Archive for January, 2009

January 30, 2009

Josef: Weekly roundup

  • This week many had many highs and lows. If you haven’t heard already, Domino Magazine is closing. It played a very influential part in the design of our shop, and we’re sad to see it go.
  • The 3rd group of Anna Sui Spring arrived and is available in store. Check back soon on our online shop in the next week or so. We’re working on getting them there as I write. In the group are the embroided pansies dress, geo patchwork top, and multi print blouse. All are in creams, blues, periwinkles and black.
  • We started to update our Facebook more frequently. If you like our clothes and our blog posts, become a fan! Click here to view our profile.

We hope you had a good week. Here’s to an even better weekend!

January 29, 2009

What I’ve learned at Josef

Since opening late last year, I’ve made a few very interesting realizations – some are directly related to owning a boutique, nonetheless, I thought I’d share them with you today.
1. It gets really dusty in a retail space. I haven’t quite found out why yet, I just figure it’s from all the clothing. The Swiffer Sweeper has become a valuable fixture in the store. I use it every morning thinking that it won’t be that dusty, but it’s always shocking to see the dry cloths when I’m done.
2. You can buy just the greenery at a florist shop. This morning I tried to do that and got the lovely arrangement in the picture above. There are some lemon leaves, green berries and even some curly willow branches. It was deal too! Just over 2 bucks for the arrangement. What I like to do is bring the vase to the florist and they’ll arrange it for you.
3. A Bartoli Chair in white kind of looks like your standard issue patio furniture. It may just be the one at the shop, and the desk I use with it. Just wanted to give you a heads up though.
OK, you probably could’ve gone on with your life without knowing such things, but some of it, I hope, was useful if not entertaining. Just for hanging in there with me, I’ve created a little slideshow of Josef for you. Enjoy!

January 28, 2009

Sale items under $150

We added a few more sale items to our online store today and are excited to share the deals with you! From left to right: Yoana Baraschi ruffle blouse ($142) worn with Wren full mini skirt 100% silk ($71), Wren silk yoke dress ($137), and Paul & Joe Sister forest animal dress ($73). If you read our blog frequently, you might recognize the forest animal dress from a few past posts. Just a reminder that all of our Fall and Holiday ’08 clothing are on sale now and available to you at www.josefboutique.com! Have a great evening.

January 27, 2009

Anna Sui resort, group 3

Just in at Josef is Anna Sui’s third of three resort collection groups. Included are the embroidered pansies dress, mixed print blouse and geo patchwork top. The pansies dress (left) has wonderful batwing sleeves, while the mixed print blouse (center) has a keyhole back and defined waistband. The geo patchwork blouse (right) has fabric applique creating the geometric design that reminds us of exquisite quilt work. They just arrived yesterday, so be the first to own one of these amazing pieces!

January 26, 2009

Twinkle short-sleeve shawl cardigan

Hope you had a greet weekend. Today we’re featuring Twinkle by Wenlan’s shawl cardigan from her pre-spring collection. The striped shawl is attached to the sweater and has a generous length to wrap around your shoulders and neck. It’s made from 100% viscose. We love how it’s styled with a neutral colored skirt and open-toe booties. Wenlan Chia has a great eye for color and innovation, and this cardigan is proof. If you’re looking of one unique piece of the season, we highly recommend this one!

January 23, 2009

Fashion tips: 3/4 sleeves and jacket?

Happy Friday everyone! This week I uncovered a couple of fashion tips that really brightened up my day. The first one is wear color. Yesterday I put on a tomato red sweater with jeans and my trusty suede booties. When I got into the shop, I realized the saturated red hue was impacting my mood in a positive manner. I could feel a spring in my step, and it truly lightened my disposition. Go for vibrant colors like electric blue, lobster orange, canary yellow, and kelly green. Give it a try next week. It doesn’t have to be an entire colorful outfit, just one piece!
As for my discovery today, I found an alternative use for those ouchless thin hair elastics. I’m a big fan of three-quarter sleeve blouses, but have you ever tried to put on a jacket over one? The sleeves get bunched up above your elbows with no way of pulling them down from the armholes of the jacket. Uncomfy, no? So this morning I spied 2 ponytail holders on my dresser and decided to put them on my arms, 1 inch above the blouse cuffs, and it really worked! I can’t guarantee this will work in every situation, but for my cotton voile blouse and coated canvas raincoat, it worked like magic – a pleasantly surprising start to the weekend!

January 22, 2009

Yoana Baraschi Spring 09

We’ve been getting ready for our spring deliveries here at Josef. Among our shipments arriving soon is one from Yoana Baraschi. We’ll be getting in a cute little mix of spring dresses – two are pictured above. The one on the left is the Origami Ruffle Zip Dress in Ink, and the one on the right is the Fairie Garden Shirt Dress in Ebony.
Yoana worked as creative director for Betsy Johnson in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s. After that, she started her own collection and has become wildly successful. You may have seen her clothing on Project Runway host and executive producer, Heidi Klum, last season. If you’re as excited as we are, check back early next month for these darling dresses on our online store.

January 21, 2009

Twinkle LBD on sale!

This post is for all you Twinkle fans. Just wanted to let you know that the Twinkle Slow Turn dress is on sale now at 40% off. I managed to get the back of the dress in the reflection of the mirror, however, if you want to see it in more detail, click here. You can wear this dress year round – it’s very Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. As my friend from high school recently told me, if you get a dress you love now, an occasion will present itself.

January 20, 2009

Spring’s a comin’

I hope all is well. Today is a big news day. I was glued to the TV this morning and then on my way into work I listened to NPR the entire commute. We have some news of our own here at Josef. We’re excited to announce that our second newly added designer for Spring is Steven Alan. In case you are unfamiliar with his collection, he is known for his slightly rumpled button down shirts, and has described the aesthetic of his clothing as having a “certain schoolboy sloppy look”. Since the mid 1990′s, he has evolved his line creating sleek pieces for women, but staying true to his relaxed roots. We’ll be getting in tops and dresses made from cotton and other summery natural fabrics. Keep checking back!

January 19, 2009

From cold to hot

Did you get sick this past week? It must have been the weather. There was a sudden change of weather here in the Bay Area. It went from winter cold to spring warm. It’s been quite pleasant, however, everyone around here’s been sick. At the local grocery store the cold & flu medicine aisle was jam packed.
It’s not all bad. We changed our window to feature our resort clothes. We displayed a beautiful paisley print silk sundress from Paul & Joe Sister that has shades of mint greens and baby blues, and we also put out the mint green Grey Ant tinsel mini dress. Let’s hope this gorgeous weather lasts!