Tuesday, December 29, 2009
A New Years Inspiration Board!
In need of some New Years Eve inspiration? Be it black tie, dancing with the girls, or a quiet evening in with the boy, sequins and jewels add a little sparkle and make you look, and feel, both festive and fabulous.
We dolled up Brianne in some New Year's Eve looks from Shoshanna, Alice + Olivia, MM Couture, French Connection and Ali Ro and the result: the Crush Boutique version of a word splash.
Happy New Year!
xoxo.
Brianne, Laura, Rebecca and Kara
Monday, December 28, 2009
Another Auld Lang Syne...
Monday, December 21, 2009
Everybody knows a little press and some mistletoe, help to make the season bright...
<3
Brianne
Friday, December 18, 2009
When it snows, ain't it thrilling?
Why so cheery then, you ask? Whelp, (and yes, I did in fact say whelp, that’s wasn’t a typo) it’s because if I lived anywhere else, I’d miss some things about the Hub in winter: 1) sweaters, 2) boots and 3) scarves/gloves. I can’t stand the cold. I hate it so much that I often put my towels, gloves, sweaters, pajamas, socks, etc. on the radiator until they soak up the warmth and coziness I so desire after my very long, tumultuous 3 ½ minute commute home from Crush.
In light of the cold, and my will to combat it in the most exciting of ways—with winter clothes, here are some picks to keep you and your loved ones toasty warm this holiday season:
LA Made Navy Keyhole Cashmere Sweater, $158
What else you’ll need: a long white tank, jeans, knee socks, brown boots and a lunch date with your best friend (right in the middle of the work day perhaps?).
Avoca Red/Cherise Scarf, $54
(Made with love and imported from Ireland!)
Miz Mooz Kent Riding Boot in Black, $178
What else you’ll need: leggings, a tunic, an oversized sweater, gloves, a short winter jacket and the ice skates you’ll wear once these city-walking-inspired boots get you to the Commons.
525 America Grasshopper V-neck Sweater, $54
What else you’ll need: long white tank, black leggings, camel boots, Starbucks and the very last of your paid vacation days for 2009.
Bailey 44 Joan Jett Jacket, $180
What else you’ll need: black t-shirt, skinny jeans, black ankle boots or Converse All-Stars and a scratchy mix tape from your high school boyfriend.
So, finish up all that holiday shopping and head home to snuggle up in front of your non-working apartment fireplace... just in time for that blizzard we're about to brave!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Finally Fridays at the Liberty!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Pink: Not just the color of your nose this winter...
Trends move fast though and I'd like to make an amendment: The go to eye-popping, stop 'em dead in their tracks, holiday pretty, super sexy go to color is... (drumroll please) ... MAGENTA. Now, magenta's been working it's way up since the Nick Jr. people got together during my early years and named Blue's best friend after that bold pink color, but this is really it's year. Cerulean had it's turn, and gold and silver always get theirs, but this year: I'm choosing to campaign for a color that even the folks at Crayola get nervous over.
Ever since our grandmothers started burning their bras, pink's been a little bit of a outcast. Pink is for babies, pink for is prepsters, pink is for babies who will grow up to be prepsters... that's all I hear from some women. Has no one noticed that pink is HOT this year? Central Park West, Tracy Reese, Parker and Rory Beca have all done their part to show you that pink, can be one of the edgiest colors around. Pink is now for grown up girls too, and I for one refuse to let this revolution pass me by. Who's with me?
Take a deep, cleansing, courageous breath... and trust me when I am so forward as to say that pink, my friends, is the new black... And who knows more about the importance of the LBD than you?
Join me in this victory with pink, you'll look great... I pink-y swear.
Visit www.shopcrushboutique.com to shop pink holiday looks!
P.S.
...a little known secret: the French Connection Potter dress arrived this afternoon in magenta.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Party like it's... 19[69].
A half century later, we're still inspired by all things mod. I'm a sucker for beaded daisies, flashy prints, mini skirts, tunics with tights and above all, colors that warrant their own box of crayolas.
This week at Crush we won the vintage-inspired lottery, just in time for the Holidays. Yesterday, we were blessed with boxes upon boxes of Tracy Reese and Ali Ro, and this morning, dear old Mike bestowed upon us three magnificent Frock! by Tracy Reese pieces.
The sequined Ali Ro tank mini-dress in Midnight Navy and Caviar screams New Years Eve. It's truly a show stopper and the sheer underlay adds a flapper detail. Go simple on the gems and sleek on the hair.
The Velvet and Wool Ali Ro goes from day, with tights and boots, to night, with lacy tights and sky high pumps. The empire waist and huggy wool cling to the bodice, and not to mention the hips, in a way that's very Mad Men meets Sex and the City. A word to the wise, the Jones' and the Bradshaws' would wear it with strappy ankle booties for runway appeal.
The Tracy Reese beaded Plaster tee is silky and multi-seasonal, but very chic. Now with jeans and boots, later with navy skinnies and cork wedges. See you as the snow falls, and soon enough, on the shore!
The Embellished Brushstroke Print Chemise is the kind of silk dress you'll never take off. Rock with a chignon, textured nude tights, and nude patent pumps... let the dress keep the spotlight. The beading around the neck drives attention to your sparkling holiday smile.
And then there's the Frock! The magenta embroidered silk tunic has a scoop back and ruched sleeves. Black tights, over-the-knee boots, and super straight hair... Quant would be oh so proud.
The off-black Miranda dress is sweet enough for work and sharp enough for play. Camel boots or red-orange pumps and your favorite vintage clip on earrings. Haven't raided your Nana's jewelry box lately? Pick up a pair of Pistachio by Marisa Perry studs instead. You'll be the bell of your own 1964 Barbie ball.
Finally, there's the Tutti Fruitti print sweetheart neckline dress with peplum skirt. I honestly can't do it justice, so I'll say this: a precious print and a demure neckline juxtaposed with a fitted bodice and peplum skirt are sophisticated in the sexy grown-up way that we're always trying to be.
I'll close by saying this ladies: If I'd been a dancer on American Bandstand... well, you know.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Strolling in a Winter Wonderland
It's the most wonderful time of the year: the few weeks before the Holiday stroll when we decorate, create our Christmas song playlists, dress the mannequin up like an eskimo and get ready to shovel the steps. We're planning our champagne cocktail, putting the finishing touches on the small bites menu and preparing the invitations. Crush Boutique has transformed into Santa's workshop, and we four little elves have been very busy.
Join us on December 10th from 5pm-9pm to celebrate the holidays with cocktails, carriage rides and carollers. The lighting of the tree at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Charles Streets will take place at 7pm. The Hill House will be offering pictures with Santa Clause from 3:30pm-6:45pm.
Hope to see you there!
Friday, November 20, 2009
How to: Stuff a Stocking with Stylish Supplies
There's nothing I love more than wrapping presents. Some of my favorite days at Crush are when the UPS guy brings a box of tissue paper. It may not sound like much, but opening a box and finding leaf print tissue, or bold red with sparkles, or a Hawaiian floral print, is a blast. Each and every time we wrap something up, it's like giving a present. It really is just so much fun. New wrapping supplies spice up our bags and add to the festive fun of the holiday season. We love picking out the wrapping paper, choosing the bows, and digging out the faux holly berries that will add a special touch. You can imagine then the elation that actually wrapping Christmas presents brings us.
So here we are at the end of November, making our lists, checking them twice and wrapping up treats for those who've been, perhaps a bit naughty, but mostly nice. My personal favorite way to package up parcels is to stuff them Mary-Poppins-bottomless-carpet-bag-style into stockings. An old, but super fun, tradition, stockings possess all of the Christmas traits I adore. There's the soft, velvety red fabric that's reminiscent of Santa's suit. There's the fuzzy white trim that looks like snow. And then: there are the names. In multi-colored glitter glue from the mall (or perhaps a Christmas specialty store) it's a symbol of home. Home is where you hang your hat, it's where you lay your head, it's where you nail your personalized stocking to the mantle.
So how do we stuff a stocking at Crush? Well, we incorporate a lot of little things. Since we're subterranean, we really know how to maximize space...
Some suggestions:
1 Miss Oops Sponge
1 Cosmoholic Lip Gloss (in Rock Red, for a holiday party)
1 Pistachio cocktail ring by Marisa Perry
1 pair of Hollywood Fashion Tape Cover-ups (to conceal how cold it'll be en route to that New Year's Eve party)
1 Avoca scarf (the Perido print ones fold up quite small, it's really quite convenient)... throw in the matching gloves for good measure
1 leather and gold beaded Ettika bracelet and/or 1 Marc Bernstein wrap bracelet
1 Crush candle
1 Sage Fragrances roll on perfume
And if there's room (there are some really big stockings out there), pop in some of these:
An oh so soft Daftbird tee shirt
An Urban Expressions clasped wallet
A feathered headband by Headdress NY
A pair of Fornash stud earrings
A large briolette necklace by local designer Laura Mandell
If you're running low on space because the stand at Downtown Crossing ran out of XL stockings because it's the day before Christmas, these space-savers might help:
A Crush gift certificate
A coupon for a closet cleanse or Private Party at Crush (see website for details)
A convertible bra clip (for all of those racer-back dresses)
A Fornash Jewelry tray to keep all of those precious little pieces organized
Mix and match Crush stocking stuffers for all of those special someones on your list, we'd be happy to help you wrap them up... we haven't gotten to use the faux holly berry trinkets on any gift wrapping job yet this season. Oh, and last but not least, while I have your attention: if anyone, i.e. Laura or Rebecca, happens to ask you: Kara really wants a staple gun for hanging decorations at the store and I wouldn't hate seeing a new keyboard for the store computer under the tree at Crush.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Christmas Comes Early to Crush!
We'll admit, that we say this a lot. In fact, our favorite Facebook status is some variation of "Christmas came early at Crush! New Shoshanna, Ali Ro, Alice + Olivia, etc." We say it in Spring, we say it in Summer, we say it in Autumn, just about any time we get a ton of new stuff (the equivalent of more than five new designers/pieces/boxes) in one day. Hmmm, give me a minute, I'm day dreaming of what Mike may bring tomorrow. For the few of you who don't know, Mike is our handy UPS man. We wait for him with bated breath every day. He usually arrives around noon, so if you stop in frequently, you might keep that in mind.
This isn't about Mike though, nor is it about new stuff. It's about a new look, a new spirit, a new sense of hot pink pride bursting out of our ears that stems from two things: a new website that went live about ten minutes ago, and some recent buildout at the store. We've got a new online look that's bright, bold, and very, very fierce and an in-store nook for shoes, as well as a floor to ceiling denim unit that's now organized by style. It's never been easier to find your second skin at Crush. We're so happy we won't ask Santa for anything now... well, maybe.
Shopcrushboutique.com has been revamped for easy web browsing. It's now more fun than ever to keep up on recent Crush press, our picks of the week and the shopping services we offer.
In store, we're curling up on the couch with shoes from Miz Mooz and Madden Girl that we've pulled off our new lily pad shelving. Also adorning our “soleful” corner, another mannequin ready to rock holiday party dresses for our favorite season. Pop over to the other side of the couch to cozy up in our new denim corner... we'll be there soaking it all up like sun on a summer day.
We'd like to take the opportunity to thank Tom Foisset, our contractor, and Ani Avanian, our web designer, for their diligent work and their talent in understanding Crush, what it means to us, and what we think it means to you. They were able to creatively express Crush perfectly, and for that we're very grateful.
Additionally though, I want to congratulate on these new successes two incredibly talented women who deserve endless accolades for all that they do. Together Laura and Rebecca set out to start their own business at only 24-years-old and have done a phenomenal job of cultivating a boutique and a brand that we’ve all come to know and love. Updates to the store and site display their vast array of talents and dedication. They should be very proud of themselves.
Head to www.shopcrushboutique.com to ring in our new site!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
There's been a dress for every fairy tale ending...
Once upon a time, a beautiful maiden had a [insert your last minute event here] to attend. While she had a closet full of beautiful dresses, she didn’t quite want to wear any of them. The beautiful maiden scurried about the city searching for the perfect piece. Finally, she stumbled upon a hidden palace… sunk below the ground in an old brick building, painted cream and pink and black inside. In awe, but still stressing, she hunted about, until one sweet sales girl found her the perfect dress in which to go out…
The rest, as they say, is history… but history tends to repeat itself. The reality is: we’ve all been there. We’ve gotten desperate, we’ve worried we won’t find anything. We’ve struggled for the perfect fit, color or cut. Fortunately, over the past couple of years the hangers at Crush have come to our rescue. While our current personal favorites include a pink Tracy Reese, a sequined Alice + Olivia and a lace under-layer Madison Marcus, we tend to say: “What is cuter than this?” each time that a new piece arrives.
No doubt then, you’ve established your own Crush favorites over time, which is why we’d like to invite you to share those with us. It’s a little project I’ve been brainstorming since May that we shall henceforth call, “The Crush Hall of Fame.” Our Hall of Fame will appear on the blog, and also in-store in the form of a scrapbook. We have a lot of books, it’s likely your husbands and boyfriends who hang out on the couch have read them all, but none that share our history, and you… and the dresses you’ve worn, are that history.
Sure, I could pull the pictures from the online store or scan the past two-and-a-half years of purchase orders, but what would be the fun in that? We cherish the memories we’ve made in the store, dressing you, dressing ourselves, and swapping stories about our lives. We’d like you to be able to do the same…
Please e-mail your Hall of Fame pictures, why you loved the dress, and what you wore it to, to Laura@shopcrushboutique.com or Rebecca@shopcrushboutique.com so that we may compile them to go down in history as the most beloved Crush pieces of all time!
Thanks girls!
Brianne
Friday, November 6, 2009
Halloween puts the biggest smiles on the smallest of faces <3
Every year, Halloween is a pretty big deal at Crush. The candy, the cider, the costumes, and the festive spirit that encompasses all of Charles Street… we love it all. Hands down though, the best part is the trick-or-treaters. While many of you shared plans for costumes that we’d never have come up with, there’s one very small crushette whose costume really stole our hearts.
Emma is our youngest customer, by far. She’s also our shortest, our silliest, and the one who spends the most time remerchandising. At five-years-old, Emma totes her nanny (our good friend and former Crush employee, Laura) and her backpack into Crush on a daily basis. On the rare occasion that Laura isn’t by her side, Emma visits Crush with either her mom or grandma.
Clad in her navy blue school uniform jumper, pink striped tights and a baseball cap, Emma brings a smile into the store each time she drops in, and always, always, always models the new accessories for us.
She came to our Trick-or-Treat event, she helped unwrap the new fall tissue paper, and just the other day, Emma dropped in to show off her Little Mermaid costume for a Halloween party. Laura gussied her up with the Rockstar Red Cosmoholic lipgloss, and Kara and I pulled together a little Crush Trick-or-Treat bag, complete with ribbons and sparkly seaweed.
See our littlest Crushette steal the spotlight each afternoon at Crush.
<3
Friday, October 30, 2009
A Crush Cure-all
Combine parts:
30% Cashmere
70% Wool
One gold chain
2 patch pockets
Stir until you’ve reached desired consistency.
Walk home.
Remove from Crush bag.
Wrap sweater around you.
In a separate cup:
Add one tea bag to hot [not boiling] water
Add three drops of honey, and enjoy! [optional]
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Denim: Destructed, Destroyed... It's Delightful, Delicious, Delovely
Fast forward to this afternoon: the JBrand destroyed skinnies, the dark cadet blue wash JBrands and the Paige destroyed pencil legs are in... they ALL arrived today in fact. By the time I sauntered in between classes at 4:30pm, Kara already had them on and Laura was bustling about merchandising them like it was her job...
The JBrand dark vintage wash with a 12inch leg opening is always flattering, but with a bit of destruction, they're edgier than ever. Pair with a black boyfriend blazer and white tee shirt, then polish off with long necklaces and knee-high boots.
The JBrand midrise straight leg in the tyro wash feature a 16inch leg opening that falls perfectly over sky high pumps, and go from work to play with a silk blouse or fitted sweater.
The Paige destroyed skinnies offer their signature Peg leg cut in the Rebel wash. Ballet flats and a bomber jacket, anyone? Or maybe a black cashmere sweater and bold Avoca scarf.
Fierce meets feminine this season and the leather and lace trend has worked it's way into denim too. We love the super tight fit in really dark washes, there's nothing more flattering... but add some pizazz with some slicing and dicing here and there and you're the bees [exposed by ripped jeans] knees in no time.
Love it? We sure do.
Top o' the Autumn to You
We at Crush are an enthusiastic breed [especially during the changing of the seasons, our favorite shopping times!], and with raw Boston winds and frosty finger tips approaching, we're preparing for the season of bundling up with smiles on our faces, pink on our noses, and snowflake inspired twinkles in our eyes. To ready ourselves we're curling up in our favorite new Irish knits from Avoca. This family owned brand in small stores across the United States and The Emerald Isle has been creating beautifully crafted scarves for almost three hundred years. In addition their cozy knits collections, Avoca manufactures soft furnishings for the home such as throws and baby blankets. Wrapping up in these brightly colored, lambswool scarves brings us back to our Moms stuffing us into our snowsuits with Irish-knit sweaters and woolen mittens...or maybe that was just me.
Cashmere and Angora mixes in pinks, blues, greens and reds serve as heartwarming pops of color to keep you toasty, and are fetching enough to wear all day... sure beats the wearing-the-same-winter-sweater-in-the-office-everyday-blues.
So pop in to cozy up with some Crushettes, Rebecca will likely still be sans winter coat and Laura most certainly be cozied up in that precious new vintage inspired 525 America. Kara's jumping into the new destroyed JBrands (pictures to follow!), and me, you ask? Well, I'll be here on the couch blogging, and getting in touch with my inner leprechaun.
If you see my Mom, you can tell her just how red my hair looks when braided next to our new Irish imports... she'll be thrilled.
<3
Friday, October 23, 2009
Beads, Beads, Beads... and Sparkles.
The underground fashion lair we fondly refer to as CB is bursting the seams with gorgeous beaded dresses one-of-a-kind necklaces, and our newest obsession: an Alice + Olivia sequin strapless dress with striped ruffle skirt (it took an army to convince Brianne that she couldn't wear it to class).
Laura Mandell's stunning briolette necklaces are strung tightly in alternating directions. Created from glass beads in mutli-strand designs and numerous scales, these radiant chunky necklaces can make or break an ensemble. The bright pops of color are the epitome of chic, so pair with jeans and a classic T-shirt or your favorite LBD to stop them dead in their tracks every time.
...just for that JBrand order to arrive, actually.
xoxo.
Brianne and Kara
Cider Donuts and a Bottle of White: A Luscious Autumn at Crush <3
We got to spend time with so many of our favorite customers, dress some new faces, get caught up on current events in one another's lives and share drinks with close friends and Beacon Hill neighbors. We were thrilled as ever to see the Julep girls, Rachel Kichli (Brookline) even served a few glasses of wine for us, which Rachel Wentworth (Harvard Square) did some modeling around the store while she tried on clothes. You've got to love comrades in retail.
See some of our pictures below!
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