dressing up in a down economy...

i thought i would post an excerpt from my monthly newsletter last year...still applies... =)

let's face it - no one is interested in making unnecessary purchases in our current economy...the key word here is "unnecessary", because we all know that we will be making some fashion purchases...we just want to make smart purchases...

this is one of the reasons i enjoy holding trunk shows for the jana kos collection...it works well in this economy...women who have shopped the collection for years have told me the items they purchased from jana kos (previously "juliana collezione") years ago are still "go-to" items in their wardrobes...

(side note: summer show to be held may 5 - 17 in san francisco bay area)

a number of articles have been written recently about this very subject...one of my favorite magazines, MORE (a favorite of women over 40), recently noted:

"For women over 40, appearance is far from inconsequential. A 20-year old will look great and job-worthy wearing a paper bag; for us, it's not that simple. ....Push your boundaries a bit and buy something challenging and fabulous this year; switch quantity for quality - and wear what you buy to death."

whether you're concerned about being "job-worthy" or not...looking fabulous in your own personal style will do wonders for the spirit, yours and those around you...

Anna Wintour, editor of VOGUE for more than 20 years, was recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal. "What's going to work is something their customer doesn't have in her closet and that has a real intrinsic sense of value. ...I do feel an emphasis on quality and longevity and things that really last. I think what she buys is going to give her more pleasure because it's going to last longer, mean more."

And in HARPER'S BAZAAR: "...sleek and chic covetable pieces that strike a balance between simple and simply fabulous. People are thinking more about how they're spending their money, but that doesn't change their appreciation of quality, beauty, and pleasure."


you don't have to spend a fortune to look fabulous, but looking fabulous is valuable currency in your self-confidence bank, regardless of outer circumstances...