What 2 Wear When...: Bloomingdales

Showing posts with label Bloomingdales. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

My February obsession - these Chloe Sandals

Sometimes, there's an item of clothing or an accessory that I can't believe isn't on the market. Or at least, I can't find it. For a long time (ask Lisa), I've been searching for a nude colored, strappy sandal. Would go with everything, right? A classic pair of shoes. SO hard to find.

And then this week, finally. At Bloomingdales. I gasped when I saw them and didn't hesitate to purchase them immediately. I did try them on, but really, I didn't need to. And, come to find, they are REALLY hard to find online. I did find a photo of them to share with you. Check them out:

Image from mytheresa.com.

The heel height is perfect at about 2 3/4". The color (nudes can be so tricky against your skin tone) is perfect. Ahhhh. Now if the snow would just stop/go away/melt so I can wear them. ~ JH

Monday, October 27, 2014

Reunited and it feels so good...

...unless you are my wallet, in which case, you took a beating.

As I was returning more black coats to Bloomingdales 2 weeks ago, I was distracted by a blonde woman. I caught her out of the corner of my eye. I recognized her. Was it? Could it be the devil herself? Yes, it was. It was Loren Munro, our original stylist and co-star of our series on 'Demystifying Personal Shopping - Part 1'. I squealed with delight! Loren Munro Lush (married since we last posted about her) was back in town and had recently started working at Bloomingdales. Amen. After a quick text to Lisa, I immediately made a shopping appointment with Loren for the next week.

That appointment was last Thursday. I know, you are wondering, does Jen REALLY NEED MORE CLOTHING. Honestly, no. Don't tell my husband I said that. But it is LOREN after all and I couldn't wait to see what she would pull together for me.

I asked Loren to pull some out-to-dinner and holiday looks for me. And when I arrived, a large, fully-stocked dressing room awaited me. Lots of goodies.

And as in the past with Loren, the first outfit was a home run. An out-to-dinner look, date or girls-night-out. Or a hostess outfit. Blue silk top by Reiss over high-rise, skinny AG Farrah jeans with Prada pointy toe black patent pumps. Oh, and throw on that Vince grey wool coat too. Oh, and tuck this navy clutch by Whistles under your arm.

Loren is a DRUG DEALER when it comes to clothing and I'm her addict. Honestly, I would never be able to pull this all together for myself, out of 4 separate departments. Would I really pick up that clutch by itself and say 'I have to have this'? No. But with the entire outfit, it just works. That's the beauty of personal shopping; find someone with great style who knows all the merchandise in the store. That person can pull it all together.

For holiday, Loren pulled several cute and sparkly looks. This tunic by All Saints is staying. Over leather leggings (which I already own, and no, we are not too old to wear them) and the same Prada pumps, I'm ready for December.

This is a look that I'm still trying to get used to, but that's what shoppers do to you; they pull you out of your comfort zone. This sequin top by Whistles is insanely cute and has a silk back. Not sure if I can personally pull it off, but I love how edgy and different it is. Wear over those skinny jeans for a fun night out, or cigarette-leg black pants for a more 'grown-up' look.

Ah, it was a good day. Too good. I might have to slow down my shopping, but just a little. ~ JH

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Cheap & Cheerful - Robert Lee Morris Soho jewelry

(Starting a new 'category' today - our 'Cheap & Cheerful' selections - when we find something inexpensive and fabulous, we'll let you know as soon as possible!)

Oh, hello goregous!

I've been in love with Robert Lee Morris (RLM) and his simple, classic silver and gold creations since the 80's. I couldn't afford his work then, but had the pleasure of working with this 2-time CFDA award winner on his tabletop collection for Reed & Barton. I still happily cut my cakes with his amazing pie/cake set.

Seems RLM has been busy, designing for the Olsen twin's Elizabeth and James collection and selling his business to a big company. Hello Soho - the new lower-priced line of silver-plate and gold-plate pieces of surprisingly good quality. I am totally in love! There are some great every day pieces that add a lot of pretty without a lot of $. Find his creations at Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, and on his own website. Here are some of my favorites:

$30, and each bangle falls perfectly on my arm. Bloomingdales is sold out. I might have gotten the last set!

Image from bloomingdales.com.

$28. Simple silver. On sale at Bloomingdales for $19.60.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

$35. To match the bangles. Also on sale at Bloomingdales right now for $24.50.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

How would this amazing collar look on anything black? $45.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

Love this circle, pearl pendant for $42.

Image from macys.com

Very cool cuff with hinge - on sale at Bloomingdales for $40.60.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

Didn't see this one in person, but at $65, I hope it fits the bill for a subtle, gold, chunky necklace.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

Or, is it this one, for $50 with an adjustable chain?

Image from bloomingdales.com.

And what about these cute earrings for holiday? $28?!

Image from bloomingdales.com.

Jen fell in love with this bangle set. $42 for all three!

Image from bloomingdales.com.

As you can see, we have some shopping to do! ~ LB

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Holiday 2012: The Sales!

We are all bombarded with daily emails advertising all kinds of sales - friends and family, pre-Christmas, post-Christmas, etc, etc, etc. Like everyone, I love a good deal and it's during this time of year, right before Christmas, that some of the best deals are out there, especially in the chain and department stores. (Like in J. Crew, starting today, the entire store is 30% off through Monday the 17th!) Yes, there are some fabulous after-Christmas sales, but the quantity of goods in stores is higher now than it will be after Dec. 25th.

But more important than the sales, is what you should actually BUY. Just because it's on sale doesn't mean it needs to go home with you. There are several categories of items that I like to purchase this time of year, and I thought I'd share some of my tricks with you.

First, boots. Riding or heeled, knee-high or bootie: these are items you want to pick up now for next winter. Heck, for this winter! Boots are some of the most expensive footwear out there. Last winter, I knew I wanted a brown, stacked-heel boot and ended up with a pair of Chloe boots for 60% off the original price. If you know you'll want a pair of black riding boots next winter, get them now. Or, stacked heel booties. Like these Vince 'Chase' booties - love them even more at 40% off!

Image from nordstrom.com.

Or, what about these Tod's Rubber Sole tall boots that you can wear all winter! 40% off!

Image from nordstrom.com.

Another 'item' I tend to poke around for during this pre-Christmas time is outerwear. Good outerwear costs a fortune, so why not give yourself a little 'To me, from me' gift? Especially if it's more of a 'specialty' jacket/coat rather than an essential one. I LOVE this capelet at Bloomingdales - 30% off right now, and comes in black, grey, and this delicious orange.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

I love this Mackage, leather-trimmed coat. If I didn't have something very similar in my closet already, I'd be checking out right now. 25% off at Nordstrom.

Image from nordstrom.com.

While Saks isn't 'blogger friendly' (i.e. I can't pull images off their website), they have over 200 pieces of outerwear on sale right now. If they would only let me pull pictures from their site!

Handbags are also good items to purchase now. I'm a clutch junkie for sure, and can barely contain myself around clutches that are on sale. This one, by Stella McCartney, is a 'fantasy' item, but I love it so much I had to share it here. Even though it's 40% off at Nordstroms, at Nordstroms it will stay. (As a note, Neimans has it on sale too, but only 33% off!)

Image from nordstrom.com.

Ok, back to reality. This Cole Haan tote is lovely with its big tassel (TASSELS!) and braided handles. It comes in 3 colors and it's about 33% off right now at Bloomingdales.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

Finally, a brief list of items, which, if you see them on sale, buy them! You will use them. I promise.

leather gloves - how many pairs do you go through in one winter?!
knit gloves - see above.
a well fitting black cashmere sweater. Never out of style and a wardrobe stable.

So while you're finishing your holiday shopping, don't forget to take a peek at what's out there for you. You might be pleasantly surprised! ~ JH

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

...it's Fall 2012: Printed (or Embroidered) Denim

I thought I would pass on this trend for sure. I really did. But then today I had more than a few hours to troll around a mall (Chestnut Hill), and I was attracted to some pairs of rag & bone jeans with embroidery while digging through Bloomingdale's. These were all cute, but a little too 'young' for me.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

Images from rag-bone.com.

Having tried on a few pairs, I found myself completely obsessed with hunting down a pair of embellished or printed jeans. I tried these ikat corduroy pants, also by rag & bone. Not kidding.

Image from piperlime.com.

They weren't bad, just not me. Maybe me at 25, but not me over 40. I made my way out of Bloomingdales (empty-handed except for a great navy Theory blouse, for which I'd attach a link if I could find it online anywhere!) and headed down the corridor to CUSP. For those who are unfamiliar, CUSP is an outpost of Neiman Marcus and they tend to carry younger and emerging designers. And, on a table in the back part of the store, were these pants:

Image from neimanmarcus.com.

By Sold Denim, a relatively new company to the jeans market (started in 2010), they fit like a dream, were completely comfortable and happened to be paired with great, rust-colored Vince sweater (and you know how I l-o-v-e Vince). At $138, they were a lot less than the rag & bone ones (which were near $200). I tried the outfit on, took a pic, and texted it to Lisa for comment.

Image from Jennifer Houston.

When she didn't respond immediately, I called her. Here's how the conversation went:

Jen: "Lisa, where are you? Did you get my text?"

Lisa: "My phone was in the car; hold on. Let me look."...

Lisa: "Ok, I see. Looks good. Is that a Vince sweater? I was just looking at that one!"

Jen thinking: "We share the same brain."

I think I love them and maybe I'm just so desperate for something different. Unbeknownst to me, Lisa has been eyeing printed denim too and thinks it's a good investment for the coming year. There's a lot out there this year and wouldn't it be so nice to have something other than blue denim and black pants in your closet this fall? Here are some other favorites. I love this Chantilly Lace Print Joe's Jean - totally cute with white or black blouse, right?

Image from piperlime.com.

How about these python print ones from CJ by Cookie Johnson? Lisa says she's over snake-print, but I think these might be a great neutral addition to a wardrobe. What do you think? They come in black too.

Image from nordstrom.com.

These Madewell 'Tiled-Up' jeans are another cute neutral with a twist. Love it with a denim blouse.

Image from madewell.com.

For me, it's kind of like the non-t-shirt-t-shirt; I really needed something new and different to inspire me. Next time you pass a table with some printed denim, take a moment and try some on. You might be surprised. ~ JH

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

...it's Fall 2012: Booties

Ladies, time to get your bootie on! Last fall, I obsessed about an ankle boot (or 'bootie') I saw online at my favorite French boutique, Comptoir des Cotonniers. These are the booties that started it all for me.

Image from pinterest.com.

Lisa and I traveled to NYC in October 2011 on a shopping trip, and visited the 2 Comptoir boutiques that existed in the U.S. at the time (one in Soho and one on the Upper West Side) to see if I could find them. Both stores were out of my size. And then I remembered that Bloomingdales in NYC has a store-in-store for Comptoir. We went, and I purchased the LAST pair of size 39s in the U.S..

I'm SOOOOO glad I bought them. I wore them with everything from slim bootcut jeans to cropped pants, almost everyday. These booties inspired 2 more bootie purchases last year too - a grey, weather-proof suede pair and a dressier, rag & bone black bootie (below) that I wore with pants as well as with opaque tights and dresses. (Full disclosure: Lisa spotted these rag & bone ones first, and I couldn't resist copying her.)

Image from pinterest.com.

This year, booties are EVERYWHERE for this fall and if you've visited Lisa's Fall 2012 Pinterest page, you can see how obsessed she is too. Believe me, booties are such a fun change from ballet flats and knee-high boots in the winter.

For everyday booties, I like a stacked heel with height coming in around 2 1/2 to 3 inches maximum. One of the classics out there is by rag & bone; their 'Newbury' bootie that comes in 4-5 colors, both in suede or rugged leather, and is ridiculously comfortable.

Image from rag-bone.com.

If you are not comfortable with the price-tag or heel height that accompanies them, brands like DV by Dolce Vita have great booties too. The 'Nuri' and 'Java' booties are really attractive, even more so since they are both under $130 a pair.

Images from nordstrom.com.

I've seen more 'everyday' - thicker heel, casually styled - booties this fall than I've ever seen. If an everyday bootie fits your lifestyle, consider a tan or light brown suede. They work well with jeans as well as black, tan, and navy colors.

And you ask: "How do I wear them?". Casual booties can be worn with jeans, pants, and more casual dresses. Calypso St. Barth shows this boot styled several different ways...

Image from calypsostbarth.com.

...with skinny jeans rolled to the tops of the booties...

Image from calypsostbarth.com.

...or with a casual dress and bare legs (a great transition look into fall).

Image from calypsostbarth.com.

Even paired over a pant, cuffed or cropped, booties give an outfit (that probably already in your closet) an updated look. Below, this plain top, belted into a slightly cropped pant looks a more polished with the booties than with a pair of flats, doesn't it?

Image from comptoirdescotonniers.com.

For dressier occasions, go with a smooth leather bootie with a higher, thinner heel. Basically, a closed pump. Pair them with dress pants, a dress, or pencil skirt. So nice to have a change from the standard pump, and a bit warmer in colder temperatures. This Corso Como bootie is an inexpensive, great way to enter the bootie market, at Bloomingdale's for $169.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

This bootie is one of the few I've seen with a mid-heel. By Pour la Victoire, it's also a great start for trying out the dressier bootie look.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

And as for how to where them? Check out these looks for inspiration. You can add stockings or tights as the season changes.

Images from net-a-porter.com.

There are TOO many booties out there to post one picture at a time. So I went to trusty Polyvore and created a set, showcasing some of the best choices for everyday and dressier booties. Whatever you do, just try some pairs on the next time you are in the shoe department. Enjoy the ode-to-booties below! ~ JH