Boden: Fall 2015 is Here!

Good Monday morning!  I am still in California, and like happens every time I come here, I get super busy and never end up on my computer like I thought I would.  I have been having fun (as my Instagram feed proves, lol, oh happy hour), so at least I *sort of* have an excuse.  My aunt's funeral on Saturday was beautiful, fitting and celebratory of an amazing life led.  I clearly would love more time with her, but the way we were able to say goodbye was exactly the way she would have wanted it to be.

Okay, so Boden has rolled out the Fall items today.  On July 13!  Years ago, the fall rollout would occur in August, so this seems so early, just like it did last year when they did the same thing.

Having said that, the fresher look of the website is appealing.  I also have to say that seeing the clothing from the fall picks that I did in their proper catalog shots makes the clothing look more alluring, too.  When the Boden preview was live back in May, they left out the catalog shots, which for many of us is what draws us in first, and so many of us were left not really loving a ton of their new items. 

This is a catalog shot.  For Boden. Yeah.  For real.

The catalog does suffer a bit, though, and I think some of you will agree that the shots with the blanker backgrounds and more muted clothing suffer the most.  It does appear a bit drab, those.  The turn does make me feel like there is a bit of "J. Crew 2011" going on here, which was not a great thing for J. Crew and unlikely to be amazing for Boden, unless all of a sudden a bunch of women have suddenly turned towards blah backgrounds and transparent looking greys and greens as their favorites.  ;-)

My favorites are the outdoor shots, but I also love the ones of the models with all the mid-century furniture everywhere.  Above is the Abigail Tunic on the model (not the color I picked in preview, but a great little dress overall) sitting in a chair I would *nearly* give my eye teeth to own.  She looks beautiful, like a 2015 version of Audrey Hepburn (what they were probably going for here).  Who doesn't want to be her, you know?

Okay, so what are your thoughts?  Any new favorites after seeing them with the catalog shots in place?  Or are you still firm in what you felt back during the Preview time?

I know that there will be some kind of banner coming for this new fall line through my affiliate program, but I don't know when the management will drop it in our links, so I will keep my eyes open, and when it does appear, I will throw it here in this post and in the sidebar.  I really hope it has a coupon attached to it (cross fingers, you all).  ;-)

Talk with you soon!

J. Crew Factory: Inspiring Me Now.

I recently, because I have decided to enter the year 2000, have discovered the "prt sc" button on my computer's keyboard.

And because polyvore won't "clip" images for me to use in my polyvore sets when J. Crew and all the others use Adobe Flash Player for their cool outfit looks they often publish on the front pages of their websites, I decided I needed to figure this junk out already.

And here's the thing...you all, the most savvy or at least semi-computer literate out there, have been doing this "print screen" thing for years...and the pin didn't drop for me until. three. weeks. ago. when I accidentally touched the "prt sc" button instead of the backspace button, and a little photo appeared at the bottom of my screen that said "screen shot saved."*  BING!  Aha!  So that's how all those bloggers got the awesome images of outfits and models and catalog shots that I couldn't save or clip to polyvore, etc.

*It saved an e-mail I was writing to Mr. Dina one day...the day I was REALLY mad at him.  Heehee...I now have physical, photographic proof that I am capable of sticking up for myself.  ;)

Those of you who have been doing this for years, my hat is off to you.

And yes...I was the girl who worked at both Babbages and Software, Etc. back in 1993 and 1994.  I fear my "hot computer girl" cred will go down the tubes by admitting I just discovered the "prt sc" button, but to be fair, back in 1993 and 1994 most computers were big hulking machines with a mouse running on its mouse wheel to keep the processor, you know, processing.  LOL.  ;)

Okay, so what is this HUGE aside about me being a computer not so nerd leading towards?

I really really love many of the clean, classic, and fun, colorful looks that my favorite retailers are coming out with, and since I love to have the images for my polyvore account so I can create outfit sets (inspiration, you all!), I figured I would just say "stuff it" to Adobe Flash Player and screen shot the heck out of my faves and publish them here on my blog.

So tonight is J. Crew Factory, but I have images from regular J. Crew, Boden, and Madewell that I will be publishing soon enough...

And as long as the companies keep coming up with adorable outfit ideas and pretty catalog images, I will continue to keep publishing posts like this!

#6--This was from April's rollout of Factory items.  I have this retail skirt (Paisley Pencil Skirt from Summer 2012) and (like many JCAs) a plethora of striped tees, so this will be a no brainer.  Now if I could do my hair and makeup like that, I will be one happy lady.

#7--Same rollout as #6 above.  Lots of folks have the Victoria cami from 2008, and it was nice to see them re-issue it in the factory nearly four years later (even if it was in poly).  I liked the idea of wearing it on its own with shorts and heels, very pretty and unexpected for the summer.

#11--April rollout, again.  The casbah print was wonderful from last year, and I love that they did this in a pencil skirt.  I own the silk top so I didn't get the pencil skirt, but I like the thought of a slight pink pattern with the casbah.  Lots of bloggers have this skirt, I would love to see one of them try this.

#8--April, again.  Simple, clean lines, and chic.  Looks like blonde Audrey Hepburn 2012.

#4--Last one from April.  This look can be easily replicated with my silk casbah top, would likely have done it anyhow, but I like the reminder.  :)

#8--This is a look from the current rollout (May).  I think Angela looks beautiful here in this simple pairing of perfect accessories and colors for the bold paisley printed pants.

(Angela, like Edda, is one of my most favorite J. Crew/Boden models, so I love seeing her modeling again.  J. Crew is smart to pick up on the love many of us have for the old school J. Crew models.  Now if only they would bring back Vanessa.)

#11--This is also May 2012.  Now I would normally have never put this look together myself, but I love the idea of a tunic with a shorter skirt, if it comes out looking like this.  We'll see if I can try and do this with any of the pieces in my wardrobe.  I love those wedges, too (the Maryanne Leather Wedges).

This is what the outfits look like all together on the main page of the factory site (after you click "women" from the front page).  The one above is all the April 2012 outfits.

What have you been inspired by from J. Crew factory lately?

Mommy Style Monday #8--Inspired By...

The whole premise of my "Spring Into Style" class this last spring break centered around one focal question: "Who are you inspired by?" My twist and the twist I present to you today is not who are you inspired by emotionally and spiritually, but instead who sartorially inspires you? Who brings out your inner fashionista?

For the 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-graders it ranged from Beyonce to Taylor Swift, and from Robert Pattinson to Shawn White (he is a snowboarder--I had to look it up). For their teacher (that's me), I took my inspiration from some most unlikely suspects (for the kids, anyhow, you all won't be surprised, I bet).

The VERY first day of class I insisted they create an Inspiration Board, a construction paper full of drawings, photos, color, and objects that bring out some sort of look that wished to recreate for themselves in their style...no holds barred. I didn't tell they had to have people, if they chose to have pictures of doorknobs, I was fine with it. What inspires you is personal and special. Most folks do choose people, and so I give to you the challenge of creating your own inspiration board and taking from the people you choose an enlivened sense of what you want to look like and how you want to appear on the outside (I am not able to help you work on the inside, yet, anyhow, lol).


Above is my inspiration board, and the one I still use to remind myself of what I love to see and what I would love to be:
From left to right, clockwise:
1. The lovely sisters Emily and Zooey Deschanel. Zooey had me at the first dulcet tone of the song she sings in the cotton commercial. I know. I know. For those of you that have seen the commercial, doesn't she just transport you? And her clothing in the spot, um, yes, please. And Emily? She is utter perfection as Temperence Brennan on Bones. Love her character and her character's styling. Put Zooey and Emily in an embrace, and bonjour, l'amour. :)
2. Zooey waving her hand in a flowy, lightweight blue strappy dress.
3. Emily on the cover of HEALTH magazine. Any lady that makes it on that cover is taking good care of herself, which always reminds me to eat better, stay out of the sun unless I am wearing SPF 100, and to exercise.
4. Liberty of London for Target ad. You all know me and my love of Liberty of London fabrics so no explanation necessary, I am sure!
5. Peacock feather. LOVE the colors in peacock feathers.
6. Emily walking in a fitted trench. She is a modern '50s lady. Love it!
7. There's Zooey again, sitting pretty in a fab red frock and gorg flats. Swoon.
8. Giada De Laurentiis. I love her...from her slightly large head to her amazing figure. She comes across as nice, sweet, approachable, and lovely. I want to be her friend. And crazily enough if I could be part of her circle, I bet she would be a great friend. :) And her style? Delish. I have loved every outfit I have ever seen her in (and bonus points to her for wearing J. Crew...see her in pieces all the time...so if she is a JCA, props to her)!
9. Lemons. Love the taste, the color, and the firm outside with the slightly soft inside.
10. Tiffany's Box. Great color, great style, amazing icon. Couldn't fit Audrey Hepburn here from Breakfast at Tiffany's, so I put the box instead.

So that's my inspiration board. I had been saving images for about a year, and right before the class started, I did mine. I may do another for the fall class, but have it themed for the colder season, with hats, boots, denim, etc.


Now, I know I promised you a review of the A.R. Trapp Trouboudor sunglasses in the Japanese Havana colorway (tortoise, in other words, of course, lol), but I start with why I bought these. If you look at this image of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, you should see the resemblance of these glasses to the ones she wears. Now I look nothing like Audrey, in fact, if I breathed on her she would probably break (poor dear under ate and was a basket of nerves, supposedly), and in no way is my own personal style like hers. That said, there are many items I have seen of hers from movies and in her own personal life that I at some point wished to have for myself, the sunglasses being one of them. Another thing I would love to have is Audrey's amazing generosity of spirit. If you don't know much about her personal life, I highly recommend any of the biographies on her...it appears that she was beloved and for so much more than her style and grace.

I will start with the sunglasses and go from there. ;)


Side view of the A.R. Trapp sunglasses. These are handmade and well-made. They fold up very flat, so there is no need for one of those huge clam shell cases. They actually come with a leather slim case for the glasses, and I definitely suggest you use it. I plan on having these for many, many years (cost per wear hopefully in the pennies by the time I am done with them), and I can do so with great care. So use the provided case!!!


I love the image of the model for J. Crew pulling the sunglasses down on her face and smiling. I couldn't quite get to her sweet expression, but maybe a few points for trying? :)

Notice that these have green lenses, but when you wear them, they seem just like other sunglasses, but it is clearer. (I think the lenses are made from very nice, optical-grade material, a la what is put in prescription glasses.)

So you know, I did research on A.R. Trapp before purchasing these (umm, hello, not a crazy person who spends that sort of money without seeing if it is worth it). Turns out they are a HIGHLY respected shop in NYC that have the very finest sunglasses and prescription glasses, you know, great materials, great handiwork, quality service, etc.

They are sold-out, but there may be a way of locating them? I got the last pair from the Collection store (pulled from the display case), so good luck! I did like the yellow pair they had, but felt that would be too harsh of a yellow for my skin coloring (although I love yellow, the muted, dijon-y mustard yellows make me look a bit sick).


And now for my last inspired piece. Remember I love Giada, right? And I love J. Crew, right? I had purchased this very tunic top from the store (it was in-store only) in March and have worn it a couple of times since then (have yet to get a good photograph--I actually hate this photo). I also love silly reality shows like "The Next Food Network Star." (Yes, I admit it...) Well, guess what? Giada hearts this very top, and is wearing it in her Target commercial. :) I think I chose my inspirations well.

P.S. My hubby asked why I didn't have any blondes on my inspiration board like Cameron Diaz, Anna Torv, or Naomi Watts. I told him...this is a board of women I want to emulate. I don't need to look like them to emulate them. Now if I was doing a "makeup inspiration board," you had better believe that Cameron, Anna, and Naomi would be on mine.

P.P.S. I will pick a winner for the giveaway tomorrow. Wanted to get my Mommy Style Monday done. I know you all understand!!!