Personal Shopper

I spent part of yesterday afternoon at Carlisle, where the beautiful clothes of The Carlisle Collection and Per Se are housed. The building at 16 E. 52nd St. in Manhattan is set up like a Park Avenue townhome. Warm and inviting. Plush couches and chairs. And clothes everywhere!

Carlisle is a personal-shopping service. The idea of having a personal shopper has always intrigued me. Having someone with better taste than me build my wardrobe. When a hot trend is introduced, I'm one of the first to know because my personal shopper has her hand on the pulse of the fashion world. Being dressed and primped. Who wouldn't love that?

Well, the reality of having a personal shopper is all that, plus a hefty price tag. As I walked through Carlisle, my consultant went over every piece of clothing on the mannequins and there had to have been at least 20. She talked about the details in the buttons and stitching and the quality of the fabrics. The sweaters were soft. The leather was buttery. The silk was, well, silky. And of course, I fell in love with just about everything I saw and touched.

The consultant was taking mental notes on what I said I like and didn't like. I also made mention of some of the items that were on my shopping list. As we headed to the dressing room, she brought back some of the items I was giddy over. I slide into a skirt that was adorned with ostrich feathers. Slipped on a sequined top and even tried on the leather pants.

Then I looked at the price tags.

While the clothes fit beautifully, the prices were way out of my range. The leather pants were more than $700. The ostrich skirt was easily $300 and the sequined top was $215.

I explained to my consultant that I wasn't aware that the clothes were going to be so pricey (there were no price tags on the clothes the mannequins were wearing). I didn't want to waste my time or hers, so I got dressed and got ready to leave.

But before I left, my consultant showed me a couple of pieces of jewelry because I'm still in the market for a red necklace (see blog from Sept. 3) and a silver necklace. The consultant pulled out a great silver statement necklace that is three pieces in one - that can be worn together or separately. It was priced at $125, which was in my price range, so I bought that, only to find out it's on backorder. Hopefully, it will arrive soon.

So, the lesson I learned yesterday is that it's nice to be waited on hand and foot, to be offered beverages and snacks while you shop, but it's definitely cheaper to shop for yourself.

The Secret Keeper

I used to laugh when I saw women pulling money from their bras. But now, I'm one of those women. The only difference is that I'm using the secret keeper, also known as the racktrap.

The racktrap is an undetectable personal bra pocket that holds everything from your ID to a couple of bills and a debit card. It fits snuggly in your bra, so you can leave your purse at home.

The pouch comes in a limited-edition gold, which I have and am loving. It's smooth as silk. Or you can order a three pack that includes white lace, black lace and nude lace.

The limited-edition gold racktrap sells for $7.95 and for a limited time, you get free shipping. The set of three is a bargain at $19.95 because the sellers will triple your order if you shop now!

For more information or to order the secret keeper, visit https://www.getsecretkeeper.com/.

A Conversation with Couture Designer Henry N. Jackson

Couture designer Henry N. Jackson might as well have been born with a sketch pad, needle and thread in his hand. He started sketching at five and had his first fashion show at 14.

"I had a full collection. I had day and evening wear," he said of his first show and adding that he spent his allowance on Italian Vogue.

Jackson, who showed his latest collection two weeks ago during NY Fashion Week, said his collections have always been about women. He started noticing them because of the "mistakes they make," he said.

"I would want to redesign what they were wearing," he said, laughing.

While Jackson said a lot of women make fashion mistakes, he doesn't have to look far for inspiration. "I see the women going to church around here (Harlem), how well they put things together."

Jackson creates for his audience. He is one of the few couture designers who makes clothes for real-size women and uses them in his fashion shows. When he was working for Valentino, he realized that most women who were ordering the famous Italian designer's clothes were size 10 to 14.

"It's become a stigma that all women (who wear couture) are a size zero," he said.

Jackson promised his mother, who is pear-shaped, that he would dress real-size women. "The women were tall and skinny in my sketches and I would show them to my mother. One day, she asked, 'When are you going to start designing for me and my friends?"

A couple of years ago, it became "fashionable" to acknowledge real-size women, Jackson said. Dove Soap introduced its "Campaign for Real Beauty," where execs are building self esteem in women by using women of all sizes and races in their ads. And in 2006, models with a low body-mass index were banned from Spain's catwalks. But even with it being "fashionable" to accept that the average size women wears a 12 to 14, couture designers certainly weren't letting them strut down their runways.

But Jackson is different. "As a designer, it's my job to be a visionary," he said, adding that most of his clients wear between a 10 and 16. He doesn't use plus-size models in his shows, because "the body can do anything" at that size, he said, referring to proportions.

Some of the most famous real-size women Jackson has dressed include Oprah Winfrey and Whoppi Goldberg. And the next real-size women he's expected to dress is First Lady Michelle Obama.

Winfrey first mentioned the Obamas to Jackson when President Barack Obama was a senator in Chicago. Jackson, who was living in Paris at the time, thought it would be nice to dress a senator's wife, so he started following Mrs. Obama's looks. While following First Lady Obama's fashion, he was also following President Obama's political gains. He used his network from Harvard University, where Jackson studied business before graduating from Parsons: The School for Design, to connect with the First Couple, who are Harvard graduates.

Once the connection was made, the First Lady picked a few items from Jackson's look book, asked for the prices and timeline. He hopes to do a fitting this week, while the Obamas are in Manhattan for the UN events. Jackson said Mrs. Obama initially selected a tailored jacket and sleeveless shift dress, but she later asked for some separates.

Jackson said he wasn't surprised with what Mrs. Obama chose because he was tracking what she was wearing. "She chose the clothes I designed for her," he said with a laugh.

Jackson said the all of the looks aren't one of a kind, but that's the First Lady's style - to wear clothes that everyone wears, like those from J. Crew. He also said it's her style to not wear one designer head-to-toe, which he said no lady should ever wear.

Other advice he said women should follow is to "be a lady. Have some class in the way you dress. You dress for where you want to be in life. We've forgotten what taste looks like."

"Less is more," he added.

And "always quality over quantity."

"Don't buy every trend. Build a wardrobe that can evolve," advised.

Writer's Note: I first met Henry N. Jackson a couple of weeks ago when I volunteered as a dresser in his fashion show during NY Fashion Week. I immediately knew there was something special about him. His collection was ethnically couture and sophisticated. Last week, I reached out to Jackson, explaining that I have a fashion blog and would love to interview him. He graciously agreed. I met with him yesterday at his home in Harlem.

J. Crew's newest looks

I got the J. Crew October 2009 catalog today and couldn't wait to thumb through it to look at all of the great clothes. J. Crew has awesome stylists, who are the kings and queens of layering. Every look is so chic, yet effortless. I often use the catalogs for inspiration and shop my closet using their looks.

Here are some of J. Crew's cutest fall looks:

This is the Posey top. It's great for work or a night on the town. $89.50

Ruffles are all the rage. This Kelsey ruffle top sells for $88.

I love a dress and this Terra Paisley shift dress delivers! $225

The Tailored Wool Cowlneck dress can be dressed up or down. It sells for $138.

Lovin' this Long Boyfriend Blazer. It's great for the weekend. $215

Souffle is the perfect name for this very delicate mohair sweater. You can eat it for $88.

This Ribbon Script coat just couldn't be any cuter! Absolutely love it. Worth every penny of the $275 it sells for.

You don't need to wear a dress to show off your heels. These Wool Twill Club pants are the great accessory for heels. $98

The Right Tights

I live in tights every fall and winter. I love how they look with a skirt or dress paired with heels, boots or flats. But my tights are normally black. I've decided to venture outside of my comfort zone this season and add some spice to my tights. I bought red, mustard and brown HUE tights to other day at Anthropologie.

I went in looking for purple because I saw a girl on the street with a navy knit dress, purple tights and black ankle booties and it looked really cute. I would have never thought to pair purple tights with a blue dress, but seeing it on someone else made me want to duplicate the look. Well, I didn't find the purple tights, but the colors I got are just as exciting. Purple is still on my list, though.

I'm looking for unexpected ways to wear the red, mustard and brown tights. I also have tights with an argyle pattern that I bought last year from Nordstrom, but never wore them. I pulled them from the back of my sock/stocking/tight drawer today determined for them to get some attention. I hope when I wear my colorful, fun tights they inspire someone else to walk outside of their just-black-tights comfort zone.

The HUE tights are completely opaque and are $12.50 each or two for $20.

Here are some really great ways to wear your tights:

Wrap Yourself in Luxury

There are few things life that make me happier than a luxurious, cozy wrap. I love the sophisticated look that a wrap gives any outfit.

You have on a white T-shirt and jeans: Grab your sexiest heels, a clutch and throw a wrap over your shoulders and you're ready for a hot night out.

You're wearing dress pants and a button-down to work: You step outside and there's a slight chill in the air. Get your wrap. Definitely dressy enough for the office.

You're headed to a party with a cute pencil skirt and top: Surround yourself in your wrap to complete the outfit.

Here are some of cutest wraps I've found this season:

This Soft and Sexy wrap is $58 at Victoria's Secret. I have it in sandstone heather, the color shown, and it's definitely the go-to piece I grab to complete an outfit. You can wear this wrap six different ways.

This White + Warren wrap is 100% cashmere and super yummy. It's $175 and comes with matching slippers. It's being sold as a travel set - Oh the places I would go in this wrap!

This Nordstrom brand beauty is technically not a wrap, but more of a cardigan. But it's cute and free flowing just like a wrap. Works for me and it's a steal at $48!

So many fabulous way to keep warm as the seasons change.

The black wrap featured at the top of the blog is the Rachel Pally Wrap Cardigan. It's at Bloomingdale's for $190.

The In-Between Shoe

The weather is changing. The high today in New Jersey is 67. What's a girl to do for footwear when it's not quite warm enough for flip flops, but not cold enough for Uggs?

I found several pairs of transition shoes that should help us out until fall really gets here.

These cute ruffle booties are a steal at Bakers Shoes for $59.99. They also come in black. There's enough coverage to keep your feet warm on cool mornings, but the peep toe still says summer/fall. You could rock these with jeans or a sleek pencil skirt and colored tights. Purple or navy would be hot!

These comfy flats make a great weekend shoe when you have a ton of errands to run. They are the B.P. Frankie flat at Nordstroms for $59.99. They also come in turquoise/aqua.

Vintage is always hot and these totally wearable vintage Pink Studio Reed shoes can be found at Piperlime for $95.

This super cute Dollhouse Kim bootie is also at Piperlime and it's a Rachel Zoe pick. It's a steal at $70 and also comes in chocolate brown.

A T-strap will always be in style. Anthropologie, which is my favorite store in the whole wide world, is selling this lovely Budding shoe for $138.

I had to include a full-on boot. On the East Coast, especially in NYC, girls wear boots year 'round. I wore these Frye Harness 15 R boots the other day with a short dress. It was 78 degrees out. And I'm wearing them now with white skinny jeans and a dark sweater. They sell for $278.

If I had 1K to blow...

I would buy these Christian Louboutin Lady Page Pumps. Simple adorable! They are $995 at Saks.

From the sleek patent leather to the velvet bow - this is a great going-out shoe! So sexy with its 5-inch heel.

I've been an admirer of the red-bottom shoes for years, but I just can't afford them. My shoes cost an average of $100 a pair, so I guess I could save the money that I would have spent on the next 10 pairs of shoes and get some Louboutins. Hmmm.

By the way, if anyone from CL is reading this blog and wants to send me a pair, I'm a size 6.

What goes around comes around

I thought the days of pleated pants were gone with banana clips, but pleats are back - and in a big way.

With hips as wide as mine are, I was thrilled when designers introduced flat-front pants because they make all women look thinner. The new pleated pants are cute, but of course, the models who are wearing them are pencil thin. I'm still building up the courage to try on a pair, but in the meantime, these are some of the ones that are super cute:

These Bridget Fit tapered pant are $69.50 at Victoria's Secret.

These cuties are the Imitation of Christ pants, sold for $50 at Revolve Clothing.

If you're looking for something casual, these Banana Republic pleated pants are on sale for $50.

Another Victoria's Secret look. These are $78.

And if you're like me and feel like you have to go on a diet before you party in your pleats, here are a few tips on how to rock them:

• Wear them with heels to contrast the fullness of the pants.
• Add a pair of colored stockings to lengthen your legs.
• Choose a fitted top to take away from the bulky bottom.

Designer Dresser

I spent Saturday night dressing a beautiful woman.

I volunteered for the first time as a dresser for a NY Fashion Week fashion show. The designer was Henry N. Jackson, a couture designer who was just commissioned to create a dress for First Lady Michelle Obama.

I was looking for any way to get involved in Fashion Week. A front row seat to a show would have been ideal, but volunteering as a dresser was nearly as good.

I dressed Leigh Ann, who wore two outfits. She was stunningly beautiful in both. Before the show started, I had a familiarize myself with her outfits - did they zip or button, snap or tie?


And the jewelry - earrings, necklaces and bracelets. And don't forget the shoes. Do the buckle or just slide on?

It was an exciting night. We started dressing the models 30 minutes before the show started.

I had a small snafu with Leigh Ann's first outfit - I couldn't get the zipper zipped. It took three people - the model, the hair stylist and me to zip her up. I was thinking, "Did she do a fitting?" But once the zipper was up, the dress fit like a glove. Leigh Ann is below in her first outfit.

Fortunately, Leigh Ann's outfits were spaced out far enough that there wasn't too much of a rush to get her into the second outfit, but one model went out twice before Leigh Ann went out for the first time. We all pitched in to help that dresser get her model into the second outfit.

The clothes were elegant and were actually wearable. I love a fashion show, but some designers make their clothes so out there that I couldn't imagine wearing them anywhere. But Jackson's clothes were realistic. And he used real-size models, something that most designers don't do.

The jewelry was amazing. It was designed by Vickie Fremont.

These earrings looked great, but were a pain - literally - to put on. The model's ears were bleedings as her dresser slowly slide the thick hook through the hole in her ear.

Even though I was backstage, I could tell the fashion show was a success - Henry was smiling at the end of the night.