Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Win Custom Kicks at Footaction on 34th


Tomorrow, 4-7pm at Footaction on 34th & 7th Avenue, Sneaker Customizer Fetti D'Biasi will be painting live in-store. Check out some of D'Biasi's work here at FemaleSneakerFiend. Here's a classic customized look for Big Apple fans:


First we give you Empire State Building shoes on 34th Street, and then the woman who created Big Apple kicks, bite taken out and all. Come to Footaction with some of your own designs in mind, because if you enter the raffle you may win one of D'Biasi's masterpieces on sneaks, custom-made for you. Other prizes will also be raffled off, and D'Biasi will be joined by DJ ProStyle of Power 105.1. Be sure to check the flyer above for event details.

Footaction, 34th Street & 7th Avenue

Subtle Ruffles at Meridian

Today's guest post is by Katie, who stopped by Meridian on 6th Avenue between 35th and 36th Street.

I escaped the rain yesterday afternoon by ducking into Meridian. As Fashion Herald has mentioned before, Meridian is a great little boutique in the district with very enticing window displays. Unfortunately, I was so focused on getting inside to dry territory that I forgot to snap a photo from the street. Whoops!

(ed. note: I took a picture a couple weeks ago! I love both these looks)
If you're looking for spring or summer clothes adorned with good, subtle ruffles (as opposed to over the top, clown ruffles) Meridian has a number of dresses and tank tops you should check out. Inspired by a coral dress in the window, I grabbed this slightly different style for the fitting room ($44):



I'm a sucker for the two-tone dresses that you see everywhere right now, and the ruffles on the lower half give this one a fun edge ($74):



For those who have been working out all winter and can't wait to show off their toned backs, these floaty racerback tanks with ruffle details in the rear ($38) should do the trick to stir up envy in lazies like me who spent the winter eating chocolate to keep warm:




The grey one has a pretty bead/ruffle combo detail around the neckline. The pink top was also spotted in grey and blue.

And my last be-ruffled Meridian pick: another racerback tank with a thicker back panel and ruffles concentrated around the neckline. I tend to gravitate towards navy blue and would definitely wear this under a cardigan to the office when warm weather finally arrives.




Meridian Ladies Clothing, 977 6th Ave. between 35th & 36th St.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Blame it on H&M Baby

I swear I resisted posting Baby Herald picks as long as I could. I blame it all on H&M's really, really cute baby section, which I visited last Saturday while checking out the Garden Collection. This is now my shopping reality: if there's a cute baby/kids section, I'm going to visit. Now let's see if I can not use "cute" again for the rest of this post.

H&M Baby pink headband @ Fashion HeraldH&M Baby really cute pink headband @ Fashion Herald














This pink bow headband is $2.95, and is really, really...."adorable." I also like how you can make it very now like a package bow, or very retro like Olivia Newton-John. Also comes in a floral pattern.

H&M Baby really cute spring outfit @ Fashion HeraldH&M Baby really really cute spring outfit @ Fashion Herald














This is a really, really... "irresistible" spring ensemble (only sizes left at the Herald Sq. store are 0-3mos and 12mos.). It started with the kerchief head-wrap ($3.95), which was on a shelf back against the wall. As I finally tore myself away from the baby section, kerchief in hand, I spotted the matching outfit ($9.95) hanging on the opposite side of the department. Why they aren't together, I don't know. I then demanded that a couple of guys holding the outfit go get the matching kerchief, and, as they gave me the "you're demented" look, a grandma marched up holding the same outfit and asked me where she could find the kerchief. Pay attention to the grandmas, guys. The headpiece is the icing on the cake.


H&M Herald Square, 34th & 6th Avenue
H&M 34th & Seventh Avenue
Both 34th Street stores have kid's & baby sections

Monday, March 29, 2010

H&M Herald Square: The Garden Party

The H&M Garden Collection is big on hangar appeal, but didn't do quite as much for me in the dressing room. There was one item I would have bought, and there were only a few left on Saturday:

H&M garden collection blazer @ Fashion Herald
















A perfect casual blazer ($49.95). My choice is a little dull, considering this collection was dominated by flower prints, but the prints I tried on were just OK. Keep in mind I'm not much of a flower girl; my tastes run toward the minimal aesthetic. And the collection was a little picked through by the time I arrived in the later afternoon. Here's what else I loved that was still in abundance on the racks:

the red jacket ($59.95);
H&M garden collection red jacket @ Fashion HeraldH&M garden collection red jacket @ Fashion Herald


















jacket ($49.95), and the white dress ($24.95), great for the beach/pool;
H&M garden collection jacket @ Fashion Herald
















the peasant shirt ($29.95) and shorts ($29.95);
H&M garden collection flowered peasant blouse @ Fashion Heraldgreat garden collection shorts @ Fashion Herald













Meh on me, but a really cute dress ($49.95). The colors aren't as vibrant as they are online.
H&M garden collection dress @ Fashion Herald


















H&M garden collection dress @ Fashion HeraldMy misses: the pale pink ruffle dress ($17.95), not so great on me, and the maxi. The maxi ($59.95) was my biggest disappointment, I thought it was so me. Instead that ruffle tier hit me in my worst spot (big ribcage) to create a look more maternity than any of my old maternity clothes.

H&M garden collection maxi dress @ Fashion HeraldH&M garden collection maxi dress @ Fashion Herald













Great prices, great recycling, and great for spring. And if I can find something in a garden collection I can love, you're going to do just fine.


H&M Herald Square, 34th & 6th Avenue
H&M 34th & 7th Avenue

Sunday, March 28, 2010

How to Be Slouchy & Skinny

I went into Banana Republic on 34th Street yesterday to stalk these jeans featured in a Banana email:

I hated them at first, then kept returning to the email to look again, and then couldn't forget them, much like an annoying guy you love to hate. Why? They are the slouchy skinny jeans: relaxed fit on top and skinny on bottom. I decided I had to see what it's like to be skinny and slouchy at once. I can now attest that it is good and really comfortable. They're in store now and on sale for $69.99:

Shirt, left, is the fitted non-iron style on sale for $41.99. Shirt on right is on sale for $51.99.


















But I have to admit, I'm still a little bigger than my pre-Baby Herald weight, so I like the slouchiness on top. I could even fit into a size 28 (before I was a 28/29), but then they weren't slouchy at all, so I guess that was counterproductive to the whole slouchy/skinny thing. Still, I'd recommend trying a size smaller, as the 30 was definitely too baggy in the rear for my liking. The length was just the way I like it: long. I'm not 100% on the light blue, but it's cute for summer.

To compare sizing, I tried this boyfriend cut, which is described as a "relaxed, slouchy fit," and the 29 fit perfectly snug:

So if you want a little more room on top, go with the skinny slouch, not the boyfriend slouch. As for the above, normally I'm against pre-made holes, but these jeans kind of won me over. This is also amazing as I love my jeans long and these are cropped short. More proof that Banana Republic consistently produces a great pair of jeans.

Visit Banana Republic today on 34th Street and take advantage of the last day of 25% off full-priced merchandise. That goes for the boyfriend cut jeans, which are full-price at $89.50.

Banana Republic, 17 W. 34th Street between 5th & 6th

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Bare Escentuals 34th Street: Beauty Bash!

Hit up the Bare Escentuals boutique on 34th Street today and tomorrow for a free "make-under" and take home some de-luxe samples. Also, if you book your appointment in advance, you get a free gift. The Bare Escentuals gifts and samples are usually quite generous in size so it's probably worth booking in advance. And I'm warning you now: while you're getting "made under" you'll surely sample their bareMinerals eyecolors and you're going to end up buying some. Once you're in the boutique it's difficult to resist all the pretty colors.

Update: Hydee reminded me in comments to add a phone number in order to book an appointment: 212-220-1900. Thanks, Hydee!

Bare Escentuals Boutique, 44 W. 34th between 5th & 6th

Thursday, March 25, 2010

JCPenney Back to School Preview: The Clothes

Craig and I were both in awe over the Nastia Liukin tween label Supergirl, scheduled to hit JCPenney in July. Black, pink, and grey spandex top with a Supergirl shield, it's parallel bars-inspiring styles for the tween set. And there's more than just dancewear; moms will have dresses, leggings, T's and more to buy with their Supergirls.

Here's more from the JCPenney Back-to-School preview last week, including:

punk rock girl;

plaid and denim for the boys;











a little leftover military trend (see Baby Herald's foot? Her Manny lost her shoe, so she's in socks!);

the whole pattern-mixing trend:













and shoes.
























JCPenney at Manhattan Mall is your one-stop-shopping for back-to-school. I was making fun of "one-stop-shopping" earlier so I thought I'd work it in to my post today for a little retro phrasing. Then I found out this concept originated in Lincoln, Nebraska. Go, Cornhuskers.


JCPenney Manhattan Mall, lower levels 1 & 2, 33rd & 6th Avenue

Craig Critiques: JCPenney Manhattan Mall for Home, Part 2

It's more Craig Critiques today, and he's back at JCPenney to follow-up his home decor post after we attended the preview for JCP's Back to School collections last week.

Last Thursday, we previewed the Back to School collections for JCPenney and I must say I am totally impressed. For the college student, JCPenney has shifted their focus from dorm living to pieces that can transition from the dorm to your first apartment. I think this is absolutely brilliant. When I first left the dorms, I definitely did not have the cash to invest in brand new furnishings but most of my stuff screamed DORM.













The Seventeen line, which is already in stores, is bright and full of different textures. Most of the collection is made up of patchwork quilts which definitely works for that demographic. JCPenney is also aiming to grab that Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie crowd with their Decree line. Decree bedding is very floral-paisley heavy but, again, I think this is going to do great with the Seventeen customer.

JCPenney returned to their basics with the new homewares collection for the college crowd. There is a variety of reasonably priced pots, pans, utensils, and kitchen appliances which look just as professional as KitchenAid. My favorite new appliance is an all-in-one toaster oven/coffee maker/griddle. I can’t even think of a more perfect combination of appliances.

Little Miss Matched bedding and shower curtain hooks.











Next, we saw the new Little Miss Matched bedding line for JCPenney. This kids collection is so adorable. It’s full of polka dots, stripes, and other cute and colorful patterns. The most interesting design detail was the plastic-lined fitted sheets, handy in case of any "accidents." So smart!

Little Miss Matched wastebasket and lamp, both with slots to change up the design. Kids like to put photos in the lamp slots, cute!














Overall, I’ve been more and more impressed with JCPenney as time goes on. I’m excited to see where they go next, especially in the bedding department.

JCPenney Manhattan Mall, lower levels 1 &2, 33rd & 6th Avenue

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Esprit 34th Street Opening Party



Champagne bar on the second floor, soon to be ringing cash registers, I'm sure.

Last night's opening of the Esprit 34th Street flagship was a big crush and a lot of fun. Many thanks to Esprit for the invite. The 34th Street Partnership (the BID I work for) welcomes the store to 34th Street with big, happy open arms. As my boss said upon entering the sleek, modern space, pounding with loud music and packed with beautiful people, "34th Street will never be the same." He would know, as he's been working for the 34th Street BID since these days:


But back to Esprit: While swinging through the store with Craig, we made note of the Esprit Collection label, the dresses (including a tiered number (left) and a "dark cement" shift), the scarves, the quality of fabrics for the prices, and the retro Esprit looks. OK, I think I had more appreciation for these than Craig, as he doesn't have fond memories of poring over Esprit catalogs as a youth.

Guests could try on clothes last night, but I preferred sipping champagne with Craig, Midtown Girl, and her friend Jenn. I'll be in the store later this week doing the usual dressing room photos. You, too, should drop by the store opening tomorrow and Friday to win a free outfit or get a $20 Esprit cash card. Be sure to go here for an invitation.

Esprit opening party photos from Craig's Fashion Herald tweeting last night.

Update: Craig checked out the line this morning, and tweeted that it was down the block to Lane Bryant (below). He also found out that the first people in line had been waiting since midnight - !



Esprit Flagship, 34th Street btwn 5th and 6th, opening tomorrow at 9am