costume awards

on this halloween eve, we couldn't resist handing out awards to some of the cutest and most creative costumes we've seen. chelsea handler tweeted this hilarious picture of chuy and chums dressed up like oompa loompas: best group costume award!

best family costume: tori, dean and liam...even the dog is buzzing.

best impersonation of over-plasticised italian designer donatella versace: wait...lindsay's not in costume. oops!

best pet costume: we don't know who these pugs belong to, but they're just cute.

playing dress-up

it must be difficult being a celebrity these days. in addition to the incessant flash of the paparazzi invading your personal space, there's a whole generation of bloggers out there ready to criticize your every move. but we feel that while you're on camera, you should dress your best (especially if you're afforded the luxury of a stylist). below we've outlined some misses from television's most popular hosts, and offered our advice on how to turn them into hits.

1. catt sadler, host of e!'s "daily 10" has a flirty style that suits her personality, but sometimes her fashion sense steers a little too far in the direction of "floozy." a general rule of thumb is if you're fitted on top, have some volume on bottom. to re-interpret catt's style, we've put together a gold see by chloe top and leather phillip lim "ra-ra" skirt that creates a fun, flirty look without being too sexy for prime time television.

2. rachel ray is a fan of patterns, but sometimes the look is overwhelming on her frame: lame-o! to keep it simple and more flattering, a bold stripe print, like the sea dress pictured above, creates drama and interest while a tailored corduroy blazer from wren keeps the dress from overpowering her.

3. on the biggest loser, alison sweeny's look seems dated. while she's careful to accentuate the positive by belting her slim waist, she's also prone to wearing pieces that look like they've been hanging in her closet for years (especially the satin frocks she wears at the weigh ins). to bring her up to date, we suggest a chic asymmetrical-hem dress from clu that can easily be dressed up or down. the shoulder pad detail on the dress also works to draw the eye toward the waist when belted.

4. samantha harris has quite a burden on her shoulders to keep up with the glitz on dancing with the stars, but we think this is a case where "less is more" should come into play. the black A.L.C. dress pictured above has a simple silhouette that flows beautifully while on the body. paired with a dramatic necklace, it's all the glam a girl needs to set herself apart from the competition.

edie rocks

have you met edie? we first blogged about it months ago, and it looks like the celebrity set has finally caught on to the inherent coolness of phillip lim's latest bag. rachel bilson has been photographed toting hers all around town, and alexa chung even tweeted about hers! no wonder the bags are selling out in NYC and LA. the good news is that we know a place where you can still find the edie: poole shop (at least for now). we love its vintage meets rocker meets holiday sweater vibe...you just can't go wrong with this one.

fashionable bookworms

while reading the new york times style section this sunday, we came across an idea that left us wondering: why didn't we think of that? as lovers of both books and fashion, the connection between the two should have been obvious. but, alas, parisian "it-girl" olympia le-tan beat us to it with her debut handbag collection inspired by first-edition covers of her favorite classics. the 21-piece collection, aptly named you can't judge a book by its cover, is hand-embroidered and lined in vintage liberty prints. so now we're totally hooked and are dying to carry one of these classicly chic clutches to our upcoming holiday gatherings, but...we can't track one down! available at colette in paris, they haven't yet appeared on the boutique's website. if you find one, please send it our way...

a little bit frilly; a little bit silly

answer: bohemian cupcake
question: two words to describe french label manoush

on your next trip to paris, be sure to stop in manoush for your fix of quirky, vintage-inspired, sophisticated kitsch. we realize "sophisticated kitsch" is somewhat of an oxymoron, but there's something about the line that brings the two together. from the french word for gypsy, manoush is like no other label with patterns and styles more reminiscent of a dream sequence than a runway show. frilly bows juxtaposed with tapestry fabrics make even the most conservative of us love its wackiness.

of course, if you're immediate travel plans don't include paris, stop by poole shop to see the fall collection from manoush, including this sequin stunner for $700:

you say po-tay-toe

becoming a scholar in the art of fashion designer pronunciation should require a four-year degree. for all you students out there who insist on pronouncing ralph lauren's last name in the same articulation as the actress sophia loren (it is, in fact, lauren: like the girl's name), we've put together a little cheat sheet of common pronunciation blunders. and remember, when dealing with haute couture, be sure to say "oat ku tour."

- andrew gn: andrew jen (rhymes with "ten")

- badgley mishka: badge-lee meesh-ka

- balenciaga: bah-len-see-AH-gah (not BAL-en-see-ah-gah)

- burberry: bur-bur-ree (not bur-BERRY)

- chanel: shuh-nel

- christian louboutin: christian loo-boo-tin

- dries van noten: drees van know-ten

- givenchy: jhee-von-shee

- giambattista valli: gee-ahm-battista valley

- gucci: goo-chee

- hermes: air-mez (please, please, no her-mees!)

- herve leger: air-vay lay-jay

- lanvin: lon-vin

- louis vuitton: loo-ee voo-ee-ton

- marchesa: mar-kay-sa

- monique lhullier: mo-neek loo-lee-ay

- nicolas ghesquiere: ni-co-la guess-key-air

- proenza schouler: pro-enza skool-er (commonly mispronounced schoo-ler)

- ralph lauren: ralph lauren (as in lauren, the girl's name)

- rodarte: ro-dart-tay

- swarovski: swore-off-ski

- versace: ver-saw-chee (not vur-sace)

- yves saint laurent: eve-san-laur-ahnt

poole shop book club

alarm clocks, car pools, text messages, lunches, laundry, emails: at the end of the day sometimes we all need a little escape from the mundane. so poole shop has put together a list of some of our favorite books. from a wall street serial killer to a rock and roll biography, we hope you find something here to spark your interest. if not, check out library.org where you can enter the name of a book that you like and they'll give you suggestions for further reading.


set in new england at an elite vermont college, the secret history by donna tartt chronicles the enter twined lives of six classics students in a novel that new york times critic a.o. scott labeled "a murder mystery in reverse." mirroring the greek tragedies that the main characters study, fate plays a significant role in the novel where melodramatic and bizarre events keep the pages turning.




in 1991 bret easton ellis introduced us to patrick bateman, a manhanttan businessman by day and psychotic serial killer by night. the thrilling (and disturbing) tale that unwinds through the first person narrative of american psycho leaves us wondering if the crimes depicted in the novel actually occurred or were simply delusional fantasies. warning: this book is not for the faint at heart, but the ambiguity and mistaken identity that runs throughout the book will keep you intrigued...


author aldous huxley described his 1932 classic brave new world as a "negative utopia" where developments in reproductive technology and sleep-learning have altered the society of london AD 2540. written during a time when there was a fear of the americanization of europe, reading the novel more than 75 years after it was written will definitely have you thinking.

in wonderful tonight pattie boyd shares her real-life story as a muse during rock 'n' roll's heyday. married to not one but two members of rock 'n' roll royalty (george harrison and eric clapton), the book shares her side of the story, which is worth hearing. as she concludes in the book, "our generation really did have a revolution...i have known some amazing people and had some unforgettable experiences."

let's hear it for the boys!

now that we've stolen our guys' look with the whole boyfriend jean phenomenon, it's time we clue them in and say so long to the dad jean. thankfully the rules for guys are simple.

1. skinny = silly. cowboys and rock stars are the only guys who can get away with wearing a skinny jean; however, a straight leg is universally flattering and works for all shapes and sizes.

2. too short is too dorky. make sure your guy hems his jeans so they just graze the ground. we've found that men tend to hem them too short (hello white socks) by cutting them off at the ankle--this look is neither flattering nor stylish.

3. leave embellishment for the ladies. while we're loving our new current/elliotts that are subtly studded on the front pocket, guys' jeans sometimes go overboard in this department. stay away from bold stitching, skeleton motifs and anything chrystal-like or studded, especially on the back pockets.

4. stonewashed belongs in the stone age. darker washes have a much more modern look than the old stone or (heaven forbid!) acid washes. a little distressing is okay, but stay away from heavy whiskering and the "dirty" look (they'll get dirty soon enough on their own).

5. when in doubt, leave it to levis. there's a reason the levi brand is best known among jeans: straightforward and simple, the perfect look for a guy.

hollywood dads david beckham and brad pitt are poster boys for cool jeans.

more than a pretty face...

we have to applaud marie claire's editor-in-chief, joanna coles, on her acquisition of nina garcia as the magazine's fashion director. admitted mag hags ourselves, we have noticed a difference in the fashion editorial coverage since garcia has joined the ranks of the former second-tier magazine. with a more sophisticated vibe and inside look at the fashion world, coles and garcia have elevated the magazine's profile and moved it to the "in" crowd along with vogue, harper's bazaar and elle. since september, marie claire has profiled fashion darling ashley olsen along with alexa chung, christina hendricks (of mad men), drew barrymore and ellen page. we especially love "nina's notes" and her inside look into everything from the season's trends to a designer's life long journey in fashion. stay tuned as we predict things to only get better from here.

L.O.V.E. A.L.C.

come join the party! gwen stefani and jennifer lopez are huge fans (and clients!) of stylist andrea lieberman who launched her eponymous line, A.L.C., last spring. built around wearable pieces that can be worn dressed up or dressed down, we can't help but love this mother's fashion-forward style. the collection updates your old wardrobe essentials--little black dress, white blouse, wool trousers--in a sophisticated color palette (black, gray, khaki, navy) that works for everyone. stop by poole shop this wednesday - friday to check out the A.L.C. trunk show, and walk away with more than just a stylish tee shirt.

halloween costumes 2009: low to high

it's always fun to be someone else for a day, and that's why halloween is one of our favorite holidays. this year poole shop has put together a list of the costumes we think will be hot on the streets, and we've budgeted them out for you from low to high.

the tabloids have successfully turned america's original octo-mom into america's devil mom, and we think kate gosselin will be an easy target on halloween. this costume is simple (and cheap!) to create once you've splurged for the $10 kate gosselin wig we've seen on the internet. just root around in your closet for all the things that should have been taken to goodwill years ago. resurrect those platform flip-flops (rocket dogs--yikes!), a michael stars tee (the glitzier the better) and a pair of l.e.i. bootcut jeans: perfection!

we've all had the fantasy of dressing up as wonder woman at some point in our lives, and we predict this year will see a bevy of R-rated versions, a.k.a. lady gaga. while you may have difficulty piecing together the appropriate costume from your current wardrobe, $40 at the hustler store could be money well spent for a night living on the edge.

one essential element in creating a successful halloween costume is fun...and how fun would it be to skate around a party as a cute derby girl inspired by the movie whip it!? if your roller skates from the 1980's are long lost, you can find a decent used pair on ebay for around $30. the rest of the costume is pretty straight forward, and a trip to american apparel will provide the top, skirt, tights and knee-high socks to complete your ensemble. the helmet is optional, but we think
you should rock it.

we're sure michael jackson will be everywhere on halloween, and we pick this year's high-end, luxury costume to be inspired by the king of pop. a huge fan of the fashion house balmain, he took glam to the next level, and anyone willing to spend around $7,000 for their own balmain sequin jacket will definitely be the hit of the party.

rain, rain go away!

it may feel like just another day in the pacific northwest, but for the rest of the country this week's drenching has us tapping the weather icon on our iPhones hoping to catch a glimpse of our long-lost pal, "the sun" (it's even raining in LA!). so what's a girl to do when the weather threatens your mood and your style? with so many cutesy rain gear options (will floral rain boots really cheer you up?), it's tricky to stay dry while not dressing like your five-year-old. leave the colorful umbrellas and bright rain boots to the kids, and downplay the weather by sticking to neutral gear for yourself.

gwyenth paltrow stays dry and fashionable in her army green parka and wellies while michelle williams forgoes the bold colors herself and saves them for daughter matilda.

stylish jennifer aniston keeps her outfit monochromatic with a coordinating umbrella while suri cruise punches up the drama with a cute red ladybug.

poole shop's 5-step program

tamara mellon's closet offers a quiet repose from her busy life as jimmy choo's leading lady.

mariah carey's closet is the stylish boutique that we all dream about...

in an ideal world, our closets would be mini-boutiques in our homes that we shop each morning to find our perfect ensemble for the day. two of the best closets we've seen belong to tamara mellon, the girl behind jimmy choo, and mariah carey. but instead of simply coveting these veritable troves of treasure, we've decided to look to them as inspiration while trying to organize our own cubby holes this fall. thus, poole shop's steps to an organized closet.

1. shop it. no matter how limited on space you are, do treat your closet like a fashionable boutique. start with the basics by categorizing items as tops or bottoms and then sub-divide into dressy or casual. next, draw an imaginary line through your closet to create distinct "dressy" versus "casual" sides. on the dressy side, place everything from cocktail dresses to evening bags and shoes to keep your party frocks from getting too cozy next to your sunday jeans. if you're lucky enough to have two closets at your disposal, simply keep one dressy and one casual at all times.

2. color coordinate. if you're like us, you naturally gravitate toward certain colors while choosing your wardrobe and you may not even realize it. grouping colors together will help you physically see that maybe you should take a break from the navy this season and introduce a new color. this set-up also works well when dressing monochromatic--a look that is effortlessly chic.

3. keep underpinnings out of sight. while we don't recommend skimping in the bra and undies department, we do think it's a good idea to keep them neatly folded in a drawer. other items to keep away from precious hanging space are lounge wear--including pajamas and sweats--and workout gear. when space is an issue, you may also want to consider folding down jeans, tee shirts and sweaters. just remember to keep tee shirts grouped by sleeve length, and we like dividing sweaters by pullovers and cardigans.

4. use accessories as decoration. with all the creative options we've seen for jewelry storage, there's no excuse for having your necklaces and earrings tangled together in a jumbled ball. we love stores like urban outfitters and anthropologie for their unique, decorative knobs that can easily be hung from a closet door or wall for instant--and stylish!--storage solutions. also take a look around your house for hurricane vases, bowls and serving platters that can all be used to hold jewelry. it just takes a little imagination...

we love this idea from martha stewart: use an array of teacups and saucers to hold your precious baubles.

anthropologie offers the best in decorative knobs. we love the vintage feel of the plaid, and the crowned bird would be great along with similar characters to create a whimsical menagerie. use cute knobs to hang necklaces, scarves and belts.

5. stay true to you. at the end of the day, it's your closet, so do what works for you. don't take our "rules" (or anyone's, for that matter) too seriously and have fun...just make sure it's organized fun.

way to ebay

our obsession du jour: ebay! we just can't decide if it is more blessed to buy or to sell...

some of our favorite recent aquistions include a hollywood regency-inspired bamboo headboard, sold-out fiorentini & baker biker boots, vintage roller skates and a fabulous leopard print swing jacket.

but with all the buying, we decided it was time to start selling. since our closets were ripe for the fall cleanout anyway, we decided to turn some of our trash into others' treasure. the crazy thing is that it really works: someone out there actually wants your black milly cigarette pants from three seasons ago...and will pay you $50 for them. so drink the kool-aid and join the ebay cult! you'll be hooked.

irving penn, 1917 - 2009

famed fashion photographer irving penn passed away yesterday in his manhattan home at the age of 92. throughout his career, penn photographed such notables as pablo picasso, marlene
dietrich and kate moss. a photographer ahead of his time, penn had the rare ability to capture his subjects in a simple yet dramatic fashion that caused viewers to focus on the person's expression. a long time contributor to vogue magazine, penn will be missed in the fashion world but his legacy lives on.

sweet and mellow

there's something about the pattern of this dress from tucker (just in at poole shop!) that makes us think of fall. and while thinking about fall, we took a trip down to dean & deluca for our daily afternoon coffee and came across their butternut squash ravioli. what could be more fall than butternut squash? the sweet and mellow flavor is autumn's perfect companion and works well in soups, pasta dishes and risotto. you can even use it as a substitute for pumpkin pie! click here for more butternut squash inspiration and recipes.

fit to be tied

in case you're wondering, the answer is yes: we're still obsessed with plaid, and it looks like we aren't the only ones.

she may be filming a flashback sequence for her reprisal of carrie bradshaw in the sex and the city movie, but after spotting SJP in this adorable 80's version of fall's ubiquitous plaid shirt, we couldn't get it off our minds. someone must have been listening because the next day this lookalike (below) from opening ceremony magically appeared at poole shop. the genius of our version is that it's shorter in the back and was designed specifically to be tied in front. if you've got the figure of sarah jessica and are channeling your inner 80's, go ahead and show some midriff. but for the rest of us, we recommend wearing it with high-waisted jeans--skinny for the rocker chic or wide leg for the bohemian.

color combo #1

a trip to one of our alma maters this past weekend got us thinking about fashion during a football game (imagine!). lost in a sea of red and black, we were struck by the notion of color combinations and how they work for--or against--each other. for example, red and black should only be worn together while tailgating in the parking lot or inside sanford stadium cheering for the bulldogs (see below).

and the same thing goes for purple and gold: this classic collegiate combination should only be worn by mascots (see lsu tiger).

so what color combinations do work this season? for evening there nothing is more chic than black and gold. megan fox showed off this look at the mtv movie awards, and poole shop has some great options from see by chloe to help you adopt the style as your own.

we admit that at first glance this see by chloe sequin mini dress did have a certain fred flintstone quality about it, but we've come to love this little guy. worn on the right girl, it would be quite the head-turner at any festive soiree.

a great top that pairs effortlessly with a skinny black pant or tucked into one of the season's flirty "ra-ra" skirts.



for a more traditional look, this black tuxedo blouse and vintage-inspired "grandma" cardigan are a great fit that can also go from day to night.

a great accessory can top any outfit -- try this beautiful black and gold pony hair belt from meredith wendell for the perfect finishing touch.