bettercloset.com

Is your closet hungry for great clothes? When you open your closet, is your wardrobe weak? It might be hungry for great pieces that really make you look great! Here are some signs of a hungry closet:

1) You don’t have enough basic pieces. Trendy pieces are empty calories – they may feel good now, but they don’t help you much in the long term. Too many trendy pieces and not enough classic pieces mean you can’t mix and match effectively to put together great looks.

2) You don’t have enough clothes. If you don’t have enough individual pieces to put together great outfits, your closet will go hungry.

3) You don’t have enough matching pieces. The easiest way to get matching pieces is to buy lots of basics in classic colors – true red, navy blue, black, white, khaki and charcoal look great with most skin tones and mix and match together.

4) You haven’t tried checking out your closet. An ignored closet is an unhappy closet. Dig through your clothes at least once a season and prune.

5) Your closet is filled with items you don’t wear. If there are clothes in your closet that you don’t wear, those items are just taking up valuable space. Get rid of those items and make room for cute summer dresses, a little black dress, and other pieces that will actually look good.

Looking to expand your summer dress wardrobe? Now is the perfect time – many formal looks from spring are at discount and now that autumn is coming, many retailers are offering great sales on their summer dresses to make room for back-to-school fashions. Here’s what to look for as you start shopping:

1) Formal dresses in solid, metallic colors. Red carpets lately have been filled with classy formal dresses that are high on shimmer. Many celebrities are wearing blush and soft colors in metallic fabrics, although a few are opting for bolder hot pink colors that flatter darker skin tones.

2) Ethnic print summer dresses. Bold, multi-colored prints that look as though they hail from exotic locales are all the rage this summer. These dresses also look great with the hippie slouch bags that are hot this summer.

3) Printed swing dresses. Casual summer dresses in bright patterns featuring swing or a-line skirts are trendy right now and perfect for staying cool on hot days.

4) The little black dress – with a twist. Fashion-forward celebrities are embracing little black dresses that feature either cut out shapes or sheer skirts that show off toned legs. These dresses are lighter and more fun than the more formal little black dress, and are perfect for fun summer events.

5) Red one-shoulder dresses. These are popping up at award events everywhere. They really make summer evenings red-hot.

Hello Gorgeous!

In honor of BetterCloset.com’s first birthday (we turned one on September 1) we are offering FREE shipping on ANY purchase from now through October 31, 2009! We would like to thank all of our Better Clients for your business this year.  We hope to continue to serve you in the future fulfilling your every dress desire!

From Cairo to Chicago and Sao Paulo to Seattle we have had a blast working with all of you picking the perfect prom dresses, selecting the most elegant evening gowns and finding the better Little Black Dress to steal the show at any cocktail party.  Thanks again for a great year!

To obtain free standard shipping use the code BCFree09 at checkout.  As always, happy shopping!

Xo,

BetterCloset.com

Attention all Summer Brides! Shopping for the perfect dress for your wedding can be a challenging process.  With the caterers, the guest list, invitations and the cake, taking time to find your dream wedding dress can be difficult.  To help you keep your cool while planning this most special day in the hottest of seasons, we have a few tips to share for finding the best summer wedding dress.
1. Consider a wedding dress with lightweight fabric if your ceremony will take place during the day. Every moment will be captured on camera and though Mother Nature may have different plans, melting in your dress is not an option.  We suggest dresses made of chiffon, organza, georgette, voile, cotton eyelet, and cotton organdy. 
2.  For evening ceremonies, the air will be cooler and you can afford a wedding dress with more layers; such as a ball gown or princess style. Keep in mind, hot summer nights are a given in the later months of summer, so don’t dress in too heavy fabrics.
3. If your ceremony takes place on a beach, consider the length of the dress.  You don’t want a sandy train or dirty skirt; consider a cocktail length wedding dress.  The more casual styling is appropriate for the beach setting.
4. The latest trend in destination tropic setting weddings is to wear a white wedding sarong as your wedding dress.  Imagine a flower pinned in your hair with your feet in the sand; this is the epitome of wedding-beach-chic.

High School Competition:  WIN A PROM DRESS

Instructions:  Write a one page essay describing your interpretation of `true beauty.’ Email the essay to stylist@bettercloset.com.  The deadline is April 15. Include on the one page, your name, email address, the name of your high school, the date of your prom and the essay.

Grand Prize: Any “Prom Dress” style worth up to $300. The winning essay will be featured on the internationally recognized BC Style Source, bettercloset.com/blog.

Additional Prizes: Every student from the school with the winning essay will receive a $25 gift card from Better Closet to use towards any prom dress purchase.  Additionally, all participants will receive free ground shipping on their prom dress purchase; a $20 value.

Selection Process: As essays are submitted they will be ranked and a winner will be contacted by email by midnight, 12:00AM EST, April 17.

* FAQ

Q: What “classifies” as a prom dress purchase?
A: Any dress that is recognized in the Shop More Styles tab, under any of the categories; designer prom dresses, prom dresses, plus size evening dresses, and short prom dresses is a “prom dress” and the discount and promotion applies.

Q:  Who can participate?
A: Any high school student may participate.

Q: Must the essay be submitted through email?
A: Yes, the only way to submit the essay is by emailing it to stylist@bettercloset.com

Q: What if the prom dress I want is more than $300?
A:  If the prom dress you want is more than $300, you will be responsible to make up the difference in price.

Q: Can I check the status of my essay?
A: No, the winner will be notified by April 17, 12:00am EST.

Q: If I submit an essay, how long before I receive my free shipping on a prom dress style?
A: Within 1 business day of submitting your essay you will receive a promotion code for free ground shipping on any prom dress purchase.

Q: If the winning essay is selected from my high school, how long will it be before I receive my $20 gift card for a prom dress purchase?
A:  You will receive the $20 gift card towards any prom dress purchase by April 18 12:00AM EST. *Remember to note your high school on the essay so we know to send you the discount.

Q:  How many entries can I submit?
A: Essays are limited to one entry per person. If someone is found to have submitted more than one entry, that person will be excluded from the contest.

*The school noted on your essay may be contacted to confirm your enrollment.

If you live in Los Angeles or New York, you have a wealth of store options and prom dresses to choose from. Whether you want to buy Jovani prom dresses, Morrell Maxie prom dresses, Alberto Makali prom dresses, or other designer prom dresses, you have a wealth of options. If you live in a very small town, however, you may feel that you have fewer stores and fewer dresses to choose from. Luckily, it only seems that way. You can still get your dream designer prom dress if you:

• Look at all the stores in your area. Avoid just the obvious stores and speak with wedding dress shops, consignment stores and other shops where you might not necessarily shop regularly. Better yet, if you are looking for a specific Terani prom dress or Janique prom dress, contact the designer to find out where the closest authorized dealer is. It might be closer than you think.
• Look for prom and wedding shows. If you are located far from major cities, prom shows and wedding shows are your best friend, because these shows are hoe designers get their dresses outside just the big cities. Contact your favorite designer to find out what shows they will be participating in or keep an eye on your local newspaper to find out about upcoming shows.
• Shop online. Online stores deliver anywhere, have great prices, and boast an amazing selection. Shopping online is the closest thing to buying from a huge prom retailer. Just make sure that you give yourself extra time for delivery.
• Consider taking a day trip. If you live close enough, consider taking a special trip to a larger city to buy your prom dress.
• Speak with independent stores in your area. Small boutique stores in your town may be able to get in a special designer dress for you for a small cost. It doesn’t hurt to ask about that Jovani prom dress or Cassandra Stone prom dress you’ve been crazy about.

Online shopping has become very popular with prom dress buyers. Online retailers are not only able to offer excellent prices, but also are able to offer an outstanding selection. Even if you live in a smaller city where many prom designer dresses are not available, you can satisfy your craving for Jovani prom dresses, Terani prom dresses, ABS prom dresses and other designer gowns by shopping online. Over the past few years, security measures and customer service online has really improved as well, so buying online is often quite hassle-free.

That said, though, not all online sites selling prom dresses are the same. When selecting an online retailer to trust with your online purchase, look for:

• A store that knows prom. A larger selection of formal dresses and prom dresses means that the retailer gets more of their money from prom dresses and therefore is more focused on making sure that this aspect of the business is well-taken care of. A retailer who specializes in prom and formal dresses may also have a better selection.
• A store that is an authorized dealer for the prom dress designer you are most interested in. If you want a Cassandra Stone prom dress, for example, you may wish to contact the Cassandra Stone company directly or check the website to see which retailers are authorized dealers. It is always safer to buy from authorized dealers since these sellers are approved by the designer and are less likely to be selling fakes.
• A store that offers good customer service. If you have questions or concerns, it should be easy for you to find a retailer’s contact information. Whether you contact the retailer by phone or email, you should be able to get a prompt, knowledgeable reply in a reasonable time frame. If you do not, keep looking, since you will likely have similar problems with communication if you need to make an exchange or return.
• A store that offers genuine designer prom dresses. There should be a guarantee that the dresses you are buying are genuine prom designer dresses and not knock-offs.
• Reasonable shipping and handling costs. Although many online prom dresses are very inexpensive, you do need to factor in shopping an handling charges with your order, as this can increase costs. Look for retailers that keep these costs to a minimum. Also, look for hidden costs on plus-size prom dresses and on special order dresses. Make sure that the total cost adds up before you buy.
• A reasonable return policy. If you need to exchange or return a dress, make sure that you can do so without huge costs or terrible hassle. Read the return policy for any store very carefully.
• A secure website. Make sure that the website you use is encrypted and secure. You will be entering your credit card information and personal information, so you want to make sure that your information will stay safe. Read the site’s privacy policy to ensure that you won’t get spam and that your personal information will not be shared with anyone.

Why are ABS prom dresses sometimes less expensive than Alberto Makali prom dresses and why are both more expensive than the dresses you see in the mall?

Understanding how dresses are priced can help you land a bargain when you go prom dress shopping. Designers such as Jovani, Terani, Cassandra Stone, Morrell Maxie, ABS,
Alberto Makali, Janique and others put a great deal of thought into pricing their prom dresses. Some of the pricing is fairly obvious. Dresses made from expensive materials (such as some types of silk, for example) will cost more than dresses made from less expensive materials. Dresses that are stitched by hand or have special details that require extra work will cost more than factory-made dresses that can be made quickly. Also, dresses that are mass-manufactured (made in huge amounts) are less expensive than dresses which are more limited in supply. This is because it is less expensive per dress to make many, many dresses than to make a small batch of dresses.

Beyond these basics, however, manufacturer’s set prices and retailer mark-ups affect the price you pay for your prom gown. Manufacturers set up minimum pricing levels for stores and retailers. This price often ensures that a designer’s dresses won’t be valued as less because they are being sold too inexpensively. After all, if a designer dress was sold for $10 at several stores, it would not be a designer dress. Retailers and online stores cannot sell dresses for less than the minimum retail price. If a retailer does sell for less than this amount, a designer will often refuse to ship the dresses to that retailer.

What this means is that if you are shopping online, you will see that many websites have the same prices on designer dresses. These prices are lower than the prices you see in stores but generally all websites offering good deals will have similar prices. This is due to the manufacturer’s set prices. If you see a designer prom dress sold at well below this price, be wary. The retailer may not be able to honor your order (because the manufacturer refuses to ship the dress to a retailer violating the manufacturer’s set prices) or the dress may be a knock-off.

Dresses are generally very flattering for a woman’s body, but in order to get the most impact, you need to dress for your body type. A long ball gown may look fabulous on a tall, willowy model, but that does not mean it will look great on you. Here are some tips for choosing dresses that look right on your frame:

• If you’re petite, you are under 5′3″ and have a slim, small-boned frame. Huge, billowy dresses will be too overwhelming for your figure. Your best bets are dresses with vertical lines and v-necks. These make you look taller. Wrap dresses can look really good.
• If you are over 5’8” you are tall and look bets with bias-cut that feature straight skirts. These dresses play up your figure and make you look glamorous. Long boots and long lines make you look wonderful. Look for dresses that end just around the knee, since very long or very short dresses will make you look towering.
• If your hips, stomach, thighs and lower body are larger and your shoulders and bust line are smaller, you are pear-shaped. When choosing dresses, look for styles that will fill out the top and restore balance to your body. Scoop necks and boat necks on dresses are flattering styles for you. Look for dresses that are a-line to disguise the hips and lower body.
• If you have a boxy, slender, boy-like shape, you can add some curves by looking for dresses with cinched waists and some shape. Stay away from clingy fabrics and severe styles. Dresses with soft, feminine details are also a good option.
• If you have an hour-glass shape, you have a small waist and a well-proportioned and balanced upper and lower body. Your body shape does not need any correcting, but you might want to play up your great shaped with dresses that hug your curves and your small waist.

Trunk sales or trunk shows are sales where designers (including top designers) bring their whole collections to a sale. The sales are known as “trunk sales” because designers often show up with whole trunks of clothing. For years, these sales have been the events where women could buy amazing designer clothes for next to nothing. Now, many top designers are having wedding dress trunk shows as well and the deals are just as incredible. If you want a stunning designer dress but don’t want to spend tens of thousands, a trunk sale may be the place to buy your dress for next to nothing.

Best of all, the wedding dresses brought to trunk sales are often items that have not yet even been made available to boutiques. While many trunk sales are a little chaotic – no dressing rooms and no personnel, just tons of people hoping to get deals, wedding dress trunk sales tend to be a little more civilized. Some even feature personal consultations with fashion experts. Some are still the traditional push-and-shove shopping experiences.

Before heading to a trunk show to buy your perfect wedding dress, spend some time browsing websites and magazines to get a sense of the styles you love. Decisions tend to be made quickly at trunk sales as people snap up the best fashions, so you need to be prepared.

You will need to spend some time researching trunk sales and trunk shows, since these events tend not to be advertised. Many take place between January and March and most are word-of-mouth, so your best bet is to visit blogs, social networking sites and to contact designers directly to ask about upcoming sales and shows.

Some trunk shows require appointments or reservations. If this is the case for a show or sale that interests you, do not delay. Book your spot at once. When you actually show up, wear something snug that you can easily slip a dress over. The deep-discount trunk sales, especially, will likely not have dressing rooms. Always bring cash as well and come ready to buy – these are generally not dresses you can put aside and think about. If you find a dress you love you have to be ready to buy.