vive la femme

We are supertotallymajorly excited about the shipments that keep rollin’ in for spring 2010! Behold the goodness that is our latest round of shipments:

We received some great new “cheap-n-chic” options — check ‘em out! Crisp and girly, these tieback blouses from Missphit come in a black/white and white/back pattern with a ribbon belt. They are adorable as a standalone piece with black pants or a slim black skirt or as a fun underlay for a jacket or blazer!

And here is the world’s most English schoolgirl-esque lightweight trench in classic and classy cream and black plaid print with a pop of red. I am going to wear this with a black satchel and a black cloche hat and it will be smashing, darling! And we also had the pleasure of unpacking a fabulous swish dress in red, black, and this deep berry color that is truly an amazing deal for just $50. Bra-friendly and totally comfortable, this piece is perfect for upcoming casual weddings and garden parties!

Amanda from Redskew is whipping up a new wave of confectionary graphic skirts for spring and here is the first of many! Designed in her signature a-line silhouette, this floral pattern in shades of green and pink is all happy, all the time! Paired here with our $35 cropped cardy in loden green, it makes for a darling transitional piece with lots of style mileage well into the warmer season.

Finally, we unpacked a handful of goodies from Karen Kane including this adorable raspberry shade with a sweet beadwork placket! This shape is running a bit full and it reading well on gals with full chests and curvy hips. Pop an all-black outfit with this amazing color or mix it in with lime green or lemonade yellow for a very naughty retro-prep look! Finally, we have a stunning black silk blouse with glorious embroidery work along the neckline and sleeves. The shape of this piece is marvelous on Amanda, really fitting her curves and frame and laying wonderfully against her shoulders and torso. I think she should take it…don’t you (wink wink)?

Heads up! We are hostessing our newest spring line, Lotis, with a Designer Reception at vive la femme on Thursday March 18th from 6p to 8p. We’ve already made our spring order but we absolutely be taking pre-orders for the items you simply have to have! RSVPs are welcome, and friends and family can of course attend too. http://www.lotisclothing.com/ Please email or call if you plan to grace us with your presence!

Hey curvy cats and curvaceous cutiepies! We received a few goodies this week which are merely a taste test of the delightful shipments to come! Meanwhile, check out our latest and greatest…

Karen Kane fans and enthusiasts will enjoy the newest transitional looks, namely a gorgeous deconstructed tunic sweater in a lightweight knit. Check out this gorgeous sky blue color! Amanda layered with with a gray tank from Comfy for a soft silhouette of antiqued shades that reads warmly and richly. She also popped it with on her NEW handmade pins!

Here’s the same sweater, again with a Redskew Pop Pin in a darling cocoa brown, this time layered with a deep jewel-tone turquoise tank. This sweater also comes in black, and was delivered to us in very limited numbers. Perfect for seasonal layering and supersnugglycomfy, this piece was a hit among the staff right out of the box!

We also unpacked a retro-dame blouse in a very clean zebra print trimmed with black and festooned with a black ribbon effortlessly go from a 50’s beach luau to an 80’s video, namely, “Gimme All Your Lovin’” from ZZ Top. A great power piece for those who  like to decade-jump in their closet!

Finally, Amanda from Redskew bestowed us with a new collection of handmade pins! Each of them are one-of-kind, a real conversation piece, and just $12! Here’s another pic of Amanda wearing one of her pins with the new Karen Kane brown sweater. It’s a dash of Adorable! mixed with a serving of Wow! topped off with a sprinkle of Darling!

We are wrapping up our Twenty-Ten sale this weekend, so please feel free to stop by and peruse our still-full racks for dresses, soft suiting, and workhorse tanks and shrugs. Stop by soon!

First things first, savvy shoppers…we are having a mega major ultimate sale!  It’s very simple…from now through next Thursday, your first item is 10% off, your second item is 20% off, your third is 30%, etc!  We’re taking it all the way to 90% off, no exceptions, no exemptions. Obvs the highest priced item is 10%, then the second highest is 20%, blah, blah, blah.  Also, all sale items purchased during this promotion are final!

Here’s some new deliveries that are of course included in the sale! Check out our cheap-n-chic sweater collection just in from the west coast!  Priced between $35 and $50, these sweaters are perfect tops for fall weather. Modeling our sweet belted button-down sweater in a namesake gray, Heather pops this simple seasonal piece with a pretty tank and statement necklace. She also rocks the sleek and chic pocked-detailed blouson sweater in a rich dusty crimson, which is a precious piece priced at only $35!.

We also unpacked our one and only Trentacosta shipment for the year and it’s a good one! The designer, Darren, recently restructured his manufacturing process so prices have dropped considerably. Check out the plaid sheath dress matched back the gorgeous blue corduroy trench with a self-belt and sleeve button detailing! We also received a floral-print blouse in rich seasonal colorways of blue and gray which is delightfully retro-esque in both form and fashion. Finally, how cute is this housewife-chic dress in a playful gold/brown stretch twill? This can go right into any upcoming vacation wardrobe, or winterized with a jean jacket, and brown tights and boots.

Just in from i amore, a new ruffle duster silhouette in muted patterns and intricate colors. Check out this one in watercolor blues and greens with a graywash. We paired with a crinkly tank in concrete and dark jeans for a dramatic and singular look!.

Just in from Karen Kane, lots of leopard print! Here I am in my new vampy cardigan and supersleek black work trousers, striking ademure and ladylike pose. We also have a semi-sheer leopard print mesh blouse that is a great party top and also can go under black suiting for a versatile day look.  We also have a fabulous tiered black blouse with gold sparkle detailing along the edges of the tiers.  It’s very festive, perfect for holiday soirees and NYE bashes!

Finally checkout the newest skirt from Redskew! This “Birdie Skirt” is one of Amanda’s most amazingly intricate creations, designed just for vive la femme!  A teal skirt popped with all sorts of fall shades such as chocolate brown, deep gold, rich navy, and rust orange, this skirt transforms any simple brown top into a signature ensemble!  This is a very limited edition piece so if you loves you some Redskew, please come in immediately if not sooner.

Mark your calendars!  Got a BRA-blem?  Need a little boost in your life? Don’t be a boob — bring ‘em to our bra-fitting event with Isabella Fine Lingerie on Thursday November 12th from 6p to 9p here at vive la femme. The gals from Isabella will be here with a veritable slew of bras just for us! If you are looking to match a piece of clothing with any type of bra (strapless, plunge, etc) bring it and the Isabella gals will work with you to ensure you are comfortably and flatteringly ensconced. Friends and family are of course welcome! RSVP via email, or give us a call!

Greetings from the Alliance Francaise! We are having a ball with Gayla Bentley and her wacky staff of foxy ladies at an all-weekend trunk show featuring Gayla Bentley Designs Fall/ Holiday ‘09 looks and ensembles. Gayla Bentley has two ranges for timelessly stylish women of confidence and affluence. One is a mix-and match story of stretch jersey separates in black, brownberry, and lipstick red; the other is oriented toward major investment pieces with lots of pop and flourish! For example, check me out in the “Pillow Talk” jacket made from golden silk festooned with a darling fleur pin! We are proud to announce the vast majority of these pieces are currently available for Chicago’s plus size shoppers to try on and order! We will be at the Alliance, 810 N Dearborn with the entrance at 54 W Chicago, on Thursday from 11a to 7p, Friday from 11a to 5p, and Saturday from 11a to 5p. For more information on Gayla Bentley and her clothes, please check out www.gaylabentley.com.

Karen Kane lovers, rejoice! We are bursting with girly goodness in naughty secretary sweaters and femmy blouses. Check out the smashing drapey neck sweater in a drop dead gorgeous Chagall blue on Amanda! Super soft and ultra glam, this piece went rightout of the box onto Amanda and that was that. Smashing!

We also unpacked this cutie-poo button down avocado green cardy with adorable sparkly buttons! What a great color, especially for those of us who can wear green like pros (sadly, this would NOT be me).

Finally, we have a faboo little black dress with tone on tone detailing along the neckline as modeled here by Hannah, who not only looks sleek and chic in this bitchin’ frock, she is happily showing off the ultimate accessory, a good-lookin’ man. Sorry, the GLM was a sample stitch-up and he has since been returned to the manufacturer.

Finally, it’s a HAPPY HAPPY DAY here at vive la femme — our soft suiting has arrived! Structured and tailored in a flexible ponte knit, these pieces are all come in subtle neutrals, are PERFECT for the office, AND could not be any more comfortable! Even better, the entire range of jackets skirts, dresses, tanks, and skirts is priced from $65 to $175, which is nothing short of amazing for this type of high quality suiting! We have so many boxes that we could only snap a few shots of the first few silhouettes we unpacked. Check out the long zip jacket and the button front lab jacket, and gaze at the range of colors, including this wonderful deep teal green. We will do a more in depth photo shoot for next week, but if these are pieces you have been waiting on, stop in this weekend and get ‘em now — they WILL go fast!