I often hear clients say things like, “I’m just not cool enough for Tibi.” Or another one: “I just don’t like oversized clothes—they make me look big.” Another favorite is, “I just don’t get it.” I’m here to tell you that you are cool enough, Tibi has plenty of fitted pieces, and oversized doesn’t make you look big. Sometimes you need an oversized piece to balance an outfit or create a sense of ease. I promise that if you try some of the pieces, you’ll get it.

Last week we announced that Amy Smilovic, the Founder and Creative Director of Tibi, will be coming to our store for not just one event, but two. On Wednesday evening, we'll host a Book Club discussion of Almost Reckless with Amy from 6:00–8:00 p.m.

I have been in retail for 24 years. As I typed that sentence, I kind of had to take a deep breath, as that is a really long time. I can say with confidence that I have worked with hundreds of brands. I can also say with confidence that the brand that has been the best to work with has been Tibi. This is not to say that there are not a lot of other great brands to work with; I am not saying that. I could give a long list of wonderful brands and sales representatives.

Last year my husband had his 5-year scan after a bout with an exceptionally rare sinus cancer in 2020. As most people know, especially those who have had cancer, this scan is a big marker. You are supposed to breathe a sigh of relief once it is done, and we did, but we found out last week that my husband's cancer has returned, almost exactly 6 years later - outside the realm of what is likely, but cancer does not keep calendars.

It’s finally here! The Alexandria Sidewalk Sale starts this weekend, and at The Shoe Hive, we’re kicking it off a little early. The sale officially starts citywide on Friday, but we got our red pens out and marked everything down early. Start shopping online or in-store on Thursday, August 13, and get in early for the best selection.

We also kick off August with two great citywide events in Old Town. The first is Virginia’s Tax-Free Weekend. It always starts on the first Friday in August, which this year is August 9, and runs all weekend. During this weekend, stores do not have to charge sales tax on clothing, shoes, and school supplies priced under $100.

As a shopkeeper, I can say with confidence that store owners are ready for these two weekends in August: Virginia Tax-Free Weekend, August 7–9, followed by the Alexandria Sidewalk Sale the next weekend, August 14–16. These two citywide events are a sign that summer is winding down and fall is just around the corner.

When I tell people I own a store one of the first comments usually is: I would love to go to market with you. As a store owner, it is the most fun part of the job and also the most stressful. Despite the fact that I have been doing this for 24 years now, I still question myself. Also, as the store grows so do the orders. Which is what you want, but sometimes when I place an order my nerves can take over a bit.

Our items on the shelves are starting to dwindle and the Alexandria Sidewalk Sale is around the corner. Despite it being the end, we have more items than we would like to have at this point: over 600 to be exact. So in an effort to move a little more before we start the sidewalk sale in a few weeks, we are doing an extra 20 percent off sale for the weekend.

In case you have not heard yet, I have big news: this is the year we are really changing up our shoe selection. I have been trying to figure out how to bring life back to the shoe section and hoping these new additions do the trick. I tend to pick up new brands based on the theory that if I am paying retail for them at another store for my personal collection, they must be good.

We just marked all sale shoes, clothing, and accessories to 60 percent off, and there are so many items that I have in my own closet. So I thought I would share my top 10 picks. They're my top picks because I own and wear them—in fact, I've worn all of them this spring and summer.

I know everyone is sick of hearing about sets, but there isn’t a season that goes by when we don’t have a ton of different options. This summer is no different. There are sets for all occasions, and we keep getting more in every week. The set trend also isn’t going anywhere. I just got back from Resort Market, and it was, once again, all about sets. Read more about that later in Alexandria Stylebook.

Dressing in the summer can be a real pain, especially if you are not a sundress girl—which I am not. I really wish it wasn’t the case, but it is. Of course, I wear a ton of Tibi, but sometimes I just need really casual options. I think a lot of our clients do as well.

Even though we just unpacked our final shipment of Tibi Summer, we also just unpacked our first delivery of Tibi fall. This is the first of three fall deliveries and it always starts with what Tibi calls the fundamentals–pieces that you know work, help you feel like yourself, but also help you wear more creative pieces because they make the rest of your outfit feel grounded. Tibi would call these the WOFs or the Without Fails, and as a Tibi loyalist, I couldn’t agree more.

It’s hard to believe the Fourth of July holiday is past and we are headed for yet another summer sale markdown. I always feel like July 4th is really the true start of summer. We still have tons of great warm-weather items on sale, and the prices keep getting better. All sale clothing is now marked at 50 percent off, both in-store and online. Shoes and handbags are 60 percent off as well.

What is that line? “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Okay, so this post isn’t about an invention; this item existed, but not in the way I had wanted it to. I had actually been thinking about this or trying to find the right version for a decade. Well, over a decade - ever since I started wearing reading glasses when I turned 40.

I mentioned in last week's earlier post that all people want to wear in the DC summer heat is a bathing suit or a dress. It really is a horrible time of the year to have to confront your closet. Sometimes you don’t want to put on an expensive dress because you know it will take on sweat, sunscreen or maybe even sand and salt if you are at the beach.

Sale time means we have to try and keep up with what other brands are doing for markdowns. Just so you know, we will always price match our competitors during our sale time. So if you see something marked down lower than what we have it priced at, let us know and we will match it.

When the temperatures rise as they seem to be doing there are only two options for getting dressed. One is putting on a bathing suit and going to the pool; the second is throwing on a dress. It is really the only way. We always try and make sure we are stocked with all different options, from casual to event dressing.

I have to give credit to finding this next line to my algorithm. A tank dress from Sold Out NYC popped up as Vogue’s must-have summer dress. It really was such a great cut, and as I clicked through to find out more information, it was also at a great price. I really felt like this was the t-shirt line I had been trying to find for so many years.