On any given weekday, I only have a few minutes for make-up before I fly out the door. That’s fine for a starter spackle, but around lunchtime, I need a refresh. For years, I skipped the mid-day touch-up, thanks to my aversion for carrying a cosmetics case clattering with brushes and full-size products. But as work-life demands became […]
Month: September 2014
My Precious
I’ve already told the story of how I acquired this Chanel jacket at a consignment boutique — and convinced the store owner to knock 30% off the price. But what I didn’t mention is that I was nervous to wear the jacket for months. For one, it is white: and I spill on the regular. Secondly, it’s threaded with […]
Catalog Police: Mango Autumn 2014 Edition
Happy Friday, and welcome back to Catalog Police, my weekly critique of mail-order horrors. As magistrate, I’m here to defend customers from obnoxious merchandise, abusive air-brushing and half-baked style selections. This week’s perp is Spanish retailer Mango, one of the jewels of Europe’s cheap-chic triumvirate. (The other two are Sweden’s H&M and Spain’s Zara, of course.) Truth […]
Throwback Thursday: My Homecoming Dress
The fall season always seems to ooze nostalgia. Lately, there’s been a generational yearning to return to the relative innocence of the 90s, when our biggest priorities were choosing book bag silhouettes (Jansport vs. messenger) and convincing the nearest parental figure to buy us a Nokia. There’s nothing tangible about nostalgia. It’s a dissipating perfume you can’t purchase or identify. But […]
From Morocco, with Love
When I saw a preview of Sea NY’s spring collection on Barneys’ Instagram, I was delighted. The Sea NY tunic (left) was an exact replica of one I had purchased during my recent road trip across Morocco. That trip was aesthetically inspiring – as evidenced by my writings here and here – but the experience was also immersive. […]
The Art of Buying a Winter Coat
When I first moved to New York in 2009, I had never seen snow. A born-and-raised Floridian, I owned exactly one winter coat: A Ralph by Ralph Lauren military number I picked up at Burlington Coat Factory in 2000. My first few years in NYC were lean. It got so cold in my Brooklyn apartment, I slept […]
How to Identify a Classic
Over the weekend, I flipped through a Saks Designer Lookbook that was stuffed with some of the latest trends: oversized layers, thigh-baring slits and petal skirts. The kicker? The lookbook was from 1995, and the designs were almost 20 years old. It got me thinking: What defines a classic? And more importantly, how can you pinpoint the trends with the […]
Catalog Police: Free People September 2015
Welcome back to Catalog Police – where I wield a samurai sword of justice against retail atrocities being perpetrated against innocent consumers. This week, I am judge, jury and executioner in the case against Free People, a repeat offender. Will Free People live up to its moniker? Or will I sentence them to my Google spam folder […]
Summer to Fall: The White Shirtdress
Every season has its “it” staple — that one piece that surfaces on every magazine model, style blogger and mall mannequin. This summer, it was the white shirtdress. I’m still unclear what sparked the shirtdress renaissance. (Ralph Lauren and Lacoste have been churning them out for years.) I resisted the trend for months — I was sure […]
The Art Deco Dream Manicure
Before this week’s nail tutorial, I want to address the recent debut of Christian Louboutin’s nail polishes lacquers — specifically, the outrageous $50 price tag. Nail polish costs mere PENNIES to produce, which means consumers are paying a premium for luxe packaging, expensive marketing and inflated brand perception. Stop the madness. I’ve done my nails +150 times in the last 3 years — […]