Sweet Lady Jane

Travel

2012-01-28T16:50:00.000-05:00

This is trade show season and I'm on my second trip of the year to NYC. This trip is for the gift show - one of my favorite shows. It's the most like "real" shopping because it has everything there - jewels, stationary, design, lighting, furniture... They also really take it the next level in their displays. I mean you have to to, the gift show is the entire Javitis Center and a section of the piers! You really have to shine to catch a buyers eye.

After nearly killing my feet at the Intermezzo show, I decided to take it easy/casual at this one. There is a lot of walking ahead of me. I packed simple, easy outfits and shoes that are feet friendly. I also have my flat boots as a back-up.

I also hope to get some personal shopping in. I just got this jacket from French Connection and I need some pieces to go with it. I'm off to the show!

On trend

2012-01-12T17:53:00.000-05:00

So it appears that I'm either ahead of the game or one step behind - depending on how you look at things. The above announcement is from Kate Spade and no doubt has been planning the year of pattern way before I announced my pattern mixing goal. I will be strong and push ahead. I have to admit that I have so far been unsuccessful in my attempts. I had serious intentions of mixing patterns for my recent buying trip to NYC. But the shoe/hurting feet situation combined with the fact that every single woman at the shows seemed to decide to bust out her animal print, I opted for some old standbys.

My latest love is neon! Again, I may be one step behind but it will be new to Burlington.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-02T18:12:00.000-05:00

Here's to a great New Year and I am so thankful for the one that just past. I had a great time wearing something that sparkled for the entire month of December. I had no idea that I owned that much bling! It also forced me to be more creative in my dressing which created some great outfits. I might have to try another themed month.

I think I might try mixing patterns for the next themed dressing. What do you think?

We have a great year planned at Sweet Lady Jane. We hope to spend it with you and help you obtain your fashion goals!

The day after...

2011-12-26T18:21:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays from your pals at Sweet Lady Jane! With Christmas behind us, we're looking forward to ringing in the new year. Do you have your holiday sparkle yet?! We have a lot of great pieces left and they're all on sale! Let's ring in 2012 in style!

It's that time of year...

2011-12-15T19:05:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for that hard to buy for person? May we suggest a themed Santa character? Just kidding - who the hell buys these?! Can you imagine a collection of these themed Santa's?

We're in the middle of the crazy shopping festivities. I have to say that people seem prepared this year and on top of their game. That can all change this week...and I might need to borrow some of that Santa tequila.

Black Friday

2011-11-27T17:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving and with it being over - the holiday madness begins! This year seems more rushed than ever. Stores opening at midnight on Thanksgiving eve? Pretty soon, we won't even remember what Thanksgiving was. I just want to say that I am thankful to have a good job that I love, a great staff that works very hard to bring style to Burlington and wonderful customers that allow us to do what we love.

Nicolette and I collaborated on the holiday windows this year. They turned out amazing - not surprising because she is a very talented person. I love the rain/snow clouds...

Hoilday spirit

2011-11-18T13:22:00.000-05:00

The holiday tree arrived on the Marketplace today! Nothing like a big fluffy tree to get you in the holiday mood. Another spirit lifter is the Mirror Mirror annual holiday party.

It was last night and it was fabulous. What girl doesn't love drinks, make-up and good friends? I did a little gift shopping and got an amazing nail shellac. Some of the SLJ staff got makeovers and then they were off to the midnight showing of Twilight.

Rachel and I headed to Flatbread, after a quick shoe change - 5 inch heels and Flatbread, I don't think so. A big thank you to the wonderful staff at Mirror Mirror and a BIGGER thank you for the swag bag! WOW!

Love of vintage

2011-11-01T17:13:00.000-04:00

I'm still waiting on pictures from the Wedding Affair. In the meantime, I thought I would share my latest love - those vintage iphone camera apps. I'm crazy for them. They turn the everyday into a treasure. I mean just check out this shot of a Corey Lynn Calter dress and a Tulle faux-fur collar. I'm currently using Hipstamatic, pocketbooth, 360, hipster and Instagram. I've gotta calm down.

A Wedding Affair

2011-10-27T12:27:00.000-04:00

We're very excited to be a part of The Wedding Affair. "The Vermont Wedding Affair is dedicated to catering to local & destination couples that want to experience the BEST Vermont has to offer. From planning seminars & decor workshops to makeovers & manicures, The Vermont Wedding Affair will introduce you to the products, people & places that create Vermont’s most talked about events." Although Sweet Lady Jane is not known for it's bridal dress selection, we do have great pieces for engagement parties, rehearsal dinners and honeymoon trips.

This is one of the looks that we'll be showing from Corey Lynn Calter.

We'll probably use the Biata dress too - it will look great on Lola.

We also managed to score some holiday samples from French Connection. Mica is going to look killer in this piece.

Cynthea's Spa is doing the makeup and Salon Cruz will be creating the hair. Cynthea said that this Burberry campaign, will be her inspiration. Love it.

French Connection Show 2011

2011-10-16T14:23:00.000-04:00

We went with two looks for each model. This is Kelly in her daytime/causal look. She's wearing a featherweight flannel jumpsuit, thin double leather belt and our new twill parka. It's a great jacket - you can cinch the waist, tailor the fullness of the hem and even take out the inner liner, for those warmer fall days.

Here is Kat in the Jackson leather biker jacket and the ribbons knit off the shoulder dress.

The necklace is from trinket - designed by Molly M.

Julia is wearing the petra puffa vest and the streaky stripe top, a personal favorite.

Mica is wearing the twinkle knit jumper, which turned out to be the nights most coveted item, and an amazing David Aubrey necklace.

Lola rocked a long knit sweater dress, the purple suede belt, a chunky snood. The puffa coat in her hand is amazing. It has a high collar that snuggles right up to your face. Perfect on a blustery day.

Now on to the evening portion...

Kelly looked fabulous in the ella draped maxi dress.

Kat was killer in the drape delight dream dress.

I loved Julia in the pen dragon beading dress. This dress was the inspiration for the head pieces and the amazing make-up by Kirstin. The beading on this piece is to die for.

The tie on Mica's head piece broke right before she walked - she had to improvise. She's wearing another amazing beaded dress, the winter bex beads sleeveless dress. This dress is so on trend with what the runways were showing for spring 2012. Mica also has on the most supple leather jacket. I love the drawstring waist.

This look was a show stopper - Lola is wearing the starstruck asymmetric dress and the skating Kate faux-fur jacket. Gorgeous.

A big thank you to our lovely models - Julia, Kat, Lola, Kelly and Mica! You rocked the runway!

A big thank you to Brett Lupfer for taking the stellar photographs, thank you to the lovely Miss Kirstin for her talented make-up skills and a big thank you to Lauren from French Connection, for making this event even possible.
p.s. I'm wearing the starstruck scoop dress and Lauren is in the camilla stretch dress.

French Connection Fashion Show - preview

2011-10-12T18:37:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the third annual French Connection fashion show! We've been busy trying to put together our looks - a daytime casual and a night out on the town outfit. We're loving the faux fur jacket over the crystal crusted, one shoulder dress for your holiday event.

The Clothes Exchange pop-up shop

2011-09-29T13:18:00.000-04:00


Before

This giant, cavernous space is about to be transformed into The Clothes Exchange pop-up shop! My most talented display team (Nicolette and Rachel) and I met with Leslie, the founder of The Clothes Exchange, to brainstorm display ideas. The event is October 15th and 16th, at the old Outdoor Gear Exchange space, on Cherry Street. Proceeds will go to the Intervale Center Farmers' Recovery Fund.

Farm meets fashion.

Inspiration

2011-09-17T18:06:00.000-04:00

It's show time - again. I'm off to NYC this weekend to check out Coterie, Designers & Agents and a new show for me, capsule. Packing can be a chore but I can inspiration in a single item. I just got these shoes last night at the Stella-Mae launch party, they make everything pop! Other places that I find inspiration are Garance Dore, The Sartorialist, and style.com of course.

A closet full of clothes and I have nothing to wear

2011-09-14T17:40:00.000-04:00

photo by Tommy Ton

Have you experienced this problem? I was paralyzed today with the prospects of finding something to wear to work. I wanted to wear a shirt and a simple bottom. I don't own a "shirt". Every top I have has some kind of issue - need to wear it with skinny jeans, need to wear it with high waist pants, need to tuck it in or belt it, way to casual, has a hole in it... See what I'm saying?

It's fashion week in NYC and my favorite thing is to check out all the street shots. I love these outfits - simple, casual, and killer shoes. I'm going to clean out my closet tonight and make a list of what I need to add. No more crazy tops!

Fashion's Night Out - Burlington style

2011-09-12T11:24:00.000-04:00


Photo by Brett Lupfer

What a night...it was crazy! We didn't really know what to expect and we were not disappointed. People were into it! Was it the discount? Was it the food? Was it that over 20 stores were participating? It was just fun.

My best window dressers...

2011-09-05T18:44:00.000-04:00

Nicolette and Rachel went to work today and got our windows ready for Fashion's Night Out. They were originally going to use neon yarn to create a multidimensional window. I was a little worried about our models getting trapped and decided to switch gears after seeing a Free People video. I hope you can stop by and watch our models go from summer to fall...

Fashion for a cause

2011-09-01T16:20:00.000-04:00

Burlington was really spared by Irene but a lot of people and families are still struggling in Vermont. People are banding together to help out our fellow Vermonters and this is an easy way to get involved.

We will also be donating a portion of our sales from the Fashion's Night Out event. Hope to see you there.

Fashion's Night Out - Burlington style

2011-08-27T14:00:00.000-04:00

We have been really busy this week prepping for our Fashion's Night Out event. A lot of the Church Street merchants are on board and are planning some fabulous events.

We are going to have live models in our window, mini makeovers by Makeup by Kirstin, food from Plumpest Peach, you can get your photo shot by Brett Lupfer, and the entire store will 20% off. When is this happening? September 8th from 6-9pm. See you there!

Seven Daysies!

2011-08-13T13:58:00.000-04:00

We won another Daysie! This is Seven Days annual reader choice awards and we won Best Place to buy Women's Casual Clothing. We also got runner up for Best Place to buy Women's Evening Wear.

Here I am - sporting my "winner" sash, which is destroying my outfit. Click here for more pictures from the event.

McQueen at the Met

2011-08-06T11:09:00.001-04:00


photo by Garance Dore

I was lucky enough to get to see the McQueen exhibit when I was in New York. It was sweltering and packed. It seemed like every fashionable person in New York hadn't seen the show and decided to go that day. At least it was nice to see people getting dressed for an event.

So the wait was over two hours. We became members of the Met to skip the line, only to find out that there was a member line! It was well worth the wait, although I didn't get to see much of the "Room of Curiosities". Click here to read Garance Dore's post about the show. She really captures the spirit of the experience.

Northeast Kingdom

2011-08-01T23:19:00.000-04:00

After a long day of shopping at the shows, this girl is looking forward to some good food. Tonight we ventured out to Brooklyn, to see our good friend Erin. She took us to her favorite place, Northeast Kingdom. The place is named after an area in Vermont and was founded by Vermonters.

The restaurant is based on foraging local produce and the salad that I had was picked fresh that day (and everyday) from a rooftop garden. They also have a great "everyday" menu - double cheeseburger with duck fat fried tater tots! Long story short - the food was amazing, the atmosphere super friendly and we're definitely going back.

First day of Intermezzo

2011-07-31T17:20:00.000-04:00

It's hotter than hot on the streets of New York today. I was almost glad to be freezing inside the Javtis Center. Most of the vendors were showing their holiday and resort collections, which would be perfect to have in the stores right now! But you won't be seeing this until January 2012.

French Connection was lovely. They really expanded their stripe collection - which we all love. Color trend - mustard, melon, rust, burgundy, navy.

This was part of the holiday collection at Free People. I saw a lot of cropped sweaters, loose knits, and fitted dresses here. We've been layering the boxy sweaters over the fitted dresses and slips all summer. Looks like it will continue into the fall. They also had some great flocked velvet bras and knit wraps/capes.

New York City bound

2011-07-30T10:33:00.000-04:00

It's going to be HOT, HOT, HOT in New York this weekend. I decided to pack most of my maxi dresses and a variety of shoe heights. It's always so tough to decide on what to bring because it's so sticky on the street and freezing in the trade shows. Please also note the lack of black...I'm trying to bring some color in my wardrobe.

Love

2011-07-21T16:05:00.000-04:00

These will satisfy my red pant lusting. Yes - please!

Fall shows

2011-07-20T18:36:00.000-04:00

I'll be in New York in a week and the outfit planning has begun. The weather will be way to warm for a suit but how awesome is this hot pink number? I'm dying to get some red high waisted or wide leg pants. But hot pink could be an option.

Something like this would be more appropriate. The shoe choice is the most critical. Pounding the pavement, in the heat, really can make you uncomfortable if you go for a crazy shoe.

I will definitely bring my Pour la Victoire sandals and maybe my new Jimmy Choo's that I got as an early birthday present (thanks Mom!).

Seasons change

2011-07-15T17:56:00.001-04:00

Here we are in the middle of summer and look what comes in...fall clothes. I know I shouldn't be surprised, I am the one who ordered these things. It's just so hard to think about - I mean it's finally warm!

On the bright side, there are some super pretty dresses from Jack. You can see the prints on the left. You can wear this now and then add tights for fall! I'm off to enjoy the warm summer evening. You should too!

We've got some new friends

2011-06-30T15:47:00.000-04:00

I decided to skip the last trade show in New York, boy am I glad that I did. It forced me to look for some new designers. Let me introduce you to Kendra Renee. I have to admit that I have been coveting her work for awhile. I've seen it on a few of our customers and have always admired the simple but edgy styling. Her pieces will be in the store in the next week or so.

I also added a line called Waxing Poetic. It's a "build your own" concept. We have a variety of chains and charms that you can use to create your own personalized piece.

What's in your bag?

2011-06-23T10:54:00.000-04:00

This is the bag that I've been carrying lately, the Victoria by Hobo. I originally intended it to be my gym bag but since it is so practical, it has worked it's way into my daily life. The nylon doesn't show any dirt or wear. Perfect for me because I tend to just chuck it on the floor. I also love the wide leather straps - no digging into the shoulders and they stay put. So what's in my bag?

It varies day to day but today I have my giant wood shoes, snacks (apple and Luna bar), my Iphone (never without that), sunglasses (won't be needing those today), my Hobo Mavis clutch, and I always have a camera. What's in your bag?

Beach blankets baby

2011-06-10T18:18:00.000-04:00

The warm weather is here! Now if only we could get two sunny days in a row, we could all enjoy a little beach time. This is a wrap from Thomas Paul that I took with me on my recent trip to Miami. It's so versatile - beach blanket, sarong, shawl, wall hanging, bedspread...you get the idea. We have a lot of great prints to choose from: nautical flags, tall ships, elephants, giraffe, swallows, cheetah...

Summer time blues

2011-05-26T14:40:00.000-04:00

James Jeans was featured in a recent issue of InStyle magazine. We just this style in and I'm dying for the Cameron wash. I can see wearing them all summer with platform wedges and into the fall with boots. We also have in a lot of cropped tops that will pair nicely with them.

They all leave at some point...

2011-05-23T14:34:00.010-04:00

Erica and Kait

This past weekend was the University of Vermont's graduation, a bitter sweet time of year. Our lovely Kait has graduated and will be leaving Burlington. We will miss her warm smile and easy laugh. Best of luck to you! xoxo

The Clothes Exchange

2011-05-14T12:45:00.000-04:00

I went to the volunteer training session for The Clothes Exchange last week. I am now an official representative of the organization! I'm very proud of my small part and I'm excited to be a personal shopper for such a worthy cause.

The event has 166 volunteers this year and the proceeds benefit Spectrum Youth & Family Services, as well as the recipients from the past 10 years.

There are a limited amount of shop first tickets left but the Thursday night session will be just as great. They suggest buying your ticket in advance, you'll get in faster. The event is at the Sheraton this year which is double the size of last years space! Don't forget to get your raffle tickets too - amazing prizes.

Staff favorites

2011-05-10T17:18:00.000-04:00

Holly

The staff put together some collages of their current obsessions.

Aisha

Rachel H.

What are you currently obsessed with? I'm looking for the perfect pair of fitted white shorts and basic wedges that I can wear for 8 hours...

The Clothes Exchange

2011-04-13T18:54:00.000-04:00

The Clothes Exchange is right around the corner! Last week we participated in a give and get program. We asked our customers to bring in one gently worn item and in return, they got a 20% off coupon, good for the month of April. We had many generous donations - two boxes worth! Thank you to the generous donors.

Tonight is a benefit night at The Bluebird Tavern, one of my personal favorite places to eat. Stop by, bring something to donate, have a drink, have some great food and hang out with your fellow Clothes Exchange supporters. A portion of the sales tonight will go to the cause.

This year is also the tenth anniversary of the program! Spectrum Youth and Family Services was chosen to be the beneficiary but they will also be giving a portion of the proceeds to the previous beneficiaries. Paying it forward.

Video from the final night

2011-04-02T13:16:00.000-04:00

They finally posted a video from the Charleston Fashion Week final night. Click here. Charlotte is planning on coming to Burlington to share her collection with us. I think she may be leaving with one less accessory!

She WON!

2011-03-27T13:33:00.001-04:00

Congratulations Charlotte - winner of the Emerging Designer competition at Charleston Fashion Week. I will post any new materials as they become available. For now, here's a great video of Friday night's competition, that put her into the finals. She got a standing ovation (of course she did). Click here to see some of her runway pictures.

p.s. a special thank you to all of our sweet customers that contributed to her fashion fund.

Charleston Fashion Week

2011-03-26T16:02:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting in my office, feeling completely miserable with a nasty cold but all I want to do is scream with joy because Charlotte made it to the finals in the Charleston Fashion Week!

Tonight is the finale and one of the guest judges is Michael Knight from Project Runway.

I can't wait to see these pieces up close. Each piece is hand knit and look at the accessories! Let's wish her the best of luck tonight because she deserves to win this runway competition! Go Charlotte! (I tried yelling that but it came out in a squeak - I've got to go home...)

Happy Spring

2011-03-20T17:38:00.000-04:00

Spring, spring, spring! Welcome back longer days and chirping birds! Bye bye snow and winter boots! We've gotten in so many great pieces, I want to tell you about some of my favorites.

-a great leather, bone and horn chain necklace from Roost

- A leather belt from French Connection. I think it's going to look great with a maxi dress this summer.

- a silk dress from Left on Houston (the Roost necklace will look great with it)

- the perfect pair of white jeans from James

Silva/Bradshaw

2011-03-11T17:58:00.000-05:00

Silva/Bradshaw was one of my favorites finds from the Accessory show. The pieces pictured above are rings, that also can be necklace pendants. All of the pieces come with a chain. They are available in nylon (super lightweight and in fun colors), sterling silver, blackened silver and gold plated.

I have my eye on one of the "tool" pieces.

Thinking about fall

2011-03-06T16:37:00.000-05:00

Fall?! I know, I know but all of these fabulous fall fashion shows are making me crave next seasons clothes! I'm going to try to use what I have now to emulate the look for next fall (and breathe some life into my tired winter wardrobe). One of the major trends was leather and fur. I think that this cape looks like something that Charlotte would make...I could rock it with my leather BB Dakota dress. Are you listening Charlotte? xoxox

Photo shoot

2011-03-02T18:35:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have noticed that we have a new web site thanks to Dave Barron. We thought it would be fun to get some images for us to use on the site. On Monday night, we had Miss Teen Vermont USA, Miss Vermont USA, Mica, Kat and Lola come in to model for us.

We did three different looks: fresh (navy, white, yellow), natural (casual, neutral tones), and dark (edgy, black, leather, denim). Kirstin did a fantastic job on the makeup. The shot above is from the natural look.

A very special thanks to Brett Lupfer for the great pictures, Erica for the artistic direction, Ginny for all the support, and to the models, who froze their butts off in the basement.

Coterie

2011-02-23T17:57:00.000-05:00

I spent the last few days in NYC, attending the Coterie show. It was massive. I spent most of the first day at French Connection and I went to Free People first thing Monday morning. Their booth was fabulous. I loved the display/seating area. The larger booth size also made it a very comfortable work environment.

Here is Lindsey, my favorite Free People fashionista. She is the sweetest...you can also see more insider pictures of the Free People booth by clicking here.

Charlotte

2011-02-19T12:57:00.000-05:00

This was an exciting week...our customers and Sweet Lady Jane backed an up and coming designer, Charlotte of Isobel & Cleo. Charlotte is a former employee that is one of 16 semi-finalists in the Charleston Fashion week. She needed to raise the necessary funds to produce her line and get her to the show. Our customers generously donated $720 and Sweet Lady Jane matched the donations!

I would love to share some of her work but I don't want to give anything away! I will post some of the work in progress, when it closer to the show (March 22-26th). Knit your heart out Charlotte! xoxoxo

Miss Vermont USA

2011-02-17T21:32:00.001-05:00

Our good friend and photographer, Brett Lupfer, introduced us to Lauren Carter, Miss Vermont USA, a few weeks ago. She needed some pictures for her portfolio and borrowed some pieces from Sweet Lady Jane. The day of the shoot, there was a huge snowstorm and I thought for sure that they would have called it off. But like a true Vermont woman, she made it and this is one of the pictures from the shoot. You would never know that a blizzard was happening outside.

p.s. she is wearing all French Connection.

Free People bag

2011-02-13T15:21:00.000-05:00

One of these years, I will get to go to NY Fashion week. In the mean time, I make believe I am there by stalking Style.com. I love to see the street shots and what everyone is wearing. This is picture from Tommy Ton and do you see what I see?! The woman on the left is slinging a giveaway bag from Free People!

New York Gift Show

2011-02-06T17:33:00.000-05:00

We found so many great things this trip...it's hard to remember them all. Paper Wings is always a favorite. Simple great design mixed with edgy touches.

Great time at the ONE fasion event

2011-01-30T18:53:00.000-05:00

Erica and I had a great time last night at the ONE fashion event. I haven't screamed that much in years! I am so proud of our models; Mica, Lola (Jessica), Sherry, Kat and Kelly. It's gotta take a lot to get up there and strut your stuff to a ballroom full of people.

So - get this, I got great video of all of the other stores but I guess I got all excited when our ladies came out because I failed to capture their walk. Here is the brief ending of the Sweet Lady Jane segment.

ONE Fashion Show 2011

2011-01-26T19:20:00.000-05:00

We are really excited and proud to be part of the ONE fashion show this year. It benefits the Boys and Girls club of Burlington. It's a great night out and an event to get "dressed" for!

We had our model fittings today. We decided on a dusty color palette, highlighting the pale spring trend. Here Erica is making some adjustments to Kelly's silk BB Dakota dress.

Sherry is wearing a Free People top and French Connection jeans. We are also using Lauren Stutzman's handmade hats, just to add some pizazz...

You may recognize Mica, she's been in most of our shows. She'll be wearing a Jack cami, BB Dakota skirt and French Connection jean jacket. We're still working on the accessories.

Kat is wearing a silk tank from BB Dakota and a Free People striped mini. We nixed this David Aubrey necklace for a shorter, more elaborate piece.

It's going to be a great time, hope to see you there! xoxox

Inspiration board

2011-01-22T13:59:00.001-05:00

I clipped this out of the January issue of Bazaar. Sweet Lady Jane has a lot of these elements in the store now and more to come!

Azalea dress by BB Dakota $100

Bubble ring $28

Help out an SLJ alumni

2011-01-19T18:44:00.000-05:00

Charlotte is going to Charleston Fashion week (with a little help from us). You may remember her from a previous post, where she almost became a contestant on Project Runway. Watch her video and please, if you can, contribute to her fashion fund. Oh! If you want to see more of her work, check out her site Isobel & Cleo.

Crazy markdowns...now happening at Sweet Lady Jane

2011-01-16T20:09:00.000-05:00

I don't know what came over me but I did some serious damage with the red pen yesterday. Maybe it's because I'm so sick of the cold weather or I'm just digging the emptiness of the shop. Whatever it may be stop down for some serious deals and we have lots of great pieces left.

Boho spring

2011-01-12T18:29:00.000-05:00

I don't know what the ladies of Burlington are going to think about the spring trends. I'm seeing a lot of dusty/muted colors and the bohemian look is very strong. I think that the women of Burlington already have a strong grasp of bohemian and I the dusty colors are difficult on most of us.

I do think that we'll have enough brights to rescue us in the sea of bland. French Connection had some great coral dresses and some fresh printed silk pieces. Silk was another big trend and Eight Sixty had some lovely bright pieces.

Maxi dresses are also the "latest" and so are peasant skirts. Peasant skirts are not a trend that Sweet Lady Jane is going to embrace but we still like the maxi dress.

The Ace

2011-01-09T22:13:00.004-05:00

The Ace Hotel

I'm in New York, attending the spring trade shows; FAME, Accessory the Show (yes- it is really called that) and Intermezzo. I had a great day today, which means that I found lots of good stuff. My favorite finds were some knuckle rings and the Pietro Alessandro bags.

We're staying at The Ace Hotel and it's a design dream. I love the quirky little sayings that they have posted all over the hotel. Some examples: by the elevator "love lifts us up were we belong", on the wood hangers "you look good in that" and behind the towel rack "if you want a fresh towel, leave it in the tub, if there is no tub, leave it on the floor, if there is no floor, leave."

Billy

2011-01-07T20:26:00.000-05:00

We had a sweet visitor today at the shop - Billy the corgi! She was so loveable and Erica desperately wanted to keep her. We realized that she looked just like the fox printed dress by Corey Lynn Calter. Lucky girl...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T15:54:00.000-05:00

2011! Here's to a great year! Let's take some chances this year - why not wear your sparkle during the day?! Don't save your dress up pieces for only special occasions, make everyday special! Try mixing them with simple, casual pieces like denim and jersey to carry them into the daytime.

Creative gift wrapping

2010-12-27T16:48:00.000-05:00

My friend Sareet is one of the most talented gift wrappers that I have ever met! Look at my Coco Chanel themed packages! I love the miniature painting on top of the gold package by Mark Ryden...

I didn't want to open them! Hugs and kisses to Sareet and to the lovely Kirstin that bought me the most fabulous bottle of wine.

Baby it's cold outside...

2010-12-26T16:13:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a great holiday and are keeping warm! This is Christmas Eve on Church Street and one of my favorite days to work. The customers are bustling around, asking for outrageous items and we sigh with relief because all of our work is done.

Happy New Year!!!
p.s we have a lot of "sparkle" on sale for the celebrations...

Is it too early for the winter blues?

2010-12-12T17:07:00.000-05:00

Not if you have this great jacket from Free People! I always admire the way that Free People styles their mannequins and they way that they can combine textures. I personally always feel like I'm wearing a costume when I attempt this but I do know people that can rock this look.

It's the holiday season...

2010-12-01T18:24:00.000-05:00

And you know what that means...trunk show time! Please join us on December 11th, we will be hosting the local favorite, Jennifer Kahn. You can enter to win a pair of her earrings and we'll have some tasty snacks for you hungry shoppers. I also promise not to bombard you with holiday tunes.

What I want...

2010-11-17T19:29:00.000-05:00

Oh it's a wee, bitty picture but it's a big craving. I LOVE the Prada spring 2011 collection. When I go to the shows this winter, I'll be on the lookout for prints, stripes (really no need to mention that because I'm obsessed), and great accessories. I love the striped stoles and the printed shoes.

Covet show

2010-10-17T18:32:00.000-04:00

I think we all had a great time at the Covet show this past Thursday. We had cupcakes from my little cupcake, makeup by Kirstin, hair and styling by Erica and our friend Brett came to shoot the scene. The models were fantastic and we all enjoyed seeing Bonnica, Mica, and Lola showing the versatility of Covet, an eco-friendly line.

We also were lucky enough to have Jennifer Kahn in the store! Her pieces went so well with Covet but what wouldn't her work look great with?! I had to bring home a new pair of earrings for myself...I had been coveting them, so it seemed appropriate.

The show...

2010-10-12T14:40:00.000-04:00

It's been almost two weeks from the French Connection show and I'm still thinking about it. It was so great! Everyone did such an amazing job! Holly made a great music mix, Plumpest Peach made some fabulous food, Erica did some awesome styling and Kirstin out did herself on the make-up. Our models had a great time and they sold quit a few looks. Nice job...

Special thanks to our French Connection rep, Amy. Without her, none of it would have been possible.

French Connection Fashion Show

2010-09-16T18:12:00.004-04:00

We're getting excited...the annual French Connection Fashion Show and Trunk show extravaganza is coming up! We're busy planning a new format this year. Nicolette is designing a backdrop, Erica is styling the models and Holly is working on the soundtrack. I'm busy getting the food and drinks worked out. Stay tuned for the details...

Hope to see you there!

Woman's Day

2010-09-15T20:54:00.003-04:00

Whoooo! Check it out. We got a mention in Woman's Day magazine! I've gotten some great feedback from the article. It seems that people would really like to see a catalog from Sweet Lady Jane. What do you think?

Leunig's Fashion Show

2010-09-15T16:38:00.003-04:00

There was a change in plans for the Leunig's show. Our model, Michele, did not feel well and had to cancel. We were lucky enough to get Shannon to represent Sweet Lady Jane. This isn't the best picture but you can see that she was having a good time. Shannon decided to wear a faux fur vest from Jack, a lace camisole from Free People, the silk top is from LA made and the skinny jeans are from James Jeans.

Leunig's Fashion Show

2010-09-11T19:09:00.003-04:00

Leunig's is one of my favorite places to eat in Burlington. Not only is their food great but they also support the local community. One of their annual events is a fashion show and dinner to benefit The Vermont Cancer Survivor Network. We were honored to dress Michele, our model this year. She decided on a pair of skinny jeans from !It jeans, a rayon jacket and top from Eight Sixty.

Back to school blues

2010-09-02T13:35:00.004-04:00

When that calendar flips to September, you know that summer is close to being just a memory. There are already signs of the coming season; packs of freshmen, falling leaves, the Champlain Valley Fair, and a store full of winter coats.

One of top sellers this season has been this faux leather bomber by Jack. It has all of the styling of great jacket but at a fraction of the cost. It's 50 bucks!

Kait

2010-08-21T16:47:00.006-04:00

Favorite brand sold at SLJ: BB Dakota, David Aubrey

Favorite outside brand: Citizens of Humanity

Favorite place to shop besides SLJ: Anthropologie, Zara

Three things you can't live without: family/friends, music, shoes

Must have travel item: sunglasses...so celeb

Favorite place to eat: home

Current favorite song: Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen and anything from Ray LaMontagne

If you could be reborn as a celebrity who would you be? Katie Holmes for her style and Tom & Suri

What are you currently reading? Nothing now...

Current favorite piece of clothing: DVF sunflower shift dress

Current favorite piece of jewelry: watches

Do you have a nickname? Kait-my-date

What can you always find in your closet? Something thrifted

Favorite trend of all time? Boots!

Least favorite trend of all time? Uggs the one boot I wouldn't wear

Always...try new things

Never...give up!

Design*Sponge

2010-08-19T19:19:00.004-04:00

So Design*Sponge is one of my favorite web sites and SLJ and trinket were mentioned on it! I love to read it when I eat lunch, they cover everything from DIY projects to up and coming designers. It always feels accessible but special at the same time.

Nicolette

2010-08-14T19:56:00.004-04:00

Favorite brand at SLJ: Monserat de Lucca
Favorite outside brand: Boxing Kitten
Favorite place to shop besides SLJ: Mirror Mirror
Three things you can't live without: MacBook, cannon elan II, moleskine planner
Must have travel item: moleskine planner, pockets in everything
Favorite place to eat: Sadie Katz
Current favorite song: Boys and Girls by the Blue Lfit
If you could be reborn as a celebrity who would you be? Amelia Earhart
What are you currently reading? Harry Potter in french
Current favorite piece of clothing: custom black pencil skirt
Current favorite piece of jewelry: peacock enameled earrings
Do you have a nickname? never...all or nothing doll
What can you always find in your closet? a cable knit sweater
Favorite trend of all time? high waist (1950's & 1940's)
Least favorite trend of all time? acid wash
Always...shower
Never...say never

Grace Potter is a huge Corey Lynn Calter fan

2010-08-14T19:15:00.004-04:00

Tonight Grace Potter is playing at the Lake Champlain Maritime Festiva l and she had a chance to get, in her words, "my Sweet Lady Jane fix". She's a huge Corey Lynn Calte r fan. She loved the pre-fall collection that we have in the store and choose this dress. Maybe she'll wear it tonight! Stay tuned...

Holly

2010-08-12T15:09:00.004-04:00

Favorite brand sold at SLJ: Tulle or French Connection, I can't decide!
Favorite outside brand: Built by Wendy
Favorite place to shop besides SLJ: vintage and thrift shops
Three items you can't live without: camera, coffee, journal
Must have travel item: camera
Favorite place to eat: at home when my husband cooks
Current favorite song: The Smitten remix of Sapphire
If you could be reborn as a celebrity who would you be? Audrey Hepburn
Current favorite piece of clothing: my denim sailor jeans
Current favorite piece of jewelry: my wedding ring
Do you have a nickname? littlest
What can you always find in your closet? lots of coats
Favorite trend of all time: skinny jeans and high waisted skirts
Least favorite trend of all time: big shoulder pads or parachute pants
Always...in the mood for sushi
Never...can have too much sleep

New York

2010-08-08T19:31:00.003-04:00

I went the the FAME, Accessories show and Intermezzo show this past week. I was looking for spring merchandise but ended up adding more to my fall deliveries! The stuff was that good...

Here I am modeling a jacket that I ordered for myself (whoops) from French Connection. It is part of the spring collection-stripes, florals and checks. French Connection is going back to basics and tried and true French looks. Yippee!

Congrats Myra!

2010-08-05T19:08:00.003-04:00

Congratulations Myra on your much deserved Daysie! I'm so glad that she choose to wear her Marc Jacob's dress that she purchased on tribeca's last day. It was part of The Clothes Exchange that benefited the King Street Center.

We got our title back!!!

2010-08-05T18:49:00.003-04:00

Yeah! We got our daysie back! We got runner up last year and we think it was due to the ambiguous category "Best Women's Casual Clothing and Sportswear". The category was changed to "Best Women's Casual Clothing Store" this year. We also got runner up for "Best Women's Evening Wear". Cool.

Thanks to everyone that voted. We'll try hard to uphold the reasons why you voted for us.

I just got back from NYC and I feel like it was one of the best set of shows that I've been to in a long time! Great stuff on the way!!!

Erica

2010-07-31T18:44:00.004-04:00

Favorite SLJ brand: French Connection
Favorite outside brand: Reiss
Favorite place to shop besides SLJ: Nordstroms
Three items you can't live without: my kitty Manolo, Pirates of the Caribbean (1, 2, & 3), Lake Champlain
Must have travel item: a reliable bag
Favorite place to eat: Mario's Bohemian
Current favorite song: The Verve "Bittersweet Symphony"
If you could be reborn as a celebrity who would you be? Selma Blair...she could play me in a movie
What are you currently reading? British Vogue
Current favorite piece of clothing: a long maxi dress
Current favorite piece of jewelry: my vintage cameo ring
Do you have a nickname? Cogg...it was my grandfather's
What can you always find in your closet? something black
Favorite trend: leggings...I am never getting rid of mine!
Least favorite trend: shoulder pads and crocs!
Always...buy yourself flowers
Never...judge a book by it's cover

Ginny, Gin, Lady G

2010-07-17T14:41:00.003-04:00

Favorite SLJ brand: French Connection
Favorite outside brand: Antelope shoes
Favorite place to shop besides SLJ: Banana Republic
Three things that you can't live without: the sun, cell phone and a good cosmopolitan!
Must have travel item: a great black sweater
Current favorite song" Breathless by The Corrs
If you could be reborn as a celebrity, who would you be? Audrey Hepburn
Currently reading: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Current favorite piece of clothing: Kensie black dress
Current favorite piece of jewelry: David Aubrey coral necklace
What can you always find in your closet: Jeans, jeans and more jeans!
Favorite trend of all time: skinny jeans
Least favorite trend of all time: leg warmers
Always...follow your dreams!
Never...give up!

Get to know us better...

2010-07-17T14:33:00.002-04:00

Are you curious about what happens behind the scenes at Sweet Lady Jane? Do you ever wonder what we like and where we shop (besides Sweet Lady Jane, of course)? Over the next few weeks, we'll post little tid bits about ourselves and if you have any questions for us, give us a shout!

Our resident rock star

2010-07-14T16:21:00.002-04:00

Check out the cover of Seven Days this week...the smittens! Holly is one of the SLJ employees and before that a long time customer.

We hope that she has a great time on tour and we're looking forward to hearing all about it!

Meet the new love of my life

2010-07-10T10:43:00.003-04:00

When I was at the fall shows last spring, the pieces that I fell in love with were from French Connection. Some of those pieces have started to come in. Isn't this jacket lovely? It's ruffled tiers of rayon with large teardrop sequins. I would wear it over a fancy dress or with a tank and jeans, basically I would wear it everyday.

Sweltering...

2010-07-08T14:21:00.002-04:00

So it's been blazing hot here all week and guess what we're selling? Sweaters! You people are crazy! I guess that we finally got you to realize that if you don't buy it when you see it, it will be gone.

With that said, we have some great early fall pieces in; leather jackets from BB Dakota, desert inspired sweaters by Free People, the new vintage collection from Hobo, and new jeans from !It. Get out of the heat and stop by...

Loving it

2010-06-29T18:14:00.005-04:00

When I was in NYC last week, I noticed a ton of girls wearing desert like/combat boots with their light summer dresses. I'm loving these boots from AllSaints. I think that they'll look great now with my summer dresses and later flopped open with skinny jeans.

This will be a major trend this fall; feminine with a masculine twist. Here is an example from Glastonbury.

cravings...

2010-06-16T18:19:00.003-04:00

Things I'm lusting after:
-white skinny jeans (and the legs to wear them)
-oribe gold pomade - for beachy hair
-liquiline blast eyeliner
-Fuji Instax- okay I already got one and I love it!
-something/anything from Isobel and Cleo

Marc Jacobs trunk show this Saturday!

2010-06-10T15:09:00.002-04:00

Calling all fashionistas...this Saturday (June 12th) is the last day that our sister store tribeca will be open and we're going out with a bang! We have a large selection of Marc Jacobs clothing brought to you by The Clothes Exchange. All proceeds will benefit the King Street Center. This is a one day only event and not to be missed!

If this is not enough to get you to stop by, there will also be a local silent art auction and music by Myra Flynn and Nyiko!

Pyrrha's new store

2010-06-06T18:52:00.003-04:00

I love the look of Pyrrha's new store in Los Angeles - so clean and simple. Check out the case display on the left. It's made of stacked books, what a great idea.

I just placed an order and we should have new Pyrrha pieces in soon.

p.s. if your a Pyrrha fan, get to know them better, check out their blog...

Latest love

2010-06-03T10:44:00.003-04:00

My latest obsession is a line called Paper Wings. Each piece is handmade in Portland, Oregon by Jenn Goff. She uses sustainable silver, which means no mining takes place in creating her organic pieces.

The Clothes Exchange 2010

2010-05-24T11:13:00.004-04:00

Last Thursday was the 9th annual Clothes Exchange. This year it was held at a larger venue and the selection was huge! Besides the racks and racks of donated gently worn fabulous items, there was: Commando, Isis, American Apparel and a wall of Marc Jacobs! More on the Marc Jacobs in a later post...

I brought Erica along to help style our section and help the shoppers find what they were looking for. We even gave some styling tips on the a few of the finds.

Who's that?!

2010-05-11T17:39:00.003-04:00

Who is that pretty painted lady outside our door?

What should we name her? So far we have Cornelia, Audrey and Abigail...

New York

2010-05-08T18:53:00.002-04:00

I just got back from New York on Wednesday and this trip was for the holiday season. Holiday shopping in May?! I know, it is crazy. I wish the buying season was closer to the actual consumer purchasing season because I am not ready to think of sweaters and outerwear for awhile. But, according to the latest forecast, we may need them again this weekend. I am so over it!

This is a sneak peak at the Free People holiday look. A little reminiscent of the 80's ...

David Aubrey

2010-04-28T18:17:00.005-04:00

Look at the new spring time lovely pieces that we got in from David Aubrey. I love the color combination. It reminds me of my good friend Erin, she loves to come up with interesting color matches.

p.s. Charlotte said that she sent in her application for Project Runway! Keep your fingers crossed!

Happy 7th Birthday, Sweet Lady Jane!

2010-04-16T13:17:00.002-04:00

Craziest thing

2010-04-09T17:38:00.003-04:00

I don't normally answer the phone but I happened to today and it was Janelle from Project Runway. At first I thought that she was calling from some showroom called Project Runway but I soon realized that she was indeed calling from the actual show! It turns out that she liked our web site and thought we would be a good place to hunt down local designers. I mentioned our dear friend Charlotte from Isabel and Cleo,an ex-employee that just happened to be in town for one night, who then happened to walk into my office! "Would you like to speak to her?" "Sure."

If she gets on Project Runway, I'll just die.

Hopping down the bunny trail

2010-03-31T19:21:00.003-04:00

Stop by and say hello on Easter...we will be open 12 to 5pm.

Rainy day dreaming

2010-03-30T18:45:00.003-04:00

It's a rainy day today and I'm dreaming of what outfits I want to put together for myself this week. I love this look from Hexa By Kuho. I love how the model looks like she's shedding pant layer after pant layer. I attempted a similar look like last week but my pants weren't tapered. I think I may have to modify them...

Some other ideas:
-rolled skinny jeans, BB Dakota striped oxford half tucked with my new animal print flats
-baggy men's v-neck sweater over my Free People sequin dress
-the new French Connection silk dress with my neutral cage booties

Bring Back starts this week!

2010-03-15T16:07:00.002-04:00

Leslie from the Clothes Exchange has added some incentive -

"Clip your name and email on the bag of clothes you donate at SLJ. We'll give 5 free raffle tickets to the person who donates the best item. You could win a year of massages from Stephen & Burns, a $1000 Ski Rack shopping spree, a year of cleaning supplies from 7th Generation, A yoga package from Evolution Yoga and a family membership to Sports and Fitness Edge."

Color to lighten your mood

2010-03-13T13:52:00.004-05:00

Daylight savings begins tonight and I thought a good way to celebrate is to tell you about all of the color that we have in the store for spring! A great example is this French Connection skirt. It represents the purple prom dresses, the orange Tulle trench coats, the royal BB Dakota dresses and all the great LAmade tops that we have in right now. Stop by and soak it in.

An inexpensive way to obtain a classic

2010-03-08T14:50:00.002-05:00

From Style.com - "In 2010, you’re going to want a trench.… OK, we know what you’re thinking: Every season, it seems, publications like ours are proclaiming, “The trench is back.”"

We just got these trench coats in from BB Dakota and I'm definitely going to snag one. They're lightweight, water resistant and the belt is super long, so you can tie in a nice knot. All this style and its under $100 bucks. Can't beat it.

The storm

2010-02-27T18:20:00.002-05:00

The crowds were very into the beads this year. We witnessed a lot of bead "bartering" and bead snatching. The other big trend was the American Apparel gold leggings on almost every college aged girl, random weird hats, and we saw a lot of plain ol'drunk people.

Calm before the storm

2010-02-27T09:32:00.003-05:00

Today is the Mardi Gras parade in Burlington. By 2pm today, this street will look completely different. Thousands (yes-thousands) of people will jam Church Street hoping to catch some beads or some other free treats. It amazes me every year and this is the warmest Mardi Gras that I can remember. It should be crazy...

p.s. Sweet Lady Jane will be closed for the parade (for our own safety).

The fall Hobo colors

2010-02-22T21:37:00.005-05:00

I took this picture hoping to capture the fall Hobo colors but this picture does not represent the collection at all! The fall will bring black, maroon (not pictured and completely awesome), mogano (dark brown), sage (not pictured), taupe (the grey in the picture), and pumpkin (the yellow looking color).

So in attempt to give you all a sneak preview, I think I made it worse. The colors were gorgeous and the prints were great but don't judge the group by this picture!