Bella

Bella Experience- Leslie Garber

2008-04-01T21:43:00.001-07:00

I smile every time I think about shopping at Bella. With Stacey and her employees, it's like I have my own personal shopper. Everyone takes the time to help me find clothes, jewelry and accessories that not only make me look and feel good, but that I absolutely love. I always get compliments whenever I wear something from Bella.

Leslie A. Garber

Bella Experience-Gladys Aquino

2008-04-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

2 years ago, I walked into Bella and was so impressed with the styles and quality of great outfits. I am a youthful older woman. I have the sense of adventure and the body type that I don't have to wear outfits that cover my figure. I like cutting edge styles that are age appropriate. I found that in Bella. I travel to New York quite a bit and I get compliments from many of the retailers where I shop. The staff is incredibly lovely and friendly. I feel as if I am dealing with the store's owner every time I shop. Thank you Bella. May I have many more shopping experiences with you.

Bella Experience-Marjori Stark

2008-02-06T09:53:00.001-08:00

"Whenever I visit my favorite store named Bella, I am greeted by one to three or more smiling faces who offer to show me around or to assist me. If I'm super lucky, I'll show up on a day when the owner Stacey is also there mixing and matching and cavorting with new and old friends.. Stacey and I met 15-20 years ago, when she was a teen going to school and working in a cute clothing and accessories store in San Anselmo. We had much in common besides vintage clothing and heartfelt philosophies. Her future as Bella's store owner and a wife and mom of three was around the corner. I knew she was meant to do great things with her life! I, of course followed her to the fab shop on 4th street. I never leave the store without a lovely package of clothing and gems or shoes that I can't imagine having lived without! I usually bring a local or out of town guest with me because an impromptu soiree at Bella's is the cat's MEOW! Thanks Stacey and ladies at the store!

blessings, Marjori

Bella Experience-Margot Enbom

2008-02-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

I love your store, I love your clothes, the prices are right and I feel
like I am entering a friend's house when I go into your store.  I love
the Kenzie line of clothing and it is the one place where I have been
able to find it in Marin.

Margot Enbom

Bella Experience-Vicki Dobbs Beck

2008-02-01T09:47:00.000-08:00

I was a newcomer to Bella less than a year ago. Stacey organized a Thursday evening shopping experience for me and some of my work colleagues. Not only did we have a fabulous time, but Stacey and her associates helped us select clothing that was perfectly suited to each of us. We returned for a second evening of the same and I still can't wait to go back!

- Vicki Dobbs Beck
Fairfax, CA

Bella Experience-Megan Gilbert

2008-01-31T09:45:00.000-08:00

I've always been a loyal customer of Bella. I love your clothes. I love your shoes. I love your accessories. And I love chatting with your employees. It doesn't take much to convince me to keep coming back.

I do want to share with you though that I recently had a friend in town from Scottsdale, AZ, and she was complaining to me about how she hates shopping because she feels like all of her shopping options are either over-priced boutiques or unoriginal brand-name stores. When she said this to me, I told her that we had to make a stop at Bella.

The two of us went in to Bella just as the store was opening and were greeted by Dawn (always a fun conversation when Dawn is around). My friend and I started going through the racks and grabbed things she was both accustomed to and unaccustomed to wearing. Dawn, of course, added some items in to the mix. She must've tried on clothes for at least an hour, and everything looked really nice on her. She tried different patterns, different styles, and different cuts that complimented her fair complexion and red hair. I think she walked out of the store with seven or eight new tops, a coat (maybe 2?), and a new pair of shoes. She was envious of my favorite San Rafael boutique and wished she had a Bella-like store in Scottsdale to be a loyal customer to.

I want you to know that she was most impressed with the selection offered at Bella and the price tag that accompanied your clothes. It was a very successful shopping spree.

Megan Gilbert

Bella Experience - Stacia Maggioncalda

2008-01-14T21:03:00.000-08:00

Bella is the best! There is always so much variety and they always have so many sizes and at very reasonable prices. It's not like some of those boutiques where you have to be a size two to a six to find something that will work for you. My favorite part of Bella is that the women who work there are amazing. You don't even have to do anything - you can walk in, go straight to a dressing room and they will just bring you things that they think will work for you - and they are almost always right.

Stacia Maggioncalda

Bella Experience - Lisa Bonini

2008-01-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

I have been shopping at Bella ever since I stumbled upon it one day. The first thing I noticed was how wonderful the staff was: Helpful, friendly and eager to help you find the right thing. The clothes and accessories at Bella are the best..always on top of the great trends with just a bit of funk and without a hit to the wallet like most boutique stores.

Lisa Bonini

Bella Experience- Cristine Dewey

2008-01-09T20:54:00.000-08:00

Bella is perfectly named—I feel greeted by beauty and serenity when I walk in the door and see the clothes artfully displayed by color. As a working Mom with a shopping aversion and limited time, I appreciate Stacey and her staff who know their inventory and can quickly find the pieces that work best for me. I highly recommend the shopping experience at Bella!

Cristine Dewey

Dresses Arriving at Bella!

2007-09-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

I have been doing my best to find really great dresses for those special occasions and I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the selection at Bella....and it is only going to get better! I have so many new lines and beautiful silhouettes for homecoming and the occasional wedding or holiday event. I am also trying to find lines that are reasonably priced so you may pay as little as $100-150.00 for a great dress that you could wear again! Hope to see you soon.

What's New at Bella....

2007-08-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

I have seen a trend at market that some of the more expensive designer jean lines are beginning to offer seriously inexpensive jeans because there has been a revolt over the high price of designer jeans! I suggest you check out the lines Miss Me, LTB and New to Bella in the fall is a line called Blank which will retail at about $65!!!!! Some will not be embellished on the pockets, but with the longer tunic tops covering pockets these days, who cares! Hope to see you soon...

We have just gotten in more reasonably priced brands that you need to know about! Tulip hand lotions $22 and parfum $48 (more concentrated than cologne or eau de toilet) is homeopathic and organic and at such a great price! Mandarin Peony and other scents are amazing and not artificial smelling like much of the perfumes on the market today.

ILI and Bobo are new Leather handbags at such great prices! You must check out the quality and contemporary look of these great bags at about $120.00

To make comments, click comment below, choose an identity, and click publish...it's that simple! Stacey

Fashion Update! Shrugs and cropped jackets for Fall!

2007-08-06T20:49:00.000-07:00

I am excited to say that this Fall Bella is going to be loaded with beautiful cropped sweaters and jackets that you will be able to wear with your tunic tops paired with your favorite jeans! I have also been seeing a lot of jackets that have a 40's Vintage inspiration! I have a lot on order for Fall which you should love! Can't wait for you to see all the beautiful things that will be coming soon....Stacey

Sell Your Designer Jeans at Bella!

2007-07-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

For about a year now, Bella has been reselling Designer Jeans for customers that have grown out of, or gotten tired of certain pairs in their closet....We just want to remind you that this is a great service to take advantage of! We give the best percentage (60%) to the customer when they sell and we get the most money for jeans, more than any other shop in the Bay Area! Bring in your True Religions, Citizens, Sevens, Paige, Rock and Republic and the list goes on! Don't be shy...We will take any jeans that we think we can sell everyday of the week, any time! Our average markup is $95-$110 for most styles and the best styles do not stay in the store more than a couple weeks! Bring yours in today! See you soon....Stacey

Thoughts on Caring for Garments

2007-07-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

This week I was wanting to share a few thoughts on caring for garments. There is a lot I could say on this topic and would like to hear from you also! I am a mom with three small children and I do lots of laundry! I have a few specific tips for washing.....I wash almost everything in warm water and use a lot of Shout on spots!!! For really bad stains that don't come out in the wash, I soak the garment in warm water in the sink, then apply straight bleach to the spot (even on light colors) then immediately rinse with water. I will reapply if the stain is not gone with first application. Sometimes the garment lightens in color from this procedure, but often times I have saved it from being thrown out. There are very few items that cannot be washed for fear of shrinkage, and in that case I have a little secret to share with you..... Montecito Drycleaners has a bulk drycleaning service that goes by weight. For all of your silks and light weight clothing this is the BEST deal going! There is a minimum fee for this service so you want to take a few pieces to make it worth it, they also do not pre-spot with this service, but I find that most items do not need it. Please feel free to share your thoughts and tips.....Just click comments below, write your comment and submit. It's that easy! Have a great week! Stacey

More on Organizing...

2007-07-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

I realize that some of you may have different ways of organizing your clothing and accessories, but I would like to recommend some more ideas. First, after you have organized your clothing by color and groupings, consider getting all of your shoes out of boxes and into a hanging pocket organizer (if you don't have shelves or ground space for your shoes). I would also suggest for jewelry that you invest in jewelry racks (acmedisplay.com) that will allow you to hang all of your necklaces, bracelets and watches for easy accessorizing! If you are one of those that has way too much to display, I would suggest that you put away everything that is not in season and only display what you will be wearing through the summer months!

Happy organizing.....I also welcome your comments or questions....Click comment below, type your comment and submit, it's that easy! Stacey

Organize Your Closet!

2007-06-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

"I wanted to start off my weekly blog by trying to help you organize your closet! I know women have a lot of different issues when it comes to making their wardrobe work best for them, but first you need to organize it! I have taken a picture of my closet to give an example of how I organize my wardrobe....I put all my shirts, pants, jeans, shorts, sweaters, jackets and dresses in their own section of my closet. I prefer to hang everything I can because that way I know what I have. And if it is right in front of me, it is easier to be creative as well as to save time when putting my outfits together each day! As you can see you don't need much room to do this. I have no drawers, and I hang everything! I was recently at my friend Julie's house and we organized her closet about the same size as mine with matching hangers (some shirt hangers should have a grip on the sides so shirts don't fall off) , hung everything by color and in their own sections. It looked great and only took us the afternoon to do it. As we did this, she also was going through those questionable items and got rid of a bunch of stuff! I encouraged her to get rid of her pink clothing (didn't look right with her skin tone and hair color) and older pieces that were too conservative or boring. I want to encourage you to do the same and if you don't have the nack for organizing, then I suggest you find a friend who does and ask her to spend an afternoon doing this with you in exchange for a nice dinner out! It's worth it! Now get to work and have a great week!"....

Stacey

2007-06-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to www.BellaSanRafael.com and Bella's Blog! A place to visit to find out about our upcoming events, customer profiles, and my thoughts on fashion and how to make your wardrobe work best for you! (Stacey, owner)

ABOUT BELLA
Ever since I moved to Marin County, I have been influenced by fashion. Beginning in the Fourth grade at Kent Middle School, a lot of my peers had enviable clothes and some of them even had clothing made for them. I remember noticing the unusual fabrics and details that their clothes had that most of mine did not have. At this young age their influence made a lasting impression and gave me a life long love and passion for beautiful clothing.

Now my father always said I had a great sense of color, using the most vibrant Crayolas or Stabilos in the box! Though I realized most of my artistic abilities in college, my greatest gifts in the clothing industry are merchandising and buying abilities as well as good color, style and design sense. I am also a very relational person and love the comforts of the indoors, which means I never would have been happy being a forest ranger, if you know what I mean....

In October of 1996, after graduating from San Francisco State with a degree in Clothing and Textiles, I opened Bella's doors. After being in the consignment business for many years prior, my passion was to provide good clothing and accessories at a better price. In my all new business at Bella I have continued that goal by providing the best affordable lines for my customers while also featuring a small area for resale designer jeans!

Bella’s is a place where you can have your own personal shopper! We see the clothes on people everyday; we know sizes and are experienced in what colors and prints are best for you. Our friendly employees provide a great service of help and expertise. We get comments from customers all the time saying that we got them to try on things that they would never had tried on. These pieces are often their favorite things and the most complimented. Most businesses I know of just don't provide this kind of service. The only catch is that you have to come to Bella to get it!

Please visit our new website at www.BellaSanRafael.com and blog to keep up to date on trends and to be inspired in the world of Bella.