Carlisle Collection Fashion Show

Thank you to all who attended the Laurel Creek Country Club's Ladies' Night Out. It was a fabulous evening. What was your favorite piece? Was it the Butterscotch jacket worn with jeans, the Bianca suit worn by our model Staci, or Celestial dress? Hope you loved every minute!

Invitation Looks - The Carlisle Collection

This Fall's invitation pictures a group of four models wearing some amazing looks that represent all that is best about Carlisle and Per Se.

Here's a more detailed look into what's pictured:

Model 1, Sharp jacket is a crinkled leather cropped jacket worn with the Houndstooth pant. The Sharp jacket features topstitching details. It is extremely versatile, it works well with jean and can also work as a jacket worn with a skirt. Houndstooth is just one part of a suit. The Houndstooth jacket (not pictured) is trimmed with jersey for a very flattering feminine but all business look.

Model 2, Fancy crocodile patterned jacquard coat with Stiletto wool/viscose stretch pant. The Fancy coat and it's matching dress have to be seen to believe. The fabric's crocodile pattern begins small at the waist and gets bigger towards the hem. I've never seen anything like it!

Model 3, Spectator jacket is a nylon printed Price of Wales plaid cropped jacket and Spectator skirt is a wool pleated A-line skirt. These pieces are fabulous because the pattern works so well on both the nylon jacket and the wool skirt. Both will work with black, off white and "Carmen red".

Model 4, Status cropped wool herringbone jacket with Salsa sweater and Phantom wool pegged skirt. Status can work with jeans for a more casual look. The Phantom skirt is a go to skirt with a slender line and fabulous topstitching details.

Carlisle represents versatility. Any of these models could easily switch jackets and be ready to go almost anywhere.

Carlisle Websites Ready For Fall

Though the weather of late has often felt like Fall was already here, we are only into our second day of the summer. Carlisle and Per Se are thinking ahead like Mother Nature and have the Fall 2009 collections available for you to see. There is even a fashion show that you can watch on your computer screen. Enjoy and remember that everything is so much better in person!

http://www.carlislecollection.com/
http://www.persecollection.com/

Fall 2009 Preview

This past Wednesday was quite a day, I traveled to Chicago for the Fall 2009 Preview. The preview gives Carlisle consultants a first look at the Carlisle and Per Se collections. All I can say is amazing. This is probably our most versatile Fall collection ever. There are great dresses in lots of different shapes, colors and fabric. There are skirts with zippers, with pleats, with suede pailettes, and there's also a calves hair skirt. Hard to imagine but it's amazing too. This collection has looks for all the events you'll attend this Fall plus pieces to just live your life in.

Mark your calendars now. I will have the Fall collection from July 30th through August 10th. I'm scheduling appointments now!

Angelina Jolie in Cannes 2009

Angelina Jolie was out with her man for the Inglourious Basterds premiere in Cannes. Love this dress. The draping is amazing after all she is the mother of 3! Draping across the stomach is very flattering. The slit up to there allows her to show her great legs. The dress is Versace Atelier. I would love to see this dress in a dark blue or possibly dark purple. Could you pull off a slit like that? Oh, Brad's suit is Tom Ford.

Fall 2009 - A Look Ahead At Color

I am two and a half weeks away from flying to Chicago to attend the Fall 2009 Preview meeting for the Carlisle and Per Se Collection. I am excited to see a new collection that I am sure will be better than ever. I have been reading up on what we can expect to see this Fall. I thought I would share some of what I have learned. I'll start with the colors we can expect to see.


Leatrice Eiseman who is the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute has been quoted saying, “The fall 2009 palette is more unique and thoughtful than the typical autumnal hues of years past. Designers recognize the desire for fundamental basics that speak to current economic conditions, but also understand the need to incorporate vibrant color to grab the consumers’ eyes and entice them to buy.”

Pantone creates a fashion color report which includes a top ten list of colors for the season. It starts with a strong, natural, “bricky” red called American Beauty that goes with all skin tones. Purple Heart is more adventurous, but a faithful complement to American Beauty. Adding spark to the fall palette is a soft pink/fuchsia called Rapture Rose, designed to enliven the more traditional fall hues. Iron is the strong gray tone that adds complexity and depth, the “new black". The warmth of Honey Yellow is both subdued but colorful. Crème Brulee (Creme Brulee) is a cool, creamy beige tinged with gray. Earthy tones include a Burnt Siena orange and the rich yellowish green called, Warm Olive. Nomad is the ultimate neutral bridge between stronger colors, while anchoring the cool end of the spectrum is a deep Majolica Blue.

Helena Krodel, a spokeswoman for the Jewelry Information Center, says "what these trends mean for jewelry is a proliferation of large gemstones in earth tones or rich deep colors. The stones will be combined with chain-links or charms in precious metals, making for oversized statement necklaces."

The Pantone report is fun to look at because it includes designers' sketchs that were the inspirations for the colors of the season. Here's a link if you want to look at the report yourself.
http://cli.gs/AMWDyT

Fashion Websites

I have always been someone who likes to be in the know. Sometimes, my need for information is to the point of distraction. The internet is a dream come true for me because it lays everything before us. It can cause information overload. It has also been blamed for the demise of print media. I read a great article written by the founder of the Carlisle Collection that referenced some wonderful fashion websites that I already read on a regular basis. I thought I would share this great article. The article is written to address how fashion magazines are surviving unlike other print media even with the increasing presence of internet fashion websites.

"Fashion magazines survive because they have developed a symbiotic relationship with fashion web sites. At their best they complement each other’s strengths. Women still enjoy the ritual of paging through fashion magazines, finding both the features and the advertising informative and instructive. When they want even more content, or don’t want to be constrained by what's between the front and back covers of a magazine, they turn to the Internet. There they can view entire collections, gather information from a wide variety of sources, see work from emerging designers that the big magazines have yet to cover, see fashion in motion, and download what they like for themselves, and forward what they like to friends. Despite the presence of hundreds of fashion web sites on the Internet, like magazine habits, women eventually end up returning to a handful of trusted sites. Here are a handful that are worth visiting, and worth returning to:

www.Style.com: Like VOGUE, this is the industry standard. It is well organized, has tabs for designers as well as models and celebrities, and offers videos as well. It offers a comprehensive look at many facets of fashion today.

www.harpersbazaar.com: A visual disconnect from the more subdued and upscale tone of the magazine, this site for Bazaar is busy with content. It feels more consumer focused rather than designer-focused as well. The home page also features a Bazaar blog, which offers up to the minute reports from staff writers reporting from shows and other venues.

www.Handbag.com: While it skews young, this site features fashion as well as accessories, hair and make-up content, and the requisite volume of celebrity and lifestyle stories.

www.Wmagazine.com: On this site go to the Online Exclusives and Specials. Here the editors give their personal picks, inside information, offer blogs, and an archive of past pieces that are worth perusing.

www.Fashionserved.com: A showcase for unsung designers, this site is both inventive and involving, offering – for example – a feature on, The Fashion of Clowning, and other artistic, non fashion presentations."

Here are some others that I like to check out too:
http://www.shopstyle.com/
http://www.wantandafford.com/
http://www.jewelry-weblog.com/

You'll notice that I've added a twitter widget where you can find my twitter updates. There are lots of fashionable people on http://www.twitter.com/ too.

S. King Collection Spring Showing

Come and see all the baublicious jewelry that's in the S. King Collection's Spring line. I will have all these amazing pieces available beginning with a fabulous Couture Cocktail Party on Wednesday, June 3rd. Some of the featured jewelry designers are Alexis Bittar, Kenneth Jay Lane, Bounkit, and Siman Tu. Please email me if you want the details! There's nothing better than sipping a drink in a room full of jewels. Well, maybe a glass of wine in a showroom full of beautiful clothes....but that's happening in July! There's one other benefit to shopping this Spring, a portion of the proceeds will go to the New Jersey Foundation of Leadership, Education, and Arts Development (NJF LEAD), Inc. Now that's a great way to do good by looking good!

The Most Expensive Clothes You Own Are.......

the ones you never wear.

Today, I found inspiration for this article from watching a roundtable with Issac Mizrahi about value. Issac’s discussion with three other style experts made me think about my closet and probably yours. Here's the link for Issac's roundtable: http://cli.gs/n76r0r

Do you know that women generally wear about 20% of the clothes in our closets? That item you bought from the clearance rack that is still hanging in your closet with the tag on it is the most expensive thing in your closet. You bought it because you thought it was a great price, but now you don’t wear it because you really don’t like the way it looks on you. The second most expensive item is the outfit you bought at the last minute for a particular event. You can’t wear it again as an outfit because everyone saw you in it and you can’t break it up because the top and bottom don’t go with anything else in your closet. So it sits, taking up space. Consider how planning ahead and shopping by appointment can help you save time and money. No last minute purchases from everyone else’s rejects. No settling for OK when fabulous will satisfy you with years of wearing.

- Are your favorite black pants a little thin in the seat?
- Has your best blouse seen better days so you can’t take off your jacket when you wear it?
- Would a top or sweater in a vivid color be the one thing to update your suits this season?
- Do you need a new accent piece to add a little shine or animal attraction to your Spring?
- Would you love to start wearing skirts or dresses but aren’t sure what looks good on you?
- Do you have casual clothes that reflect your need for style. - Do you always feel like you don’t look pulled together when you’re casual?

I invite you to consider the value of shopping by appointment.

My boutique show is Wednesday, February 11th through Wednesday, February 18th. I invite you to experience a no obligation wardrobe consultation where we will talk about your life, your style, your fit needs and your upcoming events. It's like shopping with your most fashion savvy girlfriend but you don't have to listen to all her "stuff" while doing it or spend the whole day shopping. If you find an item you love from the Carlisle or Per Se Collections, I will order it, arrange for delivery and a fitting, and help with alterations if necessary. I'll also keep track of what you've bought so that we can build on what's in your closet each season. I make appointments for days, evenings, and the weekend. Contact me to arrange for your most convenient time. You can preview the Collections at http://www.carlislecollection.com/ or http://www.persecollection.com/.

And if those black pants you bought last year are getting a little thin consider replacing them with a pair of Carlisle Collection pants that will last for years (value). And even better is that those pants are reduced in price by 20% for Carlisle's "Back in Black" promotion!

Amazing - Which One Do You Like Best?

Today, I made a discovery while looking for shoes online. A dress that is amazingly similar to the Carlisle Collection's Foliage dress. Foliage is a double-layered dress. It is a poppy colored embroidered laser cut poly charmeuse (fancy terms that describe the lace overlay) over khaki linen. It has a wonderful shape that is great on all body types because there is room in the hips for a curvy body. My discovery was another designer's dress that has a similar look but was priced at $4995. Which dress do you like best? I love the Carlisle dress. By the way, our dress is a little more budget friendly!

Sassybax Body Shapers

Wow, just when you think that no one is reading what you're writing, you get confirmation that there are others out there reading. I got a wonderful comment on my previous post from Amanda Horan Kennedy, the creator of the Sassybax line of shapewear. It's kind of funny because when I was writing my post earlier and mentioned "several other body shaper companies", I was specifically thinking of Sassybax. Amanda has a great product which I have also recommended to clients. Recently, I recommended it to a client who now loves the Sassybax underwire torso trim bra so much that she wears one every day. I recommend the Sassybax bras to any woman who needs slimming in her upper torso. The bras are available in sizes 2 to 18 and up to a DD cup. Great for Carlisle Collection and Per Se clothing.

I am thankful for Amanda's comment because I was not aware that Sassybax also had lower body shapewear. If it slims through the hips as well as it works on the back and sides then I'm all over it or should I say it's all over me! Thanks Amanda.

Here's a link to the Sassybax collection: http://www.sassybax.com/index.php

Got Spanx?

Whenever I am working with a client who is trying on something a little form fitting, I ask if she knows about Spanx. I am always surprised when I discover a woman who hasn't discovered them yet. Spanx and several other body shaper companies are woman's salvation as far as I am concerned. They smooth out all that you might need to smooth while depending on which product you choose, holding it in! I have a link for Spanx in the Wardrobe Resource section.

Recently, I was speaking to a client who had an event in less than two hours. She wanted a little foundaion to help under her Carlisle Collection outfit. Where can I find Spanx in 30 minutes she asked. If you live close to a department store or specialty lingerie shop that's a no brainer. If you are not that fortunate, I have an alternative solution. Everyone has a Target close to them. Target carries ASSETS by Sara Blakely! Sara Blakely, by the way, is the creator of Spanx. My client reported that she was in and out with her shapewear in less than 10 minutes. She also reported that the ASSETS were very comfortable while shaping her "assets".

Spring 2009 Show Dates

In reviewing my blog post, I realize that there is something missing. My showing dates for Spring. If you are in the South Jersey area and are interested in seeing the Carlisle Collection or the Per Se Collection, please email me to set up an appointment.

Spring 2009 Showings
Wednesday, February 11 through February 18th.

Shine On!

A hot trend for Spring 2009. It’s all about light seeking patinas. Subtle sparks of gold, silver and cooper found in fabrics and accessories. Per Se has a metallic glazed leather jacket called Cheerio…..it’s to die for. This trend includes metallics, garments with glazed fabrics, and garments with beading and paillettes. Paillettes are just a French term meaning sequins. You will see them on tops and bottoms in all differents sizes. Check out our Carousel dress, a sheath dress with oversized white paillettes or the Explorer jacket which has every embroidered inch covered with small white paillettes. High gloss glimmer is everywhere. Glazing which gives a polish and luster to fabric or leather can be found on jackets like Hudson and Cheerio.

Most importantly, it’s okay to wear clothing with shine during the day. It's not just reserved for evening functions any more. For the day just make it a little more casual by choosing more casual coordinating pieces to wear with your shine on piece. Absolutely don't wear shine from head to toe.žEven Louis Vuitton is showing metallic coats for Spring. I like our Gypsum jacket better though, are you surprised?

New Year, New You Evening

I was fortunate to share the hosting duties for an event for ladies, last night. Everyone had a fabulous time. I got to see so many of my favorite people. I shared the stage with Dr. Karen Harkaway who is the Director of the Center for Skin Refinement in Delran, NJ. We both did presentaions on how to create a new you this new year. Of course, I spoke about Carlisle and Per Se but I also went over seven trends for Spring 2009. I will review those here in upcoming posts. Dr. Harkaway spoke about some of the wonderful services she offers like SmartLipo and Juvederm injects. A few lucky ladies were able to participate in a demonstration. If you want to learn more here's the link: http://www.drharkaway.com/Center.html

I also had an informal fashion show featuring a preview of the Spring 2009 collections. The ladies there loved the Elite dress which fit our model perfectly, they were wowed by the Bright jacket worn with the Marmalade top and Pegasus pants, I also heard a lot of comments when Staci, our model, came out in the Gypsum jacket carrying the Fireburst red patent leather bag. It was a great night for everyone. Thanks to all who came by!

Bags and Belts

If you think about your very favorite outfit, does it have a favorite accessory that goes with it? Mine does...the "Bianca" belt, a white belt from Summer 2008. I love it with a black cotton skirt suit that has white pickstitching. Accessories add the finishing touch to outfits. Some may say that they are not necessary but accessories make a huge difference. A contrasting belt on a black dress can completely change the dress' look. The accessories in the Spring 2009 collections will not fail to impress. Let's talk bags......there are seven of them, all amazing. There's a beaded wristlet....do you remember the silver "Goddess" bag from the Fall? This bag is an ivory version. Talk about an eye catcher. There's a fire engine red croc embossed patent leather bag and the perfect sized black satin clutch called "Socialite". You won't believe the price. Did I tell you that it's solid black? There are 4 more bags that you can look for when you come in for your appointment.

Belts come in a rainbow of colors: Tropic Pink, Admiral Navy, Poppy, British Khaki, Silver, Blonde and Black to name a few. The collection has all kinds of black belts: thin belts, wide belts, belts with gold buckles, belts with nickel buckles. We even have a black and white belt called "bullseye" . Did I mention we have a lot of black belts?

Make sure when you are looking at the accessories that you also consider the jewelry. I think this Spring, we have an especially wonderful selection!

Back To Black

When it comes to fashion nothing is more fundamental than the color black. It is the anchor color of every wardrobe, the one color that is not only comfortable in any situation, but entirely appropriate, even elegant in every situation. While other colors, tones, shades, and hues may come and go black is enduring.

Carlisle believes the best place to be is in the BLACK. As a result, Carlisle has announced a 20% discount off all black pieces in the Carlisle and Per Se Spring 2009 line. Simply said, anything that is solid black in the collections are 20% off. Belts, Bags, Knits, Skirts, Pants, Jackets, Bodywear, Tops, Dresses, and Blouses. So now is definitely the time to be back to black!

New Per Se Website

Many of you have already discovered the wonderful clothing that makes up the Per Se collection, you know that the Per Se line truly represents the quality and design details that are Carlisle. This Spring, Carlisle introduces Per Se as a collection all its own — bold, modern clothing that is sophisticated — but with a playful twist. For those who have not yet discovered Per Se, I have a great new website for you to check out. http://www.persecollection.com/ showcases the clothing that makes up the Spring collection. It's a Per Se collection that has grown. There are close to twenty more pieces in this Per Se collection. What's on the top of my Per Se wishlist? Per Dapple, a black and white silk doupioni coat. I love the poppy trim on the sleeves, neck and side slits. It will be wonderful with leggings or skinny leg black pants like Per Vespa. I also love the Per Linea sweater set because it is so versatile! Use the link about to see the new website, I am sure you will find pieces you love too.