When the Going Gets Tough,
The Tough goes Shopping!
SHOPPING IS. . . .
Good for what ails you.
An Art, if you are a price watcher.
Fulfilling, if you know your prey.
Fun, if you do it with a friend.
Expensive, if you do not know how!.

Are you Man Shopping?


When was the last time you shopped and found just what you were looking for?
The market is tougher now and the players have Game.
Be careful in your selection.
Consider yourself lucky, if you found the Man you want.
SHOES SHOPPING

Shoes, shoes, shoes.  If you are like me 6 pairs are not enough. Why? I love to wear colors and shoes are the perfect accessory to add a dash to any outfit.

Not to mention that I can always fit into the same size! 
I just Love shoes. . . .

  • The only cleavage I have to worry about is my toes.
  • Pedicures are cheap to maintain.
  • They stack neatly under my bed.
  • I can sneak them in the house easily.
  • The colors stay true.
  • I do not have to see the salesperson's snicker when I ask for my size.
Head over Heels for Shoes
Our love affair with shoes has never been stronger. In 2000, American women spent roughly $18 billion on shoes, up 5 percent over 1999, according to Footwear Market Insight. Thanks, in part, to shows like Sex and the City, mere mortals are splurging for footwear by Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik, whose basic slingbacks start in the $400 range.

Looking for the perfect shoe? Even Cinderella knows that the odds of finding a comfortable fit are stacked higher than four-inch stilettos. Many women have a wide forefoot and a narrow heel, and many shoes are designed with style in mind, not comfort. But you don't have to compromise fashion for fit.

Use the size number as a guideline only. Like clothing makers, shoe manufacturers size shoes differently; one designer's 8 may be another's 7.

Feet tend to expand over the course of the day. A shoe that fits comfortably in the early morning may feel tight by 4 or 5 p.m. Do your shoe shopping in the late afternoon or early evening, and make sure the shoes fit with the type of hosiery you plan to wear with them.

Spend time with the shoe before you buy. "Leave the shoes on your feet for five minutes." Walk around the store. Stand and consider: How do your toes feel? How do your arches feel? How do your heels feel? If all systems are go, you'll be walking on air.
 


Purchasing a Purse or Pocketbook has been known to create sparks!
A Pocketbook is a generous size handbag and a  Purse is a small handbag. Pocketbook, handbag or Purse is the necessary accessory. You not only need something to carry your cash,  but you need to have toiletries, make-up, keys, checkbook, appointment book, medicines, condoms and a mirror accessible.

Evening Bag Essentials
All you need to tote for fast touch-ups are these fabulous four, which fit neatly into a sleek, dressy clutch.

  • Convenient compact to Blot shine, and check your lipstick
  • Scent sense. Refresh your scent anytime with a purse-size fragrance.
  • Hair helper (Pins, barette). As the night goes on, your hair may need extra control.
  • Lipstick

Your bag needs to be of good quality and suit your needs as well as be in fashion.  Lately you have seen young ladies carrying the new 'deodorant bags', this is the fashion of 2004. I call them deodorant bags because they have very short straps and they hang right under the center of the armpit.  The young ladies have several and they change bags like they change shoes.  Us older ladies carry the fashionable larger pocketbooks and we tend to wear it until it is it torn and tattered, before we get it replaced.

Purchasing a new handbag is a good thing and mostly a reward we give to ourselves.  A sure ice breaker is a new handbag that catches the eye the minute you walk in a room.

Work and Play
Are you a haul-everything type? Or do you limit yourself to a key and a credit card?  If You're a woman who's constantly on the move -- from a business meeting at the office, to the gym, to your daughter's soccer game. You love the rush of constant action, and you need to keep your essentials (cell phone, energy bar, PDA, and kids' schedules) always at hand.  Go for a structured business bag. Look for a leather Kelly-bag knockoff, or try a chic nylon tote in a boxy shape. Your purse gets bonus points for inside pockets to hold a cell phone and your keys.

Color and Fit 

No matter what your body shape, there are some fashion "rules" that help everyone look better in their clothes. 

 
1. Keep It Monochromatic: If you're wearing the same color from shoulders to feet, it creates the illusion of one, long, unbroken line. That makes you look slimmer and minimizes individual features. Think neutrals: black, camel, cream, dark brown.

2. Just My Size: Anything too big (baggy T-shirts) or too small (tiny tank tops) will make you look larger than you are. You won't fool anyone by cramming yourself into a smaller size or hiding under loose fabric. Buy clothing that actually fits your body.

3. Skim, Not Skin: The fabric of your clothes should skim your curves, but not become a second skin. Stiff fabrics will create lumps and bumps; super-sheer fabrics can highlight a little too much. Look for fabric that drapes and falls in a flattering way.

4.The Perfect Pants: For the most universally flattering style, look for a flat front (gathered waists only make your stomach look fatter), low waist (about an inch or so below your navel -- not hip-huggers) and a slight flare at the bottom (to balance out the width of your hips).

5. The Perfect Skirt: An A-line skirt looks good on everyone, and offers especially good camouflage for big bottoms and pudgy tummies. Keep it knee-length to make your legs look their best.

Jeans that Fit
Buying jeans can be a daunting task: Not only do you have to sort through dozens of style details, but you also have to find a pair that works with your particular body. While the flatter factor varies greatly from cut to cut and brand to brand, there are a few baseline rules to follow when shopping for jeans:
Go for a straight or boot-cut leg. A straight leg falls straight from the hip to the hem; a boot cut flares slightly (to give jeans room to fit over boots). Both cuts are slimming and make you look taller and leaner. Avoid tapered legs, as they give an unbalanced silhouette and make hips and rear end look big.

Pick big pockets. The smaller the pockets, the larger your derriere will look. Choose jeans with pockets that nearly fill the space between the rise (the length of jean between your crotch and waistband) and the edges of your rear.

Stick to a dark wash. Dark denim jeans always look polished and are most flattering.

Try a low waist. In the past few years, waistbands have steadily lowered. While an ultra-low waist is better left to teenagers, jeans labeled "low waist" are actually flattering to women of all shapes and ages. Avoid jeans that come all the way up to your waist, as they make your lower half look pear-shaped.

Add some stretch. Jeans with a touch of Lycra or spandex are flattering because they hug your curves, and they're comfortable because they move with your body (instead of pulling or tugging).


Are half-size Bras right for you?

If you're one of the countless women who have trouble finding bras that fit, you're in luck: there's a new half-size bra in town, designed to give women twice as many size options and twice as many chances to find the perfect fit.  The right bra can make your clothes look great, improve your posture, and help you feel incredibly sexy. The wrong bra can have you scratching, pulling, and fidgeting all day.

Who should try it: Any woman who has bra fit problems, including women with uneven breasts; women who are in the process of losing or gaining weight; and women who are too full for one cup size, but don't quite fill out the next cup size up.

Clues your bra doesn't fit right: If the shoulder straps fall down or the cups pucker and gap, your bra may be too big. If your breasts spill out of the top of the cups, or the center panel of the bra pulls away from your breastbone, your bra may be too small. In both cases, a half-size bra could be your solution.

How the half-size bra works: In addition to regular A, B, and C cups, Playtex's Thank Goodness It Fits line now comes in Nearly A, Nearly B, and Nearly C cups, too. To figure out your perfect size, see a consultant at a Playtex department store counter.


Where to get it: To date, Playtex is the first lingerie company to create half-size bras; you can find them, under the Thank Goodness It Fits line, at department stores.

Considering a belly chain as your next ultra-trendy purchase? Unless you are Dennis Rodman or Janet Jackson, a belly chain may not be an appealing addition to your midsection. Certainly, you shouldn't wear a belly chain to the office or on job interviews. Perhaps you could try it if you're going to the beach, and see what kind of reaction you get. If it's positive, try it with a pair of jeans and a cropped top around the house. If it doesn't scare away the mailman, you could have the makings of a trademark look for yourself. Then again, it could just be one of those phases we all go through. Ask yourself, "Would Grace Kelly wear a belly chain?"  The answer: I do not think so.
 
 
 
Designer Names

Ralph Lauren
Pronounced like the girl's name and not some Frenchified version, Laurenne. (Ralph's real last name is Lipschitz, okay?)

Isaac Mizrahi
Most of you probably hadn't even heard of this American enfant terrible (continued below) until the big movie (Unzipped, in case you're living under a rock) came out starring all those supermodels (Robert Altman, eat your heart out) and Sir Isaac began doing time on the talk shows. Anyway, it's Miz-ra-hee. Just about like it looks. Break it into syllables and accentuate the "ra" slightly.

Azzedine Alaia
The diminutive patron saint of Spandex is pronounced Aza-deen, new word, A-lye-a. Say it enough times and maybe you'll look good poured into one of those dresses ... well, maybe not.

Donna Karan
If you can pronounce Streisand, you should be able to pronounce Karan. Like Ralph, who hails from the Bronx, Donna's coming at you straight outta Queens so, please, don't try to be too fancy. You say it like the girl's first name, Karen, not Ka-ron or Kar-ann with a heavily accented last syllable.


 
Fashion Sense
Why is it that designers assume that larger gals have no fashion sense? Why is it that the first words that immediately come to mind when standing in a plus-sized department are frumpy, dumpy and grandma? Well, honestly, we don't have the answers to those mind-blowing questions. If you wear a size 14 or up, a few great labels are finally catching on to the fact you don't have to be a stick figure to be smolderingly sexy; anyone who's seen Carrie Otis's new look could have told you that already. There are some fashionable stores for Voluptuous ladies at a mall near you, you may have to pay a little more than the size 579 shops but if it is truly a plus sized garment it will really fit your budget.


 
 
Real beauty is not a formula. It's open to interpretation.
Makeup should not be prescribed -- only you can decide what looks right.
Every woman arrives at her own look in her own way through trial and error.
It's a never-ending -- and exciting -- experiment.

 

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PrymeTyme@2004