Monday, January 23, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
It's not about what you wear....
But HOW you wear it!
For example:
However with a little work this look can be taken from drab to fab with a few stylish accessories!
Here is our after:
Fun right? Looking for your own style make over? Every member of our sales staff have been specially trained in fashion, fit and modesty to help our customers meet their clothing needs. Come visit us today at 210 East University Parkway in Orem, we love assisting women in their fashionable modest clothing quests!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Fit your Body not your Size
Hello Sisters! We haven't blogged in a while because we have been so busy it was easier to just post to facebook. Check us out for great pictures of current product, and to see what we have been up to.
To start out this new year, we are doing a series of posts about making over your wardrobe so that it better suits you and your life. Obviously, we specialize in Sister Missionaries, because they are a group that really need to make the right impression. That right impression starts with what people first see when they see you.
Today, I'd just like to say a bit about sizing. First of all, let me give you the inside scoop on a dirty little secret of the fashion industry. Ready to wear clothing is made for people in the middle--so the average size for a given height and weight. For years, they have been doing something called vanity sizing. Some call vanity sizing a myth, because they argue that clothing just isn't made well anymore or we are getting fatter as a population. Call it what you will, but clothing off the rack won't fit everyone perfectly, and if we are sizing up our patterns, regardless of the reason behind it, it still presents a problem when we go to clothe ourselves off the racks. How a pattern is graded and then the garment cut from that pattern has everything to do with how it fits.
So, before our discussion on vanity sizing or "why this or that size doesn't fit me" ensues, here is a bit of info on sizing in general:
First of all, sizes are relative. The company who cuts and sews the clothing chooses how they want it to fit. The company chooses the "body" that their ready made garments are meant to fit--and one size rarely fits all. So, your size can vary from company to company.
Secondly, most of our clothing these days is made from stretchy, knit fabrics that are easier to fit a wide range of people. A knit stretches and is more comfortable than a constructed, woven fabric. Usually they are also more wrinkle free--because we all have this aversion to using an iron these days.
Thirdly, because fashions change so much from season to season, it is easier to size with "average sizes" (like XS, S, M, L, XL etc.) and they don't fit everyone. It is quite possible for you to be between an average size. It is also possible that not all size "S" are the same. There are some brands where size "S" means size "6-8" and others where it means "2-4." You never know until you try it on.
Finally, the sizing system in the US is based on...well, who knows. It is a random set of numbers that has lost its correlation to actual sizes. In European sizes, it refers to measurements in centimeters--which is very helpful. However, with our aversion to true numbers in sizing, we simply can't handle the truth! So over the years the industry has randomly adopted numbers that refer to someone's set of measurements that don't even correlate to the population at large.
Here is an example: One of the things most said about Marilyn Monroe was that "she was a size 14 and look how beautiful we considered her." Consider this, in 1962 when she died, the dress measurements for a size 14 were more or less as follows: bust-36", waist-28", hip-38". If she was a dress size 14 then, Marilyn Monroe would probably be a size 8 now. Incidentally, the measurements for a size 14 now are as follows: bust-40", waist-33", hip-43", so back in the day that would have been about a size 22. This idea that there are no actual fixed points on which our clothing sizing is based brings us to the idea of VANITY SIZING!
The nitty gritty of the whole issue is that people will buy more clothing if they feel like they are buying a smaller size than what they expected to buy. To be completely honest, this is a tactic that has often worked with me personally too. I was usually a size 10 at the Gap. I had been a size 10 for years, and then a few years back I went in to finally buy a new pair of jeans. I tried the size 10s on, and to my delight, they were way too big. So I went for the size 8s. They were too big too! So, I bounced over to the size 6s, and found a pair that fit perfectly well! I was so thrilled by the idea that I could wear a size 6, I bought 3 pairs instead of just 1! The funny part is, when I got home, the pair I had purchased 7 years earlier is the same size when they are laid on top of each other. So, what happened? I weigh the same, and actually even have the same measurements--but the size on the tag is different! This is what we mean by vanity sizing!
The sad flip side of this scenario is that if we shop regularly at places like Old Navy, Gap, or Walmart, you will encounter vanity sized products. So if you try to shop at a boutique, you may not encounter the same fit if you are only shopping for size. So often I see customer discouraged by this fact. We need to be realistic and push past the label! An article a few months ago in a major fashion magazine talked about the psychology of it all. Vanity sizing works to sell more products, and that keeps retailers in business. So, you just need to shop for what fits and flatters, and be above the label.
So, shop to fit your body--not your "size."
In our shop, we carry a variety of brands from fashion houses the world over, as well as some clothing we make ourselves. That is why our sizing is not always consistent. It isn't us, it is because of the boutique nature of what we are doing. We are currently working on our own system of sizing to help customers navigate the difficulties they face when shopping and not knowing what is going to fit, so stay posted for that.
In the meantime, don't get discouraged! Shop for what fits you and not what you think should fit you. No one ever sees the label, but they will see you squished into clothing that doesn't fit, or swimming in something that is too big. Fit matters, sizes don't.
It's not you, it's them.
To start out this new year, we are doing a series of posts about making over your wardrobe so that it better suits you and your life. Obviously, we specialize in Sister Missionaries, because they are a group that really need to make the right impression. That right impression starts with what people first see when they see you.
Today, I'd just like to say a bit about sizing. First of all, let me give you the inside scoop on a dirty little secret of the fashion industry. Ready to wear clothing is made for people in the middle--so the average size for a given height and weight. For years, they have been doing something called vanity sizing. Some call vanity sizing a myth, because they argue that clothing just isn't made well anymore or we are getting fatter as a population. Call it what you will, but clothing off the rack won't fit everyone perfectly, and if we are sizing up our patterns, regardless of the reason behind it, it still presents a problem when we go to clothe ourselves off the racks. How a pattern is graded and then the garment cut from that pattern has everything to do with how it fits.
So, before our discussion on vanity sizing or "why this or that size doesn't fit me" ensues, here is a bit of info on sizing in general:
First of all, sizes are relative. The company who cuts and sews the clothing chooses how they want it to fit. The company chooses the "body" that their ready made garments are meant to fit--and one size rarely fits all. So, your size can vary from company to company.
Secondly, most of our clothing these days is made from stretchy, knit fabrics that are easier to fit a wide range of people. A knit stretches and is more comfortable than a constructed, woven fabric. Usually they are also more wrinkle free--because we all have this aversion to using an iron these days.
Thirdly, because fashions change so much from season to season, it is easier to size with "average sizes" (like XS, S, M, L, XL etc.) and they don't fit everyone. It is quite possible for you to be between an average size. It is also possible that not all size "S" are the same. There are some brands where size "S" means size "6-8" and others where it means "2-4." You never know until you try it on.
Finally, the sizing system in the US is based on...well, who knows. It is a random set of numbers that has lost its correlation to actual sizes. In European sizes, it refers to measurements in centimeters--which is very helpful. However, with our aversion to true numbers in sizing, we simply can't handle the truth! So over the years the industry has randomly adopted numbers that refer to someone's set of measurements that don't even correlate to the population at large.
Here is an example: One of the things most said about Marilyn Monroe was that "she was a size 14 and look how beautiful we considered her." Consider this, in 1962 when she died, the dress measurements for a size 14 were more or less as follows: bust-36", waist-28", hip-38". If she was a dress size 14 then, Marilyn Monroe would probably be a size 8 now. Incidentally, the measurements for a size 14 now are as follows: bust-40", waist-33", hip-43", so back in the day that would have been about a size 22. This idea that there are no actual fixed points on which our clothing sizing is based brings us to the idea of VANITY SIZING!
The nitty gritty of the whole issue is that people will buy more clothing if they feel like they are buying a smaller size than what they expected to buy. To be completely honest, this is a tactic that has often worked with me personally too. I was usually a size 10 at the Gap. I had been a size 10 for years, and then a few years back I went in to finally buy a new pair of jeans. I tried the size 10s on, and to my delight, they were way too big. So I went for the size 8s. They were too big too! So, I bounced over to the size 6s, and found a pair that fit perfectly well! I was so thrilled by the idea that I could wear a size 6, I bought 3 pairs instead of just 1! The funny part is, when I got home, the pair I had purchased 7 years earlier is the same size when they are laid on top of each other. So, what happened? I weigh the same, and actually even have the same measurements--but the size on the tag is different! This is what we mean by vanity sizing!
The sad flip side of this scenario is that if we shop regularly at places like Old Navy, Gap, or Walmart, you will encounter vanity sized products. So if you try to shop at a boutique, you may not encounter the same fit if you are only shopping for size. So often I see customer discouraged by this fact. We need to be realistic and push past the label! An article a few months ago in a major fashion magazine talked about the psychology of it all. Vanity sizing works to sell more products, and that keeps retailers in business. So, you just need to shop for what fits and flatters, and be above the label.
So, shop to fit your body--not your "size."
In our shop, we carry a variety of brands from fashion houses the world over, as well as some clothing we make ourselves. That is why our sizing is not always consistent. It isn't us, it is because of the boutique nature of what we are doing. We are currently working on our own system of sizing to help customers navigate the difficulties they face when shopping and not knowing what is going to fit, so stay posted for that.
In the meantime, don't get discouraged! Shop for what fits you and not what you think should fit you. No one ever sees the label, but they will see you squished into clothing that doesn't fit, or swimming in something that is too big. Fit matters, sizes don't.
It's not you, it's them.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Just In.....
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Van Heusen Challenge: Day 5 and 6
Here is our Van Heusen Challenge wrap up! Someone (possibly me) may have gotten a bit crazy with Picasa photo editing. So fun right?! Enjoy and remember to vote one last time:
Who says you can't wear white after Labor Day? Hannah's blouse really pop's with this white on white combo!
Kira's beautiful scarf stands out bright and beautiful against our classic Tuxedo blouse. This combo is perfects with denim or try it with one of our many amazing skirts.
Lizzie shortened the sleeves on this blouse and made some adorable button cover earrings with the scraps. So cute and so creative!
Kirstin looks like she is ready for a night out with her fashion forward belt and scarf! And her Dansko heels add the PERFECT touch to this classic outfit.
Christin went for lots of layers with this look! Her blouse almost looks like part of the cardigan, a floral blouse and skinny belt keep her waist from disappearing and our Baby O embroidered skirt has never been more perfectly paired.
Who's look did you like best: Hannah, Kira, Lizzie, Kirstin or Christin?
Christin went for lots of layers with this look! Her blouse almost looks like part of the cardigan, a floral blouse and skinny belt keep her waist from disappearing and our Baby O embroidered skirt has never been more perfectly paired.
Who's look did you like best: Hannah, Kira, Lizzie, Kirstin or Christin?
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Van Heusen Challenge: Day 4
Today we have Lizzie, Ashley, Amanda and Kirstin. We'll start with Lizzie's introduction and go from there!
Lizzie served in the London South Mission and has been home since Christmas of last year. She's been working for us since the spring and recently she married one of our employee's from the Men's store (we love when our employee's marry!), which is why she has been a bit MIA in the Van Heusen Challenge post. We love Lizzie's bright shining smile, eyes, and personality. Lizzie loves bright beautiful colors and funky patterns and loves helping women look beautiful in modest clothing.
Amanda added her signature layers to make this look a hit!
Kirstin went for layers with this look as well! And what we love most is that EVERYTHING she is wearing comes from Sister Missionary Mall right down to the belt!
Lizzie served in the London South Mission and has been home since Christmas of last year. She's been working for us since the spring and recently she married one of our employee's from the Men's store (we love when our employee's marry!), which is why she has been a bit MIA in the Van Heusen Challenge post. We love Lizzie's bright shining smile, eyes, and personality. Lizzie loves bright beautiful colors and funky patterns and loves helping women look beautiful in modest clothing.
For this look Lizzie simply used purple BOWS! She took a lovely purple ribbon, tied it around her neck. She also replaced the laces in her Dansko's with the purple ribbon for a dramatic look (not quite captured here).
Doesn't Ashley look smart?! This look is perfect for the college girl on the go! The August Silk vest adds a touch of class, the skinny belt accentuates Ashley's skinny waist, and the beaded necklace adds another dimension of color! Love it!
So who wore it best? Lizzie, Ashley, Amanda or Kirstin? Vote to win!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Van Heusen Challenge: Day 3
Today we have Amanda, Christin, Kirstin and McKenna rockin' our awesome Van Heusen blouse! Remember to vote for your favorite look below!
Amanda kept her blouse unbuttoned to show off her adorable polka dot blouse underneath (we love polka dots) and pulled it all together with a darling belt. Doesn't she look hip?
Christin added her own personal touches to this classic blouse and vest combo by adding a pearl necklace and red belt!
Kirstin added a bold belt on her hip and a swing cardigan to give this classic blouse an updated look.
McKenna took two basic's and made them classic. Combining a blazer to her Van Heusen blouse.
We know it's rough (because our sales staff is so creative and fashionable) but vote for your favorite look by commenting below! Who wore it best, Amanda, Christin, Kirstin or McKenna?
We know it's rough (because our sales staff is so creative and fashionable) but vote for your favorite look by commenting below! Who wore it best, Amanda, Christin, Kirstin or McKenna?
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Van Heusen Challenge: Day 2
Today we have three outfits to choose from. Let's start with Ashley, one of our newer employee's. Ashley is from Arizona, studying to be a teacher at BYU, and served a full-time mission in the Philippians (she returned in March of this year)! She makes her own adorable jewelry, has a contagious laugh, and is fun to be around in a variety of settings (including work). We love her and our customers ask for her by name.
Ashley used this beautiful coral cardigan over her blouse to add a huge pop to this basic outfit. To accentuate her tiny waist she used a red skinny belt (available at Sister Missionary Mall) to make this outfit very figure flattering.
Kirstin used a lace tank to layer over her blouse to add color and feminine style to this basic blouse. She used a thick leather belt to show off her waist and tie the look together.
Think that button up blouses are only for formal wear? Guess again! Christin wore her french blue blouse with a pair of skinny jeans to add extra class to this normally casual look. Everything she is wearing comes from Sister Missionary Mall including the cream swing swearer, brown pumps (Dansko's of course), pink skinny belt and floral scarf!
So who wore it best? Ashley, Kirstin, or Christin. Vote in the comment section to win big next week!
So who wore it best? Ashley, Kirstin, or Christin. Vote in the comment section to win big next week!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Van Heusen Challenge: Day 1
McKenna and Christin wore the same blouse in two completely different ways. Help us decide who wore it best by commenting below!
This is our Tuxedo blouse. It has been extremely popular with our staff and customers. It is the ultimate white blouse to have in any wardrobe! Both Christin and McKenna had this blouse altered by our awesome seamstress. McKenna had the sleeves shortened, and both girls had the blouse taken in on the sides.
Meet McKenna! McKenna is from Utah County and went to Germany for a nanny job after high school. For the next few years she took several other jobs and loved living in Europe. She hasn't served a full time mission however she does a great job helping sisters serving all of the world. We love the way McKenna pulls off scarves and bright bold lipstick! She has a great fashion sense and most customers assume she's served a full time mission because of her extensive knowledge about shopping for missionary clothing. McKenna used one of our great scarves, and the shell from our August silk twin set to make this blouse look colorful, modern and unique! We also just received a shipment of the skirt she is wearing which in the past has been a best seller, come get yours before they are gone!
Christin is our only full time employee so you'll be seeing a lot of her this week! She used accessories like a beaded necklace and belt to add color and style to her Van Heusen blouse. Love her shoes? The are part of Dansko's new line and are AmAzInG! Not only are these shoe beautiful they also offer Dansko's great support in a rocker bottom HEEL! A favorite among all of our employees.
So who wore it best, McKenna or Christin?
So who wore it best, McKenna or Christin?
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Van Heusen Challenge
At Sister Missionary Mall we have a staff of amazing sales associates. Our girls are beautiful, kind, compassionate, spunky, savvy, passionate woman who are not only great to work with but are also very fashion forward! These women are the leading experts in making modesty look amazing. One of our favorite blouses at Sister Missionary Mall is our Van Heusen wrinkle free blouse! This basic blouse should be a staple in any woman's wardrobe. Not only is it beautifully tailored and sold in a variety of colors it is also extremely easy to own! It requires little to no ironing and is very durable. Unlike other wrinkle free button up blouses that you may find in local department stores ours is reasonably priced at $29.99 and we do FREE alterations! Over the next week and a half we will be show casing all of the creative ways that our employee's have found to wear this great basic. Here are our first few photo's and examples to get us started, as well as brief introductions to our fabulous staff!
Meet Kirstin and Amanda! Kirstin served her mission in Tacoma Washington and has been home for about 6 months. We love her smile and how sweet she is. Our employee's love working with Kirstin because she is so kind and nice! Our customers say the same and we are constantly hearing great things about Kirstin from anyone she comes in contact with. Most of our mannequins in the store are dressed by Kirstin because we love her sense of color and style. To the right we have Amanda served in London England. Amanda is new to our team and we love her creative take on layering, willingness to help customers look for the perfect item, and the way she pulls off hats! Amanda is also engaged to be married next month and is pretty excited about her upcoming wedding. Both are as nice as they are beautiful. They always make our clothing look great!
Next we have Christin our store manager. She served her mission in Nauvoo and has been home for almost 5 years (eek!). She loves cardigans, and skirts and started working for us the first time six weeks after returning from her mission. In fact she says of her first day with us "I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I got to work the first day and got to put a mission skirt back on and talk about my mission all day long!" Christin used the basic white blouse as a layering piece to add a little extra polish to her jumper and cardigan combo.
Kirstin added fun accessories like a bold red belt and colorful scarf to dress up her blouse. This outfit is a great example of how dressing up the basic's can be easy and fashion forward way!
Amanda added layers to her blouse to give it a unique chic look. She started with the tuxedo blouse, added a ruffle tank, a belt, and her own necklace to give the blouse a modern funky look.
The Van Heusen challenge officially starts with our employee's next Monday. We will be posting pictures of our employee's creative style and want you to vote on who's look you like best by commenting on our blog and Facebook post. Everyone who comments will be put into a drawing for a $100 gift certificate at the end of the challenge. Those who mentions that they read about the Van Heusen challenge on our blog or Facebook page will receive 25% off a Van Heusen blouse until the 24th of September. Spread the word and come visit us for all of the fashion and fun at Sister Missionary Mall located at 210 E. University Parkway in Orem!
So who wore it best? Kirstin, Christin or Amanda? Vote by commenting!
The Van Heusen challenge officially starts with our employee's next Monday. We will be posting pictures of our employee's creative style and want you to vote on who's look you like best by commenting on our blog and Facebook post. Everyone who comments will be put into a drawing for a $100 gift certificate at the end of the challenge. Those who mentions that they read about the Van Heusen challenge on our blog or Facebook page will receive 25% off a Van Heusen blouse until the 24th of September. Spread the word and come visit us for all of the fashion and fun at Sister Missionary Mall located at 210 E. University Parkway in Orem!
So who wore it best? Kirstin, Christin or Amanda? Vote by commenting!
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