February 2012
23 posts
Heart it: The True Love Oxford
Madewell’s fondest: Jac, Nichole, Nikki, Kate, Alex and Jess show their love.
Real talk: finding that perfect button-down can take years. Sometimes they’re too wide, other times too fitted, oftentimes too long—the whole thing almost feels like searching for a soul mate. Well, great news: The search has officially ended. Without further ado, our perfectly shrunken, iconically crisp...
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The Friday Five: Dreaming of Tokyo & L.A.
by Fiorella Valdesolo (Brooklyn)
We’ve seriously got vacay on the brain lately. And we’re pretty sure it has something to do with our Great Denim Getaway. You know, the one where you could win a trip to Tokyo and L.A., a $3,000 Madewell shopping spree and one-on-one styling courtesy of a Lucky editor. Huge, right? Of course, it wouldn’t be fair for any of us at Madewell HQ to...
Who's that cool girl in our Skinny Skinny Ankle...
It’s our Parisian pal Marine: a music-loving art director who loves cult comedies and feels that shoes strongly reflect your personality.
Marine is wearing our Campfire Cargo Shirt in Cornflower Wash, Skinny Skinny Ankle Jeans in Canister Wash and The Film Noir Pump.
See how this spunky free spirit spins Madewell jeans her way here.
Sign up here to request a copy. (Oui, you’re about to get inspiré.)
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Home How-To: D.I.Y. Terrariums
by Alisa Gould-Simon (L.A.)
My personal creation—and it took less than two hours!
As I’ve mentioned here before, I’m not a fan of fickle plants. I love succulents for this very reason: They require little water, not a lot of sunlight and are generally pretty difficult to kill. Plus, housing them in a glass terrarium can cost less than $35 but will impress everyone. Want to recreate...
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French Lessons: Five style secrets from a chic...
Who better to embody spring’s undone-chic mood than an infinitely stylish Parisian? Record label owner Caroline de Maigret shows us how it’s done—and all under the capable lens of The Selby.
1. Mix in a slouchy, boyish piece: Two-Tone Silk Pants
2. Stand for neutrals: Colorband Skirt
3. Vintage-inspired accessories speak volumes: The Barnwood Boot
4. Add a dose...
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The Friday Five: Models on the mic
by Fiorella Valdesolo (Brooklyn)
New York Fashion Week is officially over, but all that nonstop catwalking has left us with models on the brain. And while everyone’s used to seeing celebrities dabble in second careers, there’s something about the way models do it that’s especially fun. Some act, some design—and some try their hand at music. Even though there are a number of...
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Beauty Secret: Wake up your eyes
by Emily Hsieh (S.F.)
Aware that I’d been running around like crazy and feeling pretty worn out lately, a dear friend gifted me the most amazing beauty product for at-home relaxation—and the second I tried it, I knew I had to pay it forward. Cushioned, crescent-shape and steeped in algae extracts and botanicals, these under-eye masks have a super-soothing, cooling effect. Leave them on for 30...
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Style Spotting at Madewell HQ
Q: What’s cooler than wearing neon yellow socks over mustard tights?
A: Adding metallics to the equation. (Good work, copywriter Khira.)
Love at first sight: Our V-Day faves
‘Tis the season to gush about love, so we’re sharing the dearest, most delightful objects of our affection. Check out what makes Madewell staffers’ hearts go pitter pat.
Silk Intermission Top
“I’ll pair it with jeans or tuck it into a skirt.” –Lisa, head stylist
Alphabet Bags™ Heart Tote
“Simple graphic totes are my thing.” –Alex, web...
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D.I.Y. Love: Block-Print Valentines
by Anna H. Blessing (Chicago, IL)
There’s nothing sweeter than coming across a Valentine while sorting through bills and junk mail midwinter. Since sending (and receiving!) love-filled missives always has me superexcited, I got really organized this year and made a few prints to send to friends and family during a printmaking class I took at Spudnik Press.
Linoleum block printing is...
Wanna go to L.A. and Tokyo? You could win a...
You and a friend could win a trip to the jeans capitals of the world, L.A. and Tokyo, plus a $3,000 Madewell shopping spree.
First you’ll head to L.A., where you’ll hit all the coolest boutiques and flea markets with a Lucky editor and enjoy a shopping spree (on us) at Madewell Century City.
Next stop: Tokyo, where you’ll have even more mad money to shop and explore all...
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The Friday Five: Best First Dates on the Big...
by Svetlana Legetic (D.C.)
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we figured it was as good a time as any to share some of our favorite first dates in movies. It may give you some fun ideas for what to do with your (soon-to-be) loved one and/or remind you of just how grand romance can be (in case you needed reminding). Without further ado, here’s a selection that’ll surely strum your...
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How to Beat the Winter Blahs: Beauty Edition
Cold, hard fact: It’s pretty tough escaping these über-gloomy February vibes. But if you’ve been following our blog, chances are you’ve bopped to some feel-good tunes, brewed up delicious beverages, brightened your style and built some fragrant floral arrangements. To round out the week, we’ve got some special secrets from beauty experts Laurel Pantin (Teen Vogue) and Cat Marnell...
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How to Beat the Winter Blahs: Home Edition
Cold, hard fact: It’s pretty tough escaping these über-gloomy February vibes. But with all the tunes, treats and style tips we’re uncovering, things aren’t looking so bad after all. And we aren’t through yet—we’ve asked three of our favorite decor-inclined shops to give us the ABCs of beautifying our abodes. Check out some fruitful tips from Sprout Home, Sycamore Flowershop...
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How to Beat the Winter Blahs: Style Edition
Cold, hard fact: It’s pretty tough escaping these über-gloomy February vibes. But now that you’ve got some super-uplifting playlists and a tasty kitchen concoction, we thought we’d veer into the world of style. And who better to hip us to the ways of wearing your happy on your sleeve than eagle-eyed editor/blogger Marlien Rentmeester and exquisite In God We Trust designer Shana Tabor?
...
Love these looks? You could win your 5...
They’re all from our upcoming spring/summer collection (which you got a sneak peek of in January).
Obsessed yet? Click here to enter for a chance to win not one, but five of these head-to-toe looks.
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How to Beat the Winter Blahs: Food Edition
Cold, hard fact: It’s pretty tough escaping these über-gloomy February vibes. So yesterday was all about the heavy beats our DJ pals have been spinning to jump-start their hearts. Today’s recipe for feeling good? An extra-tasty beverage via one of Brooklyn’s coziest cookeries, RADISH. Check out the delicious treat co-owner Amy Marks whips up to ward off the blues come winter (and learn...
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How to Beat the Winter Blahs: Music Edition
Cold, hard fact: It’s pretty tough escaping these über-gloomy February vibes. But we humans have a special way of keeping spirits a-soaring in spite of it all, don’t we? (Our personal go-tos include watching adorable bear videos, scarfing Funfetti® cupcakes and double wrapping ourselves in merino wool, if you were wondering.)
Curious to know our buddies’ secrets to keeping...
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The Friday Five: Sports Flicks for the Unsporty
by Fiorella Valdesolo (Brooklyn)
In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, I’m always reminded of how I’ve never been particularly fond of team sports, as a participant or as a viewer. I haven’t watched a basketball game in its entirety since players’ shorts were short (i.e., the ’80s) and I have an even worse track record with American football. But despite my generally unathletic...
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Office Craze: Buttoning Up
by Kendall Meade (Madewell)
Lately, not a day goes by here at Madewell HQ where I don’t notice lots of women in the office embracing their inner geek and buttoning their boyshirts and blouses all the way to the top. It’s gotten to the point that when I put on a shirt in the morning, it feels totally unnatural (i.e., uncool) to let those top few buttons loose. On a whim, I walked...
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Bedroom Tunes: Music to get ready to, part II
by Svetlana Legetic (D.C.)
One of the best things about winter is the fact that you actually need to dress up. While a pretty top and a pair of shorts will do in the summer, freezing weather forces you to seriously up your layering game. So while you’re making all those crucial decisions about tights and scarves and necklaces peeking out from under your sweater, here are some toasty tunes...
January 2012
25 posts
1 tag
Ready for a denim fête? You're invited...
It’s that time again. This Thursday night (February 2nd), grab a friend, head to your local Madewell and get into our coolest new jean: the Flea Market Flare. Oh, and the sweets, treats, tunes, free denim hemming and one-night-only secret sales aren’t too shabby, either.
For the full lowdown and to RSVP, check out our Facebook events page.
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Download our brilliant (and free!) playlist
Have you heard? Our new playlist (courtesy of our pals at RCRD LBL) is crazy catchy. It features bands like Yellow Fever, Brilliant Colors and Black Lips. (Could you tell we got a little geeky and chose our favorite color-themed musicians to go with the bright looks we’ve been loving lately?)
Click here to stream or download it. And be sure to check back—we’ll have a new batch of...
A Madewell Mystery Gift Card could be yours...
Hey, Tumblr followers,
Q: What do these five cities have in common?
• Atlanta, GA
• Charlotte, NC
• Farmington, CT
• King of Prussia, PA
• Washington, D.C.
A: They’re all about to get some good news…
See? Intern Cece can barely handle the anticipation.
This Saturday (1–4pm) and Sunday (12–4pm), we’ll be trotting around near your local Madewell with Mystery Gift...
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The Friday Five: Swimsuit Edition
by Fiorella Valdesolo (Brooklyn)
From left: Beach Blanket Halter Bikini, Sunfire Bandeau Bikini, Deco Dot String Bikini, Meadowbloom Tanksuit
Yup, you read that right: swimsuits. Sure, it may be the dead of winter outside, but thanks to the newly launched Madewell swim shop, we’re wearing wool but dreaming of a getaway. Need a little inspiration? Check out those sweet suits above, then...
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The Backstory: Our Rivet & Thread Heritage Denim...
Here’s the stitch-by-stitch lowdown on the major players in our brand-new, highly covetable Rivet & Thread Heritage Denim collection—inspired by the dusty highways and ghost towns our designers came across on an epic Wild West trip. (P.S. Check out our photos from the road at Refinery29, then see the ladies of FabSugar style themselves in the collection.)
1. Rivet & Thread...
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Wear This Movie: Pina (2012) by Wim Wenders
by Svetlana Legetic (D.C.)
As a good friend of mine always says, if a person doesn’t like director Wim Wenders, they’ve gotta be dead on the inside. (See Wings of Desire; Paris, Texas; Tokyo-Ga and Buena Vista Social Club for undeniable proof.) And with his latest feature, Pina (out now), Wenders has created probably the only movie I’ve ever been excited to see in 3-D.
An examination of...
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Behind the Design: Our Songbird Dress
Every season, there’s always that particular bag, skirt or pair of jeans that we at Madewell HQ collectively, seriously, very anxiously covet. You could say they’re wardrobe all-stars. And this time around, one of those obsession-worthy styles is the ridiculously lovely Songbird Dress. Naturally, we had to know what inspired it, so we caught up with dress designer Kara to get the...
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A Motel Grows in Joshua Tree
by Fiorella Valdesolo (Brooklyn)
I know only a little about the desert. I grew up in the suburbs of New England, so there were no desert-bound weekend escapes on the agenda. That means the only visual references I had to those wide, sandy expanses came from old issues of National Geographic and, well, music videos. (I pictured Christine McVie walking a white stallion through the dunes in...
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The Friday Five: Lynch's Leading Ladies
by Fiorella Valdesolo (Brooklyn)
I grew up with a brother who was David Lynch obsessed, so my family spent many a holiday on the sofa ensconced in Twin Peaks marathons. Lynch fans—a devoted bunch to say the least—know there is no one quite so wonderfully weird as this accomplished director. And though I would happily reflect on his oeuvre anytime, today is especially fitting since it’s his...
Come celebrate with Madewell & FabSugar...
Hey, San Francisco and New York City—
Sip, snack, meet FabSugar editors and shop our brand-new Rivet & Thread Heritage Denim collection.
Plus, get the chance to style yourself in Rivet & Thread and you could win a $200 Madewell gift card.* It’s all happening Tuesday, January 24th at your local Madewell.
P.S. Not in S.F. or NYC? Not to worry—you can shop the new Rivet &...
Spot on: our recent obsession with polka dots
Lately, we’ve been going a little nuts for polka dots—in fact, everywhere we look, there’s a scarf, a skirt or a swimsuit covered in them that we can’t help but be full-on crazy about. The spotted and dotted things that have us in a tizzy? They’re all this-a-way at madewell.com.
And a tangential tune, just ’cause:
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Marfa, TX, with Mom: A Photo Diary
by Kate Lauterbach (Madewell)
Having grown up in west Texas (and having visited the amazing art hub that is Marfa only once as a child), I’ve always had a return trip on my radar—especially now that I live in NYC. So over the holidays, my mom and I took a quick vacation to the high desert for some gallery-hopping, sightseeing and spicy eats. Check out what we saw.
1. WORLD-CLASS ART (ALL...
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Get to Know This Band: Love Inks
by Christie Young (Madewell)
Photo: Jackie Lee Young
After recently moving from Austin to NYC, I thought I’d take a break from the live-music thing. Two shows a week for six years was enough (that’s 624 shows, not including festivals). But then I stumbled upon Love Inks and, just like that, my resolution was broken. Their music is rock ’n’ roll with a soft underbelly—catchy and haunting...
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The Friday Five: Bad Luck on the Big Screen
by Khira Jordan (Madewell)
Here at Madewell HQ, we’ve been known to harbor a superstition or two. Nothing too fringe or far out, but some of us secretly enjoy vibing with psychics and overanalyzing the cosmic gospel of AstrologyZone. So in the spirit of warding off all evils this Friday the 13th, we’ve culled together our top five scary-good films to prepare you for facing Mr. Big...
It's Your Lucky Day: Take 20% Off Jeans
Now through Monday, get 20% off jeans at madewell.com. (Hey, who says good things don’t happen on Friday the 13th?)
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One Quiet Office, Three Days of Loud Looks
by Michelle Villasenor & Alex Yeske (Madewell)
You know that lull in the office between Christmas and New Year’s? Well, fellow Madewell Web designer, Alex, and I decided to use the ghost town-ness to our advantage. Our standard day-to-day attire is pretty basic: jeans, a tee and a sweater—and mostly in the black/brown family. (We may get fancy by adding an accessory or two to the mix,...
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Jam Session: How To Make Your Own...
by Lauren Richel-Kelly (Madewell)
Long story short: I’m part of one big, weird, jam-loving family. My Berkshires-born grandmother won many an award at the county fair for her superior preserves and canned fruits, and it’s become a real family tradition. After giving out jars of my own homemade jam to the Madewell Team for the holidays, I got enough inquiries about the jam-making process...
Check out what's on our calendar...
Did you know that the Snowdrop is January’s flower? No? Well, neither did we until we had the bright idea to make a calendar full of trivia, tips and great Madewell picks. Head over to madewell.com to find out even more amazing things you may not ever remember.
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This NYC DJ Spins Madewell Jeans Her Way
Meet Nelleke: She’s a seasoned DJ who takes style cues from Grace Jones and once rode a motorcycle from Vancouver to Mexico. Yeah, she’s pretty great. And did we mention how awesome she looks in our Rail Straight Jeans?
Nelleke’s wearing our Midnight Glow Sweater, Silk Gatehouse Shirt, Skinny Skinny Jeans in Stockyard Wash and Dr. Martens® 1460 8-Eye Boots.
Head over...
Creative Duos We Love Spill Their 2012 Resolutions
It’s official: We’re resolution obsessed over here at Madewell HQ and can’t stop asking interesting folks what their goals are for this year. Today’s bunch includes two hilarious comedians, some taste-making design spotters and our favorite mysterious style assessors: The Bumbys Photo: www.taylorjewell.com
DANIELLE & ALEX, comedic masterminds behind SRSLY DANIELLE:
1. Hustle more!
I...
Bloggers We Love Spill Their 2012 Resolutions
We asked some of our favorite voices in the blogosphere to share what’s on their ultimate to-do lists—their New Year’s resolutions. This awesome crew of pop-culture experts, design eagle eyes and discerning editors never ceases to inspire on a daily basis, so who knows? Maybe you’ll find a few more things to add to your own list.
WHITNEY MATHESON Blog: POP CANDY
1. Travel
I know...
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Madewell HQ: Our Style Resolutions for 2012
At Madewell headquarters, we’re all very serious about committing to our New Year’s resolutions. OK, maybe not all of them and maybe not for very long, but we do take our style oaths seriously. Check out how some key players on Team Madewell are vowing to refresh their wardrobes for 2012.
GIGI, resident tastemaker
Resolution: Play Around With Plaid.
In her words:...
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5 Style Resolutions to Relish
You say you want a resolution? Well, here are five easy ways to shake up your style this year—straight from our genius stylist Lisa. Read all about it, then head over to madewell.com to see the rest.
P.S. We’ll be sharing even more resolutions all week long—from Team Madewell to some of our favorite bloggers. Keep an eye on our blog for all the continued New Year inspiration.
LIGHTEN UP...
December 2011
26 posts
2 tags
All Caps: How to Make a Marbled Baseball Hat
by Pippa Fraumeni (Madewell)
The mad hatters of our latest Looks We Love feature.
Today marks the debut of a brand-new Looks We Love series on madewell.com featuring—you guessed it—the styles we’ve been obsessed with lately. And if you’re especially eagle-eyed, you’ll notice a pretty pink hat popping up all over the place. Well, our head stylist extraordinaire, Lisa, and I...
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Five Reasons To Love New Year’s Eve
by Jessica Hodgson (Madewell)
No joke, New Year’s Eve is my favorite holiday. Sure, I get the drawbacks: pressure to have the perfect night, looming resolutions you’re bound to break by the third week of January, no party actually seems like it’ll be fun enough. Here, a few reasons why I’ve got a soft spot for Dec. 31—date or no date. 1 – It’s the Perfect Excuse to Glitterbomb Myself ...