Continuing with the Boho vintage dress trend this year, one of the hottest looking (yet coolest wearing) continue to be the Maxi dress. Often looking like they were ripped right from the 1960’s time machine, we love these dresses so much; we wonder why they fell out of fashion in the first place!  You can go anywhere in one of these Boho summer dresses. Can we count the ways we adore you?

The Maxi dress is beautiful:

Available in every color of the rainbow and multitudes of patterns, there is a perfect maxi dress to suit every taste. Patterns can be found from traditional 1960’s maxi dress inspired paisleys to bright florals, small patterns or large all over prints, modern themes such as color blocks or huge graphics, then back to nature influenced leaf prints; there is no end to the possibilities nor a  bad look for a maxi.

The Maxi dress is versatile:

Perfect as a casual beach cover up or a day of strolling around the shops, the light and flirty feel of a maxi dress will not look overdone. On the opposite side of the fashion world, you can dress up a maxi dress to suit any occasion. Add a pair of metallic heeled sandals, pump up the jewelry and you are ready for a night on the town, romantic dinner for two or even a black tie event. Even better, the same maxi dress can be dressed up or down, giving you serious wearability for your fashion investment.

The Maxi dress is comfortable:

The range of fabrics is equal to the color and versatility adding to the immense possibilities. From a simple white cotton maxi summer dress perfect for the beach to an ombre dyed silk for afternoon summer wedding, natural fabrics allow for the warm summer breezes and ventilation.  Not to be outdone, one can find a cotton voile maxi dress, viscose-cotton, wrinkle free rayon, or maxi dresses that add spandex and lycra in the fabric mix for a smooth shape.  Plus the long shirt allows for comfortable sitting; the high waist is not binding, and the usually strappy bodice allows you to enjoy the summer sun.

The Maxi dress is flattering:

With the long flowing visual eye, the maxi dress can work for those naturally tall, or to help elongate a shorter stance. The flowing skirt hides a multitude of bottom heavy sins while the minimal top allows for full display of shapely arms.  The higher empire waste camouflages a belly bulge and gives a smooth line. Halter ties, V necks, and thin straps, combined with an eye catching neckline promote attention in all the right places. Again, there are enough variations to let everyone find their perfect Maxi.

The Maxi dress works perfectly with a ton of the other hot summer trends:

Gladiator Sandals? Boho silver hoop earrings? Metallic heels? Huge bags?  Big vintage inspired sunglasses? Chunky bangles and oversized summer jewelry? Fun flip flops?  Yup…all goes perfectly with a Maxi.

If you have been on the fence with jumping in on this trend, wait no more. There is the perfect Maxi dress in Loehmann’s for you. This year the summer goes to the Maxi.

Dress Up game Series: Intro

The Romantic Dress; dress up game series part 1

Rockabilly Dresses; dress up game series part 2

Some people adore shopping and some people absolutely hate it. Whether it’s a joy or a chore, everyone must shop eventually.  It’s fair to say that most women feel greatly frustrated when designer clothing cannot be found in the correct size.

We have all been there. Either you need a specific item or just browsing around to see what you can find, but finding the perfect article of apparel, especially at Loehmann’s where you know the price is significantly less, can be a real amazing feeling. Whether it is thrill of the hunt or just relief that your job is completed, nothing can bring you down faster than noticing that that perfect skirt in the perfect color that will go with those perfect shoes at the perfect price is two sizes too small or big enough for two of you.

Perfection becomes frustration with one glance at a size tag.

Some clothing lines run small and you need to find a larger than regular size with, say, those skinny jeans. Sometimes, the most common size is grabbed off the racks by all the other women who share that “regular” size with you. Sometimes it is clothing for ladies in petite sizes that proves to be a challenge. In any case, being faced with a rack full of size 2’s and a smattering of 11s does no good if you require the perfect 8.

Loehmann’s knows this and has heard your cries of frustration. No longer will amazing “can’t miss” bargains be purchased in a size too small just because they cannot be found in the correct size and the items are too good to put down. No longer must one add diet restrictions to their lifestyle a week or so before debuting a too tight skirt. Loehmann’s new Size Search brings increased satisfaction to designer shopping. Now, not only can you find the most incredible savings on designer clothing, but there shall be no more excuses not to wear them!

The new in store Size Search service will find your size in another Loehmann’s location if we have it available. You can complete your purchase just as if the size 0 pants fit, and then the correct sized clothing will be shipped directly to your home or office. Please ask a Sales Associate for details.  While shipping fees will be applied, it is a small price to pay for pure shopping satisfaction and the perfect skinny jeans.

Just think of the possibilities:

Beautiful designer shoes in your size can show up at your door.

A fabulous sports coat for him in the perfect size and at huge savings with zero frustration.

A party dress for your daughter with enough room to grow rather than knowing that she will grow out of it before it gets stained.

And you don’t have to drive all over wasting precious gas. That’s pure shopping satisfaction and eco friendly to boot!

Continued from last week’s post: Trend Alert: High Waisted Pants: part I

These are the kinds of pants that are actually more designed for a woman’s body, not to fight it. 

They accent the waist, while downplaying the hips as long as the trouser legs fall straight from the hips. If one has a thicker midsection, the high waisted pants will *create* a waist, shorten a long torso, and give the illusion of longer legs when worn with high heels and the hem just skims the ground. A high waisted pant can do wonders to elongate the length of the leg by giving the eye more of a constant visual to follow. 

While a high waist can eliminate the infamous muffin top, they also can accentuate a belly pooch if pleated in the front.  Nobody ever wants to be congratulated on a new pregnancy when they are truly not expecting, but instead just suffering from a pair of bad fitting pants. Some women praise the idea of finally getting all their non wash boarded bellies under the protection of clothing, but if the fit is not correct then bulging pants will still cause the fashion police to wince.

How to wear the new high waisted fashions:

Once you’ve found the perfect fit, make sure you pair it with the right top and accessories.

The newer high waisted pants should be full throughout and finish at a wide leg. While the skinny jean might still have a following, a high waisted, skinny leg cannot be worn by anyone with even slightly larger hips, bottom and/or thighs or those will be accented. While made for the pear shaped, a leg that tapers in any way will cause the hips to look too wide.

The sheer volume of fabric used in these pants makes a fitted top the natural choice. One needs to balance off the top half of their body to match the bottom.  Opt for something fitted and waist-cinching.  A nipped-waist, button-up blouse with short sleeves works well.  Also, wide-leg trousers and a fitted blazer look excellent at work.  Call some attention to the upper body with a bright colored top or commanding jewelry.

Since the length of the torso is elongated as well, either a long torso, or a short one can be adversely affected.  For both cases, showing some extra skin at the neckline will lengthen the neck and create balance.

A thicker waist can be doubly accented when the illusion of a cinched waist is made with a narrow belt and a one- button blazer. In cases where the waste to hip ratio is too close, then added fullness of pleats in the pants and hips can reduce the visual of the middle.

The wide leg styles beg for balance in the form of a thick, high-heeled shoe. The hemline should be just long enough to graze the floor and let your toes peek out. Heels are a must, a pointy toe even better. Without a toe pointing out, one can look footless. Wedges and other chunky heeled boots or pumps will juxtapose all that extra fabric and add length to the legs as well.

The trick to these pants is to get the scale and proportion just right as you don’t want to be wading in too much fabric. They shouldn’t be so wide that you swim in them, especially if you’re petite since it can make you look short and squat rather than long and lean.

Since these are the “new” look pants, keeping them modern with a dark navy wash. Gray also provides a nice neutral to take off from and white can provide a classic “sailor” feel for the summer season.

Although some shoppers may feel intimidated by this aggressively retro trend, with the flattering features and edgy style, the only people who should be afraid to sport this trend are those looking to abbreviate their legs and accent their love handles with passé flair.  You can call it the rebound effect, but the high waisted pants are definitely here and provide a new fashion trend to work from.

Happy shopping!

After many years of the hip hugging, low rider style of pants, the rule of opposites seems to be in effect.  Just when the belly button baring could go no lower, the designers have gone for the other extreme and overcompensated.  The latest female fashion trend that is getting tons of play: High Waisted pants.

A brief history of women wearing pants:

High waisted pants can be considered one of the original fashion trends in the history of the feminine trouser.  Think of a young Katherine Hepburn in her perfectly tailored slacks, turning heads by being so “manly” by rejecting the expected dress and defying convention. Or remember the shocking glamour of Marlene Dietrich in 1930’s Monocco where she donned her famous flares.  Before Kate and Dietrich spurned convention, any decent lady would not dare to be seen in public outside of her stockings, heels and well pressed dress.    

Hepburn has been credited for almost single-handedly breaking down the dress code for women.  With her fame and prestige coupled with an absolute refusal to wear a skirt or a dress out of character and off the set, women’s trousers were allowed off the farm and out of the factories and slowly won the stogy approval of society.

The early slacks worn by women were really men’s wear.  During WWII, with the men off in uniform, the women left behind not only had to fill in the jobs left in the factories, but raided their husband’s closets as well.  Men’s trousers, at that time, were high waisted and so that’s what women wore.  As this practice of wearing trousers became more widespread and as the men’s clothes wore out, replacements were needed, so that by the summer of 1944 it was reported that sales of women’s trousers were five times more than in the previous year.

While the 1950’s are known for their Capri’s and casual wear worn by the original baby boomers in their youth, it was not until the 1960’s, however, that slacks were introduced on the runway. Frances’ Andre Courreges, also originator of the mini skirt, brought long trousers into his line leading to the era of pantsuits and eventually designer jeans. Even then, though, women’s slacks were…high waisted.  Following the other standards of fashion of that time, the female waist was accented, the hourglass shape was preferred, and child bearing hips were a good thing to have. It was not until the influence of the hippies, defying even more convention that brought the waistband down to hip levels.

Since then, the waist bands have gone up and down along with the length of hemlines. The last great high rise was in the 1980’s when strong anti-1970’s feeling coupled with an influence of costume like retro wear brought back a more formal look of a baggier trouser and a cinched waist.  Capri pant from the 50’s returned along with stirrup pants and vintage look pumps.

Fashion Rebounds, but don’t be afraid:

It has been said that every twenty or so years a look rebounds, so seeing a rebirth of seasonal 2008 fashions influenced from the 80’s looks which, in turn, were inspired by 1950’s retro makes perfect sense.

Of course, there is now a legion of either new fashionistas who have absolutely zero history wearing anything but low rise jeans, or many who remember in horror the earlier looks of the 80’s and the dreaded “mom jeans” look.  If done well, though, the high waisted slacks of today need not resemble a frozen fashion statement dug up from the far recesses of a forgotten closet.

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please return for Part II of Trend Alert: High Waisted Pants  where dressing tips and accesories are discussed

Long gone are the days of the women’s classic work clothes consisting of the “power suit” and the floppy tie that women had to wear to the office.  As women have made their mark on the workplace, fashion has made its mark as well.  While dressing for work is different than getting ready to express your personal style at a party or dinner with friends,  there are still some great must have clothing for the office this spring that can bring you high visibility at work.

Add some color: A tailored pants suit is still a great way to strut your stuff and be taken seriously at the same time. As always, a well made piece will last a life time and is a great fashion investment.  Make sure both the jacket and pants fit well and are tailored to accentuate your body type.   While the classic navy, black and gray suits won’t ever go out, a brightly colored suit can punch up your look without discrediting your office moves.

Office structure with the men’s style vest: This season, the structure of suits are flowing more of a traditional men’s look, which helps in a piece’s longevity.  The classic tailoring of a men’s type cut pairs nicely with more feminine accesories and creates a nice juxtaposition to a sharp toed pump or a peep toed mule.  If it’s not the time to make investment in a new suit, then pick up a man’s style vest or two.   Vests are back with a vengeance and can perfectly accent last year’s blouse for fashion staying power. Think a modern Annie Hall; search your closet and look for new separates to pair up.

Staying Grounded in Neutral colors:

The neutral tones have continued staying power as well.   Safari cut jackets in tones of khaki are one of this seasons must have. A safari type jacket is the perfect way to top an office dress and goes very nicely with some of the more tribal prints that are hot this year.  Deeper toned tailored slacks pair up well with this seasons bights, as well, and provide a very necessary foundation for the hues of spring.

Layer up with a great new cardigan sweater: As the weather gets warmer outside, the temperature gets colder inside.  Office air conditioning often makes spring and summer street wear feel like a holiday in Alaska.  Layering office clothing is a perfect way to mitigate the sever fluxation in temperatures. This year the classic cardigan is all over, providing some very nice warmth to early sleeveless looks.  The added benefit of a versatile sweater? Clothing that screams summer can now be worn through the spring and into the fall without making you break into a sweat.

Accessories are bigger and brighter than ever; Jewelry is on the rise and the sizes are still growing.  Though the mantra now is “the bigger and chunkier the better”, it should not be overdone.  One armful of complimentary chunky bracelets or a fabulous necklace, not both, is the key. Pair a statement making piece with a more subdued blouse or dress background to avoid visual confusion.

Belts, shoes, bags, and scarves cannot be forgotten either.   Belts can still be nice thick; perfect for accenting a slim waste, or a tighter, slimmer bit of brighter color snaking through the tops of slacks. For spring look for bags reminiscent of cute 1960’s camera bags with long straps in bright colors.  Shoes continue to be all about the sculptured heels and almost anything goes.   From spike heels with odd designs, to oddly shaped wedges, the more unique the shoe, the better.   A spring scarf is all about fabric, color and weight.  Obviously warmth is not the main purpose when this spring’s hottest scarves are made of whisper thin chiffon.  A scarf if a great way to mix in a floral, soften a tailored jacket and add a bit of color next to your face.

Keeping a varied mix between the classic office look and your own personal style promotes a winning combination that is bound for favorable reviews.