Most women are guided by a simple shopping rule: If the shoe fits, buy it. Even when they know the tortuous work called “breaking them in” lies ahead, they’re on shoe-purchase-auto-pilot. I know. As the saying goes – been there, done that. Recently something happened to make me toss out the old adage about simply settling for a shoe that fits.
I discovered shoes so alluring, so glamorous, stylish and comfortable, my first reaction was shock. Did I mention High-Heels with a capital H?
Posted on September 25th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Accessories, Dress, Fashion, shopping, Womenswear | No Comments »
World-renowned colour authority Pantone Inc. has just declared Honeysuckle Pink colour of the year for 2011. Described as “a brave new colour for a brave new world,” watch for this vibrant, blushing pink to make its mark on everything from fashion and makeup to interior design.
Posted on December 15th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Body Image, Celebrities, Dress, Fashion, Image, Makeup, shopping | 1 Comment »
the real measure of Ms Sullivan’s Executive Presence is surely her grace under fire. The rebranding took place during extraordinarily challenging financial pressure: plummeting stock prices, selling off the men’s and kid’s divisions; criticism for overpaying for recently purchased casual retailer J. Jill. Throughout all this public scrutiny, Ms Sullivan and her team rolled out the rebranding and never lost their poise or their vision.
Posted on October 14th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Celebrities, Dress, Fashion, Image, Menswear, shopping, Womenswear | No Comments »
Creating the right image is a powerful tool for success. This is as true for corporations as it is for individuals. Over the last few months, I’ve been fascinated to watch as traditional retailer Talbots re-branded itself from a chain for conservative, some would say stodgy, sixty-somethings to a destination store for younger, hipper, edgier, career women.
Posted on October 5th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Celebrities, Fashion, Image, shopping, Womenswear | No Comments »
When it comes to air travel, anything more than a carry-on is counter productive. It’s not just the lost-luggage-factor that has most women wheeling, not carrying, a single bag onboard. The hassle, the time lost, and often our travel partners, with little or no patience for hanging around carousels, have conditioned even the most passionate [...]
Posted on September 8th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Accessories, Dress, Fashion, Image, shopping, Travel, Womenswear | No Comments »
In fitting rooms across the planet, “Does it make me look fat?” — is without a doubt the pivotal issue that makes or breaks a clothing sale. Ultimately, it’s a rhetorical question because the woman doing the trying-on will make the call herself. If she has even the slightest uncertainty that the garment doesn’t shave [...]
Posted on August 31st, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Body Image, Celebrities, Dress, Fashion, Image, shopping, Womenswear | No Comments »
When department store tycoon Gordon Selfridge opened his namesake store in London, over 100 years ago, his flair for marketing was apparent from the moment the front doors opened. As one of many innovations, he located the perfumery, or scent department as it was called then, adjacent to the main entrance to mask the smell [...]
Posted on August 26th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Communication, Diane's Reflections, Dining Etiquette, Food, Hair, shopping | No Comments »
In the ten years since Jody originated Project Water, her team of volunteers has distributed over 1 million bottles of water to homeless people over the course of Toronto’s extremely hot summers. Project Winter Survival offers essential items including scarves, hats and even sleeping bags to people living on the street.
Posted on April 13th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Accessories, Dress, shopping | No Comments »
Style-makers and trendsetters, even Hollywood celebrities, have long known the benefits of combing Goodwill Stores for hidden gems, but a funny thing happened on our way through the recession. Goodwill stores across North America noticed an increase in sales – the exact opposite of most retailers. According to senior management at the Maryland head office, the time was right to improve the brand – “to promote Goodwill as a cool place to shop.”
Posted on July 28th, 2009 by Diane
Filed under: Dress, Fashion, Menswear, shopping, Womenswear | 3 Comments »
