May 25, 2019 • Markeia Gordon

Philip Teal Blog

A Re- introduction to personal style

Fashion should be fun for all women. Every woman and teen girl should know what it’s like to feel beautiful and comfortable in their clothing. While the fashion industry has begun to embrace a more inclusive model, there are still large gaps that need filling. In a world of fast fashion, elegant, refined,

classy woman are finding it increasingly difficult to outfit ourselves. Don’t get me wrong there’s a bad B#*%? In all of us. But our wardrobe should be as diverse as our moods. We need options! What a woman wears is an outward expression of who she is. Her clothing can make a statement she dare not speak. So why in 2019 are plus size women still sliced into two categories? We have the overtly sexy and the plain sometimes in season but most times from three seasons ago options. Personal style should never be sacrificed. Style is a woman’s calling card. It should not be limited by what’s available on the rack. Over the past decade online retail has exploded. Resulting in more options at better prices. However, there is still the element of personal style missing from most online retailers. A simple scroll down anyone’s instagram feed will result in you seeing the same items in different colors offered by different brands. Not much diversity in style and very much on trend. So, what are the plus size trend setters left to do? One option is to find a seamstress. The other option

is to buy from brands like Philipteal.com where personal style is our mission .

Behind the scenes look

Today is our first day in our new space. We have searched high and low for just the right fit. Finally, we found it. I’m up early eager to engage staff and discuss all the moving pieces. I take one last look around the empty space while thinking Philipteal.com is now a reality. I trail the floor plan we previously laid out making sure all the racks will properly fit. Fed Ex interrupts my thoughts as I signed for yet another delivery. Over the past eighteen-months, I’ve seemed to put my John Hancock on what seems like a million deliveries. This time it’s just hang-tags.
My phone goes off with a notification. “ philipteal.com model casting”. I’m thankful for technology as I’ve once again booked things a bit to close together. I rush out the space and head to the casting.

I’m on time. In walks a beautiful natural redhead with the bone structure of a Greek goddess. I think wow she’s stunning but none of our samples will fit her. We thank her for her time and proceed to sit through twenty-two straight size sample models. Disappointed in the lack of plus size models; we agree to place the ad again. This time stressing philipteal.com, plus size model needed. Dashing to make the train for the fashion district ;where our art director insisted on meeting. Once there I completely understand the necessity. Thumbing threw aisles of material a great find was discovered. “Vegan leather”I screech! I’m not talking that PU stuff, I’m talking real quality vegan leather. I’m in love. Just in time for fall philipteal.com, Bella Ella collection was missing this and we had no idea. Exhausted from the morning,I head back to our perfect space just in time to catalogues a tone of invoices. The day ends with calls to our manufacturer; followed by a philipteal.com pre-launch strategy meeting. It’s not all glitz’s and glamour launch a brand. It’s hard work, sacrifice and dedication. We do it because we love it. We do it because,You Deserve It!

18 Months And Counting

If you’ve been following us on social media, then you know we are in the pre- launch phase. You may have wondered why the pre- launch, instead of just launching. The truth is we are not a retail giant. We are a collective group of like minded individuals with a vision. Everyone on our current team has joined by answering the ( philipteal.com) sos for their special skill set.
Take Jess for example, our web designer. She became a part of our team by simply replying to a comment on Facebook. We found our photographers by crashing a photo shoot already in progress. Please don’t ask how we found most of our Manufacturers; the L.A. fashion district would never forgive us. And,while it’s taken us 18 months just to get to this point,the journey has been well worth it. Every painstaking task has resulted in the production of beautiful, ready to wear plus size garments. We are so proud of the philipteal.com brand. We know once you receive your philipteal.com merchandise you will be too.Every stitch was sewn with you in mind. The color pallet for our Bella Ella collection, was crafted to mix and match while making a statement. Every woman wants clothing that speak to who she is. Let philipteal.com be your voice. You Deserve It!

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Summer Styles We Are Obsessed With

While we aren’t set to launch until the beginning of fall; we’ve been keeping our fingertips on the pulse of summers hottest trends. This past week you may have come across our obsession post on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. The Philip Teal, team is working overtime on our newest collection set to debut in January of 2020. To assist with the creative process, the team was asked to develop a vision board full of their summer fashion obsessions. From time to time our social media specialist will post the teams most identified items.

This week our team identified the iconic flare leg pant; a fashion note worth obsessing over. Philipteal.com style team, still has love for the skinny leg pant, but are over the moon with the return of flares. It’s no secret that founder and CEO of Philipteal.com has a visible love affair for all things funky. The flare leg has and remains a staple for the funk tribe of fashion. Here at Philipteal.com, we pride ourselves on maintaining personal style. We applaud the fashion risk takers and hopefully amplify the importance of moving the culture forward. Personal style is all about incorporating trends while remaining true to ones own fashion identity. Our Bella Ella collection is a unique blend of classic design with a funky twist. It’s not often the two are merged seamlessly, but we’ve dedicated 18 months to the possibility.We are confident we have done the unthinkable in this collection. In August 2019 join the philipteal.com family as we re- introduce personal style with a flare. Keep a look out for what the philipteal.com team is obsessed with and join our newsletter for a 20% off Promo Code. Remember to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Check back here every Sunday to read our latest blog.

It's Not To Late To Spring Clean. 5 Tips To Help You Get Started

With July quickly approaching you may be left wondering if spring every came. Unfortunately for us northerners the transition into summer never really happened. Sure we had some sunny days, but if we’re honest our spring felt more like fall. Weeks of over cast and raining weekends made it hard to spring into the newness of summer. As a result many of us skipped our annual spring cleaning ritual. You know the ritual, where you set out totally ambitious. Proclaiming to all, how this year you’ll actually follow through with donating the stuff you stored in the garage. It’s okay, don’t beat yourself up. We at Philip Teal have some pretty exciting news. “It’s not to late”! Sure it’s not spring anymore but a summer purge is just as good as a spring purge. Below we complied a simple how to list to help you achieve your goal.

Scheduling

Set a date and time frame to complete the task. Mark the date and time in your phone as you would any other appointment. This will help you avoid scheduling conflicts. You won’t feel rushed or if your squeezing it in between social obligations or that great yoga class.

2. Have a Plan

Don’t just wing it. Plan out what you want the spring cleaning to accomplish. Having a plan will help with knowing where to start. We suggest taking it one closest or room at a time.

3. Make it Fun

Try not to approach it as a chore. Crank up your favorite tunes and rediscover some awesome tracks. Allow yourself to reminisce over an item. Put on a mini fashion show just for yourself.

4. Just toss it

Follow the rule of thumb on this one. If you haven’t worn it in over a year, it no longer serves you. It’s best to donate an amazing item to someone who needs it, than to keep it hidden away in your closet.

5. Store it by the door

Store your items to be donated by your front door. It will be an eyesore you will happily want to get rid of. Putting it in an out of the way place will not remind you to drop it off.

These are just a few tips to get you started. Clearing out the clutter will help you focus on your capsules wardrobe. You will be ready for fall and our Bella Ella collection. With a re- introduction to personal on the way, your sure to be grateful you completed your spring cleaning.

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Get Out of Your Fashion Rut

Before you can breakout of your fashion rut, you need to determine if your in one. If you have a capsule wardrobe that you update with on trend items every season, you are not in a fashion rut. In fact you are a smart shopper with personal style. You know what you like and what items you will wear again and again. But, if your go to for every casual event is a silk blouse of some sort and denim, you may be in a fashion rut.

At some point you decided this style works for you and you stuck with it. Maybe the first three or four outfits got rave reviews, and you were swinging in complements. But over time it’s become your go to instead of your style. A great place to start would be by defining your style. Take a look at your lifestyle and the options that you already have.Keep those elements and take a chance by adding others. If you wear a blazer most times, try replacing it with a light weight moto jacket. Try a new cut with your denim. If you normally go for a wide leg try out a skinny leg. If a dress is offered in two different prints, purchase the print you normally wouldn’t. Forgo yoga pants,

instead go for a slim fitting jogger.

Take small step out of your fashion comfort zone. The little changes you make will impact your wardrobe a great deal. The impact will inspire you to seek new and creative ways to stay stylish and keep you rut free.

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Out Reddit Debacle

In recent weeks there has been a major shift on our part towards visual ads. As our launch rapidly approaches, we thought now would be an ideal time, to preview our Bell Ella collection. Our media team has worked hard to post different visual ads to various outlets. This past Friday the team thought it would be a great idea to post on REDDIT. They carefully selected several plus size groups and began to post. Within a matter of minutes we began to received feedback.

The comments ranged from displeasure to outright rage! All, of the comments where directed towards the models used in the ad. One user wrote " This ad is laughable" . Another person wrote " You should be going up to a size 30" And then there where the direct messages, many of them stating the models should be size 20 and up.

The negative out-pour was unexpected to say the least and a bit confusing. The media team worked overtime to politely respond to all post and inboxes. They thanked everyone personally for their honesty and insight. Afterwards a debate was sparked by a staffer; asking if we are an inclusion brand? Some staffers argued that we where; while others argued that we where not. Both sides made valid points and all arguments where taking under consideration. But,in the end it came down to this; our first collection is already completed. Inclusion is something we can visit in our upcoming collection and collections to come.

The truth is everyone can't sit at the Philip Teal table. While we wish things where different, at this time we just aren't able to accommodate everyone. As our support and brand grows, so will our table's capacity and size range. Until then we are focused on providing quality garments to our identified demographics. As with anything just starting, you have to start somewhere. We just so happen to pick the middle as our starting point.

The exchange on REDDIT could be viewed as a negative, however we choose to view it as insightful. With just one post we learned the needs and desires of many. We want all of our future costumes to know that we heard you and we are listening.

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How Procrastination Affects Your Style

On my best days things just seem to click into place. My hair is agreeable, my skin is flawless and my outfit looks just right. But, after some careful reflection, I realized that none of the above is true. My hair is agreeable because it’s been recently styled. My skin looks great because I’ve been taking care of it. My outfit is just right because I took time to coordinate, press and or steam it.

While others may view the end result as an effortless style; the truth is it did take some effort on my part.

If I prep for a social event in advance my results are likely to be great. However, when I wait till the last minute it’s a 50% chance my results will look great. The other 50% of the time I’m concerned about a flawed zipper or a loose button. My look isn’t always as polished as I like, resulting in small subtle insecurities.

Procrastinating has affected my style on an everyday occasion also. I can not tell you how many times I’ve thrown something together at the last minute. Those are always the days co- workers wanna grab cocktails after work; or a family engagement pops up. Sometimes it’s just as simple as running into the hot UPS guy while in the waiting area.

Let’s face it, our style suffers when we procrastinate. Leaving everything to the last minute is no way for a fashionista to live. Rather it’s a button you missed before leaving the house or a missed opportunity to sashay in front of your crush. Procrastinating with you style is getting you know where fast.

Here are a few tips to help you from procrastinating when it comes to your style.

1. Plan for the week ahead

If your friends like to go out during the week, pre- select outfits that go from day to night with ease.

2. Check it before you rock it

Take a look at each garment the night before wearing it. This will allow you to see any flaws before hand. Identifying a rip or stain prior to wearing an item can make a huge impact on how you present to the world.

3. Plan to Iron and Steam

No one wants to iron a weeks worth of clothing. But, if you must why not do it while watching that favorite show? It might prevent you from snacking as well *Bonus *

4. Accessorize

Matching your metals is always a good idea. A great place to start is with your handbag of the day.Matching your metals to your hardware on belt buckles and shoes will give you an awesome polished look.

We hope theses tips helped.

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