Off Broadway

Tired of the midtown scenery on a mild, sunny afternoon, I decided to take a long walk down to Soho and enjoy the up and coming holiday window displays. (For the occasion of migrating south of Houston, I found it appropriate to wear my preppy-meets-hipster black and white lace-up oxfords.) As usual, I took 3rd Ave down to 14th, then walked up to where Park Ave turns into Broadway and headed down past Astor Place, Bleecker, and finally Houston. Flustered to find an enormous amount of construction on the corner making it too hard to navigate in brand new shoes, I had to detour west of my route, just off Broadway. Who knew that some of the city's gems hid mere feet away from the main drag?

On Sullivan and Prince I found a shop that momentarily made me think I was back in upstate New York (in a good way). Purl yarn shop is perhaps the cutest store I have even come across in New York City. Though I haven't knitted since junior year of college when my roommate Hillary taught me how (and I made a mangled, lopsided hat that only a mother could love) this discovery made me want to take up the hobby all over again. Then on Greene I saw what looked like Pinkberry meets home decor, and couldn't help but go inside. What I later learned was the Alessi flagship is the perfect place to find unique gifts for anyone interested in cooking, entertaining, or just being quirky. On Spring I came across what looked like just another clothing store, until I went inside and discovered a large vintage display, full of boots, t-shirts (the original Twizzlers logo) and other fabulous accessories. Flying A has a decisive downtown feel, with splashes of lower east side edge and Tribeca glam (including the hard to find Petit Bateau that Rebecca is forever searching for).

Hunger began to rumble in my stomach, just as I turned down Broome and found Mariebelle Soho. Though this was a 'no gym' day, I couldn't resist a little treat from the chocolate bar. The hot chocolate made it impossible to ever use instant Swiss Miss again. To rediscover the city you think you know so well, just veer a little to the left.

Praise Worthy

New talent in the fashion business is like an apple picked from a tree on a crisp October day. It's fresh, juicy, and reminds us why we loved the fruit to begin with. For the past 6 years, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has partnered with Vogue and from a vast pool of fresh design talent, chosen 1 winner and 2 runners-up to receive prize money and recognition in the industry as rising stars.

Often times the winners are people whom are largely unknown at the time of the award to the larger consumer market. Past recipients of this award are Alexander Wang (2008), Rogan Gregory of Rogan (2007), Doo-Ri Chung of Doo.Ri (2006), Trovata (2005) and Proenza Schouler (2004). This year's winner, Sophie Theallet, was born in France and trained with famous designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier and Azzedine Alaia. She launched her own brand in 2006 and her pieces can be found at high-end stores like Barney's. Sophie Theallet's designs have been called 'bohemian lux', which aptly describes her use of movement, draping and fabric choice.

While the winners are certainly a talented bunch, I personally find myself rooting for the designers who end up as runners-up. For example, 2007 runner-up Phillip Lim (of 3.1 Phillip Lim) is a well known designer with edgy, chic pieces. Both 2006 runners-up, Rodarte and Thakoon are now flourishing in the industry. This weekend I finally had the pleasure of attending the American Beauty exhibit at FIT where a red and blue Rodarte draped floor length gown caught my attention. The design had macabre inspiration (blood running through water) but regardless of the gothic notion at its conception, the end product was show stopping.

Thanks to Vogue and the CFDA, green talent can be plucked from the tree and watered with the financial nutrients and experienced mentoring it needs to grow and reach consumers everywhere.

Another Night in Murray Hill

It' a drizzly, damp, oddly temperate for mid-November Saturday night. My Husband and I are returning from dinner with his parents at our favorite local Greek restaurant, Ethos, located in the heart of post-college frat scene, Murray Hill. Though our reservations were at the ripe early bird hour of 6:30, we still managed to collide with the barely legals as they headed out to the vast array of bars that spans 4 long blocks of our neighborhood. While this was probably least pleasant for my poor in-laws, who are not accustomed to the drunken squeals and unsteady teetering of 22-years olds beginning their night out, it was a treat of sorts for me. Aside from the glimpse back into my college years (and unfortunately, New Years eve an embarrassingly short time ago) that this run-in provided, it also was an eyeful of fashion, and, like tequila, there was the good, the bad and the ugly.

Exhibit number 1. A skinny girl, not a day older than 21, dressed in a micro-mini skirt made of an indiscernible synthetic, reminiscent of pleather, topped off with a voluminous faux fur cropped jacket, and chrome heeled ankles booties. While this poor soul would be a Glamour Don't had I had a camera, she manages to just teeter by with a few disbelieving stares. (Faux fur is better than real fur, but in the same way that rug burn is better than a 3rd degree burn.) But there is one point that her ensemble makes, that fashion trickles down from the runway and eventually hits the streets, literally. The micro-mini is a popular silhouette. And ankle booties, as you are well aware, are hot. The volume of the girl's coat is right on track with the unfortunate 80's revival I loathe, yet still recognize.

Exhibit number 2. An average framed girl, about 23, donning skin-tight, shiny leggings tucked into Tory Burch low boots, no coat over her paper thin James Perse tank, and a coordinating Tory Burch clutch. I won't harp on the leggings (even though these were double offenders because they were shiny). The boots are cute, and Tory Burch is on fire lately, ever since her cultish Reva flats hit the shelves a few years ago. I think girls over the age of 12 should not wear thin tank tops by themselves, let alone in the rain, but this was likely the girl's intention. And like Stacy and Clinton say, your bag should not match your shoes so perfectly unless you live in the 1960's or are a cast member of Mad Men. Luckily my in-laws made it back to Grand Central for their train back to Connecticut unharmed by the atrocities of Murray Hill on a Saturday night.

All Black & Blue

Though quite literally many are feeling bruised by the economy, there is also something wonderful happening in black and blue. On a shopping trip to Soho with Rebecca, we came across the color duo she has been in search of since returning from a year in France. It evokes a kind of daring sensibility that many fashion rule followers might shun. But the unexpected pairing of midnight blue and black is quite reverent, and just in time for holiday dress shopping.

There are a multitude of ways to dip your feet in the water before jumping in head first. Rather than being so bold as to do blue and black on our own, by, say, pairing a hot black cocktail number with deep cobalt suede pumps for evening, look for pieces that do the heavy lifting for you. This black Max Azria for BCBG dress adds a dash of blue at the waist. Or this dress, featured at left, by Haute Hippie (with a steeper price tag) mixes the hues more strikingly. Anthropologie, famous for its vintage-inspired apparel, has this adorable party dress in the mixed combo, with the pleasant price tag hitting south of $200. This Ali Ro frock with wide, sequin-adorned stripes of navy and black is my personal favorite of the season.

For pieces that will rock the party, but not your wallet, Urban Outfitters is a go-to destination. This embellished black and blue tank dress is only $58. Or for a more covered up option, this frock priced at just $38 costs less than a double round of Patron shots on a Friday night. Famous for their easy, wearable pieces, Banana Republic has a compelling blue and black story for evening in their Soho location, not currently available online. With prices in the mid $100 range, the collection makes diving into the black and blue ocean an easier task.

If you plan to shop your own closet to prep for holiday festivities this season, there are easy ways to don the new color combo. Pairing your allegiant little black dress with a new pair of opaque navy tights is fresh. Or purchase a pair of the above mentioned navy pumps to do the trick. This season's bib necklaces can also add the unexpected peek of Navy to a black ensemble. If I ever make it to the elusive round 3 interview, perhaps I will be enabled to purchase one of my picks to ring in the new year in new black and blue style.

Legally Speaking

Time and again in the world of fashion, I come across items that so strongly resemble something previously on the market, I literally stop in my tracks to examine the impostor. I am not talking about the bold, brazen knock offs on Canal Street which usually fall into the category of very obvious (and very illegal) trademark infringement. The murkier area is copyright infringement, and the lines are anything but decisively drawn.

Copyright is limited protection given to creators of original works of authorship that have been reduced to tangible form. Ideas that are so singular as to have only one method of expression are not worthy of protection (for example, there is only one way to boil water, so you cannot receive copyright protection for reducing this idea to writing). This concept of limited protection is known as the idea-expression dichotomy. Fashionista (my favorite blog besides my own) features a section they call 'adventures in copyright' where they display a multitude of clothing seemingly inspired by (or copied from?) another. I read it constantly and evaluate the 2 looks myself to reach my own verdict. More times than not, I find the cheaper alternative to the designer work is guilty. (Can you tell which of the above pink and blue dresses is the $24 Forever21 dress and which is the Aidan Mattox from Saks? The waters are caliginous!)

One of the hurdles designers face in protecting their creations under copyright is defining exactly just what constitutes the 'original work of authorship.' For anyone who has ever gone shopping with a significant other, and taken joy in the sight of a full tool party skirt only to have your companion curl a lip, sneer, and tell you you had to be crazy if you though that was hot, you know that style is subjective. One person may look at 2 identical black shift dresses with shoulder cut outs and see 2 totally different frocks, while another may see that clearly the Chanel on the left is a dead ringer for the Cynthia Rowley on the right. And to a certain extent, a little bit of imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, isnt it? When your friend shows up to a party in a denim and leather ensemble reminiscent of the look you rocked a few weeks ago, you feel happy to have inspired others, right?

Not so much in the design world. When Marc Jacobs dreams up a floral, flouncy frock with a price tag north of $400, and Forever21 offers a strikingly similar number for around $30, its hard to say they are really competing. A prime concept in intellectual property law is the notion that consumers and 3rd parties will be confused, and mistake the Forever21 for the Marc Jacobs. Even fashion neophytes will agree that such mistake is not possible (does a Datsun look like a Mercedes because they both come in red?) But regardless of the lack of feasible consumer confusion over the 2 dresses, it is still a robbery of sorts. The creative expression of a talented designer has been outright copied for the financial gain of a low end chain retailer. We may not shed tears for the uber successful Marc, but think about when this happens to a small time designer trying to make it big. If her look is 'adapted' for mass marketing after a runway show that took her years and mountains of loans to put on, she will never make ends meet in the word in which she was so 'sincerely flattered'. A line needs to be drawn in the sand so that the designers who bring so much joy to our eager eyes each season can afford to keep doing so with integrity and inspiration.

Gifts That Hit The Spot

With Thanksgiving lurking a mere 2 weeks in the distance, the inevitable holiday gift buying frenzy that follows is not far away. After a very busy summer stocked to the rafters with wedding preparations for many of my friends me, we have decided to forgo our annual gift exchange in favor of a good meal with good company. But for those who are not lucky enough to call for a gift stalemate, there are many glorious options in every price rage this season. Some websites, like J.Crew, have user friendly gift guides organized by price tag for those who really want to make this painless. But if you enjoy the thrill of the hunt as I do (even when the ultimate treasure will be turned over to another), there are some fabulous ideas I've collected from my vast array of fashion and style reading in all this free time I have on my manicured hands.

I always shop for gifts that I myself would love to receive. While this does not always work (a few years ago, I gave my friend Eileen a fashion forward powder blue vinyl clutch that she has never taken off the floor of her closet, and that created a tiff about whether or not I really did know her after our 15 years friendship) it is usually the best guide to scoring the perfect finds for others. Never underestimate the joy of the gift card. If you know where a friend or relative shops, eats, or gets their manicures, you absolutely cannot go wrong with a gift card. It's like giving them a glorious day of shopping or pampering for free! (Please get over any apprehension about placing an obvious dollar amount on the card, because, despite what you may think, when someone returns your misguided gift using the fancy 'gift receipt' that intentionally has no price, the second the cashier rings the return, the exact price appears and the mystery is aborted.)

If you insist on tangible items, think broadly about something the recipient is likely to desire, yet never anticipated to buy for themselves. (If you're getting something for me, there are few things I am unlikely to buy for myself if I have the funds, though my mother has mastered this art quite well.) Anything you can personalize is an instantly thoughtful gift. Think of beautiful stationary, a monogrammed cashmere sweater, a customizable beer pitcher and glass combo, or a set of Ridel wine glasses bearing an initial. If your recipient entertains, a stylish set of Jonathan Adler playing cards is super chic, as is a chess set which manages to serve aesthetic as well as useful purposes. As my francophile friend Rebecca would agree, gifts bearing French influence have a certain sophistication. Try a gift set from L'Occitane, or a sumptuous Diptyque candle which will burn for 60 hours and actually permeates the entire room. For a newly wed couple or a relative, a beautiful crystal ornament is timeless.

Even on a limited budget you can be thoughtful and fashionable in your gift giving (just as you can be in your personal style).

Stretchy Stuff

After yesterday's successful shopping trip (my friend went home with 2 pairs of knee high boots), I've been forced to reevaluate my blanket abhorrence for all things resembling leggings. I can divide the vile gear into 2 distinct categories, one which deserves its loathing, and another that can be quite magnetic.

First are the well know spandex, easy to spot (and easy to resist) sausage casings for legs. Regardless of your affinity for cured meats, these don't really look good on anyone. While browsing the racks yesterday, my friend and I came across a pair of denim leggings, and were both equally horrified (and my friend is a fierce defender of leggings). I first tried to give the pants the benefit of the doubt and suggested perhaps the elastic waist was suited for maternity wear, but upon further examination I could tell this was not the case. They were just ugly. Skinny jeans are hard enough to wear well, I wouldn't recommend delving into pants that are so brazen as to call themselves 'denim leggings'.

The second variety of spandex leg wear that I find less offensive, and even adorable, are the equestrian inspired camp. On this week's 'to do' list is picking up a pair of these from J.Crew. Several elements make these pants different from the former, vile sausage casings. First of all, they are called 'skinny pants', not leggings. (Any lawyer will tell you word choice is everything.) Secondly, they have a back zipper, kind of like a reverse fly. This makes them more akin to actual pants than leggings. Additionally, the ankle hem does not hug the leg within an inch of its life, but rather stands breathing distance away from the skin. The inner leg patch detail, reminiscent of equestrian jodphers, seals the deal.

So while my bottom line has not changed, I have opened my mind to another previously unknown category of spandex. Just another reminder of why fashion is so fabulous, you never know what you may find.