Trocadero Holiday Q&A: Alex

We're continuing our special weekly feature on this snowy Sunday with Alex. With the holidays right around the corner we thought it would be fun to share with our loyal readers a bit about the Trocadero staff and what we love in the store right now. Each of us will talk about what item we would love to get for an important person in our lives and why we'd gift this particular item. See the gifts Alex would buy (she couldn't narrow it down to just one!) and for whom she'd buy them below.

If I could by my mother anything, It would be the Anya Hindmarch "Autumn" crocodile embossed leather with the suede flap. (pictured above.) It is such a classic looking, well made purse, and definitely would be part of lifetime collection of items.

















If I could buy my best friend Emily anything, it would probably be the light gray Botkier "Uma" with the Kidrobot wallet inside. They are both well made and long lasting, but they have a definite edge.

Finally, If I could buy myself anything it would be the MZ Wallace Jane in black with the Pade Vavra bird's nest bracelet inside.






















All of Alex's amazing gift choices are available in store now. Anya Hindmarch "Autumn" bag, $995; Botkier "Uma" bag, $595; MZ Wallace "Jane" bag, $345. Contact us for pricing on the other items featured and don't forget, our big sale started Saturday, so shop for the holidays while the price is right!

Season's change

Fall is--and always has been--my favorite season. Come mid-August I'm already itching to put on sweaters and boots, to snuggle in an over sized scarf and to start my yearly slew of knitting projects (a huge shawl and a cabled scarf are on my needles as we speak.) Last Sunday at Trocadero I noticed a hint of season's change in the air; the bright hues of summer are slowly being exchanged for the rich hues of fall.

Touches of navy--in M.Z. Wallace and L.A.M.B. handbags, in Giuseppe Zanotti pumps--caught my eye. Some fetching new pieces from Kara Ross' line in rich gold, navy and emerald stood out in the jewelry case. A set of ten aubergine-hued Rescue Beauty Lounge fingernails suddenly felt of the moment, especially when one has a matching bag in hand. New styles from Botkier fit the bill. A buttery soft flat--again from Giuseppe--with a shiny gold capped toe felt new when I thought of wearing it with thick ribbed tights and a tweedy blazer.

Here's to fall!

To cover or not to cover? That is the question.

One thing to definitely consider as we start to slowly roll into cooler climates ahead is transitioning your peep toe heels into Fall and further into the colder months.

Heels and Tights are still very much IN, which means that those cute, peep toe heels you've been sporting are to going to get even more wear this Fall & Winter. This works great with like colors like black on black but daring colors and patterns can be just as chic.

Trocadero not only has heels that will transition into your Fall & Winter wardrobe, but these Brian Atwood heels are on SALE too!! The Lidia Self Platform and the Trixi Platform Pump are great shoes to work into your wardrobe right now and into Fall.

,

Use these accessories to create a look and feel around these fabulous heels!

The Recessionista Project

In this week's Trocadero Tidbits newsletter, we mentioned something that my sister, Lindsey, started: The Recessionista Project. It's a simple concept, really: don't buy new stuff. "New," of course, having a bit of a twist: you can buy, but it has to be from a thrift store or a vintage shop, or generally just not brand new. My sister started the project because she wanted to be thrifty, considering our current economic status, but also because she wanted to shoot a dose of creativity directly into her wardrobe. Our mutual friend Julie, who lives in Las Vegas, joined in the project, and so did I, to a lesser degree. Lindsey regularly posts outfits on her blog, and Julie does, too. Lindsey posted one of my outfits on her blog, and I created a couple more for this Troc Talk post (my outfits here use items from the store along with my vintage finds.) We'll start with some of Lindsey's looks.


Lindsey's sporting some fine vintage blouses in the above two photos. She shopped her own closet for the rest of her outfits, putting new life into a cardigan/jacket and a thin gold vintage belt, as well as her signature skinny jeans.


Here's Julie in two of her Recessionista outfits: on the top, she works with a simple nude slip dress and a Victorian blouse she found at a thrift store, along with shoes that she shopped from her own closet. (And she's standing in front of a fabulous painting by Omaha artist Joey Lynch, I must add.) In the second photo, at a club in Las Vegas, she's wearing a thrifted top and shoes along with a pair of shorts that she swapped from a friend and says that she's been wearing all the time. (Lucky her that it's already warm in Vegas!)

And here's some of my looks. My photography skills aren't quite as advanced. But I'm wearing all items shopped from my own closet and thrifted (as well as my Bettye Muller sandals from Trocadero and my Pade Vavra ring, which has truly become a signature piece for me.) What's fun about this project, I think for all three of us, is that it challenges us to think of what we already have in new ways. I've worn things I've saved for special events on a daily basis (the Dior heels in the second photo are a good example of this.) Its fun to mix things up every once in a while, especially in your own wardrobe.

If you want to be a part of the Recessionista project (and really, who wouldn't?!) check out Lindsey's blog and Julie's blog, and send your outfit photos to them, or to us at shoptrocadero@mac.com. We'd love to share in your creativity.

Inspiration by way of Talaria

After Trocadero got the new Matt Bernson Talaria sandal earlier this week, I felt a whiff of inspiration, as if from the gods. Just kidding. But it's an awfully cute sandal, and it can be worn in tons of ways.

Our looks this week all focus on this cute, versatile gladiator with a darling pair of wings at each ankle. First, a glittery mini dress paired with a Pade Vavra knuckle duster pearl ring, a simple Anya Hindmarch clutch and an adorable Pluma feather headband gets you ready for girls night out. Next, we update the ubiquitous black legging with a simple gray tank, an updated boyfriend blazer and the go-anywhere Sasha convertible hobo from Botkier. Finally, let your winged sandals take you though the workday in a simple black blouse, a brightly-colored tulip skirt and signature expandable bangles from Alex and Ani. None of these looks would be complete without a sprinkle of the truly addictive Glamo Glitz eye shadow from Scarlett Cosmetics.

And, in case you were wondering, the Talaria sandals are named after the winged sandals worn by the Greek Gods, most often Hermes, the messenger god. Pretty good lineage for a sandal, no?

All accessories above are available in store now at Trocadero! Clothes designed by Chloe, Elizabeth and James, American Apparel, Helmut Lang, James Perse and Lipsy.

What do you want in your Easter basket?

It's beginning to look a lot like Easter at Trocadero! Especially when you look at this adorable Pade by Pade Vavra nest bracelet (it also comes in earrings). Since Pade's pieces are all handmade, we only get a few exclusive works of art at a time. I first fell in love with Pade's jewelry around 7 years ago and it was her nest ring in her fine jewelry collection that made me an instant fan. When I first opened the Troc, I knew I wanted Pade to be one of my designers at the store. Click here to see more of Pade's designs available at Trocadero (I'm currently wearing her opal drusy earrings); not everything is pictured on the website so you'll have to come into the store to see the rest of her unique necklaces, cuffs, rings and earrings!

With Easter right around the corner, I've polled everyone at the Troc to tell me what their favorite Easter candy is. For Helen, Sabrina, Stephanie, Sarah and me, Cadbury mini eggs with the hard shell are #1 in our book; for others it's the classic Peep marshmallow treats (but only the chicks for Christine and only if they're yellow for Drew!).
Kathleen loves Reese's peanut butter eggs and Lauren thinks a classic Chocolate Easter Bunny is "the bomb.com!"


With Easter almost here, we want to know what is your favorite candy? Comment and enter to win a Kidrobot Let's Hang zipper pull of your choice! If you're not into sweet tasting things, we can think of some other sweet things...in pastel colors to whet your appetite! Our spring arrivals almost look like an Easter egg palette of mint greens, lavenders, robin egg blues and Peep marshmallow yellows!

We just got back in the Normann Copenhagen grass vases-perfect for that new spring bud growing in your backyard. And it seems like no one can resist Botkier's Trigger moto clutch with its long strap and biker-chick feel...but in a soft way! And finally, Rescue Beauty Lounge's Square Pants nail polish is just the right yellow, not too garish and not saccharin sweet but perfectly subtle and neutral enough to wear with both business casual outfits (we love it with gray and navy clothing) as well as summery floral dresses.

Pade Vavra Jewelry

So after my shift Sunday at Trocadero, I came home with a gorgeous bottle of Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polish in Black Russian and an equally gorgeous Pade Vavra ring that I am bonkers over.

Alice is brilliant at choosing jewelry that is both on-trend and affordable; her new costume pieces by Vavra and the Kara by Kara Ross line are worth taking a gander at. Celebrities like Rachel Bilson, Cameron Diaz, Lauren Conrad and Demi Moore sport these jewelry designs; plan to stop in the store if you want a new eye-catching bauble for spring.

Here's my ring. There's more equally gorgeous, one-of-a-kind pieces to be had in the store now.