How do you know if it’s worth the splurge?

In the crazy world of fashion and beauty products we all know that in many cases when we buy an expensive product we are in reality just paying for a label or fancy packaging.

There are certainly times where the price is worth the splurge and then there are times when you can find something similar for a lot less. This is just one of the 10 hot topics being discussed on this week’s Fashion Flash, our weekly digest of  a  fashion and beauty posts for the over 40 crowd.

This book will save you oodles of money and save you from picking the wrong things.

Just click on over to Obsessed with Shoes (one of our favorite sites to visit when we are in the mood to fantasize about this season’s over the top shoes) and see where you might be able to save big!

Speaking of saving…it takes some savvy strategy to learn how to build a wardrobe that you can feel great in and not break the bank.  Check out our latest book, Tweak Your Chic: Chic on the Cheap for some fresh inspiration on how to save big and still look fab!

Are you making this over 40 fashion mistake?

A true Glam Gal always wants to look her best, even when going out to the grocery store.

But what can you wear that is easy to throw on and still comfortable?

Watch our latest Tweak Your Chic style video for some fresh inspiration:

Does this look familiar? Looking sloppy is not an option when going out!

AFTER: Much more polished looking, for sure!

A simple accessory like this stretch belt from Suzi Roher makes this an outfit and not just another blah pant and top

Deborah, in her simple yet elegant casual outfit!

How to dress comfortable, casual and chic when transitioning from summer to fall

Transitioning into fall can be frustrating.  One day it’s hot, the next cool.  It’s October so you don’t want to look like you’re still wearing your summer clothes yet it’s not cold enough to break out the turtlenecks.  Time to “shop” in your closet, use one of your light weight dresses, add a few accessories or layers to transform your dress into a new outfit.  That’s what we call dressing Chic on the Cheap!

Here are a few tips on how to gently transition into fall:

1. Wear darker, richer colors
2. Take a simple cotton dress and add a stretch belt
3. Tie on a light weight scarf
4. Time to get out the boots, especially on those rainy days

AFTER: Adding only 4 accessories makes this plain dress into an outfit!

BEFORE: JoJami in a simple cotton dress from Velvet

What are you wearing during this seasonal transition?  Please comment below!

What does an age-appropriate leather jacket look like? (Part 2)

Sizzling Snakeskin: Snakeskin has been all the talk this season!  We liked this one from Chicos because it is reversible! Snakeskin on one side, solid on the other…so two jackets for the price of one! $349.00 (Chicos)
Oh yes to Classic with no zippers or buttons!  This gorgeous jacket has it all right! the simple collar flattering pockets the hidden snaps make for a simply perfect piece! You would not go wrong to splurge on this!  (Saks)
The Open Style, soft and feminine! This olive cropped piece is one of our favorites. It is made of super soft thin leather The lines and cut of this jacket would be flattering on most. Can be dressy or casual the long “V” neckline keeps this jacket from being bulky (Nordstrom)
Short and sweet!  See how this jacket is all vertical lines.That is why it is such a flattering jacket! This would work best on a petite or small busted gal The neckline is high, but would look great open or with a scarf. It is short-waisted so if you have a hard time finding jackets to fit your body type you’d love this one! $339.00 (Nordstrom)
Red means Romantic! Do you have an urge to walk into a room and get a compliment?This jacket would be a sure bet for that! One note though… not all reds look good on everyone, this one is a blue-red, so those with cool undertones to their skin need only apply! What a deal! We were shocked when we saw the price was only $212.00 (Neiman Marcus)
Dramatic Hipster! Black leather is always a strong statement and you can make it look very rocker or, like this, super sexy and just plain HOT!$298.00 (Nordstrom)

This is a big, NO! ~ and when “Sale” becomes a bad word!  We went to one of the most fashionable sites and found this jacket “on sale.”  No wonder no one wanted to buy it… The color of this jacket would best only on dark skin, otherwise it could wash you out, like it does this model. The pockets hit at a terrible spot, especially if you have large breasts Then sleeves and waist with wide elastic is just not chic. Just think how this would look if you had a little “tummy”?  Worst of all, this jacket even has epaulettes, which does not really go with the style of this mishmash coat. This is a fashion disaster and not worth it at any price! If you are tempted to buy a jacket just because it is a great price, think again!! No matter what the cost you should love and adore your new purchase!(Shopbop)
Flattering for the Curvy Gal!  Super flattering for those Glam Gals who have some curves!  This simple design still has lots of flair to it!  See how it is cut to hit a little longer near the thigh  The stripe trim on the sides has a wonderful “nipped in” illusion!  Plenty of room for shoulders and bust However, it’s little pricey at $598.00 (Saks)
And Finally… A GREAT PICK or is it? If you want to have some fun, you can try a leather vest!  JoJami has one that she has worn with a long sleeve top in the winter and come Spring with a tank top.  We thought this one looked pretty nice and the price is right at $128.00. However, when we noticed that it was only given 1 star.. we found several bad reviews including this one…”I ordered a small but it was too big especially in the hips and waist.  The fur looked like it came off a cheap gorilla costume. Bummer. It looked great on the model online.”This is why we love Nordstrom because they actually print honest reviews!(Nordstrom)
Nordstro

What does hip and 40 look like?

Hi Fabulous ladies!

JoJami here in absolutely gorgeous, Asheville, NC!

Boy oh boy, was I ever surprised when I hit downtown Asheville to check out the shopping.  Talk about artsy, funky and vibrant!  Yes siree, did I have a blast just window shopping until I dragged my husband into this amazing boutique called Minx.

This table of shoes caught my eye...and this gal was dressed so cute! Love her flat loafers, comfortable and chic!

At first I thought that all the clothes were vintage but then I saw this display of new shoes and fell in love with these little black booties.

These black booties by Gidigio have the perfect size heel and the ruffle gives it a touch of softness!

Slipped those puppies on and it was love at first step… had to have them!

Now I want you to notice how adorable the sales gal is!  Of course she is NOT 40 but I thought it was worth mentioning that her outfit would be age appropriate for any over 40 gal.

Moreover, many of  you all have been asking…”What do I wear with straight legged jeans.?”  Check out her flat loafers. This is as new trend for fall that we just adore!!  Paired with a t-shirt and cropped short jacket it looks casual yet pulled together!

Then as my luck would have it, in walked the owner, Rebeccah Mark (who just turned 40, welcome to the club!) Read more

Why do we “save” our favorite clothes and not wear them?

Traveling for the last 4 months in a motorcoach across America has really given me a new perspective on my wardrobe and how other over 40 gals are dressing.

The crazy thing I notice is all the women out there shopping in their same average looking outfits…trying to find something fun.

I know I too have this habit sometimes.  Why do I keep shopping for wonderful clothes and then never wear them?

So, I have given myself a new fashion challenge and I invite you to join in with me!

• Go into your closet and pull out all your very favorite things.
• Put them at the front of your closet where you will see them.
• Then promise yourself that starting right away, you will start wearing them to go to the grocery store, to work, to anywhere that you are going!!

Now, please send in your photos or comments below and share with us your experience!

We will post more on this next week when we start hearing from you!!

Happy Labor Day weekend to you all!!!

JoJami is currently traveling the U.S on the Tour de Glam, where she loves meeting other fab over 40 women and sharing their stories with the FAF community.

Fall Outlet shopping – Is it worth it?

Dear Glam Gals,  

I’m ready to start shopping for fall but don’t want to break the bank.  I live in a town that is about an hour and a half drive to the nearest outlet.   Is it worth the drive for me to save money?  Do they even have fall clothes at the outlets or will it still be all summer sales?

Jessica G.

Dear  Jessica,

It’s me Glam Gal, JoJami here to take on your question! You are in luck because I just so happened to be traveling around the country (on the Tour de Glam) and today I am in Branson, Missouri, where I stopped by the Tanger Outlets to check out the goods.

Here is what I found out and what I ended up buying:

This particular Tanger Outlet consisted of actual outlet stores and had several “factory stores.”  A factory store means that the factory actually makes items specifically for the outlet store in a “discount sort of way.”  That means that these items are not usually up to the regular store standards but have a similar style but not necessarily the quality.

Here is what I mean.

I went into the Ann Taylor Factory Store and the first thing that caught my eye was a table of pretty cardigans.

This sweater was made just for the Ann Taylor outlet store.

This sweater set is from an original Ann Taylor store that was brought in to sell at a discount.

The purple sweater was originally $68.00 and now was $49.99 plus 40% off

So, the sweater on the left above has a price tag that was just like a normal tag with no discount marked on it.  However, the tag on the purple sweater (on right) had the orignal price listed and a discounted price in RED.  That top was made of nicer fabric and could be found at a regular Ann Taylor store.  Since everything in the store was 40% off, this meant that the lowest price of anything in the store would be discounted so the prices were pretty darn good! (Just for the record I did not buy either of these items, just wanted to use them as an example.)

However, I did spot this classic blue and cream striped long sleeve top. It was made of  some thin, stretchy fabric and fit well. I really liked that it had a “V” neck and not a rounded one, so I grabbed it for $17.00.

This striped shirt will be a wonderful addition to my wardrobe! I snapped it up on sale for $17.00 (orig. $29.99)

Pointed "puff" sleeves will be a hot new trend this fall. However, this sweater has too much going on not to mention it's boring grey. And did they really need to add that pocket too? I say "pass" on this item. (BGBG)

BCBG

First I saw the BCBG store and was just curious to see what they had on hand.  This store is definitely on the trendy side so I was not surprised when the sales associate showed me the latest sweater with pointed puffed sleeves and a bow…2 trends in one!  This sweater was marked down from $88.00 to $39.00, so you might think it’s a deal however it is never worth buying anything unless you really love it.  Pass on this one for sure!

Under Armour

Personally, work out clothes are one of my favorite things to buy.  I love to exercise and after recently going to a Yoga retreat I noticed one of the teachers always wore all white.  Since then I have bought a pair of white yoga pants that I just love and can mix and match with all my tops.  They had gotten a little dingy looking so I decided to see if I could find a few new white pieces.

Adding some white to your workout wardrobe can feel refreshing!

Once again, I found out that this was an outlet store that had both full price and discounted items.  So here is what I bought:

• workout bra $29.00 (originally $49.00)
• shorts $27.99 (these were full price but the newest in “compression” fabric, it was worth the splurge!)
• top $9.97  (originally $24.99)

 

Textured hose are usually a great find if they are on sale, just make sure you test the fabric for good stretch and quality.

Make sure you always try on the item you are thinking of buying.  I saw a beautiful cardigan I know I needed, but when trying to unbutton it, I realized the button holes were too small and it made it nearly impossible to undo.

PASS!!! Don’t buy things that are hard to put on or take off!

Finally, I did not find anything that was unique or wonderful to add to my fall wardrobe.  I only found basics.  If you are serious about wanting to add some great pieces to update your wardrobe your outlet will need to have some higher end stores and you must be a savvy shopper and be super super picky about what you come home with.  Better to save your money and shop in a boutique or mall than to stock up on sale items that only fill up your closet with blah, ho-hum items.

So to recap my day and review these shopping tips:

• Yes an outlet can be a great place to save money on basics but you will need to go with a plan in mind of what you need and try not to get sidetracked.
• Only buy items that you will need for the upcoming season.  Summer is almost over, only buy fall items now.
• Be careful that you buy quality.  Cheap fabric will not last and you will feel lousy in it.
• Don’t be tempted to skip trying it on.  You MUST try things on you plan to buy or you might be sorry when you get home!
• Make sure you are not stock piling on more black or grey items.  Instead, go for an item in your best color.  It will add some wonderful “zing” to your closet!
• If you feel iffy about an item when you are at the checkout counter…just ask that they don’t ring it up.  There will always be something better out there that you might want to save your money for.
• If your outlet has high-end stores like a Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom, you might find that special piece to update your wardrobe…other brand stores just have mostly basics.

Fall Must Have: adding a leather jacket to your wardrobe

Deborah in her favorite blue leather jacket.

"Have had this leather jacket for at least 4 years and I still love it" says JoJami

We Glam Gals always get itchy to go fall shopping around this time of year when the evenings start cooling down and fall starts peaking around the corner.  One of the first items you might want to think about is adding is a piece of leather to your wardrobe.

Why leather?

It’s sexy, sassy and it can really show off your personality!

Not to mention if you choose wisely you will have it in your closet for years to enjoy!

So how do you find out what type of leather jacket will look good on you?

We have collected several pieces of leather over the years and these brown coats will go with most things in our wardrobe!

There are several steps to take to put you on the right track:

Fit and Style  are first and foremost!

Here are some things to think about:

• Do you want a style that is fitted or loose?
• What type of collar will look best on you?
• Pocket placement is key.
• Do you want zippers, buttons or none at all?
• How about color?  Do you want a jacket that is neutral so you can wear it more or do you want a more dramatic piece to have a “wow” effect!