Shopchantal Stylefile

It’s no surprise that outwear is an important topic for us at shopchantal.com & chantal.  Since we are based in Portland, ME we have no other choice than to bundle up during the winter months, and style is a priority when choosing that essential coat for the season.  Since we are in a season where almost anything goes (high drama, girly details, and timeless sophistication), the hunt to find a jacket that meets your “keep warm” needs but portrays your individual style is super easy!

Rebecca Taylor’s Ruffle Me Up Coat is the go-to jacket for all the girly-girls at heart!  The tiered ruffle front detail and ruffled collar are super feminine, and the belted waist gives you shape even with all the layers you may be wearing under it.  The slight balloon sleeve adds that extra special detail without being over powering that all of us crave when looking for that special, unique piece that you will have forever!

More edgy, than girly, Shoshanna’s Zipper Front Coat is military-inspired and touches upon that boy meets girl edge that is so of the moment!  We love the off-center exposed zipper and banded detail at the waist.  The color combo of grey & black make this a super versatile coat that can easily be worn dressed up or down.  We love pairing it back to tough pieces to make the military-inspiration pop even more!  Or pair it back to a beautiful pink cashmere scarf and a chef’s beret for a fun, flirty look to an edgy style coat.  Add a touch of fringe with a bag from Twelfth Street or some boots from Joie.

Craving color when the weather can be somewhat dark & dreary?  Nanette Lepore’s D’Orsay Hoodie in Iris is a rich shade of purple in a slightly cropped style that allows you to show off the layers you wear underneath it.  The jacket features so many great details that makes the D’Orsay Hoodie super fun to wear–the exposed zippers at the wrist, polished slit int he back, worn bronze buttons, and the best part of this piece–the detachable hood.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.  The best styles and choices of sizes are here now - waiting for you to add a Carolina Amato snood and some driving gloves or a Me & Kashmiere animal print scarf and some cashmere mittens.  Whichever your style, we can help you complete the look.

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Mixing masculine and feminine pieces creates an unexpected, cool girl vibe that exudes through the confidence of the one sporting the look.  It’s a little bit world-traveler, definitely edgy, and incredibly appropriate for the type of girl who wants to look sexy, yet be comfortable.  Fall’s offerings are making it easy to create this coveted look with the  heavy presence of motorcross styles, girly silks, and a selection of boots that has my head spinning–WHICH TO CHOOSE!

shopchantal.com & chantal. has everything you need, even the advice on how to get the look all the way down to the small details–studded belts & printed cashmere scarves!

Store favorite, Pencey, has built an entire line around the notion of tough, girl chic and the Wool/Cashmere Peacoat is a great example of the talent, beauty, and toughness incorporated within the line!  The buckles, the belt, the collar–what’s not to love!!!  Shown here with Pencey’s Hobo Pant & Twelfth Street’s Reva Boot, one can see that pulling off this look is as easy as “1, 2, 3″–minimalism is the best approach!

Craving more options?  Here is a look at my top 5 picks for pulling off the “it” girl style of the moment:

1.  A great pair of Motocross/Biker inspired jeans will take you a long way as you can pair them back to so many different tops, jackets, and accessories!  I recommend Current/Elliott’s The Moto Skinny, which is done in a thicker, washed black denim (perfect for the upcoming weather).  Call to order: 877.347.5527

New Orleans Boot

2.  A tough boot creates a juxtaposition between girly & masculine when paired with a silky top or dress.  We are loving Joie’s New Orleans Boot.  Hitting on other important trends, buckles & straps, this boot has longevity and unbeatable comfort.

3.  The perfect top that tones down the masculine vibe of the other pieces worn while creating this look; Joie’s February Top features great detail in a neutral print that works well back to all of our favorite denim trends of the season.

4.  Studded belts are always a favorite amongst all of us at shopchantal.com, and Street’s Ahead is never short on ideas when trying to find that perfect studded number.  We recommend their Brass Studded Belt that wraps around the hip twice, for an extra bit of edge!

5.  Finally, a printed scarf in a rich textile creates polish & texture for the tough, girl chic look.  Me & Kashmiere has numerous styles to choose from.  One of our favorites is the Anaconda Printed Scarf in a neutral animal print.

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Our adoration for Current/Elliott has evolved into a love of not ony the boyfriend style pant, but slouchy styles in general.  And, our love has grown from denim to silk.

The style has been going through some growing pains, but we think they’ve finally settled and the outcome is amazing.  Not to be confused with the Harem Pant, the slouchy pant has a real relaxed fit, but the crotch is not exaggerated.  We didn’t go there because the Harem Pant is a difficult trend to wear.  And we are jsut so in love with just the Slouch pant look.

Nanette Lepore’s newest collection has a pant we can’t seem to get enough of and want to wear this style all the time now.

Her Pre-Fall/Transition collection includes a skinny, slouchy, silk pant that has a button closure at the hemline so it can be made even skinner -perfect for pulling up the calf to rock the crop.  We love it paired back to a bright colored summer tank and layered with her leapord print jacket and the a pair of Pour la Victoire heels.

Nanette Lepore

Pencey Hobo Pant details

And, you must know by now how much we love Pencey.  Their slouchy hobo pant in grey is beyond amazing.  Not only is a great slouchy style, but it has ink drawings and stitch details all over it.  It looks cute long and rolled up to show off some great heels.  Because it fits like a man trouser, it works with flowing tops as well as fitted.

Graham & Spencer did the banded bottom in their slouchy pant this season. And it is black, making it perfect for a night out in the city.  Super cute with flats and a fitted tee.  The secret here is to define the waist with a belt or short, crop jacket.

We are looking forward to more of this style and will keep you posted as more collections arrive.

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Leighton Meester in Pencey on the beach

Leighton Meester has a gorgeous body and with her fabulous style, it is no wonder she wears Pencey, even to the beach!

We love this top and have featured Pencey before on our site and blog, but wanted to share this great shot of our favorite Gossip Girl flaunting her goods in one of our favorite designers.

And, we love the cut off shorts and fedora, Leighton.

shopchantal.com has this Pencey One shoulder Suicide top available in black. It has amazing details such as pins and other small metal objects making it edgy and sexy.  See this Gossip Girl favorite top and more styles from Pencey at shopchantal.com

xoxo!

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Being able to speak and work directly with our shopchantal.com designers is one very fortunate bonus we have as a personally owned and operated company.  And, we love that our blog gives us the chance to share our experiences with you.  

Ever wonder what inspires designers or maybe what advice they were given that helped them get to where they are?  We do too! So, we decided to ask.  We know our designers are busy so we kept our questions short and, in turn, their answers are short.   We took the liberty of adding some quick links and fun images related to their answers.  After all, we are very visual here at shopchantal.com.

We will have more Designer Interviews leading up to Fall and think you will love what the designers have to say.  Let us know if there is someone special you would like us to interview and we’ll see what we can do.

Designer Interview #1: Pencey

Everyone might know by now that shopchantal.com (specifically chantal) has a bit of an obsession with Pencey.  So, it is only fitting that our very first segment appropriately titled “Designer Interview” is with Pencey Designer, Christina Minasian.

sc:  What is your personal trademark?

CM:  Energizer bunny 

sc:  Who is your style icon? 

CM: 

sc:  Best style advice ever received? 

CM:  Do what you want!

sc:  What is your most memorable fashion success? 

CM: My greatest fashion success is when I see someone wearing pencey

Actress Leighton Meester in Pencey

sc:  What is the one item you can’t live without?

CM:  A white tee shirt

sc:  What is the most surprising fact about you? 

CM:  I love to fish

sc:  What is the one item you carry in your bag everyday? 

CM:  My starbucks discount card

sc:  Who is your favorite shopping / travel companion? 

CM: My sister

Famous Sisters: Barbie & Skipper

sc:  Who would be your favorite celebrity to dress? 

CM:  Lucille Ball

sc. What was your inspiration for your Fall ’09 Collection? 

CM: The inspiration for fall 09 was this punk girl who is kind of tough but has a sweet girly side to her that she always wants to show off.  The color pallet was very dark but the fabric and silhouettes are light to balance it out.

Thanks Christina.  Check out more Pencey shots from our recent photo shoot.

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At shopchantal.com, we have been blessed with many staffers having their own “look” and I think it is about time we celebrate this individuality and style.

Every so often, we will be posting favorite looks, designers and overall current style of one staff member. It is inevitable that you will connect with one particular staffer and will gravitate towards their choices.  We think that is awesome and want to help you get a bit more insight into what inspires them to pick what they pick to wear to work and out on the town.

We hope you will look out for this new addition to our blog.  Who knows, maybe you’ll even feel inspired to send us your favorite look from shopchantal.com and we’ll add you to our inspiration board here on the shopchantal style file.

This Month’s Staffer:  Chantal- web/store manager and buyer,  lookbook stylist, social media-aholic (especially Twitter), wife, mother and beach lover.

 A self-proclaimed “girl of the 80’s”, Chantal adores anything with zippers, hooks, pins, asymmetrical closures and hems, waist belts in every size and color and layering.  You will often see her in hats (fedoras are her fav) and scarves, always see her in Current/Elliott jeans and heels, and forever with a large handbag.  She is never without her signature “c” necklace from Alex Woo and loves rings and bracelets from Gorjana - always in multiples!

Her IPod features: The Clash, T.I., Linkin Park, M.I.A, Kanye West, Coldplay, Akon, Jay-Z, and David Bowie and more.

It is no surprise that she is obsessed with anything and everything Pencey and gets all their pieces from each delivery.

Check out Chantal’s Pencey picks for Spring and Summer available now or soon at shopchantal.com. She is wearing a Pencey top in her pic too, of course!

Pencey Slip Dress

Pencey Halter

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Pencey designer, Christina Minasian, says her wandering spirit informs every aspect of her life.

Pencey Cosmic Printed Tank available at shopchantal.com

Her career began while working as a window and interior stylist and then progressed to celebrity stylist.

True to form, Christina headed west to work more at perfecting her trendsetting style. Soon after her West Coast introduction, celebrity style mavens sought Minasian’s keen eye for design and expert skills.

Minasian is a consistently in-demand industry player among retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and celebrities.

A self-proclaimed observer, Minasian draws inspiration from everything around her which led to the debut of her ready-to-wear collection, Pencey.

Friends, family, and travel destinations around the globe – all inform her breezy, almost fickle style. “Sometimes I want to dress like a tomboy and other days I want to feel girly and pretty,” says Christina, who tempers her whimsical designs with tailored pieces to reflect her ‘boy meets girl’ sensibility.

We think Pencey is the perfect combination for shopchantal.com as well. Our mix of everyday pieces, stylish denim, tailored tops and flirty tops alike are what we are all about. We’ve always loved the idea of mixing masculine with feminine and to also have a closet that gives us the freedom to dress one way or the other on any given day. OR to dress both in an outfit that combines pieces from shopchantal.com.

Our pick: Current/Elliot skinny slouch jeans with the Pencey Blair tank in Ultraviolet, layered with a Me & Kashmiere Enya scarf and fabulous handbag from Foley + Corinna. Edgy, Sexy and very. . . sensible.

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