Last week was busy for the women at 1928, we worked hard to open a new 1928 Boutique outlet store. Did you know that we had local outlet stores in the Los Angeles area?
As a matter of fact, we don’t have one store, we have two! Both jewelry outlets are located in Burbank and easily accessible from Los Angeles, Pasadena, Simi Valley or Santa Monica. For those wanting to find deals, I don’t even think Orange County’s too far a drive to find amazing pieces and one-of-a-kind pieces.
The stores carries all the 1928 lines, including 1928 boutique, discontinued 2028 and Antiquities Couture. And for you vintage loving divas, if you look closely, you’ll find original samples (never produced) and some pieces that are 10, 15 or even 20 years old! Talk about retro cool.
The Magnolia St. Store is open Monday through Saturday from 10AM to 5PM and the Empire St. Store is open Tuesday through Saturday 10AM to 5PM. Stop by and discover amazing earrings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches and other gifts.
I’m always amazed by the women that wear our jewelry. The all possess this innate ability to take a piece and make it theirs and mold it to fit their own personal style.
I find myself saying, “WOW! How did you figure that out? I never in a million years would’ve thought to pair pair that earring with that necklace.” The women that wear 1928, 2028 or Antiquities Couture use their accessories to tell the story of who they are and what their personal style is.
Melissa Pierce
Melissa Pierce is an amazing woman whom I had the distinct pleasure of accidentally living with at SXSW this year (in a posh, upscale hotel of course). Don’t call her a mommy blogger, she won’t identify with the term (she may just cut you). She is female documentary film maker making a movie called Life In Perpetual Beta. In the film, she poses the question of: Is A Planned Life Worth Living? She interviews some of the most brilliant minds in business today, including Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh, Social Marketing Guru & Author Seth Golden, Twitter Founder Evan Williams. Melissa prefers her 1928, shaken with extra “blingy hotness”.
Shira Lazar
Recently nominated to the list of LA’s People To Watch in 2009 (via LA Weekly), Shira Lazar is a force to be reckoned with. Shira is known for for her media work on KTLA, NBC, CBS and the Reelz Channel. She saw the rise of the web early on, she embraced new media and has become “the human manifestation of the convergence of tech and entertainment” (Alexia Tsotsis). Shira, who just *happens* to be the stepsister of American Apparel’s Dov Charney, is causing quite commotion in Los Angeles with her avante garde reporting style. Best of all, she rocks Macy’s 2028 Jewelry with just about everything she wears – on camera and off.
Tara Hunt
Tara Hunt gives the term business savvy female entrepreneur a whole new meaning. Author of the soon to be released book The Whuffie Factor: Using Social Networks To Build Your Business, Tara gives her audience (speaking, written or in pictures) a no nonsense explanations of how companies can use social media to build brand awareness, equity and customer loyalty online. She even has amazing PowerPoint presentations that you can download on SlideShare to help your company understand social media. 1928 Jewelry was proud to be her jewelry sponsor this year at the SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, TX.
Stephanie Agresta
Stephanie Agresta is another marketing guru sans brilliant business woman who loves the Antiquities Couture & 2028 Jewelry lines. We love Stephanie’s business style; practical and holistic. She helps clients navigate through the complexities of online marketing with one-on-one consulting and develop plans that promote their products and services through social media. She’s the brains behind Microsoft TechSet events, the InternetGeekGirl blog and runs Affiliate Karma (which means she knows affiliate marketing like no one’s business).
Alexia Tsotsis
Most people, unless you’re a Los Angeleno Tech Scene member, may not know the gorgeous, kind and incredibly talented Alexia Tsotsis. Alexia is the newest addition to the LA Weekly’s editorial staff (her work also appears in New York’s Village Voice). Alexia jumped at my radar at a Digital LA event, I finally cornered her at TwiistUp and got to know her. This petite, unassuming girl turned out to be a writing powerhouse. I was floored. I kept running into her in around Los Angeles and finally handed her 1928 Jewelry. I had to have our jewelry on someone that makes a room glow when she walks in. Alexia is just getting started but I expect to see great things from her. Hopefully we get a bit of credit for sparking her ascent up the media ladder.
When we first made the decision to redesign 1928.com (new site coming in October 2008), I reached out to a good friend of mine Lori Dicker. Lori is an amazing woman (who just happens to own Karma Media Labs, a social media think tank in Los Angeles) to discuss the possibility of her being involved in the marketing component of the job. She was working at home the day I dropped off our RFP. But she didn’t answer the door, Sherman did.
Bull Dog Bracelet
Sherman stole my heart. LA is a land of people who love their pets (I’m convinced more than the rest of country – look at the California weather). Everywhere I go, there are Shih Tzus, Golden Retrievers, Labs, Paris Hilton arm candy dogs and most recently – Bull Dogs.
Sherman reminded me of an idea the design team mocked up just to “see” how it would look. They were these kinda retro, definitely blingy stretch bracelets with the pictures of dogs, cats & horses in them. Of course you know I have a horse bracelet. So I went back to the drawing board and said, let’s try it. And thus, we developed some cute, fun bracelets featuring your favorite and frisky feline friends. My favorite of course: The Sherman Bull Dog Bracelet.
To tie it all together, I brought it back to a local charity we support:
Every month, 1928.com donates 5% of our gross profits to L.I.F.E. Animal Rescue. For all the items in the Pet Lovers collection we will donate 10%. L.I.F.E. is a non-profit, no kill rescue in the San Fernando valley that finds lifelong homes for dogs and cats.
It’s here, it’s here, it’s here! We’ve waited – impatiently – and our favorite collections has arrived. Spring Beauty Collection features the first in a series of vibrant statement necklaces being offered in the 2028 Line. The necklace features rose gold tone metal and salmon, magenta and fuchsia faceted beads strung together in a bib shape. There is a beautiful, tiny little hand enameled butterfly in the corner also.
Best of all, the necklace is only $55.00! How is that for thrifty, fabulous recessionista find?
I “met” Kate in 1997; she played the pale skinned, fiery haired Rose Dawson opposite the boyishly handsome Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic. Kate wasn’t the rail thin actress that mass media emulates in movies and fashion magazines. She was soft, she had curves.
I loyally followed her through Hideous Kinky, Faeries, Holy Smoke, Quills, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Finding Neverland, Little Children, The Reader, all the way down Revolutionary Road. She’s a woman who’s played many characters. some sophisticated and some unglamorous. It was the roles that weren’t glamorous that made me love her more. No matter how plain (Quills) or unsexy (Little Children) her character was supposed to be, it was never fooled. Her confidence made her sexy, and it oozed off the screen. That made her more beautiful; she represented an ideal of women that was attainable in society.
A few months ago, she graced the cover of my Vanity Fair in a beautiful homage to Catherine Deneuve (think Indochine) in Belle de Jour. But Kate has never won a major International award for her role in a film until this year where she took two Golden Globes for her role in The Reader.
I stood in my living room, jumping up and down, screaming. I was as flustered as she was. I was excited and crying. I was so proud of her. I was like, “Stop apologizing to Angelina! This is about you!”
Kate Winslet represents timeless beauty, she represents real women and obtainable goals. Her Golden Globe was not only representative of her talent as an actress, it acknowledged realistic body images of women. So thank you Kate, and here’s a modern meets vintage 2028 Jewelry collection we dedicate and inspired by you.
Can anyone believe it’s actually February? I feel like 2009 is going by at lightning speed. My birthday this past weekend an it was amazingly fun and eventful. But now it’s Monday, and I am like, last weekend was my birthday, this weekend is Valentine’s Day.
So what do you do for V-Day? Some of you are single and some of you have beaus to spend time with; some of you hate V-Day and some lavish in it. So no matter your feeling on this day that worships a lil’ naked baby with wings, you are gonna feel the sting of his arrow. Here are our top ideas!
Valentine’s Day For The Single Girl or Guy
1. Go see a movie – Confessions of a Shopaholic comes out Friday! I have mixed feelings on this one, but I love Sophie Kinsella and have read the majority of her books. I have to see if the movie translates as well as Candace Brunshell’s did for Sex and the City. Plus, over the top Carrie Bradshaw-esque fashion is always a must see.
2. Get thrifty and – maybe – get famous – Have you recently purchased something from 1928.com? Well, I have a challenge for you. Go to your local thrift store and buy something vintagy to go with it, but you can’t spend more than $50 on the whole shabang. Want to be even more creative and frugal? I am willing to accept you diving into the depths of your closet and creating an outfit that is uniquely you out of what you have. Take a picture and email it to me at macalaw at 1928.com. Not matter if I like it/love it/hate it, I will showcase it on the blog.You can also upload it to our facebook fan page.
3. Try some healthy/ alternative cooking – Anyone around here will tell you I am health nut, so I challenge you to try some healthy cooking. This weekend, I made my own gluten-free cookies. Healthy doesn’t necessarily mean fat free/low carb, it means health smart. Removing certain things from your daily diet can improve your health. Wanna good book, I suggest then pick up French Women Don’t Get Fat and learn how eating locally and in small proportions can cause drastic differences on your waist line.
4. Use Facebook to get fashionably connected – I know the majority of our readers are on facebook, and if your not, then you need to be! If you want to keep V-Day low key, stay in and work on your Facebook feeds. You be suprised about how many of your favorite brands are constructively using Facebook – Hayden Harnett, H & M, Gap, BCBG and even 1928. You can find discounts, private sales and things that just are offered anywhere else – not even your on your most secret coupon sites.
Facebook is where it’s at. You can also find local networking events, concerts and other things that will make you feel like the queen diva of your area. Great example: I went to a jazz concert with my beaut at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood to Julianna Raye, very low key. But afterwards, Sara Barielles took the stage in a secret concert (yeah, the “I’m Not Gonna Write You A Love Song” girl), followed by acustic sets from Counting Crows. Kate Hudson was sitting in the crowd too. All because of Facebook back channels.
5. Wash away the whining with some wine – Not a huge fan of this holiday, fine. But please don’t whine and moan about it. Instead, go to your local Cost Plus, World Market (yes, it’s okay, we are living in hard times and they have great prices on wine and a fairly good selections) and explore Italy, France and Spain through some vintage vino. Expand your palate, if your a Chardonnay girl, then try a Pinot Noir or get gutsy and try a Grenache or Spanish Temperanillo. Reds go well with the dark chocolate you can buy yourself.
Valentine’s Day For The Coupled Girl or Guy
1. Create a French style open table meal and a romantic evening at home – I don’t know if you have a La Pain Quotidien in your area, but they’re a staple to LA living. I suggest taking the theme of a country open table and bring it home. This requires a trip to Whole Foods or the local farmer’s market. Buy a loaf of bread, three to five different styles of cheese, strawberries and pears. You can add a bit of Middle Eastern/Greek flair by purchasing olive tempanade, hummus and cucumbers. Also make sure you pick up a few organic mixed greens for a light salad. Cut them up, lay them out on open platters (finger food style). Take a blanket or table cloth and spread it out on the floor in your living room or bedroom, wherever you have more space. Open a bottle of very fine bubbly or wine of your choosing. You can have a romantic evening to yourselves. What comes after the food is up to you. This blog only goes to PG-13.
2. Weekend wine escapes - If you live near a vineyard, then take a weekend escape. In California, the wineries in Napa, Monterey (may I recommend Ventana), Santa Barbara and even Temecula are having V-Day specials that start at $25 per person!
3. Create something that special to you - The couple’s recommendations are shorter than the single ones. Personally, I think couples need to create an experience that is unqiue to them. While some of us enjoy crowds and people, others would perfer a weekend alone. So visit the place you first met, do something that both of you have never done before, visit your local contemporary art museum; whatever allows the two of you to connect and rekindle some steamy, hot passion.
39thandbroadway.com – Luxury fatigue is, being over it; just saying no to the latest “it” bag and no to spending half your paycheck on the newest designer labels.
A Few Goody GumDrops – A Few Goody Gumdrops glosses her pouty lips with Nars most sought after colors!
How To Create Unique Style: Dressing Well On A Budget
Now that you’ve cleaned our your closet, you want to know what comes next. Next comes, realistically looking at you have.
Do you have 25 dresses and only five pairs of pants?
Do you have absolutely no color in your closet?
Do you only own one belt, one scarf and no jewelry?
Spend a few hours putting together mixing and matching what’s left over after your closet cleansing, and don’t lay out clothes next to each other, put them on your body and see how it looks in your mirror.
Have all your accessories out too – brooches, necklaces, earrings, scarves and belts. Mix and match.
After you’ve created your outfits, see what pieces don’t have mate. Can you fill in the gaps in your wardrobe with basic items? Make a list of standard items – a white button shirt, a cardigan or two, black flats, an a-line skirt. You want to buy simple things that fill in the blanks and can also go with the outfits you’ve already created. Don’t go overboard in purchasing clothes, you can fake a lot with accessories. Tthe next article will cover accessories, which can probably be the most cost effective wardrobe update you can make.
When comes to shopping, here are my top tips for replacing what’s missing:
Buy the best quality clothes you can afford, quality is better than quantity. The longer your clothes last, the less money you spend in the long run replacing them. Also, when you wear quality, it automatically increases your self-esteem and self-confidence. And with self-confidence, your fierceness factor goes up through the roof, watch out world – here YOU come!
1928 Jewelry Necklace #45696 - $48
Buy timeless pieces, the types of things that will weather an ever-changing fashion climate. Instead of buying a cobalt blue v-neck cashmere cardigan, buy a black button down cashmere cardigan. The black cardigan is a staple wardrobe element; it will last for years, not just a season or two.
1928 Antiquities Brooch & Earrings available Spring
Create a color scheme using solid colors. Use colors that look good on you, no matter the trend or of-the-moment style, if eggplant, dark red or baby blue look good on you, then always where them. If a color flatters you, then you can always wear it, that the definition of classic style. Has the little black dress ever gone out of style? I think not.
Buy things on sale whenever possible. For those of you that love going into stores, then I suggest Marshall’s, Loehmann’s or T.J. Maxx. These chains get quality, name brand overstock all the time. If you live in state that has premium outlet for stores like Nordstrom Rack, Off Saks 5th Ave or Banana Republic Outlet, you can usually save 50-70% instantly. So take a trip.
For you online shopping aficionados, the best thing you can do is to sign up for your favorite stores mailing lists – I mean, your absolute favorites, otherwise you can always find deals by going directly to a retailer’s site. Certain stores like Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie have granted their devotees the privilege of limited emails; they don’t spam us to death like certain sites. You can also check sites like RetailMeNot.com, Gretchin’s Closet and Toutie for online coupon discount codes to save a bit extra. Want to get some inspiration beforehand? Then jump on Polyvore.com or Kaboodle.com and start mixing and matching outfits.
Tamarindo Breeze Necklace #45814 for Macys.com & 2028Jewelry.com in 5 Colors - $55.00
Save money on accessories by choosing versatile Jewelry choices. The best part about working at 1928 Jewelry is that employees get to go to “the room” where all our goods are stored – it’s better than Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory! While 1928 Jewelry has extensive lines and I could wear whatever I wanted, I shop our choices like most women do. I pick a piece I can get multiple uses out of and help me create effortless looks. I’ve featured some of my favorites in the photos in this post. The right earrings, necklace and bracelets can make mean the difference between BLAH and OH MAMMA! Wanna know more? You are goning to have to wait for part three!
Jen & I have been enjoying our holidays. We have actually managed to organize an clean our Delicious bookmarks. The Jewelry Gal blog content for 2008 is going to tickle you silly – yea, that’s what we said, tickle you silly. It’s gonna feel so good! Anyway, if you independent fashion divas don’t know about Daily Candy, then there’s something seriously wrong with your Google Reader! Daily Candy covers most major cities these days (we remember when they were LA centric – back in the day) and subscribing to their newsletters keeps you up on what’s hip now.
Last week, Daily Candy opened up voting for The Sweetest Things 2008. Ladies – and trendy gents – it’s time to vote. Show your support for you most favorite boutiques, eateries and stylish home finds in your city.
The next video segments in our series are much more light-hearted, whimsical and fun. The girls were just being themselves. Sometimes, we were doing silly things and it was hard not to laugh.
Spring Jewelry Trends: We are seeing a lot of mixed metals, organic elements, blue and purple combinations. The Bohemian theme is still ever present also with filigree and flowers. Though the spring is casual and light, we still find classic refinement and upscale Heburn-esque glamour in most collections. So go the vintage BoHo chic route ladies.
About This Video: We used Amanda Coolong, the chief News Correspondent from TechZulu and showcased her heavily. The women that buy our jewelry are quite diverse, so we tried to use models that we felt represented them well. Amanda is a entrepreneurial woman who runs her own Public Relations firm in Los Angeles and also works in Technology Broadcasting. Like most professional women, her busy schedule don’t allow for over the top creativity in her clothing choices. Her wardrobe has to be versatile and go from day to night, without being completely boring and frumpy. The same went for her accessories.
Mission Accomplished: One of the goals of our shoot was to teach women how to use vintage inspiration to create a glamorous, elegant fashion style without breaking the bank. When I outfitted Amanda, that was main goal. I had to make keep everything under a certain price point. With the exception of the Alice & Olivia Dresses from Lindsay Lou’s Boutique, none of the outfits Amanda wore totaled more than $250.00 and could be worn multiple ways. Most of the items we used were from our local thrift store, Target (yes that’s how we roll) or H&M.
1928 Jewelry Fact: Did you know that all of the pieces in our collections cost under $100.00! Yeah – we may look super expensive, but we are actually very affordable – and we don’t compromise quality. Visit 1928.com to purchase a bit of happiness before the Holidays.
