I’ve been waiting for retail brands to use Pinterest in more inventive ways and voila! Leave it to J. Crew to pave the way. The iconic brand just released its Fall Catalog Sneak Peek on Pinterest! Many of the looks aren’t as bold as the J. Crew we’ve come to know and love but there are still a ton of pieces that are making me crave the crisp fall weather and pumpkin spice lattes.
The collection is available on Wednesday and you can preview it at one of J. Crew’s Style Sessions happening nationwide. If you’re in New York, be sure to check out the Style Session this Thursday, August 22nd at J. Crew’s Prince Street (99 Prince Street, New York, NY 10012) store from 6:00-8:00 pm. As an added bonus, Habitually Chic has partnered with the store and if you mention the blog at check out, you’ll score a 25% discount!
Here are some of the looks that I can’t wait to see in person on Thursday:
Like It.
This outfit is so soft and pretty. I love the combination of neutrals and everyone woman needs a great white coat.
Love it.
The softness of the outfit above is completely contrasted by this edgy ensemble. If done right. leather leggings can look professional and pass for 9-5.
Buying it.
I love everything about this look, from the statement sunnies to the auburn-hued clutch. While the outfit is impeccable, each piece would pair wonderfully with tons of other items in my closet. Plus, it wouldn’t be a J. Crew season without a bold print or bright color!
I’ve done my fair share of shopping since I’ve been in New York which, lets face it, is not abnormal. However, what is noteworthy is my new found obsession with shoes. While in DC, I got into what I’ll lovingly refer to as a “flats rut”. In my defense, walking a mile to and from my office in stilettos seemed like a surefire way to land myself in even less appealing footwear, say a cast to support an inevitable broken ankle. Sure, flats are practical and serve their purpose, but there is something about a fantastic pair of heels that just makes a girl feel like she is on top of the world. I believe it was Miss Marilyn who said, “Give the girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.”
In my quest for world domination conquering NYC, I’ve been inspired by the fabulous footwear clacking down the sidewalk, hallways and subway stations and am slowly building up my shoe collection. One of my first weekends here, I hit up the DSW in Union Square. Now, I really only recommend this to anyone who really determined. It is incredibly crowded, requires a solid hour of sifting through shoe boxes and some serious guarding of potential purchases. For me, it is always totally worth it to snag two pairs of designer shoes at a third of their original price. And, since I’ve seen one of the pairs on ShopBop and a few other sites for sale, I thought it would helpful to provide a review. I always see great deals on shoes online but am afraid to purchase them since I have no knowledge of the fit or comfort.
The Rachel Roy Devyn Slingback Sandals immediately caught my eye at DSW. They are neutral enough to wear with anything, but a pop of neon and black snakeskin keeps them from being boring. At full price, these run $275 but on ShopBop they are $165 and at DSW I got them for just over $100. Yes, I’m giving myself a pat on the back right now.
Photo from ShopBop
I wore these for a rehearsal dinner (for my friend’s wedding) that involved the actual wedding rehearsal, cocktail hour, the dinner and then more cocktails. All in all, I was standing for almost 8 hours in these and was comfortable. They are easy to walk in, too! I went a half size up from my usual size and think that made a big difference in the comfort factor.
My only negative comment about these shoes is that while enjoying cocktails, we got stuck in some pretty intense rain and these shoes seriously suffered from the storm. They aren’t ruined by any means, but some of the black dye rubbed off on my dress, staining it, and the top band is puckering a bit which is somewhat visible below. While I don’t typically judge shoes based on how they perform after a good soaking, I would have been happier if they’d stood up a bit better, especially given the cost.
However, they still look and wear wonderfully and I would highly recommend both these shoes and this brand, Rachel Roy, if you’re looking for some sexy shoes that won’t have you hobbling home by the end of the evening.
I’m venturing into new territory with this post, but I felt inspired as I looked through pictures from my dear friend’s wedding. Bridesmaid dresses are always an interesting, sometimes polarizing, topic. The bride (usually) wants her maids to look and feel beautiful, but also has to marry (teehee) that with her own vision for the bridal party.
To make things even more difficult, the process of choosing a bridesmaid dress is no picnic either. It can be overwhelming to search through hundreds of styles, colors and materials just to get to a shortlist of options to try on. Then, on top of that, the lack of sizes and colors available forces you to choose a final dress based on a one inch square color swatch and a sample that could be three sizes too big. Oh, and let’s not even address the fact that these dress designers are playing some kind of sick joke on all of us ladies with their sizing. Whatever your dress size, in bridesmaid land you might as well add two sizes or more.
With all of these variables at play to produce a potentially disastrous experience, I feel its just as important to share when they all work together in perfect harmony! Gotta share the good to balance out the bad, right?
The good comes in the form of Love Lane, a ‘simple chic’ line created by Ivy & Aster. For this wedding, a few of us ladies ventured to Bella Bridesmaid in Bethesda and the bride, being wonderfully low maintenance and lovely, set us free to choose the dresses we so desired. We had eyed the Love Lane line prior to arriving, so we knew they’d be a contender, but once we tried them on, everyone was sold. The line offers seven dress styles and two fabric types in an array of colors, all available to view on their website. In our case, we were wearing dresses, of which there were three options, in one of three colors. I chose the Tori style in Champagne and couldn’t have been happier! Here is the dress picture from Love Lane’s website:
Photo from Lovelane.com
And a full length shot from the wedding:
So cute, right? It was a bridesmaid-frock trifecta: flattering, comfortable and it had POCKETS! It just doesn’t get better! Oh wait, it does. I forgot to mention it was under $200!
All three styles of dresses were extremely flattering and the colors went together beautifully. I’d highly recommend the line to any bride hoping for a classic but effortless look for her bridal party. I’d venture a guess that the line was designed to be mixed and matched as the dress styles all complement one another and the range of colors offer at least two options of every hue.
A few tips for any ladies considering this dress:
The sizing of this line is a bit more forgiving than others, yet another reason why its so wonderful! I purchased the Tori one size up from my usual dress size, despite the saleswoman’s insistence that I go two sizes up, and it fit like a glove. I didn’t have any alterations, other than hemming, done to the dress.
Like most bridesmaid dresses, these run long. It will likely require hemming and since there are three layers of fabric, instead of the typical two, it could be a bit more than a typical hemming job.
For a small charge, you can order thick straps which can be a fun and functional addition for the reception.
Like most bridal shops, all members of the bridal party must submit their dress order before the entire order can be placed. Make sure all bridesmaids are aware of the production time on the dresses so they don’t delay the order.
Now, the only catch is that Love Lane is available exclusively at Bella Bridesmaid stores, but with more than 40 locations it shouldn’t be too hard to find one near you. Trust me, you won’t regret it!
The weather finally cooled down a bit in New York, allowing me to feel comfortable in something other than a tank top! This weekend, I broke out a 3/4 sleeve striped shirt from J. Crew that had been banished to the back of my drawer due to the aforementioned no-sleeve requirement.
Pairing a casual striped tee with a big, bold statement necklace is one of my favorite looks. With jeans, it’s a casual yet chic look. Switch out the jeans for a miniskirt and heels and you’re ready for a night out. Here are some of my favorite options, most of which are on sale at J. Crew! As if you needed another reason to shop for some stripes!
I’d heard a rumor that Banana Republic was in the midst of collaborating with Milly and much to my excitement, said collaboration is here! Available in stores and online TODAY, the 50 item collection features an array of dresses, tops, skirts, shorts and accessories. The collaboration is a match made in heaven. Beach-worthy, bold colors and prints adorn classic, sophisticated shapes making for one heck of an appealing collection. While sporting any of the outfits would make me a happy lady, I am partial to a few pieces that need to get in my closet stat!
Milly Collection Colorblock Maxi Dress | $165Milly Collection Feathers Short | $55Milly Collection Medallion Print Top | $89.50Milly Collection Striped Fit and Flare DressMilly Collection Coated Tote | $130
Summer is officially here in DC. It appears that spring didn’t deem 2013 worthy of its appearance, as we’ve gone from 50 degree temperatures to 80 degree temperatures with a heaping serving of humidity!
While I typically spend the summer sporting an array of sandals, this year I’m loving the fashionable selection of sneakers available from some of my favorite designers.
Talk about a throw back! I lived in Keds of all colors when I was a kid. These perforated, lace-less slip-ons are low maintenance, high style and let’s face it, the polka dot sneaker is adorable while still managing to be adult enough for a twenty-something.
This weekend was positively picturesque and my husband and I decided to take advantage of it by strolling the streets of Old Town on Sunday. After gorging ourselves at a late brunch at Jackson 20, I set out to peruse the racks of some of Old Town’s best boutiques. Or, rather, since my birthday is in less than two weeks, one might say I was taking a more proactive role in the acquisition of my potential birthday gift.
For months now, I’ve been meaning to make my way to over the Shoe Hive and for one reason or another, I wasn’t able to. I FINALLY made it over there on Sunday and holy moly – I am glad I did!
Walking into the Shoe Hive is like opening a little window to heaven. Every style, color and brand name shoe you could ever hope for line shelf after shelf, interrupted every so often by a gorgeous designer purse. Pumps, wedges, sandals, flats, boots – the gangs all there and ladies, they are waiting for you to pay them a visit.
There isn’t a shoe store in DC quite like it. The selection is unique enough that you will leave feeling like a trendsetter but familiar enough that you can go there searching for something specific without being disappointed. Not surprisingly, shoes are the major merchandise draw, but the bags, sunglasses and jewelry are not to be underestimated! Delicate gold chains adorned with state charms, pretty printed scarves and a range of Tory Burch and Kate Spade mint-hued bags all caught my eye.
Bottom line, if you’re in Old Town, you need to go. If you’re not in Old Town, you need to make plans to go ASAP. Your feet will thank you!
These Jon Josef smoking slippers exemplify the type of item you can find at The Shoe Hive: classy and charming with a little dash of spunk! ($132-$154)
Rebecca Minkoff – need I say more? This shoe is a summer staple. Brown, black and buckled!
These Sam Edelman flats are the spring shoe trifecta: cutout detailing, mint-colored and feminine. ($94)
I had a Rachel Zoe “bananas” moment over these charm necklaces. They are the ideal layering piece and sentimental to boot.
There isn’t a better selection of Hunter boots anywhere in the area!
Spring has sprung – and I think that is a good enough excuse as any to consider acquiring a new timepiece. I’ve been sporting my gold oversized Michael Kors watch for more than year now, so I’m about due for a new style. With warmer temperatures (hopefully!), a lighter, smaller style would be ideal. I rounded up a few watches that have managed to catch my eye.
Like it.
Square shaped faces are on trend right now and the tortoise shell band is fun for spring and summer.
Vince Camuto Square Case Bangle Watch | $175
Love it.
This watch oozes summer. The white and tan striped band is nautically inspired and the blue and gold chain accent makes me long for the beach.
La Mer St. Tropez Chandelier Crystal Chain Watch | $180
Buying it.
My love for Kate Spade endures. With the recent addition of Kate Spade Saturday, I’m drawn more than ever to bold, graphic prints, making this watch a must-have for me. The bangle style is functional and fashionable and makes it easy to pair with any arm party!
I have two go-to eye makeup looks that I resort to so often I’d like to think I almost have them perfected. The first is a cat-eye which I find impossible to achieve without a liquid liner. I prefer Lorac’s Front of the Line black liner. The second is just your average, everyday natural look. While I love my liquid liner, I think it is a bit too much for the office. I prefer to channel a fresh-faced Kate Middleton more so than a make-up masked Kardashian. To each their own!
I’ve been on the search for a great basic black pencil eyeliner ever since the MAC in Georgetown closed down. I’m convinced it was a sign from the beauty gods as the formula must have changed because their pencil liner now smudges much more than it ever used to. On to bigger, better and cheaper things, namely Almay’s Eyeliner Pencil! I scooped one up on a whim because it was on sale at CVS and haven’t turned back since.
Almay’s liner goes on smooth enough to make a perfectly straight line without smudging. Applying it over eyeshadow doesn’t cause any build up on the pencil, which is an issue I’ve run into with other brands. It doesn’t require a sharpener either. The pencil applicator is extremely easy to use . So easy, in fact, that I’ve applied it without my contacts in and still managed to look presentable. Without my contacts, I’m legally blind. How’s that for an endorsement?
All in all, this is an excellent purchase but the $7.99 price tag makes it a must-have! The liner comes in black and brown, but I prefer black eyeliner universally because I feel like it makes my blue eyes pop a bit more than brown. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Kate Spades much anticipated new line, Kate Spade Saturday, has finally hit the shelves! Armed with the goal of capturing the “carefree spirit of the weekend”, the new line is poised to serve all of us ladies who love everything about Kate Spade except the prices. Saturday has all of the playful whimsy that defines Kate Spade and then some. Flirty dresses, fun graphic prints, versatile bags and cheeky accessories take center stage. New items are added every Saturday which makes me feel bad for the employees but happy for my closet. After perusing the site, it appears nothing is over $200 – dresses range from $140-$180; shirts from $30-$90 and earrings are as low as $20! Here are a few of my favorite picks.
I Phone 5 Case in Fine Fellow | $25
Make a statement with your phone.
Top Handle Small Satchel in Stripe | $140
A black and white graphic print is perfectly accented by a bright, bold color, a defining factor of much of the Saturday line.
The Weekender Bag in Stripe | $180
They’ve thought of everything with this bag. Strategic pockets and even a shoe compartment make this bag an ideal traveling companion, as the name suggests.
Sexy Back Dress in Abstract | $180
This dress, which also comes in blue and black, has an adorable open criss-cross back.
This is my absolute favorite item from the entire collection. While I think my curves would make the print zag where it should zig, I love it so much I might not care!
Kate Spade Saturday takes the phrase “working for the weekend” to a whole new level!
Buying it. 
