Shopchantal Stylefile

Their newest collection, Soft Joie, takes all the wonderful elements of the core line, Joie, and gives us a few color choices in about 10-12 different silouettes. Simple, throw-on tanks with pleat details, flowey cami’s , short sleeve tees - with and without the ruffles - and long sleeve tunic styles that is so true to Joie that it is carried in both Joie and Soft Joie.

A favorite at chantal. and shopchantal.com, Joie has the wonderful combination of so many different styles that we love - most notably the “California girl” look mixed with bohomian chic styling.  It’s a look that would generally be hard to carry off on the East Coast, but this is one designer that make it so effortlessly easy that customer keep coming back for more and more. 

We can’t get enough of the throw on dresses for summer.  Flowing and with some ruffle details or picktucking, these dresses are an easy, stylish way to get out of the house and make the most of summer. We also love them belted and with heels for a night out with out all the fuss.

And we love the pleated detail tank pieces back to fitted, cropped, distressed denim from Current/Elliott for a chic, girly look. Pair this combo with Joie oxfords flats - a huge trend that we are loving as a nice change from the typical ballet flat and you have a go - to outfit for day.  Throw on a blazer or button up from Elizabeth and James to complete your night time look.

Already a loyal fan and now having seen Fall 2010 in Soft Joie, I urge you to give this line a try today- you will love all it has to offer now and in the future.

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We love Summer because it gives us the chance to really mix up your wardrobe.  Dare you toss in a bright top with your summer denim or even a floral!  OMG, a bright floral dress would throw some people over the edge!

Well, one thing you can count on each Spring and Summer is the definite need for some shorts.  One cannot live in dresses alone (this is a proven fact as I have tried and failed).  You need a respite from your daily uniform and this season, designers have given us some new styles to throw in the wardrobe mix.

Denim shorts

We have multiple styles available in distressed and clean versions of the basic denim short.  Whether you like the rolled, relaxed style from Work Custom or want a short, distressed style from Blank Denim to pair with tights and booties now, you will definitely need some denim shorts this season.  We also have a new Blank Denim White cut off short that is perfect with a new LnA tee and jacket. White shorts are great with flowing, bright top from Joie Soft and some flats.  Nothing says summer like white denim.

Lingerie inspired

The Edun Purcell short was a definite choice for us on this one.  You will start to really see this style come about as the weather warms, but trust us, this short style is already a huge hit.  The black silk style with a side button detail is certainly inspired by lingerie, but is this one has a bit more edge and is for the true fashionista at heart.  Pair with ballet flats to soften the look or with heels if you’ve got the legs.

Classic

Sometimes seen as boring, but with the styles from Marrakech and Generra, this is far from the case.  with a bit of a paper bag influence, the Marrakech Sofia short is a great length for wearing everyday.  We love the urban safari feel of the khaki, but the graphite is such a great color that it is a must have.  Generra’s silk Knickers have a bit of a higher rise, making it great back to the cropped shirt styles of the season and also if you love the classic fitted tank tucked in and belted.  A true classic style, this longer knicker style short looks great on everyone.

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The beauty of this trend is not in dressing to the nines like Nicole Kidman in Australia (although her style was impeccable throughout), or but to take bits of pieces of the safari trend and incorporate it into your daily wardrobe. It is a very wearable and very chic trend.

Think of pieces such as a sheer t-shirt with a touch of khaki or a military green romper paired with studded, neutral sandals and even a simple canvas belt over a beautiful orange chiffon dress.

All, in some way or another, these pieces inspired by the season’s hottest trend: Urban Safari.  A blend of city, street- worthy pieces with colors, textures and/or a style reminiscent of  a Safari exploration.

Here are a few ways to have some fun and look in style.

Add a short, light suede, Spring Bootie from Joie with a silky, sexy, black romper from BCBGMAXAZRIA for the perfect date night outfit.

Pair a loose fitting Cargo-esque style pant with a floral top for a playful afternoon outfit that will be a big hit at the park or out for a casual lunch. We love the Pencey florals for the season.

Or for the most simplest way: throw a Me & Kashmiere Safari Scarf over just about anything in your closet. We love it over an easy, Kain silk blend tee with some Work Custom denim shorts and Joie Cut Out Booties.

So, take a chance, add a bit of this trend to your Spring/Summer wardrobe.  We think you are going to go banana’s over it.  

See more Urban Safari Looks and Trend Alerts in our Lookbook and Trends Sections.

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The juxtapositioning of Industrial and Organic is simply one of the most beautiful things you will ever see.

Tough, Edgy materials mixed with Soft, Feminine draping design is exactly what makes GEMMA REDUX so amazingly special and an accessory must-have for any fashion style. 

Whether you are a classic top/blazer/denim girl or a boho fashion lover of prints and flowing tops - this jewelry will fit into your wardrobe in the most unique of ways. We love the pieces paired back to a basic tee for an effortless, statement look, but are also drawn to pairing the pieces with soft, floating silks and chiffons to add a bit of edge to this feminine look.

Designed by Rachel Dooley, the artist strives for contrast & excess in GEMMA REDUX pieces: “I like the contrast of industrial metals and high end jewelry, of thick chains and delicate natural stones, and the excess of massive pieces with too many stones, too massive on the neck or too long on the body.” GEMMA REDUX pieces are never precious - the metals are generally not delicate but rather industrial, and the stones are rough and intense. Intentionally tough and complex designs made for the tough and complex girl – the GEMMA REDUX girl.

Gemma Redux was also named a winner of the 2010 CFDA Fashion Incubator (CFI).  Orginally based in New York City, GEMMA REDUX will continue to maintain it’s business presence in NYC with the support of the CFI.  The CFI is designed to support the next generation of fashion designers in NYC by offering low-cost design studio space, business mentoring and education seminars and networking opportunities. All this is in an effort to help designers reach their full potentional and become an integral part of the New York fashion community.

We are super proud to be a part of the ongoing success of GEMMA REDUX by selling their designs in necklaces, bracelets and earrings in chantal. and shopchantal.com. It fits in so perfectly with our aesthetic.  We also love offering out customers the most beautiful pieces we find in this world full of choices. 

Jennifer Carpenter wearing the Liz Necklace in Black Tourmaline

Also see GEMMA REDUX designs in publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, WWD, Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Zink Magazines, as a regular in the weeklies, and featured on the TV fashion obsessed show, Gossip Girl.

GEMMA REDUX has also been recently photographed around the necks of Cameron Diaz, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Carpenter, Jessica Alba and Molly Sims.

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Commonly referrd to as “traffic cone orange”, or as we on the East Coast like to call it “buoy orange”, this color has collided with the Spring and Summer nudes, tonals and military shades to create a strong and fresh color approach.

Nanette Lepore is no stranger to color and prints.  Her new line “Oonagh” embraces the color orange this season and in the perfect soft shade, the Bryan dress   (shown above) has the perfect amount of Nanette details in the fringe and ruffled neckline.  Great back to the neutral shades and a little denim jacket, you will take this dress to every summer event weekend.

And, We love it paired with Joie’s updated Spring Bootie - The Elvis. A great rough- suede short boot in a beautiful shade of Elephant - soft grey/brown, this bootie will work with all the hot colors of the season.

Kain always gives us a pop of color and we fall for it everytime.  Their Spicey Orange V-neck Tee is the perfect complement to denim. Throw on a fun scarf  (which by the way is another perfect way to incorporate Orange) and some white skinnies from [Blank] denim and the summer is yours for the taking.

Shoshanna dresses always have a great fit, wonderful use of fabric and the color combinations are true to what wearing a girly girl dress is about.  The Tie Dye Chiffon dress  is wonderful in this strapless version. With a mix of other brights, you can wear the orange trend all summer long. 

And don’t miss out on the Shoshanna Swimwear collection with an abundant of Orange and other great colors.

More orange is sure to come and we promise, but summer’s end, you will want and need this refreshing pop of color in your closet.

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Genetic Denim

Everyone has their favorite denim style and we think that’s great, but what about giving a new style a try for 2010.  It is a new decade and a new opportunity to expand your wardrobe is quite possibly the easiest place- your denim closet.

The styles for Spring 2010 are some new trends and some carry overs from Fall that we just love. Here is a quick overview and an idea or two to inspire you to try something new.

The Denim Legging: Commonly referred to as the “Jegging“, this style comes in a variety of denim weights and tends to be in the darker ranges.  We have 4 styles of the denim legging from 4 different designers and each one is fast becoming a favorite of many.

Staff Pick: the Current/Elliott because I love the blue tone and larger pocket.

The Embellished Jean: Long standing reign over this style has been Rock & Republic, but recently we are seeing other designers throwing their versions onto the scene.  This trend ranges from studded details like the popular studded BLANK skinnie classique to prominent stitching not only on the pocket from PRVCY Premium, but elsewhere on the denim.

Most Anticipated Style for Spring: Genetic Denim’s Mesh Studded Inlay jean (AVAILABLE IN STORE NOW).  With just a hint of studded mesh peeking through on various parts of the jean, you get a bit of edge.

The Boyfriend Skinny: Not entirely new for Spring, but the versions we have and are expecting are much more refined.  Malibu’s CoCo Boyfriend Skinny is a great way to wear the skinny jean in a more relaxed style. And with a touch of cashmere in each jean, these will fast become your most- wanted denim.

Style Share: Wear this style cuffed with some Joie Oxfords or Ballet Flats for a fresh take on the Classic Hepburn look

The Denim Sweatpant: We can’t believe it ourselves, but the inspiration must be from our favorite fashion icon of all time: Carrie Bradshaw.  We saw this elastic bottom pant in Sex And The City - The Movie and almost fell off our cinema seats.  We swooned until we were finally shown the styles last year and of course, ordered it straight away.  Styled to wear relaxed with the elastic band scrunched up or worn long - all with a high heel, this is certainly going to be a new trend to watch.

See it when: Available NOW from Genetic Denim, The Val is surely giving us something new to style to show you some fun looks on the site. So far, we are having a ball.

And don’t forget about the great new washes, including the still popular distressed with paint splatters from Current/Elliott, acid wash versions, colored denim is always as a Spring trend and we are loving the crisp white denim offered in many styles this season.  Check out Blank Denim’s skinny white denim with the Ankle Zip detail.

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Newly Arrived Collection! In Store Now. Available Online Soon.

Oonagh, meaning “pure” in Scottish, is the newest diffusion line from Nanette Lepore. Mostly known for her bohemian mix of prints and patterns and eclectic details and embellishments, this line is a departure from what we all consider “Nanette”.  Her traditional collection of tailored suits with ruffles and flirty cami’s with beading most certainly have a place in all our closets somewhere- some more prominent that others - which is why Nanette ventured into a different realm with her new line, Oonagh.

Oonagh is more than just your basic tee and tunic line.  The line is the perfect fusion of what you expect from Nanette’s quality and style but with a young and fresh twist.  Slouchy styles, criss cross strapping, bold pops of color and stripes that actually flatter the figure.  All is a jersey or blend, these tops and tunics are the perfect pieces to wear back to your leggings with boots or flats.  In some cases, some of the pieces are great blended with - dare we say - embellished denim such as the studded pocket and motocross styles.

Already a celebrity and press darling, Oonagh is making a statement by being more than just your basic tee shirt line by reaching an audience Nanette has never been able to reach before: the more casual dresser. Some have even ventured to say Nanette has actually broken into the “tough girl” fashionista wardrobe.

If you have been been a fan of Nanette in the past or are new to the designer or if you are one of the above mentioned styles,  this line will live up the highest expectations and promises to not disappoint.

We expect our first shipment in Early February 2010. Sign up for our email newsletter to get the first look at this amazing new line.

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The combinination of classic black paired with fresh white is always welcome at chantal./shopchantal.com and it is our first addition to our new Lookbook category focusing on Trend Alerts for Spring/Summer 2010.

And for Spring/Summer 2010 our love continues to grow for Black and White with the new ways to mix it up  from our newest designer collections.

The blazer is a piece you absolutely have to have in your wardrobe- whether you prefer black to white or vice versa doesn’t even matter.  It is the essential piece to have and wear for Spring/Summer 2010. We love the versions from Elizabeth and James and the also from Monrow.  Or try a little crop jacket from Shoshanna if you like the shorter style. Layered over a white tee or a black dress this is the ultimate black/white combo.

Stripes in black and white are the epitomy of chic and this BCBGMAXAZRIA dress not only includes the stripes but a paperbag style skirt as well.  This is the ultimate easy dress.  Stripes in any form are always a fun way to make an outfit your very own. Whether it is a stripe tee or a tank dress, you can always make stripes an easy layering pattern.

Loving tank tops all year round is not a crime especially if it’s this version from BCBGMAXAZRIA.  Available in clean, crisp white or edgy black this tank has printed and draped necklaces. Layered with leggings or black denim and a jacket or long sweater, this tank is the perfect dress it up, dress it down piece.

Whether you like a graphic print, animal print or are are fan of the florals, you will find all them all available in some form or another in a black and white.  The easiest way to wear black and white - accessories.  Shoes, handbags and scarves can all be worked into your Spring update of this fabulous new trend.

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New Year. New Decade. New Season. New Styles. New Designers. We are excite about it all. 

Spring 2010 is turning out to be full of great trends, both new and carry-overs from last season, and fun styles that range from new denim to colorful accessories.

We had a ton of fun doing a few transistional pieces for our new lookbook pages including 2 ways to wear it.  We styled the Elizabeth and James famous Jessica dress two ways.  Simple additions of a Splendid turtleneck and leggings made it possible to buy this dress now, wear it now and of course, wear it later.

The James Blazer from Elizabeth and James in White was another fun trend to style two ways. Paired with denim for wearing now and then for later with a maxi dress and scarf, this is a piece that transcends seasons.

We’ve also updated out Denim Trends Lookbook with the addition of the one of the most popular styles for Spring, the Slouchy Skinny.  This relaxed skinny style is the easiest way to transisiton into this style for those wanting a more relaxed skinny jeans and for those wary of the skinny style. You can also see our Denim for Women link at the top of each page to see more trends and specific product shots.

New accessories are pouring in everyday and our accessory spotlight has lots of new pages to show ways to wear the the ever-popular scarf.  Whether you like the colorful tie dye look or the more subtle polka dot trend, scarves are the easiest way to wear Spring 2010 before it even hits.   Which by the way, is officially March 20, 2010. 

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2009 was an interesting year for everyone and we are excited that we can still bring you new and fresh designers and  looks on our site and in the store for the new year.

We’ve already introduced you to Mike & Chris and also to Monrow.  Amazing designers, amazing prices.  We think you will love what they have to offer to your wardrobe.  That is why we are carrying them in the first place.  And new Denim Designers: [BLANK] Denim, Malibu Denim and PRVCY Premium are giving us just one more reason to buy more jeans.

Although BCBGMAXAZRIA needs to no introduction, we wanted to give a warm welcome anyway and give you a little history behind Max Azria and his every growing empire - which by the way, includes us and most importantly, you.

BCBG is an acronym for the French term Bon Chic, Bon Genre meaning Good Style, Good Attitude– 2 things we aspire to be and to have - all for the benefit of our customers.  

How could we not include a designer with our same fashion/lifestyle beliefs, right!  The spirit of BCBGMAXAZRIA is the basis for the Maz Azria brand and has made them an international stylehouse.  Tunisian born, Paris- raised, Los Angeles - based – This is Max Azria.  An international designer who has redefined the contemporary category by offering world-inspired pieces that are right on trend - and in the forefront of the trends- and all at affordable prices.

Our first introduction to you at shopchantal.com and at chantal.  has had an amazing response. The Necklace T-shirt Tank is available in Black and in White and is great under a blazer or over a long sleeve tee.  The Bandage Mini is a Herve Leger-inspired piece currently available in Azalea but we’ve ordered it in black and many other colors for the coming seasons. BTW, Max Azria purchased the Herve Leger house in 1998 and in 2007 began incorporating the inspiration under his design direction (Herve Leger by Max Azria) making the couture house accessible at a contempory collection level.

We also have 2 new BCBGMAXAXRIA collections in store now that will be up on shopchantal.com in the coming days. You won’t believe how great the pieces are and how easy they are to incorporate into your wardrobe. And you must try the bandage skirt- you won’t believe how absolutely fabulous it makes you look and feel.

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NEWS FLASH:  Daily Candy Everywhere did a really nice write up on Plush today too.  Check it out here (after you read our blog first, of course!)

The Winter season has finally arrived and most of us found ourselves completely unprepared.  Lack of new hats, gloves and a new coat is a common overheard conversation.

It’s not that we don’t know or realize that winter weather is coming. It is that in most cases, we just don’t want it to come.  It’s cold, it’s snowy and most of all, it is hard to wear heels when the sidewalks are covered in ice.

This year we have a little something- actually somethingS- to get you excited about dressing for the colder months: Plush Fleeced Lined leggings, tights and arm warmers.

The tights are an opaque black tight that is available in a full foot version like a true tight or footless version more like a legging.  Now you can pull out your minis and your dresses and wear them all season long. 

We also love these tights under our distressed jeans or under denim shorts (yes, this is an acceptable way to wear them). 

The Plush Denim leggings are also fleeced lined and are so amazing.  Paired with boots and a chunky knit sweater, these leggings are more than just your basic black.

And something every arm-bearing, sleeveless wearing girl must have this season…. fleece lined arm warmers. We love to wear these with our favorite tanks and short sleeves tops for some warm under our winter coats.  But, we also wear them long after the coat is removed.  I can’t wait to wear them with a faux fur vest in the Spring as well!

Check out selection of Plush Fleeced Lined items.  We truly sell out of these faster than you would ever believe!

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We all love Shoshanna’s swim styles and wear them all summer long.  Our customers love them too! Every year we get so excited when we see the line-up of her swim collection at Coterie.  For the past three years, shopchantal.com & chantal. has carried her swim collection and every year the prints, selection of styles, and different ways to pair her separates gets better & better! 

As some of you may remember, Shoshanna teamed up with her bff, Charlotte Ronson, last year to bring us one of the best collaborations between two designers that we have ever seen–Made With Love.  Swim that stayed true to the Shoshanna fit we have all come to know in prints with fun, boho inspired details (rope ties & wooden beads) that the two designed together.  Needless to say, the addition of their collaboration both to the store & website was a huge hit, and we couldn’t be more excited to tell you that the duo was at it again for Spring 2010.

Made With Love

 Looking for something now:  Check out the amazing deals we have on our swim selection now.  Great styles, Great Prints and Great Fits - everything you’ve grown to love and expect from Shoshanna. 

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