el blog

Orange You Glad We’re Back!

By Sarah El-Annan

The hottest color of the Spring season is bright, refreshing and brilliant orange. Before the oompa loompas and Real Housewives of Orange County begin to rejoice, I want to clarify exactly what we mean by the orange that’s in. Here are five of our best picks for the captivating hue:

1)      The Blouse

A silky flouncy top like the one featured below will be your best friend this Spring. You can wear it tucked in or out of a dark rinse denim pant or into a skirt. Double points for those who can exercise their inner Van Gogh and pair it with complementary colors like blue, beige, or even pull out the wild card of hot pink.



 

2)      The Polish

Nothing brightens my day more than applying a fresh glow of dazzling orange to my phalanges. My personal favorites are Essies ‘meet me at sunset’ and OPIs ‘In My Back Pocket’.  I’m anticipating loud boos for this suggestion, but I’m obsessed with bedazzling my nails! Some artists exercise oils as their medium of choice, and I like to stick on a gem or two.

 3)      The Pant

 

Be brave and put the pant on. You know you want to. That blush of orange will be your statement piece so soften everything else so it can have a voice.

 

 

4)      The Lipstick

I love a pop tart colored shine on the lip every once in a while. Please please please keep the rest of your makeup at bare to minimum and your attire muted.

5)      The Clutch

Use this prime opportunity to rock a clutch in a rich orange with essentially any color combination and outfit.  I would encourage you to top off an outfit of similarly hued colors like hot pink and neons OR to use it as your easy glamour fix for a solid outfit.

 

 

What do you think? Are you ready to don the orange? We'd love to hear suggestions from all you fashionistas!

xx

 

 

 

 

Ca-Breezies Battle Mother Nature's Enblazoned June

By Meghan Dryzga

 

Did I sleep through spring? Because I could've sworn just a week or two ago... It's fine, Nature Mom. Clearly you're testing my versatility and ability to readily adjust to your erratic moods. That, OR Mother Nature is pregnant or experiencing menopause... Flank the nation with your hot flash, Nature Mom; I can take it. (Let's see, we'll need one umbrella for her unexpected downpours of emotion and a cardigan for her occasional cold shoulder. Put those in the car, honey.)

You know who else can take Mother Nature's unadulterated heat? My ankles. Why? Because it's capri season. Well, it's shorts season. But if you're a career woman, traipsing into the office in your fave pair of high-thigh khakis isn't going to win you any "office appropriate" awards. So we all find a spectacular pair (pairs?) of staple capris and pretend they're as airy as your Friday Night Patio Bar Skirt. (I capitalized that. It seemed important.)

So here's the trouble with capris. If you're short and shopping the standard-fit rack, capris can look a lot like a mistake. Like, too short to be slacks, too long to be shorts, kind of mistake. A peddle-pushers kind of mistake. A "crooked smile that says your intuitively trendy neighbor is confused about your fashion intentions" kind of mistake. A "Honey - I'm not mad, I just need to know if you put my work pants in the dryer. They seem to have shrunk. Otherwise, this is an exceptionally good day for me, as I may have just fit into our 'tweenager's girl-size pants..." kind of mistake.

The solution? It's not found with a seamstress and a 2-inch hem. Nope, any pin-stuck woman relegated to the back of the dry cleaning shop inhaling questionably quease-inducing levels of cleaning fumes and wearing an apple cushion as a bracelet will not be trusted with my hems. My short sticks leave a very small margin for hem error that only my mother can manage.

Believe it or not, it's easier than that, certainly far more fun and unquestionably more versatile (take that, menopausal Nature Mom). Enter, "cantaloupe conundrum," the summer-struck peep-toe heels that hoist up my height and air out my calves like a floor-level fan in a pedicure parlor. The perfect combination of girlishness smoldered in summer and professionally pruned; tall enough to tip the hip-scale but not quite tip me over (let not my low center of gravity fool you; when it comes to balance, I'm like a baby deer... a land-legged seafarer).

So go on, Nature Mom. Let summer's heat seep through the office walls. My feet are dipped in cool cantaloupe that push my calves under my ca-breezy capris for summer sun to finally see.

 

How To Guide: Why I Urge You To Follow That White Rabbit!

By Sarah El-Annan

Once upon a time, I use to shamelessly dust off my favorite pair of white jeans only if I knew I had a hot date.  It’s not that I didn’t feel sexy in the classic LBD but I felt like what better way to show you don’t really care, without sacrificing vanity other than donning the angelic white!  Then again it was also 1995 and Alicia Silverstone was just getting big in “Clueless” so my fashion inspiration wasn’t stemming from anything remotely mind shattering and the amount of hot dates I had were limited to almost nil. Labor Day Cliches aside, it’s fun to wear white year round. In any case, what self respecting nineteen year old would have even cared about Labor day ‘fashion rules’?   Jokes about my younger self aside, as I grew older I always knew my love for white staple pieces was based on their minimalism and the knowledge that I could build up or leave an outfit as is depending on my mood, the occasion, and/or the weather. It’s starting to heat up all over the world and nothing keeps you cool inside and out like white does. Here are 5 tips on how to wear white this spring:

 

 

1) Minimalism. Some of my favorite fashion icons of all time, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and Audrey Hepburn, knew how to do this one best.  What they executed was wearing white in a demure and elegant fashion whether it was night or day. This look demands a long white gown or a silk skirt coupled with a plain crew necked white top tucked in with almost no accoutrements.  Keep it gauzy and regal by delicately touching it up with simple gold or pearl earring studs.  I promise you won’t look like an angel coming down on us from the heavens with bugles, wings and a trumpeting horn. 

                                   

 

2) LWD. The Little White Dress is going to be your perfect spring and summer swap out for the LBD. Unless your 9-5 is at a nunnery, I suggest you really love up this look with dainty bright colored accessories.  That doesn’t mean you should pull out your favorite Lisa Frank colors and dress up like Mimi from the Drew Carey Show (another 1990’s reference). The key to making your LWD look sexy and regal is by exercising flexibility in key accessory points like a slim neon colored belt worn around the waist, a simple coral colored clutch or small purse,  a blush colored cardigan, and last but definitely not least – a fantastic pair of shoes. If it’s a day look and you’re interested in perusing the art exhibit or the fresh produce at the local farmers market, keep it leveled at flats or a small kitten heel with or without a peep toe. If the LWD is traveling with you to a client lunch, put on a pair of great espadrilles or heels in an electric hue.

 

 

3) Keep your under garments appropriate. I feel like I’ve already lost all legitimacy by calling them under garments (albeit brassiere probably would have knocked me down even further). This one deserves a point on its own for most women. I’m not sure why white is so challenging but I do know that panty lines and thongs are mentally scarring if seen by the unexpected eye in public. White has always symbolized people and things that are virgin-like, pristine, angelic, classy, and delicate. Keep it that way by being cognizant of what your new pair of white shorts, LWD, pants, or otherwise look like in the sun. I always test my new ivory beauties out by going into natural light and putting my hand under to gage the degree of transparency. The general rule of thumb is if it’s a sheer dress, wear a camisole or slip. For bottoms, if you can still see your underwear even when paired with a skin toned thong then wear lace boy shorts. Steer away from pulling a Snooki  and showing more than you need to – the Golden rule is do not expose underwear ever! Make the look flawless by making sure your finest assets are kept sheltered.   

4) Oversized White Blouse. I’m obsessed with a crisp white collared button down as much as I am an oversized white top (yes they are different).  There is something truly radiant about a woman who can sport a billowy oversized white top with streamlined pencil pants in the same pigment. Choose textures such as silk, voile, or a hybrid concoction of the above with cotton.  You should aim for looking as close to recherché as possible.  Maintain your décolletage as a focal point by veering away from necklaces and if you must bend the rule than a single delicate strand with an inconspicuous pendant is permissible.

                        

5) White Pants. Every woman should have at least 2-3 pairs, and men are allowed one only if they are anything like Patrick Swayze was in  “Dirty Dancing” or Antonio Banderas all of his adult life. Ideally, it’d be a pair of white denim, shorts, and pants. You can check off the pants if you have a great pair of white jeans. White denim is a shape shifter and can have the same look as pants without being as diaphanous which is pure fashion magic. My favorite thing to do of all time is to wear a bright t-shirt, a cardigan in a brighter but similar tint, a kaleidoscope of colors scarf used as a belt, all accented by a pair of flats. I’ve worn it at all hours of the day and felt sophisticated, put together, and confident.

 

I hope this answers all of your spring/summer white how to’s! If you have style suggestions, or want to share your favorite white article, send me a line.

 

 

Comfort Finds a Conga Partner (and She's Cute)

By Meghan Dryzga

Hi. My name's Meghan and I have an affinity for comfort. I don't find any glory in being fashionably in pain.

But you know who comfort looks good on? Not me. Like, five-foot-ten, long, lean, trend-ily waify, glossy skinned, moisturizer mandatory, makeup optional... not me.

I'm five foot nuthin'. A hundred and sumthin'. Wait, that's not the saying. (Yah, the saying goes "five foot nuthin', a hundred and nuthin'." No typo there. "Sumthin'" was every bit of intentional.) So when you slide even the finest yogawear onto this petite stature, there's enough puddling at the ankle to wash me clear out cuteville.

And my dramatic conga with comfort doesn't end there. Take the short stroll from my hip to my heel and there's a fair chance you'll find that I may not be wearing shoes. Where's this girl from? Good God. Is she employed? Alright, alright, alright. I moved to Arkansas two years ago, but I swear that has nothing to do with it. The rumored Arkansan barefoot inclination is all rumor, not reality. And yes, Good God, I'm employed. I've worked in the advertising industry for nearly 10 years now. But sometimes, between meetings, you can find me milling around sans shoes. But it's not my fault.

Thing is, finding the utopian collaboration of comfort and cute/professional appearance in a shoe has been near impossible for me. Finding a set of heels that don't turn on my pinky toe by noon, and attempt to turn a 5-piggy picnic into four pigs and a strip of bacon has been discouraging.

And the flats. The flats?! Hey - "E" for effort on the flatty selection, Dillard's. Not that I don't love the loafers; always grateful for the opportunity to revisit my days as a tomboy. OH, but you have Mary Janes. Forgive me. Is it me, or did I just walk onto the set of a Britney music video. Those'll go great with my school girl uniform; you know how I like to wear it to client presentations. Do you have coordinating pigtail accessories? As much as I want to accent my less-than-lankiness with a pair of shoes that make passersby question if I've given up altogether, eh, I don't.

So what IS she looking for? Is she just passionate or wildly picky.  I'm just - ugh - both. If I just had a sole, a swatch and a thread handy, I'd be able to show you what I'm... I'd be able to... I'm sorry. Do you hear that? Are those angels singing? Trumpets? Doves all aflutter for Eidia in all her Lushness. Well, sweet Georgia peach, I'll be smitten as a school girl with a box full of Christmas puppies. Nobody get alarmed, but I am nose to nose with one dangerously adorable pair of Audrey-style flats that don't put my femininity in peril. That emphasize my appreciation for "professional yet darling" but do not ignore my deep desire for heel-less-ness and my aversion to ankle pain. Oh sweet Blueberry Pie (that's what I named them), you understand me better than my husband when I explain to him (again) that there IS no dirty-dish fairy. Scoot over Santa; Eidia's moving into the workshop, and she's got a luscious line of comfortably cute toys for all the girls that made the "good" list.

 

Spring 2011: Must Have Shoe Trends!

By Sarah El-Annan

 

The changing of seasons is hardly noticeable when living in LA, seeing as our muted weather rarely ever fluctuates. My trend cues generally stream through my feed via Spring 2011 Ready to Wear recaps, Celebrity sightings, and the conclusion of reality TV shows like the Bachelor. As we all brace ourselves for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, I’d like to also herald in Spring 2011s hottest shoe trends – wedges, clogs, espadrilles, and platforms. 

 

I’m a huge fan of wedges because of the comfort factor. They are a staple in any fashion savvy woman’s wardrobe and are famous for their versatility; they seem effort-less and stylish while remaining sexy and making any woman, whether she is short and stubby or long and blessed with Blake Lively length gams, look slim. Some of my favorites are the urban style wedge ankle boots that can really make your outfit fierce or a classic style brown wedge in a mixed leather and suede paired with a maxi dress or cuffed b/f jeans. 

 

                     

     
Next on my spring purchase list are vibrant sorbet colored espadrilles that can add that extra spark to your summer wardrobe and enhance a flirty floral dress or boyfriend jean shorts matched with a slouchy top. Check out the swatches below for some vibrant color inspiration!

                                    

A hybrid mix of both the wedge and espadrille gives birth to the renovated clog that gives you a rustic and sexy look while giving you an extended break from the stiletto. These 70’s inspired shoes can be worn with cuffed white skinny jeans and a gauzy tropical colored top making you an instant leader of warm weather fashion. 

Please be sure to soak in the sun and reap compliments with the fierce platforms in a classic lace up style as well as the wooden platform seen in almost every Spring fashion spread.  

The wedge is a classic and it embodies all the season’s fashion trends: vibrant color in time for spring and summer, comfort and height with creative post modern flourishes, and different textures and materials. You can now begin to skimp on winter lunches and put away your soggy high boots and instead put the money into pampering your feet with a pedicure and bringing ‘em out just in time for spring!

     

WE ARE PROUD TO BE SNOBS

By Nicole Tongson:

Once upon a time, (well, at the end of the eighteenth century according to the Oxford Dictionary as well as many other respected sources), a snob was a cobbler. The shoemaker, or snob was at the very bottom of the social ladder and was known to be of humble origin and lack a title.

Although the word has almost a complete opposite meaning today, we are proud at Eidia Lush to have found our team of true professional "snobs".  They are by FAR the most talented artists I have ever had the pleasure of working with (and I come from a long background of professional art and design, so this is a big statement). 

It seems as though over the past few years, shoemaking has become known as somewhat of a glamorous profession. Students are flocking to design school to become shoe designers and claim they have the chops and skills to make shoes.  I can tell you by being immersed in the industry now for several years that it is far from glamorous.  To be a shoemaker, you have to have patience to the fullest degree.  While feeling the pressure of hundreds of unmade orders sitting behind you, you need to pay very close attention to EVERY SINGLE detail that crosses your eye.  In today's society, we don't understand the concept of patience and NOT rushing, which is why you'll find a lot of true cobblers to be of an older generation.

I took a trip to California last weekend to visit 3 of our main cobblers in the workshop and will be posting some amazing pictures next week of where your Eidia Lush masterpieces are created and how.  In the meantime, if you love the idea of true cobbling being still alive in the United States as much as I do, then you'll love the collection of "cobbler" themed images I've collected from Getty Images below:

Cobblers come in all shapes and sizes, from all countries and cities...the only problem is that it is a dying trade (one which is practically already dead in the United States). Because of the man hours invested in each pair of handmade shoes (for one pair of Eidia Lush shoes it takes more than 20+ solid hours), cobblers can't compete with mass manufacturers from China and other shoe exporting countries.  By buying Eidia Lush shoes, you are helping bring back this trade to the United States.  We are proud to have our team of professional cobblers (or snobs).  Design your own pair of shoes today and support them!

Silver and Gold

By Nicole Tongson

Adding chains to any outfit, in any color, can add instant drama and sass. On eidialush.com, we thought, "Why not give our customers the option to add chains to their shoe designs?" Below is a ultra chic creation made by Melissa from Virginia.  She chose a magenta blossom silk brocade, our Jillian box toe platform, and the silver chain edging....a combination that is sexy with an urban flair.

 

I'm dying to know what she wore these babies with. When wearing a shoe with this much boldness, our recommendation is to keep your accompanying outfit to basic solids consisting of blacks, whites, and muted khaki or bronze tones. Below are a few outfit ideas from the Eidia Lush crew if you're considering purchasing a design similar to Melissa's:

 



Left: The Elizabeth and James' backless leather-trimmed jersey dress is ideal for those who love showing off some leg.  Its' classic shape and solid black color combined with the uber-short length and open back make it the perfect compliment to the shoes for a glamourous night out.

Center: Rag & Bone's Rock-chic black leather-panel lace-up skinny pants are great to match the urban look of your chain adorned heels. Pair the pants and heels with a simple white tank top for a day (or night) on the town.

Right: Chloe's pleated bronze high-waisted skirt is a nice color to wear with these heels because it brings out the understated bronze in the pattern. Pair it with a cute cropped jean jacket and plain white tank top to add some playful innocence to the sexy shoes on your feet below.

 

Are you interested in the chain look, but don't know where to start?

We've put together some designs that you can customize and purchase on our site today. Take a look at 4 of our favorite looks:

  

 
1: Underwater Treasure - $266.00

2: Street Smarts - $233.00

3: Masterpiece - $225.00

4: Charming - $193.00

 

Inspired by our chain designs yet? If you'd like to see more, check out all the options for chains on shoes at www.eidialush.com or if you have your own idea for a chained shoe creation, email us at [email protected].  Happy Designing!

Shoe Transformation: Rocking a Presentation to Sipping a Martini

By Nicole Tongson

ROCKING A PRESENTATION

The sun is rising, and you've got a little extra pep in your step as you walk to work in your new Eidia Lush silk flower flats, a flowy khaki skirt, and a vintage cream blouse (some outfit ideas from netporter below).  You don't know if it's the fact that you have actual flowers on your feet or if it's simply because it's the first day in months that you haven't shoved your tootsies in dirty snow boots...but something down there is making you smile.  These shoes are fun, sweet, bold, and are carrying just enough "umph" to get you through the intense client presentation after lunch today...

  

SIPPING A MARTINI

...After such a long day at the office which was finished off with you rocking the presentation,  you're definitely in the mood for a few cocktails with the girls at that new martini spot downtown.  You stop home and slip into your favorite sexy satin shoes that are adorned with crystal "angel wing" feathers.  Throwing on your favorite skinny jeans and a simple top (some more outfit ideas from netporter below), you grin at yourself in the full length mirror, as you get ready to turn some heads.

   





Voilà! Instant shoe transformation from rocking a presentation to sipping a martini...keeping your unique style at the forefront the entire time :)

To create your own shoe design and transformation, visit www.eidialush.com today!

 

The Valentines Grinch

By Sarah El-Annan

Once upon a time, the only thing I looked forward to on Valentines Day was pillaging the local Target for all sorts of glittery heart sequin treasures, fanciful colored tissue paper, and most of all mass amounts of chocolate on sale. My greatest pangs of sadness came the day after the post holiday orgy, when I found out that some other squirrel had racked up my clearance chocolate and left me with the runt of the litter – Hershey kisses – which are great but don’t pack the punch of Cadbury or Godiva.

This year, all my holiday glee was emptied out, in its place was a morose kind of angry feeling that turned me into the Valentine’s Day Grinch.  This change was all due to a relationship that ended over a year ago which introduced two words into my lexicon: 1) love (or in my case extreme like masquerading as love) and 2) romance. Romance meant recognizing Valentine’s Day not as a commercial chocolate orgy, but as a holiday to celebrate love and lovers.

This year, after the end of that relationship, I was conflicted on what exactly to do with the afterlife of the romance I had, the feelings of expectation of romantic offerings and of sadness and longing. Valentine’s Day threw me into a crisis. Why did I keep delaying my lunch on February 14^th? Was it truly in the sad hope for a flower drop off or heart shaped box chocolates from my unexpected Valentine? Should I have better spent my time that day beating the crowds to Target and battling chocolate squirrels?  More importantly, why are my responses to Valentine inquiries, coffee room curiosity, and nosey comments tainted with a pinch of bark and a cup of snarl?

To drown my sorrows, I turned once again, to chocolate (combined with shopping, both bring me bliss) Exhibit A. My mall ritual is to visit See’s chocolate to buy a few pieces of delicious sugar that bring me an unimaginable amount of bliss. The atmosphere in the store is usually a welcoming one with angelic white walls and uniformed beaming attendants offering free samples of sugary bliss. In my Grinch mode, I found this year’s visual display to be a garish mish mash of red and pink frills that distracted me from my truffles.  When it was my turn to be rung me up, the clerk’s standard question is to throw in a ‘gift’ for ‘someone special’ that triggered a reaction to defend my single status. I really despised that woman and found myself being much more of a diva then needed to be and in naturally 10 octaves higher than it needed to be said “no that would be all for today”. Another shrill cry from the Valentine’s Day Grinch.

Exhibit B. Earlier that week I had remembered to reserve my bike at spin and the sales representative had to ask me three different times if I was sure I wanted the 6:30 on February 14th slot. I was yet again overcome by my inner Valentine’s Day Grinch and made all sorts of not funny bitter jokes about how I had no idea that the holiday was even coming up. Bad jokes are never really appropriate and bitterness is not a classy move. It reeks of unfulfilled resentment.

All in all I found myself caving into sadness that night, spacing out my sips of green tea with bites of raspberry filled heart cookies counting down the hours till midnight so that I could fall asleep and wake up the next morning and look forward to a new day without Valentines or a mention of love. Today I feel a bit silly about putting so much thought and effort and emotion into a holiday that I never really even cared about.  I had always been happy in my own skin and never felt the need to punish myself for being any other way. My new resolution is to never again be overcome by the Valentine’s Grinch, to be happy in a relationship or outside of one, and more importantly to reestablish my repertoire as head day after holiday chocolate squirrel at Target!

Are you a Valentines Grinch? A fellow Clearance/Discounted chocolate aficionado? How do you drown your Valentine’s Day Sorrows? Shopping? Shoes? A combo of the above? I want to hear about how you spent your Valentines!

The Golden Slippers

By Nicole Tongson

These golden slippers are one of the latest pair of shoes finished by our cobblers. As simple as they are, they have completely stolen my heart...

  

We still have this exact fabric left in stock, so if you're interested in creating your own fairytale slippers like the ones above, design them today on www.eidialush.com.