Well here in the studio, at least. New fall merchandise has been arriving at a rapid pace for the last month. We’ve been styling and snapping and cropping like crazy to get it all up on the site, which means that we’ve been staring at all our new goodies for hours on end. It’s truly not glamorous, but it sure is fun to play with a bunch of amazing clothes every day!!! Some of my favorites so far…

First, 3 of my favorites all in 1 outfit! The dress makes me feel… well, ethereal is the word that comes to mind. And the booties are so light that I’ve even been wearing them during our incredibly humid weather. But the leather shirt. The leather shirt just makes me crazy. So soft, so versatile and just so freaking cool. LOVE it. 

SFRD leather shirt vest, Gary Graham pintuck dress, Rachel Comey Memo booties

 

The Ruse dress from Rachel Comey. I ordered this, but it doesn’t fit SOOO disappointed. 

 

I am always on the lookout for a great pair of pants, and these Vanessa Bruno Athe pants are just the best pair EVER. I wasn’t supposed to own these, but fate — and my dog, Kuma — lent a hand. Arlene and I were trying them on when they first landed and were in the process of telling ourselves and each other that they weren’t for us and that we needed to save them for our customers when over walks Kuma (he doesn’t like to be left out). He looks up at me and then gives me a giant lick on the leg (he’s a black lab, so his licks are pretty big), leaving a giant stain on the — now mine — pants. BAD dog.

Vanessa Bruno Athe soft trouser, Gar-de leather jacket, Sophomore tee, Loeffler Randall pumps

 

And the coup de grace, the Navy faux fur from SONIA by Sonia Rykiel. Knocks me out, it’s so good. Arlene and I actually both bought this, which might be a problem since we do everything and go everywhere together. We’ve had matching outerwear before, but nothing like this. But how could we resist? It feels so delicious when you’re all wrapped up (and you don’t even have to worry about those pesky animal activists!) And it’s navy. I mean, come on. How many times in your life do you come across a great navy fur??? 

SONIA by Sonia Rykiel faux fur, stripe tee and zipper leggings, Prairies de Paris pumps

 

So many other amazing things, but if I list them all here I won’t have time to actually do my work! We’ll be back, I promise.

The start of a new season is always such an exciting time of the year….not Christmas, but close  It’s so much fun seeing the new trends hit the stores and hit the streets!  Fall is unfolding with the most amazing pieces!  We love all the cozy knits, the incredible outerwear, but our favorite item of this season has to be the amazing pant.  The amazing pant is taking on some new (wearable!) shapes and in a wide variety of fabrics & prints.  Here is just a sampling of what to look forward to….are you ready?

Check out The Shop.  Amazing pants arriving daily!!

images via (from top) Marie Claire, Surface to Air, Rachel Comey runway show, Loeffler Randall.

I live on the North side of Chicago in a lovely little neighborhood that has no name — for locals, it’s not Ravenswood, it’s not Lincoln Square, it’s not North Center, but it’s kinda all of them. My particular block/corner is very familiar and small-town-ey. It’s probably because there is a Starbuck’s about a half a block from my front door. And I’ve met many interesting and really lovely people at my neighborhood Starbuck’s.

One of the many lovely and interesting people I’ve met is a woman named Linda. After a number of chats over late-morning weekend lattes, Linda made a couple of suggestions to me. One was to get Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point, which I promptly downloaded onto my Kindle. The other suggestion was to check out a local photographer by the name of Erika Dufour. Well all I have to say is that my neighborhood Starbuck’s has yet to let me down.

Erika’s work often has a very physical element to it. She is a trained ballet dancer and also studies a form of Chinese Martial Arts called Wushu. Her interest in the way the body moves and the shapes that it can make are evident in her work and are undoubtedly part of what draws me to her. That and her ability to be super-girly (see those gorgeous beauty shots above!) As I’ve mentioned here many times, I am a very big lover of all things dance and I’ve been absolutely dying to do a studio shoot with a dancer — maybe Erika is the girl I’ve been looking for! 

all images lovingly borrowed from ErikaDufour.com

It’s almost fall, which means that it’s time to get back to work. It also means that it’s time to kick off the fashion season here in Chicago, which means… Macy’s Glamorama! Always a fun fashion and entertainment filled event, Glamorama also supports a very worthy cause: the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

This year’s ambassador is 6 year old Max Herrick, who will officially celebrate his 6th birthday at the Chicago Theatre this coming Friday, August 13th.

Little Max underwent numerous heart surgeries before he could even walk and had a heart transplant at the age of 2. It is a miracle that he is even alive and the Ronald McDonald House provided an opportunity for Max’s family to be with him — and be together — as he bravely took on all of these challenges. Everyone involved that I’ve spoken to has much to say about Max and is super thrilled to be able to give back to this amazing cause.

As if Max wasn’t reason enough to attend, this year’s Glamorama has an over-the-top opening number designed by Chris March. The beloved finalist from season 4 of Project Runway is notorious for sleeping during one of the challenges and for using hair in his final collection. But most recently he’s gotten accolades for dressing Meryl Streep and propelling her straight from the worst-dressed list to the best-dressed list.

At the 2010 Golden Globes in a March design. She looks amazing, right??

and luminous in another March creation at the 2010 Oscars.

Though Chris’ designs for Meryl Streep are very chic and sophisticated (he cites classic Dior as a huge influence), he’s also got a crazy side (he also cites Vivienne Westwood as a favorite), so I honestly don’t know what to expect. All I could get out of Chris and the show’s producer, Mike Gansmoe, is that there will be people flying and over 70 yards of fabric. Hmmm. I’ll admit it, I’m intrigued. A little scared, but intrigued.

Macy Gray and Eric Hutchinson will also be performing, as well as dancers from my all-time favorite show, So You Think You Can Dance (yes, I’m a big dork, but I LOVE that show!) And I’m excited to see the fashion — Fall collections from Sonia Rykiel, Issey Miyake, Gaultier, Marc Jacobs — and the local style. A fun show and an even fun-ner after-party on the 7th floor of Macy’s State Street. We will definitely be there and are looking forward to it!! Hope you can make it, too. And be sure to sport your best style — we’ll be on the lookout for you! 

Tickets may be purchased through Ronald Mcdonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana at 630.623.2309, through The Chicago Theatre box office, or through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or 1.800.745.3000.

Meryl Streep images via Project Rungay.

Ah….the little black tee.  A needed basic in any wardrobe.   We have all sorts of different versions in our styling closet at the studio - short sleeve, vneck and even sheer.  Leave it to the Parisians to take one of the basic foundations of the wardrobe and make it chic.  Stripe it in navy & white and Viola!…The famous French striped tee.  Somehow always on-trend and always a classic.  Famed Parisian fashion blogger, Garance Dore, has confessed to owning…”three short-sleeved striped shirts, two long-sleeved striped shirts, two round-necked striped pullovers and one striped cardigan”.  And why not?   Paired back to some boyfriend khakis and cute red nails?  How effortlessly chic is that when you’re running around?

Check out the many ways we love our long sleeve stripe tee here at The Shop

images via All The Pretty Birds, Vanessa Jackman, The Sartorialist & Garance Dore

Country & College is this incredibly creative accessory editorial from Jalouse (Oct 09).  Brandon & I have discovered a number of times that prop/accessory styling is more than challenging.  There’s no model involved to inspire or make everything look pretty.  So, I have to take a minute and just give credit where credit is due.  My creative hero’s this week are…Laure Ambroise, Laetitia Hotte, Eric Pillault & Jennifer Audinet.  This dream team created Country & College along with two other accessory stories, all three featured within the same issue…all three are brilliant.  This one, particulary, left Brandon & I constantly flipping from one shot to the next and then back again, leaving us wondering “how’d they come up with that??”.   Nice to see fabulous fashion accoutrements take on another life and also nice to see the Marc Jacobs bunny ears styled inside the house than outside

images via Jalouse Oct 09

As our Fall shipments are beginning to arrive, I’ve been looking back at Fall shows. So much goodness everywhere. Knits, outerwear, and pants, pants, pants. I just can’t wait. It’s definitely my favorite time of year for dressing. But then, isn’t it everyone’s? 

When I started surfing, I got totally sidetracked by Ann D. Just, wow. I’m speechless. I. Want. Everything.

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images via Style.com

There is a fine line when dressing down, I mean down and comfy like weekend-wear-down.  It can easily spill into down & sloppy, but sometimes that’s all you want to do is throw on a tee and/or sweatshirt.  For all those times, you should pick up any/all of the fun and ridiculously soft tees & sweatshirts from Sophomore.  Designer/owner Chrissie Miller knows just the right balance of retro & edge. Her tees are particularly fun on the weekends…so much fun you might carry them right into your week under some great cardi’s or blazers.  It’s been known to happen.  We have a few left in The Shop now and will have plenty more to choose from come fall.  Keep checking back!

images via Sophomore NYC….thank you Leah!

Brandon and I had such a fun time at the Rag & Bone event this past week…Thank you Intermix!  Thank you Elle!  We had a lovely time meeting the founders/designers of Rag & Bone, chatting it up about the next big things with Intermix owner Haro Keledjian (genius I tell you!!), “tucking in” some champagne as Marcus Wainwright from Rag & Bone had described it and to top it off, we even had our picture taken  All in all a very fun night!  I have and wore that evening this cool piece from Rag & Bone, a classic blue/white seersucker blazer.  I love it, I love the way it fits & feels on and I love a classic seersucker.  You can throw on something completely wacky and a cute seersucker blazer can balance it all out…shocking, but true.   My outfit that evening (inspired the very next day’s outfit and possibly, maybe, also the compliment David Nevill paid Brandon & I on our style that evening  Yep, that might be it)

last image via ChicagoNow.com

A couple of weeks of summer & sunshine and one day of amusement at Six Flags, had me surfing like a madwoman for some ideas of summer dressing to share.   Here are a some really great choices to try if you want to don on something aside from the basic shorts.  I can see any of these fabulous looks on those days at the beach, to the street festivals to the roller coasters!

images via Jak&Jil, All the Pretty Birds, Vanessa Jackman