Shop Local: Evolve

Evolve Boutique in Emory Village (northeast Atlanta) is near and dear to my heart since it's the first boutique we ever featured on our blog. That was over a year and a half ago, so we figured it wouldn't seem redundant to do another post on such a great store.



Here are 3 reasons why we love Evolve:

1.) All the items in the store are by indie designers, local, earth-friendly, organic and/or re-purposed.
2.) Joyce, the owner (pictured above left), is the nicest person you'll ever meet.
3.) Joyce's dog (also pictured above left) is so sweet and greets every customer that walks in the door. Eat your heart out, Walmart.



We both left with some great purchases including an amazing ring Lauren picked up - we'll blog about that in an upcoming post.

CL

ROCKIT in Decatur

We had a great Saturday night enjoying live music on the square (with lots of wine and delicious food) and the ROCKIT boutique opening (with lots of wine and delicious food).

ROCKIT owners Mike (in the red shirt below) and J. (wearing the black vest below right) are some of the nicest guys in Decatur. Shopgirl Amelia (looking incredibly stylish in all white) told us that she reads our blog - yay!


The store has a great selection of clothes and accessories that won't break the bank. Lauren and I each got a pair of sunglasses for $10 and I snatched up a blue Alternative Apparel burnout tee.






CL

Two More Internet Resources

Not like we need anymore reasons to shop, but I had to share these two websites I found.

1. Brooklyn Industries is a small chain-let in NYC. They have great clothing and accessories for men and women. Most of the clothing comes in muted colors and modern shapes, which I love. Make sure to check out the sale section - you can find some really good deals.



2. Lulu's has super feminine clothing (no men's clothing) that is very similar to what you'd find at Urban Outfitters. In fact, I recognized some of the accessories from UO, but on Lulu's they're much cheaper. I'll definitely be checking this site often.


Edit (12:14 am) by LL: I actually "discovered" Lulu through this newly discovered blog:
Fatal Attraction 2 Fashion (thanks FA2F!). Check it out, folks!

CL

My Spring Wish List

Below are just a couple of things I wouldn't mind having for the spring. If the text is too small, click on the image to expand.

Shopping Links:
Watch
Dress
Shirt
Bag
Shoes
Perfume

CL

New Resources

After a delicious Easter meal with some friends, I spent the rest of the evening online window shopping. Below are a few new (to me) websites with reasonably-priced items that I bookmarked so I can revisit them on payday.

Tulle

I stumbled upon Tulle's website the other day. I've never heard of it before. It doesn't have a huge inventory, but I love how each piece has something kind of unexpected about it. Like the sweater below could almost be from Gap if it didn't have that great exaggerated collar.

Tulle's price range is around $50-$70, but the best finds are the items on sale (see the five images below).

Waffle Knit Funnel Collar Sweater $26

Cotton Voile Smocked Tunic $27

Herringbone Tulip Dress $31

Canvas Bib Jacket $32

Poly Knit Retro Dress $26

* * * * *

Etsy: Karen Hilton Designs

Lauren and I have been looking for some Union Jack pillows for our living room. Karen Hilton makes them in almost every color combination you can imagine. Other great Anglophile pillow designs from the store include the Queen Elizabeth II stamps (pictured bellow), flower power-theme and terrior dog portraits.

Queen Elizabeth II Stamp Cushion/Pillow $65

Pink and Green Union Jack Cushion/Pillow $60

* * * * *

Matter Matters

This website mostly has ridiculously expensive accessories and home wares, but there are a handful of affordable items that would make any home look like something featured in Dwell magazine.

Cristal Carafe $55

Still Life Fruit Bowl $95

* * * * *

Muji

I fell in love with Muji during my first trip to London. Every item seems so utilitarian and efficient. All the travel and desktop items make me want to be organized. The furniture and kitchen items make me wish that I lived in one of those scarily minimalist homes. So I was quite pleased to learn that the store ships to the U.S.

Cup and Saucer - Heatproof about $6

Square Face Watch about $60

* * * * *

Smil

As this cute, little German website states, Smil carries "accessories that make you happy." It's like a German Fred Flare. All the items are so endearing and the creators seem to have an affinity for dachshunds.

Teckel brooch in pink around $14

Air mail pouch about $27

My regular online window shopping usually includes a stop by CB2, Fred Flare, Heliotrope, Asos and Museum of Useful Things.

What are your favorite online window shopping sites?

CL

Sunglasses

I love stocking up on cheap sunglasses. I have about ten pairs and none of them are over $15. Below are two more that I purchased this week from Fredflare.com.

I've been eying these Swan Lake sunglasses for a while. In addition to the name (reminds me of my ballet days), I love the retro look to them and the color will work with black or brown accessories.


I have quite a few large-framed sunglasses, but these Victoria sunglasses (yep, named after Posh) take the cake. I love them - especially the "gold" detailing. At first glance they might seem a little over-the-top and they take up half my face, but at least they provide a lot of protection against the sun!
CL

Crossing the Pond: Bensimon Shoes

According to Nylon, the famous French Bensimon walking shoes will soon be available stateside. I tried to figure out when and where this will be happening on Bensimon's website, but I couldn't find any additional information. So at some point "[t]his season" I'll be able to purchase a pair without leaving the country (Nylon, March 2008).

Update: Thanks to a comment from the Bensimon US PR rep, the shoes will be available in three weeks - yay! I'll be making a trip over to Bill Hallman next month to get my own pair.

Currently - even with the internet and Thomas Friedman's claim that the world is flat - it is impossible to get your hands on a new pair of Bensimon tennis shoes if you live in the U.S. You literally have to fly over to France and purchase them. So here's hoping that the shoes will be available stateside sooner than later.


Bensimon fans: Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin, Cameron Diaz and Kate Moss.

CL

Opening (very) soon...

According to a note posted on the front door, the Virginia-Highland Urban Outfitters will open February 28. Lauren and I have been excited about this location for quite some time because it means we no longer have to fight the traffic around Lenox Mall to go to the only U.O. in Atlanta.
Plus, it's located in the same strip as The Righteous Room, Plaza Theater and The Majestic (three Atlanta landmarks). Add Urban Outfitters to the mix and it makes a perfect destination for a Saturday afternoon/evening.

CL

Safari Chic on the Cheap

A lot of fashion bloggers have been writing about Old Navy's new Urban Explorer line. Most of the items are Safari-inspired. Safari-themed fashion seems have become more of classic style than a trend and the clean lines of Old Navy's clothing reflects that.

My safari inspiration board:

Images from Style.com, background fabric from Lewis & Sheron Textile Co.

I think we can thank Todd Oldham for this great turnaround at Old Navy. Apparently in March the store will release its Palm Beach themed line. I can't wait.

Safari Romper and Printed Belted Dress both $29.50:



Canvas Wedges and Platform Sandals both $34.50:
CL

Shopping Cures

I've been fighting a nasty sinus infection for the past few days and suffering from a major case of cabin fever. Lauren, being the genius that she is, suggested we go shopping. I have to say that it worked wonders - I started feeling much better after visiting Urban Outfitters and Zara.

Below Lauren is showing off some of her new wares:
Shirt: Urban Outfitters
Scarf: Gap
Purse: Urban Outfitters

I found some great jersey, work-appropriate dresses at Zara and The Gap that I'm sure will show up on this blog sometime soon.

To sum it all up, Lauren and I have proven that shopping cures a sinus infection (if mixed with lots of sleep, drinking water and ginger ale, and some antibiotics).

CL

Sweet Tee

For all you Gone With the Wind and Roy Liechtenstein fans out there, start saving up for the new, soon-to-be-released Esperanza t-shirt line. The image below is just a sneak peak of what's to come (check out more at Esperanza's blog).
I'm a huge fan of Esperanza Clothing Co. and have mentioned them before. They always create great Atlanta-inspired designs and it looks like this season is going to be their best ever.

CL

Online Shoe Shopping

Now is a great time to buy shoes online. Stores are trying to get rid of their winter inventory and for most of us it's still cold enough outside to wear the boots and pumps that are on sale.

I've mentioned these yellow pumps from Payless before, but I couldn't find them when I went to the store. Luckily there's Payless.com where I purchased these yellow, patent pumps and had them in my possession in under five business days. They're a little more mustard-y than the website photo, but I've already thought up some great outfits to go with them.


I found these open-toed black pumps at Naturalizer.com. They were only $20 on sale, which is hard to beat considering that Naturalizers are usually more comfortable than your run-of-the-mill high-heeled shoes. The material is a kind of black satin and I love the scalloped edges.

CL

Ahoy!

As usual, I did some online window shopping this weekend. I found a lot of great items, but this dress from Delias was my absolute favorite. I like the unusual combination of the double-breasted buttons, gauze-y material, pin-stripe design, and halter neck shape. It's officially going on my summer shopping wish list.


CL

Thrift Store Finds

A quick trip to the local Last Chance Thrift store ended up being pretty successful: 3 bags, 2 books (not pictured), and a scarf.

The colors didn't come out exactly right in the photo - the clutch is actually bright pink. I've been looking for a brightly colored clutch for some time and this was only $1.50 so I couldn't pass it up. The scarf was $2 and a great find because it looks exactly like something you could get at Urban Outfitters for $20. It had that thrift-store smell so I was going to let it soak in some Woolite. Unfortunately, the dye started coming out as soon as I put it in water. I rinsed out it quickly and now it's drying in the sun on my balcony. The scarf looks fine, but my hands have a kind of purple-ish tint to them.


I absolutely don't need any more black handbags, but I couldn't resist these. I have an affinity for structured purses that look like old school bags and this one (on the left) was in perfect condition. Also, the brand is Le Bong, which made it impossible to pass up. The diagonal, quilted purse is smaller than I usually use, but the unusual shape and large tassels are unlike anything I've seen before. I'll probably use it on special occasions because it's kind of impractical. You have to use the tassels to unzip each side to open it.

There's nothing like some good finds at the local thrift store to brighten my day.

CL

Subkoff + Bebe, Who Knew?

I feel like I've been living under a rock for the past few months. It wasn't until I was doing a little online window shopping yesterday that I stumbled upon this:


Did anyone else hear about Tara Subcoff designing for Bebe? I'm so confused. Usually something like this would have been in all the fashion magazines months ago and Bebe normally has print ads everywhere. I have not seen one add or mention of this, but maybe I somehow overlooked it? A much bigger deal was made about Subcoff's collaboration with Easy Spirit. Go figure.

The collection is a little expensive for me, but there are some nice pieces - like the cinched-waist trench coat and mini pleated skirt. None of the items really bring to mind Subcoff's Imitation of Christ collections - the pieces seem more French than reconstructed vintage.

Overall, I'm really excited about the collaboration and hope there's more to come, but I'm still confused by the lack of advertising...

CL

Jovovich-Hawk for Target

The Jovovich-Hawk Go International line comes out March 2. So far my experience has been that the Go lines always look better in photos than in person, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up about this collection.

My favorite items are the chiffon wrap on the left and the high-waisted denim skirt. I was kind of disappointed to learn that chevron halter is actually a one-piece bathing suit - March is still a little too early for me to start thinking about swim suits - but there's a cap-sleeve beige and black chevron top that's really lovely.

Have a look for yourself. See the collection here.

Background wallpaper from Graham & Brown.

CL

Inspiration: Face Hunter

My fondness for street style blogs grows with every additional one I find (see the listing to the right under "Street Style"). Here are two recent looks that I've picked out from Face Hunter and have tried to recreate on the cheap.


I love the different shades of pink in this outfit. For some reason the wedge on her pink oxfords brought to mind the colorful wedge-shaped shoes by Alice + Olivia for Payless. So I recreated this outfit in green - it might make you look like a human-sized green bean, but I bet you'd get snapped by street-style blogger.
Dress: Go Jane
Tights: We Love Colors
Shoes: Payless



I love jersey pencil skirts because they're everything that regular pencil skirts aren't: comfortable, easy to walk in and low maintenance. American Apparel doesn't have an orange pencil skirt, but this cranberry-colored one is a nice alternative. And I can't get enough of Urban Outfitter's Truly Lovely Deeply tees.


Shirt: Urban Outfitters
Skirt: American Apparel
Tights: We Love Color

I just stumbled upon the We Love Color website today when I was looking for green tights. They have tights in every color of the rainbow plus some pretty crazy combinations. It's a great resource to stock up on classic, opaque tights - and much cheaper than American Apparel.

CL

Necklaces

I usually try to keep my jewelry collection very sparse. If I have more than 30 pieces, I start loosing track of what I have and half the items go unworn for months. That being said, since the start of the new year, I've acquired two new necklaces.

Lauren and I each purchased the letter necklaces below from Vivid Boutique in Decatur. They're a lot more elegant than the name necklaces that Carrie Bradshaw brought back in style a few years ago and they're handmade by the shop owner. Best of all, one necklace only costs around $40.


Lauren recently made a trip over to Urban Outfitters. They're having a huge sale and she bought these two necklaces (one for me and one for her) for $2 each. They were both originally $24.

I love the asymmetry of this necklace. The dangling black chains are meant to be worn off-center. (I purchased the bird pin at a local boutique a few years ago for $8).


This is the necklace Lauren bought for herself. It's very delicate and a little punk-y at the same time. Urban Outfitters also wraps everything in this graph tissue paper, which is like the icing on the cake of the whole purchase - two great necklaces and some cheeky tissue paper all costing no more than $5.


CL