Fashion blog from an Atlanta marketing guru who loves dressing up for work. My style is feminine, chic and fun. Get online shopping tips and info on favorite products.
I know it's the day before the July Fourth holiday, but I didn't want to go too cliched with today's outfit. Instead of wearing red, white and blue, I went with a slight variation: peach and navy.
Dress:
Shoshanna Peach and Navy Blue Colorblocked Dress
(no longer available)
I bought the clutch a few years ago for my sister-in-law, and I liked it so much I bought one for myself. This particular style is no longer available, but you can still buy the clutch in plain gold for just $49.50. It's just as cute!
Gilt Groupe is a smart brand. In addition to selling designer clothes, shoes, accessories and more at discounted prices, the company is also now making its own products. This dress, from the Ava & Aidan line, is one such item. It's very similar to dresses produced by labels like Black Halo and Single, but the color, silhouette, quality... everything works. Best of all, this dress and many others like it are available now for under $100.
If you're interested in joining Gilt Groupe, you can use this link to garner an invite. You get $25 off your first purchase.
Dress:
Ava & Aidan Belted Sheath Dress (great work dress!)
Shoes:
Jimmy Choo Abel Patent Leather Disco Hologram Pumps
These pointy toe pumps in this particular color are no longer available, but the Abel is one of Jimmy Choo's most popular styles, and you can find them in a variety of other colors online.
Dress:
Kate Spade New York Cap Sleeve Color Block Adette Dress
This classic black and white dress in the always flattering fit and flare silhouette is a great addition to your wardrobe. It's sold out, but you can rent the Kate Spade New York Adette Dress on Rent the Runway. You can also try eBay!
Purse:
Kate Spade New York Carlisle Street Piper in Maraschino Red Patent Leather No longer available - try eBay!
Shoes:
Kate Spade New York Nouvo Dress Pumps in Maraschino Red
Available at 6pm.com and Amazon.
A few weeks ago, a photographer from The New York Times came to my office to take pictures to accompany a story that was going to run in its August 15th edition. The story focused on Puneet Mehta, my business partner, and a past effort to get a marketing company up and running. Local Marketing, Inc., our current company, was mentioned only briefly toward the end of the article.
I knew that being included in the photo was a definite long shot, but like any fashionista, I had to thoroughly prepare for the possibility.
Shoshanna Plum Sateen Dress and Kate Spade Slingback Pumps
I decided I wanted to wear one of my favorite, flattering and most professional dresses for the photo shoot, so I chose the Shoshanna Plum Sateen Pleated Cap Sleeve Dress. I absolutely adore this dress for its beguiling color, waist-enhancing silhouette, and simple cap sleeves that slim the arm.
I paired the dress with my (current) favorite pair of work shoes: the Kate Spade Celeste Slingback Pumps in black leopard. These Kate Spade shoes are still available online at Amazon.com in a different color, and you can find the same color in just a few sizes (and on sale, too) at Eve's Apple.
If you like this dress, I've found a few others online that have a similar silhouette, so I hope you will check them out if you are in the market for a new addition to your closet:
The fashion world is definitely not without its controversies. One major topic that seems at the top of everyone's lists this summer is over high-end, American fashion designers outsourcing their clothing manufacturing, resulting in lost American jobs and revenue. Made in the U.S.A.? Made in China is more like it.
Even the Ralph Lauren-designed Team USA Summer 2012 Olympic uniforms turned out to be produced overseas. While that fact certainly did not cast a pallor over the Olympic Games -- though, it seems to me, that if any one item of clothing is made here, the Team USA Olympic uniform should be it -- it did turn up the heat on American designers who choose profit over patriotism.
It also got me thinking about my own closet, and what items gracing my shelves are made more cost efficiently outside the United States. It turns out... a lot.
Of course, a few of those labels make a point to produce as much clothing as possible in the United States, in areas like New York City's famed Garment District. Nanette Lepore is one of the most outspoken designers on her stance to keep her clothing made in the U.S.A. She appeared on an episode of Project Runway All-Stars, and part of the challenge for the designers involved factoring in the cost of American production when making their creations. She also talked to CNN earlier this summer about her outrage over the Team USA Olympic uniforms:
My friend, Taryn, actually brought this issue to my attention a few years ago, when we bonded over our love of Nanette Lepore clothing. She told me that she purchased a top, knowing full well that Nanette Lepore's clothes were made in NYC, and discovered later that the label read "Made in China." She was outraged, and wrote a letter to the company to tell them so. What is shocking is that she actually received a reply. The truth was, they told her, if her top had been produced here, then it would have cost so much money most people would not have been able to afford it. That broke my heart.
A recent article in the NY Daily News highlighted the issue of American clothing manufacturing as well, showing that Nanette Lepore isn't the only designer who is making an effort to bring clothing manufacturing back to the United States. Shoshanna, another of my favorite designers, also produces some of her clothing here. It's not a giant leap, but it's at least a first step.
Nanette Lepre Cio Cio San Dress with BCBGMaxAxria Sandals
I've highlighted just two of the Nanette Lepore dresses in my closet on this post. If you're interested in shopping for Nanette Lepore clothing, shop her website, NanetteLepore.com. Each product page, like this one, shows where the item was made, and most of them proudly boast, "Made in New York City."
One of my favorite designers is Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss. (Before she became famous as a designer, you may have known her as Jerry Seinfeld's 17-year-old girlfriend. He dated her for a chunk of the 90s.) The dresses she designs are beautifully cut, well made, and almost always exhibit my favorite combination of classy and feminine. Plus, they are designed for women with realistic proportions (hips and boobs). As she explains on her website:
"I found that there were not any wearable, beautiful clothes out there for someone with my body type. I could never find a halter dress or strapless top that offered support for women who usually need to wear a bra. That experience inspired me to create the pieces that make up the core of my collection." --Shoshanna
I have a good number of Shoshanna dresses in my closet, though I always have to buy them on sale. Bluefly usually has a good collection of her designs, and you can also find them on Lord & Taylor, Saks and ShopBop.com, to name just a few stores that carry her line. (She also designs some beautiful bathing suits and bikinis.)
This peach dress, the Shoshanna Coral Stretch Ponte Cap Sleeve Dress, is currently sold out, but is one of my favorite work dresses. I love its simple yet elegant look, and the peach-coral color really pops. It's especially great to wear during the Spring and Summer months when that color really works - and when you have tanned skin to serve as a nice contrast.
Shoshanna Dress with Kate Spade Shoes
I wore the dress on our recent trip to Italy - during a night out in Milan - and also several times to the office.
If the dress looks familiar, there may be a reason why. The dress was seen on Leah Michelle's character, Rachel Berry, on Glee, as well as on actress Gabrielle Union at an event last year. Who do you think wore it best?
Actress Gabrielle Union in Shoshanna
I have compiled a few dresses that are similar to this dress if you love the look - the fit and flare style is very 50s... and very on trend at the moment:
