Shopchantal Stylefile

Easy, versatile styles that won’t break the bank is one of the many reason’s that Splendid is always in such high demand.  Especially now!  A best-seller for shopchantal.com and chantal., Splendid’s take on current trends allow you to get the look of the moment without having feelings of post-purchase anxiety.  However, Splendid’s best attribute is found in their use of soft textiles that lend themselves to be super comfortable, amazingly soft, and easy to wash and care for.

Their offerings include some of best layering pieces we have ever seen, long maxi dresses, fun tops, and an extensive offering of lounge wear.  We love mixing a piece of Splendid into any and all of our looks. 

A crisp, white Shoshanna Dress with a bright Splendid scarf create a bright and pulled together look:

Shoshanna & Splendid

Our #1 Splendid style is their open Flare Cardi which could just possibly be the ultimate transition piece, an essential no girl should be without.

Splendid & Edun

Splendid’s 1×1 basics are always available at shopchantal.com, as well, in a plethora of colors sure to get you in the mood for summer:  1×1 3/4 Sleeve V-Neck, 1×1 Scoop Neck, 1×1 Crew Neck.

Splendid & Rebecca Taylor

Tie Back Tube Top

1x1 3/4 Sleeve V-Neck

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Plaid used to be strictly reserved for the country club, the golf course, or for a Ralph Lauren ad but then came along punk, grunge, and who can forget Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which featured a plaid clad audience of teenage angst sporting this ever so popular trend.  Needless to say, plaid has played an important role in fashion over the years, and it has made an especially huge come back over the last year.  Every designer is doing their own take on the most, arguably, versatile print out there! 

No matter if your personal style is that of Trey MacDougal (Charlotte’s first husband from Sex and the City), Scottish Kilt as groomsmen attire, anyone?  Or that of Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistol’s), Original Penguin’s plaid short is sure to accommodate The Prepster or The Punk Rocker inside of you, it all depends what you choose to pair it back to.

Shopchantal.com has two easy plaid styles to work into any wardrobe from Original Penguin:  Skip Out Short and Map The Truth Short.  The only question remaining:  How will you make the plaid trend your own?  Well for all of you men eagerly anticipating hitting the golf course in the next few weeks we like the Skip Out Short paired back to The Daddy Polo in Blue Glow.  Subdued, easy to wear, and dress code appropriate!  Or if your prefer a little more edge to your look we love the sex appeal that The Map The Truth Short paired back to Edun Men’s Fountainhead Volta Short Sleeve V-Neck creates.

Map The Truth

Fountainhead Volta S/S VNeck

Skip Out Shorts and Daddy Polo

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All of us at shopchantal.com are always trying to improve our customer’s shopping experience.  After all, shopping on the Internet should be hassle free, enjoyable, and safe & secure!

Chantal and I are continuously trying to come up with creative new ideas that will inspire our customers, improve our selection, and make our website as efficient as it could possibly be.  Over the past few months (and the next couple to come), I (along with a group of students from The University of Southern Maine’s School of Business) have been conducting market research for shopchantal.com on the buying behavior of Internet shoppers. 

Part of our research includes conducting a consumer survey (this is where all of our customers, blog followers, facebook fans, and twitter followers come in) on individual purchasing behavior when shopping both on and off-line.  We would love it if you would participate in a quick survey, and as an incentive we are offering a 10% off coupon to all of those who complete the survey. 

How does it work?  Simply click on this sentence.  You will be redirected to our “online clothing retail” survey which is hosted by surveymonkey.com.  At the end of the survey, you will be asked to include your email so we can send your individual, discount code to you.

If you have any questions at any point, feel free to contact me:  selena@shopchantal.com

Thanks ahead for your help & we look forward to making even further improvements to our site from your answers to these questions!

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I love The Hills and it is fitting to write a blog about a character from the reality TV series considering the last season kicks off on April 6, 2009 at 10pm (EST).  As a huge fan of The Hills, I am also a huge fan of the style behind the show and obsessed to figure out which designers all the characters are wearing both on and off the show.

Lo Bosworth, whom I adore for her no-nonsense approach to dealing with drama and how she tells it how it is (no matter how rude she may come off), was photographed with LC wearing a KAIN Label Pocket Tank in Grey.  She pairs it appropriately back to a skinny, dark rinse jean that looks so effortlessly pulled together. 

We just received a new delivery of KAIN Label Tee’s that will be available for purchase early next week at shopchantal.com, and in this shipment we received Lo Bosworth’s pick — The Pocket Tank in Pink.  We suggest pairing this back to just about anything, but to get Lo’s street chic look we recommend pairing it back to the Earnest Sewn Harlan in One Rinse. 

Lo Bosworth in KAIN Label Pocket Tank

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A big hit back in the 60′s, The Shaggy Vest is making a big come back for Fall 2009.  We drooled over Rachel Zoe’s extensive collection of vests during The Rachel Zoe Project last year and now, come Fall, this look will be ours.  Joie has created a dramatic, super shaggy, and fun version without hurting a single fluffy creature along the way.  Expected to arrive in August, The Glimmer Vest will become a staff favorite as soon as we unpack it from the box.  Leaving the only question:  How will we wear this trend? 

Rachel Zoe in Fur Vest

Rock & Republic Melissa Legging

Along with the heightened anticipation for the arrival of the Glimmer Vest from Joie, the anticipation for the Rock & Republic Melissa Legging is even greater!  The stretch is amazing and actually holds the legs and rear in to give you a sculpted, long, and lean look.  Did we mention, the zipper back detail is pretty sweet too?

Zipper Detail

 Pictured below is the Glimmer Vest and Dary Tiered Skirt, both pieces will arrive at shopchantal.com and chantal. this summer!

Joie Glimmer Vest and Dary Tiered Skirt

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Want to feel elegant and statuesque?  Then the Roman and Greek inspired trend is for you.  The beauty and originality that the draping process gives to a garment is unbeatable, and shopchantal.com has numerous pieces to fulfill your draping cravings!  Here are a few of our staff’s favs:

Print Origami Skirt

Known for his artistry, it is no surprise that Robert Rodriguez has supplied us with numerous draped offerings this season.  Our two favorites include:  The Print Origami Skirt and Kimono Dress

Odessa One Shoulder Top

Edun Uhuru Dress

To achieve this goddess-worthy look, without breaking the bank, Ella Moss and Edunhave created beautiful draped looks for under $200.  Our staff favorites include:  The Ella Moss Odessa One Shoulder Top and Edun Uhuru Dress

Our favorite thing about this trend is the perfect accessory to complement this look, the gladiator sandal!  Let’s face it, the look wouldn’t be complete without them.  Whether your looking for a heel or a flat, shopchantal.com has it all.  Our staff favorites include:  Pour La Victoire Blanche and Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent Dinah Sandal

Twelfth Street Dinah Sandal

Pour La Victoire Blanche

Grecian Goddess Draping

Need a little more inspiration to feel confident about wearing this look?  Maybe a glimpse from the Spring/Summer 2009 runway shows will help inspire the goddess within you?  There are so many ways to wear this look and the options for wearing this trend are endless. 

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We’re pretty excited about our latest nomination and wanted to share it all with you. The Portland Phoenix, a local and northeast regional newspaper, has an annual “Best of Portland” edition of their publication. They give everyone a chance to vote for things like the best place for Buffalo Wings to your favorite place for Yoga or Pilates – coincidentally enough, those two go hand in hand. Eat wings, do pilates to burn off wings.

The categories for the “Best of Portland” include: Food & Drink, Shopping, Arts & Entertainment and City Life. We have our favorites and we sure once you start going through the categories, you will see many of yours.

This year we are sharing the news of our nomination. Why not, right? We are honored and proud that the people of Greater Portland consider us one of the best. Hope you get a chance to vote for chantal. Click here for a direct link or check out our homepage and/or our facebook page (if you are not already a fan on our facebook page, now is the perfect time!) or go direct to The Portland Phoenix to cast your vote for us. While you are there, check out the other great categories and nominees. Thanks and Best of Luck to everyone!

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The new Graham & Spencer pieces have just arrived, but are selling out fast!  All of us at shopchantal.com are coveting the Tie Dye Scarf, perfect paired back to a tee, a dress, and everything in between!  Another popular style from their most recent delivery is the Cloude Voile Pants which are on trend with the harem styles we are seeing popping up everywhere.  We are almost sold out at the moment, but have reordered this popular style to meet the high levels of demand set by our customers.

Graham & Spencer Tie Dye Scarf

Graham & Spencer Micro Sheer Tunic

Graham & Spencer Cloude Voile Pants

Check out the new summer styles from Graham & Spencer at www.shopchantal.com along with our other favorites:  Shoshanna, Joie, and Walter!

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All of us at shopchantal.com have been on the hunt to find a line dedicated to fun, comfortable, and stylish summer dresses.  

Beau Guard available Spring 09

With a company mission of “Reduce Recycle Renew” it is no surprise that the company’s focus is on sustainability, fair trade and labor, as well as organic raw materials.  And you can see in the designs, the end goal of offering consumers environmentally healthy clothing choices without sacrificing fashion was successfully accommplished.

Expect Beau Soleil at shopchantal.com this Spring.

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All of us at shopchantal.com are continuously trying to improve our website to create an easier and more efficient way for our customers to find exactly what they are looking for!  We have just added a zoom feature to our website which enables our customers to simply scroll over a product to view the product’s details.  A new box will automatically appear to the right of the original image which allows you to move the “target” to your desired location on the product. 

New Zoom feature @ shopchantal.com

We will continue to add multiple images on most products (denim, dresses, handbags, and tops), but the new zoom feature creates a quick way to spot exactly what you are looking for without an additional click to look at the “larger image”.  Besides, we believe shopping should be fun and easy, not a chore! 

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