A New Place to Shop

Clothing reviewed in this post may have been provided courtesy of LUXE wearhouse.  For further information, see my Sponsored Reviews and Paid Post Policy located at the end of this blog.  All opinions expressed here are my own.

I love when friends and blog readers tell me about new stores they have found that I should blog about. I love to find new, fresh places, and that is what happened last week.  A friend suggested that I check out LUXE wearhouse (www.LUXEwearhouse.com) in Kildeer, Illinois, and I am so glad that I did.  The store is located at 20771 N. Rand Rd, Kildeer and is tucked away in a shopping center with a DSW and Best Buy.

The front of the store carries accessories like jewelry, handbags and candles, and the back is clothing at very reasonable prices.  They carry lots of boutique brands at below retail prices.  Their website says that their merchandise is up to 75% below retail.

I saw lots of cute spring and transitional tops in popular brand names.

Peasant tops are very trendy right now:

So is the tribal trend:

Below is a great pink tank top by Wilt.  I love Wilt's fabric.  Their tops always lay so nicely.

More cute items:

I also found these great striped skirts in gray, navy and black, which are great for the summer.  They are very reasonably priced at $30.  Add a white t-shirt and coordinating scarf and boom, outfit!

Speaking of scarves, LUXE wearhouse had a great selection of scarves too, which are a great accessory for spring. Scarves are perfect for dressing up a plain top or putting a new spin on something that you already have in your closet.

The store is owned by three women and has been open for about a year and a half.  Even though tucked away, people seemed to know about LUXE wearhouse because when I was there, there was a steady stream of customers.  Three other things to note, shopping at LUXE wearhouse was a pleasant experience because there were no pushy sales people (love that). Also, they are closed on Mondays but open the other 6 days of the week (check their website for hours).  For those of you that do not live in my area, they offer a unique concept of a "stylebox" where they select and explain how to style clothing items which they send to you for you to try at home (it's on their website so check it out!)

Back by Popular Demand!

I am back!  Who doesn't love a "job" where you can take a six month vacay?  But I have heard the cries of my faithful readers asking for guidance on the latest Spring trends, and I have decided that it is time to break the blog silence.

The sun is shining today in Chicago, and they are expecting temps to reach near 50 degrees next week. So it is time to start thinking Spring!  I can honestly say I am so sick of my heavy winter clothes, even the ones I haven't worn.  Boots, yuck!  I need sandals!  I need tank tops!  I may even break down and buy a new swimsuit this year…

As is my usual practice, I will break the Spring trends post into several posts over the next couple weeks as I get my groove back on and visit my favorite Chicago area suburban stores.

Trend 1:  Floral

It has been big for awhile both in spring and fall, and it is back with a vengeance, according to my sources.

If you are not into prints, which I haven't been until lately, you must find a floral top or even pant for spring.  It is hot!!!!

Check out these floral leggings from Payton Rose (Northbrook, IL):

and...for those not so daring, these are a more subtle black and white floral from Alice B. (Buffalo Grove, IL).

Trend 2:  Romantic White Lace

Also, another returning trend.   Check out this cute top from Alice B.:

And while we are on the subject of white…

Cute white top from Payton Rose:

I am seeing lots of white tops, which are great because they go with everything.

Trend 3:  A Little Boho

The boho trend is big too, from suedes to fringes and peasant blouses.

Top above from Payton Rose.

Also, along with the boho trend is tassels…they are popping up everywhere:

They can be dressy or funky:

(Above Alice B.

Below Payton Rose)

Trend 4:  A Leather Jacket

Not really a new trend, but I am anxious to wear something lighter than a North Face down coat:

Payton Rose had these two great jackets:

The first is such a soft material, and the second is a muted pink…so pretty!

Trend 5:  A Little Gingham

This is big, and I loved these Hue leggings I found at Alice B.  Check them out styled two different ways.  Possibly a future purchase?

I think that's enough for now.  I promise to blog more often than twice a year and be a part of your life again.  Thanks for sticking with me!

The Latest Styles of Margarita Active Wear

Last spring, I blogged about Margarita Activewear, which is distributed through Daisy Fitness Wear (DaisyFitnesswear.com).   See my post from May 14, 2014.  They have some great new merchandise in that you should check out on the website.  Plus, I have been wearing my Margarita Activewear to the gym lately and have found it so comfortable (and stylish) for working out.  Not to mention, that it washes amazingly.  And, dare I mention, that some days I wind up wearing it on days I don't go to the gym and don't feel like getting dressed.  We all have those days, right?

Here are some really cute styles that I found, but you can check out the website for lots more.  I personally have my eye on a pair of leggings with a sugar skull on it.  As I have said many times before, skulls are not just for Halloween.

Another item that I love is their tops.  They are super cute.  Check out this mesh top.

That's it for now.  It was a short post, but I will hit some stores in the next few days, and I am hoping to do another post this week.  Stay tuned!

More Trends for Fall 2014

Here are a few more fabulous fall trends to add to my previous post:

One trend that I have seen in all the magazines is the track pant or sport pants look:

These adorable pants above are from Enaz in Libertyville, Illinois.  I love the subtle pastel tone to them.

Track pants are all about comfort, but they can be dressed up for a night on the town.  The magazines show them with a pretty sweater, blazer or shearling vest.

Two other cute styles I found were on Nordstrom.com.  Check out the links for a pair of Top shop pants and Trouve pants.

More over, lululemon, this fashion trend is giving your yoga pants a run for the money!

I have seen skirt and dress styles run the gamut for fall 2014.  Long skirts are in, minis are in, and there is lots of plaid and pleather.

Here is a great long skirt from Evereve:

And check out these adorable dresses I found at Mainstream Boutique in Northbrook, Illinois:

Above is a shift dress.  People Style Watch says shift dresses are  a "fall must have" in its September 2014 issue.

Another great dress at Mainstream:

At Mainstream, I actually posed for a photo they put on their Facebook page.  Many readers have encouraged me to model some of the clothes that I blog about.  Where here you go-me modeling a cute, comfortable top in my favorite maroon/burgundy or aubergine (as the magazines like to call it) tone:

You can also see me featured wearing this top on Mainstream Boutique's Facebook page.  Check out their Facebook page to find their lasts arrivals, which they update regularly.

Another fall trend I am really excited about is the shearling accent to fall handbags.  Can you believe I found this adorable Ugg shearling accented clutch (in my fave color) at an Ugg Store I ventured into a few weeks ago in the 80 degree Florida heat during my South Beach vacay.

Also while in South Beach, I jumped onto the dark floral trend.  This trend is huge!!  I am seeing it everywhere.  Check out this cute dark floral tank by Nation I found at Bloomingdale's:

Here is a great pair of floral leggings from Express:

While I have captured many of the hottest trends for fall 2014 in this post and the one preceding it, there are still many more I have come across.  More trends for fall and winter are coming at you in future posts.  Plus, I have hardly even scratched the surface on fall shoes and winter boots.

Fall is Here and So are the Trends

Fall is a great time for fashion in the Chicago area.  You can transition your summer pieces over to fall with a light jacket.  I love fall jackets: leather, denim, knit, sweatshirt material, a little sherpa, a little faux fur.  And fall weather is cool enough for a sweater, yet usually warm enough that you don't have to cover up that sweater with a coat.  Plus, the down parkas are still way back in our closets, and it's too bad they cannot stay there.

Yesterday, I took Tory for a walk and saw some beautiful fall color.  The leaves are just starting to change, and I saw lots of reds and yellows.  Fall colors are the best.  Who needs the pinks and mint greens of spring, when you have the fall neutrals?  This year, I am crushing big on burgundy and maroon colors.  The magazines have told me that other big colors are sky blue and shades of green.

For today's post, I am featuring five huge fall trends that I have seen all over.  Since I am a slave to fashion trends, I think that I have embraced them all.  Drop me a comment either on this blog (below the post) or on Facebook and let me know what trends you are into for fall 2014.

The first trend I am loving for its comfort and versatility is the slip-on sneaker.

I purchased mine above at Nordstrom, and they are by Steve Madden.  But everyone is making these from Vince to Tory Burch, Sam Edelman and Michael Kors.  I chose a classic navy color with quilting, but you can even get calf hair slip on sneakers too.  This is a great trend for moms on the go.

Speaking of quilting, that is big again too.  I have seen lots of cute quilted sweatshirts, handbags and shoes.  Check out this great quilted dress from Loft.

You know, I am going to mention the pleather trend, which is back again for fall 2014.  Cute sweatshirt alert below:

This sweatshirt by MinkPink is from Rock N Rags in Highland Park, IL, one of my favorite new boutiques for unique trendy fashion.

As far as sweaters go, thick chunky sweaters are also a big trend.

The sweater above is from Alice B. in Buffalo Grove, IL and is a patterned sweater with fringe (also big trends).

Also in vogue, zippers on the side of sweaters.  Below is a cute sweater from Evereve (although not a chunky one) with the zipper detail.

The final trend for today, which I have mentioned before, is plaid.  Plaid is everywhere.  I found this cute plaid with a sherpa lining at Rock N Rags and also the one on the left by Dex as well.

 

This is just the tip of the iceberg.  Hopefully tomorrow I can carve out some more time to blog again about fall trends.  Until then, Happy First Day of Fall!

Moms: Don't be Afraid to Rock the Latest Styles

I had a birthday on Friday.  Let's just say that it put me into my mid-40s.  My teenage son says I am a "middle-aged" mom and should dress like one.  I am not sure what that means.  I don't even think he knows what that means since I still pick out his clothes.

For my birthday, my husband took me on a surprise get away to South Beach, Florida.  I had a chance to survey the local fashion scene and pick up some fall fashion as well.  In my next post, I will blog about five big fall trends and show you some of the damage I did while in South Beach (yes, it was 88 degrees there, and yet I managed to buy a cashmere sweater at Nordstrom in a Miami mall).

Today, I am blogging about a cool store I found last week but had to delay this blog post due to the birthday weekend.  Rock N Rags (1821 St. Johns, Highland Park, IL) is a hip trendy fashion boutique that caters to both the high school/college set and, also their moms.  Rock N Rags carries some great  brands with affordable prices.  The store has a cool vibe to it.  The front of the store is filled with trendy fashion, and there are vinyl records for sale towards the back of the store.  Trust me, it is in no way like you are shopping at the junior department in a mall department store.  Most of the fashion I saw was not too young for any of you moms out there, even us 40 something ones.

See for yourself some of my favorite fashion finds at Rock N Rags:

Great jackets with a little faux fur collar:

Cute sweaters:

Love the bottom of this one (see below):

This sweater has the mock layered bottom I talked about in a previous post.  Huge trend!!!

Simple, yet adorable:

I love the pattern on this blouse, which you can see in the close up in the second photo below:

The dark floral trend is hot.  I think I am going to have to get these great leggings by Dex:

I am still seeing a lot of the skull trend so it is to too late to jump on the bandwagon.  This cute sweater has a hood and the skull on the back:

I am embracing the plaid trend, and this plaid shirt has an awesome floral back.  Check it out!!

Lastly, Rock N Rags is about music and fashion.  Love this top!

You can check out Rock N Rags on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.