Shopping For A Cause: The Dress For Success Inventory Sale
Step Up Your Mom Style
Runway Translation: The Spring Shirt Shifter
Oh, how I love Mona Kowalska’s A Détacher Spring 2015 dresses… let me count the ways: The bohemian prints were soft and fantastical, evoking a 70’s vibe infused with clouds and rainbows and all things groovy. The shapes and fabrics were comfort driven, which makes me want to wear them all day long. The overall message was confident and relaxed, two things I strive for when selecting a day look during Spring.
Below are a few budget-friendly options that will help you to achieve the same easy, breezy vibe as the A Détacher dresses above. These are shoppable now, so if you want to get more bang for your buck throw on a pair of tights, some flatforms, a jacket, and voila… you’re Spring Shirt Shifter suddenly becomes a year-round piece!
1. Charming Vintage Print Dress, $26, Rosewe.com
2. White Stuff Ava Dress, $62, JohnLewis.com
3. Persona Printed Silk Dress, $105, House Of Fraser.com
Runway Photo Credit: Gianni Pucci via Style.com
XOXO,
Happy Holidays!
Classic Combo: Leopard Print & Deep Purple
Retail Therapy at Rehab…
With my impending high school reunion on the horizon, I knew I needed to seek professional help for my fashion fix. But where could I go? Who could I trust? I mean, I was in deep! I needed everything… head to toe, the full treatment! The choice was obvious… Rehab!
I chose a Karina Grimaldi single-shoulder black silk jumpsuit. Simple and sophisticated. I kept the accessories to a minimum, adding a vintage gold chain belt, statement ring and drop earrings to keep the look polished and classic. The Guess patent leather strappy sandals with gold rings were a perfect compliment to the ensemble, and are from my closet. My favorite bag lately, the black reptile embossed leather clutch, was a gift from the FWTB Blogger Brilliance Conference last month.
Rehab Exchange is a designer resale boutique with 2 locations, South Tampa and downtown St. Pete. Go there. Get help for your fashion addiction. Tell them Runway Translator sent you!
So, I went to Rehab…
My name is Michelle, and I am a fashionholic. I recently went to Rehab…
photos: Rehab Exchange St. Pete, owner Amber Dees, inside the store
… a trendy designer consignor boutique that opened it’s newest location in Downtown St. Pete this past weekend. Rehab Exchange buys, sells & trades modern & vintage designer apparel, shoes, handbags & accessories… with an edge!
I pulled a few dresses from the ubercool suspended racks to show one of my clients…
A little pre-fashion show action…
photo: Nicole Roach from Intuition Salon & Spa did the models’ hair and makeup
Rehab’s Grand Opening Fashion Show gave a glimpse into their naughty side, featuring a few overexposed avant-garde looks like assless chaps and chain bralettes. The runway portion of the event was held two doors down from the boutique in an outdoor courtyard. Apart from the drizzling rain, the show was fun and energized. Rehab’s own Lauren Hubbard moderated onstage in a gorgeous gold leather cocktail dress while the beautiful amateur models (friends of Rehab) rocked it out and looked like they were having a blast! They danced down the runway with so much energy my camera had a hard time keeping up. I picked a few of my favorite dresses for this PG-rated post…
Has anyone ever told you that you need to go to Rehab? Well trust me, you do!
Designer Inspiration: Alice + Olivia
photo: style.com
Okay, so I adore this leopard print ensemble by Alice + Olivia. The dress, the bag, the shoes… perfection! The price… a bit out of my league. These three designer pieces total nearly $1,200 and I just can’t go there. So, like any determined fashion stalker, I found a few amazing alternatives that convey this same look for a fraction of the price (13/100 actually)! I’ve posted both looks below… the real thing for those with deeper wallets, and the ‘close-enough’ version for gals like me…
1. Alice & Olivia Dress, $396, aliceandolivia.com
2. Alice & Olivia Snake Embossed Leather Bag, $545, aliceandolivia.com
3. Alice & Olivia Leopard Print Wedge Sandal, $240, bergdorfgoodman.com
1. Dorothy Perkins Leopard Print Dress, $35, dorothyperkins.com
2. Jessica Simpson Satchel, $69.95, dsw.com
3. JustFab Leopard Wedge Sandal, $49.99, heels.com
One Thrifty Find, Four Stylish Looks
I recently scored four designer dresses at a local thrift store for $4.95 each!!! This Catherine Malandrino citron silk dress ($200-$400 retail value) is one of them. I was so excited to photograph it that I haven’t yet dry cleaned the dress… which is my #1 THRIFTING RULE: ALWAYS CLEAN YOUR FINDS! Anyway, I love the look of a girly dress layered with a blazer or jacket and paired with great shoes and accessories. Here are four ways to wear this very versatile dress, one for each possible phase of my day…
PHASE ONE: Kid drop, coffee shop and dry cleaner…
PHASE TWO: Meeting with a potential retail partner…
PHASE THREE: Date Night with the Hubs (2 options)…
*all items pulled from my existing wardrobe
Oh, How I Do Love a Good Find!
I was recently on the prowl for some new jackets for my back-to-work looks when I stumbled into a huge sale going on at Deborah Kent’s. For those of you in South Tampa who are into fashion, you are probably aware that Deborah Kent’s has been around for over thirty years and is widely touted as being the pinnacle for where to find special European and American designer pieces. I have worked with Deborah over the course of many years and am always impressed with her ability to cater to such a wide variety of customers. Admittedly, I cannot afford a lot of what she’s selling. Somehow I do manage to own a sizeable collection of her offerings, mostly because I spend a fair amount of time admiring pieces from a distance… and if I’m lucky, they go on sale. But just getting to see and touch theses designer garments is half the fun for a gal like me! It’s an education I like to pass on to my friends and clients. I can go there and sip champagne while I sit on her vintage couch and try on a lovely pair of Pedro Garcia pumps, just to see how they look on my feet. Who wouldn’t love to spend an afternoon hanging out like that? But on this particular day, I was on a mission to find jackets!
I dove right into the sale racks, fingering through, piece by piece. It didn’t take long before I had chosen and tried on three great jackets! What amazed me most was not the fact that I found three perfectly awesome jackets on the sale rack, but rather that they were all marked down to 75% OFF!!! I could feel my heart racing with excitement when I started adding up the total in my head! I was thinking about how proud I’ll be to come home and tell my husband about how much I had saved at Deborah Kent’s… and I imagined he would take me out for a romantic dinner to celebrate my triumph!
Anyway, I ended up spending a grand total of… wait for it…
$116!!! Yes… for THREE jackets at Deborah Kent’s!!! I was riding on that cloud for a good two days straight! Oh, how I do love a good find! For me, that means scoring a fabulous piece with quality craftsmanship that fits beautifully and looks great on my body… for a price I can brag about!
If you have the time, I highly recommend you swing by Deborah Kent’s for a look-see. I guarantee, you won’t be disappointed.
Happy Shopping!
The Empire Stripes Back!
Spring Fashion Trend: STRIPES
The origin of this trend stems way back to the 1800’s in the French Province of Brittany. What we commonly refer to as “nautical stripes” (navy and white) are actually called Breton stripes. The 1858 Act of France made the Breton shirt part of the official uniform for French Navy seamen. There were 21 stripes- one for each of Napoleon’s victories. The stripes were also thought to help locate men who fell overboard.
In the 1930’s CoCo Chanel launched Breton stripes into the fashion mainstream after becoming inspired by a visit to the French Coast. She designed and wore a simple striped tee with palazzo pants and, well… the rest is history!
I pulled a few striped pieces from my closet and decided to take some pics of my favorite ensembles. I have several Breton pieces, but wanted to play with the other striped goodies for this shoot. Forgive the poor quality of these shots, as I am on the hunt for a better camera.
This red and white striped mini dress is by Soprano from Nordstrom. I love the simplicity of this cut and the cotton blend is super comfy! What drew me in (besides the $38 price tag) is the ruching detail on the sleeves. There’s a small pocket on the top left side that I could do without, but it’s barely noticeable. I accessorized with a long, silver necklace (which is actually a vintage purse strap), a turquoise cocktail ring, and a sexy pair of nude Gianni Bini heels. This look is perfect for date night!
This look combines stripes and a floral print to create an unexpected twist… which I like to do on occasion. The floral blouse is DmBm from Nordstrom … very inexpensive! The striped crop jacket is Ett Taia and the white jeans are Joe’s, both from local designer consigner Fresh Threads. The jacket is a bit boxy, so it calls for a flowy and feminine blouse underneath to balance the look. Paired with a nude peep toe pump, this look is great for lunching with friends.
Here’s my bohemian side begging to be set free! The maxi dress is Color Me Red and the striped vest is Project E Vintage, both from Keys Country. I like this ensemble because it’s super comfy and makes me feel like Mother Earth. I’ve paired it with a fabulous necklace made by local jewelry designer Marianne Homsy and grecian Bandolino sandals. I could lounge around town all day in this one!