Summer Lovin' by Grace

Grace is a friend of mine from years back- we lived on the same floor our Freshman year at UD. She now lives in NYC with a completely covetable job working for Diane von Furstenberg. It goes without saying that she has crazy-good style...to go along with her amaze personality and oh, as you can see...she's gorgeeeooous. Thank you love for your wonderful guest post! xx

    Summertime is hands down my favorite time of the year and vitamin D is my #1 upper. There’s something so enhancing that Mr. Golden Sun does just by shining that improves a person’s overall appearance as well as mood. Beachy hair waves and a sun kissed tan for just the perfect makeover! Not to mention the ultimate look booster, a fresh happy face. Thank you, Sun.
      With Summer upon us, I find myself daydreaming about boating trips, beach and poolside fun in the sun. And when I say daydreaming, I mean planning outfits for each summer outing.

 Here’s what I’m doing and what I’m wearing:

I’m on a boat – I’m wearing J.Crew navy/white striped swim suit with grey lightweight pullover (similar to Madewell look below) or crochet sweater, white chinos shorts, and of course, Sperry’s.  Naturally, I’m sticking to the nautical theme and loving it... I feel so preppy.

  

Beach bummin – I’m wearing white linen James Perse button down with Levi’s cutoff jorts, Sam Edelman gladiators, and fedora. Easy and breezy from beachwalk to sand - ideal for my Long Island Railroad train ride to the beach. It’s summertime and the livin's easy!

  Pool party – I’m wearing Victoria’s Secret neon yellow bikini with super chic DVF Iniko Cover up and gold Jack Rogers sandals. Some choose to wear heels or wedges poolside but I opt out. 

No matter what ensemble I’m sporting, I will most definitely have these key essentials on hand all in my Hervé Chapelier bag:
                ·          American apparel tri-blend romper – I live in this
                  ·          Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer with SPF20 – great coverage, moisture, and SPF
                  ·         Chapstick with SPF – do not leave home without it!
                  ·         Frederic Fekkai Summer Hair Beach Waves
                  ·         Rayban Wayfarers (duh)
                  ·         Havaianas
   

Summer, I love you.

WILD over WILDFOX

   I n  L O V E  with the fun, playful, care-free vibe of WILDFOX  COUTURE clothing line. This dress (named the "poolside dress") is one of my favorite pieces that I have worn lately.

   The Navajo print combined with the flirtatious cut of the dress made for the perfect outfit to wear on a Summer night out. With the price point beginning around $60 and not reaching past $150, Wildfox tops, dresses, skirts, and hoodies make for a no-brainer purchase...if this is up your style alley, that is. As for me, this is completely on track with my style, so it is inevitably a coveted line of mine. Shop the collection HERE. 
Hoping this Tuesday finds everyone all smiles after a long holiday weekend!

Xo Andrea

Wildfox dress, Cut 'n Paste bag, Peace Treaty bracelet (from Vogue Vert)

.... and a small glimpse at some of their amaze pieces (available to purchase on their site)

Memorial Day + Madlove

    Summer, I love you. It's hard to believe that Memorial Day weekend is upon us, which in my perspective, means that SUMMER IS HERE.  This weekend marks the commencement of pool days, vacations, weddings galore, and anything and everything outdoors. Summer is such a fun, relaxing, carefree season and is defintely my favorite wardrobe season...summer dresses just have an immediate way of making you look & feel completely blissful. With our city completely rocking it right now, I am extra excited to soak in everything that is Cincinnati this summer.

    Something I have always loved but have recently grown to appreciate and develop a deeper passion for is music. I love exploring new artsists as well as various types of genres ...and am particularly drawn to live music. When I think back to highschool & college summers, RIVERBEND belts right out at me. These memories bring me to a place of relentless nostalgia... with the exception of one experience that did not end so well (ahem, just say NO to underage drinking).... Some people just aren't cut out for the Allman Brothers I suppose...

    As I have greatly digressed, one of my favorite things to do in the Summer is to listen to great live music, wherever it may be, as long as it's good. This Memorial Day weekend presents an awesome opportunity to start the Summer off right with amazing live music at Sawyer Point, via the MADLOVE Music Festival. This Music Fest is the complete package: 3 National music acts, local musicians, art culture, local beer, and so much more. MADLOVE is a great echo of and compliment to Cincinnati's recent reawakening. As a friend helped orgranize this amazing event, I pulled the following quote from the festival's press release...and am slighlty obsessed with the prevailing message this radiates in just one line:

   "We are turning raw energy into a movement of expression and love for our community."

Enough said....they had me at "love for our community." This is an awesome event you are going to want to experience this weekend (both Friday & Saturday)....enjoy MADLOVE and have a beautiful Memorial Day weekend!

Xo Andrea

For more information on MADLOVE click HERE

Big, Bold, and Braid!

    Although my passions in life are not so fashion forward or literary, I got off to a start in the wild world of hair! So, please excuse my bad manners and I'll briefly introduce myself. For the past seven years, I've had the pleasure for working for a large Cincinnati salon (still checking with corporate for the, "okay!" to use said salon's name.) During this seven year stretch I've assisted Oribe and Arrojo, runway in San Fran and Chicago for Christian Audigier, and worked with some of the most talented women and men I've had the pleasure of meeting. As for now, I can't wait to open my world to the blogosphere!

  Braids, juvenile and tacky, I think not! This is my new favorite recycled trend. Singing to the hearts of the whimsically bohemian, to the youth in us all, and quite frankly my dear, can be sweetly sexy! Here are a few of the new...

Weekend WEARwhere

This past weekend was one of those jam-packed in a good way kinda weekends. Gorgeous weather was followed by great dinners and an awesome event in our neighborhood. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday weekend.... and am looking forward to one more night celebrating this weekend with friends ;) Lots to celebrate from May on through the summer- birthdays, babies, and weddings galore! I love each and every excuse to get together with friends so this kind of busy is simply wonderful. Happy Tuesday!

Be sure to look for a new contributer on the blog tomorrow-very excited! xxo- A-


GORGEOUS Gunas Rockstar handbag {borrowed from VOGUE VERT } + Peace Treaty cuff
Find both here



Zara dress, American Apparel bandeau, Sam Edelman shoes

Oh yeah.....and this happened...

Sweat it up with style

 

    As a frequent exerciser, it's nice to look (or at least feel like you look) somewhat presentable when running out & about in public. In my case, the refusal to EVER wear makeup while working out combined with the beet red shade that appears on my face after a quick cardio, makes this a bit challenging. I'm not even going to touch on the appearance of my hair during and (ouch) after completing my exercises. For me at least, the only option remaining to help me to look somewhat "cute" while I attempt to sprint without flying off he treadmill is the work-out apparel. Thank you Lululemon for making this great task of finding cute work-out gear oh-so-much easier. While shopping there today, I was reminded at just how darn adorable their clothing is... but also how expensive, yipes! I spent quite some time, just strolling along, admiring the clothes, envisioning which outfits would be best with which work-outs. Oh, and of course engaging in wonderful conversation about my "intense running" and "yogi adventures"  with the ever-so friendly staff. I am pretty sure being super friendly is a requirement for employment. I do love that their clothing is made specifically for my two favorite work-outs: running & yoga.

    The only downfall to my experience at the store today was this: while trying on clothes, which were the same numbered size that I usually wear, I noticed quuuuuite a problem with the fit or lack thereof I should say. My immediate thought: no more carbs ever again for this gal.... I mean, things were prettty prettty tight in all the wrong places. This of course continued as I tried on the remainder of my items....each pair of shorts made me regret each and every "bad" food I had recently consumed. After picking my self-image up off the ground, I brought my items to the checkout counter and decided it was worth it (and hopeful)  to ask the following question: "Sooo, do your sizes run on a comparable scale to how these sizes usually fit? " As I held my breath, the kind man smiled and shook his head. "No," he explained (and simultaneously saved my self-image), "a 2 is basically an extra extra small...and so on." Phew, not that I was actually going to give up carbs nor will I EVER but it was nice to be clued in. My issue with this is however, they need to have a HUGE SIGN right out side of the dressing room informing people of this skewed sizing!!! So, while I am totally all about their aim and style at Lululemon...keep this tiny sizing fyi in mind before trying on a SINGLE piece of their clothing! Happy Friday! Hope to see each and every Cincinnati reader in OTR tomorrow! I have my Lululemon running outfit ready to go for the 5k! xo- A-

shop these looks plus many more by clicking on the logo below:

{all images from Lululemon}

sharing is caring

     Check out my post today on the PR Blonde blog HERE. Lauren, the creater of the blog (and my new blogger/contributer friend from The Over-Analyst) is an adorbable Texas sweetheart PR gal. And she is one heck of a writer- her posts are SO good....each one she writes sucks me right in and keeps me entertained right 'til the end. You are definitely going to want to put PR Blonde on your list of daily reads. Step away (just momentarily) from 50 Shades of Grey and head over to her blog....enjoy my post and set aside a good hour or so to explore what this Dalla gal has to offer! xo- Andrea

ps. Stay on the lookout for Lauren's posts to come on Bright-Eyed! We love to share.

VOGUE VERT

CONSCIOUS LUXURY...."Going green never looked so good."

   Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with Kathy Hamm, founder of the "green" online store  (so perfectly named) Vogue Vert. Within minutes of talking with Kathy, I had a strong sense of the passion she has for this great venture she has recently undertaken. She lights up when she talks about the direction she hopes for her eco-conscious online site to go...as well as when I compliment her insanely cool handbag. This handbag, I might add, was made completely out of reused scraps of leather which gave this large hobo piece a fringe look to die for... I have yet to get that bag out of my mind. Kathy's handbag gives a vivid idea of what her online store is all about: unique,striking, high-quality design  presented in handbags and accesories, all crafted through eco-conscious methods. And after speaking with Kathy, when it comes to ensuring that these pieces truly come from "green" materials and approaches, trust me- she does her research. The following is a deeper glimpse into Kathy's beliefs and inspriation that led her to create Vogue Vert:

 

And now a small glimpse at these gorgeous eco-friendly luxury handbags & accessories...

  

                                                                                                                                                           

 

                         

Be GREEN in every way possible, WHENEVER possible.... heres a great place to start...

 http://www.voguevert.com/

Fashion Forward Outlook

     Before I begin my first post, let me give you a brief intro of who I am. My name is Lindsey Welsandt and I am a 25 year old wholesale clothing representative in Chicago. My entire life I've been extremely passionate about fashion, and I've dreamed of working in the fashion industry since my first retail job at age 16. I have a Bachelor's in Fashion Design with my Senior Project focused on my other passion, animals! I designed and sewed a 5 piece collection of faux fur and pleather children's wear that celebrated animals' rights. Upon my graduation, I was offered a position at one of the leading apparel showrooms in Chicago, where I've been working full time for 4 years. I am a vegetarian, only child, who appreciates personal style, and adores animals.
     Our showroom/office for rbc, inc. is in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, and from here, we manage the entire Midwest Territory for brands such as: Miss Me, MM Couture, LA Made, Kersh, Cowboysbelt & Bags, Darling, Rock Revival Denim, MEK Denim, MINKPINK, Line & Dot, Relais, and Pinkyotto.  For instance, if you wanted to open a boutique or specialty store in these Midwest States: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota,  I would be your contact!  It is my job to make sure you are seeing the collection every season and placing regular orders for the collection.  I also make sure stores are merchandising the brand property, the brand is not overly saturated, and that retail stores are selling the clothing at the correct MSRP (manufactured suggested retailer price) this protects the brand integrity and allows the brand room for growth.  I’ve had the pleasure of working with Andrea Kern when our paths crossed at rbc, inc.  I was so excited when Andrea had asked me to be a guest blogger for her blog, and I’ll try to keep you updated with the trends that I see at fashion tradeshows and while traveling. 

     Last week, I was at our NYC Tradeshow, Intermezzo.  Intermezzo is a tradeshow that takes place 4 times yearly and I am a permanent fixture at this show.  Most clothing brands are at Intermezzo to launch their Holiday Collections.  Holiday Collections for most brands consist of an October, November, and December delivery.  I was at the Miss Me Booth for the duration of this show. 
The most prominent trend I’ve noticed for Holiday 2012 is definitely DENIM.  Skinny jeans that are coated, colored, printed, and seamed, are everywhere!  Once you begin to get a good amount of these novelty jeans in your wardrobe, I predict you will begin noticing that instead of having an array of printed tops and pairing them back to your plain jeans, you will be doing just the opposite!  You will be pairing your printed jeans back to a more solid top that perhaps is a different silhouette than you’re use to. 

     For our Miss Me Jean Holiday Collection, we are doing a really great group of Tie Dye Denim!  I am personally obsessed with this group, however, when I’m working with a buyer, I have to remember that their customer is NOT me – so I only will advise my fashion forward stores to order these jeans.

    I will leave you with a sneak peek of our Miss Me Holiday Tie Dye Collection (you won’t see this anywhere else)