Isabella Oliver 365

The tagline for Isabella Oliver, "for women who love clothes", could not be more true! Worn by chic celebs like Angelina Jolie and Heidi Klum, the Isabella Oliver 365 collection contains everything a chic woman could want and need in her wardrobe. Silk blouses, body-con pencil skirts, beautiful draping jackets, and slimming dresses are just a few things you'll find in the Autumn/Winter 365 collection. The pieces have been featured in Vogue and Grazia, and are popular due to their flattering cuts and ability to easily transition from day to night. But the 365 collection is not where designers Vanessa and Baukjen started out - the first Isabella Oliver collection was maternity wear, and consisted of chic and flattering tops and dresses for mommies-to-be. But of course the best way to learn about Isabella Oliver is from the designers themselves, so read on to hear the story of Isabella Oliver from Baukjen and Vanessa!

How did you two meet, and what made you decide to co-found Isabella Oliver together?
We met at the pool at Babington House in Somerset. We were both heavily pregnant (Vanessa with Isabella, Baukjen with Oliver) and got talking over Vanessa’s sandals. From the first instance we liked each other and swapped contact details to meet up back in London. In London we met up, and we mentioned that we’d like to have our own business one day but were unsure what in. We discussed the gap in the market for stylish comfortable maternity clothing... and that is where it all started.

Why did you originally decide to focus on maternity fashions?
We wanted designs that worked for the whole 10 months, pieces that were sexy and stylish and could be dressed up or down. We started with a capsule collection of 10 designs, and five years on, 7 of those are still in our top 20.

Explain the concept behind the Isabella Oliver 365 collection, and what made you decide to branch in to womenswear following the maternity collection?
We launched 365 due to having a high customer demand for an Isabella Oliver wardrobe that was not maternity. Women like the dressy pieces, however they want pieces for their lifestyle. So, whether it’s for drinks with friends, a hectic day at work, or running around after their little ones, we believe Isabella Oliver has pieces that will work today, tomorrow and for years to come.

Do you have a favorite piece from the upcoming Autumn/Winter 365 collection?
It’s always difficult having to choose, however one of our favourites has to be The Bustier Dress. It can be worn season to season, year after year, and in a number of ways. We adore the versatility, and love to wear it over a classic turtleneck in the colder months and solo when the weather’s warm or for a party.

Be sure to check out Isabella Oliver 365 and Maternity at the Isabella Oliver website, or follow Isabella Oliver 365 on Twitter and Facebook! And I'll be posting outfit pics of myself in my new Isabella Oliver shirt I won from a recent Facebook contest (yet another reason why you should check out their Facebook and Twitter - great giveaways!).

Winner Announced + Blog Awards!

Congrats go out to Nadia of We Were Damsels who won the eryn brinié giveaway! Enjoy your new necklace, scarf, and clutch!

Also, I am honored that I was chosen by Freeteyme for the Cute's Blogger Award, as well as tagged by Gunbarrel Butterfly! Thanks guys! Of course, now I have to list 10 random facts about myself and pick 10 blogs that I think are cute to pass the award on to, so much pressure! Well, here goes nothing...
1. I am completely and utterly addicted to the beach, even though the only beaches remotely close to where I live are man-made and lake-front. My dream is to one day live in a house on the beach and have bonfires and beach parties every weekend.

2. I went through a phase in my pre-teen years when I was an *nsync fanatic - once I stayed in the same hotel as them and my friend and I spent all night trolling the halls for Justin Timberlake. No luck.

3. This blog was actually started as a Winter Term Project to learn HTML and CSS. I still don't know how to write any codes, but the blog stuck!

4. I have a weakness for ridiculous pageant hair. I still really love the way my hair was done for my senior prom, I wish I knew how to style my own hair like that!

5. I love TV shows on DVD, especially the teen-drama ones from my youth like Dawson's Creek and Gilmore Girls. And I especially love that you can watch every episode of Friends on youtube!

6. I'm not sure I've ever swooned over a pair of Louboutin's - I've just never seen a pair I had to have! However, feel free to send Louboutin's to me and I'll give them a try :) lol!

7. I used to take ballet classes 7 days a week, hours at a time, and I really thought I was going to be a dancer when I grew up. But I burned out in high school, decided to take a year off, and never really got back in to it. I'd really love to start taking classes again, but I'd feel so old!

8. I also was a cheerleader freshman year of college, I was a flier so I got thrown in the air all the time. It was terrifying, I'm not sure why I wanted to do that?

9. One of my favorite college memories is the night Obama won the election and everyone ran to the town square and started celebrating. There was a makeshift marching band and dancing and drinking and it was just incredible. And no one went to their morning classes the next day!

10. I love dogs in costumes. I took this picture at the "Doggie Doo Pooch Parade". I kid you not, this festival actually exists in the town where I went to college. I swear, that town was the real-life Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls.
And now for the 10 blogs I pass this award on to! In no particular order...

• Fashion Trend Guide
  
• Kimberly Couzens
• Couture Carrie
• Extra Dressing on the Side
• Kenti Magazine
• Modediktat
• FASHIONconfectionairy
• Nini's Style
• Fab Blab
• Alixrose

Enjoy ladies! Can't wait to read your 10 random facts!

Currently Craving: Fall?

1. Costume Dept. Signs Shirt Dress
2. Leonard St. Oversize Braided Sweater
3. Alice+Olivia for Payless Madison Biker Boot
4. Urban Outfitters O'Sullivan Blazer
5. Free People Oxford Wedge

Me craving cold temperatures? I never thought this day would come! But evidently I am, based off of my current cravings. Sweaters, blazers, and boots? Ok, I guess I'm finally ready for Fall! And just because, I posted the new video for "Run This Town" featuring Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye. I'm obsessed. Who is gonna run this town tonight?

Day and Night

Dress: H&M

Sandals: Target
Sunglasses: Burberry
Leggings: Danskin
Boots: Forever 21
Necklaces: Vintage and Forever 21

Inspired by this weeks weardrobe contest, when I woke up this morning I sought to put together an outfit that could transition from the daytime, playing with my 7 month old niece, to the nighttime, out with the BF. I picked this oversized shirt from H&M to wear as a dress (I got it in a size 12 so I could do just that!) and some comfy flat sandals for the day - comfort is key when crawling around on the floor with a baby. Threw on a neckfull of chain necklaces, shiny leggings, and my knockoff Wang fringe boots and I had an acceptable nighttime look!

On a completely different note, a week or so ago I got interviewed for the thisnext blog. They asked some great, totally unique questions (I had to write a haiku about myself, that sure brought back memories from middle school!), so if you want to check that out it's posted here.

***The eryn brinié giveaway ends this Sunday! Be sure to enter to win a necklace, clutch, and scarf from eryn brinié before Sunday night!***

AprilMarin

AprilMarin was created in 2007 by college friends April Bukofser and Marin Milio. April and Marin wanted to create a clothing line that was both innovative yet full of classic pieces. As fashionable women themselves, these ladies understood the importance of a perfect fit. They researched other womens custom clothing lines and realized that there were no other contemporary clothing designers offering custom-made garments for all. Thus AprilMarin was born.

AprilMarin offers made-to-order dresses, jackets, and suits, specially made using your unique measurements. The pieces are timeless and classic, but with a bit of an edge, so your wardrobe not only will fit your body perfectly but it will be one of a kind! I was lucky enough to talk with April and Marin about their collection, and I learned a lot about these two lovely ladies and AprilMarin designs!

You custom-make every piece that is ordered - why did you decide to go that route instead of the old small/medium/large route?
Our entire clothing concept is custom. We believe that if something is made just for you, then you will look and feel beautiful. Each customer submits her measurements through AprilMarin.com. We provide a detailed measuring guide on our website to help customers through the measuring process. We encourage all women to measure themselves in their underwear as they know their body best. We also give the customer the opportunity to choose her fabric and lining color, because we think that it is important to show your individuality with each piece by choosing your own colors. We currently offer over 30 color options!

Where do you two look for design inspiration?
We design after classic icons like Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O. These icons always wore clean lines, which gave them a simple elegance which is timeless and memorable. Gabrielle “CoCo” Chanel deserves special recognition. Her dedication to style transformed the fashion world, and her classic, simple, and timeless designs give AprilMarin inspiration. A more recent inspirational designer would be Cynthia Steffe. Her use of feminine details and refined lines have inspired us too.

Do you have a favorite piece from your current collection?
The Dylan Jacket because it is so versatile, fun, and can be worn throughout seasons. It’s our best seller! We get so many compliments about it and think it’s a wonderful piece.

Who would you be most excited and honored to see wearing your designs?
We would love to dress Michelle Obama, Jennifer Aniston, and Blake Lively in our classic silhouettes. Their classiness and understated elegance is what AprilMarin is all about, but we are honored to dress the everyday woman as well since our goal is to make woman feel good about themselves in clothing that fits!

Where do you hope to take AprilMarin in the future?
We are in the process of making this phenomenal skirt that everyone will want in their closet. We are so excited about it because it is so different, but at the same time, classy and elegant. Our fall collection is in the process of being photographed and added to our website. We are also working with a manufacturer to mass produce a few items that do not need to be custom fit. This is such an exciting time for us and we are so thankful that we are able to do what we love and make people happy at the same time!

September Issues: Ashley Olsen in Marie Claire

"I think you're either born with a sense of style or you're not," Ashley says in her small, soft voice, giving her knuckles a loud crack. "Either you care or you don't. And we"—she and Mary-Kate—"love fashion. When we were going to NYU, I think that was the first time we were aware of the power of our personal style. Not the power of it, but the result of it. Between the big sunglasses and the Starbucks cup and the big sweaters, the hobo-chic thing, we were more shocked than anything"—by the endless commentary and tabloid coverage. "I get it; we were fortunate enough to have really nice clothes, and we put them together in this raggedy way. My mom wears glasses this big"—she mimes massive goggles—"from the '70s, and you wonder where we got it from?" She laughs. "The dark eyeliner, the scarf around the head—it's just so interesting and natural." Her family, she says, was "very bohemian."

"Mary-Kate and I are very aware of trends and style, but at the end of the day, we don't even think twice about it. It's just, What do I feel like wearing today, and how do I want to put it together?"

Read more at Marie Claire

Pics from Marie Claire

It's the most wonderful time of the year

To be honest with you all, I'm a little sad that I'm not going back to school this coming September. Having just graduated, I can't excuse any excessive August spending as back-to-school shopping! But I know a lot of you still can, so in honor of my lucky readers who are still in school, I wanted to point you in the right direction for some cute and affordable back-to-school styles... at Marshalls!

I know Marshalls may not be the first place you'd think of when looking for stylish, current fashions, but they have really been stepping their game up lately! I reviewed the new CUBE boutiques that are popping up in Marshalls stores everywhere back in May, but Marshalls didn't stop their revamping at that! In fact, they went a step further and hired the great Art Conn, stylist on American Idol, to re-create popular styles using fall fashions found at Marshalls, inspired by American Idol, Twilight, and (my favorite) Gossip Girl! The American Idol look is rocker-chic, the Twilight look is grungy (think flannel, torn up jeans, all those 90's trends that are back), and the Gossip Girl look is, of course, preppy. So no matter how you want to look on that first day back to school, Marshalls will have something for you! And at ridiculously good prices too! These looks are filtering in to Marshalls stores every day, so be sure to stop by your local store (check here for locations) to scoop up that hot leather jacket above and the adorable Gossip Girl-inspired blazer below!

Links à la Mode

• 39th and Broadway – Designer Interview; Delirius
• A Typical Atypical – The wonderful Every Little Counts! With 15% off for readers!
• Bobbins and Bombshells – Vintage Finds of the Week: Mad Men Secretary Accessories
• Breakfast at Saks – Enter to win accessories from the eryn brinié Fall 2009 collection!
• BRICK MY LANE – DIY: putting scraps of fabric to good use by turning it into a ruffled neckpiece
• ClandestineChic – Interview: Patricia Valery of Evil Needles
• Denimaniac – Wood Wood’s S/S 2010 collection – a bit of street, a dash of fash and a whole lotta style!
• dramatis personae – Quality vs. Vegan/Environmentally Sustainable
• Fabulous Finds Gal – “Gardens in Grey” By Fashion Photographer Julia Pogodina And An Inspiring Interview
• Fashion Pulse Daily – What was Your Favorite Summer 2009 Trend?
• Fasshonaburu – A review on the now purchase-able Under.Ligne, the diffusion line by Doo.Ri.
  
• Fete a Fete – Dancing all night and your 5-inch stilettos killing you? Bring some Rollasole emergency ballet flats with you!
• Independent Fashion Bloggers – NYFW SS10 Schedule + tips on getting in
• Market Publique – Art Class: Vintage Abstract Prints
• midnight feast – The Jean Genie
• Retro Chick – Win – Reese Witherspoons first fragrance for Avon
• Sterling Style – New York’s Rachel Antonoff Holiday 2010 Collection
• Style Gourmand – Ag Kij of Net-a-Porter discusses Net-a-Porter’s new iPhone app and how technology and fashion co-mingle.
• Style Mom – STYLEMOM holds it down for fashion bloggers as one of the only IFB members at Blogher 2009 in Chicago
• Stylish Thought – Cats with Style: Boxing Kitten
• THE COVETED – Mummy Dearest: Iris Van Herpen taking inspiration from the macabre
• Unfunded – Vintage sequins, sparkles and sprinkles

Thank you, Kanye

I know these pictures are already posted everywhere, but I couldn't resist.
Acne Spring/Summer 2010.

Pics from the Kanye West blog

eryn brinié giveaway!

Eryn brinié, located in 13 countries (with its flagship store in Soho NY), is an affordable, fashion-forward label which combines European chic with New York’s youthful spirit and modern sensibility. You might already know that I'm a fan of eryn brinié, and I've become an even bigger fan after seeing the Fall 2009 collection on NBC New York. Including zip-up mini skirts, delicate knits, and t-shirt dresses, the collection is packed full of pieces that are perfect for mixing and matching, layering with others to create an infinite array of looks.

Famous fans of eryn brinié include Anne Hathaway, who has been spotted in an eryn brinié sequin skirt, Leighton Meester, who wore an eryn brinié jacket on Gossip Girl, and Rachel Zoe. But eryn brinié is not just for celebs! You too can own some coveted eryn brinié pieces, just for being a reader of Breakfast at Saks!

Eryn brinié has joined with Breakfast at Saks to give one lucky reader an eryn brinié accessories set (pictured above), including a multi-layered chain necklace, a sequin scarf, and a metallic clutch! I own a very similar necklace from eryn brinié and I have to say, it gets the most wear out of any of my jewelry!

Rules: In order to enter to win these great eryn brinié pieces, you must do the following...
1) Leave a comment with your name, email (if it isn't in your profile), and location (state/country)
2) Tell me what your favorite thing is about the Fall/Winter season

For extra entries:
1) Follow @BreakfastatSaks and @erynbrinie on Twitter and tweet the following: "Enter to win eryn brinie accessories from @breakfastatsaks - http://breakfastatsaks.blogspot.com/2009/08/eryn-brinie-giveaway.html" (+come back and comment with a link to the tweet)
2) Follow Breakfast at Saks on Bloglovin' (+come back and comment that you did)
3) Become a fan of eryn brinié on Facebook (+come back and comment that you did)

This giveaway will run for 2 weeks, and is open to everyone - international readers included! So what are you waiting for? Let me know what you're looking forward to this Fall! I have to say that I'm definitely looking forward to the Fall designs from eryn brinié!

Update:
Private sample sale alert!! If you live in the NYC area, be sure to check out the eryn brinié fall pre-sale on August 20th from 7-9:30pm at 501 Broadway (between Spring and Broome Streets). You must send an RSVP to flagship@erynbrinie.com if you plan to go - only those who RSVP will be allowed entry. Also, there will be a 20% off discount on all merchandise at the pre-sale! See here for more info (and ignore the August 10th RSVP deadline, that has been lifted and you can RSVP any time before the 20th). Let me know if you're going!

Downtown

Jacket: Vintage
Tee: Wildfox Couture
Shorts: DIY
Sandals: Nine West
Sunglasses: Burberry

Trying to take advantage of the beautiful weather while it's here! Yesterday the BF and I went down to the river, walked around and took in the beautiful (albeit small) skyline of our little city. We had some sushi and took pictures, and I even got a few compliments on my shoes! They are surprisingly comfortable, considering the height. If anyone is interested, they're still available at NineWest.com.

Just a heads up, I will be posting a really fun contest this weekend! I don't want to give too much away, but it'll be good. And it will be open to everyone, international readers included! So keep your eyes open for that.

Currently Craving: Free People Fall '09

1. Black Sequin Blazer
2. Cutout Menswear Dress
3. Crystal Palace Ring
4. Lace Stencil Skinny Jeans
5. Ladder Snap Shoulder Shrug
6. Northern Lights Boot

Even though I can't stand the thought of summer ending (it seems like it just started getting warm!), I am looking forward to wearing Fall clothes. I miss boots and blazers and most of all, layers! I love layering, and it's impossible to comfortably do that during the summer. But I'd gladly take the sunshine and warmth over sweaters any day...

However, Free People is trying its best to make me a cold weather lover with their Fall '09 collection. The online shop is currently stocked with sequin blazers, studded ankle boots (and those over-the-knee boots I posted about before), and skinny jeans. And be sure to check out their jewelry section, they have really stepped up their jewelry game this season! Tons of pieces are less than $50 too! Almost enough to make me a cold weather lover... almost.

Mink Pink Summer 2009/10

Don't try to tell me the summer is over...

Pics from the Mink Pink blog