She & Him, a musical collaboration between the massively talented M. Ward and the ethereal and equally talented Zooey Deschanel, performed last night at the Uptown Theater. Zooey, better known for her roles in Almost Famous, Elf, and 500 Days of Summer, captivated the crowd with her sweet yet sultry voice and oh-so-stunning good looks. She wore a precious, sparkly, baby blue dress that made it impossible to keep your eyes off her and bounced around with infectious energy while shaking a tambourine. They performed songs from their latest album, Volume Two, as well as M. Ward’s latest album, Hold Time, on which Zooey also collaborated. During their cover of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “Fools Rush In,” Zooey entertained the crowd by playing the ukulele.

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Standard Style Boutique in Leawood, KS  and Kansas City MO are looking for qualified individuals to join their sales team. Individuals must have at least 2-5 + years sales expeience, have excellent customer service and motivated to work as a team. We are looking for people who have a strong sense of style and be educated on trends and designers. We are hiring full and part time positions, nights and weekends. If you are interested please contact us here.

Shout out to Kansas City’s Peregrine Honig for an amazing performance on Bravo’s, “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist”. Her final project was completely inspirational with its county fair theme. Her room set included wax horses, heads, frames, and had a photograph of two taxidermy fawns for the side show. Although not the winner her creativity and energy was top notch. Kansas City is lucky to have such a talented artist amongst our society.

For more information on Honig check out www.peregrinehonig.com

StangePort KC opens in the crossroads.

StagePort, boasting three shooting stages and authored by OfficePort co-founders Shaul Jolles and Michael Edmonson, its general manager, Jon Trozzolo, and builder, Jeff Owens, seems poised to become a major player in the development of this district. It will have limitless backdrop capabilities and one of the largest green-screen stages in the region. Appropriately, it is an off-shoot of the mail OfficePort center — a free-flowing series of individual office “pods” that encourages entrepreneurial thought, with its communal principle that provides full amenities while furnishing several meeting places for tenants to share ideas.

Read the full article here.

This line of unique handbags is made from vintage textiles that the designer, Simone, has collected from all over the world. The bags are all brightly colored with various textures and embellishments, such as coins, mirrors, and beads. After Nicole Richie was spotted carrying one of Simone’s bags, they quickly become a hot item for the summer and have been selling out everywhere. They are available in 3 styles, all with the lines signature ethnic flair. If you add one of these unique bags to your look, make sure to keep the rest of your look simple to let your bag stand out!

Actress Jenna Dewan is mixing fashion with passion to fight trading of exotic animal skins. She has teamed up with Energy Muse Jewelry to design his-and-her bracelets for the cause. The bracelet features nine different stones including turquoise and tiger’s eye. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each bracelet will be donated to PETA to further its efforts to combat the exotic skin industry. To buy the bracelet see energymuse.com.

This summer, I know you’re enjoying your pool time in the hot sun to get your tan on, but don’t forget that your skin needs some nourishment after all those UV rays! Not only does it need to be UV protected, but also moisturized to the extreme. The sun dehydrates every part of your body and I know I want to have healthy skin after the summer is over. The Institut Esthederm Adaptasun Body Milk trains your skin to fortify itself on a cellular level so it’s ready for the worst. Sunscreens like these, that moisturize while protecting from UV rays, are the best option. Also, it’s always good to use sunscreen at higher levels of SPF. One of the mistakes many make is to use lower SPF so they can get a better tan. The truth is, sunscreen isn’t supposed to keep you from tanning, it keeps you from burning! Preventing burning is much better for your skin in the long run. If you’re using basic sunscreen, I would recommend applying a moisturizer like Olay Quench Body Lotion beforehand. Hydrated skin tans much easier. Happy Sunning!

Only 4 more days left of our sale! Come in to either of our locations for HUGE savings on your favorite designers! Tons of new dresses and tanks just added! You definitely don’t want to miss out on these awesome deals!

Founded in 1891, Harzfeld Department Store, a.k.a. “Parisian Cloak Co.,” brought women’s ready-to-wear to Kansas City. It’s founder, Siegmund Harzfeld, and parter, Ferdinand Siegel, brought mass produced clothing at a time when the norm for women was to schedule lengthy, expensive appointments with a tailor to make custom clothing. The store is also renowned for the “Achelous and Hercules” mural which is now at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.. Lets remember those who contributed so much to the Kansas City fashion, art, and music life.

If you love to buy trendy clothing to wear for a season and then get rid of, there is a new clothing recycling idea that might be a great solution for you.  The new program is a great way to get rid of your old trendy clothing while being friendly to the environment.  Starting in September, New York City is going to launch one of the largest textile recycling initiatives in the nation. The purpose of this is to make it convenient for people to recycle their clothing rather than throw it away. The city plans to place 50 bins around the city in high-traffic areas.  If this program is effective it will influence other cities to start their own textile recycling program.

Lauren Conrad, former star of the MTV series, “The Hills,” has been spotted wearing Gypsy 05, a favorite at Standard Style. The California vibe that comes from the bright colors and tie-dye patterns attracts many California-based celebrities like Conrad. We still have several pieces in the store, come grab yours today!

The nominees for the 2010 Emmy Awards were announced! Some of my favorites made it onto the list and a ton more that I’m excited about. The HBO series “The Pacific” ended up with the most of 24 nominations (including outstanding miniseries),  followed by “Glee” and “Mad Men,” both with 19 nominations. Some highlights include Steve Carell for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series and Hugh Laurie and Matthew Fox for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. Lea Michele and Tina Fey are up for Actress in a Comedy Series and Kyra Sedgwick and January Jones for Actress in a Drama Series! Lost, Glee, Mad Men, and Dexter ended up with several major awards. Congratulations to all the nominees!

Despite the rush of purple that came in 2008, it is still a popular color for late summer/early fall this year! Dresses are commonly paired with nude pumps or black shoes and belts. This color is perfect for standing out in a crowd and keepin’ it simple at the same time. I love wearing my purple dress for evening occasions. College students, make sure you have one before summer ends! It’s a must have for those weekend events. Purple has also been seen continuously in Christian Dior’s collections this year. Check them out at Style.com!

Looking for a fun way to spend a summer afternoon? Check out the Kansas City Garment District Museum, located at 801 Broadway. After World War I, KC’s old garment district had over 4,000 employees who manufactured clothes that 1 of every 7 women in the United States owned. In fact at one point, clothes manufacturing was the second largest employer of any industry in Kansas City. Learn more interesting facts about the beginning of the garment district by taking a tour of this museum, open from 10-4 Wednesday through Saturday.

Kansas City has some great concerts coming up in the month of July. Add these to your calendar so you don’t miss out!

July 5th: Modest Mouse and Avi Buffalo @ CrossroadsKC

July 6th: Barenaked Ladies and Counting Crows @ Starlight Theatre

July 11th: REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar @ Starlight Theatre

July 13th: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers @ Sprint Center

July 15th: Lillith Fair: Sarah McLachlan, Ingrid Michelson, Kelly Clarkson and more @ Sandstone Ampitheatre

July 16th: The Ataris @ The Beaumount Club

July 19th: Civil Twilight @ The Record Bar

July 24th: Paul McCartney @ Sprint Center

July 28th: Ben Folds, Silversun Pickups, and Devo @ City Market

One of the best things to do during the summer is grab a book and chill by the pool. Here are a few on my list this year:

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You by Kelly Cutron
Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self by Christian Siriano
A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff
Cum Laude by Cecily von Ziegesar
The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
No Place Like Home: A Memoir in 39 Apartments by Brooke Berman
Anthropology of an American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann
One Day by David Nicholls