Rainwear has never been so fashionable and affordable. These savvy options prepare you for whatever mother nature has in store.

I have always had a left brain, right brain war in my life. I was raised to be analytical, but my passion has always been the art of self expression through dressing yourself and your surrounding world. So as I watched my bank account drop when I chose to resign from a fairly prestigious left brain job and branch out into right brain pursuits – I began to question my decision. Eventually it became impossible to focus on Savvy Broad and I went on a creative sabbatical. But to quote Oprah about following your passion, “It lights you up and it lets you know that you are exactly where you’re supposed to be, doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing.”

So savvy broads, let’s get back to the business of self expression of real women, with real lives, bodies and budgets.

As they say, “Everything old is new again”. But they also say, “If you wore a trend the first time, you should probably sit it out the next time around”. Well, the savvy truth is somewhere in between. Completely sitting out current trends ages, but following every trend is not the fountain of youth. The key? Choose a few high quality and restrained versions of flattering current trends and integrate with flattering classics.

As a lover of all things fashion and all things comfortable, I have to admit that I have been intrigued by the Pajama Jean for quite a while. I have fought the urge to purchase a pair, but after Good Morning America aired this story – I had to give in!!! When I went to the Pajama Jean website, I almost lost my nerve. The site screams, “As seen on TV” – which usually means that the item will be part of a garage sale soon. After a quick detour for reviews, where the general consensus is that they are very comfortable and go up a size, I ordered my pair of Pajama Jeans for $39.95. Are they disturbing or genius? I’ll keep you posted.

I love watching the design process, so it’s no surprise that I’m a fan of Bravo’s The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection.  The finale was last night and the winner is Jeffrey Williams.  His fashions evolved over the season from unisex offerings to a beautiful and unique celebration of modern femininity.  I don’t know if we mere humans will be able to wear his fashions, but perhaps his fashions will inspire more attainable versions. Check out Jeffrey and the two other finalists’ finale collections by clicking here:  The Fashion Show.

I am so excited about the draping trend. I don’t know what I love better; the feminine lines, the soft fabric or how it hides those pesky the bulges. For fun, pair with a utilitarian tan leather belt and sandals with a wooden platform – the ying and yang approach. However, the pretty route is never a bad idea. Regardless, accessorize with simple, yet substantial gold or silver jewelry like a plain thick cuff and the ubiquitous hoop earrings.

I have always loved the white shirt with a pull over sweater look, but the last thing curvy girls need is bulk. So, when the SavvyBroad discovered the SkinnyShirt – I had to share the news with you guys!!! So go forth and layer.

As you shop the sale racks, stretch that budget and look for 2011 Spring trends. Due to the recession, many store racks include items that go back a couple of seasons. The Spring trends are bold colors, florals, draping and minimalism in white.

As soon as a child is able to somewhat hold a conversation, he or she is asked what they want to be when they grow up. Early on the choices begin – lawyer or actor, doctor or musician, right brain or left. However the truth is, regardless of our chosen profession, engaging the opposite side of the brain enhances our work product and is the source of potential solutions. The same theory applies to your look and fashion.

If you are a left brain professional, your look must exude a focused confidence. However, adding a great pair of pumps in a chic color, stylish boots, a well-made animal print bag, a tailored leather jacket or statement jewelry stimulates the right side of your brain. If you are a creative right brainer who wants to reinforce the fact that you mean business, do your thing but make sure to “complete” the outfit by including one thing that pulls it all together. This could be a necklace, jacket or color.

Finally, regardless of which side of your brain is most developed, self expression through your dress is fun and empowering.

Let’s face it, we all have a love-hate relationship with leopard.  So chic, so potentially tacky.  I particularly love leopard coats for the holidays.  They look festive, keep you warm and got quite nicely with basic black or jeans. Just throw on gold jewelry and go!!!

I love this clip from the new season of The Fashion Show. Former supermodel Iman is 55 years old and refuses to let anybody pull the fashion wool over her eyes. OK, she is a legendary model who obviously knows fashion, but it is apparent that she also knows herself and what works. I think we all can take a few notes.

For help finding resale shops in your area go to the The Thrift Shopper or Resale Shopping.

For great online resale shopping, check out  My Sister’s Closet or C. Madeleines.  One of my favorites is The Refinery Celebrity Resale Shop in Las Vegas.  Their online shop is currently under construction, but you can find wonderful items on their ebay site.

Sequins is everywhere this season and is being worn day and night. Of course, the Savvy Broad loves a little flair and whimsy, however you do not want to look like you are straight off the set of “The Nanny”. The key is small doses and balancing the shine with more casual items like a silky blouse, leather shoes, tights, boots, thin hoop earrings and chunky jewelry.  Try more muted sequins items in bronze and pewter as opposed to shiny gold and silver.

I do closet consultations and consistently find that most women’s closets are full of great pieces that just need to be styled properly. Styling includes creative accessorizing, figuring out why that great dress doesn’t quite work or creating magic by putting an outfit together in an unexpected way.  Of course I am an advocate of hiring me, the Savvy Broad, to whip your closet into shape, but until then I encourage you to stop shopping and start styling yourself.

The best approach is to pull ALL of your Fall/Winter items including jeans, black skirts and pants, shoes, boots, jewelry and bags. (In other words, everything that does not say Spring, Summer.)  Next try on every item and separate into three categories: “too small”, “love how it makes me look” and “not quite right”. Discard “too small” and gather the “not quite right” items for a trip to the tailor to see what can be done to fix the fit. Now put on the “love how it makes me look” items and create combinations using an assortment of jewelry, sweaters, belts, scarves, boots, tights, etc.  BE FEARLESS AND CREATIVE – if you need help, try looking at magazines and/or pour a glass of wine and pump up the music to get the ideas flowing.  Play with proportions or break up too much color or pattern by using sweaters, belts, scarves or a long necklace to elongate by creating a vertical line.  Add a little edge with an unexpected shoe, tights, boots or a light, short leather jacket.  (Remember, “matchiness” can age your look.)  Finally, statement jewelry and fun items like a leopard bag will wake up any outfit.

One more thing, make a list of “holes” in your wardrobe for strategic shopping and record each outfit by taking a picture with your camera or phone.

Boutique Larrieux is a women’s clothing boutique that specializes in plus size contemporary apparel, located in Milwaukee, WI as well as online at www.boutiquelarrieux.com It was born out of my challenges as a size 22/24 woman with a love, passion (and to be honest, frustration) for fashion. I wanted MORE! I wanted to be able to come into a boutique and have an endless about of designer lines all in MY size. When searching for new designers for my boutique, I focus on finding styles that any fashion forward on-trend woman would want to wear. We carry premium lines like David Meister, Monif C and Igigi. But we haven’t forgotten about our frugalistas! We also carry high-quality, cost conscious lines like eShakti and LucieLu. All available in sizes 12-24!

For any woman that is finding herself in a career that she wants to move on from, here are my three key tips:

1. Explore what makes you happy first. Reading Richard Bolles’ “What Color is Your Parachute?” really helped me to hone in on what my strongest interests are.

2. Do your homework! Want to open a business; don’t think about it without a business plan. Want to go back to school? Get goin’ on researching those prerequisites for your new degree. Whatever it is, you have to do the background work first to make sure you have everything necessary take that step forward.

3. And finally, when you pick what you want to do, do it better, harder, and with more zest than anyone you know! When my customers come to Boutique Larrieux, they know they are going to receive one-on-one attention from someone who lives in their shoes and wants nothing more than for them to be their most chic!

Visit us online: www.boutiquelarrieux.com
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/btqlarrieux
Connect with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/boutiquelarrieux

It’s that time of year – the invites for galas, balls and holiday parties are beginning to trickle in. When dressing for formal events and holiday parties real women are faced with the dilemma – how to look “glamorous” or at least festive when you don’t have the budget or body of a starlet. The key is to don’t look for a “red carpet costume”, you don’t want to look like you’re playing dress up. Keep it real, choose outfits that look great on YOU and don’t need massive amounts of shapewear, if you are uncomfortable and stuffed like a turkey it is impossible to have a great time and look your best.

• Pull out your current cocktail wear and try on/experiment with various looks. Unexpected pairings can be fresh.
• Check out celebrities of a certain age (40s and 50s) or with figure challenges and study how they are styled.
• Update your accessories. The new trend is interesting shoes not necessarily cocktail shoes.
• Make sure you have one great black cocktail dress that works with your proportions.
• Buy one great statement necklace that can be added to a black dress, great silky top, etc.
• Edit, edit, edit.  Looking festive is not the same as decorating yourself like a Christmas tree, a little bling goes a long way.

If you’re like me, as soon as you get your summer wardrobe pulled together, it’s fall and time to start all over. But not so fast! Many of summer’s hottest items are great for fall.

Here’s how to take some of your summer items into fall:
Mix light-weight or light-colored summer clothes with heavier fabrics and materials for fall.
Sprinkle in fall trends like the color green, animal print, structured bags, etc. to look current.
If you wore long, flowy skirts with tank tops in summer, pair the same skirts with a cropped leather jacket and boots for fall.
Layer a leather jacket or sweater over a sundress for fall, then add a dark-colored tote and riding boots.
Camel pants and a crisp white shirt are perfect for the office in the summer, but for fall pair the camel pants with a matching jacket. Camel AND pantsuits are big trends for fall.
If you wore your little black dress with patent shoes and pearls for summer, toughen it up for fall with a black leather jacket and over-the-knee boots.

I’m the Savvy Broad and I am a Bagaholic. It happens all the time, I buy the “perfect” bag and swear that I will not buy another one until the next season. Then, I pick up a magazine or see a great bag on the street and…

That’s why I’m so excited that shoes have become the new statement item and handbag prices have started to drop. Of course, if you want to splurge there are many options. But there are also affordable, stylish bags at every price point.

The Savvy Broad has an admission – I love sparkle. That’s why this season I have been trying to figure out how to wear sequins casually, without looking too old, too young or too “out there”. The video above is a great example of how to do it. Perhaps the key is pairing sequins with tights and the unexpected casual brown accessories. I think I have found my Thanksgiving Day outfit.

In Your 40s

What you’re battling:

Hormonal shifts that prompt fat cells to grow larger and bulge into the skin, causing the dreaded C word – cellulite. On the face it shows up as sagging skin, especially if you have gained and then lost weight. This is also when age spots begin to show their, well, spots.

What you can do:

• Try hydroquinone, it’s an over-the-counter products containing this chemical slow the skin’s pigment-making process, which evens out the tone of your skin and lightens the brown areas you already have. Note: It’s important to have any darkened spots on your skin looked at by a dermatologist to make sure they are not signs of something more serious. You should also know that hydroquinone can cause a darkening or thickening of the skin in some people.
• Sleep more, getting less than 6 hours per night increases your production of the stress hormone cortisol, which contributes to collagen breakdown. Sleep is also the time when your body repairs itself. Avoid caffeine within 6 hours of going to bed, so that your sleep is more restful.
• A treatment to consider:  A new skin treatment called Thermage uses radio waves to tighten skin by stimulating collagen production. The non-invasive procedure performed by a dermatologist can be used for cellulite on the body as well as sagging skin on the face.

In Your 50s

What you’re battling:

Estrogen loss. When women reach their 50s, they have about one-tenth of the estrogen they have had as an adult up to that point. Since estrogen stimulates both collagen and oil production, that dramatic loss shows up as very dry skin. Cracks begin to appear, along with age spots, and fat loss in your face contributes to skin sagging.

What you can do:

• Use just 2 lotions Don’t buy up every product you see on pharmacy shelves. Using too many products or combination creams can actually irritate and redden your skin making matters worse.  You only need a moisturizer with SPF 30 during the day, a mega-moisturizer at night. (It doesn’t have to be expensive, just look for one that contains ceramides, which are natural elements of the skin that hold moisture in.)  Mega-moisturizers increase radiance by temporarily plumping lines and boosting your glow.
• A treatment to consider:  Fillers, which are products a dermatologist injects into facial lines (such as the ones that show how much you’ve smiled your whole life), along the jaw line, and also in the cheeks to do the job of collagen and support the skin, minimizing the look of wrinkles. These non-surgical treatments can last 6 to 12 months.

Excellent checklist and examples of fresh ways to wear these basics.

Finding wearable versions of hot trends can be daunting for real women with real bodies. Thankfully, Talbots who has addressed wearability since 1947 is finally addressing trends. The two looks featured is just a sampling of their Fall 2010 line which includes trend worthy denims, leather pencil skirts and sexy little black dresses. The best part? They are all cut for real bodies and offered in a wide range of sizes.

For more fashions go to:  Talbots.com

SavvyBroad.com usually brings you practical fashion tips for real women. However, this video presentation of the possible future in clothing is quite fascinating. One question: How would one hide figure flaws?