The Kids Are All Right: Young London Fashion

Buckle up for another installment from our international office, Miss Erin Brown! 

London has always been one of my favorite places to glean fashion inspiration.  The first time I visited, when I was studying at art school in Paris and visiting friends across the channel back in 2005, I was completely blown away by the combinations the London girls put together: Saddle shoes and shorts-with-tights-underneath; collar-up trench coats paired with romantic looking skirts and Doc Martin boots; fabulous floodwater pants with dainty skimmers, and always the best of outerwear.  

Even if it was just for a weekend, this trip was no exception, and perhaps even more of a stand-out example of just how creative young Londoners can get with their dressing.  While out for our evening constitutional, my friend and I passed by the London College of Art and, seeing a large crowd milling about, discovered that it was the opening of the BFA thesis show.  We popped in for a minute or two, but I could hardly be bothered to look at the art the OUTFITS were so incredible.  Luckily I had my camera with me, and was able to capture some of the magic for you. I hope you find these ladies as inspirational as I did!

When I think of London, I always think of women making comfortable shoes look stylish. In New York and Paris—my two cities of residence (and choice)—heels are the daily grind, but in London, I see gals everywhere in sweet, practical flats, Old Man shoes, or military boots, and think: I could use a lesson in cute practicality.  Though most of the girls I shot were wearing flats or low heels, these took the cake:

The other stand-out London attribute is an ability to integrate outerwear into a complete look.  I loved this gal's mustard trench and granny shawl topping off a vintage wool dress (also, can we talk about those simple red lips with that great period haircut?):

Or even the simplest blazer over the top of a soft knit dress—the attention to proportions is fabulous:

Londoners have never been shy with mixing colors and patterns, and I was thrilled to see this great use of sassy tweed with a bright pop of turquoise underneath (and the red of her hair echoed in the tweed, too):

But the look that took the cake was easily this gal's retro-remix combination of a simple top paired with a stand-out peplum skirt and the most exquisite attention to detail in the rest of the outfit: the subtler turquoise shoes; and earrings that repeat the shape of the collar detail and the shirt's golden buttons; the hint of red both in the lining of the clutch and on her lips.  Loved it!

(and, if you love peplum, fear not—Shabby Apple has some killer peplum numbers to satiate all your flouncy needs…)

Free and Easy and... a Winner!

We loved hearing all about everyone's favorites from our new line of casual dresses, Lighthouse. We're so glad you like it!

And, I'm happy to announce that Tausha will be taking home a Lighthouse dress of her very own! Here is what she had to say:

"My favorite dress is that grey maxi dress, Elizabeth Islands! GORGEOUS! I love the color (can match with anything!) I also love that I am 12 weeks pregnant and anything maxi can easily be accepted into my wardrobe - I would probably wear this dress everywhere, everyday, all the time. It looks comfortable but so so easy to dress up if I needed to!! YAY!!"

Yay, indeed! I especially love the maxi-as-maternity-wear trend. No need for unsightly belly bands here!


Thanks to everyone for playing! 


And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Still Roamin'

Name: Martta K.
Dress: Primavera
Height: 5'2"
Body Type: Hourglass

I wore my Roamin Holiday Primavera dress on Easter and received lots of compliments. I have an hourglass figure so this high waist and full skirt works perfect for me plus I LOVE the cheery colors: pale orange, pink, green.  The dress pairs nicely with any of those color shoes but for Easter, I chose my beige espadrille wedges, which go with anything. This dress cannot only be worn at dressy affairs but it can also be worn to work.  At work, I pair it up with an orange cardigan.

Thanks for sharing with us, Martta! And how about the rest of you? Would you too like your own bright, fun and flirty dress that works for any occasion? The good news is, this dress can be yours, too!

Or, maybe you have another favorite Shabby Apple dress? Email photos of you in your Shabby Apple outfit for a chance to be featured on our blog and receive a special shopping discount for you and your friends!

Send photos to Kristen at kristen{at}shabbyapple{dot}com.

We can't wait to see how great you look!

Fashion Fast

{Photo courtesy of Slate}

If you're anything like me (and, as always, I hope at least some of you are!) then you walk into a store, try on a bunch of things, buy a few of them and leave without ever thinking about where they came from and how they ended up on a retail rack near you.

Well, in case you are looking for a little Monday enlightenment, this fascinating article about the Spanish chain Zara clears up some of the mystery of how our favorite fashions end up in (some) stores so quickly. I know supply chain economics are totally riveting, but an insight into how some parts of the fashion industry works was really interesting to me, and I hope it was to you, too.

And now, as a reward for all that hard reading, treat yourself to a cookie.

Free and Easy

You know what I like to do on Wednesdays?

Give you a free dress! That's what.

Yep, you read that right. Now that you've had a chance to peruse our new line of casual dresses, Lighthouse, we want to give you one of your very own.

It's all quite simple really. First, take another look and pick a favorite dress. I think I would go with this long grey knit maxi dress, but you can do whatever you want. Obvi.

Then leave us a little note in the comments section of this here post and let us know which dress is your favorite, why it's your favorite, and where you would wear it. Don't forget to leave an e-mail address, too, so we can e-mail you if you are a winner!

And I do hope you win. We'll make the big announcement a week from today, so start commenting!

Pop(sicle) Star

Our weather is approaching the triple digits, which does not make me happy. But which does mean that popsicles and ice cream become an acceptable dinner. So I guess there is a silver lining.

And, as it turns out, making your own popsicles is a snap! Especially if you have these fancy popsicle molds. We got some for a wedding present and we are big fans.

I guess some people also have those new-fangled popsicle making machines, but that sounds like cheating to me. What's wrong with a good old-fashioned freezer? Nothing, I say!

So in honor of simplicity, and the big bag of cherries I have in my fridge, here is a simple and tasty popsicle recipe all for you. It will be the easiest thing you do in the kitchen all summer. I promise.

Cherry Pops (from Perfect Pops)

Ingredients

4 cups of cherries (about 1 and 1/2 pounds)
1/3 cup sugar
1 to 1 and 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions

1. Pit the cherries and place in a large bowl. Toss with sugar and let sit until the cherries release their juices, about 15 minutes. Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Then add the lime juice to taste.

2. Pour the mixture into ice pop molds and insert the sticks. Freeze until firm, at least six hours or up to one week.

3. To unmold the pops, gently run hot water over the outsides of the molds for a few seconds, then gently pull out the sticks.

The end!

Three ingredients and three steps, one of which is to freeze? Sold!

Do you have a favorite-- and simple-- summer treat? Let us know!

The Right Stripes

If everything in my closet had stripes on it, I would be a happy girl. Stripes are my favorite for fun and playful, they're my favorite for casual elegance, and they're my favorite for spunky pattern-mixing. I mean, you can wear stripes with polka dots, floral prints, anything!

In short, I love stripes.

And, as luck would have it (my luck and yours) our new line of casual dresses, Lighthouse, has all the bold and beautiful stripes your heart could possibly desire!

I am especially crushing on these adorable skirts, available in both a cheery red and a subtly smooth navy blue.

The alternating horizontal and diagonal stripes add an extra dimension, so the skirts stand alone with neutrals if you prefer, but I think they're still ripe for a graphic tee or a light floral cardigan on top.

Maybe something like this nautically-inspired T-shirt?

Or this sweet lace and bow trimmed cardigan?

How would you wear these stripes?

Weekend Ahead!

I hope you have something wonderful planned for this weekend. Maybe a summery picnic, an evening barbecue, a water fight or a beach trip?

Maybe something that calls for a dress that looks something like this?

We've got more where that came from, so stay tuned!

But first, enjoy a few days of weekend bliss.

Better Late Than Never

Name: Danielle Sloan
Dress: I'm Late, I'm Late
Height: 5'2"

Body Type: in between 'Celery' and 'Hourglass'.

 

I wore this to my junior prom. I loved the style and laciness of the dress. I liked the uniqueness of the style. The only thing I disliked was the fit of the dress. I measured my body and got the closest in size but the dress ended up bigger than expected. I have broad shoulders, and a size smaller would have been too tight in that area, but it was too big everywhere else. Other than that, I loved it.

Thank you for your feedback Danielle. We think you looked absolutely stunning for your prom! 

I'm Late, I'm Late, a navy blue lace dress with half sleeves is back and ready to ship so snag yours soon!

Want to be featured on our blog and get a special 10% off discount just for you and your friends? Submit a photo and some information to Kristen at kristen{at}shabbyapple{dot}com, and perhaps you will be the next woman featured!

Watermelon Wonderful

Did you know that everyone's favorite tiered and scalloped lace dress confection is now available for pre-order in pretty pink?

Best news you've had all day?

Me, too.

But to make it better, here is a pretty and pink watermelon salad recipe. Perfect for the warm weather I hope all of you will be enjoying this weekend. The original has some ingredients I always omit (because I find tomatoes disgusting and I think most people feel the same way about radishes as well), so this is how I make it. But, if you're a purist, follow the link.

Chopped Veggie Salad with Watermelon from Epicurious (modified by me)

1 1/2 cups diced and seeded watermelon (but really, just use as much as you want)
1 large green bell pepper (though I have also used yellow and orange and it's been equally delicious)
1/2 large cucumber, cubed
3 TB olive oil, divided
10 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 green onions, chopped and divded
1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves, divided
1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt

Toss first five ingredients and 2 TB olive oil in a bowl. (We like to use a fancy bowl or a really colorful bowl, because that just seems like the right thing to do. I've also served this in a trifle dish. True story.) Add half of the cheese, green onions and mint. Mix remaining cheese, onion, mint and oil in food processor or blender. Add yogurt and process just to blend. You don't want it to get too thin. Toss with salad. Blow your mind.

I can already see myself enjoying a fancy watermelon salad in a fancy bowl wearing this fancy dress. What favorite pink food would you pair with it?

Twist and Sparkle

You know when you see something in a store or a catalogue and you think to yourself, "I'd like to have that, but I'd rather pay $2 for it instead of $200"?

Well, today is your lucky day because the folks over at the Washingtonian have a little tutorial on how to make J. Crew's $22 cloth bracelet, for a cool two greenbacks. (So $200 was maybe an exaggeration.)

Just grab some colorful fabric, scissors, a glass of water and some embellishments like buttons and you'll be ready to rock and roll.

Just a few short steps and you'll have this:

Not bad, right? Give it a try and let us know how it goes! 

Give Me A Hand

We've got another great post from our Shabby Apple interns today. They really have your best interests at heart, you know? Read away to see what I mean.

I don’t know about you but when the seasons change like this, my skin dries up and generally freaks the heck out. My hands get particularly bad, doing things skin really shouldn’t do, like snagging clothes and behaving like sandpaper.

My dry skin was like a dark shadow looming over my every day life, plaguing me with social anxiety and driving me to wear gloves constantly to hide my appalling disfigurement. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration. But seriously, my hands were really dry.  

After months of searching, I have found a very elegant solution to this problem (aka my mom told me what to do):

Here’s what you need:

Light gloves or a pair of socks

Vaseline

Fragrance oil or baby oil

Your favorite lotion

A good night’s sleep or two

First, put apply Vaseline to your hands. I usually put about as much as I would for lotion.

Second, apply oil of your choice. I use Chymia body spray. Mandarine is particularly lovely. We have some of their other products on our site and they are divine.

Third, put on lotion. I use generous amounts and rub it in for a while until it’s no longer white. Chymia also has some pretty awesome body butters. I like using their bamboo fragrance with the mandarine body spray. The combo is oh-so-delightful.

Fourth, cover up with your gloves. If you don’t want to get any gloves all lotion-y, take a large pair of socks and wear those on your hands instead.

Fifth, go to sleep.

By morning, you will have seriously incredible results. Your hands will be lovely in 3-5 days max.

Yeah. You’re welcome.

Soldiers In Petticoats

Yesterday was the 93rd anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which, after long last, gave women the right to vote. So, it was a pretty great day, no?

In case you missed it, I recommend a belated celebration with everyone's favorite suffragist, Mrs. Banks.





I've been singing this in the shower a lot lately. I suspect you will be, too.

Sixty Stylish Years

When it comes to royal family style-watching, most of the attention has recently been on one Kate Middleton. And not without good reason. But, as it happens, Queen Elizabeth has been rocking some pretty magnificent style of her own for the past 60 years.

Let's start with her understated but ever-so-elegant wedding gown, made with material purchased using post-war ration coupons no less!

And this sultry one-shouldered look, not to mention the sultry pout to go with it, pushes even today's envelope of glam.

Of course, the Queen has an every-day life as well, but she doesn't resort to dull clothes for the more mundane. Just check out this retro-awesome floral printed suit!

And, looks like J.Lo isn't the only one who can rock a turban! 

Even as she's gotten older, the Queen's style doesn't seem to have slowed down. I mean, she even gives America's favorite fashion icon, Michelle Obama, a run for her glamour money.

What's your favorite royal look? And how would you pull it off in commoner life?