For a few days each season, Liz Bernich converts her children's playroom on the third floor of her Chatham home into a "showroom," as she calls it, of the latest women's clothing from the Etcetera fashion line.

"Most women work, or they're busy with their kids, or they can't [go shopping] during the day anyway," Bernich said. So instead, as a stylist and fashion consultant, women can some to Bernich's home to do their shopping instead. "They come in for an hour, and we sit and talk about what they need, what pieces are going to work best with what they already have."

Bernich discovered Etcetera in 2007 when she went to see an Etcetera representative in Madison named Phyllis Watson. "I was getting really tired of having to replace my things every year," she said. Clothes she bought from trendy stops in the mall would fray, or the color would fade, or the shape would stretch. "I don't have that problem with these clothes," Bernich said.

After Watson retired, Bernich said her manager at Etcetera started calling a few of Watson's clients asking if they knew of anyone who might be interested in taking over. At the same time, Bernich's full-time employer was making some changes as the economy began to crunch. "It made sense at the time," Bernich said. "It just happened to come at the right time for me.

Bernich still works full-time while her husband Steve stays home with their two children. Bernich's face lit up as she talked about him. "He's a good Steve," she said. Each season she takes one week off and sets up private appointments in her home for clients to view and try on the Etcetera clothes for that season. "It's been good so far, a little tricky with the family, but Steve's been great."

Bernich said the virtue of the Etcetera line is that the pieces build upon each other from season to season. "It's not super-trendy, it's more of a timeless look," she said. "[The designers] are very clever with how they design their pieces. The colors, the cuts, they tend to be more forgiving … and all very unique."

Because Etcetera designers build each season off of clothes from the season before, many of the clothes can be worn throughout much of the year and for several years without looking stale. The Etcetera dress Bernich wore on Wednesday, a knee-length black button-up dress with a collar, three-quarter length sleeves and large black and gold buttons, she said she could easily wear three seasons a year. "I knew [women] would like this, to come in for an hour, buy two or three pieces, and all their shopping is done for the season."

The third floor of Bernich's home is filled with display racks and hanging pieces—skirts, pants, dresses, sweaters, shirts, coats, scarves and belts. The average tops range from $95 to $200, pants range from about $170 to $250, jackets and coats from $275 to $425. Items with more hand-done work or made of nicer material such as suede, silk or leather are priced higher.

The personal experience of shopping one-on-one with a combination stylist and fashion consultant, Bernich said, can make all the difference in the experience of shopping. "I make sure they try it on with me there, and that it fits, and I make sure they love it," Bernich said. "If it doesn't fit you right, I don't let you buy it."

Bernich has the 2010 winter collection is available through Nov. 2 and appointments can be made by e-mailing myconsultant@etcetera.com or by calling (917) 318-1894.