My First Time: The Barneys Warehouse Sale

I’ve lived in New York for more than five years — but until this week, I never braved the crowds at the Barneys Warehouse Sale. This sale is legendary among New Yorkers; Many of my girlfriends would call in sick JUST to be the first in line. But I still was not convinced. My reasons for avoiding the […]

Remix, Recycle, Rinse, Repeat

Whenever I shop, I catch myself oscillating between romance and practicality. I get dressed to dream, to transform, to audition a new identity. But when it comes to retail reality, the bulk of my purchases are workwear — and blazers, blouses and briefcases aren’t the stuff of dreams. (Just TRY making “slacks” sound appealing.) I prefer to save my purchasing power […]

A Moroccan Miracle Dress

I don’t shop much when I’m traveling internationally. I’d rather breeze through the airport than fret over losing my luggage or draconian overweight fees. But when I honeymooned in Morocco this summer, I abandoned reason and combed the open-air souks for the perfect souvenir. (A honeymoon isn’t a normal vacation, so my usual rules don’t apply.) Like […]

Summer’s Swan Song & the Ultimate Layering Piece

It’s the end of summer, and New York City is bordering on hysteria. Labor Day signifies the end of Summer Fridays and a seasonal slope into what’s shaping up to be the worst winter since… last winter. I’ve already air vacuumed half of my summer wardrobe to free up closet space for coats and jackets, […]

What to Pack: Sag Harbor in the Hamptons

The Hamptons have a certain patina to non-native New Yorkers. Before my first trip, I envisioned it as a big hedonistic party, snob central for Page Six fixtures, and prohibitively expensive for anyone without a Maybach at their disposal. My first weekend in the Hamptons was in 2009, the summer I moved to New York from […]

The Black and Tan Manicure

This latest manicure was a bit of an accident. I had planned a tribal design, but my favorite nail art pens were dry as a bone. I improvised and came up with this design. It reminds me of a Cub Scout uniform, which I suppose is summer appropriate? With the camping and the outdoors? (Okay, that’s a stretch.) […]

Catalog Police: Boden Autumn 2014 Edition

This is the second Boden catalog I’ve received in a month, which is rather aggressive. I can take a hint: Let’s welcome Boden to Catalog Police, my weekly takedown of mail-order horrors. First, a little background on the Boden brand, which I’d never heard of until a few weeks ago. (I figured it was a launch […]

My Thoughts on Fast Fashion

Nowadays, I don’t glut my closet with many “fast fashion” items from Zara, H&M or Topshop. I’m no fashion snob — I was JUST crowing about scoring a vest at Walmart. But I’m torn between an affection for affordable impulse purchases and a burgeoning discomfort with the cutthroat world of mass market retail. First, there are the shoddy safety practices that led to the collapse of a […]

J. Crew’s Latest Collaboration is Actually Marvelous

I have spent plenty of time hating on J. Crew’s army of mall-shopping mutants and their ubiquitous uniform of “formal” sweats, leather baseball caps and slip-on shower shoes. But sometimes, J. Crew has gems amongst the half-tucked horrors — usually in their capsule collections with other designers. This cobalt shirt is part of a collaboration between J. Crew and Juan Carlos […]

Decoding the Country Club Dress Code

In a world where 7-11 patrons need reminding that shoes and shirts are required for entry, it’s no surprise that most strict dress codes are relics of the past. But in certain situations, protocol trumps comfort, and codes of closet conduct still rule. There will always be hats at royal weddings. Shoes will always be removed before entering a mosque […]