Dear Wonderful Customer:

First of all, thanks for your  continued support in this tough economy. It has affected everyone, and I do appreciate your continued interest in Dina Porter.

Dina Porter has another wonderful addition to our staff. Diane has joined us as a Women's Size Specialist. She is here Tuesday  to listen to your concerns and questions, and will be lecturing one Sunday a month. Stay tuned, but we know Diane's first lecture will be on "Your Core Wardrobe: The Essential Elements in Plus Size Dressing".

Please email me @ dinaporter@aol.com if you want to be notified of both Debbie and Diane's lectures at the store. We will have to limit attendance to 12 women per lecture, so let me know if you are interested. I will let you know as soon as we have a date, and you can then sign up. Look for their schedules on our site at www.dinaporter.com and then go to  Sales and Specials for specific information.

A further note: many of you have requested that we stay open later on a Sunday. So we are changing our hours back to 1:00 - 6:00 on Sunday. Hope that helps you!

Spring has sprung in the store, even though the weather isn't cooperating. We are chock-a-block full with goodies . They run the gamut from casual to Mother of the Bride, so you will have a tough time getting through the store in a short time.

Attention trunk show fans. We have a Lee Andersen trunk show running all through March and part of April. Come in and see her marvelous Mother of the Bride outfits and great casual clothing. You'll be a fan for life!

Eileen Fisher just arrived with March clothing, and it is a bonanza for warm colored customers. Her marigold and grassgreen colors are over the top and will be a staple in your wardrobe.  We do have a few wonderful sweaters in mulberry and phlox (lilac and blue tones, respectively) for those who wear cool tones.

Partner the above with white, khaki, medium grey, or black lightweight pants which we are pleased to also offer from many different lines in addition to Eileen's. 

Speaking of pants, I just met with the rep from Not Your Daughter's Jeans, and this will knock your socks off. They have just introducted a lighter weight denim perfect for summer wear. The touch is nice and lightweight, and perfect for those occasions when you know jeans are most appropriate.  I ordered 3 groups in full length and 1 in ankle length.

The latest leg style is the "Twiggy" style, and that's how I placed the entire order. It is 1" narrower at the bottom than the slim pant, and just the ticket for warm weather. Most of our customers wear sandles or flats in the summer, and this narrower leg looks terrific with them. 

We should have them in house in the next 3-4 weeks or so. Let me know if you want to be emailed when they arrive, at dinaporter@aol.com.  

For Carolina fans, I think we have one of the best collections of Carolina Blue cotton summer sweaters in our area. Whenever I see the color, I grab it. Lots and lots of styles and sizes for your browsing. Don't wait, though; most are limited production and can't be reordered.

Attention: Linen fans. The offering at market week for linen was irresistible. Pants, tops, and jackets are here in both solids and patterns. We especially love to partner crisp whites with beige. (I wear the beige color on the bottom as I can't carry it on top, but with a white jacket or tee it is perfect.) It's fun to experiment, and we'll help you choose.

One focus this season is a long time coming. We love a basic white shirt (some prefer the name blouse) all year round. Market week for Spring/Summer was a bonanza for lovely white shirts/blouses, and I went a little nuts buying them.

The white blouse is one of the basic elements in a core wardrobe that we keep talking about. We are offering them in linen, cotton, silk, and blends, and they are here in many styles and fabrics. Don't miss out on getting one as a staple in your wardrobe. It's a "must have" for years to come.

Not to keep raving about them, but the white blouse is so easy to use for almost every occasion. Versatile: you betcha! Partner it with jeans for a casual party, or silk pants or skirt for dressier functions. Top it with a colored sweater or jacket, or pop it with some funky jewelry, make it elegant with your "real McCoy" pearls or other stones, or dress it down with a great scarf.  Now, how can you live without one? And you know we'll help you find the perfect one for your lifestyle.

One of our big shirt lines arrived, and if you collect them, you're in for a treat. In natural fibers such as silk, linen and cotton, you'll love them all summer long. Partner them with our pants of all lengths and you'll be a happy camper.

We're bursting with lots of color, too, in our "Harris Teeter" dressing. That's what we call everyday dressing when you have to run around town doing errands, etc. But these are good looking so they're perfect for luncheons, too. See them in easy care short sleeve and 3/4 sleeve jackets and crop pants in great colors.

Many customers requested long pants for casual wear this  summer. I normally focus on crop pants as they tend to be cooler, but many of you asked for a longer length. So both lengths will be in stock this Spring. And requests for white (non see-through) pants are coming in also.

We are all mad about the new white gauchos with front pockets. Heavy, non see-through linen makes them most practical, and their design is quite chic. They are also available in black linen and perfect for summer parties.

Jackets, anyone? Well, we're known as the source. Dina Porter summer jackets are loved for their style and longevity, offering all kinds of shapes, colors, and styles.

Come check out all the silk and poly crinkle jackets in "to die for" colors.  Other jackets are slightly heavier for travel in Northern climates, while others are just perfect for restaurants who are blasting their air conditioning. (Ladies, it's either hot flashes or freezing, isn't it?)

Spring sweaters are arriving, and they are as varied as you can imagine. Cotton, silk, and linen blends  are favorites for this season's wear. The colors are fabulous: hot and soft pink, marine and periwinkle blue, shades of red, yellow, green, and coral, etc. Of course we have earthtones as well, and these look smashing with pure white blouses. Many of our sweater lines are limited editions, so come in soon for the very best choice.

If you haven't tried using a dressy sweater over silk pants, you're missing out on a great look. This paring  is perfect for those evenings when the invitation says dressy casual or cocktail attire. We know how casual our Triangle is;  partner these lightweight, cool sweaters with a dressy bottom, and you're good to go!  We have an ample stock of black and white dressy pants (narrow and wide leg) for your "gussied-up" events.

When vacationing, consider URU, always one of our best travel lines. New shipments arriving soon, so stay tuned. For URU fans, we offer many of them as sets; however we have plenty of items for those of you who want just a top or a bottom. We are doing this since each shipment is custom dyed just for us, and you'll want to make certain that you have the same dye lot on both pieces of your set.

Again, when traveling, consider adding a few new tops to your travel clothes. Partner those with your basic black or chocolate pants, and save space and weight in your suitcase. Just add a jacket, scarf or jewelry and wear it out in the evening, too. Packing a few of these "core" pieces will save you time and trouble.

And our customers love Mycra Pac rain jackets and coats so much that we get a new shipment in almost every month. They will keep the chill off when those nights get breezy (think the mountains). Great colors (rose, purple, teal, etc.) that reverse to black keep those compliments coming, and you will wear them year-round.  I love to wear mine at night, too, as they are perfect for dressier occasions when you need to wear a coat.

A customer complimented us on the wide variety of  tees and shells that we offer. They're regarded as a staple and a simple way to change the flavor of an outfit.  Consider changing a top from a solid to a print, or from black or white to a brighter color. By just varying your tops, you can easily change the look of your wardrobe. We offer them in sleeveless, short, 3/4, and full length sleeves in missy, petite and plus.

Last but not least, we cater to Mother of the Bride.   These dresses and outfits are second to none…unless you want baubles, bangles, and beads. Our vendors love designing sensuous, drapey outfits in many price ranges, so you can find something within your budget...no problem. Many of you have requested short  cocktail dresses, and voila - they're here. Lots of party dresses from which to choose,  whether knee, calf, or floor length. And, we always maintain a large collection of black cocktail dresses for special occasions.

Just received: a marvelous selection of Lee Andersen, and you will have a hard time choosing which outfit to wear.  (Of course, there's always rehearsal dinner attire!) Lee's clothing is designed to be worn as an item or a part of a set.  You'll see dresses, jackets, kimonos, stoles, pants,  tops, and skirts which all coordinate with each other. 

Her passion this Spring/Summer are the new dupioni colors for her new designs. Look for stunning shades of pistachio, rose, sky (Carolina blue), shrimp, mint, corn, and platinum.You'll see them offered in jackets, shells, skirts, and pants. Mary is going to photo lots of them so you can get an idea of all the different pieces you can put together.

Lee's clothing line is one of the few lines that is a great special order line. We can order just the size you need for the top as well as the bottom. Her work is available in missy and plus sizes up to 3X.  Don't wait until the last minute; it takes time to create these masterpieces!

About half of our 3000 square feet store is devoted to being "all gussied up", so you know we will have lots of choices for you.

Most of you know we can take photos of you wearing an outfit and email them to someone else.  And, for those of you who see us on the web and don't live in the area, we are happy to send you photos of anything you are interested in seeing before we ship them to you.

Again, for someone who hasn't been to our store: Dina Porter offers missy, petite, and plus sizes, and we carry over 150 lines.  Very few customers who are actively searching will leave empty handed.  And many of our regular sizes with 3/4 sleeves and crop bottoms will fit our petites to a tee, so please look beyond the petite racks.   Some of our plus sizes are exclusive, and won't be found in the missy or petite sizes.  We are here for all of you! 

Many of our lines are strictly a limited edition; when they’re gone, they’re gone. In this economy, we are finding that vendors are not backing up inventory. A few lines will still do custom orders in your size and color; deliveries can be as soon as 2 weeks or as long as 12 weeks, so don’t procrastinate. 

Many of our accessories are juried and are limited editions or one-of-a-kind. Our jewelry is quite unique and our staff loves to show it off. Same with the scarves, hats, belts, and handbags. Take a peek at some of them on the accessories page of this site.

Most of all, we have the greatest staff to help you. They know when you want space to browse, or when you want their input. We laugh and kid with our customers; having fun is half the scenario when you shop at Dina Porter. Our staff works hard to create a wonderful, fun-filled atmosphere and surround you with terrific merchandise and display.

Our staff knows how to finish an outfit with a wide range of accessories, and you’ll leave the store knowing your search is over! They take great pride in representing Dina Porter. Honest, helpful, and creative are just some of the words I would use to describe our staff. So give them a pat on the back when you are in the store, as I couldn’t do it without them.

Hope to see you soon. We want to be your store!

Susan