For the Boys: The Orvis Company

Last week on my tour of New England, we stopped by Orvis headquarters in Manchester, Vermont. It was a quick in and out. We weren't even there for 24 hours - which was unfortunate because the town has some INCREDIBLE outlets - can you say Armani and Yves Delorme?! It's probably better for my bank account that way. That being said, there was plenty to shop for at Orvis! What I wanted to take home was this little fur ball!

Alas, her owner didn't want to give her up...shocking, I know! 

And while Dr. B would have been happier if I had come home with a puppy, I did pick up a few prizes for him. Orvis' Trout Bum line has some great stuff for on, or off, the river. Right when I walked into their flagship store I got hooked (get it?) by the display and purchased the shirt and pull-over on the mannequin. 

This Tech Chambray Work Shirt legitimately looks like chambray, but when you touch it, you realize it's a technical fabric. I knew Dr. B would approve, and I love the fact that I won't have to iron it. Wash and wear. Done and done.

They had it paired with the Quilted Snap Sweatshirt in orange, but grey and navy are a better color combo for his skin tone. And while he didn't get a puppy, I think he was pretty happy to get a little something out of my trip up North.

P.S. Happy 9th anniversary Regs and T! I hope you're doing something fun to celebrate on your European vacation! 

Proper Socks

Here at C&C we focus mostly on the ladies, but every now and again we like to think about the men in our lives too…as we all know many of them could use a little fashion advice!

Recently we were introduced to a fantastic company that mixes two of our favorite things, fashion and function. Say "hello" to Proper Socks…fashionable, functional and comfortable dress socks just for men!

The goal of Proper Socks is to bring ultimate comfort to your professional apparel.  They have specifically designed their dress socks to combine the latest in performance-running technology with fashion-forward style. LOVE it!

Both my +1 and Katie's have a pair and love them! Thanks to Dr. B for modeling them….love the coordinated tie and socks. Clearly this guy needs no fashion advice.

So, how can you get your hands on some of these fabulous socks for the men in you life? Proper Socks is in the final phases of bringing their product to mass market, and you can be at the forefront of it all by ordering your socks through their Kickstarter campaign. They just reached their funding goal, so now all orders are guaranteed!

I highly suggest the polka dots!

The Balancing Act

I know I've been straying from fashion a bit lately, but I also know (or I think) that many of our readers enjoy reading about something a little "meatier" every now and again.

This is a good time to remind you that on Friday we posted a link to a C&C evaluation survey. We would really appreciate your feedback. It will help us in the future to keep things interesting and inspiring. So, if you prefer the more mindless fashion posts, let us know that too! It will only take a few minutes of your time...

Back to Today's Post. As you know from recent posts, like many women I struggle to balance my desire for a professional career and my desire to be at home with the Mini Fashionista. My friend Michele has shared the same struggles.

Like me, she left the professional world to stay at home with her two children.  Now that her girls are a little older, and in school part time, she wanted to find part time work that got her out of her yoga pants (That sounds familiar)!

After briefly looking at job postings, she realized there were no quality part-time jobs that paid enough to even cover the cost of a babysitter. Then she discovered J. Hilburn. What is J. Hilburn? I said the same thing when she told me about it.

J. Hilburn is a direct-sales company that specializes in "luxury within reach" menswear. They offer custom shirts, personalized suits and a whole line of ready-to-wear clothing such as shorts, polos, sweaters, AG Jeans and much more. This guy looks pretty dang good to me! Love the polka dot pocket square!

I digress...Michele's job with J.Hilburn is similar to being an Arbonne or Stella and Dot representative (to give it some context). Although she claims that men are a much easier clientele!! She divides her time between sales activities (setting appointments with clients, meeting with clients, planning wardrobe selections etc...) and team building activities (having coffee dates and networking), and she works about 5-10 hours per week!

So why am I sharing this with C&C readers? Well, first of all, J.Hilburn offers really nice menswear, and maybe your +1 needs a little wardrobe refresher! Secondly, some of you may be just like Michele and are looking for a part time job that allows you to stay at home with your children! How cool would it be if this post helped you make the leap from your full time career?

If you or a friend are looking for a fun and flexible career opportunity, feel free to reach out to Michele (michele.scharg@jhilburnpartner.com). She can give you all the details! And maybe the guy in the polka dot pocket square will show up on your doorstep...that wouldn't be half bad either.

Viviana Volpicella: On Menswear

Last week, one of my favorite bloggers/photographers, Elena Braghiere of Catching Instants, had her photo of my fashion fave, Viviana Volpicella, featured on the "The Tory Blog".

Check out the post to read the Q&A with VV on Meanswear!

P.S. Have I mentioned how obsessed I am with her style?