high quality, authentic designer handbags, purses and accessories that reflect your unique style

Urban Outfitters seems to be a prestigious name in retailing, but it wasn't until just a few days ago that I learned about Anthropologie. If you haven't heard, seen, or been in an Anthropologie retail store, you are missing an experience, I kid you not.

After visiting the store, I dug up some numbers that shocked me. Here's one that really left an impression: the typical Anthropologie customer spends eighty minutes in the store per visit. Eighty -- that's one and a third hours on each visit. How much time do you think the average customer spends with other retailers? Fifteen minutes. That's an amazing number that should convey loads about the feel of the stores.

Anthropologie was founded to capitalize on patrons of the Urban Outfitters store who outgrew UA's fashions. As such, the target market for Anthropologie clothing is a 30 to 40'ish sophisticated woman with high discretionary income. Not a bad niche to target!

Ask ten women what they think of Anthropologie and you'll likely get . . . one opinion! Almost unanimously, people love the store, but aren't crazy about the prices. Granted, they are high, but for good reason. Anthropologie is very selective and exclusive with their clothing lines, and just about everything you find in a store is limited edition. Heck, they even have a good number of one-of-a-kind items!

These items tend to fly off of the shelves, leaving oddball items scattered about, but that leads to an opportunity for shoppers: namely, sales racks. There are quite a few discounted items if you're not against searching, which I'm sure contributes to the long shopping visits.

What impresses me the most about Anthropologie clothes is the distinctive styling. Their clothes include a lot of flowery prints, laces, and delicate details, but look classy and sophisticated at the same time. The feeling that I get is that it's a clothing line for beautiful women who don't feel they need to reveal half of their bodies to look attractive. Home run, I'd say.

If you're really looking for a bargain, you can find discount Anthropologie clothing online - not through the Anthropologie store, but through other retailers. I can't imagine that these items are wholesale, and with the high turnover in clothing, I would doubt it's made up of last season's items either, but the price is attractive!

Here's the bottom line: if you haven't yet stepped foot in an Anthropologie store, find out if there's one in the vicinity. It really is a great shopping experience. But beware of the prices!

There is no woman who doesn't love a pair of pants which flatters her figure. Pants which fit properly can make you look great, but if you have pants which are too tight they can draw attention to areas you would rather have go unnoticed. There can be creases, bulging and the zipper may slide partially open - all of which makes the wearer appear to be overweight. A well fitting pair of pants can cover up imperfections and lend an attractive silhouette to the wearer. Everyone wants to look their best; part of this is getting clothes which fit properly.

Before shopping for a new pair of pants, take careful and accurate measurements. This way, you'll be able to shop for the right size from the get-go. Take a look at this chart to find your size from your measurements; the measurements are given in both inches and centimetres to help you in online clothes shopping.

Size | Waist | Hips
10 (S) | 70cm (27 inches) | 97cm (38 inches)
12 (S) | 75cm (29 inches) | 102cm (40 inches)
14 (M) | 80cm (31 inches) | 107cm (42 inches)
16 (M) | 85cm (33 inches) | 112cm (44 inches)
18 (L) | 90cm (35 inches) | 117cm (46 inches)
20 (L) | 95cm (37 inches) | 122 cm (48inches)
22 (XL) | 100cm (39 inches) | 127 cm (50 inches)
24 (XL) | 105 cm (41 inches) | 132 cm (52 inches)
26 (2XL) | 110 cm (43 inches) | 137 cm (54 inches)
28 (2XL) | 115 cm (45 inches) | 142 cm (56 inches)
30 (3XL) | 120 cm (47 inches) | 147 cm (58 inches)

When using the chart, go with the larger measurement of your hips or waist to determine the size to look for. If you have a 95 centimetre waist and 127 centimetre hips, then a size 22 is what you should be looking for. Even if the pants fit around your waist just fine, if they don't give you a proper fit around the hips, they're not going to work.

When you take hip measurements make sure you take it at the widest point. If the tops of the thighs are wider than the hips use the widest point to get a good fit. Some companies create their own sizing chart and you need to use their measurements. These are the traditional sizing.

Measure your inseam. If you have shorter legs, it's always best to have the pant touch the top of the shoe without excess hanging over. Allow the back of the pant hem to brush the middle of the back of your shoe. Use a petite size if your inseam is less than 75 cm or 29 inches. For those that have inseams at 29 inches, it's best to get a regular and adjust the length yourself if necessary. Those whose inseam is 82 cm (32 inches) or longer need to look at the tall sizing.

A gathered waist emphasizes weight so stick with straight pants to disguise a large hip and waist but use a longer jacket length to hide it. In an effort to hide their extra weight, some women select baggy or loose fitting pants. These actually make the person wearing them look larger. Short-legged women can use tiny vertical stripes to make their legs look longer and give the illusion of height. A wide belled bottom actually is best for the longer legged woman.

By taking accurate measurements, you'll make the process of finding the perfect pants much easier. Take your measurements honestly; these are only for you to see remember - this will ensure a better fit which will flatter your figure and help you to look your best.

A felt cowboy hat is not exactly cheap. So it is worth your while to take good care of it. If you take good care of it, it will not only last you longer but it will look every bit as good as it did when you bought it!

Prevention is better than cure! That adage is equally applicable to felt cowboy hats. This means that you should do everything to keep the hat from getting soiled. That includes washing your hands before picking it up. This is important because cleaning a felt cowboy hat is really difficult. Besides, too much cleaning can actually damage the material.

Another thing to bear in mind to prevent the hat from getting all messed up is to handle the hat only by the brim, back and front. Resist the temptation to hold it by the crown. Using the brim to pick up the hat or to position it on your head will help to keep the hat in good shape too. An out-of-shape hat will say the same thing about you.

When you're not wearing it, store the hat away in its original hat box. If you don't have the original hat box, then find another one of suitable size to accommodate your hat. Never leave the hat lying around on a table or other exposed place. Do you know the proper way to keep a hat in storage? The proper way to store a hat is upside down! Store it on its crown not on its brim. The brim will "wilt" with the weight of the hat if it is stored for any great length of time. If you choose to hang the hat on a hat stand, then of course, the hat goes right side up!

Protect the hat from strong heat sources. That means you don't leave the hat near the radiator or the furnace. Doing so will shrink the sweat band and that means you'll not be able to get the hat to fit you again!

Protect the hat from getting wet. Water is enemy number one. In case it does get wet let the hat dry out normally and naturally. Be careful not to try to hasten the process by using a blower or, worse, a hair drier! The brim has a tendency to lose shape when it gets wet. To get the weight of the hat off the brim when you let it stand to dry, turn the sweat band inside out, and rest the hat on the sweat band instead. When the hat dries out, do what you can to reshape the sweat band and the rest of the hat to its original appearance and shape.

A felt cowboy hat will tolerate a little rain, now and again. But it will really be better if you use a hat cover for those rainy days.

Your felt cowboy hat has a tendency to lose shape real fast and get dirty just as quickly. If you follow these tips, your hat will remain in prime condition for a great many years. Maybe your felt cowboy hat may turn into a real heirloom, yet!

A felt cowboy hat is not exactly cheap. So it is worth your while to take good care of it. If you take good care of it, it will not only last you longer but it will look every bit as good as it did when you bought it!

Your great looking felt cowboy hat won't look great if it is all grimy and dirty. Getting the dirt out of a felt cowboy hat is the devil itself. The felt is likely to get damaged in the process, too. As the old saying goes: 'An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure'. It means that instead of spending time over cleaning the hat up, it will be better not to let the hat get soiled in the first place! The most common reason of soilage is the sweat and grime that gets transferred from your hands to the hat when you pick it up, or position it on your head. Moral: Make sure your hands are clean afore touching that felt cowboy hat.

Another point is that you should handle the hat by the brim, not the crown. The hat will lose its shape the more you push and pull the crown. The crown will be cleaner too.

Keep the felt cowboy hat in its own box. If you don't have the box for the hat, then hang the hat on a hat stand. The hat should be stored upside down to help it keep its shape.

Protect the hat from strong heat sources. That means you don't leave the hat near the radiator or the furnace. Doing so will shrink the sweat band and that means you'll not be able to get the hat to fit you again!

Don't let the hat get wet. If by chance it does get wet, then dry it out very carefully! You may have to reshape the brim. Let it dry naturally. Turn the sweat band inside out. Then rest the hat on the sweat band. When the hat dries out, reshape the sweat band and the rest of the hat into its original form.

A good quality felt cowboy hat can take an occasional drizzle. Still, if you value your felt cowboy hat you will use a hat cover. Use the hat cover when you're wearing the hat outdoors and it looks like rain. Using the hat cover to keep the hat dry will add years to its life.

I hope you understood the tips in this article. They'll help in keeping your felt cowboy hat in perfect condition for a long time to come.