I Can't Believe It's Not Cashmere!

One of our "big news" items this winter has been the introduction of the "Cashtastic line." These items look and feel like cashmere but with a price tag that doesn't leave you crying and penniless. No longer is luxury unaffordable. These items are luxe and lovely and won't pill, so they will look new throughout many wears. Vlor and Beth were nice enough to model for me. Beth refuses to wear the Brimmed Hat ($12.99) fearing her hair would get messed up-but Vlor was more of a trooper. They both wore the Ruffle Scarf (specially priced at $14.99) and the Gathered Glove ($9.99). All three items come in ivory, teal and fuchsia. These make great gifts, you can get all three items for less than $40.00- that's way less than one cashmere item would cost at your local department store. Find these pieces along with cashtastic cardigan sets, a men's sweater, and a women's sweater in C24-26. Look forward to more cashtastic apparel coming in C3 2010.

Getting a Bang for Your Buck- Sneak Peek!

In today's economy we all have to be more watchful of what we spend and what we spend it on. My closet is already too full so whatever I buy now must be something I'll wear a lot and can work with what I already own. In my opinion, the only thing better than something that can transform your outfit is something that can transform on its own. Beth manages our product samples so she always snags some goodies for herself during the process :). This cardigan, new in C7 2010 can be worn in many different ways (4 are shown in the pictures). Simply by tying the long ends the result varies from casual to sexy. Wear this cardigan long and open, with jeans and our Loop Belt (also available in C7), cinching it at the waist. For more of a night look, wear a black dress (like the SlimWear Shirred Waist Dress from C18) and tie the cardigan ballerina style-crisscrossing it in the front and tying it in the back. This way you can cover your arms but still let the stretchy cardigan hug your curves. Look out for this great item, I promise you've never had so much fun with a cardigan before!

Put A Belt On It

If you like it then you shoulda put a belt on it

If you like it then you shoulda put a belt on it.

Don't be mad once you see that he want it

If you like it then you shoulda put a belt on it

Wha-oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Wha-oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

I dedicate this posting to Avon's very own Beyonce: Ms. Jackie (if you're nasty). Talk about wearing attitude on your sleeve, Jackie knows how to work it. For a lady with two small children Jackie always looks put together. One of her secrets is: Belting. Jackie knows the power of a woman's waist. By accentuating the smallest part of your body you can create curves you never knew you had, or flaunt the ones you're so proud of. I love the wide baroque one Jackie has on, but for more flowy dresses or tops, I'd use a thin, maybe half inch belt to pull the look together. It's really important that you don't let clothes just hang on you, but instead make them work for you. The Ruffle Dress that Jackie has on is new in Campaign 22 and will be flowed throughout the beginning of 2010. This dress has great proportions, sophisticated gold details and ruffles at the neckline, sleeves and hem. Everyone knows that black is slimming, but with the added benefit of the dresses' adjustable cloth belt with metal buckle, the slimming effect is taken to a new level. For more adventures in belts look at Campaign 23 for a super cute thicker elastic croco embellished one!

A Purchase to be Proud Of

October is Breast Cancer awareness month and Avon as always is spearheading the cause. Every year Avon creates products where 100% of the proceeds go to the Avon Foundation to be donated to organizations that support the cause through awareness and education; screening and diagnosis; access to treatment; support services; and, scientific research. The Avon Walks alone from 2003-2008 have raised $285 Million dollars. Purely incremental to that are the products produced by Avon and sold in our brochure and crusade flyers. In 2008 alone one of our top items was the Breast Cancer Flip Flop, selling over $3 Million Dollars. This year in 2009 we are introducing a Breast Cancer product linked with our Marimekko alliance. The Marimekko tote is being introduced in C22, and for $10.00 it is a steal!! Reese Witherspoon loves it too.

The Ultimate Day to Dress Up!

So Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, which is great if you want to make it an all night event, but it also means that while at work the Friday before there is no celebration. Last year when Halloween was on a Friday my group really did it up. We dressed up as Avon excess inventory- that's right, all that stuff that we thought would sell and didn't. If you look at the picture out of context it looks like we were having an office sleepover party, Michael our apparel designer is wearing "Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" sleep pants.........I've never seen Michael in anything but a well tailored suit. I dressed up as IMIS, it's the computer system we use to plan products in each campaign. It looks like a screen shot out of the 80's apple II GS, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it right? Enjoy the Halloween festivities.........I hope you're so stylish, it's scary.

From Heeled to Healed

There is a comfort queen in all of us. Here at Avon looking professional and put together are part of the job, which means high heels. Uh, heels-most heels hurt, they make you look taller and leaner and always feel great when making two laps around the shoe store to see if they are comfortable, but then you wear them for 5 plus hours and all you can think about is your throbbing feet. No pain no gain right? Well my girls at Avon waver between two extremes. Every morning Beth puts on 4" inch heels (her boyfriend is 6'4" so she has that luxury). Similarly Vlor who is the "fancy pants" glamour girl among us slides into a beautiful pair of Christian Louboutin patent pumps.

And then 4 o'clock hits.................off come the heels and on go the Avon Slippers.

Vlor is wearing the C23 Sequin Slippers, Beth is wearing the recolor of the C24 Cable Knit Pom Pom Slipper (coming in pink in C2 2010!).

It's raining, It's pouring, we're Blooming.

Today the Avon corporate offices were encouraged (read: nicely asked) to go to Times Square to support Reese Witherspoon who was there promoting her new fragrance "In Bloom," launching in Campaign 23. Of course it was pouring outside and many of my coworkers were unprepared for the weather. This is when working at Avon has it's perks, we have a closet full of product samples and come Campaign 26 we are selling an umbrella and rain booties! I snatched up the umbrella, Rose and Beth took a pair of booties and we were set to splish splash in the puddles of Times Square.

A Rose is a Rose........

My boss is Rose is what you'd call an Avon superfan. Not only is she an Avon employee and an Avon Representative, but she's also a walking Avon advertisement. Today is a great example of this; she's basically wearing Avon garb from head to toe.





Her earrings: Avon's Teardrop Earrings in Gold (see blog post 2)


Her Dress: Avon's Everywhere Shirtdress- Campaign 21


Her Belt: Avon's Croco Embellished Belt- Campaign 23


Her Sweater Jacket: Purple Sweater Coat- Campaign 22

Her Socks: Argyle and too cute not to mention, but not Avon

I've rocked the all Avon look before as well. I once got to work and realized that not only was my dress, shoes and jewelry Avon, but my bra and underwear was Avon too!! Remember those Lace Boyshorts we did a few years back (Circa C9 2008), yep I love them. TMI?

Foliage and Feet- Autumn Footwear

It's the end of October and I've finally retired my flip flops. Those trusty worn in black rubber thongs are just so hard to part with because I can't seem to find a replacement. What is the winter version of a black Reef flipflop? What goes with everything and remains comfortable after walking city block after city block? I've been asking this question for years, and now that the temperature is dropping once again and my toes are rebelling against closed toed shoes, the answer is needed more than ever.

Someone must have been listening to my prayers because in Avon's 4th quarter line up there are 3 shoes that fit the bill. I happen to own all three pairs because I am a shoe hoarder, and I love them all. They feel like slippers on your feet, but are still incredibly stylish. In the bootie and riding boot the footbed is covered in this cradling waffle foam. The shoes are branded "Cushion Walk" and they actually massage your feet as you walk! The Scroll in the Park Wedge has a pillowtop of foam, it's like walking on clouds.

Now I've got some happy feet.

Find all these great shoes in the Campaign 24 Brochure.

An Earring for All Seasons

What earrings do I wear with a colorful printed dress? - Beth (bottom right)

What earrings can I wear with a bright cardigan that won't make my outfit too over the top?- Vlor (bottom left)

What earrings will dress up my casual work look? - (Rose and Erin, Top left and right)

Last Wednesday my co-workers all had the same answer: Avon's Tear Drop earrings, in either gold or silver. These earrings are a favorite around the office and for good reason. They go with everything, add the perfect amount of shine to an outfit, and complement all face shapes. Beth even wears them to the beach!

New blog, first post, big deal

So this blog, or rather the idea for this blog has been floating around in my head for the past year. For some reason or another I kept getting distracted- first setting up my new apartment in the East Village, getting ready for a trip, getting past return trip depression and finally summer, the most distracting season of all. I have no idea how people live in nice weather all year round, i'd get nothing done if I lived in California......and I would definitely say "like" a whole lot more.

A bit more about me: I've been interested in fashion since high school, getting my first sewing machine for my 16th birthday and turning my parent's living room into my own private sewing studio. I went on a hemming spree the week after I got it shortening all my jeans only to learn that unfinished hems and simply folding over the bottoms of your pants does not a real hem make. After high school, I went to a small liberal arts college in Maine but would always return for summers in New York City. During those summers I interned at the Shoshanna Showroom, the buying offices of Century 21 Department Stores and Ravinstyle.com-I have seen fashion production and retail from all angles. Now I work at Avon Products where I have a hand in developing and selecting product to appear in our brochures that reach over 600 million representatives in the United States alone. When people ask what I do for a living and I tell them about Avon's Apparel and Accessory division, the answer is always the same: "Avon makes clothes?" "Of course I reply, Avon makes EVERYTHING." It's actually a fun game, "Does Avon make ______?" The answer will always be yes.

It's a shame more people don't know the non-beauty side of Avon. Our handbags and shoes have been featured in countless magazines and blogs such as Vogue, Allure, Martha Stewart, Oprah, Lucky, Redbook etc. etc. etc. Our business model is like no other. Sometimes we are ahead of a trend, sometimes we ride the tide with everyone else resulting in a single shirt generating $3 million dollars in a year. Unheard of sales on a single item for most retailers.

Growing up on the sale rack, I love a bargain and more so love the hunt. Give me a 75% off clearance rack and I will give you a $10 dollar outfit that would retail for $500. Filene's, Daffy's, Loehmann's, and Gabriel Bros (shout out to the Midwest) have trained me well. I value price and quality and won't compromise one for the other. This is why Avon and I fit. I'm hoping to shed light on Avon's fashion dept, our products, how we create them, how to wear them and why they are fabulous. I also want to include highlights of my coworkers, each a fashionista in her own right, who manage to weave Avon products seamlessly into their already bursting wardrobes.