Fall Must-Haves

So I have returned from a trip to unsunny Florida. That explains the weather. Inside the main ballroom, it was bright and colorful. That's how you can describe the Fall 2008 Carlisle Collection. The palette was pumice, pumpkin, blueberry, chocolate and gray! The fabrics were tweeds, leathers, boucles, and double faced wool to name a few. There were plaids, animal prints, houndstooths, and stripes. I will point out some of my favorites then I will give you a must-haves list.

Okay, my absolute favorite piece in the collection is Luxurious. It's a snakeskin print rabbit jacket. It is a cropped length and it has a little swing to it. After that jacket, for casual days, I like Per Steller sweater with Per Mocha. I just love Starry Night, it's a very feminine business suit that is extremely versatile. If you want to take a look at what's in the collection. Here is the link to the website. Enjoy.......I can begin ordering July 11th.

Carlisle - http://carlislecollection.com/collections/collection.php?c=carlisle&s=fall&y=2008

Per Se - http://carlislecollection.com/collections/collection.php?c=perse&s=fall&y=2008

Here's a must haves list:

1. A Show-Stopper Coat

2. Charcoal Gray Pants

3. A Blouse with a Bowtied Neck

4. Something That's Animal Print

5. A Jacket with Lots of Texture

6. A Pair of Long Fitted Leather Gloves

7. An Oversized Handbag (Check out Nutmeg)

Fall Preview

This week, I am excited to be traveling to West Palm Beach for a very special meeting. I am going for my first look at the Fall 2008 collection. As always, the collection is all about ease, all luxury, all about looking fabulous and our designers are obsessed with what is beautiful. There are ten groupings in Carlisle and two in Per Se. I can't wait to touch and feel our fabrics and to get a chance to see the details that make each of the pieces special. When I get back, I look forward to sharing with you all the wonderful pieces that will make wonderful additions to anyone's closet. Stay tuned.

Fabric Care

Now that we are past the long awaited official change of season, you are probably thinking of wearing your lighter weight clothing. While thinking of Spring and Summer clothing is wonderful, you also need to make sure to take good care of your Fall and Winter clothing. Remember, if you purchase Carlisle Collection clothing, we intend for you to be able to wear the clothes for several years. Here are some tips:

• Always clean all clothing before packing away for the season.
• If dry cleaning is recommended, be sure the cleaner is experienced and has a reputation for cleaning fine fabrics.
• Remove clothes promptly form plastic coverings to allow them to breath.
• Hang the garments correctly and use a hanger that fits properly. Do not hang knits, fold and store them flat.
• Store clothing carefully. Plastic coverings should not be used.

To properly care for the pieces that are in your active wardrobe....your Spring and Summer clothes, keep these things in mind:

• Empty all pockets between wearings. Heavy objects strain pocket seams and pull fabric out of shape.
• Press and clean clothes periodically to preserve their life and beauty.
• If you are caught in the rain, dry garments away from direct heat.

Always remember to use a dry cleaner who is reputable and has experience with fine fabrics. Remember, if you give proper care to your timeless Carlisle Collection clothing, you will be wearing them and getting complements for a long time to come!

Coeur Intimate Apparel

I've recently discovered a wonderful little boutique in the Rittenhouse Square area. It's Coeur, which translated means heart in French. The owner, Mona Lisa, sells intimate apparel that is at the heart of what makes a great outfit, your foundation. Putting the wrong bra or panties under a wonderful outfit can make it less than wonderful. Coeur sells European intimate apparel that is designed to be beautiful but also most importantly designed to get the job done. To provide support by fitting your body properly. At Coeur, you will have a bra fitting that may surprise you. It is well established that 85% of women are wearing the wrong bra size. Coeur takes the time to make sure you are properly fitted. They will also take the time to educate you on the wear and care of your bras. Did you know that bras are meant to be replaced every six months!

Coeur

132 South 17th Street

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

215-972-0373

Coeur was Best of Philly 2006 and has been written up in Daily Candy. Click the links if you want to read more.

http://www.phillymag.com/best_of/detail/best_of_philly_2006_lingerie

http://www.dailycandy.com/philadelphia/article/27845/Bra+Miracle

Bright, Bold Color

The other day, I watched an Access Hollywood segment, Stacey London from "What Not to Wear" was on. Her segment was called "Color Must Haves". For summer, Stacey said "you want to stay with bright, bold color". The segment began by showing skirts and dresses that had the combination of yellow, black and white with a floral design. Stacey also talked about the importance of having a yellow dress this summer. If you want to add bright, bold color to your wardrobe, consider the Sunburst dress, the Goldenrod jacket, and/or the Vibrant sweater. A little yellow will put a smile on your face that can brighten anyone's day!

Komen Scarf

In Philadelphia, Mother's Day is a very important day for the Susan G. Komen for a Cure Foundation. It is the day for the Race the Cure through the streets of Philadelphia. If you can not participate this year and would like to make a contribution, the Carlisle Collection has a way for you to contibute to this wonderful foundation. Did you know that Carlisle has designed ten special scarves for the Komen Foundation? Each year, Carlisle introduces a new scarf. Carlisle nor any of its consultants make any money for the sale of the scarves. All the monies go to the Komen Foundation. Here's a picture of this year's scarf.

Shirt Jackets

In my previous post, I said that shirt jackets played an important role in the Summer 2008 Collection. I thought you might want to see our shirt jackets. Which one will you like? Ask me to show you all of them when you come for a visit.

Spring/Summer 2008 Showings

J. West Style LLC is excited to announce that we will have Spring/Summer samples available for showings from Sunday, April 20 through Wednesday, April 30th. Please call 856-780-5857 to schedule your private appointment to see the collection. To get a look at the collection now, click the Carlisle Collection link on the left side of this page.

Preview of the Summer 2008 Carlisle Collection

Yesterday, I attended a preview of the 2008 Summer Carlisle Collection. All I can say is that once again, it is an amazing collection. Once again the fabrics are supurb! The attention to detail is flawless. What was my favorite piece........I really like the shirt jackets. They are really versatile because they can be dressed up or down. I really like VIOLA which is 100% linen with the most amazing pintuck work done on the back. The pintucks serve to define the waist. Viola looks great worn open over HELIOTROPE, a silk cami. This combination can be dressy up when worn with WILDERNESS, a cotton floral print skirt or dressed down when worn with PER SE PIGNOLI, whit cotton capris. Remember, all your clothes should be versatile.

Washing Dark Jeans

Someone was recently talking about how hard it is to keep washable dark clothing from fading. I agreed because I wanted to be able to wash dark jeans without fading them. I also hated the way air dried jeans felt on my skin.

Just this week, I discovered a product for washing my darks and a techique for softing air dried jeans. I read about Caldrea French Lavender Dark Wash. It was suggested that you wash the jeans in the dark wash using the delicate cycle. Then hang them to dry. The technique I referred to works really well. After jeans are completely dry throw them in the dryer with a damp towel. Run the dryer for 5 minutes and remove jeans. The jeans are soft. Try it.

I bought the French Lavender Dark Wash at http://www.caldrea.com/

What to Wear....Women in Positions of Authority

One struggle that just about every working women must deal with is where to draw the line when dressing for work. We ask ourselves questions each morning....."am I showing too much cleavage?.......is this outfit too casual? .......do I have to wear pantyhose with this skirt?" You know, we all ask ourselves these questions whenever we are faced with dressing for an event. There was a great article in the Wall Street Journal about dressing when you are a women in a position of authority. Click the link below if you'd like to read it. Although Carlisle is not mentioned in this article, we have clothing that can meet the everyday needs of women in positions of authority. J. West Style, LLC can offer guidance on how to dress everyday. We'll even show you how you can use pieces you buy for work for different occasions.

Ask us about pieces in the Spring 2008 Collection: Cameo, Malt, Bluechip and Nikita suiting or our sweater sets that perform like jackets; Pistachio, Smooch, and Crimson. Use the link to the left for the Carlisle Collection to preview these pieces. We'll be happy to help you put together outfits you can be confident in!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120112420869611063.html?mod=at_leisure_main_reviews_days_only

Shoes that last

So, have you bought an expensive pair of shoes lately? Have you wondered what you can do to best take care of them? Of course, you love your new shoes and would wear them everyday so perserving them by not wearing them is not an option. Well, here's what shoe experts say you should do. You should think of it as protecting your investment Without proper conditioning and care, leather can dry out until it eventually cracks and falls apart.

There are four steps in the process for properly caring for your smooth leather shoes. By the way, you should not use these steps on suede or exotic skin shoes.

• Clean
• Condition
• Polish
• Preserve or Weatherproof

These are all steps that you can do yourself but you can also seek out help from a good shoe repair shop. Ask them to Clean, Polish and Condition your shoes. If you want to do it yourself, here are the steps:

Before you begin, you'll want to make sure you're prepared for the shoe care process. Work on top of newspaper, wear gloves, and work in a well-ventilated area. These precautions are essential, as many shoe care products contain toxic chemicals that can be very harmful.

1. Remove dirt by cleaning with a leather cleaner made specifically for smooth leathers. You can use saddle soap or a smooth leather shoe cleaner. After cleaning, let the shoes dry for a few minutes and begin shining the shoes with a soft cotton cloth.
2. Rub small amounts of conditioner into the shoe, until the entire shoe has been covered with conditioner. After a couple of minutes, wipe any remaining conditioner off of the shoes, as the leather will only absorb what it can. Look for a conditioner that is a natural conditioner that is absorbed into the material of the shoe, as opposed to a synthetic conditioner that sits on top of the surface. Also look for a conditioner that is made for the specific type of shoes that you are working on.
3. You need to get the appropriate color of polish for you shoes. Apply the polish to a small, less conspicous area of the shoe to test and be sure the color is right. Rub the polish into the shoe with a soft cloth, and allow it to dry thoroughly. After the shoe polish is dry, shine your shoes by buffing them with a soft cloth or brush made specifically for shining shoes.
4. Preserving and weatherproofing can be handled in two ways. I think the best solution is not to wear your favorite shoes when the weather conditions are not good. Get a great pair of rubber boots instead...even Chanel has rubber boots now! If you choose to weatherproof your shoes use caution because weatherproof products can change the appearance of the leather. Spray on products tend to be better because they are invisible on the shoe.

Believe it or not, shoe experts advise that you should condition your shoes before you wear them the first time! How about that. Here's a link to help you find a shoe repair shop in your area.

http://www.ssia.info/consumers/index.asp