Back to School Bags

A new year of college is right around the corner and every girl needs to be prepared for the first day. A tote or bag to carry everything a college student might need to and from class is essential. At Shop2Chic, we have you covered with a variety of different sized, but all equally stylish, totes and handbags.

Need your laptop for a lecture? Large totes are the best way to transport your computer while still looking stylish. Our woven straw tote is 12.5 inches in height and 11 inches in width and will fit your smaller laptops or iPad. The neutral color makes it very versatile while the lace trim gives it a pretty, feminine look.

If you're looking to stand out while walking around campus, Shop2Chic’s marigold suitcase bag is for you. Not only does it comfortably fit your 13 inch laptop, the bright color and uniqueness will turn heads and make you look like a world traveler.

Our silver metallic tote bag is a great size for carrying text books or your iPad. The adjustable black handle allows you the convenience of carrying it at two different lengths.

Another perfectly sized tote to carry books or your iPad is Shop2Chic's high heel tote. This unique tote is sure to grab attention as you stroll around campus. It is also a great conversation starter and adds a bit of glam to your look.

Good luck this year and as always, stay chic.

Katie

Designer Inspirations

We all love to shop, but sometimes the pieces that we covet the most have the highest price tags. However, times are changing, and Shop2Chic is here to fill your designer void. I'll show you how to score the latest in jewelry, watches, handbags and accessories without breaking the bank. Here are my favorite designer inspired pieces that you can only find on Shop2Chic.

Orange bag / Tote bag / White clutch

Black handbag

Gold jewellery / Pink stone ring

Yellow gold necklace / Tri color jewelry / Lime green earrings

Jelly handbag / White handbag

Feeling inspired? Good! Now it's time to head over to Shop2Chic to purchase the latest in designer inspired handbags and jewlery!

Stay chic,
Jackie

Labor Day Pool Party Tips

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to host pool parties for my friends and family. Last weekend, I threw a pool party in honor of John, my son's friend who recently graduated from college. John has been friends with my son for about three years now and he is like a second son to me. 

Trinity Graduation with John

Since I love entertaining, I decided to share some tips on how to throw your best pool party ever this Labor Day Weekend!

Pool during the day

Pool at night

I like to start my parties late in the day and they tend to last late into the evening.     

Bugs
Anyone who lives in New England knows that outdoor parties in the summer can be ruined by mosquitoes. Before hosting a pool party, I spray my yard with an all natural peppermint spray and light citronella candles. Both are great for warding off bugs without exposing your guests to harmful chemicals.

Color Scheme
When planning your party, it's always great to come up with a color scheme so that all of the decorations for the party match and have a cohesive look.  Picking paper plates, napkins, cups, and utensils that match will make your guests feel like you put a lot of thought and consideration into your party planning.  I have a rustic pool house, so I use a color palette of earth tones (brown, black, beige, etc.).  I like buying my paper goods from Lee's Art Shop in New York City, but stores like Homegoods and Pier 1 also carry great designs as well.

Lighting
I love using lanterns and candelabras for my outdoor parties.  They look beautiful and allow you to stay outside late into the night.  Many of my lanterns are from San Diego and my candelabra is from Mexico, but Anthropologie carries nice lighting options as well.  When picking out lighting, choose ones that fit into your design scheme.  

Food
Having good food at your party is a must!  To make things easier, I like to order some of the food from a caterer.  For a pool party, I usually order sirloin burgers, hotdogs, sausages, and assorted cheeses from an Italian deli, and then prepare the hors d'oeuvres and desserts myself.  Since I eat gluten and dairy free, and many of my family members have food allergies as well, I always make sure to have a variety of food so that everyone has something that they can eat.  When planning your party, be sure to take into consideration any dietary restrictions your guests may have, so that nobody feels left out.

Drinks
Whenever I throw a party I like to have a 'signature drink' that compliments the food being served.  Since my last party was a casual barbeque, I served a Vodka Lemonade as the drink of the night.  It's made with Vanilla Vodka, Lemonade, Club Soda, and freshly cut strawberries and lemons.  For big parties, I have my son's friend (Dex) bartend, but for smaller parties I find it easiest to just buy a few glass drink dispensers and let my guests serve themselves.  In addition to the signature drink, I stock the bar with a variety of liquors, sodas and juices.  

Outdoor Fireplace 
My house has an outdoor fireplace, and my guests love to use it to warm up after a dip in the pool and for roasting marshmallows or making s'mores.  If you don't have an outdoor fireplace or fire-pit, you might want to consider buying or making one since they really bring everyone together.

I hope you find these tips helpful!  Do you have any entertaining tips for us?  We'd love to hear from you!

Stay chic,
Cynthia



    


 

Fall 2014 Preview

Fall is a great time to change up your look. Whether it's a new signature bag or a fun necklace, Shop2Chic has you covered. This season, the runways are calling for exotic touches, statement necklaces, and updated finishes on classic handbags.

This fall Shop2Chic features big, colorful, necklaces. They're easy to pair with a simple t-shirt and jeans on casual Friday, or with your favorite black dress for a night on the town.

Horn Link Necklace

Pink Acrylic Link Necklace / Green Acrylic Flat Link Necklace / Cranberry Acrylic Link Necklace

I'm most excited for new handbag styles, especially when they mix up classic shapes with exaggerated hardware.

Handbag

Shoulder bag / Dark Rose Tube Clasp Handbag

Handbag

Which trends will you try out this fall?


Stay chic,
Jackie

Book Spotlight

How far on your summer reading list did you get this year? It's okay, we understand how hard it can be to really get into a book-especially if you don't exactly consider yourself an avid reader. Luckily, at Shop2Chic we believe that everyone has the ability to channel their inner book-nerd!

With our "Book Spotlight" segment, you'll get the latest insight on books of all kinds - courtesy of our very own book aficionado. Are you a Stephen King fan? Or do you delight in an insightful non-fiction piece? Maybe you're looking to expand your horizons but aren't too sure where to look. We've got you covered... no matter what your fancy!

Autumn's hard at work getting ready for her first book post.
Stay tuned and as always, Stay Chic! 

The Timelessness of Black and White

Although color processing entered the world of photography in 1907, I often find myself adding a black and white filter to add a level of sophistication to my Instagram photos. The lack of tones allows the photo viewer to focus on the content of the photo rather than a muddled spectrum of color. In both the world of fashion and photography, black and white always proves to be effective in promoting the subject matter. As said by Coco Chanel, "Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony."

Black works for everyone when it comes to dressing. It's slimming, easy to find, and most importantly: neutral. Pair your favorite LBD with a pair of bright shoes and a bag, or a collection of black accessories. Embellishing an outfit with black accessories allows a great level of flexibility with make-up and outfit choice. Along with the black skater dress and Louboutins, we've selected three black Shop2Chic accessories to make the outfit pop. This black bag is embellished with faux caviar leather and a slender gold chain. At a width of about a foot and a depth of five inches, it is the perfect size to hold your belongings for a night out. The floral statement ring and black acrylic earrings also add some variety and glam to this simple outfit. 

White acts as black's counterpart when it comes to fashion and accessorizing. It provides the same notion of simplicity and flexibility, but in a more angelic manner. The set above combines white and off-white accessories to display the versatility of the shade. The collar shift dress is from Mango, and the nude fever heel is from bardot.com. We've paired the outfit with two Shop2Chic products, in both cream and white. The tulle floral ring (which also comes in black and pink) compliments the feminine cream heels, and the white studded bag adds an edge to the simple shift dress.

The four Shop2Chic bags above display the true harmony of black and white. Unifying the two shades in one handbag emanates a statement of elegance and class. Check out Shop2Chic.com for more black and white products!

Stay Chic,
Amanda

How To: Dress up a Simple Outfit

There's nothing I like better than being able to dress up a plain outfit with exciting accessories. At Shop2Chic, we make it easy to stock up on the fun pieces that can take your everyday look from drab to fab. Today, we started with a Theory dress via Neiman Marcus and added jewelry and accessories from Shop2Chic. Wanna see how it all turned out? Good! Take a look below to see what inspired today's makeover.

Theory a line dress

Bracelet jewelry / Bracelet jewelry / Chain link jewelry / Triangle earrings

Handbag / Clutch

Now, it's your turn. How will you spice up a simple dress? Don't limit yourself to jewelry and handbags alone, try other accessories like scarves to change up your look!

Stay chic,

Jackie

Outfit Inspiration for Summer Cocktail Parties

While the distinction may be very subtle, the mode of dressing for a summer cocktail party greatly differs from that of any other season. Summer cocktail parties are the perfect occasion to break out your favorite white day dress and embellish it for a night look. Normally one may gravitate towards a tight LBD or a sequined dress for such a gathering, and fail to recognize that even the simplest of dresses can be perfected by the addition of fabulous accessories. 

Our summer cocktail look has been based around a summer palette of cream, gold, and bronze. We've selected a Vero Moda tube party dress paired with Christian Louboutin 120mm Follies Fishnet Pumps with a gold heel and a dark orange sole. While the lace and skater skirt of the dress constitute a day look, the stilettos transition the dress to evening wear. 

As you can see, this look would not be complete without the addition of Shop2Chic jewelry and accessories! We've selected a statement necklace and a designer-inspired beige envelope bag. Statement necklaces are the perfect way to highlight the cut of your dress, whether it be a low or high neckline. The bluntness of this necklace counteracts the casual quality of the dress, making the outfit more appropriate for an evening of sipping cocktails and socializing. The envelope bag has a golden trim and chain to match the necklace and base of the Louboutins. In an outfit like this you'll be even more weary not to spill your cocktail!

For those of you who choose to host your own summer cocktail parties: check out this recipe for Diethood's refreshing cucumber mojitos!

Stay chic,
Amanda

Summer Wedding Accessories

Summer is the season for catching fireflies, late-night swimming and homemade ice cream. After a year-long separation you are able to hit the beach with iced tea and tanning oil in hand, and the long evenings spent catching up with good friends are simply priceless. It's no wonder that in the United States the most popular time for a wedding is June-August. Whether it's a close friend or a distant relative, if there's a time to get out your dancing shoes, it's now!

Whether you're going as a guest, a bridesmaid or even the maid of honor, accessories are a must-have for your outfit. Instead of going out and spending oodles on expensive jewelry you'll probably never wear again, Shop2Chic provides a myriad of possibilities for you to spice up your summer cocktail dress for a day or a night wedding!

Day Wedding by amagro featuring a see through dress

The simple Vera Moda sleeveless dress paired with silver specchio Stuart Weitzman pumps is lack luster. But, add on our graphite band with pave accents and multi-color stone heart necklace for a cute, breezy day look!

Night Wedding by amagro featuring a short green cocktail dress

The same dress doubles for weddings under the stars when we pair it with flashy Steve Madden heels. Add to the movie star look with our Colorado topaz ring and the ultra-glamorous crystal necklace!

There's nothing quite like a summer wedding; the nostalgia of old friends together interspersed with the invigorating feeling of new love can put one in a state of bliss. At Shop2Chic, we pride ourselves on getting you ready for all of your special events with the most up to date fashion accessories. Would you wear this to your next summer wedding?

Stay Chic,
Autumn

Welcome to our Blog!

Hello and welcome to Shop2Chic's very own blog! Our team has cultivated a space where you can find short, sweet, and aesthetically-pleasing posts on the hottest trends in both lifestyle and accessories. Need some advice on how to wear your latest Shop2Chic product? Our blog will cover segments including: designer-inspired pieces, vintage finds, book reviews, the hottest in music, and more! 

Shop2Chic is an online boutique consisting of hundreds of unique and limited quantity items personally selected by its founder and owner, Cynthia Corrao. Cynthia founded the company four years ago from her historic home in Connecticut, where she hosted semi-annual shopping parties. Guests could 'wine and dine' while admiring beautiful jewelry displays. After multiple requests, Cynthia decided to transition from hosting the occasional jewelry party to having a permanent presence online. Follow our blog for your daily dosage of fashion inspiration and helpful lifestyle tips! 

Blog posts will be written by Cynthia and the Shop2Chic Social Media team. Thank you for visiting our blog, and be sure to check out our other social media outlets. We have Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest. 

Shop2Chic Social Media team