10) Her headquartered hometown is Philadelphia

9) Momma company is Urban Outfitters 

8) Siblings are Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN

7) Born 1992 in Wayne Town Pennsylvania

6) That first store sold men’s and women’s clothing

5) Their clothes and styles are geared toward mature, sophisticated demographic (35 +)

4) She is feminine, down country, well traveled, educated

3) Each section of apparel is built around a personality, with its own name and story

2) The housewares are laid out like a home, the more social living room is up front while the more intimate apothecary bathroom and bedroom are towards the back.

1) After seven years of working for Anthropolgie, I’ve retired as a personal shopper

This last number is richly nostalgic and slightly melancholy. 

I remember when Anthropologie and I locked eyes in Newport Beach California, July of 2000.  Tears were cornering in my eyes, I loved her at first sight.  Together we identified an ochre gold cowgirl shirt with snap buttons and piped brick-red trim.  I still have our shirt; I wear it at the cabin, and I sit close to the fire so it will smell like roasted tree logs.  

Pologie and I entered a serious relationship when I accepted a position at the Kierland store in March of 2004.  The forty-five minute commute to work provided proper anticipation.  Every shift greeted me with the smell of the Capri Blue Volcano candle and sound of the First Lady of France (back when she was just a French pop star).   

I’m going to miss the smart, interesting employees, the sweet customers (even the crazy ones), folding the pretty clothes, and the discount.  

But I simply adore my new role as home making executive/directorial secretary of CoVi Industries (a vertical conglormerate corporation providing living essentials for Co-Partners Coco Noelle Bagley & Levi Sims Bagley).

And it frees up some of my time for other ventures.  Like speaking at conferences (HT!H and R&R), professorial teaching (my Wardrobe Strategies class starts this evening), editorial writing, and musing here with you.

Feed me fashionably fresh

So it turns out I need at least two issues of “I Wants”, because my wanting persists.  And not just clothes, but the knowledge and guttural experience we tuck into our trousers. So here are a few of my attempts to turn my wants into needs.

Andrew (former professional sports photographer) Bagley chides my camera prowess and generally suggests I leave his fancy-pants Canon on auto.  He’s gone so far as to suggest I would be better equipped to manage a camera phone, but Kirsten Duke has faith in me.  She will learn me about aperture and f-stops and fancy lens stuff.  You can see her this Saturday, July 16th at 10 am in Scottsdale too, and since we are besties, you get $25 off.  If your weekend is already booked, maybe you can want her e-book so bad that you need it.

Speaking of husband, he also doesn’t believe in collecting books.  But my dear, wise one delivered a finely composed point yesterday.  We squirrel away money and food in case of hard times, but what will we read and use to educate our families in the event of catastrophe?  Am I supposed to read to my children from archived Pottery Barn catalogs?  Can we agree that I need these beautifully clothbound books?

Coco, Levi, and I are going to go to France together…as soon as Andrew sells his crop of Mermacorns.  And of course,  we will need to wield at least conversational French.  Mister says that Spanish (Arizona’s unofficial state language) is more, but what about when we need to order Hot Chocolate and crusty bread in our Parisian cafe?

Studies, conducted by me, have conclusively proven that  productivity would increase 2 gagillion percent if I had these ridiculously chic office supplies?  Andrew might try to tell you that I should save my pennies to replace my lappy, which had an unfortunate keyboard stroke after encountering Coco and the sippy cup.  The sudden death of electrical cells in the localized right half of the keyboard resulted in loss of control over the “p” “m” “;” “u” and “7” keys.   I was forced to copy and paste every occurrence of these characters until I bought an external keyboard.  But I think my life would be better with a pink ruler don’t you?

One of my top three favorite bands is going to be performing less than a mile from my doorstep on September 13th.  I’d be supporting my community, the arts, the pretty dress industry…these are causes I believe in.

How do you argue for what you want?

Feed me fashionably fresh