In the early 1980s Heinz Consul and his wife Yvonne founded the fashion brand Vanilia focusing on feminine collections. Over the years the corporation has developed into a successful medium-sized family business.
Soon after its establishment, Vanilia became a key player of the Young Fashion scene within the German market. As time has progressed, the brand has matured and Vanilia’s collections now target women who have matured and possess a high-fashion and quality awareness.
Towards the end of the 1990’s, Vanilia attained a distinguished reputation for its innovative yarn-died checks. Its unique styles without a waistband – Jacky and Becky – are now more important to the international women’s pants market than ever before. In the new millennium the family business is building upon consistency and reliability. (The best proof of this is the son’s recent decision to follow in his parents’ footsteps.)
Vanilia remains an attractive brand for the constantly growing target group: the ambitious “Smart Women.”
This group defines itself through both status and assertiveness. They appreciate both the dependable fit and comfort, as well as the high quality of Vanilia apparel.
Yvonne Consul: “The market has recently turned around, which is extremely positive for us. The customers value high quality more than anything else. Today Made in Italy counts rather than low prices.”
Moreover, the significance of a brand name such as Vanilia is of utmost importance for Smart Women, and as long as the brand fulfills their expectations they are very true, lifelong customers.
Visit the Vanilia department of the James Store website to browse and purchase Vanilia apparel. Questions? Call us at 740-817-3649 or use our contact us form.
One of the things we pride ourselves on at the James Store is our experience in, and selection of, great fitting pants and jeans for women. And on that note, we are proud to announce that we now carry Not Your Daughter’s Jeans (or “NYDJ,” for short.) If you have never heard of them, it is worth taking the time to find out more. These are the jeans that Oprah raved about.
Here is a little excerpt from the NYDJ About Us page:
Praised by celebrities and real women galore, Not Your Daughter’s Jeans is the most innovative product to hit fashion and beauty industries since control top pantyhose. Never has there been a product that empowered women to look and feel their best the way Not Your Daughter’s Jeans® does. Not Your Daughter’s Jeans addresses problem areas that women across all body types, ages and ethnicities have. They slim the often problematic lower abdomen, contour the hips and lift the butt without the feeling of being stuffed in binding, tight and uncomfortable material. Say goodbye love handles that spill over restricting waistlines and derriere-revealing low riders. These jeans are incredibly soft and will feel more like your favorite pair of sweatpants than your most flattering pants. The secret, their special “crisscross” front panel design and extra stretch in the rear has lead to rave reviews from curvaceous leading ladies Rachel Ray, Diane Sawyer and Elizabeth Hasselbeck.
NYDJ joins our existing brands, FDJ French Dressing and Vanilia, to offer a whole suite of options for finding that perfect pair (or pairs) of pants or jeans.
Stop in the store or give us a call to learn more. Vanilia and FDJ French Dressing are offered for sale in our online store; NYDJ is coming soon.
Here is a short video describing the different patterns of the Vera Bradley Fall 2008 collection and their inspiration. Hear directly from the designers what motivates and inspires them.
View the video clip.
Visit the James Store’s Vera Bradley page to learn more about how to purchase these and other Vera Bradley items. Feel free to call our internet help line as well: 740-817-3649 or email us at info@thejamesstore.com. While we can not sell directly over the internet, we can help you find what you are looking for over the phone.
For the past 25 years, New York native Suzi Chin remains one of the dress industry’s top designers. Her vision is as simple as it is complex: “Today’s woman is both unique and multifaceted. The dresses must be original, fresh, feminine and sexy– but have to also cater to both lifestyle and individuality.
Suzi designs and develops updated silhouettes utilizing fabrics and prints which she painstakingly develops herself. Suzi also spends an inordinate amount of time designing unique novelties that are an integral part and a trademark of her collection. She has a great eye for color and a unique ability to mix fabrics giving the line broad market appeal.
Suzi fully designs and develops five lines each year, which translates into more than 500 dresses! Continually developing her ideas, Suzi’s line is always fresh and responsive to the latest trends whether they come from Europe or the United States.
When she is done, each dress has its own attitude combining exclusive colors, original prints, fabrics and embellishments. Catering to a braod market of both mother and daughter, Suzi’s dresses are a stunning combination of design, color and texture that answers the needs of today’s fashion conscience woman.
Born in Hong Kong and raised in New York City, after graduating from Parson’s School of Design, Suzi began her design career at Albert Nipon where she almost immediately became its head designer. She spent the next 12 years at Jones Apparel Group where she was the design driector for its Anne Klein and Nine West divisions. Her move to Maggy Boutique allowed Suzi to fulfill a lifelong dream of being the sole creative force developing and creating her own line, limited only by her imaginaition.
Suzi lives in a home overlooking the Hudson River with her husband of 15 years, two wonderful children, and her dog, Alfie.
You can purchase Suzi Chin dresses from the James Store.
We’re always looking around the internet for additional information to help our customers make good purchase decisions. I came across these French Dressing Jeans reviews on the Budget Fashionista website. Read what these women had to say:
Peggy:
“The Budget Fashionista is absolutely right. French Dressing Jeans are the best out there for women “of a certain age”. I just celebrated 60 and have tried many brands over the years. You don’t have to be a teenager to enjoy wearing jeans! FDJ just plain fits a more “womanly” figure. And, yes, I do get questions about what brand of jeans I wear. They are worth every penny!”
Beth:
“French Dressing jeans are the BEST fitting jeans I’ve ever worn - I am one of those women (50 years old) with a small waist and larger hips and thighs and they fit me to a tee! Stretchy, look great (compliments from men and women ALL THE TIME) and you can wash them and throw them in the dryer and they never shrink! I’ll admit that $60 - $70 is quite alot to spend on jeans, but they are most definitely worth it!”
Karen:
“I just recently purchased a pair of French Dressing Jeans (Easy Fit) and at age 48 I believe they are the best pair of jeans I have ever owned. The compliments regarding them and the inquiries from other women regarding them are countless. I will have to admit it is also the most money I have ever spent on a pair of jeans at $68, but will watch for sales from now on.”
You can purchase French Dressing Jeans and other FDJ clothing in our online store.
From June 7-10, 2007, stop in to The James Store and save on all retired Vera Bradley styles and patterns. This sale only occurs twice a year, and is a great time to save on some really nice pieces.
Questions? Give us a call at 740-587-3061 or email info@thejamesstore.com.
Preparation
Always turn your jeans inside out before washing. This protects the outside surface from rubbing against other garments. It will prevent fading and keep the jeans looking new. Keep the fly zipped and the waist button closed. This will clean the top of the jeans better and keep them flatter. Fold the Jeans. Once the jeans are inside out, fold the jeans side seam to side seam and place them neatly in the washing machine to prevent the color from cracking . Carcking results in faded lines in the legs. Do not overload. Place too many items in the washer and you also risk cracking the jeans. Your jeans should move freely about the machine.
Washing
Use a warm wash and a cold rinse. This is the colored fabric cycle. Fill the machine with water before adding detergent. The detergent: never use detergent containing bleach. Don t even trust color-safe bleach. Why torment your fabrics? Fabric softeners too can be bad news as you risk splotching if it stays on the jeans for too long. Pre-soaks tend to break down natural fibers and should only be used sparingly. Protecting Colors: hile the above steps may be enough, you can take extra precautions to preserve the colors longer, especially black. Once the water fills the drum, add one or two thimblefuls of plain white vinegar and one to two teaspoons of salt (this helps set the dye stuffs) and run the cycle. Do not go overboard on the amounts you don’t want to smell like a French fry! Remove immediately. Let the wash run its course, but make sure to take the jeans out as soon as it is finished. Treating stains: the quicker, the better. It’s easy to bury stained clothes at the bottom of the laundry pile. Yet the longer a stain sits, the more time it has to work into the fibers. Reduce the concentration of problem stains by diluting them with water right away. Treat your FDJ French Dressing jeans well and you will be rewarded.
Drying
Gentle shake. Make sure the zipper and button are still closed, and gently shake the jeans at the waistband. This helps get rid of excess wrinkling. If your jeans have been feeling a tad smaller at the waistband, now is the time to work your way around the waistband and gently pull as you go. This will very slightly stretch the waist and may do the trick.
Refold. Fold the jeans side seams together and then fold again, waist to hem. Place the folded garment on the dryer drum, being careful not to overload, and throw in a fabric softener sheet. Don t over-dry. Run the dryer until the jeans are just dry enough (probably about 45 minutes). Over-drying will kill the fabric, similar to your skin being baked by the sun. Neatly fold the jeans and hang them up. Keep the fly and button closed so the top of the garment will remain flat. Because you ve treated your jeans so well, you shouldn t have to iron. Avoid dry-cleaning any jeanswear product, as it tends to flatten the look and feel. Denim, after all, is easy care and who wants all those chemicals next to their skin?
You can purchase FDJ French Dressing jeans and other FDJ apparel from the James Store.
In late May, The James Store began carrying Vera Bradley luggage, in addition to its existing large selection of Vera Bradley merchandise. As you may know, we are not allowing to sell these items online, but if you have any questions, please call the store at 740-587-3061, or drop us an email at info@thejamesstore.com.
The new luggage will almost certainly be a huge hit, so stop in before it is scooped up. However, rest assured we will be ordering more, and can also place a special order for you if you know what you want. This year we began selling Vera Bradley towels, flip-flops and other beach gear– and it was a big hit as well.
For all Vera Bradley news, visit our Vera Bradley info page on the website.
The James Store has carried Ann Trinity clothing for a number of years now. If you are looking for clothing from Ann Trinity, and can’t find it in our online store, feel free to drop us an email at info@thejamesstore.com. Often if you are looking for specific item, we can contact the manufacturer and arrange a special shipment.
Keep an eye on our Ann Trinity information page to keep abreast of news and notes about this particular line.
We have begun receiving our shipments of new Suzi Chin dresses for spring and summer of 2007. Stop by the store to take a look, or shop the Suzi Chin section of our online store. Either way, you may want to act quickly– we sold out of our first styles in only a few days.
