Mom and I do a big outlet trip every year in the fall. It’s sort of become our thing.

And the way we plan for it and coordinate and juggle our work schedules and even pack for it (I like to make sure I have tights in case I want to try on skirts, boots to try on with jeans, jeans to try on with sweaters– you get the picture)  you’d think we were setting out for the Galapagos Islands to see some giant turtles, instead of for the outlet mall some 40 minutes south of Boston.

The trip usually generates some good stories (one day I’ll tell you the leaving-my-car-keys-in-a-random-bag-I-tried-on-at-Banana Republic-then-didn’t-buy-story). And there’s something about the anticipation of dozens of potential fabulous finds waiting to be found, that gets us really excited.

Navigating the outlets is no easy feat. There’s a lot of wheat to be separated from chaff.

This year we were also distracted by a family illness and almost didn’t make it. Still, we re-worked and rescheduled yet again and managed to keep our annual retail appointment. It’s sort of our thing now, and we didn’t want to miss it.

A lot of trying on takes place. A lot.  Thank goodness the Saks outlet provides actual supermarket-size grocery carts.

A grocery cart! Full of clothes! Way better than a grocery cart full of paper towels and Diet Coke and baby carrots. Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I had the patience to fill a grocery cart this full in an ACTUAL grocery store.

Oh, and because I know you were wondering, we totally scored, though the number of purchases we made at the Saks outlet paled in comparison to the number of things jammed into that cart.

My mom bought two Saks brand long-sleeved waffle weave t-shirts for about $15 each. I bought a pair of skinny blue JBrands and a black and white-checked blouse.

We celebrated our purchases at the Lindt chocolate outlet, of course. It’s part of the tradition, after all.

Who says I never win anything?

Oh, ahem. I do, I guess. Or at least, I USED to. Because now I stand corrected. I made it into this week’s Links à la Mode, the Independent Fashion Bloggers roundup of the top 20 fashion blog links of the week. I’m thrilled, and in some fabulously good company, so check out my compatriots.

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Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup

****for week of November 19, 2009****

Food for Thought

Edited by Ashe Mischief

This is my first time editing since I wrote Good Cop/Bad Cop: Participating in Links a la Mode. Thank you all so much for making this my most pleasurable experience in editing yet!

I’m not sure if it’s because American Thanksgiving is a week away, or because the blogosphere is ablaze with Kate Mosses’ unforgettable quote, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” but either way, I’ve got food on my mind. This week, you brought me the best kind of food–rich, decadent, and 100% calorie-free! That’s right–you delivered highly thoughtful posts on fashion, fashion blogging & communities, and more.

On a personal note, ferOHHHsh has asked that we share her post about her close friend’s near-fatal accident. I believe that the fashion community is one of surprising strength, dignity, caring and compassion, and that it was worth sharing. We’re sending your friend speedy thoughts for a wonderful recovery!

Links à la Mode : November 19th

• Awakened Aesthetic: – Eco-Friendly Stocking Stuffers (Part I)
• Crisis in Denim: – Crisis in Denim: I make gentle fun of a Banana Republic ‘rewards’ card I received in the mail, that seems designed to make me think I accomplished something by shopping at BR and earning ‘rewards’ points, by riffing on the president’s Yes We Can slogan.
• dramatis personae: – the Hat’s Out of the Bag! by Michelle at Wicked Whimsy
• Fashion X K8: – The importance of Fashion Ad Campaigns and analyzing the collective subconcious of fashion consumers. I beg the question, what makes a great Fashion Ad.
• Further Ado: – With many of their paper equivalents going bust, Further Ado finds 5 great online fashion magazines to keep you satisfied.
• Grit and Glamour: – yesterday The Psychology of Lace Lace, in spite of its implied fragility, holds very special power in the sartorial world.
• Idiosyncratic Style – Infatuation List: Five Fall Fashion Favorites
• Independent Fashion Bloggers – Fashion Blogging : The Road Ahead
• kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS: – Interview with Lauren Jones of mydearthing
• Mystery Creature: – I love vintage, I love handmade… but I don’t love Etsy, as much as I want to.
• Oranges and Apples: – What drives fashion bloggers? Oranges and Apples in the Scotsman
• Random Fashion Coolness: – Musings on the power-partnerships in the Blogosphere
• Shoe Daydreams: – Collaborations and “inspiration”
• slsvgg fashion: – An interview with Gossip Girl actress LEIGHTON MEESTER, on her style
• Somewhere over the Skyline…: – rugality? Sustainability? The Recession! – Thoughts & Recommendations on Sustainable/Vintage Lifestyles
• Super Kawaii Mama: – Meet the Dr. of Dames and her new book Our Girl’s – Aussie Pin Up’s of the 40’s & 50’s
• THE COVETED: – Benefits of Chilly Days… Coats!
• The Curvy Fashionista – Got the Plus Size Bridal Dress woes? Enter in Cc.Elaine- A studio dedicated to the Curvy.Confident.Chic. Plus Size Bride
• The New Wave: – Underwear as Outerwear: How to wear this spring’s runway trend using vintage pieces.
• The Pixelated Blonde – Fashion: it’s an individual thing – a look at how to be stylish whilst maintaining one’s individuality.
• White Rabbit: – Lookbook.nu vs. Flickr’s Wardrobe Remix – the battle of “What I wore today” sites
• Wicked Whimsy: – Rene Geneva Designs – featuring a local, woman run eco-friendly design house that makes gorgeous clothes to boot!

I was going through my mail the other day, when I opened my Banana Republic bill, and found this inside:

Yes You Did. It was on a little card attached to $30 worth of gift cards I’d earned by sprucing up my work wardrobe at Banana Republic, and charging it all to my Banana Republic Luxe Card.

The next morning I was driving down my street and saw an Obama bumper sticker that read “Yes We Did!”

Three simple words, but I realized something. President Barack Obama’s election-night speech has so infused our culture in this last year, that everyone, even Banana Republic, is quoting it.

But it seemed a bit of a stretch. Were these gift cards, with their little “Yes You Did” notice, supposed to inspire the same swell of pride that President Barack Obama’s speech did, before that hushed Chicago crowd, just one year ago? I’m not sure I did very much to warrant channeling the president. I mean, what would the president’s acceptance speech sound like if you applied it to shopping at Banana Republic?

You. You selected the three best pairs of wool trousers out of a dozen styles and sizes. Yes You Did.

You tried them on with low heels and high heels, jackets and sweaters, to create the perfect outfit. Yes You Did.

You browsed the sale racks, searching for marked-down basics like shells and t-shirts, to fill out your wardrobe. Yes You Did.

You shopped strategically, passing up things you knew wouldn’t fit or that you didn’t need, asking the salesperson to show you the latest stock. Yes You Did.

Later, you helped your boyfriend find the perfect cranberry-colored sweater and wool trousers, then charged it to your BR card so he could get another 25 percent off and you would get the points. Yes You Did.

Actually, I am getting a bit misty-eyed just thinking of how much shopping I have accomplished. Thanks BR. You’ve inspired me. Still, I know I can’t grow complacent. To paraphrase that same election night speech: “There is so much more [shopping] to do!”

So this post is an outright plug for a store I really really like, Mint Julep. In fact, I daresay it is one of my favoritest of all favorite stores.

I have no problem giving Mint Julep a bit of free advertising because it is the kind of boutique where the people who work there are beyond nice, and helpful, to everyone who walks in the door. Even when, ahem, a certain customer spends an hour browsing the sale rack only to leave without buying a thing. I won’t name names.

Also, several staples of my wardrobe come from there, including all but one of my summer dresses.

So here goes. This is an awesome deal. Believe me. Twenty percent off everything. EVERYTHING.

So if you see a crazy blogger speeding by in a black Corrolla at 5:59 p.m. on Friday, either get out of the crosswalk fast, or hitch a ride, because that’s most certainly where I’ll be headed.

Okay, don’t die of shock, but I didn’t make the The Boston Globe‘s list of the 25 Most Stylish Bostonians of 2009. It’s fine. Really. I wasn’t expecting to. I mean, I was already passed over for the Fashion Boston list of the City’s 100 Best Dressers. I’ve grown used to disappointment.

However, I remain optimistic.

First,  The Boston Globe promises to pick 25 NEW people each year. Plus, the Globe and Fashion Boston lists don’t appear to include the same fashionistas (despite the fact that Globe Media publishes Fashion Boston) though I haven’t scrutinized them as carefully as perhaps I should, mostly because they make me feel so inadequate I can’t bear it.  So that’s 125 new “Most Fashionables” launched into stardom each year.

In addition, census figures show the state’s population growing only slightly, even registering a year-over-year decline not too long ago. There are also reports that young professionals are leaving Massachusetts, probably because they’re sick of shoveling their cars out of the snow piled in front of their overpriced houses. Fewer competitors means more room for yours truly among the ranks of the stylish.

Finally, and here’s really the key, I’m betting in the next year some new “Best Dressed” or “Most Fashionable” or “Greatest Dresser” or “All Around Most Awesome” lists will crop up. This is the DIY era, after all. So the more “Best Dressed” slots there are available in the city, the more likely I am to land on one of the lists.

Even if the list was created by some little blog no one reads….

Hmmmmmm…..

Signs like this are all up and down Newbury Street in Boston these days.

Permit me a moment of indulgence, if you will.

See, ever since the economy tanked, I’ve been noticing a lot of empty storefronts. And sometimes, I can’t help but think how much nicer they would look as my own little boutiques.

Okay, never mind that the last time I worked in a clothing store was almost 20 years ago, just after high school, at the Express at Quincy Market (that Express is long gone now, that floor of the building empty, the last time I passed by). I never quite got that folding thing down with the Stalin-esque precision I was supposed to,  although I was darn good at putting together outfits for customers.

And never mind the fact that the sole cash I have to invest in a business is about $450, which it now looks like I will have to tap for a paint job, since some goober keyed the word Ass into the hood of my car.

Also, I know nothing about inventory, buying, supply chain management, accounting, or hiring salespeople.

What should we call my fashion mecca?

It’s a fantasy here, people, work with me.

This vacant space in the chic Meatpacking District of New York City. It beckons me.

As long as I’m sharing, I’ll have you know that I’ve especially fantasized about a particular space about in a town called Natick, about 40 minutes west of Boston. Until a few months ago it was a kind of one-floor mini-department store called Barber’s.

A long ranch-style building, Barber’s had room after room of scented candles, fancy bath gels, Vera Bradley floral luggage and Brighton jewelry– just to name a few examples. I used to call it the suburban mom emporium, and most of the stuff wasn’t quite my style ,but that’s not to say I don’t have a few choice finds from there in my jewelry box or my, ahem, handbag collection.

One of the things that always impressed me about Barber’s was that  even though there was no other shopping around it — it was mostly surrounded by offices and trees —  the folks at Barber’s sold enough good stuff that they were a draw in their own right. That place was always busy.

Thing is, Barber’s has been sitting empty for months now. And sometimes I think, if they can do it, I can do it.

The only time I could get there to take a picture was at night. I see this as a clothing mecca by day, though. No?

In my mind I’ve turned the room that used to be the Yankee Candle collection into the shoe section, full of slouchy boots and adorable ballet flats.

The room that sold the quilted floral handbags and wallets –well, those shelves could be filled with gorgeous sweaters– some chunky cardigans, some cashmere crewnecks, as well as soft cotton t-shirts of the Splended and LA Made variety.

When I’m meandering this way around Fantasy Island (minus Tatoo and the Boss, thank you very much, that show scared the crap out of me when I was a kid), I like to think about what my price point would be (okay, I’ve just exhuasted the one retail term I know).

I think I would have a mix of well-priced lines; some Kensie, perhaps, with sweaters running about $70, and then more high-end pieces by Marc Jacobs or Nanette Lepore.

I’d also, of course, feature plenty of local Boston-area indie designers, especially in the jewelry, bag and shoe departments.

I’d stock plenty of basics and have multiples of all sizes. And there would be a glorious section dedicated to, of course, denim, with yours truly making sure every jean-related shopping experience was crisis-free.

My fabulous shop would be a one-stop shopping for all– young and old, rich and poor (okay, not too poor, I’ve got to make a meager profit here, people), and the world would be a better place because I’d be in charge of outfitting it.

Anyone interested in making an investment in my own personal fantasy island?

Pardon me, I need to go on a mini-rant.

I’ve recently been noticing the word “style” being used as a verb, and not just in relation to hair. It could be that I’m more aware of it, since I launched Crisis in Denim and so began reading more fashion magazines and websites.

However, I’ve been reading, and even occasionally hearing, the word “style” used in relation to clothes, as in “How would you style this black cardigan?” or “What nice boots. I have some ideas as to how I might style those.”

I hate to sound like an old fogey, but in my day putting a jacket together with a skirt and some nice jewelry and shoes was just called GETTING DRESSED.

It makes me think of something I read in the New York Times not too long ago about how “curating” isn’t just for museum professionals anymore. No one hosts parties anymore, they “curate” them. No one puts together an outfit anymore; no she “styles” it.

I guess the world is getting fancier. Crisis in Denim must keep up.