Josef reminds you to be patient

This week I road tested a necklace we have in the shop on two different days. It's the "it will happen wait for it" coin necklace by Alisa Michelle ($50). On the first day, I wore it with a heather gray and white horizontal stripe t-shirt tucked into a navy high-waisted tulip skirt and brown gladiator flat sandals. On the second day, my outfit consisted of a navy Paul & Joe Sister t-shirt with an attached black silk vest, dark skinnies and my brown suede fringe flat ankle boots. The necklace complemented both outfits quite nicely, so nicely in fact I'm a little obssessed with it now. It's is made from a vintage silver coin with a 16" sterling silver chain. The coin's diameter is almost 1 and 1/8 inches long. Once you put it on, I'm sure you won't want to take it off either!

Have a great weekend.

Dressing up for a party or special event

Do you ever have trouble getting dressed for a special occasion? How about those daytime special events? I think those are the most difficult because you still want to be business like, but also want to add something a little fun to dress up the everyday blahs. Let's start by naming some possible events. I think they can be anything from an in-office office party to a daytime charity event. Dressing in separates is probably the best way to go. Sounds overwhelming doesn't it. OK, let's break it down into steps.

1. Choose a special piece. This can be a top or a jacket. Let's choose a top for this example. Keep in mind that we're going to add a jacket or a sweater over it. Since the top is our special piece, choose one with detailing. Detailing can be anything from a ruffle to a sparkly trim. It can also be a pretty pattern.

2. Now bottoms. The bottoms should be a wardrobe staple that you should already have. A pencil skirt is a good basic. If you don't have one, try nice charcoal gray trouser pants. I emphasize charcoal gray because I want to get you away from black pants. They're so early nineties.

3. The next step is choosing the outwear. A well-fitting blazer is a great start. Not a blazer person? How about a cashmere cardigan sweater. All gals should have one.

4. Color is key to putting together your outfits. For the bottoms, I would stick to neutrals - those would be brown, camel, gray, navy blue, and black if you must. If the top has a pattern, I'd choose one of the accent colors for the outerwear.

5. Choose a nice pair of shoes. Dressy flats or flashy heels.

Dorothy Lee grey slouchy heart tee (on sale $75).

Yippe yahoo domino!

We're big fans of Domino Magazine here at Josef, so when we got the new February issue and saw Zooey Deschanel in that gorgeous navy and mustard Catherine Holstein dress we jumped for joy. OK, kids, the cat's out of the bag. One of the new designers we're bringing in for Spring is Catherine Holstein! Although our pieces aren't as formal, we made sure they could take you through the entire summer. We're very excited, hope you're getting excited too!

Photo by Steward Shining for Domino Magazine February 2009

Twinkle cardigan - a story by V

One aspect about boutique ownership that I truly enjoy is my customers' appreciation for the clothing. I heard a story today about the Twinkle Put Together Cardigan that made me feel like Josef really means something to someone. One of my fantastic customers got this cardigan right before the holidays. She's worn it on business trips and to business meetings. In one presentation, she wore it over a plain knit dress. Cute, right? After her presentation, the VP to which she was presenting took her aside to compliment her on the sweater. I'm sure the presentation went well too, but isn't that neat? Thanks for the story V!

Josef opens online store

Hello, welcome to our new online store! We've been working on it for weeks now and are proud to unveil our complete offering to you - wherever you are! Please make yourselves at home and take a look at what we have. Don't hesitate to drop us line if you have any questions. We are very excited to share the news with you!

Coming soon to Josef...

I'm enthusiastically awaiting my Spring deliveries! They'll start arriving at the end of the month, and I'm pleased to announce that I've added a couple of new labels to the shop's offering. Just within the last week or so, I've been planning Spring outfits and Easter attire for my wonderful customers. Here's a sneak peak at what will be arriving! From left to right: Wren khaki anorak, Twinkle red/white geometric print blouse, and Anna Sui spotted horses dress. Keep checking back to see the new designers! There's going to be a great mix of casual and dressy clothing. Happy Sunday!

Anna Sui spotted horses dress - photo by Maria Valentino