Bargain hunters often wonder why some people buy various expensive articles of clothing when they can purchase similar items at a lower cost. While I too sometimes opt for less expensive things, MOST of the time you get what you pay for.

So what is the difference between the white tee shirt at the Gap or a white tee shirt from Majestic. First and foremost is the fabric. I purchased a long sleeve cotton tee at the Gap last year and wore it no more than twice, while looking through my closet recently I noticed a small whole in the center of the garment. The bottom line is the fabric is simply poor quality. It was reasonably soft and it fit ok.

Then I have my Majestic tee shirts. The fabric is incredibly soft and luxurious. The fit is fantastic too. After washing them many times, they still maintain their shape and have no holes in the fabric or the seams. Additionally, the high-quality fabric doesn’t wrinkle.

This was just an easy example but this can be said for clothing across the board. You will find in higher quality garments have a better fit as well. More time is spent making them, better patterns are used, and there is more quality control. So while bargain shopping can be fun and I highly recommend it, keep this in mind when you are purchasing staples for your wardrobe or anything that you will want to keep for a long time.

You have a big bust you want to hide or minimize but don’t know how? Well I have the solution for you. The answer is NOT a high or crew neck as many women may have thought. If you are busty, a v-neck or open neckline breaks up the line and slims you down. If you wear a high neck top, it is easier for the bust to appear fuller or bigger. So if you are trying to look thinner, buy a v-neck!

Have you ever had an event to attend and you were frantically searching for a dress or an outfit for it? That is a very difficult and stressful way to shop. It is always hard to find something when you are looking for it. So when you  are casually browsing and see a dress or an outfit you love and it fits, BUY IT. You will always have a place to wear. Then when you get an invitation, it’s stress-free. You pull the dress out of the closet and put it on, no shopping required. Occasions always come up and you will be prepared for anything.

In honor of Earth Day 2008, Artfulwears is offering 10% off AT2 and Majestic. AT2 is a completely organic line of tee shirts. Majestic has a variety of tops, dress, leggings, and tees that are all eco-friendly. Simply enter the code: EARTHDAY08 at check ut to save 10%. Offer valid Tuesday April 22, 2008 only. Artfulwears.com is committed to the environment.

With camisoles and dresses in high style, we need a great way to cover up in the air conditioning or perhaps on a cool night. For other women, they simply want to cover their arms. I personally have a vast assortment of little cropped sweaters, cropped hoodies, and jackets to pair with a variety of things. I think every wardrobe should have a such items. They are staples that you can just grab and go!

The Majestic Cropped Linen Hoodie is perfect for such occasions.

Available in Stone, it’s easy to throw on over just about anything.  It’s lightweight but perfect to cover up with.

If you need something a little warmer or just a different look, you

could try the Lurex Cropped Sweater by Interlud. The chocolate brown is neutral but very rich. We love the sparse gold lurex

thread which adds a little more of a dressy look.

A denim jacket works with everything as well. These are just a few ideas but don’t feel limited by wearing bare tops, you can always layer.

Just because you are going casual, doesn’t mean you can’t look cute. Two new arrivals at Artfulwears.com happen to create a great casual outfit. Pair the 48 Hoodie By LTB with the XCVI Wide Leg Lounger Crop Pants. The hoodie is a rich melon color with fun embroidery detailing. It’s soft, relaxed, and comfortable. The pants are simply delightful. They are made French terry, which very well may be the perfect fabric. The wide-leg is slimming and we love the slightly lower rise than other XCVI pants. Throw a tank under this and you are ready to go!

I have recently noticed that many women (including some of my friends) are obsessed with matching and jewelry sets. While, yes you can match or buy sets of jewelry, you can be far more stylish by mixing and matching items.

In terms of shoes and handbags, I believe they should look good together but they certainly don’t have to match. Some times it’s nice to add a pop of color to an outfit with a bag or shoes. Jewelry definitely doesn’t have to match. While it’s ok to do matching earrings and bracelets, I highly discourage matching earrings and necklaces. Certainly, not all three together. Yikes! It makes your look tired, contrived, and boring. Again, the accessories should compliment one another but don’t have to be the exact same.

Last, don’t over accessorize. Every outfit doesn’t need rings on both hands, a watch, a bracelet, earrings and a necklace. A good rule of thumb is once you are dressed, take one piece off. This avoids the over accessorized look. Less really is more!

I know I ramble on and on about Majestic but the clothing is truly amazing. I was so excited for the arrival of our Spring 2008 collection, which I hand picked. I can’t choose a favorite because I love all the pieces. However, the Empire Waist Linen Dress and matching Linen Capri Leggings are simply adorable. It looks great on and it feels wonderful too. The chestnut brown is a great neutral that you can easily accessorize with fun jewelry and shoes. This outfit looks great paired with the Crochet Necklace by Chan Luu.

We promised our faithful blog readers great discounts and we are sure you will love this one! Spend $100 at Artfulwears.com by April 8, 2008 and we will email you a gift certificate for $25.00 that you can use before June 1, 2008. Enter code: BlogDollars040708

Discount must be entered at time of purchase, no exceptions.

Check out some of my favorite new Majestic arrivals. They will speak for themselves. This dress with the Swarovski crystals is a MUST HAVE. The fabric feels so great on the body.