Get Your Mid-Summer Swimsuit at Daffy's Herald Square

It's the middle of July and you suddenly realize you've got to have a new swimsuit. Perhaps you wake up one day and can't bear one more weekend in your current suit. Or you signed your kid up for swim lessons at your local YMCA and can't bear wearing a bikini in an up-close and personal setting (tiny pool). And you're not allowed to wear your maternity one-piece anymore.

An example of the bikinis at Daffy's Herald Square, 5th floor. There's an endless selection of cute cover-ups, too.
I'll be honest, I went to Daffy's Herald Square as a lark, thinking I'd never find a suit there. I planned on ending up at Macy's and the enormous swimsuit department. But I never made it there. I actually found two one-pieces at Daffy's, and both were on clearance for $13.49.

The suit I took home: Panache black one-piece with light green piping and keyhole back.















Daffy's has many more bikinis on clearance than one-pieces. And this is funny: Panache swimwear is made especially for girls with a larger cup size, which I most definitely do not have. But this suit fits me perfectly, and has a cute, retro-like bottom fit (square, not cut high on the legs). I've always had a problem finding a well-fitting suit, so if you are built like me - tall, long torso, broad back, small-chest, with an ass (I just can't say it any other way) - and you can never get the top to match the bottom, try these Panache suits.


Daffy's Herald Square, Herald Center at 34th & Broadway

Long Live Art at Fossil 34th Street

Long live art, indeed. I love it that Fossil has, in this day of computers, the Internets, and everything digital, teamed up with a group of artists to celebrate vintage art forms and handicraft techniques of the pre-iObsessed world. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPhone. But hearing that "ding" that tells me I've got an email often induces anxiety, whereas this just makes me want to chill:

This porcelain planter is by ceramicist Paige Russell ($50). Lucky me, I share an office with our Bryant Park/34th Street horticulturist, Maureen Hackett, and when I showed her this she said "It'd be great for little succulents." The planter is 5.5 by 6 inches, and, because of the shape, Maureen recommends planting it with anything linear, including pencils till you buy yourself some grasses or cacti. I'm now trying to get Maureen to do a horticulture/home blog. But back to Fossil and some of its other artists...

Dolan Geiman T-shirt, $28. Geiman is a vintage-inspired artist who often works with found mediums.The limited-edition tote, $78, is by Hatch Show Print, one of the oldest working letterpress operations in America.















You can learn more about the artists here. Visit the store on 34th Street where these and more should be available soon.

Updated to add: The Paige Russell porcelain planter & Yellow Owl Workshop stamp kit and tote should be in the 34th Street store by 9/3. The Hatch Show Print & Dolan Geiman items will be in 34th Street on 7/25.


Fossil, 38 W. 34th Street between 5th & 6th Avenues

Esprit Still Talks to Me

I think this really says Esprit:

This, too, really says Esprit to me:

And I'm not joking. Back in my elementary school days, the Esprit logo sweatshirt was the coolest thing ever and every girl wanted it. That was before logos were pasted all over everything. I'm not counting Steve Fletcher and his obsession with wearing Oakland Raider stuff every day in the fifth grade. It was a little scary. No, really, the Raiders were a very scary team back then.

More classic Esprit (shirt $49.50, jeans $45.50), & great summer Esprit dress ($69.50) that will really look cute on someone who's been to the gym in the past year.





















I had problems with this romper. Adorable but do I bunch it up and look pregnant or pull it down and look like I have funhouse mirror torso? Rompers need a different body type than mine.



















This is a perfect vest, go buy it (I think it's $59.50, T-shirt is $29.50).




I admit that I still want that logo sweatshirt. It evokes some of my earliest label lust, even before Gloria Vanderbilt and Calvin Klein jeans. But logo jeans and How Brooke Shields Ruined Levi's For Me is a story for another day.






Esprit Flagship on 34th Street
21 W. 34th between 5th & 6th Avenues

Tales from Kenneth Cole at Macy's Herald Square

FH note: I sent Intern Craig to Macy's Herald Square last week to check out some menswear. Summer sales are a perfect time to help a loved one of the male persuasion update his wardrobe.

As a New Yorker, I don't give enough credit to Macy's Herald Square. Sure, it's usually pretty tightly packed with tourists, but once you navigate away from the first floor the crowds definitely thin out and the departments are easy to shop.

The other day, I headed up to Men's Sportswear on the 2nd Floor of the Seventh Ave Building and limited myself to the Kenneth Cole. If I've got just an hour to shop Macy's I'll focus on one designer. Luckily, in the Kenneth Cole department there was fantastic selection on the sale racks so I channeled my inner recessionista and found some nice pieces.

First, I tried this light blue polo, perfect for summer because of its light cotton material. I liked the double-breasted pocket but the shoulders were cut a little odd. Their peaked shape felt a little too Joan Collins circa-Dynasty.






Next, I spotted this interesting striped polo that I normally would not wear due to the gradient. I didn't see the gradient until I tried it on but surprisingly, I didn't hate it. Again, it was made from a light cotton so it's perfect for summer.






Our last stop on this journey was this black dress shirt with a twist. I can appreciate Kenneth Cole trying to alter the classic dress shirt but the zipper detail was a bit much for me. It seemed contrived and sat oddly high on the chest. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed.



Don't let the small selection of shirts I posted about fool you, though! There are plenty of styles and sizes to choose from once you actually get to the sales section so please check it out for yourself.


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

Get This Look For Less!

The above Fashion Phrase was all going through my head in Express on 34th Street the other day. As you can imagine, I was driving myself batty.

See, military shirt in denim for $39.90! Get that look for less!

But first, I must give kudos to Express for fixing up their 34th Street store. The one in Manhattan Mall has always been in good shape, but the first time (almost 3 years ago) I visited Express on 34th Street, I was dismayed at the almost dingy-looking store. And then the staff acted annoyed that they had to unlock my dressing room door. I vowed to never go back. I had to renege, of course, when I remembered it was my job to go back.

Hang stuff like you care and I'm all yours.

But a recession and a makeover later and the store is looking good, is really well-organized, has better merchandise, and is staffed with seriously friendly dressing room attendants. I obsessed over their military shirts for a while and that damn Fashion Phrase kept popping in my head. I was singing it and variations thereof to myself in the dressing room. Careful, kids, fashion blogging can make you loony. And a little dumb.

I'm a sucker for these tops with all the fabric, like mini-ponchos. I call them "monchos."
Kidding, I don't really call them "monchos!" And I try really hard to not use "shootie" or "jeggings." But Express is BOGO'ing 1/2 off jeggings right now. It's not my fault.

I don't think they count as jeggings, but the knee detail is worth the full $39.90 even without jeggings thrown in for 1/2 price. Or maybe worth it because you aren't taking home two pairs of jeggings.


Express, 7 W. 34th Street between 5th & 6th Aves.

Back in Plastic at Lenscrafters

George and I made our annual Manhattan Mall LensCrafters trip for some new frames. Not that he doesn't like his Oakley frames bought last year, but I have to out them for a major design flaw: they hurt! Yes, although the frames are padded on the sides so they don't dig into his head, they aren't padded on the bottom, so they dig into his ear. Sadly, they are too heavy metal. He'll keep the Oakley's as back-up because they look so cool, but these are the new daily frames by Club Monaco. I had no idea Club Monaco did eyeglass frames:

Perfect and comfortable. George is either laughing because he's no longer in pain or laughing at the Baby Herald stuff taking over my office. If you need a horse rattle, plastic keys, or a polka-dot blankie, come see me.










Best, right now LensCrafters is offering 30% off eyeglass frames and prescription sunglasses. I'd check out the Ray-Ban frames also, as we were very tempted by several Ray-Ban options. Those run $189.95-ish before the sale, and the Club Monaco's were $149.99 pre-sale.


Lenscrafters Manhattan Mall, level 2, 33rd & 6th Avenue

News, Brooms, and Shoes

Can a broom and work gloves be sexy?

Click for full effect.
That leopard print broom gets pretty close. If you can make a wall of cleaning products look this good, you might just get me to actually clean my apartment. Nice merchandising, Duane Reade.

I was just going to talk brooms today, but then this story hit the New York Post: DSW is coming to 34th Street on the block between 7th and 8th that's now primed for new retail. Duane Reade, too, is bringing more sexy broom to 34th Street with a new 12,000 square foot store in the same box (DSW will have 35,000 square feet on four floors). In the near future, expect to hear more scintillating retail news about this 34th Street block.

Duane Reade, 1350 Broadway at 35th Street