Retail stores get to wipe their slates clean at the beginning of a season no matter how unappealing their ranges were the season before. New fashion buyers, a new management team, a new fashion office, and new marketing strategies can completely change the look of a retail clothing assortment from one season to the next. Everyone gets a chance to start over twice a year – once for Spring and once for Autumn. So don’t give up on a retail store too quickly!

Gap’s ladieswear has left me cold for years. Perhaps I wasn’t in the target market, but I found their merchandise very much geared to kids in school. Occasionally I’d find the odd gem within the mix for myself and for clients. But they were few and far between. Things are changing. Looks like the Gap wants to capture a little more than the going back to school crowd. I’m in.

I was impressed with their jeggings a few weeks ago, and here are a few more items that are worth a look:

• Dolman T: So 80’s, so fab and so easy. It’s long, a good weight and has a great sleeve length. The scooped neck is a deep but you can pull it back. They have many more colours available in stores. If I wore T-shirts, this is the one I would wear.
• Cowl Neck T: Even though the cowl neckline comes down quite low, it’s fine to wear with a camisole. Soft, drapey but not clingy. If you prefer high necklines like I do, wear this style back to front. It works surprisingly well.
• Sleeveless Cowl Top: It fits similarly to the Cowl Neck T but sans sleeves. A great layering top.
• Silky Ruffle Dress: A super little easy casual dress when worn with casual flats or wedges. The review says its clingy but I did not get that impression.
• Coated Canvas Tote: Available in many colours. Practical and vegan friendly.
• Vintage Cardigan: A cotton-nylon-silk blend ideal for sensitive skin. Nice fit and offered in a lovely assortment of colours. Casual, preppy and comfy.

I also saw an adorable pair of menswear inspired tweed walk shorts with turn-ups that isn’t available online. The fit was roomy which makes a nice change to snug jeggings and leggings. I have my eye on those to wear with boots for Autumn.

Most of Gap’s merchandise is available from sizes XS to XXL, and often in petites and talls too. It’s also not hard to get a Gap discount coupon online so don’t be put off these full price items yet. Have you had luck shopping at the Gap lately?

I get a bee in my bonnet about obtaining certain wardrobe items. I hunt around for ages, often years, until the perfect option pops up. My hunts are vigorous when my need is time sensitive, but often they aren’t. I keep a mental list of the items in the back of my mind and even if they aren’t always at the top of my shopping list, I don’t forget about them. More often than not I eventually end up nabbing exactly what I want.

Here are recent examples of items I’ve crossed off my shopping list after a long wait:

• Flat black over the knee boots: I waited 2 years for these because my feet are fussy and my calves on the narrow side. Then my dream pair by Stuart Weitzman appeared at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and I grabbed them at pre-selections before you could say Bobs your uncle. They are perfect in every way and I can see them becoming wardrobe work horses.
• Black Tuxedo jacket: I waited a year for a style with the tiniest bit of sheen, lots of stretch and the perfect fit. A cropped Theory tuxedo jacket called my name at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and I think I got the last one in my size. I’m going to wear it with everything – from Converse sneakers to cocktail dresses.
• Flat oxford shoes: I also waited over a year before getting these because none of the available oxfords satisfied my need for comfortable fast walking shoes. That is, until the Fitzwell Justice beauties came my way. I already want to wear them with everything.

I’m an impatient person my nature, but I am patient when it comes to filling the gaps in my wardrobe with the right item. As desperate as I was for the perfect tuxedo jacket last year – I just had to do without because nothing was quite right. Now I’ll be making up for lost time.

It does take discipline though. Sometimes it feels like the clock is ticking on that latest trend and the pressure is on to be a part of it. But this doesn’t change the fact that clothes are expensive and when an item isn’t perfect, it isn’t worth it. One compromise leads to another and pretty soon you have a wardrobe full of mediocre items, or even orphans.

Are you patient when it comes to finding the right items for your wardrobe? How long will you wait before you lose interest?

By Greg.

The tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has found its way into fashion. In a highly controversial photo shoot, Italian Vogue is using the disaster as the backdrop to a dark feature that appears in the August issue.

Personally, I find the images disturbing. Especially the reference to affected wildlife with model Kristen McMenamy wearing feathers and posing like a stricken animal on an oily beach. But disturbing is the point. From Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Franca Sozzani:

“In the face of this dramatic, catastrophic stalling, the images of Steven Meisel make up a precious reportage that delivers an artistic impact. Unforgettable images, created purposely to unnerve the viewer, capture the reality of the situation.”

The shoot has generated an enormous amount of commentary, drawing attention to the spill and its impact. And drawing attention to Vogue of course.

Reaction is quite divided. Many people think the feature is inappropriate and exploitative, while others see it as an environmental statement that is bringing attention to the disaster. Sozzani and McMenamy have both defended the shoot by saying that it sends a message to take better care of nature.

What do you think, education or exploitation?

Bodysuits were everywhere in the early and mid 90’s. I had several and one of them looked identical to the lace bodysuit below, but in black. I wore it with a black camisole, Levis 501s and biker boots.

In keeping with the 90’s fashion revival, bodysuits have been making a comeback. But the trend is very, very fringe – which might be a good thing. When I wore bodysuits, even though my top stayed neatly tucked into my bottoms, I plucked at my knickers all day long. I also fussed with the press studs down below each time I went to the loo. Some of the bodysuit styles were so high cut on the leg that baring hip skin when you sat down was inevitable.

So I’m saying no thank you to permanent wedgies, exposed hip skin and extra fumbling in the loo. How say you?