Heartful Handmade Blog

good matte jersey lauren grossman leggings

Leggings are a great wardrobe staple.  They can be worn anywhere you'd wear jeans, but they're much more comfortable.  And, although good jeans are acceptable wear for a wide range of events, leggings can get you in places where jeans would get you funny looks.  The problem, though, is that really nice leggings are not all that easy to find.  What you usually see passed off as leggings are little more than tights without the feet.  They fit too tightly on the body, they often ride up on the calves, and the inseams sometimes have trouble staying where inseams are supposed to be.  Most of these so-called leggings are fine for running errands and doing chores around the house.  But when you want to show off a nice tunic or sweater, you need leggings that are really leggings.  Like these.

Classic Leggings

These classic styled leggings by Lauren Grossman come in two sizes (basically small and medium) and three colors, Black, Midnight, and Truffle.  They're a stretchy matte jersey that's mostly microfiber, with a touch of spandex, so they'll be comfortable even in warm weather.

Pooled Leggings

With her Pooled Leggings, Grossman provided more length, so they "pool" at the ankle.  These are available in the same sizes and colors as her Classic Leggings, and they are made from the same microfiber/spandex fabric.  Click the images or links to get pricing and other details. Well, this is the final post in the first Heartful Fashion Week.  It's been fun focusing on a single subject for all five days.  Ummmmm . . . gives me food for thought.  You can click this link if you want to see the whole week's line-up.

organic cotton jersey dresses by emily ryan

Heartful Fashion Week, so far, is a bit top heavy.  Post #1, tops, Post #2, tops, Post #3, jewelry.  Without meaning to, I've revealed a personal bias.  My closet is also pretty top heavy.  But I do love dresses, whether I wear them or not.  So let's go there for now.

Ballerina Cut-Out Dress

Emily Ryan is one of my favorite designers.  So, when I popped into her shop and saw the dress above, I just couldn't resist adding it to the Fashion Week line-up.   Ryan says the design was inspired by dancewear.  But I think this dress is dancewear.  It's organic cotton jersey, so you can move and twirl freely.  And the leotard top is form fitting, so there's nothing for your partner to get tangled up in.  The cutouts were added just for the fun of it, but they're great little air ducts. And the flowing hi-lo fishtail skirt will swing in time with your steps.  If you're a tango mama, this is the dress for you.  And it just has pretty written all over it.

The Corina Dress

Emily Ryan does cowl necks well.  In fact, it was one of her cowls I first told you about.  This Corina Dress has a great big cowl  that doubles as a hood, and the soft organic jersey fabric will make it snuggly and comfy.  And this dress will work with pretty much anything.  You can wear it bare-legged with flats or heels or platforms or boots.  Or with tights at mid-calf.  Or even with full leggings or wide-legged pants.  It's one of those pieces you'll keep forever and wear every chance you get. But remember, these dresses are custom made to order, and you need to allow four weeks for shipment.  Click the images for details.  Or click here to see everything. P.S.  Both these dresses are currently on sale. This is Heartful Fashion Week post #4.

bright and versatile lauren grossman tops

The word on the street is that 2013 is  all about freedom of color.  You can go with bright, bold, happy colors that make you smile.  Or you can wrap yourself in serene muted tones that help you to relax.  You can even (try to) hide in any of the many tints and tones of gray.  Or you can mix them all up any way you please.  But don't run out and donate your blacks and whites.  Because you need them to show off the color in the colors.

Cool Shoulder Sweater

Which is a perfect lead into this beautiful red flowing sweater by Lauren Grossman.  Besides this bright poppy colored version, it's also available in both black and white.   Whatever  color you get though, this is another cameleon piece (see yesterday's Melt-Tee).  For example, this red one will support you fully, no matter what your particular present mood of red.  Whether its power red, seductive red, cheerful red, or little-red-riding-hood red, this sweater is the only prop you'll need.  It's knit from a linen/cotton yarn, so it'll keep you cool in summer.  But it will layer well with other pieces to keep you warm when it's chilly out.

Linen Boxy Tee

The aqua color in this linen tee is like misty seawater clapped out of a breaking wave.  It's so refreshing I almost feel my sinuses clearing.  Like the one above, this top is also available in both black and white.  But it also comes in several other bright and cheerful colors. This is Heartful Fashion Week post #2.  Stay tuned.  There's more to come.

elegant go anywhere tops by babooshka boutique

Everyone seems to have jumped on the Fashion Week bandwagon.   Its 1943 inaugural (as Press Week) was in New York.  Then Milan, Paris, and London, cities with long established reputations as fashion centers,  started their own events in 1958, 1973, and 1984, respectively.  And these four fashion capitals are still the major Fashion Week venues.  But the new millenium brought an outbreak of Fashion Week fever that has spread to over 40 cities.  And what started 70 yeas ago as a press event to showcase American designers is now a global happening in the fashion world.  I like that.  Because fashion is not about the few dictating to the many.  Fashion is like music.  Or food.  Or cities.  Or towns.  It comes in many flavors, and strikes different chords.  It's noisy, it's quiet.  It's old, it's new.  It offers something for everyone.  My mission is to help you find good handmade alternatives to mass-produced products.  And many of the artists my sites link to are indie designers.  So, guess what?  Fashion Week has come to Heartful Village.  And I'll kick the week off with Babooshka, one of my favorite designers, who I told you about a while back.

Melt-Tee in Grey

This elegant jersey Babooshka tee is so  hot.  Or it's not.  Depends on how you wear it.  That's another thing about fashion.  The wearer is part of the design process.  For example, if you wear this tee with a white lace camisole it will be just as elegant, but also kind of demure.  It's like a cameleon.  It'll morph into whatever energy you're channeling.  Pair it with leggings for one effect, with a long flowing skirt for another.  Same tee, different attitude.  But, any way you wear it, it'll take you places tees don't normally go.

Discoid Top

This very regal black Babooshka top arches up in front and dips down several inches lower in the back, giving it a cape-like attitude.  It's hemmed with a band that you'll be able to see better when you click the image and check out the other views.  This is a wardrobe staple, because it can be dressed up or down, can be worn with anything, and will go wherever you want it to go.  It's also available in white or charcoal. But don't plan to wear either of these beauties in the next week or two, because they are not ready-to-ship pieces.  Babooshka Boutique fashions are custom made for you after you place your order.  It takes about three weeks to get them ready to ship.  So plan ahead and be patient.  Because these pieces are worth the wait.   Oh.  I almost forgot to tell you.   Melt-Tee in Grey and Discoid Top are both currently on sale.

soft alpaca scarves and wraps for fall

After baking all summer, I was surprised to find myself a little chilly yesterday.  According to the weatherman, it's a short-term cooling, tied to the storm that blew through this weekend.  But I see it less as short-term and more as a reminder that fall is just down the street.  And it won't be long before we're bundled up against the cold, with summer heat just a pleasant memory.  So I've put a big collection of 100% alpaca ponchos, hats, and wraps on the shopping pages at Heartful Village so you can find something soft and comfy to keep you warm when the temperatures drop. 

I've added designs by Alberto Caceres, Alfredo Falcon, Felipi Berckholtz, Manuela Ramos Movement, and more.  You'll find the hats in Accessories and everything else in Scarves & Wraps.  Just click on the "alpaca" link.  I also updated my collection of alpaca warmers, so check it out too, ok?

new fall designs by cynthia ashby

Cynthia Ashby is one of the most popular designers on the shopping pages at Heartful Village.  And when you check out her fashions you immediately see why.  There's a timeless quality to Cynthia Ashby designs.  They are totally of the present, whenever that happens to be.  They have a casual elegance that can be dressed up or down depending on mood and need.  And their comfortable easy-to-wear simplicity is accented with the kind of detailing you can only expect from high-quality handmade clothing:  Pin tucking and circular seaming and layering and such combine with natural fabrics and Ashby's artistic sensibility to create thoroughly modern designs that will stay fashionable as long as you do. 

So click on over now and check out the Cynthia Ashby designs at Heartful Village.

a t-shirt dripping with artistic style

This T-shirt is wearable art on a cotton jersey canvas.  It's called Graffiti Drips by its designer, Chad Odom.  But I call it Jackson Pollock mobile.  The design is hand screened on a high-quality 100% cotton shirt.  It's ready to ship in mens size large, but I'm sure Chad will make one up for you in whatever size you need.  He also does a white on black version of this design. 

You'll find lots more cool designs in Chad's shop, Cadillac Cowboy.  He's got T-shirts for men and for women, some baggy, some cutoff, some grungy and some one-of-a-kind (this Red Spider Crop Top is cool).  So click on over now and check out Chad's original designs on high-quality hand screened T shirts at Cadillac Cowboy.  This one is $30.

sweet little soft and swingy pleated blouse

Is this the sweetest looking  little pleated blouse in the world, or what?  You can wear it loose and swingy as shown here, or you can tuck it or belt it to create a soft blouson effect, or adjust the straps to raise or lower the neckline.  It's versatile.  It's one those cherished garments that stays in your wardrobe for years.  100% soft matte finish silk, it comes in coral, blush, or black, sizes 2 through 10.  Its Brooklyn, New York, based creator, Alexandra Grecco, has a totally fetching collection of softly feminine, irresistably romantic dresses, blouses, skirts, swimwear, and accessories inspired by femmes fatales from 20s and 30s era movies.  Consider this a trailer.  Now click on over and check them all out now.  The pictured size 6 pleated coral blouse is ready to ship now for $110.

P.S.  Here's an interview with Alexandra Grecco from the Etsy blog.

cool new fashion slide show at heartful village

These very unusual gorgeous hand earrings by Thomas Mann are just one example of the cool handmade products sliding through the new Heartful Village fashion slide show.  Handmade art clothes, accessories, and jewelry are added and updated all the time, and you can also choose to view just jewelry or just clothes.  So click on over and check out the new Heartful Village fashion slide show now.

comfy casual wide legged railroad pants

I love these wide-legged railroad pants.  They have a classy classic stylish funky vibe that conjures up images of Marlene Dietrich playing a California Gold Rush saloon. These pants work well with the fitted wrap top shown, and they will work equally well with a plain cotton tank or a simple crew neck sweater.  They're versatile.  The ones shown here  are constructed of a medium weight 100% cotton Italian striped denim, but you can also get them in black.  Sharon, at Fine Threadz in Houston, makes them in small, medium, and large (sizes 6 to 16), and, for an additional charge, she'll even make a pair customized to your exact measurements.  Besides these pants and assorted leggings, Fine Threadz also has lots of comfy casual tops, dresses, jackets, and skirts.  And that's not all, Sharon also makes some really cool leather bags and belts.  So click on over to Fine Threadz and check them all out now.  These pants are $90.