Buy-Her.com » In Style and In Fashion – Clothing and Accessories for Women

The Perfect White (Black, Grey, Orange) Shirt

Miss Britt — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:24:43 +0000

The Madison Shirt

The perfect button down shirt is a wardrobe must-have and a shopping damn-near-impossible-to-find.

The trick is finding something that provides shape, fit and structure without gaping at the boobs. Most button down shirts, in my experience, either gape at the boobs or hang straight down from your arm pits.

The Madison Shirt from New York & Company does neither. It is, in my opinion, the perfect button down shirt – which is why I was completely justified in buying it in multiple neutral colors when I discovered it at the outlet mall last weekend.

Here’s what I’m looking for (and what I love about The Madison Shirt):

A side seam – if a button-down shirt doesn’t have a side seam, you’re not going to have any kind of “fit”. In other words, you have no chance of appearing to have a waist.

A waist - that being said, a side seam doesn’t guarantee that the shirt is cut to go in at the waist. Try the shirt on (or unfold it, lay it flat, and look at the actual shape of the shirt). This slim cut also means the shirt can easily be tucked in to a skirt and won’t look bulky.

Structure in the front and shoulders - see those lines right below the model’s boobs? These help make you look leaner and less blob-like. Blob-like, to be clear, is not a good look on anyone. I also think a buttoned down shirt should have some tailoring in the shoulders, but I think that’s because I have wide hips and a structure shoulder kind of helps balance me out. If you have that same problem, I’d advise you to look for the same.

Crisp, quality fabric – it shouldn’t be see-through. It shouldn’t wrinkle easily. The Madison shirt is actually 60% cotton, 35% polyester and 5% spandex, which I’m sure some cotton purists would sneer at, but it’s comfortable and easy to care for, which is nice for those of us who live in the real world.

So, yeah. The Madison shirt is my current favorite (and what I’m wearing today, actually, untucked with a black skinny belt over top of it). You can get it at any New York & Company, and a few shades are on sale right now on their website.

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Post tags: fit, new york and company, perfect white shirt

How to keep your boobs and/or bra straps from showing

Miss Britt — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:56:41 +0000

You, too, can enjoy plunging necklines and backless dresses!

I was on the phone with my mom recently while I was shopping and mentioned to her that I was looking to pick up fashion tape.

“What’s that?” she asked. I teased her a little, but wasn’t really surprised. Fashion tape isn’t something I learned about from my mother, who prefers barefeet to pretty shoes.

That same day, I was in a well known lingerie store and asked the sales woman if they had any fashion or lingerie tape on hand.

“Is that the stuff that holds your boobs together?” she asked.

I had no idea how few women were familiar with (or consequently use, I imagine) fashion tape.

Ladies, allow me to introduce all of you to the magic of not having your bra strap hanging out. And never again uploading pictures from your daughter’s birthday party only to find that you are flashing the camera in 90% of the photos. Some varieties even claim to be able to hold a hem, but I’ve never tried that myself.

Fashion tape, also known as lingerie tape or flash tape, is basically double-sided tape. Except this tape is strong enough to hold garments in place and delicate enough to stick to your body or garments without causing any damage.

Here’s how it works: you stick a piece of the tape to your bra strap, for example. You then remove the backing from the other side of the tape, and press your shirt to the tape, ensuring that it stays just so until you remove the tape. No more sliding, slipping or gaping!

Fashion tape can come in pre-cut strips, but I prefer it in a tape dispenser similar to what you buy your scotch tape in. This lets me get exactly as much as I need and no more.

Finding fashion tape in a store can be tricky. I bought my most recent roll from the lingerie department at Macy’s. Check the lingerie section, near where they have those odd strapless water bras and such (you know what I’m talking about, or you will when you see it).

Online, try:

Mini Flash Tape Dispenser – $7.99 from HerRoom
Commando Double Stick Tape Matchbooks (pre-cut kind) – $10 from BareNecessities
Gal Pal Everything Tape – $6.50 from Drugstore.com
Fashion Forms Dress & Lingerie Tape with Dispenser $3 + shipping via Macy’s on Amazon (this is what I have, and I love it)

Fashion Tape Gift Idea: Get Outta Town Diva Kit – $34.99

Includes fashion tape, lint removers and other fashion-fixes to take on the road with you.

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Post tags: accessories, fashion secrets, fashion tape, flash tape, keeping your bra straps in place, lingerie tape

Yummie Tummie – the most comfortable girdle you’ll ever wear

Miss Britt — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:01:20 +0000

I was contacted by the girls of Clever Girls Collective a few weeks before BlogHer09 and asked to be a “brand ambassador” for Yummie Tummie Shapewear while attended the conference.

Basically, they were going to give me two free Yummie Tummies and asked me to talk about my experience with them.

I agreed. Mainly because I love Cat and will do anything she asks of me.

And also because this thing is supposed to cure muffin top.

Now, what the hell is a Yummie Tummie?

Yummie Tummie is a brand of “shapewear” similar to Spanx. It’s designed to suck you in a little and, mainly, smooth everything out. You know, the lumps and rolls and bumps that show up under clingy clothing and make the world forget you used to have a waistline separate from your hips.

Although there are a few different incarnations of the Yummie Tummie, it’s most common form is a tank top that is designed to be worn under your clothing.

Yummie Tummie White Tank Top

(That being said, Bossy managed to wear her black Yummie Tummie as a shirt all weekend long. But that woman is a beautiful freak of nature. So there’s that.)

The two things I was most concerned with were:

Would it work?

and

Could I breathe in it?

Notice I did not say “would it be comfortable?”. I assumed it would not be. Anything designed to suck in your fat is probably going to feel like it is sucking in your fat. But I have scars on my feet from uncomfortably hot shoes, so I am less concerned with comfort than I am with my body’s real and actual need for oxygen.

And yet, it was comfortable.

Really and truly and actually comfortable.

I could more than breathe – I could MOVE. And the only difference between this and a normal tank top I would layer underneath my clothes was that I felt slightly more supported. But in a good way, not a hold on to the bed post while someone tightens your corset way.

In fact, it was so comfortable that I actually slept in my Yummie Tummies on more than one occassion. (Not on purpose, obviously. But on “fuck I am too tired to take off ALL my clothes”.)

But did it work?

I give you, Exhibit A:

Followed immediately by, Exhibit B:

In a word:

Hell. Yes.

I have a belly. A pooch, if you will. A paunch, some may call it.

I wear belts and structured shirts and all kinds of things in a desperate attempt to fake a waistline.

People constantly tell me that I am “little” because I am “short”, but I am also far more lumpy than I would like to be. Especially between my rib cage and my hip bones.

Although this did nothing to shrink my ass, I was impressed by how well it smoothed everything out without causing massive overflow lumps above and below the smoothing panels. I didn’t feel thinner so much as sleeker.

And feeling sleeker is sexy, damn it.

I give the Yummie Tummie two emphatic thumbs up.

Where can you get your own Yummie Tummie?

You can save 30% buying from the Yummie Tummie site directly. Use discount code BLOGHER30 at checkout.

You can buy Yummie Tummie on Amazon – but you won’t get the discount, obviously.

(There are a few other stores that sell Yummie Tummie online, but they seemed to be priced higher than the site itself.)

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Post tags: amazon, clever girls, code, muffin top, sexy, shapewear, tank top, tummies, yummie tummie

My Pretty, Pretty Sorrelli Jewels – and discounts for you.

Miss Britt — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 04:01:21 +0000

If you read my personal blog, you might have noticed yesterday that I talked about some free jewelry I was getting to wear to the BlogHer conference this week.

I didn’t get to pick it out myself, so I’ve been anxiously waiting to see what I was getting and whether or not it would actually match anything I own.

Feast your eyes on these beauties:

Sorrelli Earrings in Peachy Keen

Sorrelli pendant in Peachy Keen

I am so excited that I am getting pieces from the Peachy Keen line. Namely because it will go with damn near everything, and I have spent the last week looking for something brownish to go with the shirt I’m wearing Saturday, to no avail. I’m also thinking I might be wearing this jewelry with a black cocktail dress on Friday night – but I’m not sure. I’ll be bringing back up.

I’ve never worn Sorrelli, because quite frankly – I am too cheap. But I’ve lusted after a friend’s collection from afar. I’m anxious to see it close up so that I can determine if it’s worth all that cash.

In other words – this isn’t a review!

I’ve never worn Sorrelli. I’ve only looked at it on someone else and thought it was very, very pretty. And told her over and over again it was pretty. Until she finally got sick of listening to me and asked someone to please, for the love of God, send that lady a necklace.

Anyway.

If you already know and love Sorrelli jewelry, they are having a Summer Sale right now (until Friday)and offering 15% off of orders of $100. Because you pretty much spend that much at least if you go to their web site.

AND…

You can get an extra 5% off all orders from today until Sunday by using the code BLOGHER5.

(If you spend $100 between now and Friday, you can combine offers and save 20%. Woo hoo!)

Tell them some chic on the Internet sent you.

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Post tags: blogher conference, code, jewelry, jewels, necklace, Sorrelli, sorrelli earrings, Summer Sale

Laptop Backpack Bag – I am in LOVE.

Miss Britt — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:51:39 +0000

A friend of mine recently mentioned that carrying a laptop through an airport is much easier with a laptop backpack, as opposed to a shoulder bag. I’m headed for Chicago next week for the BlogHer conference and had kind of been dreading hauling my laptop around for four days.

The laptop backpack seemed like the perfect solution for my aching shoulders and back.

I jumped on Twitter and asked if anyone had any recommendations for good laptop backpacks. Within seconds, @ShredderFeeder told me about his Swiss Army bag and @Laci_Loo told me about a laptop backpack on sale at Amazon. As luck would have it, it was a SwissGear bag (which I am almost positive is what Swiss Army bag means) that was on sale!

My new SwissGear laptop backpack arrived this week.

I was happy with how it looked. It isn’t cheap or tacky looking, and I can see carrying this around with me.

But the important question was – would it fit my laptop?

I’ve had a really hard time getting my 17″ laptop to fit comfortable into laptop bags. The one I have been using is a very tight fit and it makes airport security lines an extra pain in the butt.

The laptop fit with room to spare!

There is plenty of room in the laptop pocket for the computer and all of the power cords, mouse, mouse pad, etc. etc. etc. accessories you need.

There are also two additional generously sized pockets to hold pretty much everything else I will need or want to haul around with me – whether to and from the airport, or at a conference for 8+ hours.

Best of all, wearing the backpack is extremely comfortable. The shoulder straps are padded, which I’m sure helps. But the fact that the damn thing is just equally distributed across my back and shoulders instead of hanging off my one shoulder makes all the difference in the world.

In fact, carrying the backpack is SO comfortable

- I don’t feel bad asking someone else to carry it for me.

Get the SwissGear Computer Backpack (Red) on Amazon for less than $40.

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Post tags: accessories, airport security, bags, blogher conference, computer backpack, laptop backpack, laptop backpacks, laptop bags, shoulder bag, shoulder straps, swiss army, twitter

Summer Skirts – the perfect length makes all the difference

Miss Britt — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:01:13 +0000

Simple Skirts for Summer

We’ve covered summer dresses and handled the problem of chafing.

Now it’s time for my second favorite summer wardrobe item:

Skirts.

Look, I don’t like to cram my legs into denim if I can help it when it’s hot as hell outside, OK? The next best thing to a one item outfit like a maxi dress is a great skirt. I own tons of skirts. I think every wardrobe should have at least one denim, black and white skirt in it for the greatest versatility.

I prefer an A-line or a full skirt for comfort and camouflage. I’ll wear a pencil skirt if it’s in the right fabric. The one hard and fast rule I have about skirts is that it must be the right length.

Ideally, a skirt should hit right at the knees. No shorter, unless you’ve got Tina Turner legs. I can on occasion where an ankle length skirt, but I have to be careful that it doesn’t make me look frumpy. What I absolutely cannot EVER wear is a skirt that hits at my calves.

As a rule, you don’t want any piece of clothing to stop at the widest parts of your body. For me – and for most women – the widest part of our lower leg is the middle of the calf. A cute skirt that is 2 inches too long makes my legs look short and stubby – which is, to clarify, not hot.

A few inches too long

I love this dress. BUT – it needs to be hemmed. Even in wedges that usually make my legs look fantastic, my legs look a little meatier than they would if this dress was a few inches short. On my body, which is ridiculously short, a skirt with about a 21″ inseam is perfect. I’m 5′2″. Barely.

Of course I can find absolutely no pictorial evidence of this phenomenon now.

Try it out in a dressing room. You’ll see.

Now – let’s find some cute summer skirts, shall we?

Midnight Mariner Skirt – $39.99

Independent Press Skirt in Navy – $49.99

You Are My Sunshine Skirt – $39.99

Crochet Maxi Skirt – $19.99

Belted Button Front Skirt

Batik inspired tie dye skirt

Button Front Denim Skirt

Curved seam denim skirt

Drop waist sash skirt

Smocked Two Tone Skirt

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Affordable Fashion Trend: Statement Necklaces

Miss Britt — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:01:48 +0000

I hate trends that require a total wardrobe overhaul.

As a rule, I tend to avoid any fashion trend that means throwing out the contents of my closet and starting from scratch.

One of my favorite trends right now is the rush towards “statement necklaces”.

What the hell is a statement necklace?

Simply, and redundantly, put – it’s a necklace that makes a statement. In other words, it’s a large necklace that says “Hey! Look at me! I’m the focus of this outfit!”

But we’re not talking hanging expensive jewels around your neck. No, what makes this trend so great – and accessible – is how affordable it is to follow. Think costume jewelry.

Statement jewelry makes your existing wardrobe more versatile. You can take neutral pieces and add color with a necklace – or change the entire feel of an outfit just by swapping out your jewelry.

You can find unique costume jewelry – including great necklaces – anywhere from flea markets to department stores. I’ve actually found that plus sized women’s clothing stores tend to be the best places to find really great stand out necklaces, though I have no idea why. (I suspect it’s because they’ve figured out before the rest of us that drawing attention towards a great neckline is an easy way to detract attention from other parts of our bodies.)

Follow me over the jump for a few examples of statement necklaces that are perfectly in line with today’s top fashion trends…

(Click the links below the pictures for information on where to buy these necklaces!)

Triple Strand Beaded Necklace – $22	Multi Bead Necklace in Pinks and Orange – $26
Beaded Necklace and Earrings – $32	Shell necklace and earrings – $20
Necklace in Blue and Green – $24	Shells in blue and green – $20
Wooden Pendant – $18	Black and White pendant – $18
Beaded Black Necklace – $18	Green Cateye Bead – $12
Cameo necklace – $29.99	Colored Glass necklace – $37.50
Shell Pendant Necklace – $7.99	Beaded Chain Bib Necklace – $15.50

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Post tags: accessories, costume jewelry, fashion trends, jewelry, necklaces, statement necklaces

Little In The Middle Jeans – A Giveaway!

Miss Britt — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:01:23 +0000

Finding a pair of jeans that fits perfectly is a daunting task for many women.

If you’re a woman with a pear or hourglass shaped body, finding a pair of jeans that fits your waist and your hips can seem downright impossible.

I used to consider myself an hourglass. And then my boobs shriveled up, my hips made room for two children and an all you can eat Chinese buffet, and Viola! I’m a pear! And my hips are still significantly wider than my waist.

Because of my own struggle with finding the perfect pair of jeans, I was especially excited to receive an email from my friend Maria about a new line of jeans that caters to my body type.

From her email:

I was looking for jeans and found this brand called Little in the Middle, for hourglass/pear shapes. You know, those of us that have to wear belts to prevent showing ass cleavage or if we want something that actually fits our waist, it flattens our ass and bunches in the back of our thighs? Yeah.

Anyway, I bought some and holy fuck it’s true! I got a size …., and they are everything they claim to be. My new faves. They were $100, but totally worth it.

http://www.littleinthemiddle.com

I don’t even know what your body looks like, it’s probably not even applicable to you, I dunno, but I thought maybe your readers might like it. And I was way impressed. And too lazy to update my own review blog.

Of course I ran right over to check out Little In The Middle jeans for myself. I then hunted down everyone in their PR and marketing department and begged and pleaded with them to let me try a pair for myself this site.

Two days later, a beautiful pair of dark rinsed, mid rise, bootcut jeans arrived in my mailbox. I could see by looking at them that the waist was smaller than the hips and thighs. I was impressed by the quality of the denim – I’m a big believer in sturdy denim for women who don’t want every lump hanging out. I immediately put my new pair of jeans on underneath the dress I was wearing.

Or at least, I attempted to.

I mostly got the jeans pulled up, but there was no way I was getting them buttoned. The size I had requested was too small. I probably should have taken Maria’s advice and gone through the truejeans.com web site to get my atual sized based on my measurements instead of relying on my “no, really, I wore that size just a few months ago!” vanity.

Unfortunately, a larger size would not have addressed the length issue. I’m just shy of 5′2″ and the jeans were much too long. I would have had to hem the jeans to their knees and ruin the bootcut shape in order to make them wearable (even if they had been the right size).

I’m bummed that the jeans don’t fit me. I spoke with one of the (I think) owners of Little In The Middle and discovered that they are RIGHT NOW working on a new line with a 30″ inseam. She also let me know that the dark rinse makes the jeans fit about a half size smaller. Which makes sense! Ha! I knew I was that size just a few months ago!

I’m looking forward to being able to try out the shorter version in a slightly larger size.

In the meantime…

Who wants a free pair of designer jeans?

I was at a loss about what to do with the jeans I’d received that I couldn’t wear. I asked the good people at Little In The Middle if I should send them back or try to find someone (who is thinner and taller than me and therefore a horrible, horrible person) who could wear the jeans and give them away.

They generously offered to let me give a pair of jeans away – in any size and style.

WIN A FREE PAIR OF LITTLE IN THE MIDDLE JEANS!

Would you like to try a pair of Little In The Middle jeans for yourself?

Here are the styles you have to choose from:

The Empowered jean by Little in the Middle is a midrise bootcut. The jeans sit right below the navel. (These are the ones I requested.)

The Confident jean by Little in the Middle is a lowrise bootcut.

The Bold jean by Little in the Middle is a midrise bootcut with no back pockets. The Bold jean features a wide waistband with a double button closure.

Three ways to enter to win a free pair of jeans from Little In The Middle:

Leave a comment on this post with a valid email address telling me which style you’d like to try.
Post a link back to THIS POST on your blog.
Twitter this post, and leave a comment on this post with a link to the twitter update.

More official sounding rules:

Entries must be received by Sunday, June 14th at Midnight Eastern time.
You can enter multiple times, but each entry must have it’s own individual comment (to make the picking easier).
Winner will be contacted by email on Monday, June 15th.
If you win, you’ll have to give me your size and mailing address to send the jeans to.
Winner will be chosen at random using a very fancy randomizing number system.

Good luck!

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Post tags: blog contest, contest, designer jeans, free, giveaways, little in the middle, pair of jeans, pear shapes, perfect pair, twitter

Women’s Raincoats – My Quest For Cute and Practical

Miss Britt — Thu, 28 May 2009 04:01:51 +0000

The rainy season has officially begun here in Florida. I can tell because it has rained every single day for the last week and a half.

All that precipitation has got me scouring the Internet for a new raincoat.

I used to have this super cute cobalt blue raincoat. And no, not when I was six. I was an adult and I prayed for rain so that I would have the chance to wear that beautiful slicker. I have no clue what happened to it, but I am blaming the raincoat’s mysterious disappearance on my husband. Just because.

Whatever happened to that raincoat, the point is that I need a new one.

I want something that is as cute as it is sensible and as flattering as I would expect any article of clothing to be.

Carhartt PVC Coat with Detachable Hood

Meh. While anything from Carhartt is guaranteed to be practical, the shape of this raincoat is also guaranteed to make me look like I’m wearing a box. A big, brown, refrigerator box.

DKNY Ruffle Trim Metallic Trench Coat

This DKNY belted trench coat is much more flattering and the blue metallic color makes it fun and cute, too! Unfortunately, the $220 price tag – while probably worth the craftsmanship – puts the DKNY raincoat out of my price range. Oh, the trials or a fashionista on a budget!

Big Chill Women’s Belted Trench Coat

Now these are more my style. I love that they are longer because I have big hips. The belt is a must because I need to pretend to have a waist. And the red and white are gorgeous. But the best part is the price. These beautiful raincoats are only $19.99 at Overstock!

Now I just need to find a new pair of galoshes…

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Post tags: galoshes, overstock, raincoats, rainy season, trench coat

Summer 2009 Trend: 27 (Maxi) Dresses

Miss Britt — Tue, 26 May 2009 04:01:39 +0000

Purple Maxi Dress

I am a late convert to the maxi dress trend. Maxi dresses were all the rage last summer and spring, but I always assumed that the super long length would be too much for my petite frame.

This year maxi dresses are back and I have fully embraced maxi dresses for the summer. I encourage – no, I implore you – to do the same.

What is a maxi dress?

It has nothing to do with feminine hygiene and everything to do with wearable style.

A maxi dress is basically a really long dress. But we’re not talking floor length formal gowns. A maxi dress is a very casual look that can replace your shorts and t-shirts. You can dress it up or keep it super casual, depending on your accessories (because shoes and jewelry can change an entire outfit), and it becomes appropriate for just about any everyday occasion.

The best thing about a maxi dress is that it flatters a multitude of figures. It is perfect for hiding flaws from the boobs on down. Maxi dresses are also one of the most comfortable trends to come out since someone decide yoga pants were a fashion statement.

They are as comfortable to run around in as sweats without, you know, being sweats.

You can get maxi dresses in any color, solids or prints, in absolutely every size. The biggest thing to watch is the length. Ideally, a maxi dress should hit at your ankle bone.

You can find maxi dresses at every price point. Find a few of my favorites after the jump.