Monday, March 31, 2008

Update: Tara Subkoff for Bebe

I stopped by Bebe the other day to check up on the Tara Subkoff. Very little was still in store. I tried some of it on weeks ago, and was pleasantly surprised with the cut and quality. Here's what I liked:

These high waisted sailor pants ($129) are great: good cut, long wide leg, I loved them. And can I buy another striped shirt? Well, according to Tara Subkoff, yes. It it adorable. There are several striped shirts still in store, and there's one pair of the pants left in an 8. The salesman commiserated with me as we checked the size: "Oh, no, I don't think...these ran really small," he said as he looked me up and down. Ouch, but he was right. He also said the line sold well, and the trench was gone in the first day. Trench! I missed the trench?!


And here's what looked scary on me:

This was one of the few items that didn't sell out and was shipped away. Ruffles just aren't for everyone. But I think some rockabilly, tattooed pin-up girl type would look amazing in this. Find it in the Bebe outlets.


Bebe, 1 W. 34th at 5th Avenue

Friday, March 28, 2008

Go Cargo

I'd been hearing a lot about Cargo makeup lately, particularly from Lucky magazine and the Lucky beauty blog. They really steered me right with a post on Weleda skincare products (wonderful, full of botanicals), so I decided to follow another recommendation and buy the Cargo mattifier. I went to Sephora on 34th Street and came home with this: The blu-ray kit, an incredible deal for $59. Bought alone, the products in this Sephora exlcusive would normally add up to $130. You get:

  • pressed powder (matte, clean, effective, use sparingly)
  • blush/highlighter (nice light rose color, no disco highlighter here)
  • lip gloss (love the full spectrum of color, lasts long, smells good)
  • mascara (miracle comb, lashes crazy long, no flaking, easy to remove)
  • high definition mattifier (am totally addicted, keeps everything in place, feels like silk)
I'm going back to 34th Street for their botanical lipstick. The tube is embedded with seeds, so plant upon completion and see flowers grow. What's not to love about Cargo?

Sephora, 130 W. 34th between 6th & 7th

Thursday, March 27, 2008

And Don't Miss This...

OMG! Go to the Props for Today spring-cleaning sale and you might get a couch that Gossip Girl Blair Waldorf dropped her toney, upper East Side behind upon. Or find chairs from the upcoming Sex and the City movie (sit on SJP's chair before the film's release!), and furniture from Ugly Betty, Sopranos, Devil Wears Prada, and All My Children (insert fan scream). Prices look very good (2 plush, white chairs for $150 each, retail was $850), but visit their website for more information and to see a video showing items on sale.

Props for Today, 330 W. 34th (Penn Station), 14th Fl.
sale hours:
Fri. 3/28 12 - 8:30pm
Sat. 3/29 10a - 7pm
Sun. 3/30 12 - 3pm

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Do This in the District

Things to check out on 34th Street and Herald Square this week, in between shopping for spring dresses:

Macy's Herald Square spring sale begins today, speaking of spring dresses....and it's a perfect time to shop as Macy's Herald Square annual flower show is on now until the 30th. Don't miss the Cherry Hill Garden (cherry trees, everyone's favorite!) or the Spring Garden and its plethora of bulbs.

The Armory Show comes to 34th Street this weekend. Be sure to visit VOLTA NY on 7 W. 34th, right across from the Empire State Building, Thursday through Sunday from 1-9pm. Click here for more information on tickets, pricing and shuttle bus info to the Armory and back.

The King of 99 Cent Stores: Check out this article in the New York Times today about Jack's and just try and resist dropping by for frozen peas (warning: peas shown in photo, left, are not necessarily peas sold in store). But if you're with a claustrophobic, inexperienced 99 cent store shopper, leave them outside. This place is for the pros only.

Today's post: spring bulbs, fine art, and frozen peas. Hmm, so my own hype is true, 34th Street does have it all.


Macy's Herald Square, 151 W. 34th btwn Broadway & 7th
VOLTA NY, 7 W. 34th btwn 5th & 6th
Jack's 99 Cent Store, 110 W. 32nd btwn 6th & 7th

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

No-No or Yes-Yes: Shoe Tags

This young lady walking down Fifth Avenue reminded me of a common problem:

Discount tag removal. Which is very different from the other kind of tags the kids are loving these days (above right). I'm impressed as it takes some cohones to walk around all Minnie Pearl-like. Karl Lagerfeld could do a lot with this as he often specializes in irony (see enormous Chanel jacket on runway). And what a great way to do even more egregious brand placement. In case you didn't know it was Chanel, and you missed those double C's, HERE it is, still on the tag! Immediate authenticity gratification.

Let's review: white discount tag on bottom of foot, No-No. Go get yourself some Goo Gone sticker lifter. Product tag left on your cool Converse kicks, Yes-Yes and soon to be seen on the Chanel runway.

Get Goo Gone at Kmart, 1 Penn Plaza (34th btwn 7th & 8th)
Get your Converse kicks with the tags on at Footaction, 430 7th at 34th

Monday, March 24, 2008

Xmastime to the Rescue

Fashion Herald seems unable to shake this plague that has her down and out, so Xmastime is taking over for a few. It's time we check out his diet anyway but WARNING, after reading the below you may never eat meat again.

If I had to grade myself on my progress so far, I'd hafta give myself a "DISASTER." I just pissed away over two weeks on the Atkins, thanks to not remembering to exercise and then panic eating.

The week was going great - I was on vacation so I could focus on the Atkins and nothing else. Stocked the fridge with meat and cheese and gotsta eating: bacon and eggs in the morning, cheeseburger omelettes for lunch and sausage and mozzarella for dinner. With a can of tuna in between each meal (snack). I even learned that if you chop ground beef like you would for tacos and then cover it with cheese, it feels more like a vegetable. After almost a week, I all of a sudden realized I'm eating a ton of Atkins-approved stuff but the weight's not falling off as quickly as I had hoped. I mean, I'm stuffing barrels of sausages in my maw with mayo-fried cheese chasers, but nothing's happening. Then it hits me: I HAVEN'T EXERCISED ALL WEEK!!! Literally, I had barely moved all week. I was on vacation! My exercise consisted of walking from the tv in the living room to the tv in the kitchen and back. Whisking my scrambled eggs was the most exertion I had all week. Dammit!! I cursed myself. I wasted the first week of my "induction phase." I was about to panic and throw it all away when I thought well, I've had exactly 0 carbs, I'm still on the right track, just be cool. Until I discovered that the sausages I had been pounding each had 2 carbs in them. Which for a normal person wouldn't be a huge deal, but you can guess how many I had eaten throughout the week. So I used this to allow myself to spiral down into complete food depression and basically eat deep-fried chicken skins that could add up to the size of my head. Miserable. [ed. note: Xmastime+Atkins=DISASTER, except for the pork industry]

So last Monday I woke up determined to succeed this time. Vacation was over, no excuse not to exercise, blah blah. This lasted about four days. One thing about Atkins is when hunger hits, it HITS. I was in Ft. Greene with Lil Xmas and all of a sudden I thought I may faint. I barely made it home and grabbed the first thing I saw: milk. I reached past the cheese, past the cooked chicken, past the bag labeled "READY TO EAT IF YOU'RE ON THE ATKINS, THIS STUFF IS AWESOME!!!" and started guzzling a glass of milk like Britney at a Red Bull kegger. I was disgusted with myself, mewling like Chewbacca as I pounded another glass to calm down. Of course, did I think okay, it's only milk, just re-focus? Nah, course not. I used this to allow myself to spiral down into complete food depression and basically eat deep-fried chicken skins that could add up to the size of my head. You know your diet is in trouble when you can hit "paste" any time on your computer and know the preceding sentence will pop up, no?

I moaned and cried all weekend, but am determined to try it again starting Monday. Complete with exercise and food moderation. I'm trying to stay positive thanks to the guy in the paper weeks ago that lost 100 lbs by just walking. But I'm gonna give the Atkins one more strike now that I know its pitfalls. I hafta remind myself that tripping up on a diet doesn't mean you say "eff this!" and triple your pork puffs intake. Step back and regroup: there's always a Day One just around the corner.
Damn straight. Ok, he needs more than just skinny jeans inspiration. Enter: Foot Locker. Melissa and her co-worker, Stella, stepped up to dress Xmastime in some appropriate workout gear. No more "misremembering" the exercise. See his comments tomorrow. And as soon as I'm over the plague, I'm taking Xmastime and his shiny new shoes to the Y. Beware, Xmastime.

Write your diet tips for Xmastime here in comments, or on his blog. People, he needs your help or he's never fitting into those Macy's jeans.

Chicks are in the Air

Foot Locker's Easter windows, for those of you who can't get enough Easter (hi mom!):

the artwork, one window and the other:









Adorable, what's not cute about baby chicks in shoes? And it's true, chicks do dig 'em. Because suddenly I see myself in a cute little tennis skirt and perfect white shoes on the court with my racket on a beautiful spring day serving an ace to my similarly shod, impeccably white-shoe'd, muscular and manly opponent....ah, Foot Locker, thanks for the fantasy.

Foot Locker, 120 W. 34th between 6th & 7th

Friday, March 21, 2008

Nike Love

On the runway, fall 2008 New York collections: feather and fur details, open backs, lovely jewel tones (think eggplant, aubergine and mustard), one-shoulder dresses, toned-down & cranked-up bubble skirts, more menswear, the return of leather pants, 1940's styling, fur trim, and head accessories like thin headbands, hats, and modest chignons. The bun is back.

On my feet, fall 2008 New York collections: Nike kicks. To those who are well-acquainted with my former shoe habits, this will come as a complete shock. Since waaay back, nothing, neither rain, sleet nor snow, stopped me from donning stilettos. My devotion to heels knew no limits, and never could I be tall enough. But now I've got a little sneaker obsession and am digging it.

Here's why:

Pretty! And they make me happy when I look down on my fluorescent yellow laces. Yes, I'm young again. I can't promise that these Nike lo dunks will immediately take 10-20 years off your age, but it sure as hell feels like it when you're wearing them. Super comfortable, they saved me during tedious hours of fashion show waiting.

And here's why:

Sitting in the office (yes, I have big feet), in the elevator going to fashion week...I'm glad Melissa from Foot Locker talked me into these black and shiny pink Nike "lasistas." Why? Because they matched my press pass, serendipitous! These shoes also fulfill a desire I've had for a long time: owning a pair of track shoes like I had in high school. Sleek, streamlined and springy on the feet, they make you feel like hurdling. If only they had spikes, might've helped me manage pushy papparazzi...

Both available at Lady Foot Locker on 34th Street, the lo dunks (technically they are called "Dunk Lo") are $74.99 and the lasista's are now $49.99.

Lady Foot Locker, 120 W. 34th between 6th & 7th

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Gap Design Edition Happy Days

Got April Vogue, drooled over LeBron who looks even better than Gisele, and opened up to this Gap ad:


Oh, cuteness. This white shirt design edition isn't as avant-garde as the first, but is definitely more wearable. And this go round there's even a white shirt for the men from Michael Bastian. So it will be a tough decision in Gap on April 15 (in-store date), because the Phillip Lim blouses on Irina and Lily and the threeAsFOUR dress are all irresistable. But I'll be on 34th Street trying them all on.


Gap at Herald & Greeley Squares, 34th & Broadway

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Skip This: Geometric Yuk

Ah, you hopefully-short-lived geometric shoe trend. Please never take off. Perhaps I'm wrong and everyone's just waiting for a perfect spring day to break them out. One thing I know for sure, don't buy an inexpensive pair of geometric shoes. Or you'll end up looking at the below in June and thinking "what the hell are these doing in my closet?"

And this picture is doing them justice; I've seen them live in-person at Payless and pretty they aren't. I appreciate Payless' effort to accommodate all the new trends, but these just look too cheap, and there are too many cute and inexpensive shoes at Payless you can spend your money on. Like these Dexter flats, left, now reduced to $19.99:

They are cuter in person. An appealing conservative flat that looks anything but cheap. I'm dying to wear these with skinny blue jeans. Or get this raffia print wedge for $16.99, right, a great poolside shoe.


Just have some respect for Euclid and refuse to buy those ugly shoes. They give geometry a bad name.



Payless, 110 W. 34th btwn Broadway & 7th

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Bella, Aldo

I've never really shopped Aldo in the past, but since $500+ for designer shoes has become de rigueur, I took a serious second look at the store on 34th Street the other day.





Not a bad way to fulfill your Louboutin et al. cravings for at least a quarter of the price. I was immediately taken by the pretty peep-toe wedge for work (far left, $70) and the chunky wooden peep-toe for fun (2nd from left, $100). Certainly there are a lot of the "trampy" at Aldo (see aggressively sexy shoe on the far right, $90, which I'm quite fond of), but it's easy to spot the diamonds in the rough.

Most prices run $90-$100, but the ankle strap is on sale for $59.98, and the cork patent is on sale for $29.98. And yes, wear your new peep-toe shoes with different colored stockings till it gets summer warm.


Celebrity match-up: Lindsey + Aldo= (on sale, $34.98). If it was patent it'd be a dead ringer.



Aldo, 15 W. 34th between 5th & 6th

Monday, March 17, 2008

The Good, The Bad, and The Trampy: Gladiators

Shoes have really gone wild. I like this, and I hate it. We'll be talking shoes a lot in the next couple weeks. Today it's the gladiator sandal. Gladiators are now totally mainstream, so you've got lots of options. Enjoy them this spring, then stow them away for their next incarnation. Great with long dresses, skirts, and shorts of any length, these are versatile shoes.


The good: Find this Sam Edelman version at Macy's (above, $79). I love these because they are simple but have hippy-bling. Please wear these with NO OTHER BLING, as that would immediately put them in the "bad" category.


Or go to Steve Madden for the classic gladiator ("Leonitus," near left, $89.95) and clean and elegant ("Killian," far left, $99.95).


The bad: Need I say anything? Ok, NO GLADIATOR CHUNKY HEELS that look like this (below, right).

The trampy: Admittedly, these aren't really gladiators, but it's hard to find trampy glads. And this is a good opportunity to trash the mule. I'm an authority on this, as I once owned a pair of gold mules so heinous, girlfriends would beg me to model them just for their hilarious amusement. You will always walk and look trampy in mules. Please, fashion gods, don't make us suffer a mule revival.

Steve Madden, 41 W. 34th between 5th & 6th
Macy's Herald Square, 151 W. 34th btwn Broadway & 7th

Friday, March 14, 2008

Gratuitous Fashion

Flipping through April Marie Claire....

Regrets: Kate Bosworth is beyond lovely, but I can't read her quote on the cover of Marie Claire, "I turned 25 and had a quarter-life crisis," without thinking oh no, when you're 45 some asshole is going to shove this old cover in your face and you're so going to hate yourself. Ach, the perils of fame.


Advice: Kate should never take this off.


Bad news: "Katie Holmes Finds Her Style." Katie, please keep looking or you'll turn 45 and think, shit! Why didn't I tart it up in my twenties instead of dressing like an Anna Wintour/soccer mom hybrid?


Stop the noise: No more mineral makeup people! I'm getting confused! There's too many options, my head's going to explode!



Buyable editorial: $78 for these cute Armani Exchange shorts. Katie needs these.



Sorry, but no: "Painterly styles." I've tried to like these, but this shoot has finally turned me almost completely against them. And they've barely hit the stores. It's going to be a long spring.




What I want to see more of on 34th Street: Cute eco clothes.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Spring Chilling

It suddenly felt wrong the other day to be wearing my heavy winter coat, so I checked out my fellow midtowners walking down Fifth. I saw it all: just suits (men, of course), heavy coats, and a few light jackets.

You could really utilize that sweater coat. But doesn't it feel heavy and tired? Go shopping. Here are a couple fresh and cute spring jackets from Forever 21:











Love the swingy mustard ($27.80, note cute hood lining), the sporty green (Heritage1981, $29.90), and the motorcycle blue (Heritage1981, $24). All inexpensive and breezy jackets that will help ease those spring wardrobe transitions.

Forever 21, 50 W. 34th between 5th & Broadway

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Free Dress Proves Nothing is Free

Remember the Project Runway Bitten dress sold at Steve & Barry's? Remember, ages ago, when Fashion Herald gave 5 away? So much has happened since then: Victorya was auf'd and Christian won; Fashion Herald attended (and was underwhelmed by) Victorya's New York fashion week debut; and Melissa, a dress winner, was game enough to model the Bitten dress for her friends' amusement. Following are her pictures and her review:

Your officemates look so much better in it! Maybe I am not thin and/or curvy enough to make it work. As a representative of the boyish-but-not-waifish figured-women, I would like to submit this dress review:

Pros:

1. The dress is very easy to put on & take off. There are no zippers or snaps or anything.
2. I could probably gain 50 lbs & still wear it.

3. The bow is fun to play with.

Cons:

1. Your friends will laugh at you. (See pictures 1, 2, & 3 above -- do the heels make it worse?)

Below are some attempts to not look like a weeblewobble with limbs:

Picture 4: the ties are twisted down the back & then tied around the waist.

Pictures 5&6: the ties are wrapped under the arms and across the back & then tied around torso, kinda like an empire-waist dress (see dots in picture 5).

Pictures 7&8: the bow is tied around the head to draw the eye away from the large tent that is my body. (The wig is just for contrast.)

Thanks for the dress!












Really? Because that last shot proves Melissa had quite a challenge of her own. And she looks as good as my officemates, if not more so; certainly the pink, bewigged, "Bitten bunny" shot is an A+. Melissa, not only do you have a perfect costume if Halloween and Easter ever land on the same day, but you've also proved your insane styling chops. She achieves the impossible and makes this dress wearable. Thank-you Melissa, you are so cool to send us all this. And please check out her band, Last Year's Model, at their myspace page. Yes, she is the keyboardist for the best band EVER! Enjoy.

Steve & Barry's, Manhattan Mall level 2, 33rd @ 6th Ave