Tag Archives: joie

editor’s picks: 2015 nordstrom anniversary sale

Psst…Looking for details on the 2017 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale? I’ve got the scoop right here. |


Editor’s Note: If you’re new to this scene, the Anniversary Sale is Nordstrom’s biggest sale of the year. They cut deals with nearly every designer they stock to get an early shipment of Fall 2015 merchandise 6 weeks before any other retailer. Then, they mark the whole lot down 33-40%! That means you can score everything you need for fall without waiting for those October markdowns, but prices go back up on August 3, and the good stuff sells out fast. So, if you see something you love, nab it early! Remember, Nordstrom has the best return policy in the biz, and items sell out fast during the Sale. My Sale mantra: Buy now, edit later!

actual coats

IRO Ajuma jacket, $399 | Barbour Cavalry jacket, $185 | Treasure&Bond leather jacket, $198 |
Vince hooded coat, $464 | DVF Mackenzie coat, $398 | Ted Baker London Nevia coat, $349 |

Break out your Nordstrom cards, friends – Early Access to the 2015 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is finally here!! Read on

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spring splurge: shopbop friends & family!

shopbop-friends-and-family

Well friends, I had a little #lifehack story planned for you today, but then this hit my inbox…and really, could I let a Shopbop friends & family go by? Of course not. So, life hack later…spring wardrobe now!

I’ve been on a shopping binge the likes of which my closet hasn’t seen in ages – I’m in one of those life phases when my closet just seems entirely, completely wrong all of a sudden. I’m ready for a serious wardrobe reboot, and I’m starting with more than a few of these:

Now, tell me what you’re buying, won’t you? My shopping itch still isn’t quite done being scratched.

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let’s chat! nordstrom anniversary sale scores

Psst…Looking for details on the 2017 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale? I’ve got the scoop right here. |

 

Happy Friday, friends! Or, perhaps more importantly, Happy-First-Day-of-the-Nordstrom-Anniversary-Sale for those of you who couldn’t shop Early Access. Now that everyone‘s getting their shop on, I thought we’d try something new this weekend. How about we chat in the comments about all of the goodies you nabbed in the sale? I’ll show you mine if you show me yours!  Read on

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test case: the best silk shirts

You know how they say a man’s wardrobe freezes in time at the moment he marries his wife? (This basically means The Hubs will be wearing polo shirts and jeans when he’s 97, but I suppose it could be worse.) I think women experience a similar phenomenon, but it’s not tied to any particular life event. It’s that eye-opening day when you realize “Hey, trends are fun, but I have 19 versions of this outfit, it’s a complete no-brainer, and I think I look pretty great in it to boot.” As Stanford’s grandmother from Sex and the City once said, if the Chanel suit still fits, and it never goes out of style, buy it in every color.

In recent months, I’ve had my “Chanel suit” realization, but it’s in the form of a silk tunic and skinny/straight jeans. Given the chance, I could easily, happily wear this combo – in its infinite variations – for the rest of my life. (And can you imagine how easy life would be if you never had to think about what you were wearing? I’d be like Michael Kors or Vera Wang…almost.) It’s easy, comfortable, figure-flattering, and works for darn near any occasion. I’m just doing a rough estimate here, but there are at least 15 silk shirts hanging in my closet right now (not counting the one from Rachel Mara that I’m wearing today).

All this to say that when it comes to silk shirts, I know of what I speak. Since the fit is different each and every time, and drape and cut really matter on a silk shirt, I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learned from the contents of my closet.  Read on

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all in the details: joie day dreaming flats

Smoking slippers are all the rage for autumn. While they’ve always had a place in the preppy summer wardrobe, the style is certainly going mainstream for late summer and really gearing up for the cooler months. I’ve seen a lot of suede and velvet offerings and my fair share of animal printed ponyhair in trying to determine the right fit for my wardrobe, but the ones that I feel absolutely obliged to share with you are these excellent red/black patterned ones from Joie.

Day Dreaming Flats, Joie, $175

The colour is vivid enough to stand out, but the pattern subtle enough to blend in. I particularly enjoy an orange/red tone for fall, and the combination of a black pattern with brown leather.

I’d naturally pair clean classic lines with a shoe like this, and but can’t resist the challenge of adding an additional pattern. Start with black ankle-length pants (to show off those fabulous shoes), and either be a little adventurous pairing pattern with pattern in the form of a classic red and white stripe, or add subtle colour with a blue button-down.

Pencil Stripe Pullover, Madewell, $58 / Cafe Capri, J.Crew, $90 / Classic Dress Shirt, Brooks Brothers, $90

For either stripes or solids, you have an opportunity to play with the mix of black and brown. Picking up on the Lucy crossbody bag from Botkier that Becki mentioned a few weeks ago, the small size and gold chain handle serves as a great base. This inspires a basic tan belt, and a brown and gold double strap watch. Sporting stripes? Skip a necklace and go with interesting oversized studs with a slightly retro feel, and a gold chain-link bracelet. Basking in blue? Keep with the colour palette of the shoes and add a graphic red necklace, plain gold studs, and perhaps a scarf tied on the side of the bag that mimics the pattern on your flats.

Smooth Leather Belt, Gap, $30 / Lucy Crossbody, Botkier, $295 / Chain Link Scarf, Banana Republic, $60 / Peyton Watch, Michael Kors, $225 / Urban Link Toggle Bracelet, Kenneth Cole, $45 / Button Earrings, Trina Turk, $44 / Knot Post Studs, Trina Turk, $45 / Resin Petal Necklace, Trina Turk, $100

Think about anchoring your outfit by combining classic shapes (boat-neck tees, oxford button-downs, and smoking flats) with patterns and colours as neutrals. Keeping a sense of consistency in the way that you inject a little visual interest in the classics is all in the details.  ~ Kate

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this just in: nordstrom anniversary sale preview!

Well, this is exciting. I got a hot tip over the weekend that the first preview catalog for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale had gone out to the VVIP customers, and I nabbed a sneak peek!

First, a little down-and-dirty on what’s happening with the sale this year. The official start date is July 15, but pre-sale shopping begins July 5. The pre-sale shopping option that’s typically been open to Nordstrom cardholders and other VIP customers is now only open to cardholders, allegedly. This means that no matter how much your salesperson loves you, they can’t let you pre-shop without a Nordstrom card. But, the upside, according to my sources, is that you get to take your goods home with you the day you shop, instead of having to head back to the store on opening day to pick up your pre-sale goods.

So, with that done, how about a little peek at my picks from the sale?

First up, shoes – since I know you’re all shoe nuts like me. Not much in the way of heels and flats, but there are some good boots to choose from.

Far right: Frye “Melissa” button-back boot, $219

Far right: Via Spiga “Kacey” riding boot, $259

Tory Burch riding boot, $299

The coats are really lacking this season…Nordstrom seems to have abandoned coats for capes, which is unfortunate, as they’re hard to wear – both literally and figuratively. But, if you must cape, there is one style I actually love – it has enough tailoring to keep the look clean and easily wearable:

Right: Helene Berman wool cape, $165

This Mackage coat is the other winner from the catalog. It’s still not something I’d love enough to nab, but the clean tailoring is nice, as is the leather detail at the sleeves. I do have a feeling this one’s going to be popular…so you’ll be seeing it out and about.

Mackage “Tessa” wool-blend coat with knit & leather trim, $389

As for the rest of the apparel, there are the usual suspects: a few highly-identifiable, under-$100 picks that everyone will be snatching up…and then a few special pieces that are worth a second look.

That Halogen pencil skirt on the first three models comes in 6 colors and is $45, so expect to see it on everyone in your office come August. The little cuffed ankle pant on the far right is by Amber Sun, and is also $45. I’m cautiously optimistic about the pants – they’re cute on the model, but atrocious in another image I saw, so it could definitely go either way.

Left 3: Halogen seamed pencil skirt, $45; Right: Amber Sun “Aubrey” pant, $45.

And, a few standout pieces that are perfect for giving your fall closet a little kick-start:

McGinn “Elizabeth” tweed jacket, $229

This silk blouse by Joie is one of maybe three pieces I’ll actually be nabbing from the sale. I love the bright teal, and it’s a perfect tunic shape, so you can easily dress it up or down. It’s hard to imagine beneath that fugly chunky knit vest, I realize…but try.

Joie “Marlo” blouse, in peacock, beige or grey, $145

If you’re not quite over the faux-fur trend, this Trina Turk cardigan is a great way to give it a try. While the photo doesn’t really provide much help, it’s a long, wrap-style cardigan, and the fur collar is removable. So, when you’re ready to retire the trend, you still have a classic camel cashmere cardigan in your closet.

Trina Turk “Deville” cardigan, $198

There’s always one killer splurge in the sale. Last year, it was a classic Burberry trench. This year, it’s this black faux-wrap dress by St. John. It’s a classic long-sleeved wrap cut (without the wardrobe malfunction potential), and it will be in your closet forever, making it a bargain by any standard.

St. John faux-wrap dress, $399

(Love those shoes she’s wearing too, by the way…Michael by Michael Kors, $99, but they have a 5-inch heel.)

Last but certainly not least, a few accessories to tie all this fun together. There are two big “splurge” bags this year – one by Chloe, which I thought was boring, and this one by Marc Jacobs. It’s hard not to love that pink, which is actually a bit more mauve in other photos.

Marc Jacobs “Karlie” shoulder bag, $866

And on the more reasonable end of the spectrum, I found myself quite liking the bag on the top left, below. The brand is “Roccatella,” which meant nothing to me until I saw it was a new diffusion line from Be&D, which makes amazing bags.  I also love the Rebecca Minkoff bag in the bottom right image, though I’ve found the quality on RM bags a bit spotty lately. Love the ostrich-embossed leather, though, and it comes in 3 colors.

Top left: Roccatella by Be&D “Jane” belted leather satchel, $264; Bottom right: Rebecca Minkoff “Covet” flap bag, $282.

And my bracelet obsession continues with these options from Ippolita and Lagos. The Ippolita styles are the bangles in the center with the solid-set semi-precious stones, and the Lagos is that rope-style silver bracelet with the diamond X in the center.

Center: Ippolita bangles, set of 3, $394; Bottom, far right: Lagos Caviar X Diamond bracelet, $299.

That’s it, friends! Of course, if you see something else in these images that you’re dying for details on, just leave a comment, and I’ll give you all the info I can. In the meantime, give your favorite salesperson a call, and get a pre-shop date scheduled!

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my shopbop sale crawl

as usual, shopbop’s seasonal markdowns have me lunging wildly for my credit card.  i didn’t find quite as much as i normally do, but there are still plenty of pieces i’m sure i can’t live without.  plus, these would all stroll seamlessly into my fall wardrobe, which is really all i care about these days.

the dkny cozy ($137): i’ll admit, it baffles me a little.  but there’s a whole iphone app dedicated to sharing the thousand ways there are to wear it, and i dig the camel shade for fall.  i haven’t seen these marked down before, so if you’re already loving the look, this might be the time to jump.

geren ford paneled sweater ($125):  i know, i know, i said no more stripes.  but old habits die hard, and this is such a classic! i’d love to see this layered under a tweed blazer for fall.

james jeans humphrey high rise flare ($126):  rises are on their way back up, and trouser jeans are finally, finally becoming a bit easier to find.  pounce on this classic pair now, and your style problems for fall are solved.

joie martine blouse ($139):  these floaty silk blouses will be everywhere this fall – add them to those trouser jeans above and throw on a cozy scarf in a contrasting pattern for a perfectly chic fall look.  the pattern choices are virtually endless, but i love the soft, ethereal quality of the grey and cream here, and the pleated placket is just a bonus.  this bolder version from patterson j kincaid was a close second, though, and half the price!

as for my buys, i can’t even believe i’m saying this, but i think i’m going to make a full-price splurge on this alexander wang tee.  it’s utterly ridiculous, i know, but his knits are just unbearably soft, and they drape so well!  i’m not even a white tee girl, and i know i’ll be wearing this one to death.

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stalking the sales: neiman marcus steps it up for spring

neiman marcus is having a spring sale so good, it’s making me reconsider my longstanding boycott of their online store (a very long story involving a dispute over some ill-fitting prada shoes which had not been worn, i don’t care what they say.  but i digress…).  anyway, the sale is fabulous, especially with regard to spring shoes.  you get to take an additional 25% off the discounted price of everything that’s already on sale, plus free shipping at any price (with code SHOPNM).

if you haven’t splurged yet this season, may i suggest:

from left to right:  michael kors bristol wedge, $118 from $225; antik batik gladiator sandal, $108 from $215; loeffler randall brynn thong, $163 from $325; cole haan air phoebe woven rope sandal, $84 from $168; prada espadrille wedge, $193 from $385; stuart weitzman leather wedge espadrille, $163 from $325; tory burch lizard-print reva flat, $118 from $235; tory burch espadrille flat, $58 from $115;  joie wingtip flat, $149 from $198.

not to mention all of the lovely, lovely loefflers on sale, and some elizabeth and james stacking rings i’m seriously considering.

just don’t test out your new shoes on a hardwood floor…trust me on this one.

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