How the Number One Stylist in Hollywood Shops a Store Like T.J.Maxx

You may not know Leslie Fremar's name by heart, but you definitely know her work. She's the woman behind major Emmy and Oscar red carpet moments such as Julianne Moore in canary yellow Dior, Reese Witherspoon in navy Vuitton, and Charlize Theron in stunning white Dior. She's also a brand ambassador for T.J.Maxx and offered to take me around the store and give me some tips and tricks for shopping off-price retailers.

Leslie and Nikki

Go in and get the lay of the land: The way a store is merchandised (meaning where clothes are set up) can make or break your experience. Take some time to familiarize yourself and then start shopping. "I think the way T.J.Maxx is merchandised is great because if you need a top, you can go to the top section and everything is sorted in your size. You can say, OK, at home I have these pants, now I just need a top, and see which top is going to work with your outfit," says Fremar. "The store is large, so maybe at first you'll feel that it's overwhelming, but once you understand how it's merchandised then you see that it's simple and it's really easy to find what you need."

Know what you're looking for: "You don't always have an entire day to shop—even though that would be fun and that would be great—it's not necessarily realistic," says Fremar. "If you know exactly what you're looking for, it's a really quick way to shop. You don't get overwhelmed. You can fill in the blanks much easier."

Go ahead and try the trendy stuff: "In terms of general trends, we're seeing a lot of black and white, a lot of pastel colors, a lot of sheers, a lot of cutouts at the store," notes Fremar. "I think when you think about spring, you think prints and florals, and that doesn't always work for everybody. The black-and-white trend is really interesting and graphic. It does cover a larger scale of women who can really wear black and white, and depending on the way it's color-blocked can be extremely flattering and interesting. I've been using it a lot in my work. Julianne Moore just wore a black-and-white gown by Tom Ford, which was really powerful and unexpected because we've seen so much color. I'm excited about black and white."