Wanna shed 30 pounds of closet weight? Admittedly, I could use to loose a few pounds of body weight too - BUT, this post is about Material World - the luxury fashion trade-in site. I'm always buying and often have too many clothes and accessories - my closet is overflowing. I get so much pleasure in something new and rarely (but sometimes) shop my own closet to find treasures that I'd forgotten about. More often than not, I opt for on-line shopping and boxes of new stuff. That being said, I hate clutter and am usually laking closet space for my new clothes and accessories. I do like to donate, but some articles are expensive and I struggle to let them go. Material World is a great outlet for 'feel-good' spring cleaning (in my case, quarterly cleaning).

Material World accepts pre-owned clothing and accessories from a long list of designer and contemporary brands (230+ brands). Just ship your stuff and wait for a quote. If you like the offer, accept. If you're not happy wth the offer (item based), you can have it shipped back to you, or Material World will donate the articles to Housing Works - a charity committed to the AIDS crisis and homelessness. The trade-in process is easy (aside from the closet cleansing). Visit material world.co to create an account, request a 'Yesterday Kit' and wait up to ten days. Your Material World kit will include an accepted brands list, item packing list and giant shipping bag with a prepaid shipping label. Just fill out the packing list (take a photo for your records), fill the bag and drop it at FedEx. Material World will email you a notification that the package was received and it will take 7-10 business days to receive your quote.

Once you receive the quote and accept, deny or donate your items, you can opt for a Material World Fashion Trade-In Card or gift cards for the 700+ online and in-store locations. Your Material World card is only accepted at these locations - Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Henri Bendel, Intermix, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, SAKS and Shopbop. Each time you trade-in items, Material World will automatically load the money onto your Material World Fashion Trade-In Card.

I've sent two large boxes of clothes and accessories to Material World and am happy with the outcome (mostly). The shipping is easy and I like that everything is taken care of at no extra cost. You receive the money regardless of whether or not it sells (unlike consignment). AND I'm making money off my pre-owned clothing and accessories! I do however question the process of valuing the items. I traded-in 'never worn' articles, as well as items in great condition, and was surprised to receive a low quote. Based on the 'get a quote' feature on the site, you can determine approximately how much you would receive. DO NOT RELY ON THIS FEATURE. What do ya gotta trade-in to get the highest price?! I opted to have some items returned, because the quote was simply unacceptable. The 'get a quote' feature kinda sets the seller up for disappointment. Maybe, a thorough description of the value process would enlighten Material World users and alleviate the disappointment factor.

REVISION (April 19th) - I've just noticed that some of my items have been posted to 'shop pre-owned'. I received 25-35% of the actual sale price on materialworld.co. Of course I had hoped to receive a higher quote, but I do consider that staff must be paid, facilities maintained and material World does incur all shipping costs. Did I receive a fair quote? I'm not sure, and I am not aware of another trade-in program to compare it to.

Other than the 'quote issue' (I'd still rather have money than an excess of dusty clothes in my closet), I really like this program and will continue to use it. My closet is lighter, organized and I feel good about making money off my pre-owned items.

I'm so lucky to be travelling to Santorini today and can't wait to showcase my summer vacation ensembles. I have put 'too much' thought into packing for this trip and yes, I have a laundry rolling rack for such occasions! I consider myself a master at packing and thoughtful when choosing the right apparel and accessories and these things take time. The pale scenery in Santorini brings out the desire for white apparel and lighter shades. For day I'll wear t-shirt dresses in white and mint green, and a loose fitting peach dress with beige embroidery and tassels. My evening looks include full A-line skirts with cropped bodices and tanks, fluted skirts with crop tops and one Grecian strapless dress (my favorite). The Santorini forecast is 'hot' and sunny, but I'm gonna pack silk pants and a light sweater anyways (ya never know).

My straw knapsack and hat are a must (Shopbop.com). A squishy straw beach bag saves space in your suitcase. I like small bags and will pack my mini Dolce & Gabbana Embellished handbag inside my Louis Vuitton tote (you need a larger bag for the plane). Packing small handbags inside larger ones saves a lot of room. Of course, one clutch is necessary for dinner. Pictured here: Phillip Lim Gorge Pouch - a neutral, goes with everything clutch.

Santorini's landscape is not high-heel friendly, so I'm packing flats, platforms and a pair of wedge booties (for pictures - I don't plan to walk around in them). Gladiator sandals seem fitting for Greece and just so happen to be on trend this season. Shoes pictured here: Tibi Mina Leather Slides, Burberry Prorsum Wedge Booties, Tibi Camilo Sandals, Tibi Jack Slides, Rag & Bone Kent Sneakers, Miu Miu Embellished Sneakers and Salvatore Ferragamo Jellies (for the beach). I love the sneakers and full skirts trend and my fringe Jack Slides are a great statement shoe to wear with an otherwise plain t-shirt dress.

My swimsuits and sarongs are Agua Bendita. The yellow crochet sarong pictured here is handmade (thanks mom). Coverups are a necessity for walking to and from the pool - pictured here Muche Muchette cream crochet coverup and a colorful Camilla Embellished coverup.

So there ya have it! Pale colors, white is a must and flat neutral-toned shoes. Santorini is a great location for photos, so pack thoughtfully and don your best vacation looks. I will post my 'vacation in Santorini' looks over the next few weeks..

Organize your suitcase with Bag-all travel bags. Choose from a variety of bags for shoes (even tall boots), cosmetics, gadgets, jewelry, undergarments, laundry and more.. With each bag donning a photo of contents within, these bags are cute and an efficient way to pack. A must have for avid travelers.

You can purchase these travel bags at bag-all.com and shopbop.com.

I ordered a pair of Sandy Leggings by Mother from Revolve thinking leggings don't look great on me, but I'll try them anyway. I am beyond impressed with the fit of these leggings - my butt has never looked so good! The material resembles matte faux leather and looks great under a long shirttail button-down and a comfy wool cardigan. Leather pants are on trend this season, but too expensive - the Sandy legging is a great alternative. Splurge and get yourself a pair of these leggings, you will luv them!

You can purchase these leggings at www.revolveclothing.com (pictured here) or www.shopbop.com.

Stay fresh and keep it light this winter in pale pink and gray garments. Pink is incredibly flattering on pale winter complexions and gray is the new black this season!

A MUST HAVE: gray skinny jeans. Pair your skinnies with a light gray t-shirt and loose fitting pink sweater, or go monochromatic and wear gray on gray (my favorite look of the season). For those of you residing in arctic climates, opt for a head-to-toe wool outfit, like these matching Alice+Olivia wool sweater and pants - cozy, warm and fashionable. Change up your holiday party style and wear a graphic t-shirt tucked into a puffy pink skirt - says I'm cute and I'm here to party!

Items pictured: Available at NET-A-PORTER - DKNY Feathered/Silk Skirt in Pastel Pink, J. Crew Cashmere Sweater in Pale Pink, Rag & Bone Light Gray T-Shirt, J Brand Dark Gray Skinny Jeans, Available at Shopbop -  ElevenParis T-Shirt, Available at ALICE+OLIVIA - Alice+Oliva Oversized Cashmere Cardigan and Knit Pants.

I'm an avid on-line shopper! I make 85% of my fashion and cosmetics purchases on-line, rather than visiting malls or shopping street side stores. Shopping on-line is superior to in-store shopping mostly due to the vast selection and ability to search for items unavailable in your area. 

On-line apparel and accessory sites like Shopbop and NET-A-PORTER publish lookbooks that showcase items from various designers/labels together - it's like having a personal stylist. The photos provided for each item allow you to see how the garments fit and which items to pair it with. Clothes look better on a model than on a hanger.. I luv lookbooks! Magazines are also a great media for inspiration and list every item, so you can search the internet and purchase anything that is published. Harpers Bazaar magazine has launched an on-line shopping site that allows readers to browse and purchase many of the items in the magazine. My fashion inspiration often comes from magazines and lookbooks.

My morning ritual consists of coffee and browsing on-line shopping sites. First on my list is Shopbop. This site carries many of my favorite designers/labels and posts new items each day. Shopbop stylists have great taste and showcase different brands together well. There is a section under each item "wear it with" that allows you to recreate the outfit pictured. Shopbop also publishes great lookbooks daily. They currently have 862 brands (I counted), such as Alice + Olivia, Phillip Lim, Elizabeth and James, as well as premiere designer names like Saint Laurent and Marchesa. Shopbop has a vast selection to suit everyones personal style. Shopbop has free shipping and returns. Included in your package you will find a prepaid return label that ensures a free return if you send the item back within seven days of receiving it. This allows you enough time to try on your items and decide whether you will keep them. 

I recently discovered NET-A-PORTER and quickly became obsessed with browsing the new arrivals, the magazine's page, and the stylish combinations of apparel and accessories showcased listed under "how to wear it". Each item has photos from many angles, up close so you can see the material and full body shots. What sets NET-A-PORTER apart are the videos posted next to each item showcasing the look. NET-A-PORTER has brands I haven't seen on another on-line shopping site, like Kate Moss for Topshop, and high brands such as Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney and Proenza Schouler. If anything, this site will inspire you!

For premiere designer items my go-to on-line shopping site is Shop Bazaar. If I had to sum up this site in one word - trendy! There are currently 330 brands including Burberry Prorsum, Dolce & Gabbana, Emilio Pucci, The Row... It's designer apparel and accessories heaven! There is a "In the Magazine" page featuring items from the latest edition, as well as a "Trends" page for current fashion inspiration.