Jennifer Butler

NEW TOY

2012-02-05T18:24:00.001-08:00

Oh, Mother of God-it's been so long since I posted I forgot my password. But anywho, as I worked on new spring pieces today, I thought about what it was like to not answer to anyone-to just DO. Your day flies by, there's no worries, and all is good. It's a nice option-it isn't reality, and if no one buys what I made today, not so smart. I did some great stuff today, but I was never 'alone'. I always think about how viable something is, am I showing what you need to show, is what I'm doing smart? But I do love collections, and I feel pretty lucky to be doing it. Hope to see some of you on Thursday at Southport Galleries for the preview, and all of you for the real deal at the Delamar on 4/12.

I'm In Love With a Sleeve

2011-08-13T07:55:00.001-07:00

So it has been a long time since I posted on my own blog-I've been blogging for Patch for a while now-check it out my last entry if you haven't yet: www.patch.com/blogs, but I'm finishing the fall collection, and I can barely contain myself over my my new stuff.
I've been doing this a long time. A REALLY long time. We're talking a lot Fall collections at least-I lost count after 20. But every year, in order to survive, it has to be fresh. Phoning it in doesn't work-I have too many repeat customers-they're bright bulbs. They need to be wowed. Or why bother? If they already own something similar, why would they open their wallets? And if it's so 360 from what they know me for, that won't ring true. So I evolve, and they evolve, and hopefully we make new friends on the road less traveled.
So anywho, jackets. And more jackets. With a capital J. And tailoring, because that's why you have things made. But not uptight tailoring. And versatility, so you can wear it a LOT, like 365 days a year. Hence, my love for my new sleeve. A little bit of interest, not trying too hard, a bit of flourish. Functional flourish, because it's hiding the Weenis, it's not getting in your way, and it looks cool. What more could you ask? See more of this at my show at the Delamar hotel on September 27th. Who knows what I'll come up with in the meantime..

Here Comes the Dress

2011-04-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me today "Do you think Kate's dress will bring you lots of brides?" and I thought he meant our mutual friend (and mode)l Kate, whose wedding gown I made 2 years ago, but he didn't, he meant THE DRESS on THAT Cate. Oy. Quite frankly, I loved the dress I made MY Kate better that THAT dress, but the fact that was on this guy's mind just shows how important your wedding gown choice is. I'm so happy for the house of McQueen, because that man was a genius, and a master tailor who made some beautiful clothes, and this will help his business and name carry on. I would have loved to see what he'd have done with THE DRESS, but I loved the choice of silk gazaar, and the graceful back pouring into the train. I would have liked to see a more modern lace used, and the sleeve a little longer, but that's my nit-picky, professional, rip her to shreds side. My polite regular side thought she looked lovely. Except her face was smushed by her veil. Whoops. I'll stop now. I can't believe how many people, many with no wedding in their immediate future, watch that Godforsaken 'Say Yes to the Dress' show, and the hideous parade of tripe they send out. I used to think there was no such thing as an ugly bride until that show came on, recording train wreck after train wreck. And I'm not just talking silk ones, and I don't throw around the term ugly very freely. It's the excess that kills me. On all levels. The money, the attitudes, and the complete loss of what is important. A wedding gown should reflect the bride's personality, and the setting. Period. No one else has to be happy, just the bride. Then she moves on to the important thing-getting and staying married. When I make a wedding gown, the first thing I ask is the where and when, and then "How do you want to feel on that day?" Maybe you want to feel like a a princess, maybe you want to look hot, maybe you want to look like Grace Kelly, and maybe you just want a dress to have a great party in, and it happens to be white. I've heard it all. Actually, I'm sure I haven't. But that's the fun part-never knowing who will walk in the door, and what adventure you'll go on in Fabricland. It's great honor to be chosen to make anyone's wedding gown, be they a future princess, the girl next door, or her mother going for another go at it with someone she hopes is the love of her life. The whole process should be as beautiful as the product. At least on my end. Good luck with the rest....

waaaaaait for it....waaaaait for it.....

2011-04-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

Nope. Spring's not coming. But luckily, some people are holding out hope, and getting spring clothes. In the grey pre-spring misery that is damp New England, some people, men and women, and even children, are holding out hope that wearing white, gold and perhaps, even aqua, will some day be an attainable goal. As we muddle through another 45 degree day, let's all brave the future together. Ladies, may I recommend the We 2 Are 1 silk wrap top or dress-I know I'm getting involved heavily in that one, and perhaps the Flight Plan cardigan to ward off any chills. Those appear the hot sellers, but with over 30 color options, you will not see yourself coming and going. And the knits light enough to get you through summer. Which I think we're heading straight for, like a melting iceberg.

The fat lady sang.

2011-04-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

A very late post show report-I have found the floor in the store. Phew. That was some hootenanny. The Delamar was just lovely, jam packed, and fun. I want to thank everyone who helped make the show such a wonderful time and turnout, from the lovely Grace and Sage, who said "Of course, a grass edged runway-we're happy to help you make that a reality, Jen", the awesome backstage dressing crew from Ward(the best crew ever!!), the hair team at Ryan John who may still be recovering from the 14,000 teens and preteens that swarmed on them Friday afternoon, of course, the gorgeous models, who are as lovely inside as out, Matt and his portable studio, Cafe Lola and Health in a Hurry for saying yes, we will, to the crowd, that made it possible for me to be delivering a $3.000 check to the Fairfield Library later this week, and most of all, to The Delamar, for being such a gracious host. I look forward to many more fun nights there, and I must say, that bed in the model's changing room? That was very hard to walk away from at midnight...

Spring?

2011-04-05T09:11:00.001-07:00

I know, it's cold, it's rainy, it's..Spring in the northeast. My remedy? Shiny. a little metallic goes a long way to relieve the drab outlook. I'm seeing everyone embrace it as well-the metallic tints, the slight lurex in a cardigan, the shimmer of a bronze skirt-it's enough to get you through April showers. Even when they're snow showers...

10..9..8..

2011-03-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

It's count down to showdown. I mean showtime. Except shows are like a brawl with yourself. You have to beat your best self of last season. You have to do it on budget. You have to stay sane so your modeling and sewing and intern companions don't roll their eyes and mutter about you TOO much, and you have to keep energy level of a crackhead without looking like one, because no one really wants a crackhead to dress them.Although I'm told it happens sometimes. I'm so excited about the new collection. It's risky, bold, different from my past, but still truly wearable. So much so that pieces are selling while they're still in pieces on the cutting floor. So hopefully, I'm onto something. Come see the whole thing on March 25th, at the Delamar Hotel in Southport-tickets are moving and space is limited, so get them while they're still around, or you'll have to wait until next season, when I give this season a smack upside the head.

Spring Clean-Up

2011-02-25T20:48:00.001-08:00

I'm thinking of putting one of those lawn care signs in the store window. You know, the kid you see in the yards of pick-up truck running, leaf hauling manly-men. Except it applies to your closet. Because no one has time to fuss and fumble-when it's time to hit the pavement, the nightlife, the train to work, we are all almost always running late. I see it in myself, and I see it in my clients. So make it easy on yourself, and make great choices-clean lines, amazing fabrics, great silhouettes, and lighten it all up. No flowy, floppy, hippy crap-clean it all up, make it right, make it look like it can handle the mess the world is right now. Fitted, but easy to move in, fluid, but precise. A great hit of beading on a fun chemise that goes day to night. The surprise hit of cornflower blue and navy twisting together in a one shoulder silk cocktail dress that begs for a spin on the dance floor. The crisp line of a sheath with a cool square cut armhole, that will make a deal, and then buy he drinks. Do it clean, you know what I mean?

Navy really IS the new black

2011-02-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

I'm dripping with navy here. I don't even like navy, and it's all over the place here, and it looks fantastic. I always associated navy with uptight conservatism and helmet hair, and that is so very much NOT what the navy pieces I'm working on are now. There's a beaded bodice long sleeve gown with a bare back, a fluid georgette draped gown with a moving giant, slit, and a sassy short shadow stripe chiffon over periwinkle charmeause dress, and all sorts of slate(the color, not the online news sight) leaning navy for day that looks fresh and modern. What gives? Maybe it's the change from tired, dry, dull, everywhere black. For evening, I know it's the idea of not being another person in a black dress at whatever event you're going to, a flock of crows at the bar, but maybe not being up for being the girl in the red dress, especially if it's a long dress. But a tall drink of water in Saphire? Now that sounds like a vision...

i like to party?

2011-02-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

i was talking to a friend going to the shows, who said "all anyone wants to do is make evening gowns". Which is so true-so many times you wonder "who will wear this that doesn't get it for free at the Oscars?" But someone came in for a gown today, and I nothing but what I'm doing for Spring seemed fresh. I'm so excited about Spring, all the rich blues and metallics and glam. But I also know, I've got to wake up the next day and go to work. So the answer for me-great dresses. Zip and be done with it. And keep going until the next day. And a jacket that gets you through day after day. Come see it all at the Delamar Hotel, March 25th

Time For a Cool Change

2011-01-24T20:09:00.000-08:00

No,no, no-not the Little River Band-time to switch it up.It's this time of year I start actually making the spring clothes. You know, while you head's real clear, looking at 2 feet of snow. Seriously, the absurdity of it all is pretty amusing. But one thing I do know, there with be a new way to show-I am going to the still evolving Delamar Hotel, in Southport, and showing as a fundraiser for the public library. So save the date-Friday, March 25th, 7:30 PM. I'm very excited-new venue, new clothes,new ideas, but same concept-amazing design at your fingertips that fits you like a glove. We'll do cocktails in the lobby, show in the meeting room, tours of the suites, and more food an drink, while you paw over the collection and chat me up-hope you can make it. Tickets go on sale through my website, www.jenniferbutler.com-just click the "Delamar show" link for info. meanwhile, I better get back to making this stuff....

drink me, eat me, fit me

2010-07-19T19:53:00.001-07:00

So a very tiny, very lovely woman came in today with her slightly less tiny daughter, and when I stepped into the dressing room, to fit her, and show her how a long dress can NOT overwhelm a littler person, it was like I was Um, Alice, after she eats too much of the 'makes you bigger cake' in Tim Burton's recent Alice in Wonderland. A giant person, in a world of smaller people. Now those of you who have met me know I'm not Um-like, and pretty much avoid cake, but do actually have questionable Mad Hatter hair. But the whole point of this is that if it fits, if it's made for you, you can wear a lot of stuff that otherwise seems off limits. Both she and her daughter were amazed how weightless the clothes were, how great they felt one,and how a little tweak here and a little nip there makes all the difference. The same goes for people with Um-like bodies. But none of it matters if the dress is a big yawn-it's got to wow you. Not every dress does for every person-me, I love all the stuff I make, but when the right dress meets the right person with the right fit-now THAT'S cause for a party involving more than tea.

That Fresh Feeling

2010-07-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

Nine weeks until showtime-time to get crazy busy. Time to make the new ideas real, get the samples finished,fix what isn't right, and take a long look at everything I'm saying. I can't imagine what I'd do if I couldn't re imagine clothing twice a year. Not doing a collection, not rethinking everything, not coming up with something new-it would be a rather joyless existence. But so would sitting in a shop with nothing selling. There's nothing like that moment, when someone says-"Wow! I love that-it's just what I needed" when it didn't exist a few months ago.The relationships I have with 'the regulars', the people who know they can come to me, and get something fantastic, that easily works with their lives, but makes everything new, is a fabulous way to spend your day. But when someone who has never been in before stands there astonished saying "you made all this?"-that's the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Jacket, you're dead to me now

2010-06-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

So it's only the first day of June, and already, it's time to take stock. What sold, what didn't, what you loved and thought was great idea, but sits there unordered, what you thought was nuts and sold through the roof. Welcome to retail. Or at least retail at my place. My husband just made me watch a few minutes of Jersey Couture. My eyes bled. Now I'm in the middle of making the Fall samples, deciding what to produce, what to take a risk on, what answers the needs of the women who walk in the door everyday, and maybe don't know what they want, but more what they don't want. And i hope I'm more on the side of knock your socks off than "Oh, that's nice", said with a yawn. But I also hope there's still some hope for the cool red eyelet jacket that hasn't made anyone swoon. Yet.

The Idea Farm

2010-05-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

"Where do you get all these ideas?" I hear that all the time. From everywhere. From everything. From daily life, as in, I overslept this morning, have a terrible headache, and had to get ready for a 10 hour work day in minutes. Answer:a gorgeous green hounds tooth wool jersey. From customers:"My son is getting married, I can't find anything that doesn't make me look 60 and tired, or like I'm 60 trying to look 25" Answer:a silk chiffon and stretch lace gown that weighs less than a pound, and looks like a million buck (for a whole lot less, I may add). From the fact that's it's been freezing in May, and I had no great jacket to grab every morning that made sense.Answer:I'm working on it.. From the smart, modern, thinking grooving Massive Attack show I saw on Wednesday.Answer: Come see my Fall 2010 show at FTC on September 24th, but in the meantime, keep checking my blog and facebook page for updates as we make the samples for the show. And in the meantime, pop into the store for some of the great pieces that make that 5 minute morning dash easier.

It's dark in here....

2010-02-17T18:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, half a foot of snow, grey skies, colder than anyone wants to be-this has put me in a blue mood. But that's not bad, because I'm talking actual blue, the color. As I line up the collection, baby, it's dark in here-in the world, in our brains, and on the racks. I am not really sure spring means pink and flowers anymore. Which is not a bad thing in my eyes. The reality of what the customer wants? She wants a black suit. A grey one if she's feeling frisky. How do I know this? Because she walks through the door, and says "I need a black suit". That's the trouble with not being in an ivory tower-you hear when the people say what the people want. And I listen. Except..I..uh..I didn't make a black suit. I made a slate one. Actually, two. One with my new Weenis sleeve. Do you need to ask? Can I tell you, it came as a shock to me,at first, but I can never look at elbows the same way again. No one wants to see your elbows. Even Angelina Jolie's, but I'm not 100% sure on that- let's google her elbows, but I'm thinking, there's other parts of most of us we ought to highlight. I like having the whole arm out there, a full on gun show, but then again, not everyone wants that. Yes, the people speak on that, too. But luckily, we live in a democracy still. So despite the dark, the future is very bright in the end.

she put in her thumb, and she pulled out...

2010-01-11T19:14:00.000-08:00

PLUM! Lots of plum. And slate, all sorts of blues, grass green, and grey that won't make you think of your grampie and grammie, and lots of metallics. Yes, super cool is the word for spring. Who wouldn't want to be super cool? It all looks so new, and fresh and USEFUL. Superfine lightweight wools, fantastic silks, and some great metallic linens, and drop dead evening looks. I'm terribly excited. Come see what the fuss is all about on March 12th, and don't forget the sale is going on all through January and February, but things are flying out the door, so come in soon!

It's that time again..

2010-01-09T19:30:00.000-08:00

Time for new ideas. Frankly, if I couldn't do new ideas all the time, this would be no fun. But by the same token, the ideas from "the beforetime"-they're still good. I wore them today, and they worked. I looked great, I crouched around the floor fitting coats and skirts on people, I hemmed, I hawed, I went out,and people said_that looks fabulous". I started at 9am and ended at 9pm, and all was good. Now, to do it all over again, but make it better, fresher, newer.So this season, I think we all need to be super cool. In our heads, our bodies, our outlooks. Armored to deal with the stress of everyday, but not look worn down by it. No one wants to see you like that, let's be honest-"I saw Jen, she looks like crap-things must not be good-she looks tired". Well of course I'm tired, who isn't? But I'm thinking if I put on that plum sheath with the cool asymmetric pin tuck stitching I'm working on, tired would not be in my vocabulary. And if I donned that iridescent blue raincoat with the black moc croc trim, my inner outlook forecast? Quite bright and sunny. The sad truth is what we wear-it colors our day. Somewhere between false pastels and black holes, I'll find a new way of living. See it all at the show at Fairfield Theatre Company on March 12th. Tickets go on sale soon. In the meantime, you know where I'll be.

Spring hopes eternal

2009-12-03T20:14:00.000-08:00

Wow, this page and I have not been together in a long, long time. Deadlines, life, and so much more have gotten in the way. But as the year winds down, and I'm working on the last party wear of 2009, my mind is on spring, and what it will be, and when you'll all see it. This is very much a hard time for many in their day to day life, and so many more of us in our brains. What will happen, where is the world heading, what should we do and not do? One thing I know for sure-for spring, i will not look back, and neither should you. The future is now, we all need to get there.I think about these things all the time, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to make a really pretty dress. I'll show you things that make sense, but they should still wow you. In the meantime, come one down to the store and be wowed for the right now. There's so many great pieces to get you through the holidaze, and all at great prices for right now-you don;t need to wait for a sale, I built the sale price in when I designed them. Pop in for one of the Saturday Soirees, and help me celebrate the three fastest, and most rewarding years of my life.

A dress well suited

2009-09-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

I can't stop making dresses. For daytime. Maybe the part of me that plays adult Garanimals every morning wants to call it a day. Maybe acting out against the sight of one more black fitted suit, one more supposedly new boyfriend jacket, one more rehash of skinny pants/man jacket pretending to be fresh. But the idea that I can zip up and go, hold my own in a roomfull of "suits", and still feel more than fine-I'm up for that. You?

The Kids Are Alright

2009-08-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

I just came back from the shop, and working on the kids clothes. Although they don't represent a large part of what sells, they're a large part of my life-1/2 my family. My daughters are a huge influence on what I make for kids-if they don't like it, it doesn't happen.I run ideas by them, tell them what I'm thinking about making,ask them what they would want to wear, and work it all out so it doesn't appear like we're a traveling circus. I've been making over 90% of their clothes all their lives, and I know this may change quite soon, my hope is that they will carry this into adolescence, and the rest of their adult lives. Individuality and creative, useful ideas get the mind working, thinking big thoughts, and hopefully bringing positive influence into their lives. This may seem like a lot coming out of a 15" skirt, but it's got to start somewhere. I remember making a really great dress up in my room when I was 15, to wear that night to see U2 on their 2nd US tour-yes, I'm that old-and walking downstairs to have my Mom tell me there was no way I was leaving the house in something that short. I'm sure I have that coming in spades, but I'm hoping I can say-"Can I just run off a quick pair of leggings for underneath?" and only get an eye roll, an "Oh, Mother", and an eventual yes, even if they get shoved in their purse as soon as they get to the concert.

Here Come the Brides

2009-08-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

Despite the odds, folks are still getting hitched, and it's always an honor to be the one making the dress. Between brides, mothers of the bride and groom, flower girls, bridesmaids, and people looking for something special to wear to weddings, it seems wedding season lasts around nine months at the store, with a little time off for a honeymoon from December through February. I've just finished the last draping on a gown with a gold french lace inset at the waist, which nicely offsets the gold organza hemband. Why leave the metal only on your finger? There's also a panne silk velvet gown, a slinky sequined silvery num-bah, even a silk velvet pantsuit in case Heather has two mommies-Hey, when in Connecticut...My shows now end in an all bridal finale, as opposed to the traditional one bride representing the look of the season. Besides reducing all the "HEY! why does SHE get the be the bride?!" model infighting, it shows my idea that a bridal gown can make a big impact without looking like a walking cake, and be fun, beautiful, comfortable, and let the bride be beautiful. Other than true love, and hopefully not a lot of rain, you can't ask for more than that.

A Month of Mondays

2009-08-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

With the Fall show at FTC officially a month from today, the workload heats up. The pieces go from thoughts to 3D objects that need to fit a person and a purpose. And...I stop sleeping. Too much to do, and never enough time, and why close your eyes when you only dream about what you haven't done yet. Which is why I end up looking like Start Me Up era Keith Richards, as opposed to Satisfaction Keith Richards come showtime. But I'd like to bring you all in on the behind the scenes goings on, since so many people ask how do you go from concept to something hanging on a rack(and hopefully in your closet). My friend videographer Doug De Mille will be popping into the shop doing video updates, we'll post shots on works in progress, model fittngs, and we'll take you backstage on the big day. Your invites are on their way, tickets go on sale for non-FTC members tomorrow, and me, I start sleeping even less

So... how's it going?

2009-04-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

Everyday, someone asks me that. Like we're all going through experimental drug therapy together. Like we've all gone on "Recessiontrex'at the same time, and wondering if it's keeping you up at night, too. No, not to be flippant, and by no means am I'm chauffeured in my Lamborghini to work everyday, but we're crazy busy. Maybe I'm doing something very, very wrong to be still driving my 11 year old clunker to work and be so busy I don't know what day it is, but maybe that's the point. To keep plowing ahead. Everyday, we have to get dressed. Someone gets married, someone has a huge meeting, someone is hitting a milestone. Showing up naked-frowned upon in most circles- so i still have a job.One that I love. Someone came in today for a fitting on a muslin, after a first meeting a week ago. She brought reinforcements to help her figure out which end is up -"Am I making the right choice?" "Does this suit me?" "Have I lost my mind to think this is the best idea?" I completely understand this-we all have too much on our plates, and are all afraid of making the wrong choice. I brought out the muslin I'd make, showed some swatches I'd found, and everyone was in agreement we'd hit upon a winner. I think the key is that I'm not trying to sell you 'a dress' because I can make any dress. I'm trying to make you look fantastic, which only reflects on me poorly if I don't do it right. Once I'm in, I'm in all the way-you had me at "Hello, I need ..."

Idle Hands..

2009-03-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

I know this is a busy time of year-impending nuptials, bar/bats mitzvahs, weddings.."Holy crap, I might lose my job if I don't look the part"-wait-that hasn't been declared a national holiday, but i think it was on the bill..I'm so glad to be busy, I'm so happy to fuel people's fires, and I'm so glad we had a great showing, and a hopeful spring appears in the horizon. There are pieces in this collection that are so fresh, even to me, they seem from a foreign land. Pics will go up soon on the website. I love this-I love what I do, I love when YOU love what I do, and I'm happy to make you happy-it's win/win all around...

Who, who is it?

2009-02-20T19:23:00.000-08:00

Who has clothes made? It's a question I get asked a lot-who is my customer? Is she a shop-a-holic? A fashionista? Uh, no-that's a bad movie plot. Brace yourself... She's...she's..a librarian. She's a mother of four. She's the mother of the mother of four, making her a grandmother of 7, and her youngest son is getting married. She's a doctor. She's a lawyer. She's every woman, except Chauka Chan. But that's only because she hasn't met me yet. More and more I ask myself, in tough times, who is my client-and I answer it on the runway. As I come back to the workroom at 10:30 on a Friday night, I'm hoping she has more of a life than me, but I know she doesn't. She's juggling, she/he's balancing, but hopefully excited about what they do. I wrote orders this week because I've been thinking. A lot. This season, I'm thinking you're sick of the cold, and the gray and the dreary, and when I saw the fashion week pages and pages and pages of gray clothes for fall 09, I'm think "I do NOT want that" and I LOVE gray. Love it. But it all looks like a pile of sadness. And we so, so don't need that now. We need useful joy. A glass of wine, a fabulous song, a great read, some kind words, a beautiful..raincoat..? YES, because it's raining cats and dogs in the world. And a knockout evening dress. And a killer suit. I hear you, but maybe I filter is through my slightly askew brain, and I come up with something you didn't know you wanted, but there it is, and it speaks to you, and it fits you PERFECTLY. It's so you...because I've been thinking about you.

When Things Go Right

2009-01-31T20:15:00.000-08:00

A beautiful woman left with a beautiful coat today, for $200, which I think was in the end less than it cost to make it, even though I made it, and am writing off the labor. But I am not hung up on this as "ART", I only know it's better not sitting on the rack, but on some one's back. She had red hair, a Copper Topper coat, a cold day, and she loved it. A perfect moment. And she, like a lot of women who come in, have a "You're my favorite pusher" tude, but since every one's veins not only remain clean, but minimized by the right red tones, it's a win/win deal. I sent a lot of things out the door today to make room for the new spring pieces, but I also was wearing a 2 year old sweater of mine and 19 month old pants. I know these things will be in people's lives along time, loved worn, and making new friends when the pieces from next season move into the closet with them. But come on down soon, because I'm running out of stuff....

Today In Silkland...

2009-01-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

Or at least that is what it feels like.
cut..baste..admire..cut...baste...admire...Reality check-where's the party? Aren't we all down in the dumps? Isn't the sky falling? Well, yes. It's actually below the ocean floor at this point, I think. Yet, there's a wedding coming up in your future. A batmitzvah. An engagement party. You're turning 40, and you'd like to present yourself like you're turning 30. So, you need a dress. And I'm your girl. And I'm workin' hard. Clean, shape, fluid, but LESS. Less stuff, less pouf, less flouf. But by no means simple, and by no means dull. I counted yesterday, and I think I'm at 30 cocktail dresses, so perhaps it's time for a intervention. Or, an invitation....

Clean Slate

2009-01-26T19:48:00.000-08:00

It's that time again-time to clear the decks and get ready for the new season. EVERYTHING is 50% off or more. I love what I make, but I love it more when someone is walking around in it, so come on down, and land some great deals.

Knee Deep and Lovin' It

2009-01-24T20:46:00.000-08:00

There was a moment this week when my cutting floor was piled with things, and seven different ideas where floating in air and there was a hem to be done and 2 shirts for pick up, and I had to stop, inhale/exhale, and collect myself. Where is all this going? What am I trying to say with the clothes this season? Well, first off, it's not "Your strap is trying to escape from you giant puffy cake dress" and secondly, "Mamie Eisenhower called from the great beyond, and she wants her coat back". If I took a gorgeous, trim, strong woman and did those things to her, I'd have to shutter the store in 2 weeks. I think that's the difference in working with actual people, in the marriage of design and reality. I looked at all the fuller, beautiful organza skirts today and I had to check myself-Is Grace Kelly going to the Ting Tings? I think not. How many women will actually WANT that, AND be able to carry it? So maybe temper that with something that makes it work for more people. I've made some stunning raincoats this season. They look like cocktail dresses. They weigh 10 ounces. You could stand under a sprinkler in them, and look fine. I've been asked will I play it safe in this economy. Big fat NO. My motto-Give the People What They Didn't Know They Wanted". You get one chance, one glance, to hit people's soul. "Where did you get that?" "I love that!" I have the Branch Effect coat from this season, and it is no exaggeration that if I am in earshot of someone, they say "That coat looks great on you" Not just "That's a great coat" You're most likely not going to hear that about a black coat, in as much as you're not going to hear that about a coat that looks like a couch from a 1960's tea room. But it's my job to make you see that maybe that "perfect black raincoat" is really shot with pewter threads, or maybe it's not black at all-it's copper. Or gold. Or both. And no matter what, you will not leave me looking like we ate a few pizzas during the fitting. I can't tell you how many times a day I'll drape something on myself, then remove it and ask myself, "do I look thinner in that, or out of it?" And I'm thinking, I'm not a big girl, so let's ere on the side of caution. But maybe I'll make the middle with sheen, and the edges flat, so the hip dissipates into nothing..." But you don't see any of that. You see "Great skirt-and I look so thin!" That's my job when I do it well. And yours is just to sit back and enjoy yourself in all your fabulous glory.

Holy Bejesus Batman! I haven't blogged in months!

2009-01-05T19:39:00.000-08:00

So, uh...Happy New Year! Well, it's 2009, and around here, the physical start of making a new season. I am at once sad and happy to say we have been too busy to chat up the Internet, but we are now making Spring, and that is when the wheels really turn. But not without the catalyst of the work that brought us through the season. Things are completely bananas, no one knows which end is up...want to buy a raincoat? Why, yes, YOU DO! apparently, you cannot call in "depleted"to work. You still have to get up, get dressed, and work your bum off. Or perhaps, despite the 50/50 chance of success, your daughter's getting hitched! And not only do you have to pay for it, you have to look like Carla Bruni. We are about to shoot the photos for spring 2009, and my brain is SPINNING. Luckily, so are the wheels on my machines. Raincoats that bowl you over, and weigh a feather...eye popper evening looks....super suits...People of America! I will NOT fail you! I am doing a dress for one fave model Tim's wife-they are going to the inagural Tech Ball. She said Black. I said NO! Red, sister, RED!!!!It is the dawning...of a new era!!!!!

Who's Clueless?

2008-11-13T07:53:00.001-08:00

There's a story today on the front page of the New York Times Style section today. It's about "interview suits". But it really is about what any woman in the work force should wear. And in fragile economic times, I find it bananas that Nicole Miller would think a woman she spotted on Wall Street in a pants suit "looked dated". Granted, Ms. Miller's bread and butter is cocktail dresses and 24 hour party girl looks, but a pants suit, dated? Hell-O!? This is what's wrong with the fashion industry. If they make a suit,it's either for an androgynous heroin addict or her mother who's uptown having lunch, wondering "What happened to my daughter? She used to look so nice." Women work. They need clothes to wear to work, where they are surrounded by men, competing with men, men in suits. If you're wearing a sweater set and the guy across from you is wearing a suit, you are automatically demoting yourself-"Oh, don't mind me, I'm just here to fetch coffee. If a guy showed up to work in a cardigan, the reaction would be "Mr. Rogers, the train to the Land of Make-believe just left". I know dress codes are not super strict anymore, but suits are power. They say "I'm here to work!" They don't need to be dull, navy deals with no style. They can have great, great flare. More than anything I do here, I make suits for women. They are repeat customers, they wear my clothes all the time, and I make their lives easier, so they can do their job. That's the nice thing about being so close to the customer base-you actually know what they want and need, and you can use your design skills to take it to the next level. I think 7th avenue needs to think a little bit more, so there's not piles of product in discount stores and women walking around wondering if they're wearing the "right thing" to work.

life goes on...

2008-10-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the world's a mess. Go BUY A DRESS! Seriously, I have not taken over Vogue as written by the Bush Administration. The markets crash, the sky is falling, the world is about to stop rotating on it's axis. Guess what-you still have to go to work tomorrow. And that wedding you're going to-it's still happening. And your 50th birthday party -uh huh-trust me, if I could stop that one, I'd be as loaded as your guests at your open bar. It's where you chose to spend it that makes all the difference. When it's right-when is looks fabulous, fits perfectly, and most of all, has supreme purpose, that's perfection in a nutshell. A love supreme. So many times this week, I heard women say "I love my pants", "I love my clothes-they're so special", "I'm so happy I did this". Well, I love my job because of it, and that doesn't sound like the Apocalypse to me. But talk to me Wednesday.....

for a few dollars less......

2008-10-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

Say you've got s new potential job offer. And you need a fast makeover. And Tim Gunn's out of the question, because you think he and his kind are the anti-Christ. What do you do? Do you go to Neiman Mark-up, and blow $150,000? Nah-You come to see Jennifer Butler(that's me), and despite the fact that I'd be tempted to tell you we're all God's children- sisters and brothers, brothers who want to be sisters, brothers who dress better than their sisters, etc.- but I don't because I don't believe in mixing clothes and state. Instead, I'd tell you you can't buy style. But you can leave the styling to me, you can look great, and feel great about yourself, get in touch with your true best self, and I can get you there. For a lot less than $150,000. It will take more than a day, and a three store shopping spree. But you'll love your clothes, and you'll have them for a really long time, and they'll fit like a glove. And they will reflect you at your best.
And okay, okay, while we're on the subject-I must say, the boots gave her away that she was under outside influence. No one in Alaska with that hairdo has 4" heel patent pointy toe boots. Unless she's being a "naughty witch" for Halloween-oh-hey....come to think of it.....

Yes! A Dress!

2008-10-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

Fifteen minutes to get ready this morning-how to cope? A forgotten dress! I told myself I would wear what's on the floor this season- not the bedroom, the store- and I had forgotten about this great jersey dress, printed, easy, and fifteen minutes, shower to door. More than ever, with all the stress we are under these days, the faster we can get out the door looking pulled together, the better. I love the versatility of a skirt and jacket, or jersey, but I did some great dresses this summer, and have carried it through to fall. Check out the show under see the latest show on the website, and better yet, pop in the store, and see how easy looking fabulous in a snap can be

That's right- I have a blog...

2008-10-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

Work, work, work...no time to think-Hey, I should run for office! A friend just linked his blog to mine, and I realized I haven't had time to post in quite some time, since every Friday I am amazed it's Friday again, since wasn't it just Saturday, and wow, look, I'm 80 now! Anyway, I'm sure many of us feel that way, but you know what makes it better? Perfect pants. And a cocktail dress. At least that's the story around here. We've been busy filling orders and doing fittings, but will soon be posting the photos from the fall show, in case you didn't make it. In the meantime, if you didn't make the show, stop my the store, and see what you missed. It's my favorite collection ever- smart, gorgeous, and full of surprises.

I'm fat, and I just want to have the baby

2008-09-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

I have never gone quite full term with a pregnancy, but I think this is how it feels. Months of work and anticipation, and then you just want it out. When the baby comes, I will love the baby, but I want to see the baby, not be working until 3 am squeezing it all in. Fall has been in the cooker for months and months, and now , on this 80 something degree night, it will be unveiled. See you there, at FTC-come have a preshow drink and some great food, then sit down and enjoy. Doors at 7, Models hit the stage about 7:45.

Countdown

2008-08-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

Six days to showtime, and we're buzzing here, dotting the I's, crossing the T's and stitching the hems from the last fittings. I'm loving all the sleek but fluid skirts,the knits, the cool new evening pants called "More Cow Bell", and a fabulous cascading chiffon shawl, name yet unknown, that will come in 96 colors(!)So many people have been popping into the shop for the first time these past weeks, telling me they'd been meaning to for months and months-and walking out with sale pieces and excitement for the show. I'll be laboring heavy on Labor Day, but if you happen by, and the door's open, c'mon in.

Am I Blue?

2008-08-20T10:01:00.001-07:00

Yes. 6 shades of it. With green-4 shades. And a shot of yellow. Just finished a winter version of one of my favorite skirts, Velvet Underpass. It rocks. It's beautiful, too. So, so right. On a black ground. I can see so many people wearing it-it's much easier to pop on than the white Spring version, which was gorgeous, but required commitment. This version-it's an invitation to a good time. Come see it make it's debut in 11 days at FTC.

13 days

2008-08-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

Until showtime.And I just cannot wait to see it walk the walk. Feedback from people has been beyond positive. But I heard something very interesting today. That following the financial mood of the world, a lot of designers have taken the season into darkness. Black, grey, and brown is your highlight colour. This is like giving a bottle of pills to manic depressive and telling them, "Just go on, finish it, will you?". If I'm bummin' big time, granted, I will not be putting on a red party dress and hitting the town. But will I shroud myself and wait for the rapture? No. But I think if I put on "Branching Out", one of the coolest coats I've ever made, I'll perk up, feel strong, and take on the day with a "You can't beat me down, buddy- Excuse me while I step around your stale air" mode. come check it out at the Fairfield Theatre Company on September 4th.

I'm gonna knock your jeans off

2008-08-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

That's right. Clear out of the park. I have been workin' with a capital K. wor-Kin. And do I have skirts for you. A-line, easy, slim, tight as a drum. A drum with a lycra bounce beat, that is. High-waisted,flatteringly low slung (not an oxymoron, I swear) lots of great throw it on and go, but look fabulous skirts. I just got goose bumps over one yesterday- a deep green Donegal tweed with this huge silver buckle I came across in the city. Except calling it a buckle is like calling the Guggenheim out building. This is sculpture people. And then this fringed tweed piece pulls through low on the hip-excuse me, I..I... I'm getting weepy. I had been hoarding this giant hunk of gleaming silver, waiting for the right fabric to come along, and make it whole. I found it, but then it appeared it had sold out while I made my decision. But yesterday I got the call it had been unearthed in the warehouse. And at 12:47 last night, or rather this morning,I pulled that tweed through, and had an epiphany. Did you hear the clap of thunder?

Everything's better when it's made to measure

2008-07-29T21:07:00.003-07:00

I know-it should be the catch phase of the century.One of my favorite clients brought her visiting mom in to have a dress made, and said those very words today. But it's so very, very true.You can be a size two, and be wearing the "wrong thing" You can be a size two, wearing the right thing, but it doesn't fit you well, because one person's waist can be two inches higher than another's, and off the rack just doesn't cut it. If it's well thought out, it can make you look fabulous. And I'm not talking a black sheath. I have another favorite client who tells me when she wears my pants, people say she's lost weight. There are tricks of the trade. I'm not hoarding them-c'mom down! People constantly say to me "Of course you can wear that-you're so thin" or "skinny people can wear anything". It's everything in my power not to smack them upside the head. Every single person on the planet has body issues, unless they're on meds. I am not immune. I'm just keeping my problems to myself. I spend so much time working on how to playoff one asset to minimize another on all body types. And trust me, I see them all. It would be ridiculous for me to do a plus size line-it's not my angle on things, but I can do my best to present a ideas that go beyond just the uberthin, walking clothes hanger mentality, while not embracing the Ellen Tracy "just have another doughnut, it's okay" idea. I was just working on a dress today that's on bronze charmeause. Now the idea on bronze charmeause across most people's abs would send hem straight into the vomitorium to drop a few pounds. But I was thinking, if I just move it down a few inches, on the diagonal, we'd be a world of strutting glamazons. Come see the Fall show at to see what I'm talking about.

Lean Times

2008-07-29T21:07:00.002-07:00

Wallets, wardrobes, waistlines...everywhere, people are paring down. So what works? Well, there is nothing wrong with less is more, but it's got to be right on many levels. I was working on the idea of an amazing white blouse-one that had parts that defied gravity, but then , I had a thought. It involved a salad dressing mishap, and tears. If I make something that collapses at the dry cleaners, it hurts me as well as you. If I can make something that doesn't need to visit the cleaners but a few times a season, better for all of us. And if it can stay away for months, and just have a gentle run of things in your sink, oh, joy. But man, is that hard. As someone known for their fair share of mishaps, I am all for the multi-use item. And as someone who has seen some things wrecked by cleaners, I know I have to think on the side of practicality. So somewhere between shirt as napkin and shirt as sculpture, I hope to find the answer....

More Cowbell

2008-07-29T21:07:00.001-07:00

I keep having this dream. It's 20 minutes before the show, and I haven't mixed the show music, or done the pre and post show discs, which I swore I would do a month ahead. Yes, I have aural control issues. Why? Does it matter? Yes, whether you know it or not. And judging from the amount of "loved the music" comments I got from the last show, absolutely. So for the sixteenth time, while I rethought a collar, finished a shirt for someone, and rethought the lineup-stronger, harder beats, like the clothes-I remixed for hopefully the last time. And while I think some ideas are often best resolved while hanging from a cliff, I'm hoping for sweet dreams.

Givin' It Away

2008-07-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well, not quite-It's that time again-time for a fresh start. Everything in the store, all samples, off the rack items,menswear, kids clothes EVERYTHING is 40-80% off the original price. This includes great fall coats,evening wear,skirts, sweaters-you name it-if it fits(or almost-we'll tweak it for you for an additional labor cost)it's yours for an incredible price. Because I've got a lot of ideas for Fall and they've got to have a place to hang.And don't forget-tickets for the Fall '08 show are on sale, so get them now for the best seats in the house.

How Green Was My Midriff

2008-07-08T22:09:00.002-07:00

And crusty, too. No, I haven't fallen asleep in the dumpster behind the store. I'm working on a new gown. Supermodel Leah wants to shoot on a big black horse. How could she possibly do that without a to die for green under black chiffon and stretch silk gown with a beaded inset waist? I love green. Highly underrated. It's the relation to stomach upset, I think. "You're looking a bit green" sort of a thing. Like brown, it suffers from the intestinal relationship. Green, I'm looking to liberate you. Through tweeds. And a kooky paisley stretch knit lace. And a crusty beaded glistening midriff. All the other colors, they'll be green with envy.

Fractured Fairy Tales

2008-07-08T22:09:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time, in a moderately sized town, a man with a camera, a woman with some clothes and...a guy with a giant Hersey kiss made from real hair and a lady with paints for faces got together and made some really cool pictures of some beautiful people. And they all lived happily ever after. Because everyone bit the apple. I'm very, very fortunate to work with some amazing people-Peter Baker behind the lens, Leslie Atiles on make-up, and Michael Burgess on hair-who don't bat an eye when "think of sculpture-like a big Calder on their head" is said. I clear my head when I run the trails behind my house, and had a Medieval fantasy of woodland nymphs and spirited female warriors running the rock walls. Since it was 98 degrees the day we shot, and I have an insatiable appetite for images, we did it all in studio, and it's the surreal dream I'd hoped for. Hope you like it, and see it all in person at the Fall show, September 4th at the Fairfield Theatre Company. Tickets go on sale today- www.fairfieldtheatre.org.

Baby, it's hot outside, and on the rack

2008-07-08T22:09:00.000-07:00

Like Africa hot. Yet I have seen a half dozen people today pull on a coat with single minded determination. One that says "I must know what it's like to be with that coat". A friend asked me this weekend "So, Jen-what's new-what are you doing for fall". I didn't know what to say. I think because I didn't know where to begin, I don't know how I got here, and I'm sure that I'm not done yet. All I know is I wanted that "get with it now" reaction from whatever I made. I think for something to be successful design right now, you must be sucked in, it must serve a real purpose, and it can't cost a small fortune. That's a tall order. I forgot about the not making anyone look fat thing. So anyway, I started talking about texture. And using greens and blues, non traditional "fall" colors. And coats. And pants suits. And then I think I blacked out. Boooooooooorrrring-a-ding-ding. There's no "in" color, there's no absolute. There's the idea of something that's keeps you warm when it's cold, feels good when you touch it, when you pick it up off the hanger, and fits you like a glove.There's some dark clouds around.I'm looking to provide the undertow to make you forget,to beat the clouds away. Take a peek in the men's and women's sections, and see if you're distracted....

Color Blind

2008-06-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

Now I know you're not supposed to mix politics and commerce, but there's a color issue that needs to be discussed. I'm talking Obama. And his shirts. They're white. Always white. Really, really white. Dark suit/white shirt. Every appearance, every photo op. Now I know there's a subliminal Kennedy thing going on here-slim suit/dark tie/white shirt. But we're a bit more enlightened now, aren't we? I don't see Michelle Obama running around in a pill box hat. But the 2-tone thing? People have a knee jerk reaction to this combo-it's uptight. As petty as it seems, I think a little more color needs to creep into the campaign trail. You want the blue collar vote? Lose the white collar.Perhaps an icy blue shirt on a hot summer day? It'll sneak up on people-they won't even know what happened, but they'll be drawn in. And I'm not talking chambray, roll up the sleeves and work the land, but just a little color. Maybe even a taupe suit in August? We are a sorry lot-as hard as we try, we judge a book by it's cover. Why did Hillary fall? Two words. Yellow Pantsuit. If any woman came into my store, and said "Hi, I'm running for the highest office in the country, and I need a yellow pantsuit", my first reaction would be to take a few steps back for safety, then direct her to one of the fine therapists in the neighborhood, because sister, you need help. But on the other hand, a little color, that's a good idea.

love is...

2008-05-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

Depending on your situation, or your nano, love is all you need,a battlefield, like oxygen, or in my case, the cause of a large late spring workload. Because despite the odds,(I think it's now one in two fails)people still get hitched. People going to weddings, mothers of brides and grooms, brides, flower girls(I guess if you count First Communion, Brides of Christ-not sure on the odds there, though-think slightly higher)No matter, it's still an honor to be any part of what is a huge day in any person's life. But here's my idea-not exactly throw convention out the window, but why not get something with a longer shelf life-I'm talking get-ups here, not spouses. Why not a 3 piece wedding dress, so you can wear the pieces again for your anniversary, out to dinner, to another wedding. Why not a dress for your son's wedding you can wear to some one else's? Why not be the best dressed guest in a fabulous skirt and top you can split, and wear one with flip flops to the corner bistro? Now THAT'S love!

Present and Future, Learned from the Past

2008-05-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

No, No, no,don't worry- I'm sober. But maybe too sober, like most of us these days. Bad news is everywhere. But so is bad design. I'm doing Fall, making Spring, and it's almost Summer. Frankly, with that schedule, I should drink. But with a wary eye to excess, I wonder what we'll all need come September. Will we need to escape? Will clothing be fantasy, disguised as reality? Or will we batten down the hatches to prepare for the bumpy night? I know, it's just a skirt, right? Well, not really. How you dress, how you look-it's a loaded gun. Are you too sexy for work? Are you too uptight for the party? Are you too mom-sy 24 hours a day? And does any of it make you look fat? By learning from my immediate past, as in this season, I can see you need to look like you can handle anything. Nothing too fragile. And when it does double duty-day into night, trans-seasonal, it's a keeper. But sometimes, when it's extra special, when it had never occurred to you that you might actually 'need' it, because you never knew it existed, but now that you've met, well......"Excuse me, Embroidered Plum and Black Velvet Coat-I couldn't help noticing you from across the room...Can I buy you?"

Can you please turn that up?I'm trying to think!

2008-04-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's officially Spring. I know this, because I have bid goodbye to hose. But what am I doing? Well, between filling Spring orders, I'm designing fall 2008. It started a while ago, when I felt a little tingling inside that sent a Mad Max meets Elizabeth the Golden Age vibe through me. But not the trussed up Elizabeth- the scene where she's firing up her troops on the battle field, and her hair's down, and she's in armor. Except I'm thinking her armor may have some vinyl involved in my book. And I have my mental soundtrack on continuous play-it's the new Gutter Twins. Then my friend Douglas said he had a fog machine, if I should ever need one, for a show. Uh oh-I see trouble ahead. But I just went to see The Diving Bell and the Butterfly with a friend at her insistence, and as much as it's an arresting, amazingly life affirming movie(about death, of course, because that's when we need it the most, eh?)it was the use of Tom Waits' song "All the World is Green" that sent me reeling. Back in 1987, I heard his Swordfish Trombones for the first time, from a very unlikely source- a shop neighbor next door to mine in New Haven, and it changed my life. Until then, I had been remaking the past, and not thinking ahead. Because didn't thinking ahead mean spacesuits, pseudo mod get-ups, which I'd already redone again and again, and silly things, not real clothes? No, it meant going somewhere dark, and coming out with the bright light of something new, with an edge, but still completely wearable. Perhaps these are dark times, and I think what I do needs to wow you. I hope come Fall 2008 I've come up with "The Juice"(needs to be said with thick Aussie accent for impact)and you'll all be riding down the Post Road on your way to the shop in your crazy Road Warrior vehicles with heady anticipation. Just watch out for that kid with the boomerang.

cross eyed and pinless

2008-03-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

Where have I been? Filling orders. Oy. We're pretty much sold out of Fade to Brown,and Turncoat, the reversible rubbeized linen raincoat has been a huge hit. We have renamed the section of Post Road in front of the store Sheath City. And sating all the lost mothers of future brides who have found there are two choices out there when you say "My child is getting married" -Vegas hooker(re:see, I'm still hot, too!) and Old Lady(re:my arms are bigger than the centerpiece and I'm going to hide in something beige with a jacket) If you missed the show, a video can be found on youtube, under Jennifer Butler fashion show. Complete shots of the show are coming any day now on this site under "see the latest show", and if you missed the show, pop in the store and see what's going on. I'm the one on the floor, cutting.

More Frock, Less Talk?

2008-02-10T18:51:00.002-08:00

So with 2 weeks to the show, the logistics are being analyzed-model/oufit order, final song picks, even pre-show soundtrack. And the biggest issue for me is the chatter. Do I, or don't I? Last season, I was going to just send the models out, since we were onstage, not doing luncheon tables, or a country club setting. But I always hear "I love the commentary", more than I hear, or more likely overhear someone saying "I'd rather just look at the clothes". Now I am not a fan of director's cuts, but with clothing coming so close to home-I make it, we fit it,you wear it -I sometimes find it helps to say "you can't put x with y" and see how it appears like an epiphany to clients that you can mix it up, and not only do it as it's shown. And I also think it makes it more human. In the design industry, this is frowned upon. "Must be above the fray. No talking to 'the little people'.. Which is why the industry is failing the client. I can be as affected as any Eurotrash trouser peddler you'll ever run across. I can tell you my abstract influences, and prattle on about how Rothko's depth of colour changed my life. But maybe I can do it with a sense of humor while you watch 3 months of work pass by in 20 minutes, and make more of a connection. Or maybe not. I'd love to know what you think, so let me know.

More, More, More

2008-02-10T18:51:00.001-08:00

Not that I'm pulling a Hanna Montana grift, but the week long Everything Sale has been extended. If you want a jacket, I'm afraid you're out of luck. They were gone faster than honeymoon pajamas. But if you need an exceptional skirt, a great cocktail dress, a fabulous coat, reversible waterproof/faux fur storm poncho, or sexy sweater-not an oxymoron in here, but a real need-hello-I can't feel my fingers today-could it be a little colder???? -you're very much in luck. Perhaps you've got a Valentine date? You know, if you get it on sale and look amazing, you'll be loved more.

Holes

2008-02-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

As the days wind down to show time, a lot goes on. But right at this point, before the final fittings, I look for holes. And I always see them. Because until now, I'm working completely from my gut. I'm not thinking "what do women want?", because I am one, and I sort of think I know what to do, but no, the holes are always there. Did I address the needs of a woman working in a male dominated enviroinment? Do I have the 'can't live without it' summer skirt someone sees in the window and pulls across traffic to come in for? Do I have the perfect dress for a mid day wedding? Do I have the perfect get-up for your son's wedding if you don't have the perfect arms you thought you would at this point in your life? And when will I stop trying to be all things to all people? It's enough to leave you with a nervous tick. Yes-it is- that happened yesterday, when I woke up with a lip twitch Elvis would come out of hiding for. I design what I want, and I hope someone will want it. This is perhaps not the smartest of business models, but it really works if you think from all corners. There is a coat called "Fade To Brown" in the line-up. It has already caused a stir with everyone who has seen it. I wanted to make a perfect Spring coat. Maybe I watched too many That Girl episodes as a child, home from school in a fever state, but I thought it would be great to have this coat you put on and looked fresh and polished and ageless, but cool. An It coat. I knew a tweed would be tired. And heavy. But it had to have texture and interest. And it couldn't wrinkle, and it couldn't be fragile-you needed to use it, not take care of it. It couldn't be too light, but it couldn't be so dark it looked you were on your way to a funeral in the rain. I sometines run the trails in the woods behind my house at daybreak, and there are ferns all along the forrest floor that look incredible when the sun is illuminating them. I had thought it would be a great project with my daughters to use a breyer and print linen with their image. Of course that never happened, since I barely have a life outside of work and am not Marty Stewart. But when I was fabric shopping, I found a silk brocade, in an ivory to chocolate hombre with ferns printed in white running up the border. I remember the first time I saw it across the room. You'd have thought Ralph Fiennes walked in with a bouquet of flowers for me. I must have had a look of wistful longing on my face. It's the same look people have when they come in and spot the coat I made from it. Now today, I went through all the jackets, and I came up with some new, fresh ideas, and love them, and I think they could become a part of many women's wardobes, and fill those "It's 86 degrees outside, my office is 55 degress, and I have to go out for dinner after work-what do I wear?" moments. But I still get kind of misty when I think about that coat...

I Know What Boys Want

2008-01-28T22:33:00.001-08:00

Okay, not that. I'm talking clothes. Menswear. Menswear in Fairfield. Why bother, right? I just can't help it. If you make clothes, and you have male friends, and you don't make clothes for your male friends, then you're bad friend. Or at least that's what mine claim. But mostly, it's part of the big picture. Man/Woman/Child. I love the way they look coming down the runway. I love to see how an idea from one end of the spectrum works on the other. I love the off kilter nuclear family in my store window. I look at menswear from a different perspective-a woman's. Which can really work in a guy's favor. Not to fly the sexist flag here, but why are 98% of the world's 'big names' in women's design men? Can you tell me what a man brings to that table a woman can't do in reverse? I ask, I listen, and I learn. And sometimes I hear the best things, like the guy who told me people constantly say "Nice Pants!" when he wears my trousers. Or another who said he always hears "Wow-where did you get that shirt?" and not in a "and how long will you be travelling with the circus?" vibe. Sometimes I have to really, really rack my brain thinking does the world really need a red knit shirt with a red/white seersucker placket? Apparently, I decided the answer was yes, because I couldn't get it out of my head, and made it today. I think it's just the tweak you need to not be the10,000 guy in a plain polo shirt. My first 'date' with my husband, a man with a refined funky style, was vintage clothes shopping in our hometown of Providence, R.I., many, many years ago. I still ask his opinion on most men's things I do with the simple "Would you wear that?" He's not always going to say yes, and I don't swear by it. And sometimes I revel in the "Are you high?" or "No, because I'm not one of the Monkeys" wisecracks I get back, and run with it. Like this month, when I wanted to do a pale, pale yellow rubberized linen rain jacket and he said "Nah, too buttery". Two hours later, I was fitting the newly christened "Like Butta" on one of my male models, and enjoying it's Steve McQueen meets Jack White joy, as was the model who said "This is really cool". It's a stretch, but if you see a guy walking down Post road in a really cool zip front raincoat, tell him "Nice jacket!". Maybe he'll think outside the box more often.

Dude, we are going to get soooo waisted....

2008-01-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

We have been deep into fittings for spring, and it appears it's time for some crunches, my friends. As you may have noticed, in the general fashion zeitgeist, focus has shifted from low slung plumber butt to empire waistline and back to actual waistline. Now going by where many wear their pants, there is definitely some waistline confusion out there. Some people think their waistline is that grey(hopefully not actual) area where your thong comes out of your jeans when you bend down. Uh, no. Big no. Short crotch pants are a blight on the earth. I think I can speak for all of us when I say I have seen far too much unwanted backside in the last few years. Who's idea was this? Angry plumber's unions? But enough anger. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. So people, let me tell you- your waist-it's the smallest part of your torso when you look in the mirror. Case closed. And it's in heavy rotation this year. And this does not mean slap a belt on and hop out the door. "I think I'll just wear a belt with it." is a statement that fills me with fear almost as much as "I'm voting for Huckabee." Proportion is everything, and every body has different needs. I will not leave you high and dry, and I have lots of silhouettes going on, but the actual attenuated waistline is looking fresh, clean, and a welcome sign of spring. Or maybe I just want to choose who's bum I see. I wonder if Daniel Craig needs any trousers....

Aaah Spring?

2008-01-05T19:09:00.006-08:00

That fleeting moment, that Northeastern myth. Try designing a collection for it. Talk about your bad dates.."It was going so well, warming up, smiling, happy, then, cold, rainy, hostile, prickly, Africa hot and sweaty for all the wrong reasons." Fall, Winter? Piece of cake. Layer it on, take it off. A perfect relationship. Texture, color...boots! Boots fix everything. Every one's 5'10" in boots. But Spring? It's hot, it's cold, it's rainy. It's hot and rainy. It's cold and rainy, and your feet are freezing because you're wearing open toe slides. Why? Because it's Spring, and it seemed sensible at 7:30 AM when it was warm and sunny. Ah, but look at the flowers! I love flowers! But do I want to dress like a flower? Uhhh...well, um, some people would like you to. And it's okay to give in, and be the girl in the pink dress once in a while. But only once in a while. I spent a lot of time last spring and summer listening to everyone who stepped foot in my store, or went to one of my shows. Sure, the floral dresses you will find in heaps and piles this season in many places will turn your heads, but you told me what I found out myself when I scrambled to get to work everyday, picking out my clothes in the dark, on the way to the gym. You need to get dressed in a hurry(like me). You need to get off the train looking like you didn't sleep in your dress or your suit(even if you did) You need to look amazing for a wedding or a party. And, oh yes, you need to look ten pounds thinner. It's very easy to design a fun summer dress. Even the misfits on Project Runway can pull it off on a regular basis. But it's not easy to battle the reality show that is most people's lives-A great suit, a perfect occasion get-up you'll wear again and again, something cool, aesthetically and physically for the weekend, and male or female, a great fitting pair of pants that make your rear view as sweet at a flower. Spring, I take you on!

Inspiration

2008-01-05T19:09:00.001-08:00

So I've been scouting locations for the spring shoot with Peter Baker, since he suggested we hit the road and get out of the studio for the next shoot. I emailed Kate, my friend/super model/commercial real estate agent and said we're looking for a raw space on a top floor, hopefully with open space next to us, and she hooked us up with an amazing space in Bridgeport- a factory on the river being converted into multi-use by a great guy, Ed Piquette. I was floored. When we reached the top level, it hit to me- Gorodish's loft apartment in one of my favorite movies, Diva. The scene, where he's in the claw foot bath tub-the one in the middle of the room, and the moonlight is falling through all the windows, making a path of rectangle's on the floor , as Alba walks in, late, barefoot, inspired from the "amazing trip" she's gone on with Jules, through the Diva's music. So I rented it, and it held up. Big time. That doesn't happen often. I'd like to think I could pull a dress out of the closet I made in 1982 and wear it out the door, but I fear I'd look more Patti Smyth than Patti Smith. Inspiration comes from every where-from the creative people you have the pleasure of working with, from a song you heard, a fabric you stumble across. And sometimes it hits you upside the head when you least expect it. Cause God knows I've got Spring's menswear muse cemented in my brain. He's Gorodish. Except it's 2008, he's out of the tub, and he's wearing my pants.

Whether the weather

2008-01-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

So it may be winter outside, but it's spring at the shop. We're getting ready for the show on February 28th at the Fairfield Theatre Company (tickets are on sale now) and have been whipping up a lot of great things. My latest favorite is Velvet Underpass, a skirt I've been thinking about for a long, long time- bias cut cream organza with frosty sherbet colored velvet ribbons running in irregular diagonal lines, like and aerial view of a candy colored highway. And dresses. Dresses, dresses, dresses. Super feminine, not confining, in off beat color combos. Just did a great royal(don't be afraid),sapphire and periwinkle gown called Blues Explosion that I think will knock the socks off anyone within a 10 mile radius. And don't even get me started on all the green/blue combos I'm cooking. So despite the fact that I appear to have become a weather wuss-that is me shouting "Hurry up and get in the car because Mommy can't feel her hands to do your seat belts"every night when the girls and I leave work, it's nice to know there are some delicious things to look forward to.

Friend of Faux

2007-11-28T21:37:00.000-08:00

So I think it's safe to say i have inhaled more faux fur this week than the clean up crew at a Plushie Convention, but the results are more than worth it. There's some fabulous faux fur collars-sort of a caveman meets Elizabethan Ruff thing-flying out of the store-we've already sold out of two colors-and some great Spats, including the new George Clooney as Chewy, and Out of Grecian Formula Chewy.We've also done great holiday versions the girl's Dot Ringer with velvet sleeves that seem to be hitting a nerve with the tween and pre-tween cool set.And more Cowels Gone Wild than you can shake a hand cam at.Today I found three grey with a sheer raglan shoulder I don't even remember cutting-sort of a Lost Weekend moment there. Soon, I'll need an intervention-"Ma'am, just put the scissors down, and come out of the building"-"Just one more sweater, PLEASE! Then I'll stop, I swear!"I hope you can make it to one of the Jennifer Butler After Dark events-I have just chocolate dipped more clementines than I thought could fit in the universe, let alone my fridge for this week, so DO come by and devour some while Leslie Atiles makes you fabulous with her great holiday make up. Or the Retail Therapy event I'm doing with Twisted Vine that will go on while Peter Baker Studios pops in next week. I've heard some wonderful stories this week about the fun and compliments my dresses have had at their various events, and nothing makes me happier.Except maybe yesterday, when I found the perfect rubberized linen for a motorcycle jacket cut raincoat for spring. SO much to look forward to...

2007-11-16T20:04:00.000-08:00

With the store turning a year old tomorrow, I thought it might be a good time to start a blog of what's going on at 1326 Post Road.
A year ago today, at exactly this time of night, I put the last coat of paint on the trim of the store, and hopped in my car towards Brooklyn with my good friend, vet and co-painter Grace to see one of my favorite bands, The Twilight Singers on the last night of their US tour. Why, when I was opening my store in 11 hours would I do such a thing? Because their drummer called and said "You're coming to the show, and you're bringing those pants, right? The new velvet pants? Because I woke up dreaming about my new pants" You need pants? I'm your girl! I measured him 2 nights previous in Boston, and we talked trousers. And although most people don't have 2 day turn around needs, that was the whole point of opening up the store. People. People, and their pants, and me. A year later, we have made many, many pairs of perfect pants. One of my favorites just happened-we picked her up at the train station right behind the store, she fit her muslin, left to visit her good friend and who is also our good friend and client(4 pairs in her closet)came back the next day for a pre-lunch fitting, and we dropped her at the station for the 3:30 train back to the city, pants in hand. The process doesn't always go that swiftly, but what a pleasure to know something you designed is such a happy part someones life.
Many coats, suits, weddings, gowns and 70 hour work weeks later, I very happy to have opened the door to all the wonderful people I have met in the past year. Thanks, and keep checking in on what's happening. People always ask me "Where do you get the ideas for all this stuff? What's your inspiration?" With this blog, I'll keep you posted on the spring collection as it forms, and I hope to see you all at the Fairfield Theatre Company on February 28th when it hits the stage. In the meantime, if you need pants, I'm still your girl.

Welcome to Jennifer Butler's Blog

2007-11-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

This is Jennifer Butler's Blog!