On My List

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is already over and we are staring Christmas right in the face. If I didn't cook and eat the turkey myself, I may have missed Thanksgiving all together. I feel like we were getting ready for Christmas right after Halloween. We're all hoping for great holiday sales, but I never thought playing Jingle Bells in October was the way to inspire people to shop.

In any case, it is THE shopping season (not that I need a season or an occasion), but it does help when I have to explain the credit card bills to my accountant, ahem, my husband. I love a good gift just like the next gal, so I've started my wish list in case "Santa" decides to come down the chimney.

The first two things on my list are both by Phillip Lim. It's been a while since I've bought anything by PL but oh boy, that's about to change. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this peacoat leather beauty. The detachable hem gives the jacket so much versatility. I have several pieces of Phillip Lim outerwear...by far they are my most favorite. The fit and style are impeccable.

The Phillip Lim lovefest does not stop here. Take a peak at this beautiful sequined silk-chiffon top. The navy chiffon is adorned with gold, silver and bronze sequins giving an urban chic twist on evening wear. Cinch in the black grosgrain belt and layer it over draped pants -- it's a great alternative for cocktail attire.

The holidays are here. Whether you are making a list, buying off a list or just treating yourself, both of these beauties are winners.

Warm days ahead

Well, let's not mince words. Most of you come here to see what is new, so I'll quickly update you on our most recent arrivals.

The new 3.1 Phillip Lim shipment is a mixed bag of two different soft and style-ly t-shirts - one a tank in navy and turquoise and one a tee in white and buttercup yellow. There is also a gorgeous lined linen dress in navy and beige, just the pick-me-up for the warm days ahead.

Speaking of warm days ahead, if you haven't been by the store lately, you probably haven't noticed the new bathing suits in the window! Yes, that's right, we dared to bare all and are now carrying Trina Turk Swimwear. Same great design, same great cut, her swimsuits fit as well as her clothing. She also provides a little 'bling' on some, fashioned and inspired by her own love of vintage jewelry.

Currently we have several bikinis and tankinis which are mixable and matchable...you are also welcome to pair an XS top with a Medium sized bottom or vice-versa depending on your body. If you don't see your size (because they are going fast) you are welcome to special order what you need from us...ask for details when you visit us!

There is an awfully cute white eyelet dress from Cynthia Steffe on the racks (and to the left of this post). So cute in fact, two of us at the store already own it. We also have a Cynthia Steffe knit top in turquoise, a very easy fit and gorgeous color for almost anyone.

INCOMING: keep your eyes on this blog for exciting news about what we expect in JUNE!

Time Out

Apologies for no new info on our Blog lately; I've had the last week off to noodle around the SF Bay area with my sister who was visiting from Maine before she jets off the Kazakhstan to adopt a baby. If any of my dear readers are going through an adoption, my sister maintains her own Blog on the process read by over 17,000 visitors! She's also a big knitter and offers up oodles of knitty resources (you can even see the sweater she made for me). See http://bychance.wordpress.com

During my absence, so many new things arrived I haven't even had the chance to try it all on yet! The store is packed with citrusy-goodness from Theory: a lightweight cotton top in orange and watermelon, just the thing for an easy breezy day in the East Bay. Also on tap, a strappy tangerine linen dress, white linen pants, white linen narrow bermudas, and a screaming orange blouse that will perk up your office outfits and keep eyes open across the boardroom table for hours on end. No need for coffee in the morning with this Theory delivery.

We also received a shipment from 3.1 Phillip Lim (did you know he named his line after his age of his first collection - 31?) and the colors just keep on getting bolder: try the peacock colored wide-leg pants or the sunset colored silk dress or top. To tone things down in the Lim line, you have got to see the detail on the cropped black pants.

...And the James Perse leaves the store as fast as it comes in! We got a whopping big box yesterday and after the end of the day tally, we realized over we sold 10 pieces of Perse. Must be the nice weather. Either that, or everyone is digging into last summer's t-shirts and realizing it's time to replace and replenish. If that's your story, you'd better get to iniam quickly to get your tops. We also got some cute shorty shorts in black.

Bianca Nero made her debut at iniam last week too. Three dressy numbers grace the racks for those special occassions; a one-shoulder teal chiffon dress, and another dress quite the opposite in a devil red silk charmeuse with a skinny black belt. Lastly, a silk taffeta tea length ballgown in iridescent blues with beading across the waist.

If that's not enough, we also received verdant green dresses and tops from Beth Bowley. The grass green crochet dress is the standout, comfy and drapey and gorgeous.

Trina-Fest continues

Last weekend's Trina Turk blowout was only missing one thing: this week's Trina Turk delivery! Hot off the UPS truck are some new early summer dresses, tops, and cool cotton pants. We've already sold two of the long green halter dress "Florencia" (shown here) so come try it on before it's gone. This dress also came in a short version in black, which is just as cute and extremely versatile.

Some summery pants came along for the ride: one pair of camel cuffed khaki's (say that three times fast!) and a pair of wide-legged white SHORT pants which look terribly cute with the wide-strap orange tank that came in.

And if you need a pair of shoes to go with that dress, we've got those too! If you don't already know, we've partnered with Deliciouz of Walnut Creek to supply you with their shoes in Oakland.

If you are still reading this post, stay tuned for Philip Lim, Beth Bowley, Theory, and Bianca Nero deliveries coming within the next week!

A New Twist

Philip Lim has graced us with the most gorgeous chalk white sleeveless dress (forgive the color tone of the photo - it was taken in his studio under unforgiving lighting). The best part of this playful twist on the basic shift dress (no pun intended) is that it's comfortable and durable...I mean, it feels like you could go running in it, though you probably shouldn't because you will look like Britney Spears running from the most recent insane asylum. The dress is made of 80% cotton and 20% rayon - the cotton gives it the comfort and the rayon gives it the wrinkle-free comfort and it falls just above the knee. Pair it with some new Chie Mihara shoes from Deliciouz in Walnut Creek, and you are ready to meet your publisher in New York City (you know who you are!). We also received from Philip Lim a crisp white cotton blouse with the same twist on the front, a sassy Mrs. Robinson-type raincoat in chalk (it's in our window right now) and a denim skirt that makes me think of happy Spring days and wearing sandals.

What To Do With All These Mini Dresses/Tunics?

If you live anywhere near Oakland, CA, you'd look a little silly sporting a mini dress (or long tunic) and a pair of dainty heels because today, the weather is feisty: up to 60mph gusts and raining cats and dogs (I think I even saw a few hamsters coming down). But there is more than one way to wear a tunic and many of them involve what is on your legs and what is on your feet.

First and foremost, tunics are really mini dresses, and depending on the length, your height, and situation, many mini dresses can be worn alone with a great pair of shoes, be they flat, heels, or sandals...heels obviously add a bit more sex appeal, but you can tone down the bare flesh factor by wearing a cute pair of flats. In winter, just add tights, either opaque or something with a little pattern. Save the hosiery for fancy occasions.

If you are still not brave enough to brave the mini alone, slap on your boots. What? No boots? Get thee to a bootery! Twenty Two Shoes, our neighbor here on College Ave has a nice selection, and so does Deliciouz in Walnut Creek. It's not necessary to wear tights with your boots, as long as they just show a flash of skin between the hem of your dress and the top of your boot. If there is more skin there (i.e. you are tall), then put those tights on in winter! If you are wearing low slung boots, please wear tights of some sort, otherwise, you may look like the latest Hollywood dunce.

It's also OK to put a pair of pants on under your dress! NO you won't look like a Berkeley student if you do it right. I personally avoided this style until one day I had just the right combination of skinny pant and blousy dress, and I was hooked. It's a great way to dress up your denim and a great way to dress down your delicate party frock. Think BALANCE when pairing dresses with pants and keep lumpy pants out of the mix. If your pants are wide, think slimmer top. If your top part is blousy, think narrower bottom until you get the right mix. It's like fine tuning Cosmopolitan. Add or subtract a wide belt, a long necklace, different boots or shoes or just come to iniam and we will help you do it.

Look for mini dresses and J. Brand (a new line of denim we are carrying) this month!

Thanks and Giving

It's been a bit of a stretch since we last posted a blog entry but with our sale a week ago and Thanksgiving festivities, everyone at iniam has been as busy as I-580...but not too busy to be thankful for all that we have (especially new clothes!)...for instance:

- Cynthia Steffe beautiful holiday tops
- Our customers (no doubt)
- Sparkly jewelry by Azaara
- The great weather in the Bay area
- Philip Lim patent leather bags
- Hudson cords (black and gray)
- Our new employee, Ashley
- A wonderful venue to host private events (call us for more info!)
- Did I mention our customers?

As for the giving part, iniam has joined up with several retailers in the Rockridge area for a Holiday Shopping Night on Thursday, December 13, 2007 from 5-8pm...Join Rockridge retailers for discounts, food, gifts, drinks, and stress free shopping on this evening only. I will make some special treats for the evening!

A Ray of Sunshine

Brrr...as the weather turns cold, the clocks get turned back, and the clouds seem to hang over the Bay area like the veil of doom itself, our new shipment of Trina Turk will reinvigorate you. Gracing the sleeveless dress (see photo and fabric inset) is a cascade of silk orchids with sequining around the neck which makes your face positively sparkle!


We also received gold and/or silver pants (it's hard to tell which because these pants match with both grays and golds) in the Leesa style, a staff favorite because they fit most women; they have a natural waist (meaning not too low and not too high). To top them off, literally, is a sweet sleeveless keyhole top in a creme brulee yellow.

The cashmere sweater (see photo) looks amazing with a pair of the new Phillip Lim high-waisted jeans...it's sort of fitted at the hip and the sleeves gently bell out; it's pretty sexy as far as sweaters go...and did I mention it is cashmere? Soft as a baby's bum.

We are looking forward to getting some winter white marshmallow-y, cashmere-y cardigans from Cynthia Steffe in the next couple of weeks and other goodies as well. But for now, Trina Turk's lemon fresh outlook will keep me inspired throughout the cloudier than thou days ahead. Sigh.

(photos both borrowed from Trina Turk Web site)

The Art of Fashion

The de Young museum's exhibit on the one and only Nan Kempner, arguably the best dressed San Franciscan native, bestows 75 of her ensembles on the public until only November 11th, so you'd better get there fast before it leaves for MOMA. Um, if someone ever encompassed the term "clotheswhore" it probably was Mrs. Kempner (though I say this lovingly, not disparagingly); her first couture piece, purchased from Yves Saint Laurent in 1958 (white satin dress with matching mink trimmed coat) was paid for by her mother, who orginally refused to buy it at the requested price......until Kempner shed some tears for the young designer who relinquished it to her for a more affordable price.

Since then, Kempner collected more haute couture than every Vogue magazine spread collectively. For 50 years (she died in July 2005) she scooped up the best from Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, and Oscar de la Renta (among others) and maintained one of the most remarkable collections in the US. I know most of you are thinking about the size of her closet (well, I am anyway) and apparently the curator at the de Young was too, as he sifted through the stash.

Sigh. And I thought what's-her-name (Gaby, must husband just informed me - all husbands know Gaby) on Desperate Housewives had a nice closet. Anyway, for anyone interested in fashion, see this exhibit. Or better yet, start your own collection at iniam. One designer who started out about the same time as iniam almost three years ago is Phillip Lim; get him while he's still affordable.

p.s. Yesterday we received a new shipment of 3.1. Phillip Lim high waisted denim trousers, gorgeous festive headbands with feathers, black puff sleeve tees with enamel buttons, a sassy marigold and navy tank, and patent leather belts...)

(photo taken by Mike Dumlao at the Met)

Want

Spring is in the air - at least at the fashion shows in Paris this week - and it seems to be a decidedly yellow forecast for 2008. I've been checking out the ready-to-wear collections and can hardly wait for the lemony, buttery, creme fraiche-y, pound cakey yellows to arrive from Tory Burch or Tracy Reese or 3.1 Phillip Lim. But yellow seems so...so gauche right now. Like dormant perennials, Spring clothing always arrives in the nick of time to save us from despair amid the short winter days, but how can store buyers even think about yellow in mid-October?

This weekend I feverishly deleted the airy cotton and linen frocks from my closet and stuffed them in their pandora's box to be opened sometime in April. For now, I am satisfied drooling over the deep jewel-like tones of Mint's beautiful silk party top (my nickname, not theirs because once you see it, you will understand). I mean, whoever tries it on looks like a beautiful rare gift. In raspberry silk, the (lined) top fits snugly under your boobs, but the silk falls delicately away. It looks smashing with (naturally) black, but also could pair nicely with denim (or white, or brown, or gray, or navy, or beige...you get the idea). Keep the jewelry simple though; the top says it all. What does it say? It says I'm the only one with this gorgeous top (we are only carrying three in three different sizes) and I shop at iniam.