Ruche :: tie dyed gypsy child lace dress

Ruche :: Blue Baguio Festival Dress

Ruche is a modern boutique with a vintage touch located only online. Rather than paw through racks of clothing, you can browse the Lookbook for inspiration. Best of all, everything seems to be very reasonably priced with dresses priced between $20 and $50.  I also love their patch skirts and peasant blouses. (Oh, and yes, I saw two fringed leather bags there.)

**Use Coupon Code ALLCHIC at checkout and receive 10% off your purchase. Coupon is valid until the end of July!**

• CutandPaste.com is sponsoring 55DSL’s logo remix contest. Deadline for entries is December 5th, but there’s still time to create a design, vote on submissions and influence the final decision (more)
• Buy any shoulder/tote/laptop bag from S N A P Design from now through December 10th and you will get a FREE make-up and coin set of your choice! Just write your makeup/coin color + design preference in the “notes” section when you get to the paypal check out. 
• Love cashmere? Love to get cashmere items at 80% off? MinnieRose invites you to the Ultimate Winter Sample Sale. Where? NYC. 264 W. 40th St (bet 7th and 8th Ave), 15th Floor. When? December 8th through 12th. 10am to 6pm. Mention that you heard about the sale on AllChic.

Angie Hearts Boutique is saying goodbye. This week only – get an additional 20% off entire list of sale items by entering the code lastweek2 .

This Khaki shirt will take you right into the fall and the price is right at $24. Take off an additional 20% and you can’t go wrong!

While Cathy is taking a well deserved break from blogging, here to keep All Chic active and in tip-top shape is her (much talked about) Hippie Daughter.

A trip to Georgetown last weekend brought us to this great clothing store called Annie Creamcheese. This store has vintage clothing and accessories in psychedelic, retro, and modern styles. They buy and sell designer vintage clothing for 30% in cash or 50% in store credit. Annie Lee and Garrett Bauman, the owners of Annie Creamcheese, also have a location in Las Vegas.

Definitely one of the most unique, exciting, and colorful stores I’ve been in! I knew I would love it when, walking in, I saw a “Janis Joplin Ave.” street sign, Jimi Hendrix portrait, and Jim Morrison photograph on the walls. Groovy!

Check it out at anniecreamcheese.com.

BB Dakota The Fairbanks Blazer

Tripp NYC The Blazer Hoody in White & Black Check

tokidoki The Candy Cuties Clear Rain Jacket

Get free shipping with your order of $25 or more at Karmaloop. Use code SLATER. Valid through May 31st.

The Bandana Shirtdress from AllChic affiliate, Peruvian Connection,comes in a great color combo – teal and walnut. Fitted with gathered cap sleeves, a self sash, pockets and a 48″pleated skirt, this would make a terrific Mother’s Day Gift. On sale now.

My daughter, the hippie, hates shopping, and would wear her pink Beatles hoodie all summer if she could so I found these cute 60’s style summer tops at our affiliate, dELiA*s, today.

(Use code DWFAFF for free shipping on orders $25 or more, now through 6-11-08.)

Top row L-R:   Stefania Top, $29.50 and the embroidered Anna Top, $32.50

Bottom row L-R:  Diana Top $32.50 and the flowered Cassie Top $32.50

Beginning today I’m going to use Sundays to post my favorite Etsy sellers, particular those with a Street Style sense.  Featured today are Moop and Wildewear, two Massachusetts-based designers.

Moop specializes in made-to-order bags. Simple, modern, hand-crafted, and a bit-understated.  Moop designer (photographer, model, etc), Wendy, works out of a converted mill building in Western Massachusetts. Be sure to check out Moop’s shop, website, and blog.

My favorite is The Fraulein Tote (shown above). It’s made with a deep brown canvas and is lined in burnt orange ripstop. The outside has two deep pockets. The inside has five pockets of varying sizes, perfect for carrying phones and ipods. There’s also two pencil slips and a d-ring for clipping keys and smaller pouches.  Ordering information available here.

Wildewear features the eco-friendly work of Tricia Wilde. Tricia grew up in Ireland but now lives in the Boston area with her three sons.  She’s a single mom and created her home based business so she could stay home with her kids.  Tricia also takes vintage clothes and reworks and embellishes them to create a new modern look.

The skirt shown above, is her Ginger Berry Skirt. This skirt is very comfy with stretch jersey knit roll over top and tie around belt. You can play with how much to roll over the top and can even wear it as a dress if it fits. Fits size small to medium fits waist up to 32 inches and is 28 inches long. All handmade original wildewear design. Cotton jersey knit. Totally washable, very loveable. Ordering information is available here.

As I mentioned before I’ve always had a problem finding jeans that fit well. I rarely find jeans long enough, and when I do they’re usually too low-cut at the waist.  My son will soon  find that 34″ inseams just don’t cut it for him any more. Lucky for us there’s True Jeans.com.

When you register at True Jeans you enter all your measurements and they match you to jeans that fit your exact body shape. They have a large assortment of brands including Chip & Pepper, William Rast, Kasil, Antik Denim, 7 for Mankind, and more. When you search by brand, you’ll find a brief description of the style, who wears it, and any special features. The website is an education in jeanology!

I’m definitely going to sign up as soon as I find my tape measure. (I’ll pass on printing out and taping together their downloadable tape measure.)

Current Promotions:

Looks like it’s time to pull out the big belts from the back of the closet.

I’d been noticing lots of high cinched waists recently, and then saw this article in yesterday’s Times Online. Nicola Copping refers to the recent economic downturn and  asks:

But what about fluctuating waistlines? Granted, they expand in times of plenty. But is the steadily rising beltline another indicator of a move towards modesty, both economic and sartorial? Perhaps, if recent catwalk shows are anything to go by.

Copping mentions the 50’s and 70’s:

High waists hark back to two seminal fashion eras: the prim, suck-it-in-and-smile Fifties (skirts), and the slick Seventies (trousers). Michael Kors evokes the latter with an upmarket twist: think West Coast lady who lunches, a woman never seen with skin protruding from her high-slung pants. Marc Jacobs, meanwhile, prefers his catwalk muse more unhinged. The pleated skirts are nipped in neatly but messy hair suggests something a little off-key: this is Stepford Wife with a Noughties edge.

But what about the 1500’s?

Perhaps it has something to do with the economy, and maybe a little bit to do the movies.  Kate Blanchett,  Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson  all squeezed into tight corsets for their recent royal roles. 

Now you can find this DOLCE & GABBANA Belt/Corset on YOOX.COM Interestingly, it comes in sizes 2, 4, and 6!

(photo from AmericanIdol.com)

Rocker Amanda managed to escape elimination this week, even though Simon (and the “guys”) all agreed it was definitely not her best performance. No one cared for her outfit, hair, makeup, or song choice this week. But I did notice her jacket. I guess it’s the buttons.

I checked out my favorite site sponsors and found two double breasted jackets along the same lines.

 The Me Jane Plaid Jacket from Buckle is a steal at $37.12. This plaid canvas jacket is fitted, double-breasted, and even has epaulet shoulders.

Another one I like is this Cassette Bomber Jacket from National Jean Company. This cropped wool jacket is retro fitted, double-breasted with oversized buttons. It also has epaulets on the shoulder, and high neck collar. A little pricier at $325.00 but, nevertheless, very cool.