Second City Style Fashion Blog - Style, Luxury, Beauty & Shopping

Earth Flight - Vegan in White $93.00 from Zappos

Happy Presidents' Day! Second City Style Blog Takes a Break.

We're taking Presidents' Day off but will be back in full fashion force on Tuesday, February 19th.

However, our new feature articles on Second City Style Magazine are up! So go ahead and enjoy your day off too. Do some reading and shopping! We are.

— Second City Style

Zac Posen Fall 08 photo: Wireimage

Happy Valentine's Day From Second City Style. Have a Sweet Day!

Engaging Rings by Dana Stone Spun Gold Pendant
In gold or white gold at SecondCityStore.com

Happy Holidays From Second City Style!

We would like to wish you and yours a very joyous holiday and New Year. We are going to take some time off from the blog, but will be posting some post holiday sales and a year-end, best-of Blog Therapy Friday next week.

Never fear, we will be publishing a new issue of Second City Style Magazine as always...this (and every) Sunday. Be sure to check it out!

The Second City Style Blog will be back in full swing January 2, 2008!

See ya then!

Lauren, Carol, Joanne, Natayle, Jacqui, Andra, Bonnie, Simona, Rachel, Thomas, Emily, Jennifer, Lauren F. and Jess.

Holiday Shopping for Fido. Christmas Has Gone to the Dogs...& Cats.

Yikes, I am so guilty of this! As someone who just procured a Coach collar and leash for her pooch, I can attest...Christmas is going to the dogs -- and cats -- in the United States. Many of the 71.1 million US households that have a furry family member include them in their holiday celebrations according to AFP. At least I'm not alone.

That doesn't just mean buying them a present, but includes throwing them a party, having them photographed with Santa (I've done that), or giving them a spa treatment.

"Last year, if you counted all the snacks, treats, gifts and parties that people had for pets from Halloween through Christmas, they spent almost $3 billion in that two-month period alone," Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA), told AFP.

"People have birthday parties, Christmas parties, Hanukkah parties for their pets," he added. Have we all gone insane?

Humans spend so much on their pets because they have humanized the furry creatures, which play an important role in their lives. Empty-nest parents fill the void created at home when the kids grow up, with a pet. Young professionals who are delaying having families are turning to pets instead of kids. I'm guilty of that too!

Read "Christmas going to the dogs in the United States"

Designer Charity. David Barton's Annual Toy Drive.

Susanne Bartsch, Marc Jacobs and David Barton

I am posting this because one, I was a spinning instructor at David Barton gym in Chicago until I moved to NYC (miss you guys) two, I love the designer-charity aspect (especially the two who attended who are my faves) and three, David Barton himself got down on the floor and barked with my dog last spring (too funny) so I know he's crazy, but generous. (Nigel loved it by the way)

Debbie Harry, Alan Cumming, Susanne Bartsch and David Barton

From WWD: Marc Jacobs dropped off the largest toy bag of the evening at David Barton's and Susanne Bartsch's annual toy drive for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Tuesday evening in New York. Designer Narciso Rodriguez, Debbie Harry and Alan Cummings were among the 4,000 supporters who turned in more than 20,000 presents.

David Barton and Narciso Rodriguez

Source: WWD
Photos: WireImage

Holiday Giving. Be Careful Who You Donate To This Season. Second City Style Fashion Blog

This may seem off-topic, but there is nothing more fashionable than giving the gift of a donation in someone else's name (or your own) for the holidays. But before you write that check, make sure you are donating to a worthy charity.

Just as we recommend you check the actual dollar or percentage amount actually donated to charity when you purchase say "Breast Cancer Awareness" pink items (doesn't it infuriate you to learn the makers of those cute pink tweezers that cost $20 are only donating $1 to charity?), you should do the same due diligence during the holidays. Crooks love to prey on a sucker, especially this time of year. Some charities use very creative accounting methods for feeding their own coffers.

Not every dollar you donate gets spent the way you may think. The watchdog group The American Institute of Philanthropy has developed a list of the top-rated charities...those that do the most with your money for actual programs. They have rated non-profits with grades from A+ to F. Just like a report card (remember those?) Check this list to see if your chosen charity received a passing grade before you donate!

Charitywatch.org/toprated

Don't worry, the American Red Cross received an A+!

Men's Style. Banking on a Fashion Investment. The Arnold Brant $6000 Sportcoat. Second City Style Fashion Blog

This is for the man who has everything and the woman who has no limit on what she's willing to give. Indeed, Arnold Brant has created a singularly spectacular sportcoat.

Known for sportcoats and suits created in seductively tactile fabrics, and based in a selection of seasonal luxury fabrics like cashmere, mink, chinchilla, and bamboo, Arnold Brant steps up the luxury factor with its vicuna offering, highlighted in a palette of crisp colors of iron, caramel and sepia tones.   Vicuna—a relative of the llama and the alpaca—produces small amounts of extremely fine wool, which is very expensive because the animal can only be shorn every 3 years. When knitted together, the product of the vicuña's fur is very soft and warm.

“To stand out from the clutter of what we commonly see in the menswear industry—we made a conscious decision to strip that away and focus on sexy, luxurious,  and product driven collection with attitude—drawing the consumer into the sumptuous textiles so that they feel the warmth of the line before experiencing the line first hand,” says Traci Young, Vice President of Marketing for Arnold Brant.

So forget about the quick cheap thrill of labels who claim to be luxe-- but don't have the the cultured sensibility and quality craftsmanship worth the big bucks. Make an investment in an Arnold Brant, instead. Available at Nordstrom (go to Nordstrom.com
to find your nearest location) or at  Info@arnoldbrant.com -- Joanne Molina, Senior Editor

Holiday Gifts. Indulge Your Inner Eco at Eco-Artware. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Typewriter rings, $70

Perfume pen, $40

Queen Anne's lace sachets, set of 2 $22

Recycled chandelier necklace

I love saving the environment but I hate the aesthetically unpleasing. That's why I was pleasantly surprised at the cute (and moderately priced) pieces I found at  eco-artware.com. Who knew? Joanne Molina, Senior Editor

It's A Holiday! We're Outta Here. Back on Thursday. Second City Style Fashion Blog

The Red, White and Blue (above):
Red—Mercedes patent leather snap clutch by Goldenbleu, $355 from Intermixonline
White—Tart Grace Dress in Bridal $189 at PinkMascara
Blue—Navy Quilted ballet flat $165 from ScoopNYC

From Fashion. Caution. Combine at Your Own Risk. Create an Ensemble in Red. White. OR Blue. - by Joanne Molina, Senior Editor