House Style

I've recently added a few new sites and blogs to mashupNYC. And they're not clothing-related, which is somewhat of a revelation to myself. Back in November of 09, I moved into a new home. I left the 400sf, 5th floor walk-up, studio apartment on Horatio Street in the city, that had been affectionately known as "The Nest" for six years, and moved into a 1000sf, 4th floor walk-up, 2 bedroom in Bronxville, NY. This is Nest Part II. I suppose I should change my "About Me" page to reflect that I'm no longer a 'city girl' but since I still have two feet on the pavement in Manhattan for a majority of the days of the week for work, I consider myself a NYC Alumn, and will leave as-is.

As with most NYC apartments both space and money limit one from buying furniture. You have the essentials of the bed, a couch, and a chair for guests, and furniture to store things in like treasured jeans, dresses, and shoes, but little else. Looking back on my 6 years, and in light of finding two new blogs devoted to the pursuit of vintage furniture, I can honestly say I have a regret about my tenure as a NYC tenant. And that is, I did not take advantage of the massive flea market that the city essentially is to collect and trade items that would have made The Nest a slightly more cultured environment.

This is something that I'll reflect upon time-to-time here in these blog pages. But without further ado, here are the new blogs and sites I've added to the list of essentials to visit. Two are major players in the realm of the buying and selling of vintage, antique, or just plain old used items of furniture (and whatever else you can think of): craigslist, and eBay. The craigslist antiques section is quickly becoming a daily addiction if only to look at. eBay is the giant and cannot be beat in terms of finding aggregated lots of antique items for your house: gorgeous round oak claw foot dining tables, Eames era chairs, wrought iron beds, and hand-knotted kilims. And two blogs - which are connected in the pair who run them - Severely Vintage and Sit and Read Furniture, offer their reflections on many mid-century pieces that are either in perfect condition or have been refinished and restored (and all items are for sale).

While no big revelation, I thought I'd state that the home is as much a reflection of yourself as the clothing you wear each day. Furniture is an extension of our wardrobe and should not be relegated to strictly a functional aspect of daily life. The mixing and blending of colors, the elegant (or jocular) lines of a chair, the solid grace of a mahogany chest of drawers, and the endless possibilities of combinations to delight in...I need to go contemplate all of this on my new pair of Paul McCobb chairs I found on craigslist.

Golden Boy

What is it about the t-shirt that everybody loves? It's one of the essential, and eternally classic articles of clothing that EVERYONE, or at least most everyone in the world, owns and dons day-in and day-out. And whether the label says Hanes, Fruit-of-the-Loom, Michael Stars, Splendid, Velvet, LNA, or James Perse; or whether it's a 'Beefy-T', or combed cotton, wring-spun cotton, jersey, pima, or organically made, everyone has a favorite. From Paris runways to the local auto repair shop it's worn by every class of people in every country. There's a classic Seinfeld episode (entitled 'The Marine Biologist') in which Jerry extols the virtues of one old t-shirt that has been with him for years.

Jerry: Elaine, see this T-shirts, six years I've had this T-shirts, it's my best one, I call him...Golden Boy

Elaine: I'm on the phone here.

Jerry: Golden Boy is always the first shirt I wear out of the laundry, here touch Golden Boy!

Elaine: No thanks. (to the phone)Yeah, Yeah I'll hold.

Jerry: But see look at the collar, see it's fraying. Golden Boy is slowly dying. Each wash is brings him one step closer, that's what makes the T-shirts such a tragic figure.

Elaine: Why don't you just let Golden Boy soak in the sink with some Woolite?

Jerry: No!!! The reason he's iron man is because he goes out there and plays every game. Wash!!! Spin!!! Rinse!!! Spin!!! You take that away from him, you break his spirit!

What is the mystique of an old favorite T? My niece composed a poem that compares the old t-shirt to a best friend, and that's truly what it is. The good ones stay with you for years during good times and bad. They're there to support you on those days you need it most, or when you just want to feel comfortable. And when paired with a favorite pair of old jeans, life just doesn't get much easier than that.

As many jeans I have stacked in my closet, I must have twice as many t-shirts stacked in my dresser drawer. It's sad when the time comes to retire a Golden Boy out of a collection, but the good news is, there are always new ones to add to the rotation.

7 for all Rear-kind...

I could wax-poetic about many denim brands, but there's one tried-and-true that I consistently rank above all others in terms of universally good fit, and flattering rear view, and that's 7 For All Mankind. If for some reason you have yet to discover that this is the jean brand you will reach for day-in and day-out, then now's the time to try them. Listen up ladies, the online boutique Blue Bee that I've mentioned before is offering 30% off all 7's denim... my recommendation is to try the Josefina (pictured here). It's slightly roughed up, with a narrow leg that you can cuff up or wear down, and comes in a nice wash. I've been wearing them for weeks and love them. The fit is true-to-size.

The discount code is 7FAM30B.. The discount code is valid 3/9 - 3/15.

Dean Alan at Planet Blue

Adorable bohemian prints by Dean Alan, an original bohemian hippy of the 60s.

Bee Mine!

Splendid, Ella Moss, Helmut Lang, Carlos Falchi, JBrand, James, Genetic, TLuxury, Clu, Alice & Olivia, 12th Street, Kooba, Burning Torch...some of the many brands this Santa Barbara-based boutique carries. Channeling Cupid, they're currently offering 30% off store-wide (code VAL0930)...the winter wardrobe is feeing a little tired, and Spring is just around the corner...

reTRENCH

In times of economic uncertainty...updated versions of the old classic to help you weather the storm. Luella, Mike & Chris, Nicholas K, Ligne 6 Martin Margiela

Super Love Destroyed, Boyfriend, Slouch, Lazy Boyfriend, Ex-lover...

Whatever you call them, get used to seeing them...EVERY denim brand is on the boyfriend bandwagon. A few examples here from Pratt, Current Elliot, and the original Levi's. Look for more from Genetic Denim, Prps, JBrand, Joes, Citizen, 7s, and others. Or just borrow/steal a pair of your boyfriends and make your own. Dress them up or down.

Flip flop fantasies...

I love tall boots, tights, winter dresses, and soft, bulky cardigans to wrap oneself in, with a passion. For me, the enjoyment I get from Fall and Winter ensembles, lessens the pain and malaise that many others experience and hate about the winter months. But there is a point, that day in mid-January that always strikes, when the leather boots start to constrict too much, and the woolen sweaters that cocooned and comforted start to itch...

On a recent morning while getting dressed, the sandals and flip flops that sit in the storage wrack on the back of my closet door eyed me patiently, daring me to put them on. It was 7 degrees outside, and all I wanted to do was walk to work in my reefs! Alas, it would be a good 5 months before doing so here in the Northeast. I have, however, already begun that slow march back to Spring and Summer, and the many sites and catalogs that I peruse have been taunting with frocks and accessories for warmer months. Tie-dyed-yummy-cotton-baring-shoulder dresses tease and capture my fancy...try Singer 22 for this and other perfect Summer styles from Gypsy 05.

It's staying light out later, and the mercury will slowly make it's way above freezing, so patience dear friends and flip flops, we'll get there soon enough.

Facebook-phobic

A new year means new year's resolutions, and for many - creating a facebook page - was probably at the top of the list of things to accomplish in 2009. For me, it was at the bottom of the list, and therefore has not been accomplished yet.

Now, I embrace technology everday. I blog at work on our company blog, and at home (albeit periodically). I know how to twitter and have posted photos on Flicker. I'm on the computer a good 8 hours of everday, and a blackberry almost as much. I text, ping, a blackberry message others. But for some reason, I cannot bring myself to create a facebook profile. I have, however, joined a new online social knitting community called RAVELRY. In the beta stage, it's a community of knitters, crocheters, and local yarn store owners about 250K strong. I can join forums and learn about technique, ask questions, log in my knitting supplies, keep track of my yarns, and gather inspiration.

Is it a privacy thing? Maybe. Or maybe it's just that I haven't had that overwhelming urge to join the masses - yet. I know I'm not alone. I have plenty of friends and family who are NOT part of the facebook community yet, either. But, the year is young, and things can change.

Anyway, my resolution for 2009, BEFORE launching into facebook, is to post on this blog at least several times per month. And although the focus will most likely remain on fashion, it will expand to include new topics and muses, time-to-time.

Until then, I happily remain part of the dying breed of facebook-profile-less citizens. Happy New Year, and talk to you soon.

Simon Says

It started today. Olympics-shmympics...Phelps who? Today was Day 1 of the Barneys Warehouse Sale! We're talking olympicized shopping where one can experience the Thrill of Victory, or the Agony of Defeat. Or is that Da Feet. No doubt dozens were line up this morning at 7 a.m. waiting for the doors to open on 17th Street between 7th and 8th Aves in NYC. On this evening at 7pm, the line was inside, and modest. In fact, there was no line heading into the men's section, unless you had to wait in line to check an oversized bag like myself, the BWS amateur.

Let me back up a moment and tell you why I was heading into the men's section.

I'm attending my friend's wedding on September 6th. I'm all set in terms of what I'm wearing, though I'm just finishing up with the accessories. My boyfriend however, was in need of an outfit. (I could not risk a gold corduroy suit episode the likes of Miranda's experience with Steve in Sex and the City!) I had a distinct vision of what he should wear, but I needed additional support. About two months ago, I concocted a plan: to enlist the help of none other than Barney's own Simon Doonan. I met Simon at a New York Observer party a while back. He was extremely nice, and I thought perhaps if I reached out to him via a mutual connection he might be willing to help. I planned on drafting an email that contained the specs of the day, followed by the simple, yet inevtiable question: what should he wear?

Call it fate, kismet, what have you, but fast forward to three days ago while I'm having lunch with clients at GIORGIONE in SoHo on Spring Street. We're sittting at a back table when in walks a woman dressed in a fabulous little white summer dress with pink embroidery. She looks vaguely familiar and is seated two tables away from us. (I know the dress, but for the life of me cannot remember the name of the designer!) Moments later the hostess walks back in our direction again, followed by two nattily dressed men: Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler. I muffled a screech of joy as I elbowed my colleague in the side and announced the arrival of the pair. There was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to chat with him, even if it meant following him into the men's room.

Like a well-rehearsed scene in a play, we sign our check, they sign their check. We get up to leave, they get up to leave. We start walking out and I embrace the moment and walk right up to Simon and say hello. It was as easy as 1-2-3. I said that I had been meaning to email him with my scenario and question. As I begin telling him the story, he invites Jonathan Adler and Liz Lange over to help. I barely say "I'm attending a wedding and my boyfriend needs a suit..." when he interjects three powerful little words: "Barneys Warehouse Sale." He tells me it starts tomorrow you must go! I describe the location of the wedding, time of day, etc, and his recommendation: dark blue suit in either tropical weight wool or cotton, with pale blue shirt, and NO TIE (which is exactly what I had in mind, but wasn't certain if it would be appropriate!) I was grateful. I thanked him and then let the trio exit.

NEXT DAY: We're in line on the evening of the first day of the sale. I anticipated pandemonium. Women and men ripping clothes out of each others hands and diving into bins of designer labels like wild animals attacking their prey. I was surprised to see instead, a modicum of order and organization. And even better: within the 10 minutes of stepping through the door, my boyfriend tracked a gorgeous Hugo Boss tropical weight wool suit in dark blue. It was a gold medal moment.

Thank you Barney's. Thank you Simon. I'll be forever grateful. Check back in a few weeks for photos from the wedding.