Tag Archives: denim
Two Looks, Brooklyn Flea Williamsburg
The new Brooklyn Flea on the Williamsburg waterfront has attracted a huge crowd with its great shopping, food trucks and beautiful city views. On these women at the first Flea, I loved the denim jumpsuit on the right, especially paired with an orange bag and big bangles. On the left, sailor stripes look even better with a toggle coat.
Posted in fashion, New York restaurants, Williamsburg
Tagged Brooklyn, Brooklyn Flea, denim, New York, orange, street chic, stripes, women
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Outdoor Concerts: What to Wear
At Monday’s David Byrne show in Prospect Park, we saw a ton outdoor concert outfits – some of them more successful than others. Ditch the ancient Grateful Dead tee and get in gear with one of these four looks that combine layers, comfort, and high style. You may not be en route to Bonnaroo right now, but chances you’ll have a reason to bust out some concert wear sometime this summer.
Cheapo Summer Styling Tips
A new season should mean a new look, but what if you haven’t the cash for new summer fashion and beauty? Time to seek out a few cheap-ass shortcuts. Here are a few ways to keep your summer style feeling fresh – all for little or no money down. The trick? Get creative with what you already have.
1. Boyfriend jeans and blazers. Before you cave in and buy “boyfriend” jeans or a blazer, remember they’re essentially just oversized jeans or blazers with the sleeves rolled up. If you’re wondering what to do with those distressed fat jeans or a boxy blazer you haven’t worn in years, just take what you already have and get rolling. Worst-case scenario: steal your actual BF’s jeans and hope he doesn’t notice.
2. Stretching out a pedicure. If you live anywhere where you can get a reasonably cheap pedicure ($30 or less), there’s not really much point in cutting this expense out of your beauty routine. (Just cut out about two fancy cocktails and you’re saving the same amount.) (more…)
Street Chic: Union Square Greenmarket
It may seem like forever ago that it was warm and sunny, but spring will be sprung again – and when it does, what will you wear? Dresses are still a strong trend, though this year the focus is on the waist. Put away the empire-waisted baby doll styles and go for shirt dresses in bright colors or delicate florals.
Distressed denim in all forms is going strong, and it seems like you can roll up the cuffs on almost anything and call it the “boyfriend” look.
After the jump: look at what New Yorkers were wearing on a hot Saturday at the Union Square Greenmarket.
The rule for bright colors this spring? There are no rules. Go as bright as you want and mix them all up. Love her pixie haircut, too.
You’re Cut Off: Denim Shorts
Another clothing item women are still buying during the recession? Denim, which can be worn so often, day or night, dressed up or down, that women essentially “amortize” a high price tag over a high number of wears, as retail analyst Christine Chen notes in today’s WWD.
The new denim trend for spring-summer 2009 is turning out to be jean shorts. Distressed, slouchy “boyfriend” cut-off shorts, tailored shorts, and short denim shorts have all been making an appearance around town, from the line at the Topshop opening to the Union Square Greenmarket this past (very warm) Saturday. After the jump: a buying guide to the best denim shorts.
TopShop Opening Day Photos
There were a lot of trendsters in line on the opening day for TopShop – in fact, there was more fashion outside than inside TopShop, due to the sheer volume of TopShop fans.
The biggest trend? Jean shorts in a variety of washes and cuts, often paired with tights and Doc Marten’s. New York designers may be channeling the ’80s right now, but this generation definitely seems to be having its own 1993 grunge moment.
Denim shorts: first sighting.
A more tailored version of jean shorts.
First male TopShop fan in line. He was dressed a lot like the TopShop guys in their uniform of cropped pants.
Bright colors continue to be a big spring trend.
A variety of footwear. The heels are killer, but I would probably go with the other two choices for standing in line for two hours.
The official TopShop male uniform. Love the socks and the blazer with piping.
Sir Philip Green, left.
Kate Moss in a green dress, her own design, blocked from view by a cop who promised paparazzi he would move out of the way when the time came. Thanks, buddy.
Doc Marten’s, first sighting. Very appropriate for this occasion since they’re a British brand.
A glam rock look.
This look is sort of lazy-post-collegiate. Very artfully done.
A couple in plaid.
The floral, feminine dress belted with a rough-looking leather belt is right on target. It echoed several of the Kate Moss Liberty prints inside.
Doc Marten’s and plaid.
Model Coco Young. Her blazer is perfection! The shoulders are just strong enough without being overwhelming.
More Doc Marten-esque boots, this time paired with a stretchy black miniskirt.
The waiting game.
The ripped denim shorts paired with ripped tights and Doc Marten’s are classic early ’90s – but the feminine blouse and cool headphones place the whole outfit in this era.
Fashion Week SS09: Marc by Marc Jacobs
There were lots of playful daytime looks among the ranks of people attending the Marc by Marc Jacobs show.
Black and white cape and a modified cloche hat.
Her colorful necklaces were echoed by similar looks on the runway.
She wears black wayfarer-type sunglasses and a shorts suit; he wears a collegiate blazer with crest of arms.
White cotton dress for fall and a cardigan with skull detail.
Velvet bow tie.
A beautifully sophisticated look–black satin for day.
Joe Zee in a suit, Kate Lanphear in gray high-waisted trousers.
Purple is popping up everywhere now, but stick to a deep, royal purple like this one or you’ll look like a purple people eater.
An elegant suit gets a little edge from sexy sandals.
Black and white.
Ken Downing of Neiman Marcus in a skinny tie. Let’s assume he had nothing to do with that Dallas Cowboys “wow gift” in the Christmas Book.
These super skinny jeans are in, but they must be paired with booties or heels, not the flats of years past.
Fuchsia houndstooth dress.
Male models leaving the show.
THE SHOW
Marc by Marc Jacobs is another show to watch for very practical purposes–to see what we’ll all be wearing next spring. Here Jacobs took the mismatchy looks of the designer collection and translated them into pale neutral stripes, plaids, and tribal prints for his contemporary line. The hook? There’s always a little mischief in a Marc by Marc Jacobs line. In this case it was the ultra short swingy dresses and fanny packs as accessories.
Men’s mismatching in gray.
Pale ecru colors offset with strands and strands of Caribbean-esque necklaces.
Pale ecru colors offset with strands and strands of Caribbean-esque necklaces.
Full, high-waisted, belted shorts were a theme of the collection.
Note the washed-out denim, which should be everywhere come spring. Lace-up flat booties add a pop of color.
He takes a utility-belt approach to the fanny pack, actually making it look cool. You can attach several colorful purses to this one wide studded b
elt.
A cute one-shoulder jumpsuit that flirts with the idea of androgyny. Note the layered belts and accessories that characterized this collection.
Beautiful metallic trench for day.
Men’s looks included a lot of rumpled trenches and roomy colorful pants like these.
View the whole collection on NYMag.com.
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Tagged denim, fashion week, Joe Zee, Kate Lanphear, Ken Downing, Marc Jacobs, New York, street chic
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Fashion Week SS09: Charlotte Ronson
The crowd at the show always says something about the designer. At Charlotte Ronson’s show on Saturday, industry heavy-hitters mixed with stylish gamine types. And no wonder: Ronson, who currently has a great diffusion line at Urban Outfitters, is one designer who possesses both street cred and commercial success.
A fashion week power duo – her look is casual chic, mixing a classic white shirt with layered statement necklaces.
Love the Chanel bag with the long strap worn cross-chest mixed with a plaid shirt, shorts and gladiator heels. This outfit strikes just the right balance between dressed down and dressed up for a Saturday morning fashion show.
Black Ray Ban Wayfarers look just right again for this fall–especially paired with a LBD.
Another short, poufy bubble skirt. The shiny silk in a black floral print is spot-on.
Head-to-toe Charlotte Ronson. The jacket–a gray denim take on a motorcycle cut–is particularly covetable.
More schoolboy charm. Note how he balances it out with hair and sunglasses that clearly say “city” not “country” to give the outfit some edge.
THE SHOW
There are two schools of thought about how to design during tough financial times. One is to play it safe, going for a “classic” look to create something the consumer could potentially wear for several seasons. The second is to exaggerate trends to make last season’s clothes look outdated–a defining strategy during the last few years in fashion–so that people will keep spending. How many eras have we visited in the last two years? Victorian, ’50s, ’70s, ’60s boho, futuristic styles, Art Nouveau? It’s enough to make your head spin–or give up buying handbags, which is exactly what the industry doesn’t want.
Charlotte Ronson started off this season’s show by playing it safe with lots of gray and dusty pink–a logical transition from this fall’s all black looks. The music rocked, naturally (thanks to Sam?), and Lindsay Lohan was seated front and center.
Ronson’s gray denim clothes were nicely tailored and more than presentable, but they wouldn’t pop–on film or in real life. It would be a shame if we all reverted to true recession wear (think early-mid nineties) and dressed in a uniformly gray way.
Not so the later looks in the show–a blue and white striped cotton cardigan was dip-dyed in blue. Now this is a recession-proof look we can live with: fashion that improves on the current season’s trends (cardigans, nautical, dip-dye) and takes them to a new level of creativity.
You can see more Getty images from the Charlotte Ronson SS09 show here.
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Tagged denim, fashion week, New York, street chic
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Malibu Country Mart
You guessed it – back to LA.
If you find yourself landing at LAX with an afternoon to kill, it’s an easy trip up to Malibu, more specifically the Malibu Country Mart, just off the Pacific Coast Highway on Cross Creek Road. Though it may sound quaint, this “country mart” is full of pricey, tempting boutiques.
The best concept store here is an only-in-LA creation that mixes designer sneakers with an art gallery. The name? “Canvas,” naturally.
A display of children’s sneakers.
It’s hard to describe to an East Coaster what to wear in LA. Sneakers and tee shirts, yes. But they have to be the kewlest sneakers and tee shirts out there. This is a town of sneaker fetishists, and Canvas really captures the vibe.
Embroidered sweatshirts by Artful Dodger ($165-325) were particularly interesting, and a John Varvatos one, at over $200, was very flattering. Great for LA, but they may not be the best outerwear investment for New York, a city where it, like, rains.
LA is also home to a chain of stores called Madison. Despite the somewhat cheesy name (kind of like calling a New York boutique “Rive Gauche”), it is like taking a trip up Madison Avenue – all the same brands are represented. Below, the a guard looks out the door of the couture version, Madison Gallery.
A stealth photo of the upstairs. At Madison Gallery, you’ll find gorgeous pieces from the likes of Chloe, Matthew Williamson, Nina Ricci, and Lanvin. Indeed, there’s no reason to actually leave Malibu to go to Madison Avenue.
Shoes and bags.
The under-$1000 version is just plain Madison, around the corner, which is like Barneys Coop with a few more brands thrown in for good measure. Though you can find almost everything worth having here, from denim to party frocks, the selection is well-edited. See by Chloe, Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, and even Tom Ford sunglasses.
More shoes and bags.
James Perse is the stop for comfy LA basics.
Malibu seems the perfect location for the casual RRL branch of the Ralph Lauren empire.
A skull and crossbones necklace made of white gold and studded with rose quartz, black diamonds and emeralds will set you back $10K at Malibu Rock Star jewelry. For lower-budget rockers, the Travis Walker cufflinks are $350.
Two shoppers with Juicy Couture bags.
A Ron Herman outpost.
A display of children’s sneakers.
It’s hard to describe to an East Coaster what to wear in LA. Sneakers and tee shirts, yes. But they have to be the kewlest sneakers and tee shirts out there. This is a town of sneaker fetishists, and Canvas really captures the vibe.
Embroidered sweatshirts by Artful Dodger ($165-325) were particularly interesting, and a John Varvatos one, at over $200, was very flattering. Great for LA, but they may not be the best outerwear investment for New York, a city where it, like, rains.
LA is also home to a chain of stores called Madison. Despite the somewhat cheesy name (kind of like calling a New York boutique “Rive Gauche”), it is like taking a trip up Madison Avenue – all the same brands are represented. Below, the a guard looks out the door of the couture version, Madison Gallery.
A stealth photo of the upstairs. At Madison Gallery, you’ll find gorgeous pieces from the likes of Chloe, Matthew Williamson, Nina Ricci, and Lanvin. Indeed, there’s no reason to actually leave Malibu to go to Madison Avenue.
Shoes and bags.
The under-$1000 version is just plain Madison, around the corner, which is like Barneys Coop with a few more brands thrown in for good measure. Though you can find almost everything worth having here, from denim to party frocks, the selection is well-edited. See by Chloe, Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, and even Tom Ford sunglasses.
More shoes and bags.
James Perse is the stop for comfy LA basics.
Malibu seems the perfect location for the casual RRL branch of the Ralph Lauren empire.
A skull and crossbones necklace made of white gold and studded with rose quartz, black diamonds and emeralds will set you back $10K at Malibu Rock Star jewelry. For lower-budget rockers, the Travis Walker cufflinks are $350.
Two shoppers with Juicy Couture bags.
A Ron Herman outpost.
Malibu Country Mart
3835 Cross Creek Road
Malibu, California
LA Shops
How many times must we read about Fred Segal and Kitson in US Weekly before we get one or two of our own in New York? Here are a few shots of the interiors of these stores and more.
the shoe shop at Fred Segal
A wall of Miss Davenporte. At this point I was asked to stop taking photos. As for the rest of the store: the selection ranges from very casual to very luxe, and it’s extremely well edited. Fred Segal has all the key brands, but they carry only the best looks of each.
A wall of Miss Davenporte. At this point I was asked to stop taking photos. As for the rest of the store: the selection ranges from very casual to very luxe, and it’s extremely well edited. Fred Segal has all the key brands, but they carry only the best looks of each.
Fred Segal
8118 Melrose Avenue, between La Cienega and Fairfax
West Hollywood
(323) 655-3734
the Alessi store on Robertson
These are toothpick holders.
These are toothpick holders.
8801 Beverly Boulevard at Robertson
(310) 276-7096
the center of the universe?
flip flop mania at Kitson
more flip flops
Kitson is the Urban Outfitters to Fred Segal’s Anthropologie – a little younger, a little less discriminating, a little more fun.
bin o’ flip flops
Kitson loves New York.
enameled fruity baubles
more flip flops
Kitson is the Urban Outfitters to Fred Segal’s Anthropologie – a little younger, a little less discriminating, a little more fun.
bin o’ flip flops
Kitson loves New York.
enameled fruity baubles
Kitson
115 S. Robertson Boulevard, between Beverly and Burton
310-859-2652
Obsolete in Venice was my favorite of all the L.A. stores visited. As Mon Ami put it, they have a very consistent aesthetic. It’s creepy and appealing all at once.
“Nomadic Worlds” exhibit by photographer Karl Doyle
like something out of The Great Gatsby
19th century bird cage with live doves for $19K
drawing and anatomy models
scary dolly
anatomically correct
like something out of The Great Gatsby
19th century bird cage with live doves for $19K
drawing and anatomy models
scary dolly
anatomically correct
jeans on display at the Closet in Santa Monica
gray denim
more creepy animal representations
one of the best interpretations of the nautical/anchor trend, tee by Rojas
shop windows open to the street at Planet Blue
The basket weave trim makes this Cynthia Steffe white dress more modern than its eyelet counterparts.
Planet Blue
2940 Main Street, between Rose Avenue and Ocean Park Boulevard
Santa Monica
310-396-1767
West Siders love their kicks.
Nikes in Rasta colors
Nikes in Rasta colors
Undefeated
2654 Main Street, between Rose Avenue and Ocean Park Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 399-4195
Taking boardwalk kitsch to a whole new level: the Native American store on Venice Beach.
kids tees with airbrushed animal motifs
souvenirs
Indigenous
1203 Ocean Front Walk, between Abbot Kinney Boulevard and Venice Boulevard
Venice
Venice
(310) 452-0684
the open, airy design of eQuator Books
eQuator Books
1103 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, between Venice Boulevard and Main Street
Venice
1103 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, between Venice Boulevard and Main Street
Venice
(310) 399-5544
tongue-in-cheek beachy chic at Venice Vintage Paradise
Rosaries are the next big thing in the religious-item-as-jewelry trend. Mix and match with Kabbalah bracelet?
vintagehandbags
Venice Vintage Paradise
144 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, between Venice Boulevard and Main Street
Venice
(310) 452-0733
pristine desserts at Jin Patisserie
a lazy Sunday afternoon in the garden
a lazy Sunday afternoon in the garden
1202 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, between Venice Boulevard and Main Street
Venice
(310) 399-8801