Joe Fresh: Two Outfits Under $60

Joe Fresh, known for its basics and fantastic price tag, is in the midst of switching over to their early spring line. This means that all of the winter pieces are on sale. My colleague Jenna and I stopped in to check it out. We were immediately drawn to the 5-pocket slim ponte pant and the regular slim ponte pant. They are perfect for work as they have a trouser-like quality to them, and are perfect for play because they are made with plenty of spandex.

To honor this diversity, we put together two fabulous outfits for both occasions. The ensembles are made entirely from sale items and total under $60 (when purchased in-store).

The first look is fairly typical for the working woman with a few updates using unexpected colors and materials. We wanted the outfit to pop a little more as an ode to the sunshine we are all waiting for with bated breath, so we paired the dark navy pants with a coral crew neck sweater, an airy button down in oatmeal, and some killer pointed-toe snake print wedges in oxblood. Who says you have to be drab in winter? If you want a little add-on glam, consider some shimmery studs or a long necklace with a cute bauble at the end.

For a more pared down, classic look we put together my personal favorite uniform: striped shirt, tight fitting pants, and ballet flats. In this rendition the ballet flats come in marsala which went very nicely with the deep navy in the shirt and pants (both the shoes and shirt are available in stores only). To spruce this up you could add a colorful silk scarf or a tan shearling vest. Maybe even do both?

Some words of advice from The Gospel of Charlotte's Fashion guide: red shoes are a neutral. They work with pretty much everything and add that extra bit of style to any outfit.

And maybe this sweater too...

Joe Fresh
215 West 34th Street just west of Seventh Avenue

Without Walls: Urban Outfitters Answer to Fashionable Activewear

I was taking an innocent pass through Urban Outfitters on 35th Street, checking out all the extras that this particular store has compared to its counterparts on 14th Street, Broadway, etc, when I happened upon something new and very intriguing. It is a store within a store, boasting an Intelligentsia coffee shop, a skincare shop and, much to my delight, the newest addition to the Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie/Free People family: Without Walls.

This athletic/outdoor boutique is hard to miss, boasting brilliant patterns in magnetic colors and alluring fabrics. The display's focal point is an open caravan with thick wool vintage blankets slung over and out of its windows, colorful canteens, lanterns and carabiners artfully showcased along with hip outdoor coffee table books and psychedelic backpacks. On top of the caravan is a tent, but not your run-of-the mill army green or navy blue tent. This tent's nylon shell is a burst of floral designs on a white motif. Almost immediately you want to go camping, you think I'll hike the Appalachian trail, I'll white water raft through the Grand Canyon, hell! I'll even make it to the top of Mount Everest, and I will look so cool while doing it. Outdoorsy is hip.

The recent trend in outdoor and athletic clothing has been to modify what already works to be something fashionable, an item of clothing you would want to wear to your Saturday afternoon brunch. Athletic clothing is now about fashion. What?!

Without Walls is hitting the market with a vast inventory of super cool, boldly printed leggings and similarly bold sports bras, fleeces from Patagonia, updated army jackets, men's windbreakers with neon green drawstrings, and sleeping bags that are as bright as a Lily Pulitzer dress. The whole aesthetic is playing with the "I don't care if my stripes clash with my plaids" and it's working.

Some of the brands you'll find in Without Walls are tried and true such as Columbia, Patagonia and Tyvek, but as one store clerk pointed out to me "we are helping startups while starting up ourselves." There were names that I didn't recognize such as Katin, Blue Life and Teeki. Some of these might be familiar to you, dear reader, but for me they were a discovery.

There is also this inspirational aspect to the store, I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but felt it was about creating your own style or inspiring creation by unplugging, improving, and expanding your world through being outdoors. After all, the store's mantra is get moving, have fun. Life is an adventure, might as well look good while exploring it.


Urban Outfitters Herald Square
1333 Broadway at 35th Street

Unveiled: Sidewalk Catwalk

Sidewalk Catwalk crowd at Norma Kamali's mannequin at the end of the tour.














I got to Herald Square just in time this morning to catch part of the Sidewalk Catwalk opening ceremony in front of Macy's Herald Square, then walked up Broadway with Fern Mallis leading the way. Surprisingly, it was all very casual and intimate with designers, tourists, and Macy's executives strolling from mannequin to mannequin. Fern was waving at Betsey Johnson "Come on Betsey!" and commenting to Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren about one design "I just don't get it."

There were a few press people there, but I was expecting a bigger crush and a lot more blogger/fashion-fan types. I could have wiped sweat off Terry Lundgren's brow and often turned around to find Fern on my heels. As we all crowded the bike lane, taking photos of Yeohlee Tang, John Bartlett, Carlos Falchi, and Jill Stuart, messengers screamed "Bike lane, bike lane, get out of the way!" Yeah, you don't get much more New York City than that. Great, great event.

Carlos Falchi and his gorgeous daughter, the very friendly John Bartlett.
















Betsey Johnson and her fluffer.



















Fern Mallis and Jill Stuart, Yeohlee Tang.


















Be sure to take a walk down Broadway, the mannequins don't disappoint. And the topper, at the very north end of the catwalk, is Norma Kamali's bar code mannequin. Scan the codes with your smart phone and watch different videos and photos of Norma's collection. And yes, Norma was there, posing with her mannequin.

Norma Kamali on the phone, Elie Tahari spreading the love after admiring Maladrino's mannequin.




















Sidewalk Catwalk, Herald Square to Times Square on Broadway

Harbingers of Boots

New York autumn is a big tease. Gorgeous winter coats, endless bulky knits and sleek cashmeres are everywhere and it’s enough to drive a girl crazy. Why? Because it’s 84 degrees and sunny. But those lovelies tempting you from the windows of your favorite shops as you bake in the sunshine are all harbingers of my favorite time of year: boot replenishing season. And after seeing the Abaete for Payless ad in W, I immediately headed for 34th Street to stock up on the “Linda,” a black patent charmer with Lucite heels. These boots are irresistible; trust me, I’m the girl who swore off Lucite in the 90’s.

Get there soon as everyone deserves a fair shot at the “Linda.” She’s a sure thing with the young beautifuls as this low-heeled, mid-calf boot is modern with a dash of “mod squad.” I've already worn her twice and received one compliment plus several admiring glances. And check out cool Linda's saucy riding boot companion, “Cabri,” the bold owner of an ingenious zipper feature described on the Payless website as the “distinctive zip-off upper shaft” (!). Go, copywriter, go.

But don't leave without trying on the Lela Rose collaboration with Payless for fall. If Abaete skews hip, the Lela Roses are all girl. Perfect footwear for your cinched-in waists and wide-leg pants of fall are her charming flats and wool-twill heels. What did I buy? Well, after brief hesitation (I've learned a lot since the Abaete fall 2006 "black bootie incident", during which foolish me passed up a cool little boot that haunts me to this day) I became the proud owner of an Edwardian ankle boot with decorative side buttons.

And quality control? No worries. If the Lela Rose’s are as well-made as the Abaete's, I'll get a lot of wear from them with low break-in time. I've bought from the past two Abaete collections and have logged many city miles with little to no discomfort. Brilliant for the price range ($25 - $70 this year).

Payless, 110 West 34th Street, between 6th and 7th, 212-947-0306
Turnmill boot by Lela Rose: $40
Addle Hill flat by Lela Rose: $25 (I'd buy it for the name alone)
Linda by Abaete: was $48, now $43.99
Cabri by Abaete: was $70, now $57.99