Even though it's nearly sandals season, and we've made it through the bulk of April's showers, May and June sometimes bring along a dash of cold weather, blustery afternoons, and chilly evenings. So what better way to celebrate a crisp spring day than with a pop of color and a fashion-forward trench coat. Obsessive Beauty has long been obsessed with this drool-worthy trench coat by Leifsdottir. We first saw it on the Anthropologie website, now it's on sale at Leifsdottir.com, and locally, Pacific Trading Company in downtown Santa Cruz has one more coat like this in stock. With a primary yellow color that's sure to complement most skin tones, this chic trench is a smart choice for covering up on a breezy day, and doing so with aplomb. Dubbed the "Ringmaster Twill Trench," this stunning piece is one-of-a-kind, with exquisite tailoring, a double row of gorgeous buttons, and a figure flattering belt. Pair it with virtually anything for a finished, classy, delicate, feminine look.

A recent jaunt to Palm Beach landed me at the Chanel boutique on Worth Avenue, the decadent palm lined shopping street akin to Fifth Avenue in New York or Maiden Lane in San Francisco. Being from Santa Cruz (not exactly a high-design Mecca), I always feel slightly intimidated when entering designer boutiques in chic metropolises. But Chanel is different.

With all the waste going on in the world, to imagine that you could wear sustainable shoes and still look like a fashionista is quite a feat. Meet Melissa Plastic Dreams—a line of shoes you’re about to fall in love with. (Yours truly owns too many pairs to speak of.) Recently, I purchased a pair of champagne-colored Vivienne Westwood designed flats, with a tortoise print bow on the toes—they’re a combined style of modern and retro, and definitely über chic. I fell in love with this line of shoes several years ago, and since then I’ve amassed many pairs, from my newly purchased flats, to booties, to kitten heels, and several pairs in between.

My first “fancy dress” was a Betsey Johnson frock. A black spaghetti strap number with an asymmetrical hem and low cut neckline gleaned from Pacific Trading Company in downtown Santa Cruz. The beading on it was flapper-esque, and I fancied myself as an F. Scott Fitzgerald heroine when I wore it, bright red lipstick and all. Since that dress, I have obsessively followed the designer, fawning over each new season’s pickings.

Obsessive Beauty visits New York
Calling all fashionistas—do you have some advice for us? Obsessive Beauty is going on vacation in late May to the place where fashion and beauty thrive—New York City. We’ll be spending a day together in Manhattan, and we’ll be blogging from afar, offering up the new things that we find to be obsessed about. And that’s where you, Obsessive Beauty readers, come in. Please comment below or e-mail us with tips on where you think we should shop and eat while in famous neighborhoods like SoHo, Greenwich Village, and the Meatpacking District.

So far, we’re eyeing a few incredible boutiques and house wares shops to check out, like Flying A, Bio-NYC, Kaight, Curve, Pinky Otto, Eryn Brinie, Muji, Kate’s Paperie, and of course, Anthropologie.Check in with us and tell us what you’re obsessed with in New York.
Leave a comment below, or e-mail us at [email protected] or [email protected].

Up-and-coming designer showcases work at trunk show
For those who read GT’s recent story, “It Girl,” in the April 15 issue, you met Alexis Meschi, an up-and-coming local fashion designer whose work has been generating enormous buzz around Santa Cruz and beyond. Her stuff has been selling off the shelves at local downtown retailer Stripe. For those interested in checking out her work, and perhaps taking something home at a discounted price, you’re in luck—Stripe is hosting a trunk show for Meschi’s beloved line—Lex Designs. On Thursday, April 22, from 5-8 p.m., there will be an enormous array of Lex Designs T-shirts, tank tops, dresses, skirts, clutches, and more for sale.

New makeup/skincare store opens in Santa Cruz
Until recently, you had to brave sketchy Highway 17 in order to get your large-scale beauty fix. No longer. All of that changed when CVS—yes, the drugstore on Mission Street—launched a classy, glamorous sidekick—Beauty 360.

On a whim, I swung by CVS one day, and was more than shocked to discover its offshoot—Beauty 360—with its sparkly makeup bottles and skin care creams that beckon beauty aficionados with tempting fragrances, skin care solutions, and lip glosses galore. The store is spacious, well designed and spotless. It offers myriad products from recognizable lines, and the staff is quite generous with letting you sample products. Beauty 360 has become an exclusive beauty destination in Santa Cruz. Good-bye Sephora. It was nice knowing you.

Santa Cruz designers create vintage-inspired, modern baubles that woo the fashion world
Recently, I picked up a Women’s Health magazine and randomly flipped to a page. There was a feature article on Eco-Chic goods—clothing, jewelry, etc., that have an environmentally friendly focus. Amongst the goods was a stunning cream-colored cuff bracelet, that looked like something Madonna would wear, when she’s having an ’80s inspired, romantic sort of day. I looked closer. It looked familiar. And there was the blurb about it: a cuff by Blank Verse Jewelry, sold at select Anthropologie stores.

Will this new fashion trend fly or flop in Santa Cruz?
If your mind is all befuddlement when you hear the word “jeggings,” don’t worry, you are not alone. This latest apparel craze, a hybrid between jeans and leggings (hence the clever moniker), has been made popular by the toothpick legged Hollywood set. Plastered across the pages of celeb gossip mags you will see glamorous jegging-clad starlets dashing to lunch on lettuce at The Ivy, dropping a few thousand dollars on a Rodeo Drive spree or simply taking out their garbage in the Hollywood Hills.