books Archives - shell chic'd

Weekend Shopping

January 18, 2015 by Emily 4 Comments

We are on quite the funny posting schedule here lately, huh ladies? Here’s a little weekend treat for ya.

2015 is bringing LOTSA expenses our way (hi, wedding), so I’m trying my darnest to stay away from shopping. Instead, I’ll let you pick up some of the items currently catching my eye for yourself…

And some big weekend sales for you!

Ann Taylor:: 40% off of full-price styles + 60% off sale with code SHOPBIG
Anthropologie:: Extra 40% off sale with code EXTRAEXTRA
BaubleBar:: Save 15-30% off everything
Bloomingdales:: 25-60% off select items
GAP:: 20-40% off with code LAYER
GiGi New York:: Last chance for winter sale
J.Crew:: 40-50% off with code SHOPNOW
J.Crew Factory:: 30% off clearance with code TICKTOCK
Lands’ End:: 20% off with code SPECIAL + pin 2546
Madewell:: 30% off sale with code AHHH

Studs & Pearls, the Book

October 28, 2014 by Emily Leave a Comment

When I started blogging in 2011, DIY blogs were really having a moment. And I can’t tell you how much money I spent at Michael’s and fabric stores that year in attempt to get on their level [spoiler:: it didn’t happen]. One of the first DIY blogs I latched onto was Studs & Pearls, and I am SO excited to share blogger Kirsten’s first book, based off the blog, with you today!

30 DIY fashion projects grace its pages–everything from embellishing an old pair of shoes to making an entire dress. I love that the majority of the clothing, accessory, and shoe projects are aimed at dressing up and customizing pieces that you may already have in your closet, or that would be easy to find inexpensively at second-hand stores– no cutting up fabric pieces to fit patterns and struggling to make that entire skirt on your own [though if you can, more power to you my friend!]. The jewelry chapter is for doing some real creative crafting out of nothing– who knew that vinyl tubing could make for such cute bracelets?

The step-by-step photos help IMMENSELY. I am that girl that needs her hand help through the whole DIY process. Kirsten also offers sections with tips and tools for getting started if you need to learn the basics of customized fashion.

My favorite part? The Index by Difficulty. Sometimes I get the itch to craft but don’t want to take on anything that will push the limits of fun and become a stressor that I never end up finishing. Ranking them by easy–>difficult level = the best gift Kirsten could have given me.

Can’t wait to get crafting…!

Studs & Pearls
By Kirsten Nunez
Lawrence King Publishing, 2014
$20

Full disclosure: I was provided a complimentary copy for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Fashion Books On My Mind

January 10, 2014 by Emily Leave a Comment

Oh coffee table books, I love you so. I promise I will one day grow up a bit and purchase an actual coffee table to display you on.

Here are a few titles currently on my radar…!

Lessons from Madame Chic:: I find French style so incredible… how do they make it look so effortless? There are tons of books out there on how to master the Parisian closet, but I’ve heard the best things about this title.

Preppy:: Despite not being fond of its rather stuck-up subtitle [Cultivating Ivy Style], I’ve been eager to get my hands on this book… I can’t resist vintage preppy photography and love hearing about how brands like Lilly and Ralph Lauren became what they are today.

Kate’s Style:: I have an actual folder full of my magazine clippings of Kate Middleton’s outfits, and there are probably hundreds of images littering my Pinterest boards as well. To have a scrapbook of my style icon’s best looks all in one place, well, that would be a delight.

It:: Already have this Alexa Chung masterpiece. Still keep picking it up for daily inspiration. Read my review here.

American Fashion Cookbook:: But honestly, why didn’t I publish this first?

The Fashion Insider’s Guide: New York:: Mama got me this for Christmas, and I cannot WAIT to revisit NYC with this sweet little guide!

Just Being Audrey: I may or may not already have an extensive collection of Audrey Hepburn titles, but this children’s book about my girl Aud has yet to make it to my shelves.

American Fashion Travel:: I love-love-love fashion books that more resemble a scrapbook than anything else.

Grace: A Memoir:: Shamefully, I have not yet read Grace Coddington’s recent memoir. Next on my list, you better believe.

Have you read any of these titles? What are your favorite fashion books?

Alexa Chung’s IT

December 13, 2013 by Emily Leave a Comment

I can’t even begin to tell you how fun this book is. Fashion–literally–it girl Alexa Chung’s part memoir//part scrapbook//part style guide is exactly the sort of piece I would want to put together if I ever had the chance to be published. I could hardly put it down over the course of a weekend, and now I’m constantly grabbing it for inspiration.

I don’t think it was until I read this book that I realized what an impact the Spice Girls, Britney Spears circa Baby One More Time, and even Wednesday Addams had on the female world. Chung is hysterically honest in her analysis of the past few decades of fashion and the effect they had on her career in the industry. And at the same time, she makes you stop and think, huh, where did my flair for flannel come from?**

But then there’s a whole lot of just plain old fun photos and sketches as well.

It really is such a fun, witty read. Pick it up for yourself or to give any gal with even just the slightest interest in fashion.

IT
By Alexa Chung
Penguin Books, 2013
$30

**My flair for flannel definitely came from my grandpa. It all makes sense now.

The Hundred Dresses

August 27, 2013 by Emily 12 Comments

I have such an adoration for great fashion illustrations. Must have come from my grandmother, who was always sketching the sweetest little snippets— handbags, high heels, my old ballet shoes even. So I fell in love with this recent title The Hundred Dresses, with commentary by Erin McKean and illustrations by Donna Mehalko. 100 dresses fill its pages… a sketch, description, and history of each, plus which fashionistas wore it, and how you should accessorize it.

Flipping through the pages, you’ll find iconic pieces, like the Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the Bond Girl, the Marilyn, and the Pretty Woman. You’ll see classic shapes that you always attribute to a certain wearer or designer, like the Caftan (Elizabeth Taylor), or the Wrap Dress (Diane von Furstenberg). And you’ll find gowns that you never ever realized were icons before, like The First Oscar (worn by Renee Zellweger, Rooney Mara, Jennifer Lawrence, and Marion Cotillard— check now and you’ll laugh!).

McKean has rounded up, give or take, the most famous dresses from the past century, from the June Cleaver to the J.Lo to the Jersey Shore. Only disappointment? No sign of a “Lilly” or “The Shift.” Other than that, this is a pretty darn comprehensive guide. Read (or, admittedly, browse the photos) for pleasure, or use it as the ultimate dress resource and field guide.

The Hundred Dresses
By Erin McKean
Illustrated by Donna Mehalko
Bloomsbury, 2013
$23

Things We Love

January 31, 2013 by Emily Leave a Comment

If you’ve been here before, my weakness for kate spade New York should come as no surprise to you. I’ve been a little bit in love with the brand since I was about 9 years old, visiting Canal Street in New York City for the first time (so yes, fine, the first Kate Spade bags I fell in love with did happen to be well-designed knockoffs… minor detail). Over the last twenty years, the brand has seen some changes, specifically in creative direction, with Deborah Lloyd replacing Kate herself as the new Chief Creative Officer after Fifth and Pacific Companies bought the brand in 2007. Yet they have remained true to their colorful roots. Things We Love commemorates the 20th anniversary of Kate Spade, showcasing all of the little elements that inspire the company’s persona and designs.

From polka dots to cocktails, each chapter is dedicated to a single love of the brand and team. The book is absolutely beautiful, and I think I could flip through it a dozen more times and still find new pieces of vibrant inspiration.

kate spade New York: Things We Love
Foreword by Glenda Bailey, Introduction by Deborah Lloyd
Edited by Deborah Aaronson & Rebecca Kaplan
ABRAMS Books, 2013
$40

Vogue on My Mind

January 24, 2013 by Emily Leave a Comment

Last week, I attended an event at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts in which I got to hear Hamish Bowles, International Editor at Large of Vogue, speak about his many years of experience working with fashion photographer Mario Testino, whose work is currently on display at the MFA [see my review of the exhibit here]. Mr. Bowles joined American Vogue in 1992 as a style editor, and it was so interesting to get a glimpse of the magazine over his last 20 years of working there– through his stories and Testino’s photos. What’s more amazing than that though, is the 120+ years of history Vogue has.

I’ve had such fun browsing through the 100 iconic covers featured in the card set I received around the holidays, Postcards from Vogue. In addition to Mario Testino, the postcards also feature covers done by Annie Leibovitz, Irving Penn, Salvador Dali, and more. You’ll spy many leading ladies from over the years, from Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy all the way to Lady Gaga. Since the event at the MFA, it’s been even more fascinating looking at the covers from 1992 on, knowing a little more about the styling and photography behind them. My only problem now is finding enough wall space to display them all!

Postcards from Vogue: 100 Iconic Covers
By Vogue Editors
Penguin Books, 2012
$25

Photos from the MFA event, featuring my darling friends Zoe of Fashion is Freedom and Courtney of Those Graces. Read Zoe’s recap of the event here.

A Tally of Two Cities

January 17, 2013 by Emily Leave a Comment

Despite my lack of coffee table, I am all for stocking up on fun coffee table books. Right now, I am loving Vahram Muratyan’s Paris versus New York: The Complete Series of Two Cities, inspired by his blog of the same name. You all know how much I adore Boston and London, yet NYC and Pari will always have special places in my heart as well. Muratyan’s charming prints depicting the two most loved cities are so simple, yet so clever. This new Penguin deluxe edition featured 35 brand new illustrations, and I don’t think I will ever get sick of flipping through it.

Paris versus New York: The Complete Series of Two Cities
By Vahram Muratyan
Penguin Books, 2012

Gift Guide No. Six

December 18, 2012 by Emily Leave a Comment

(1) Anchor Scarf, J.Crew, $98
(2) Make the Rounds Delacorte Bangle, Kate Spade, $295
(3) Nouveau Richard Backpack, ModCloth, $60
(4) Cooperative Convertible Critter Gloves, Urban Outfitters, $20
(5) Pure Vanilla by Shauna Sever, via Anthropologie, $23
(6) Bygone Blackboard, Anthropologie, $58
(7) Chanel Three Book Set by Francois Baudot, ShopBop, $75
(8) Bow Ski Hat, Kate Spade, $61
(9) Mix & Munch Flatware Set, Present Time via ModCloth, $27
(10) Chalkboard Spice Jar, Anthropologie, $7

And that does it for the gift guides! You can find them archived here or on Pinterest, and please do tell me what some of your favorite items were!

I’m also over on La vie… J’aime today, sharing some of the little treats I wouldn’t mind finding in my stocking on Christmas morning. Head on over to see!

Cupcakes, Cashmere, Books, and Seasons

July 19, 2012 by Emily 5 Comments

Cupcakes and Cashmere is both the first fashion– and first food– blog that I ever followed. I don’t even know how many years I’ve been reading it, but I do know that I read it every day. Even on those busy mornings when I neglect every other blog in my reader, C&C just begs for me to click on it. It is Emily Shuman’s work that inspired me to start my own fashion blog, that influences how + what I write about on my company’s food blog, and that motivates me to become a better writer, photographer, stylist, cook, baker, and entertainer on a daily basis.

I could not be more excited that her infamous blog is now a book, especially because I’ve been waiting for it to arrive since the day I preordered it about six months ago! Divided into four sections based on the four seasons, Emily shares the same sort of tips that her blog does: how to dress for any occasion, how to organize your closet, how to entertain on a moment’s notice, how to give a flawless at-home manicure, how to find your perfect photograph pose.

I can already tell how quickly this book is going to turn into my go-to guide throughout the year. I’m sure you’ll see me incorporating elements of it on here… maybe we’ll even do a little experiment Julie + Julia style… Emily + Emily?? 🙂

Cupcakes & Cashmere is now available from Abrams Books and can be purchased [as soon as possible] wherever books are sold!

Weekend Shopping

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Studs & Pearls, the Book

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Fashion Books On My Mind

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Alexa Chung’s IT

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The Hundred Dresses

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Things We Love

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Vogue on My Mind

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A Tally of Two Cities

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Gift Guide No. Six

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Cupcakes, Cashmere, Books, and Seasons

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