Our Go-To Shoe

We've been on a quest to find comfortable and fashionable shoes that are made in the states. While they're hard to find our search led us to Cordani. Each of their shoes are hand-made in very small factories by local artisans using traditional shoe-making techniques. We've brought in the Wellesley peep-toe wedge because this particular style is made in Los Angeles (some of their others are from Italy, Spain and Mexico). Besides the "local" vibe, we love supporting small family-run businesses, preserving old-world traditions and looking cute all at the same time. It's worth every penny.

Thank You Dries

We're off to Market tomorrow so an online peek at the Spring '13 RTW shows was a must. The big find of the evening (after scrolling through hundreds of images for inspiration) was Dries Van Noten's collection!!! It makes our heart go pitter-patter. Here are a few favorites but Google the rest of the show. It's ultra cool and actually makes the pointy-toed shoes that EVERYONE is showing look tempting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out of Print & You

Just got an email from the team at Out of Print tees. So many of you have bought one of their tees because you love a certain book without even knowing that you were supporting a great cause!!! Seems that your love of reading (and of course fashion) has helped Out of Print reach their goal and has given the kids of Africa the gift of a really great read:)

1 year. 70,000 books. All thanks to you!

To our customers, partners and supporters,

We thank you. The shirts you purchased in the last year have sent over 70,000 books to communities in Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana and Cameroon. You are helping to end the book famine in Africa and to spread the gift of reading.

We hope this is just the beginning.

Sincerely,

Todd Lawton Jeff LeBlanc

Forming New Habits

Maria and Beatrice are material martyrs, fabric fiends and cloth conscious. They love them some fibers and they keep each other hooked on the stuff. OK, enough word play (even though it's relevant, we promise:)

With an emerging knit collection aptly named Textile Junkie (!!!), these girls have designed "it" shapes for Fall, using the softest of fabrics. We say drapey, boxie, and oversized. Whatever the name, whatever it's called, it seems fresh and we like it.

When asked why they decided to go out on their own (both had worked for larger designers), they said it was their love of textiles that has always kept them motivated. So while their shapes will likely change with the flow of fashion, their devotion to great fabrics will always remain the cornerstone of Textile Junkie.

With the line being woman-owned AND made state-side (in this case Los Angeles, where the label is based), you'll feel good about supporting their new habit (and yours).

What the Blank-ety, Blank, Blank!?!

When a line of jeans starts at $68, has great rise, comfort and style options, what's not to <3 and XOXO. The story of BlankNYC (the who, where, how, why) has always been allusive, making it kind of hard to share a designer profile with their fans! But trust us, their "people" have a downtown NYC creditability (a street-fashion smarts) so who needs details.

This Fall they've added cargo skinnies, denim dresses, and neutral colors that go beyond blue. Plus they've raised their rise and softened their fabrics. With the line slowly becoming urban comfort wear, sporting head-to-toe denim has never been more tempting.

Weston Wear, You're 30!?!?

We can't believe you've hit the big 3-0. You're certainly wise enough to be 30 (it shows in your great fit). Plus you're the kind of dress maker that works so well for 30+ year old women (thank you for that, it's not easy to find a dress that makes you feel NOT your age and your age at the same time). So we'll believe you when you say it, and we'll toast this impressive milestone every time one of your dresses makes one of our customers feel amazing. Your colors, prints, fit, function and style are always the bomb.

xoxo
The Wildflower Girls

Seychelles and BC Footwear O My

spring and summer '10 styles & their creators
L to R: Katie of BC & Miranda of Seychelles

Meet Miranda and Katie, Katie and Miranda. The girls who dress our feet, give us height, color our closets from the bottom up. They're the design team who puts together collection after collection of Seychelles (that's "say shells") and BC Footwear. Without them many great Wildflower outfits might have gone unworn. So first and foremost "Thank You" girls for all that you do: making sure the fit is relatively comfy, the look is spot on current, and the price is nice. You'd definitely have Dorothy out of those tired old ruby reds in no time flat.

Bonita Owlita

Ashley Doty with her goods

Rumor has it that a Spring '10 selection of the long awaited, highly coveted Owlita feather earrings will arrive this week. When we saw what Ashley had to offer (all the way back in February) we could hardly stand that we had to wait until now. We knew that Winston-Salem needed more feathers, fast!

Ashley's been brewing some awesome spring colors in her Portland, Oregon studio but it all started in her kitchen, which is a funny image if you think about it. When we first met her a few years back she was a visiting artist with Rise Up International and all her creations were made from home. Dying wet feathers doesn't make for the best aromatherapy, so when her housemates couldn't stand the mess (remember this had become a high demand 24/7 operation!) she decided to make the leap to full-time earring maker, with her own studio space as an added benefit.

Just in time for this summer's music festivals, a little Owlita will definitely get you noticed, if not invited backstage. But be careful, we've been told some crazy stories from one customer's near death experience ("Girl, I'm gonna kill you for those earrings."), to another happily thinking "I must look extra bonita today" until she realized it wasn't really her face everyone was looking at, it was the feathers.

CC Part II - Preloved

Spring '10 Preloved; in the store NOW:)

The people behind Preloved are what make it so special and we're not just talking about the designers. Each style has a story, one it can never tell, about its previous owners (a former life) because each piece is made from fabrics that have been reclaimed, remade, and upcycled: trench coats, oxford, polo and western shirts, khaki pants, men's suiting, fair-isle sweaters, even draperies and bedding; the list could go on and on. It may be TMI to put it this way, but these clothes are reincarnated.

Highly tailored and stylized, Preloved is some of the best recycled wear we've found. Their secret is in the design but also the multiple fabric combinations. Since each piece is literally one-of-a-kind, imagine the time commitment of picking what goes with what for each individual garment! These guys have quality control down and it shows.

fabric combos make Preloved much loved

So what about "these guys"; the real tangible people behind Preloved? Founder Julia Grieve is something of a Canadian Cindy Crawford. Besides being a mom of three with tons of high energy, she's an eco-minded former model turned TV host and entrepreneur. Then there's Peter (Creative Director and head designer) who miraculously never runs out of ways to reinvent "scraps of forgotten work pants". Hailing from Toronto, EVERYONE we meet from the Preloved team has the coolest urban vibe that transfers right into their line. O man, if these clothes could talk!

Canadian Conspiracy Part I - Kersh

The Canadians obviously make good hockey (ouch!) and their comedy is pretty great too (Mike Myers where are you?) but did you know their fashion is some of the best around?

Kersh makes some hot knits, for one. Gentle Fawn is another. And who can forget Preloved, Left On Houston, & Pure & Simple; these lines are definitely on our list of personal favorites. So even though we didn't get a chance to watch a lot of the Olympics, it got us thinking we should do a series of posts about Canadian lines.

Over the next few months we'll feature some north-of-the-border snaps (just like the ones below) one designer at a time. Who better to be first then Kersh? They're Vancouver based (just like The Games) and some of their spring pieces are already in the store, helping us ease through the transition from dead cold to mild & sunny.

Take a look for yourselves and tell us the Canadians aren't plotting a fashion conspiracy up their very cute sleeves.

Spring '10 Kersh

Minnetonka Memories

On Saturday Anna was a Wild Flower girl top to bottom in her Kensie Girl cardigan, Rise Up tee, Blank jeans, and 3-fringe whiskey colored Minnetonkas! So what about these moccasins? They've been ever present at Wild Flower for the past five seasons (translate 2.5 years) and we see no signs of them moving to the "donate" bin.

Not forgetting their heritage (Native American myth says we need to thank the medicine man), the moc has been a modern look for every generation since the late 1940s, when Minnetonka opened its doors. The 50s housewife wore them with her peddle pushers. When the hippies adopted them they became a bohemian classic. School girls wore the Thunderbird in the 70s and 80s. We've heard so many moccasin memories; and we're peddling to create more.

So trade in your Uggs, give away your Converse, rethink your cowboy boots, and come over to the other side. It's looking like a little bit of fringe never gets old.

Betty & Melissa

Betty stopped by the Holiday Open House wearing her Vivianne Westwood Melissa shoes from last Fall. So comfy & great, they were almost the perfect black flat that got away. But we thanked the fashion gods when, the very next day, the NEW black Melissa flats arrived! They're perfectly flocked and smell so sweet, just like last year's but with a zebra lining that's a sassy reminder that they're vegan.

If you haven't heard about Melissa shoes you're missing an earful. They're made from recycled plastic that's been infused with breathability and a fragrance that smells like baby dolls (or My Pretty Pony). Besides working with high-end fashion designers, Melissa partners with world-renown architects and product designers to create some funky shoes that look like art objects (stop by, we have a few on display).

This company's stuff is so innovative and intriguing, and in the end surprisingly practical. They're a dose of eco-friendly, all-weather, high-fashion awesomeness for a really great price. Just ask Betty.

Mad Kelly Men Lane

The Dresses of Kelly Lane & Mad Men

We can't gush enough about Kelly Lane. Of course we love her because she's originally from North Carolina but we also love her sense of color, texture, and construction; they're truly unique. Kelly has a strong appreciation for beautiful fabrics, American craftsmanship and the artistry of fashion...and all of this makes for some gorgeous dresses that you don't see every day.

Cut to Mad Men. We could blog about Kelly Lane without referencing this awesome retro-drama centered around an advertising agency in the early 1960s but it wouldn't be as much fun. We love the costumes, the hair, the sets, Don Draper! Watch the first three seasons then tell us you don't want to redo your kitchen in knotty pine. While Kelly's dresses are softer and gentler then what women wore back then (no girdles or pointy bras required), whenever we tune in, her designs somehow come to mind.

So our point is this. If you adore, crave, or simply appreciate the aesthetics of Mad Men and love to wear contemporary design combined with hints of vintage in easy to wear eco-friendly jersey fabrics you need to stop by and try on some Kelly Lane. You won't be disappointed.

Kelly with her Spring '10 collection; No Girdles Required

Quote, Beija-Flor Rocks!, Unquote

When jeans change someone's life it's worth blogging about, don't you think? Just like the Beauty Editor at People StyleWatch, our customers have been raving about our newest denim line, Beija-Flor (pronounced "beige-a- floor"). Across generations, lifestyles, occupations and body types, here's what a few have said:

When she took them on a long trip to London, Heather, from Ego Hour, was amazed that they really "don't stretch out". She wore them a ton and they kept their shape.

Because of the rise and contoured waist, Kim, owner of The Garage, says, "Winston-Salem no longer has to see my 'plumber's butt' when I change a keg or stock bottled waters. Plus they just feel like sweats."

Our very own Anne can't resist giving away all her cute jeans to her daughter but she said, "these I'm keeping for myself. I'll have them for years."

Cissy, who just turned 50 (happy birthday!) and loves her Beija-Flors, said "They form to my curvy body better than any jean I've ever owned. They're as comfortable as leggings."

After Monta bought her second pair she announced, "I'm giving all my other jeans away."

The line is woman-owned by a mother-daughter team and grew from their love of all things Brazilian (where women are known for their curves). Their jeans have memory stretch, are contoured to eliminate gaping in the rear, and have a rise that's higher but still looks modern.

Beija-Flor means hummingbird in Portuguese; at Wild Flower it means "my favorite jeans ever".

What's All the Hullabaloo About

When we first heard the story behind Hullabaloo, one of our favorite accessory lines, it was hard not to imagine the owners all decked out in jumpsuits & goggles, with flashlights in hand, scavenging through old dusty warehouses in search of big cardboard boxes labeled 1969.

Maybe that's because it's kind of what they do. Hullabaloo is woman-owned by the adventurous Sesti sisters. Their mission is to give new life to what's sometimes called "deadstock" (a.k.a never used merchandise from decades past). After 25 years of "digging around in old warehouses, barns and houses looking for amazing vintage duds" these girls have gotten really good at finding the really good stuff.

owner, Bridgette Sesti, in the Hullabaloo booth at the Pool Trade Show

Used in tons of "flashback" films: Boogie Nights, Cry Baby, Catch Me If You Can, Austin Powers, Dreamgirls, Hairspray, Almost Famous...

their goodies include mod style day-glo earrings from the 1960s (think Marsha Brady), apple pick necklaces from the 70s (no afro required), "best friends" heart earrings from the 80s (one for you, one for me), and so so so so so much more.

When we opened our latest shipment we found, amongst all the other cuteness, the tiniest little turtle necklaces still in their original "Made in Taiwan" packaging. It was a reminder that these pieces are authentic and ready to see the light of day.

Priced from $6 to $18, the line obviously offers great gift ideas but it also serves as instant regression therapy, bringing back the kind of memories that make you smile, point and say "want one".

just a sampling from our latest shipment...FUN!

Curatorial Tutorial

Over the years we've found some brilliant designers that we love to talk about; like where they're from, what inspires them – even what they look like.

This season we're excited to blab about Curatorial, a line that's 100% made in Los Angeles (a.k.a the USA) and created by Lizz Wasserman, an ex-Urban Outfitters/Free People designer, who has some very intentional feelings about our environment.

For Curatorial, Lizz handpicks vintage and remnant fabrics to reduce waste while offering one-of-a-kind or limited edition pieces. Her design philosophy is "to only produce pieces that are unique and new – not creating trend-driven waste". Lizz even drives a car powered with recycled veggie oil; again to reduce waste and Curatorial's eco-imprint.

We just got in four of her styles (shipped to us in recycled boxes BTW), and can't wait to share. The "X-Marks the Spot" dress comes in 6 solids like the tangerine color pictured. There's only one dress in each color so it's super special. Another favorite is the "Walk Away" dress, which is done up in vintage prints, like the black floral above (again only one of each to grab). Stop by and check out her "Ra-Ra" skirt too; it's high-waisted and drapes like its name suggests. The vintage fabrics she's used for the skirts are a must-see.

Curatorial prices are great at $78 for a dress, $68 for a skirt. The only other thing to blog on about is Lizz's flagship line, Popomomo. For now we'll just mention it, but soon you'll be seeing it in the store. Can't wait.