J Crew and Shelly O

I have always been a fan of J Crew since Emily Cinader took over her father's company in 1986. I find J Crew classic with a twist and affordable. It appears that Michelle Obama is a J Crew fan as well. We saw Michelle wearing J Crew throughout the campaign and she has carried the trend to the White House.

Great news for J Crew although I doubt the company could ever forecast for the amount of sales the company is generating, thanks to Shelly O. I have tried to order a couple of cardigans to no avail - - in fact, I don't know when they will ever be available. I know that J Crew is not a publicly owned company but we may see that change with growing sales and interest since the First Lady took them public.

I have included my favorite ensemble from Mrs. Obama's trip to London.
Enjoy!

Fashion Editors Ditching Couture Shows Due to Recession

If you follow fashion, you live for the "Couture Shows" in Paris, Milan, Tokyo and New York. I enjoy looking at the footage on Getty Images, various blogs, vlogs and magazines that feature highlights of the shows. In truth, I would love to have a front row seat to any show at Bryant Park. This week several tony retailers in the U.S. gave statements to the press regarding their decision to not attend the Paris shows the end of January. In particular, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf's and now maybe Saks. Click on the link for more info http://www.wwd.com/media-news/fashion-memopad/the-pursuit-of-happiness-the-couture-pack-or-not-role-model-1905688?src=nl/mornReport/20081230#/article/media-news/fashion-memopad/the-pursuit-of-happiness-the-couture-pack-or-not-role-model-1905688?page=2

Luxe For Less

Do you recall Elisabeth Hasselbeck's show, The Look for Less? It was Elisabeth's first foray into television after Survivor. I paid special attention to what Elisabeth was doing after Survivor because of her connection to my hometown. Elisabeth's in laws are from Cincinnati, her father in law went to my husband's alma mater, LaSalle High School. Anyway, regardless if you are a fan of Elisabeth politics or not, Elisabeth is a shoe designer and has knack for fashion. After she left The Look for Less only, the show pretty much died. I have found a blog called "Luxe for Less", that searches out knock off designs with quality in mind, sort of the Look for Less for bloggers. http://blog.stylefeeder.com/tag/luxe-for-less/

Fashionista The Blog

Hi-Low, a term used in the fashion industry referring to pairing hi-end with much lower priced garments. Think Kate Moss mixed with Forever 21. There is a great blog that pays homage to the Hi-Low, the way I dress...well actually it is probably more low. The blog creator Faran Krentcil is devoted to, clearly, all things fashion. Krentcil, no stranger to the industry, worked at The Daily, a fashion publication, and wrote for the anonymous blog Imaginary Socialite.

Even though Fashionista is at the center of the fashion world, Krentcil writes the blog with a tone of voice aimed at everyone from fashion editors who see shows in Bryant Park to “the girl from Omaha who read one article in a Nylon that she stole from one of her cousins in Chicago.” http://www.fashionista.com/