...more about Paris later.

A funny conversation happened today between Lisa and I.  It's this kind of exchange that led us to start this blog, and I can't think of a better way to get our heads back into the blog than to share it with you for a good giggle.

Scene:  Jen in Nordstrom, Natick Mall.  Lisa at work.  12:12pm.  Lots of texting.

J: "Question: do I get a Louis Vuitton Damier Neverfull bag (that's the lighter, checked LV logo) or hold out for taupe, Hermes Garden Party bag?  Champagne problems.  Or a white Goyard."

Louis Vuitton Neverfull - Image from pixelsthoughsandwords.com.

Hermes Garden Party bag - Image from polyvore.com.

Goyard Tote - Image from iposhmoda.com.

L: "You don't strike me as an LV girl.  White Goyard....purrr.  Garden party is lovely.  Will you be comfortable putting it down on the grass/sand/cocktail-filled table at the Ramp (my summer 'kitchen')."

J: "Why yes, that's exactly where it's going."

L: "I live for these kinds of dilemmas....Don't do LV."

J: "I hear u, but was tempted in the mall.  Plus, it's easy.  Hummm.  Thinking hard.  Might have to visit Goyard.  Doing recon.  Neimans having a good sale.  Got Tory (as in Tory Burch) white cropped pants for $64.  Not that I needed them (more white pants)."

Tory Burch Cropped Pant - Image from toryburch.com.

L: "Does Isabel Marant make bags?  Her new line went up in the window the day before we left (Paris) and it was stunning."

J: "Having purse dilemma.  Hummmm. Will research.  (Dear husband) putting pressure on me to pick birthday gift.  Also, have my Vanessa Bruno (tote purchased in Paris) which would b perfect for Ramp."

L: (Referring to the Tory Burch Pants) "Oh you stinker.  Did they have other sizes?  I could always use a good pair of white cropped."

J: "I think they had a 28 in the white cropped."

L: (Back to purses) "I saw this darling bag on a couple of women in Paris.  Leather, with the big zipper and 2 luscious tassles hanging off.  Don't know the maker." (Back to pants) "I could use a 28.  Will call my friend Deb at NM."

J: (Referring to purse) "I think I saw one.  Can't recall maker." (Referring to pants) "Want me to sneak back to Neimans and get them?"

L: "Yes, if u have time.  Thx."

J: "Grabbing salad.  Will head down after."

L: Texted lots of hearts.

L: (Back to purse conversation) "Chanel bag perhaps?  Has nothing to do with summer.  Just sayin."

J: "Looked at those.  A little dressy.  Want something more casual.  Looked at some Pradas too.  Meh.  Should have gone to Apres Midi du Chien (a Parisian brand of bags). Damn it."

L: "Yeah..."

Scene: 1:06pm.  Neiman Marcus.

J: "At Neimans.  Someone has them on in the dressing room.  Am stalking them (not REALLY stalking).  Stay tuned."

L: "That's my girl!"

J: "Got them!  Hahaha.  I will warn you they might be big on you."

L: "I'll give them a try!  You are awesome.  I can swing by today btw 5-5:45."

J: "K.  I'll be home. Perfect."

Just like our blog states, we are: "Two friends, with hours of phone calls and dozens of emails about fashion, outfits, and attire..."  This is what we do and have done dozens of other times - we talk fashion and accessories.  We research, rationalize, and reason.  And that's what we'll continue to do. Welcome back. ~ JH

A pause from the fashion fodder...

Last week, Lisa and I finally got around to ordering 'business cards' and they arrived!  Nothing fancy, but something to hand out to people when they ask "What's the name of your blog?".  I plan to take pictures of things in Paris next week and write about them, so I thought it would be nice if I had a card to give to a shopkeeper when I ask if I can take a photo.  How do you say 'blogger' in French?

Image from Jennifer Houston.

Finally having 'a card' brings me back to the night where our little blog idea was hatched.  And I realized, we never did share that story, did we?  So, dear readers, this is the story of how W2WW was born.

Back in October, Lisa had RSVP-ed that she would attend an event at Longchamp in Boston, co-hosted by InStyle magazine and Erin Gates, interior stylist and author of the blog, Elements of Style.  I became her plus one.  I put on my rag & bone fuzzy vest, AG Ballad Cords, black, long sleeve t-shirt, black rag & bone booties, ironed my hair, and ran out the door with Lisa.  (And, on my arm, my chocolate, togo leather, 35cm Hermes Birkin.  My treasured 40th birthday present.  I don't really ever talk about it, but it comes up in the story.)

Image from pinterest.com.

So, off we go, to glasses of champagne and neat hors d'oeuvres and a ton of people we don't know.  Fabulous!  The no mommies crowd!  Great people watching, great DJ, more champs!  (Lisa really loves champs by the way.)

So, we're examining the crowd, and notice a women, dressed in a cheetah print dress, checking us out.  She doesn't appear to be anyone we know, but she's definitely checking us out.  We spy Erin Gates (we are huge fans) and make our way over to say 'hi'.  Lisa asks if her husband is there (the champs talking), we make fools of ourselves by gushing over her blog, and go back to find more champagne.

Finally, in need of a real dinner (since we didn't eat with our children at 5pm!), we turn to head out, Lisa heading toward the door first.  The cheetah-dress lady approaches and stops me.  She says she loves my bag, loves my vest, loves my outfit, and who might I be?  I introduce myself, just as little old me, no 'title', no nothing.  She introduces herself.  Who is she?  Connie Anne Phillips, publisher of InStyle magazine.

Gulp!  Who am I?  Emma's mom?!  Um.  Um.  I thank her for the compliment (the best I've ever received in my life!), gush about the magazine, talk about how long I've been a subscriber, etc.  We part, and out the door she goes.  Nothing.  After years of styling people and personal shopping for friends and acquaintances, I had nothing to tell her, give her, hand her.

Lisa, who would have never let her walk out, comes up to a shell-shocked me, and asks who she was.  I tell her, and she practically pushes me out the door of Longchamp after Ms. Phillips.  My mind was racing.  What do I say, what do I do?  In the end, I knew I had nothing 'canned' to capture her attention.  Presumably, she dashed off to catch her flight back to New York.

Still hungry and high on adrenaline, Lisa and I raced off to Tico for some fish tacos and to debrief.  We talked about how we always wanted to do 'something' in styling or fashion together.  There was a period of time when we even tried out styling people, having a pilot client or 2 to style through multiple seasons, did research on how to monetize it, but neither of us had the time to really launch a business with 3 kids between us in 1/2 day Kindergarten.  After some food and thought, we decided we needed to blog.  To build content, to write down our ridiculous conversations on fashion and clothing, to answer our friends' questions of what to wear when...

And so it began.  And now, it seems so official, with just a little business card, and dozens (not yet hundreds, but getting closer) of readers.  Thank you so much for tuning in and reading.  We love to see your comments, field your questions, and do research for your fashion crises.  And if you really like us, please feel free to share our blog with your friends.   Merci beaucoup! ~ JH

Image from Jennifer Houston.

C. Wonder

There's a new retailer out there with some experience.  Last year, J. Christopher Burch, Tory Burch's ex-husband, opened a retail post called C. Wonder.  It's flagship is in Soho, with other posts in Paramus, NJ, White Plains, NY, and Garden City, NY.  His green is just like Tory's orange.  It's everywhere.  See?

Photo from cwonder.com

C. Wonder carries bold, color-crazy products, from women's clothing to home accessories.  Very preppy.  Particularly cute are the women's accessories, namely, bracelets.  The $38 enamel logo bracelet and $48 silver rimmed horn bracelets are fabulous.  I really, really, really should order the horn one.

Photo from cwonder.com

Photo from cwonder.com

Narrow leather belts can be customized (remember mass customization?!) with a leather belt and letter buckle.  Buckle is $28.  (Does this remind you of the Hermes "H" belt buckle?!)

Photo from cwonder.com

Their clothing items are true prep, with an infusion of color.  See my pick below, the Elbow Patch Intarsia Sweater for $78.

Photo from cwonder.com

I hope to visit the Soho flagship in May.  A good friend visited last fall and thought it was great fun.  In the meantime, they have launched their online sales site, so if you can't make it to NYC, try visiting their online store. ~ JH

One of my obsessions...and why.

I have a couple of obsessions in life.  Paris. Dark chocolate-covered caramels with sea salt from Whole Foods.  Shoes.  Most anything that comes in an orange box.  Yes, much to my husband's dismay, Hermes.

I fell in love with Hermes and their products well before I actually owned anything from the company.  Several years ago, I amassed several books on fashion, fashion houses, and trends for summer reading.  One book stood out:  "Deluxe - How Luxury Lost its Luster" by Dana Thomas.

Photo from ebookstore.sony.com

Ms. Thomas wrote for the Style section of The Washington Post from 1995 to 2008, so she knows her stuff. The book is a brief history of luxury brands and products, and how these formerly 'family-owned' companies that produce hand-made, high quality goods have transformed into greedy corporations, who care only about dollars made, quality be sacrificed.  It's a fascinating read, with tales of production lines in China, faux versus real scents in perfume, and the market for counterfeit goods.

In this book, Ms. Thomas writes about Hermes, and how they have stood the test of time, how hours and hours go into each product, and how their handbags "are considered by many to be the last true luxury goods in the luxury fashion industry" (page 171 in the softcover).  Hermes is still family-owned today, although they are continuously fighting a battle with luxury goods conglomerate LVMH to retain control of the company.  Her description of their production methods (one person, makes one handbag, from beginning to end) were detailed and intriguing. I wanted something, anything, made by these craftsmen and women, who devoted their careers to quality.  Nothing less would do.

My foray into the world of Hermes started with their enamel bracelets.  With 'H' starting my last name, it only seemed appropriate that I have one.

Photo from usa.hermes.com.

It just took one visit to land me, hook, line and sinker. As a former equestrian, the saddles in the store (their original product) made me swoon.  The silk in their men's ties is exquisite.  As a tactile person, I wanted to touch everything, try everything on.  The scarves, the handbags, the watches.  Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

So when I received an email one morning from Chic Shopping Paris (all of my obsessions wrapped up into one!) linking to a video about the craftspeople at Hermes, my kids were late to school as I sat, spellbound, watching.

We all can appreciate quality craftsmanship, and this 45-minute documentary - "Les Mains d'Hermes" (the hands of Hermes) or "Hearts and Crafts" (the English version) - is an eye-opening perspective into what's becoming a lost art.  Click here to start the journey! ~ JH

Photo from Chicshoppingparis.blogspot.com