it's Fall 2013: Camouflage.

Years ago at the day-after-Christmas-morning-sale-at-Saks, I found a pair of gorgeous, Prada camouflage flats. 1/2 off the sale price.  I shrugged, said 'why not', and purchased them.  I've loved them over the years, but it's only recently that camouflage has become mainstream.  I'm going to live in them this fall.

Fall 2013 is the season to shop it and wear it!  Camo is everywhere.  J.Crew has already sold out of their camo pants for fall.  The Gap I was in today had also sold out.  My oldest daughter even got in on the act and fell in love with these camo leggings.

Image from splendid.com.

But just because some looks have sold out doesn't mean you have missed out.  There are tons of great options out there!  Some of my favorites?  Let's start with these Pretty Ballerinas pointy toe ballet flats.  What do you wear them with?  A column of black, black cropped pants and a top, with a denim skirt.  Heaven!  If I didn't already have camo ballet flats, I'd be on the phone in a heartbeat.  

Image from prettyballerinas.us.

And what about this tank, layered under a sweater, black jacket or long cardigan?  A subtle nod to the trend if you don't think a pair of camo pants is the answer for you.

Image from piperlime.com

Or heck, go for the full pant.  These pants by Baldwin Denim aren't skin-tight and have nice lines.  I kind of love them.  (And they are on sale.)

Image from shopbop.com.

How to wear camouflage?!  Here are some thoughts:

• If you have a camo pant/legging - think of black, deep navy, jean or chambray, white, light gray, or light pink tops to pair with them. I really like a light pink - can you see putting a J.Crew pink v-neck sweater on top of the Baldwin camo pants?!  I can.  I think a pink softens the 'tough' of the camouflage.
• If you have a camo jacket, keep the rest of your look neutral underneath.  That's a lot of print you are wearing already.
• Use camo as a 'pop' in a tank under a sweater or jacket or on your feet with a fun pair of flats.  I've worn my camouflage flats with jeans and black skinny pants.  (Maybe I should pair them with white jeans or winter white cords.) A camouflage scarf would be a fun way to dip your toe in the trend also.

Whatever you decide, don't be afraid to try! ~ JH

W2WW: Camouflage

Christopher Kane camo hoodie / DKNY crew neck pullover / Madewell camo jacket / TEXTILE Elizabeth and James skinny jeans / rag & bone/JEAN slouch skinny jeans / Baldwin Denim boyfriend jeans / Sam Edelman flat shoes / Anniel ballet shoes / Clare Vivier clutch / Roffe Accessories fringe shawl / Glam Bands elastic hair tie / Alternative Print Short Sleeve Crew Tee Shirt

it's Spring 2013: Ankle Strap Shoes

I felt a little smug when this week's ad from Piperlime arrived in my in-box.  

Image from piperlime.com via email.

My initial thought was 'yes, no kidding'.  And then I realized I hadn't shared this with you, our readers!  Shame on me!

If you follow me on Pinterest, you can guess that I am obsessed with finding the right pair of ankle strap, heeled sandals for this spring.  Ankle straps are everywhere.  If you think you can't wear them, try a couple of different styles on; there are cross-strap and single strap ones.  They come in all heights from flats to heels to wedges.  If a color breaks up your leg too much, try a nude pair.  And how to wear them?  Easy - cropped and ankle-length pants are everywhere and a crisp pair of white ones will really put the focus on your shoes' details.  Under long pants is always an option.  Dresses can get an instant update with an ankle-strap shoe.

Piperlime has a nicely curated selection of ankle strap shoes - check it out for inspiration - that range from heels to stacked heels and wedges. 

As for me, I need 2 pairs this spring - a very neutral nude and no-platform, minimal black sandals.  Both heels.

I'll start with the neutral because it's simply easier.  I've had these Classiques Entier strappy sandals for a couple of years now.  They are really great in style and in color, but honestly, not that comfortable. Standing and walking in these shoes is a little painful.  Ah, the sacrifices for fashion!

Image from ebay.com.

If I'm going to replace them, I may as well go for updated look, no?  It was pretty easy to find the updated version of these. It was love at first sight with these Tory Burch Vanetta sandals.  They were sold out of my size online; I called the Boston Tory Burch store and asked a salesperson to find them for me in a store.  She called back within an hour, having found them in NYC. A simple 'charge/ship' and they were on their way.  Slightly lower heel height, updated, and really comfortable.  SOLD!

Image from toryburch.com.

Onto the black pair.  Here's where it's tricky for me.  My obsession started back in January when I purchased that cobalt blue Vince outfit at Saks.  After bringing the outfit home, I started surfing around to see how different online retailers styled the outfit.  (This is something I do regularly, which is useful for taking a piece of clothing and finding different ways of styling it.) Shopbop had it simply paired with black, ankle strap sandals.

Image from shopbop.com.

What were those shoes on the model?  I found them on Shopbop; they are 'Nicholas' Jacket Snake Strap sandals.  At the time, they were full-priced at $240.  Plenty in stock.  I pinned them to my Pinterest board for future consideration.  

Image from shopbop.com.

Fast forward to last week. I happen to be on Shopbop and click over to look at them again.  Not only are they on sale (yippee!), but they are SOLD OUT OF MY SIZE.  Completely.  ARG!  Many Google searches produce NO other online retailers selling this brand!  Shopstyle doesn't turn up anything.  I cannot believe it.  I am stumped.

The only other thing to do is search for similar options.  And when I say search, I have been searching with a capital S.  I've been on Zappos, Amazon, Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Shopbop, Revolve Clothing, Ann Taylor, Gap, Piperlime, Banana Republic, Calypso, Reiss, Tory Burch, Zara, Lord and Taylor, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Bluefly, J. Crew, Jildor, Scoop NYC, Comptoir des Cotonniers, etc, etc, etc.  

Here's a short list of my findings so far.  These Givenchy sandals are pretty fab especially with the subtle zipper detail around the sole of the shoe.  The heel height is great and I like the 'covered' heel in the back. But, at $650, I'll have to keep looking.  Oh, and did I mention they are SOLD OUT too on net-a-porter?!  ARG!  What, does everyone want a pair too?!

Image from net-a-porter.com.

Shopbop has these Isa Tapia 'Lia' Sandals are only slight better priced at $395.  Maybe a little more 'precious' than 'sleek' with the scalloped edges, but a great heel height.  Problem?  Oh yeah, they're SOLD OUT of my size too.  

Image from shopbop.com.

How about these Alexander Wang sandals?  At least they are available for pre-order...maybe to ship at the end of April?  The heel is creeping up there in height...

Image from pinterest via saks.com.

How about these much-more-reasonable Everett sandals from Ann Taylor?  At $118 (and they ALWAYS have coupon codes to reduce that price even more) you can't really go wrong in trying them out. But are they too strappy?

Image from anntaylor.com.

The search continues - if you spy anything that looks interesting, please shoot me an email with a link.  In the meantime, if you find yourself in shoe department or store, give the ankle strap shoe a try! ~ JH

In Search of the Perfect Black Pump.

One of our friends (and a reader!) asked for our opinion of what we think is the perfect black pump.  There are many different kinds of black pumps, round-toe or pointy toe, staggeringly tall or manageable.  We'll go through our personal favorites.  

Disclaimer:  We should start by saying we are shoe addicts.  Years ago, we only dreamed of scoring a high-end designer pump on sale at Saks on the morning after Christmas.  (In fact, one year Lisa DID score the classic Campari Manolo Blanik mary-jane pumps; we have the same shoe size, so it took a lot for me not to rip them out of her hands.)  In more recent years, we've splurged a little more on wardrobe 'staples'; once we find something we LOVE, it might just be worth the designer price tag.  

A perfect black pump is a wardrobe staple.  This spring I finally splurged on getting a classic pointy toe pump - the Manolo Blahnik Newcio Pump in black leather.  

Image from nordstrom.com.

Plain, simple, really comfortable.  I knew I wanted a pointy-toe, black leather pump with a 3 1/2" heel.  Over the course of a year, I tried on many pairs at lower price-points but kept coming back to these.  I know I will have them (and wear them) forever and they will never go out of style.  (And just FYI, my foot is wide in the front with a narrow heel - tough to find perfect-fitting shoes that won't squeeze my toes or, conversely, slip off my heel.)

But that price-point is more painful than a pair of bad stilettos to say the least.  There are other options out there.  Lisa fell in love with this pointed-toe pair Valentina pumps by J. Crew last spring.  She bought them in red and swears they are completely comfortable.  This winter, they are carrying them in a black patent (which works well for inclement weather).  With a 2 3/4" heel, they are a GREAT height that should keep your toes happy through holiday cocktail parties.

Image from jcrew.com.

For round-toe pumps, I have always loved the Kate Spade Karolina pumps. I have them in a black, faux croc leather.  Piperlime is showing them in a black patent this winter.  They are extremely comfortable with a 3" heel.  (They also come in a nude patent, and Bloomingdale's has them in a black grosgrain with a glitter heel.)

Image from piperlime.com.

A few years ago, I went on a shopping mission for a friend who needed a dress pronto.  I purchased 10 dresses, a couple of jackets, and these pumps, after I learned that she had no classic pumps.  She kept 2 (or was it 3?) dresses, a jacket and a cardigan as well as these Calvin Klein simple, classic pumps, which have a 3" heel.  She said they were really comfortable and, at $69, the price is definitely right.  They must be a great seller since they are still on the market and now come in a whopping 22 colors on Zappos!

Image from zappos.com.

Finally, let's take a page from Kate Middleton's book and look at the L.K. Bennett 'Sledge' Pump.  The Duchess of Cambridge wears these day-in-and-day-out, which says something about the comfort and wearability of them.  While the heel is 4", the 1/2" platform brings you down to 3 1/2".  I have a pair of L.K. Bennett pumps from about 6 years ago that I still love and wear.  The shoes run narrow, so if you have a narrow foot, this might be a great choice for you. 

Image from nordstrom.com.

Those are our favorites.  Hope you find a pair you like! ~ JH  

One of my dirty little secrets.

Every Tuesday and Friday, I make a few minutes and sit quietly with a particular email that comes to my inbox on those days.  I won't even open it on my iPhone; I need a bigger screen to check it out.  What email is this, you ask?  It's my 'Shop It To Me' email.

Image from shopittome.com.

Brilliant site for someone like me!  Shop It To Me is basically a shopping 'sale' search engine that's customizable.  It canvases dozens of retail sites and delivers emails to you full of sale items from these sites based on your shopping preferences; you decide what retailers and brands of clothing you want to have emailed to you as well as specifying sizes, price range, and percentage off retail price.  As their site says:

"When you sign up, Shop It To Me will send you either a daily, semi-weekly, or weekly email of sale items which match your preferences."

For example, each Tuesday and Friday I receive an email, sorted by retailer (or you can choose to group by brand or type of clothing), of all the brands and types of clothing IN MY SIZE that are on sale for 20% off or more.  You can adjust almost anything!  I have about 30+ brands listed on my account with no restrictions on retailers.  I search only women's clothing, but you can add men's and children's as well. 

Last Friday, my email had some great fall items, like this DVF coat from shopbop.com, about 30% off retail, just in time for winter.

Image from shopbop.com.

This Tory Burch Silk top is 40% off at Nordstrom.

Image from nordstrom.com.

And I love this Lauren Merkin clutch at Bergdorf Goodman, $75 off, down to $150.

Image from bergdorfgoodman.com.

I'm a car coat junkie, so this Juicy Couture one appeals to me, especially at 30% off.

Image from piperlime.com.

So, instead of me trolling around all the separate sites, I can have 2 emails a week, outlining what's on sale where.  And what girl doesn't like a deal every now and then?! Love it! ~ JH

...you want a hands-free bag for summer.

One of our readers asked us this question:

"I headed to the Museum of Science today - the perfect escape from the heat and the summer crowds weren't there yet! I grabbed a trusty Coach backpack I've had for years and realized I didn't like the styling or size at all anymore. For one, now that my kids are older, I don't need to carry as much. I ended up grabbing my pre-teen's cross-body purse (or mini-messenger bag, not quite sure what to call it). Although the size and wear of the purse was great I knew it looked lousy. Any advise for small, hands-free bags/purses when running around with a family this summer?"


We always love a hunt!  Here are a couple of things we gravitate towards when looking for a hands-free bag.


I think number one on the list has to be the Longchamp Pliage backpack.  Lightweight, not too big, folds into a square for packing, and somewhat water-proof, comes in a rainbow of colors (visit a Longchamp store for the largest selection; in Boston, it's on Newbury Street) it's a great option for summer museum trips or mini-golf.  It's a classic that will never go out of style, and at $118, not a huge investment.  (Hint!  Summer colors are on sale at $97 at Longchamp stores and online right now!)

Image from bloomingdales.com.

If you are looking for leather, I really like the look of the Marketplace Day Bag from Madewell.  The english tan color is so versatile and the cross-body look is in.  It's $168, but it's something I'd watch to go on sale.  And, it has a TASSEL!  (You know how we go nuts for tassels!)

Images from madewell.com.

If you want more of an investment bag, the Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q - Hillier Hobo bag is it.  At $428, it's one you'll have to fall in love with, but the super soft leather and hidden magnetic closure make it stylish and easy to carry.  Comes in several colors (and sold in many places), so you can go neutral or get that pop of color you might be looking for.  

Images from nordstrom.com.

Let's go back in time to the late 70s and early 80s to LeSportsac!  They are still around, and some of their designs are fun, affordable, and completely wearable for summer.  (Lisa has one that she uses on serious shopping trips.) I found a large selection on Zappos (free shipping!) and some of their neutral cross-body bags are just what we're looking for!  This Shellie Crossbody is $42.

Image from zappos.com.

If you are looking for more of a tote, Lisa found this neat one on Piperlime.  By KDNY by Kelsi Dagger, the Jaycee Dome Tote can be both hand-held and over the shoulder.  At $95, it looks like a good deal.

Image from piperlime.com.

Finally, one more cross-body bag from Lisa.  Love the lines of this 'saddlebag' by Lauren by Ralph Lauren.  Hands free, and neutral to go with everything!

Images from piperlime.com.

Hope that helps solve the hands-free problem.  You are now free to move around the museum! ~ LB & JH

...you want free shipping.

Image from asos.com.

Our informal poll of fabulous lady shoppers at a recent softball game brought home the fact that no one likes to pay for shipping.  So much so that we will purchase elsewhere rather than fork over for shipping.  You've been there, haven't you?  You carefully fill your cart and complete your shipping information only to find a $15 dollar shipping fee, and no in-store return.  Frustrating!  Here are some of our favorite places to shop online and ways to get around paying good money for shipping:

J.Crew - Forget free shipping with a $150 purchase or trekking in to use the instore red phone!  Call J.Crew at 1-800-562-0258 and make a friend with the Customer Service professionals.   My Customer Service friend, Kevin, and I have been together  for a little over two years now.  He can help me with anything I need – tracking down hard-to-find items, tips on size and styling, putting outfits together, sneak peeks at upcoming collections, you name it. Just about everything shy of balancing my checkbook and watering my plants.   It's all about service and Kevin takes care of me in spades, plus free shipping.  All the time.

Net-a-Porter - For the latest designer women's clothing, shoes, jewelry and much more from over 350 of the world's leading designers.  Free shipping all the time.  (And, as an aside, they have complimentary gift wrap too.)

Image from net-a-porter.com.

Amazon - Feep your eyes on this powerhouse as the company finally recognizes the opportunity and refocuses to fashion.  Amazon PRIME gets you free shipping. 

Asos - Over 850 fashion labels, and offering free shipping, both ways.  Everyday.

Under the heading of obvious:  Nordstrom, L.L.Bean, Zappos, Gap family (Piperlime, free shipping all the time, Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic, free shipping on orders over $50), Neiman Marcus (usually with a code, but NOT Bloomingdales or Saks), and Kate Spade.  

I got a fabulous leather t-shirt (which you'll see more of this fall) from Topshop.  And it came with....free shipping (on orders over $100).

ShopBop has one of the best selections of Diane von Furstenberg I've seen, and has a  limited edition collaboration with Current Elliott.   They feature familiar brands like Rachel Zoe and more obscure, coveted ones like Soludos.

If you're like Jen, in the eternal search for T-shirts, try StyleMint from Mary Kate and Ashley. You complete a fun profile and then voila! The Olsen sissies put together a ensemble of tees to choose from. All $29.99 and shipped free.

For men, Bonobos is at the top of my list.  Featured in the NY Times, Bonobos was started to solve a simple problem: men’s pants just don’t fit well. They’re either too tight to be comfortable or too baggy to look good. But, by innovating in a few key areas, they’ve developed a fit that they say actually looks and feels great for a wide variety of men.  They have sweaters, jackets, accessories, golf, swim, outerwear and boast "Fast and Free shipping.  Insanely easy returns."  Keep talking 'cause I like what you're sayin'.

What are your favorite shopping sites that offer free shipping? ~ LB

W2WW News Flash - Piperlime Sale on Pumps through February 27th.

Rarely do I open all of the numerous retail emails I receive.  But this morning, I received one from Piperlime, announcing 20% off all pumps through tomorrow night (enter code 'PUMP' at checkout).

Photo from piperlime.com email.

I couldn't help myself.  I'm in the need some of neutral pointy-toe pumps, and found these Kate Spade ones:

Photo from piperlime.com

This is a great opportunity to get that pair of snakeskin or print pumps you've always wanted too.  Calvin Klein snake ones - a little over $100 BEFORE the discount.

Photo from piperlime.com

How about these Nine West print ones?  $75 BEFORE the discount.

Photo from piperlime.com

Nothing better than surfing shoes on a Sunday morning. ~ JH