Beija-Believer

Beija-Blogs

2009-05-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

Check out some recent coverage of Beija-Flor in the Blogs
http://www.ilovethesejeans.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71

Cost-Per-Wear

2009-03-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

I was recently meeting with some Fashion Editors in New York, and many of them told me that they are trying to feature inexpensive items in their upcoming issues due to the economy. Understandable. But, in one of my meetings I realized that personally I have cut back on certain items, but that there are some items I would rather not buy at all then buy something cheap that won't last.

This brings me to my point and explains why Beija-Flor sales are actually up in these challenging economic times - Cost-Per-Wear. Like a lot of core products in our lives,designer jeans are basically worth every penny because of how much use you get out of a good, quality, fashionable pair of jeans.

I have to thank my friend Lynsey for first pointing out to me that my 15 dollar t-shirts and 20 dollar shoes from TJ Maxx that lasted me about two uses before falling apart were a bad investment. She always said buy less items, and invest in a few classic quality items, and now it seems I'm finally seeing her point. As I write this I'm noticing that my black knit top from "unnamed discounter" is starting to pill, while I have a Bordado Pima Cotton top from Peru in my closet that I've had for over 15 years that looks brand new! (Granted the style is a little outdated, but you see my point.)

I guess what I'm trying to get across to these Fashion Editors is when they are choosing products for their issues to keep in mind the Beija-Flor (aka Lynsey) "Cost-Per-Wear" argument. Their readers will appreciate their research in finding fashionable quality products that will be well worth the investment in any economy. Not to mention cheap clothing products are usually cheap for a reason - so remember to think eco and socially conscious when shopping for your "investments"

How to Wear a Skinny Jean

2009-03-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

Mom and I recently realized that the Beija-Flor Skinny jean is our new favorite jean style - mostly because of its versatility in your wardrobe. We sent out a release to fashion editors across the country and got an amazing response.
Here's a great blog post from the Skirt Magazine editor in Savannah.
The story got picked up in about 5 publications so far!

Here's some highlights:
If you've been shopping in the past year, chances are you've seen the Skinny Jean.

What was initially viewed as a trend denim, is seemingly here for the long haul. Skinny jeans have proved to not be a one-season-wonder, so here's what you need to know…how to wear the Skinny Jean.

1. Skinny jeans ARE NOT just for skinny people! Sure, when you see toothpick size celebrities wearing their skinny jeans so tight they look like leggings, you may wonder if your "normal" frame can pull off the look. Do not be frightened! But there are a few things to keep in mind when looking for a skinny jean…

First, pick a darker wash- like a deep indigo or black. This will create a more slimming illusion than a lighter wash which often makes thighs and hips appear larger.

2. Balance the fact that your bottom is slim with a looser, flowy top or tunic.

"A simple tshirt gives you a rock star look, while pairing your skinny jeans with a tunic sets you up for a night on the town. Have a knit dress that you don't get enough use out of? Wear it over your skinny jeans," offers Emilie Whitaker, denim expert and co-founder of Beija-Flor jeans.

3. Shoes are a huge factor when wearing skinny jeans, and you have a few options.

A stiletto heel is going to be great for a hippier woman, or woman with shorter legs, because it will instantly elongate the leg. Even if you already have long legs, a stiletto heel will make you look incredibly long and lean.

A flat shoe is a great day time option for a more casual look, but can draw attention to your hips and rear.

Tuck your jeans into boots. This is one of the most flattering ways to wear skinny jeans, especially for curvier girls (and also a great way to hide larger calves). It will create a visual balancing effect as the boots will offset your hips and rear.

4. Invest in Skinny Jeans: If you find the right pair, you will wind up LIVING in your skinny jeans. This will reduce your CPW- Cost Per Wear.

In today's society jeans can be worn everywhere- from the office, to a nightclub, from the grocery store to an afternoon luncheon. Assume you wear jeans 3 times a week on average; that is 156 times a year. So at $150 basically, you are paying $1.00 every time you wear your jeans. A steal!

"Jeans are a wardrobe staple you want to invest in no matter what the style," says Whitaker, "The quality of premium denim is not something you can fake with a $20 pair of jeans."

The key to Beija-Flor's skinny jean is fit- a quality jean is going to fit the same way a great fitting pant will- in the hips, butt, thighs and waist. The jeans are designed to work with a woman's natural curves, using a lightweight Brazilian stretch denim that does not stretch out- no matter how many times you wear them. The jeans also feature a vertical illusion wash with darker shades on the outsides and lighter towards the mid-thigh for a slimming effect.

Blogging from Brazil

2009-01-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

After a very productive trip to Dallas where I introduced the Beija-Flor collection in the Mider Group showroom, I had the awesome opportunity to go to a Brazilian fashion trade show in Gramado, an amazing city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in the south of Brazil.

I've only been here for 2 days, and it has already been worth the trip! I've seem some amazing fashions, and met a lot of great people.

And it's summer here, so the weather has been wonderful! Gramado is a neat tourist town in the mountains, and has a very European feel to it. Tomorrow morning we're going to tour the city.

The Brazilian women are still sporting the skinny jean, and definitely loving the lighter washes since we are in the summer season.

My Portuguese is getting me by, and I'm even using some of my very limited Spanish to speak with the other international buyers.

Ate logo from Gramado!

Bloggers Loving the Beija-Flor Jeans

2009-01-19T07:50:00.000-08:00

In the past few weeks we've had an incredible response to our "test drive" campaign from fashion bloggers. Friday we got an amazing write-up on AOL Stylelist. Cat Lincoln captured the frustration many women face looking for that perfect jean, and found solace in our fit, straightforward sizing, and comfort factor of the Beija-Flors. We appreciate the kudos!

The UK has now been exposed to the magic of Beija-Flor thanks to a great blog, Denimology. Denimology makes a good point that our styles aim to be wardrobe classics that will be with you for the long haul.

Beija-Flor Highlighted in Eye4Style

2009-01-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

Check out this awesome post by Dina Fierro, editor of Eye4style. Fierro also contributes regularly to several online and print publications including AM New York, Social Life, The New York Sun, Sprig.com and luxury e-zine juli b.

I wear jeans everyday...except for today

2008-12-29T14:00:00.000-08:00

I got new boots on my most recent NY trip, and I love them. The only problem is the only jeans they look good with are skinny jeans, and guess what? We sold out of the Jennifer Skinny in my size. So long, but important story, short I decided I'd sacrifice not wearing Beija-Flors today and wear a skirt so I could wear my new boots. And I've realized that was really a pointless move. I had forgotten how truly uncomfortable tights are. Maybe we should come up with Beija-Flor "comfort tights" for next season. Or maybe I should just stick to wearing the most comfortable thing in my wardobe - my jeans. Running and dieting wouldn't hurt either, I guess.

Lipstick, Chocolate, Jeans...And Independent Boutiques!

2008-12-29T13:19:00.000-08:00

According to many economic forecasters, cosmetics and confectionery products are considered to be recession-proof. And according to a recent Chicago Tribune story, it seems that women also see the benefit of investing in a great pair of jeans. And this has definitely been the case at Beija-Flor!! Thank goodness.

Here's what we've found. Even in an economic downturn, customers are still concerned with finding a jean that fits. And if you explain how often they will wear a good fitting jean, and do the math to figure the “cost per wear” an investment in a good fitting designer jean makes sense.

Beija-Flor Jeans has taken these economic times as an opportunity to reach out to our customers and offer support, ideas, and assistance on how to get through these difficult times. As an independent designer label we have always focused on independent retailers, but now more than ever we're seeing that it’s the small independent stores who can find a unique place in the current marketplace by focusing on offering unique products to their loyal and local customer base.

So shop local. Shop independent designers. Shop socially conscious brands. And do the math - your jeans are a staple and its worth it to find a great fitting pair!

Denim Everyday of the Week

2008-12-17T10:55:00.001-08:00

A few months ago, Kathy, my mother and business partner, had a denim epiphany - All of our jeans fit 80% of women who try them on. So essentially it is not a matter of which Beija-Flor style you should be wearing, but when you can wear it. We realized that since the fit of the Beija-Flor jeans is so great that our customers will want a Beija-Flor jean for every day of the week, or every occasion on their life. Hence we came up with a new way of presenting our collection: Denim 24/7: Essential jeans every woman should have in her closet.

Spreading the Word

2008-12-17T10:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to some great PR work by TK PR, we've gotten some great press coverage lately, especially in newspapers. Lillia Callum-Penso of the Greenville (S.C.) News wrote a great article entitled The perfect pair of jeans: Deconstructing the elements for a just-right fit. The article continues to be picked up all over the country. Here's the most recent version of it.

How's Business?

2008-12-17T10:44:00.001-08:00

"How's business?" is a question that I've been getting for over 2 and half years now, and I wish that I had an electronic journal of my responses to that question over the past 2 and half years.

Over the weekend someone asked me the same question, and I am excited to say that my response was "Business is great!" My mom and I have been very fortunate to be where we are today. So I thought maybe I'd use my first blog entry on our new site to tell you some of the reasons "Business is great!"

In October we hit the 100 mark and are proud to say that Beija-Flor jeans are now sold in over 130 different stores in 42 states around the U.S.
We now have sales representation in Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Our list of beija-believers is growing everyday, including celebrities such as Rachael Ray and Lisa Rinna!
Beija-Flor has been highlighted in W Magazine, Charlotte Magazine, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, CNN Espanol, and tons more of great publications and networks.
Thousands of women have attended Beija-Flor trunkshows, Denim 101 events, and jeans parties around the country.
We've introduced some amazing and innovative new styles such as our Taryn Pink jean which helps raises money for our "After the Cure" scholarship program that sends breast cancer survivors on Outward Bound excursions.
Mom (Kathy) and I have been to Brazil multiple times this year and every time we discover more interesting fabrics, designs, and processes which continues to help us create a truly unique product!
We've added two Beija-Flor team members - Megan and Kate - who are both amazing at what they do!
We've continued to meet other great female entrepreneurs all over the country with whom we collaborate with and share great ideas.
Most of all we're proving that women all over the world not only want to feel great and look great in their jeans, but appreciate a unique, non-mass produced, socially, and environmentally conscious product.

So I'm really going to try to keep up with our new Beija-Blog. Thanks to all of the beija-believers who have supported us in our mission to bring something unique to the world of fashion!

Thanks to our Beija-Believers

2008-12-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

After many attempts at blogs, I think I've got one that will stick, and I've titled it Beija-Believers in honor of all the many people who have helped us get Beija-Flor Jeans where we are today. Beija-Believers is a term we created to describe women who wear and love our jeans, but it has really evolved into the many people who have supported us in our entrepreneurial quest - our family, our friends, our stores, our sales reps, our publicist, and the countless people who have offered their time, advice, and expertise along the way.

I hope to use this blog to update all of the new, old, and future Beija-Believers of what our start-up jeans business is up to. So thanks for reading!