About a month ago,  during a sweater shopping spree, I decided that I am now all about tactile  and ‘soft to the touch’ fabrics. I have always been a cashmere junkie but now it goes even deeper than that. I can no longer take scratchy, stiff or super heavy clothing. The good part of this realization was that it became easier to weed out more items in my closet. If they did not pass the soft and cozy test they were donated to the Community Resource Center and moved onto a better life.

Now, I am sure you are thinking to yourself, soft and cozy does not necessarily jive with fashion forward and you are correct. There are always compromises in the quest for fashion. I still hold fast to my mantra that if you are wearing the right clothes, they should be comfortable enough to sleep in. The right fabric, cut and fit for your body makes all of the difference between comfort and discomfort and looking disheveled or well put together.

As a long time avid fan of microfiber panties, I was very interested when a Adea the clothing manufacturer approached me to try out their new product line. *I have to say, I really like their product line for many reasons.

Back to my initial statement, soft is one of the first attributes I now consider when I add new items to my closet. This manufacturer uses Italian-made stretch microfiber tops that simply feel really great on my body! They feel like a second skin, breathe and are really soft to the touch.

I use the two shirts I own most frequently under other clothes. Unlike other camisoles I have owned in the past, the microfiber of the Adea fabric helps it stay where it should and not roll or ride up thoughout the day.

One of the current challenges with fashion is that necklines tend to be cut very low. As a professional, showing a lot of cleavage is not ideal. Because of this, I frequently advise my clients to wear camisoles under their tops. Most of they typical camisoles prove to be problematical and uncomfortable.

I personally enjoy the cami scoop neck and back because it covers up my bra straps and cleavage at the same time without having to squirm to keep it in place.

The 3/4 sleeve vneck top, hides everything it should (ie cleavage) and flatters in all the right places.  Vneck tops with  3/4 length sleeves are universally flattering. Additionally, the microfiber does not wrinkle so it stays looking crisp and fresh all day long.

Adea shirts are nice enough to wear alone and also perfect for under suitcoats and blouses. All necklines are designed to hide and flatter at the same time with a choice of scoop, crew or vneck.

So, if you enjoy soft fabrics and need a new camisole or two, check out the new Italian line by Adea.

*A quick note ~ I do not recommend any product if it doesn’t provide a solution or benefit for my readers regardless if it was comped, which these were. The products that don’t pass this criteria are simply not reviewed on this website.

My phone rang one day and the lady on the line waged a challenge to me. She had recently found my article online about the little black dress and desperately needed a to find a new one for her formal affairs. She was frequently invited and often  celebrated for her work at black tie affairs and with her physical challenges had nothing to wear. She said that finding a little black dress for her shape and size was impossible! I knew with enough searching, I could find the perfect little black dress for anyone. I have never been foiled yet!

This was her current day wear:

Her challenges were that she was a plus size woman and had back and foot problems which normally prevented her from wearing off the rack clothes. I decided that the best route was to find her separates so that we could acomodate her back and still provide coverage for her arms. The black dress that I found was perfect because it fit her in all of the right places and had see-through sleeves and back so it did not appear overly heavy on her frame.

The fabric was light so she was not uncomfortably hot throughout the evening. I found a silver pashmina to keep her warm and  add a bit of glam to her outfit during the holiday months.

Here is another outfit that we found that day for every day wear:

Once the wider leg on the trousers are hemmed properly, they will help to balance her top half. BTW – the v-neck is good for almost every body!

Situation: This laundry room also served as a craft room. The previous owner had designed a built-in work space with cabinets but there were too many items to fit inside the area until they were better organized.

Challenge: There were multiple crafts projects Read the rest of this entry »