Wear What When

Just Landed: Missoni x Target

Iconic Italian chevron stripes are in every store in Washington state as of 8 this morning.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Sep 13, 2011 at 07:30AM 9 Comments

SLIDESHOW: Missoni x Target just landed in all Washington state Target stores. If you didn’t get up early to shop the collection, the best pieces may not be there by the time make it to your neighborhood store. Check out these images to see what you might be missing. Or just to get inspired by pattern mixing and iconic stripes.

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SLIDESHOW: Missoni x Target just landed in all Washington state Target stores. If you didn’t get up early to shop the collection, the best pieces may not be there by the time make it to your neighborhood store. Check out these images to see what you might be missing. Or just to get inspired by pattern mixing and iconic stripes.

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There are two kinds of fashion fans this morning: those that woke up at dawn or earlier, drug themselves to the nearest Target, and queued up to shop the Missoni x Target capsule collection, and those that didn’t.

The huge, 400 piece collection, which includes housewares, shoes and rain boots, baby clothes, and of course, knitwear, debuted nationwide this morning. Target associates in West Seattle and Northgate told us that all stores in the country will have the Missoni pieces for a limited time (and, one assumes, in limited quantities).

Check the slideshow here for a peak at a few key looks, then take a minute to let us know if you were one of the early birds—and what’s left after opening morning at the Target closest to you.

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Tags: Just Landed, Designer Collaboration

Just Landed: Malou at Liave

Leather wrist bags from Holland.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Aug 09, 2011 at 01:00PM 1 Comments

Closed, open. Simple design is applied to leather wrist bags at Liave.

Almost exactly two years ago, we looked at Dutch-designed bags at Liave from a line called Malou that were big enough to cart around small dogs and entire farmers market hauls.

Recently, the West Edge shop got a new shipment of bags in from the same designer, only these will just tote a lipstick or two, your keys, a couple of plastic payment devices, and some, oh, I don’t know, breath mints.

Malou’s just-landed leather wrist bags are simple in design and easy to incorporate into a variety of outfits and looks. Not pictured: shimmery neutral options.

And yes we do have summer bags on our brains; see more here.

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Tags: Just Landed, Downtown Seattle Shopping, Liave, Handbags

Just Landed: Fiorentini and Baker at A Mano

A favorite boot line shows up for fall.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Aug 04, 2011 at 02:00PM 0 Comments

Fall has arrived at A Mano, in the form of Italy’s Fiorentini and Baker.

Seattle women do like their boots. Many of us, I’d say, love our boots, and a perennial favorite is Italy’s Fiorentini and Baker.

Several styles just landed at A Mano, where fall arrivals mix it up with on-sale summer styles. The overall vibe is, as ever, handmade and earthy but not too casual, and as European as it is Northwest.

I remember that last fall a friend was socking away money for a tall, taupe neo-Victorian pair of lace-up Fiorentinis, but my favorite style from A Mano’s current edit is this softly studded biker. Picture it with a full-length everyday dress in some fall texture and weight, or with a pair of summer’s sharply hued denim and a big sweater.

And keep in mind the very Seattle, quite 90s autumn mood at the recent Nordstrom Designer Preview; combat boots with Missoni dresses, and quasi-industrial stompers with Chanel.

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Tags: Seattle Style, Shoes, New for Fall, Just Landed, Grunge

Just Landed: Lola Haze

Zovo Lingerie Introduces New York designer Laura Mehlinger’s lingerie line.

Posted by: Saba Sulaiman on Jul 26, 2011 at 07:00AM 1 Comments

Slideshow: “Lola Haze is for a playful, confident woman who loves the transformative power of clothing and dresses for no one but herself.” –designer Laura Mehlinger. The line just landed at Zovo Lingerie in U Village.

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Slideshow: “Lola Haze is for a playful, confident woman who loves the transformative power of clothing and dresses for no one but herself.” –designer Laura Mehlinger. The line just landed at Zovo Lingerie in U Village.

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Despite her genre-skipping references, Mehlinger’s spring 2011 collection focuses on classics like this delicate white camisole-panty set.

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Airy yet gutsy, this shocking pink two-piece silk set from the spring 11 collection exudes playful confidence.

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Mehlinger adds a detail with a lilac silk sash on her handmade Painted Feather Tee.

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Since the designer encourages day and night wear, you might consider slipping on a pair of skinny jeans and stilettos to rock this bold black lace number from the fall ’10 collection.

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Fabric overlays and a lightweight feel evoke sportswear and low-key elegance in this one-piece silk loungewear item from spring ’10.

“Design is molding juxtapositions,” says new kid on the block Laura Mehlinger, whose lingerie and loungewear line Lola Haze just showed up at Zovo Lingerie in Seattle.

An English major with a passion for fashion, Mehlinger feels inspired by Nabokov’s famously feisty heroine Lolita, whom she named her line after. And dig this—she wrote her BA thesis on the coquettish character, too. At Harvard.

After packing her bags and traveling around the world, Mehlinger was armed with the confidence and know-how to start her own clothing line in New York, where she practices her style mantra: Don’t let traditional ideas of what’s ‘feminine’ limit you.

You might try the intricately detailed, vibrantly colored intimate innerwear as layering pieces, too. Mehlinger insists that “her line isn’t just for the boudoir.” And Nabokov isn’t the only influence: The rococo flair of Prince, the couture of New York fashion, abstract expressionism, and art deco architecture all play a part in her irreverent and unpredictable panties, bras, and sleepwear. Take a sneak peak here, and head to the U District to see more.

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Tags: Just Landed, Lingerie

Just Landed: MiH Jeans at Margaret O’Leary

Once called Made in Heaven, these jeans are actually made in London, and they just got to Seattle.

Posted by: Katie Ormsby on Jun 23, 2011 at 10:45AM 0 Comments

SLIDESHOW: It’s still all about the 70s-esque flare with MiH, a British denim line that recently landed in Seattle. Here, their It-jean, Marrakesh.

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SLIDESHOW: It’s still all about the 70s-esque flare with MiH, a British denim line that recently landed in Seattle. Here, their It-jean, Marrakesh.

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The flare in a lighter wash.

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MiH, new at Margaret O’Leary, also offers classic, simple silhouettes.

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Still feeling that wide-leg flare thing? Check out the just-opened Margaret O’Leary shop in U Village for the new shipment of MiH jeans.

The UK’s Look mag calls the longtime London brand’s Marrakesh flare the new it-jean, but things were pretty good for the brand in the ’70s, too. Here are Claudia Schiffer and Gwyneth Paltrow working the current shape, and, for the sake of comparison, Jane Birkin and Farah Fawcett from back in the day.

Click through the slideshow to preview a few of the new-to-Seattle styles available at both Margaret O’Leary locations.

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Tags: Belltown, Coming Soon, Just Landed, Jeans, Denim, U Village

Just Landed: NuBe Seattle’s Summer Collection

Take a look at Vashon designer Adrienne Antonson’s summer line.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Jun 07, 2011 at 07:00AM 1 Comments

Photo: Nubegreen.blogspot.com

Looks from NuBe Seattle’s summer collection.

Where: SoDo loft of local design duo Graypants, 3220 First Ave S, #400, Seattle

What: When it comes to demonstrating that all you need is right here at home, NuBe Green is doing what it came here to do. Sure enough. Dispensing all American- and Seattle-made, often recycled or repurposed goods, the Cap Hill shop shows off innovative ideas and thoughtful, spirited approaches to sourcing and resourcing.

A fine example is the store’s in-house line of women’s clothing, NuBe Seattle. This week’s party celebrates Vashon Island designer Adrienne Antonson’s summer collection. Sneak peeks give me a summer-camp-meets-grandma’s-cabin-attic kinda feeling; plaids, textured linens, earthy leather straps, and shapes you can wear while chasing boys, girls, wild horses, and rare birds. Antonson is doing really good work with local fibers, found materials, and Northwest-meet-global trends in silhouettes and overall style.

The fact that Graypants is hosting means another layer of modernism-by-way-of-Old-World-sensibilities. Reuse, reduce, radicalize.

Sources tell me owner Ruth True “loves a party” so don’t be shy. A chronic underestimater recently asked me if anyone actually goes to the trunk shows and in-store fashion events that happen around town. I’ll tell you what I told that Ms. Tragically Low Expectations: You’ll have to go to find out.

When: Thursday, June 9 from 6 to 9

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Tags: Sustainable Such and Such, Just Landed, New in Stores, Seattle Designer, NuBe Green, Adrienne Antonson

Just Landed: Dr. Martens Clothing

You know the shoes. Now Dr. Martens branches out into the world of apparel.

Posted by: Katie Ormsby on Apr 28, 2011 at 08:00AM 0 Comments

Photo: dmusastore.com

Many pieces recall the ’90s with plaid patterns.

If you came of age in the ’90s, chances are decent you owned a pair of Dr. Martens (even if you didn’t, you remember the trend). The brand’s sandals, boots, and mary janes seemed to fit just about every dress code—whether you rocked the grunge look, listening to Nirvana, or worshiped Clueless’ Cher Horowitz, preferring then-schoolgirl Britney Spears.

Flash forward to 2011, the footwear company just launched a clothing line for men and women.

The collection has a relaxed vibe, and includes shirtdresses, T-shirts, and button downs with lots of gingham, stripes, and, of course, plaid.

To shop the collection in person, stop by the Dr. Martens store on Second Avenue. Did you know there is a Dr. Martens on Second Ave? It’s on an odd block for retail, though it does feel appropriate to the grunge years. At any rate, the shop just received its first shipment; you can also check it out on the Doc website.

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Tags: Just Landed, Grunge

Coming Soon: Road Apparel’s Madras Collection

Get your socially responsible prep on with the local brand’s spring line. A portion of the profits benefit an Indian charity.

Posted by: Katie Ormsby on Apr 15, 2011 at 08:00AM 0 Comments

ROAD Apparel’s Madras collection hits stores and online next week.

Where: Road Apparel

What: A portion of the profits from the Seattle-based menswear company’s limited-edition Madras collection benefit the Indian charity Anbalayam, which provides eduction and shelter for disadvantaged youth. It was founded in 2003, and 63 males between the ages of 6 and 20 years old currently live in the home.

Though Madras plaid fabric is commonly associated with the classic, American prep style (think Ralph Lauren and the popular Take Ivy text), it actually originates from Southeast India.

When brothers and Road owners Raj and Akhil Shah traveled to the region about 35 years ago, they were taken with its fabrics. They entered the apparel industry shortly after, founding Shah Safari, Inc. ROAD is an offshoot, and this year marks its fifth anniversary.

So, giving back is a way for Road to celebrate the inspiration for its 2011 collection and for the Shah’s to go back to their design roots. The shorts, shirts, and other men’s pieces retail from $38 to $148.

When: Starting April 21, the limited-edition collection will be available at both the Seattle and Bellevue stores, as well as the Road website.

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Tags: Locally Made, Locally Designed, Seattle Menswear, Coming Soon, Just Landed, New in Stores

Just Landed: Making Paper Flowers

The do-it-yourself book kit from an SMBG-featured artisan. (And a don’t-miss offer to get a free copy directly from the author.)

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Apr 06, 2011 at 07:00AM 0 Comments

SLIDESHOW: Making Paper Flowers by Tacoma crafter and SMBG-featured wedding vendor Laurie Cinotto. I love the old-school, vintage vibe of the book design.

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SLIDESHOW: Making Paper Flowers by Tacoma crafter and SMBG-featured wedding vendor Laurie Cinotto. I love the old-school, vintage vibe of the book design.

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Step-by-step instructions for creating on-trend crepe paper blooms.

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The book is actually a kit; it comes with nine templates and all the materials you need to learn to make an anemone bouquet, a dahlia boutonniere, a peony and poppy centerpiece …

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Here’s the page we did for our summer/fall 2010 issue; if you’re looking for guidance on name cards and sea worthy table decor; email us to arrange payment for a back copy of the magazine.

Big congratulations to Tacoma crafter Laurie Cinotto, whose Making Paper Flowers was released a few days ago. And congrats to you, too; you now have all the step-by-step guidance, full-color inspiration, and vividly hued crepe paper you need to make good on your DIY vision.

The book kit—not just a book you understand, but materials and templates—is available at Barnes and Noble; you can also click through from LaLaLaurie, Cinotto’s website, to get a signed copy. (see upper right hand corner).

There’s a fun stop-motion video of the book on Vimeo, and a few of Cinotto’s images of it in the slideshow if that suits you better. If the name or the impeccable approach to craft look familiar, it might be that you saw the page in the Summer/Fall 2010 issue of Seattle Met Bride & Groom wherein Cinotto put together some DIY name cards and table ideas for our “Project Wedding” page. A copy of that is also included in the slideshow here.

If you like what you see, be sure to check in at LaLaLaurie; Cinotto tells us she’ll be giving a copy away via her site sometime soon.

One last thing—I’d be remiss to leave out Cinotto’s other passion and talent: caring for and photographing kittens. Her wildly popular and well-humored blog, The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee chronicles her adventures in fostering insanely sweet kittens for her local Humane Society. Yes, the kittens on her blog are being readied for adoption, so don’t click the link above unless you’re a) sure you can resist an assault of adorableness without adding to your pet stable or daily blog roll or b) seriously considering a tiny feline.

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Tags: Seattle Floral Vendors, Seattle Wedding Details, Wedding Favors, Just Landed, Laurie Cinotto

Just Landed: This Is Not a Birkin Bag

The new It bag has arrived, and it’s only $38.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Mar 31, 2011 at 08:45AM 1 Comments

The Thursday Friday bags hang in the window at Far 4 on First Avenue.

If you wanted to buy an iconic Birkin bag at Hermes at the Bravern, you couldn’t just waltz in and slap your credit card down.

First of all, you have to be a known quantity in the company. They have to know you want and deserve it. There must be history. A relationship. This means there must be (let’s just say for example) a couple of scarves, one of those perfectly taupe double strap watches, and a couple of other various and sundry trademark orange items in your closet already. That’s just how they operate.

And then there’s the fact that the shelves just are not stocked with multiples. It’s classic supply and demand—rarity breeds a fever pitch desire and all that. I believe it takes something like four weeks for your order to be processed, for the bag to be made in France, and for it to find its way to your arm. And that’s assuming the current wait list isn’t sixteen inches long. A source at our local outpost told me they get calls every day from folks looking to shell out upwards of 6 or 7k for the privilege and status of ownership, and every day they break hearts with their strict, exclusive policy.

Now. If, on the other hand, you want one of Thursday Friday’s super buzzed-about Birkin-riffing canvas bags, well, all you need do is get to Far 4 on First Avenue with your $38 bucks.

This bag has been all over the fashion and accessories blogs since the beginning of the year. It’s so popular that it even had a wait list at one point. None other than the New York Times called it the anti-status symbol of the season. Far 4 brought the bag in in tan, blue, and red; the latter has already sold through. Anti-status symbol indeed.

Now let’s be clear: I don’t endorse fakes. But this isn’t a counterfeit Birkin, this is a concept, a statement, an idea about the iconography of the Birkin. You understand the distinction, I’m sure. Not that the heritage French company is so keen on it of course; Thursday Friday is being sued by Hermes.

And yes, since you asked, I did buy one for myself. In tan.

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Tags: West Edge, Just Landed, Far 4

Just Landed: Mexican Folk Art at River Song in Madison Valley

Get ready to wrap up in springtime.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Jan 18, 2011 at 07:10AM 0 Comments

Photo: Courtesy River Song

Slideshow: River Song’s River Burke brings Mexican folk art textiles into the fold at her Madison Valley shop.

View Slideshow » Photo: Courtesy River Song

Slideshow: River Song’s River Burke brings Mexican folk art textiles into the fold at her Madison Valley shop.

View Slideshow » Photo: Courtesy River Song

Getting ready for spring? Handwoven woven bags, baskets, floral jewelry, scarves, and shopping and/or beach totes have arrived.

View Slideshow » Photo: Courtesy River Song

For my money, spring accessories are a lot more fun than fall and winter ones. I’ll take peep-toe booties over shearling-lined knee-highs any old day.
And the rest follows: layers of lightweight jewel-toned scarves, vivid stones set in bold jewelry, patterns, prints, exotic and tribal references, and the mixology of it all.

If you’re of the same mind, journey to River Song in Madison Valley where jeweler, owner, and world traveler River Burke has been collecting and displaying delicate handmade jewelry and artful accessories for about a year and a half now.

Burke has just returned from Mexico where she gathered textiles, scarves, bags, baskets, and more for the upcoming season. The shop is open until 8 this Thursday, January 20 in celebration of this new collection. Preview it in the slideshow here, then make plans to stop by on Thursday. (A list of Madison Valley/Madison Park dinner spots? Sure, it’s right here.)

Burke will also be at the shop on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to share stories of the craftsman-made finds and help you get a jump start on warm weather looks.

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Tags: Just Landed, Spring/Summer Collections 2011

Just Landed: Céline and Phillip Lim

The resort collections are out at Barneys, and they’re feeling very 70s.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on Jan 11, 2011 at 08:30AM 0 Comments

Photo: Celine via Style.com

Slideshow: Get into the groove with 70s minimalism, maximalism, sex appeal, and secretary dresses by Celine and 3.1 Philip Lim at Barneys.

View Slideshow » Photo: Celine via Style.com

Slideshow: Get into the groove with 70s minimalism, maximalism, sex appeal, and secretary dresses by Celine and 3.1 Philip Lim at Barneys.

View Slideshow » Photo: Celine via Style.com

Behold the brave new pantsuit.

View Slideshow » Photo: Celine via Style.com

No one said a couple seasons’ worth of maxi-dresses would rule out some key minis. This puts me in the mind of Love Story from 1970s, starring Ali MacGraw.

View Slideshow » Photo: Celine via Style.com

Hope you’re not tired of the jumpsuit thing yet … because it’s only just begun.

View Slideshow » Photo: Celine via Style.com

Lifted from your local Value Village: the proper but not necessarily prim secretary dress, circa 1976.

View Slideshow » Photo: Celine via Style.com

This is what “refined” looks like.

View Slideshow » Photo: 3.1 Phillip Lim via Style.com

Peachy, huh? Style.com reported that Philip Lim said the key concern of his resort collection was, “Would Bianca wear this?” (As in Jagger.)

View Slideshow » Photo: 3.1 Phillip Lim via Style.com

One-shoulder shapes and uneven handkerchief hems feel both modern and retro.

View Slideshow » Photo: 3.1 Phillip Lim via Style.com

Wide-legs: They’re baaaaaaack.

View Slideshow » Photo: 3.1 Phillip Lim via Style.com

Definitely ready for Studio 54, or a spring wedding, or a Caribbean cruise.

Yes, historically speaking, ‘resort collections’ were created for those who took holidays to the South of France or the seaside of wherever around Christmas and New Year. No, no one minds if you’re only going to wear the kaftan in Kirkland. I mean, now that we’re all wearing kaftans.

Resort collections are hitting hangers all over town as we speak. If the notion of ‘resort’ doesn’t stir you to shop, just think of these pieces as pre-spring, the way the gap between between spring/summer collections and fall/winter ones is filled by collections dubbed ‘pre-fall’.

In fact, you might opt to not get too heady about designations at all. Really, what’s happening is retailers are keeping fresh looks on the racks. You know this. And anyway, here in Seattle cashmere, wool, and silk are practically year-round fabrics anyway, so seasons are as seasons do. You know what I mean?

The other thing that’s happening here is that designers – some of them at least, like, for instance Phoebe Philo at Céline and Phillip Lim – are easing us into this very 70s thing that is going to pick up full-speed in spring and continue cutting sharp corners and turning on dimes through fall/winter.At least. Resort pieces from the two aforementioned designers are on offer now at Barneys downtown. You can get a feel for their minimal and extra-groovy (respectively) updates on the disco era in the slideshow here.

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Tags: Just Landed, Just Landed Resort 2011, Barneys