Scary Fashion
That burgeoning, soon to become mall-ish, strip of shops that line Bleecker Street by my apartment really seem to do everything right in the way of merchandising their products and putting together extravagant window displays that are best viewed at night, while strolling with a cup of Dunkin Donuts hot chocolate. The windows are lit flawlessly such that the products are even more beautiful, colorful, touchable than they are when viewed in the daylight hours. The Ralph women’s store always does something amazing, and this Halloween, their window dressing inspiration was Hitchcock’s The Birds. Marc Jacobs also creates inventive, arresting window displays, and their mechanical Halloween monsters are my favorites. The window is truly scary- especially the zombie wearing a Bush mask and covered in blood! We will be hitting them up for candy later tonight. Happy Halloween!
Beautybaby’s Baby Love
As someone who loves makeup, fragrance, creams, lotions, serums, and really any and all products that make any sort of cosmetic claims, I envisioned my life with baby being all about covering my child in said products so that she smelled sweet and looked moisturized 24/7. Imagine my dismay when I delivered a child who was sensitive and allergic to most everything. I had planned on bathing her in Mustela products that have an amazing fragrance that can only be described a “French Baby.” I did this, initially, and her skin was so dry and scratchy, I knew the product line was not for her. After other tests, I arrived at California Baby products. At first, I was indifferent to the light lavender scent, but eventually it grew on me. Plus, the products are all natural and so gentle to her skin. The line is available at Whole Foods and is a little pricier than the drugstore baby product variety, but so well worth it for the sensitive babies of the world. Not to mention the fact that the bubble bath comes with a tiny wand so that bathtime is also bubble time. So fun!
Mind the Gap
I generally dislike the Gap. The last season I remember being excited about was several years ago when Pina Ferlisi (an ex-Marc designer) took the helm of Gap design and put out a spring collection of brights and stripes. I went into the Gap today for the first time in months and saw great sweaters, blouses in really interesting shapes, and perfect t-shirts. The mega-store on 34th and 6th had an entire table of these soft, puff-sleeved tees in perfect colors. I picked up a heathered brown that I will layer over a white shirt and can see myself wearing all the time. I also grabbed the white painter’s smock blouse and a cable knit sweater that had an amazing hand. Aside from the fact that they had their usual bizarro bright-colored holiday collection, which for some reason they do every season as if people really want bright yellow sweaters for the holidays, the store looked good for the first time in a long time.
Country Style
I have been enjoying a beautiful fall weekend at a friend’s country house in Connecticut. It is so nice to escape the city hussle, but this sort of trip always leaves me confused as to what to pack and exactly what my clothing choices should be for a weekend away in the country. I have to squelch the desire that rises in me every so often to buy an outdoorsy “costume” of some kind that involves rugged hiking boots and a North Face parka. (I mean, we are staying in a lovely historic house in Sharon, Connecticut- not camping out.) At the same time, a normal city outfit doesn’t really work here either. We went antiquing yesterday, and I couldn’t help noticing a girl in the antique store with a huge YSL dowtown bag and knee high black boots that looked all wrong and out of place. So somewhere in the middle of North Face and YSL lies the perfect Connecticut weekend outfit- and I found it at J. Crew. Everything in J.Crew looks so amazing right now. The clothes are all just right- for work and weekend. I thought their blouses looks really good for work, weekend, and the country. (Plus, November’s Vogue rates the button-down as one of this season’s must haves.) Check out the J.Crew version here.
Secret Favorite
One of my good friends used to have a secret favorite store. (It was The Limited.) She would find the best pieces there, and because no one was really actively shopping The Limited anymore, we all wondered where she bought her adorable outfits. A “secret favorite” is something you love, in private, but are embarrassed to talk about publicly. As I alluded to in another post, my recent “secret favorite” is Land’s End. I was initially drawn to the website last year after having a baby. At the time part of me wondered if I was all of a sudden drawn to this plain and functional catalog because I had become a mom, and lost my keen eye for fashion. I think time has proven this theory false. Even after recovering my fashion sense, I still love Land’s End. There are inexpensive, awesome finds on their site. I bought 3 great swimsuits from them this past summer and wore them much more than several expensive suits I had purchased. I just ordered the Trello Boot in Paradise Aqua for $49.50. How can you beat that? I can see myself wearing these while I grab coffee during those cold winter mornings. Check out the Trellos here.
Heritage
Over the past 7 years spent in the West Village, I have slowly witnessed the mall-ification of the quaint stretch of Bleecker St. between Bank St. and Christopher Street. The smallish antique shops have all been pushed out making way for the likes of Juicy Couture, Intermix, 3 Marc Jacobs stores, 2 Ralph Laurens, and even (gasp) Tommy Hilfiger’s duded up “boutique.” So it was with equal parts dread and excitement that I saw a new Coach store moving into a double storefront on the street. Coach, a hallmark of almost every decent mall and outlet in America was setting up shop around the corner. I am not a huge Coach fan. I think the brand is overexposed. However, I did take note that the new Bleecker shop was going to be a “heritage” store, meaning it would be special, boutique-y, and offer different and unique products. (Also so ironic as it was replacing a lovely old antiques shop.) I walked by the store tonight, not quite open but lit brilliantly and filled with Coach employees finalizing the store set-up. I have to admit that it looks really beautiful. Gorgeous, huge soft leather bags, jewelry, knee-high buckle boots caught my eye. I hate to admit this but I can’t wait for the grand opening.
Uggs Evolution
I am going to make a fashion prediction for winter. I am feeling that rugged all-weather boots will be the new Uggs. I have such a love/hate relationship with my Uggs. In private, I love them. They are warm, comfy, and look great with tight jeans. But my head keeps telling my heart to give them up, not only because they are so 3 years ago but because they are de rigueur for all tourists trolling Bleecker Street and standing in line for 2 hours for cupcakes form Magnolia Bakery. Back to the point. I have been keeping my eyes open for an appropriate Uggs replacement, and I found them today at J. Crew. Rugged, but cute and totally preppy. I may even buy a backup pair from Lands End. (Another secret: go to website and/or catalog for great winter gear that looks much more expensive than it is!)
Gym Dandy
I am not one of those people who looks pretty while working out. There are so many girls who do look beautiful while racing the person next to them on the treadmill. Not so for me. I guess this could be remedied with a little tinted moisturizer, maybe a sweep of mascara, or a little flash of lip gloss before I walk out the door, but I am also systematically opposed to applying makeup before I work out. In addition to looking great while working out, so many New York girls look fashionable. The interesting thing about working out in NYC is that the gym is sort of its own fashion microcosm. You immediately become aware of the hip shoe (anything new, bright, and Nike), the right yoga pant (Lulu Lemon), and the correct mp3 player (the new generation of ipods, of course). In addition, at my gym, one will note that the gym bag of choice is the Goyard St. Louis tote. I just laugh to myself when I see this $600 gem laying on the gym floor next to the Stairmaster with someone’s ratty sweatshirt spilling out.
What do you and this tranny have in common?
It may be more than a shade or two of lipstick! One of the best things about having an office near 34th Street is the proximity to the massive Sephora on 34th and 7th. The other great thing about this Sephora? It opens EARLY, like before-work early! It is often my first stop off the subway on the way to work. This week, when I did my pre-work pop-in, I was witness to one of those “Only in New York” scenes. There were about 10 transvestites, who had clearly been up all night, using this Sephora as their very own makeup bag. They were taking over the mirror space and using heavy hands to apply full faces of makeup. Thick foundation, eyeshadow, liner, and coats and coats of lipstick and gloss were being applied. The store staff was well aware of what was going on and shooting each other furtive glances, but Sephora has a strict hands-off policy so no one made them stop their full face painting. I am totally guilty of trying on lipstick without cleaning the tube, but I guess you never really know where it has been!
Barneys Beauty
I just checked my mailbox and was thrilled to find several monthly treats. My new Vogue and Allure magazines were there, as was a gorgeous beauty book from Barneys. It is lovely- and the new makeup lines they are carrying look terrific. (Especially Serge Lutens Beaute.) I never go to Barneys. It is relatively out of the way for me, anyway, but even when I am up on Madison, staring at the bright red awnings, I rarely go inside. There are a few reasons why this is the case. 1) The beautiful things on display are so ridiculously overpriced. 2) Their beauty department is really wonderful but absolutely not someplace you can simply browse through. The beauty team down there watch you like hawks and attack the moment you approach a counter. I like to play with makeup, try lipstick on my wrist, stick my fingers in eye shadow. I want to do this freely, without judgment by a person at the counter. I also want to do this without being sold a product. I have emerged from the beauty basement at Barneys with products I never really used. Examples include the Prada tinted moisturizer, a product that made me look shiny and I am convinced it broke me out, the lovely Chantecaille Papillion kit with colors that were all wrong for me. I was totally guilted into these purchases by over-eager people behind the counter, and I am so disappointed when I allow this to happen.
