New Prairie Underground

I can't think of a better way to end the month of September than with a brand new Prairie Underground order. For all of us Cloak Hoodie devotees the Long Cloak Hoodie in New Blue is just divine. The beloved falcon Dress is also back in stock, shown above in khaki, we have the Falcon in black, cool green and dusk...which despite it's name is a very pretty rose tinged color. One of the newest styles this season that we adore is the denim minimalist dress. This sexy structured denim dress is flattering and functional enough for everyday wear. As always, sizes are limited, shop early for best selection.

Fall Trend Alert: Polka Dots on Navy.

We at Helena's have a special place in our hearts for micro polka dots. We had a few charming dot tops in for spring and we were delighted to see the trend expand to outerwear this fall. The pics of the lovely famous-girls wearing dots-on-navy are true representations of this pretty trend. See it at our store in this knock-out coat from Tulle. Double-breasted with a chic lapels and a feminine kick-out in the skirt. And...it's hard to see in this image, but the polka dots are ruby-red. Fantastic!

Breathtaking Lia Molly Sweaters Arrive Today!

Your heart will skip a beat when you see the new Liamolly sweater for fall. Seema Sudan, creates this beautiful sweater line out of her New Orleans studio. We have the Hummingbird, which is a stunning red cowlneck tunic ($208), and the Sparrow, a lovely red and silver tie cardigan ($233). As always with this line, these are limited editions at Helena's! Visit Liamolly's website to see her entire glorious collection!

New Tulle: Peacock and Orange

A new delivery of Tulle landed today and it is chock full of gorgeous hues for Fall.Tulle is a fantastic, trend driven and wonderfully affordable line. We have lovely textured sweaters in burnt orange and peacock. The star of the show is the classic vintage coat in a striking color they call indigo. I can't even express how much we I love this coat.This deep rich blue will turn many heads and is sure to sell out quick.

Get your Prairie Online from Helena's @ Local Hem!

Some of our favorite Prairie Underground fashions are available from Helena's online at Local Hem. Visit this blog post from Local Hem blogger and head-honcho Colleen King. Read more by clicking here.

The Minimalist Denim dress from Prairie Underground.

Along with cashmere sweaters, shrunken jean-jackets, ankle boots, and striped tees, I count "the denim dress" as one of my all-time fashion favorites. Prairie gave us the Denim Day dress for spring, and this new beauty for fall. This dress straddles that chic/casual line with graceful modernism. Seamed in all the right places, with a full zip up the back and an embellished zip at the shoulder. Wear it with tights or leggings. The lovely Minimalist, $193.

Prairie Underground Carpenter Jeans at Helena's!

We are in love with the newest addition to our denim wall. The Prairie Underground Carpenter jean has all the modern stitching and design innovation we expect from Prairie, with a stream-line clean fit. When I ordered these jeans at the Designer & Agents show in NY, everyone on the show floor was talking about this new pant. We have them in this classic blue wash, $173.

Results of Spanx Leggings Field Test? A Fabulous Thumbs Up!

What could possibly be "new" in the category of leggings you ask? I had the same suspicions, so yesterday I slipped on a pair of new Spanx leggings to see what all the fuss is about. I put them on in the morning and found them easy to adjust. I pulled up the leg a little to go from an ankle length to a bit of a crop without any bunching or pleating. The knit material is SUPER stretchy in all directions, but with a strong return. Put it somewhere and it will stay there. I progressed through my day, ran errands, picked up my kids and then later went to a film showing with the fam until the late evening. All day, the legging stayed high around my waist and stayed smooth, with no sagging at the knees. The waist band is another true innovation, mostly in the fact that there isn't one. It fits with a light compression around the waist, and just stays up with no digging in or folding over. Amazing!

This is a slightly thick and very opaque knit fabric, which are two attributes I have been waiting for in a basic no-fashion-frills legging. By that I mean no zipper, no ankle snaps, no knit pattern. We have these embellished leggings from other brands, they are fantastic, but nothing beats the fit on this Spanx legging. The sizes run S, M, L and like all Spanx apparel, the size chart on the package is pretty accurate. My final judgement? This should be pulled into your fall wardrobe as your staple go-to legging!

Our Annual SIDEWALK SALE is this Saturday!

Hello friends! This Saturday is Arlington Town Day, and our Annual Clearance Sidewalk Sale! Many of you are familiar with our traditional sale...for those of you who are first-timers, here's how it goes: we bring out racks of clothing marked $5, $10, $15, $20, $25, $30 and $35. There are also super-clearance discounts on bags and accessories. What will you see? Pieces from Three Dots, Velvet, Christopher Blue, Worn, LA Made, Maggie London, Prairie Underground, Hazel, Tulle, Nally & Millie and more. To find out more about Arlington Town Day, click here. Schedule some time to come by....it gets busy! See you Saturday!

Hip new leather bracelets from Ada!

Leather wrap bracelets are a great fall trend! We have two new styles in from Ada...yes the same Ada that makes our favorite belts. Both the "Hook" and the "Loop" bracelets add a refined/urban pop of color to your fall looks!

More Ada belts are at Helena's, including the new Inca!

The newest, chic Ada belt is here! The "Inca" can be looped, or tied, or twisted high or low on the waist. We have this belt in black, tan, and chocolate. This belt looks especially stylish when paired with one of the many great sweater dresses that are now in the store!

Shop Helena's Online at Local Hem!!

After many, many customer requests to have an on-line option, Helena's is now on-line with the fantastic venture Local Hem! We are thrilled to be in the company of other lovely boutiques, including Arlington shoe and accessory shop, Sadies! To shop our online selection, click here!

An easy, chic top for fall! Three Dots has it!

This shoulder-zip cardy can be worn open or closed. We have it in a dark heather-plum. It is 100% tencel and incredibly soft. Wear it with Red Engine Cinder jeans.

Ada wrap belts are back in new fall colors!

Our favorite belts are back in beautiful fall colors. Blue, green, camel, and a terracotta mosaic. Lovely.

Luxe cashmere sweaters from Velvet.

Every year, Velvet produces a tiny beautiful collection of cashmere sweaters. These two pullovers are the best styles they have every designed. The cashmere knit is generously thick and buttery soft, and the colors are natural and versatile. We have the top pullover in Cougar (shown) and the bottom A-line tunic in Fallow.

New woodenships sweaters at Helena's.

Woodenships designed a new group for fall called the "luxe collection." It has more texture and fashion forward designs, and it's now in-store. From the top they are the "Maya" which we have in Fir (shown), and Violet. Next the "Halle" cardigan is at Helena's in Nutmeg, as pictured. We have the mini-stripe cardigan, called the "Nicki" in Chino, which has more neutral tones. Finally the "Colorblock" pullover cowlneck is in-store in Nutmeg stripe, which has tan and golden tones. They are smashing!

Your favorite fall tunic is here: the Marigold from Lole

I tried this on at the store yesterday and didn't want to take it off. It could be the stripes, it could be the styling...it all works! This tunic has an envelope neckline and a super-flattering elasticized high-waist. We have the Marigold in this chic stripe and in a classic black.

Pretty Piper's Bay Sweater from Emu Australia.

We now carry Emu Australia sweaters which are constructed out of the softest Merino wool yarns in the world. This open/wrap style is a go-to piece for fall and winter. Wear it open as a drapey cardy, or buttoned at the neckline for a chic covered look. The striping in the knit is smashing. Wear it with a bright top underneath!

We are closed on Labor Day! Spend the day at the beach.

Hello friends. We are closed Labor Day, Sunday, Sept. 5. We hope you are relaxing with your family and friends, and eating lots of great food. Or, dipping your toes in the Atlantic, which is what the real Helena is doing. See you on Tuesday!

What's in the Window!

So the thing is, Jessica and I love gold...like a rich mustard-yellow gold. We scoop it up for the store whenever we get a chance. This week, Jessica features some of our favorite fall-golds in our Franklin Street window display, along with some dark browns and charcoals. The top pic is a smashing print sweater dress from Hazel. The bottom pic is a new zip-cardy from the sweater line Cyrus.

Velvet Merina top at Helena's.

We carry the Merina every season that Velvet makes it. This crossover top has a beautiful shape and a flattering fit. We have it now in Dark Purple (shown), and Willow, which is a dark green. Lovely.

Lole is Back at Helena's

Our Fall Lole order rolled in yesterday and it is out of this world! We love Lole. This Canadian company is known for their quality casual and active wear with an eye toward fashion. We have lots of lovely tops, sweaters, jackets, and dresses for the season. The Comfy jacket above is one of Lole's classic styles that they update each year. Lined with downy baby fleece, you will want to live in this piece. Another classic Lole style is the Sheer top. This long sleeved top has an oversize cowl that can double as a hood. We have both these styles in a beautiful deep red color that Lole calls Mahogany...we call it awesome!