It seems that every year the retail world is ready to pack up the current season well before we’re ready to let it go. I was the victim of such retail haste around the Fourth of July, when I went searching for deck furniture. To my surprise, the selection was meager, and what stock remained, while on clearance (always a plus), was either mismatched or missing pieces. And finding a market umbrella? Virtually impossible.
The shopping excursion got me to thinking. Since when did Fourth of July signal the end of summer? Sure, it may fall in the middle of the season, halfway between Memorial Day and Labor Day, but we still had a good two months of summer left. We still hadn’t endured the dog days of summer or enjoyed the baseball All-Star game and already the stores were gearing up for their back-to-school sales. It was enough to make me wonder if Saint Nick was lurking in some nearby mall.
Which leads me to this month. Okay, I’ll admit it: now that it’s August, we must acknowledge that summer is winding down. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. For parents, August brings the anticipation of the start of school, while for kids it’s the time to make the best of the days before school starts. And for those who pride themselves on style, it’s the time to think about fall fashions. CRL is here to help. With the expertise of Allison Meyers of Seemless Clothing Consulting, and the talent of photographer Tom MacGregor, this month features one fabulous dress with three completely different looks, a guide to selecting the most flattering jeans for your body type (I already know which jeans I’m going to purchase!), and a showcase of a few must-have accessories. We also worked with Mark Thomas Men’s Apparel to give our male readers some great fall looks.
Thought it’s hard to believe that we’re just on the cusp of fall, to me, the shorter days and crisper evenings signify an exciting change ahead. Until then, savor the remaining days of summer!
Enjoy!
Mary Beth Galarneau
marybeth@crlmag.com