Giveaway [closed]: Win $50 to VINCA

I first saw VINCA at StyleX this year. I was like, "Whaaaat? Reasonably priced animal jewelry designed and manufactured here in Austin? That's my jam!" Okay. Maybe I didn't actually utter "that's my jam" but I sure thought it. Since then I've seen VINCA on Fab.com and on the fingers and lobes of some of my favorite local bloggers (Hipstercrite, Austin Eavesdropper, Austin Slave to Fashion, Keep Austin Stylish).

I myself have been rotating through my three pairs of VINCA earrings pretty much non-stop. I have the gold mirrored deer (last seen here), the silver mirrored bunnies, and the white seahorses, and I love them so much! In addition to their signature laser cut jewelry, VINCA offers hair clips and wall art and takes custom requests. Pretty awesome, huh?

I'm really excited to be able to offer one lucky Adored Austin reader a $50 voucher to spend at VINCA and two other people their choice of any animal earrings. That's three winners!
If you want this to be your jam, too, all you have to do to enter is surf on over to VINCAusa.com, pick out your favorite items and fill out the form below by this Sunday:

[entry period over- form removed]

Be sure to follow VINCA on Twitter because one of my all time favorite bloggers and social media socialites runs the VINCA feeds (ahem!). For serious. Go go go!

[official rules]

Shop ATX: HEM Jeans + AG Jeans

Many months ago I bought a Groupon to Austin's famed denim bar HEM Jeans (<--- beware. Site automatically plays music). It was $50 for a $100 gift certificate but was not good on sale items. Shortly after I got it, I eagerly and excitedly went in. Imagine my dismay when 1- the Groupon barely covered half a pair of full-price jeans, and 2- I had the most frustrating time finding a pair of jeans that fit. I kept telling the salesgirl that I was a size 29 or 30 and that I didn't want any heavily whiskered jeans or cropped jeans. She kept bringing me size 27 or 28 to try on ("They'll stretch!" and ankle length pants that made me look like a cased sausage with a muffin top). Blerg. I left empty handed, a little peeved, and spewing and sputtering that shopping for jeans was way worse than shopping for a swimsuit. This had quickly become my first Groupon regret.

Fast forward to last week. With only a couple more weeks until my Groupon regret was to expire, I went back in, armed with a gift card to help cover the balance. I arrived right as the store was opening for the day and was greeted happily by Aimee, one of the owners. She quickly assessed my needs and immediately started filling my dressing room with her top picks.

I didn't tell her this, but I really wanted a pair of jeans that fit into my new guidelines: made in the USA, eco friendly (denim manufacturing is notoriously bad on the local environment), and a classic style that would last me years and years. I was fairly certain that I would not be able to find a single pair of jeans that fit even one of these requirements let alone a pair of jeans that even fit.

Then-- shut the front door!-- second pair on, the denim angels started singing. I tried on a pair of oh so soft Ballad jeans from AG. Holy smokes! The fit! The feel! They made my flat boy's-like butt look like a lady's! No muffin top or back spillage! And I wouldn't even need to have them hemmed! I gulped a little at the price tag ($178), but I had my $100 Groupon and my $50 gift card, so I was out of pocket $30 that day.

jeans: AG Adriano Goldschmied | tank: Old Navy | vintage vest: Blue Velvet | necklace: City Wide Garage Sale | wedges: Cynthia Vincent for Target | hat: Walmart
And here's the part that I really appreciate: these jeans not only fit like a dream, but they are produced solely in the United States using an "eco friendly" process. The wash I chose was not distressed and was made with an eco-friendlier indigo dye. The slight flare makes them a style that is sure to stay in my closet rotation for years.

[More about AG's eco friendly process here.]

Beware y'all. Once you get into the premium denim gang, you can't get out-- not even by a mass beating. My complete jean line-up is as follows:

Introducing Tess

On Monday night I had the pleasure of being introduced to Theresa Kopecky, the incredibly sweet and talented designer behind Tess, a locally made, vintage inspired dress company here in Austin, Texas. I was so impressed with her workmanship and her passion for creating truly local garments that I just had to share her with y'all:

Aren't they lovely? View the complete collection here. Now we can tell that Chinese manufactured Banana Republic Mad Men Collection to go ahead and eat its heart out.

From the Tess press release:

"It’s sad, but true; despite the wealth of garment-manufacturing skills here in the US, most American-designed clothing is now made overseas. New Austin-based design company Tess, however, has big dreams to change all that. Not only is every Tess garment designed and manufactured right here in Texas, but the company also wants to play a part in boosting the American manufacturing industry as a whole and bringing back its glory days.

“Here at Tess, we want to play our part in reinvigorating the US garment industry,” says Theresa Kopecky, Tess designer and owner. “We believe in the quality of American workmanship and in the skills and spirit of the workers themselves.”

To this end, Tess Designs makes use of Texan companies for its pattern-making; grading and marking; and manufacturing – right down to the button-loops and belts! Keeping it local and keeping it real – it doesn’t get much more Austin than that.

“We believe in the USA, in American jobs, and in America’s ability to manufacture … I guess you could say that I want to save the world one dress at a time!” says Theresa. "

What impressed me most is Theresa's heart. In addition to all the fashion week events she's participating in, she's also doing a 499 Dresses event, which is a dress sale that fully benefits "The Winding Road to Recovery", a documentary about "disabled veterans using cycling as a means of recovery from lost limbs, post tramatic shock syndrome and life after coming home". As the only child of a United States Army officer killed while serving active duty, I am going to be there to support this cause:

Jackson Cleaners has been collecting donated dresses for a while, and they'll all be on sale Saturday at Austin Tri-Cyclist. I'm still uncertain what I'm wearing to the Austin Fashion Awards on Saturday night, so perhaps I'll find a gem there.

If you'd like to meet Theresa and see her designs in person, make sure to attend tonight's Doo-Wop Party Bash at Touch of Sass:

Burgers and Tess dresses? Obviously someone knows the way to this girl's heart...

Giveaway [closed]: $50 to ElectricFrenchie.com

I love that Austin is home base to a ton of amazing online retailers. One of the newest e-boutiques is Electric Frenchie. That's where my silk blouse called home before it came to live with me, and it's been one of my favorite things to wear this summer.

My favorite part of the shop is the Austin Designers section. Right now there's some really cool jewelry pieces, but I imagine that section will be fuller in the future.

To celebrate our mutual love for Austin, Electric Frenchie is giving one lucky Adored Austin reader a $50 gift card:

To enter, simply check out Electric Frenchie, then come back here and tell me what your favorite item in the shop is. As always, no need to follow me on a bazillionty social networks or to Tweet or blog this contest for extra giveaways. Please, only one entry per person.
[edit: form removed. entry period over.]
Please check out Electric Frenchie on Twitter and Facebook. They're new to town and Chonie, the shop owner, is living the dream with this new venture, so be sweet and give them some online lovin', okay?