Jan 28, 2010 | Fashion
Soooo meant to write a post yesterday, but ended up falling asleep while waiting for Lil Tot to fall asleep first. FAIL!
So I’m finally getting around to this and just wanted to share with all of you some great shopping sites out there- and some shopping picks for late January:
With a showroom in Capitol Hill in Seattle (offering local pickup for online orders), La Rousse is a fashion-forward e-store carrying a variety of under-the-radar lines. (Some of the more well-known include Anna Sui, Erin Templeton, Melissa shoes, and Sretsis – but just because the brands may not be all over the pages of Vogue doesn’t mean there aren’t some fabulous finds among their offerings.) Plus, they offer worldwide shipping.
And save 20% off your purchase with code INDUSTRY20 (though you’ll have to check with the site to make sure it’s usable on sale items!)
Rumor is a brick-and-mortar store off of Ventura Blvd. in L.A., known as a trendy celeb shopping destination. They also have an extensive online store – and their shipping was super-fast!
A couple fave picks:
ShockBoutique, another e-tailer based in L.A., goes the extra mile when it comes to customer service with wardrobe consultants and online stylists available for you and all your shopping needs. Their store is incredibly, ridiculously affordable, with an area for you to shop looks inspired by your favorite celeb.
Today (1/28) only, get 20% off all denim with code CELEBDENIM at checkout!
And get a free black nailpolish with any Valentine’s Day purchase! (Meaning not a purchase on Valentine’s Day, but by clicking the link above to shop from the selections in the “Valentine’s Day” subcategory – like the black peep-toe stilettos above.)
And another item I’m just dying to have…
Sometimes virtual shopping can make you feel so satiated…and virtuous.;-)
-Carly J. Cais
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Jan 16, 2010 | Fashion, Score!
I received, in my inbox the other day, an introduction to AniqueMichelle.com. Granted, I had not heard of the store before, but once I started browsing around I immediately added the boutique to my must-check shopping sites.
First, every single item at AniqueMichelle is under $60! That’s enough to make me sit up and take notice. Plus, they ship internationally (to a number of countries, including Canada, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Belgium, Japan, the U.K., Sweden, and Singapore), and offer Standard Shipping for $6 in the U.S. I also love that their items are unique and I haven’t already seen them a million times before in other e-boutiques on the web.
Owner and creator Anique writes, “I am very passionate that style doesn’t have to cost a lot and it is my goal with AniqueMichelle to provide stylish clothing, jewelry and accessories at an affordable price.” I hear ya!
Take a look below at some of the fabulous clothing, jewelry, accessories, and handbags she offers – and, if you are sorely tempted by the insanely affordable prices – feel free do a little shopping! For Chic Steals readers only, Anique is offering 20% off your entire purchase at AniqueMichelle.com…. just enter the code chicsteals at checkout to receive 20% off your entire order from now until January 31! Now if that’s not incentive…I don’t know what is!
Thank you, Anique – and I hope you gals enjoy!
-Carly J. Cais
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Jan 11, 2010 | Fashion
As I happen across Phi and their Spring/Summer 2010 collection – something happens. I feel compelled to look – to click – to gaze in awe. My jaw slowly drops. Bondage straps? Lingerie-style boning? Fanlacing? Bodycon dresses, wrapped bandage pants, grommets, girdles? Love at first sight? I think so.
Founded in 2003 by Susan Dell (wife of Michael Dell of Dell Computers), Phi is a luxury brand that started off with a major advantage. Pronounced “fee,” the brand commanded a 10,000-square-foot showroom in New York, its own store after one season, and Norwegian designer Andreas Melbostad at the helm. Melbostad’s previous experience includes working at heavy hitters such as Guy Laroche, Yves Saint Laurent, and Donna Karan. At Phi, he favors reinvented eighties silhouettes and masculine tailoring.
“I feel I’m very influenced by the ’80s. To me it feels like a period when fashion was quite impactful, almost a little freer than it became in the ’90s, when it began to be more business-driven. The ’80s just had a lot of artistic sensibility. It seemed like a freer, more adventurous time,” the designer said in Interview Magazine.
Counting Bijou Phillips, Emmy Rossum, Padma Lakshmi among its Hollywood clientele, the brand is now struggling in the current economic climate. Its boutique in Soho is slated to close at the end of next month.
For the Spring 2010, Melbostad put a sophisticated twist on biker chic with a black and white palette that included slim leg suede pants that buckle and lace up the leg, strappy and banded brassiers and bustiers, as well as metal-encrusted jeans, studded blazers and a leather zipper jacket.
Oh Phi, where have you been all my life??
Edit 1/11: The label will no longer be produced and the pieces shown above will not even be manufactured. Pre-Spring 2010 was the brand’s last collection to be in stores. So sad!
-Carly J. Cais
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Dec 22, 2009 | Fashion
If you’re like me, the thought of wearing the same garment 2 days in a row feels…like a cop-out almost, or the epitome of anti-style.
But blogger Sheena Matheiken has taken the concept of wearing the same piece repeatedly, (daily, in fact) and styling it so differently each time so that it looks like a completely different outfit.
And it’s not just a self-congratulatory style experiment either – The Uniform Project was conceived as a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. Since its inception in 1990, the Foundation has worked to bring education to the poorest children in India – allocating as much money on each child’s schooling as the Indian government spends on the priveleged children. All contributions from the Uniform Project will go toward funding the new Akanksha schools that are opening in Mumbai and Pune – and the Project has already raised $47,000: enough for 130 children to attend school.
Beginning in May 2009 (alright, so I’m a little behind on this) – Sheena has worn the same dress every single day (but it can be worn back-to-front and with the buttons unbuttoned for a little variety), uploading a daily outfit photo. (Well, technically she has 7 dresses that she rotates, but all are exactly the same.) She has styled the piece with various accessories and “accoutrements;” the majority of which are be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies (or donations from designers wanting to have their piece featured on the site).
Sheena writes “I was raised and schooled in India where uniforms were a mandate in most public schools. Despite the imposed conformity, kids always found a way to bend the rules and flaunt a little personality. Boys rolled up their sleeves, wore over-sized swatches, and hiked up their pants to show off their high-tops. Girls obsessed over bangles, bindis and bad hairdos. Peaking through the sea of uniforms were the idiosyncrasies of teen style and individual flare. I now want to put the same rules to test again, only this time I’m trading in the catholic school fervor for an eBay addiction and relocating the school walls to this wonderful place called the internet.” And it’s an exercise in sustainable fashion, officially endorsed by the eBay GreenTeam!
I came across this site earlier and fell in love with Sheena’s eclectic style – she borrows elements from so many different cultures and trends it’s difficult to pin her down – so every day is a new surprise!
You can sign up for the mailing list to find out when the dress, made by the blogger’s friend Eliza Starbuck, will be available for purchase.
Watch the video below to find out more, and add the Uniform Project to your bookmarks to get a daily dose of style inspiration.
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7046484&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1
The Uniform Project Trailer from The Uniform Project on Vimeo.
-Carly J. Cais
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Dec 17, 2009 | Fashion
The Holidays are now upon us, so let’s look at some high-end gifts vs. some actually affordable pieces, courtesy of Kipling.
HIGH PRICE:
MULBERRY METALLIC COLLECTION; TORY BURCH CLUTCH ($315);
FRANCESCO BIASA CLUTCH ($318)
AFFORDABLE:
HIGH PRICE:
CARLOS FALCHI PYTHON TOTE ( $2675)
AFFORDABLE:
HIGH PRICE:
MARC JACOBS BLUE SEQUIN BAG ($1396)
AFFORDABLE:
Kipling Blue Sequin Bag $59.00
HIGH-PRICE:
PRADA ($2,250); JIMMY CHOO TOTE ($1,396)
D&G ($1,252; CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN ($1,295)
AFFORDABLE:
I don’t know about you but I am coveting everything!
AND…take $20 off an order of $100 or more at Kipling-usa.com (for new BillMeLater customers) AND get free 2-day shipping until December 21 (mah birthday!)
Happy Lo-Priced Shopping!
-Carly J. Cais
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