A Della Dress

Kate wearing A Della Dress shirtdress in her own style with tights. Love this.

Here's a post I've been meaning to write forever and it seems something always comes up and I don't get to. Now that summer is here I finally have had a few moments to look around and take stock of the home and my wardrobe. One thing I am really noticing lately is that the quality things I have purchased in the last decade or so are still with me, still stylish and give me more joy than ever to wear and use. The things I fling willy nilly into my home and wardrobe from some mindless shopping are just taking up space. What was so coveted in the dressing room is greatly disappointing me once home and I end up reaching for the older and quality pieces that always look great. I'm rambling a bit here, but it brings me to one sound investment I made this year,  A Della Dress.

Bonnie in the sheath with sleeves in a gorgeous red at the holidays.

Last Fall, my friend Bonnie, a mother at our school, invited me to a trunk show at her house. I really had no idea what to expect. Turns out Bonnie has a dear friend Andrea who lives in Pacific Palisades and recently started her own design business. Her friend, Andrea Dyke realized there was a real need for the super flattering A-line dresses of the 1960s that were worn by Jackie Kennedy and so many. She had a vintage Marimekko shift dress that she had worn out and could not replace. Andrea decided there was a niche to be filled and has done it brilliantly, setting up her own atelier and design team in Los Angeles. A Della Dress is based on 3 versatile A-line shapes. They are a shift, a sheath and a shirt-dress.  Andrea travels all over doing trunk shows in California, and even up in Canada where she hails from.

Andrea wearing one of her dresses with a jean jacket. Doesn't she look chic?

I was intrigued that I could have a custom dress that was very affordable (they start at $70) and unique. I tried several dresses at Bonnie's home and finally settled on a shirt dress in a pale blue grey with a light plaid print. I also chose my buttons and decided I'd like tabs on the back too. When my dress came, I felt like a princess. I had never had a dress made so beautifully, except for the frocks my grandmother made me as a little girl. The quality of my dress, the seams, the shape, all of it were amazing. I have enjoyed wearing this shirt dress a ton and have had so many compliments on it. I have worn it with boots, a scarf and a coat in Winter and with sandals and chunky necklaces in Spring and Summer.  It just hit me this week in my closet purge that I need to order a shift dress. The one I am thinking of will be sleeveless in her Malibu fabric or maybe the Hollywood aqua with on seam pockets. Now this is something worth spending your hard earned money on! What am I thinking with another mindless trip to the mall? It's lovely to have something made just for you, that you had a hand in customizing and is made so beautifully. I also love that it's made right here in California! Check out the photos below to see some of Andrea's fans in their dresses...

Jenna Bunnell is an event coordinator for Hermes. Here she is at one of the events wearing the sheath dress in boardroom brown, I love her hair and accessories.

One of the shifts on Kathleen in a lovely fabric at the Prado in Spain.

The shirtdress on Holly in navy pique with a belt and she's holding the shift in Malibu fabric.

Helene, sent Andrea Marimekko fabric from the Manhattan store so she could make a shift dress. Here she wears it after yoga with boots and a leather jacket. You too can send them a fabric you love to  be made into a dress.
Deborah below is wearing an African Safarai Khaki Shirtdress on her bike!

These ladies, Andee and Pam are wearing shirt dresses with seersucker linings and double wrap belts.

Diane looks fabulous in the sheath in the Hollywood fabric! Below she's in the same with another fabric.

Some of the printed shifts.

A sheath on Alicia with a wrapping belt.

The fabric of my beloved dress. Isn't it pretty?

How I was wearing my shirtdress on Easter.

Another customer in the style and fabric I bought. She wears a belt and boots with it.

Some of the fabric choices for Summer.

You can check out Andrea's great website here. Make sure you click on A Della Dress in Action to see all the lovely ladies who already own her dresses. I have gotten to know Andrea better over email and I just love her. She's so smart and funny and really a cool lady. If you live near Los Angeles, you can even visit her Atelier, in Pacific Palisades, where she lives. She also does custom made to fit orders.

The view from Andrea's Atelier! Who wouldn't love to bring a friend and shop here?

Kim :)

What I Bought for Fall

 With Thanksgiving less than a week away I'm starting to feel the twinges of seasonal anxiety coming. I just celebrated one son's birthday last week, will be hosting Thanksgiving for 14, and then a week later son number two's birthday comes. Usually, if I survive that it's like, "Yikes! How did I get to this point in December with no cards/shopping/decorating, etc. done?

 Today, instead of inspiring you with shots of turkeys and pretty tables, here's a post I wrote a before this craziness began. I did want to show what I finally ended up adding to my own closet this Fall.

If you read my past bit on wardrobes, you'll know, I tried hard to be a minimalist!  A few things to spice up the old wardrobe and give a smattering of polish to what I already own. To wit:



1. A Burberry trench. No, I did not spend $1,000 on this coat. It was on sale in July, during Nordstrom's Anniversary sale. I also had a windfall from selling some patio furniture, and put it toward this coat, which I am hoping will last me through a few decades! Total cost, (with sale and savings applied) $180! By the way, Nordstrom's once a year, Anniversary sale, in July, is one not to miss and worth making a investment purchase at.



2. Two pairs of Tom's shoes. If you aren't already familiar with this wonderful company, they give a new pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair you purchase. That's a win-win. Get some cute shoes and help kids who need it too. I bought a pair of the super comfy flats in taupe, and a pair of yellow corduroy wedges with peep toes. Love them both. One practical and one for fun!

3. Camel colored sweater jacket from Nordstrom on sale. A little polish and warmth at the same time. Love the color and it's cute with animal prints too. Camel is very Grace Kelly to me and always looks classic.

4. A very soft leopard and zebra print tan and white scarf from Banana Republic. Love the bit of metallic on it for the holidays and I think it will be usable for Summer too.

5. A tiny bendable rhinestone wrap bracelet, from a boutique in town. Looks like diamonds and can mix and match with all my bangles. This shows a stack of them, which could be pretty too.

6. AG Jeans in a dark straight leg. These were also an investment, but I haven't bought jeans in a year or so. I know they will be worn so much they are worth it. This is my first pair of these. They fit well, don't stretch out and I love where the waist is, higher, but not too much and it hits at the perfect spot to flatter.

I also bought a custom made shirt dress in a grey blue that I am very excited still to get. I will give more details on that experience in a later post.

That's it! Well, also got a rose scarf and a yellow print blouse at Gap. Now I'm trying to mix and match with the few other basic T's I bought and my favorites I always wear.

On my wish list:

A FEED bag. Have you heard about these? This company started by Lauren Bush is all about making caring for others on this planet cool. The cross-body bags are chic, and at the same time you are funding a worthy cause. Depending on the style you choose, you could be helping buy school lunches for the UN World Food program,  immunizations in Africa, vitamins in South America and more. I love that by wearing one you are  saying, "Hey I'd rather give my money to this cause than a designer. " Check them out. Hoping to get one myself soon. I can't decide which style I like best! I think this one is a super cute bag for weekends and running errands. I'd wear mine with a chunky beige sweater and my jeans. Love it.

Hope I'll have a chance to write later this week and give you some Thanksgiving inspiration!

Kim:)

Fall Wardrobe Stuff...and Closets

My bowl of bracelets. Perfect for the pile-it-on jewelry trend for Fall!

Don't you love Fall clothes? I really do look forward to chunky sweaters and boots. I Loooove herringbone, tweeds, cable-knits, argyles, cashmere, camel hair and all the lush fabrics that embody this season !

When I was a small girl, I loved school shopping with my Mom.  I could picture myself meeting my teacher in my new dress, fresh knee-high socks and shiny mary-janes. Growing up, there was always some item of clothing I coveted that would change my world if I could just get it. Clothes lovers you know what I mean! My Mom, bless her, always made sure I had a few special things, even when we didn't have a ton of money. One, I remember, was a red faux fur coat in elementary school, another time it was flowered denim platforms in fourth grade and later, in junior high, brown dittos jeans and boots that laced up. That last ensemble went along with a knit cap with a flower I loved! As you can probably guess, I stood out. That wasn't always a good thing. Yeah, I was harassed throughout my school career for my non-conforming clothing choices. I was the first girl at my high-school to wear ankle jeans in the early eighties.  They were so cool, but they called me high-water girl.  Anyway, I have suffered for fashion willingly since childhood!

 Back-to-school shopping is now for my two boys. Getting a few special new pieces for myself is fun too. As far as the closet, I try to take a hard look at what I have actually worn in the past year and donate what hasn't and what is looking faded or worn. I've noticed it's the finer things I have added that have stood the test of time so I try to add one or two a season, if I can afford it. Sure, I also still like a few new trendy things from places like H&M, Banana and J. Crew that I throw in the mix. I am trying hard to buy less and only things I am truly crazy about. Otherwise, they just end up taking closet space. As a close friend recently said, if you haven't worn it within a week of buying it, you probably won't. True that!

This is the perfect time to point out the virtues of a fabulous book that really got me revved up about Fall wardrobes, closets and starting fresh. It's called, Practical Princess Perfect Wardrobe, and it got my tail into gear regarding my closet. The author, Elika Gibbs, styles and organizes closets for the rich and fabulous, (Kate Moss, ladies!)  She knows her stuff.  It has many helpful tips, that you should be doing, but probably aren't.  For instance, how to keep things ultra clean so you will never get moths, and how to properly store every kind of garment and why it even matters. Loved this book and if you are into clothing you will too.

Some of the fashion books I keep on my closet shelves.

Here's a peek into my weeny closet. It's tiny, but I don't share it, unlike my old larger walk-in. I kind of like it smaller and to myself. I love to fill it with sachets, and a candle, that make it smell girly. I also have some shelves that I like to place jewelry, accessories and bags. I try to rotate them out each season, where I can see them.  I like putting a small inspiration board of pictures up from the latest Vogue or whatever I love! It's fun- you should try it. I did it for the first time in Summer and I enjoyed seeing it in there when I dressed and now I just changed it for Fall. It also gave me some ideas for getting dressed when I was feeling uninspired. This is like my only personal spot in the whole house, so I tried to glam it up a bit and really make it my own little sanctuary, though it is a closet!

I display my jewelry so I can remember to wear it. I recently bought a pretty bowl from Anthropologie that I pile all my bracelets into. I love seeing them sparkle on the shelf. I also use the tie racks that were originally built into the closet for my necklaces. It makes it so much easier to see what I have. I put these by metal and color. Check out my cute owl necklace my sweet friend Jen gave me if you can see it.

So ladies, get on with the de-cluttering, as one of my favorites bloggers, Faux Fushia always says. While you're at it, get yourself a Vogue or Bazaar too. Lucky us, we can do back-to-school clothes without the school !