Paul Smith Sale Shop in Bklyn - CUTTING TO THE BONE!

Right from the New York Times' "Urban Eye:"

It’s men’s fashion week in Milan, but it’s discount month in Brooklyn. The Paul Smith Sale Shop in Williamsburg — where prices start at least 30 percent off — is cutting even deeper; everything from bathing suits to striped shirts, plus women’s and children’s ware, is marked down an additional 70 percent. Paul Smith’s clothes “have always been crisp, dressy, optimistic and unafraid of color,” Mike Albo writes. “He not only made it cool to wear shirts with vibrant prints, suits with purple linings, ties with floral patterns but also made it masculine.” And now he’s made it cheaper.

Peachfrog: Lots of Cool Stuff for Cheap

The New York Times Urban Eye just wrote about Peachfrog in Williamsburg:

"A trip to Peachfrog, a new emporium of liquidated and overstocked merchandise... The store carries men’s and women’s clothing, accessories and home furnishings guaranteed to be 70 to 90 percent off the original price."

It sounds like a fun shopping trip to take, albeit perhaps not a very sophisticated one. I shall check it out eventually and report back.

Dome Ring: $165

I have to hand it to The New York Times' Urban Eye for finding this one - the Dome Ring by Kenneth Jay Lane for just $165. "Faceted Swarovski crystals line domed curve of faux hematite paved ring. Inner tab adjusts to fit. Choose from green or crystal. Measures 1" wide."

I think this would make for an excellent fancy pants ring. Or even if your pants aren't that fancy, this ring will crank up your cool and/or groovy factor exponentially.

Diane von Furstenberg Sample Sale: Pause

As many of you may know, the Diane von Furstenberg sample sale starts today and runs through June 7 at 260 Fifth Ave., near 29th Street. And since this was announced in Urban Eye today, you can rest assured that every woman in town will be there. Except me. Why? OK, well two main reasons:

1. I work for a living. I can't really get there, and don't have the urge to fight tooth and nail right now.

2. If you haven't noticed I haven't been buying much in the way of clothing recently. I've bought jewelry, shoes, furniture...but actual clothing? Not so much. Oh and FOOD, I've been buying lots of that. Which has really assisted me in filling out quite nicely just in time for the summer season. So I'm trying to snap back into some reasonable level of shape furst. If you are in the same situation, with cravings along the lines of Haagen-Dasz Caramel Cone - perhaps the greatest ice cream of all time- read this as a bit of a jumpstarter: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/outsmart-your-cravings?ecd=wnl_wlw_053108

Clashing Fashion

Today's New York Times Urban Eye talks about how men are now "allowed" to wear what they may consider to be mismatched separates, such as plaids and paisleys, and also points to a NYT Fashion & Style article by David Colman on the subject.

Great, so now (most) men who don't know how to dress to begin with will have another excuse as to why not.

But my real point is this: women have been doing this for years. You will see this, particularly if you've spent time in Chinatown or on the subways that run through there. But seriously folks, as you will see in today's photo, I have managed to adorn myself in a flower print skirt, horizontally striped tank, white eyelet blouse and a black loosely knit shrug/cardigan thing. So far nobody has outright laughed at me, so I think it "works." The key being: stay in the same color/hue family and don't involve more than one fabric. In this case I have all kinds of cottons in black, white, green and orange.

And if you are a special kind of fashionista, you are allowed to step over the line. But this kind of risk-taking is reserved for professionals only. Cuidado!

From The New York Times' Urban Eye, these things seem cool and fairly accessible to the regular people out there. Well, at least for once I have a vague clue as to what they are talking about anyway:

Art That’s Worth the Coat Off Your Back
If you’re really stylish, you can pull off the following together: the popular coat of the season, the barrel-shaped black and white shadow plaid, according to Bill Cunningham, and the sneaker to have, namely Nike’s Horse Pack in zebra-stripe pony skin ($140 at Blue & Cream, 1 East First Street at Bowery; 212-533-3088). Too much?

If you’re the thrifty type, check out the Thrift On! clothing swap at Botanica on Monday night, or stop by the galleryesque Pawn Shop on Ludlow Street. It trades art by walk-ups and stars (Aleksandra Mir, Miguel Calderón and Gardar Eide Einarsson) for cash. Barrel-shaped black-and-white shadow plaid coats — however artful — probably don’t qualify.

Roberto Cavalli at H&M Today

Roberto Cavalli's collection for H&M goes on sale there today. As reported in today's New York Times' Urban Eye:

"There are dozens of graphic pieces for men and women, including sharp military jackets, leopard gowns and spangled little dresses, priced from $20 to $350. The divo himself will make an appearance at the flagship store at Fifth Avenue and 51st Street."

Libertine at Target

OK, so now the New York Times Urban Eye isn't only reading my blog for ideas, they are reading my mind because I swear I was going to write about this new collection (Libertine) after spotting it this weekend. If I were younger or still in denial about my age I might have even bought some of it:


SHOPPING
Punky but Chic
Get your masstige on: the Libertine collection arrived in Target stores yesterday. The punk-prep clothing, priced from $12.99 to $39.99, includes a lot of of-the-moment stitchery (knits, embroidery) on shorts, skirts, dresses, striped trousers and printed tops. Get it before the cheap-fashion fan Heidi Klum does.
Target, Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues, Brooklyn; (718) 290-1109.

I always feel like...The New York Times is watching me...

No, I swear - check out the posting from Wednesday's "Urban Eye" and then look at my posting from last week on Fette Sau in Williamsburg. Photos look familar??? I would say so. Sue everyone.

Mi Ropa; PDT: Hot Dogs & Cocktails

This past weekend my friends at Fabric Renewal in Bloomingdale, NJ delivered my spring and summer apparel. Except after they left, I realized: NO PANTS! Or suits, or jackets...I guess they took my direction on the phone regarding seasonal clothing a bit too literally.
So I called back and explained the dire situation: I need pants. In fact, I love them. They kindly came back yesterday morning, and on clothing racks displayed in the middle of E. 80th St. I went through everything, picking and choosing what I needed for this time of year, and sending the rest back with them to be stored for the season.

People were oggling the literal display at 8 a.m. in the middle of the street with sheer wonderment. I am now seriously upset that I didn't catch it on film because it was something to be seen. "Who is that? What the hell is she doing?" Too funny.
And in other [food and drink] news, I am appealing to my friend to take me here, or at least go with me (see photo)...

From the New York Times' "Urban Eye"
One Hot Dog, Heavy on the Secret Sauce
By MELENA RYZIK
Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Three great tastes that taste great together: lowbrow food, highbrow cocktails, and secret bars. PDT is a surprisingly classy lounge tucked inside an East Village hot dog shop. You want in? Approach the phone booth, find the hidden camera and hope the guy who’s manning it likes your smile. Once inside, you can order a deep-fried, bacon-wrapped hot dog and a "precisely calibrated, classically inclined" drink, like a mean mint julep or pisco sour. The name stands for Please Don’t Tell. You won’t, right?

PDT, inside Crif Dogs, 113 St. Marks Place (Avenue A), East Village, (212) 614-2728.

Earnest Sewn Sale (denim)

From today's New York Times' "Urban Eye" - it almost seems like this should be kept secret! And in other news, the GS continues to search for temporary furnished month-to-month housing. Don't be shy, let me know if you hear of anything available!

SHOPPING
Sit on Your Principles
Our long weekend of short pants was a treat, but don’t get too comfortable: cooler temperatures are on the way, so take a moment to evaluate your denim collection. Those who like designer quality but not designer logos should head to the sample sale at the hipster denim label Earnest Sewn, about which Alex Kuczynski says, “there are no expensive jeans better.” Regular prices often top $200, but here everything is $22 to $75, including sweater vests for men and women ($60) and jeans for the little ones ($55).
Today and tomorrow, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Earnest Sewn, 829 Washington Street (Gansevoort Street), West Village, (212) 242-3414.

Shake Shack Open Today

From the New York Times' Urban Eye...(I'm mostly concerned with Shake Shack...)

DINING
Crab Is a Many-Splendored Thing
By MELENA RYZIK
Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Yes, yes, Shake Shack is open again, and they’ve even got a nifty way to ease the webcam-worthy wait. (You get a beeper to let you know when your order’s ready.) But why wait at all? Head to Pacificana, a new Cantonese palace in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and gorge on pork dumplings, sesame rice balls, clams with scallions, taro cakes and the best congee Peter Meehan ever tasted straight from the dim sum cart. If you’re feeling patient, splurge on the by-the-pound king crab: “a brilliant succession of four dishes,” from an elegant soup to crispy fried legs. “It was an impressive conclusion to a meal at Pacificana, which may have opened only a few months ago, but already feels like an institution,” Mr. Meehan says. Coming soon: the crabcam?

Pacificana, 813 55th Street (Eighth Avenue), Second Floor, Sunset Park, Brooklyn; (718) 871-2880.

I Should Go To LOOPY MANGO in Dumbo

I read this yesterday in the New York Times' "Urban Eye" daily email. It certainly sounds loopy. I shall have to visit soon, for inspiration...

SHOPPING
Dumbo and Friends
“If one store best represents Front Street in Dumbo,” Alex Kuczynski says, “it is Loopy Mango,” which has a suitably Brooklyn mix of vintage and new clothing, antiques and jewelry. “A denim utility suit by Deener, brand-new and stiff, was $275 and just the thing someone might need for a Devo reunion party. Next to it, a dusty framed photograph of kittens cost $75.” Plus, Waejong Kim, an owner, is a crochet artist, so the shop has become “something of a destination for crochet fetishists.” Witness the pink-and-green-yarn bathing suit (future Pam Anderson wedding garb?), the crocheted cherry earrings, the dog caftan with matching human outfit. “In the shadow of the Manhattan Bridge,” Kuczynski says, “it all made sense.”

Loopy Mango, 117 Front Street, at Adams Street, Dumbo, Brooklyn; (718) 858-5930.