Gear Up.

You ready for this?

First of all, Happy Holidays. Second of all, Happy After-Christmas Shopping Weekend!!! I'm plotting my plan of attack on the finer retail purveyors in NYC and I wanted to share some of my strategies with you, including my perfect Shop 'Til You (Hopefully Don't) Drop outfit. Here are my carefully laid plans:

1) Pre-shop.

I've perused every website of every retail outlet in the friggin' city. The big guns: Gap, Banana, J.Crew, Anthropologie; and the smaller guys. I've looked for three main pieces of information:
a) The extended store hours
i) Are they open at caffeine necessitating times? 5am? 6am?
ii) Are there various opening times for different locations?
iii) Are they offering time-related door busters?

b) The goods.
i) Do they have anything that I would risk a limb for?
ii) Are there items I may have never looked at because of my thin pockets?
iii) Are there already limited sizes and quantities on items I would want?

c) The deals.
i) Is this store worth my exhaustion in dollars saved?
ii) Are there breaks that are only online, or only in-store?
iii) Are there coupons and reduction combos that I can use to my ultimate
advantage for total shopping domination?


2) Be thrilled that it's raining.

Woman up, Ladies! I don't want to hear any bitching about some drizzle. Today the rain is your friend. It is what we hardcore shoppers (apparently I'm now part of a club with lingo...go with it...) call a "weeder." It weeds out the babies literally and figuratively. There will be no weak, whiny shoppers. There will be no mom's with strollers 'cuz their precious little ones would of course melt in the rain. Good! This is good! Let them stay home. Now, don't you even think of grabbing an umbrella. Don't you dare. Tough it out! You'll be inside most of the day anyway. You can get a disposable poncho with a hood, one for every walk between stores. Umbrellas will slow you down. A little sogginess never killed anyone, but not getting a great deal might have.

3) Choose your shopping partners wisely.

These two were a good match. Do you have your Wilma?

Oh, this is no time to humor the weaknesses of others. You need partners in consumption that are strong! Brave! Ready as you are! In all honesty, I say you'd do best to go it alone, unless you have a super ally (like my Ms. Blaire Walsh) who knows more than you do. Feel like you need someone to tell you what looks good? Someone to run purchases by? Baby! Make your own decisions! If you really need to, ask your fellow masses, your co-shoppers. They'll be plenty of them.

4) Dress to Agress.

There are only a few things to consider when you are getting dressed this morning:

a) Simplify: Now is not the time for snaps, buckles, things that wrap, or tie, or need
special buttoning. Keep all of your accouterments easy-on/easy-off.
b) Wear a fitting room: Here's my ultimate tip for avoiding time-sucking dressing
room lines--wear a layerable outfit. This means tights or leggings that you can try
pants on over, a tank under a cardigan that you can try other cardigans or blazers
on over. Wear peds under socks so that you can try on flats in a jiff.
c) Wear your rain boots. Ok, I know I yelled at you before for considering an
umbrella, but you don't want soggy feet, and rain boots are actually slide-
in/slide-out which makes 'em a fast option.


5) Fuel Up.

Don't forget to pack snacks. I'm not kidding. I can't tell you how many shopping trips have turned into torture sessions when my blood sugar dropped to snap-inducing levels. I'm packing energy-rich trailmix. Finger food. I'm also getting my caffeine on. Ain't no time to start that cutting-back-on-coffee resolution. Leave that for the New Year, you need your speed.

Ok. Those are my tips. Go forth and be brave, oh, deal-hunting shoppers. Be brave.

Matte Attack!

KO for KO.

I took me and my red lips (see below! loved it!) on a stroll through Henri Bendel yesterday. I don't usually frequent such tawny shopping spots, but every once in a while I like to look with my eyes and not my wallet-- it gives me great ideas for stuff I can sleuth for less cash in less fancy digs. Yesterday the product that sparked my interest was an exciting nail polish, a matte top coat from Knock Out Cosmetics. First of all, I've always wanted a matte top coat for my shiny nail polish colors. I had no idea that it was such a rare and highly sought after item. Apparently the matte top coat has yet to be done right and is just now emerging on the market as a coveted, effective, product. So, it's special because it's newly done right. Also, KO's (short for Knock Out) campaign star is Karen O (KO)! The Yeah Yeah Yeah's frontwoman who I love a little more that life itself. How hot does she look in their ad above?

The bottle on the Bendel shelf was $19 and even though that's pretty much a tenth of what most of their inventory goes for, I'm such a cheapy and a twenty spot for a nail polish is a lot more than I would feel comfortable paying. But, it was surprisingly hard to put it down. I loved it. I mean loved it. My friend Jenny astutely observed that it made my red nails look like they belonged to the fingertips of an old timey doll. And it's a top coat so the uses are endless. I was immediately picturing all of my glossy polish colors suddenly dimmed. It was really hard to put it down.

Me showing my KO Flatte matte top coat to my geisha lamp. She liked it!

I stuck to my guns though, and followed my tried and true shopping rule: Unless there is some ridiculous one day sales event, limited (super limited, one of a kind) stock, a less than $10 price tag, or any other extremely compelling reason for an immediate purchase...leave it for 24 hours. You can go back. So, I left the KO with the Bendel's staff and went on an internet search for what possible alternatives there are out there.

Essie's Matte About You (l) and V For Men Matte Finish Top Coat by Nubar (r).

It's slim pickin's! Essie has come out with a bottle of matte topper for a ten spot. It doesn't come with the cool factor of a Karen O endorsement, but it's nearly half of what that added cool costs. And it's called Matte About You, which conjures fond memories of Helen Hunt. The only other matte finish top coat I could find is one for...men! This makes it infinitely more cool than any of the others. It's V For Men Matte Finish Top Coat from Nubar. It clocks in at $8.99. I love the idea of the gender bending; the male element dulling out the shiny feminine glisten of my girlie red nails! It's all so theoretically exciting! But, both the Essie and V For Men are, as far as I can tell, only available for order online at this point. The Essie matte can be purchased through Amazon.com and the V For Men through the Nubar site. So the decision becomes instant gratification vs. penny pinching with an added element of cool factor tipping the scales just a bit. Or! Or! I could just make more frequent visits to Henri Bendel's and use the tester until I'm over the matte anyways...hmmm. Decisions, decisions.

More is Less.

This is a snap I took of a manifesto posted in a shop window in Soho. It encourages you to shop with your heart, and use your dollars to show support for local stores who need your help more now than ever. It is so strange to walk around an area as previously money rich as Soho, and see signs of store closures and blow out sales everywhere. New York is a city of independents and the shops that are run on a vision and the hard work of a few individuals, rather than the giant machinated chain shops are the real bones of this city's identity. Put your money where your love is and buy from local stores as much as you can. They need it. Check out this recent Time Out New York article for some indie shopping guidance:

Down with TopShop! Well, ok, not really but give the little guys a chance before you saunter into the behemoth megaretailer. Your blood pressure will thank you.

Clean Closet, Clean Earth.

Happy Earth Day. Be sure to hug the planet today, but please don't buy anymore clothing. Just for a day, people. Just for a day.

I know, capitalism is what makes the traditional blogosphere go round and round and round, but after being pitched stories on a few lines of Green wear, made of repurposed hemp and dyed of natural causes or whatever, I've decided to take the stance of abstinence in honor of Mama Earth today.

Don't shop for a day. Instead, look at the plethora of stuff on store racks. See the huge glut of fabrics sewn into trendy shapes, in all the bright colors of "now", screaming for your dollar, and turn them down. Feel the claustrophobia of so much extra stuff clogging store shelves and eventually landfills. Just for a day resist the urge to participate in the game of getting more, and awaken your senses to the sheer amount of clothing, jewelry, shoes, bags, hats, hair things, undies, and all the rest that are being made, cheaply bought, worn and quickly tossed. It is all so disposable. Believe me, I'm all for the love of things, for beauty and the thrill of shaping your wardrobe and shopping to fit a personal style. I love fashion. But, like so many other societal norms we have come to take for granted, the easy game of trendy shopping needs to be reexamined.

My suggested solution? Buy things you absolutely love, things that make you tingle and light up. Buy items that you have carefully considered and that will last you through trends. Maybe spend a little more, but ultimately it doesn't matter how much they cost. More important is whether or not they will be with you for the long haul. Get to know your style. Clothing that pleases your senses will make you a happier, better person to the world. Don't laugh, it's true! When I feel good in what I'm wearing, I smile more. I talk to people. I have a better day. That kind of goodness is contagious. That kind of happiness is good for the planet on all levels.

Also, get rid of the unnecessary clothing clogging your own closet. Do an inventory. Maybe you don't need to buy another black button-down after all, maybe there is one hiding in between your old prom dress and your new spring floral. Know what you have and toss stuff you don't need or like, but wait! Don't toss it in the garbage. Instead donate it to the Goodwill. Or, bring it to be recycled. The Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC) has teamed up with the Union Square Farmer's Market to provide a drop-off location for your old clothing. They take anything clean, even torn or unusable clothing items. The program is fast expanding to help alleviate the environmental and financial stress of the whopping 193,000 lbs of clothing and textiles sent to landfills and incinerators each year (as reported by the NYC Department of Sanitation). Check CENYC's website for additional information, such as collection dates and added drop-off sites. Clean closet= clean Earth. Happy you= happy planet. It's all good. Happy Earth Day.

Click on any above images for source information.

Target Practice

McQ for Target, the line designed by fashion's founding enfant terrible, Alexander McQueen, for the mammoth retail chain had its early New York debut today and I was there to witness the spectacle that was. Housed in a way-West Side warehouse on West St. and West Houston, the collection was put up for sale in a darkened space decorated with graffiti, chain link fences, concrete, and caution tape. Target's signature red bullseye was dressed in black for the occasion, as were the usually pepperminty red-and-white bags, logos, and peripherals. It was supposed to be dark, see? Because McQueen is edgy, see? I'll tell you what's truly dark--the behavior of a bunch of bargain-starved shoppers let loose in a room with limited edition pieces in limited numbers for a limited time.

The pre-opening crowd, about a block and a half deep.

Street-inspired art pieces set the mood.

I swear, I was within the first 100 people let into the pop-up shop and within less than ten minutes of my entrance, clothing was literally flying. It was soaring off the racks and off of the bodies of shoppers too anxious to wait for a dressing room, and just exhibitionist enough to drop top and trou to try on armfuls of hastily gathered garments. Most of the women I spoke to on the line to enter the temp-store had pre-shopped the collection using the leaked look-book photos that popped up on fashion blogs all over the Internet in the weeks prior to the event. They knew what they wanted and had their eyes focused on the prize. My plan had been to talk to people once inside the shop and see what they thought of the clothes, the space, the everything; but I should have known better. There was no talking at first, only shrieking, mumbling, and click-clack-heeled running. Women had that crazed-shopping look in their eyes. There was no stopping them. People ran (literally) from rack to rack scooping up any garment in their size and then finding a space to plop down their items and get to trying them on. Whole displays were picked clean in a matter of minutes. It was like being inside of some strange Nature Channel documentary on vultures, only with hot pink leggings and belted shirtdresses.

A railing became a makeshift fitting area.

Clothing carnage ensued. I think those tank tops jumped.


Changing room lines were barricaded and guarded by security.


Clothing was being stockpiled and picked through later in a popular grab-n-go gathering strategy.


Chain link fences became clothing racks.

Thankfully I did happen to find a couple of sweet FIT students who were smiling instead of frothing at the mouth, so I decided they were safe to talk to. They were reveling in their luck of grabbing one of the asymmetrical gray and black dresses that almost every woman waiting to enter the store told me they wanted. Shari and Erica, 18 and 19, were among the first to arrive outside the store this morning and their strategy was to grab goods and run. When I happened upon them, Erica was trying on the gray dress over her clothing and Shari was rightfully telling her how great it looked on her. They both reported that the dress was one of their favorite pieces on sale, and that some of the other garments were a little too fish-netty for their liking. Apparently the fish-net was supposed to be an ode to mermaids. Sounds like a dangerous combo if you ask me...

Erica and Shari with their finds.

In fact, seeing the collection in person made me want to retract my earlier post full of excitement for the line. While there were cool pieces available and the designs were great in theory, most of them were not worth the inflated prices McQueen's name lent to the standard Target fabrics and construction. Things felt cheap to the touch, and while prices were leagues lower than McQueen's standard charge, they weren't quite cheap enough. My cash is harder earned than ever these days and the stuff on the racks reeked of mass-production methods. Threads were peaking out of seems, leather felt rubbery, and "silky" materials were scratchily synthetic. It made me think twice about this whole high/low concept. More! Cheaper! Now! is what has largely gotten us into the troubled spot we are now in in the fashion industry. There is so much clothing, but so little of it is built to last. These are the type of garments one can expect to wear a few times before fading, button-loss, and shapelessness set in. They aren't getting handed down to the granddaughters. I know that isn't necessarily the point of these lines, but maybe it should be. Maybe if standards of quality were reset to previous levels, people would spend a tad more and waste a lot less. I love the democratizing of design that comes out of these collaborations, but I just wish that I didn't get so routinely excited by the preview photos only to be disappointed by the real deals. I say shrink the profits a bit and give the consumers garments worth their saved pennies rather than encouraging them to save pennies at the expense of quality. I love the looks, but I want to love the actual clothes too. Is that asking too much?

See the stuff for yourself when the line goes national the first week in March.

New Feature: Fun With Etsy!

I love Etsy, I really, really do. I have been a happy Etsy shopper and am actually related to some very talented Etsy sellers, and I think that the site is incredible for its encouragement of entrepreneurial craftsmanship. But as the biggest game in cyber flea market town, the site is rife with opportunities for unexpected fun. With such a wide variety of items being peddled, you are bound to pass by some of the strangest things ever to be sold in a virtual marketplace by some very colorful characters. This new feature will take you site-seeing and weird treasure hunting in the wonderful world of Etsy. Buckle up kids, it's gonna be a funny ride.

Swinging '60s

This is too good. A tour of London clothing shops in the '60s? It's fashion heaven.

This video really made me feel like I boarded a time machine with the dial set to swinging. The dancing at the end is fantastic.

Your Very Own Heart on a String

I need a fashion show breather. Too much catwalk makes this sartorialist sister slightly crazy!

On a recent trip to the best lil coffee shop in the city (otherwise known as Joe), I picked up a copy of Bust Magazine and found a featurette on Ms. Vanda. She makes the sweetest jewelery out of unexpected graphics, and the prices are just right for the times. At about $20 dollars a pop, you don't have to feel too guilty about buying yourself a little something pretty. If anatomically correct hearts aren't your idea of pretty, try some of the more subtle designs.



Delightful!

shop: paraphernalia at Etsy.com

One More NY Note

Now that we are thoroughly enmeshed in the craze of future Spring looks, Fall has arrived in real time and it's time to do some shopping. As a Jersey Girl, I was raised in malls. Now that New York is my stomping and shopping ground, I've discovered that there are certain blocks that can provide the same one-stop-shop experience (minus a few of the perks like climate control, easily accessible restrooms, a centralized food court, and mall walkers).


View Larger Map

My favorite mall-like shopping stretch in the big city is 5th Avenue between 15th and 19th streets. This is where the practically priced looks live. You've got Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Free People, H&M, Gap, J.Crew, Zara, and a slew of other reasonable retailers at your disposal. I have a pretty good hunch that this is where the Village Voice's excellent, eccentric fashion writer Lynn Yaeger did her research for this recent article. It is a well-written summary of the above mentioned stores' fall offerings. Print it out and take it with you as you follow the Google Brick Road.

As long as you are in the area, if you take 17th street and head west towards 7th Avenue, you walk through the best two block stretch of vintage stores in Manhattan (don't miss Housing Works Thrift Shop) and wind up at Loehmann's, every patient shopper's best friend.