I have hesitated to write this post for several weeks because the subject is one that brings me both joy and sadness. I find joy in remembering the good times and sadness when I consider the current state of affairs. I am writing about my local Loehmann’s store, the original New York designer discount outpost on 7th Ave. and 17th St. I was introduced to Loehmann’s by my first boss in advertising. Beautiful and fashionable, I would have followed her into the dollar store if she told me she had bought a fabulous bight pink fake fur coat there. My addiction to Loehmann’s was immediate. I had hit the fashion jackpot. Unique designer clothes at euphoria-inducing prices. Loehmann’s was my retail therapy high, and this consumer’s drug of choice. I quickly assessed when new shoe, accessory, and fashion deliveries were sent to the store, and I would stake out the departments with the keen eye of a hunter. If I couldn’t afford an item that day, I would hide it and come back when I could afford it. I can remember some of my better Loehmann’s purchases- a pair of peach Marc Jacobs pants, a satin Donna Karan trench, a black Pamela Dennis dress (back when she had a dress business), a lavender cashmere sweater set for $89. Storied purchases aside, I could also find the coolest pieces by unknown designers. Shirts, pants, and sweaters that were inexpensive but looked like the came from an expensive boutique. Loehmann’s was my little secret, my special place. However, it is with a heavy heart that I reveal that the store has either been discovered or is suffering from the absence of a good buyer. Over the past two years, I have noticed a new Loehmann’s. The store is picked over, the products are similar to what can be found in a Marshall’s or TJ Maxx, and the terrific brands are gone. The Back Room does have some of the same designers they used to stock, but the items they have are limited. The selection is gone. The shoe department may be the worst hit of all. The selection is terrible. I haven’t bought a pair of shoes in over a year, and believe me, I have absolutely tried. I scour that department almost weekly. Although I do not want to give up on it entirely, I am almost there. However, I’ll always have the memories.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!)

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.

My friend and I were shopping in East Hampton over Labor Day, and we popped into Calypso for some end-of-season sale searching. She found a gorgeous deep purple silk mini-dress that we debated over purchasing. It looked great on her, but we wondered whether it was smart to buy a short sleeve mini-dress that late in the season. Little did we know summer would last 2 more months! (Hello? It was 80 degrees today!) But I have to say I have no regrets over not convincing her to purchase the dress. I have seen it on everyone in New York. Literally. The dress is taking over the city. It is cute and comes in a rainbow of colors, but it is so omnipresent that I am totally over it.

I was in the line at Star-b’s waiting to order my morning SF-Vanilla latte and a girl breezed in wearing the most fabulous boots. I was immediately enamored. They were perfect- dressy but not too dressy. The best boots I have seen all season. Apparently there is a long waiting list at Intermix, but Shopbop.com seems to have lots in stock.