[valentine's day gift guide for her]

[Lilly Pulitzer bangle] [Kate Spade heart earrings] [C. Wonder monogram jewelry box]

 [J. Crew necklace] [Kate Spade watch]  

Pink, gold and monograms- that pretty much sums up this Valentine's day gift guide for her. No matter how long you've been dating or been married, every woman loves to receive a special gift that shows thought. Here's a couple gift ideas to consider, but remember- focus on the love, not the gift. And chocolate, never forget the chocolate. 

[giveaway alert]

While it seems like all the post holiday deals are over, we stumbled upon this great giveway combining lots of goods from four up and coming brands. One lucky winner will win everything they need for their next escape, including gear from Hudson Sutler, La Matera, Jack Donnelly and Criquet. We'd especially like to win the Hudson Sutler weekender bag and the La Matera wallet. Enter to win here!

[warm patagonia winter jacket]

While we're still counting down the days until spring, this week's weather shows that the bitter cold is definitely far from over. Thankfully, Patagonia has a way to stay warm while still looking great. That means no more ugly and immobilizing puffy marshmallow jackets, which is certainly a good thing. 

The  Down Sweater Full-Zip Hoody ($269) provides incredible warmth while still allowing you to move comfortably. That's because it's quilted with superlight 800-fill-power premium European goose down. It's like being able to go out with a down comforter wrapped around yourself, but without the weird stares. The jacket is also windproof, water-resistant and has a hood with a drawstring to keep the cold out of your face. As snow falls in the south and the cold (and especially the wind here in DC) ravages the rest of the country, a jacket like this will definitely keep you warm without sacrificing style.

[duke & winston spotlight]

 

    

Our first brand spotlight highlights Duke & Winston, a Philly based clothing line started in 2009 by Seun Olubodun and his English Bulldog, HRH the Duke. Seun quit his uninspiring office job and set out to build a clothing line for the refined and modern man. The brand is named after his dog and Sir Winston Churchill, as Seun draws from his experiences growing up in the UK.

Hard work, great designs and attention to detail have led Seun to success. While Seun started out with one t-shirt design and a lot of trunkshows (we discovered the brand at Artscape in Baltimore), he has quickly turned Duke & Winston into a full line of summer and fall apparel with an expanding line of accessories (including great ties). They even have dog products for your own little Duke.

The Duke & Winston brand draws you in. Their logo, branding and cool Philly Showroom are all incredibly polished and mature for a company that's so young. It's remarkable to see what Seun (and of course Duke) have been able to accomplish so far and I look forward to seeing what they do next.

We chose to feature the three shirts above because: 1) it has Georgetown on it and that's good enough for us (extra plus for showcasing Duke), 2) it's a stylish sweatshirt option for this bitter cold weather and 3) it's a classic and nautical "grown up" t-shirt 

P.S. We love finding new brands with interesting stories! If you have a brand in mind we should check out, let us know.

[cape crabbers t-shirt]

53 days. Just 53 days until the official start of spring (March 20). With the weather constantly dropping into the 20s and 30s here in DC, spring, and of course summer, cannot come soon enough. Thinking about warm weather and trips to the beach brings to mind a favorite (and NY local) clothing brand- Cape Crabbers. Started in 2009 by two lifelong friends (who got married this past summer), the brand has quickly grown and now features an impressive variety of "classic cool" products.

The Organic Classic Crabbers Tee ($25) features their unique double anchor logo and like all their products, is made in the US. This tee looks great paired with shorts/chinos and boat shoes for a relaxed, yet classic look. With the motto "life is a vacation" and their nautical apparel, Cape Crabbers helps get you through the cold and into a warm weather state of mind. After all, it's just 53 days away!

P.S. Hopefully they'll restock their hats (especially the red one) in time for the sun too.

[bonobos green stretch belt]

Bonobos has been on my radar for a while now because of their reputation for simple, great fitting clothes and helpful customer service ninjas (yes, ninjas). The brand is all online except for a few brick and mortar guideshops (including one in Georgetown) where you can try the clothes on for size.

Since I'm usually inbetween sizes, it's often a hassle to order from an online store. However, when I saw this Green Home Stretch belt ($28) on final sale, I reconsidered my look but don't buy approach- and I'm glad I did. This hunter green belt helps pull an outfit together without being too loud (think over the top needlepoint belt in the winter). It has a nice stretch to it too, so I'm not sure if the 'order 2" up' advice still applies (I ordered it in my pants size and it fits fine).

They only have a couple sizes left, so you better act quick. If you've never ordered from Bonobos you can get a 20% off coupon by signing up for their emails or be on the lookout for their constant storewide sales.

[GTS anytime shorts]

Coming home from a long/stressful day of work and changing into comfortable clothes is one of those small but exciting things you look forward to when working the 9 to 5 grind. Lately, I find myself repeatedly reaching for my Greater Than Sports (GTS) shorts, from a growing clothing brand started by twenty-somethings based in Saratoga, NY (near my hometown) with a cool story and outlook.

The yogannaneedthese shorts ($25) are a great pair of anytime shorts- for working out, running an errand or lounging around the house. They're soft, fit well and are a good length (not too short but also not long or baggy). Although I usually wear these when relaxing, I'm excited for them to become my go to workout shorts as I start training for my first triathlon in the next couple weeks.

Update: they now come in navy and black!