:: FRESH FRIDAY:: J. Bolin the Celebrity Stylist

Living a dream

In the global fashion circles, the name J. Bolin is never far away - as such his bond with the world of individualistic style. His fashion fantasies reignited when his goal oriented soul influenced him to live his dreams.

They say a journey starts with a single step, and in knowing that to be true, J. Bolin took that first step. In little time, J. Bolin became a runway success as his lavish fashion shows and eccentric twists of designs of fashion styling caught on with his idiosyncractic-yet-sophisticated clientele. His passion is a big driver for him; he loves what he does. His talent offers him the ability to be happy while making others happy. Jason believes his fashion sense reflects his happiness and hopes this styling will give people permission to be truly who they are.

J. Bolin has judged and coordinated pageants throughout the state of Mississippi, not to mention he styled for Miss Mississippi 2007, Kimberly Morgan. His clientele includes Dewayne Woods, Myron Butler, Onitsha, and many others. Also, he styled for International Fashion Week, he worked with designers: RocaWear, Akademiks, BabyPhat, and Madernnistik Couture to name a few.

His works truly speaks for itself. No explanations needed. From image consulting to men & women's makeovers to Fashion and wardrobe styling to photo shoots, J. Bolin is the master of taking simple and turning it into fabulous.

J. Bolin recently launched his own clothing line - J. Bolin presents nikinikol, an intelligent couture clothing line full of doll inspired pieces to suit grown-up sensibilities and exceed the expectancies one's imgination could ever began to fathom! J. Bolin states that this line embodies the unification of Michelle Obama's impeccable fashion sense and grace meets the youthful glam of Beyonce, and become one in Fashion.

For more information about J. Bolin the Celebrity Stylist and/or to be styled by J. Bolin, please visit: www.myspace.com/jbstylemodels.

Red August will feature fresh individual each Friday at FRESH FRIDAY. Stay tuned!

:: FRESH FRIDAY :: Kenneth's Custom Clothes

Be seen... Be Admired... Bespoken

Kenneth's Custom Clothes is truly the essence of just that...being seen, being admired, and being spoken about amongst those who desire custom clothing. Kenneth's Custom Clothes believes that tailored clothing is one device that enhances, empowers, and delivers a powerful statement of one's self-worth.

Knowing that oftentimes, your appearance speaks before you do, the fashion architect behind the silk ties, the bling-bling studded tops, and custom suits for both men and women - KennethLloyd - believes that every time you are seen, make the best impression you can possibly make. Kenneth's Custom Clothes aspires to become your preferred choice in bepoken style and expression while providing each customer with high quality garments, coupled with outstanding selection, sales, and service, at a competitive price.

Choosing Kenneth's is choosing a garment that not only fits you but strongly compliments your uniqueness because its created to your specificity and exactly according to your conception!

For more information about how to be seen...be admired...bepsoken, contact Kenneth's Custom Clothes at: 2kennethlloyd@gmail.com.

Red August will feature a fresh individual each Friday at FRESH FRIDAY. Stay tuned!

Tis the season for savvy shopping (& saving)...

Whether shopping online or in the stores, there is a sale going on everywhere…free shipping with purchase, up to 60% off, additional 20% off of clearance, and on & on. Yes, a lot of it has to do with weak sales, but you know what it is buyer's season! That's right, with prices and deals this good, you have to get it!

Red August cares enough to share. Here are a few tips sure to work :

• Don't get stuck – Wondering what to do with nonreturnable gifts or purchases? You can sell or trade them online at Amazon.com's Marketplace, Half.com, eBay, and Craigslist. Or visit Swapagift.com, CertificateSwap.com and Cardavenue.com. You can also trade CDs, DVDs and video games at Zunafish.com. Finally, you could donate your unwanted items to charity, as long as they are in good condition. You could even qualify for a tax deduction with the IRS, but you'll need to check with your tax advisor to be sure. Sites such as Salvationarmyusa.org have information on how much you can write off for common household items.

• Dare to compare – Visit comparison-shopping sites like Coolsavings.com, PriceGrabber.com, Shopping.com, Shopzilla.com and Froogle.com. You'll find merchant coupons, price and feature comparisons, and rebate information product reviews.
  
• Be in the know– Sign up for your favorite store's online newsletter to get subscriber-only coupons and advance notice of sales. This site maintains a list of thousands of current codes national retailers are using online.
  
• Shop safely – Do not reply or click on links in Holiday emails from retailers. Instead, type their website address into your browser. This will help protect against 'phishers' using fake email and web addresses.
  Remember to secure your computer by getting the latest updates and virus/spyware protection before starting your online shopping adventure.
  And before you proceed to checkout, look for the locked padlock icon in your browser. This lets you know that you're at a secure site and your transaction is encrypted.

Happy shopping (& saving)!


Sources: Kiplinger.com ; Kiplinger.com Savvy Shopping Quiz; TheMotleyFool.com

For the men: shoes & belts

Men, you already know that women do pay attention to details. So here is some advice to adhere to as soon as possible. Simply stated, here it is:

Match your belt with your shoes. If you're wearing black shoes, put on a black belt. And the same holds true for brown too. If you're wearing brown (or any shade of it) shoes, the shoes require a brown (or any shade of it) belt.

michelle o. and shoes...

(Veronica, available at www.samantashoes.com $250)

I'm sure you've seen the pictures and/or heard the stories about Michelle Obama's sense of style - well at least about her clothes. But we don't hear much about her shoes! (ladies, we all know the shoes are equally important, if not more!)

(Jeweled Slingback, available at www.neimanmarcus.com $1,190)

Standing 5'll'', surely she wears a size 10 or larger. (heck, I'm 5'8'' and, proportionally, my shoe size is a 10.) Oftentimes, during the campaign trail and beyond, Michelle was spotted wearing black heels with at least an inch or lower heel. (yes, I remember those white kitten shoes!) With Barack being almost 6'2'', it probably explains why she did and still do. (well along with all the standing and walking, she probably made comfort her #1 priority.) plus, her outifts were oftentimes hot! (with the exception of that dress that she wore on election night at grant's park....horrible!) so which is it: does the shoes complement the outift or does the outfit complement the shoes?

ok, back to the lecture at hand...

(Gigi, available at suartweitzman.com $405)

With all the talk about her dress for the Inauguration Ball (cause many are being planned, but the President-elect gets to choose which are official or which are not), I can't help but think of what will her shoes look like?

Kitten heel? Flats? High Heel?

Metallic Leather? Black? Satin? Suede? Studs? Clear? (I hope not!)
Which designers? Samanta? Manolo? Bettye Muller? Moschino? Stuart Weitzman? Louboutin?

Which ever pair of shoes the First Lady-to be have on with that ball gown, I'm almost certain, it'll be fierce yet classy, a "head turner" yet modest, chic yet graceful...just like how Michelle has presented herself.

(Slingback Sandal, available at www.neimanmarcus.com $665)