Tis the Season for a Holiday Party

Good friends step in when they know you need help.  And my dear friends Sally and Jamie of The Style Lobby noticed that Zoe's blog was, well, not very bloggy lately.  When they asked if I'd like for them to do a guest post for me, I think I said "Yes" before they even finished the question!  Jamie styled some of Zoe's favorite holiday pieces and Sally applied her excellent photography skills.  I may turn over Zoe's blog to them full time! :)  Read on:

It’s nearly that time of year again. I love the excitement of upcoming holiday parties, but I’m usually longing for a night at home by the fire place by mid-December. Part of the stress comes from uncertainty over what to wear, so it helps if I have a few pieces in my wardrobe to make at least that part easy.

A few years ago, I had a friend who was invited to the White House Christmas Party. She was looking for something to wear, but any of the more formal dresses I could loan her were sleeveless, and she needed something with sleeves for the party.  (Knowing Mrs. Obama’s penchant for baring her buff arms, I wonder if that restriction went out with the previous administration.)  This Renee Arnez dress would fit the bill perfectly—completely covered up but still alluring and beautiful. Better than that, it was on the sale rack! (I’m not entirely sure it will still be on the sale rack, I’m thinking I might need to own this one!)  Even though it’s a fairly simple black dress, I feel like the drape of this piece is the true statement, so a small, sparkly pair of John Wind earrings was really the only accessory it needed.

Sadly, I don’t have an event requiring a floor length gown, so even though I might need this beautiful sale rack find in my closet, it’s not going to meet my holiday party needs.  I tend to choose something more versatile when I’m holiday party shopping.  While it’s totally appropriate for the office, this red Trina Turk dress has enough presence to be a standout after hours, too.  A golden Alexandra Satine clutch takes it from professional to party, and a bracelet, also from Trina Turk, and a pair of ADMK earrings add just enough sparkle.

While the red dress is a versatile party piece for someone who works in a corporate environment, I usually choose to go with separates that I can use in my (not so corporate) everyday life.  These black rosette jeans from Red Engine are a staple piece with a little added flair, and I am in love with this aubergine blouse from Rebecca Taylor.  I have a feeling that I’d have to put this one on a schedule so that I didn’t wear it all the time!  Throwing on this furry blazer from Velvet makes the outfit extra special. Finished off with some more ADMK earrings and a deep lip gloss from Haughty, I’m ready to head to the party.

The Namesake

As long time readers of this blog know, the store was named Zoe in honor of the daughter that I never had.  The Zoe Girl motif (designed to my specifications by the talented Lisa Henderling with the guidance of my wonderful friend and graphic designer Cori Canady) reflects my vision of what I believe my "grown-up" Zoe would look like.  I have been privileged to meet a number of Zoes in the time I have owned the store (even a dog named Zoe during the Doggie Trick or Treat in Old Town yesterday).  But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine she would inspire a piece of jewelry!

Enter talented NYC based jewelry designer Katie Bartels.  As we talked about various ways to work together over the summer, we arrived at the idea of Katie creating a signature piece that would be sold only at Zoe.  When I asked her to describe her design process and inspiration, she shared this with me:

"I was incredibly excited when Susan approached me to design and hand make a piece exclusively for Zoe Boutique! The Zoe woman is sophisticated, elegant, stylish, and classic so I knew freshwater pearls had to be a part of the piece I designed. I am a big fan of "Zoe pink" and thought it should be incorporated into the piece for a fun pop of color. I sketched a few different design ideas and was very drawn to the idea of mixing pearls and ribbon for a preppy look. I worked with Susan to get the color of the ribbon just right and we finalized the design when she visited my studio in New York City over the summer. It was important to both of us that the necklace complement the clothing Susan carefully selects for the boutique and I think we definitely achieved that goal. It was such an honor to create this design!"

So, I confess to being slightly biased....but I do think it is gorgeous!

Katie is coming to Zoe for an exclusive Washington DC area trunk show on November 16th.  Stop by to meet this talented artist (and just all around fantastic young lady!)  

Spring Market - Three Years Later

Before starting this blog post, I went back to read the summary of my very first Market visit 3 years ago.  Prior to opening Zoe, I made the trip to Atlanta in the Fall of 2010 for my first buying experience.  If you'd like to relive that experience with me, that blog post is here.

So it seemed fitting that three years later, I found myself back in Atlanta again, this time buying for Spring 2014.  Other obligations had kept me from going to NYC in September as usual so I got to enjoy the familiar and more relaxed confines of the AmericasMart.

Because I am what my husband refers to as an "Intense Traveler", I was on a 6 am flight to Atlanta and at Market just as it opened at 9 am.  Having registered with a couple of clicks for a Fast Badge online, I had my buyer's badge in no time flat and was off to my first appointment.

No more breaking Market up into two days like that first trip.  I was all about making the most of my time there with the hopes of heading to see family in Athens on Saturday morning rather than coming back to Market.  Thanks to Tara organizing all of my appointments for me, I had a great schedule with all of the brands I wanted to visit (and a little time to look at other potential lines).  In total, I saw 13 lines that day!

Some surprises - Beth Bowley has ceased producing a line.  We will receive her Holiday shipment but that will be it.  She has been a customer favorite and we are sad to lose her.  And Cynthia Steffe is no longer designing for Cluny.  We have loved her unique takes on traditional designs and were an early buyer of the line.

As I have mentioned before, being in Atlanta allows you to have more time with your reps and to visit as friends.  I loved my time with Maye of Alice & Trixie and Amy Matto, Natasha of Chan Luu, and Noelle of Rebecca Taylor.  They are absolutely some of my favorites and know me and the store so well that they start editing the collections before I say a word.  We've worked together for long enough that they know my buying style and the style of my Zoe customers.

I was so enamored with the jacket from the Lily Aldridge for Velvet Collection that I threatened to take it with me right then!  The reps agreed that it looked great with my redwood colored jeans from Red Engine and my silk blouse from 81 Poppies.

It was surprising to see how many of the trends carried over from Fall to Spring.  Lots of leather and leather accents remain.  Black and White and darker colors were prevalent in the lines (I complained to a couple of brands - where are my Spring colors??)  Peplum is still very in as well.  Seeing a lot less of the High Low trend that seems to be wearing out its welcome.

Lots of Black and White

Velvet finally brought some color to the mix (as did Trina Turk)

Rebecca Taylor always has great dresses

After a VERY long day (I think I finished up at around 6:30), I checked into my hotel for the night and went to get something to eat and relax for a bit.  I've stayed in my hotel (the Marriott Marquis) twice with Jim so he asked me to take a picture for him showing him the location of my room.  Of course, I had to oblige.

Even after three years and countless market and buying trips, the process of shopping for my customers remains one of the most fun and most stressful aspects of owning a store.  Atlanta will always hold a special place in my heart because she was first.

Zoe's Fall Windows

In my continued mea culpa regarding my poor blog posting, I realized that I had interviewed Tara on the topic of this blog when I was in the store following the District Sample Sale, oh....about a month ago.  It is high time I got around to giving you the details around these beautiful windows!

The origin:  Our lovely Alexandra is studying for the SAT and, during quiet times in the store, she and Tara review vocabulary words.  (Who knew that working at Zoe was so educational?)  One of the words was "defoliate" and Tara challenged Alexandra to use it in a sentence.  As they discussed the word in detail, all Tara could think of was falling leaves.  And an idea for a window display was born!

The two of them had also ventured to Georgetown one evening to see the movie "Scatter My Ashes At Bergdorfs" and had been wowed by the window displays and how each one told a story.  Even more inspired, Tara began searching for the templates to help her carry out her vision.

She found the templates for the beautiful fall leaves online and began printing and coloring leaves in her spare time  (coloring them at one of her boyfriend's football games, she was asked if she was a teacher!)  For the trees (shown below) she resourcefully used cardboard from the boxes containing clothes that are delivered to Zoe.  (We are all about recycling, reusing, and repurposing at Zoe!)  The corrugated cardboard was perfect for creating a bark-like effect when she added a darker brown market to it.

Like Janice and Karen, she doesn't tell me exactly what she is planning but assures me that I will like it (and I always do!)  If you haven't already, make sure to stop by to let her know how much you love her windows!

A Grown-Up Surprise

Oh, hey blog...long time no see!  I've been just a "little" busy lately but that doesn't mean that I don't think of you (and feel guilty) every day.

In thinking about this blog post I realized that, as a grown up, I don't have very many good surprises.  Bad surprises, yes.  They seem to pop up with regularity.  But no honest-to-goodness, I wasn't expecting that, how fantastic! surprises.  They are few and far between.  Until now.

There seem to be a plethora of sample boxes out there.  Birchbox.  Barkbox.  Julep.  Nature Box.  The list goes on and on.  But did any of them apply to me?  One day in August, I was reading blog entries from a great site called DC Ladies.  One of the writers mentioned the PopSugar Must Have Box and I was intrigued.  This looked like it had possibility!

I didn't want to go in too deeply without knowing if I would like it, so I signed up for a 3 month subscription.  They initially told me I wouldn't receive my first box until October but they had some subscriptions lapse in September so I was able to receive that box as my first of three.  And I was hooked.  Finally, I had something that would surprise (and delight) me!!

Jim has even gotten in on the excitement of seeing what has arrived for the month.  He informed me last week when I called home to say I was on my way that my October box had arrived and wondered out loud what was in it.  Here is how it looks when it arrives in the mail.

The anticipation was killing me...but I always open it slowly (to make the surprise even better)!

The pink pamphlet provides details on each item in the box.  And what an awesome box it was!  Imagine my delight when I saw the Jane Tran bobby pins like we carry at Zoe (love some hair jewelry!)

Each box normally has some kind of food, some cosmetics, a book (I know, like I need more books), and other fashionable things.  I was doubly excited when I found that they had included the SAME HAIRBRUSH that we featured on Alexandria Stylebook from Bellacara!  Talk about being on trend - the ladies of Stylebook know what we are talking about! (Make sure to sign up for our email list here!)

We all need a little (good) surprise in our lives from time to time!

Tara's First Year

In celebration of her 1 year anniversary at Zoe, I asked Tara to write a Guest Post for the Blog today!

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year already.  I guess it is true what they say - time flies when you are having fun.  I first started working at Zoe on this day Sept. 24, one year ago.  I had an idea of what it would be like since I have worked in retail for 12 years already.  But what I have done over the past year with Susan and Zoe, was not one of those ideas.

I will never forget my first day “on the job” was a buying trip in New York City.  Susan took me on a train ride from Union Station (at 5am, lets just say I’m not a morning person), arriving in NYC sometime around 8am.  We went to several showrooms where I had the chance to look at designer lines that were all showing a season ahead.  I felt like VIP getting to see what was coming out for spring when it had just turned fall.  I also felt like a tourist, since I had to photograph and Instagram my entire experience.  I thought I had finally arrived when we went to the Chan Luu showroom, which happens to be in the Penthouse of their building.  This was obviously my first time in any penthouse.  I was like a kid in a candy store with all of those beautiful bracelets, clothing, and scarves!

NOTE:  Susan won't let me go to Velvet by myself.  I would spend the entire season's worth of money there!

After having the showroom experience, it came to no surprise that I would get to meet actual designers.  While at the store, I have had the privilege to meet Meagan Kurtz of ADMK Jewelry, Katie Bartels of Katie Bartels Jewelry, Kathlin Argiro, and Michelle Edwards of Haughty Cosmetics.  I never dreamed of being able to actually meet designers in the flesh (you something you just imagine would happen one day).  To my surprise I was also able to help Kathlin Argiro with a custom wedding gown for one of our customers.  Watching her create this amazing piece of artwork with a sash was incredible.  I was also able to design and create a display for ADMK Jewelry for their Atlanta Market show.

Tara and Meagan of ADMK Jewelry

Like I said, I have worked in retail for 12 years, so getting new items in every week is normally a walk in the park for me.  Receiving merchandise at Zoe is all so different.  It’s always like opening presents on Christmas.  I have even nicknamed our UPS delivery driver Freddie Claus.  I get so excited opening boxes and knowing that I actually had a hand in picking what our customers would one day have in their closets.

Our Favorite UPS Driver EVER - Freddie

Through out this entire year, I have been attending school for a degree in Fashion Merchandising.  For this degree, my final grade hinged solely on my ability to cultivate a business plan and website for my own store.  I don’t think I could have asked for a better mentor.  With Susan already experiencing the good and bad of the industry, I was able to have first hand experiences as a small business owner, and in some cases learn more from her than in class.

With all these great experiences, trips, events, and designer meet and greets, I can’t wait to see where year two with Zoe takes me!  Who knows, maybe we will end up front row at New York Fashion week sitting next to Anna Wintour.  With Susan and Zoe Boutique, anything is possible!

The Invite

Isn't it always exciting to get an invitation?  Especially to an event you'd love to be part of?  Zoe got to experience that feeling when we got an invitation to be part of the District Sample Sale!

So what is the District Sample Sale?  It is the season's most fashionable charitable event!  100% of the Sample Sale's profits are donated to their chosen charity (this year is N Street Village) and their legacy charities!  In fact, since 2006, over $290,000 have been donated to charitable causes!

Planned for Tuesday, September 24th at The Sphinx Club at 1315 K Street, NW in the District, VIP shoppers may enter at 5:30 pm while the venue opens to all shoppers at 6:30 pm.  The ticket price includes cocktails and hors d'óuevers. Participants also have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction and a raffle and VIP Ticket holders also get a goodie bag!

It was an honor for Zoe to be invited to this prestigious event!  Much like the famed Old Town Boutique Warehouse Sale, stores offer end of season items at amazing discounts and even offer some in-season items at reduced prices!  If you don't have your ticket yet, you should definitely make sure you get them before time runs out - click here to purchase tickets and learn more about the event!

I'll be sure to give you a full rundown on the event later this week.  Hope to see you there!

  

Reconnaissance

I have been known to be challenged to actually take a real day off.  But what if working during your day off is fun?  What if it involves shopping?  Is it really work?  I'll let you decide!

On Saturday, I decided to take a day to enjoy myself.  We won't talk about how late I slept or how many cups of coffee I drank when I got up.  A planned trip to the grocery store turned into a reconnaissance mission - visit some stores that I admired to learn a bit more about how they do things (and to see how I was treated as an average customer).

As a side note, I have to say I love the way some of Zoe's customers are dressed when they shop in my store.  I wish I could look like that when I am shopping.  But I don't.  Not ever.  Saturday's grocery store ensemble was a t-shirt, jeans, and sandals.  So that is how I went into these locally owned boutiques in another part of the DMV area.  And I was treated wonderfully.  As I would hope I would be!

There were several things I wanted to observe (in addition to my treatment as a customer).  I wanted to learn about their return policies.  I wanted to look at brands that I might be missing.  I wanted to observe store layouts.  I wanted to observe dressing rooms.  I wanted to observe sales.  And I wanted to observe traffic.  (And I wanted to shop!)

I had a really enjoyable afternoon (and I did eventually make it to the grocery store).  Some key take aways from the trip:

1) Return Policy - I changed Zoe's return policy today.  After almost 2-1/2 years, it was time.  I brought it more in line with similar boutiques.

2) Brands - I found two new brands that I want to pursue further for Zoe's customers.  Both of which I bought for myself and will wear for a while to see what I think.  (No worries - these boutiques are quite far enough away from the store so as to not be cannibalizing on the brands).

3) Store Layouts - I got some ideas on things I might change to make things more efficient.

4) Dressing Rooms - While I am still very partial to a door on the dressing room - I got two completely different perspectives on the use of mirrors, which I need to consider at Zoe.

5) Sales - The stores I visited were all having unique versions of Labor Day weekend sales.  Definitely some good ideas for the future.

6) Traffic -  You always want to get a feel for independent store traffic, even if it is on a holiday weekend.  I observed traffic while I was there and got the feedback I needed.

Um...plus I came away with a few purchases.  (Lines not available at Zoe, of course)!

See, working CAN be fun!  Not a bad Labor Day weekend at all.

Tee It Up

College Football season kicked off tonight and I could not be more excited!  Probably my favorite sport, it combines optimism, hard work, joy, passion, and an all around good time.  But what does this have to do with fashion?

You won't find much in the way of University of Georgia fashions in the DC area.  When it comes to football, we are mostly an NFL town.  Virginia Tech, UVA, and Maryland battle it out for college prominence but with no major concentration in the Alexandria area.  I may occasionally see something for Zoe and think "Oh, I'll bet a Maryland grad would love that."  But we don't get a lot of requests for school color clothing.

A boutique in a college town, however, must do their buying with the local University in mind!  Two of my favorite boutiques, Duo in Charlottesville and Sonia Says in Athens, GA make sure to have plenty of school color merchandise on hand, especially in the Fall.  As I scrolled through my Facebook News Feed yesterday, I saw this adorable Bulldog scarf at Sonia Says.

I immediately asked in the comments if they took phone orders and they confirmed that they did and would ship to me!  When I called today, they quickly processed my order over the phone with the promise to send it out tomorrow!  I will be fashionably adorned in time for next weekend's game.

Like Sonia Says, Zoe does phone orders too!  We even did one in response to our trunk show this past weekend!  It is not at all unusual for a customer to ask us to take pictures to send them them and then decide to place an order.  And of course, it is very easy to see our new arrivals (and sale items) on our Facebook Store (and purchase from there also!)

I hope your team wins this weekend (unless you are playing UGA, of course!)

I Don't Own Yoga Pants

Well, until now.  I do own yoga pants...I think - I'm still questioning it.  But let me explain.

I've wanted to get back to some type of structured exercise for some time.  And I had heard a great deal about The Barre Code, located in the Del Ray area of Alexandria.  One Sunday afternoon, I stopped in and met the owner, Amy, and was impressed by her and the facilities.  So last Sunday night, I decided to take the plunge and buy a 10 lesson package, figuring I could determine in that amount of time if it was for me or not.

Determined to jump right in, I registered for my first class on Monday evening.  Womp Womp.  I was wait listed!  On Monday, thinking that it was a possibility that I might make it off the wait list, I grabbed the first few items I saw in my "exercise clothing" drawer and headed out the door.

A quick check of my email just after 5 pm revealed that I had made it off the wait list and into that evening class.  And it started at 6:30.  Time to jump in the car and take off like a mad woman for Alexandria!  I made it in time to change into the clothes I brought with me....and then I realized I had a problem.  The bottoms were ok - Nike tights that I used for other exercise classes and running.  But the tops.  Oh, the tops.  I had a pink sport bra and what turned out to be a red tank top that was actually a pajama top.  Made even worse that it was a Christmas pajama top with two reindeer kissing on it.  (And lets not talk about the fact that I had brought no shoes to change into - rather than going out into the parking lot in my high heels, I chose to put on socks).

Note 1:  Whenever I am with someone and we see someone who is wearing ill-fitting or unmatching exercise gear and the person I am with makes a derogatory comment, I always say "Well, at least he/she is trying!!"  When I looked at myself in the mirror in class that night, I just had to say "Well, at least you are trying!"  (And hope that my classmates were saying the same thing).

Note 2:  When I told both Tara and Alexandra about this, they were both ashamed of my fashion disaster.  I promised them it would not happen again.

Pressed for time, I did not get the chance to check any of the local stores for the appropriate exercise wear.  I found myself in a Lululemon.  Kind of like a craft store, I felt like an impostor.  But I took a deep breath, tried on a couple items, and left with a top and pants that seemed appropriate.  And I said to myself "Did I just buy yoga pants?"  I checked their online store - my top is definitely a yoga top.  I think the pants could qualify as running pants.  That's what I'm telling myself anyway.  (Not that there is anything wrong with yoga pants.  I just never pictured myself wearing any.  As I always say "Never Say Never")

I looked much more stylish in my Friday class.  By the way, I do love it and really recommend it if you are looking for a great, challenging workout in the Alexandria area.  But, as always, it made me think.  Why couldn't I easily find workout clothing in a local store?  Where could I find it?

I have taken steps to get approved as a reseller of exercise clothing for three different lines.  I'll pick one to see if I can satisfy an unmet need for my customers and women in Alexandria.  And try to make sure I don't go to class as a fashion disaster anymore!

Not My Hometown Sidewalk Sale

If you've read this blog for a while, you know that I grew up in a small town and shopped boutiques with my Mom.  Not because we were trendy or cool but because there were no chain stores!  Boutiques were the ONLY place to shop.  But it did shape my shopping and fashion choices forever!

Our hometown sidewalk sale always took place in August (just like Alexandria's this past weekend).  And, to be honest, it was kind of a letdown.  Most of the stuff out on the sidewalk looked like it was 10 years old and had been drug out of the store basement!  Or the boutique that also had shoes that had their one cent sale - buy one shoe at the sale price and get the second shoe for a penny.  (Um...I don't think anyone was just going to buy one shoe).  Needless to say, we went but we mostly ended up going into the stores to see their new Fall merchandise.

I contrast that experience with the Alexandria Sidewalk Sale.  Not even a comparison!  I am always amazed at the beautiful items that stores offer during this fabulous end of season event!  All weekend, we not only had delighted customers at Zoe but also customers showing us their finds from the other stores!  (The only negative - if you work the sale, you often don't have the opportunity to visit everyone else's offerings!)  This was definitely NOT my hometown sidewalk sale.

While we are fortunate to not be transporting the store (ala The Warehouse Sale) to another location, it still requires planning and work.  On Friday afternoon, Tara and I were busily marking down prices, assembling the H-rack, and talking about product placement inside and outside the store, as well as making our disaster recovery plans for rain (Good thing!  More to come on that).

I set my alarm for 6 am on Saturday morning so I could get to the store early and start to finalize preparations.  With an open time of 9 am on the first day of the sale, we needed to make sure everything was ready to go.

(Thanks to our friends at Alexandria Stylebook for this live action shot of me and Tara getting everything set up!)

The questionable weather kept things uncertain during the first few hours of the sale.  In total, we brought the clothes inside and then back out FOUR times over the course of the earlier hours on Saturday!  By the last time, I think we did it in 3 minutes flat.  As fine tuned as a NASCAR pit crew!

Our shoppers perusing the temporary racks inside during one of the drizzle periods outside!

Once the weather cleared up and looked more certain, the shoppers came out in droves.  As always, it is so much fun to see so many of our existing Zoe friends and customers and make new friends.  And there is nothing more satisfying than seeing someone happy over getting a great addition to their wardrobe at a great price!

Shoppers enjoying the wide open surface of the outside patio shop!

This year, the Sidewalk Sale was slated for 2 days!  We had always put Zoe's merchandise out on Sunday anyway (since the patio is private and doesn't block the street).  But this was the first time it was official!  We not only had great weather but continued good crowds on day two.  When we shut down on Sunday evening, we deemed the weekend a success.

I can't go without mentioning the amazing work done by Tara and Julie this weekend!  They kept our customers happy, our doggie visitors well-treated (literally!), and our dressing rooms well managed and clean.  Nothing about this event would have been a success without them.

I love the Alexandria Sidewalk Sale (can you believe this was Zoe's third time to participate?)  And as many things as I like about my experiences shopping in my hometown, I'm glad our Sidewalk Sales are not the same!

A Different Point of View

This past weekend was not only Jim's first trip to New York but also the first time he had seen me "at work".  He provides his point of view in today's blog post.

Susan:  This was your first trip to New York City.  What did you like best about it?

Jim:  Getting to see you in your role as "the buyer".  I never could really understand this process without seeing it first hand.  I was really impressed with your reps and their presentations.

Susan:  What was the worst thing about your trip?

Jim: One of the cab rides was horrible!  And all of them have road rage!  But I probably would too if I had to drive in Manhattan every day.

Susan:  What was the biggest surprise?

Jim:  The cost of EVERYTHING!  Food, drinks, attractions.  I couldn't believe how expensive it was!  The other thing was the size of Central Park.  I didn't realize just how big it was - and I spent parts of two days there and still didn't get to see all of it.

Susan:  What were three observations that you had about the buying process for Zoe?

Jim:  1) How difficult it would be to make a decision on what to buy, 2) The size of the collections - when you told me that the Resort/Early Spring collections were small compared to Spring/Fall, I couldn't believe it.  I thought these collections were big, and 3) The locations of some of the showrooms.  It is hard to believe these beautiful spaces exist in these nondescript buildings.

Susan:  You compared the visits to sales calls that you make in your job.  What did you observe about my interactions with my reps?

Jim:  I was impressed that your reps seemed to know what you wanted to see.  That they knew your previous orders and didn't waste time showing you things that didn't fit the Zoe customer.  And the interactions between them and you were pleasant and friendly.  And when you went to work, you didn't even seem to remember I was there!  Meaning that you were very natural and seemed liked you behaved the same way you would if I wasn't there.

Susan:  I can always use a chaperon!!  But I did ask you to feel the fabrics sometimes!  What did you think?

Jim:  The fabrics were amazing!  They are even softer than they look!  It is clear that companies are making clothing with a focus on how they feel on the body.  They want people to be comfortable.

Susan:  We met with fab jewelry designer Katie Bartels in her shared workspace office.  What did you think about that set-up and meeting?

Jim:  The shared workspace set-up was very interesting.  I am not sure if I could work in that environment but it seemed like a great fit for Katie and the others working there.  I enjoyed seeing the two of you as small businesswomen talk about the different methods for building and publicizing your brands.  And she took us out for the MOST delicious chocolate chip cookie!  And it was fun getting to see (and weigh in on) the design of the Zoe necklace.

Susan:  Would you go back again?

Jim:  Yes, without a doubt.

5 Days, 5 Outfits

Today was the final day of work for a dear friend and valued co-worker at my day job.  People showed their love and appreciation for her in a variety of ways, including gifts of all types.  But being so fashion and style focused, I just had to share my favorite gift with you!

A self-confessed tomboy who nonetheless loves pretty clothes, my friend has always said she struggles to put together the right combination of clothing and accessories for work.  In order to start her off in her new job in style, three friends got together and outfitted her with clothing and accessories to cover the first 5 days in her new job (plus a bonus outfit to wear to go out with her husband next Friday night to celebrate a successful week at her new company!)

Each day's outfit was wrapped with care in tissue paper, tied with ribbon, and included a card outlining how it could be worn "as is" or combined with other things in her wardrobe!  Included in each day's package were outfit appropriate earrings and accessories!  She may have a lot of things on her mind as she adjusts to a new commute and a new work environment next week, but she won't have to worry about what to wear!

It really made me think about gift giving in a different way.  We all notice what our friends wear - why not give them something to accent that great skirt or pair of jeans?  And tell them you were thinking of that favorite piece in their wardrobe when you purchased it!  

Happy Birthday!

But not to me (not yet, anyway)!  Fellow Alexandria businesswoman Katie Wells, Founder and Event Stylist of Petite Social, celebrates the second birthday of her business starting today!

As part of the celebration, she teamed with so many wonderful locally owned businesses, Zoe included!  By entering the contest on the Petite Social website, you can be eligible to win one of two iPad minis!  All through following the social media sites for the businesses of your choice!

Styling and planning everything from business events to fashion shows to kids parties to bridal showers, Katie brings her gift for making everything just perfect.  What an honor to celebrate with her!

Picture This

I can usually remember how I got started using a form of Social Media but I can't remember exactly what sparked my interest in Instagram a little over a year ago.  But it is rapidly becoming one of my favorite ways to not only see the world in photographs but share a little of my own world too.

Until preparing to write this blog post, I didn't realize where the name came from - the founders loved playing with cameras and liked the idea that cameras "back in the day" touted themselves as "Instant".  They also felt that the snapshots that people were taking were like telegrams being sent over the wire to others.  So why not combine the two words?

Earlier this year, I tried to take a photo every day (that was one of my promises to myself - that I would share more of myself with people).  But some days it just felt forced.  So I decided to share when it was relevant - sometimes I'll go two or three days without sharing a picture and others I'll share three pictures in a day!

I don't have an account just for Zoe (more on that in a bit) but have instead kept my account focused on my world as a whole.  You never know what you might see....

A shot of the new Summer Velvet Arrivals at Zoe back in April.

Pictures of cars (Jim loves them!)

Gratuitous pictures of the niece and nephew (my cuties!)

Silly pictures (one of my first when I was still learning to use it last summer!)

Pictures when I'm at Market (Tara and Alexandra love to follow along remotely to see what I'm looking at!  These are three Rebecca Taylor Pre-Fall pieces that I selected in January and they  recently arrived in store.

I try to remember to hashtag the Zoe related items with #shopatzoe.  Which brings me to my question - do you like to follow your brands and stores on Instagram?  I don't market my personal account to my customers (of course, if they wanted to follow, they would be welcome to do so).  But I know how much I enjoy following other stores and brands.  Let me know your thoughts.  Or if I should stick with my personal only.  I'm fine with that too!

Christmas In July - Year Three

All that preparation paid off!  Year Three of Christmas in July at Zoe was a great success!  And have I mentioned that we have the best customers?  (And got to meet lots of new ones!)

The day in pictures:

Of course, I didn't sleep very well and was in the store early preparing for the big day.  We had just received these beautiful Contrarian Trench Coats late on Friday (which I think I love more than Burberry!) and I wanted them to be steamed and ready to go for our customers.

Tara brought me sunflowers to start the day off on a positive note!

Kathlin arrived promptly at 10:30 and the customers quickly followed!  There is nothing better than having the designer of a garment show you exactly how to wear it.  In this picture, Kathlin shows the customer how to wear the wrap dress as a tunic.

It is so much fun to see the same piece of clothing worn in two different ways!  Cori and Alexandra both look fabulous!

Kathlin has fans of all ages!  This future designer immediately began sketching styles to share with Kathlin when she heard that she and her Mom would get to visit the Trunk Show this weekend!

Our beautiful bride in her custom created Kathlin Argiro wedding gown!  Kathlin actually designed this custom sash as she worked on the fitting of the gown!  The black covering on the floor (to protect the dress) was one of the tablecloths used at the Warehouse Sale in February!  (It is sometimes good that I forget to take things home).

Everyone on Team Zoe was wearing Kathlin Argiro yesterday!  One of our customers was kind enough to snap this shot of us together just before Kathlin departed for the day.

Outside Zoe, musicians played under a tent on the patio, the Smurfs made an appearance, stories were read at many different locations throughout Union Street (in support of the chosen charity The Reading Connection), and of course Santa and Mrs. Claus were a huge draw!  This was our most fun and successful Christmas in July yet!