Fashion Blogs

　More than just a clothes horse, Natalie Bloomingdale is a patron of the sartorial arts. After years sporting the Dallas-based label Tish Cox and serving as an unofficial brand ambassador, Bloomingdale became accustomed to numerous inquiries from fashion-curious passerby. “I’ve had women run after me in airports, come to my table at restaurants, and last month, a woman waited for me to exit a ladies’ room just to ask me who I was wearing and where they could find it,” she says. In her response, Bloomingdale would both delight and disappoint: identifying Tish Cox (a designer with a philanthropic bent, her pieces are constructed by blind or visually impaired artisans from the Dallas Lighthouse) and that, unfortunately, she does not retail online. 　　“I realized that there was an opportunity to give more people, outside of her cult-like Dallas following, access to her pieces and her mission, so I decided to create a site for her,” Bloomingdale explains, and so The SIL was born. The SIL, or Stuff I Love, is literally just that: a thoughtful assortment of hard-to-find pieces and online exclusives beloved by Bloomingdale. And she does not dole her affections freely. “I purchase clothing and accessories like I shop for art—I need to feel a connection with the piece, and nothing is on a whim or mindless,” she says. 　　On the site, expect to find an assemblage of designers that, in addition to Cox, include the maker of prim handbags Hayden Lasher, Brazilian lacemaking doyenne Martha Medeiros, jeweler Cassandra King, Melissa Bui, and Ariana Rockefeller; all of whom Bloomingdale enjoys a personal relationship with. Of Cassandra King, “she was a bridesmaid at my wedding”; of Martha Mediros, “I was her first customer at her US flagship”; and of Rockefeller, “she’s one of my closest friends and I admire her commitment to making her clothing in America,” and so on. 　　While The SIL offers handmade pieces and one-offs, it’s the online equivalent to a mom and pop shop. “The thought of me having an e-comm site is almost ridiculous,” says the self-proclaimed luddite (“I still have a BlackBerry!”). “But I love the idea of sharing my favorite things with people who may have a similar aesthetic.” 　　On offer are ladylike pieces that buck trends and embrace the uptown. And if you happen to find something that you love, Bloomingdale encourages you to act fast. “I’m not trying to employ a perceived scarcity tactic but the reality is, these are limited runs and one-of-a kinds. My plan is to really keep this really niche and to stay true to myself.” 　http://www.queeniebridesmaid.co.uk/green-bridesmaid-dresses | http://www.queeniebridesmaid.co.uk/gold-bridesmaid-dresses-uk