Discount Shopping? Yes Please!

"You know why these clothes are on sale, Mom? Because the kids who wear them get beaten up"--Bart from the Simpsons.

Not true, Bart! Not all discount clothes are ugly cast offs!

So I had brunch with some friends at La Bottega at the Maritime Hotel (88 Ninth Avenue between 15th and 16th)...which is a great place to eat for the ambiance (especially in the summer months). Unfortunately the food is subpar...I had cornmeal pancakes that were burnt and smothered in butter ($9), salty pork sausage ($3), and a mimosa ($12). Expensive for food that doesn't even satisfy. Anyway afterwards we decided to do a little shopping.

Our first stop was the Barney's Co-op...and I thought that since it was like the 'Basement' of Barney's that stuff would be affordable. BOY WAS I WRONG!!! Everything in there is over $100 easy...but I did see this great coat that I might invest in once the weather outside is frightful...

Here it is:



It's by Vince which is a chi chi poo poo brand. The coat is $595 which is sort of a travesty...but it's cute and will keep me super warm. Remember, scrimp on small stuff, but invest in the big ones. A winter coat is defo an investment piece! To quote fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, "All clothes are a form of armor, but a winter coat most of all...You wear it constantly...it comforts you and makes you feel protected..." Invest ladies! But...that's for a future purchase.

Anyway the good thing about Barney's Co-op is that they have spectacular sales.

Here's a picture:



Visit the store (236 West 18th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues) and just ask the cashier to be on their mailing list so you can know when to catch a sale. You can also check out a few of their wares at www.barneyscoop.com.

So yeah Barney's was a JOKE, so my friends and I moved on to shopping that was more our speed (i.e. our price range). We two-stepped over to Loehmann's (101 7th Avenue between 16th and 17th):



Usually I don't like places like Loehmann's...racks and racks of clothes, people pushing and shoving (especially on Saturdays), open dressing rooms (abs no privacy so wear your good undies), anyway...I FOUND SUCH GOOD STUFF. I'd say for Loehmann's, don't go to the shoe section...forget the bag section...don't mess with the juniors, sportswear, whatever. Make a beeline for the 3rd floor for their designer dresses (I saw Diane Von Furstenberg, Vera Wang, and BCBG Max Azria), and to the 4th floor for super designer brands like Nanette Lepore, Theory, Walter, and Marc Jacobs. Yes. Marc Jacobs. It's pretty hit or miss, but if you frequent I'm sure you can find a DVF wrap dress for 75% off. It's worth it.

This is what I found for a black tie event I'm going to in a few weeks:



That's right ladies. A hot Nicole Miller Collection dress. It's a season old, I know, I know...I remember seeing it in Bloomingdales full price at $310 a year ago and lusting after it...and just wishing I could afford it. Well, it was $80 (about 75% off) at Loehmann's, and I just couldn't pass it up! How often do you find a black tie worthy dress for $80?!?! So yeah, I bought it. I can't wear a bra with it, so I'll have to get the straps shortened. A small bit of tailoring, but I think it's a winner. [Update: Getting the straps shortened only cost me $10!]

I also got this jacket by Walter (swanky designer sold at Saks):



Not sure if you can tell, but this jacket is hot! It's a jacquard print cropped 3/4 sleeved jacket that would look great over a black dress or even over a camisole with a pair of skinny leg jeans (and ballet flats). This jacket was originally $330, and it was at Loehmann's for $80. It's worth it guys. Maybe I need to invest in a mannequin so you can see stuff better...

So my friends and I left Loehmann's with lots of great stuff. One friend found a Steve Madden down coat for $80 with an extra 15% off because she's a card carrying member and her birthday was today...another friend got some Joe's Jeans for $40...

Defo check it out!
Go to www.loehmanns.com to find a Loehmann's location near you...

Smootches!

Fashion Week, Part Deux

"We live not according to reason, but according to fashion"--Seneca

Here I am with my second installment from Fashion Week. On Tuesday, I was lucky to get an invite from a friend to a show by a Malo, an Italian company known for its cashmere and knits. Apparently the actual designer is a guy by the name of Fabio Piras, a Swiss Graduate of London's University of Arts (the uber creative Central Saint Martin's to be exact). I hadn't heard of Malo before I went (I was just stoked to go), but turns out that Malo has got it going ON. The colors, the fabrics, everything, just...uh. I'll get to that later.

So the scene at Malo seemed to be quite posh. Everything was decorated in pure white and blue, and the seats had these cute slip covers on them to make them seem like they were padded chairs...but turns out they were just hard chairs with slip covers on them.

Voila la venue:



Cute, huh?

I sorta knew this show would be a big deal when I saw the legendary Anna Wintour stroll in while I was waiting in line. Then I saw her again sitting in the first row. I had to snap a pic.
This is the best that my blurry little camera could do (poor thing):



My camera really tries, it does! Anyway Ms. Wintour was actually quite beautiful up close. I love her style...from her haircut to her dark glasses, to her cute, sassy dresses. Go on Anna. I think she's so fabulous that people tend to villainize her. But I can kinda sympathize with her I mean.. the whole being fabulous and misunderstood thing (jk:)). So. My poor camera couldn't take the best pictures, but I think I got some good shots of the final walk:










I absolutely loved this line. It classified elegant simplicity. The color palette was very basic: Gray, Black, White, and Sprinkling of Fuchsia (with the random psychadelic swirls thrown in for fun). My absolute favorites included the black dresses with amazing back details (think teardrop cuts, sequins, and surprising straps). My least favs were the jumpsuits (boo!), jackets with a weird oval print (boo!), and the swimsuits (double boo!).

The evening dresses were amazing...I wrote down on my pad "Buy all the evening dresses." Of course you can't wear these to the club or anything, but Malo's clothes are perfectly suited for a socialite going to a formal event or dinner party. So simple...so elegant. Just amazing.

I left Malo still believing that fashion wasn't searching to make a mockery of the everyday woman (the woman who seeks to have an understated, sophisticated look, not a train wreck). My faith in fashion solidified.

THEN I finagled my way into Heatherette. By finagle, I mean FINAGLE. Somehow I got into the tent. Somehow I got standing room. Somehow I slid my tush into a seat. I got in and that's all she wrote.

Well remember what I was saying about fashion not making a mockery of those who actually get dressed in the morning to go about our day to day lives and not gyrate on MTV? Well. Heatherette made me question my faith.

But first, I'll describe the scene.

Heatherette was PACKED. Chocked full of people, drag queens, editors, fashionistas, and fashionistos. A few pics of the scene:



There were a few celebs and stylists that I absolutely LOVE in the front row.



The fierce and GORGEOUS stylist Phillip Bloch who gave me the best interview for a shopping story I wrote in September of '05 (when a lot of people wouldn't give little ol me an interview). He is so handsome in person, honestly (I actually ran into him at another industry event and was basically bubbling at the mouth with compliments...and he's the sweetest!).

Also present was Ms. Jay, a judge and walking coach on America's Next Top Model who I think is HILARIOUS:



Ms. Jay made me laugh out loud during the third season....remember this (from the makeover episode)??



...anyway because of him (and Tyra) and I can't wait for the next season.

Anyway after a one hour wait (yes y'all), the show FINALLY started. The show overall was full of lots of dramatics, but the clothes themselves left a lot to be desired. A few pics:



















As I'm sure you can see, the actual show was choc full of celebrities. Paris Hilton opened the show...and the rest of the production featured appearances by Kelis (the bossiest), Mira Sorvino, Mya, Nikki Hilton, etc. The celebrities made the show super duper exciting, but really, fashion is mainly about the clothes, no? From my note pad, I wrote "Nothing I would ever wear" "Ridiculous" "Otherwise nice dress ruined" "Saving Grace: Oiled bare chested men with muscular yet defined pectorals"...Aren't we glad I take notes??

In essence, Heatherette provided nothing but garments sewn with gewgaws, glitter, and whatnots. Turned out their show was more about theatrics and metaphorical pyrotechnics...and not fashion. Sigh.

Anyway. Heatherette was a really fun show and I think the designers Richie Rich and Traver Rains are soooooo cute ( one of them rollerskated out for their final walk/bow).

So. With that I leave you. Hope you were able to experience fashion week vicariously through me!

Smootches!!

Eek! Fashion Week!

"What a strange power there is in clothing"--Isaac Bashevis Singer

Fashion Week is in full swing in New York City! It's a very exciting time! All the Spring 2007 looks that we'll see in the pages of Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar make their debut on these very catwalks. It's a glamorous way to participate in fashion history.

If you're not some super important person, it's hard to get invited to all the top shows without an 'in'...meaning an invite or a hook up at a fashion mag.

I decided not to let 'lack of an invite' stop me from seeing at least one show. On Saturday, I attended a show by Jenni Kayne, a budding West Coast designer who has been showing collections since Fall 0f 2003. I was blessed to absolutely finesse my way into the second row of the show (yay me!)

Anyway, in general I thought Kayne's collection was kind of plain, but also very wearable. Sometimes fashion designers send outrageous clothes down the runway just to make an impression, but at the same time, the typical woman would never dream of wearing these clothes in their day to day lives. Jenni's collection is great for the everyday yet chic woman.

Kayne definitely had a seventies vibe in her pieces...lots of wedge heels, hot pants, floppy hats, flowy dresses, and leather trench coats. It seems as if every era makes a come back in some form at some point. Usually I feel that designers can revise and remix an 'era' aesthetic to the point where it is reminiscent of a prior time, but not a complete embodiment. Not for Ms. Kayne. I didn't see anything that truly screamed 'NEW!'. However I did like the following pieces becaues of their pretty color combinations (think citron yellow, mustard, and forest green):






The ‘Shaft’ type leather jacket comes in unexpected colors. The mustard and forest green are calm enough to actually sort of fit into one’s wardrobe as a ‘daring’ piece, but is still luxurious (tailored leather ain’t cheap).



I absolutely loved this dress with lattice stitch work at the collar bone (it seems this type of design is part of her signature. She sent dresses in different colors and different lengths down the catwalk with a similar design on the front of the dress and back, all by the collarbone). The pairing of this deep blue flowing dress with the citron hoody was beautiful, the colors worked well together and made the look extremely striking.



This smart cropped red leather jacket over black dress was actually one of the few very modern looks in the show. It screams fashion, but is also very practical. I’d wear the outfit for a night out or fancy dinner, and would rock that jacket to work perhaps over a white shirt with black pants and pumps (along with a hot black leather handbag)!

Forgive the blurry images, I just have a lonely digital camera, but...hopefully you get the point. I'm hoping to frequent a few more shows this week with a few more notable designers. Will let you know what I think, and also present you looks you can use day to day.

For more info on Jenni Kayne, visit her website: www.jennikayne.com (and forgive the music--I couldn't figure out how to turn it off!).

Smootches!