A Brand You Can Get Behind – Sympli

Posted in clothing, dressing your figure, Fashion, heroic women, personal style, quality, shopping with friends, value by kyleen228

One of my great pleasures as a women’s clothing store co-owner is the ability to choose the brands that our stores carry. We always look for quality and value, but it is a special treat when the companies we choose also have a mission that lines up with our own – to empower women. Sympli is just such a company:

This picture shows how Sympli can work for women of different sizes and body types. They have the latest fashion trends in classic year round pieces that work for casual or dressy wear.

“Thirteen years ago, Jan Stimpson, the owner/designer, [ of Sympli] found herself frustrated with the narrow ideals propagated by the fashion industry and this dissatisfaction gave rise to a vision: create an innovative line of clothing that will celebrate the diversity of the feminine figure. Thus, Sympli was born: a collection of high-quality, basics that uses a “fit formula” (including snug, relaxed and tunic) to complement and enhance all body types. Thus allowing women of all shapes and sizes to achieve a similar look. Today, the line has evolved to include exciting novelty pieces that allow women to flawlessly mix and match over 300 designs and 30 colors to build entire wardrobes catered to their unique sense of style. Working mothers from our community make up the majority of our workforce; working to their own schedules, they manage fluctuating workloads, whilst maintaining strong family Lives. They inspire us.”

Having sold this line now for a little over a year, I can tell you they have achieved their goal. Sympli is a line that flatters any figure from size 2 to 20 and beyond. They have recently added Sympli Grand which offers plus sizes as well. The travel knit fabric used to make their clothing is 12 oz, 3 oz heavier than other companies who use the same fabric. You can feel the difference when you take an item off the rack. The weight of the fabric helps it flow and drape rather than cling. It also means the tunic styles are not billowy but rather fit in the right places while allowing extra room in the places most women carry their weight.

Once women try this product on, they are hooked. We carry a large selection of Sympli but the company also offers the ability to customize their line, choosing snug or relaxed fits and customize-able necklines and sleeve lengths. This gives the customer the ability to choose the elements of their tops and bottoms that flatter them in a huge array of colors that compliment their complexion.

Sympli comes in an amazing array of beautiful colors

I’ve also been impressed by the longevity of the product. We have customers that have had Sympli pieces for 8 years and the black is the same black as the brand new pieces in our store. Best yet, care is a breeze. Wash your Sympli by itself or with other Sympli pieces inside out in cold water and hang it to dry. They dry quickly and without wrinkles or stiffness.

Perhaps what makes Sympli special is that it is designed by women for women. No one knows our bodies better than us, and no one feels the frustration more than us when styles seem to cater to the young and thin. I especially love the fact that Sympli employs women who hand sew the product in their homes. You can count on quality workmanship with this product as well as have the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting a company that supports women.

This week we are celebrating Sympli at Fashion Crossroads. All week long, anyone who tries this product on or purchases it, will be registered to win a FREE Sympli item to be given away on Saturday. We will also have our Sympli representative in the store Thursday night for our Trunk Show and Friday and Saturday. Charlotte has been with the company for over ten years and knows the line inside and out. She is excellent at being able to suggest styles that will flatter any body type. We will be taking special orders Thursday through Saturday.

Don’t live in Casper? No problem. You can also purchase Sympli on our online store at http://Fashion-Crossroads-Inc.shoptiques.com. Any online orders taken this week will also be entered to win the free item. You can get more information about our Trunk Show happening this Thursday night at https://www.facebook.com/FashionCrossroads/events. The Trunk Show is a great time to come in and learn about the line while you enjoy wine and appetizers and hanging out with other women who love fashion!

17Mar2015

How To Care For More Expensive Clothing

Posted in beauty, clothing, Fashion, quality, tips and tricks, value by kyleen228

One of the most important things we do in our stores is help our customers find the perfect clothing lines that will suit their fashion needs and lifestyle. I make it a point to end the sale with a few tips on how they can care for their purchase so it will last. One of the things I find myself saying over and over again is beware of the dryer. The simple and unfortunate truth is the dryer is not your friend when it comes to better clothing.

The high heat of a clothing dryer is the culprit in many a washing disaster. Heat will fade your dark colors, shrivel your rayon and cotton, melt your embellishments and twist your lace. The problem is, we all like the convenience of being able to wash and dry our clothing. If that describes you, follow these simple tips to help keep your clothing looking its best.

1. Turn your dark colors inside out. Washing your dark clothing with a quarter cup of vinegar will prevent color running. Drying your dark items inside out will help prolong your color. To preserve your black the best, try hanging the item to dry and then putting it in the dryer for a short 5 to 10 minute cycle to release wrinkles and soften the fabric.

2. Turn your embellishments inside out. If you have sequins, beads, stones, grommets, etc. on any of your clothing, you will want to turn the garment inside out so the embellishments do not rub on other clothing. This friction causes your embellishments to loosen as well as damages the other items in the dryer.

3. Invest in a large lingerie bag. Wash and dry all your more delicate fabrics in a mesh lingerie bag to prevent them from rubbing your other clothing and causing pilling.

4. For most sweaters you will want to wash them in a delicate cycle (or hand wash) and lay them flat to dry. You can put them in a short drying cycle to soften if they feel stiff.

5. Never dry your bras. I’m sure I am not the only one who has taken out a knotted mess when I forgot to remove my bra before throwing my clothing into the washing machine or dryer. Always wash your bras in a lingerie bag that prevents twisting and hang them to dry. They will fit you much better and last much longer if you do this.

When in doubt, wash your clothing on delicate in cold water and hang to dry. Your better fabrics will love you for the extra care and reward you with a long life and many years of great style.

9Mar2015

Four Key Trends For Spring

Posted in beauty, clothing, dressing your figure, Fashion, personal style, spring 2015 fashion trends by kyleen228

Heavy zipper details are a trend to look for this season

As the spring merchandise keeps flowing in, I am getting more and more excited for warmer weather. It is so refreshing to change your closet over from dark, heavy winter fabrics to light, airy, summer styles. But even more exciting than the color and fabric change are the the new trends for the season. I wanted to highlight a few trends you’ll be seeing quite a bit this season and encourage you to try at least one!

We’ve seen zip sweaters play a big role this winter season. The heavy gage zipper as embellishment trend continues into summer with zip necked tops like this one on the left from Lior. Pair this style with a printed legging in a coordinating color and some cute sandals, and you’ll have a trendy look for your summer barbecue! We also have this top in royal blue, and I love it with printed black and white leggings. The two together are edgy and oh so cute! Of course this style also works well with skinny jeans or boyfriend jeans (rolled at the ankle).

The next trend worth highlighting is kimonos. Wear these boxy styled jackets like you would a cardigan with a loose

Kimonos are going to be a fun new spring trend you will want to try

fitting top underneath or a tank. At market, the trendier girls wore their kimonos with shorts but you can dial down the style a bit by pairing them with skinny ankle pants as well. I love this one from Ryu pictured on the right. The soft blue is very denim friendly and the crochet and fringe embellishment make it hip. We’ve layered this one with a lace tank in ivory and finished off the look with a tassel necklace. So cute! This is a great option for denim capris, skinny jeans or boyfriend jeans. These also work well over skirts and dresses too.

Speaking of crochet, it is everywhere this season! You’ll be seeing it as

Crochet is queen this season! And why not, it’s hip and feminine.

an embellishment, but the far more trendy way to wear it is as a crochet top. Look at the example on the left. This is such a light, airy style that works great to hide a thick middle and looks amazing worn as head to toe neutral, paired either as a cream and white or cream and tan combo. (Cream crochet with white pants, for example). While this style definitely hearkens back to the 70’s, it’s more feminine than hippie this season.

The last style worth highlighting is the modified high low. This one from Tribal

Boyfriend style high low looks great with loose silk pants for a casual and chic look.

is a marriage of the boyfriend tee (oversized) and high low tee (shorter front than back). This loose fitting, airy style works well paired with slouchy silk or linen pants. It also looks amazing with jeans. Notice again the strong neutral trend with a white front and heather grey back. Style tip: this top is okay to wear with jeggings but not with leggings. Why? Leggings cling too much in the front so you want to make sure you cover them with a longer top. Because jeggings use a thicker fabric, they don’t cling and can therefore handle a shorter top that doesn’t cover your crotch area. Keep it classy ladies!

I hope this blog inspires you to try one of these new styles this spring. Embrace a new trend this season. It will give your whole wardrobe a lift!

18Feb2015

Posting From Market – WWD Magic

Posted in Fashion, Jewelry, personal style, spring 2015 fashion trends, trends by kyleen228

Today we headed to Magic at the Sands Convention Center. This is always the highlight of my week at market because Magic sees more young contemporary and junior buyers than the others we usually visit. One of my top priorities while I’m there is to pay close attention to the fashion trends I see representated by all the buyers milling about. I have learned over the years that if I see a trend worn by a large marjority of the buyers, it will make it to Casper, Wyoming. Not every trend works its way from the coast, either the West or East, into mid America and especially into the casual, lifestyle wear driven Rocky Mountains.

I saw many, many buyers wearing the shoe boot, cropped and rolled skinny jean combo, both male and female. I saw quite a few plaid shirts, long vests, kimonos, skinny jeans and tall boots, short jumpers, gladiator inspired shoes, and lots of beat up jeans.

Check out the floral bomber, gladiator heels, colored skinny jeans and boots.

This on trend market attendee is showing off his rolled skinny jeans and lace up boots with a blazer and hoodie.

These shots are candid, catching buyers doing their thing…buying and checking their phones!

I also noticed a large amount of grey- heather, dove and charcoal- from nearly every

Display highlighting the importance of grey in spring 2015 fashion

vendor we visited but especially the young contemporary and junior vendors. Between the grey trend and the still very popular cream and white vintage lace and bohemian trend, it was a struggle to find things in color. But, have no fear, while we will definitely have a preponderance of greys and neutrals in our young contemporary department this spring, you wil also find soft florals and pastels to break it up. It is also worth mentioning that despite the fact that the key color for 2015 is marsala, it seems it is used mostly as an accent color for spring.

Today we bought from Elan, Blu Pepper, Tea and Rose, Vocal, and Anushka. We picked up NikiBiki and Jamierocks as two new lines for the store. NikiBiki was recommended by a customer is similar to Tees By Tina but less expensive and in plus sizes. They also have exceptionally cute active wear which you will be seeing in the store as well. Jamierocks is a great new jewelry line that offers daintier, multi-layered jewelry at great prices. Tomorrow we will see Ginger G and Lush for FC Outlet and a few other new young contemporary lines that we saw today. Tune in tomorrow for more info!

17Feb2015

Posting From Market- Women’s Wear in Nevada (WINN) Show

Posted in clothing, Fashion, spring 2015 fashion trends, trends by kyleen228

Today we shopped the WINN Show, short for Women’s Wear in Nevada, at the Rio Convention Center. The WINN show is focused on speciality stores and has many of our best lines. Today we saw Foxcroft, Tribal, Multiples, Alisha D, Belldini, Weavz, Keren Hart, and Lior. It was a very full day, beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 8:15 p.m. We stopped for an hour lunch but otherwise were working lines the rest of the time.

Foxcroft had beautiful tencel blouses as well as their fabulous wrinkle free cotton blouses. I wore my Foxcroft blouse yesterday. It came out of my suit case wrinkle free and was still crisp and beautiful when I hung it back in the closet at the end of the day. Ladies, if you want a great blouse, there is none better in the market! The picture on the left shows an upcoming “blouse tunic” or “big shirt” from Foxcroft. This is the next big tunic style. It looks great with leggins, skinny or straight jeans. You will also be seeing Blouse Tunics this summer so be sure to add at least one style to your summer wardrobe.

Early fall grouping from Foxcroft with blouses and sweaters.

Sales Representative for Fox Croft modelling a blouse tunic that will be in Fashion Crossroads in September.

We also saw Tribal today. We were so excited about the fall line. It looks amazing. Tribal hit a home run in balancing casual jean looks with dressy work looks for a very functional line with a ton of fashion and practical pieces. The challenge will be deciding what not to buy! You Tribal lovers will be so happy with what you see from the line both for spring and fall of 2015. It is also worth pointing out that the company expanded their booth and were booked solid all day, with every seat filled with buyers. That’s a good sign both for the line and for the market as a whole.

Tribal booth at the WINN Show in Las Vegas

Based upon the number of buyers at both the Off Price Show and the Winn Show, I thnk it is fair to say that buyers are feeling good about the economy which means customers are shopping all across the country. That’s good news for all of us!

14Jan2015

Details Make the Difference

Posted in clothing, quality, value, Fashion, personal style, tips and tricks, Uncategorized by kyleen228

I love clothes. I love the artistic nature of design – how the combination of different fabrics, textures, colors, and other design elements come together to create something beautiful. As a detail person, I notice the small things. As a store owner and buyer for fifteen years, I’ve come to realize that the details are often the difference between a cheaply made product and a quality product.

Take as an example this beautiful crochet inset on a tunic from Multiples. It adds a handcrafted element to an otherwise ordinary tunic, creating an ethnic feel that helps separate it from less expensive competitors. It is a beautiful detail that will look delicate and pretty on a woman’s arm.

If you examine the picture closely, you can see that the crochet is weighty and not flimsy. Yet another element of quality, the sheer thickness of this crochet makes it clear that corners were not cut in adding this detail.
These types of added design elements divide out the ordinary from the unique. You either won’t find them on less expensive labels, or, when you do, they will seem cheap and mass produced.

The next time you are wandering through your favorite specialty store or boutique, stop to appreciate the details on the clothing you find. They truly are a work of art.

6Jan2015

Sending A Little Sunshine

Posted in clothing, Fashion, personal style, tips and tricks, trends by kyleen228

We have certainly seen winter take hold in the last three or four weeks. About this time, after days of -20 degrees, big snow storms, icy roads and blowing and drifting snow, I find myself looking forward to brighter days.

So it is with joy that I start receiving 2015 Spring like this sunny yellow jacket from Tribal that just arrived last week. The great thing about a jacket like this is you can pair it with jeans and boots and wear it NOW! Yellow looks great with dark denim and it is guaranteed to brighten your mood as well as your outfit!

So this week’s fashion lesson….winter doesn’t have to mean dark colors. You can add a punch of color, even a spring color, in a style that seems appropriate for the weather – in this case a jacket. Even better, when you purchase an early spring item, you can wear it for several months to come before it gets too hot.

11Nov2014

You Really Are More Than A Number

Posted in clothing, dressing your figure, Fashion, personal style, tips and tricks by kyleen228

You know those commercials that make you cry? I was really touched by the new Kellogg Special K commercial. In it, women go shopping in a jean store and discover there are no sizes. The sales clerks offer to measure them with a tape measure that replaces numbers with words like “charismatic” Just about every woman I know can relate to how it feels to get depressed in a dressing room. It is something I see every week.

Last week I helped a young woman looking for a new pair of Silver Jeans. She told me her waist size, and we found several pair in the style she liked. With a little trying on, she discovered, to her dismay, that she needed a bigger size. When she came out of the dressing room, her countenance had completely changed. She had wilted right in front of my eyes. I tried to encourage by talking about how each style and fabric will fit a bit differently. I argued that she shouldn’t focus on the number and instead focus on the fit. Sadly, she just couldn’t get past the fact that she needed a bigger size. She left empty handed and depressed.

Silver Jeans

Oh how I hate that! Ladies, hear me when I say this. I dress women of all different body types every day. I deal with over 200 brands on a regular basis. I go to market and purchase these brands and talk to their designers four times a year. I can’t tell you how often I have a designer tell me, “We’ve changed the fit a bit. Your customers will notice these are a little bigger (or smaller) than before.” Over the years I have come to the inescapable conclusion that size means nothing. Truly, all a size means is that in this particular brand and in this particular style, you are this particular size, for now. That quite possible will change next season. Any woman who is honest will admit to having a range of sizes in her closet from smaller than she thinks she is to bigger than she wants to be.

It really is time that we stop letting a number define us. It is most definitely time that we STOP getting depressed when we go into a store and have to take a bigger size. If you’ve gained weight, okay. Get motivated and take off a few pounds. Stay on top of it before it becomes 20 or 3o pounds. But, if you were feeling good about yourself when you walked into the store, DO NOT let the sizes in the dressing room make you feel sad. It is a completely arbitrary number.

Just in case you missed the commercial, copy this address into your browser:

https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=A211US739&p=special+k+commercial+you+are+more+than+a+number

6Nov2014

How Old Is Too Old to Wear Leggings?

Posted in dressing for work and dressing for an interview, dressing your figure, Fashion by kyleen228

How old is too old to wear leggings and skinny jeans? I just did a fashion show for the Geo Wives Club and most of my models were in their 50’s and 60’s. We put several of them in either leggings or slim legged pants, and they looked great! The issue isn’t whether a 65 year old can wear leggings. This issue is how to interpret the trend for a mature woman. First of all, we didn’t choose a slim silhouette unless it flattered the woman wearing it. In other words, those with larger hips and legs wore a-line skirts or looser fitting slacks. Those with slim legs wore leggings or cigarette pants and loose fitting tunics that came down to the appropriate length. About 90% of the models wore layered tops. A jacket and tank, for example, work well together to hide figure flaws while still showing off a waist. With some well thought out clothing choices, they were all dressed in the latest trends and looked classy, fashionable and perfectly dressed for their age.

2Nov2014

Don’t Show Your Muffin Top

Posted in clothing, dressing your figure, Fashion, tips and tricks by kyleen228

Okay, so I’m going to go there. Please forgive me but someone has to. We seem to be living in a time when showing our few extra pounds has become okay. Gone are the Steel Magnolia days when our thighs didn’t leave the house without lycra on them. Yes, there is freedom in just letting it all hang out. But should we? Now I am NOT saying that we women should have perfect figures. But, what I am saying is get that Spanx on! Better yet, choose clothing that flatters your body and doesn’t require a shaper. Low rise jeans just emphasize a bigger middle. Choose mid rise or…gasp…high rise and you’ll be amazed at how much they hold in. Choose tops with rouching that are designed to hide a belly. Teez Her makes an amazing shaping tank that you can use under any other top or jacket. You will never go wrong when you choose styles that flatter YOU rather than trying to wear trends that don’t. Dressing for your age, always means dressing for your body type first and foremost.

Talking Trends

When How You Look Really Matters

Category Archives: Fashion