When Mirrors Lie

Don't you hate it when you get dressed in the morning and think you look really cute, and you're walking down the street all happy and "I'm hot!" Then you get to work and hit the ladies' room, and what's looking back at you in the mirror is not what you were expecting. No, what's looking back at you has frizzy hair, shiny skin (greasy shiny, not glowing shiny) and an outfit that just doesn't really work. So who's lying, the mirror at home or the mirror at work?

Until science solves this perplexing, vanity-destroying conundrum, one can shop for temporary solutions. Here's a little blouse remedy, bought last week at H&M for $20 on sale:

I like this with pants or a skinny, short skirt. It's got the biggest pocket on a top ever. More like a built-in muff, it's very convenient for subway cards. This blouse buttons up the back, which isn't too annoying but the plastic white buttons do kind of bug me. Luckily, I don't have to look at them all day.

And $20 is about all I'll spend on a white blouse in the summer because I'm going to sweat and destroy it pretty fast. Yup, I'm cursed with the sweat gene. In my innocent youth I'd watch, in awe and horror, as my sisters got dressed for parties and agonized over deodorants, and frantically sewed armpit pads into silk gowns. Yes, armpit pads! Think "cousin to the removable shoulder pad." I wonder if they still make these?


H&M, 47 W. 34th between 5th & 6th

Weekday Pics for Saturday

This bathing suit caught my eye in the window of Macy's Herald Square after my Jane Seymour excursion. It's Jantzen and sexy. I love the red and the retro style. And although I'm a big fan of a tan belly, it's important to have a good one-piece. Sorry, no prices as I was too lazy to actually walk into the store. But Macy's bathing suit floor is a life-saver. I'll visit next week.

Some more Zara: Here's a perfect high-waisted khaki skirt ($79) in an office-ready, but not dowdy, length. The v-neck tank is $15, and if it can give me cleavage you know it's good;

And some white blouses, pretty and all see-through. Left, $59, right $89. I know it's all about sheer this spring, but I'm going to resent fumbling for underpinnings pre-8am;

A flower print jacket ($149) that I think I like, although it's kind of garden party-ish, but maybe that's why I like it?

While we're on flowers ($79), sorry, bad pic but it's a skirt,

hits me just at the knees, and is much prettier than this;

Zara jeans, $79. I haven't bought their jeans yet as I always want them to be less $$. But these are very soft and have a swingy, wide-leg bottom. I didn't buy them as I went a little crazy with paper denim cloth at Strawberry last week.

Macy's Herald Square, 151 W. 34th btwn Broadway & 7th

Zara, 34th just east of 6th