which one is your fav?

this week on the homepage, we've featured some of our employees' favorites. while we were narrowing them down, our email team started talking about their favorite covers. it was quite a heated debate! beauty & fashion are so subjective - everyone likes or hates things for different reasons. we want to know - which is YOUR favorite and why?
















there's a tie in our building for the gold top & the blue coat!

This is just silly...

In the spirt of autumn I recently purchased a Yankee Candle “Fall Favorites” 3 pack of Car Gels (yay!). I was soon faced with the difficult decision of what fragrance to go with first, Autumn Leaves, Autumn Wreath or MacIntosh. After much consideration I went with MacIntosh. So foolish I will soon learn, but I hung the gel by my rear-view mirror anyway.

The NEXT day. I get into my car and smell what I think is apples? Did an apple roll out of my lunch box? Did someone leave apples in my car? There are going to be rotting apples in my car if I can’t find them! I’m now checking under the seats of my car, in between the seat cushions and in console compartments.

Ever have one of those DUH moments? WELL sure enough it hit me like a bus in the night. (duh). My car gel! So thanks Yankee Candle :) April Fools came in October for me. Moral of the story... you shouldn’t try to make your car smell like food products anyway.

I Adore Velour

Today is a cold, miserable, rainy day…the type of day in which I’d much rather be wearing my favorite warm, cozy velour set.

Of course, when I mentioned this to my coworker, April, she reminded me that velour is perfectly acceptable for the office…if you style it right!

So in honor of April's suggestion, I looked through our photo files and found several clever ways to style velour...all of which I'd rather be wearing right now!

How far is too far?

Recently I was lucky enough to enjoy a spa day, thanks to a gift certificate I had received. As I browsed through the menu of services, I noticed a whole section of new procedures they offered performed by their “in-house” physician and medical staff. I know we have become a plastic society, but to me this is pushing it too far. Last time I checked this was a spa, not a doctor’s office.

Spas are becoming a one-stop shop, like the super Walmarts. In one day I could get Angelina Jolie lips (callogen and botox therapy), a massage, get rid of any sun spots or fine wrinkles with a blast of a laser (even that tattoo you thought was a good idea on your 18th birthday can be removed), and melt away my fat with Smartlipo. WHAT?! So basically I can ignore any warnings about wearing sunblock, eat whatever I want and and I don’t have to exercise?! Unfortunately these are the messages being delivered.

They reinforce that it is safe because it is performed by a physician or trained medical staff. With the simplest of procedures, there can always be a complication. On Good Morning America a few days later I saw a story about a Florida woman who is in a coma and brain dead after having liposuction (a routine procedure) at a spa. The doctor, who was fully licensed but not formally trained in this procedure, said there were no complications until the end. They suspect that the complication was due to the use of lidocaine, an anesthetic. It also turns out that the spa did not have the proper licenses to be performing liposuction and the doctor’s attorneys claim he was unaware of this.

In another story in NC a college student died from an overdose of lidocaine. She had received the prescription-strength numbing cream with no prescription, no medical exam and no medical directions. She applied the cream to her legs and was on her way to have laser hair removal treatments done when she had seizures and crashed her car and died.

A spa is not equipped, in my mind, to handle medical procedures. After doing some research about this topic I found that some spas will use a physician’s name to qualify as “medical” in which the doctor is awarded a percentage of the proceeds and the physician is not even present for the procedure and it is left to the estheticians with no guidance. Basically it comes down to being a quick money-maker for the doctor and the spa owner.

Forget about the quick-fixes from a pill, laser or scalpel and apply that sunblock, put the bag of chips down and get exercising! So I will never look as fabulous as our Metrostyle models, but at least I can enjoy my pizza and wine (as long as I take my dogs for that extra walk)!

By Izzy

SHOULDER PADS FREAKING PEOPLE OUT ---------------

Yes, the shoulder pad is back.

For some of us they never left.
Remember the 80’s when big hair and even

bigger shoulders were the height of chic?

Do you want to know a secret?
Shoulder pads make you look thinner
they define your shoulders and make your body look sleeker.
Try them you’ll like them………………………
Start out with thin ones and work your way up.
You will love the compliments !!!!!!

Tips on How to Wear Leggings

Afraid to wear leggings? Well below are some fashion tips on how to look your best wearing leggings?

-Do not expose the bottom or the gap between the mid-thighs. Choose a longer length top which hits the mid-thigh. This elongates the torso and gives proportion.

-Choose a good thick quality fabric. This will keep its shape and thicker leggings not only makes you look slim it will add shape and support.

-Go for black or gray for a more slimming effort.

-Make sure you buy the correct size, one that fits comfortably around the middle.

-Footwear should either be flats, boots especially thigh-high boots to look supper sexy or high-heels like the high-heeled gladiators which are great for a party look.

Now you don’t have an excuse not to buy leggings. Have fun shopping!

By Diane

The look for a whole lot LESS!

Although I am an emplyee for metrostyle, I have to say that we have great fashion for a very affordable price!!! Here are a couple examples of the look for less!!!

Pulling out the winter clothes!

Last night I was thinking...it's time to put away the summer clothes & pull out the winter gear! I'm not quite ready for the cold weather, but after the snow a few days ago, reality set in...I don't have a choice. I could pack up my belongings, retire & find a deserted island filled with hot men or I could stop dreaming. I decided to stop dreaming & pull out my sweaters, thermals, hats, scarves, gloves, boots, coats, winter slippers...the whole shi-bang! Since I refuse to turn on the heat, I ended up wearing half of those items last night while I shed a tear putting away the summer clothes.

While I decided which of these winter items needed dry-cleaning and which I could throw in the wash, I happened to over-hear top fall trends on the E-channel. Suddenly, the frozen tears on my face, started to melt away and I realized the one good thing about the changing of the seasons...I get to shop!

The two piles of clothing suddenly turned into 3: dry-cleaning, washing-machine & goodwill. Once that was done, I realized some of the new items I absolutely needed to buy to make it through this cold winter...at least that's how I decided to rationalize things.

Must-haves for fall: new high boots, leather bomber for nights out and the colorful wool coat for days to the office. To see more must haves checkout the links below:
Fall coat trends
Trends & shopping

by Sally

What to do with digital outtakes?

I love my digital camera. My strategy is to take as many pictures as possible in hopes of capturing that one perfect moment! My dilemma is what to do with all of those shots of the not-so-perfect moments?

My husband and my son both blink their eyes at the most inopportune times, like when I am snapping a picture, and lately my little one has learned to shut his eyes tightly if he knows the flash is coming! The result is lots of photos like this..

And last Christmas Eve the camera took a dip in some chocolate frosting and the shutter hasn't been the same since. It will only open half way on occasion, resulting in photos with an unintentional artsy effect...

So what do I do with these delightful snapshots? They are still capturing a moment in time, just not the moments that I want to frame and hang on my wall. For now I will save them...but I would love to hear what you do with your outtakes...

by Suzy

Soft-pants vs. Athletic Pants

I was talking to my friend about the difference between sweatpants and athletic pants. He introduced me to the term "soft-pants" which is just a fabulous word and I think everyone should start using it!

Soft-pants are great, they're versatile, they could go either way with your mood-
"my boyfriend just dumped me and now I need to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry's and complain about what a jerk he is while watching Divorce Court" OR "I'm having a fantastic day, I'm going to lounge around with my girlfriends, catch up on Gossip Girl and bake cookies!"
(It's all about eating, no matter what the mood.)

Athletic pants are also comfy, but are more appropriate for public venues; Mostly because they are slightly more flattering. I said slightly! They carry a different meaning- "I might go play tennis or go to my dance class" or "I have a flight later today and these elastic waists are less restricting on my belly when I eat all of those airplane peanuts."

Soft-pants are great as pajamas when visiting family at Thanksgiving. Athletic pants are great to wear when preparing Thanksgiving dinner in the wee hours of the morning.

Soft-pants are truly for anyone to wear. Athletic pants I feel, should really only be worn if you exercise or do some sort of sport. You don't have to exercise all the time, just once a year should suffice for owning a pair. See, we're all set! I had a good friend who owned about 10 pairs of athletic pants and only recently did I realize how hilarious it was that he NEVER did anything remotely sporty. His version of getting "dressed up" to go to a family dinner was putting on jeans! Sorry, I digress.

Wear what you wish, whenever you want, just remember, you never know when you might run into a really hot guy (including your significant other), so make sure you look smokin' hot in whatever you're wearing.

p.s. I LOVE my athletic pants and wear them every Saturday, and I look fabulous!
-Kyndall

What to Wear...on HALLOWEEN

Halloween is such a fun holiday...you can dress up to be something completely different than normal! I rarely buy an actual Halloween costume, I usually try to come up with an idea where I can use regular clothes and wear them throughout the year. Like one time I was the Tin (wo)Man from The Wizard of Oz and I wore this sparkly silver dress that I could have easily worn out again on say New Years Eve. It was really easy, I just added silver jewelry, wore a heart necklace, silver shoes and a little funnel on my head that I spray painted silver! It's always cheaper and more fun when you get creative! I am having trouble deciding what to be this year...any suggestions? Here are some ideas for all of you:

Group idea: Try my Wizard of Oz idea...this is great because it doesn't have to be all male or female...one Dorothy, one cowardly lion, one tin man (or woman) and one scarecrow! Add a Toto and you're all set!

If you're an expecting couple (or even if you're not! just pretend on this holiday!): The wife can be Giselle and the husband can be Tom Brady (so simple if you're from New England...lots of men already have jerseys.) Giselle can wear anything from Victorias Secret.

Group of girlfriends: All wear sparkly dresses and carry a briefcase with a number on it! What are you? Deal or No Deal girls!

Now I need some of your ideas! Let me know!!

by LB

In case you didn't know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month - it is a serious disease that affects 1 in 8 women with over 40,000 women and 400 men dying every year. It is the most common cause of cancer in women and second most common cause of death in women in the US. The more we educate ourselves about it, the more prepared we will be to fight (and win!) against it.

Early detection, through monthly breast self-exam and a yearly mammogram after age 40, offers the best chance for survival. 96% of women who find and treat breast cancer early will be cancer-free after five years. These are striking numbers that we just can't ignore - So ladies please do those monthly self-exams and yearly mammograms and together we can stop this in it's tracks.

We here at metrostyle are very serious about the health of our customers and associates, because this disease does not discriminate. Our sister site, Chadwicks.com has launched a line of t-shirts and a portion of the proceeds of the sale goes directly to the American Cancer Society to support the research of breast cancer. Your donations could help us find a cure, because together 'we can all make a change' and kick breast cancer to the curb.

Pop Quiz: What kind of shopper are you?

solo artist: I go alone. It's my personal time to unwind.

partner in crime: I take my best friend. We're honest with each other and she/he gives great advice.

gang's all here: I love going with a group and having a blast.

anti-shopper: I hate shopping! Doesn't matter who I go with...I just want to get it over with.


I love shopping. For me, it's my own personal escape...even if I'm not buying anything, I just love to look and see what's fresh and new.

My problem is my husband...he loves shopping too, and always wants to come with me. I'm torn about this: I love that we have this in common, and he's a great shopping partner. But sometimes, I just need some alone time to do my own thing. Am I being too selfish?

Have you stumbled upon it yet!?

StumbleUpon.com has been my source for entrainment and relief from boredum lately. It’s an Internet community that allows its users to discover and rate randomly selected web pages. And the best part is you can even set a personalized recommendation engine. When your engine is personalized it shows web sites of only the things that you are interested in.

Fashionistas? Discover new designers and the hottest trends. Art enthusiasts? Discover and explore pages of up-and-coming artists by looking at their portfolios and more! ANYTHING your into... StumbleUpon will find for you!

Here’s a few of my recent favorite stumbles...

Fashion & fairy tales

Chanel Bag (haha)









DIY Skinny Jeans

DIY Beaded Tights

Paris style sightings

What will you stumbleupon?
(If you find another good site leave it in the comment box for us! thanks!)

Happy Stumbling... :) More to come soon...

Fashion Envy at the Office

Ever have a coworker whose style you just love, but know you could never pull off? That’s how I feel about our Assistant Art Director, Jackie. Every day she comes into the office looking like a fashion feature from WhoWhatWear.com or People Style Watch magazine.

Take this outfit for example. That day, it was an unseasonably warm 80° in September. I remember starring at my closet that morning wondering, “How can I mix summer and fall styles together without looking like a homeless person?”

Jackie figured it out! She took a fun summer dress and paired it with a boyfriend blazer, and light-colored boots, then layered on a few silver necklaces for measure. I love this look…youthful, yet professional…fresh, interesting and fun. Most of all, I love that she’s not afraid to takes a chance, mixing old with new, and creating her own personalized style.

So next time I find myself starring at my closet with a case of wardrobe paralysis, I think I’m just going to ask myself, “What would Jackie do?”


By: Bren B

It's time to put away the summer clothes!

I was watching the news last night and almost keeled over when I heard it was going to be in the 40's today. I guess the Fall season is really here! On the one hand, I'm upset because I love the summer. On the other hand, I'm excited because I love wearing jeans & sweaters! I love that they can be so versatile. You can dress them up or dress them down...either way they look stylish. You can even add some cute accessories & be really fashion savvy! If you're like me, then you're looking to build up your wardrobe without breaking the bank! There are several ways to do this! You can mix & match the items you have with a few new clothing essentials. I also found an article that talks about "shopping on a budget." Good luck building your wardrobe. Happy Shopping!