Shopchantal Stylefile

A little bit goes a long way with some of the new fashionable hardware options on the Spring/Summer 2010 Collections.

Whether a designer opted for the almost basic exposed zipper to the more complicated intertwined chains or the forever adored studs and grommets - hardware has become very sought after as a way to express a bit of an edge to even the girliest of girls.

As one who has always loved the look of hardware on accessories (see GemmaRedux for some serious jewelry crushing), it took me no time to adapt to it on clothing - not because I was already a fan, but because it has become a very easy way to take an outfit to the next level.

We hand-picked some seasonal pieces we are loving from some of our favorite designers.

Rebecca Taylor’s Chain Mail Chunky Knit The quintissential feminine chic designer gave us a bit of a curve ball with this amazing Chain Mail Chunky Knit.  Throw it on with some distresssed denim shorts and sandals or toss it over a slip dress and Spring boots.

Pencey’s Cherry Blossom Mini Skirt Certainly not new to the tomboy chic style- in fact she may have invented the genre altogether (more research to come on this one), Pencey is forever pairing the beautiful feminine ruffles and floral prints with a touch of black, some exposed zippers and definitely some studs. Our fav is the new mini skirt paired with a simple tank and some ballet flats or, if you dare, some tough boots.

Graham & Spencer’s Nailhead Tank These two woman are experts at incorporating nailheads and metal into their extraordinary fits in both dresses and tanks.  We adore their use of color too.  This slub jersey nailhead long tank is a must have for anyone wanting not only a pop of color, but a statement piece sure to rival any tank in your closet.

Genetic Denim’s The Shane Skinny with Metal Mesh Quite possibly the easiest way to incorporate some hardware details is in your denim closet.  The Shane Skinny from Genetic is one of our best sellers and of course, we couldn’t resist them doing our favorite style with metal mesh studding.  Very quite and very cool is the only way to describe the genius behind adding some hardware to your wardrobe.

See our women’s trend section for more of the seasons top trends. And don’t forget that shoes, necklaces, bracelets and handbags are also a great way to incorporate the fashionable hardware style into 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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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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Heidi Montag in Genetic

Sienna Miller in Genetic

Let me start by saying, Ali Fatourechi & Shaun Hurley the masterminds behind Genetic Denim, are two of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, not to mention two of the best looking dudes I have ever met!  We love doing business with companies like Genetic:  good people, great styles, and an impressive amount of press that doesn’t hurt when trying to create a demand for a denim line.  I really can’t think of one “A-List” celebrity that I haven’t seen in these jeans at one time or another:  Jessica Simpson, Lindsey Lohan, Heidi Montag, Sienna Miller, Kate Beckinsale (also a fan of Current/Elliott), Kate Hudson, and you see what I’m saying?

It’s no surprise to me that Hollywood is busy running around in Genetic due to the super soft denim (all of our customer always say, “It feels like I am wearing pajama’s!”), great fit, and a selection of different styles (skinny all the way to sailor pant) that will keep any personality happy.  One could say this is part of their design aesthetic and branding; their logo is a double helix (yes, the kind you see when you google the term “DNA”–hence, the brand’s name Genetic).

The Shane

We eagerly await our shipments from Genetic every month (both for men & women), and are super excited about their latest wash in, arguably, their most popular style–The Shane.  A great skinny in a medium blue wash that can be worn day or night, casual or dressy.  We love it back to Joie’s New Orleans boot–super comfortable denim only makes sense paired back to an edgy, yet comfortable shoe!

So whatever your individual genetic code possesses, Genetic will be able to fill your need for that perfect jean that represents your individuality.  After all, “It’s all in your genes.”

THIS JUST IN:

See Georgina in tonight’s episode of Gossip Girl wearing the popular Shane Skinny in a black lace. This is definitely gonna be a  ”tell God the Bitch is Back” moment!

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Kate Hudson sporting the Twelfth Street Boho Cardi

Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of celebrities sporting more down-to-earth & casual looks that I now find myself dressing down more and buying pieces like chunky knits, super-soft fleece jackets, & lux cashmere.  I’m not sure if the economy has pushed us towards these more cozy, yet stylish looks or if dressing more casually has a more every-day appeal with an unbeatable cool, girl vibe?  Let’s face it–nothing is more easy than throwing on your favorite pair of jeans, a chunky sweater style, and flat boots, and the designers have made it easy to find all of these pieces in fabrics, styles, and colors to make each and all of us happy.

October deliveries are in and the majority of our new inventory focuses around one of the biggest trends this season:  chunky knits.  However, other luscious sweater-inspired styles include the update to one of our favorite fabrics–French Terry.  The carefully updated & polished styles are being offered up in so many different silhouttes & cozy fabrics that one will not be short on ideas on how to achieve this look.

Recently inspired by “The New Casual” an article in October’s People StyleWatch, I am offering up our favorite styles that can be found at shopchantal.com& chantal.

Tattered Elizabeth Blazer

Vintage Fleece Hoodie

STYLISH FLEECE:  The perfect compliment for your everyday look!  Splendid’s Vintage Fleece Hoodie shown here with a burnout from Sharon Segal & a distressed skinny style from [BLANK] is the perfect way to sport this not just for the gym style!

Juliette Vest

FURRY VESTS & JACKETS:  Joie’s Glimmer Faux Fur Vest is our pick for this trend!  However, due to it’s larger than life presence we recommend keeping the rest of your ensemble simple by pairing it back to skinny jeans and boots.  Another way to achieve a similar look without the “fur” is to pair your favorite leggings & boots back to Joie’s Juliette Sweater Vest.  Still very much so on trend due to it’s chunky quality!

CAT Cassidy Boot

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We are always looking for ways to update our closets that somehow seem to fill black even when we are not even trying.  This season it’s been fun and pretty easy to add color.

Ashley Tisdale in Cobalt. Photo curtesy: Denimblog.com

One color we are obsessed with is Cobalt, a very trendworthy color for Summer 09.  As you can see, we are not alone in wearing and loving this color.

We like to think of Cobalt as the new Black for our summer style.  It works in the same way- really. Pair it with a neutral, pair it with another bright and of course, pair it with black.  It really does look great with everything, just like black does.

And, another great thing is that Cobalt is still a hot color for Fall 09/10.  So, it is a great way to get the color now and mix it in with Fall collections very easily.

One easy way to transition your Cobalt from Spring to Fall is to invest in accessories such as scarves.  Really on trend and so easy to wear with everything, we love wearing scarves at shopchantal.com and never need an excuse to throw on a bright color either.  We also think it is a better choice for us than the Snuggie.

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We’ve been fans of Genetic Denim since day one and each season the men of Genetic never cease to amaze.

Started in 2006, Genetic is a multi talented group of 3 men, each with different backgrounds and styles. Denim blue truely flows in their blood! Or as they like to say “It’s all in your Genes”.

Ali Fatourechi, the designer of the bunch was really ahead of the trend with the boyfriend jean (we sold out of it almost immediately) back in 2007. He has had his pulse on the denim scene for years and launched Genetic with his knowledge and passion for fabrics and washes. See more on Ali in our upcoming designer interview blog.

 Shaun Hurley, the marketing guru of the bunch has been in the denim biz for years and knows everyone by name. He is constantly full of energy and a buzz with new ideas. 

Brandon Lee is behind the scenes, but every bit a part of everything that happens at Genetic Denim.

Genetic

This season it is their fantasic crop legging that has everyone swarming to shopchantal.com.  We can barely keep the crop zipper legging in stockand their new Shane Skinny in True Blue is so fun to style and even more fun to actually wear in life.  We love the Shane back to basic black ala Ashlee Simpson Wentz and paired with a girly top like the Ella Moss Black Label Carmen Top. Complete the look with neutral heels or sandals.

Celebs and press alike love Genetic.  I think you’ll be surprised to see how many consistently wear the denim and are photographed looking great in them!

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, Fergie and Rachel Bilson all in colored denim

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I can attest to the fact that not every style is for everyone, but one trend I think everyone should embrace today is distressed denim.  Not only is it super cool, but super comfortable. It looks great when you are dressing casual, but it looks even better when you pair it with some heels and a sexy top.

Every pair I own, whether it be the new Current/Elliot skinny slouch or my fav Genetic’s, the distressed trend is not to be missed.  Better yet, it should be never leave.  If we have anything to say, the trend will be around for awhile.  We are all huge fans.  And so are many, many others.

Katie rockin the skinny slouch

Check out our selection of distressed denim at shopchantal.com.

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