Cindy ♥ NY

Zipping back from Paris to New York City just in time to see the sleepwear selection from Natori's fall/winter 2013 collection is pretty cool, I'm not gonna lie! For quite a few years, Jeanie, our buyers, and I flew to Las Vegas for this last part of the buying trip. This year was different since our cute rep Danielle is due in April and the Vegas show has had a lower turn out than in years past. So, off to The Big Apple! We found some fabulous nighties and PJs from Natori as well as enjoyed great dinners and shows.

Natori’s designers really stepped it up this season. I was so excited to see the same soft fabrics we have been loving in jewel tones. They have added chemises everywhere which is perfect for Sol because we sell more chemises than any other style of sleepwear. In years past, we would struggle with basic colors. Our Sol Girls love fun colors. I sat down with the design team two years ago and asked for this new direction. They listened and it will be great fun for all of us!

A sneak peak at what Mrs. Natori has in the works for fall/winter 2013!

Dinners included some of our favorites. Macelleria is a great Italian restaurant right in the heart of the Meatpacking District. They serve a Florentine bisteca that is out of this world. It is a porterhouse cut that they tout for two. We split it four ways with our friends from Empreinte, Kim and Paolo. 







The Meatpacking District has loads of choices. Sushi at Morimoto... 






 ...street tacos that are to die for at Dos Caminos...








...and the French bistro Pastis are all great choices if you are in the ‘hood. 






We ventured out to a neighborhood that is close and tried our luck with Indian. The Bombay Talkie has Indian we will be dreaming of until we go back to NYC in August. 

The grand finale of the excursion was having our daughters join us for the last few days of the trip. Done with work, Jeanie and I were ready to play! 

The Sleeping Beauty Ballet was simply magical. Our seats were close enough to see everything, but the opera glasses let us see the costumes even more clearly. It was a stunning display of beauty, strength, and grace. Another highlight was cruising around Soho with my 13 year old daughter. We had a blast checking out all the stores and the store windows. Our last big fun adventure was seeing the exhibit they had at the Met: Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity. It was about the impact fashion had on Impressionist paintings from the late 1800's. They had a vast display of gowns, fans, parasols, shoes, and corsets on display along with the painting of women wearing the garments. It was fantastic; I highly recommend checking it out if you're in New York. The exhibit runs through May 27th. 

We can't wait to go back to New York in August!

Xoxo,

Cindy

Spring Fling Savvy SOL Shopping Tips!

2013 Spring Fling Sale

March 6th - March 16h

- including Sunday, March 10th from 10-6pm - 

SOL’s Spring Fling Sale is just days away! The weather is warming up, the snow is melting and we're stocking our bra closet with TONS of new collections -- And some tried-and-true favorites.

SOL's first sale of the year has been extended to 11 days. Yes, 11. What so fabulous about the Spring Fling Sale? EVERYTHING is 15% off. Everything. That's right, everything is on sale!  During our Spring Fling Sale, your entire purchase is 15% off. And you could save on current, just-arrived gorgeous new merchandise, too.  

This is YOUR sale.  It's 15% OFF everything YOU want.

Daisy bras: 15% off. Every style. Every color – Bananas, right?

Aubade: 15% off. It’s so new the girls are unpacking it as I type! 

 Oh, and don't forget about Aubade Swim! 15% off! 

 Cozy-chic Eberjey sleepwear: 15% off.

 Even Accessories : 15% off!

I could literally go on for pages.

Never been to a SOL Spring Fling Sale? Fear not! I chatted with a few of our "professional" SOL sale shoppers and asked them for some tips and tricks when it comes to shopping the big sale. 

So here they are: SOL Sale Secrets from our Savvy SOL Shoppers ...

Irene: Did you know you can place a phone order during the sale and still get your 15% off? I travel a lot for work and found this out last year. I just spent a few minutes on the phone with Krista, she packaged up everything I wanted and by the time I got home on the weekend, it was on my front porch. Like magic, I tell you. Give them a call: 1-800-466-1356.

Jenny: I always plan ahead! I cruise the website first, then go to the store a couple of days before the sale, and then I make a list! I also make a separate list for my hubby –

that way, I know I'll get exactly what I want for my birthday and he'll save15%.
Angela:  Take a friend. My BFF recommends things that I wouldn't choose for myself, but turn out to be my favorites!

Loretta: They always say this on their website, but it's true. I never pay for parking when I go to SOL! Besides having "the girls" taken care of, my car is too. Run in for a token, and you're set without worrying about parking tickets!

Chloe: Go more than once! I always see things the second time that I can't believe I missed on my first visit.

Mary Kate: Get on the waiting list! The wait is never super long but getting on the list for a fitter as soon as you get to SOL is a definite time saver. Even if I think I'm just going to pick up some PJs, I sign up just in case I find a little fancy fancy from Lise Charmel!

And don't forget: keep an eye on our Facebook page for contests, info, and more during the sale!

xoxo,

Cindy

Be a Valentine's Day Hero - by Cindy your SOL Girl

   

I love getting and giving gifts. Over 20 years of selling panties and Valentine's Day is still my favorite holiday. It's the perfect opportunity to give and receive an intimate gift like lingerie. I am part of Team SOL Girl and we love to help all the great guys coming in to shop for their sweetie. Some guys come armed with sizes. Others walk into SOL with a dazed expression. Either way, the awesome SOL Girl team is ready to help. Here is the inside scoop for shopping at SOL for your Valentine's Day gift.
 

First - Don't worry! You don’t have to know anything about lingerie! If she has shopped at SOL before, we have her sizes and styles on file (how easy is that!). If this is your first time shopping at SOL, no worries! The SOL Girl team will help you find just the right item quickly. No matter if you are new to SOL or a long time veteran, we will help pick out the perfect pretty thing and gift wrap it while you wait!

Rosina Chemise a SOL exclusive!

Second: Beers, Brats, and Bras. Yup. I did figure out that when we serve beer and brats guys really enjoy shopping for lingerie. This is our 10th year of our signature men's event and it is this  

Sunday, February 10 from 12-5pm. Bring a friend, or even bring your squeeze and make a date out of it!

 

Third: Valentine's Day is Thursday February 14. That's just the part you need to remember - so come in before then!

And ladies! Are you wondering what to get your guy? Did you know we are now selling Men's underwear? We call them Manties or Mangerie. Saxx is our new brand of stylish men's boxer briefs with a design focus on an ergonomic comfort pouch. Great for our guys and they are easy on the eyes. My husband loved them so much he switched out the whole drawer (no pun intended).

SAXX Underwear at SOL

Speaking of my cute husband... What o' what will I be getting Todd if he already has these great undies? Fly fishing gear of course. We love fly fishing together. It's a super fun sport if you haven't tried it. We love Trout's Fly Fishing on 6th (www.troutsflyfishing.com). They are the SOL of fly fishing stores. Service and expertise is their mantra and they have a great selection of top of the line products. The guys are always up to date on the fishing report! Trout's is located just a few blocks away from us and they are offering 10% off to any customer who mentions SOL when they shop between Feb 11th and Feb 14th. 

Hugs and Happy Valentine's Day to all the lovers out there in SOL land!

Cindy

Day 5: Our Sol Friends in Paris

Steve Chotin, a long time customer, introduced us to a great book called "Hug your Customer" by Jack Mitchell. After reading this genius book, Jeanie and I learned even more about making SOL customer service outstanding. There is also a chapter on creating partnerships with all of the vendors you work with. Jeanie has always said, "you attract more bees with honey." Between Jeanie's pearls of wisdom and Jack's advice, we have become very good friends with the vendors we carry at SOL. We just wanted to say thank you for all the great dinners and fun times we had with everyone. This blog post is dedicated to those super SOL friends that made Paris so cool!

You all are the BEST! Thank you for all of your super service and for taking such great care of us!

xoxo,

Cindy

Day Four: Sexy Chic in Paris

You may be saying to yourself, "How could a trend in lingerie be sexy chic?" Isn't that an underlying theme for everything designed in the panty world? Au contraire mon frère! There has been all kinds of interpretation of this provocative styling. There are lines that are dedicated to sweet, fun, basic, romantic, classic, or trendy. The good news is, every designer put a version of the sexy chic in their line. The idea is to seduce the eye without being vulgar.

Menswear has also been a big push because stats say 62% of guys undies are bought by women.

Menswear has also been a big push because stats say 62% of guys undies are bought by women.

This fun interpretation with hand cuffs was genius on Aubade's part. The ad campaign Aubade uses in French is called lessens in love. This ad says "Double Check His Attachment". Flo, the male model in the ads was there to sign autographs as well as to show off the new line. Do you think Jeanie and I are having any fun?

Life at Sol just isn't complete without tights. So ... guess what lovely things Le Bourget did with the trend?

The last 2 little numbers are from a new company we found on the last day of the fair. Both are special in their own ways. The first is Revanche del la Femme, a new collection of bustiers from Germany. The other is my special love: Silk. It is a line out of Lebanon called Lala Rose. I am shown here in the Hollywood sexy chic gown and robe, but she does lots of looks in both long and short styles.

Enjoy all the glam! Ladies, let's make our lives just a bit more sexy just for ourselves!

 

XO,

Cindy

Day Three: What's cool in Paris

 Well, let me start with the weather. It snowed more the week we were there than it has in most Parisians' memory.  

The weather was sort of a coup for the folks that plan SIL ( the largest lingerie fair in the world) because the theme for the show was snow.  They went all out this year.  Every person associated with the fair was dressed in white and could have fit right in as a local Colorado girl. (maybe just a little more chic) 

We were greeted by stilt walkers dressed all in white. We soon found out that the costume could inflate to make them look like huge snowmen.  

The snow ballerina from Aubade stopped to say hello to Amanda and to give her a preview of the new male model for their new men's line. ( just a picture on a card, but wait 'til you see him!)      

The Nordic trend was in everyone's line as well.  Not a big surprise that SIL knew the trend was coming since it had been planned by forecasting companies two years ago.  It takes about two years for the laces and fabrics to go from imagination to product.  The designers visit the fabrics portion of SIL which is located in the same building but this section is called Interfiliere Paris. www.interfiliere.com

 Even our Paris tights from Le Bourget had a fun interpretation. Le Bourget actually did a combo with the Nordic theme and the ceiling of Galleries Layette ( http://www.galerieslafayette.com), the world famous department store. Take a peek!

Galeries Lafayetteare is celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the glass ceiling and had Le Bourget make a special design.  You have to check out this website of the glass ceiling.  It is amazing!
http://www.360cities.net/image/galleries-lafayette-paris#729.48,-84.11,70.0   

See you tomorrow for my other favorite trend from SIL!

XoXo,

Cindy

Day Two in Paris: Flowers & Food

If there is one other thing that I love as much as panties, its flowers.  For me, Paris is just magical when it comes to all the flower shops. I can barely make it a block without wanting to pop into a shop just to inhale all the lovely fragrances.

We are always so lucky to have our apartment company greet us with flowers but halfway through the week Jeanie and I pick out another bouquet. 

This year  it was Moulie' on Place du Bourbon. http://mouliefleurs.com/ We left with stargazer lilies, freesia and huge amaryllises.  So cool to walk home with a big bundle of flowers wrapped in brown paper.  

No trip can be complete without special dining experiences.  

This year we tried out a new restaurant on the recommendation of Marc Metzger.  We loved Citrus Etoile http://citrusetoile.com/ We were well taken care of and really... A restaurant that decorates al in orange.  My thing gals. 

 

Next if you haven't had chocolat chaud at Angeline's http://www.angelina-paris.fr/ , y'all get in there.  Jeanie and I stopped in on our way to the Empreinte store and had lovely breakfast omelets and crouque Madam to accompany our hot chocolate.

My last shout out was the udon restaurant that Jocelyn found for us. www.kunitoraya.com/. Kunitoraya was just a block away from our apartment and was incredible.  There was a line from 12pm until  they closed every night.  We tried the beef curry and the duck.  Amazing.

I could go on forever but really let's get on to the pretty panties and fashion shows.  Tune in tomorrow... 

Xoxo,

Cindy