Fashion Radar

Good news for Chicago shoppers...

From WWD.com: "Loehmann's will open its first downtown Chicago store at 151 North State Street next month, adding to the discount retail presence on the street, which currently houses Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx and Filene's Basement. Located between the Chicago Theatre and Macy's on State Street, the newly constructed 27,000-square-foot bilevel Loehmann's will possess one of the more upscale interiors of the 61-store chain, with marble floors and private fitting rooms. It will sit below the Joffrey Ballet's new headquarters and across from ABC Channel 7's new studios. ..."

FYI, Loehmann's is a discounter of designer fashions. Think of it as a dressier, more mature version of TJ Maxx.

The opening of Loehmann's is part of an ongoing transformation of State street...which has been bittersweet: In 2006, Marshall Field's, an iconic department store and city landmark, was replaced by New-York based Macy's. (We won't shop there on principle, but the building is still worth visiting for it's stunning Tiffany glass dome.) Then, the nearby Louis Sullivan-designed building that had housed Carson Pirie Scott for over a century saw it's tenant take flight.

On the plus side, the area south of Washington has really seen a surge in new businesses including affordable clothing retailers and restaurants. In addition to the stores listed above, budget babes can also shop at Chicago-based Akira, and Sears, plus Urban Outfitters, Old Navy, H&M, and a trilevel Forever 21 (to name a few).

Let's hope Loehmann's gives shoppers in Chitown something to cheer about.

Tennis star Venus Williams is designing a line of affordable fashion called EleVen for retailer Steve and Barry's. The exclusive line of mostly sports and loungewear will be available in November.

Following in the footsteps of Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker and Dear by Amanda Bynes, clothing and shoes in the EleVen collection will be priced at $19.98 and less.

This seems like a natural collaboration as Venus is known for her style on and off the court. She's also an aspiring designer as a fashion student, not to mention an incredible athlete and tremendous role model for young girls everywhere.

Athlete-endorsed clothing lines have already proven to be a successful business model for Steve & Barry's: NBA star Stephon Marbury launched a line of sneaks that saw stellar sales due to their $15 pricetag. (Now that's worth cheering for!)

We're not necessarily expecting amazing fashion to come out of EleVen, but we do think it will be popular. This line will give fans and admirers of Venus a chance to be a champ, too. And if she did in fact wear EleVen sneaks during the US Open, then best believe we'll be buying a pair, too!

Check out this feel-good music video by Feist (You're probably familiar with the song, "1234," from recent iPod nano commercials)...



Fun wardrobe and choreography, no? It's like a big box of Crayola Crayons comes to life and gets jiggy a la Richard Simmons in "Sweatin' to the Oldies." We love the blue sequin jumper that Leslie Feist is rocking out, too.

The takeaway? Color outside the lines!

This past Sunday, we had a change of plans and spent the day drinking wine and eating cheese at a vineyard not too far from us, as part of their annual harvest celebration. (So Target and Alice Temperley had to wait a day—can you blame us?)

Tomorrow, we'll bring you our review of the line, but today we wanted to share this photo we snapped of a stylish reveler at the wine-tasting. Most of the people there were wearing jeans and sweater-sets, but not Ms. Marc Jacobs girl. Take a look...


Lovely, isn't she? Subtle colors in her ensemble contrast nicely with her rich brown locks.


Our eyes lock-on to the delicious robin's egg blue purse by ::squinting:: Marc Jacobs.


The simple, delicate botanical print of the dress picks up the color of the purse perfectly. (If you can name the designer, please do!)


A soft white sweater seems spun from the clouds overhead. Adds a touch of texture (and warmth). Note also the bling.


The colorful batik tablecloths remind us of the French countryside (and as a matter of fact, so did the wine!)
The people watching, picturesque scenery, and cerulean blue skies made for an idyllic way to bid farewell to summer and say hello to fall.

Set your TiVos, kids, cuz Vera Wang will be showcasing her new affordable fashion line on tomorrow's Oprah Show. Watch the preview and check local listings for times!

(Oh, and come back later to talk about the show!)

Related links:
The Budget Babe reviews Simply Vera. >>

Question: Where will you be this Sunday, September 16th?

Answer: Checkin' out British designer Alice Temperley's new GO collection at Target, of course!


Swiss Dot Blouse in Blue, $34.99; Velvet Miniskirt in Black, $29.99; Hat in Black, $14.99; Belted Sweater Dress in Black/White, $49.99; Hat in Black, $14.99; Long-Stitch Sweater in Gray, $44.99; Voile Ruffle-Front Dress in Gray, $29.99; Striped Belt in Black/White, $14.99; Fingerless Gloves in Black, $14.99

What to expect (from Target's pressroom): "The Alice Temperley for Target collection encourages women to be playful with their wardrobe. Expertly incorporating ruffles, polka dots, bows and buttons onto sophisticated silhouettes, Temperley makes an understated feminine statement. The collection ranges in price from $14.99–$139.99, including fall must-haves such as printed dresses, knit tunics, cropped jackets, ruffled blouses, little black dresses and miniskirts."

"Stand-out pieces include a long flower-print V-neck dress, long velvet coat with voluminous sleeves, blue polka-dotted bow blouse and navy military jacket with gold buttons. Accessories include chic knit fingerless gloves and berets in solid black, pink and black, and white stripes. Wide stretch belts in solid black and black & white stripes add a finishing touch to a modern look."

What we say: Bring it on! The classic black and white color palette is super appealing for fall. Some of the pieces appear to lack that crucial wearability factor, but we still get giddy when we see high-fashion looks at affordable prices. (Easily amused? Us?! Naaah...)

Next up: Designer Erin Fetherston

And in the meantime...
Save 30% on Libertine >>
Last chance: Patrick Robinson Clearance >>

Chicagoans need not go nude anymore: Chicago-based t-shirt collective Threadless.com just opened their first brick-and-mortar store in the Windy City.

We can't wait to check it out since we've been big fans of their online store for years (Where else would we shop for our lovable 1337 bf?). Let's face it, we're a T-shirt generation living in a T-shirt world and we might as well wear the coolest ones we can find.

The best thing about Threadless is that the shirt designs come from the community—users can submit ideas and vote on their favorite designs. This results in an amazing amount of super-creative expressions with something for everyone—silly, saucy, sensitive, smartass, just plain nerdy—you name it.

The store is going to be busy teaching design classes, hosting galleries with Threadless artist's work, having real-world group critiques and other various events. Rock on, Threadless.

Get more info on Threadless Chicago. >>