Post #Sandy 34th Street Retail Update

Most of the stores on 34th Street were back in business by afternoon today, and many were open this morning, like Jim Hanley's Universe on 33rd Street.

As you can see, some stores still bear the remnants of #Sandy preparation (nice boards, Aeropostale!), and the bikes most likely mean staff rode two wheels into the city today. Check store facebook pages for more opening information (H&M and Macy's Herald Square have been updating their pages), and here's a link to our store directory if anyone wants to contact a specific retailer. 

While the city begins to recover and get back to business, our thoughts go out to those still suffering from the storm's effects. Stay safe out there, everyone.

Post #Sandy 34th Street Update

Hurricane Sandy is finally gone but the damage assessment in New York City has just begun. Our thoughts are with all of those affected and suffering from this devastating hurricane.

Fashion Herald is all about 34th Street shopping, thus the next few days we'll be talking here about store openings, closings, etc. I'm gleaning news about Midtown from Twitter and Facebook as I'm currently stranded in Queens. Macy's Herald Square was said to reopen today, but last I heard on Twitter it was still closed. Most stores on 34th Street were closed today, although I was told the Duane Reade on 35th and Sixth is open. With the subway remaining closed for at least the next couple of days, I can't imagine how retailers will be opening this week, but other stores throughout the city have already opened today.

I'll post up store re-openings as I get news from Manhattan colleagues and 34th Street residents, including @BeeingMissStar and Intern Craig. Thank-you, Intern Craig, for letting me know our trees and planters were all in good shape this morning after #Sandy winds. And thanks, @BeeingMissStar, for confirming that Duane Reade was open and not much else, and telling me that "there are a shocking number of people out and about in midtown."

I've gotten a lot of responses from personal Twitter accounts, and not much from corporate retail accounts. This is not surprising, considering that New York City is one small part of international and national retailer markets, but it does make me long for local store accounts. Racked New York has reported on store openings, so cheers to local news outlets, not to mention the stellar coverage of #Sandy by local news stations and reporters on Twitter. 

Instead of a shot of flooded streets, I'll end with a photo of our 34th Street pumpkin installation at the tip of Herald Square Park (Herald and Greeley Square Parks are still closed). Talk about seriously resilient gourds and hay.

Photo courtesy of flankedbybirds Instagram

I hope everyone in New York City and surrounding areas has power and water soon. Take care, all, and if you're in need of a hotel with power, check out our list of hotels in the 34th Street district, many of which are north of the outage.

34th Street Weekend Sale Picks: Anoraks, F&F Shoes, and a Halloween Fun Day

#1.  Joe Fresh
The freshest store on the west end of 34th Street is having a big sale. That means a big rack of clothes for $9 and $5 along the back wall, and some very adorable and colorful anoraks on sale.  215 W. 34th Street

#2.  Payless
Friends & Family! Print up the coupon below for 30% off your entire purchase now through Sunday, in-store only. Click for more details.  110 W. 34th Street & 213 W. 34th Street

#3.  Desigual

It's a Fun Day Halloween-style, and you can get 20% off a wide range of items plus music and snacks! Saturday in-store only, and all weekend on Desigual.com.  958 Avenue of the Americas (6th & 35th) and 358 Fifth Avenue at 34th St.

Ex-Tannery House = Perfect Ricky's Halloween Superstore

Yes, the Tannery House has moved out of 211 W. 34th Street, which makes it a prime space for a holiday pop-in. And what suits the space more than a Ricky's Costume Superstore for Halloween?

Wood shingles, if done right, can be really, really scary.

Because this is Ricky's, you're going to get an excellent selection of false lashes, stockings, wigs, makeup, and stripper ruby slippers. 

Shouldn't that Rihanna wig be on sale?

Of course there's tons of the usual masks, kids costumes, adult costumes, and every kind of Halloween accessory you could possibly need. I've seen bigger Halloween stores, but Ricky's generally has the best selection.


Ricky's Costume Superstore
temporarily at 211 W. 34th Street at Seventh Avenue

Happy 14th Birthday, BananaRepublic.com!

I can't believe it's been 14 years. Now it's time for you to go enjoy the fruits of over a decade of BananaRepublic.com, and do some shopping on 34th Street.

Banana Republic
17 West 34th Street

From the Archives: The James Gordon Bennetts' New York Herald, Part 2

As you run from store to store on 34th Street, did you ever ask yourself "Why Herald Square?" Today's post is part 2 of a 3-part series on the New York Herald from our archivist Anne. This post also appears on NYC Circa, a blog about NYC and its history. 

In 1866 James Gordon Bennett Sr. passed the publishing duties of the New York Herald on to a man who many thought to be an unlikely successor -- his son James Gordon Bennett Jr.

Image: NYPL

James Gordon Bennett Jr. is best known in history for his devotion to yachting, ballooning, and socializing on a grand scale. Mostly due to the Herald's commercial success he was raised to cultivate and enjoy just about any recreational activity that required expensive equipment and/or traveling. Aside from a brief stint serving as a Third Lieutenant for the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service during the Civil War, Bennett practiced a life of leisure with a consistency and fervor that led artist friend and Julius LeBlanc Stewart to paint it at least twice. . . .

On the Yacht "Namouna", Venice (1890), Julius LeBlanc Stewart

. . . with totally different lighting schemes. The sky in the painting below looks like the sun is rising and setting at the same time.

Yachting on the Mediterranean (1896), Julius LeBlanc Stewart

As publisher of the Herald JGB Jr. had an extensive list of "Don'ts" for reporters to follow. The list contained very detailed instructions on how to address or refer to the wealthy (i.e. his friends) in text. Father and son were a study in opposites: James Gordon Bennett Sr. was known for exposing scandal, and James Gordon Bennett Jr. was known for living it. Their contradictory natures did not escape other members of the press, who regularly satirized both, and often referred to Jr. as "The Commodore." Here, JGB Sr. visits his namesake from the grave to keep him in line, and Jr. reacts. 

Image: NYPL

Under Bennett Jr.'s leadership, the Herald's circulation gradually dropped and expenses steadily rose. Bennett moved to Paris in 1877 (Wikipedia, 4th paragraph) and continued to run the newspaper from there. While in Paris, he launched the Paris Herald (forerunner to the International Herald Tribune), and an evening edition of the paper called the Telegraph. He wasn't gone for good though. The famous Herald building was still yet to be built and the Square named after the paper of the same name. More on this in part 3.

Part 1 of this series can be found here.

34th Street Weekend Sale Picks: Pink and Joe Fresh

#1. Victoria's Secret Herald Square

Last touch-ups for the sign! Now it's totally ready for its close-up.

Celebrate the reopening of Victoria's Secret Herald Square and its greatly expanded Pink department on the new lower level with a panty sale: Get five pairs for $26. I like the classic pink hipster, the Halloween-themed thong, and a classic boyshort.

It's good to have Victoria's Secret back at Herald Square.  1328 Broadway at 34th Street


#2. Joe Fresh

Joe Fresh is celebrating their one year anniversary in New York City! Get sweaters for $19 and save up to 40% off select styles.  215 W. 34th Street just west of Seventh Avenue

Lucky Magazine Picks at H&M 34th Street

Once my soon-to-be husband was talking shop with the singer of a band after his awesome show, when the singer turned to me and asked "What band are you in?" I replied "Oh, I'm not in a band, I just look like I'm in a band." Call me unambitious, or a poseur, or vain, I don't care, because after that moment I was like "Thank you, good night!" And whenever I feel like I'm not looking like myself, I call my hair stylist and say "I need to look like I'm in a band again."

Then I go to H&M and try on black skinny jeans and feel like myself again. But the other day I stuck to the Lucky Picks (navy skinny jeans, above, $24.95), curious to see what Lucky Magazine likes at H&M for fall. All pictured are Lucky picks except for the beaded skirt (above, $59.95), but it does fall under the "embellishment" category in the Lucky and H&M trend report

On the way out of H&M at Seventh and 34th Street, be sure to stop by the Divided section on the first floor, Seventh Avenue side, as the Lucky picks in that department were looking so cute I was kicking myself that I missed them. Usually I also make a stop in Divided to pick up a trendy little gem, but that day I had to run to Party City for, naturally, a party banner. More on that later...

Lucky Picks:  peach blouse with studded collar, $29.95, peplum blouse $17.95, shiny gold top $24.95, green skirt $24.95.


H&M Penn Station 
435 Seventh Avenue at 34th Street

Birthday Girls Need Princess Gear

Because it's her birthday, I let Baby Herald (I know, no longer a baby) wear her Halloween costume this morning.

Trying really hard to smile for the camera!

For the last two months, she has insisted on being a princess for Halloween. I'd be much happier if she were wearing a Gloria Steinem or Eleanor Roosevelt costume, but she's 3. So I'm going to have to settle for a princess. And princesses need crowns and princess shoes. This is why princess moms go to H&M, Kmart, or jcpenney, because all three are good princess-gear destinations. The above tiara I found at H&M, where I also picked her up a new pair of princess shoes (below), because we grew out of our last two pairs. 

This princess dress is a hand-me-down, but trust me: you're not going to have any trouble finding a princess dress, or a tutu on 34th Street. Nowadays it's totally acceptable to go out in a tutu any time of year if you're under the age of 10. Unless you're Betsey Johnson, then you can wear them every day and to bed.

Happy birthday to my Arm Baby! If she ever is Eleanor Roosevelt for Halloween, I promise to post a photo then, too. And it wouldn't be a Baby Herald birthday post if I didn't post this photo of us when she was less than a month old:

Yup, she's beautiful to me no matter what she's wearing. Past birthday posts here, here and here. 

H&M Herald Square

34th Street and Broadway

Kmart Penn Plaza

34th Street and Seventh Avenue

jcpenney Manhattan Mall

33rd Street and Sixth Avenue

The New Victoria's Secret Herald Square

The Victoria's Secret Herald Square flagship officially re-opened today, and it's beautiful. Welcome back to Herald Square, Victoria's Secret. Your makeover is a gorgeous retail homage to lingerie.

Perhaps the biggest story here, besides the obvious lingerie-mecca angle, is in the beauty departments. Each floor has a beauty boutique (first floor cosmetics, body on lower level, and more on two), and the real estate at the entrance on the main floor is all about fragrance. But let's take a little tour:

Pink has its own entrance on 34th Street (above, right). Go to the lower level and enter the Pink world of merchandise. You'll also find the Sport collection and Body by Victoria beauty products.

The main floor is fragrance, cosmetics, and what looks to be more of the collection and high-end lingerie. Here you'll also find the Angel costume displays.

Upstairs is bra and panty land, with a floor full of basics and more. There's also a display of New York City-branded Victoria's Secret merchandise.

On your way up and down the escalators from one to two, you'll view photos of Angels, and at the bottom of the escalators is a huge video screen. Videos are displayed throughout the store, but this one is truly impressive. You're going to see a lot of the Angels at Herald Square.

The store was packed today with shoppers, staff, and tourists taking photos in front of VS displays. Yes, I think Herald Square has another retail tourist destination! With the new Gap, the renovation of Macy's Herald Square, and the new Victoria's Secret, almost all four corners of Herald Square will be shiny new. Perhaps Herald Center on the southwest corner will be next? Hmmm...


Victoria's Secret Herald Square
Re-opened today at 1328 Broadway

Jetsetter Style Retreat: The Fun, The Photos

Thanks to Southwest Airlines, Bryant Park, 'wichcraft, Grey Goose Cherry Noir, and a myriad of others to be named below, we had an awesome blogger party last Tuesday night in Southwest Porch at Bryant Park.

Love this shot of Christina Vega, Beauty Consultant at Sephora Soho. Christina did the makeover on our Sephora video last summer!

The hosts! John Simon, Amy Chandra, and me.

The delicious Grey Goose Cherry Noir drinks!

Snacks from 'wichcraft, YUM. 'wichcraft does all the food and drink for the Southwest Porch.

Raika Studio was manning the Braid Bar! Thanks to Raika for the gorgeous braids all evening! 

Me and my beloved Intern Craig! 

The fun and the fabulous ladies of #JetsetStyle.

The gift bags! Thanks to Aerosoles for the adorable charm bracelets, Sephora for the samples, Bryant Park for the anniversary T, Southwest Airlines for the swag, Raika Studio for the Lather Lounge treatment, and Kensie Jewelry for the lovely pieces!

For more photos from the event, check out our Facebook page. 

If you're a blogger in NYC or a sponsor and would like to be invited to any future blogger events, email fashionherald(at)gmail.com. Don't miss our next #JetsetStyle event at Southwest Porch!