Steven B. Greenberg, president of the Greenberg Group, Hewlett real estate advisers to leading retailers expects a turn-around for the retailer under new ownership. He expects them to focus on the more profitable stores and eliminate a number of the rest of the stores, about 30-50 percent.
Steve & Barry’s is known for it’s low priced products, usually keeping their clothing for $10 or less. They are expected to look for a supplier that can provide even lower priced services, to save on expenses. Hopefully they will experience the same success as other discount retailers have experienced during the recession.
Do you shop at Steve & Barry’s?
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Career Tip: Let Your Ideas Do The Talking
August 19, 2008I remember when I was a kid my Mom brought home a stuffed animal from work, I think it was a fox, and I remember it was holding a sign that said “I’ve got great ideas!” I asked my Mom where she had gotten it from and she said that her company gave it to her because she had submitted an idea, and they ended up using it, and one of the ways they showed appreciation for their employees ideas was giving them stuffed animals (and maybe a raise?)
It always stuck with me that in a company of over 5,000 (just in her branch) my Mom’s company took notice of their employees, of any title, when they had good ideas to improve the company. In the best-selling book “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas-Survive and Others Die,” the co-author Dan Heath says “Even the most brilliant idea won’t make a difference if a manager can’t sell it, can’t get people to embrace it, remember it, and act on it.”
In an environment of economic and job uncertainty, one of the best ways to make sure you are remembered within your company is by your ideas. Your ideas show that you are passionate about what you do, are interested in the company’s success, and that you have promotion possibility. Here are six tips to let you know if your idea is a good one:
- Keep it simple. Strip your idea down to the basics, without making it sound like a sales pitch. Make sure that a 5-year old could understand it.
- Make it unexpected and exciting so that you keep your audiences attention.
- Make sure it’s easy to remember and concrete.
- Make it believable.
- Make it emotional, more people will be persuaded to care about your idea if it tugs at their heartstrings.
- Tell it in a story, and make sure it has a call to action. You want people to act immediately on your idea.
Your ideas make you invaluable to your company. For more tips on career and how to improve your job, if you have questions and need advice, or if you are looking to switch careers all together; click here to Ask The Career Coach.
