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Everyone wants to know about this jacket

April 13th, 2013 1 Comment

Mary Rambin leather jacket

I’ll admit for the price it was quite a find!

It’s BCBG $368 from Saks, although I’m sure they sold it at many department stores. Reader Wilde found it online at Saks if you want it.  A friend of mine mistook it for Rick Owens, and every time I wear it someone always says, “that’s a fabulous piece” like I paid a bundle for it.

In comparison to the other $700+ leather jackets around it on the floor, I liked it the most.  The reason I believe it’s less expensive is because the shell is strips of leather on top of a spandex blend fabric.  I love it because it’s thin and stretchy (great for my big shoulders), not clunky like most leather jackets.  The collar has the ability to stand up a little.

What I love about it is that it goes with EVERYTHING AND raises the game of my preppy outfits to have a cool factor they didn’t before.  I bought a white bomber jacket that does the same thing.  I wear it mostly with my workout clothes to be honest.  You know me, always in my spandex!

For more on the leather jacket trend, click here for my post.

As for the rest of my head to toe:

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“Pink is my signature color.”

April 9th, 2013 1 Comment

Mary Rambin wearing "Whitney" Jouer lipstick

Love me some Steel Magnolias! “He doesn’t know whether to wind his butt or scratch is watch.” It’s been too long since I’ve watched it…

I really thought red was going to be my color for Spring, but “Whitney,” a new color from Jouer, has pulled me over to the dark side (those of you who remember my Julia days can understand why I have an aversion to the shade).

Whitney is actually more hot pink than it looks in this pic.  I tame it with a little mauve lip liner and then pop with my go-to top coat, Revlon “Shine City.”

Whitney Head to Chin

I’ve been wearing Whit for a week and haven’t switched to another color no matter what the outfit. I just keep my makeup palllet neutral. One of the reasons I like the pink over red is the fact that I can wear a little heavier eye liner with it. Red really demands a simply eye so you don’t look like…well, you know.

Now, anything pink catches my eye and I instantly want to buy. Of course shopping in Bergdorfs the other day that wasn’t a possibility, but you can see why I was intrigued.

Pretty pink shoe from Bergdorf GoodmanRenee Caoviall loafers

I have yet to find a loafer that I like and looks good on me. With my long feet, that’s a hard bill to fit! And now that the weather is getting warm, I think I’ve missed the boat until fall.

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Earn real money with your old stuff!

February 27th, 2013 No Comments

Threadflip Mary Rambin

I’m not going to lie, it’s nice to have checks coming in from my resale sites these days.  Clothes, jewelry, and accessories that I NEVER or rarely wear anymore are now making me real money!  The key is to be smart about where you resell your stuff.

My outlets:

TheRealReal.com

  • Consign top designer brand pieces that are like new.  A concierge will come to your house if you have 10 pieces or more to consign or you can ship them in for assessment.
  • You get 60% of selling price. That’s the best I’ve ever seen.
  • For info or to consign, contact Nicole.Fornaro@therealreal.com

Threadflip

  • DIY consignment
  • Post your own picks to their site, describe the item, and name your own price
  • Share your sale across social platforms to promote
  • They provide shipping label already paid for
  • Fee: 20% of sale price
  • Shop my closet here

Local Consignment Stores

  • Take in your stuff and they pull what they want
  • Usually hangs on the racks for 90 days until which time you donate or take back
  • Labels they accept depends on the store.
  • Ones I use: Labels in Atlanta (will take my Zara!), Little Bird in Houston, tons now in Soho NYC I’ve seen

GoldBuyingGirl

  • Sell all of my old gold and silver jewelry instantly for cash
  • Pay the highest price per ounce I’ve seen
  • Have a party and earn 10% of total they buy
  • Email me Mary@MoreThanMary.com for more details and I can help set you up
  • Have earned THOUSANDS without selling a lot of stuff

Other sites I’ve heard of:

Style.ly

  • Consign any label women’s clothes
  • Fees 38.5% of sale
  • $10 for clean out kit

Glyde.com:

  • Consign iAnything or video games
  • Fees: 12% first 100, 8% after that, $1-3 for shipping kit

Amazon.com/sellyourstuff

  • fee 15% sale price plus $2.34 closing fee

Collectables, furniture, designer goods:


 

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Cashmere is out, leather is in this spring.

February 19th, 2013 1 Comment


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(Click the image to make it bigger.)

It’s hard to escape the leather jacket propoganda in stores right now.  I walked into Saks in NYC to find half of the contemporary floor was covered in displays of the latest leather jackets styles.  No matter where you’re shopping, you’ll find anything leather pretty much goes.  You pick what you like and you’re “in” for spring.

  • Style: bomber, femme, or blazer
  • Color: black, gray, creme, and camel are the most versatile (but I say if you find a color you love, go for it!)
  • Fit: fitted, darted, or boxy
  • Sleeves: with or without with sleeves
  • Labels: medium to oversized
  • Extras: belts, buttons, zippers, ruffles

The similarity in all of them being the length. Your leather jacket or blazer should be cropped at the hip.

Being a person who doesn’t like to have something everyone else has, my first thought was, “I could probably find a bomber jacket that no one has at a good thrift store.”  One look that the prices and that’s not a bad idea if you’re on a budget.  Retail prices range from $795 to about $1300 for brands like Joie, Vince, Helmut Lang, etc.

Here are two examples from TOPSHOP (via their tumblr).  I wish I still had the opportunity to dress as trendy as these girls, but alas, I think I’d be thrown out of Buckhead in a crop top.  But you get the idea with the leather pieces.  Either the vest (a bit over-sized for my taste) or the jacket would pair perfectly with any other spring trends.

 

As you saw from my fashion week ensemble, I went with a more femme style: BCBG, black, super fitted, over sized collar, strips of leather making it super stretchy, something I can wear casual or a little more dressed up.  I was SHOCKED when I saw the price was $395; what a steal in comparison to the others.

Now, if you’re NOT the leather jacket type, you can opt for jackets or blazers with leather trim or other pieces made of leather.  My long-time friend Margaret found this awesome leather peplum top at boutique in Houston.  I love how the leather gives the traditional silhouette a little edge!

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Challenging spring trends should prove to be fun

February 6th, 2013 No Comments

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Some trends that have just hit the racks are what I call the four P’s of spring:

1. Prints
2. Peplum
3. Pink
4. Pedestrian

**Click the image to see it bigger.

You’re probably saying to yourself, those are nothing new. That’s true. It’s just how designers have used them this season that makes them interesting.

Instead of just wearing one print, designers are now juxtaposing prints that don’t necessarily match on one piece. Color palettes and even themes are different. In one outfit, you can pretty much wear any two, three, or even four prints (if you’re daring) and get away with it….IF you do so with confidence. Try it out on a small scale first, then go more playful as the season unfolds. It’s a new way of thinking (at least for my generation) so it should be fun!

I’ll give you peplum tops as not being new, but I think they might be for your closet. They’ve been around in RTW collections for 3 seasons now, so if you don’t have one yet, it’s time to jump on board.

Pink is brighter than ever in every style, print, and form. Find something in neon you don’t have already.

I’m calling jersey combinations “pedestrian” because it’s what I consider comfortable daytime wear. Californians have been running around like this for what seems like centuries, but they have a more boho look about them. This look is more fitted and detailed (see the rouching in the skirt) as opposed to shabby chic. In terms of tones, you see in the picture above a combination of cool and warm neutrals; kind of like how we combo silver and gold these days but on a cotton scale. (Nice work Tina!)

If you have any questions on how to wear these, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

(Photo taken at Tootsies flagship store in Houston. To stay up to date on latest trends and designer pieces to hit the floor, follow them on Twitter or Instagram @shoptootsies. It’s a guilty little pleasure of mine:))

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REAL deals on your favorite designers

November 27th, 2012 No Comments

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Moving to Atlanta gave me another opportunity to clean out my closet! I found a load of designer pieces I was ready to part with.  Some were worn in, most looked like new, and a handful had never been worn (ugh).  What should I do with this stuff?  My first move was to give the cashmere and big brand pieces to friends. I like finding my clothes good fashionista homes :) Then I posted a lot of stuff on Threadflip (get invite here and shop my closet here), the new DIY resale site based in San Fran.  Great concept, big brands, reputable fashion bloggers, beautiful execution, and flawless functionality.  My shoes were the hot ticket item on that platform, but the clothes didn’t sell.  My next move was to go to a local consignment store, but the very day I was on my way over I saw an ad for TheRealReal  in Atlantan magazine. I know, the name is a little weird, but their concept is awesome. They claimed high end designer resale of flawless items, 70% of the selling price to the consigner, in-house pick up with their white glove service, and they will do all of the photography and shipping.  SOLD!

Today, Nicole came over and checked out my stuff with a very critical eye.  The biggest thing she was hunting for was not flaws, but brands.  Online shoppers want the label.  I totally get that.  So unfortunatley she didn’t take it all (honestly, I wouldn’t have either), but she did take a good chunk.  The rest I’m now taking over to the resale store and we’ll see what happens.

Check out TheRealReal to shop for yourself and even gifts, seriously.  I can now attest it’s a legit source for quality designer clothes at a steal price.  If you want to consign, contact Nicole directly at nicole.fornaro@therealreal.com (If you do consign with them, tell them I sent you!)

 

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Your one stop shop for awesome suits.

October 2nd, 2012 No Comments

First off, I have comment regarding suits.  I get that a tie pinching your neck is uncomfortable, but the rest of it, which is tailored to fit your body, should feel like wearing pj’s.  However, most of you seem to prefer wearing jeans, even skinny jeans, that grab and chafe and do goodness knows what else.  Here’s what I’m getting at: why do you hate to wear suits so much?!

If you’re one of these guys who hates wearing suits OR feels the weight of the obligation to wear them for work, Suit Supply should get you excited about getting dressed up.

I went to their flagship store in London last year and thought to myself, “these guys need to hop he pond.”  Last summer, they did, opening a store in SoHo, and just recently a store in Georgetown (inside the Four Seasons). As I expected, they can barely keep their signature suits in stock.  This joint isn’t just another Brooks Brothers or Thomas Pink.

 

Here’s why NYC men are flocking in and buying suits by the truckload:

  • Suits and blazers off the rack have serious style.
  • The price is extremely low for the quality of the material and composition.
  • They have a variety of styles from classic to trendy to show-off.
  • Shirts (starting at $99) and accessories look like designer pieces at a fraction of the price.
  • Sales associates are passionate and knowledgeable and will help you create the look you want and can’t put together on your own
  • Custom suits run about $1000 instead of $2000.

For those of you who like to keep it plain and simple, they can accommodate you too.  But you will have to deal with suit that fits instead of it being 3 sizes too big and hanging off your shoulder.  And then there’s that price issue.  These suits will be less expensive than the ones you’re accustomed to buying.  You think you can handle all of that ;)

You don’t have to live in NYC or Washington DC to shop, go browse online!

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Keep the neon on hand for fall

September 18th, 2012 No Comments

If you’re like me, you’re ready to embrace the warm colors and cozy pieces that come along with this change of season.  But you’d be a fool to stack the winter wardrobe in front of the bright colors you’ve been loving all summer.   Instead, pair them together!

Jenni Kayne, a LA designer with a store in the Brentwood Country Mart, is showcasing this perfectly in her store right now, most notably with gray and oatmeal paired with neon yellow.

Looking back to the outfit I wore on Friday night to my friend’s rehearsal dinner, I wish I had a neon pop of color on hand in the form of a clutch or shoes.  I did incorporate turquoise into my eye makeup for a little glow.  During the summer I wore creme and beige monotone outfits often, but the darker shades of gray and heavier fabrics require more color.

My Neutral Head To Toe:

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