SHOPPING IN SANTA MONICA, August 6, 2011

Here are some cool styles I spotted in Santa Monica during my weekly shopping adventures. Styles were found at the Santa Monica Place mall and on the 3rd Street Promenade.

The front crossover gives a nice update to the shirred sleeve dolman.

Stripe sweater knit with sheerness is popular and looks great.

I like the whole boho feel mixed with the trendiness of a

cowl neck sweater with drop stitches.

Loose dolman with center front, horizontal pleats.

It's tie dyed and drapey around the neck. Love it!

Love the subtle shark bite hem and all the seams.

SAMPLE SALES DECEMBER 11-12

BCBG Sample Sale in the Rain - 11/20/10

I will first and foremost pay homage to all the sexy and determined bitches who made it inside the BCBG sample sale and exited the premises with wearables. I admire you. I woke up the morning of the sale at 8am. One hour later than intended. I lay in bed and listened to the rain. It was coming down hard. "Do I even want to go to the sale this rainy morning?" I asked myself. "Of course I do," I said as I pulled on the leggings and boots I set out the previous night for easy dressing. I personally think BCBG had a strong and fashionable year and I've enjoyed my window shopping experiences. (I cannot afford BCBG and after working for their corporate office and enjoying the perks of the employee boutique run by Lubov Azria's mother - leather pants for $15. Purses for $40. Shirts for $5 - I will never be able to pay full price until I'm rich with disposable cash)

I fixed a cup of tea and headed out in the rain with my boyfriend and a book, ready for the line outside BCBG that I was sure would be cut in half by the increment weather. I was absolutely wrong. In front of the Vernon factory was a huge canopy, shielding the raindrops from women holding huge plastic bags and waiting patiently in a winding line reminiscent of Riddler's Revenge at Magic Mountain. Not bad, I thought. But then my boyfriend and I continued down Fruitland and saw the staggering line of girls dressed in black tights and beanies, holding Starbucks containers and leaning against the stark white BCBG wall that goes on for like a mile. They were all unfazed by the rain and seemed to enjoy it.
My boyfriend asked where he should park. "I can't do it," I told him. "Please don't make me stand out there in the rain and wait for hours. There's at least 700 girls here" I whined. My boyfriend is the type of man who does everything he sets his mind to no matter what the circumstance and expects me to follow suit. I, on the other hand, tend to go with the flow and allow life's alterations. I did not want to trade a nice sweater for the demon flu going around. I was prepared to stand in mist for one hour tops but not actual rain for 3 hours. My boyfriend chuckled at the BCBG enthusiasts undeterred by wetness and allowed us to continue on a new morning path consisting of breakfast at Taste. I appreciate you BCBG and will do my best to meet an employee and enjoy the sample sale on "Friends and Family" night.

****I will eventually write a blog about Taste but if you've never gone to this West Hollywood eatery you MUST! Crab benedict and the short rib with eggs. Yum. (There's an actual name for the short rib plate but I forgot it. Delicious though.)

JIGSAW BOUTIQUE

In this time of economic penny-pinching and spendthrift luxury, many clothing boutiques throughout the once trendy West Hollywood area have fallen to extinction; there downfall being expensive clothing that is no longer deemed in fashion. The chic streets like 3rd and Melrose are now pocketed with deserted stores with blank windows dressed in a simple "For Lease" sign. But as we learned from Darwin, the strong will survive and when it comes to clothing boutiques, Jigsaw on Melrose is one of the fittest. Jigsaw has been a staple boutique on Melrose since I began shopping the street 15 years ago and it still stands firm today. What's great about this boutique is that it carries a variety of clothing from both local L.A. designers and major brands alike. Loyal customers and feasible pricing have also kept this boutique afloat. As boutiques in Los Angeles crumble under the weight of nonsensical merchandise and become nostalgic memories in the minds of us fashionistas, there's a feeling of security that comes from walking the altered street of Melrose and still seeing one of the staple boutiques standing strong.