The Modern Dame, an ode to classic, tailored fashion, but with a modern twang! There is no better place to marry classic style with modern notes than at The Wardrobe Boutique. Since we get new items in everyday, and from an array of time periods, we've been able to piece together looks that are timeless, fun, and most importantly affordable! Here are some looks that jump started our inspiration:

Julianne Moore's Little Black Dress in A Single Man by Tom Ford

This Dress can essentially be dressed for any occasion- which is why we started our looks with a size small, $9.99, J Crew LBD that we have here at the Wardrobe. The LBD is timeless, and can worn day or night.

The Belted Blazer

The next look that inspired us was the belted blazer. The blazer itself is a timeless piece that can be worn day or night, but that also creates a very tailored look. The belt over the blazer flatters any shape, and adds that extra sheen to the look. Creating a waist within the look is a great way to pay tribute to the dames of the 1940s and 1950s.

Selena Gomez in a Trim Blazer

The next item we found in our closet was the Trim Blazer. The trim blazer is slightly different from the belted blazer, in that the trim on the edges creates a tailored illusion. It looks like it was made just for you! The lines are flattering and classic, dating back to Coco Chanel's earlier fashionista days! 

Coco Chanel wearing a Trim Blazer/Cardigan

Here are the looks we created based on these inspirations!

LBD: J Crew, size small, $9.99 

Blazer: Guess, size small, $24.99

Blouse: Theory, size medium, $19.99

LBD: J Crew, size small, $9.99

Coat: Express, size 7/8, $29.99

Blouse: MWWTAS, size medium, $11.99

LBD: J Crew, size small, $9.99

Blazer: J Jill, size extra small, $14.99

Trim Belt: size small, $2.99

Classic Purse: $24.99

LBD: J Crew, size small, $9.99

Cardigan: H&M, size 8, $11.99

Jacket: Isabel & Nona, size 8, $24.99

LBD: J Crew, size small, $9.99

Trim Blazer: Anne Klein, size small, $14.99

LBD: J Crew, size small, $9.99

Blazer: United Colors of Benetton, size small, $24.99

Trim Belt: size small, $4.99

Introducing the new season: Sautumn .

Pre-fall approaches! Most fashionistas find it difficult to figure out what to wear during that limbo period between the end sizzle of summer and the fresh beginnings of fall. Here at the boutique instead of seeing it as a negative, we see it as a once a year opportunity to combine opposing seasonal pieces in your closet (or in the boutique's case, our inventory). Pull a soft, thicker sweater or furry vest over your summer maxi dresses on a gusty eve. Pair those bright-colored denim shorts with a long sleeve tee and a thicker blazer to stay the perfect temperature on those sunny, but breezy days. Rock ankle or over-the-knee socks with your gladiator platforms, cut-out wedges or boots. Pair velvet skirts with cotton floral tops -- lest not forget this is pretty much the small window of time where you can layer your thin with thick and light with heavy so go all sorts of crazy. In Sautum (summer + autumn) where you can go from sweating profusely to teeth chattering the possibilities are endless!

image source: lookbook.nu

Where did you get that?

Putting together the right accessories for an outfit can be tough, but when done right, can boost the uniqueness of your look and have people asking you with envy, "where did you get that?". A long necklace, a dramatic ring or a wrist cuff can be the key to making an outfit especially great. We recently re-vamped some of our jewelry displays (top photo!) and have put out some hand-made and vintage pieces that will have you ooh-oing and aah-ing all over the place (we were). Actor and style icon Vanessa Hudgens knows her accessories and clearly comprehends the delicate balance all true fashionistas must strike between simplicity and drama. You can pile 'em on if you're feeling wild or pair a simple long necklace with a summer dress or swimsuit for sexy and simple. Stop in and get 'em while they're hot!

You can never have too many pairs of shoes .

This just in! All of our shoes here at the boutique are 20% off for the next two weeks, including designer. With names from Salvatore Farragamo, Jessica Simpson, Two Lips, Rockport, Mossimo, Bebe, Colin Stuart, Marc Fisher & more! Stop in and browse our selection and if you want to fall in love with a shoe -- or two or three or four -- go ahead. And don’t worry about splurging because here at the boutique, our prices are so reasonable, you won’t have to.

Laundry = Lovely!

Friday was a great day at the boutique. Two of our fashionista volunteers - Linda (see post from 3/16) and Denise were here! These two ladies make shopping fun! When they are out on the floor, be sure that you will leave the store with unique items that you may have looked over without those expert eyes. More importantly, you will leave with a renewed confidence and knowledge about your own unique and beautiful body. With their knowledge of fashion, vintage items, and the best ways to capitalize on our feminine assets, Linda and Denise are fashion inspirations!

I even got to benefit from their magical advice! They showed me how to wear a fabulous vintage dress for my close friend's upcoming Audrey-inspired wedding, and they taught me to lose the glasses, throw on the heels, and sprinkle in some super-glamorous sparkles to make everyone say, "Who's that lady?!" Today, I'm gratefully reflecting on their advice. The boutique is warm and cozy on this rainy afternoon, and I'm feeling soft and feminine in a favorite Luxe tunic. (Thanks, Boutique!!) As I tag new designer items (woo-hoo!!) I am particularly attracted to the unique items that bring out our best female assets - our beautiful curves, gorgeous legs, and our eyes for detail. 

Inspired and feeling smart and sassy - just like Audrey!

That brings me to the brand I want to feature today: Laundry by Shelli Segal. Laundry is the new feminine brand. You can find timeless items to accessorize and personalize however you want to create your look. These looks are sexy but casual, simple but with an eye for colorful print, feminine but tough. Segal is able to capture the enigmatic woman in her designs. The art of the sophisticated lady is understated beauty and glamour. That could mean a sexy cut-out dress with chunky boots or neon pumps, an all over flower print skirt with a collared menswear-inspired top, or a black t-shirt with minimal, just-right accessories.

The first amazing item I came across today is a cut-out dress. This simple little number is easy to work with as you build your look. Its off the shoulder style is fun and edgy, and it also flatters one of my favorite female assets: the neck and collarbone. The really fun part is the cutout on the side. It gives you a bold, sexy feel, but it is not too over the top. You can pair this with minimal accessories and shoes to make a great nighttime look. 

Check out those legs!

Emma Watson had a great take on the cutout dress at the 2011 Elle Style Awards. She commanded respect and attention with this simple and sophisticated look.

You can get Emma's look with just a few simple accessories. Go for a simple look with a black or tan shoe. Or, for even more fun, splash in some color with your shoes! Try colors totally in for this season like plum, lime green, or marigold. Throw on some bangles or a cool cuff, and you are red carpet-ready! See the accessories pictured with the dress above for some ideas - all available at the boutique.

The many identities of this dress!

For a totally different but equally fabulous look, go for this Laundry floral print jumper. It is simple, well structured for support, and soft to the touch. The pattern is filled with lots of fun colors to make accessorizing carefree and easy. There are even sparkles in the fabric that are lightly stated, but glitter in the sun! I imagine the woman in this dress romping through grass or running her fingers through the beautiful Philadelphia cherry blossoms on a warm spring day. 

Feminine and edgy all at once!

The way to wear this dress is to make it your own. Make your own fashion rules! Wear it with some funky, well-worn boots, an over-sized collared shirt, or an edgy jacket. Some handpicked items are pictured with the dress above. I really like how Thandie Newton made her floral print dress her own with a cotton t-shirt, black pumps, and a chic clutch.

As usual, the donated items at The Wardrobe Boutique have inspired and excited me. Laundry by Shelli Segal is just one example of a fabulous brand that is created by a designer who really knows each woman's unique body. Here we have the ingredients to create your own unique style that sings your pride in your femaleness. Take that from one who embraces her inner fashionista somewhat tentatively at times. This weekend, I am fearlessly making my fashion my own with items like the ones I featured! I'll let you know it goes. With a handmade floral bow around my wrist (by the same woman who makes these amazing items: Splashwolf Designs,) I fist pump to fellow proud women not afraid to express themselves!

Volunteer Spotlight!

       For this blog post we wanted to do a “Volunteer Spotlight” to celebrate one of our amazing volunteers here at The Wardrobe Boutique and The Career Wardrobe. Organizations like ours absolutely cannot survive without volunteers, and we are incredibly grateful for the people that generously give us their time and energy! When you volunteer for The Career Wardrobe and The Wardrobe Boutique, there is always something new and interesting to do. Volunteers engage in a variety of activities including sorting and organizing donations, helping with merchandising by creating displays, and working with clients and customers. It is the people who work hard day in and day out that make it possible for us to serve the women of Philadelphia here at The Career Wardrobe.

        Linda White, our featured volunteer, has been with The Career Wardrobe for about two years, and there is no stopping her! She splits her two days of service between The Career Wardrobe and The Wardrobe Boutique, therefore undertaking many different activities that help keep the organization running. She serves clients at The Career Wardrobe, combining her ardor for helping others with her passion for fashion to help every woman she comes in contact with feel confident and look fabulous! At the boutique, Linda tirelessly sorts through donations, helping us find the gems! No task is ever too small or too large for Linda, and she has a way of always bringing some sparkle into the room.

        Linda first learned about The Career Wardrobe fifteen years ago when she donated a collection of suits at our monthly clothing drive held in East Falls. From the time Linda heard about our mission, she connected with it, and she therefore felt the desire to give her support by donating the clothing she no longer needed. She has always recognized the value of empowering other women by inspiring confidence from the outside in. When Linda had to deal with the disappointment of losing her job, she decided to invest her time in a productive way. She held a position on the board of The Valentine Foundation, which is another organization that empowers women through positive social change through grants.  But that was not enough for Linda! She wanted to get valuable experiences by interacting with people and seeing the effects of her service. This desire for hands-on service ultimately led her to The Career Wardrobe and The Wardrobe Boutique.

Linda modeling one of her jackets from the boutique 

with her familiar smile that lights up the room!

        Linda is a bona-fide fashionista and has been the best-dressed girl in the room for many years! Once she learned the importance of a great outfit, her passion for looking terrific grew. She learned that a woman shows the world her power with a well-accessorized suit, her ability to create and leave her mark with beautifully paired separates and her confidence and beauty with that perfect dress. After she learned those crucial ideas, she did more than merely look fabulous; she shared her skills to help other women exhibit the same inner beauty and confidence. Combining those two passions made Linda and The Career Wardrobe a match made in fashion-heaven! 

        At The Career Wardrobe, Linda gets to work one-on-one with clients, using her fashion knowledge and warm personality to help inspire that previously mentioned confidence. Linda shared her love of making connections with the people she is able to help when she said, “I get hugs from people which I didn’t expect. They are so happy and sweet. I love that!”It is always rewarding to get positive feedback and make a warm, human connection with one another. When she works with donations at the boutique, she is also able to feed her inner fashionista, getting her hands on the terrific recycled clothing we receive each day.

Linda strikes a pose in a beautiful two-piece suit that says 

"I'm a smart, powerful, modern woman!"

       We at The Career Wardrobe are not the first to benefit from Linda's service, and we are certain we will not be the last! Linda can look back over her life all the way to her college days and name many organizations and foundations she has served. When asked what she liked most about her various experiences volunteering, Linda answered, “It’s important to do something to help people in a community other than the people you know because they are all in the same financial and social situation as you. You have to go beyond your circle and that is something everyone should do. ‘Get your hands dirty’ so to speak. Meet the faceless people you write a check for and learn from them.” She shared one of the most incredible benefits of volunteering: getting out of one's comfort zone and making connections with others reinforcing that all of us are involved in one big human community. When you expand your community, you see the effects of your work, and you learn new things about the world around you. Way to go, Linda!

Linda shows us her ability to accessorize and pair separates to create an air of poise and power.

         We should never underestimate the power of well-intended, smart fashion. Often, we dread the interview process and the nervousness and uncertainty we may feel while going through it. However, we here at The Career Wardrobe believe that it's all about confidence! Sometimes, it's that one suit that makes you feel great about yourself, and it chases away the nibbling bits of nervousness and doubt. Linda commented on that when she noted, "Every little bit helps. Especially at The Career Wardrobe where one suit can help someone get back on their feet.” When we asked what she had learned in her time of volunteering with the organization she said, “I am reminded there are a lot of people out there that we don’t know what their circumstances are.You learn more when you talk to them and meet them. It’s a very humbling experience.”Linda has the art of communicating and learning from one another down!

        Linda is one of our resident fashion gurus, and there has been no stopping her expression through clothes since she graduated high school and wore her uniform for the last time. Even before she went to school, Linda was a mini-Fashionista! “In my baby pictures I’m always well-dressed. I was one of the few three-year-olds with a purse!” Oh, we want to see those pictures! Linda has her own blog where she shares her thoughts and observations about style and fashion.  She loves shopping second-hand because it gives her the opportunity to create her own look. She also loves finding special vintage items and mixing them to create a unique style that can't be reproduced by anyone else. She uses clothes to exhibit her personality and strengths while looking great. She stated, “I’m not going to look like anyone else walking down the street or a mannequin in the window of a store. I am my own Barbie.” Visit her blog at lawhiteoncasualfriday.blogspot.com and see her take on all things fashion.

        Thanks to Linda White who sat down to answer lots of questions to give others a chance to see how much volunteering not only affects the organization one chooses to serve but also the person volunteering as well. There are some things you just cannot learn by writing a check, but when you actually jump in and help people, you will learn a lot about yourself and the world around you. We could all learn a little bit from Linda about investing our time and opening ourselves up to new experiences.

~No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. 

-Aesop