tips

Holiday online shopping tips 2025

 in General Fashion / Shopping  tagged holiday gift guide 2025 / holiday gift ideas / holiday shopping / holidays 2025 / tips by

‘Tis the season for online shopping! There is nothing better than sitting comfortably at home, away from the crowds and crazy drivers, while getting all of the holiday shopping done. Love!

Most retailers offer free shipping, so sitting at home and avoiding crowds is my favorite way to shop! In addition to free shipping and peace, there are other ways to sweeten the deal when it comes to online shopping.

So, without further ado, here are my five top tips for online shopping!

  1. Check for credit card offers. Most credit cards partner with retailers and offer cash back promotions for a limited time. Before shopping online, check your credit card through their website or app, and clip all of the offers from retailers and brands you frequently shop at. You’ll find a variety of offers at online shops, streaming services, and more! The catch is that you have to clip them; just supermarket coupons! Wondering how to keep track? I keep a list next to my laptop so I know which credit card to use at which retailer.
  2. Shop from your cart. It can be easy to overspend when everything is a click away. So, in order to make thoughtful purchases and not impulse buys, I always place items in my cart and then walk away. This way I can think about what I am purchasing and ensure I am making the right decision. This is helpful when gift shopping since it gives you time to make sure you are picking the right gifts for your loved ones.
  3. Think the best deals are on Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Think again. The best deals are the two weeks before Christmas. But, buyer beware. If you are eyeing something popular, it might sell out before the best deal hits. So, if you want to make sure you will get your hands on it, and there is no second choice, then buy it when you see. You can watch the price and always request a price adjustment from the retailer if it’s within the adjustment period. Always check the terms on your receipt.
  4. Make sure you are clicking real links! The links in my website are real, so they are always safe to click. When looking outside my blog, be sure to google the retailer and check your spelling. I recommend using an in browser extension which tells you if a link is safe. I recommend McAfee Safe Browsing. It gives you green check marks for safe websites, so you can rest assured the link is real and safe when you click through Google.
  5. Shop early! If you can, try to buy as much as possible before Thanksgiving. This way you can relax during the holiday season knowing your shopping is done. Unless of course, you are waiting for a specific sale! Then, let’s do this!

Well, there you have it, my five tips to an efficient, money-saving, peaceful holiday shopping experience.

Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for holiday gift guides, style, beauty, and more!

XOXO

Cathy

How to shop your closet for fall 2025

 in General Fashion / Shopping / Trends  tagged fall 2025 / investment dressing / outfit ideas / tips by

Pictured: chocolate brown suede boots /

It’s starting to look a lot like fall in the world of retail, this means it’s time to shop our closets for fall so we don’t end up overspending this autumn season!

Let’s start with the overall vibe of fall 2025. We are still in the investment dressing era. Timeless styles are on top, so pull forward your classics and place them front and center in your closet. Leave the logos and notice-me pieces in storage.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into our closets and bring out what’s hot for fall 2025!

Colors: This fall we are seeing a continuation of Mocha. Chocolate brown is the hottest shade from the mocha family, but any mocha will do. Also, shades of dark red as well as darker greens and olive are hot too. We are also going to see pops of other traditional autumn hues such as mustard and subdue orange or pumpkin.

Handbags: Soft and slouchy is still hot! Pull out all the suede, slouchy, neutral hued, and studded handbags you own and bring them front and center. Also, east/west styles, baguettes styles, outside pockets, anything 2000’s, hobos, belted totes, and satchels are still hot. As long as they don’t have logos or loud branding, bring them front and center!

Jeans: Oh! This is always the question of every season, and yes, rumor has it that skinny jeans are going to make a comeback! So, don’t donate your old skinnies just yet! For fall 2025, we are still seeing wide leg styles, flare’s, bootcut, classic cut, and possibly skinny jeans. Keep all these styles within reach and wear the ones you feel the most comfortable in. You really can’t go wrong in the denim department this fall! Just stay away from torn and overly distressed styles.

Footwear: The kitten heel is still here for fall 2025, but we are starting to see the return of stilettos. So, those ankle breaking heels in the back of your closet can come out of retirement if you dare to wear them! Also, when it comes to boots, look for both western and moto inspiration. Toes are going back to pointed, but round is ok too. Square toes should get stored in your closet for a future season. Classic styles such as Mary Jane’s, loafers and ballet flats are still hot this fall season too.

Outerwear: Classic coats are still important for fall, but when it comes to jackets, pull out your leather, faux leather, suede, faux suede, and motorcycle jackets. There’s a little throwback to the 1990s vibe in the air.

Accessories: Scarves and brooches are back! Decorate your lapel with a brooch. They also look fabulous on simple dresses. When it comes to scarves, adorn your neck, handbag, ponytail, or beltloops with a scarf! Those vintage scarves sitting in the back of your drawer need to come out now. Play with them and find ways to incorporate them now. Small squares are perfect around the neck or ponytail. Larger squares can be draped over the shoulder or worn as a belt over a dress. Oblong scarves make great belts and small twilly scarves can go on your handbag. Looks for fun prints and color combos from your archives.

Sweaters: This fall season, pull out your chunky knits, cardigan sweaters, Chanel inspired sweaters, nautical stripes, and classic V-neck pullovers. Cozy sweaters are hot, and will keep you warm. Love that!

Well, that’s about it! Stay tuned for my full trend report on the hottest from fall 2025 later this month. Enjoy shopping your closet and saving money for all those pumpkin spice candles and latte’s! Love!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

How to shop your closet for fall 2024

 in General Fashion / Shopping / Trends  tagged fall 2024 / investment dressing / outfit ideas / outfits / tips by
sweater trends

wearing: turtleneck sweater / flare jeans (old, love these wide leg jeans) / G belt (old, also love this belt) / caramel handbag (current version here) / hoop earrings / suede boots (old, also love these) /

It is time to start shopping for the fall season! But, before spending money on all those shiny new things at the store, let’s dive into our archives and find items which can have a new life this fall season. Your bank account will thank you.

The fall 2024 season is a continuation of chic dressing. Your logo items can stay stored in the back of your closet for later use. Right now, pull forward solid-colored sweaters, striped sweaters, polo style necklines or “Golf Shirts,” and neutral hues.

When it comes to denim, these pants are our seasonal workhorses. Your skinny jeans can stay stored. The fall 2024 season is about the classic cut and wide leg denim. Flares are OK, but classic and wide leg is where it’s at.

Despite logo’s being a no-no, the Gucci GG belt is making a resurgence. I am not sure why, but hey, let’s pull those back out and rock them! I sold mine, and now I have a few regrets. Haha. That being said, I wouldn’t buy one just yet, if you have it great, if not, continue to rock your logo-less belt.

Handbags are continuing to be anonymous. Keep wearing your timeless bags. In addition, bags from the early 2000’s are making a mini-resurgence once again. If you have them stored in the back of your closet, great, pull them out. If not, I wouldn’t invest in a brand new re-make of a once famous IT bag. If you have always loved a bag from twenty years ago, look for it on the vintage or resale market. I wouldn’t spend top dollar for a re-make. This will be a fleeting trend and these bags will end up in storage again next year.

Wondering which handbag silhouettes are hot for fall 2024? Look for slouchy hobos and totes as well as east/west silhouettes. Love them!

Unknown designers are hot. There have been so many scandals lately with some of the most iconic designer brands, fashionistas everywhere are gravitating towards new, emerging designers and unknown brands. Look for style, quality, and wearable colors. This is the time to invest in quality not someone’s brand name.

Here are some of my favorite anonymous handbags, in case you don’t have one in your closet:

Let’s talk shoes! Western boots are still hot, so pull them back out and rock them with your favorite dresses, skirts, and denim. In addition, the Mary Jane is hot; as well as ballet flats, and flats in general. Ankle breaking heels are not hot. When it comes to sneakers, we are in transition. Look for styles and colors which fit into your wardrobe, there isn’t an IT sneaker right now. So, pull your favorite street sneakers out of your closet and rock them this fall. Do they need a refresher? Check out my post about cleaning white sneakers.

Jewelry is still chic. Again, keep your logo baubles in the jewelry box and wear timeless jewelry. Look for your favorite pieces in your jewelry box and rock them this fall. There is no need to buy jewelry this season unless you have a hole in your wardrobe. I recommend investing in beautiful jewelry from Louis Hill or affordable, fun jewelry from Kendra Scott.

Well, those are the things to pull out of your closet for the upcoming fall season. After you shop your closet, you can make your fall shopping list. I bet you just saved a ton of money shopping your closet! I know I did! Love that!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy shopping!

XOXO
Cathy