Under the jacket.

With the warmer weather that’s been sneaking up on us the past couple of weeks, lots of our lovely HUSH ladies have been walking around with jackets unzipped, unbuttoned, and sometimes even blissfully carried over arm.

So what are under those winter cloaks? What’s everyone wearing going into spring and summer?

There’s a few looks I’ve been hearing, seeing, and reading about. And just LOVING.

Bright, bold, eccentric, and 70’s
Check out Gucci’s latest walk on the runway. It’s bold, it’s bright, and it’s reminiscent of the 70’s. Look for loud and different patterns, highlighter colours, and – believe it or not – long skirts. Kate Hudson rocked a beautiful bohemian style in NYC.

Uneven shirts and ruffles
Shirts with longer fronts than bottoms are popping up all over. One talented designer at HUSH creates shirts with lace backs that hang longer in the back than the front. Looks great with a blazer so the lace detailing shows off below the bottom at the back.
Ruffled fronts are also quite popular, with all that going on in the front you can forgo the necklaces and pair with some pretty earrings.

Animal prints – Lovin’ that leopard
I LOVE that animal prints are sticking around and particularly LOVE the leopard (that’s right, All-Caps is how much I love it). Look for it in scarves (while it’s still cool enough for them), shirts, and super sexy skirts!

White lace dress
This trend is going to be BIG, especially carrying into summer. And it’s going to look amazing. Come on ladies – what girl doesn’t want to wear a pretty white dress ;)

Denim is a definate.

The start of Spring is here, and denim is a definite must have! Not only is it comfortable but it also exudes style. Comfort and style are only a few benefits that denim can bring so for 2011 Spring/Summer season make sure that you turn to denim vests, denim blazers, denim shorts, denim long skirts, and denim wide leg pants. Denim shirts should also be a part of your wardrobe!



The last season was all about skinny and boyfriend jeans but the new season brings a little bit more variety when it comes to denim. Don't throw your skinny jeans and boyfriend denim away but add to your collection with a variety of other styles as well.

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Check out our favourite HUSH shout-outs this week:
Love K
MAISONSTYLE

Lights, camera ...

ARC.
This past weekend Ottawa bloggers, fashionista's, models, celebritite's, stylists, and makeup artists took part in an amazing two day editorial shoot at ARC The.Hotel. The ARC staged 28 different scenarios over 2 days with high end fashion models in high end clothing for their new website. And what a production it was!

The amazing duo from CoverModels Management and Dan Ziemkiewicz Photography along with the creme de la creme in the Ottawa hair (HAIR JUNKIE), makeup (Melody Lafelice) and wardrobe (Rania Abdulla) pulled together an amazing team and fashions including Harry Rosen, Mia Bridal, Pom Pom, and yours truly ... HUSH clothes!

Check out some behind the scenes photos here.

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VIP Front of the Line Access | Shopping Trips to New York

You are invited to shop till you drop!

Get front of the line tickets to our next 3 shopping trips.
Tickets go on sale today to the general public. As a preferred client to our exclusive shopping trips we wanted to give you first priority to our next shopping trips.

March 26 - Syracuse, Waterloo Premium Outlets
www.premiumoutlets.com - $60

April 30 - Syracuse, Carousel Mall
www.carouselcenter.com - $60

Departs at 7am from Billings Bridge Shopping Centre, returns same day.

May 21-22-23 - Manhattan, New York City
www.nycgo.com - $200 (bus only)

Tickets can be purchased at the following locations. Please note cash payments only.

HUSH Boutique
1440 Wellington Street West, 613-724-4874

More info: Contact Jessica at 613-325-8348 or rsvp@eventsbystarfish.com

These boots are made for walking.

So many winters, so many boots. The transformation of what is hip and hopping to be walking around in through the snow and slush has changed drastically over the past few years. Here’s what I’ve noticed:

- The UGG/EMU boot: It took me a while to jump on the bandwagon but once I jumped, I never looked back. I love them. They’re warm, you don’t need to wear socks, there’s a nice variety of neutral colours, and they are warm. Love them.

- The FUGG boot : It didn’t take long for the fake UGG to start popping up in everywhere from shoe stores to accessory stores to grocery stores. Some able to withstand the normal walk to the bus stop, some not so much. Those FUGGs were the ones you would see folding over and the wearer would be walking on the side of the boot. Not a good look.

- Sorel’s: Last winter all I heard about was Sorel’s. When or why the practical winter boot came back into style I know not. But it’s about time. The days of struggling with runners through the slush and cold have ebbed. I recently bought a houndstooth patterned pair with pink laces. Love them too.

- To the knee and over the knee: This winter was a more fashionable winter than I can ever recall. I am loving the loose fitting and the height of the boots that women are wearing this season (goes great with the peacoat). Heel or no heel, they are fabulous.

Now…

The riding boot. I noticed this boot first on Urban Outfitters.com and LOVED IT. It was different, cute, stylish, and could go with anything (in my mind at least). I had a feeling we’d start seeing more versions popping up around Ottawa. Then I noticed a similar pair in Zara, but with the buckle around the ankle. And then, in In Touch magazine, on Jessica Alba.nI look forward to seeing this glorious boot around our fair city for a long time.

Nicolina Leone

Colourbombshells

Hush was anything but quiet at the spring 2011 trunk show releasing Blush Beads, the wonderful works of Sandy Schnierie. My good friend, the Fashion Keeper and I arrived and were lucky enough to be two of the twenty early birds who received swag bags. They were filled with all sorts of luxuries like mascara, coupons, and Smashbox samples.

The store was filled with fabulous fashion, females, and food. As usual, there were glorious finds all around the store (including a beautiful beige, suede Coach bag I picked up for myself) and everything was an additional 20 per cent off. New items from local designers and big brands at bargain prices, it was love at first sight everywhere you looked.

Bloggin’ babes were evident as cameras flashed and talk was of the trade. Everyone was all smiles laughs making their way between treats and make-up. A wonderful, glamorous, and glowingly pregnant Alison, looked amazing and ran the store with a great attitude and calm composure amidst the crazy ladies waiting in the fitting room line and at the cash.

Melody Iafelice was gracing us with her God-given talent of artistry and made magic happen on the faces of bright-eyed girls getting done up for a night in. Cupcakes were provided by Geek Sweets. Owner Jenny Burgesse was on site to tell everyone about each tantalizing piece. There was a flavour to satisfy any palate from cookie dough to PB&J. There were also chocolates from koko - made with all natural ingredients, crackers and cheese, and a good selection of fruit.

Amy from Splendid Events, who can be given credit for getting Jenny’s amazing mini-cakes to the party, was flitting around making sure to say her hellos, welcomes, and ensuring everyone was having a great time.

Then there was the star, Sandy herself. A wonderful young woman with dazzling blue eyes brought out by her gorgeous, self-made necklace with blue and brown pieces. She was a darling to talk to and excellent at making you feel at home and comfortable. Her jewelry was gorgeous and unique. The marriage between her, her work, and Hush will certainly be a good one.

Nearing the end of the night there was the draw for three prizes from Blush Beads, a facial from Daya Spa, and a surprise gift bag from Splendid Events. I was lucky enough to win a pair of gorgeous earrings made with freshwater pears and faceted glass. The Fashion Keeper won the facial, and a new friend, intern and blogger for Ottawa Fashion Week, Emily, won a gorgeous purple necklace. Needless to say, there was enough to keep us girls busy, and that’s saying a lot.

Nicolina Leone


Colourbomb Interview with HUSH.

COLOURBOMB is the Blush Beads Spring 2011 Trunk show!
Join designer Sandy Schnierle for a girls night out at HUSH and be the first to preview necklaces, earrings, and bracelets from her Spring 2011 line.



Enjoy exclusive Blush Beads discounts, mini-makeovers, delicious treats from Geek Sweets and Koko Chocolates, and win chic prizes! Plus, Blush Beads and HUSH will show you how to put together 3 perfectly accessorized spring outfits: you'll look fab whether you're headed to the office, to the club with your best girls, or to the coffee shop for a weekend latte.

Spring line from Vandentillaart is in!

Love! The new Spring line from Vandentillaart is in!
Our lovely local designer Michelle custom designs and creates each piece so that you buy an original every time. These pieces are simple in style but large in impact. They are the perfect every day go to trendy piece to add in to your wardrobe. What do I love about them? They fit perfectly, they are stylish, and they look and feel amazing on (today, I am wearing the striped one!).

Here is a little sneak preview of what's in store ....

It's the HUSH purse EVENT!

It's a great time to freshen up your look!

Choose a new colour, style, or treat yourself to a designer. HUSH is stocked full of amazing purses in all styles and colours right now. Stop by and find the one that was meant for you. And at 60% off retail prices, how can you afford not to?

Burberry . Coach . Rudsak . Cole Haan .

Michael Kors . Juicy . Lacoste . Hayden Harnett .

Christopher Kon . Valentino . Armani .

Alexander Wang . Kate Spade .

Shades of green

You know what’s always fun? Nail polish. I’ve been collecting colours for years but only started consistently painting my nails a couple of months ago. At least I am well-stocked. Nail polish is a great way to subtly add to your look. A pop of colour to perk you up, or a subdued beige or gray for a simple and clean look. Either way, I find that you can make any colour work with almost any outfit.

I am currently wearing Fiercely Fiona from OPI’s Shrek collection (I’m a Disney princess at heart). It is literally ogre green. Why did I get it? It was on sale, I love Shrek, and it’s kind of so ugly it’s cute. Like a pug . Although my friend Emma would disagree, she reprimanded me for the comparison and told me, quite seriously, that pugs are cute, cute and not ugly, cute.

That being said, I find that wearing crazier colours works best with more basic clothing so there’s not too much colour crashing going on. A few other things I’ve learned?
- darker colours do not look good on my finger nails
- I’m not very good at applying my own nail polish
- the lighter colours, which I prefer for my hands, need a lot of coats to make it look like the bottle
- that you can’t touch anything, no matter how careful you are, for a long while after you paint your nails
- ANYTHING looks good on toe nails

This is probably all common knowledge to you, but like I said, I’m new at this. So, if you’ve been taking a nail painting sabbatical because of the winter months, you may want to think about getting back into the game. I find it’s a great way to keep me from picking at my cracking nails (which I blame on the lack of Vitamin D). It’s also a good way to hide my cracking nails from others.

A third bonus? It’ll lift your spirits out of the winter blues. There’s no time like the present to practice getting your tootsies prepped for sandal season.

Nicolina Leone

Peaked Coats

Winter brings more. More precipitation, more wind, more cold, more clothes, more layers. And one key layer? The jacket. Do not leave the safety of your home without it. Jackets have come a long way from the bulky items of coverage that once had the sole purpose of keeping us warm. Now, with their dual-purpose of fashion and functionality, we wear them with pride. They can match our boots or gloves, hit at the knee or the hip, have fabulous collars or fur-trimmed hoods.

This year the peacoat started us off strong and fashionably inclined. It ranged in a wide array of colours and lengths. I love the peacoat, it looks great with leggings, jeggings, and jeans; heeled and flat boots and Uggs alike. Then there was another jacket that became a predominant part of the picture – the down jacket. The fluff-filled coats are definitely making a huge comeback with Canada Goose leading the way. As of December 26 they were EVERYWHERE (must have been a big Christmas-list item this year). Now other brands are hopping on board with their own chic Michelin-man-type outerwear.

As the war wages between the trim peacoat and the tough down, only time will tell the victor. Personally, I will be sticking with my peacoats, but I do enjoy seeing the different shapes and colours of the down on other people who can actually pull off the look.

Nicolina Leone

Snowed in? It's a good thing ...

It's that time again! Frigid temps have you staying in to keep warm? Snowed in? It's a good thing! It's the ideal time to clean out your closet! As of February 1st HUSH will be accepting spring clothing. When you look through your pieces from last year there are no doubt some (or perhaps many) that never came off the hanger.





Bring them in! We're looking for:


Pants: Casual, Dressy and Jeans


Tops: Lightweight tops, cardigans, t-shirts, tank tops, and camisoles


Skirts Dresses: everything but summer cotton


Button down shirts


Blazers


Shoes: flats and heels, no open toes yet


Leather boots


Lightweight /Spring coats


Bags: shoulder bags, travel bags, purses and clutches


Jewellery: that's right, it's back! Earrings, necklaces and bracelets


Accessories: Belts, scarves (except wool), sunglasses and wallets



Do I need an appointment to bring my things in?





In order for us to provide quick and efficient service we need to know when our clothing drop offs will be arriving. We have loaded our system with days and times for you to come in. Now there are even appointments available on Saturdays! If your schedule is hectic and unpredictable we understand. Give us a call and we will do our best to fit you in!

While reading Mimi Spencer's 101 Things to Do Before you DIET - a book that is great at making you feel wonderful in your own skin - I came across this little tidbit: "Fashion, if you're living and loving it, is an intimate and glorious thing. It thrives on personality and attitude, complexion and lifestyle; it is sparked by age, contained by budget, driven by dreams, and influenced by a whole lot of other things that have nothing to do with the size of your bottom in relation to the width of your hips." Mimi, you are a wise woman.

Nicolina Leone

Finding colour.

After changing three times this morning I finally left the house feeling somewhat comfortable in what I was wearing. The problem? I'm PALE! And not the nice kind of pale that lovely red-headed girls can pull off. The kind of pale that washes you out no matter what you do. And I have dark, dark hair which I feel doesn't help my case either.

After the trial and error process, I realized the problem and the enemy - pastels. Unfortunately for me, and others like me, they just aren't our friends when we've lost the bronze luster of the summer months. But that's ok! There's so much else out there. Bold colours, vibrant colours, deeper colours, all that and more. Basically anything that doesn't blend with your skin colour. You can even start going for brighter colours if you're daring enough. Experiment and, like the last post said, start getting ready for Spring. Because it really is just around the corner.

Now that I know, next time I will be able to save myself wasted minutes of undressing and redressing in front of the mirror. Or, maybe I'll just go on vacation and get a tan.

Nicolina Leone

A trend to 'watch' for.

Shortly after Christmas, I met two of my close girlfriends, Cait and Mau, for a quick Starbucks catch up before Cait went back to Toronto. Hugs and pleasantries were exchanged, coffee’s purchased and a cozy table for three was found.

It didn’t take long for Mau to realize that Cait was wearing a new Michael Kors watch. As she grabbed Caitlin’s wrist she somehow simultaneously rolled back her own sleeve (I guess she had gotten a third arm for Christmas) to show off her similar new acquisition. The first thing I noticed? They were both big. Big faces, big straps – man watches.

But who was I to judge, they were two of the trendiest girls I knew and I had a feeling that this was a trend that had just begun. And then there it was. In a Tiffany’s ad in one of my magazines, another man watch. And then sprinkled throughout all my magazines. Different colours, materials, and styles but all big and mostly with round faces.

I don’t know where it came from but, ladies, prepare yourselves. The prices of these designer bad boys can run quite high. If you do shell out the money you may find that you are low on funds to accessorize that grand accessory. Fret not, at Hush we always have something for everything. Look for baggier fitting shirts and sweaters compliment your prized-time-piece without overpowering it. Keeping things neutral and solid will also give the watch more of a chance to pop.

Nicolina Leone

Finding yourself matching the weather?!

Now that the glitz and glam of the holidays is over, its easy to find ourselves slipping into a wardrobe funk. With Ottawa's dark skies looming, its hard to feel inspired to wear anything other than all black outfits. We even start to convince ourselves that adding gray to an outfit is spicing it up!

For those of us who aren't vacationing in the Carribean this season, its tricky to know how to incorporate yellows and aquas into our wardrobes. Just because we spend so much time in colder climate doesn't mean there should be no warmth in our outfits.

Make your New Years Resolution to incorporate more colour!!

This can be done in many ways and to different degrees. Try opting for no black at all by combining bolder shades like Cobalt Blue or Crimson Red with a more neutral Brown, Rust or Cream.

If you're not able to give up your black all together, opt for accessories with colour or a coloured cami that will brighten up your outfit. Accessories don't have to just include jewellery, try accessorizing with a bold purse, a bright scarf or some fabulous pumps.

Even though we can't control the weather, we can choose brighter skies for our wardrobe by adding in touches of colour. Plus, starting this now will make the transition to spring that much easier!