National Picnic

Eco friendly & 100% cotton, this burgundy fine corduroy dress just came in! Made by National Picnic, a local manufacturer of women's contemporary dresses, this piece is just as cozy as it looks. National Picnic is an awesome brand described by many as "accidentally sexy". Everything from the material to the cut is perfect for looking cute on a casual day. Made by local designer Betsy Cook, this dress is sure to fly off the racks so come try it on for yourself soon!

Name That Organization!

Here at Arcadia we like to have fun, that's why we created a new blog segment called Name That Organization! Every month we will be featuring a different organization dedicated to helping make their community a better place. Maybe we'll inspire you, who knows? 

There's going to be a short quiz followed by a brief description of the particular organization and why we love them!

Name That Organization!  

October edition 

     1. What organization started in 1995 as a grassroots company run solely by volunteers and quickly grew into the nation's largest community-based organization?

a. Women in Need
b. Boys & Girls club
c. Career Wardrobe
d. Habitat for Humanity

     2. What organization was started by a group of Philadelphia women looking to make a positive difference in the lives of other women entering the workplace?

a. Center for Economic and Workforce Development
b. Career Wardrobe
c. Street Project
d. Women in Need

     3. What organization makes its mission to empower women in transition by providing programs that inspire the confidence necessary to achieve self-sufficiency and pursue a productive career?
Note: This organization has helped nearly 75,000 women!

a. Heart of America Foundations
b. Women in Need
c. Ronald McDonald House
d. Career Wardrobe

 ..So did you figure it out yet? The answer to all of the above is Career Wardrobe! Besides for all of the facts above, Career Wardrobe provides professional work attire, networking tools, and various opportunities to women in the the community looking to transition into the workforce. The wide array of programs offered are designed to increase levels of self-confidence, professionalism, and preparedness for work. Each appointment is used as an opportunity to educate women about the importance of professional appearance, personal responsibility, and business etiquette. To top it all off, Career Wardrobe is having its 3rd Annual Tea & Fashion Show this Sunday November 3rd at the Bellevue. The annual event welcomes women from all generations to support Career Wardrobe while enjoying an afternoon including tea and a designer fashion show. Arcadia will be participating in the fashion show and we wanted to show you a sneak peek of some of the looks to be featured at the show. Above are two lovely models transitioned into the workforce with the help of Career Boutique. Come see Isis, Mel, and more great looks while celebrating for a wonderful cause. 

Cozy Clothes

These Alternative Apparel leggings are so cozy! They are perfect for laying under a tunic dress or just lounging around the house with a hoodie. Soft and flattering in Modal Spandex Jersey, they also come in black.

It is hard for me to get motivated to leave the house after the sun goes down! This cozy crisp weather makes me just want to snuggle up with the blanket and drink hot apple cider :) Have a great weekend, see you soon! Betsy

Halloween Happy Hour

What do you do when the magic of Halloween has faded away? Those days when you ran back from school, put on your brand new costume, lugged a pillowcase full of candy through the streets of your neighborhood, and spent the rest of the night marveling in the beauty of all your treats sitting in one big pile? Yeah, they're all gone now. And honestly, most of us have long lost the desire to eat our weight in candy. Some for health reasons, others for aesthetics. Regardless, Halloween remains to be one of the biggest holidays in America, it's practically impossible to miss. Stores overflow with candy aisles and costumes while your extremely spirited (and sometimes crazy) neighbors set up a graveyard right on their front lawn. It's all so redundant, is Halloween overrated? Well, it doesn't have to be. Now you're older, more sophisticated, and hopefully realize there are more exciting holidays on the calendar. Nevertheless, Halloween is among us and I've compiled a cool list of things you can do to celebrate the end of fall while still maintaining a touch of spirit.

Fondue is always a good idea, especially in this festive pumpkin bowl

 Syringe shots make everything fun

 Invite friends and throw back with some Pumpkin Ale

The more spirit the better (please tell me you got that)

Whether out collecting candy or inside getting reasonably tipsy off of syringe shots and pumpkin beer, I hope you enjoy your Halloween however you choose to spend it.

Until next time,

Lyssia

Fair Trade Fashion

Two sparks of faith in humanity in one week? It can't be. Earlier this week we blogged about Alternative Apparel & their determination to use sustainable fabrics as well as focus on good working conditions and fair trade for producers. Today, I will attempt to maintain those good vibrations by writing about Made By, an awesome company with values similar to those of Alternative Apparel. Made By is a company dedicated to practice fair trade as a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development; they also acknowledge the virtues of Alpaca, the noble fiber, for its softness, thermal insulation, and range of natural shades. On a cold day in Philly, much like today, anyone and everyone wishes to have a pair of chunky alpaca fur gloves to keep their frozen fingers from falling off. Besides for the fingerless foldover mittens, right now at the store we have a great selection of Made By sweaters and scarves. You'll notice a similar chunky warmth throughout the various styles so you can be assured you're getting a genuine Made By piece. The cherry on top? Each tag has a picture and short bio of the person who knit it for you, now you'll know exactly who to thank for your newfound warmth on a cold winter day.

In honor of Nelida Paricahuna Pacori (pictured above), the knitter of this beautiful pair of gloves, here's a Andean Proverb:

"Llaqtakunaq atipayninwan, teqrimuyuta kuyuchisunchis."
When the villages work together, we will turn this world around

It takes more than one person to change the world, together we can make a difference.

Until next time,

Lyssia

Inspiration Station: Rock Chic Edition

In need of some quality fashion inspiration? Look no further.

Welcome to our new blog segment called Inspiration Station. Every other week, one of us will be putting together an outfit from the store and providing you with that much needed inspiration for the upcoming week. This week we're focusing on Rock Chic. Living in Philadelphia, there are always concerts and events going on around the city. As a music lover, you'll need just the right outfit for that upcoming concert because nobody wants to look like a tourist in their own town. Here we have an Alternative Apparel semi-faded tee perfect for not looking too garish. Paired with some dark wash jeans, you'll get that laid back concert connoisseur vibe going. Flats are always a good idea for concerts because odds are you won't be sitting in your seat for very long. Also, a lot of concerts don't even have seating, all the more reason to wear flats! This pair of blush Dolce Vitas with a metal tip will keep your toes from getting stepped on all night. Since it's nearing November the weather is inevitably cooling down. No more tanks & shorts like you may have worn to Made in America at the end of August. This cute yet functional BB Dakota jacket has just the right amount of studs to add a bit of an edge to your casual style. Much like the studs on your jacket, you'll have studs on your wrist with some cool bracelets we paired up. In order to avoid going overboard on studs, keep it to a minimum with one or two statement pieces. Adding some hardware jewelry will make you blend right in; a key necklace, a crystal on a chain, and a coin ring will do the job. Once again, its chilly so this braided scarf is perfect for staying warm, especially at an outdoor concert. Last but certainly not least is a trusty bag by your side for your wallet, cell phone, a bottle of water, and keys. This black leather Collina Strada purse is great since it has both magnets and a zipper. Nothing will fall out and you won't have to worry about pickpockets.

Well, that wraps up our first edition of Inspiration Station, hope your inspiration meter is satisfied. Now go throw on that VIP pass and enjoy the show!

Until next time,

Lyssia

Giveaway Alert! Warning: Extreme Social Media Anxiety May Occur

Is it true? Is it for real? Am I awake right now? Is this really happening? We have one answer to quench all your thirsty questions about our recent instagram post. YES. We, at Arcadia, have decided to give away a beautifully unique Iosselliani ring, retail price valued at $312. What's the catch, you ask? The rules are simple:

1. Follow us on instagram @arcadia_boutique
2. Repost (regram) your favorite one of our pics with #ArcadiaBoutique
3. Tag us in the picture!
4. Do this all before October 31st at midnight & keep an eye out for a winner announced on November 1st, hopefully it's you!

Good luck & we hope to see you in the store claiming your prize soon!

-Arcadia Team

Burgundy, Oxblood, Maroon, Oh My!

This fall's hottest color is really working up some excitement in our store. Maroon, burgundy, or oxblood if you will, is proving to be the most versatile & trendy touch to any outfit. The secret to rocking oxblood? As the old saying goes, everything in moderation. If you're planning on wearing our burgundy velvet sheer Line & Dot dress, fully stocked at the moment (run!), be sure to mix it up with different colored shoes & accessories. Black heels paired with a strand of cream pearls and you're set for an awesome night out. So bring out your inner trendsetter and get to this color before all your friends, because once the secret is out you'll be seeing oxblood everywhere!

"Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman." -Coco Chanel

Until next time,

Lyssia

Alternative Mindset, Alternative Apparel

Today, "social responsibility" seems to be the hottest phrase in retail marketing. We've all heard about companies (Nike anyone?) who are infamous for unreasonably low wages, awful working conditions, and practically no benefits for their laborers in overseas sweatshops. Not to put a damper on this beautiful fall day, but we're all aware of the treatment and inequality of workers in countless countries around the world. Although, here's where the positive spin comes in! Companies like Alternative Apparel revive our faith in humanity. On their website, Alternative Apparel explains what they stand for and how they function. They clearly state that they are dedicated to providing premium merchandise to their clients, however, refuse to sacrifice working conditions of their faithful employees. They are committed to upholding labor standards and choose to partner only with vendors who share the same values. On their website you can find a long list of Vendor Guidelines & Principles along with a promise to remain eco-friendly through specific wash & dye methods as well as organic fabrics and materials. Besides for their ultimate social awareness and commitment to bettering our environment, Alternative Apparel has among the softest garments ever! So we feel good buying them, feel good wearing them, and feel good representing the brand? Yup, pretty much. We tip our hats to you, Alternative Apparel, and join you in the pledge to make this world a better place, one trendy outfit at a time.

"Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations."        -Earl Nightingale

Until next time,

Lyssia

                             

Curator Creations

These three Curator pieces have arrived at our boutique just in time for the chilly weather! Curator is a unique clothing line designed and produced in San Francisco, California. They strive to use organic fabrics whenever possible and minimize waste in the production of their quality items. We're featuring them this week because we love not only the cozy sweaters and cute skirts, but the company name & what they stand for. Here at Arcadia, we strive to be as eco-friendly as possible and always think of the environment in our daily tasks. As the fall paints the trees in beautiful colors this year, as it does every year, let's think of what we can do to preserve the natural beauty of our planet for centuries to come.

"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Until next time,

Lyssia

Happy Birthday Arcadia!

The graffiti in NoLibs is perfect for photo shoots 

 Morghan and Maris pose by the store

 Three looks, endless posibilities

 Fabulous fall styles

Never too serious

This past Tuesday was a very special day on Arcadia's calendar, it was our 6th birthday! That's right folks, we've been making you look fabulous for six years now and hopefully many more to come. In honor of our anniversary and the introduction of the Design6 studio space in our store, we had an awesome event which included cupcakes, wine, & lovely models. Maris, Morghan, Aviva, and I walked through Northern Liberties modeling some wonderful fall trends and taking fun snapshots. Every outfit you see in the pictures above is currently available at the boutique. Stop by this week and try them on for yourself! These specific looks are perfect for fall and look great on every size and shape, they're also easily dressed up or down. So what are you waiting for? Get them now before they disappear!

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." -Coco Chanel

Until next time,

Lyssia

The Wood Shop

Learn more about The Wood Shop,  the woodwork we will be featuring at our event on Tuesday!

The Wood Shop Malvern is located in historical Malvern, Pennsylvania on the Main Line only 30 miles west of Philadelphia. We are a custom cabinet maker and design custom wood cabinets, custom kitchens, hand made bath cabinets and cabinets for the home or office. We serve the Philadelphia metro area and all towns on the Main Line. We also specialize in Antique Wood, Custom Wood Furniture, Wood Moulding, Custom Libraries and Home Theaters.

We are an owner-operated company serving our customers with an emphasis on personal attention to detail. Our 6,000 square foot facility is fully equipped to accommodate a wide range of work from molding to custom artisan cabinetry and furniture, windows and doors.

At the Wood Shop, we are experts in historic restoration and working with Antique Wood and custom millwork and are able to reproduce any window, door, or molding profile whether it is 2 years or 200 years old. All domestic and exotic hardwoods including Ash, Cherry, Mahogany, Walnut, Pine, Beech, Poplar, Maple, etc.

Since 1987 The Wood Shop has taken pride in working with our customers on design, fabrication and installation of their most important projects. Please consider us for any custom woodworking project in metro Philadelphia and beyond.

Fall in Love with Color!

It's about that time of year again! The weather is getting chillier, the sun is disappearing faster, and the boots are coming out of the closet. We all just want to throw on a pair of sweats and bundle up on the couch with some chai tea, waiting for the sunshine to come back and warm us out of our winter cocoons. Well, not this year. This year at Arcadia, we're featuring cozy pieces perfect for fall in bright colors and fun patterns. We just finished putting up our new window display, with the wonderful theme of "Fall in Love with Color." (Get it? Fall as in Autumn? I'm sure you do) This year will be different, comfy will not outshine trendy and you will have no excuse to not look fabulous. Swing by the store to check out all beautiful things that just came in!

“Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile.” -William Cullen Bryant


Until next time,


Lyssia

Made By... Voyage Inde

Philly Mag Shops Event

Stop by Arcadia Boutique Pop Shop this Sunday!! We are going to have a lot of great stuff :)

 

 

See you then!