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

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).

Beading is the ultimate feminine detail in dresses this fall, as it takes classic pieces from boring to brilliant with intricate details ranging from gems to studs. Bejeweled and beloved, these dresses are certain to stand out in a crowd and to make a fashion statement. From autumn weddings and cocktail parties, to holidays events and New Years Eve you’re sure to be on trend and in the spotlight when wearing something that sparkles!

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.

On Thursday afternoon, our favorite UPS man, Mike, (a daily fixture in our lives) brought us the the kind present that'll be embedded in our minds forever. Our new Alice + Olivia dress features the cutest fitted sequin bust and an adorable striped silk skirt. The fit is fantastic. The dress becomes increasingly sassy with any red accessory. Just the thought of this incredibly edgy masterpiece makes us go weak at the knees, frankly: what more could we want?

...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

This past Wednesday we celebrated Rebecca's favorite holiday with a Crush Trick-or-Treat. The tricks were far and few between, though there were some absolutely hilarious moments. The treats were aplenty. Apple cider, pumpkin bread, white wine, banana nut loaf, cider donuts, candy, kettle corn, and Crush dresses were bountiful. We had so much fun playing dress up with our customers and friends. A new line for us, Haven, arrived just in time, as did some precious Two-fers from Parker and Plastic Island, not to mention a very hippie chic silk blouse from Jenny Han.

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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Trick or Treat with Crush Boutique

Trick or treat, smell our feet, wearing reversible Spanx tights is so sweet<3

What do we love more than quirky phrases and things that rhyme? Fall fashion, food, and friends. Join us Wednesday night for Halloween fun at Crush!

Taking a Note from the Lady with the Alligator Purse

Fall is by far my favorite season to dress for. I live for woolen coats, my favorite cashmere vest, opaque tights and bulky sweaters. All summer Rebecca and I were urging you to take your summer dresses from sun to snow with brown tights and cognac boots. Now, here we are. Pumpkin spice lattes in hand, we're waiting each day with bated breath for Mike, the UPS guy, to see what delicious cozy treats he'll bring that afternoon. Long sleeved tunics, sweater dresses, Spanx tights and new fall handbags have been the pick me up for the cold I'm trying to beat... oh and the fact that Laura and Rebecca have a sunkissed glow while Kara and myself are the color of, hmmm: snow.



This week Crush is bursting with new bags from Urban Expressions, Big Buddha, Melie Bianco, and a new collection for us, BCBGeneration handbags. Raw edges, chain details, vegan fabrics, studs, fringe, fierce hardware and exposed zipper closures and decor are turning heads and making friends with us, and with our customers. Who doesn't love feminine pieces with rockstar flair? So edgy, yet still so girl next door.

Come play!









P.S.
Don't forget to stop by Crush Wednesday night to enjoy wine, cider, tasty fall treats and 10% off your entire purchase!

LA Lady, Blue Jean Baby...

Cameron Diaz is our favorite dresser this week, because when it comes to denim it's not always about trends or washes, it's about having a second layer of skin that flatters our curves and lifts our spirits. We have them hemmed, wash them inside out, struggle for hours in fitting room after fitting room in search of the perfect pair and somehow, it's all worth it. We remind ourselves that cost-per-wear is our best friend... we'll wear some dresses just once before the seasons have changed, but a good pair of denim will last us for years... and can handle the growing pains we meet along the way.

The editors at People Magazine are on the same page, and recently named Diaz among their best dressed. She took the crown for denim, and her stylist reported, "Cameron is the ultimate denim girl-- it's what she feels the most herself in." We agree, so as we slide our skinnies into boots, uncuff our boyfriend jeans, and pick up our freshly hemmed newbies for fall at Clevergreen, we're taking a note from our favorite girl-next-door, and planning denim looks that she pioneered and continues to rock.

Our picks for fall: Raven Denim trousers, black and grey J Brand skinnies, and sliced and destroyed Red Engines. Pair with silk blouses, drapey cardigans and racerback tanks.

Rule of thumb: If you're donning a voluminous top, wear more tapered bottoms. Too much fabric looks frumpy, so balance tops and bottoms. Example: Trousers should meet with tailored tops, but skinny jeans can handle more material on top. To avoid looking like a ragamuffin, destroyed denim becomes sophisticated and stylish with a dressier tops, like the Central Park West piece pictured here, or the polka dot top our Denim Diva wore.

xoxo.

Brianne & Kara

Fashion Week(s)

First and foremost, we'd like to dedicate this blog to Vicky Savio. Vicky has been a longtime friend of Laura and Rebecca, as well as the Julep ladies. I've been fortunate enough to have gotten to know Vicky over the past few months. She's very sweet, but perhaps our favorite thing about her, is how diligent she is when it comes to reading the Crush blog. It's flattering, and actually a bit of an honor, to have friends who care so much about Crush and who have taken such a vested interest in the daily goings on of the store. I'd even go so far as to call Vicky one of our biggest fans. Thanks Vicky, and thank you to all of our girlfriends who love Crush just as much as we do, we certainly wouldn't have this much fun without you.

On a somewhat less sappy note, Nicole Richie had her second baby this week, and we'd like to make it clear that while we've very happy for her, that has nothing to do with why we're picking up her line. No, I'm not talking about the one for Pea in the Pod.... we're picking up House of Harlow. The jewelry line, named for her daughter, is cooly bohemian, in a sexy vintage rocker kind of way.

House of Harlow 1960 isn't the only treat L & R brought us back though... other new lines joining the racks at Crush Boutique: Marc Bernstein, Kettle Black, Karen Zambos, B-low the Belt, and... (my beloved) Matt & Nat.

Marc Bernstein is easily described in in the following slang sentence: "His designs are really sick." Frankly, they are... these rope-like triple wrap bracelets are made from sterling silver or 18K gold and leather. We love motorcycle inspired accessories this fall, and these pieces have Rebecca glowing. Bernstein's line was created after he was asked to design pirate-inspired accessories for a French Vogue shoot. Now, what's more fashion forward than that? We love, just LOVE.

Kettle Black apparel is sexy in a very masculinity inspired way... we're talking easy button downs, flannel, plaid, motorcycle jackets... all the pieces that somehow sex up our denim this fall. It feels kind of like that 1980s too cool for school highschool crush that we all had... or you know, would have had if we'd been in high school then.

Karen Zambos: where do I start? Crush has an affinity for all things vintage... I blame (and love) Marisa Perry for that. In two words: VINTAGE COUTURE. You know that princess feeling you get when you put on a glamorous 1940s dress in a thrift store, or maybe a tiara?... imagine that, only it's now available all the time at Crush and isn't just for special occasions.

I'm now going to point out the obvious: B-low the Belt, is a (wait for it) ... belt line. It's not just any belt line though, it's lambskin and snakeskin and everything's made in LA. We love lines that are made in the USA, and we know that many of you do too. We can't wait for our first shipment.

If I've kept your attention this long, I'd like to say a word for Matt & Nat. We Crushettes are not vegetarian, but we really love vegan accessories. Matt & Nat balances design and social responsibility, something that we think really sets them apart from other luxury handbag lines.

That was Laura and Rebecca's week. While the girls were jaunting around Manhattan at Coterie, Kara and I held down the fort, and had our own personal Fashion Week, smack in the middle of New York's and Boston's. We used our time to put up a new press clippings bulletin board, pull together a denim looks spread in honor of Cameron Diaz (who was recently named Best Dressed: Denim, by People Magazine), photograph all of our new merchandise and fall in love with the new Priorities blazers-- maybe one of them is already hanging in my closet, maybe.

Stay tuned for the Denim Looks blog later this evening.

xoxo.

B