Jewelry Spotlight - SEMI

On December 12th Brooklyn based artist Ren Ariel Sano unveiled a vibrant collection of handcrafted statement jewelry – SEMI by Ren Ariel Sano – online at www.semijewels.com.

The eclectic collection is comprised of necklaces, bracelets, and drape rings, all handmade using various chain (including antique copper, gunmetal, and silver), cotton thread, and glass beads.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Ren for many years, and have had the opportunity to experience her work up close. The exquisite quality of each piece is remarkable, as is the meticulous attention to detail clearly given to every aspect of the design.

(Paint it Black Bead Loop Necklace)

(Whiplash Girlchild Necklace)

Ren is an artist of many mediums – she is an amazing painter and sculptor, which seems to inform this vivid collection.  When I first came across SEMI I was absolutely impressed, but not at all surprised; I had always admired Ren’s personal style, especially her easy ability to accessorize.  I asked Ren what influenced the design of this collection:

I have always been inspired by European gypsy culture of the 17th century and kitschy west coast Americana, so I tried to combine elements of both. I want my jewelry to be easy and comfortable but bright and interesting enough to draw a lot of attention… I like accessories that are really low maintenance. 

     

(Ruby Tuesday Bead Loop Necklace - Two Tone Drape Ring - It's Cold in Alaska Necklace)

(Peacock Bead Loop Necklace)

What do you think, readers? My favorites are the Paint it Black Bead Loop Necklace with the antique glass studs and this last one on the gunmetal chain, beautiful! xo Caitlin

Deal of the Weekend!

Major saving at Banana:

 

I was at Banana today (Bay Street), long after noon, and it was still 40% off everything, so the rules may vary store to store. It was also 30% off everything down the block at GAP. 

Online you can get 35% off everything with code: BR35PRE.

Happy shoppinnggggggg! xo Caitlin

Holiday Gift Guide - For Your Girl

This gift guide is a little different as it's geared toward the boy (or girl who loves girls) who needs ideas for his girlfriend. Now I don't believe that many boys read this blog, but I do believe that many are very bad at picking out gifts and could use some guidance - just slip him the link (wink wink). My personal taste in gifts from a boyfriend is romantic, personal, definitely not practical (i.e. my parents have been informed that I would like black print cartridges, a car charger, and a replacement beater for my hand mixer - I do NOT want my boyfriend to give me any of these things).

(click image to enlarge)

The Details... a silk robe/dressing gown is a great choice, it's special, you don't need to worry about fit like you would with most clothes or lingerie and she can wear it daily if she wants to. English Rose Robe. I've said before that

Holiday Gift Guide - Hostess, Co-Worker, Teacher

Today's guide offers ideas for the hostess, co-worker, and teacher. Your relationship with any of these people can vary greatly - this may be someone you are incredibly close with, or someone you don't know at all on a personal level, so this affects your choice in gift and what is or is not appropriate - I believe this guide reflects that variance well:

(click image to enlarge)

The Details... a gift for the home is always a good way to go when shopping for a hostess gift. I worked in gourment/specialty food for a long time and became quite adept at putting together food related gift baskets.

Deal of the Day!

at Banana Republic:

xo Caitlin

Deal of the Day!

Happy Shopping, Dolls. xo Caitlin

Holiday Gift Guide - Teenage Dream

While putting together this guide I was imaging shopping for tween/teen girl cousins.  As the oldest cousin on both sides of my family I have a lot of practice shopping for this demog, and I think it is my favorite - of course I am blessed with awesome girl cousins, and I pretty much just choose whatever I would have loved at that age (or even what I would love now).  There is an emphasis on the trendy, funky, girly accessory, and also, compared to other guides, an emphasis on small designer items (i.e. MXMJ cellphone case and Juicy Couture hair-ties) because though I don't care so much about the label now, I can recall how special it felt at that age to own something obviously designer. Retailers I would recommend include Nordstoms BP (juniors), Sephora, Victoria's Secret Pink and Urban Outfitters.

 

(click image to enlarge)

The Details... the super cozy Frenchi Marled Infiniti Scarf.  'Lola' by Marc Jacobs is my scent du jour and I love this big baubly solid scent ring.  Normally I wouldn't recommend perfume as a gift (unless you already know

Holiday Gift Guide - for the Men

Today's post focuses on gifts for Dad, Husband, Uncle:

(click to enlarge)

The Details... Boast-worthy headphones, Bose AE2 Audio Headphones. Shearling-lined sheepskin slippers, Bean's Wicked Good Scuffs.  A subscription, to something like the NY Times Sunday edition is an excellent

Holiday Gift Guide - for Mom

Holiday Gift Guide! Day two - Ideas for the Madre:

(click image to enlarge)

The Details... I'm already getting psyched for this soundtrack on x-mas eve - Glee Christmas album. Sumptuous leather gloves, Dooney & Bourke. Rustics labradorite and gold earrings, Paul Island Earrings.  Nordstrom has a

Holiday Gift Guide - for the Boys

It's Pour L'amour's first holiday season! and I am super excited to debut the first of a week-long series of holiday gift guides, full of ideas for all of those on your gift-giving list.

I am one of those who goes craazy for Christmas, and I especially love picking out and putting together perfect gifts for my loved ones. In my family, as the resident shopping-lover, I tend to do the bulk of it (no complaints here), I've also done my share of personal shopping (buying gifts on anothers' behalf), and worked for years in retail (I'm also a gift-wrap expert, haha), leaving me pretty good at picking out gifts for all sort of people.  Today's guide is geared towards the Boyfriend/Brother:

(click image to enlarge)

Details...  I've found an excellent way to get your guy to dress the way you like is to buy him clothes! apparently I like a little prep? Banana Republic sweaters. BR, GAP and Old Navy always have excellent deals at the holidays.

Pour L'amour de... ONLINE SHOPPING!

From my overflowing inbox to you, my favorite black Friday-Cyber Monday, post-Thanksgiving sales, for the most part ending today... Time sensitive blog post babies! Click images to enlarge:

25% off everything with code: TGIBF at Shop LA Style, plus free shipping

 35% off at Goldyn with code: FRIDAYMONDAY

the BIG EVENT, major saving for ballers at shopbop.com 

excellent handbags on sale at BCBG MAXAZRIA

40% off sale with code THANKS10 at Calypso, plus free shipping

20% off at Piperlime with code: LUCKY20

15% off all GAP Inc. brands with code: CYBER15

Sales at endless plus free overnight and return shipping

25% off at DSW with code: CYBER25, and free shipping with $35 purchase and code: SHIPR

Happy Shopping mes amoureux de mode.  If you know of additional sales or promo codes not to be missed send me an e-mail or leave it in a comment! xo Caitlin

UPDATE!

** $50 off any purchase of $250 at Bloomingdales

** 20% off with code: COOLSALE at Athleta

** lot of deals at Sephora, see them all HERE

UPDATE AGAIN!!
** 30% plus free shipping with NO minimum purchase at American Apparel with code: FREESHIP30 (expires Dec. 1)

Fall Find

Fall Find! yes, I do plan on extending this "fall" alliteration trend (Autumn Alliteration!) as long as possible (hopefully you caught my previous post: Feelin' Fall)... ANYWAY: Recently, while indulging my online "window shopping" addiction I stumbled across a fairly new (2006), and local (to the SF Bay Area - Emeryville, CA) online boutique: Nasty Gal, which stocks new and vintage styles.  I've never ordered from them at this point, but I'm definitely a fan of the website, I certainly recommend it as a source for styling inspiration.

lace top, faux-fur jacket, trench, striped skirt, floral dress, romper

Of course any advocate of short skirts and knee-highs is a friend of mine... just not a look I ever get sick of.  Speaking of short skirts, how old is too old to pull one off?

A very yucky birthday is fast approaching (I've never been so old!) and it's had me wondering about dressing one's age, and when that becomes something one has to consider.  No, I am not an obese grandmother of ten running around in mini-rompers and knee-highs, but still, at what point should this sort of thing become a concern??
Tell me honestly, darling readers, I need your input!

Hope you enjoyed the looks above, and I hope I did not offend any obese grandmothers... any grandmother reading my blog is officially awesome and has my full support in mini-romper wear... You go Grandma! xo, Caitlin

Feelin' Fall

Fall has always been my favorite season to dress for.  Summer is lovely, and I definitely enjoyed this past one which seemed uncharacteristically warm, and supplied weeks of sundress/swimsuit opportunities.  Still I always get a little excited when the air shifts to brisk, and suddenly the sky takes on all sorts of dark, wondrous, periwinkle shades of gray.  Last weekend I woke almost giddy, kid-on-Christmas-morning-style, to the sounds of the first rain of the season.

The past week has been all about tights, wool coats, and breaking out the boots.  Though my collection is far from lacking, I've decided a new pair of flat to low-heeled brown knee highs is in order this season.  A comfortable pair of knee high boots is a worthy investment and an all weather wardrobe staple; perfect with a mini or over slim fitting jeans, and the ones I've now worn to the ground were absolutely indispensable on my last two winter visits to New York City, they weathered the weather (I=witty), and were comfortable enough for days upon full days walking the city.

A few I'm considering (all around $150):

Seychelles, Ciao Bella, Hive and Honey, Corso Como  

Maybe not the most fashion-forward item in my arsenal, but necessary nonetheless.  Who says I don't own practical footwear!

Happy Fall and happy Election Day! I hope all my lovely readers got out and voted today! xo Caitlin

The Chanel Suit

My previous post, Holy Chanel!, covered the Chanel RTW show at Paris Fashion Week.  I noted the classic tweed suit, a staple of the brand reinvented year after year since it's birth, over 90 years ago!

 Coco Chanel in her suit and amongst her suits, circa 1960.

What defines the iconic suit?

...the classic Chanel  suit has "boxy" lines.  The typical suit also has braided trim and a  slim skirt lined with a gold link chain. The buttons either resemble  coins or are gold with the double "cc" logo displayed amid them. There  is always a ribbon sewed in the waist of the skirt to prevent the blouse  from slipping and the zipper is placed on the side of the skirt to  enable comfort. In a sense,  wearing a Chanel suit is like wearing a customized ornate costume, made  to fit so that when the wearer moves, the suit still maintains perfect  grace and elegance*

Lagerfeld's adaption for Spring 2011:

I love that the look was even interpreted for the 1970's inspired Resort Collection, shown in St. Tropez:

the suit goes to the beach! the suit goes with a bikini!

For more on the suit check out this great timeline at Time magazine.

Craazy Coco! in the 60's a thousand years old still doing her thing

Even after being modernized year after year, the look has remained true 

to it's original concept even after Chanels death and the transition to Karl Lagerfeld as head designer and creative director.  For forty years Lagerfeld has honored design and kept it relevant season after season.  I find this incredibly impressive and important.

Thanks for your readership, Dolls! xo Caitlin

*quote via coololdstuff.com

old school pics via the vintage link and adriana sassoon, Spring 2011 images via Style.com

Holy Chanel!

From the EPIC Chanel RTW show last week in Paris:

oh my...

Though for the most part the looks from this RTW collection are farrrrr from ready-to-wear (in my opinion) the overall show was nothing short of stunning.

I can't even imagine what it would be like to experience it in person... I know I've said it before but I honestly believe I would have cried! I imagine that seeing something like that pink floof above walking down the runway would be, literally, breathtaking.

...and I die!

Kraaazy Karl!

What an amazing venue.

On the first day of French class, back in middle school, we all got to choose French names and I chose "Chantal", for no other reason than it resembled "Chanel".  At this point I was not remotely familiar with anything the fashion house actually produced, but I knew it was something special, special enough to name oneself after!

(side note: my parents are regular working class people who like to hike/don't shop at Bloomingdales etc., and are still baffled how they ended up with the sort of child who at ten begged for a subscription to W magazine... quizzicle)

Some of my preferred looks from the collection... which to be honest I did not love:

The majority of the pieces present a sort of ladylike-victorian-gothic look. I love the constant reinvention of the classic Chanel tweed suit and the sparkling black halters amongst the evening wear.  There was also lots of feathery fringe, dark dark eye make-up, and what I consider HIDEOUS flat across platform sandals (those are hideous right? does anyone disagree?).

Hope you enjoyed the rundown!  I don't know if anyone cares but I am sorry for being so absent as of late... it feels really good to get back the the bloggy!

Love you dolls, xo Caitlin

Marc Jacobs Collection

I love how a Couture vs. RTW collection from a single designer can appear at first glance so, so different (see previous post), but at closer inspection so clearly follow a similar trend and trajectory.

My favorite looks from the Marc Jacobs Collection SS '11 show at NY Fashion Week:

To be honest I hated (really) a lot of the peices I saw (those I did not care to present here, whoops!), but as a whole I greatly respect and admire the collection as a whole.

These styles are larger-than-life. They are statements. So bold! The color palate so vibrant! Awe-inspiring really, the collection is awesome. "Awe", here clearly, is the word I'm gravitating towards, c'est le mot juste.

Honestly I'm sure if I were physically present at this show it would have brought me to tears - yes, clothes can make me cry (fashion is an art form!), but to be fair I am the sentimental sort (...Marc Jacobs SS '11 leads to Stendhal Syndrome in local blogger?).

As to my previous statement on the similarity between this collection and Marc by Marc there is again a very retro vibe, but one that leans towards a later decade - very 1970's, very disco-age. Again there are the jumpsuits, a vibrant and pervasive color scheme, and mixed materials, satins, sheers and leather.

Right now my style may be more MXMJ, but someday, oh that someday, you'll see me in Marc Jacobs.

Love! and Awe! and Fashion! xo Caitlin

original images via The Cut, edited and collaged images property of Pour L'amour de Fashion!