Category Archives: heroic women

Who Is Your Fashion Icon?

Posted in beauty, clothing, dressing your figure, Fashion, heroic women, personal style by

Who is your fashion icon?  We recently had some fun with Rally to create three iconic looks from clothing in our store.  The photos turned out great, and it got me thinking about how fashion defines us as it has been defining women over the years.

Looking very Audrey. Top and necklace from Fashion Crossroads

Looking very Audrey. Top and necklace from Fashion Crossroads. Photo by Raymond Craig.

Are you a classic Audrey Hepburn, like me?  Or, maybe you are an edgy Madonna. Perhaps you identify more with the flirty and voluptuous Marilyn.

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Desperately seeking Madonna. Clothing and jewelry from Fashion Crossroads. Photo by Raymond Craig.

To determine your fashion icon, ask yourself about how you choose your clothing.  Do you look for timeless pieces and shapes that evoke maturity and class and fabrics that look and feel rich like wool, silk and cashmere?  Do you like tailored, figure flattering styles?  If yes, Audrey is your girl.

Perhaps, however, you gravitate to black and like a harder edged style.  Is there a bit of a bad girl in you?  Do you love studs, chains, and zippers?  Is leather a personal favorite? If a pencil skirt, a refined motorcycle jacket and shoe boots is your idea of the perfect work outfit, you might just be a Madonna.

Maybe you love color and clothing that shows your assets off.  Perfect style for you is part flirtatious and part dramatic.  You don’t shy away from prints, you embrace them.  A flowy skirt is your idea of a must have item.  You were the little girl that chose her dress by its twirl value.  You adore cotton and soft fabrics.  If this all sounds like you, then Marilyn just might be your icon.

Just a little Marilyn. Elan tiered tank from Fashion Crossroads. Photo by Raymond Craig.

Just a little Marilyn. Elan tiered tank from Fashion Crossroads. Photo by Raymond Craig.

The point is that each of these women knew who they were and they said it with their clothing.  Fashion is a reflection of your own unique style and you should have one!  What do your clothes say about you.  If a stranger saw you walking down the street, could they discern anything about your personality from what you were wearing?  If you’re not sure, then spend a little time thinking about what inspires you and who.  Then, when you go shopping for new clothing this fall, make sure the items that you pick make you feel great and reflect who you are and who you want to be.

Check out rally.com for some great quotes from these three ladies.  My favorite is from my style icon Audrey: “When you grow up as a girl the world tells you the things you are supposed to be: emotional, loving, beautiful, wanted.  And then when you are those things, the world tells you they are inferior, illogical, weak, wain, empty.”  So here’s to not letting the world define who you are!

A Brand You Can Get Behind – Sympli

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

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:

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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

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!

Who Are You?

Posted in heroic women by

December’s Glamour magazine featured many women of the year but gave Sylvia Earle the Lifetime Achievement award for her efforts to protect the planet and oceans.  At age 79, she is still actively working in her field of Oceanography.  Even more amazing is that she achieved her status as the “Joan of Arc of the Oceans” while raising 3 children.  Her “words to live by” are these: “I suggest to everyone: Look in the mirror.  Ask yourself: Who are you? What are your talents?  Use them and do what you love.” (Glamour, December, 2014, 248-249).

Who you are has to be about what makes you passionate.  Your values and what you think is important will ultimately define you.  Do you know what makes you tick and what makes your blood boil?  If the answer is no, spend some time right now thinking about those two very important questions.  At the end of your life, how will you define a life well lived?  Sylvia Earle is passionate about marine life and that love has driven her to log over 7,000 hours of diving time in her life.  Being a diver myself, I am awed by her accomplishments and applaud her effort to protect our beautiful oceans and marine life.

That's me with the yllow fins in Cozumel, Mexico.

That’s me with the yellow fins in Cozumel, Mexico.

Maybe you feel trapped by life.  You know what you would love to do, but your reality is something different.  Perhaps you didn’t get an education or the opportunities to do what you love.  Perhaps you gave that up to raise your children or promote your husband’s career.  Sylvia inspires me that it is never too late to discover a new love and pursue it or finally get around to following that dream you gave up on a long time ago.  She isn’t letting her age keep her from doing what she loves and advocating for what she cares about.  Neither should we.

So here’s to taking that first step toward doing what we love, and then another, and another…