NWsource | Seattle Style File

Sleek silver jewelry, Orla Kiely handbags, end-of-summer tans

Kathy Schultz — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:29:19 -0800

New fashions, home furnishings, beauty products and great gifts are trickling into local shops, promising a veritable flood of style in the coming months. This is just the beginning of what promises to be a very fashionable fall.

Plus-size fashion goes from frumpy to fabulous with the help of local boutiques and forward-thinking designers

Kathy Schultz — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 10:23:45 -0700

Plus size. Two little words, one big headache when it comes to shopping. Just ask Cheree Forsythe of Seattle, who wears anything between a size 18 and 22. "Most clothing for larger women has flowers, loud colors or glitter. The clothes make you look old and unattractive," says the 36-year-old, who also complains about lack of choice, badly proportioned clothing and poor quality fabric—"everything is stretchy and clings," she says.

From chic to antique in Tacoma

Kathy Schultz — Thu, 10 May 2007 11:27:30 -0700

Seattleites may be familiar with Antique Row in Tacoma, but there's more than tchotchke-filled shops here. The pedestrian-friendly area that includes the Theater District makes for a nice day trip and change of shopping scenery. You'll find everything from estate jewelry to the latest in pricey denim in this historic section of town.

Stop in almost any shop and ask for one of the handy little neighborhood maps to guide you. Here are a few of my favorite stops.

More shops jump on the green bandwagon with eco-friendly products

Kathy Schultz — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 10:27:14 -0800

Consumers who care can breathe easy knowing there are plenty of places in Seattle to spend their cash responsibly. Shops that carry eco-friendly products, organic items, products using sustainable materials and recycled goods are proliferating, providing green options for everyday living.

How to buy lingerie for your valentine

Kathy Schultz — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:18:05 -0800

Selecting lingerie for your valentine can be both exciting and overwhelming. The choices seem endless and so do the questions surrounding them. What size is she? What does she like? What do you like? How do you choose something you'll both be happy with?

How to buy

Here are some tips from the experts – local shop owners – who have suggestions on how to buy.

January spa update

Kathy Schultz — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 10:34:05 -0800

My New Year's resolutions inevitably revolve around something to do with my body, starting with the universal top three: lose weight, exercise more, eat better. But these require more effort on my part and delaying immediate gratification. That's why I add new beauty products and spa treatments to my list. You, too, can be resolute – make an appointment for a facial today or buy yourself a new moisturizer. Here's what's new on the spa scene to start the year off right.

Banya 5

Locally designed goods take the spotlight at Bouncing Wall

Kathy Schultz — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 10:01:21 -0800

The Bouncing Wall, a newly opened Queen Anne shop, exudes enthusiasm. Owner Kim Flanery-Rye is ebullient about the goods she carries; local, independent designers are excited to have an attractive space to sell their goods and neighbors have been welcome and supportive. It makes for a pleasant shopping space where you might run into one of the designers dropping off their wares.

Helle-bound: Georgetown's 'skin sanctuary' defies the traditional spa scene

Geoff Carter — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 09:53:56 -0800

Georgetown's Helle, a "skin sanctuary and boutique," is a funky hole-in-the-wall – and I say that with the greatest respect and admiration. While modern spas and salons grow increasingly modern and sterile in appearance, Helle is old-fashioned and even quaint; you'll feel like you're getting your facial or hot oil treatment in a friend's living room, albeit a rock-star friend with a bohemian's taste in art. It's a salon for people who feel more at home in dive bars than at debutante balls.

All that glitters is on sale at Goodwill

Kathy Schultz — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 11:28:15 -0700

The annual Goodwill Glitter Sale is a bargain hunter's dream. Scheduled in time for the holidays, it's your chance to get dressed to the nines for peanuts. And for the first time, the fashion feeding frenzy goes on for two days this year. Mark your calendars for Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Let Nordstrom shine your shoes while you shop

Kathy Schultz — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 11:16:59 -0700

The recent cool weather, rain and sloppy wet streets prompted me to pull out one of my favorite pairs of boots the other day. Alas, I had put them away just as they were – dirty and dull, with a tiny tear in the fine Italian leather right on the toe. So, I went to the downtown Nordstrom – though not to shop for another pair of boots. Rather, I dropped mine off at the shoe shine in the men's department on the lower level.