FASHION FEATURE: Nine West Jewelry

By Jax

Nine West just started making jewelry!  I took a spin through their offerings, and here are the ones I found to be both 1) stylish and 2) worth the money.  (On the whole the collection seems to be priced slightly below that of J. Crew, Ann Taylor and Banana.)

I'm a sucker for periwinkle, and the edgy shapes and treatment of the gems makes for a nice juxtaposition with a classic outfit.

Price: $38.00
BUY IT

While I can't really handle turquoise in large doses, this small usage is eye-catching.

Price: $24.00
BUY IT

This spring, start mixing those metals.  A nice way to bring the feather trend into jewelry in a new way.

Price: $38.00
BUY IT

FASHION DEAL DIVA: 2010: A Levi's Odyssey

Having misplaced by favorite 524 Levi's (I think they are somewhere at my parents house?), I needed a new pair of go-to jeans. On the recommendation of the Comfy Coquette, I decided to try the "new" levis.

For those of you unfamiliar with the recent Levis change, they have pretty much scrapped the style numbers for women (i.e. 524, etc.), and have opted to go for a model where there are three different types: slight curve, demi curve and bold curve. They use this crazy measuring tape to measure you...it doesn't involve numbers, so no worries there!

Walking into Levis that day, I knew that my 34 inch hips would undoubtedly register as a "bold curve," but I got measured anyway!

This is the tool they use to measure you. It takes three measurements: your hips, your waist, and that area in the middle of those two (how thorough!) The ratio of those sizes on this tool lets you know which "curve" category you fall into.

Even though they measure you, I cannot stress this enough. EVERY single pair is different. I have never, ever been a size 25 in a pair of jeans in my life, and yet that's what I am in the demi curve. But I'm a 26 in the bold. And there were some bolds I would have been a 27. And there were some demis I would have been a 26. You NEED to go into the store and try this stuff on! I must have tried on 25 pairs of jeans, no exaggeration!

When all was said and done, I found two amazing pairs of jeans! One bold curve for every day wear, and a demi curve for dressier occasions. What I like about the bold is that there is no waist space...it really does hug my curves! You might not like that feeling, but I think it's something you'll get used to (yes, it feels weird to have jeans that ACTUALLY fit!)

THE BOLD CURVE:

THE DEMI CURVE:

Made By: Levis

Demi Curve: $69.50 (I can't find the exact pair I bought but here is the link to the skinny page) BUY IT

Bold Curve: $69.50 BUY IT

FASHION DEAL DIVA: Fashion Feature - Osborn Design

I first came into contact with Osborn handcrafted shoes when I saw them on the feet of my friend Juan. They're hard not to notice. Juan's shoes were colorful and whimsical. They also looked comfortable (Juan confirmed their comfort.)

As an obsessive shoe lover, I appreciate shoes as art in any form. Each pair of Osborn shoes are most definitely art. The featured patterns are unique and intriguing. The shoes come in few forms (ballet flat, oxford and bootie), which allows the patterns to remain the king of the style, while form is more for function.

What I didn't know when I first saw Juan's shoes was that the designer, Osborn Design, is more than just your average shoe manufacturer.

Each Osborn shoe is handmade by a cobbler located in Guatemala. Everything is vertically integrated, which means each pair of shoes is sweatshop free. So when you buy a pair of Osborns, you are supporting more than just great fashion: you're supporting ethical labor standards, and the valued work of an individual artisan who is seasoned in his or her trade. Your purchase also helps to keep these seasoned artisans employed (the whole reason Osborn started in the first place was because the founder met an out of work cobbler in the hard-hit Guatemala City.)

The price of the shoes run anywhere from $60.00 to $175.00. The price is well worth it to own something one of a kind, and to know that it was ethically made.

Check out their website at www.osborndesign.com.