The Halston Heritage Collection has arrived at Standard Style Boutique! This diffusion line is full of reinvented archival pieces from the fashion house during their prime in the 70′s. The epitome of Studio 54 glamour, Halston has updated signature pieces in their Heritage Collection with jersey fabrics for a lower price point, while still maintaining their effortless elegance. So far, the Heritage Collection has been a huge hit among fashionistas who love its mix of comfort and glam. Halston Heritage recently made headlines by having several pieces worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the Sex and the City 2 film. Parker has since taken on a design role with Halston Heritage, being named Chief Creative Officer of the secondary collection. Hurry in to Standard Style to get a timeless piece from Halston Heritage!

My pick for this week is one of the best “little black dresses” I’ve seen in a long time. It’s the “Asymmetrical Twist Dress” by Halston Heritage. First off, I love the design–it’s black and fitted making your silhouette look slim and sleek and the neckline is so unique that it makes a statement out of basic black. It’s extremely comfortable and easy to wear. And even better, it’s reasonably priced at $263.00! For a Halston Heritage piece and a staple in your closet, I’d say that’s a great deal!

British designer Stella McCartney has recently been named the creative director for Britain’s Olympic team. The 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be held in London and McCartney says she has a million challenges ahead when it comes to using technical fabrics. Though she wants the clothing to look good on TV, she acknowledges that when it comes to the Olympics, fashion can’t get in the way of winning medals. McCartney says her main goal is to make sure that her designs don’t alter the athletes performances in any way. She has previous experience in designing athletic apparel with her women’s line, Adidas by Stella McCartney. She follows in the footsteps of Ralph Lauren, who designed the US Olympic apparel for the recent 2010 winter games.

Trove Tkees organic leather sandals are the latest hit in footwear and can be seen on the feet of everyone from Angelina Jolie to Jessica Alba. These simple sandals do wonders for your feet; they compliment your skin tone while giving the illusion of longer leaner legs, all this for under fifty bucks! Trove Tkees sandals are wearable cosmetics for your feet, literally from foundations to shadows and the perfect compliment to any outfit or pedicure. Come pick up your pair at Standard Style Boutique today.

Cutout dresses are the latest summer trend showing up on the red carpet. Celebrities are opting for simple sheath silhouettes with slivers of fabric strategically cut out to showcase their summer tans. These dresses don’t need a lot of embellishment and are best showcased in a solid color so the cut outs are more visible. Cut out dresses are great for hot summer nights and allow you to keep cool without sacrificing your style!

Bow embellishments were a staple on the Fall Couture runway of Valentino, popping up in small and large form. Their application varied from simply cinching the waist of cocktail dresses to adorning the structured lines of an avant garde look. Celebrities have transferred this trend to everyday wear by applying it to their dresses in wide and narrow belts, as well as wearing garments made of a fabric with bows actually printed on it. Bows are an easy way to add a little sweetness to an otherwise plain look, so keep an eye out for the bow trend to start popping up on accessories as well!

Quickly becoming a fashion icon  Vivianna Volpicella is known for her fun but classic sense of style. The Italian born beauty  works as the assistant fashion editor for Vogue Nippon. She loves to wear lots of bright color and has an effortless style that is being noticed by everyone in the fashion industry.

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.

Nelson Art Gallery is currently featuring a fashionable and historic exhibit, Edward Steichen-In High Fashion. The exhibition will feature about 150 works from the photographer during his tenure as chief photographer for Condé Nast’s magazines, Vogue and Vanity Fair. The photographs range from the year 1923 to 1937 and will include vintage prints that have never been published before as well as many iconic portraits of famous actors, actresses, singers, athletes, and writers. The exhibit will be at the gallery until July 25. For more information on Nelson Art Gallery see The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art | Kansas City, Missouri.

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!

Vedera is heading to Kansas City tonight @ Capital Federal Park with The Lilith Fair, also featuring Sara Swanson, Jennifer Knapp, Metric, Heart, Emmylou Harris, and Sarah McLachlan. Vedera is a band from Kansas City featuring lead singer Kristen May. To read more about Vedera see http://standardsocial.com/2010/07/local-music-spotlight-giveaway-vedera/.

May has become a big name in the fashion world with her blog http://www.chictopia.com/kristenmay. She has an unique sense of style and prides herself on combining low and high priced items from around the world. Stay tuned to Standard Social for an upcoming interview with May and make sure to check out Vedera tonight!

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.

Each Thursday during July, Town Center Plaza is having a summer concert series for the whole family. The concerts start at 7pm every Thursday. Be sure to stop in our Town Center location and check out our newest arrivals.  Here is the concert line up!

July 15 – Megan Birdsall- Jazz

July 22 – The Weasels- Hits & Oldies

July 29 – Trampled Under Foot- Blues

One-shoulder dresses are a popular alternative to the tradition strapless dress, but lately they’ve been joined by another fun element: ruffles! Both big and small ruffles have been adorning the shoulders of several celebrities, as well as popping up in the latest designer collections. The ruffles can be floaty or architectural, either way adding just enough style to liven up your look. If you try this trend, be sure to keep your neck bare of any jewelry, as too much going on around your neckline can be distracting. Hurry in to Standard Style to check out our selection of one-shoulder dresses and tops!

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.

There are several events coming up in July you should mark your calendars for!

July 14th PROPS Award Show- Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation

July 31st WIN for KC’s Women’s Triathlon.

Save the Date: August Events

August 12, 13  American Heart Association’s “Kansas City Festival of Wine and Food”

August 20th  Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s “Shoot for the Cure”

August 27th The MOCSA’s “Young at Art Cocktail Party and Art Auction”

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!

Military jackets have been a trend this year and we are only going to see more of them as Summer continues into Fall. They are appearing in several Fall 2010 collections and we have a few new styles here in our store! The military look, especially the olive green color in general, is perfect for that edgy, but classic, feel to an ensemble. Don’t be surprised if you start seeing a flood of army green military jackets this upcoming month!

On July 15th, the band Vedera will be returning to their hometown of Kansas City as part of the Lillith Fair tour. The band released their first full-length album in 2005 and have been touring nearly nonstop since then. They have shared the stage with big bands such as The Goo Goo Dolls, Mute Math, Jason Mraz, All-American Rejects, and The Fray, as well as being featured on MTV’s The Hills. Vedera is currently promoting their Stages album, which was released in February and reflects their growth from feeding off live audiences. Lead singer Kristen May says the songs on Stages are about everything from personal relationships to what you give up for the ones you love. May and her husband, also the lead guitarist, are constantly writing lyrics to pair with the dreamy pop melodies and shimmering rock guitar that Vedera has come to be known for.

Apart from the music, May has also made her mark on the fashion world, writing a blog for chictopia.com that documents her outfits on and off the Vedera stage. Her unique sense of style and ability to combine low and high priced items have made her an interesting style icon to keep an eye on. To check out her blog go to http://www.chictopia.com/kristenmay. Standard Style will be interviewing Kristen about her fashion inspirations as well as her life on tour with the band so check back soon for updates.