Designer

……………………………..Pansy Day was one of Jac’s FAVORITE DAYS of the year!……Mine too….Winter is OVER and with the pansies Spring is here……The stage is set……All 40 pots are in place………Franco and I went to the wholesale nursery this morning to get the flats and now they are in my garden waiting to be planted……..Franco had to go back out to get potting soil…….we couldn’t fit it in the truck with all of the pansy plants……………It’s 60 degrees…………….a great day for planting!!!!!

…………………….November 09 had some beautiful “designer’ pieces. Why do I refer to them as designer?…because these are garments with very special details that are very recognizable to that designer, and not easy to copy……The jacket at the lower left was in a beautiful new Boucle……It had texture, but the pile was much lower so that the fabric was flatter.  The DETAILS were plentiful! There was satin trim, tulle and jet faceted glass buttons. As you look at the sketch all of the black banding down the front and bordering the tulle on the cuffs was black satin. Also down the front were sewn down satin, what looked like button holes, were actually very small satin bands with the tiny jet buttons. The jacket had  hook and eyes down the front to close it. What made the jacket even more special was the TULLE RUFFLES bordering the whole jacket. The neckline in the back and at the side neck was slightly raised so the tulle went up and the neck and framed the face. There was something very period look about this jacket….like something you might see in a Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte movie…..It was a very romantic jacket in the Blush Pink and Black, and very sophisticated in the Black with Black……The next sweater had beautiful RIBBON swirling emb. with sew in faceted stones….all tonal in the sweater color. Unfortunately, the sketch was done quickly and you really can’t see the actual design. A detail of the pattern of the ribbon and beads accompanied the sketch..it was really pretty in the Turquoise and Purple……….The next top was in a RAYON/SPAN jersey. This was not your typical rayon jersey….it had weight, body, substance and came in a heather grey. The tunic top had a scoop neckline and raglan sleeves which had elastic at the bottom of the full sleeve. It was the center section of elastic ruching, front and back, that held the fabric in and gave the top shape. There were also pull-on easy leg pants. This outfit in Magenta and Heather Charcoal Grey, would have been perfect for today’s at home Zoom meetings!……..The top at the bottom right was in a unique fabric. It was a sort of pucker fabric, but it was in a zig zag and cable pattern. It came in Pink and Black. It was a fun and unexpected top to wear under the Tulle trimmed jacket…………The next jacket was in Black Ponte knit. The jacket had princess seams, an open jewel neck and 3/4 sleeves. The entire jacket had 2 1/2 inch bands of sequins.  We didn’t sell the skirt according to the CAD. We substituted it with a pant. There was loops and faceted buttons down the front of the jacket. The two pieces came in all Black or Steel Grey with clear sequins and DTM grey buttons……….The last jacket on the top row was in a new crepe fabric. It was a stretch woven with a satin back. It had a beautiful weight and feel. All of the black in the sketch was SATIN dyed to match the color of the jacket it also had satin small covered buttons. The addition of the satin shaped pieces around the armhole gave the jacket that something extra special….that detail that made this jacket “DESIGNER!”……..09 had been a very successful year. 2010 promised to continue that success, but one never knows what’s on the horizon!

………………………..Oct 09 had some incredible things, and one of my and your all time favorite jackets……Starting at the top left was a matte satin swing coat. I actually wanted it to have more swing, but “they were afraid and brought the swing down to an A-line. None the less it was a beautiful coat that could be worn DAY or NIGHT. Jac wore this coat to the theater. It really was a super coat for semi or dressier occasions. What to wear over a little black dress? A MATTE SATIN SWING COAT. Now, the sketch says it had a button out lining. I don’t remember if that came to pass,and if it did what it was?? It came in Taupe and Black….[the color in the photo is paler than what the taupe actually was]….I will jump to the bottom left. This was a suede topper coat with tonal leather trims. It came in Steel Grey and Brown….Up to this point suede was still at a reasonable price.//.The COWL top with emb. shoulder straps was a wonderful evening top…..It was made in Rayon Jersey and was avail in Black, Purple and Heather Grey. The deep cowl was suspended from the beaded straps that tapped as they came to the shoulder seam….The beads were all faceted hand sewn in different shapes and sizes. Each top had its’ own combination of colors. For instance the Grey had gunmetal black diamond and crystal stones…….The next jacket at the top left was probably the most successful “special occasion” jacket I ever did, and that is saying a lot. I had seen a necklace in a boutique, while shopping with Jac, and it caught my eye. It was two color ribbons twisted with pearls in between each twist which was stacked so it wouldn’t untwist. I though what a great detail that would make on a jacket!!!!I bought the necklace to show Elaine so they could send it to the factory or else it would have taken a lot of explaining and many trials to achieve what was relatively an easy thing to accomplish. The jacket and matching skirt were in the wonderful new SIGNATURE CREPE with the satin back. The jacket was simple. It had a jewel neckline, 3/4 sleeves [altering the sleeve length would have been a huge task if they were long], and body seams from shoulder to hem, front and back. It also had band pockets. It was the TWISTED RIBBON and PEARL detail that gave this jacket its’ magic. It was trimmed everywhere….around the neck down both fronts [it had a hook and eye closure], the sleeve hem and the band pockets…The Black jacket had Black and Ivory ribbon with Ivory pearls, and the eggplant had DTM Eggplant and Fuchsia ribbons with Fuchsia pearls…….For me it was better than Chanel……It SOLD OUT in a flash. Women with discerning eyes knew this was not to be passed up and many bought both the Black and the Eggplant….This was definitely not a matter of “need” but of DESIRE! Those who hesitated and debated too long lost out forever….There were so many on wait list that the buyers wanted more ASAP. What was happening too often now was the factory refusing the order at the same price and QVC wouldn’t agree to the new price! Elaine was right….we were making designer clothes….one and done which was not the QVC formula. We tried to make this jacket again using the same fabric but eliminating the decoration from the bottom and the pockets. The women were so excited that it was coming back….but when they saw the new version they were rightly so disappointed. For many who missed out on the original they bought it anyway, but it wasn’t nearly as successful as the gorgeous original….You just can’t go back

…………………….The FOUR additional pieces were all very special……There is a strong belief that “fashion” repeats its’ self every ten years. I actually think these days similar looking clothes have closed the year gap to zero. The top at the bottom left is made in Stretch VELVET and Crinkle georgette. I think you can tell from the sketch which is which…LOL. As you can see there are ruffles outlining the ballet neckline, the armholes and two rows of ruffles at the elastic cuff. To the the stretch velvet it had a some what fitted look….This was a very successful top and the women loved its’ femininity…Jump ahead to 2020 and you see I repeated myself in the form of A390842, the crinkle georgette ruffle top. The new top is all one fabric and the sleeve treatment is different, but the total look is the same. It is now at the unbelievable price of $33.96….PLEASE do not look at the plus model in the top!!! I was livid when I saw the picture. She is obviously TWO SIZES BIGGER than the top she is wearing. It’s not the first time I complained about the sizes they were giving this model. I have never seen her look good in anything, and that’s because they only pull size 1x, and she is no 1x. Of course they wouldn’t reshoot, and I know it hurt the sale of this blouse. I wouldn’t buy it from their photo, but having them change something is like trying to keep the tide from coming in. Their photos have always been a bone of contention with me. They have strict rules on how the models look…..I agree with none of it. I think the models should look as beautiful as they can….I think blouses like these are a vital part of any women’s wardrobe……If a special occasion comes up wear it with a pant or skirt or even jeans for that “high Low” look. This top came in a deep saturated GRAPE and Black. There was also a matching pull-on velvet skirt…….The next button front. The blouse was in satin charmuse. It had a V neckline with bands that ended in streamers that could be tied into a bow as illustrated…….It had a 3/4 sleeve with shirring and a two button band cuff…..It came in Fawn, Orchid and Black. It looked fabulous under the boucle jacket with the satin stripping and the matching skirt as well as the boucle jacket with the twisted ribbon and pearl detail. When the jackets were left open, as many women wore them, this beautiful blouse brought the suit to a higher DESIGNER level. It’s a blouse that would work under many jackets and cardigans……Next time you put on your suit jackets, whether your basic blazer or your riding jacket, try a feminine blouse under it for a whole new exciting option……..The next sweater  had a V neck and 3/4 sleeves. It was banded in sequins. It came in Black and Turquoise with matching sequins. A timeless classic piece that will look great forever.

………………….Spring is always a wonderful time of year…..a rebirth!………..Lets pray that this spring brings all things good and hopeful.