Shopping

April 22, 2011

New Balance Offers Its First Custom Athletic Shoe, the US574

New Balance just launched its first ever custom offering, the US574, the classic running shoe that has been around for decades. The shoes will made at the company’s Norridgewock, Maine manufacturing facility, and arrive within one-two weeks of purchasing at its website, www.shopnewbalance.com. The brand is the only athletic shoe company currently manufacturing its products in the US, which is another reason to check out the new option. Compliments of the brand, I made a pair for my Dad, (seen below) in grey, black, and green, with his initials on the heels. I also have a pair that I recently bought of the 574s in all grey – LOVE them!

Retailing for $114.95, these kicks are a great personal, stylish way to rock a new pair of NBs.

-Julia DiNardo

-Julia DiNardo

April 22, 2011

Top 10 Gifts For Mom (LollieShopping Guest Post)

by Julia DiNardo

She’ll Love These Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gifts

Celebrating your Mom is easy with this guide to Mother’s Day gift ideas. Whether your mom’s style is classic, vintage, or modern, the gift of jewelry will be a memorable one. The following list has 10 ideas for thoughtful gifts she’ll know came from the heart.

For a Mom with an eye for style, consider a pair of designer diamond stud earrings. Created in unique shapes, a pair of designer studs will add sophisticated style to any attire and are the perfect accessory for any lifestyle.
For a Mom who likes easy elegance, a matching diamond and gemstone three stone pendant is a nice choice! It’s an accessory she’ll wear close to her heart. A pendant necklace is something she’ll adore wearing with many outfits because it’s easy to wear and coordinates with almost anything.
Up to date, trendy Moms will love a pair of inside out diamond hoop earrings. Diamonds not only line the front of the hoop, but this modern style also has diamonds on the front inside of the hoop. Not your everyday earrings, she will appreciate a pair of these to wear with her favorite dresses.
A piece of vintage inspired jewelry does not need to look ‘old’, in fact many modern vintage jewelry designs are constructed better than they were in the past. A modern vintage item such as a vintage style tennis bracelet will last for many years down the road. Ornate details like milgrain edging or filigree details further enhance the metal setting.
Classic Moms whose style could rival Audrey Hepburn’s or Elizabeth Taylor’s, would appreciate a classic four prong diamond tennis bracelet. Simple, yet extremely elegant these bracelets feature a row of diamonds that appear flawlessly on the wrist. She’ll have fun mixing these classic pieces in with her tailored suits and button downs.

Head over to LollieShopping for the rest of the fabulous suggestions!

April 21, 2011

Banana Republic’s Latest BR Monogram Collection Brings Sophistication To The Spring Dress (thefind.com Guest Post)

by Julia DiNardo

From our friends at thefind.com:

I love Banana Republic, mostly when I’m looking for some stylish yet professional outfits that can take me from work to happy hour (and still manage to be dressed to impressed for both!), but I would often find myself wishing that the brand would step it up just a bit more from its redundant dress shirts, tailored pants and blazers, and silky blouses. That’s where BR Monogram comes in! Now, the BR Monogram collection isn’t new (it launched about 2 years ago), but Banana Republic’s slightly-more-upscale special collection boutique is going strong with new spring pieces that add a little something extra to the typical stylish workplace fare. For spring, Monogram boasts a bevy of long flowing maxidresses, shorter cocktail dresses (perfect for a spring or summer wedding), and plenty of pretty florals and silky fabrics. It’s less office and more special occasion, plus the pieces are made with more quality fabrics and tailoring than classic Banana Republic, making them worth the higher price point if you like what you see!

From left to right: BR Monogram Jardin Print Goddess Dress, Silk Starburst Dress, and Strapless Crinkle Dress.

– Alex Gambardella

April 21, 2011

De Beers Jewelry Website Re-Launch Event

by fashionpulse

The "Iris" - Exclusively Found at De Beers to Ensure Diamond Quality

[All images via De Beers]

Luxury jewelry brand De Beers Jewelry has taken the online initiative and is declaring its online presence with the re-launch of the newly developed website, that even includes such features as online shopping and procedures for arranging a viewing of any piece that has caught the glimmer in one’s eye. The new website further allows the De Beers company to establish and strengthen the buyer-seller relationship in an all-encompassing manner, as would only be expected from a luxury brand. With beautiful and engaging images elegantly appearing on the screen, the online shopping experience is easily friendly, with options to filter out any extra items that may distract you from finding that perfect, specific engagement ring you’ve been dreaming about every night since coming of age.

Another plus for brides-to-be is the “Inspiration” tab under the “Bridal” category, alongside “Advise“, which will also in one month’s time house a space for a piece of you and your wedding story with a cache of engagement stories, as told by customer brides. De Beers’ diamonds are reputably known to be of the highest quality, thanks to a mechanical diamond reader known as The Iris, which has the ability to test the 4C’s of diamonds – Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat weight – to ensure that only the best of the best are used in their pieces. The website may look simply elegant, but is chock full of information for the De Beers customer, with a range of design sketches, shopping and viewing options, company information and more.

–Rose Lou

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