Carl Greve Style Profile - Nu Hinton

Occupation: Sales Associate, Carl Greve Bridgeport Village

Style Icon: Coco Chanel

Describe your personal style: Feminine, classic, elegant.

Favorite designers: Elie Tahari, Jil Sander and Hugo Boss for suits.

Which Fashion Week shows would you most like to attend: Max Mara and Chanel.

What can be found in your jewelry wardrobe? My watches, my wedding ring, pinkie rings, right hands rings, and lots and lots of bracelets and necklaces for layering. Everyday is a new combination.

Appasionata necklaces and locket pendants by Roberto Coin. Prices vary.

When you travel, what type of jewelry do you pack: Simple bands, a pair of large hoop earrings, and one timepiece (usually with dual time zones).

Breitling Chronograph Cockpit with diamond bezel and mother of pearl dial. Price available upon request.

I never break this fashion rule: No white shoes after Labor Day (or really anytime), except for my Gucci 4-inch heel sandals in the summer.

I always break this fashion rule: I like to wear my leather shorts with a tweed blazer. I don’t know if that is a fashion rule or not, but I never see anyone in Portland with that combo.

Most underrated item in a woman’s wardrobe: A nice camisole. You don’t even hear that word anymore… ladies just reach for a tank top. A camisole is so much more elegant and feminine.

Most underrated item in a man’s wardrobe: Cufflinks. Men make the mistake of thinking that cufflinks are only worn when they “dress up” or wear a suit. That is just not the case. They look fantastic worn with jeans and a nice crisp white shirt, untucked to help balance it out. That look is so handsome.

18k white gold with diamonds Eros cufflinks by NIKOS Jewels. Price: $2,895

Favorite restaurant: Oba -- they have great martinis.

Favorite vacation destination: Shasta for house boating.

What do you build your daily look around: My mood dictates what I wear. For example: conservative = suit, feisty = cheetah print, sexy = leather, relaxed = slacks and a sweater set, etc.

Your next must-have item from Carl Greve: 34mm Rolex Pearlmaster in yellow gold and a three-row Hearts On Fire eternity band.

18k white gold and diamonds triple row eternity ring by Hearts On Fire. Price: $22,600

Best Carl Greve moment: A couple came in to look at engagement rings. It was pretty clear that she fell in love with one particular engagement ring by Judith Conway. Her boyfriend slipped us his credit card and motioned for us to ring it up, he then dropped to one knee and proposed to her right on the spot. She screamed and began to cry. All of us in the store also teared up, and then promptly popped a bottle of champagne to toast the proposal. She said “Yes!” of course.

When I was in high school I wore: Bobby socks with pompoms and pleated skirts. It was the uniform of the private French high school that I attended in Vietnam.

Favorite movie: Dr. Zhivago

Best style advice you have ever given: Every woman should own a pair of diamond stud earrings, preferably 2 carats (one in each ear). This is a requisite before you dive into bigger fashion jewelry. And don’t wait, you certainly don’t have to be in a relationship to have them either!

18k white gold three-prong diamond studs by Hearts On Fire. Price dependent on total diamond weight.

Never caught wearing: Colorful hosiery.

I splurge on: Bracelets, necklaces, and shoes. My motto is “The more the merrier.”

Sterling silver bracelets by John Hardy. Price varies.

I feel best wearing: A pair of Gucci shoes (I can work a 12-hour day in them no problem!)

Most cherished item: My wedding ring has the most meaning.

Favorite scent: Oriental lilies

Oriental lilies.

Carl Greve Style Profile- Mark Schneider

Name: Mark V. Schneider

Occupation: General Manager, Carl Greve Downtown

Style icons: Dwayne Johnson

Cities you’ve lived in: Miami; New York City (that’s my hometown, east side Manhattan); Rome; St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (my father was the governor of the Virgin Islands in the 90's); Stuttgart, Germany; and of course Portland, Oregon.

Describe your personal style: crisp and classic with a touch of modern

Best sartorial advice for men/women: Fit is everything. Fit determines how you will carry yourself.

Favorite items of clothing: A well made suit. I have about 23 suits in my wardrobe. As soon as they begin to show signs of wear from dry cleaning they are retired and replaced.

What do you build your daily outfits around? Suit, shirt, tie… in that order.

I feel best wearing: Canali or Hugo Boss suits

Never caught wearing: peg-legged jeans

I never break this fashion rule: You will never find me wearing white socks with a suit.

I always break this fashion rule: Typically, different styles of shirt collars are supposed to be paired with different styles of tie knots. Not for me, I prefer the v-taper of a Windsor knot no matter what type of collar I am wearing.

Favorite shoes (suits, sport, everyday): Ferragamo dress shoes with suits, Nike shoes for sports and excercise, and Ferragamo driving loafers for everyday.

Do you shine your own shoes: Yes, daily. Once a month I have them professionally maintained.

Cufflinks, pocket squares, suspenders or all the above: Definitely cufflinks, I think these John Hardy black and blue sapphire cufflinks are very sharp.

Most underrated item in a man’s wardrobe: Belts. Most men don’t know how to coordinate their belt with their shoes. At a minimum, try and color coordinate.

Your next “must have” purchase: A Harley-Davidson, specifically the V-Rod. It is considered to be the muscle bike of the Harley-Davidson line.

I splurge on: Fine dining and timepieces.

Favorite Portland restaurant: Andina

Favorite timepiece in your collection: A Patek Philippe given to me by my grandfather. It is a Calatrava from the 40’s.

Dream timepiece to add to your collection: Patek Philippe complication with calendar, the 5140J to be exact.

Best Carl Greve moment: Designing a diamond pendant using a guest’s diamond that was part of an old necklace that she rarely wore. We worked together to create a stunning necklace, one that garners compliments whenever she wears it.

Favorite vacation spot: Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands. It is peaceful and quiet. Only 150 people live there, including Virgin Atlantic owner, Richard Branson, who owns a small island that is part of Virgin Gorda.

Favorite scent: Issey Miyake cologne

Guilty pleasure: I listen to Ludacris when I am driving by myself.

Sports: Martial Arts, and I played football in college at Syracuse.

When I was in high school I wore: A black leather bomber jacket

Carl Greve Style Profile- Verla Sousa

We know that many of you remember the article that we did about Verla Sousa in Accent magazine a few years ago. We figured we would feature Verla in our blog’s first style profile in honor of her 22nd year with Carl Greve. Yes, that’s right, we said 22 years!

Name: Verla Sousa

Occupation: Carl Greve Sales Associate, Downtown Portland

No. of years at Carl Greve: 22

Best Carl Greve moment: When I sold my first pair of 10 carat diamond stud earrings.

If you had to pick only one piece from your jewelry wardrobe, what would it be? (besides your wedding ring, of course): My black pearls for sure.

Your next must-have purchase: Hearts On Fire Hoopla triangle earrings. And I WILL have those by the end of the year!

Style icons: Katherine Hepburn

Best style advice: Always dress like a lady. Accentuate the feminine and downplay the trouble spots.

I never break this fashion rule: My shoes are always the same color or darker than my hemline.

Flats or heels: heels

Favorite restaurants: Portland City Grill

Favorite item of clothing: My signature white pantsuit