Store News: Zara Closed for Renovations

There was a bit of panic on 34th Street this morning:

A Zara 34th Street blackout! I calmed myself with deep, cleansing breaths, then witnessed a girl pounding on the door. I felt her pain, and was ready to join in. But soon, shoppers, soon Zara will reopen. Note the sign: "Opening Soon."


Zara 39 West 34th Street just east of Sixth Avenue

Trending at H&M

I was running out the door at H&M Herald Square last week after trying on the Fashion Star pieces, when this caught my eye:

Soon I was grabbing jackets, pants, and plastic raincoats, and I knew I was in the H&M trend section. Its location changes periodically, but currently it's on the first floor left-hand side as you enter the store at Herald Square. I walked out with this...

These drawstring, gathered-waist pants are perfect, have leather details on pockets. Imagine them with heels.

...went back the next day for this...

This is not in trend section, but it's gold, pleated, and $14.95. This is why there's no room in my closet.

...and had to get to a meeting or I would have gone back for this...

Plastic see-through GREY coat. There were only 3 on floor last Thursday, 4, 6 & 8.

Also tucked away in trend? A very small but very fabulous selection of Marni.

H&M Herald Square 34th Street just east of Broadway

34th Street Weekend Sale Picks: The Final Esprit Edition

#1.  Esprit
The 34th Street store is closing this month and everything is 70% off. Exceptions: T's are buy two for $5 each and get one free, tanks are $3, and rainboots are $15. The boots are sturdy and tall. All mentioned are great quality, so go soon to get your size.  21 W. 34th Street

#2.  Uniqlo
Buy two items from their UT collection and get a free ticket to MOMA (see store for details). That's a deal. And it looks like the Orla Kiely scarves are UT?!  31 West 34th Street

#3.  Steve Madden
Scratch tickets are back! Mine today was for 20% off, who knows what yours could be?! Walk into the 34th Street store, get a ticket, and use for cute oxfords or towering platform sandals.  41 West 34th Street

Work it Out With Macy's Ideology

I'm always looking for cute affordable workout gear, and now I've discovered Macy's Ideology.

The face of the line is Cheryl Burke from Dancing With the Stars, and the line captures that dancer style that takes them from the studio to the street with flair. I attended the fall press preview last week at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and rode on the elevator with dance students, one more adorable than the next in their gear. Ideology has managed to capture that casual, pretty dancer flair in their workout collection.

The spring line is available now in Macy's Herald Square. And how cute is this yoga mat? I need.

Macy's Herald Square 151 W. 34th Street between Broadway and Seventh Ave.

Fashion Star Episode 4: My Picks

If you aren't convinced that Sarah Parrott is going to be a very well-employed designer after Fashion Star, go try on her red dress at H&M today. I say today, because tomorrow it will most likely be sold out. The red dress rack at Herald Square H&M was looking sparse this morning at 10am.

Will Sarah be a Marc Jacobs or Rodarte? No, but she could aspire to be a future DVF or Donna Karan. Her red dress (above) is perfect for work, and the white is perfect for after-work. Nikki's maxi (above) knocked me out on the "runway" last night, but in store I wasn't as 100%. I loved the long sleeves, the satiny cuffs, the pattern, and the neckline. But somehow the cut on the bottom wasn't slaying me. I think this is my shape issue, as I would want this longer.

The biggest surprise? Barbara's printed, halter-neck dress that can be found at Macy's Herald Square. It is beautifully cut, fit is perfect, and I love the print. Last night, though, I didn't like it on the runway. The color on TV wasn't doing it for me. But Caprice, the Macy's buyer, knows her customer. It's not my style, but a lot of women are going to get huge value all spring and summer from this perfect and pretty $99 dress. If I played the designer game with Barbara, I would peg her as the next Ellen Tracy or Dana Buchman.

Cross-promotion alert: my sunglasses throughout are House of Harlow from the Macy's Fashion Star party


Macy's Herald Square 151 W. 34th Street between Broadway & Seventh Ave
H&M Herald Square 34th Street and Broadway

MARLEY: A Film to Watch

Yes, I was the woman in the back of the screening room crying at the end of the new Bob Marley biopic, MARLEY. His daughter has a line, a truly poignant moment, at the end of the movie describing how she felt when her father died, and it is heartbreaking.

I'm betting we've all got strong associations with Bob Marley's music. My favorite Bob Marley moment involved dancing at a beach-side bar in Bali in my early twenties with what seemed like a mob of French film directors. It could have been one. Hey, I was 21 and I was in Bali.

But Bob Marley got so much radio air time (at the time he outsold them all in worldwide tours, including the Rolling Stones), that through the years his influence and message got lost in the constant rotation on the airwaves. Seeing it all on screen, however, brings it home again. He was a force to be reckoned with, as they say, and a figure of revolution. The documentary covers all this and more with rare footage, including some truly incredible performance scenes and interviews. Seeing Lee "Scratch" Perry in the studio is a treat, and that's just the beginning of the meaty musician highlights and conversations.

The truly revelatory footage for me were the interviews with the women in Bob Marley's life. This is fascinating stuff. Wife, girlfriends, family, and girlfriends (as one friend said "Bob was a handsome guy") all represent on screen and it fills out the story of the man in a way I've never read before. Some of the most honest, raw emotion in the film comes from his daughter, Cedella Marley. Bob Marley was a huge public figure, a talented musician, a highly spiritual individual, and a father and a husband. MARLEY captures it all and makes a true effort to portray the entire man.




MARLEY released in theaters and Video on Demand on April 20th

Mango Spring

I love how Mango is classy but fun for spring. I think they've nailed the more feminine (yes, "lady-like") look that's been dominating runways, while keeping it more lively and less prim. See: lace top below. Perfection.

Remember my obsession with the leopard print wedge bootie last season? [I should have bought everything in that post] We can now replace that with the pointy-toe patent wedge.

Or its white counterpart.

Mango 7 West 34th Street west of Fifth Avenue