Pssst... Markdowns on Maison Martin Margiela x H&M

Mine! I literally clapped my hands with excitement when I found these.

I stopped by the H&M downtown on State St after work while waiting for a friend to wrap up.  I went through almost all of the store before noticing they still had some of the Maison Martin Margiela collection in stock.  And I didn't realize the pieces were marked down until I studied the tags because the original prices had be discretely covered with new prices.  Also, I hadn't checked out the collection earlier because I remember thinking most of it felt out of my price range!

There were two racks worth of womenswear collection left, including the Narrow Shoulder Jacket, Horizontal Dress, Blazer, Oversized Peacoat and just a few of the Hitched Up Dress.  Prices were roughly half off ($99+ after markdowns), and while limited in quantity, those styles were available in all sizes with the exception of the Hitched Up Dress.  To reference the lookbook, click here.  For Erin's write up on the construction and fit of some of the pieces, click here.

Ever since images of the collection were released, I'd been eying the footwear specifically the black patent wedges and black leather booties.  The wedges unfortunately didn't fit the way I would have hoped; my heels kept slipping out and the sides felt too stiff.  The booties on the other hand fit quite nicely, perhaps because I can wear them with socks.  While they fit comfortably, I must admit that I will have to walk a little differently in them to avoid clomping around because the lucite wedge has no give.

There were plenty of silver ($40) and black flats in stock ($60).  There were lots of wedges ($99) in black, red and tan and about a dozen pairs of booties ($129) left, mostly in sizes 8-10.  There were several pairs of black knee high boots (a great steal at $129) and a few pairs of the maroon ones left as well, but I didn't get a chance to look at sizing before I left.

Sample Sale Report: Elizabeth and James

While this isn't exactly a full report from the sample sale as I wasn't able to make it in during sale operating hours. I stuck my head in for a minute at the very end of the day and was able to snag a picture of the price list and interestingly enough how many of each item is at the sample sale. If you're looking for a pair of jeans or a blouse/shirt they seem to be by far the most plentiful item at the sale with over 200 units each and priced to go at $50. Staffers tell me that they are getting additional stock tomorrow, so the packs that I snapped pictures of are not all that the sample sale will behold. Prices top out at $00 for fur / leather and things for most part seem to be reasonably priced with tanks and tees weighing in at $20 and $30 a pop respectively.

From my brief glance in, I saw a lot of acid brights and just a hint of sparkle but not much left in the Fur/Leather category. Everything seemed to be organized on racks of type of item - skirts with skirts, tanks together although there did not appear to be more than a handful of each style. The showroom itself is spacious and well lit. Sizes seemed small and from past experience ranges from a 0-8. I will definitely be stopping by again tomorrow for a closer look and to snag a few things for myself. Watch my tweets for updates as I shop the sale.

Make Up For Ever Holiday Party at Style Coalition

Last week Style Coalition Lounge hosted a holiday gathering with the talented ladies from Make Up For Ever. While sipping cocktails, we had our chance to get make-up tips from professional make-up artists. When it was my turn I asked about false eyelashes as they are my beauty nemesis. They always add a lot of drama to special occasions but I always have trouble applying them.

The first step is to apply some eyeliner at your lashline to disguise where they will be attached and create a more natural look. She also curled my lashes because my natural lash growth is very straight. Then gently remove the lashes from the packet using only your thumb and a sweeping motion so as not to damage the lashes or put a kink in them. In my case for a more comfortable and customized look, the make-up artist cut the lashes into 4 equal sections but only applied 3 to my lid, with the longest segment at the center of my eye. Before applying them she had me open my eyes with the faux lashes resting on my natural lashes to check for perfect positioning. She applied the segments, using the glue that came with the package.


Make-Up Forever provided these additional steps:
Apply a thin bead of lash glue along the entire band of one of the lashes.If the lash glue doesn’t come with an applicator you can use the end of a make up brush as a glue applicator. Allow the glue to get tacky before applying the lash – about 60 seconds.

Tilt your head back so you can see the base of your lash line then place the lash strip at the very base of your natural lashes. Before pressing the lash into place firmly, you may need to work it down further into the lash
base. It is generally easier to connect the faux lash to the center of the lash line then press the inner and outer corners into place. Use the end of a make up brush or the blunt end of a pair of tweezers to press down areas of the faux lash firmly.

As the lash glue continues to dry you may continue to shape how the lash rests on your lashes by either pushing from underneath to make the lash stand up and curl or by pushing down from above to flatten the lash.

Once the glue is dry, apply another sheer coat of mascara just to blend the natural lashes with the faux lashes.

Soon I had very lovely eyelashes but out of the corner of my eye I spotted glitter and I couldn't resist and I asked to add some glitter, which the lovely make-up artist applied using the ever useful Make Up Forever Aqua Seal. Aqua Seal is a magical solution that can be used to rehydrate dried up make-up, create liquid eyeliner with powder and apply glitter. It makes all makes all powdery make-up waterproof and intensifies colors and pearl effects. Although I've attempted glitter eye make-up in the past I never knew how to make it stay in one place before.

I had a blast learning about holiday make-up and hanging with the lovely ladies at the Style Coalition Lounge. I will leave you with the How-To instructions for Holiday Glitter below.


HOLIDAY HOW TO: GLITTER 101

SUBTLE: Glitter Eyeliner
1. Choose your favorite shade of glitter and mix it with MAKE UP FOR
EVER Aqua Seal to help it adhere to the lash line (Pro Tip: you can
use the cap of the glitter container to mix it).
2. Using a firm bristled eyeliner brush, like MAKE UP FOR EVER’s #1N
brush, start in the center of the eye and trace to the inner corner, and
then extend to the outer corner of the eye.
3. Finish by lining under the lower lash line for an added pop (optional).

GLAM: Glitter Shadow
1. Mix a dab of MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Cream #12 in golden copper
with Diamond Powder #4 in bronze and then add two drops of MAKE
UP FOR EVER Aqua Seal.
2. Apply the mixture directly to the eyelid and blend through the crease.
3. For added dimension, finish the look by applying MAKE UP FOR
EVER Eye Shadow #17 in espresso through the crease.

SULTRY: Shimmer Eyes
1. Apply MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Cream #15 in taupe brown shimmer
to your eyelid and blend through the crease.
2. Mix MAKE UP FOR EVER Star Powder #929 in bronze khaki with
MAKE UP FOR EVER Diamond Powder #15 in taupe grey shimmer
and then press the mixture on your eyelid.
3. Finish by blending MAKE UP FOR EVER Eye Shadow #138 in dark
chocolate brown through the crease and smudge under the eyes.

More Sample Sales in NYC

Who: Elizabeth and James
What: Markdowns on fall apparel and accessories.
When: Dec 19-20, 2012. Wed-Thurs 11am-7pm
Where: 1384 Broadway (be/n 37th and 38th St) - 18th floor

Who: Slow and Steady Wins the Race
What: 50% off and more on clothing, shoes, and accessories.
When: Dec 19-22, 2012. Wed-Sat noon-6pm
Where: 334 Broome St (b/n Bowery & Chrystie St)

Who: A.P.C.
What: Up to 70% off men's and women's clothing and accessories.
When: Dec 20-31, 2012. Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun noon-6pm
Where: 92 Perry St (b/n Bleecker & Hudson St) 646-371-9292

Who: 6 Shore Road Sample Sale
What: Snag past swimwear & RTW collections at up to 70% off
When: Dec 18-20, 2012. Tues-Wed 11am-7pm, Thurs 11am-6pm
Where: 261 West 36th St, 2nd Floor (b/n 7th & 8th Ave)

Who: Poleci Relocation Sale
What: Deep discounts on womenswear - Tops & bottoms $49, dresses $79, jackets $99, coats $99.
When: Dec 17-23, 2012. Mon-Sun 11am-7pm
Where: 32 Gansevoort Street

Bringing in the New Year with Vintage Sequins

With New Year's Eve right around the corner, I've got sequins on the brain.  For the holiday season I love sequins dresses from the 80s.  I'm not a girly girl, so I love balancing what otherwise might be super feminine with power shoulders.  And to avoid looking like a member of The Golden Girls or ironic hipster, I like to wear 80s dresses with modern pumps and booties.

If you're looking for the typical sexy New Year's Eve dress, you can stop reading this post now.  If you're open to trying something fun and funky, I hope you'll enjoy some of the vintage dresses I found on Etsy and the new shoes I've paired them with.

Vintage Adrianna Papell silk sequins dress, $88

Dolce Vita Kemp, $179.99 on sale (retail $189)

Vintage Laurence Kazar silk sequins dress with collar, $65

Eric Rothberg Rolv, $260

Rebecca Taylor Skylar, $149 on sale (retail $295)

Vintage Laurence Kazar silk peacock sequins dress, $49

Seychelles Nothing But Trouble, $120

Vintage blue dress with shoulders pads, $50*

Nine West Haywire, $82.99 on sale (retail $119)

*Use "MUKKILOVESME" at checkout for 15% off, and if you love vintage, be sure to check out the rest of Mukki Shop.  This Chicago-based Etsy shop has some really unique pieces, and their styling is awesome!

Sample Sales NYC: December 17-23, 2012

Who: Bess Sample Sale
What: Up to 80% off menswear and womenswear
When: Now through Dec 22, 2012. 12pm-6pm
Where: 292 Lafayette St (b/n Houston and Jersey St)

Who: M5 Showroom Sample Sale
What: Discounts on menswear from brands like CP Company, Boglioli and more.
When: Now through Dec 21, 2012. 11am-5pm
Where: 375 Broadway - Suite 501 (b/n Spring and Broome St)

Who: Rena Lange Sample Sale
What: Up to 90% off womenswear
When: Dec 16-18, 2012. Sun-Tues 10am-6pm
Where: 430 W 14th St - Suite 201 (b/n 9th & 10th Ave)

Who: Adrienne Landau Sample Sale
What: 60%-80% off women's furs and RTW
When: Dec 16-19, 2012. 8am-6pm
Where: 519 8th Ave - 21st floor (b/n 35th & 36th St)

Who: Designer Couture Sample Sale
What: Up to 90% off evening gowns and cocktail dresses from Badgley Mischka, Cavalli Class, Pamala Roland and more
When: Dec 16-19, 2012. 10am-6pm
Where: 519 8th Ave - 21st Floor (b/n 35th & 36th St)


Who: The Hive Sample Sale
What: Up to 80% off men's and women's merch from labels like Berge, Albino, True Royal, Cristiani and more. CASH ONLY
When: Dec 17, 2012. 9am-7pm
Where: 544 W 27th St (b/n 10th & 11th Ave)

Who: Edun Sample Sale
What: Up to 80% off men's and women's clothing
When: Dec 18-19, 2012. 10am-6pm
Where: 107 Grand St. - 3rd Floor (b/n Mercer and Broadway)

Who: Chantecaille Sample Sale
What: Discounts on makeup
When: Dec 18-19, 2012. 10am-6pm
Where: 584 Broadway - suite 604 (b/n Houston & Prince St)

Who: Alice & Olivia Sample Sale
What: Up to 70% off women's RTW
When: Dec 18-22, 2012. Tues 9am-7pm, Wed-Thurs 10am-8pm, Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-4pm
Where: 260 5th Ave (b/n 28th & 29th St)

Who: Dannijo Sample Sale
What: Up to 80% off jewelry and accessories. Credit card minimum is $100
When: Dec 19, 2012. 5pm-7pm
Where: 423 W 14th St (b/n 9th Ave & Washington)

Who: Hugo Boss Sample Sale
What: Up to 70% off menswear and womenswear
When: Dec 18-22, 2012. Tues-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-5pm
Where: 317 W 33rd St (b/n 8th & 9th Ave)

Who: Kimberly Ovitz, Sachin & Babi & Nili Lotan Sample Sale
What: Up to 80% off womenswear. CASH ONLY.
When: Dec 19-22, 2012. Wed 9am-7pm, Thurs 10am-8pm, Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-7pm
Where: 225 5th Ave(b/n 26th & 27th St)

Who: Bitta Design Group Holiday Sample Sale
What: Up to 80% off on a wide selection of hand-made cuffs in color diamonds, and a wide array of trendy, stylish rings and earrings. Gold and diamond charms start at $100.
When: December 19-20, 2012. Wed-Thurs 10-6
Where: Cassa NY Hotel, 70 West 45 Street

Who: Jennifer Tyler Cashmere Sample Sale
What: Womens clothing & accessories, samples and stock at up to 50% off both samples and stock with sizes from XS to XL.
When: December 19-23, 2012. Thurs-Sat 10-7 Sun 12-7
Where: The Surrey Hotel, 20 East 76 Street (at Madison Avenue), 212.288.3700

Sample Sale Report: Charlotte Ronson December 2012

I stopped by the Charlotte Ronson sample sale over lunch and while they no longer had $10/15 items I was still impressed with the vast selection of merchandise a $20 bill can snag you. All shoes are $20 along with 3 racks full of clothing. 

You could snag a lace / wool cardigan, a graphic chiffon skirt, silk blouses a plenty, party tanks, a romper or a sweet piped dress. For $30 you find yourself taking home some fun sweater knits or some pajama style pants. At the very bottom of the price scale there were some samples and belts in a couple $5 bins but the  samples definitely have some flaws.

There was only one $200 item at the sale and it was a lone leather tee shirt that looked pretty hot in size 4.
$60 can snag you a winter coat in a variety of styles and lengths, a multi colored sweater jackets or vest and some very fun looking party dresses. For $100 you will find fun pieces like embellished tunics and a swingy skirt with a flirty underlayer. You can also snag one of those trendy looking fluro injected sweaters to keep you warm through the winter months.


Last but not least there were a limited number accessories that ranged in price from $5-30. A great sale to stop by still to pick up well priced pieces perfect for yourself or a gift.

Who: Charlotte Ronson Sample Sale
What: Up to 70% off
When: Dec 12-14, 2012. Wed-Fri 10am-7pm
Where: 1071 6th Ave - Suite 301 (b/n 40th and 41st St)

Sample Sale Report: Vera Wang Bridal

Last night I dropped by the Vera Wang bridal sample sale. It seemed that they had a VIP sale the night before and it was utter madness in the morning but as I shopped it was very quiet with only a few other shoppers accompanied by their loved ones as they scoured the racks looking for that perfect dress. Unlike regular sample sales there was a wide range of sizes I spotted from 4 to 14 but they were not available in every style. Some dresses I spotted one or two of while others were more plentiful at the sale. The majority of styles are A-line cupcake or cupcake with cinched waists and huge skirts with multiple layers of fabric in place to hold the shape of a dress. The dresses themselves were surprisingly heavy for most part but staffers ensured that you take no more than 3 dresses at a time to try on. The unfortunate part is when they offer to take your dresses to the fitting room they don't account for nasty ladies who might like to steal your dress, which happened to me. I spotted dresses from just $600 all the way up to $3000. There was a woman on a megaphone announcing limited time deals including an additional 20% off all dresses for the next 10 minutes or all shoes for $20 (although those satin shoes didn't appeal to anyone). Don't pay much heed to her unless you are actually all set to check out because there is nothing worse than a time pressured shopping decision made on what may be your life's most important fashion decision. The staffers were really nice helping try on dresses, tell you how much alterations you might need and where and even taking pictures for shoppers. Ultimately I didn't end up finding anything but if you plan on going, bring a friend. Better yet, bring two, one to help you look and another to guard your finds.

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Now Open: Fine and Dandy

My friends Matt Fox and Enrique Crame III have a unique style that even in New York City can be spotted from a mile a way. Always dapper, always put together, always dandy so when they started their online boutique 4 years ago I was very excited that they were sharing their brand of gentile dressing with the world. After much success in the digital sphere and with a number of pop-up shops over the years including ones at Onassis, Blind Barber, Chelsea market, the Jazz Age Lawn Party and the Brooklyn Flea. These fine gentlemen took the plunge and opened their first permanent retail shop in Hell's Kitchen. So whether you need suspenders, bow ties, spats, handkerchiefs, cufflinks, sock garters or a dapper hat make sure you stop by for great gifts for yourself or that special man in your life.




Fine and Dandy Retail Shop
445 West 49th Street (between 9th & 10th Avenue), Hell's Kitchen, New York City

Sample Sale Report: Bendon Lingerie December 2012

The Bendon lingerie sample sale is one that I make sure that I never miss. How else could I snag high end lingerie from the likes of Elle McPherson and Stella McCartney on my budget? If you are a petite bra size this sample sale starts at 32A and offers tons of sexy options that are not usually seen in this size range. If you are more full on top, this sale has also got you covered with it’s room with a wide selection of D to G cups. The most selection at this sale is probably in the C & D category although there were still a fair number of B cups as well. The pricing is simple and well labeled.


n A-D cups you the hanging bras are $30, the matching panties are $20. For the bras in boxes on the table it is $20 for a bra and $10 for bottoms. There were some rhinestone Christmas Knickers from Stella McCartney for $25 a box and Elle McPherson Chemise / Camisoles for just $15. For the more fanciful chemise options they were $35. In the full cup room bras are $20 and bottoms $10. There were also 3 styles of Elle McPherson panties priced at 3 for $20. Finally there were a couple boxes of marked samples priced at $10 for tops and $5 for bottoms. If you’re in the market for sexy beautiful lingerie, this is the perfect sample sale to stop by.  To note there is a try on area behind the cashier that is curtained from the sale section but not curtained from the outside world although the sale is pretty high up in the building with not buildings super close by.