a better view from work: h&m at cityplace.

it's almost here and downtown west palm beachers will soon rejoice...h&m is a few bolts closer to opening at cityplace.

after working - and shopping -  there every day, hearing the construction and peeking in the doors to see the progress, waiting for h&m to open is like waiting for paint to dry. i feel like a girl whose mom just told her she can get that monster high doll...but not today.

but now with these big, bold and beautiful models staring at me every time i walk past, i can better imagine pretend i'll look like them when i wear the clothes myself. ahh, just another addition to the never-ending hole i'm burning in my wallet from my weekly (sometimes daily) lunch break trips to anthropologie, francesca's, gap and the free people section at macy's.

dress for the fest.

every once in a while i'm lucky enough that my day job and this little ol' hobby of mine get to collide. yesterday was one of those "once in a whiles," thanks to cityplace and sunfest.

that's because cityplace launched a "dress for the fest" contest, asking fans to share their sunfest style on facebook in honor of our own east coast music festival in downtown west palm beach. the winner scores a free pair of tickets and $250 worth of gift cards to cityplace to get all the fashion and beauty essentials. pretty good deal, if you ask me.

i'd enter on behalf if i could, but something tells me i'm a little too close to the source to win. for that reason, i'm asking that you, my readers, please enter on my behalf. if you choose to submit, please feel free to post your photos to the prêt-à-porter palm beach facebook page too so we can get a peek!

how to shop like a local in palm beach.

whenever i travel to new york, cali or even tallahassee, i have a clear map set out for sightseeing before i even step off the plane or out of the car. and by sightseeing, of course i really mean shopping. it's american rag cie in los angeles, the little wooden jewelry kiosk in santa monica, brandy melville and top shop in nyc, and divas & devils in the home of the seminoles. but i rarely stop to think about where i'm buying locally - or just window shopping in some cases - that would intrigue an out-of-towner.

 me in nyc after stops in both brandy melville and top shop. 

p.s. i'm wearing my new sugarlips shorts, which we'll have another post on later this week...

which is why i was so excited about a facebook message from the way cute new yorker, katy,  who asked me for recommendations on where she and a friend should shop while visiting palm beach this labor day weekend. they're looking for "little boutiques with not too circulated brands that are very on trend." located within an area that i'd consider to be one of our nation's fashion capitals, this seemed like an easy question.

it made me think about all the places i'd like to shop this weekend and some of those little corners i haven't had time to sneak into lately. and after thinking about it some more, i realized this really is a multifaceted answer...

must-stop shops 
* asquared boutique ~ this is one of the newer shops to the area and not technically on palm beach (just over the bridge in west palm beach), but is a must for all the pb natives. i met the ladies behind asquared at a marketplace event for junior league of the palm beaches, and fell in love with their collection. i found it was barely a fraction of the pieces found at the gorgeous store, which the self-dubbed "southern gals" use to bring a "new casual comfort and edge to palm beach." the apparel is definitely unique and on trend, the accessories are delightfully eclectic and the cool cowboy boots are to-die-for. only problem? they don't re-open for the season until sept. 4! katy, i hope you're staying in the area until tuesday!

photo credit: asquaredboutique.com

* eye of the needle ~ think long summer dresses, maxi skirts, sheer tunics, sparkling beach bags and miles of neon and lace...at least for the summer anyway. with shops in palm beach and nantucket, you know you're in good company shopping here. look out for trunk shows here too, where you'll find merchandise not available to the regular public yet. some of our favorite looks from the store can be found from the girls over at the fancy secrets blog.

photo credit: eyeoftheneedleackpb.com

* cityplace shops ~ i work at cityplace in downtown west palm beach so i'm obviously biased, but it's all for good reason. two minutes from the island of palm beach, it's mostly national brand stores, but you'll get fun finds that scream palm beach at c.orrico, which carries lilly pulitzer, tibi, trina turk and other beachy brands filled with resort wear that includes, but goes beyond only palm tree prints and patterns. and about 10 stores down you'll find francesca's collections. if you've never stopped in this retailer, it is a corporate store but has the best boutique feel with the cutest - and affordable - sundresses, tops, accessories and gifts perfect to bring back as souvenirs. 

photo credit: cityplace.com

palm beach opulence
* worth avenue ~ so you might not find those brands that are off the beaten path, but if you are visiting palm beach you can't miss worth ave. it's the rodeo drive of the east coast and it's a fantastic feeling just to walk down the street. among top names like gucci, ferragamo and hermès, you'll also find luxury brand retailers that are not as common to see in regular malls like hervé léger by max azria, alex and ani and calypso st. barth.

photo credit: worth-avenue.com

vintage finds
* house of lavande ~ for the very few of my readers who've been following since the beginning (just forget my lag for two years), you know that i love house of lavande. this vintage jewelry shop has the coolest pieces, from estate accessories and costume jewelry to new collections that feature vintage stones. watch a red carpet show and i guarantee at least one of the celebs will be wearing an hol piece. and if the jewelry doesn't capture you, the whimsical design of shop itself will.

photo credit: me!

* antique row ~ the vintage shops along antique row (south dixie highway) are some of my favorite because you'll get some amazing resales - both couture and ready to wear - from the many millionaires who live so close by. most have been barely worn or still have some of the historic charm from decades before. glam vintage is one of my favorites, although i've even found theory dresses and elie tahari blazers at the goodwill along this street.

fishing fashions
* clematis district ~ this may not be what katy is looking for, however some girls - and guys - just want a piece of florida and its sun. the best way to do that is head to downtown west palm beach to check out two of the outdoor apparel companies that launched here locally, avid sportswear and native outfitters. think of clothing that's athletically cute and perfect for the boat.

* juno beach ~ surfing more your thing? you'll have to head up north about 20 minutes (we'll worth the view!) to jupiter and juno beach, where you'll get stoked about the wide-leg linen pants and that monokini you've wanted to try, which you can get at locals or ground swell, both off of u.s.1 with just a minute worth of driving between each other.

with some of these unique to palm beach county and others a little more mainstream, i hope you find this guide to south florida shopping helpful, no matter what you're looking for. and katy, please give us an update on your finds after your trip!

yes to the dress?

i took a peek in macy's on my lunch break to look for the white blazer that's been filling my wardrobe dreams lately. i couldn't find one and got a little off track, however, because the cityplace location has an unbelievable impulse section that always catches my attention.

today, it was the rachel rachel roy vita dress that sucked me in with all its white lace and fringe gorgeousness (you may remember my undying love for the rachel line at macy's from a past post). against my better judgement i tried it on, knowing i shouldn't spend the money.

one problem: i think i am in love. what's a girl to do? yes to the dress at $129? it's actually a pretty decent price for designer standards, but my husband's heart might skip a beat...at which time i'll remind him of the new adidas soccer cleats he just bought that i'll share with you later this weekend ;)

thoughts??

p.s. the mint free people skinny jeans in the background were unfortunately too tight, but only $50 if you're in the market. the blue bcbg max azria wide-leg dress pants were oppositely too big, but equally cute at $100. plus, both are on sale and an extra 20 percent off if you have macy's wow pass this week.

update: i bought it!! i have a feeling you will be seeing this hot little white number again very soon...

lunch break.

i was hungry for something a little different on my lunch break today...

after picking up some wicked hot rachel by rachel roy leather-blocked leggings yesterday for a steal of a price, i also found this bar iii motorcycle jacket in a dark shade of taupe. it came to $21 with tax at the macy's spring sale at cityplace, would have practically been illegal to pass up.

and yes, i know it is spring and pushing 80 to 85 degrees in palm beach county already, but my excuse for these two purchases is that i'm going to nyc for all of 72 hours next week. and yes, it is a business trip so i'll be wearing suits most of the time, but whatever.

recycled.

one of the things i love about my day job is i am surrounded by creativity, and often clothes too.

tomorrow night the educational gallery group (eg2), a community of young local artists, will host its second annual "catwalk" event at cityplace. these amazing students showcase the most imaginative designs on the runway, but it's not your typical ready-to-wear show. it's more of a gaga-esque, avant garde show of crazy clothes made from materials taken from cityplace businesses, and it's a sight to see...i think i'll have a while to go with my sewing machine before i can catch up!

want a sneak preview? here's a look at some of last year's top fashions. click each photo to see the detailed work.

muvico-inspired (the skirt fits right in with this season's high/low trends!):

made from macy's shopping bags:

made from starbucks napkins and cups:

made from publix plastic bags...by the middle schooler wearing it!:

what materials would you like to see on the runway tomorrow night?

* photos from cityplace's instagram account. want to see more? follow them at @cityplace.

on style patrol...

ok, ok, ok. i know, the prêt-à-porter palm beacher has been m.i.a. again, but this time it's for good reason! following a trip to italy and a change of location this month, i now have lots to talk about. stay tuned this week for the deliciously stylish details about milan, florence, the cinque terre and more, but until then, check out a fun project i've been working on with the office and one of our clients...the cityplace style patrol!

first up was the sex and the city 2 happy hour party filled with martinis, so you know we saw lots of ladies dressed to the nines and decked out in their manolos and jimmy choos. the style patrol spotted the hottest looks - including camouflage waterprints, feathered earrings, ruffles and girls bringing the maxi back - and then tells you where to find similar fashions at cityplace.

enjoy, feel free to comment with your favorite look, and look out for the style patrol next time you're at cityplace...

view it and more on cityplace's youtube channel: http://bit.ly/dbNqN1

cityplace gets fruity: apricot lane now open

cityplace has gotten a little fruity for fashion since new retailer apricot lane opened its largest store to date in its 6,000-square-foot space across from the plaza this week. the shop will hold its grand opening event this weekend, with special discounts throughout the store and complimentary food and beverages for customers all day saturday and sunday.

if you're not familiar with apricot lane, don't worry, you will be soon. it was named one of nine "hottest retailers" in 2008 by the international council of shopping centers (icsc), and one of entrepreneur magazine's top 500 franchises.

the store is filled with edgy and earthy apparel and accessories from miss me couture, pink polka dot, signorelli soul revival, salvage and other up-and-coming designers, as well as shoes from naughty monkey and sergio zelcer, but it's the premium denim lines that have me excited. i'm hoping to shop for a new pair from joe's jeans, 7 for all mankind, dylan george or frankie b. soon.

and guys shouldn't feel left out - besides being the first apricot lane location to carry a full selection of shoes, it's also the first to have a section for men's wear.

from the photos i've seen it looks like a great place to shop for gifts too, which is convenient because i have a few friends' birthdays coming up soon...plus the fringed maxi dresses above have me a little excited too (like i need another one!). i'll check it out next week to give you an update!

* chance to win * apricot lane's apparel debuted as part of the silent auction at cityplace uncorked earlier this month, and now you can enter to win some of the pieces at tomorrow night's sparkle party at blue martini...which should be hot for some and tacky for others, but nonetheless a lot of fun!

sweet tweets for summer treats

if you're not already on twitter, you probably should be. besides the addicting process of posting what you're wearing today in 140 characters and digitally stalking @heyismeashley or @officialchace, a handful of retailers, designers, daily newspapers and others are now announcing some fantastic giveaways through the site. some ask followers to retweet something or answer a question to win movie tickets or a free sample, but there are a few others that are really worth your time.

take @rachelnasvik for example. through her twitter account and her simple, yet eye-catching "thrill of the chase" blog - http://www.wherethenighttakesyou.blogspot.com/ - the designer staged a pretty inventive campaign to put her name and handbags on the style map. over the course of a couple weeks in june, more than 90 of her limited edition, hand-printed alice bond bags were "lost" somewhere in nyc and clues on their whereabouts were then tweeted and blogged. bags were left in abandoned shopping carts at dean and deluca, on a hot dog cart, in club restrooms, on a subway car and even hanging in my nyc lodging of choice, the hudson hotel.



any lucky wanderer to engage in the bag hunt, whether on purpose or by accident, also found a note that read: "you did not find this bag; this bag found you," and became the rightful owner of the purse. the bags were stocked to prepare the "finder-keeper" for more than just a night on the town: a mix of tunes, bobby pins, tarot cards, lip gloss, matches and other - some unmentionable here - accessories added to the already-exciting find.

since we were not able to get our hands on the bags in palm beach county, @cityplacewpb is giving away some sizzling summer swag closer to home. launched last week, cityplace is tweeting every wednesday between noon and 2 p.m. until july 22 with instructions for locals to win prizes from some of the area's hottest retailers. the first lucky follower to check in at the day's selected store and repeat the tweet will go home with something sweet.

last week's winner - who happened to be my friend chrissy! - arrived within six minutes of the tweet to receive $300 worth of laura mercier and issey miyake products from sephora, including a new summer fragrance and a nude color palette of bronzer, waterproof mascara, light mineral shadows and other makeup perfect for the sunny weather.


i hear that today's prize will be a victoria's secret bathing suit of choice, just in time for the fourth of july. but who will be today's winner...will it be you?

fab find: anthropologie summer sale

i've been bringing my lunch to work lately so i will not only eat healthier, but save money by not eating out...the only problem is, i work in cityplace...which means i still take my break, and instead of eating, i shop!

good thing i know about the sales then... anthropologie had huge sales on apparel and home accessories when i stopped in last week, and i walked out with four new pieces. this could have been dangerous, but some of the sale prices were almost 80 percent off, so i walked out with only $127 in purchases. with the sale still going on, here's a sample of what you can find:

edme & esyllte cafe awning skirt: marked down from $88 to $39.95.

this striped linen skirt is perfect to dress up a day at work in sunny south florida.

daughters of the liberation jeans: marked down from $88 to $19.95.

i have no idea why these light chocolate and bluish-grey jeans were marked down so much. designer jeans never seem to fit me since i don't have model-length legs, but these low-cut jeans have a great fit and are so light, soft & summery that i can stand to wear them in even in the heat.

elevenses seersucker cropped jacket: marked down from

$128 to $39.95.

i think this may have been my best purchase. i love the sailor-style collar and it works with my new jeans and shimmery sandals for a beachy night at the square grouper, or with a white pencil skirt and navy pumps while working in the summer.

after hearing about my fab finds, my mom and sister rushed out too. my mom bought an embroidered coral tank for $29.95 and my sister really made out with her ashy navy & lace top by velvet for $19.95, and a super-girly striped apron at half-off for only $14.95. she even had the chance to model it for me tonight...yum!

make sure you stop by before the goods are gone! and while you're there, check out the new summer dresses - so cute you won't mind paying full price.

ahoy matey!

i practically grew up on a boat so when nautical pieces start popping up each spring or summer, i'm excited. though anchors, sailor stripes, beach blues, white linens and other navy-inspired pieces don't necessarily ever go out of style, they are definitely in style for spring '09.

this white blazer by dex in the window of rhythm clothiers caught my eye while at cityplace in west palm beach. the navy blue trim and embroidered anchor give it a casual yet classy feel that's great for day or night this time of year. the striped vest, also by dex, and chunky necklace give it the full yacht-appeal without going overboard.

one of my other favs is the dress below, purchased from banana republic, also at cityplace. i had been looking at the dress, which also came in a gray and white striped version, for a few weeks until i noticed it went on sale and then i pounced! unfortunately for me it doesn't come in a petite and was too big for me, but as you can see below, it fit my mom perfectly and looks amazing on her! she wore it for our easter brunch, perfectly paired with her neutral, very palm beach jack rogers sandals and my layered silver and teal style & co. necklace (which i bought on sale for only $6 from macy's at cityplace).

it looks fabulous on my mom, but beware! she is a skinny mini and horizontal stripes unfortunately do not look as good on all people as they do on her. if you are particularly busty or broad in the waist or hips, you may want to try the nautical theme in some other fashion rather than stripes.

another way to dive into the marine theme is by sporting boat shoes or even keds. decked out in a non-traditional plaid and tweed-like pattern, i'm planning on purchasing this pair i found online from forever 21 for only $18.80.

what do you think of the nautical theme, are you embracing it like me, or is it over-played?

peacock prints & snakeskin shoes

animal prints have gone in and out and then back in style again over the years. first leopard print, then zebra, then even cow...but all i wanted for years was to find peacock patterns (those of you who know me understand why...). sure there were a few here and there - feather earrings at urban outfitters and a "proud peacock" shirt at hollister, but that was all i could find, just a few lame pieces.

finally this year i got my wish and peacock prints are popping up everywhere! two of my recent favorites include this betsey johnson necklace my boyfriend gave me:

and one of two feather-patterned dresses from francesca's collections, which i scoped out and purchased during the first few weeks of its opening at cityplace in west palm beach. i like the atypical color palette used in this particular dress, which makes the proud peacock in it a little more subtle:

my other current craze is snakeskin. it's a difficult pattern to work with because, like many other animal prints, it can come across as trashy if it's not done right. with just a touch of it here or there though, it can be edgy or sophisticated.

my favorite python piece of the moment is this pair of shoes, which i snaked for less than $30 from nine west. i love the innocent, double-strapped mary jane style mixed with the daring print and they look stunning with an lbd or a high-waisted, red pencil skirt:

and just for good measure, even though it's a little off the topic of "peacock prints and snakeskin shoes," i had to get in one of my favs for leopard print...i am obsessed with this classic a-line, wool and silk skirt that i bought at 70 percent off from bcbg at cityplace: