Fashion

SHOPPING

After today, I'll need shop therapy myself

I spent a night last week helping one of my friends figure out what to wear for a job interview. She's in her late 20s, but this is the first time she'd ever had to interview for a "real" job -- you know, the serious kind that includes a 40-hour workweek and benefits.

Blog: Shop girl

SHOPPING

Sites size you up for a perfect fit

Every so often I get inquiries from local ladies who want to hire a personal stylist. Most ask if there's an Alaska version of Stacy London and Clinton Kelly out there to grab them by their out-of-date outfit and shake some sartorial sense into them.

Blog: Shop girl

SHOPPING

Dress options remain for that special evening

Perfect prom dreams are contagious. I bet that even in those of you who publicly malign prom and all the awkward memories you might have, the desire for an enchanted evening still lingers below the surface.

Blog: Shop girl

SHOPPING

Vylna's fulfills prom-dress dreams

The first time I bought a dress at Vylna's Boutique Fashions I was on my way to the junior prom.

Blog: Shop girl

SHOPPING

For jewelry artist, Etsy touts talent in a teacup

Annie Ciszak is one crafty lady -- in so many ways.

Blog: Shop girl

Be bold when you want to highlight your eyes

Pink Chocolates by Clinique. I'll always remember that little silver compact with two pinky-brown eye shadows and a little sponge-tip applicator. It was my first eye shadow, bought around the tender age of 14. I thought I was pretty slick having not just one color but two and even more special to have gotten it at Lamonts rather than the supermarket makeup aisle. To think that little compact started my love for all things cosmetic.

Blog Eye on Beauty

SHOPPING

New trends bloom in spring fashions

This is one of those weeks I didn't get to spend much time roaming the racks. But I saw just enough to offer this roundup of information for your shopping pleasure:

Blog: Shop girl

EYE ON BEAUTY

For spring, put your best face forward with clean, fresh look

I always look forward to the changing seasons as a way to reinvent myself, even slightly. For me, winter brings with it comfortable sweaters, delicious food, fabulous boots and deeper, more dramatic makeup. I look forward to matte skin, plum lips and the cold weather's more decadent looks.

Blog Eye on Beauty

SHOPPING

Think spring; think cute workout clothes

"New clothes always motivate me to work out," one of my friends said as we flipped through racks of bright-pink Lycra and shiny windproof jackets last week.

Blog: Shop girl

SHOPPING

Feel like going shopping? Check out these Web sites

It's Monday, and you probably could have used a longer weekend. Since we can't shop for that, grab your soy latte, Kombucha or whatever it is that you find morning solace in, settle in front of your computer, and stall the workweek by clicking through these style sites.

Blog: Shop girl

SHOPPING

New boutique dresses up the casual

"Jeans are my absolute weakness," Christine Diaz said.

Blog: Shop girl

SHOPPING

Best dressed see la vie en red

Hey Hollywood, way to play the red carpet safe at last night's Academy Awards. Did the writer's strike kill your spirit and your fashion sense?

Blog: Shop girl

SHOPPING

Spring trends to hit boutiques very soon

Still cold? Me too. All that layering starting to make you feel like a mummy? Uh-huh. Tired of the winter wardrobe? I'm right there with you.

Blog: Shop girl

SHOPPING

Runway styles that fit local scene

The distance from the runway to the racks can sometimes feel like a million miles to the everyday shopper.

Blog: Shop girl

SHOPPING

Finally, a boutique for men who like to shop -- or not

If ever there was a mantra for Blu Menswear, one of Anchorage's newest boutiques, it might steal from Kevin Costner's character in "Field of Dreams": If you build it, he will come.

Blog: Shop girl

SHOPPING

Bling, iPod and movies top wish list for Christmas

It's always fun to learn what people want for Christmas. It's like a little secret that let's you know who they are and how they spend their time.

SHOPPING

Wrap up last-minute shopping in 1 hour

Remember "Supermarket Sweep?" It was that ridiculous game show about grocery shopping that consisted of two rounds. The first, in which contestants had to guess the retail price of household items, was a bit boring. But the second round, the timed shopping spree through the grocery store, always gave me an adrenaline rush.

Blog: Shop girl

Need ideas to dazzle your lady?

"Boys don't always know whether to choose the gold bracelet or the diamond necklace, so you end up receiving the complete third season of 'Lost.' "

SHOPPING

Guide to finding the ideal holiday cocktail dress

Shopping for holiday cocktail dresses, I've discovered, is kind of like pondering the chicken-or-the-egg question. What comes first: the outfit or the occasion to wear it?

SHOPPING

Naughty or nice, you can find it all online

I haven't started my holiday shopping yet. Retail was my middle name the weekend after Thanksgiving, of course, but my wallet stayed snapped shut, wrapping paper stayed on the roll and no tape and ribbon was dispensed.

There's green, chic appeal in reincarnation

Green is the new black, right? Flipping through any style magazine -- whether you're checking out fashion trends or redesigning your dining room -- it's hard not to notice the influence of eco-conscious attitudes.