Let's Talk Pleats

If you follow me on twitter then you've probably already seen this:

Yup, that is me in the dressing room at my favorite store--Gap (more Gap here & here). I originally went in to grab a pair of jeans (I've been wearing Gap jeans for 10 years...amazing I know), but when I saw this dress I had to try it on... Of course I fell in love and bought it! 

Now, I know to you it may look like a simple black dress and not at all Arizona-summer friendly; however, this is the kind of dress I die for. The structure, fit, and pleats = the key ingredients to making me look SKINNY! Not to mention I've been working out for a few months now, but more on that to come soon.

So you may notice this photo looks a bit altered, okay a whole lot altered and no I did not use the "slimming" filter. Rather I wanted the focal point to be the pleated skirt. I find the pleat classic and feminine  (unless of course you try the whole pleated grandpa pant look).

And it gives a simple dress like this just a bit of extra interest. 

If you are not at all a fan of the box pleat you could of course try the pleated maxi skirt which is a huge trend... I must admit I do have a black Vince Camuto one but have no clue how to wear it!

 *read: someone help!*

For a bit more pleat inspiration Click Below on my Style Saint "Let's Talk Pleats" Stylebook! And sign up and follow me!

I Heart Wool

Wool. Just looking at the word may conjure memories of your mom forcing you to wear that dreaded scratchy winter wool coat. Well, that is not the wool I'm talking about today, rather I want to introduce you to Merino wool: soft, comfortable, natural, renewable, and fine. Not only is it not scratchy, it is not restricted to winter coats, some of our favorite designers use this wool in their RTW collections each season. Just this past February Alexander Wang used Merino wool elements in 20 of his pieces for the Fall 2012 RTW collection. 

So what's all this talk about wool? Well, not only does Merino wool show up on the tall beauties of fashion week, but now it can show up on you, thanks to the Wrapped in Merino campaign. 

The Woolmark Company has created a never-ending virtual wool scarf, collaboratively designed by you... and me (check it out). 

Head on over to the Wrapped in Merino microsite and create your part of the scarf... AND you'll be automatically entered to win one of eight fashion prizes packs, including Net-A-Porter vouchers and even your very own Merino wool scarf! (If I win I bet you know what I'll be buying... gosh I love Net-A-Porter!). 

When you're done creating your part of the scarf leave a comment so I can see your FABulous designs! 

You can also connect with the Wrapped in Merino community via Twitter @welovewool and Facebook