Dressing to the Nines

I love dressing up.... or I like to be in men's sweatpants sporting my college team name in big block letters. There is no in between. Either full glamor or ultimate comfort. In the full glamor category, my new favorite is Phoebe Couture. As my wedding calendar has been filling up rapidly... hello August, Month of the Weddings, there is a need for some class combined with color to enhance your summer tan and provide a little pizazz for the wedding shower / bachelorette party / wedding photo shoots. Phoebe Couture seems to have landed on the right combination of beautiful (without the cleavage) and tailored pieces (without shopping with mom at Anne Taylor). The dresses can be pricy; however, you can definitely rewear these friends (That's right dresses are like friends) season after season so bring on the garden parties and paparazzi sessions.

Fake It 'til You Make It

Do you ever see those people who look impeccably sharp in a suit? Their suit fits right, the shirt has french cuffs, their shoes are unscuffed, they're tan, their hair perfectly coifed and when they reach out to shake your hand... FLASH... you see their perfectly monogrammed cuff links. Who has the financial wherewithal to afford all that? Well you can at least get a little assistance in the cuff link department at the Executive Gift Shoppe. Although you do have to hunt around a bit, you can get a great pair of "gold" or "silver" cufflinks for $30 which is a steal considering today's current commodity prices. While you can't have all the trappings of a $2,000 power suit, at least you can add a little pizzaz to the average shirt without fearing the total of your credit card bill this month.

Always Popped, Never Folded

So I used to fall into the quadrant of people who popped their collar and never folded it. But unless its 35 degrees out, and you are using this as a warmth tactic, you look ridiculous.... until now. Salmon Cove has designed a shirt which just screams "Pop my Collar!" It's as if you don't have a choice. Salmon Cove's shirts have been created so that the shirt and outer e collar is one color while the inside is a contrasting color. To avoid looking like a flashback from the 80s, you just have to pop the collar -- its a command -- not a fashion statement. So when you are headed out to your preppy destination of choice, throw on your polo and you will find it just magically stands on end because gravity is a thing of the past.

When You Are Ready to Graduate from BB

While Brooks Brothers carries a lovely assortment of ties, they do tend to scream boring / accountant / this came from my Dad's closet. While there are certain occasions which call for this attire, most of time you want to show a little more personality than the navy and red stripe. Enter Southern Proper. The downside is that they don't have an eCommerce site YET, but I am holding out hope that the founders, Emilie Claire Henderson and Reagan Elizabeth Hardy, will make it happen eventually. They have a wide variety of fun prints and patterns that will let your personality shine in a silk fabric format. Additionally, for the obsessively matched couple, your headband can match his tie. It's definitely taking it to the next level, but when you are sporting neckware in bright pinks, oranges and blues, it leaves you with one option available: Go big or go home.

You Will be More Fashionable than Chuck Bass

The only way you would ever find out about this company is if you hobnobbed at a real Ivy League school, or you can trace your ancestors back to the House of JP Morgan (Yes, they are still standing). So I will let you in on the $165 secret, you too can have your very own needlepoint belt care of Smathers & Branson. If you really want to outdo Chuck, it will cost you an extra $35 to have your initials monogrammed on the belt, just in case you forget your name while you are out crushing beers. The moral of the story: If you really want to rub it in that you belong in the Upper East Sider / Ivy set, the belt says it all.

More Fun Than a Tear-Away Track Suit

I can't even remember life without a towel wrap, but I will try to provide a scenario which makes clear why absolutely everyone should own one. You just get out of the shower; dripping everywhere you step; you try to roll the towel so it stays put as you brush your hair, brush your teeth, put on deodorant, apply make-up / shave and pick your outfit for the day. You lost the towel at step one, and obviously the blinds are open so you can give your neighbors/roommates a little show. Instead of spending the next 10 minutes readjusting the towel and shimmying so as to not loose the towel, you could have just velcroed on your towel dress and continue getting ready for another day at your desk.

Some might ask why not wear a bathrobe? Because bathrobes are for your dad, and they make you sweat especially as you are blow drying hair negating any deodorant application. Added benefit: All your friends will be jealous.

And no it's not just for girls.

Who Needs Pills Anyway?

I have a secret for you... a dry cleaning secret... the kind that saves you money. Interested? If you always thought that a sweater needed to go to the dry cleaners in order to have those sloppy pills removed, you were wrong. You can actually buy your very own (...insert drumroll...) Sweater Comb! Earth shattering I am sure, but now that recession times have hit, you need to cut back on costs any where you can. With a few quick strokes of the sweater comb, your sweater looks neater and cleaner and may even been softer than when you bought. Don't believe me? Just buy one and be rid of all those nasty pills.

P.S. The red sparkly Santa's Elves nail polish and multicolor Dad sweater are not included. Devastating I know.

Put A Little Prep in Your Step

It was occurred. Finally, Ralph Lauren has created an online e-commerce site for their Rugby line. This clothing label was launched by RL in the fall of 2004 with their flagship store gracing Newbury Street in Boston. At present, they have 12 storefronts with plans to launch more over the coming years. They do not adhere to the Vineyard Vines definition of preppy with borderline neon pinks, greens and oranges; instead they adhere to a more subdued, subtle definition of prep with their mainstay being rugby shirts. I will say that the experience of going in their store is far superior as it is a visual overload of all things preppy in the skull & cross bones fashion; however, a meager site shows promise of beefing up as their clothing collection grows over time (I hope).

A Color for All Your Moods

A shopper's delight organized by color. I have no idea who picks the products to be showcased in these color-driven product blogs, but they either have a great search engine or a lot of free time to cull the best products for each of the color schemes. The blogs include:

http://www.thechocolateblues.com/
http://www.everythingturquoise.com/
http://www.pinkandgreenscene.com/
http://www.blackandwhitedelight.com/
http://www.decorgreen.com/
http://www.pinkandbrownlove.com/

They have selected products from glasses to dresses to lamp shades so you can color coordinate your life. They do a great job linking to the appropriate location of the item as well as getting a photo up and a price tag. So get coordinated or go home.

A Valentino Minus $2,000

I have always loved the design and look of expensive purses, but it seemed like such a waste of money. While Santee Alley & Canal Street purse purchases have their appeal, I would just rather have the design without the faux designer signature... and finally someone read my mind. At Baghaus, you find the perfect combination of "designer inspired" purses without the cheesy logos. You can get great, fashionable bags for under $100 that don't fall apart after dragging around your life for two weeks. Also their website is very buyer friendly as they show multiple views of a bag and have started loading videos of someone opening up the bag so you can get an idea of the size of the bag etc. If you subscribe to their email, you even can receive 10-15% off of your purchases. Good looks at a good price without having to fight people at your local Marshalls or TJMaxx... Sign me up!