Dear Friend,

On A Personal Note...

I've been busy studying the stats and reading all of your interesting notes and suggestions gathered through our recent Cents of StyleŽ Survey. You have all helped me so much and I thank you for taking the time to offer your support and opinion. Some of the statistics are so cool and unexpected. I thought I would share a few of the results.

When it comes to age groups, 22% of you are age 21-30, 34% of you are age 31-40, 26% of you are age 41-50 and 18% of you are over 50. This is fantastic! It thrills my soul to think that these percentages are so close! I love knowing that women of all ages value my information and advice, but more importantly that you are always striving for improvement. This is completely inspirational!

When it comes to Cents of StyleŽ Accessory Suites' value, content, style, online ordering and over all buying experience a whopping 96% of you rated your experience good or better with 50% of that figure rating excellent in all categories! WooHoo!!! Thank you for noticing how much we care! This makes my toes curl and my cheeks hurt from smilin'! Each Cents of StyleŽ bundle is packed with love and attention to detail, so I am so happy your experience reflects that. We will continue to strive for excellence in all areas!

I also discovered that 40% of you are interested in a discounted Accessory Suite Subscription... Yippee! We are working on implementing this, making the Accessory Suites even more economical and thrifty chic for everyone.

Of course, I have read all of your concerns and suggestions and I'm looking forward to implementing ways to reach more of you with my products. I hear you and I want you to have them. I want you to feel more confident, stylish and inspired by my products. You all inspire me everyday, so it's the least we can do!

Thank you again for everything! Be happy! Be Beautiful! Be Thrifty!

Tips

I received a very interesting question in my ASK ANDY box last week and I wanted to share it with you. I know that it's a little late in the season for answering questions about shorts, but the truth is I saw a couple of women on the street today with this problem and it dawned on me what a big issue this is. I thought I would share this particular question so that we can all make educated choices as we shop the sale racks for end of the season shorts!

Dear Andy, when I go for a walk, my shorts ride up my inner thighs and I have to keep pulling them down. It only happens with some of my shorts. Does this mean that there is something wrong with the way they are cut, or their size? ~Janet

Dear Janet, Oh how I hate thigh riding shorts! This issue can be soooo uncomfortable and really embarrassing. Shorts that creep up the inner thigh or pull to the back between the legs can be caused by a few things. You have to be aware of both the cut and fit. If you are prone to this problem then remember these tips when shopping:

• The ease of the thigh is very important. If the shorts are the least bit too tight, they will cling and ride between the legs with movement. You have to find shorts that are both relaxed through and extend past the fullest part of the thigh.
• Check to see that the cut proves the front panel to be smaller than the back panel. It's been determined that shorts with a front panel that is equal the size of the back panel often ride up between the legs, pulling the crotch seams back. A smaller front panel will help keep the shorts comfortably in place. To check this, lay the shorts flat; you should be able to see the side seams on the front side.
• Avoid pleats or any extra fabric in the front as this can also cause the riding and pulling towards the back.
• Check the rise (the length from the crotch seam to the waist). If the rise is too long and the shorts do not fit your waist there will be fabric bunched at the crotch. This will also cause the riding and pulling toward the back, between the legs.

Thanks for your question Janet! Follow these tips and you will reduce the ride!

Sale Rack

If a student needs it, it's on sale in August and September! Students heading off to college need all kinds of things to get their dorm room ready, so if you have been contemplating redecorating a room, now is the time to do it. You'll find great buys on sheets, towels, paint, office furniture, computer equipment and organizational items. Stores are trying hard to lure the budget conscience parents and students.

If you are in need of wardrobe basics, don't miss the "Back to School" chance to get rock bottom prices on denim, tees, tanks, camisoles, sneakers, undies and the like. Sale racks are overflowing with end of the season items and stores are overstocked with student basics. Take a Monday or Tuesday morning off to do some strategic shopping. You should find princess parking, plenty of sales help and racks reorganized and restocked after the weekend. Things won't be this good again 'til January!

This Month's Cents Of Style® Accessory Suite

Hot off the floor of this country's biggest Accessory Show, I've gathered this month's Cents of StyleŽ Accessory Suite with a gleeful strategy: Find unique basics that modernize a classic wardrobe. Your valued survey feedback swimming in my head, I've collected a fabulous thrifty chic Accessory Suite that balances everyday basics with solid trends that show no sign of waning for seasons to come. This month's Cents of StyleŽ Accessory Suite, SILVER SCENE features a matte silver hobo bag, a gorgeous silver metal mesh bracelet watch (recently featured in COSMO as a "must have"), and incredibly cool sterling silver one-piece crescent hoop earrings! For all you "I wear basics", "I need a modern everything bag", "I want to stretch, but I don't know where to start" ladies, this is the Accessory Suite for you!

I know you are going to love it!

Check it out!

Have You Tried...

BODYGLIDE?

As a new runner, I knew I would be confronting new challenges but I had no idea one of them would be righteous chafing! Holy hootie that hurts! I mentioned the problem to a friend last week and she immediately told me about this miracle product called BODYGLIDE. It is all natural, non-greasy; it stops friction and creates a protective barrier on your skin preventing chafing, blisters, rash, saddle sores, and skin irritation.

I ran out and bought some the next day and applied it to ALL (know what I'm sayin'?) of the chafe prone areas, including my feet, before my run. It totally protected my skin and kept new irritations from forming. What a relief! The tube cost me $6.50 and you only need a little bit. Total Score!

Schedule

I am taking my Cents of StyleŽ Workshop on the road for charity and I want to see you there!