The Amazing Portrait collar Evie Blouse

I don’t know if you’ve had a chance yet, but for fall, we have the most amazing button down, portrait collar blouse – the Evie.

Portrait collars are very flattering for every body type as it draws attention to the neck and face.  A portrait collar   typically allows for great jewelry which just adds to the interest in your neckline area.  Another great detail on our Evie blouse is the beautiful lace placket detail.  Lace is a big trend for Fall and I think by adding it in an interesting way that won’t over power the shirt, is a great way to follow a trend while still being appropriate and making a good investment in a garment that won’t go out of style when the trend leaves.

As always, our Evie blouse is made from the highest quality fabric and has beautiful French seams, shell buttons, and a three quarter sleeve that can be flipped up or left down. 

I hope you enjoy!

Kate

The quest for the perfect Women’s Tunic.

So thanks to Tory Burch (and a small army of stylists, wardrobe consultants, and less successful designers before her) the women’s tunic is a known and needed staple in any woman’s wardrobe.  But how and why did it get to be so needed?

According to Wikipedia, a Tunic is:

“A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles. The name derives from the Latin tunica commonly worn by both men and women in Ancient Rome, which in turn is based on earlier Greek garments.

The Roman tunica was worn by citizens and non-citizens alike; citizens, though, might wear it under the toga, especially at formal occasions. The length of the garment, the presence or lack of stripes, as well as their width and ornamentation, would indicate the wearer's status in Roman society. Soldiers, slaves and manual workers generally had tunics to a little above the knee; those in more sedentary occupations to about the ankle (unless they were expecting to ride a horse, when a shorter one would be worn).”

So I guess Tory wasn’t responsible for the invention, merely the popularity of this ancient garment into modern times.  Tunics are still found today in uniforms and among religious groups but why are they so popular now?  It appears to me that women’s tunics became popular right around the same time that skinny jeans and leggings started to regain popularity.  Tunics allow real women a reasonable option to pair with both skinny jeans and leggings as well as a fashionable top that is less restrictive and revealing as knit tops can be.

How do I find my perfect Women’s Tunic 

Shape

a.      Shape is always the most important piece to evaluate when choosing a tunic top or any top for that matter.  Know what works for you best and follow these basic guidelines:

                                                               i.      Apple- Undefined waist

1.      You look great in: Tops and jackets with structured shoulders and/or shoulder pads, monochromatic outfits, tops with ornamental detail at the neckline, straight pants and skirts.

2.      You should avoid: highly tailored clothing, high necklines, tapered pants and skirts, belts or anything attracting attention to the waist such as tucked in blouses, and large patterned fabrics.

                                                             ii.      Inverted Triangle – Top heavy with broad shoulders, large bust, and narrow hips

1.      You look great in: lower necklines, a- line skirts and dresses, bracelet length sleeves, and flowing fabric.

2.      You should avoid:  Big collars and high necklines, tops or dresses emphazing the shoulders.

                                                            iii.      Hourglass – Hips and shoulders are about the same width and a well defined waist.          

1.      You look great in:  well tailored clothing with defined waists, lower necklines, and straight or slightly flared pants, skirts and dresses.

2.      You should avoid:  Baggy or classic cut clothing, and tapered pants for the most part.

3.      Perfect Women’sTunic: 

                                                           iv.      Pear – Narrower shoulders and wider hips.

1.      You look great in:  tops with ornamentation, structured shoulders or shoulder pads, and a hemline that is shorter than the widest part of your hips, high necklines, clothing with a well defined waist, skirts and dresses that are straight or slightly flared, and straight or slightly boot cut pants.

2.      You should avoid:  longer shirts that fall to your body’s widest point, baggy garments, tapered pants

3.      Perfect Women’sTunic: 

                                                            v.      Straight and Narrow – bust and hips are about the same and an undefined waist with slim legs and arms.

1.      You look great in: wrap dresses, a-line shirts and tops, short sleeves and sleeveless tops  and dresses.

2.      You should avoid:  The extremes – super tailored clothing and baggy clothing.

3.      Perfect Women’sTunic: 

Fabric

Blouses with stretch wrinkle less and fit better.
Find a blouse that has stretch in it. I would advise keeping the other 1+ natural fibers for a nicer hand and a better wear/look to the blouse. Our light weight stretch fabric that makes up our Violet Women’s Tunic is 68% cotton, 28% nylon, and 4% spandex and has a great hand (soft not polyester feeling), comes in amazing colors (nylon holds dye the best of all fabrications), and best of all can be laundered at home in your washing machine and line dried with minimal wrinkling. Fabric that has stretch has give and is far more comfortable even if it’s worn a little tight to the body and wrinkles less then anything that is 100% fiber.

Length

Length is a size, shape, location, and age appropriate question.  As a general rule, tunics should be longer when paired with tighter fitting bottoms and can be shorter when paired with looser fitting bottoms, a shorter tunic can be appropriate depending on shape and size.  If you are choosing to wear a tunic with skinny jeans or leggings, we recommend the tunic length coming to at least your finger tips when standing with arms by your sides.

Accessorize

Making sure that your tunic is able to look different and be dressed up or down with jewelry or shoes is very important and should be considered when making the purchase.  In order to make your tunic top as versatile as possible, ask yourself: Can I change the look and feel of the tunic  with jewelry?  How about a belt? 

Although they are popular and for good reason,  a well thought out purchase that is shape, length, and age appropriate in the right fabric and is easily accessorized will yield a perfect purchase, happy wearer, and a great cost per wear ratio (total cost of the item/estimated days worn = cost per wear)

Example our Violet Tunic is $249.00 if you wear it 1 time every 3 weeks for 3 years, the cost per wear is $4.88 per wear.  Pretty affordable especially when considering our construction, fabric quality, and design aesthetic will last much longer than 3 years.

Happy Shopping!

Kate

The Portrait Collar Show Stopper - Introducing the Evie Blouse

 

Finding a blouse that fits well and fits in to multiple parts of your life isn't the easiest shopping feat to accomplish.  Our portrait collar Evie blouse is a great fit for the office, errands, and your nights out!

• Ends approx at wearer's high hip to mid thigh (slightly longer in the back because of the peplum)
• Slim Fit
• Features include: lightweight stretch fabric that makes it a perfect fit and comfy to wear, flattering portrait collar that shows off your femininity and creates a nice display area for jewelry, a small peplum at the back that adds interest and an hourglass silhouette, lace detail on the front placket for a feminine touch, and 3/4 length sleeves that can flip up and become short sleeves or stay down creating an additional area for accessories but not get in your way throughout your busy day.
• Click here for more info on our high quality craftsmanship

Kate Says:  " The portrait collar Evie blouse runs true to size.  This blouse looks as great with a pencil skirt as it does with jeans.  MUST have of the season!"

Fabric: 68% Cotton, 28% Nylon, 4% Spandex, Chambray: 100% Cotton
Care Instructions: Machine wash cold delicate cycle. Tumble dry low or hang dry.

Price: $195.00

Try our amazing women's tunic - the Stripe Violet!

Finding an age and office appropriate women's tunic can be difficult. Our Violet Tunic fills this gap with its perfect length, appropriate and interesting neckline and collar, and tailored silhouette.


• Ends at mid thigh
• Slim fit
• Features include: double collar for interest (inner collar is a standing ruffle and outer is a flat shawl collar), long length that is great over leggings or jeans, functional side seam pockets, longer short sleeve that covers any trouble areas on the arm while elongating and slenderizing the arms, beautiful details such as a back belt, back tucks on the bodice, and double breasted closure that adds interest and attention to your outfit
• Click here for more info on our high quality craftsmanship.


Our Violet Tunic runs true to size. Try pairing with Kate Boggiano full length seamless leggings or shapewear leggings. I'm going to live in my Violet Tunic this Fall!!

Did you save 20% on your Violet Tunic at our Warehouse sale? 
Email me if you didn't but you still want to - I think we can work something out.

Happy Monday!
Kate

Our dramatic pleated blouse - the Anne

A great alternative to a ruffle blouse, a pleated blouse like our dramatic Anne adds just the right amount of style and sophistication to any occasion.



• Ends at wearer’s hip

• Slim fit

• Features include: beautiful Japanese cotton for a luxurious look and feel, a high neck pleated collar that draws attention to your face, faux french cuffs that create the same great look without the hassle of cuff links, and a tailored fit helps to create a slim silhouette.

• Click here for more info on our high quality craftsmanship.
 Our Anne blouse with pleats runs true to size. If you typically have trouble with blouses fitting in the chest, I suggest sizing up. I love my Anne belted or under a cardigan for different looks and I think I wear navy stripes the most!


Happy Shopping!


PS-don’t forget to stop by our booth on the north west area of Daley plaza today and tomorrow. We have 30% off our collection plus samples starting as low as $30! See you there!

Kate Boggiano location on Daley Plaza

Can it really almost be time to ship Fall Blouses?

 

It seems to me that summer FINALLY just got here! At our offices however, we are busily trying to get out our fall orders for our wholesale accounts and update our website with the new blouses.

One of my favorite fall blouses, is our Bella Ruffle Top. The Bella is great for a few reasons, it has this super comfy knit that is a little bit thicker so it holds you in and smooths out any imperfections, it has a great longer short sleeve to cover the trouble spots on the arm while allowing you to stay cool in a hot office or under a jacket, and the half button placket in the front creates a slimmer silhouette while giving you the option to wear a belt or not.

Try our Bella Ruffle Top with jeans or with a pencil skirt to the office. The real question should be how many colors to get…

Final day to save 20% Sitewide!

Today's the last day to save 20% sitewide!  Don't forget to buy your favroite styles at the best price of the season. 

Here are the ones I'd recommend picking up before they are gone forever:

Have a good 1st day back and don't forget to shop today!
Kate

PS - just in case you forgot, the code to get 20% off is HAPPY4TH and you want to enter that code at checkout to apply the 20% off to the whole cart.  Happy shopping!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence day!  Hope you are enjoying a much deserved break.  Tomorrow is the last day to save 20% sitewide so don't forget to shop.

Enjoy your day and eat some BBQ for us!
Kate

Women's Dresses

Since the social acceptance of women wearing pants, it seems as though we have taken this to mean that we should ONLY wear pants. As you look around, the majority of women seem to be covering their legs rather than embracing them. Sure, pants are easy to throw on but guess what is easier? A dress! Instead of rummaging around in your close for a matching blouse or top why not try a dress.
Dresses are:


1. More form flattering for most women

2. Easier to wear and cuts down on decision/dressing time in the morning. NO more having to match a top and a bottom.

3. Cool and breezy in the summer
4. Super feminine
5. A way to stand apart from your male counterparts because unlike you who can wear pants, men can not wear a dress!



My three favorite Kate Boggiano Dresses that are totally office appropriate are the McKenzie Wrap Dress, the Jackie Shirt Dress, and the Sleeveless Ruffle Isadora Dress.

I’m not sure about you but wrap dresses always seem like a good idea to me until I actually try one on. I find them confusing to figure out and it seems to me that they never stay in the right place unless you tie the ties so tightly that you can’t breathe. I thought long and hard about this issue when I designed the McKenzie Wrap Dress. Instead of having to deal with a confusing extra flap of fabric, I designed the McKenzie Wrap Dress so that the pieces of fabric are actually stitched in place and it’s an easy over the head entry with help of a zipper. The only piece that is “movable” is the wrap around belt that is secured by two snaps. Our “faux” McKenzie Wrap Dress is office appropriate (in length and front neck drop) and secure so you feel confident in your outfit and able to face your busy day.

Finding a good dress with a short sleeve is a challenge that many women face. Short sleeve dresses are great for the summertime and they are very office appropriate. I love our Jackie Shirt Dress because it has a nice pleat detail on the sleeve and a full skirt with a waist wrap that visually makes the waist the narrowest point even if it isn’t normally that way on its own. Side seam pockets and a shirt dress style placket round off my favorite parts of this Shirt Dress that is great to wear at the office and beyond!

 Every summer, my goal is to find 2 dresses: the dress I wear to every summer wedding (as long as each are with different groups of people) and a dress I can wear casually or spice up for dinner on vacation. Our Sleeveless Isadora dress happens to have been both for me during different years. I love this dress and even though it isn’t new this year, it’s longevity is amazing and I attribute it to it’s classic a-line shape, high ruffle neck collar, and fantastic fabric (that IS machine washable!). Honestly, I have belted this, thrown a cardigan over it and paired it with some cowboy boots, added a chucky sweater, worn it with flats, worn it with heels, and always feel comfortable and like I made the right choice for any occasion I wear it to. The Sleeveless Isadora Dress is really a go to dress for any event you might have.


A little birdie told me that we are having a sale on everything starting Wed so if these dresses sound like something you might want to try, I’d get on it first thing Wed morning.

Have a good one!


Kate

Three weeks of newness! EXCITING!

So, officially, I have graduated from CFI as of Feb 20th. CFI is a great program that the city of Chicago has put together to sponsor up and coming apparel designers in hopes that giving us a break will launch our businesses and careers. For 1 year, Kate Boggiano resided at Macy’s State Street store in downtown Chicago. It was a great experience, cheap rent, and unbelievable press and I’ll be forever grateful to the board members of CFI as well as the City of Chicago in believing in me and Kate Boggiano. Here are a few pictures of both the opening of CFI on March 10th 2008 with Mayor Daley and the closing ceremony on Feb 10th 2009. CFI, we’ll miss you!


**CFI designers in Chicago Magazine


**Me with Lindsay Boland owner of Habit Boutique, Chicago


Where did we move to you ask? The lovely neighborhood of Pilsen. Conveniently situated on the south side of downtown Chicago, Pilsen is an up and coming neighborhood filled with artists and small businesses trying to make it. The energy is great and I am in LOVE with our new space. The new home of Kate Boggiano is officially 2150 S. Canalport Ave. Suite #3A3, Chicago, IL 60608. The building is a brick and timber building that was constructed in 1900 and originally belonged to Vivano Macaroni company. We have beautiful exposed beams, interior brick walls, and views of downtown.


**View out my office window

**The holding pattern while we were waiting for some paint to dry-always fun and exciting!


**The new space


**A mess waiting to be organized!

**Marilyn setting up shop

Obviously, we still have some work to do, but I’m so excited for the final outcome-it’s going to be great. Invitations to our space warming party coming soon and check out Time Out’s coverage of Pilsen here to learn more about our new diggs: http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/features/71730/viva-pilsen


As if moving a business isn’t enough chaos for the time being, Geoff, my lovey dovey (haha), has left EGI (Equity Group International-Sam Zell’s private equity group-the one that bought the Chicago Tribune and the Cubs) and has come over to the dark side-now he really gets to see what us crazy entrepreneurs face everyday instead of advising us on things he’s never done-I’m pretty excited for him!

Geoff is the new Director of Finance for Argo Tea. Argo Tea is a fantastic Chicago chain (12 stores in the Chicagoland region and growing rapidly!) that sells specialty coffee and tea beverages. Similar to Starbucks, Argo Tea far exceeds the quality, service, and overall deliciousness of its main competitor. Need proof that something could possibly be better than Starbucks? Starbucks is very worried about Argo Tea…did you see the new national tea drinks they just rolled out? Talk about being high on Starbucks radar as the largest chain of successful tea companies-go ARGO TEA!

Arsen, the CEO of Argo Tea, requires that all his employees (even corporate execs like Geoff) go through barista training. Here’s my hot hubby this morning dressed up in his AWESOME Argo Tea barista uniform!

**Geoff in Argo Tea barista outfit**

50 degrees in the forecast today? You know what I’m thinking…Spring is just around the corner!

And so are the new Kate Boggiano arrivals. We’ve been hauling our new shirts up to our new space, folding, tagging, and getting ready for the BIG Spring launch set for Monday, March 9th. Can you believe it? Here are a few teasers to help you out!

Outtakes from Kate Boggiano Spring 2009 photoshoot



**Me with model and French Classic (Ships with cufflinks for the Spring!)























**Gathered Caroline (very funny Alex! I think Sarah looks like 1 of Charlie's Angels though now that you mention it!)

Introduction and a little Background

INTRODUCTION

Hello! My name is Kate Coxworth and almost a year ago (wow that was quick!) I started my very first company, Kate Boggiano. Kate Boggiano is a women’s fashion company that makes high quality, great fitting women’s shirts, tops, blouses, and the occasional shirt jacket. Lately, I have been receiving a lot of: “Do you know who you remind me of? Anne Fontaine” a very flattering comment I might add (for those of you who don’t know Anne Fontaine, she makes beautiful blouses for women, primarily in a white and black color palette and her average price point is about $400.00.)

I decided to start writing a blog because I have received a lot of questions and interest from my customers about what occurs at kate Boggiano.com a daily basis. I figured a blog is a great way to explain a little more about our process as well as share some of the more interesting events that oftentimes occur surrounding our brand, Kate Boggiano.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

Growing up, I always made things. From construction paper chains that I would use to decorate every room to making outlandish clothing for my dolls, I was always crafting and working with my hands. Unlike most fashion designers, don’t ask me to draw something first! I like to call myself a 3-D person with less than average 2-D skills. Ask my assistant designer, Katee, I’m a terrible drawer but ask me to draft a pattern for something that is 3-D and that’s no problem.

Anyways, I went to Indiana University for a bachelor’s degree in Biology/Pre-Med and walked away 4.5 years later (sorry mom and dad!) with a degree in fashion design. I never in a million years would have expected to major in fashion when I entered college. I was set on becoming a geneticist and spending my career finding solutions and cures to rare genetic illnesses. Well, that didn’t quite happen. Instead, I followed my dream, which until my junior year of college I had considered it a hobby, and switched majors to IU’s Independent Major Program with a concentration in Fashion Design. (Switching from something medical/science related is a fairly common theme among fashion designers. Little trivia for you….Vera Wang was actually a biology major! It is quite common!)

Taking the leap in college ended up panning out alright in the end. I graduated in December and by February, I had packed up all my earthly possessions in my car and drove out to New York City. After many trials, tribulations (including my car being stolen in East Orange, NJ), and joblessness in the beginning, I finally landed my first job in the fashion industry at Polo Ralph Lauren. I started at Polo as a technical designer for Women’s blue label. A technical designer is in charge of taking a sketch from a product designer (luckily, I didn’t have to draw it!) and translating it into a garment. This includes working with a patternmaker “making up” the garments specifications (exact measurements) before it is a garment. I was very good at this probably because of my math and science background, however, I grew very bored with it. My boss at the time, Sharon, and I would spend many hours getting a garment to fit perfectly only to find out that the merchants had only bought 5 units. To put it in perspective, when the merchants would buy only 5 units that would translate into the garment going into 2 out of our 1200 doors (doors=stores in merchandising). In real time this meant that approximately 300 people in somewhere, USA would be the only 300 people to see/buy this garment after Sharon and I had toiled for hours over aligning the belt loops with the pockets just right and shaving that last ¼ inch off the back rise. FRUSTRATION! So clearly, I decided after 1.5 years of that it would be a good idea to switch over to merchandising. So that’s what I did.

I started in Polo’s Men’s merchandising in order to make a difference in what happened with the “business” of Polo. What styles were getting out there in the biggest way (making it to ALL 1200 doors), while making sure to talk to the designers and technical designers to see what would fit the best and in the end, make the most sales. I really liked merchandising, but in August of 2006, Mayor Daley in Chicago announced the appointment of Melissa Turner to head up the City of Chicago’s efforts to create a fashion industry in Chicago, I knew it was my time to move home and start a business. (You can visit the city of Chicago’s website: www.chicagofashionresource.com to learn more about their efforts.)

In November of 2006 after moving back to Chicago from NYC, I marched into a local bank and showed them what I considered to be my brilliant business plan (which by the way, I told the bank that I would NEVER have ANY inventory-major mistake #1) and got my loan. By May 2007, Kateboggiano.com was up, live, and we had product to start selling! YIPPEE! I had this grandiose idea that the as soon as we went live, the phones would ring, the orders would come pouring in and I’d show everyone that I knew exactly how to build a business and make money my first year. Boy was I ever wrong!

Find out more about my trials and tribulation being and American Fashion Designer by checking back to this blog. In the interim, check us out at: www.kateboggiano.com.

Have specific questions you would like me to address? Please respond to this article and I will include your question in the next posting.

Stay tuned for the official launch of CREATE YOUR OWN SHIRT! CYO to be launched online Monday, April 7^th at 9am EST. Make sure to check it out-it will change the fashion industry as we know it forever.

Live in the Chicagoland area? Tune in to ABC 7 at 11am on Monday, April 7^th as Kate Coxworth will announce the official launch of CYO shirt/blouse live.