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Capsule Dressing–the savvy shopper’s secret weapon.  If you’re unfamiliar with the term, here’s a quick refresher.  Also known as ‘wardrobe planning’, the goal is to create groupings of clothes that coordinate with each other, giving you as many looks as possible using the fewest number of pieces.  Not only does this create variety and versatility in your wardrobe  (let’s face it, who wants to wear the same thing all the time?),  but it gives you the most bang for your buck.

Can’t you see yourself in this delightful palette of aqua, white and espresso?  Envision only having to pack these 7 pieces for your next vacation.  Think of all the space you’d have for shoes!  Everything you need for a day of boutique shopping…to an evening out…a romp at the beach…even a sudden change in the weather won’t leave you out in the cold!

Capsule dressing isn’t just meant for travel…spice up any casual lifestyle by incorporating these playful ensembles.  These seven pieces can create 15 different combinations.  That’s just $27.60 per look.

1) Lucy (Aqua) $62

2) Kathy (Aqua) $98

3) Reversible tank (White) $38

4) Drew tank (Mykonos) $44

5) Deb (Ziggy print) $54

6) Bermuda shorts (White) $50

7) Yoga pants (Espresso) $68

 

What happens when you add your favorite pair of jeans to the mix?  7 more fabulous outfits!  That’s just $18.82 per outfit.  Amazing, right?!  But, don’t stop there.  You can build a capsule with as little as 5 pieces (2 tops, 2 bottoms and 1 jacket) to accommodate any lifestyle from professional businesswoman to stay-at-home mom .  All you have to do is select complimentary styles in a coordinating palette of solids and prints.

Clothing retailers are finally catching on to the value of capsule dressing, so it’s not surprising that many catalogs and style magazines offer their own version.  However, only kika’s custom dye option gives you the freedom to build a totally customizable wardrobe–your best styles in your best colors, tailored to your lifestyle and needs.

Exercise your shopping prowess by joining the growing ranks of clever consumers.  Contact your kikaPaprika Wardrobe Consultant to get started building your personalized capsule today.  Feel the power!

If you’re as excited as we are over the unparalleled color choices available this season then we think you’ll flip for Azure…another show stopping spring hue that pulls its saturated richness and characteristic vibrancy straight from the ocean’s depths.

No matter your lifestyle, here’s one way you can create slimming sophistication–by colorblocking  Azure with black.  For a fun day of shopping or strolling the boardwalk, don the Roxy vest, tied at the bust, with black Capri leggings & ballet flats.   For a day at the office, top our hip Harlow skirt with the Victoria tee–it’s adjustable cowl neckline creates a dramatic focal point, and for instant desk to dinner appeal simply wear it off the shoulder.  Or, add a little funk to your weekend with the asymmetry of the Sophie jacket.  Finish your look with leggings & your favorite boots.

So, if your wardrobe has been singing the blues, why not spark new life into it today with Azure’s electric current of bold color?

 

Are you wallowing in a wardrobe rut?  You know what we are talking about…always wearing the same old thing the same old way.  Whether your ‘daily grind’ pictures you plugging away in a puce painted cubicle or sedately sipping Starbucks in a stylish cafe, there needn’t be anything routine or predictable about your attire.

Each morning the clothes in your closet should clamor over each other, shouting to be worn…and if you’ve got a closet full of kika, it will!  Why?  Because with a little imagination & kika’s famous versatility you’ll never run out of new ways to pair and wear your favorite pieces.

Here are a few ideas to help you get those gears turning.

                     

Try thinking of it more like Garanimals for adults–your kika clothes love to play with others.  Translation: 1 piece worn different ways equals many looks!  Here we’ve taken the trendy coral Elyse top & created two totally different looks.

 

 Your closet is a party looking for a body to happen.  Each outfit is like a guest…and trust me, nobody wants to show up wearing the same thing!  Sometimes the solution may be as simple as adjusting a neckline and changing your jewelry!

 

 

Your wardrobe should reflect your individual style personality.  Did you know that your personal Wardrobe Consultant is trained to help you customize your look through color, fit, and accessories to create combinations as unique and eye-catching as the wearer?

 

Lastly, when each item in your closet pulls double, triple or even quadruple duty, not only does it trumpet an end to dressing doldrums, it also heralds your shopping savvy–talk about value dressing!

If you find yourself with a closet full of orphans with no “body” to play with, maybe it’s time you invited a few new kika friends to get the party started.  Your closet will thank you.

Citrus is the perfect fresh hue for Summer, whether you choose a paler shade in any of our organic cotton content garments or a deeper shade in one of our Tencel pieces. Make Citrus the basis of your outfit, or add a flash of this fresh color with a vest or scarf!

Here we paired our Citrus Jessica with a White Drew and our Navy Twill Capris, achieving two distinct looks with the same pieces, both comfortable yet stylish ensembles for Summer.  Squeeze a little kika Citrus into your wardrobe and  boost your spirits as well as your style!

 

 

We were recently reading an article about franchise opportunities and were struck by the huge similarities with the opportunity that we offer to our kikaPaprika Wardrobe Consultants throughout the country. The article, written by Jonathan Maze of the Franchise Times, reviewed 5 great franchises (which included Noodles and Company, College Hunks Hauling Junk, and Once Upon a Child), what made them hits and reasons to franchise instead of starting an independent business in the same field.

Here are some of the key benefits of a franchise:

Brand Recognition – When entrepreneurs buy a franchise they have the power of a national brand. What independent business owner can get that kind of recognition right away?

Unknowns are minimized – Franchisees have a much better handle on start up costs than someone starting a business from scratch.

Support – Franchisors provide training and ongoing support from headquarters.

Collective buying – As costs go up many independents struggle and go out of business. Franchisees get the benefit of a larger system that can negotiate lower costs.

Recessionary protection – Franchisors get paid on gross sales, they get paid whether the franchisee earns a profit or not so they are less susceptible to the ups and downs of the market.

Tougher audience – Franchisees are not “yes men”, they will push back on bad ideas. While this can lead to conflict, in a good system it works to the franchisor’s benefit.

Local market knowledge – Franchisees know their market because they live there.

There are so many similarities to the kikaPaprika opportunity, except the start up costs of these franchises is between $100,000 and $650,000, and there are annual franchise fees of $25,000 to $35,000. In contrast the start up cost of a kikaPaprika business is $1000-1500. In addition the royalty on these franchises ranges between 5-7%, where kika Wardrobe Consultants earn between 20-30% commission depending on their monthly sales level. Wardrobe Consultants also have the ability to build a team and move up within the company, supporting their team and earning on their team sales as well as their own.

We hope you find this an interesting comparison – we love offering women the opportunity to start a business, sharing the clothing that they love with other women, and using the training and knowledge that we offer to make the buying experience of their customers unique. Oh, and by the way…there are definitely no “yes men” at kikaPaprika!

 

Cheyne Jackson, fashion insider, syndicated columnist, and good friend of kikaPaprika is so excited about our Spring/Summer line that he asked us if he could write a guest post for our blog. We thought that you would love to hear his thoughts on the hot runway trends from Spring/Summer 2012, so without further ado here are his musings:

Hello, Fashion Faithful! It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood… Why you might ask? Because everyone is looking so fabulous in their on trend kikaPaprika….. Kim and Kirstyn knocked it right out of the park this season with a modern Grecian inspired collection that breathed fashion awareness and so I decided to take a quick moment and give credit where credit is due!!!!!

Graphic prints ripped down the runways with razor sharp edges communicating power, energy and a modern silhouette, take a look above at the top runway examples and below at kika’s laser sharp offerings.

Soooo good, right!!!!

Okay, so moving on, next up we have possibly one of the best and most prolific trends this season….not since Isaac Mizrahi and the days of the Super models have we seen this much Color!!!!! Thank heavens!!!!!

Good shots at it all of them but the winners, I really must say, are these stunning beauties. Check out these kika trends!!!!

 If that doesn’t look like you dipped your hand into a bag of high fashion Skittles, I don’t know what does!!!!

And, in my final assessment of how fantastically Kim and Kirstyn understand what modern chic fun women want, they nailed the most subtle trend – establishing that they have both hands firmly on the steering wheel of style - the use of soft and pastel colors. You see ladies, this season you can be hot and bright or cool and creamy but neutrals will just get you left out in the cold! Check out these delicate delicacies…

 

 

 

and from kikaPaprika we have…

Well, there you have it my divine divas of style and design!!! Enjoy Spring and all of the wonderful fabulous new kika ….

THANKS CHEYNE!!  We love that you love the new kika line so much.  And in the inimitable style of a die-hard fashionista, Cheyne’s final advice to shake off any lingering winter blues –  ”Just go buy something today! It will make it a better day all around.”

Orchid has always been a symbol of spring; of budding flowers, warm days and cool nights and a peek at the arrival of summer!  Sporty yet feminine…Lucy, Blaire and Annie are the go-to pieces for keeping cool, from spring  all the way through the hot summer months!  In 3 different fabrics these great pieces each have a different texture, feel and shading. So there’s orchid , orchid and orchid!  How fun these casual pieces are for spring break at the beach or at the park…picnic or play!  Adding a pair of cute heels or espadrilles and these orchid pieces will take you to dinner and/or nightclubbing too!  Fun and feminine, you can’t miss with orchid.

Elegance does not consist of merely putting on a new dress.  Coco Chanel assures us that elegance in personal style requires only that a woman major in the classics:

 Comfort…always provided by kikaPaprika with our soft, wearable fabrics in styles that can be worn day to night always with comfort in mind.

Color…kika has 12 fabulous colors every season.

Shape…kika pieces are designed to fit a woman’s body.

 Fabric…kika fabrics are soft, beautiful, and eco-friendly.

Value…kika pieces are completely washable and dryable. All kika pieces can be washed over and over, holding their shape and still looking great after many washings.

Appropriateness…kika styles are constructed to look good on many different body types and we have styles  appropriate for every age to be worn any time.