A Diva State of Mind

A post on Love, Cortnie clutches is long overdue!   I was introduced to Love, Cortnie clutches by members of CapFABB. Everyone had the ‘Ashleigh Statement’ leopard print clutch and I wanted one too!  The clutches are very stylish, made extremely well and reasonable price, ranging from $30 to $110. What I love most about them is that they’re large enough to carry a wallet.   Sometimes when I’m going out, I don’t want to have to transfer my ID, credit card and cash to a smaller card holder just so it can fit into a small clutch. That’s how you accidentally leave your ID at home!

Cortnie Elizabeth started Love, Cortnie in order to address the need of wanting an oversized clutch:

“I’ve always thought of the type of oversized clutch I would love to buy. The only problem was that I could never find any. So instead of combing the internet’s infinite amount of websites, I decided to start making them on my own.”

If you love statement accessories, you’ll want to add a Love, Cortnie clutch to your closet.  These clutches are a great and easy way to infuse color and print into an outfit.  Every time I have my ’Ashleigh Statement Clutch’, I’m asked “where did you get the clutch?” And after receiving a text message that said “omg where can I order that girl’s clutches?” in response to posting a picture of the new ‘Tangerine Dream Statement Clutch’ I received, I knew it was time to share where these clutches can be purchased with everyone! :)

Check out a few of the Love, Cortnie clutches below: 

Ashleigh Statement Clutch

Tangerine Dream Statement Clutch

Mello Statement Clutch Statement Clutch

Genevieve Statement Clutch

Crayola Tweed Statement Clutch

Cotton Candy Button Statement Clutch

Britnie Statement ClutchPatsy Statement Clutches

To purchase your own clutch, visit www.etsy.com/shop/lovecortnie.  You can also follow Cortnie on twitter at @stylelustpages and check out her blog at www.stylelustpages.com

On Saturday April 14, 2012 Krystin Hargrove (beloudbeyou.com) and Denisio Truitt (theravenouscreator.com) will premiere their collaborative reconstructed vintage line, 8 Vintage. The launch party will be held at Barcode Lounge from 5-8pm.  Along with celebrating the opening of 8 Vintage, they will be debuting their designs via lookbook, which will display the shops first collection.

8 Vintage is a reconstructed vintage online boutique. Every six weeks, a new collection of eight pieces will be available for sale, each collection having a different theme. For the inaugural collection the theme is “Structured and Bright” and will feature tailored apparel in brilliant summer hues.

A few months ago I attended a Stella & Dot trunk show.  I had heard of Stella & Dot before but wasn’t too familiar with the company and the jewelry pieces they offered.   Too bad I didn’t pay attention sooner!  Stella & Dot has some great statement pieces in their collection at a variety of price points, making the collection affordable for everyone!

For the trunk show, I was asked by the Stella & Dot stylist to create four looks using pieces from the spring collection.  If you have purchased Stella & Dot jewelry this year or are considering doing so, here are a few suggestions on how to wear some of the most popular jewelry pieces from this season’s collection.

If you are interested in viewing more pieces or would like to host a trunk show, please click here or contact Timika Waldron at (301) 244-8837.

I received an email from Carol and she asked:

Are maxi dresses fashionable this year?

Absolutely!! Maxi dresses are a summer staple. They never go out of style and can be worn dressed up or down for so many different occasions.

If you’d like to play on this seasons trends, look for maxi dresses in bright colors and prints. If you prefer maxi dresses in solid neutral colors, used accessories like hats, colorful sandals and bold handbags to add some visual interest to the look .

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Petite women can wear maxi dresses too! Sites like ASOS sell dresses in petite length. Gap and Banana Republic are great retailers to try as well since most of their clothing is available in three lengths online: petite, regular and tall. Ann Taylor and LOFT also sell clothing in petite length.

Another option is New York & Company. A petite friend of mind found a maxi skirt from the store long enough for her last year. Many dresses hit the ankle for someone my height so they just may be long enough if you’re shorter than 5’4″. If you’re out and you find a dress that you absolutely can’t live without but it’s too long, purchase it and have it tailored.

Check out these bright and bold maxi dresses below:

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More Express…

If you have a few designer items you want to sell but you just don’t have time to visit a local consignment store or you have been searching or the perfect Chanel bag for months, but haven’t found one, SNOBSWAP may be the perfect solution to both problems!

While Elise Whang loved buying and selling her designer clothes and handbags at consignment shops, she dreamed about a website where she could easily swap her designer shoes and dresses for a gently used designer handbag.   Emily Dang also loved consignment shopping and with a strong luxury designer background,  joined forces with Elise to create SNOBSWAP in 2011. Since the site was launched, over 1,000 members have joined.

SNOBSWAP provides the ultimate online community for high-end designer consignment shopping and purchases for women, men and children.   Members can buy and sell designer pieces with other members of the SNOBSWAP community.

I recently joined the SNOBSWAP. While I haven’t purchased anything (yet), I did view the list of items for sale and there are some fabulous pieces including a Yves Saint Laurent top, CHANEL bag, and Prada Black Wrap Skirt  pictured below, just to name a few.

Here are a few reasons to join SNOBSWAP:

• It’s free! There is no membership fee to enjoy all the benefits of SNOBSWAP
• Listing your items is free
• Swapping and self-consigning is earth friendly
• Incentive to clean out your closet by listing those treasured threads you never wear and get those designers items you’ve had your eye on.
• SNOBSWAP’s sophisticated swapping system allows you to be flexible in negotiations, swap multiple items and is easy and fun to use
• Sign up for your very own personal shopper

Tom Ford recently released a 1:12 minute video teaser showcasing his new Fall 2012 collection that has been seen on the red carpet, worn by Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lewis.

The video is short and the looks go by quickly.  However, it does give us a glimpse into what we can expect to see once the full collection is revealed; very sophisticated and streamlined pieces.  He definitely knows how to make a woman look sexy!

From what you could gather from the teaser, what do you think of Tom Ford’s Fall 2012 collection?

Source: The Fashion Spot

On my quest to find new pieces to add to my wardrobe for spring, I came across some great retailer promotions.  I was going to tweet about them continuously all day, but I thought it would be best to just list them all in one place.  Check out this week’s discounts at some of your favorite retailers!

H&M

• Sign up for H&M Fashion News and receive 20% off 1 item of your choice (I literally signed up before uploading this post. You’ll receive the coupon instantly).  Click HERE to sign up.
• Buy 2 Get 1 Free On ALL pants (excludes Marni collection). Click HERE for coupon. Ends 3/18

EXPRESS

• $15 off $75 with coupon code 1184 online. Click HERE to print and use in store. Ends 3/18

The Limited

• Like The Limited on Facebook and receive a $15 coupon to use on any item, excluding markdowns. Click HERE

Nine West

• Nine West Loves Members get a head start on the Friends & Family sale. Receive 25% off your full price purchase.

Lord & Taylor

• 20% off regular & sale items. Online code SALE. In-store code for regular items is AAAAGWGV and sale items is AAAAGWHE

Endless.com

• Friends & Family: 20% off $100 on select styles. Ends 3/15

Last Call

• Free Shipping on online purchase of $75 or more. Code LCMAR75

 LOFT

• Buy 1 Get 1 50%off select full price Knit Tops, Tees & Sweaters. www.loft.com. Check LOFT frequently. They usually have one day only or weekend only 30% or 40% off entire full price purchase promotions.

Banana Republic

• 25% off your purchase online. Use code BRSPRING. Ends 3/14. Banana Republic has these type of online sales ALL THE TIME, so if you miss this one, check out the website periodically for another promotion code.

Old Navy

• Free shipping every day on any order over $50.
• Stock Up sale on shorts, flip flops and more. Adults starting at $6 and kids starting at $4.

Piperlime

• Sign up for the newsletter (located at the bottom of the page on the website) and receive 15% off your first purchase. Click HERE.

Happy shopping!!!!

Bev contacted me last week and asked:

I just have a quick question regarding how to wear a faux-fur collar I purchased from NY&CO.  Thy were on sale and I just couldn’t resist but I have no idea how to rock this particular accessory.  Any suggestions?

Bev, the teal and purple fur collar are a fabulous find!!  Now is the great time to find some great winter items on sale.  The fur collars you purchase will look great with a dress if you have to attend a special occasion.  The dress DOES NOT have to be black! The teal and purple fur would go well with a grey dress like the one below from Eloquii.  If you’re located in a region that has experienced mild weather this winter, you can wear this collar as outerwear instead of a jacket.

If you love these Steve Madden pumps featured, check out 6pm, Amazon and Macys; they are prices less than on the Steve Madden website.

Normally I’d create 3-4 looks to post in response to a style question, but for this inquiry I think seeing a picture of someone wearing a fur collar would help in terms of ideas of how to wear them. So for my second suggestion, check out these looks from two DC area fashion bloggers and Who What Wear. 

If you rather layer during the fall/winter season than wear a coat, style your fur collar like Jennifer from Comme Coco. Instead of wearing a coat, she pairs her fur over a blazer for a layered fall/winter look. I wouldn’t recommend wearing this look if it is 30 degrees (you need to bundle up in those temperatures!) but it’s great for mild weather.  This look below assumes the ribbon is removable.

During extremely cold temperatures, you can wear the faux-fur collar over a wool coat like Alison from Wardrobe Oxygen or underneath the coat so it appears you have a faux-fur scarf.  The faux-fur collar will add a nice pop of color to your outerwear look!

This third look combines the two looks above pairing a blazer with an open wool coat and faux-fur collar as the true statement piece.  In all three of these looks, the fur collar is worn similar to wearing a scarf; it just adds a little more flair!

Bev,  I hope these suggestions help you get an idea of how to wear your new faux-fur collars. If anyone is interested in purchasing the teal and purple collars from New York & CO, they are currently on clearance for $9.99. Click HERE.

Style questions? Submit them to keri@adivastateofmind.com

Hosted by Dana James, Sarea-Flo Mack and Tamika Wilkins, the Lady Bloggers Fashion & Beauty Social will take place at the quaint DC area boutique It’s Vintage Darling.  Guest will enjoy hors d’oeuvres from A Different World Deli, cupcakes by Kupcake Kraze, mini makeovers by BTH Artistry and 20% off their entire It’s Vintage Darling purchase!

To purchase a ticket visit http://ladybloggersfashionandbeautysocial.eventbrite.com/

ADSOM: Why did they decide to start the LifE KiT brand?

We decided to start LifE KiT initially, because we were looking for an alternative to the ever-growing rosary fad if you will.  After many inquiries about our pieces from peers and friends we then realized we had something much bigger and felt the responsibility to spread the message as much as possible.  

ADSOM: Who is your target audience?

Our target audience includes college age students and young professionals.

ADSOM: What markets (cities) have you had the most success in so far?

Domestic: Durham, NC, Washington, DC. Los Angeles, New York, Omaha,Nebraska, Tallahassee FL.  International: Japan, Afghanistan and Canada to name a few.

I love the message behind the brand. Fashion is a great stylish way to promote a message of humility and social awareness!  To learn more about LifE KiT and to order apparel, visit  www.lifekitlifestyle.com . Follow the brand on twitter @LifEKiT

I have my eye on that navy Stay Humble t-shirt!!