Barbara Feinman Millinery Gives Good Hat

Great hats, jewelry and accessories dot the boutique known as Barbara Feinman Millinery on 66 E. 7th St. Although the prices in here are not exactly of the discounted kind, the quality and service makes up for the difference.

Last year I purchased the partially pictured hat/scarf combination, which has served me tremendously well. Listen up, as this is coming from a known hat-0-phobe. The colors, the soft materials and the design have won me over and I think that I am on a road to recovery. I am willing to accept hat head in exchange for a stylish dome. In fact, I am thinking about returning to the boutique to peruse other hat options.

Additionally, the good people at BFM custom-made me a shrug made from an interesting metallic lace material to wear in my friend's non-traditional wedding. Their recommendations and attention to detail and service were impressive and made me feel good about my purchase. This is key in the retail/fashioin business, and yet, so often overlooked!

Sexxy Mexx-y

Mexx is Club Monaco's unkempt (German) cousin. I like Mexx well enough, and you can get good deals by signing up for the store credit card (be careful with store credit cards though, read my post from October!). Additionally, they offer many sale items upstairs in their midtown-Fifth Ave. location. But I find it odd that they are located along the same strip as St. John, Versace and Gucci. I was going to suggest that they relocate downtown on Broadway because I feel like their demographic is more trendy college/post-college, but then I checked and they DO have a location downtown on Broadway (between Spring and Broome). So while I'm late to the party, my savvy strategic shopping mind is on point.

My other issue is that some of their clothes are generally disposable, meaning that I feel they are too trendy and I don't find that they are very well-made. The colors fade, garments tend to lose their shape, materials lack "staying power." However, to be fair and balanced, I do own several Mexx pieces and have also purchased very well-priced Mexx items at Loehmann's - a black dress, pants and skirt - and they have served me pretty well.

I guess my feelings about Mexx are as schizophrenic as I feel their clothes are. It must be some kind of German plot to confuse us.

Delman Sample Sale, Nov. 7 - 9

Today, tomorrow and the next day is the Delman (shoes) sample sale at 730 Fifth Avenue @57th St. (8th Floor). They take cash and credit cards.

It is insane in there.

For the uninitiated, Delman shoes have mostly classic designs, are decent quality and VERY expensive. So while they are cheaper than usual, I still couldn't get excited about spending $99 - $150 for one pair of flats, especially since there are hundreds of women knocking each other over all over the floor, lunging for shoes in stacks of boxes. They also make you check your bag and coat at the door, grrrr....

HOWEVER! If you are feeling like an ultimate guerilla (especially if you are a size 6.5 or 9 - there is a special section of $60 samples), my suggestion is to go there without a bag or a coat (it's warm today!) - not during lunchtime - put your head down, and dive in. And make sure you are in a really good mood too.

Furniture Part IV: ABC Carpet is Dreamy

I am going to crack open my anti-retail armor for you and admit how much I love ABC Carpet & Home: I love it infinity.

If I had countless dollars and no financial conscience, I would probably adorn my whole apartment with goods from this festival of furniture on Broadway near Union Square. Have you been? GO! The first floor is a wonderland of lamps, chandeliers, jewelry, pillows...as if you stumbled upon some Sultan's palace. It continues to awe and inspire for several more floors. You have to see it to believe it.

Over the years I have managed to purchase the mini-tiffany lamp pictured above, two carpets (my dad bought one), and bedding, which I somehow inherited from my parents as well. So in fact I haven't really managed to purchase much on my own. But I digress...

Back when I was seeking a new couch, I visited the Broadway location and spied the most beautifully outrageous piece of sittery that I have ever laid my eyes on. It was too good for even Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra. Perhaps if it had been motorized, enabling me to cruise it around town, I might have considered it, but a $10,000 couch that merely remains stationary just didn't provide enough of a selling point for me to cash in my entire life's savings.

NOTE: There are two nearby outlets: one in the Bronx and the other in Hackensack, NJ. I have been to neither, but my parents have. I suspect this is where my bedding came from. The cushion falls not far from the chair.

AAHHH! Lord & Taylor to Leave NYC??

As some of you may have read here a couple of weeks ago, I am a BIG Lord & Taylor fan.
I just spotted this tragic article in Crain's this morning about the store leaving the city altogether. President Richard Baker claims they "want to be where people live, not where they work..." Did anyone tell him there are 8 million+ people in NYC? Sigh...well, in my view, it's really their ineffective marketing that is causing this drastic step to be considered. But it's that same ineffective marketing that made me like shopping there so much -- nobody knew where they were or what they were selling, so Guerillas could go in and feast on the treasures without hassle or bother! Alas...
. . . . .
CRAIN'S New York Business
Lord & Taylor may abandon Manhattan
Suburban gains revive famous chain; smaller NY location possible
By: Elisabeth Butler
Published: November 5, 2006 - 6:59 am

Lord & Taylor's new owner may abandon New York City and turn the venerable retail chain's Fifth Avenue flagship into condominiums or office space.Private-equity firm NRDC Equity Partners, which bought the 180-year-old department store chain last month, had spoken publicly about reducing the flagship's retail space, but President Richard Baker now says he is considering more drastic plans. Purchase, N.Y.-based NRDC may move the store — a landmark on Fifth Avenue and West 39th Street for 92 years — to another Manhattan location. Or it could leave town altogether, moving its flagship to the suburbs."It's nice having a Manhattan store, but I wouldn't call it key," Mr. Baker says. "We want to be where people live, not where they work." He gave no timetable for making a decision.Although the idea of sacrificing their Manhattan foothold would give many retailers nightmares, Lord & Taylor's leaders have lost little sleep over the possibility. Chief Executive Jane Elfers spent the past six years remaking the once-dowdy department store chain into a popular shopping destination for middle-aged women living in smaller cities and suburban areas. Cleanup womanSince landing the top spot in 2000, when the chain was owned by May Department Stores, Ms. Elfers has closed underperforming locations, replaced 80% of the product offerings to bring in higher-quality merchandise and improved customer service. She managed these tasks even as May prepared to merge with Federated Department Stores, which then sold the Lord & Taylor chain to NRDC for $1.2 billion. "We were never trying to imitate Neiman Marcus or Saks," Ms. Elfers says. "I'm looking for a different customer."As a result of the upgrades, Lord & Taylor's 38 stores are wowing soccer moms throughout the Northeast. The average customer is 41 and has $100,000 in household income, in sharp contrast to the norm six years ago, when the store's average shopper was over 50 with just $60,000 in income, Ms. Elfers says. In addition, sales have increased: In stores open at least a year, sales grew by about 8% in August and September, and about 5% in October. Lord & Taylor generated revenues of $1.6 billion in 2004, the most recent year for which data are available.Candace Cortlett, a principal of consulting firm WSL Strategic Retail, liked what she saw during a recent visit to the New York City store."They had a great mix of urban trendy and suburban classic," Ms. Cortlett says. "I was really impressed and look forward to going back."Even so, the flagship continues to falter. The Fifth Avenue giant generates just 9% of the chain's sales. By comparison, the flagship for Saks Fifth Avenue generates 20% of that retailer's revenues.The 600,000-square-foot Lord & Taylor would need a serious makeover to compete with New York's plethora of high-style retailers. NRDC Equity Partners, a joint venture between National Realty & Development Corp. and Apollo Real Estate Advisors, may still decide to simply trim the store to a more manageable 200,000 square feet and build condos above it. Other possibilities include relocating the flagship to a smaller site in the city, opening a smaller store here and moving the flagship to a suburban spot such as Scarsdale, and leaving New York City altogether. If Lord & Taylor were to leave Fifth Avenue, few New Yorkers would miss it. The location is already out of the way for many residents, and tourists rarely shop in the neighborhood. Though locals who haven't been to the store in a while might like the changes — the reduction in clutter, the fresh brands and better service — they're more likely to shop at Macy's or Bergdorf Goodman. "Most New Yorkers don't even know Lord & Taylor's exact cross streets," says Marshal Cohen, chief analyst at trend-tracking firm NPD Group Inc.Clamoring for spaceNRDC could make a lot of money by redeveloping the Fifth Avenue site and setting aside retail space for lease. Scads of retailers are begging to pay sky-high rents to gain a foothold in Manhattan. Top Shop, a U.K.-based department store, and Neiman Marcus are both rumored to be looking for space in the city. Regardless of what happens to the Lord & Taylor flagship, estimated to be worth at least $300 million, NRDC plans to spend a lot of money marketing the chain, expanding into new locations and sprucing up existing stores. "We bought the company because we're big supporters of the brand," Mr. Baker says. "We're very excited about the future." Comments? EButler@crain.com

New Store on G.S.' Radar - pa: personal affairs

This weekend I travelled up to the great white north: The Upper East Side. I was on a quest for a designer outlet that I used to stumble upon, but instead I came across a great new find -- a small store called pa (personal affairs) on E. 80th St. There's also a downtown location on E. 7th St. that I haven't visted yet.

A very comfortable setting and a friendly, encouraging saleswoman creates a stellar shopping experience. The clothing designs are structured, yet feminine; wearable, but fashion-forward. I especially loved the jackets and coats: fall and winter; wool and quilted; black, brown and khaki. Unfortunately, they didn't have my size in the things I liked best. However, by the time I came home, the saleswoman had already called their downtown store and left me a message letting me know what sizes were available there. This is not only "old-fashioned" service, it's just plain old good business!

Additionally, a sales rack featured some fun purple and reddish cords for just $35 a pair! They didn't fit me properly either - I think my body type falls in some "in-between" size - but I will certainly make a trip back soon. Good service + fun clothes + sale rack = a G.S. recommended shopping stop.

Aside: I also ventured into a couple of resale shops that featured top designers such as Gucci and Chanel. I do not recommend these shops for anyone truly seeking a bargain, nor anyone trying to avoid major salesperson attitude, but I found myself particularly taken with the jewelry in Tamaras on E. 81st St.

Les Nanas Rules! Pt. 2

Les Nanas (my secret favorite store) strikes again. I got both the "Best Sweater Ever," and the "baddest sweater dress" there this season. I haven't worn the Best Sweater Ever yet, because I am considering framing it and hanging it over my couch. It really shouldn't be touched by human hands.

Marc Jacobs: all over DSW

Attention all shoppers! I visited DSW in Union Square last weekend and was surprised by the vast Marc Jacobs selection - both shoes and boots. There is a lot to choose from and his style certainly makes him a stand-out among most other designers. In fact, I spied the perfect pair of grey pumps to match the suit I bought a few months ago. However, while the shoes were about 42% off retail, the G.S. is still not prepared to spend $400 on a pair of shoes...But for you gals who have that kind of cash, or feel your money is weighing you down, I suggest taking a trip.

AND! Because you are such a loyal reader, I have a little secret for you:
Go up, a few floors higher to the Filene's Basement shoe department, and you'll find some of the same shoes that you saw in DSW. The prices seem to be pretty much congruent, but if you can't find your size in DSW...you have options just a couple floors away. Including the grey Marc Jacobs pumps that I can't afford!

IAN's - Not Your Mother's Store

Remember my 8th grade graduation photo from a few posts ago (see Betsey Johnson)? Well, I continued to out-do myself year after year -- my mother was so pleased (secretly she really was, though).

So for my Senior Prom I thought I'd raise the bar - about seven feet - and get a dress at Ian's on 2nd Ave. near 60th St., not to be outdone by its St. Mark's locale. For those of you not versed in the ways of Ian's...well, it hasn't changed much over the years, it's still catering to the punk-rock-metal-dominatrix-fetish set. And I swear, as a naive 18 year old from the 'burbs, I didn't really get the implications of this stuff, I just thought it would look cool in a motorcycle chick/"Wendy & Lisa" kind of way. So I topped off the black cotton spandex mini-dress with a leather motorcycle cap that I found on Bleecker Street, back when Bleecker was chock full o' head shops. Ah...memories. Anyway, to make sure it was a suitable "outfit," my dear mother found gold piping matching the dress, and trimmed the hat with it. I am laughing out loud thinking about this now - I guess she figured, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Also, I am wearing black high-heeled Kenneth Cole shoes with a faint paisley imprint that I believe I picked up at Marty's. Does this place still exist? (The answer is yes, I found its website, but the inventory looks pitiful.)

So you might look at this photo and think - as others have - "Oh my. That poor, sweet, innocent boy must have been so overwhelmed." Yeah, well, hold your tears for someone else because Mr. Altar Boy is an international rock star/the front man of Dog Eat Dog, currently touring Europe. Lesson: Don't judge a rock star by its tuxedo.

Old Navy - Flip Flops & Tank Tops

Old Navy is good for flip flops and tank tops. I can't get enough of either -- so many colors and styles for a great price. And I really do enjoy going to the store on 6th Avenue in Chelsea - it's like a giant supermarket with clothes and stuff where the produce should be.

I WANT Old Navy clothes to fit me. It would be GRAND if I could create a mini-wardrobe, because the prices are so on target (pun intended). However, I can't seem to get this stuff to work for me. If the waist fits the hips are huge. If the size is right and it's on special sale, I can't get it over my knees. And what happened to their hilarious commercials? After this rant I guess I can assume that they won't be contacting me to replace Morgan Fairchild.

But wait! They also have great kitschy items near check out, including sunglasses, beach towels, necklaces, zany wrapping paper and more. It's just the actual clothes that I take issue with.

Most of all, I hope you, the lucky reader, enjoys a photo of worn flip flops. Artistic though, right? RIGHT?!