Quick! Name three designers who do their best work in warm weather: Lilly Pulitzer, Emilio Pucci and, more recently, Amy Smilovic, founder of Tibi, and, as far as we’re concerned, the creative offspring of the first two.
Smilovic’s in town on Friday for a private trunk show at very trunk-showy Kimberly Boutique. Which means, you can, 1.) Stalk the shop and beg whoever answers to add your name to the list. Or, 2.), You could just pop in Saturday to scour the racks for the here-that-day, gone-the-next pieces from Tibi’s beach-y, swirly, maxi-dressed, hippie-chick-meets-Palm-Beach-socialite summer 2008 collection. Because as far as we’re concerned, summer’s here.
Image, tibi.com
My job can be very dangerous sometimes. Not, like, physically or anything (well, usually). But when you’re already predisposed to shop and to covet and to, well, give in to all that, being responsible for conveying to people out there what they should also want to shop for and covet and give into buying, it can get a bit hazardous.
For instance, I’m at a photo shoot right now for nature-inspired jewelry. And it’s not just enamel or plastic stuff I can just go grab after the shoot if I really feel I must have it. It’s diamonds and pearls and platinum and it’s so frosty and the designs are so pretty (sprawling leaves and flowers, various insects — yes, insects; you’ll see) that I’m afraid these are going to stay on my mind for a while.
My fave: this little dragonfly necklace from Tiffany. He would work year round, with any outfit, just hanging out on my collarbone. I swear I’d take good care of him. If only someone would just give me the chance.
Lucky for us, free-spirited artist Susan Banchek has settled down (for now, at least) in Philly, after stints in Ohio, New Orleans and NYC. Even luckier for us, she’s filling the most fashionable city shops (Vintage Connection and Arcadia) with her slightly offbeat, totally statement-making necklaces, which she crafts in a teeny studio in her Center City apartment.
If her brass baubles have a vintage flair, it’s because Banchek gets most of her inspiration from the glamourpusses of yesteryear (think Cleopatra and the queens of the silver screen). And, though her jewelry line, Esther K. — named for her great-grandmother — is now limited to necklaces, she’s considering branching out to bracelets (fingers crossed!).
Next up? Look for semi-precious stones on Banchek’s next batch of earthy-pretty necklaces.
“They have a presence to them, I think,” Banchek modestly says of her covetable, limited-edition pieces. We couldn’t agree more.
That little headline is sadly not the work of my journalistic brain, but rather the tagline of Haverford’s newest (and possibly cutest) clothing boutique, Katye K, which I had the pleasure of popping into last week on a day when I was working extremely hard outside the office (i.e., certainly not buying no less than two items wherever I went. Ahem.).
The shop is nestled in a mini shopping strip set a tad back off of Lancaster Ave. in a pleasantly open, white and light space. Owner Katye Stanzak’s looking to freshen up the Main Line with designers not often found around those parts — comfy, flirty dresses and tops from JWLA, For Love and Liberty, Daftbird, Burning Torch and By Francine. She’s got denim from Genetic and Kasil, plus William Rast and People’s Liberation, and bags by Kooba and Deux Lux.
In the back, find comfy PJs, and a smattering of the cutest baby stuff — itty bitty “Philly Baby” onsies stuffed into to-go coffee cups from Baby Take Out, and one-of-a-kind girly dresses from Green Pomegranate, made out of vintage linens, old-fashioned hand towels, table scarves, antique lace and mid-century buttons. (So can you really blame me for “not” buying no less than two items?)
If you haven’t checked it out yet (she’s only been open a month!), pop by on May 8th, when she’s having a Girls Night Out party — wine and hors d’oeuvres from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and 10 percent off your purchase.
Ah, Gap. Ever-reliant, fundamentals retail heaven. Especially when you hit one of those stores where Gap Body is combined with the main store, like ours is on Walnut Street. About once a year I stock up on layering white camis, cropped workout (/lounging) pants, comfy hoodies and super soft v-neck Ts. Plus, there’s usually a wildcard item or two throw in, depending on the season. And this spring’s visit was no different.
Behold Gap’s striped tank dress for spring/summer 2008. It comes in an array of colors, is made of that super soft cotton, comes in a rainbow of colors, and will be as perfect to throw on after work and sleep in as it will be as a hot summer’s day go-to and the quintessential beach cover-up. Leggings optional.
Seeing as I’ll definitely use it as all of those, I bought it in two colors (love the tangerine!).
For now.
Gap striped tank dress, $24.50, various locations, gap.com.
Feel good about Earth Day at Kellijane, where 5 percent of sales for the week (ending Saturday) will benefit Philadelphia Green, a PA Horticultural society program that has been taking care of Philly’s public green spaces since way before Green became trendy. Options are endless with locally made silk-filled pillows and comforters from EcoSnug in earthy browns, deep burgundies and crisp whites; soy-based candles from Cir, the oldest candle company in the world — as in, the candles makers for Louis XV; and Nandina bamboo towels, which are hypoallergenic and more absorbent than cotton. Not to mention the organic cotton bedding from Under the Canopy and Anna Sova. — Andrea Carayiannas
Trunk show alert! Scarlett Alley’s got a party menu — owner Liz recommends the “antioxidant martinis” made with the Pure Inventions tea and fruit extracts that the shop carries — and a peek at bags, totes and clutches from the brand that kicked off my bag addiction years ago, Hobo. I’m just about due for a new splurge to carry around … I’m thinking something like this shimmery number, which is dreamily dubbed the Starlite and will go perfect with a summer tan.
I get the whole long-term message of eco-friendly living and am glad my efforts might save the great-great-grandkids from rising sea levels, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a few benefits, say, while I’m on Earth. Luckily, I stumbled across Exclusively Green, an e-commerce site that not only sells green goods from national and local makers, but also supports eco-responsible groups in the Philly area. In fact, the Norristown-based site just kicked off a new initiative, donating 5 percent of sales to a different environmental nonprofit each month.
This month, I can bike over to Roxborough’s Schuylkill Center and know that my well-spent cash is keeping the center — which promoted environmental education — up and running. And with everything from bamboo sheets to earth-friendly dog toys to choose from, I’ll have no problem stuffing my cyber cart. I’m especially fond of this Hemp Evening Clutch from Vulcana, a New Jersey-based company that turns old car tires into totally tote-able accessories. Recycled Michelin that passes for posh leather? That’s what I call instant gratification. — Cheryl McEvoy
Provided you’re as tired as I am with political events, rallies and television in general, you’ll be glad to forget all about such trivial matters as you browse the FULL SPRING COLLECTION byAlice + Oliviathis Saturday at Center City’s Kimberly Boutique.
Sweet shop owner Jimmy Contreras, every girl’s best friend, always does the cutest trunk show parties, and this one will be no exception: Look for adorably bright cocktail frocks by the ever-wispy designer (and Penn grad) Stacey Bendet (who can’t come, because she’s apparently permanently weighed down, hand-first, by her brand-new engagement rock), along with A + O’s signature trousers — six styles of them! — a rose-silkscreened gown, pleated halter tops galore, and so-worth-the-splurge floral candles that retail for $50 apiece. Don’t feel guilty: 15 percent of proceeds go to the Fund for Living at the Foundation for Breast and Prostate Health.
As Jimmy predicts, the event will be, “Unbelievable. Gorgeous.” Don’t miss it. But if you do, at least mark your calendar for May 16, when he’ll throw the boutique’s three-year birthday bash alongside Tibi designer Amy Smilovic.
Ever since we bought a house, I promised my fiancé I would run big purchases by him. After all, “we have a mortgage now.” Meaning: No more returning from lunch hour, arms brimming with overflowing shopping bags. No more nonchalant swipes of the plastic. No more $300 “impulse buys.” Sigh. How am I, shopper extraordinaire, supposed to stop shopping?
Well, I’ve found a way to curb my insatiable purchasing appetite without risking one of those boring “finance” discussions he likes to have every once in a while: Shop for him. Because, really, he can’t get angry when I come home laden with gifts for him. Right. So on to Omoi (pronounced oh-moe-ee), a funky-fab shop that brings Japanese street-style to our very own Pine Street.
Owner Liz Sieber stocks lines for guys (and gals!) including ZenBunni, UZI, Seibei and WeSC — the company who made this incredibly lightweight Philibert sweater (pictured) — perfect for chilly summer nights, sitting outside in the backyard of our new house.
Quick! Name three designers who do their best work in warm weather: Lilly Pulitzer, Emilio Pucci and, more recently, Amy Smilovic, founder of Tibi, and, as far as we’re concerned, the creative offspring of the first two. 
My job can be very dangerous sometimes. Not, like, physically or anything (well, usually). But when you’re already predisposed to shop and to covet and to, well, give in to all that, being responsible for conveying to people out there what they should also want to shop for and covet and give into buying, it can get a bit hazardous. 
Lucky for us, free-spirited artist Susan Banchek has settled down (for now, at least) in Philly, after stints in Ohio, New Orleans and NYC. Even luckier for us, she’s filling the most fashionable city shops (
That little headline is sadly not the work of my journalistic brain, but rather the tagline of Haverford’s newest (and possibly cutest) clothing boutique, 
Ah, Gap. Ever-reliant, fundamentals retail heaven. Especially when you hit one of those stores where Gap Body is combined with the main store, like ours is on Walnut Street. About once a year I stock up on layering white camis, cropped workout (/lounging) pants, comfy hoodies and super soft v-neck Ts. Plus, there’s usually a wildcard item or two throw in, depending on the season. And this spring’s visit was no different. 
Feel good about Earth Day at 
Trunk show alert! 
I get the whole long-term message of eco-friendly living and am glad my efforts might save the great-great-grandkids from rising sea levels, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a few benefits, say, while I’m on Earth. Luckily, I stumbled across 
Provided you’re as tired as I am with political events, rallies and television in general, you’ll be glad to forget all about such trivial matters as you browse the FULL SPRING COLLECTION by Alice + Olivia this Saturday at Center City’s 
Ever since we bought a house, I promised my fiancé I would run big purchases by him. After all, “we have a mortgage now.” Meaning: No more returning from lunch hour, arms brimming with overflowing shopping bags. No more nonchalant swipes of the plastic. No more $300 “impulse buys.” Sigh. How am I, shopper extraordinaire, supposed to stop shopping?