Style Spotlight On: Balmain of France for H&M, Look Book

That's right, it's actually here...20 pictures of the most sumptuous, edgy yet graceful French fashion you ever drooled over but were afraid you couldn't afford!

H&M will make the pieces available November 5th...til then here's a little something to tide you over...click the link below to view the collection, or just copy/paste the address into your browser:

http://www.eonline.com/news/706857/balmain-for-h-m-s-look-book-has-arrived-see-every-item-from-th
e-collectionrived-see-every-item-from-the-collection

...and there are some pretty awesome choices for the StyleWise Guy...

That's it for now kids...

Good Night and Good Dress!
XO
Kat

PS...wouldn't I totally rock this dress? I'm thinking gold kitten heels and dangling bejeweled earrings to add contrast and consistency....j'adore? Oui!

A Kat's Kloset In-Store Event: 3-6 PM at Reinvent Boutique, Sat., Oct. 17th!!

Kat's Kloset In-Store Event, at Reinvent Boutique

The Where: 7441 Foothills Blvd., Roseville CA 95747 
The When: Saturday, October 17th, 3 pm to 6 pm



Peep 'Em: www.reinvent-boutique.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reinvent-Clothing-Boutique-Consignment-139225509493791/

Come on in, have a glass of wine, and get all my great pointers on Fall trends, colors and patterns, days before I post my Fall Fashion Report!

....that's right, StyleWise Guys and Fellow Fashionistas....in addition to my presentation, I'll be giving away free consults on the spot--bring in your Style-Stumpers and we'll solve it all together (...is a peplum still in?....what skirt length is right for my body type and lifestyle?....)....GASP! ...And did I forget to mention that Reinvent is having a sale in honor of my appearance, making already low-priced designer wear even more affordable?!!?

Whether you're looking to expand, or just identify your personal style--and you dudes that are looking for that perfect holiday gift for Mom or your lady? Come on in, we'll hook you up! (You won't even have to tell her, just let her think you have amazing taste...you did pick her after all!)

Ok Gang, Saturday it is....we'll see you there!

Your Very Best Friend In Fashion,

Kat XOXO

Good night and good dress! (C'mon, you didn't think I'd forget that, now did you?)

Style Spotlight On: ReInvent Boutique, Roseville CA

Welcome back, StyleWise Guys and Fellow Fashionistas!

Fall is almost upon us! Which means...Kat's Fall Fashion Report! We'll cover what trends are blowing in on the Autumn breeze, plus realistic ways to work Fall trends in now (everyone will think you predicted it.....shhhh, it's totally between us, Kid!)....maybe even a rare peak into the Kloset at the new items I'm stashing and stockpiling for my own wardrobe...

Now, without any further ado, Kat's Kloset is proud to present another Style Spotlight on: 

ReInvent Boutique
The Where: 7441 Foothills Blvd., Roseville CA 95747
Jingle 'Em: 916-774-0344
Peep 'Em: www.reinvent-boutique.com

There's a variety of great, reasonably priced handbags here.....some designer, and those that aren't are in on-trend colors and shapes. Everything was in top notch condition, and the eye catching jewelry displays throughout the store were totally fun to cruise through. There's a section of really fun shoes in the back--I spied quite a few designer names back there too, at make-you-drool price$. 

One question I hear most often (besides 'Whose that girl?'), is how to tell a "good" boutique from a "bad" boutique. Let's break it down then shall we?

Price v. your budget
Demographic (ooh, big word!)
Quality
Selection

ReInvent hits all these key points...

Price v. budget: A lot of the handbags were under or close to $20.00. In jewelry, I noticed most pieces were anywhere from around $8.00 on up....even a few truly stunning statement necklaces that were under $18.00! Dresses I tried on were no more than $18.00 as well, and some of the names I noticed were White House/Black Market, Anne Klein, Nine West, Evan Picone, Calvin Klein....I could go on for quite awhile!

Demographics: ReInvent seems to cater to a wide array of age brackets and body types style-wise....there's a Triple-F section (otherwise known as 'Full-Figured and Fabulous'.....and yes, capital 'F's on that), a large enough section of fun t-shirts to make any teenager giddy, then there's plenty of classy/cool items for those of us older than Britney and younger than Madonna. BOOM.

Quality (items, staff, and store):  The items all looked to be in like-new condition....just at heart-stoppingly low prices. The staff on site are bright, friendly and honest--no one's out to push you to buy things that may not look right. Need a girl opinion? There's one on stand by. The store itself is bright, immaculate, and sweet smelling. 
(Ever walk into a thrift store and it smells like granny's musty old closet from 1965? Proceed into these at your peril--the smell means items have sat for a very long time without moving, allowing the fabrics to pick up then exude the odor.... Now I bet you're thinking 'Why's that so bad Kat?'.......because if that's how they maintain their store, if a used item came in unlaundered, what are the chances it made to the racks for you to then try on? Gag, I know, right? Remember: A meticulous store means a discerning staff.) 

Selection: In order to make my list of go-to stores, not do all of the above have to be in place, but also a wide variety of styles, item-types (accessories, pants, skirts, tops, dresses, jackets....ranging occasion wise from work, play, and nights on the town). ReInvent did not disappoint me. I could've dressed for cocktails with the girls, or for a meeting with one of my clients (and really, at these prices, why the heck not?)...oh, and side note for my fellow chapeau lovers....an awesome range of fun hats!! 

  Be sure to check this place out, because it's AMAZING!! Say 'hi' to the owner Marie for me, tell her Kat sent you (she'd be the petite and bubbly blond behind the counter)...!!

Now stay tuned for more; there's my Fall Fashion Report, and even some more Live, In-Store Events!!
*Gasp!*
We all know what that means: free consults and another fun store to discover.

That's all for now Gang...
Goodnight, and Good Dress!

XO
Kat

Style Spotlight On: Fashion DON'T!

OK, StyleWise Guys and Fellow Fashionistas....grab the popcorn, dim the lights and lock your doors....here comes The.......(wait for it)......*thunder crash* ....Outfit With No Style!!!

*Shriek!! GASP!!!*

...the horror.....oh, the unholy horror...!

Now, here at the kloset, your Hostess tries to speak in affirmatives. I don't like the words "ugly", " fat", "old", and so on. I believe in the concept of infinite potential, provided we have the courage to live up to it. So....in posting my first DON'T, let's be clear on two things.

Thing 1: in doing these, they'll be anonymous. Heads will be cut out of all pics, because the whole point of posting is for educational purposes. I will be critiquing for style, effort, and visual presence....NOT who they are as people (and also because, quite frankly, in most you really won't be able to tell who they are or what they really do because the outfit is such a poor reflection of the individual). Look around, that style disconnect is everywhere! Which brings us to....

Thing 2:learn, then REPRESENT.....most think very little about matching the inside to the outside (which is funny, given how visual of a society we've become). After each one, ask yourself: How well do I represent me? (Example...no one has ever expressed surprise when told I'm a stylist, so if someone saw you walking down the street, could they reasonably guess your job or lifestyle?)...

....and now, I present you...The.......(wait for it)......*thunder crash* ....Outfit With No Style!!! (Sorry, that's the last time I'll do that....maybe....):

I know it's just from the back, but that's quite enough!

...and there it is...

We can already tell the major thing wrong here. Crew socks pulled up to the knee....with Capri pants. Unless you're an NBA player circa 1975, you should not be wearing these socks, this high. Ever!

Then we have the dreaded Mom Jean....note the droopy square it makes of the rear. A dear friend pointed out it made her look like SpongeMom SquareButt...sigh...then the giant puffy running shoe...a sure fire way to make your foot look huge and cartoon-ish.

Tip 1: Really, there's no shame in checking out your own butt.....highly recommend it, I do it all the time....how else do you know if you have pancake cheeks in an outfit or not? Or worse, if you can see panty lines or indents; just think of it as being for decency's sake, not vanity's....
...and this tip for butt checking is meant for the dudes too....(no one wants to see the outline of anything, 'k?).....what's good for the goose is good for the gander...

The bottom hem of the fleece pullover on top is completely the wrong length, also something I see a lot of so...
Tip 2: Hemlines on tops!! Since we as humans come in all shapes and sizes here's brief top-tutorial...for most women, try to have your tops not go past the apex of the curve of your hip.
In the instance of a frame built more in line (there's not much difference between the width of her bust, waist and hips) and for a fuller figure where the bust and hips are fuller than the waist, go for a hem that hits at your natural waistline...think about hitting the spot where you're the narrowest.
For the taller, leaner types with a fuller bust (....we all hate you....just kidding!!...)....go for a hemline that hits just a touch below the natural waist to balance out the lengthy frame and pull the eye from the bust closer to the hip.
...and if you feel like you need more guidance, email me at: katskoolkloset@gmail.com....


Now for the "Guess The Profession" portion of our evaluation:...housekeeper? Dog walker?
...retired doctor?.....Wait....had you going for a second, didn't I? I wondered though...food for thought...
The truth is, we'll never really know ('truth' defined loosely as: that which is actually the case)...because we can't tell from this outfit who this person could really be.

Now for what could work better for her:...the top is just a comfy tee, but note the more appropriate length. I assumed she was cold given the socks and fleece (*cringe*), so a nice comfy jean in a dark, leg lengthening wash having a slight flare and coral cardigan are perfect.
The cardigan nips in slightly at the waist, so we've lost the box-on-a-box configuration she had going. The low flat for running around town, a bright bag and then finished off with a bold necklace.
End result: a stylish, casual look that's comfortable but still polished--and we've now left the square shapes for that green bag (instead of her butt)!



Style re-cap...never wear tights or knee high socks pulled up with a shorter pant! If it's that cold, just put on full length pants.

Check your butt; it's good for everyone...you wouldn't leave the house without checking the front side at least once so...don't neglect the caboose, Silly Goose!

Lastly, when you're in public, remember--WE CAN SEE YOU!....just because you don't want to be seen doesn't mean you won't be seen.  People see you no matter what; control what they see. It's a powerful tool that's easy to wield if you simply choose to pick it up.

Here endeth the lesson, StyleWise Guys and Fellow Fashionistas...

Til next time...
Goodnight and Good Dress!

XO
Kat

Live In-Store Event 7/11/15, at Chic Boutique of Auburn CA!!

Well, as promised, StyleWise Guys and Fellow Fashionistas, another Kat's Kloset Live In-Store Event--featuring your very best friend in fashion, moi!

Swing on by for an in store consult at one of my personal favorite shops (and you know me, I know exactly how and where to snag the real finds)...wink...

Here's the details, hope to see you there...:

Saturday, July 11th @ Chic Boutique, starting 10 am
1269 Grass Valley Highway (Highway 49), Auburn CA 95603
RSVP: 916-412-4602

Good Night and Good Dress!!

XOXO
Kat

Style Spotlight On: Ladies Luncheon - Sutter Creek, CA

Hey now, StyleWise Guys and Fellow Fashionistas!

Since summer is upon us, and our mission (gladly accepted), is to stay fabulous despite the heat, I bring you my own personal foray to Gold Country. I grabbed a couple of girlfriends and headed for the hills--literally, since if you know CA, that's usually where you find the best wine, the quirky/cool shops, and awesome places to have lunch.

Thus, I present you....
Style Spotlight On: Ladies Luncheon - Sutter Creek CA...

The Line Up: As with any good adventure, gathering up some fun girlfriends is pretty much step one (seriously, no one wants to bring Debbie Downer or Tia Tiresout.....if you have those gals in your circle, and to be fair, at some stage we all have one or more of these in our crew, leave them at home! Get your gal pals to come along that are adventurous, and that love a measure of quirk--that type is waaay more fun in an old store full of curiosities)...to that end I present you, from left to right, local small town gal and fellow adventurer Andrea, your best friend in fashion: Moi, and last but not least, aspiring model Marissa.

(Side note, step two should be picking a day it was NOT over 95 degrees.....we forgot that part, but hey, it's okay because it made our stops into the air conditioned wine tasting rooms all the more essential...oh darn...chuckle.)

We gathered together after finding parking along Main Street. After stopping for our photo op in a lovely antique shop where I scored a fantastic vintage cocktail ring...very Mad Men:

The $28.00 I spent on this lovely bauble was well worth it (18 kt gold, so it won't be turning my finger green). This piece I spotted sitting on the bottom of a glass display case...it pays to hunt through every little bit of the antique shops and thrift stores for smashing retro finds like this one.

After a brief stop into a tasting room for what was arguably the best, most delicious chardonnay I'd ever tasted, we were off to a shop with one of my personal favorite items: hats! I've lost count of how many I won now, stored in various hatboxes in the kloset. (Kat's Kool Tip--ever get a new purse or shoes, and find that weird lil' paper packet of silica? Don't throw those away! Take them and drop them into your hat boxes, especially those containing straw hats or hats with silken linings...these babies will absorb any damaging moisture and help keep away musty smells.)

Here we went Kentucky Derby...or perhaps Kate Winslet from Titanic, where they've got her all done up in these grandiose hats:

Then there's one of my personal favorite pass times, rack-surfing:

...and of course, the great thing about small town shopping? Friendly staff make it like having an extra girl in your crew for a store:

Look Alike Alert!! Doesn't she look just like Penny (Kaley Cuoco) from TV's Big Bang Theory?

Besides, who else but a very dear friend could love you enough to tell you wonderful lies like this one?:

We ended our day with a lunch at the local and aptly named Bella Rosa...check them out online at www.bellarosaitaliandining.com. I highly recommend the chicken salad sandwich from the lunch menu. It was delicious, didn't go overboard on the mayo, and the bread was fantastic!! Great atmosphere too....watch the people walk by on Main Street while you nosh...go on, check out the menu, you know after reading all this you're dying to go to Sutter Creek for the afternoon!

Ok, so I guess we're caught up....except....what's this? A live in store style event on July 11th?!

Why yes, indeed...check me out tomorrow, Tuesday July 7th for the big boutique announcement!
I'll be in store for consults coming up this weekend, so don't miss out! (Stop in to check out a cool shop from my A-list, say hey, crack the whip and make me put together an outfit for you....you know, the usual...!)
Check in tomorrow for all the details!

There's also a new weekly feature coming to the Kloset....Kat's Tips, Tricks, To-Do's and Don'ts... just think of these as public service announcements. See, the bad thing about being in public is nobody wants to pop your bubble--after all who wants to be the person to publicly point out to someone they've committed a fashion crime? (Especially if you're not exactly a member of the fashion police yourself.....look down right now at what you're wearing....yeah....burn those yoga pants...). But then there are those things so egregious, so blatantly wrong, that most of us would agree it was just plain not right. We've all seen that person, so in order to glean some sort of public good from these poor lost souls I will profile not only a 'Don't', but a 'To Do' as an alternative course of action--constructive style criticism, basically.

Lastly, there's the 'Tips and Tricks'--big news, since these will encompass a wide range of style related subjects, from garment care/storage, to color analysis and more. Stay tuned kids!

That's all for now, StyleWise Guys and Fellow Fashionistas...Good Night, and Good Dress....

XOXO
Kat

Style Spotlight on: Chic Boutique, Auburn CA

Well hey now, StyleWise Guys and Fellow Fashionistas!
It's OK to say you missed me....go on....OK, now stop it, I'm blushing!

With summer here and the sun a' blazing, it's time to get back in the swing of summer style. I can't think of a better way to do that than with a new store discovery!...

Let's check out Chic Boutique in Auburn (here's the deets):
1269 Grass Valley Highway (Highway 49), Auburn CA 95603
530-889-CHIC
Open Monday thru Saturday, 10am to 5pm
Email 'em: chicboutique2@aol.com

Now that you can find them, let's take a trip through there together...then I can show you what I purchased por moi trousseau....

Here you'll find a lovely selection of shoes...

Blouses, handbags, pants, skirts and dresses...

...and always a fave, jewelry....not just jewelry, but a jewelry WALL!

Of course, it doesn't hurt to have fun and friendly staff on hand:

Now let's check out MY haul....here's this ruched little number, along with an uneven mixed metallic pendant (the Vera Wang shoes and Dolce & Gabbana bag I already had--you know me and my designer stockpiling...chuckle)...the necklace was around $12-14 if I recall correctly, and the dress was $14.75.....total cost to own a room when I walk in: $28.75

The rest of my major scores were the usual great buys one stocks up on out-of-season:...jackets, sweaters, and cardigans in a variety of colors and cuts....all for...a dollar! That's right, ONE dollar.

Alright gang, that's all for now...stay tuned, more great stores are coming up soon!

Goodnight and Good Dress...
XO

Kat

Style Spotlight On: Jenni Lynn Boutique of Cameron Park!

Style Spotlight On: Jenni Lynn Boutique of Cameron Park!
www.jennilynn.biz

****Photography by: Christopher Grimshaw of Lucid Splendor***
Booking: 925-354-1984
www.lucidsplendor.com

Well Happy New Year, StyleWise Guys and Fellow Fashionistas!

It's been a great Holiday hiatus but 2015 is upon us, so let's kick things off right with a Style Spotlight!
(I swear I didn't make that rhyme on purpose....you believe me right?)

--First off Everyone, I'd like you all to welcome my photographer, Christopher Grimshaw of Lucid Splendor (AKA: Master of the Awesome Candid Ambush Shot)

Check out this gem in Cameron Park with the cutest+cost effective stuff!!
This place is AMAZING--run by Mother/Daughter team Debbie and Jenni (yes, that Jenni), there's always something new and exiting on the shelves.
More to my usual point, there's always something exciting on clearance (tres bon example??--the Vincent Camuto clogs I scored on clearance for under $20.00...uh-huh, that's right...Vince, our beloved Boot-King).
Then there's the purple suede knee high boots for $8.00, and a sparkly H&M blazer for under $10.00...
...I could go on, but this isn't about me--it's about Jenni Lynn, their screamin' deals and of course:
MY CLIENTS!!!

Today's featured clients are Andrea and DeeDee....

Andrea is holding a DIVINE pair of Anne Klein pumps (faux alligator of course, because why should a gator die for style?)......

Andrea is a bubbly brunette with a beautiful smile I met several months ago. She loves her current style, but wanted to "mix it up a bit" with some fun colors and a few dresses for work.....so of course I was all too eager to help! (Plus, she's an absolute DOLL--a bigger heart, you will not find!)

Notice how the jacket nips in at the waist?

Here's my moment with Andrea....Gang, I can't tell you how rewarding being a stylist is, because there aren't words......
......but I can show you.....here's the moment I reach for with every client. The moment when they look in the mirror, and see what I do--all that potential, fully realized and shining in their eyes.....:

She says it all with her eyes...and look how stunning she is in this splash of coral on neutral. The simple A-line shape has a slight twist at the bottom of the v-neck; the cap sleeve balances a full bust. Throw on some jewelry, maybe a cardigan and she's off to work!!

DeeDee is a busy working Mom with crystalline blue eyes and a roses-and-cream complexion. DeeDee has been working hard at something we all want: a healthier life. She's recently lost weight and just wanted to play with a new outfit or three to go with her new outlook.....and you guys know I LOVE a woman's outside to match her inner-self!!

Pawing through the racks!!

Trying on shoes to match some really great blouses...as Andrea dishes the deals she sees to a friend in the background!

Let's talk about one of my personal favorite subjects and Achilles heel (ha ha, ok, that one was intentional): SHOES!!
More importantly, the great shoe selection at Jenni Lynn Boutique--seriously.....check this out ladies:

Alrighty you crazy Kids, that's all for now, but don't go anywhere! We have a lot coming up, like a style in the workplace feature...don't miss it, and for sure check out Jenni Lynn Boutique in Cameron Park (they're in the same parking lot as CVS on Palmer).....check them out online at www.jennilynn.biz
The owners here are amazing, the staff are super-friendly and if the deals don't make you squeal--check your pulse!!

Goodnight and Good Dress....

Your very dear Friend in Fashion,
XO
Kat