New Kensie Tops, Sweaters & Dresses

Kensie continues to dazzle with their deliveries this season. The rich colors, sumptuous fabrics, and detailed design of this line make is a favorite among staff and customers alike. Come see this elegant purple button-up cardigan, and a cowl neck tunic sweater with purple and black stripes. For a night out, the must-haves are the sleeveless sheer top dress in black or a ruffle-neck silk tank in pewter that looks fantastic with jeans. And if red is your thang, you will be over-the-moon for the black and red silk print tank, or the sassy cropped cardigan in cherry. Check out the Kensie look book at http://www.kensie.com/

Great Gift Ideas

The air is getting colder, the smell of fall is in the air, I love this season. And as Autumn flutters by my mind starts to turn to the holidays ahead. Not as far away as they seem, and it is always good to get a head start, especially if you are a last minute shopper like myself.Shopping doesn't have to be a hassle. We have some wonderful gift ideas in every price range.

These super fun accessories from Pylones will put a smile on your face. We have these lovely lady nail files and umbrellas in a variety of bright cheerful colors.

One of my favorite stand by gifts for all my gal pals is the Last Tango Long Cami. Who doesn't want a great layering cami? I love these so much that I give them to everyone. They are perfect paired with one of our delightful smelling lip balms from perfumeria gal.

And of course, we couldn't leave out one of our favorite jewelry lines. Foxy Originals make wonderful, colorful pendants that are funky,simple, and modern. We recommend them all the time for gifts. The best part about Foxy necklaces is that they reverse to a coordinating design on the other side. So it's like giving,or getting, two necklaces in one.

Beautiful Floral Burn-out Tops

There are many great things about a burnout print. It's soft, subtle, consistent, and for those who are a little print-shy, it's tonal to the color of the garment. We have some superb pieces of burnout in the store right now. This shirt at left is from Olive Jane, which is a line that produces loads of burnout, as well as colorful embroidered pieces. (We have a coat from Olive Jane that is to-die-for). Sucre Soir and Cubism also have stunning burnout tops in luscious, juicy colors. Looking for ways to wear this look? Put in on over a Last Tango cami, or paired with a colorful scarf, or cardigan.

Window Dressing...

Have you seen our window display? Seriously. Jessica created a stunning scene of outfits in oranges and plums. Adjust your ride home to do a drive-by on Franklin Street. Or take your dog, or better yet, your loved one, on an evening stroll and point out what is on your holiday wish list. It's divine. - Katherine

Warm and Cozy

Keep you and your little one warm and cozy in these soft sweet sweaters from Inca Mama. Carmela Pinillos, founder and designer, of Inca Textiles has made it her mission to import the finest sweaters handloomed in her native Peru by textile artisans. These sweaters are fantastic for expectant mothers, but work just as well for non-maternity too with timeless styles that suit just about anyone. We carry these sweaters year after year. This season we have the ever popular Luisa in a soft heathered green, and the swing sweater in both soft grey and deep plum. New this season is the Sisi, belted with buttons detailing at collar and cuffs and in a beautiful cranberry red color.

Not only are these fabulous sweaters but Carmela also donates $1.00 for every sweater sold to provide education and food for impoverished children in Peru. That's definitely something you can feel good about!

New Velvet Has Arrived!

Calling all of you Velvet lovers out there, a new shipment just arrived this morning and it is gorgeous!

Three new dresses have come in. My favorite is the Rian. This is simply beautiful, sleeveless with a twist front and a fabulous black and beige print. It is definitely a head turner. Pair it with some heels and a simple black cardigan or shrug and you have a perfect dress for any holiday gathering or party (which seem to be coming up fast this year).

The Henni Top is a classic cut long sleeve top with a twist front top that is oh so flattering on most of us. We have this top in a deep rich plum color.

Another stunner is the Bailee top. What makes the Bailee special is the open work detailing at the neckline. Shown here in white, we have it in dramatic black.

Christopher Blue Kendall Trouser

Helena's has a dedicated following of Christopher Blue wearers. The fit and style of this line of denim and twill pants is always fantastic. And now, they have added a beautiful trouser to their line. These pants have a polished tailored fit, with a soft fabric and just a little bit of stretch. They have back placket pockets and are finished with a sharp looking cuff. And the best yet...they are machine washable! Pair them with a stunning black mesh top from Three Dot, or the gorgeous cranberry-color modal top from Lonia. The Lonia shirt has a hatch pattern at the neckline and sleeve, making it a truly unique piece for a night out.

Prairie Underground Is Here!

We are delighted!

We just received our first order from Prairie Underground. So gorgeous and comfortable to boot. Come in and snatch yours up before they're all gone.

Drifter-Edgy Casual

Drifter is one of my favorite lines in the store. I have always admired the Drifter team's aesthetic, you can just tell that a lot of thought was put into each garment. Their attention to detail is superb, a pleat here, an unexpected button there, always hip and always wearable. Soft cottons give you a t shirt feel with a little urban edge to them. We just received a few new styles yesterday. I adore the deep blue "Nip" top, embellished with tiny buttons along the shoulder with a stenciled bird print in front. We also have the "Daisy" jacket, which is a funky take on the standard hoodie. The Daisy has an off center half zip, with silver buttons in front, and wonderfully styled pockets.

Fresh, Modern Maternity at Helena's

Loads of fresh fall Maternity styles came in last week. Ripe, Jules & Jim, Sche, Olian, Maternal America, Nuka, and Inca Mama are all showing beautiful colors and flattering prints. These designers are creating new shapes, and leaving some of the traditional maternity fits (think flow-ey tie-back) on the back burner. Some of my favorites are the Ripe Mod Top (shown in black, grey and red), and the Coco Dress from Nuka (shown here in silver). The Coco top looks great on pregnant bodies, and non-pregnant bodies. It has a great bubble tunic fit.

Start with a well-fitting foundation.

And by foundation I mean bra. All your tops and dresses fit better with the right undergarment. Recently, many customers have told me that their lives were transformed in the moment they finally succumbed to a professional bra fitting. We are talking about the free consults you can get at a good lingerie store. Most women who get measured are shocked to learn that they have spent all their adult lives in the wrong band size, and the wrong (usually too small) cup size. I was sold, but my list of pressing things to do always seemed to have a "bra fitting" solidly at the bottom. But when I finally went to Nordstrom's lingerie department, I was thrilled to get the low-down. I spent a short two minutes getting measured. (I was indeed in the wrong size...apparently a startling high percentage of women believe they are a 34B. Who knew?) Then, beautifully, every bra the attendant brought to me, fit! If you think I'm blowing this "well fitting bra" phenomenon out of proportion, look to the hosts of the former BBC TV show, What Not To Wear. Last year, in a public event designed to highlight the importance of wearing the right bra size, style gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine got 900 women to strip down to their skivvies and dispose of their crappy ill-fitting bras (see photo). Then the women were measured and in the largest bra-swap in British history, were given bras in the correct size. And seriously, don't they look thrilled? - Katherine

Anticipation

We Just got word that our first order of Prairie Underground is ready to be shipped out and we couldn't be more excited. Eclectic, dramatic,and funky blend with practical to bring you two beautiful styles, the Prairie Hoodie and the Hoodie Cloak, in blue and black respectively. The wait is almost over. We expect these lovelies to land in about a week.