Diner en Blanc

Diner en Blanc originated in France nearly 30 years ago and the tradition of high society picnics has traveled all the way from Paris to Philadelphia. Diner en Blanc takes place every summer in Philadelphia. The event channels the elegance and glamour of French society.

Here is how it works:

At the last minute, the secret location is revealed. Guests, dressed in white, travel to the public space to enjoy a night of friends, food, and fun. This includes a picnic, lighting sparklers, and dancing. Philadelphia provides a magical cityscape backdrop for the event.

Rules:

Guests must be members or sponsored by a member and there is a long waiting list to get in!

Participants arrive and depart by chartered transportation or organized public transportation.

Every group has a table leader and the groups are responsible for bringing their own tables, chairs, and food.

Guests must bring a table, chairs, white tablecloth, a picnic basket, food, cutlery, dishware, glassware, trash bags, and wine or champagne.

At the end of the night, participants take everything with them, including their trash, leaving their city’s public space clean and beautiful for the next day.

Participants must wear all white and be dressed elegantly.

 This year’s Diner en Blanc will take place on August 18^th and since the event takes place during the summer, and the dress code is elegant, it is best if women wear white dresses. Our Rittenhouse boutique is filled with white dresses perfect for the event. One of our stylists will happily help you choose the perfect outfit for such a magical evening.

Beach House Decor

It's the first official day of summer which means it is time to escape the city and retreat to the beach! Here are some of our favorite beach house looks:

One of the most important rooms in any house is the kitchen. Kitchens are usually neutral shades, whether it be white, gray, tan, or brown. We love the bold use of color in these beach house kitchens. 

When we think of summer, we think of white. We love these all white bedrooms.

Some of our favorite beach house living rooms are below.

Whether you incorporate the colors of the ocean or simply let the view speak for itself, these beach house bathrooms give us some serious bathroom envy.

And who could forget the most important room of them all... the closet!

Spring Q&A with Liz

Designer and owner of ellelauri and ellelauri boutiques, Liz Rymar, shares her tips on transitioning your wardrobe from winter to spring, and talks about what inspired her spring collection as well as the must-have trends of the season.

ellelauri: Spring is around the corner, what are you looking forward to most about the warmer weather?

Liz: Wearing summer clothes! I can't wait to wear dresses, sleeveless tops, and shorts!

ellelauri: Since it can still be a little chilly, what are some of your tips for how to transition from winter to spring?

Liz: Jackets. I am really into suede, leather, and denim jackets for spring. They are perfect for layering; they look cute over tanks and tees or if it is still cold, a chunky sweater. Also, lightweight, printed scarves are the perfect layering accessory and brighten up any outfit. Chambray tops always have a fresh feel to them and look cute paired with white denim. Pastel and floral prints are also great to pair with darker pants and sweaters.

ellelauri: What are your spring wardrobe must-haves?

Liz: White. A little white dress or a crisp white blouse are spring staples.

Cold shoulder. The shoulder is the on trend body part this spring. Exposing the shoulder is a classy way to show a little skin. A few different styles that I love are off the shoulder tops as well as shoulder cut-outs. We carry tops from Finders Keepers, dresses from Keepsake, and for a more casual approach to this trend, tops and dresses from Feel the Piece.

Lace/lingerie-inspired styles. This trend is both romantic and feminine. We have slip dresses, lace-lined camis, sheer blouses, and modern ruffles. We carry amazing silk camis with lace from CamiNYC as well as delicate, sheer lace pieces from For Love and Lemons. We also have floral, printed slip dresses from our own line, ellelauri. Anyone can wear this trend. Go all in by wearing a romantic, floral-patterned slip dress or for a more subdued look, simply add a lace-lined cami under a blazer or wear a skirt with a lace edge.

Fringe. Especially a fringed hemline. We have tweed blazers with baby fringe and leather jackets with spaghetti-thin fringe from Emily Schuman's new line, Cupcakes and Cashmere. We also carry dresses and skirts with a touch of fringe from Lovers and Friends. Afraid to dive into this trend head on? Add a subtle touch like an ellelauri fringed necklace or earrings.

Printed scarves. They add a touch of fun to any outfit and are great when it gets a little chilly.

ellelauri: As far as your own line, ellelauri, what was the inspiration behind your spring/summer collection?

Liz: The collection is inspired by a recent trip I took to Spain and the south of France. The bright, vibrant colors I saw in St. Tropez really come across in this collection. So do the light, white, textured fabrics and ruffles I fell in love with in Barcelona.

ellelauri: What is your favorite color for spring?

Liz: White. It looks good on everyone. I also really like orange and various shades of blue.

ellelauri: What is your favorite piece in this collection?

Liz: I really love the Anderson dress. It is a beautiful, vibrant blue. It is very versatile, it can be worn casually at the beach or dressed up with a pair of wedges at night.

ellelauri: Spring is the biggest season for wedding showers and baby showers, what is your go-to look for these events?

Liz: A beautiful pastel or floral printed dress. You cannot go wrong with this style, it is both feminine and fun. In fact, one of our best sellers is the Vivian dress.

ellelauri: Spring is also gala season, what is most important when dressing up?

Liz: Feel comfortable in what you put on. You can always tell when a woman walks into a room and isn't confident in her outfit.

ellelauri: When looking to add to your wardrobe, where do you save and where do you spend?

Liz: Spend on timeless pieces that are good quality. A great cashmere sweater or silk blouse will never go out of style and end up paying for themselves over time. Also a great fitting pair of skinny denim will not only look good but also go with everything. Save on trendy items that are seasonal such as bright colored flats and scarves.


Check out ellelauri's new spring arrivals at www.ellelauri.com and in their Rittenhouse boutique.