W2WW News Flash - Uniqlo descending on Boston area!

You can imagine me delight when I was walking into J.Crew in the Natick Mall and saw this next to the Apple Store:

Finally!  Uniqlo is arriving in Boston!  As you might recall from some earlier posts, Lisa and I love to hit a Uniqlo for basics.  And until now, that meant trekking to NYC for us.  A little iPhone research told me that there are 6 Uniqlo stores opening in the Boston area, with the closest ones to us being in Natick and Chestnut Hill!  Excited texting followed:

We are excited to get our Uniqlo basics locally!  August 29th is the day at Natick - just in time for fall shopping.  And yes, Lisa has a purse attached to her contact info on my phone. ~ JH

All images from Jennifer Houston.

…it's Spring 2014: the Blue Oxford Shirt

Yes, it sounds so plain and easy, and it's just that!  I kind of became a little obsessed with finding a perfect one for spring.  Easy to wear and easily accessorized!  And I knew I was onto something when I read in Bazaar that it was one of the 10 Key Pieces for Spring.

I satisfied my obsession at my Saks appointment with a Boy Band of Outsiders oxford.  Yes, it looks PLAIN AND DULL in this photo.

Image from gaaie.com.

But roll up the sleeves, do a "half-tuck" (tuck the front of the shirt in your pants and leave the back out, add a tank top and unbutton the front to the tank, and it's a whole different look!  Check out these images for inspiration!

Images from pinterest.com.

I totally plan to wear mine with white jeans, white cords, jeans, black cropped pants, black waxed jeans (did you get those black waxed jeans from Madewell? - just add a blue oxford shirt and ballet flats!).  Add a tank when it's cooler or a scarf, stack some bracelets.  Feeling it?! ~ JH

W2WW Blue Oxford Shirt 

Joie chambray top / Ann Taylor button front shirt / Uniqlo blue top / T By Alexander Wang pleated shirt / H M blue long sleeve shirt / Theory top / John Lewis sleeveless tank / Vince jacket / Foxcroft blue long sleeve shirt / J.Crew white straight leg jeans / Diane Von Furstenberg zip pants / AG Adriano Goldschmied ag+adriano+goldschmied jeans / J.Crew strap shoes / Prada animal print loafer / Givenchy black ankle strap sandals / Superga laced up shoes / Tory Burch cage sandals / Tory Burch ankle wrap shoes / STELLA McCARTNEY white flat sandals / Hermès wide bracelet / Hermès leather bangle / Cartier bezel watch / Hermès leather bangle / J Crew belt

W2WW News Flash - Ines De La Fressange develops line for Uniqlo.

Image from luxuo.com.

The former French model and author, Ines De La Fressange, is partnering with Uniqlo for a capsule collection due out later this month.  We've admired the impossibly chic De La Fressange since she penned the Parisian Chic: A Style Guide and shared tips for looking effortlessly cool and put together.  Take the navy sweater, my personal favorite, paired with white jeans, flats, perhaps a scarf and voila! 

Image from hannekeverstegen.com.

New York magazine wrote: "She genuinely doesn't give a rat's ass about what she's supposed to look like, but always looks fabulous anyway.  She smokes, consumes bread and butter, has short hair, almost never wears heels, and always smiles in pictures, probably because she isn't dying for a foot rub and a sandwich."  If I had a closet of Roger Vivier, I would probably wear flats all the time too.  My kind of lady.

So, what to expect on November 20th (unveiled in Paris on 11/20, in stores early 2014)?  I'd bet we will see lots of her Parisian-inspired basics like slim pants, cardigan sweaters, striped tees, and cool jackets in the French uniform of white, tan, navy and black.  

Here are some of our favorite IDLF looks. And when-oh-when is Uniqlo coming to Boston?!?! ~ LB

Above images from nymag.com.

Are we too old for leather leggings?

We have a loyal reader in Montana who sent us this question:

"Am I too old for leather leggings? My personal shopper made my buy then at Nordies - they're (p)leather in the front and legging material on the back. I like them but not sure... Advice? Am I smoking crack?

They looked v cute with a white and black long sleeves Vince sweater. Which leads me to my 2nd question. It was so soft and cozy I could die. But at $335 for a non staple item - it was too much. Any ideas for the same look & style for less??"

NO!  You are NOT TOO OLD for leather leggings.  Lisa and I BOTH have a pair.  They are EVERYWHERE this year and just gaining in popularity.  The trick is, how to wear them.  I favor a slightly oversized sweater (with or without top underneath, that can cover your posterior) worn with really sharp (as in spiffy) ballet flats OR, more often than not, heels.  See these looks for some of my favorites (I actually have the same sweater/top combination in the Olivia Palermo photo - first photo - and wear them over my leggings as well).

Images from pinterest.com.

Onto your second question - Lisa and I are HUGE fans of most things Vince.  I understand the dilemma with spending a large amount of money on an item like this.  Part of me wants to say "buy fewer things of a high quality (Vince) rather than a couple of things that are lower quality".  The other part of me says "what else is out there?".   (And, there's a 3rd part of me that would watch sites like Bloomingdales.com or Saks.com like a hawk for a sale and buy the Vince sweater then.  Yes, I do that.)

I took to Polyvore to see if I could find a couple of items that might fit the bill at a lower price point.  Nordstrom's Trouve line and Piperlime.com had some good choices.  I will say that Vince's sweater softness and ease of wearing trumps a lot out there.  Hope this inspires!  Good luck, and enjoy your leggings! ~ JH

W2WW: With Leather Leggings

Michael Kors loose fitting sweater / OTTE oversized sweater / Uniqlo sweater / Trouvé over sized sweater / Halogen long sweater / Thml Clothing black top / J.Crew white blouse / Madewell chambray shirt / ELAN pullover sweater / Kensie pull on pants / Vince slim pants / Halogen ponte pants

Holiday 2012: Gift Guide

One of my friends asked if we could share some ideas for gifts as the holiday season approaches.  Gifts for ladies (sisters, aunts, cousins, friends) in the form of accessories and other fun finds.  We love giving (and receiving!) and were happy to assemble this list.  Maybe we can get a little holiday shopping done at the same time. :-)  By price-point, these are some of our favorite finds this season!  Happy shopping!

Under $50

I found this first gift item in J.Crew while standing in line to check out.  I almost bought several just to have gifts 'in case'.  My iPhone gets drained regularly, so what girl wouldn't LOVE to have a back-up battery in her purse/tote?  Love the prints and colors, especially this cheetah.  At $39.50, it's a great gift!

Image from jcrew.com.

This set of 3 gold bangles is another great find at J.Crew.  For $39.50, it's totally useful gift which I have given before.  Every girl needs these in their jewelry drawer.

Image from jcrew.com.

Another fun gift I've given to others (and to myself) are these fun Farmer's Market Baskets from Anthropologie, priced at $14.00.  I have several on my counter holding shallots and garlic and a bigger one ($20 each) holding avocados.  These are the smaller ones pictured below.

Image from anthropologie.com.

Pinkberry yogurt is one of my latest addictions.  Seriously, sometimes we make late-night Pinkberry runs for small cups of chocolate hazelnut swirled with peanut butter (with dark chocolate crunchies on top).  Yum.  If you have a friend near or far with their own Pinkberry nearby, why not send a gift of swirly goodness?!  From Pinkberry.com, you can both purchase e-gifts to be emailed, or have gift cards sent.  Brilliant! In amounts as low as $5, send a friend a tasty treat.

Image from pinkberry.com.

One of my favorite online stops is The Stationery Studio.  They have everything under the sun that's paper, from personalized cocktail napkins to party invitations.  I was recently trolling for gifts, and clicked on their 'Colorful Notepads' section under stationery.  For around $30, you can get sets of really lovely, personalized pads.  And who can't use more fun paper for mundane things like grocery lists?!

Images from thestationerystudio.com.

Under $100

I have loved these earrings for a while and they are still on my mind.  I'm not normally enamored with logo earrings, but these by Tory Burch are classically lovely while giving a little twist on a stud earring. They come in silver, gunmetal, or gold.  At $68, they make a present that I would like to receive. (The smaller logo earrings are $58.)

Image from nordstrom.com.

Every girl/lady needs updated cosmetic bags.  Lisa and I have always loved the cosmetic bags by Henri Bendel; they come in several sizes and keep going and going regardless of the abuse.  Between $48 and $132, they make great gifts, either one large one or a couple smaller ones.  In my purse right now, I am using 2 of them.  You can go with the classic brown and white stripe, or the current print, which is entitled 'NY Minute'.

Images from henribendel.com.

Who doesn't love a personalized gift?  If you have the time (20 day production time plus shipping time, so order soon!), iomoi.com has the best iPhone covers for $68.  Personalize using either a monogram or name (depending on the design) and impress your girlfriends or sister-in-law.  There are 60 different designs from which to choose! Be sure to know which iPhone version your recipient has before ordering.

Image from iomoi.com.

A friend convinced me that I needed one of these and after I bought one, I had no idea how I lived with out it.  Every lady should have a substantial wrap in their closet and this one by Nordstrom is $98 and comes in 9 colors.  While mine is a basic black, you can flirt with 'sandshell' or 'pine bark', as pictured below.

Lisa mentioned these jackets a few posts back.  Uniqlo puffer jackets are on trend, lightweight, and completely affordable at $69.90.  They arrive in little carry pouches, so the gift recipient will never know what's inside until they open it. So fun!

Images from uniqlo.com.

Under $200

I have been searching around for a golf cuff bracelet for myself, but one that's a little less 'Wonder Woman'.  I found this Kendra Scott one at Neiman Marcus.  For $150, it's a good price-point and lovely, timeless piece.  I can see this on any lady wearing a sleeveless sheath dress or silk top.  

Image from neimanmarcus.com.

If you know your recipient well, why not customize a Longchamp Le Pliage bag for her?  With a 3 week lead time, you can choose the bag size you want, the handle length (hand or shoulder), the colors (endless combinations), hardware color (golden, nickel or bronze) and any monogramming you want.  Lisa and I travel with the largest bag as our 'carry on' bag all the time.  I tried designing the largest bag and added initial embossing on the leather; my total bill was $192.50.  

Image from longchamp.com.

For a great evening bag (or day shopping!), the Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C. Shoulder bag would be a welcome addition under my tree!  The $195 price puts you right under the $200 mark, and on Nordstrom.com, it comes in about 8 colors.  I love how you can wear it cross-body, keeping your hands free at holiday parties in the future.  (I kind of love the grey!)

Images from nordstrom.com.

Fantasy gifts

Lisa's top gift desire this year is a (HINT HINT) Vitamix blender. Lisa 'juices' regularly and would love the treat of this blender which apparently purees anything in it to pure liquid - no lumps and bumps.  Honestly, it would be a great gift for anyone that blends regularly.  The Classic starts at $449, with the professional at $529.  Not a gift for your friend down the street, but one that you might want to leave clues for about the house.  Just saying.

Images from vitamix.com.

If a very serious gift is to be given, then a classic Chanel Reissue 2.55 bag is at the top of my list of fantasy gifts.  Oh, wait, is this about giving and not receiving?!  Any lady would love to have one of these in her closet.  I'm a fan of the 2.55, but in the original, Reissue, version. Coming in 3 sizes, the Reissue has the original Chanel clasp (no CC lock), chain shoulder strap (no leather entwined), and all the lovely details that Coco put into this bag (like the zippered compartment on the inside of the front flap where Coco put her love letters).  A classic now and forever; a forever gift.  Priceless (but really in the thousands, depending on size). 

Image from myfashionjuice.com.

Whatever your holiday gift-giving needs, we hope this has helped!  Happy elf-ing! ~ LB & JH

Liquid Love

Fashion inspiration can come from the most unexpected of places.  This time, it was from my 10 year-old, t-shirt and yoga-pant-wearing daughter on her birthday trip with me to NYC and a walk past Uniqlo.  If you've never been in a Uniqlo, that will change over the next 3 years as the Japanese retailer makes a push on-line and into the 'burbs.  The store is super big and super fun, with cool basics arranged by color and a staircase that lights up when you walk on it.  She set her sights on the wall of down jackets, all liquid and glossy, in a virtual rainbow of color choices, like all of their offerings.

Image from backseatstylers.com.

The Uniqlo jacket is lightweight and warm, and folds up into it's own cute little sack to the size of a small loaf of brioche.  All for $69.90!  After seeing Grace wearing it in purple - and throwing it on once when I ran out to groceries -  I was disappointed that I didn't get one for myself.  (Note: Jen has one from last season, not quite as 'liquid' as this season's offerings.  And, she loves it!)

Image from uniqlo.com.

Well just a few days ago, Uniqlo opened its online store!  Two days later, my new black coat arrived, looking slick and warm,  perfect for fall days in New England.

Image from uniqlo.com.

I personally feel you don't need to look any farther than Uniqlo.  Heck, I got a navy one for my husband.  He travels down south quite a bit - he can be warm in Boston and then easily stow it when he arrives.  Here are some of my favorites this season:

It was Patagonia that started the trend a few years ago with it's down sweater.  The company has got a whole line in all lengths and weights now, but I like the cranberry and black in these two styles the best. 

Images from patagonia.com.

For a higher end look, Uniqlo did a special collab with sister company Comptoir des cotonniers.  Gorgeous paired with here with the green dress.  And, sold out completely.

Image from comptoirdescotonniers.com.

Burberry doesn't disappoint with this lovely puffer.  Can't you just see it with jeans or legging and boots for date night?

Image from bloomingdales.com.

Check out Zara's glossy puffer.

Image from zara.com.

Moncler can do no wrong and this stunner in oxblood (yes, I'm still obsessed) is city chic paired with black leggings and booties.  I could see transitioning it to jeans or a cute dress and still looking fabulous.

Image from barneys.com.

If you don't have a lightweight puffer in the closet for winter, you don't know what you're missing.  The glossy finish is fresh and breathes new life into this age old wardrobe staple. ~ LB