Sally Oberth's blog

Wolf & Harrison: Hands-On with a budding fashion house

Sally Oberth — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 20:36:54 +0000

For being a relatively young fashion house, Wolf & Harrison, had several things available on www.wolfharrison.com that I was looking forward to reviewing. Ultimately the one I chose was the ladies side lace-up long sleeve shirt.

Their website describes the shirt as follows, “This shirt was inspired by a detail we saw on a dress in a vintage photograph. It was the perfect balance of sexy and classy and we decided to make it a long sleeve shirt for you to exude the same level of elegance, without actually wearing an evening gown. Shirts like this just don't happen everyday.”

I like the fact that they strive to establish their own look, which stays true to their ideals, rather than re-making a look that has been proven profitable. “We DON'T believe in silk screening graphics that are blazoned across t-shirts, it's been done, it's boring and it's tacky. Instead we like to accent our buttery soft, perfectly fitting, custom made shirts by sewing patches on them. It is subtle attitude that gives you the comfort and luxury you deserve.”

The spandex added into the fabric, does soften the feel as well as keep it structured throughout the day.

I love many of their designs and the website is easy to navigate and order from, however, I didn’t have the best initial experience with the product. When I received my order, I was very impressed by the presentation of the product.

My lace up shirt was packaged in this neat leather pouch. After I opened it and took the shirt out, is when disappointment set in. Some of the leather cross stitches had pulled away from the fabric :(

Luckily, the return process couldn’t have been easier. I found the phone number and talked to an employee who, after making sure the problem wasn’t due to improper washing care, transferred me to a gentleman that assured me the problem was a fluke and happily sent me out a replacement. They didn’t even ask me to ship the other back! The replacement shirt had all the leather stitches intact (you know I tugged every one). They were sure to include the washing instruction card in this pouch. But I did notice the pouch was missing the leather cord.

Long story short, I like this Canadian company’s take on American Western fashion. Being a girl from the country that moved to the south, I know plenty of people that would love to rock this look. They seem to be very passionate about their product. Quality is a high priority for this up and coming company. Maybe just steer clear of items with the leather cord for now.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: As with all of Shakefire.com's blogs, our writers are not compensated in any way by any companies or products mentioned, positively or negatively. Some products are supplied gratis for review purposes only.

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Wolf & Harrison

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Fall Fashion & The Mommy Sanctuary

Sally Oberth — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:02:46 +0000

Over the Knee Boots- If you don’t think you can pull off this trend, think again! Casual materials and a flat heel help this, former lady of the night only, shoe, to feel comfy and hip. Pairing them with skinny jeans and a chucky sweater or a shirtdress, these boots will be the perfect juxtapose to those conservative shapes! Avoid adding any other provocative or edgy pieces to keep it casual. Of course any hosiery should be opaque. Now to deal with the “fad” factor, I’m not sure if I’ll be wearing these boots next year, so I went ahead and got a pair that was less than $50. If I wear them enough to notice the “man-made materials” showing wear or find them to be uncomfortable, I’ll reconsider my cheap purchase. Until I’m sure of the longevity of this style, I’m not willing to shell out more than $100 for a better pair.

Soft Gel Manicure- When I go to the nail salon and get a pedicure, they always offer a manicure too. I usually decline, since who can keep a manicure looking good for more than a couple days? Well I really wanted to treat myself and l got talked into this Soak-off Soft Gel manicure. It is layers of this special gel polish dried under UV lights. It gives the polished look of a manicure, without having to worry about chipping your nails. It provides the added strength, like acrylics without the damage to the nail.

After suggesting it to a friend and mother of 2.5 kids herself, she tried it and had this to say, “Loving my new soft gel manicure. It's a must for all acrylic wearing women. It gives you durability of acrylics but natural look like a manicure!! And it's 1/2 the cost!”

To remove the gel a cotton ball is soaked in acetone, placed on the nail and wrapped in a piece of foil. After sitting for a bit, the gel polish is scraped away with a cuticle scraper.

Building a Mommy Sanctuary- I strongly believe in the phrase, “You won’t be able to take care of others, if you don’t take care of yourself first.” Just think about the last time you were on a plane and the flight attendant was telling you to secure your own oxygen mask before helping a child or those around you. Sometimes, throughout the day, I find myself on edge, and snappy… a little short on patience. I have found solace in my empty bathtub. This is when I settle down in my bathtub, on an old down comforter, with a blanket, reading up on my Twitter, Facebook or my soap opera. It’s already suited to be a sanctuary; I’ve just taken the water out of the equation. Maybe I’m sneaking some milk and cookies, maybe not. Point is, everyone needs their quiet time, especially stay at home parents. Don’t feel guilty about it. Everyone, whether you’re a parent or not, needs to take care of themselves, first in order to help the others around them.

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Fall Fads vs. Trends

Sally Oberth — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:30:50 +0000

Printed mini-skirts
It seems the tiered mini just won't die. You can find one for any occasion, with bikini cover up styles all the way to homecoming queen chic. This reinvention, with its feminine patterns and bold color palettes, make it a great transition piece from late summer to fall. The short skirt looks nice with short boots or some tights. I'm really not feeling this one. It's just not practical for my lifestyle.
VERDICT: FAD

Crop Tops
The modern way for this oldie, is to layer it almost like a cardigan and a shell, either in the same color or a coordinating fabric. I've seen it in the form of tanks, tees and sweaters. We'll see how long the trend lasts before I buy into it.
VERDICT: FAD (for now)

Leggings
It’s taken me a while to embrace the legging trend. When it reared its head again a couple years ago, I took the stance, “If you wore leggings the first time around, you should give them a rest this time around!” However, they are STILL around, and with the skinny jean- legging hybrids coming out, It’s getting harder to resist. Resist? Okay, who am I kidding? I have a pair in; gray, black, black with zipper down the back, and the jean kind (I REFUSE to call them jeggings) that I absolutely can not wait to wear with my boots!
VERDICT: TREND

Open Cardigans
Whether sleeveless, short-sleeved, ¾ length or longer, this fall trend is one I can get behind. Earlier in the summer I bought an Alternative Apparel sleeveless, open cardi and I LOVE it. I’ve already got a few more in the short and ¾ length sleeve variety. The flowy styles look great with leggings or skinny jeans. Layering is one of my favorite things about the weather getting colder. Is that weird? Anyway, this is a band wagon I’m jumping on.
VERDICT: TREND

Styles to watch for:
    *Animal prints
    *Men’s wear
    *Military (or Safari for a more casual version)
    *Feathers and Fur
    *Abstract prints

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Fashionista Mamacita

Stylish Moms On The Go!

Sally Oberth — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:30:03 +0000

Product Reviews for Stylish Moms on the Go!

Online “Members Only” Shopping Clubs- I was a bit skeptic about some of these sights before using them.

I read about www.GiltGroupe.com in a book, and it was the first shopping club I joined. I wasn’t “invited”, I just signed up and soon I was “accepted”. I bought a cute pair of tights on Gilt, and was thoroughly satisfied with my purchase. Their sales start at noon with a few exceptions; I think weekends they start at 9:00pm eastern time, and last for 48 hours.

Then, I was introduced to www.hautelook.com by my sister-in-law, after posting my adoration for Gilt Groupe on FaceBook. I’ve bought a few house wares from HauteLook and was happy with those purchases as well. Their sales start at 8:00am and last only a couple days as well.

While surfing the web I came across www.Ideeli.com. Their banners kept popping up on all the sites I was on! I have yet to buy anything on this site. Again, this website’s sales start at noon and last anywhere from 24-48 hours. They also has a “front row” option, where for a small fee, you get access to the sales an hour early.

Finally, after seeing a few celebrities(@KimKardashian, @KendraWilkinson, twitttwitter.com/LindsayLohan) tweeting about great deals on brands like Prada, Gucci, and Fendi they’d found on www.beyondtherack.com I added that one to my list too. I just bought a pair of shoes and am still awaiting their arrival after more than TWO WEEKS. They too, have sales that last 48 hours, but theirs start at 11:00am.

In a nut shell, these sites all offer name brand products at clearance prices. Sizes and quantities are limited; I’ve missed an Elizabeth & James blazer TWICE! You can save an item in your shopping bag, but only for 20 minutes.

Swiffer Sweeper Vac - Love, love, LOVE it! I know I’m a little behind the times. This really does blow a broom and dust pan out of the water. With my entire first floor now replaced with Pergo, I knew I was really going to have to brush up (haha) on my sweeping game. I tried the Original Swiffer Sweeper four or five years ago, and thought it did a great job, except, for the pile left behind that I still needed to sweep up after. Too bad I had thrown away my broom and dustpan as the commercial suggested! What the heck was I to do with this pile that wouldn’t stick to the magic microfiber cloth? Riddle solved, introducing the Swiffer Sweeper Vac! Although it is as loud as a vacuum, this thing is light enough to easily push around. Cereal pieces, Pine needles, wrappers were no match for the mini vacuum. The collection portion is a tad on the small side but, the handle is sturdier than the original two piece handle on my old Swiffer. The fact that it is rechargeable is the real kicker. Long story short, the Swiffer Sweeper Vac is a must have!

H&M kids clothes - I love the styles! I LOVE the prices. The only thing I don’t love is the clothes seem to be designed by people without children. Case in point; SUPER cute denim romper for toddler girls has cloth covered buttons that are difficult to manipulate on an active 18 month old. With no snaps at the crotch, a diaper change while wearing this can be quite a chore. Another example are these TO DIE FOR shorts for boys with a T-Rex on the side. But, who puts a 4 year old boy in white shorts?! We’ve managed to not stain them in the three times he’s worn them, not without pre-treating! Long story short, their cheap prices make up for the fact they aren’t all that practical for daily use.

Bounce Bar - For some reason my fabric softener compartment in my washing machine has been getting gunked up with fabric softener. I had a few left over boxes of dryer sheets, and decided to use them up. Well, silly me was CONSTANTLY forgetting to put them in the dryer. I felt like that cartoon commercial, from way back, where the lady is running down the stairs saying, “Wait! I forgot the fabric softener!” You don’t remember that one, oh well. Enter the Bounce Bar that sticks to the inside of your dryer to provide up to two months of fabric softening. So far, it’s left my clothes soft and smelling great. It’s nice to not have to remember to add the fabric softener AND it makes my dryer smell fresh. The only down side I’ve seen is the bar gets a little dingy looking after a few uses, but I can live with that!

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What a Croc! (Fashionista Mamacita)

Sally Oberth — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:34:29 +0000

Speaking of ugly shoes, I'll admit it, I own a pair of Crocs and a hot pink pair at that. Now, luckily I'm can say they were free, but that doesn't necessarily make up for the horrible outward appearance they project.

I generally only leave the house dressed as if the paparazzi are going to be taking my picture. I'm not saying heels and tranny makeup to Wal-Mart, but presentable for the occasion none the less. As I've mentioned before my style habits have changed with the addition of kids, but I refuse to let that keep me from expressing myself fashionably.

So why succumb to Crocs you ask? If you can find me a pair of shoes that are waterproof, slip on, can be worn with pants or shorts, with or without socks, all while covering a chipped pedicure, then bring it on. Until then, I'll continue to wear my crocs to the mailbox, running errands or anytime I think I can pull it off. I even got some for my kids. Granted they were an off brand. But hey, I'm not shelling $40 for a pair of shoes that will get worn less than a year, no matter how comfortable and convenient they are. Point is, I'm not so shallow and fashion conscience that I won't allow myself the comfort and convenience of wearing Crocs (as long as they match what I'm wearing).

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Style vs. Mom

Sally Oberth — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:19:54 +0000

Ugly Shoes

As a mother of two, I constantly have to prioritize between fashion and practicality. A little background on me; I’m the friend you call when you’ve got a big date or interview and don’t know what to wear. I have a way of recalling one’s wardrobe (to a fault) and helping decide what looks best on them for their event. I love being on top of the trends. However, being fashionable often takes a backseat when traveling with children. Being a “working” mom didn’t damper my style nearly as much as my new status of stay at home mom. I didn’t have to plan an outfit around diaper changes and sandbox play time. Not necessarily a skirt friendly career path. It’s tempting to slip into a world of elastic waist paints and oversized tees!

I won’t get into the pit falls a dressing for comfort versus dressing for success. All I can say is time and place. But creating a wardrobe that fits into my life as a mom and my life as a “fashionista” is proving to be quite a challenge. Case in point; shoes. I love cute shoes, but not enough to sacrifice comfort for style. Therefore, I’m always on the lookout for flats with “WOW!” Now, another thing about me is I don’t mind donning a controversial piece that I find fantastic. I may not be confident in every aspect of my life, but that is not the case in the arena of fashion. So when I saw all the ankle cuff sandals for summer, I was ready to jump on the band wagon! The styles range from strappy to slouchy, sexy to casual. I opted for the latter, of both options. So here is a picture of the shoe.

Even after the initial blisters that came with me wearing them to my son’s soccer practice (What was I thinking?) and the heat I’ve taken from family and friends. I am still extremely happy with my purchase. They bring a sort of aloof, casual style to my summer wardrobe of tank tops and Bermuda shorts (don’t get me started on all the booty shorts for sale out there). Let me know what you think and what fashion risks you’ve boldly taken. Do you have a picture of an uglier pair of ankle cuffed sandals? What fashion sacrifices have you made in the name of motherhood? If you can relate to this blog or got a chuckle out of it, please feel free to check back often for more updates.

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