Not that you really need an explanation, but you know if it’s about shoes I have no problems dishing it. I have several shoe categories, and for those who are new to the site, let me explain them:

The “Gimme That!” category are shoes that I adore, drool and swoon over that I will probably never own because they are wayyyyyyy out of my price range. I’m not made of money, and trust me I love shoes, but there are limits to everything. The most I’ve ever paid for shoes was $400. That’s my limit, so, even if I had it like that, nope, they probably wouldn’t be welcomed into the fold.

Now the “Shoe Fetish” category are shoes I own, caught on sale or were just an impulse buy as I was searching online for something else. If you see shoes in this category–they’re mine, stacked high in my closet and up against my bedroom wall!

“Shoes for Sale” is something I created where I can sell shoes directly to those who visit the site. If you browse here, you will see the price and size of the shoe as well as how many I have in stock. There is a convenient BUY link. All you need to do is click it, process the payment and they’re yours!

“The Shoe Alert” is a sad category for me. It’s comprised of shoes that I had my eye on, were waiting to go on sale or just weren’t able to obtain before they sold out in a size 8. Size 8 are always the first to go. Boo! But at least I do have an impressive collection of shoes.

There you have it. Those are my four shoe categories. Buy the Giuseppe Zanotti Jeweled Pump here.

“Fashion isn’t about buying the most expensive designer duds. It’s about learning the difference between overpriced items and quality products” – Linda Dominique Grosvenor

I don’t shop much and people are always shocked to hear a woman say that, however, I don’t have to shop much. It’s not that I don’t like to shop, but I am careful what I buy and I don’t let myself get enticed with sales and other bright signs. I have a pair of lilac linen slacks that I bought at the Gap 4 years ago and they are still in fabulous condition. Fact is, I hear people squeal at how much things cost and I think to myself, those are probably the same people that have to go out every single summer and fall and buy a whole new wardrobe because everything in their closet is worn to shreds. Most people don’t know it, but there is a key to shopping. Quality. And trust me, quality doesn’t always mean inflated prices.

Quality means, knowing what you’re buying, learn to buy to last and be mindful of cost, but average how many times you’d have to replace an inexpensive piece to justify buying a pricier garment. Let’s get down to the nuts and bolts of the no-no fabrics. If you’re intent on building a wardrobe, keep cottons to a minimum. I know, we love cotton because we can get tops for $3.99 and $5.99, but cotton fades, it gets unsightly lint balls and when cotton stretches and gets out of shape–there isn’t a thing you can do about it. That means that the cute cotton top you bought at the beginning of the summer will be used to polish your car in the fall. If you absolutely must buy cotton (because it does breathe rather well), keep cotton for the tops and even then keep it to a minimum because tops made of rayon or a linen/cotton blend wear better, fit better and last so much longer. Polyester is another enticing fabric, enticing because, yes, it’s cute and affordable to manufacture, but once polyester snags–it’s not very nice at all to see strings flying away from your skirt, pants, dress or having to walk around snipping the strings off with a scissors. And if you snag a garment that has a pattern, well, polyester will almost never line up for you. When you tug the fabric, the misalignment will be noticeable. That’s why polyester should have stayed back in the 70’s. It’s outdated and not very durable. Cotton spandex is another fabric and while it looks good on the hanger, the lint balls that develop from slight wear (especially between the legs on pants) are outrageously embarrassing. A year from now you will not even recognize that cotton spandex pant suit in your closet, so, it’s best to skip it all together.

By now you’re saying, “Well, what can I buy?” One of the first things I look at when I eye a product for potential purchase is the tag. Not the price–I need to know specifically what it is made out of. it’s suffice to say that my top favorites fabrics are rayon, wool crepe, linen and silk. Rayon it a true to size fabric. If you have a top, pair of slack or skirt in rayon, it will maintain its shape, color and size (meaning it won’t shrink when you dry clean it). Wool crepe is excellent and among my favorites. Every suit hanging in my closet with the exception of maybe three are wool crepe. I love to buy suits that come with a skirt or slacks so that I can wear the bottoms with another top. I also buy the sheath or plain tank dress and often opt to wear the dress alone as well and dress it up with a colorful neck scarf. Wool crepe is a flattering fabric and you definitely get years of wear out of anything made from wool crepe. One reason I love wool crepe is that, it’s is wool, but it’s woven light enough to wear all year ’round. Crepe thankfully is not as heavy as the basic wool we’re all familiar with and a year ’round fabric will allow you to wear your suit in the winter and the pants or the skirt with a pretty feminine top in the summer. Linens are great too if you’re endeavoring to build a wardrobe. They work well with tops in the summer and also dress up with a blazer too in the fall. The only downside to linen is that it wrinkles very easily and the wrinkles are hard to get out on your own, but a linen suit, blouse or skirt will last you for years. Now, last but not least on my list is silk. Silk is a delicate albeit not a very forgiving fabric, meaning that it doesn’t “give” much and depending on the cut you may have to go up a size because if silk fits too snug it will tear.

But all in all if you eliminate purchasing the kinds of pieces that don’t last and replace them with the ones that do, you can begin building an impressive wardrobe in no time. And of course, you won’t have to run out and replace an entire wardrobe every year. Imagine the savings. Now you can just walk into a department store or dress shop and know that you only need to “enhance” your wardrobe with carefully selected pieces that meet your level of durability–not start all over from scratch every season.

Linda Dominique Grosvenor is a freelance fashion writer and the author of The Plural Thing: Spiritually Preparing for Your Soul Mate. Her expertise on fashion has been used across the web. Her expertise on dating and relationships issues has been used in articles for publications such as Modern Bride, Jolie, Jewel, Honey and MORE Magazine. For more information on her ministry check out www.ThePluralThing.com and www.LoveBetterCamp.com or her website www.LindaDominiqueGrosvenor.com.

I’ve watched The Game a few times but I think Tia and Tamera should bring back their show “Sister, Sister” and make it an adult, dating, relationship show. Not reality, but sort of like The Game. The dating part. They have grown up to be beautiful women and just think, they didn’t have to strip down and take it all off to become famous and stay relevant in Hollywood. I love that purple off the shoulder number Tamera is wearing. Hot!

Fashion is an individual thing. It amazes me when people think they have fashion down to a science. I may say what I like or don’t like, but who am I or anyone to say that someone else doesn’t have style?

A Few Goody Gumdrops knows Spring is in the air and it’s time to put a little Pucci in your day!

Couture In The CityShows us how to steal Camilla Belle’s style.

Fashion Fille interviewed Beka of reLYME.com! She interviewed Fashion Fille as well…check it out!

Handbag du Jour chats with Be & D on the re-launch of the iconic Garbo studded bag, Kate Moss and what’s next for the brand!

Princess Dominique Dishes Fashion hosts the new My Twinkle Toe Shoes Giveaway! Got Facebook or Twitter? Then You Can Enter!

Quinta Trends shows the NSBP new collection. The fall is coming in South America.

Shopping and Info wants to buy Katherine Heigl’s Be & D ruffle bag!

Spork Fashion has teamed with ChickDowntown.com to give away a silk spring dress by Rebecca Taylor!

Style Eyes is fed up with frugal living so she cheers herself up with some small treats in her post The Lipstick Effect

The Bare Skinny shows you how to give em’ the cold shoulder this spring.

Make sure to take The Budget Fashionista’s fabulous Annual Shopping Survey for 2009, and help us beat last year’s record of over 3,000 responses!

The Well-Heeled Society finds happiness in the color of sunshine.

What’s Haute Magazine shows you how to get in “shape” without even breaking a sweat. The secret? Spanx!

diva in a carry on understands that your clothes are an investment, so protect them and your body from odor!