LeSportsac is well-known and loved for their fun and whimsical tote bags, and McCartney has made a name for herself by combining high-end fashion with globally conscious materials and production standards. Famous for her rigid anti-animal products stance, McCartney's design empire boasts a luxurious range of women's ready-to-wear garments, accessories, eyewear, fragrances, and a collaboration with more moderately priced H&M retailers.
The Stella McCartney for LeSportsac collection will be available for purchase at all LeSportsac stores, high-end department and specialty stores nationwide, the Stella McCartney boutiques in New York, Los Angeles, and London, and (of course) online. Bags will average in price from $200 to $250.
Jenni Kayne, Rachel Roy, Rodarte, Sari Gueron, Thread Social, and Vena Cava will each produce a special, limited edition design to be screened onto a $68 Splendid tee, with each design signed personally by the designer. The shirts will be sold exclusively at Shopbop.com, and 30% of all proceeds will go to the designers' respective charities.
The short descriptive previews of the tees sound super cute, from Sari Gueron's watercolor owl to Jenni Kayne's rough sketch of a Grecian-gowned woman surrounded by poppies. At the very least, you can be sure your top is one of a very few: each designer will only produce 250 tees.
"I want jeans that are cute and stylish, but don't make me look like I'm trying to be sixteen years old."
"I don't want 'Mom Jeans', you know? But I don't want them super low-rise, either."
"It's impossible for me to find jeans. They're either really tight and low or they look like something I wore in the 80's. I give up."
Women come into my store nearly every day voicing some variation of these three phrases. The common theme, I believe, is that there aren't nearly enough brands of jeans out there that are good for real-life gals (read: women with actual womanly curves). Nothing pains me more, though, than hearing that women are giving up on their search for stylish yet wearable denim, because ladies, I promise, there is a brand out there for you!
One such brand is David Kahn Jeanswear. Unlike most of the premium denim available right now, David Kahn's Lauren jean uses a trouser silhouette. This body style allows for more room in the thighs, tapers slightly at the knees, and falls to the floor in a very slight boot-cut flare. The overall result is slimming, stylish, and very, very wearable.
David Kahn's full line can be found at Nordstrom, and at a ever-growing handful of ladies' boutiques around the country. The Lauren jean starts at $158.
A customer walked into my store last week holding the tiniest, fluffiest, cutest little dog I have ever seen in my entire life. The white Maltese puppy was named "Coach," had a tiny Coach collar and leash, and, to top it all off, was wearing a little sweater with the message "My owner is hotter than yours" embroidered in pastel pink script.
I know this isn't breaking news; fashionistas have been toting tiny canines around Hollywood for a while now, but I live in Texas. Most of the time, once a trend has made it all the way down to the Lone Star State, I can feel pretty confident that it's....well.....over.
I'm worried, though, that carrying pint-size pups doesn't fall into the "passing trend" category. According to a recent article in the New York Times fashion section, little canines, or "sleeve dogs," have been a status symbol for ages, keeping women such as Marie Antoinette and Elizabeth II company, among others. And registration of many of the most popular breeds of small dogs has grown exponentially - the Norwich Terrier has gone up 91% in the last 10 years.
"I think of them as a handbag with a heartbeat," said Robin Bowden, a Manhattan real-estate mogul. And Rebecca Rand, a spokeswoman for the W hotel chain, said guests traveling with small dogs have become such a significant trend that the hotels are now offering services such as pet pillows with special treats placed on them at turndown time.
I know, it's disturbing, right? Something needs to be done, but first I need to pick which dog I want more - the Yorkshire Terrier or the doll-sized Chihuahua. They both fit in my purse, but I can't decide which will match better with my shoes.
Here's the truth: Men look sexy in knitwear. Whether it's a paper-thin cashmere sweater or a textured wool pullover, there is something about seeing the masculine form swathed in cozy yarn that is irresistible. I even like the male turtleneck, although my husband insists there is nothing worse. It comes as no surprise, then, that I was thrilled to see scarves playing a central role in couture menswear collections for winter 2008.
The new way to wear your scarf (men, listen up -- you'll be ahead of the game!) is to "fling" it around your neck and shoulders haphazardly, rather than knotting or tying the scarf, as has been popular in the past. Knowing men, I would venture a guess that the fling has been popularized more out of function than fashion, but you never know. At any rate, scarves are being shown with everything, from the classic blazer/trousers combo to full three-piece suits. Always dangling loosely around the shoulders, the scarf looks like it will be making a play as the men's accessory for 2008.
So what do you think, men? Will you be stocking up on scarves for next winter, or is Belichick outerwear more your style?
As a store owner, I hear exclamations of both shock and adoration when customers are faced with a table full of $200 jeans -- shock that they are actually $200, and adoration that they are actually $200.
Most consumers are familiar enough with the premium denim craze to expect the high price associated with the jeans. I do, however, get a customer once in a while who (and I can hardly blame them) seem completely offended by the cost. "Who would spend this much on jeans?" they ask. "And what in the world makes them so expensive?"
As in most fashion-related questions, the answer is fit -- fit and fabric, specifically. Premium jeans are almost always created exclusively from Japanese or Italian denim (read: softer, hand-finished washes) and contain at least 2% stretch fibers. The stretch fibers are then specifically positioned in the thighs, hips, and seats of the jeans, allowing for the perfect amount of give where women typically need it most, but preventing unwanted bagginess overall.
It wouldn't be fair to completely ignore the celeb factor when discussing premium denim prices. The fact that Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, Uma Thurman, and Jennifer Aniston publicly profess their favorite premium denim brands on a regular basis and prance around exhibiting just how cute the jeans can be certainly doesn't hurt the product. If you've seen the item in a magazine, on a celebrity, you can pretty much assume you'll be paying for the privilege to advertise the brand.
The final reason you're paying out the wazoo for your premium denim? In today's society, jeans can be worn anywhere. Going out for dinner and drinks? Pair a dark pair of skinny jeans with some killer heels and a silky little tunic and you're good to go. Grocery store shopping? Throw on your comfiest pair of broken in jeans, the ones that aren't too tight and still make you look like you made an effort. Quick business lunch? Jeans and a blazer look confident and put-together. Consumers are viewing a good pair of jeans as an investment on par with the classic little black dress and a good interview suit. Besides, when you divide the total cost of the jeans by the number of days in a month you're likely to wear them, it doesn't seem so expensive at all.
E. Vogel, the 127-year-old custom cobbler in Lower Manhattan, New York, has a distinct stance about shoes. According to their cobblers, you don't have to have a shoe fetish to need at least one pair of really, truly great shoes; the type of shoes you are proud to wear, the type of shoes you know will be appropriate for any special occasion, the type of shoes you feel taller and prouder just slipping your feet into.
So, when Maggie Barrett decided to spend over $1000 on a pair of custom made oxford dress shoes for her husband, Joel Meyerowitz, she knew that the purchase could either be a big hit, or a really expensive flop. Luckily, Mr. Meyerowitz, a self-proclaimed shoe dummy, loved the gift. "I wore them out of the store, right onto Broadway," said Meyerowitz. "I found myself looking down at my feet every so often to see how they looked."
E. Vogel specializes in custom made shoes for men and women. The cobblers employ a special measuring technique that involves making a cast of the customer's feet to be used for future pairs (nice to have confidence in your product!), use only top quality calfskin and other leather materials, and will design the shoe to your exact specifications.
When you learn everything that goes into the making of only one pair, maybe $1000 isn't so much to pay. Or maybe that's just my aching feet talking.
Living in a culture obsessed with thin, it can only be expected that hundreds - nay, thousands of weight loss products will be showcased by the media in a single calendar year. South Beach, Hydroxycut, Atkins, TRIMSPA, The Zone - we've heard them all, and while some of these programs stick around with some semblance of longevity, most are just a flash in the pan.
I think most of us know now that weight loss doesn't come in pill form. Exercise gurus and nutritionists have drilled the mantra "eat right, exercise at least 3 times per week, and you'll be fine" into our heads enough to know that we are going to have to work a little for the weight to drop off and stay off.
However, an old diet tactic is making new rounds. It cleverly combines work ethic with immediate gratification, appealing to just about any American consumer interested in dropping a couple of pounds. The diet is called the "Master Cleanse", and involves surviving for 10 days on a mixture of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, maple syrup, and water. And that's all.
Sound tough? It is. But it works, and the diet has many devotees, including celebrities such as Beyoncé Knowles and Denzel Washington. Joy Bauer, a New York City based nutritionist, estimates that if performed correctly, the cleanse will provide about 650 calories per day, 950 calories less than the minimum recommended for a woman trying to maintain her weight. "Of course you're going to lose weight," Bauer said. "You're starving yourself." Cleanse supporters quell their critics by citing the program's many benefits, including supposed help for ulcers and other internal ailments and the purging of impurities and toxins like pesticides and food additives.
So what do you think? Is the "Cleanse" just organized starvation, or is it the anecdote to our immediate gratification-style weight loss obsession?
While Naomi Campbell is consistently disgraced by her less than model behavior, Iman is being honored for her impressive dedication and contributions to the "I Am African" campaign.
The supermodel was recently honored for her work as world ambassador for "Keep a Child Alive", a program which combats AIDS in Africa. Capitol File Magazine presented Iman with the humanitarian award on November 30, alongside ambassadors from South Africa, Zambia, Lesotho, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, and Congo.
Iman also recently co-hosted the Condé Nast-sponsored Black Ball, held in order to benefit the "Keep a Child Alive" foundation. The leggy beauty's dedication to charity stands in stark contrast to many of our supermodels and celebrities in the news today: Iman is genuinely invested in a cause, instead of being invested in the media coverage she might receive by lending her status to a charity.
Aldo, the shoe and purse retailer best known for chic styles and inexpensive prices, is doing charity right. In honor of World AIDS Day (December 1, officially) Aldo unveiled a new tote bag, especially designed for the cause by a host of well-known celebrities and musicians.
However, instead of using celebrity power to raise the price of the tote through the roof, donating a paltry amount to the charity, and pocketing the rest, Aldo is selling the anti-AIDS tote for $5.00 and 100% of the proceeds go to YouthAIDS. Since the initial launch of the Aldo fights AIDS campaign a year ago, the company has raised over 2.8 million dollars for the cause.
Featuring photographs shot by Peter Lindbergh, the tote is covered in back and white photos of the participating celebrity supporters and designers, including Adrien Brody, Avril Lavigne, Brittany Murphy, Dave Navarro, Eva Mendes, John Mayer, Wynonna Judd, and Ziggy Marley.
Wired Magazine always has interesting short articles on consumer etiquette. Recently, a parent lamented to the online magazine that their child wanted an iPod for Christmas so that he could "fit in" at school. I was expecting the advice columnist to answer with the typical "help your child be comfortable with himself; an iPod won't buy him friends" stance, but Wired took a dramatically different approach.
Comparing the iPod to the Red Ryder BB gun of generations past, Wired's entire answer was based on the assumption that buying the iPod wasn't even a question - of course the parent should buy the iPod. The question then, became how best to purchase the iPod; whether the child should be required to chip in with his allowance, or whether requiring the child to learn music history with the iPod would be the best tactic.
This answer disturbed me more than a little. If a parent chooses to purchase an expensive present (perhaps the ever-popular Juicy Couture tracksuit) for a child and then wants to use the gift to educate or help the child learn the value of a dollar, then so be it. However, if a child comes home, claiming that he or she "can't fit in at school" without a certain product, I would feel that purchasing said product would only reinforce that the child has friends based on what they have, instead of who they are.
Or maybe, like last week, I'm just not getting into the gift-giving spirit of the holidays. What do you think?
Raise your hand if your bedroom, at one time, contained at least one item from Laura Ashley. I had a pink bedspread with a delicate floral pattern and a country blue dress with a lacy Peter Pan collar. Even if you didn't personally own any Laura Ashley merchandise, the chances that you've never heard of the design icon are slim. Ashley built a Victorian empire in the 1960's, and didn't lose steam until the early 90's.
Well, she's back. Not Ashley herself, but her design presence and label name will be resurrected this month in "Bramble Brooch", a line inspired by the same elements that originally inspired Ms. Ashley: the Welsh countryside and frilly, feminine silhouettes. Oh, and also the designer's entire archives, all carefully preserved in computer format. The new Laura Ashley designers will work from over 15,000 old patterns, redesigning or changing fabrications in order to complete a brand new line, one which will be available for purchase starting in April, 2007.
So, next time you hear someone say "fashion always comes back around", you can rest assured that they are speaking the truth. The newest Laura Ashley "Bramble Brooch" line will more than likely bear a striking resemblance to your personal collection of Laura Ashley, circa 1982. If you have any old pieces in storage, now might be the time to shake the mothballs off and put them back in the rotation.
While doing some...err...research a few days ago, I came across an article in US Weekly magazine comparing designer duds to their lower priced counterparts. Always on the lookout for a good bargain, I took a closer look. There were some good and bad comparisons; sometimes designer outfits seem to be truly worth the high price and sometimes they just don't. Usually if it looks expensive, it probably is. Occasionally, however, you come across a designer who is willing to do a lower priced line for a major retailer, but the quality of production stays close to the same. In other words, it looks expensive, but it's not!
One such designer (covered in Styledash here) is Behnaz Sarafpour. Sarafpour has produced a less expensive version of her designer line for Target, and while not every piece will fit your fancy, some of the items are purely delicious.
Still not convinced? Let's play the US Weekly game. I'll show you two dresses and you can decide which is easier on your wallet.
Have you figured it out? The purple dress is Behnaz Sarafpour for Target, priced at $44.99. the cream dress is Diane vonFurstenburg, priced at $365.00.
Inevitably, we all want to look amazing for our co-workers at least once a year, and there's no better occasion to "wow" our friends than the annual office holiday bash. But what is appropriate to wear? So many women have asked me this exact question in the past couple of years, and believe it or not, there is a fairly simple answer. So when in doubt, follow these few rules for easy holiday gorgeousness.
1) Buy a dress! I have nothing against skirt and top combos, but seriously, you have two separate pieces to deal with, and then once you add shoes, jewelry, and a jacket -- too many decisions! Stick with a dress, and you'll cut your stress in half.
2) Unless your invitation says "black-tie formal", a knee-length or just below knee-length dress is always appropriate. Look for richer fabrics such as velvet, silk, or stretch satin. Chiffon and lighter fabrics can work as long as they are in season-appropriate colors (think dark, saturated hues).
3) Sleeve length is totally up to you. You can go as bare as strapless, or as covered as full-length sleeves. As long as you like the dress and feel comfortable, you are going to look fabulous in any type of sleeve.
4) Bring a long coat, preferably in a black or in a print that picks up on the color of your dress. If you don't have a coat or would rather wear an item you don't have to check at the door, try a wrap. Wraps come in cashmere, silk, fur (real and faux), velvet, and just about any other fabric combo you could imagine. The best thing about wraps is that they can be twisted and pinned (with a pretty brooch) in limitless combinations. You can disguise almost all "lumps and bumps" with a cleverly placed wrap.
5) Sheer black or nude hose (Hanes' "Barely Black" are foolproof) work with almost any type of dress. If you want to be a little more daring, or are wearing a shorter dress, opaque tights can be a trendy look, but beware, as any opaque stocking tends to dress down a cocktail look.
6) You can wear open or closed-toed shoes with your cocktail dress. If you go with an open-toed option, make sure that your hosiery are made without the telling toe seam.
7) Try to match your necklace to the neckline of your dress. For example, if you are wearing a deep-v neckline, try a necklace with a simple drop. This ensures that you flatter (but don't take away from) your dress.
8) Have fun! Confidence is universally beautiful. Have fun and know you look great, because you do!
One of my favorite Christmas decorating ideas is to take colors that don't traditionally have anything to do with Christmas and make them holiday perfect.
West Elm (a site I know I mention frequently) is one of the best at taking different hues and shades and blending them together in a look that is unmistakably Christmas, but with a fresh face. This year, West Elm seems to be leaning towards wasabi greens and teal blues (gentle and calming but somehow not pastel) contrasted with dark blacks and charcoals for maximum impact.
These ornaments are a perfect example of how Christmas decorations can be both trendy and classic, all at the same time. The leafy shape and glittering, ice-encrusted look of the crystals are traditional Christmas, but the wasabi, teal, clear, and black color combinations are very contemporary.
A set of three ornaments retails for $15 at westelm.com
| Posted Jan 31st 2007 1:36PM by Elise Carter
With their signature lightweight, luxury non-leather handbags, LeSportsac seems the obvious choice for a collaboration with PETA-friendly designer Stella McCartney. And in Spring 2008, consumers will be able to purchase just such a compilation, as McCartney and LeSportsac recently announced plans to produce an entire line of handbags, luggage, and baby accessories.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm an all-year-round t-shirt loving kind of girl. And with this week's "Fashion Gives Back", a 
"I want jeans that are cute and stylish, but don't make me look like I'm trying to be sixteen years old."
A customer walked into my store last week holding the tiniest, fluffiest, cutest little dog I have ever seen in my entire life. The white 
Here's the truth: Men look sexy in knitwear. Whether it's a paper-thin cashmere sweater or a textured wool pullover, there is something about seeing the masculine form swathed in cozy yarn that is irresistible. I even like the male turtleneck, although my husband insists there is nothing worse. It comes as no surprise, then, that I was thrilled to see 
As a store owner, I hear exclamations of both shock and adoration when customers are faced with a table full of $200 jeans -- shock that they are actually $200, and adoration that they are actually $200.
E. Vogel
Living in a culture obsessed with thin, it can only be expected that hundreds - nay, 
While Naomi Campbell is 
Aldo
Wired Magazine
Raise your hand if your bedroom, at one time, contained at least one item from 
Inevitably, we all want to look amazing for our co-workers at least once a year, and there's no better occasion to "wow" our friends than the annual office holiday bash. But what is appropriate to wear? So many women have asked me this exact question in the past couple of years, and believe it or not, there is a fairly simple answer. So when in doubt, follow these few rules for easy holiday gorgeousness.
One of my favorite Christmas decorating ideas is to take colors that don't traditionally have anything to do with Christmas and make them holiday perfect.
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