City Chic is having a blowout sale - 50% off everything online. C'mon - you know you can't resist. Shop now! Hurry, the sale ends 5/30.
Shop This Now: Lucky Shops' 10th Anniversary
Lucky Shops, known as "the ultimate shopping event", lives up to it's name. In case you haven't known (or have somehow misplaced the savvy shopping portion of your brain), Lucky Shops is an annual shopping event thrown by the magazine best known for shopping, Lucky.
This year on November 4, 5, and 6th at the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC, you (yes really, you) can enjoy up to 70% off retail prices from some of the hottest designers in the industry.
Shop at the event from designers like:
- DVF
- Charlotte Ronson
- Milly
- Nicholas K
- Rebecca Taylor
- Tracy Reese
- Botkier
- Kooba
- Nine West Vintage America Collection
- CC Skye
- Dannijo
- Cosabella
- ...and many more
A variety of ticket options are available, from an early pass to a two day pass, plus tickets to the VIP Shopping Party (won't you join me?). Prices range from $30-185.
However, if you are a ZYNC from American Express card holder, you can snag 15% off select ticket prices, a gift with purchase, plus one hour early access to both days of shopping. ZYNC will be hosting an on-site boutique, offering items from Alex Woo, Tucker and more.
See you there!
Shop Smart: Make Up For Ever Opens Boutique in Sephora SoHo
A couple of weeks ago (yes, I am THAT far behind), LesleyKat and I headed to SoHo for a preview of the new Make Up For Ever Boutique in Sephora SoHo, which officially makes that location my favorite.
The new boutiques (SoHo was the first to open, with locations at The Venetian in Las Vegas and South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA following) not only allow MUFE to create beautiful, branded experiences for customers, but it allows all 1200 of MUFE's SKUs to be carried in one location. This is especially important for makeup pros who may not have previously had access to freestanding locations (which until now are the only locations to carry every product in the line).
Make Up For Ever's vast pro-friendly product assortment and pigmented colors can be intimidating to the average consumer, however the new technology-focused boutiques are staffed with the friendliest makeup pros (like the adorable Rusty, kindly posing with me at the event) to make navigating the sea of shades as easy as possible.
In fact, these pros can teach you nearly anything related to looking your best, with classes ranking from novice to pro, available in the studio space at the back of store. Match up with an artist and they will create the look on half of your face while guiding you through the process on the remaining half. While these mini classes aren't "free" - $40 per lesson - the cost is redeemable in product.
In addition to carrying all 1200 SKUs - to give you a frame of reference, most Sephora locations carry 300-600 from MUFE - the store is equipped with iPads pre-loaded with stunning face charts to inspire you or you can create your own look via an especially fancy smart board. Plus, these charts are shareable via email, so you can take your digital creation with you anywhere.
The amazingly talented LesleyKat snapped (and swatched) her way through the boutique - check out her shots in the gallery below.
Make Up For Ever boutique in Sephora SoHo
555 Broadway
Between Prince & Spring
New York, NY
10 Photos: View as Gallery | View as Slideshow
Back In Business: H&M Harlem Reopens
Last Thursday night, Lesleykat and I headed up uptown to check out the reopening of H&M Harlem. Harlem has been receiving an influx of big business recently, including the newly opened Target (although that is on the east side of 125th Street).
I hadn't visited the location prior to the remodel, however the remodeled location comprises two floors. The first floor is entirely women's, with Divided, accessories and fitting rooms, while the upper floor houses men's and children's clothing.
On July 30th, the grand re-opening of the location, H&M partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem for a financial grant and members were granted early access to the store with donated gift cards to the Club's members.
In comparison to other locations, the Harlem store is smaller than the Herald Square or Bryant Park locations, yet bigger than the SoHo location. The store is most likely very similar in size to the H&M located at 18th & 5th (my personal favorite).
H&M Harlem
125 West 125th Street
New York, NY 10027
(212) 665-8300
Have you popped into the new location? Share your thoughts below!
5 Photos: View as Gallery | View as Slideshow
Style IT Investigates: Marshall's ShoeMegaShop
I was recently encouraged to check out Marshall's new in store Shoe MegaShop. As someone with very large feet (size 12 if you must know, but they do perfectly compliment my 6'2" frame) shoe shopping often leaves me disheartened unless I can count on the retailer to carry size 12 shoes regularly. In fact, there are very few shoe stores I can count on - Target & Payless immediately come to mind.
While in San Francisco on a business trip, I managed to sneak a few moments for myself Saturday morning before my flight back to JFK to check out a conveniently located Marshall's store. Honestly I tried as hard as I realistically could to enter the experience with an open mind. Once I saw the store's style-by-style merchandising, I knew that I only stood a 1% chance of finding a shoe in my size. The downside of style-by-style merchandising, while appealing to those average sized gals, is the tantalizing styles get my hopes up. I browsed the aisles, casually falling in love and repeatedly looking for anything over a size 10. If you have average sized feet (ie, sizes 6-10) you'll love the new Marshall's Shoe Megashop. For more details on Marshall's new merchandising efforts, check out what Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains has to say.
I had a similar experience when I popped into a Union Square Payless location one day while casually shopping. The retailer is also experimenting with style-by-style merchandising instead of the traditional sorting by size method. The store looked lovely, the shoes were beautifully displayed, but the entire experience left me feeling like I'd gambled and lost.
Even though the Shoe Megashop experience wasn't meant for me, I'm still a very big advocate of Marshalls/TJ Maxx, especially after having worked there for a stint during college. If you're an ultimate bargain hunter like me, check out Marshalls and TJ Maxx's new sites, What's In, where you can share your great finds with other users. After signing up find me, under username styleitonline, and show me your latest finds. I'm planning a TJ Maxx shopping trip this weekend for the 3 p's - pots, pans and purses!
Ask Style IT: Mad For Madras
Reader WB asks:
When is it permissible to wear madras?
Thanks for writing in WB! For this question, we turned to our favorite wardrobe guru, Allie of Wardrobe Oxygen for the answer.
From WiseGeek:
Madras fabric is a light, cotton fabric that is typically associated with summer clothing. The name is based on the initial inventors of the madras fabric style, the Eastern Indians and especially on the black and red check fabric that was exported from Madras, India. Madras fabric is now made in a variety of checked patterns, for example turquoise and pink checks were popular in the 1980s preppy style. It was enjoyed as a "preppy lock" much earlier, and is referenced in S.E. Hinton's novel, The Outsiders as preferred by the rich kids.
Madras is made from very lightweight (sometimes to the point of being sheer) cotton from cheery colors, usually on a white background. This fabric doesn't look right at any time of the year that isn't sunny and hot. To wear it in the cooler months is the equivalent of wearing a wool pencil skirt in July: it may work and you may feel comfortable, but you will not look comfortable or stylish. Madras is best left to the months between Memorial Day and Labor Day, along with your straw espadrilles, white linen sundresses and wicker purses.
Click here for past Ask Style ITs or to ask your own question!
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