The Downeast Look
Downeast’s Holiday Gift Guide
Downeast’s Holiday Gift Guide
Give her the gift that will keep on giving year after year.
‘Tis that time of year again. That special feeling is in the air as the holidays are approaching for a time to dine, be merry, and enjoy one another’s company. While this year may look a little different, we can still feel the harmony of the holidays in our homes. Show your loved ones you’re there with a little something special to celebrate. Discover gift inspiration for your mother, sister, or friends this holiday season.
Give the gift of coziness this year with a matching set. She’ll love the versatility of the pieces that can be easily mixed and matched. Plus, the relaxed silhouette makes it ever-so comfortable to wear.
- Beanies
She’ll enjoy a touch of comfort with this cold-weather accessory. A knit beanie’s fabric adds a cozy feel, while its colorful tones help create a casual-cool look. She can use the beanie as an everyday accessory throughout the winter months.
This elevated take on a matching set is a classic gift. With ribbed details and neutral colors, it will pair well with almost any piece in her closet.
- Scarves
Scarves are the perfect finishing touch to any gift. She’ll love the gift by itself or complemented by matching gloves. This winter accessory adds a warm touch to her outfit.
- Holiday Trees
Help her bring the season home with a colorful tree to brighten up her space. These holiday decor trees come in a variety of sizes. Available to purchase in a Downeast Home store near you.
- Candles
Set the stage for the holidays with a scented candle. The sweet aroma will take over her space to bring her nostalgic notes of Christmas past. Available to purchase in both Downeast Home and clothing stores near you.
- Pura Smart Home Fragrance
She’ll love how Pura transforms her home. Awaken her senses with our Pura starter pack, complete with two home fragrances: pumpkin chai and volcano. She’ll enjoy the sweet scents time and time again. Additional scents are also available to purchase in-store.
7 Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas
7 Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas
If you’re looking for the purrfect last-minute Halloween costume, look no further than the staples in your closet. From your favorite little black dress to a cozy cardigan, each basic easily completes your costume with only a few extra touches like cat ears or vampire teeth. Whether you’re carving pumpkins or baking sweet treats, these last-minute costumes are a playful way to celebrate the holiday.
The Posh Party Animal
Be the life of the party in this animal-inspired costume. Featuring playful textures, this Posh Party Animal costume blends together animal print detailing with furry fun. This look is easily pulled together with a boa, animal ears, and a wild printed dress.
What You’ll Need:
- A feather boa for playful texture
- Animal ears with your favorite wild print
- The Feline Frenzy Dress to instantly elevate your party look
- Closed-toe black strappy heels for a touch of class
The Magical Unicorn
Bright colors meet playful textures in this Magical Unicorn costume. This fun costume lends itself to rainbow patterns and mauve-colored details for an eye-catching look. Play up the colors even more with bright colored eye shadows and sparkly highlighter. For the final touch, add a unicorn horn.
What You’ll Need:
- A majestic unicorn horn to play the part
- The Textured Pullover in mauve for a furry feel
- The Striped Flared Skirt for a pop of color
- A pair of nude block heels for height
The Masquerade Guest
Set behind the idea of anonymity, this Masquerade Guest costume is an excellent Halloween disguise. With the intricate mask detailing paired with the dress’s black lace crotchet accent it creates a luxurious look.
What You’ll Need:
- A detailed mask for anonymity
- The Lovely Lace Dress for a luxurious and lacey look
- Black strappy block heels to match the dress
The Nightfall Vampire
Awaken as the undead in this Nightfall Vampire costume. The all-black costume is the perfect pairing for a vampire ensemble when worn with fake fangs and blood. Use the fake liquid blood to draw lines down your mouth as if you’ve just feasted on your last meal.
What You’ll Need:
- Plastic vampire fangs to show your teeth
- Fake liquid blood for your vampire makeover
- The Roma Ribbed Bodysuit for the square neckline that allows room for more costume makeup
- The Black Button Fly Skinny Jeans for a flattering fit that ties the bodysuit and booties together
- Chunky black booties to complete the all-black ensemble
The Wicked Witch
You won’t need a spell to cast this last-minute look together. This Wicked Witch costume is only three pieces and is easy to style. Start with a fit and flare dress with ruched details to give the outfit dimension. Pair the black dress with striped stockings, and top it off with a pointy hat.
What You’ll Need:
- A pointy hat in green, purple, or black to stand out
- Striped stockings for a scarily playful feel
- The Eastport Dress for its puffed sleeves and ruched detailing
The Poised Princess
When it’s time to be crowned, this tiara isn’t one to pass up. This Poised Princess costume is an elevated style that pays attention to the details. With floral lacing on the bodice and skirt of the dress, it gives the costume a timeless design. Only complete with bright white booties, this costume is poised and polished.
What You’ll Need:
- A pink tiara for a hint of glamour
- The Georgia Lace Dress for its upscale design
- White high heel booties to polish off the look
The Black Cat
Nothing says Halloween as purrfectly as this Black Cat costume. This creature is filled with superstitious contexts, and is an easy last-minute costume. Get the look by styling together an all-black outfit from head to toe. To finish it off, draw on cat whiskers with black liquid eye liner.
What You’ll Need:
- Cat ears for a feline accent
- A cute bow tie to purrfect the cat
- The Get Set Pant and Get Set Cardigan to match the all-black aesthetic
- The Anne Sneaker pulls this look together
The Mothers Behind Our Mother's Day Photoshoot
The Mothers Behind Our Mother's Day Shoot
We asked the models from our Mother's Day Photoshoot to share with us what being a mother means to them. Read on to hear their insights!
Kashia Palmer
"Mother’s Day is an extremely special & even sacred holiday for me. It was a day I used to covet but now hold dear. A day that I teeter between emotions for myself & our birth moms. It’s not a day I take lightly since it’s a day I waited years for. I will never tire of the calling 'mommy!' For many reasons but mostly because two woman gave me that title. I’ll never ever forget the moments where our birth mom kissed their babies one last time & handed my baby over to me. Not only did I just become a mom but I became something way more than that to have to fill her shoes also."
- @kashiapalmer
Jensyn Jeppsen
"Becoming a mom has brought so much more respect and admiration for the mothers and mother figures in my life. I had no idea just how demanding (physically, emotionally, and mentally) raising such special people would be.
My greatest goal is to be an example to my daughters. it's a lot of pressure! but I know I've been given the opportunity to have three best friends to help raise and while some days are so crazy - I am so blessed.
Kate Brown
13 Must-Have Spring Dresses
13 Must-Have Spring Dresses
Spring is here and that means it's time to add some new spring dresses to your wardrobe! Spring means pastel colors, lightweight fabrics, and floral prints. We love providing you with lots of modest options this spring season! Here are a few of our very favorites:
3. Ruffle Detail Shirt Dress - Modern Vibe
7. Favorite Femme Dress - Silver Pink
8. Favorite Femme Dress - Aqua Glass
9. Joyful Dress - Mauve Floral
10. Cape Dress - Ashley Floral
13. Ruffle Detail Shirt Dress - Spring Stems
Everybody Has a Beach Body: Downeast's 2020 Swim Collection
Everybody Has a Beach Body: Downeast's 2020 Swim Collection
There's no better way to prepare for summer and swimsuit season than by finding a swimsuit that you love and will feel so comfortable in. Our designer, Andrea, designed our 2020 swim line with this in mind. Here's what she has to say about her line: "The 2020 Swim Collection is centered on body positivity and acceptance. We hope to help change the narrative surrounding the often negative connotations involved with trying on swim and wearing swimwear as we engage in activities that create lasting memories with our friends and family. All of the pieces in the Downeast Swim Collection have body positive messages printed in the lining of the suits. Some examples include love the skin you're in, meet our power suit, and everybody has a beach body!" We are so excited for you to be able to shop these swimsuits. Check them out here:
2. Bedford Suit
6. Coast to Coast Swim Top - Bold Vert Stripe
7. Coast to Coast Swim Top - Beachy Bloom
12. Sunshine State One Piece - Fair Aqua
13. Sunshine State One Piece - Bold Vert Stripe
14. Coast to Coast Swim Top - Terrazzo Print
15. Bedford Suit - Crosshatch Stripe
Our Go-to Graphic Tees
For all of the graphic tee lovers out there (and we know there are a lot of you), we've made a list of our favorites right here! Check them out:
1. "HERE COMES THE SUN" GRAPHIC
6. "BEAUTIFUL SOUL" GRAPHIC TEE
The Top 5 Places to Eat in NYC
The Top 5 Places to Eat in NYC
With over 26,000 restaurants in New York City, the options can be overwhelming. To help you out, we've compiled our top must-try recommendations into a short list that you'll be thanking us for later.
1. S'MAC East Village
Mac 'n cheese is the specialty at this tiny store-front restaurant and boy, do they do mac 'n cheese well. Our must-try recommendation is their classic "Nosh All-American", but they also offer killer options like "Nosh Cheeseburger", "Nosh Napoletana", and "Nosh 4 Cheese".
2. Sauce Pizzeria
Located just down the street from S'MAC in the East Vilage is Sauce Pizzeria. Dubbed on Yelp as "the best single slice in NYC", Sauce will not disappoint. They're famous for their "Upside Down" pizza, which is basically cheese first on the slice, then sauce toped with parmesan cheese and seasoned to perfection. Sauce also provides each slice with a magical side of "Grandmother’s Tomato Gravy" for dipping your crust.
3. Tompkins Square Bagels
They say good things come in threes, and in this case, it's true because located just a block away from Sauce and S'MAC is Tompkins Square Bagels. If the line wrapping through the restaurant isn't hint enough for you that this place is GOOD, try the Bacon, Egg and Cheese on an Everything Bagel. It'll have you coming back every day during your trip to NYC.
4. La Bella Vita
A trip to Little Italy while in New York City is a must, especially when you know that's where La Bella Vita is located. They serve the fresh and authentic Italian food that will have you thinking you're actually in Italy. We recommend the Penne Arrabiata (not listed on the regular menu) and the Lasagna.
5. John's on Bleeker Street
John's on Bleeker Street may just be the most recommended restaurant in New York City and, like Tompkins Bagels, the line outside the restaurant can tell you that it is worth the wait. Unlike Sauce Pizzeria, at John's on Bleeker Street (not to be confused with John's on Times Square), you cannot purchase just a slice, you have to purchase a whole pie. So bring your friends with you and come hungry!
It's hard to just pick a few favorite's, when there are so many others worth mentioning, but we've boiled our list down to just these top five must-try restaurants. If you try any of them out, let us know!
xoxo,
The Downeast Team
Must Have One-Piece Swimsuits for 2020
Must Have One-Piece Swimsuits for 2020
One pieces are back in style and we are so here for it! Finding the right one-piece/modest swimsuit can be difficult, but we try to make it easy here at Downeast. Scroll down to shop our favorite one-piece swimsuits of the season.
Top 5 Free Things to do in New York City
Top 5 Free Things to do in New York City
There really is no place like New York City. There are endless amounts of things to do and experience: Broadway shows, museums, restaurants, concerts. But did you know that there are also a surprising amount of fun things to do while in New York City that are free? Here are some things you can do on your next trip to New York that won't break the bank.
1. The High Line
Leave it to New York to create a public park...in the air. The High Line greenway and trail stretches 1.45 miles long above the west side of Manhattan. It is built on a former rail line and was converted to a park for tourists and New York City residents to enjoy in 2006. The High Line is a great place to experience a unique view of the city and escape the hustle and bustle of the crowded city streets.
2. Staten Island Ferry
If you want to get a closer look at the beloved Statue of Liberty while in NYC, hop on the Staten Island Ferry. You'll get to enjoy scenic views of the city and pass by Lady Liberty herself - all for free!
3. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
The famous Brooklyn Bridge is 1.13 miles long and is a great way to take in a different view of the Big Apple. The Brooklyn Bridge is also a great place for picturesque photo ops!
4. Chinatown and Little Italy
Make sure to stroll through Chinatown and Little Italy while visiting NYC. How cool is it that there is a little piece of China and Italy right in Manhattan? It's an experience in itself!
5. 9/11 Memorial
While there is a fee to visit the 9/11 Museum, listing the 9/11 Memorial located in Lower Manhattan is completely free. It is a moving experience - one you definitely do not want to miss out on while in NYC.
Make sure to keep this list of five free things to do in NYC handy for your next trip to the Big Apple!
7 Must-Have Spring Dresses
It's never too soon to start prepping your wardrobe for Spring! It's time to put away those winter darks and refresh and rejuvenate your wardrobe with light and bright spring colors. We've designed our newly released dressed specifically with that purpose in mind! Here are our must-have spring dresses.
1. FLUTTER SLEEVE SMOCKED BACK DRESS
3. DENIM DRESS
