I was tooling around on the internet this morning, & stumbled across Lily Boutique. I am now quite enamored with their summer dresses! Here are some that I love, & I think you might too.
Now, their prices are low low low, so I can’t speak to their quality, but look how cute!
Do you have a favourite? Any other treasures on their website I may have missed? Share it up in the comments!
Last month, in my article Making the Most of Your Shopping Dollar, I talked about how you don’t have to pay top dollar for your clothing, & how I think it’s possible to find great clothes which will last at any price point. I wanted to delve into that a bit more, & give you some tips & tricks to help you weed out the good stuff from the crap.
First, the bad news: really, the only true test of quality is trial & error. You could buy a piece from a brand you know & love, take perfect care of it, & have it fall apart on you in an instant, or you could go with an untested brand & be really rough on a piece & have it last forever. Sadly, because of the nature of the clothing industry, brands sometimes change their manufacturing practices (going where they get the best prices), so a company that was excellent six months ago might not have the same standards quality today. However, since brands do work hard to maintain their reputation, this doesn’t happen very often unless they are undergoing a major shift in management.
So all is not lost! You can protect yourself whether you’re shopping at a thrift store, boutique, the mall, or consignment shop—protect yourself with knowledge. You can train yourself to identify poor construction & feel out cheap materials. Here are some things to look for that will help you make informed choices.
Try quality on. Perhaps the easiest way to get to know what quality clothing feels like is to surround yourself with it. Spend an afternoon at a high-end boutique or two trying things on to get a sense of how expensive clothes are made. Consider it a test-drive.
Seams. The seams of every garment shouldn’t have loose threads or broken stitches. Generally, the more stitches per inch the better. The stitching should be fairly tight, but not so tight that the seams of the garment appear stiff compared to the rest of the fabric. You don’t want to seams to disrupt the flow of the garment. When looking at the seams of a garment, grip the seam on either side of the stitching & pull the sides gently apart. If you can see through the stitching, the seam has not been sewn properly & you need to pass that garment by. The types of seams are important as well. Serged seams & double topstitched seams are better than single straight seams. In fact, top-stitching in general is a good sign of a quality piece of clothing; top-stitching on seams helps ensure they will lie flat & not shift around in weird ways while you’re wearing them.
Serged seam * Double topstitched seam * Single straight seam
Facings. Facings are a second layer of fabric that you will find in high-traffic areas (like around zippers, buttons, & necklines) in better-quality clothing. These help reinforce the garment & it will last longer.
Linings. Lined garments are a better investment than unlined. They drape better & generally last longer. When looking at a lined garment, note that linings shouldn’t be tight, they should give. While you’re looking at the linings, make sure clothes that have pockets have real pockets. Even if you leave them stitched shut, none of that fakey-fakey business for you!
Buttons & fasteners. Are they sewn on securely? Give ‘em a little tug. If they look like they’re going to fall off in the store, do you imagine that a lot of care was put into the construction of the rest of the garment?
Hems. Try to buy pants with at least a two-inch hem, so you can let them down if need be. Hems should be sewn straight, & be finished on the inside, not left with a raw edge. If the hem isn’t topstitched, it should look like it isn’t stitched at all. They should also be beautifully pressed with no puckering or curling.
Fabrics. Natural fibers both wear & launder better over time. The more durable the fabric, the longer it will keep its shape. Adding 10% synthetic to natural materials helps them to wear better in the long run (both nylon & rayon are known for their durability). The fabric should hold its shape if you bunch it up in your hand, hold it for a moment, & then let it fall. When you’re looking at leather goods, quality leather looks soft & supple, never shiny. Also, make sure your clothes are cut & sewn on grain. Patterns and stripes should match at the seams.
Weight. If a garment that should feel heavy doesn’t (like a coat, blazer, or formal gown), then put it back. Chances are that steps were skipped on the inside that will ensure it won’t hold up over time.
Remember: cheap clothing is more expensive in the long run. You could replace a cheap winter coat every year, or spend a little extra money on one that is going to last you for the long run. Quality lasts. Plus, when you seek out quality, you won’t be so tempted to get a cheap quick fix. You’ll cut down on your impulse shopping and save yourself some agony.
Avoid trends, or at the very least don’t spend a lot of money on them. Maybe give yourself a “trends budget” once a season.
Try things on whenever possible. Know what you’re looking for, go slowly, & enjoy the process of building an amazing, long-lasting wardrobe. You will find it so very rewarding to build up your treasure trove over time!
Do you have any tips on finding quality that I may have missed? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
As I’ve been getting settled into my new place, I’ve been thinking a lot about how best to set up my desk for maximum productivity & inspiration. I’ve been reading a lot of blog posts & articles on the subject, & I thought I would share the knowledge I’ve gleaned from them with you!
Design your workspace with intention. When I first started thinking about my home office, I wanted to plan it very carefully. So I thought about how I wanted to feel when I was in it. I decided to focus on three words: inspired, creative, & productive. It’s a good idea to figure that out early on, so that as you’re adding things you can be more selective. If something you’re adding doesn’t contribute to how you want to feel, it doesn’t belong.
Think about the place where you would feel everything you want to feel. It doesn’t have to be a desk. It could be a garden, underwater, an industrial building! It really doesn’t matter. Just think about the place where you would feel what you want to feel. Then think about ways you can incorporate elements of that place into you workspace.
Make some lists. I started with two: what does my workspace need, & what do I want? I found the overlap between those two lists & started there. Afterwards, I started adding in the other things as I could afford them & if they worked. Remember: if it feels right, it is right. No need to hire a feng shui expert! You could even start with a list of very simple changes you can make & start working from that. Just add things one by one & live with them for a bit. If one feels wrong or even neutral, change it for something that feels more right. Keep to a small budget on this — no need to break the bank!
Get rid of all but your favourite pens. Or other various & sundry office supplies that are clogging up the place. I am a bit of an office supply hoarder, but purging a whole bunch of them before I moved felt beyond good.
Good lighting. I am addicted to natural light, & I am thrilled beyond belief with the gorgeous light that comes streaming in to my place. For evening, however, I want lamp light all the way. I’m trying to find the best task lights for my desk, & it’s a constant struggle. Banish overhead lighting!
Command position. Ever noticed that office desks usually face the door? That’s what’s known as the command position. Our brains still work as hunter brains sometimes, even though we don’t necessarilty want them to, & facing the door helps you focus because a little part of your brain is not always worried about someone sneaking in on you!
Keep it tidy. You’ll be more productive! Take five minutes (set a timer if you’re bad at remembering!) at the end of every working session to get yourself back to proper tidiness. To that end…
Use a paper management system. Both Getting Things Done & The Nerdist Way are full of great ideas for making your paper trail less conspicuous.
Have you put some thought into your workspace? I’d love to see pictures of where you work! Chat it up in the comments, lovelies!
In the ongoing Five Ways To Love Yourself series, here’s five more, lovely!
Sign up for Notes From the Universe at tut.com. Every day you’ll get a little reminder that something other than you is on your side, delivered right to your inbox. It seems like whenever I am feeling particularly down in the dumps, or like less than what I am, my Note From the Universe is the swift kick I usually need to get me right back out of it.
Now that the weather is fine, take a newspaper & a nice pastry to a park bench. Enjoy your lovely treat, inform yourself of goings-on locally, nationally & internationally, & people-watch. Be open to possibilities by putting yourself out there.
Plan your look for summer. Give yourself a theme or some watchwords that you want to follow. I have written extensively about this season’s trends here & here, so give those a read & give yourself a jumping-off point.
Have a one-person dance party. In your pajamas, in your underwear, in your fanciest clothes—it doesn’t really matter. Let the music flow through you where it doesn’t matter how you look. Let it open you right up.
Make a list of fabulous hotels you’d like to visit. It doesn’t matter if you never go, it’s all about the daydream, baby!
This week, pick one thing to do just for yourself. If none of these grab you, that’s fine—consider it a jumping off point into amazing self-love!
Oof. You Guys. All Saints’ Spring 2013 line: too good for words.
Ugh. Too good. I love it. *Falls over* *Dies*
