Join us as we celebrate 15 wonderful years!

It’s our anniversary! 15 years ago, we opened SOL’s doors for the first time. Creating our plan for SOL was a lot like getting ready to have a baby. We hoped, we planned, we dreamed. Finally, SOL became a reality and with it came new and exciting adventures. There was no looking back; our baby had entered the world.

As we reach the milestone of 15 years, we want to give a special thank you to everyone who has been part of the SOL family since 1997. We would be honored if you joined us in celebrating this landmark occasion on Wednesday August 29^th. We will be hosting a party at the store from 5-8pm with drinks and hors d’oeuvres. You will also have a chance to win a $500 SOL shopping spree, be the first to purchase the NEW Daisy color, watch a video retrospective of SOL throughout the years, get your photo taken in the 1920’s Nash Roadster used in our latest ad campaign, and enjoy a performance by SOL model and singer Tiffany Vartanyan!

A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit the Morgan Adams Foundation which raises awareness for pediatric cancer.

Thank you for your continued, love, support and loyalty over the years! We couldn't have made it this far without you!

xoxo,

Cindy and Jeanie

Au revoir, New York!

Our trip to the Big Apple is just about coming to a close. It's been so much fun gallivanting around the city with my sister and Amanda and Jocelyn from SOL's Buying Department. I couldn't have asked for better company! There is only one thing right now we don't love about NYC - the absence of our daughters. Next year, they're definitely coming with!

Jeanie and me at the Gansevoort. A special shout out to Manny the lifeguard for being our personal photographer ;) He even sent us away with frozen grapes. We couldn't even come up with words, just YUMMY!

Jeanie and her mini-me Elliot

Bella and me loving life (and gelato!)

While we did do some actual work, we took a little time out to play. We saw Porgy and Bess on Broadway which was inspirational and so full of current issues of today. It was such an amazing production and the themes were spot on in regards to today's issues.

 

We just had a slightly horrific afternoon at JFK. Even seasoned travelers get set back at airports sometimes. Our normal 45 minute cab ride turned into a 2 hour lurch fest (although our cabbie was so kind) only to be dropped at the wrong terminal and then hearing the sad news that we wouldn't be reunited with our daughters. For all the many things we love about NYC, being without our daughters for one more night did bring a tear to our eyes.

This sums up our delicious dinner!

While at dinner at Bombay Talkie (you seriously have to eat there!) we came up with 10 of our favorite things about NYC:

1. Humidity and the resulting youthful skin that humidity gives 
2. An early morning run on the Highline
3. Divine food on every corner. Embarrassingly we love Macelleria so much it was a two time visit this week!
4. Taxi cabs at any time of the day or night. We aren't whistlers just a quick arm in the air (well, Jeanie is a whistler, but more of a tune at all times of the day) 
5. Ninth Street Espresso and sandwiches from Amy's Breads (thanks Kendall Barnes for sharing this with us!)
6. Diversity: different people speaking different languages all together in the hustle and bustle
7. Beautiful people, dressed beautifully- sometimes Cindy even feels under dressed 
8. Celebrity sightings: Stanley Tucci ( looking divine in a very gorgeous suit), Allen Cummings (looking a bit lost), and Kris Humphries ( being so kind to his adoring fans - embarrassingly we were sitting next to him and we didn't know him) 
9. Running into good friends 



The Whitney Museum

10. Art at every turn, gorgeous architecture, rooftops, covers for buildings under construction

It's always hard to say goodbye to New York City. The energy, fashion, food, and attitude the city has makes me wish I could come back more often (with a few empty suitcases to fill with goodies from my favorite SoHo boutiques, of course!).

xoxo,
Cindy and Jeanie

p.s. A pedi cab tip: Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate! Oh, and choose the most attractive boy or girl who also seems like the most fun!

Even more Natori! We can't get enough!

Mrs. Natori, myself, and Jeanie at SOL, 2007

Have I told you lately how much I love Natori? The color! The prints! The fabrics! I could go on for hours. But what I love most about this company is its founder and namesake, Mrs. Josie Natori.

The first time Jeanie and I met her, it was a celebrity moment for us. Today, we're ecstatic to consider her one of our most inspiring mentors. What she has created is nothing short of amazing and we're so lucky to be able to work with her! Sitting at dinner last night, Jeanie and I discussed what we admire most about Mrs. Natori:

1. She is an inspiring role model for women in business. She approaches every situation with a keen interest on how she can improve her brand. Her level of style and sophistication is unparalleled and she gets things done often after seeking input from SOL -- Very cool!
2. She surrounds herself with young people and shares with us frequently that this is one of the keys to success. Stay innovative and creative and never be afraid to explore new things.
3. She understands and embraces beauty in all she does: her gorgeous earrings, her stunning apartment, her ability to sit down at a grand piano and get everyone to sing show tunes, and, it goes without saying, her designs in which we all love to sleep and lounge. 

Yesterday we had the pleasure of viewing the "inspiration boards" at the Natori showroom. They were full of vibrant images of Mrs. Natori's home country, the Philippines. Beautiful patterns overflowing with color dominated the inspiration boards (Note to self: Plan a trip to the Philippines!). 

In studying the inspiration boards, we learned that a major influence for this collection is the  pintado --  the traditional Filipino style of tattoo.

The inspiration: 

One of many amazing photos on Natori's inspiration boards

The final product:

...coming soon!

I cannot wait for you to see these pieces in person. Mrs. Natori has truly outdone herself! Let's all raise our champagne glasses to 35 years of incomparable beauty from Natori!

Cheers!
Cindy and Jeanie

The Lovely Land of Natori or Dylan's Candy Bar?!

Are we at Dylan's Candy Bar or Natori?

Wednesday we were lucky enough to visit the Natori showroom, home of the Natori, Josie, and Josie Natori brands.

The colors, prints, and fabrics for the upcoming season are beyond amazing. But, honestly, what else would you expect from Mrs. Natori?

A sneak peak at Mrs. Natori's new prints and fabrics!

We were floored when they showed us rack after rack of chemises, camis, robes, PJs, and soooooo much more. It looks like Natori is celebrating their 35th year with utter fabulocity.

Josie camies and chemises in every color imaginable!

This print in particular took our breath away. All we can say is WOW! (and how soon can we get something in this print for ourselves?!:

L.O.V.E.!

Cindy is in absolute heaven - bright colors and loads of dreamy Aphrodite fabric in tons of cool bodies. They've even added a printed Aphrodite. Yes, you read that right: the Aphrodite in a print!
 

We can't reveal too much more so we'll just leave you lovely SOL Girls with a few swatches from the Natori showroom: 

We've had such an amazing time we could just go home today perfectly pleased with the gorgeous collections we've seen -- But we're ready for more! But first? A trip to the actual Dylan's Candy Bar for some chocolate-covered deliciousness!

xoxo,

Cindy and Jeanie

SOL ♥s NY!

Another day of our New York buying trip is in the books. As usual, it was a whirlwind of taxis, lingerie, and amazing food! Summer in Manhattan is so wonderful. One of Jeanie and my favorite summer traditions is sipping drinks by the rooftop pool at the Gansevoort Hotel (we love it so much we "pinned" it on Pinterest!). 

The roof top sunset was a glorious way to relax after a busy day. The Gansevort is our first pick of hotels in NYC. You can’t beat the roof top pool. We had the great pleasure of having Andy Mountain swing by for a night cap who also happened to be in town on business. Andy is long-time SOL shopper along with his wife Jade. He also happens to be SOL's man behind the camera for our fantastic ad campaign videos. 

Check back later for pictures from our visit to Natori. You seriously don't want to miss it! 

xoxo,
Cindy and Jeanie

p.s. -- Keep up with us on Facebook, too! We'll be sharing pics of little goodies we're finding throughout our trip ;)

Jeanie and I take a bite out of the Big Apple!

Sunday night, my sister Jeanie and I attended the Best of Intima awards at the rooftop garden at 230 5th Avenue. The view alone was fabulous beyond words. The party? Even better! 

Jeanie and I gathered with our industry on a lovely rooftop in steamy, sultry midtown. 16 Companies joined together to jury an awards ceremony that recognizes specialty stores for the following 4 categories: Personal Touch, Best Reference Store, European Flair, and Concept Store.

We sat with Danielle Zamudio at the Natori table and enjoyed sharing a lovely meal and conversation. We had the pleasure of meeting Ken Natori, Mrs. Natori’s son, and celebrating some fun milestones of his son, Cruz. 

Danielle, myself, and Jeanie

During his Belgium trip with Van de Velde in January, SOL Man Bruce made the acquaintance of a mother and daughter owned store in Newfoundland.  He was so excited to talk business with both of them and to share in their energy and excitement. Their shop Le Boudoir just celebrated their 2^nd anniversary and they won for Best of Intima’s Choice, a well deserved honor!

Congrats to Le Boudoir!

We shared a quick word with our friends from Bits of Lace in Charleston, NC. We’ve known Zee (next to me) for many years and  were delighted to be introduced to Nicole, their store manager.

Jeanie, myself, Zee, and Nichole

It was a joy to see our industry join together to celebrate one another and each other’s successes. The goody bag was a super bonus – it’s always a treat to be showered in gifts, especially when one of them is a gorgeous new set from Lise Charmel!

Today, we're off to CurveNY with Amanda and Jocelyn from SOL's buying department. Keep an eye on our blog and our Facebook page. Jeanie and I will be snapping pics to post of whatever beautiful, creative, or unique, person, place, or thing we come across that strikes our fancy!

xoxo,
Cindy and Jeanie