LE CHOIX TROIS

LE CHOIX D’ A GIRL IN BOSTON

Again excuses to all of you loyal LCT fans for letting you wait so long, but here it is: A New & Fresh Le Choix Trois, introducing this week’s Belle Lissy from A girl in Boston. I love Lissy’s blog, ‘cause this lady kills colour like nobody else does. Next to that she is never to shy to try new things and she has an amazing array of accessories.

Lissy started blogging about a year ago. For someone who is such a fashion lover, she was really oblivious to the blogging world for a long time.  Somehow she started following a bunch of blogs and was so inspired by the every day style of other bloggers that she decided she would make her own contribution to the blogosphere. From a young age, what she wore, what bag she carried and how she looked mattered to her.  As a teenager she had an artistic flare that she used to exhibit by drawing covers and editorials from fashion magazines.  Somehow as she got older, she left that part of her creative self behind and ended up pursuing a career in business and finance. Lissy works long, hard days and despite regular 12 hours workdays, she still truly enjoys the creative outlet that blogging has provided her.  Plus she has met some fabulous people by doing this. Lissy has made both virtual and real world friends from it!

When it comes to style this Girl in Boston really enjoys mixing high street with high-end designer labels and she loves COLOUR! And if you visit her blog you’ll see she’s a huge fan of anything pearl embellished, frilly, girly and whimsical.  Lissy’s favorite high-end labels are Chanel, Miu Miu, Valentino and Moschino but she mixes that all up with Zara, H&M, Talbots and DVF.  Fashion to her is fun, a way of expressing herself and getting dressed is something she looks forward to!

As a Le Choix Belle, choosing her three favourite things was hard. She mailed me that her first two picks were relatively easy, but the third was the wild card. With a wardrobe like hers, we totally feel her pain ;-)

Curious? Here’s Le Choix D’ A Girl in Boston

1.  Diamond rings

I’ll admit, this is a wee bit of a cheat. I have two rings that mean the world to me so I couldn’t choose just one.  The first is a ring that was given to me by my mother on my twenty-second birthday.  It belonged to my great Aunt Anne who gave it to my mother.  When I was a small child, my mother lost it.  It was always too big on her but she wore it anyway and one day it was gone.  Then lo and behold, she found it crushed in the driveway, having been run over.  It took multiple trips to many jewelers over many years before she finally found one that could repair it.  It’s a vintage art deco platinum ring with diamonds and sapphires.  Nothing could ever replace it and it’s something I cherish.  
The other ring was a gift to me for a milestone birthday and I’ll keep which milestone (and how old I really am) to myself.  Since it was a big birthday, my family wanted to get me something that would be special and timeless.  My sister went to her jeweler who showed her a beautiful pendant necklace.  But knowing me, and knowing that I like very big statement necklaces, she knew the little pendant wouldn’t really be my thing.  So she had the jeweler make the pendant into a white gold and diamond ring.  It was such a special and thoughtful gift that I wear every day and not a day goes by that it doesn’t make me remember how lucky I am.  

2.  Chanel bag

This was the first really big gift that I bought for myself and it was the first anything Chanel that I owned.  I’ve always loved the Chanel aesthetic; the pearls, the chain straps, the quilting.  And while I buy high end items that are classic, the ubiquitous Chanel flap isn’t totally my style.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the classics, but my own personal look has a little bit of an edge so I bought this bag that has the classic quilting (my version with chains) and a bit of a different shape.  Buying this bag was a big deal for me and I remember the day I bought it vividly.  I made my way to Neiman Marcus after work, bought the bag and then took myself out for wine, oysters and dinner to celebrate.  

3.  Miu Miu sandals

The first two of my le choix trois were easy.  The third one was somewhat of a mind cramp for me.  But anyone who knows me well knows that my real weakness is shoes.  I do have a large variety of flats but my real love is for sky high heels.  If you’ve ever been to Boston you know that it’s a walking city but the sidewalks are not really walking friendly with all the bricks and cobblestones.  In spite of that, I still teeter and prance about town in the highest of platforms and heels.  So it was only appropriate for me to choose a favorite pair of shoes for my last item.  This pair is a pair of python platform Miu Miu sandals that I bought just this year but they have quickly made their way up my list of favorites.  They have all the things I look for in a shoe.  Platform, check.  Sky high heel, check.  Make my legs look a million miles long, check!  

http://www.agirlinboston.com/

Twitter @agirlinboston

LE CHOIX de RITOURNELLE

Ciao amore! Tante baci from the lovely Italian countryside, where I’m staying with limited Internet, but just enough to bring you a new Le Choix Belle! This week Anne from Ritournelle shows us behind the scenes of her blog. Anne/Ritournelle began blogging in August 2010 as a birthday present to herself. At that time Anne was looking for a job in marketing and missed working on creative projects. She felt the need to share her gorgeous finds with like-minded people and when flipping through her beloved French Elle and Vogue Paris, she always noticed fabulous exhibits and events she couldn’t attend because they were happening too far away. Because of that Anne wanted readers to experience what she lived in Paris and elsewhere, through her blog as best as possible.

In October 2010 everything changed for Anne, when she found her first job that made her move to New York City the following month (-yes we are jealous!). Since she had quite the international background before that already - she grew up in the USA, lived in Tokyo for a year and studied in Milan for a semester, she packed her bags and went overseas.

Blogging regularly has been a challenge as she adjusted to her new city and job. But it has led her to meet wonderful people and work on exciting projects, two things that keeps her motivated (and we love her for it!).

 Le Choix Trois is not the only fan of Ritournelle. The blog has been featured twice on Freshly Pressed, Wordpress.com’s homepage. And Anne worked together with Caudelie, the skin care brand, on a post. After mentioning them on Twitter, she was invited to experience a treatment at their spa in the New York Plaza Hotel and of course shared the result with the rest of us. When she’s not blogging, strolling through New York, dream about Paris and hangout with friends in good resraurants and museums, Anne works for the French governmental as a Trade advisor, advising French beauty companies on their export strategy in the US market.

As a true French girl, Anne has this perfect ‘je ne sais quoi’ style, which she describes as very basic and simple. Her closet is filled with French brands -bien sur- like Comptoir des Cotonniers, Gérard Darel, Isabel Marant Etoile, Eric Bompard, Petit Bateau, Vanessa Bruno & Repetto. Her daily uniform consists of skinny jeans and a cashmere sweater. Her hands are always perfectly manicured with Chanel nail polish and she wouldn’t leave the house without wearing perfume (Chanel N°19 in the winter and Hermès Un Jardin après la Mousson in the summer). So now you know almost everything of the Belle behind Ritournelle, except for her favourite pieces in her wardrobe.

Here’s Le Choix de Ritournelle!

1. Kelly bracelet by Hermès

I love Hermès for its history, values and craftsmanship. I actually wrote my senior thesis on the brand. This bracelet is a birthday gift from my mother, to whom I am very close, and I wear it almost every day. It is very representative of Hermès with the leather, the sellier stitch and the clasp identical to the Kelly bag. It gives a touch of class to the most basic outfit and makes me feel powerful, probably because of its masculanity. And on top of that, this Hermès bracelet was the subject of my very first blog post!

2. Shoes by Repetto

I have been a Repetto fan for years and bought their black ballerinas season after season. Recently I wanted to try something different with a masculine vibe so I bought this pair of “Zizi” during my last trip to Paris at Le Bon Marché, my favorite store ever. No wonder they were Serge Gainsbourg’s favorite shoes; they are so comfy and light, I love the way I walk with them! Plus I can wear them with anything: jeans, a smoking or a dress.

3. Jacket by Etoile Isabel Marant

I bought this jacket right after I was hired at my company and just before moving to New York. It kind of symbolizes the transition between the business school graduate and the working girl in me. It’s a well-tailored piece of clothing, the wool is of great quality and it makes me feel confident, which is greatly needed when you are a newbie at networking events. At the same time, I feel myself in it: it’s not too strict as it remains true to Isabel Marant’s funky style and I like to wear it with the sleeves pushed up.

PS: The lovely pictures were made by previous Le Choix Belle Style on the Couch!

http://ritournelleblog.wordpress.com/

Twitter @ritournelleBlog

LE CHOIX de NOTTING HILL GIRL

I’ve just returned from an exciting trip to New York and after I survived the huge pile of work waiting on my desk, I immediately turned to my blog to present you a new Le Choix Belle. This week it is the gorgeous and very stylish De of Notting Hill Girl.

De only started blogging since September 2010. She had thought about it for a long time since she works in Digital Marketing, but didn’t start until two weeks after she moved to Notting Hill in London (De originally hails from Melbourne, Australia). When walking around Portobello Market, the street style team from Spanish Elle approached De and asked to take her photo. The idea to start a blog with the iconic ‘Notting Hill’ as her backdrop came to her right at that moment. That evening when she came home, she wrote her very first blog and has never looked back since!

As Notting Hill girl she was recently featured in Grazia UK and can add this week Le Choix Belle to her list too!

When it comes to her personal style she considers her style to be ‘contemporary feminine’ as she wears a lot of dresses and loves contemporary prints and designers. She’s not very loyal to brands (she even calls herself a marketing nightmare!) but some of her favourites include See by Chloe and Marc by Marc Jacobs for their fun prints that transcend trends. In Spring/Summer she lives in her blazers -in a range of colours- and silk dresses. De is not a high heel person, since they hurt her feet too much (altough after testing the new M&S range she might reconsider this statement!). Most of the time you’ll see her in cute flats. In Winter, she generally wears wool dresses everyday. She owns around eight of them at the moment and wears them until they fall apart! 

Next to blogging, De loves to explore London, eat delicious food and stroll around vintage markets. She’s totally hooked on the Internet and even met her boyfriend for nearly seven years through the web. The most important reason to move to London, is that she wanted to travel more and this year alone she has trips planned to Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Italy, France and Iceland.

The itinerary of Notting Hill girl is fully booked, but she did find time to share her favourite three pieces from her wardrobe.

Here’s Le Choix de Notting Hill girl!

1. Marc by Marc Jacobs patent leather flats

I bought these in 2007 and have been wearing them ever since! They are classic and so incredibly comfortable! They were made in Italy and the quality shows, I have them resoled every so often and they are like new again.

2. Mulberry Bayswater bag in Oak

This is my first ‘designer’ bag and was a gift from my boyfriend. I have always wanted a classic designer bag that I can (hopefully) one day pass on to my daughter. It took me a long time to work out what bag was right for me, but I’m not so glad I chose it.

3. Topshop black tailcoat blazer

I bought this blazer back in 2008 and wear it with everything. It is so versatile - I wear it with jeans, dresses and skirts. I love the tailcoat at the back, it’s different from a traditional blazer.

http://nottinghillgirl.blogspot.com/

twitter @nottinghillg1rl

LE CHOIX de REALLY REE

Another week, another Le Choix! This week I bring you Anne-Marie Lodge from the UK aka Really Ree. Her blog is a mixture of shopping tips, beauty news, fashion ideas and kiss and tells of events Ree attends. This 35-year-old mum of a 7-year-old son was born with a style gene! As a baby she used to hang over the side of her pram to get a glimpse of people’s shoes. This is where the fascination for the beautiful things in her life started. Since June 2010 she keeps track of all the pretty things on her blog Really Ree.

Next to blogging she works part-time in a jewellery store. The highlight of her blogging adventures was meeting her fashion hero, Roland Mouret (swoon!), who was as charming in real life as she’d hoped him to be. As you will see from her Le Choix, Ree just loves fashion and a designer name alone won’t do. This lady loves her high-end stuff as much as a good bargain.

Since Ree is really busy, we didn’t have a lot of time to chat more about style and her blog, but I’m sure you’ll love her Le Choix! Especially her first choice, her dream bag she hunted down (Can you believe it was sold out everywhere! Ree had to be put on a waiting list to get it!) and tweeted about with so much passion, I was truly excited for her when she got it!

Here is Le Choix de Really Ree!

1. Chanel jumbo flap bag in caviar

I love the classic lines and the hardware. Chanel as a brand is so aspirational to me. I feel that I could be wearing absolutely anything, simple jeans and Tshirt, and that bag would lift the whole outfit. It is timeless, I know I will never get bored of it and it goes with everything. I mean business with that bag - It is iconic!

2. Coat by Jigsaw
I have had the Jigsaw coat (bought from a second hand designer/vintage store) for a couple of months. I have worn it everyday since I bought it. It is a beautiful green, which is very flattering for my colouring. It is also really comfortable and warm. It is so soft and snuggly! The jacket is smart, yet casual so I can wear it with everything. It fits nicely over a jacket for work. It has a very classic style which looks good open, or buttoned all the way up with the collar up.

3. Aviators by Tom Ford
I bought the Tom Ford Aviators In New York on Independence Day 2008. I just adore them. They make my face made up even when I have no time to do makeup, and they add an instant injection of glamour. Again they are a classic style that will never go out of fashion. I am obsessed with protecting myself of the ageing effects of the sun and so wear sunglasses as much as I can.