i’m beyond delighted to be typing this…we’re headed out to san francisco!  there’s going to be a lot of {enjoyable} work & lots of {exciting} meet & greets so needless to say, i’ve started planning & packing my sf ‘kit’.  i like playing around in my closet & packing is more easy peasy than a big deal.  here’s what works for me when packing for a trip….

lastly, creatively roll, fold, squeeze & compress into one suitcase

images 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

I love the color red, so when I saw these  high-waisted, flared red beauties from Surface to Air, I was in love. And they are surprisingly easy to wear, too. Here’s just a few of the ways we love ‘em.

A graphic tee, a blazer, a button up (or down, depending on your point-of-view)… the possibilities are endless. And since the holiday season is upon us, there really couldn’t be a better time to rock some red.

Just in time for Halloween, we asked our favorite little creative powerhouse pixie, Erika Dufour, to do what she does best — let her imagination run wild. That’s really the best direction you can give Erika. She always comes up with something that is way better than anything we could’ve thought of on our own. And this story is certainly no exception.

So I proudly present to you, Erika’s Maskquerade:

See the story BIGGER; Shop the story.

{photography, styling and creative direction by Erika Dufour for TwentyThirtyForty}

It’s March and that means spring is right around the corner It also means our Spring11 Lookbook is up & live!  We just could not be any happier.  If you haven’t popped over to our main site yet….why, here it is!  A million thanks to the amazing team that helped bring our favorite picks of the season into one beautiful {SHOPABLE!} lookbook…Mr Billy Rood, Ellen Williams, Grace Hartzel & Mary Guthrie.  Enjoy & have a wonderful weekend!

Shop S11 Lookbook

some behind-the-scenes on Facebook

With all the snow blowing around the country, we’re definitely thinking cozy. And nothing says cozy to us quite like knits. So we decided to style some up — layer upon layer. Try it. It’s cozy!

Cowl, Sperling vest, Roxy tube (worn as skirt), Macy arm warmers and Hannah leggings all by Lara Miller; Rachel Comey Sazerac booties

sweater, skirt and socks by Lara Miller; Loeffler Randall Zola slides, Rachel Comey Saddlebag, Aris Geldis chain with tassel

Rachel Comey fringe dress, Rogan Frisse cardigan, Loeffler Randall Wendy knit slouch boot, Jack Rabbit Serengeti skinny belt

SONIA by Sonia Rykiel stripe sweater coat, Louis Vuitton Balmoral fur ankle booties

SONIA by Sonia Rykiel double-sleeve dress, Humanoid Buzz miniskirt, .n.d.c. Lousa jazz oxford, 3.1 Phillip Lim drawstring bag

Shop all the looks here and check out more Lara Miller on our Obsessed With page.

One of my favorite sweaters in The Shop right now (aside from the Gary Graham blanket cardi ) is the cashmere trompe l’oeil zipper sweater by SONIA by Sonia Rykiel.  I came across it styled up on Polyvore today.  One look inspired by a fashionable young brit and styled with a trompe l’oeil handbag & super sunglasses & the other inspired by a modern day Audrey Hepburn styled with Miu Miu Matelass top handle & Blackberry.

The Edgy Side of Emma Watson was created by Sassh on Polyvore

Audrey was created by Andrea Bradshaw on Polyvore

We recently worked with a new photographer — the lovely and talented Erika Dufour. I’m not going to lie to you, we were scared. We’ve been working with Karl Rothenberger for a long time now and the 3 of us definitely have our groove down. We love and adore Karl, we love and adore his work and we love and adore working with him, BUT he lives in New York. This means that we’ve had to try and find someone local. Not an easy task, mind you.

Well, we are pleased to announce that the shoot with Erika went off without a hitch. Super-fun all-female (and a little canine) energy filled Erika’s studio that day, and the final result is more than we could have hoped for. We’re very happy and very proud. So happy and proud, in fact, that we’re posting it here. Hope you love it as much as we do =)

photography by Erika Dufour, hair and make-up by Sharon Casey, styling by us, featuring the fabulous Michelle Hicks of Ford Models.

Shop for the looks here.

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.

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?

Here's our take on the stripe tee by SONIA by Sonia Rykiel...slightly sheer with a sequin patch heart :)

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

So it’s just about that time again…market!  As every market goes by so do our dreams of Sonia by Sonia Rykiel.  Before every market, Brandon and I get our wishlist together of designers we’d love to carry & style in our Shop.  One line that always makes it on both our lists, but yet always seems to evade us is Sonia by Sonia Rykiel.  :(

Sonia Rykiel's famous broche bouche (mouth pin)

Wouldn’t you just love any one of these flirty little pieces??  Wouldn’t you just love to easily get your hands of them by just clicking into our Shop??  Wouldn’t you just love to see the many different ways to style & love that one piece?  Then help us, help you!  Help us find that one evasive contact (aside from the Parisian email…we assure you, we’ve tried that!!)  We’d be forever thankful  We love you Sonia!!