five more days...

so we're down to the last five days before christmas, and the one person you've neglected on your recent shopping frenzy is you. 'tis the season to give a little and get a little (for yourself). don't worry--everyone does it. there's no shame in rewarding yourself for making it through another year. while you're out there, skip past the tempting discounts on winter wear (do you really need another cardigan?) and look forward to a new year and a new season with some color and cheer. poole shop happens to have a "pre-spring" shipment in from tucker, and we're loving this new style:

wrap it up and put it under your tree or, better yet, don't wrap it and wear it tomorrow under one of those cardigans cluttering your closet. trust us, it's amazing what a little color can do to brighten your mood and get you through these last hurried days.

clothes comfort

she's your mom's younger (baby) sister, but she's always been a mentor to you. she's the life of the party and the one who can talk her way out of any sticky situation. her style is minimal and cool, so what should you get your aunt for christmas this year? just in at poole shop: this cute, comfortable yet stylish sweatshirt tunic (or is it a dress?) from organic. she can wear it solo with boots in the spring or layer it up this winter with leggings, a cardigan and a funky scarf. let her go wild by taking something simple and making it all her own.

it's sunnier there...

it's always sunny in california, right? at least that's what your best friend over there tells you. in a land of lattes, smoothies and vegan desserts, you need a gift that fits the laid-back easygoing lifestyle of the left coast. once again, it's calypso to the rescue. we love this embroidered chambray tunic, which goes from sunny beach to sunset boulevard without a hitch. she can wear it over a swimsuit or her jeans or even by itself while lounging on the deck sipping afternoon cocktails.

what are the kids wearing these days?

you want to show your kid brother that you're still cool and know what's happenin' (does saying what's happenin' age you?), so you've made a pact with yourself to get his girlfriend the perfect gift this year. the only problem is, you're not sure what is the perfect gift for today's teenagers. relax. poole shop can help. check out this little number from organic:

part tee shirt, part sweatshirt, a little cropped and a lot of style (plus the organic factor!) make this the perfect little gift for your brother's gal. it says you know what's going on but you're not trying too hard to show it.

go big or go home

she's your mom. there's no gift too great to honor the woman who's been by your side--albeit sometimes a little too close to your side--through bad breakups, even worse hair days and everything in between. this year, don't be shy about showing her how much you care with a little sparkle and shine courtesy of deux filles.

diamonds, pearls, mixed metals and leather give this jewelry line an edge: casual for every day yet sophisticated for church with enough sparkle for any nightime soiree. put it in the bottom of her stocking for a nice little surprise after she's waded through the starbucks gift card, tic-tacs and christmas-themed candies.

work it

'twas the night before the company holiday party and all through the cubicles not a creature was stirring...

that's because everyone was too preoccupied with trying to figure out what to give the boss this year. it's the ultimate dilemma: you want to make a gesture but don't want to go over-the-top or end up picking out the same gift as all your coworkers a la clark w. griswold. keep it simple and fresh with a candle from calypso. if your boss is girl, she'll love the st. barth-inspired colors and fragrances to dress up a powder room; if your boss is a guy, then he'll just give it to his wife anyway. trust us on this one. and just like the jelly of the month club, it's the gift that keeps on giving.

banded together

when a broken-heart "best friends" necklace seems too juvenile and a friendship bracelet too fragile, give your best girl pals this elastic band bracelet from lizzie fortunato. it has style and staying power--literally and figuratively--and is a great way to stay bonded with your buds. it's also a great gift option for your babysitter, dog walker, hairdresser or any other fabulous young thing you'd like to say "thanks" to this holiday season.

lounge in style

you love her in a she-drives-me-crazy-but-gave-birth-to-my-husband kind of way, and every year you stress over this gift more than any other (will she like it? will she think i'm trying to tell her something?). this year let poole shop push your anxiety aside with a gift that any mother-in-law would love: the brochu walker shawl collar cardigan in a chic winter white. besides being 100% cashmere and totally cozy, it's the perfect update to her overused "house sweater." whether her style is hippie, conservative or just plain comfortable, this sweater will fit seamlessly into her wardrobe. and the best news? it's now 40% off--who can resist such a deal?

working girl

she's a working girl who can never find the right combination of function and style. this year show your sister which one of you (really) knows everything by delighting her with this useful carryall from meredith wendell. it's an easy, practical color (for her) with a bright accent that makes it not too boring (for you). she can easily fit her laptop, clipboard, lunch bag, cosmetic case, phone charger and whatever else it is that she carries around all day inside, so no more ugly work bags!

on the first day of december...

welcome to december and the poole shop annual holiday gift guide. follow our advice this year to wow your friends, acquaintances and off-the-wall family members with gifts that are thoughtful and (sometimes) entertaining. first on our list this year: your old college roommate! you lived in extremely close quarters, knew way too much about each other, and you still expect to see her when you walk through a department store and catch a whiff of the perfume she used to bathe herself in. why not bring her up to date with a scent that is always pleasing but never easy to find...

way before oprah named it one of her favorite things, we at poole shop knew the secret of kai. this subtle fragrance--a perfect combination of honeysuckle and gardenia--is a perennial favorite as a stocking stuffer or just because. we have yet to meet someone who isn't drawn to this scent, so gift away.

holiday dressing

when you've made your last leftover turkey sandwich and put away the last of the pumpkin pie (and by "put away" we mean in your belly), it's time to buckle down and get serious about this holiday season. have you sent in all your rsvp's? have you waxed and polished? have you found something to wear? fear not, poole shop will help you with the latter. here's a look at some of our favorite picks for holiday dressing:

who needs a disco ball when you can sparkle on the dance floor in this little number from vanessa bruno? it's a dress; it's a tunic; it's perfect for sipping cocktails this season.

a little bit menswear, a little bit rocker chic, this winter white leather-trim cardigan from A.L.C. goes with everything holiday. we especially love it over a chic party dress!

save this firework-print dress from ulla johnson for new year's eve and watch the ball drop in style!

just in time for christmas--whether you're giving or getting--poole shop has new jewelry from deux filles [two girls]. the strands of pearls, leather and diamonds are meant to be mixed and matched and worn as bracelets or necklaces. we think more is more in this case, so grab a few strands, wrap yourself and go!

a colorful affair

the party is over, but thank goodness meredith wendell left behind these fun bags that are the perfect combination of style and function. we love the bright colors paired with fall's neutral palette and the cute shape that holds just enough--but not too much--of your everyday belongings. the mustard with the coral accent is especially chic and (surprisingly) goes with everything!

party time!

we've been busy at poole shop the past few days getting ready for our big re-launch party tonight! we've had electricians, painters and furntiure movers in and out the past few days to make the new poole shop look (and feel) like the old poole shop. if you happened to stop by the store around 5pm yesterday, here's what you would have encountered:

how many electricians does it take to hang seven tom dixon pendants? apparently five, which felt more like 500 in this small space.

a note of caution: when drilling holes in the ceiling for adding light fixtures, please make sure the merchandise is properly secured; improvise with giant garbage bags in a pinch.

voila! the after...

stay tuned for more pics as we get ready for the big night. if you're reading this, the first 25 guests at tonight's party get amazing little gift bags with goodies from lizzie fortunato, kai, and our guest of honor meredith wendell!

a stylish mixer

you've worn her belts, you've carried her bags and now you can meet designer meredith german--the face behind one of our favorite accessories lines, meredith wendell--at poole shop next week. meredith and her husband ross will be in charlotte to celebrate the re-opening of poole shop on the second floor of capitol. please stop in wednesday evening between 5 - 8pm for a cocktails, cupcakes and conversation. hope to see you there!

upgrade your juicy

you want comfort, you want style, but you definitely do not want "juicy" scrolled across your derriere. what's a fashionable girl to do when she's tired of getting gussied up to run to the grocery store for a carton of milk? enter: eloise carr, a collection that is "always appropriate but never predictable," in the designer's own words. we especially love the velour hoodie (pictured above) as an alternative to the workout wear that encapsulates the wardrobes of errand-runners everywhere. simply throw it on the next time you're dashing out of the house to do one of a million things.

matching pants optional...

whitesnake revival

can you guess what this is? we have to admit that when this jean, which we've affectionately nicknamed the white snake, arrived we were a little concerned with the 80s factor. are they too costumey? what were the girls behind current/elliott thinking when they came up with this one? and then we tried them on and realized they're actually quite cute. however, we recommend not wearing them skin tight. just throw on a cute cardigan and a wrap, and you're good to go!

totally geek to totally chic

what's a dorky french girl to do? that's the question we recently asked ourselves when faced with the challenge of styling a lovely little A.P.C. dress that just landed on our floor. the color is amazing, but the slightly oversized-shifty thing doesn't fly with everyone (even though we promise oversized dressing can actually make you look smaller than wearing something too fitted). so here's a look at the dress before:

by itself the little dress is no show-stopper, but with a little imagination and inspiration from the grandma inside all of us, it can go from totally geek to totally (grandma-dorky-french-girl) chic! look at it here paired with an oversized, tweedy A.P.C. cardigan, a floral epice scarf and jewelry from our new line alkemie. now you're ready to stroll the rue saint-honore in style...

the most wonderful time of the year...

other than the day the pumpkin spice latte makes its return on the starbucks chalkboard, our favorite day of the year is when the holiday cups arrive! we know it's fall, we know it's [finally] chilly outside, and we know holiday shopping and christmas carols are just around the corner. cheers!

from the real world

alchemy [al - kuh - mee]
1. the form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the middle ages and the renaissance and concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir for life.
2. any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.

alkemie [al - kuh - mee]
1. the art of transforming something common into something precious.
2. a new accessories line just in at poole shop!

straight from downtown los angeles, we can't wait to show off our new goods from alkemie--an accessories line that works with 100% reclaimed metals to create one-of-a-kind designs with a vintage-y, recycled feel. we love the serpent belt (above) and the funky starfish cuff that works with any outfit from jeans and tee to an evening gown...

new poole

happy november! after a wild halloween, the holidays are officially in full swing. when you're feeling the urge to take a break from the shopping and the cooking (and the relatives), stop by poole shop and hang out on our archizoom sectional...you remember it from the last place, right? more of the "old" poole shop is making its way to the 2nd floor of capitol soon, so come in and see the "new" space!

boyfriend take 2

good news--you can stop raiding your guy's closet! yesterday poole shop got the boyfriend shirt from equipment (which is almost sold out, by the way) and today we're getting the boyfriend cord from current/elliott. worn loose and broken-in, this is the style that will carry you through the rest of fall and into winter. don't be scared of the slouch--the cords look way cooler with a little bag in your bottom!

return of the boyfriend

did you hear the news? the boyfriend is back, and this time we're not talking about a jean. the line equipment, founded by sisley restoin (aka longtime partner of vogue paris's carine roitfeld) in 1979, has been resurrected (and we hear our friends at current/elliott are behind the revival). the line's signature shirt is the perfect blend of casual-daytime-meets-menswear-classic. wear it with jeans. wear it with cords. wear it tucked into a pencil skirt...just wear it every day!

60 days...

...until christmas, that is. it's never too early to start shopping, and poole shop just got new navajo bangles (you remember those from last spring that sold out in a week, right?). with prices ranging from $45-$75, they are the perfect gift when you don't know what to give. hurry in, though, we're sure they won't stick around for the next two months.

spooked!

one of our favorite holidays is creeping around the corner. here's our prediction for the faces you'll be haunted by this weekend:

talk to the hand: perfect for a girl, but even better for a guy, jersey shore's snooki is sure to be the life of the party.

freezer not included: anyone brave enough to try a do-it-yourself version of lady gaga's meat dress will have everyone else at the party running for cover.

cute couple alert: grab your guy and grab a golf club to turn one of the year's greastest scandals into a memorable outfit.

who what poole shop?



image from who what wear

it looks like poole shop is once again aligned with the cute and fabulous as model veronica varekova shows off a ps favorite etoile by isabel marant tweed jacket (tip #2 pictured above) on a recent trip to the museum of modern art in new york city. although we've sold out of the jacket, we love who what wear's styling tip to "wear a ladylike jacket with your worn-in skinnies."

gossip girl + poole shop

spotted: blair waldorf, queen bee of manhattan's upper east side, wearing the bensoni plaid jacket that is currently hanging on the racks at poole shop. we knew the coat was a show-stopper the day it arrived, and we're happy to see that the gossip girl elite is catching on...

vacation time?

is it time for resort already? the magazines seem to think so. check out the november issue of elle featuring one of our favorites, A.L.C., in a piece on tropical evenings. now that we just brought our sweaters out of hibernation, we're ready to stow them away already and get cruising...

fashion foliage

at our new home on the second floor of capitol, we have an amazing view:

all this greenery has us thinking about fall and the beautiful colors that nature provides each year, and it looks like some of our designers had the same thing in mind while creating their collections. here's a little taste of fall's fashion foliage currently in at poole shop:

bensoni blouse $300

ulla johnson skirt $300

tucker tunic $310

decades

image from decades, inc.

we watch rachel zoe, we read the magazines, we've been to LA and now we're psyched to have the luxury of consigned couture at our fingertips through the newly launced site from decades two. we totally dig the "featured closet" function that gives you inside access to consingnors' closets with fashionable finds ranging from a gucci suede trench to a chanel floral silk dress. so even if you're not the wife of a very influential hollywood producer--as consignor number 2842 featured on the website--you can at least dress like one.

1 + 1 = 1

question: what do you get when you add one of this fall's must-have pieces [leather jacket] to a winter staple [the puffer]?

+

=

answer: the A.L.C. leather puffer...just in at poole shop!