Comme des Scarf Snatchers

I had no Comme des Garcons mojo today. I'd like to blame Jeffrey, who starting messing with my mojo by leaving town for a work thing. There went my CdG date. Luckily, Martin took pity on me yesterday (tired of my whining) and agreed to meet me at Herald Square 8am this morning.

Standing in line about halfway back, Martin and I were having a nice chat about the big Jets game tonight and my Laveranues Coles crush when, at 9am, they began to let the crowd in. We strolled forward, extolling the virtues of Laveranues' game, when suddenly a couple of demon girls came running from behind and cut the line! This is when I knew I was in trouble. I wasted more precious time being civil, saying "good luck" to Martin, then headed for the scarves and wallets table. All I really wanted from this collection (as I knew there would be no jackets at Herald Square) was the scarf.

If only #87 had been there to run scarf patterns for me...

No luck. As I reached down for the last scarf, a girl ran up and snatched it away. I totally got scarf snatched. Amateur! Well, I don't normally do these sales as I can't abide being elbowed and shoved around by multitudes of frantic women. No surprise that almost everything was taken immediately, and virtually no CdG left on the floor at 10am.

The following is sitting in a big H&M bag in my office. I think I'll keep the cute polka dot sweater, and not because several boys begged me to swap for it as soon as I got out of the dressing room. I would have gladly handed it over if one of them had a scarf, but like I said before, no mojo.

The polka dots. Black or red?



















The back and front of trench, the see-through puffy shirt.











And the men? Martin said the trenches were gone immediately. He couldn't even get his hands on one. Same for all the smaller sizes. Martin tried a few things on (pics below) and got a black wool sweater.

Nothing too exciting here, the suit was too big for Martin, but I like the grandpa sweater. Martin didn't like the metallic looking buttons. He also said the shirts were too thin.

















If you're near a CdG-carrying H&M and you missed this morning, follow the advice of my salesclerk: "Come back later, we'll have lots of returns. These girls will get back up to their offices and realize they spent too much money." I know I'll be returning a lot across the street at 42nd & 5th.

And if you find a scarf, I've got a few polka dot things I'd be willing to trade.

H&M Herald Square, 34th & 6th Avenue
H&M, 34th & 7th Avenue

1969's: The Men's

I took Martin to Gap Herald Square to try on the new 1969 men's denim. Naturally I was pleased when Martin choose the style my favorite male model in the campaign is wearing, Mr. Skinny Jean: Sell those skinnies! Here's Martin in his, also doing an admirable job of selling us some jeans:


Front view, side view.









And a few shirts. Left is a shirt/jacket hybrid we both found interesting, and to the right is a grey chambray, denim-look shirt ($44.50) which also comes in blue. We preferred the grey with the jeans. I wasn't thrilled with many of the men's shirts, but these two are definitely worth a look.

(Below left, my favorite shot! Thanks, Martin!)



















Martin bought the skinny, raw denim jeans and is wearing them today at work. They look great on him and he's happy with the fit. He also got the $20 off Gap is now offering for the new 1969's, which was a good incentive, as he felt the jeans were more than worth the final price of $68 (after the $20 off). And Martin is no casual denim buyer. Nope, this is definitely a guy of discerning denim taste.

Gap Herald Square, 60 W. 34th at 6th Avenue

When Co-Workers Dress Alike

Could it be that when two people work closely together, they start to look alike? You know, like old married couples and pets and their owners? Hmm, let's check out our own Martin & Mazza, a young, smart team who favor a style I like to call "preppy punk." They've spent many months this past year working together in a very small office.

Unfortunately, we only recently started documenting this phenomenon. Here's White Shirt Day: The evening before White Shirt Under Gray Sweater Day (below), Martin tried to throw Mazza off with a text full of crazy wardrobe misinformation:

As you can see, he texted for naught. What's at play here? Are their style moons perfectly aligned or did the intimate office environment influence vital wardrobe decisions? Let's examine the facts: both wear great belts; both favor the dark skinny jean; both keep the tailoring neat; both adopt a stand-out signature [Martin with hats and Mazza with glasses (above) and red nails (left)]. The plot thickens. We'll continue tracking this modern nature v. nurture mystery as more clues emerge.

Where Martin shops in the district: H&M, Macy's, Gap.
Where Mazza shops: Uniqlo and Urban Outfitters. I'll convert her to a district store yet.

Martin says: Get undershirts at the Gap and make them fitted and more comfortable by drying them on high heat. Ahh, nothing like the shirt well done from the dryer.

Mazza says: She'll never buy anything from Sarah Jessica Parker. Mazza's tough, but wait till she hears Bitten has pea coats for $19.98.

H&M, 435 Seventh Avenue at 34th Street, 212-643-6955

Gap, 60 W. 34th at 6th Avenue, 212-760-1268
Macy's Herald Square, 151 W. 34th St. btwn Broadway & 7th, 212-695-4400

Steve and Barry's, Manhattan Mall, 100 W. 33rd at Broadway, 212-564-1959

Tie One On

Love this tie-belt seen while sitting on the bus yesterday morning:

If it wasn't for that guy's ginormous man bag in my face, we'd have a better shot. But the woman sitting next to me was giving me the "perv!" look and we were at my stop anyway, so I only got the one shot. Here's a closer look:







Yeah, still bad but I think you get the idea. I'm not hip to the provenance of the tie-belt, but it's adorable on her and I also see this with rolled-up jean shorts and dresses....and is this not a good DIY project?! I'm not allowed to begin any more DIY projects as there are two baskets filled with unfinished DIY's in my apartment. I'm just too easily distracted (hey, Marianne, remember that sewing class we took 7 years ago? Yes, still working on that denim tote bag).

And I have the perfect inexpensive tie resource on 34th Street. Tie World! It's the go-to tie destination for the guys here in the office, like Martin (see "When Co-Workers Dress Alike"). For example, if Martin comes to the office looking good but tieless, like this:














and then discovers he must attend a meeting, Martin runs to Tie World on Greeley Square and ends up looking something like this:


but generally without his New Year's Eve top hat. His brown striped tie is classic Tie World. $6 for the polyester wall and $12 for the silk wall. Not bad for a cheery belt, right?






Small sign for a store named "Tie World," right? But look, cuff links!









Tie World, 1271 Broadway @ the south end of Greeley Square

Staff Support

Here I sat at my desk, all wondering "What to blog?" when I looked over and saw this:

Martin, aka officemate, in his Nike Airmax boots. Colorful and waterproof, really good for Martin as he works outside. Bought last year at Shoe Mania on 34th Street but you can still find similarly colorful ones there now, and everything is 50% off (restrictions apply, etc.). I also saw a black pair at Foot Locker on 34th Street if color is not your thing.

What I really love about these is they are men's outdoor boots that don't look like hiking boots and aren't super dull. They don't even really look like boots.

Yeah, my officemate and his boots are #1.

Shoe Mania, 11 W. 34th between 5th & 6th
Foot Locker, 120 W. 34th between Broadway & 7th

Baby, It's (Getting) Cold Outside

Tricia Lewis, our Fashion Herald blogger, is out on maternity leave. Following is a post from her co-worker Catherine with Martin's shopping assistance.

Thanksgiving was almost tropical in New York this year (especially compared to 2008), but the beginning of this week finally felt like winter. If you find yourself in midtown Manhattan on a chilly day, take a spin on The Pond at Bryant Park. Everyone's doing it - even the Old Navy Modelquins.

When your legs are tired and you just can't twirl any longer, nothing sounds nicer than changing into cozy loungewear and plopping in front of the TV for a classic like Miracle on 34th Street or one of my favorites, A Christmas Story. Martin perused Old Navy for some comfortable winter necessities and found this "soft, warm, and comfortable" robe on sale for $12, regularly $24.50.

For a nice gift set, pair that with some fleece or flannel lounge pants ($10-$16.50) and slippers ($10-$12.50). It's such a good deal that you might want to treat yourself, too.

Old Navy, 150 W. 34th Street
The Pond at Bryant Park, 42nd Street and 5th Avenue

Banana Republic Blues

Next up in our weekly Wednesday staff guest posts: Catherine, who perused Banana Republic on 34th Street.

Exciting news item #1: Banana Republic is having a sale on sale items. 40% off sale prices!

Exciting news item #2: They're going crazy with denim. If you're looking for a new pair of spring jeans, stop by. I'd never tried their jeans, and I was pleasantly surprised. Boot-cut, trouser fit, straight leg, boyfriend, skinny, super-duper "are those jeans or did you paint your legs blue" skinny, slouchy...the list goes on, and in all sorts of washes.

As we've already established, my height makes it difficult to see how the different leg openings will look in real life (post-hem), so use your imagination. Sidenote to shorties: In addition to Petites, BR sells "short" (and "tall") sizes online. These are the low-rise boot cut jeans in a dark wash. I wasn't crazy about them from the front, but helloooo backside! I like this view.

Dark wash boot-cut jean, $79.50

For this next lovely item, I'm enlisting the help of a website model. Oh, Banana Republic, I love your button-down tops, but how about a little accommodation for your well-endowed female clientele? They fit everywhere except for the bust, where I have a lovely 1-inch gap. Anyway, I like the pearly buttons, and it'd be great with a navy cardigan.

Military plaid shirt, $59.50

And for a work look, I tried a (get ready for the dreaded "c" word, Tricia) comfortable cotton sweater top in navy. It has white piping on the seams, drawstrings on the arms, and a nice neckline.

Drawstring-sleeve sweater, $69.50

I always check Banana Republic when I'm searching for work wear because I love their pants. Classic cuts and colors with good, simple details. These are 323 Martin flared pants in a very neutral navy. These feature a wide waist band that (imagine Stacy London's voice) "lock & load" the tummy.

323 Martin flared pants, $79.00

Now, being the cheapskate that I am, I'll sit around and wait for everything I tried on to go on sale...

Banana Republic, 17 W. 34th Street

Trailblazing Fashion

Tricia Lewis, our Fashion Herald blogger, is out on maternity leave. Following is a post from her co-worker Barbara who is kindly filling in as guest blogger.

Daffy’s is where this blogger buys almost everything she wears. Daffy's offered Fashion Herald several tickets for a viewing of Amelia at the majestic Ziegfeld, but movies aren’t exactly on Fashion Herald’s mind right now. I jumped at the opportunity to fill in! It is so rare to view a film in the grandeur of an old-fashioned movie palace with over 1,131 seats.

In lieu of previews, there was an interactive advertisement performance showing "The Fitting Dance."



As a Kansan, I didn’t care about the movie’s lackluster reviews; I wanted to see the story of Amelia Earhart! I vividly remember visiting her childhood home in Atchison, Kansas, which is spectacularly located on a bluff overlooking the wide Missouri. How could you not want to know more about a woman whose spirit of adventure compelled her to be the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean? Adventurous women have inspired styles for decades. (Remember that great aviator jacket Lindsey found in JCPenney?)

Another trailblazing Kansan woman who captured my imagination as a child (especially because she grew up in my home town of Chanute, Kansas) was the adventurer, aviator, and naturalist Osa Johnson. She and her husband Martin Johnson explored the then-unknown lands of East and Central Africa and South Pacific islands during the 1920s and 1930s, and through their popular travel books and safari documentary films, introduced Depression-era Americans to the beauty of East Africa. They were the inspiration for store chain Martin + Osa, and American Eagle Outfitters, which you can find right here on 34th Street.


Daffy's Herald Square, 34th St & Broadway
American Eagle, 40 W. 34th Street btwn 5th & 6th

Raiding H&M Men

I always do a quick look-see in the men's departments on 34th Street. Often I am well-rewarded and I'm talking for myself, not the man. From H&M Herald Square, 2nd floor men's Divided:

Cuff ($5.90). I'd normally call this a bracelet, but it's in the guys section so I'll be respectful. Jeffrey was appalled when I pulled it out back at the office: "Studs are so done!" but I love the mix of black and silver studs. And really, I think studs have some life in them this winter, next spring, and for the next punk rock stud revival in what, two, three seasons?

Angora fingerless gloves ($6.90). Men's department? Ha, ha, no, I found them balled up in women's accessories. So cute, even hard for some guys to resist.

Tie ($9.90). This is a perfect skinny tie. I was inspired by that cute tie on the edie rose white shirt last week, and was keeping an eye out for something similar. This is a heavier material, but I think the shape is perfect. Now I need to learn how to tie it proper.

Suspenders ($7.90). These come in white with black piping also, but I was a little worried about the dirt factor as I'll be messing with them all day.

On me, on my male model (yay, Martin's back!), and the gratuitous rear suspenders shot).

Altogether! It's my "Build-a-Drag-King" post just in time for Halloween. And looking at this shot, I'm for sure wearing suspenders not with these skinny black jeans, but baggy boyfriend pants.

H&M Herald Square on 34th @ 6th Ave.