How to Wear Svoboda Jeans and Costume Jewelry to a 4-star restaurant

My grandmother Rose worked in New York City sweatshops. She was a seamstress, even making the cream and gold brocade fitted jacket and matching pencil skirt that my mother wore to her wedding. Very chic for 1963! Grandma Rose taught me much about how to put together a wardrobe. She said that it was much more important to have a few well-made, what she called “important,” pieces in your closet that you could creatively mix with simpler pieces (less expensive fabrics, good leather shoes and handbags, accessories, etc.) than to have many mediocre items. That way you create your own personal style.

Grandma Rose also said that a single girl with a closet full of poorly made clothing is a woman who won’t get a husband. I know, it’s not like you’re dressing to get a man. I didn’t even before I got married because I dressed to please myself. But what can I tell you? Grandma worked, and she may have had secret meetings with union organizers in her lower east side apartment, and encouraged her single daughter to travel the world and go to college in the 1950’s, but she also firmly believed that young women are supposed to get married.

So if you are dressing for yourself, dressing to compete with other well-dressed women, dressing to impress at the corporate holiday party, or dressing to find a single doctor/attorney who might just be having dinner at a 4-star restaurant – here is where to buy the pieces in my Svoboda for a 4-Star Restaurant Stylebook for yourself:

Cybele’s Leaf Gold Dangle Earrings – $ 30.00
From: Emitations.com You can wear the big hoops that the model is wearing (also available from Emitations) or these cute gold-ish dangle earrings.

Sheila’s Faux Turquoise Cocktail Ring – $ 39.95
From: Emitations.com I am going to get one of these for myself. If you get one too, then we can Wonder Twins! If you get that reference please leave me a comment and you will be my new BFF!

Igigi Dupioni Silk Wrap Blouse in terracotta.

From Jessica Svoboda – Cate, the wide leg trouser jean in black available from Lee Lee’s Valise. $118.00. These are two killer pieces. The Igigi silk wrap blouse is only $150, which is quite the bargain considering the fabric and the tailoring. It is exquisite, and would make a smart addition to your collection of “important” pieces. Svoboda jeans are just a necessity. Like oxygen only with different molecules.

I would finish this outfit with these cute shoes from Zappos. They go up to size 13 and come in medium and wide. Remember .

Next week will feature more fashion news. Tonight I am attending the 2nd Annual Art of Curves Fashion Event. If you are in New York City, you can Buy Tickets and you can gain entry to an evening of plus size fashion and cocktails. I’m wearing my new fuchsia blouse with my wide leg Ryder jeans and a denim jacket. There will be pics!

I heart Jessica Svoboda, Anna Scholz and Lee Lee’s Valise

Thursday – 8:00 p.m.

Last night was so damn fabulous that I almost did not go directly to bed when I got home at 1:00 a.m. I almost went directly to my computer so that I could tell you all about my fun night. That way you could entertained while eating your oatmeal in the morning. But my husband, the practical one, had other ideas and so off to dream land went I where visions of sugar plums and designer clothes danced in my head.

I attended a designer trunk show in Brooklyn and you are going to be so happy that I was there on your behalf! There was wine my friends, and delightful little bites of mozzarella, tomato and basil on crusty bread because Lisa Dolan, owner and enchantress of Lee Lee’s Valise, knows how to do it right.

I was greeted with a glass of bubbly the moment I stepped inside. Let me tell you that after driving an hour on the BQE in rush hour there is no better tonic and all-around refresher than a glass of Prosecco. This weekend I’ll be enjoying Godiva & Champagne – elegant, decadent and delicious. Exclusively from Wine.com.

At this moment with Prosecco poised at my ruby red lips I, your intrepid fashion reporter, realized that I left my digital camera at home. Sigh. And egad. And oy vey. Thank goodness there were photogs aplenty there last night and pictures will be posted at a later date. Mea Culpa!

With drink in hand I made a bee line directly for Anna Scholz. At 6′1″ with long luxurious blonde hair flowing past her shoulders, Madame Scholz is a striking figure. Her clothes are absolutely divine. Anna’s training in fashion design, including making her own patterns, is evident in the details of each piece. She was surrounded by admirers eager for her attention and assistance in pre-ordering items from the samples of the Fall line that she brought with her from England.

The Anna Scholz Fall Line is breathtaking. The pieces I saw featured exquisite fabrics expertly tailored, with elements of shirring and delicate pleating. Her fabrics are luscious and the quality of each piece is something I don’t see that often in plus size fashion. I am so very glad that Anna made time to speak with me about her line, her design vision and the importance of tailoring. We had an exciting conversation and I will share my interview with her in a few days, when I have pics.

I also had a lovely time with the Svoboda sisters, business partners Jessica and Kristen. They are too cute to be believed! I found them both to be very approachable, quick witted and eager to meet their customers. Kristen told me that after so many visits to New York, meeting customers at Lee Lee’s, that they have just as many friends here as at home in California.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them both, hearing about running the business from Kristen and talking about fabric design and manufacturing with Jessica. I promise a detailed interview next week, but let me just tell you that the new Fall 2008 Svoboda line is total rock and roll. I tried on a sample pair of hot tangerine jeans that fit so perfectly and looked so great and got me so many compliments as I strutted around showing everyone my ass that they almost had to rip them off my body before I would take them off.

Thanks Lisa for a great time, and for bringing beautiful plus size fashion to an intimate and luxurious boutique. See you soon and send me those pictures!

Girl crush on Jessica Svoboda

I just bought my first pair of Svoboda jeans and I want to tell the world that I am officially crushing on Jessica Svoboda.

Are you freaking kidding me? They are so perfectly cut for my shape that I wonder if she’s been stalking me. Have you been stalking me Madame Svoboda? I don’t remember giving you my exact dimensions so I have to wonder if I was I kidnapped and measured in my sleep.

And to prove it to you, soon I will post some pics of my butt in bad jeans, better jeans and check-out-this-cute-ass in my new Svoboda perfect jeans. But first I have to get my Svoboda’s in a smaller size. The one thing that I didn’t realize about these jeans is that the fabric has a lot of stretch. I wore them out of Lee Lee’s Valise in Brooklyn at 5:00 p.m. and by 8:00 p.m. they were practically falling down my hips, which was not exactly the style statement that I was going for, but maybe it’s an excuse to go buy a new belt?

I’ll be at Lee Lee’s tonight for her 3rd semi-annual Fashion Week trunk show. I’m hoping to meet Anna Scholz and Jessica Svoboda and show them how great I look in their clothes. I’m sure they can’t wait to meet me!

Edit: My apologies! I neglected to tell you that you can buy these magical jeans at Lee Lee’s Valise in Brooklyn, NY. If you are coming to NYC please send me an e-mail so we can have a This Lush Life meet-up! If you aren’t coming to the Big Apple any time soon (sob!) then shop online like I do!