Being a modest dresser who wants dresses at least to the knee, if I believed this image to be true to size, I wouldn't have clicked further.  It's far too short. 
But I did click in for details. Observe.

Check out the knees! 
I clipped a smidgeon of the white below the actual image to show you how much of her legs were shown.

A tremendous difference from the original teaser image.  The shoulder-to-hem measurement is actually 41 inches! Much longer than the, oh, 30" shown in the teaser shot.  I also confirmed the measurements with customer service.  For me, I would actually have this dressed hemmed up about 3 to 4 inches, depending on how it hangs, to the middle or top of my knee.

Just a reminder to the wise.  When you're shopping online, ALWAYS check the actual measurements.  I couldn't begin to tell you why they would shorten the polka dot dress so much.  Probably the sexy factor, even though the longer length is more appealing to a much wider clientele.

Carmen also asked if I thought it would look good on a short-waisted body type.  I myself am pretty short-waisted, and I have read in various style books that skirts like this won't flatter us but I think they're wrong. I feel it depends more on the thickness of your waist rather than it's height in relation to the ribs.  Pairing a circle skirt with a similarly colored top will keep the line long, as opposed to cutting you in half.
Hope that helps! Thanks for the great question, Carmen!

I have adored the retro silhouette of a circle skirt for as long as I can remember. But it wasn't until I lost some serious girth that I could pull it off.  Above, I'm showing it with my red patent leather Brian Atwood peep toes that were my -20 pound reward.

I wanted a winter weight skirt, since it was turning into chilly fall when I made the skirt. I chose a wool-blend houndstooth and it is SERIOUSLY hefty.  It was easy to sew though, because it's not a dense weave, just heavy material, if that makes sense.

As you can see below, the material is reversible, so I used the white "teeth" for the waistband and the black "teeth" for the body of the skirt.

It's perfect with my black dress boots.

It spins and swishes so lover-ly!
All these photos were taken without the petticoat underneath, because it wasn't complete.

If you want to make your own, you can follow the tutorial I linked to above.  I used several techniques I never had before; a lapped zipper, (my first zipper at all!), an overlapping waistband, and horsehair braid to shape the hem.
I already have material for several more spring/summer skirts. I foresee that lighter material being loads easier to work with but this was still totally worth it.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  We have some wonderful friends coming in to town to celebrate with us.  They used to live across the street and we miss them major.  It'll be a great day and I hope you have similarly wonderful plans.

Last year I wrote this about what I was planning on wearing and loved the wrap sweater and silky pants I chose. This year, I've chosen skinny black jeans, black riding boots, and a bright silky top (pictured below). Since we're hosting, I'll be super comfortable on my feet all day and I love the toughness of the boots mixed with the ruffles of the top. Plus, the sleeves are elbow length so they'll stay out of my way while cooking.

One of the reasons I chose the jeans is outlined in this newsletter- Holiday Help Part 1.
I wrote it for the clients we have the pleasure of health coaching and thought I would share it with you since tips for not gaining weight during the holidays are usually welcome by everyone. There's an incredibly inspiring before/after shot included.

This has been a wonderful year with so many things to be grateful for...
...my amazing husband and three angel daughters who are my whole light and life.
...a happy and healthy year. 
...our happy home full of everything we need and so much of what we want, even though it's a little more crowded than last year (toys breed at night!)
...for our incredible trip to Seoul and wonderful parents and sister who kept my girls happy and safe.
...for the joy we find in the "regular old daily life."
...for the land of the free and home of the brave, even with our current struggles.
...for our Heavenly Father and his Son who sacrificed everything for us.

_For you, I wish a gratitude-filled day tomorrow.
May your gravy be smooth and your potatoes not lumpy.
May everything look as good as it tastes, and may you enjoy in moderation.
Over-stuffed tummies are not stylish.
May you be the perfect cool-under-pressure hostess or the guest everyone wants to invite again next year.
- Happy Thanksgiving -

Now that I'm back in the saddle I have more fabulous Seoul pictures and tidbits for you, as well as the pictures from the circle skirt sew along I mentioned before I left. (It turned out so great!)  The next part in our Defrumping Your Man series that I didn't get finished before I left and other holiday-related info. Hope you had a great Halloween!

I'm nearly finished with my gorgeous Circle Skirt... and I'm a little obsessed with it so that's where my little bitsies of free time are going right now. 
I love the ultra feminine silhouette of a circle skirt and I've always wanted to learn how to make one.  The fabulous Casey of Elegant Musings is doing a sew along and it has been so much fun. Click the button above to link to the whole series and her awesome vintage sewing/style blog.

My fabric is an awesome blown-out black and white houndstooth with a hint of silver sparkle in it.  It'll be awesome for fall/winter.  And I'm already planning another one in a spring/summer weight fabric.  (This houndstooth is pretty heavy!)
I'll post the pictures as soon as I'm done.  Working on Part 2 of Fighting the Man Frump that'll be up this week as well!

I was contacted by Kosher Casual, an Israeli based company that makes, "Modest Clothing for the Modern Lifestyle." The company was started by an American who moved to Israel. And they have some cool stuff. They asked me to pick anything I liked (Refreshing!) and to please post a review of it.  I accepted because they have a good range of items, some unique things I've never seen before, and I'd get to introduce you to a company you've probably never heard of.

I was initially drawn to these.  Sleevies.
Think leg-warmers for your arms but in a thin stretchy material. They're 3/4 length (my favorite sleeve length) and you just slide them up under your shirts for an instant double-layered t-shirt look. (or to hide the underarm waddle many of us like to camouflage!)

They come in a ton of colors, both women and girl sizes, and are only $12.00!

There is also a Bolero-style version, where both sleeves are connected. I need to try both of them because my initial thoughts are that the bolero obviously won't slip down, where the individual Sleevies might.  But I like the easy on/off factor of the individual Sleevies, especially in the fluctuating fall & spring temps.

I'll have to give them both a try.  The bolero-style is only $16.00.

But it was summer when I had to choose, and I had shrunk out of all of my denim skirts so I was MOST excited to give their denim pencil skirts a try.  They claimed to be comfortable without a walking slit.  If you saw this post on making skirt slits modest, then you know it can be difficult for modest dressers when a pencil skirt slit comes too high up the thigh.  A-line skirts usually solve this but I like the look of a straighter denim pencil skirt better.

They were backordered for a little while but when it arrived, I was instantly pleased.  The above pic was right out of the package. A nice straight skirt! Good blue color, no "look-at-my-butt" bling all over the back pockets. And it's a nice lightweight denim with great stretch.  I like a lightweight denim pencil skirt because I don't want to feel like the Michelin man when I put on thick tights in the fall/winter. I chose the Dark Navy Denim. It also comes in Stonewash Blue and Stonewash Black. Here is me in it...

There's a hidden bonus with this skirt - an adjustable waistband! Just like you find in kids clothes.  But it's so discreet you can't even tell.  Since waist-to-hip sizes vary, this is a great addition. You'll be able to cinch it in as needed to prevent the waistband from gapping. The skirt is 24" long, so I can raise it higher on my waist (cinch in that waistband a bit) and it's knee length or let out the waistband a bit and wear it lower on my hips and longer.

Forgive the crazy contortions in the pictures.  I kept trying to show you that I can take a nice big step and the skirt doesn't restrict at all.  (Plus, you get to see the wicked cool back of my boots!) They didn't exaggerate that the skirt allows total freedom of movement without requiring a slit. I can walk, run after my girls, bend, sit, etc. It's totally comfy. My only tiny issue with the skirt that the waistline seam is not finished as nicely as the hemline seam. The waistband is an exposed serged edge where the hemline is turned under nicely.  Maybe the adjustable feature prevents that.  Don't know. Certainly not a deal breaker at only $29!!  That's right, $29 for a great denim pencil skirt that should last a good long while.

Now, I am very late getting this post live.  With visiting family, weddings and other things going on at the end of the summer, my August flew right out of my hands.  I requested and received a discount code for you all.  Since I'm late with this post, I've asked them to update the code so you can use it now.  If you'd like to get one of these skirts, or any other Kosher Casual item, just enter NOFRUMP3 to receive 10% off.

Thanks Kosher Casual for the great skirt and the opportunity to review it!

A: Dear Doc - You're so right. We fashionistas do tend to address the clothing concerns of our sisters, letting out brothers languish in the land of blah.  But no more! I hereby pledge to consistently add content to the Dress Your Man section of this site. May it be a beacon to guide you through stormy style seas.

Now, a while back I emailed Doc a LONG list of questions so that I could better answer this question but I haven't heard back from him yet.  Hey Doc! Check your junk mail!! I just resent that email today.
In the meantime, I'll start this series with some basics, move on to specifics, and address Doc's individual points once they arrive. This is going to be so fun!

Let's set a ground rule first.

“Dress for the position you want” still holds true.  For Doc, the respect of his position as a doctor demands a proper wardrobe.  (I know of what I speak. My father is an eye surgeon and I’ve been in the medical world my whole life.)  No doctor should ever wear jeans to the office. Period. If your daily uniform doesn’t consist of scrubs then it better be slacks. Well-tailored trousers are a must.  The same holds true for any and all other office men.  Unless you have a required uniform, save the jeans for Hawaiian-shirt day. No, I don’t care if your boss wears jeans and t-shirts every day. Set a better example. You don’t have to wear a 3-piece suit, but elevate your look and hope that others follow.  It’s a proven fact that people who dress better perform better.

Now that we've established the bottom line, let's take one step up and cover 5 wardrobe basics.

1.  Do you know the difference between a blazer and a sport coat?  A blazer will come almost exclusively in navy, camel or black, often with brass buttons. Goes with everything from jeans to khakis to trousers. Sport coats are more boldly patterned or textured, think tweed, herringbone or plaid. Also goes with jeans, khakis & trousers. Pair either with jeans to elevate date-night options. Pair a sport coat with suit-like trousers to take a step down from a full suit. Start with a navy blazer and tan pants to be appropriate for almost anything.

2. Do you know which shirt collar looks best on you? A regular straight-point collar is the most universally flattering. If your face is larger or fuller, stay away from button-down collars, which can make your face look bigger.
If you have a round or oval face, a longer-point collar will be flattering.
Long and narrow-faced men will get a nice balance from a spread or Windsor collar.

3. Do you know whether flat-front or pleated pants look better on you? Unless you are a truly “full-bodied” man, flat front is the way to go.  It’s slimming and looks more current. Pleats add bulk in the front, which adds visual pounds.Now, if you do have some serious extra pounds, then pleats can be more forgiving and give you extra room to sit down comfortably.  But boy, those pleats better lie FLAT when you’re standing! If they don’t, you need a bigger size.

5. When choosing socks - match your pants first, then your shoes. Tan pants = tan socks. No tan socks? Choose a color to  match your shoes.
Did you know that most men own more white socks than any other color sock? And yet they don't own a single pair of white pants! Keep the white socks reserved for the sport court. I think one of the roots of this error is men somehow started thinking they needed to match their socks to their shirts (and white shirts are a staple.) Not so!

Ladies - if your man doesn't have a supply of socks to match all his pants, then you know what you're getting him for Christmas. Every other year or so, I load up all my husbands pants in a garment bag and head to the store.  I hang them all up and make sure I have 2 pair of socks to match every pant. When he gets new pants, we buy the socks right then and there.

Taking another moment to reflect on that tragic day. May we never forget. May we remember what we learned from it. May we learn more from it. And may nothing like it every happen again. My heart goes out to all those who have to remember losing someone today.

I loved this article posted on the Washington Post site from Pres. Thomas S. Monson.

"9/11 Destruction Allowed Us To Rebuild Spiritually"