I am digging my BDG jeans from Urban Outfitters

And will explain why soon.  One reason: The extra dark blue color.

OK, I'm back. And Yeah, yes - I meant BDG Jeans! 
As a not-as-young-as-I used-to-be broad, finding good jeans is key.  And I found them by accident in a store I almost never go into - Urban Outfitters!  I like them because:

They fit
They are comfy
They cost $60-something
and...
I can get away with wearing them, possibly even making me "seem" younger than I am!

I wore them when I was "on tour" with my rock star friend in Seattle, and much younger, cooler chicks pointed out to me that we were all wearing the same jeans.  And in a good way.  Maybe I can pull this off a few more years after all.

So run there or check online - I suspect it will be worth the trip...

The JC Penney Secret: Cheap Levi's

OK, maybe it isn't such a big secret, but it was a revelation to me since I had never been inside of a JC Penney until a few weeks ago.  And now that the gift hath been given, I can let the cat out of the bag:

JC Penney has tons of men's Levi's - all styles, colors, washes, etc. - for $33 a pair!  And best news yet, they fit my recipient to a "T."

If you haven't been in the relatively new JC Penney in NYC, it's in the Manhattan Mall on 6th Ave. and 33rd St., not far from Macy's.

The "Jegging?" Seriously?

HOT Jeans for Dear Old Dad from Lands' End

If you need to get the old man some new jeans for Father's Day, look no further than the cutting-edge fashions brought to you by Lands' End.

How HOT are these men's jeans with Lycra?
But seriously, they offer a very wide range of sizes (unbelievable, in fact) from which to choose, and methinks you would be unlikely to find such a selection in a bricks & mortar store.

They are incredibly cheap $31.60 + shipping ($7.95), and tax, depending on where you live/ship to.

Now as dad's waist expands, so will his jeans. But in STYLE!

Housing Works on 23rd St. Has Good Jeans

Hi girls - I spied lots of goodness at Housing Works 23rd St. today - 2 pairs of Paper Denim & Cloth Jeans and 1 pair of Marc Jacobs pinstriped jeans - all about size 6 for $30-$35 a pair - and in grand condition. I would run over there now and wait until they open in the a.m. to make a score of epic proportions.

Chicago: Clothes I Bought at noir & michelle tan

So in addition to scoring a pair of the arguably best-fitting jeans (Levi's) ever at new'd (it's a resale shop with truly amazingly new-looking apparel) for about $34, I also got the above skirt-that-doubles-as-a-cape (for when you are needed as a stand-in superhero in a crunch) at michelle tan, and the fun fluorescent greenish yellow off-the-shoulder scoop neck top at noir.

The skirt is by ming, a Hong-Kong based design outfit that offers some interesting pieces. This one has dual functions and includes some interesting styling and details (e.g. red thread). Since it's made of poly+wool, I got it at the decent price of $87 (it is the off-season after all).

The top, by Rubber Ducky was basically the only thing that fit my body in this store better suited for a 23 year old. However, the salesgirl was fun, interested and helpful...so I bought something. See how effective real customer service can be?

JEANS?!

So I went to no fewer than 5 stores this weekend looking for jeans (there's a story behind my search that I will disclose soon).
Maybe it's just the time of year, but it appeared all along 5th Avenue that there is next to no merchandise anywhere! And what is going on in Ann Taylor? It was like a color blind monster barfed in there. The work-appropriate apparel seemed all but gone.

Chicago: Shopping Secret...Shhhh

So in communicating with a GS friend, I have been given some insight from an anti-shopper's shopper:

I'm not a big shopper myself but definitely love a good bargain and get very proud of them. One thing that I discovered in the past year: Chicago is a great city for shopping. I visited a friend there and we shopped for a weekend; Chicago is a big enough city to have a lot of good clothes but Chicagoans are far too practical to spend ridiculous amounts of money. I feel compelled to tell you about my biggest score in Chicago: jeans are a rough area for me (for everyone over 25, I imagine...) There is a dangerously fine line between flatteringly low-waisted and my a** hanging out when I sit down, and I try on a LOT of jeans without buying many. In Chicago I bought a cute pair of True Religion jeans that I can sit in for $50! They were originally $320, but nobody in Chicago is going to pay that much because it's stupid. Even with the flight to Chicago ($200) they were cheaper than retail!My other new thing: for sports equipment, www.steepandcheap.com. They sell only one thing at a time but they sell it REALLY cheap--usually more than 60% off-- and then move on to the next. My sister has actually bought a ton of stuff on there (she's the sporty sister). I check it a lot, though. It's totally worth it. Wow. I totally feel like talking about shopping. I totally agree with you about Old Navy, Macy's and Lord and Taylor.

Big Drop Warehouse Sale: Jan 18-20

What: Big Drop Warehouse Sale

When: Friday, January 18th to Sunday, January 20th; 10a.m. to 8pm

Where: Open House Gallery: a socially and environmentally responsible venue 201 Mulberry street between Kenmare and Spring streets

Payments: Cash and all major credit cards. Minimum charge $100, otherwise, cash only

Featuring apparel from Seven Jeans, Citizens For Humanity, Paige Denim, Mara Hoffman, Tracy Reese, Rebecca Taylor, Edun, Young Fabulous and Broke, YA- YA, Development and more…

Some price examples:
- Seven Jeans were $205 now$49 to $59
- Citizens for Humanity Jeans: were $192 now $49 to $59
- Development: cotton voile v-neck dress with silk trim was $360 now $99
- Edun: Striped blazer was $345 now $99
- Rebecca Taylor: Wool coat was $548 now$159

Christmas Lists from Guerilla Mom & Dad

I have not yet purchased a single Xmas present. But the orders from Mother and Father Guerilla are in. See what a demanding life I lead?:

MOM
I'm thinking I could use some black leather dress gloves - the ones lined in silk not cashmere. I have the other kind but they look somewhat bulky for really dress occasions or in warmer weather. Size 7 1/2.

I might like medium blue denim jeans, no adornments, hip hugger style ok (maybe the best fit) can be straight leg and boot cut (whatever that means). Now I'm on a roll. If you have some castoffs that would fit the bill, I'd be most happy with that too.

DAD
Belt – Brown and/or black. Woven leather. Size 36. Could be expensive but price is no object.

After shave lotion or balm (not cologne). Some new expensive designer kind. Not flowery smelling.

That’s all I can think of and have room for.

Subway Fashion: Sunday

Whilst trekking back uptown on the subway on Sunday, after visiting my real apt., which is about 85% rebuilt, I noticed a high level of interesting fashion going on around me. I wondered why....and then realizing that it was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, decided that it was probably full of actual New Yorkers. I.e. the tourists had all gone home and the NYers were all just returning from whence they came. Sorry to all of those out-of-towners who are offended by my NYC fashion snobbery, but 99 out of 100 times, it's the truth. I use the Sex and the City "scrunchy episode" as an example.


Anyway, the best spotting was a trio of young, very thin Asian girls who were each wearing tight stretchy jeans, Converse low tops or leather Airwalk high tops, and many layers of tops, jackets, and/or hoodies. The most interesting thing about their get-ups was that they were each wearing (real) fur "scarves" around their necks. To me, they were the epitome of modern urban street fashion. And no I don't have a photo, which is why I do this for free.

Jill Anderson: High-waisted jean

I'm not sure that I'm really "down" with this look. I feel like you have to be 6 feet tall and really freaking skinny to make this look "work" - otherwise you will look like a great big flag or something - way too much material going on here for short people, and not a great look for those with prominent "tummies."

BusinessWeek: Pricey Jeans Are So Passé

...I couldn't agree more. I visited Scoop on the Upper East Side the other week and tried on a couple of pairs of COH jeans, which each ran about $189. I have never spent more than $98 on jeans, and even that seemed ultimately insane to me (but it was at Club Monaco, so I let it slide). So instead I purchased some Levi's 545 Low Slim boot cut jeans at Sears for $19.99! No I am not kidding and no I am not insane. The only trick is that you have to travel outside of Manhattan to find this "Sears" that you may have heard about in Beastie Boys songs of yore. But these jeans fit me better than most. Check 'em out before they are all gone (see photo)!

BusinessWeek

July 23, 2007

FASHION

Pricey Jeans Are So Passé

Looking to trim her two-dozen-pair collection of designer jeans, Julie Mathis, a Los Angeles public relations executive, recently tried to sell her $400 Antik Denim jeans to a local secondhand shop. She figured the store would snap them up. It didn't. "They were like: Nobody's wearing these anymore,'" Mathis says. The five-year-old denim craze, which has juiced sales for apparel makers and department stores alike, looks to be fading at last. Sales of women's jeans declined 1.8% last year, to $7.5 billion, the first pullback in five years, says market researcher NPD Group. Two years ago the women's jeans business was on a double-digit tear, driven largely by the premium category of $100-plus jeans. Blame consumer fatigue and an influx of cheap jeans that even connoisseurs acknowledge aren't half bad. Denim crazes have come and gone. Los Angeles-based 7 For All Mankind kicked off the latest frenzy in 2000 with its $114 derrière-hugging jeans. Before long, tony Italian and Japanese denim became commonplace, and regular folk were obsessing over styles (boot cut vs. flare), washes (dark denim vs. stonewash), and elaborate embellishments (Swarovski crystals on the rear). Paying $200 for a garment with blue-collar roots became as acceptable as laying out $3.50 for a Starbucks Venti Latte.It's been a great ride. True Religion Apparel in Los Angeles had sales of $139 million last year, a fivefold increase from 2004. The company generated operating margins of 28% last year. Polo Ralph Lauren managed 15%; Liz Claiborne, 9%.Perhaps the premium brands should have figured out that things were winding down when industry stalwart Levi Strauss finally got its mojo working again, launching new lines last year that have eaten into sales of designer jeans. True Religion's sales inched up just 1.5% in the first quarter of this year, to $36 million. Sales for Blue Holding, makers of the Antik brand, fell 28% in the same period.Another hit came when inexpensive but stylish denim caught fire in Europe. Cheap Monday, a brand hatched by a Stockholm clothing store that led the way, are now available in the U.S. at fancy boutiques for a relatively inexpensive $65 a pair. Other companies are following in lockstep. J.C. Penney will start selling $35 jeans this fall from Los Angeles designers Chip & Pepper. And Guess is selling $50 jeans at its new, lower-priced G by Guess chain. Meanwhile, women are diverting their denim dollars to dresses and bags. True Religion now sells shoes and shirts; 7 For All Mankind, $500 purses. Both also offer sweaters and jackets. Loretta Soffe, head of women's apparel for Nordstrom, says the designers have yet to prove they can make the transition. "I'm not going to lie to you," she says. "Their expertise is in denim."

By Christopher Palmeri

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.

Skinny Black Jeans

One of my faithful readers asked me today:

I have a GS question...are black skinny jeans still in? Or were they just a big flop? Got a pair at the Gap yesterday and can't really decide if I like them....

My dutiful answer followed:

I have two pairs of black skinnys - one are sort of faded jeans from Club Monaco and I didn't think I would ever buy jeans like that, but I love them because they fit great. The others are black cotton pants also from Club Monaco - reminiscent of the 80s - and I love them...because they are reminiscent of the 80s (see pic., such as it is). So basically if they look good and feel good then they are GOOD.

Levis: On the Comeback Trail?

Hi all. I just read the following article in USA Today about how Levi's sales are gaining after a near-decade in decline. They attribute this turnaround to, among other things, Levi's "skinny jeans" for women. While that's all well and good, I visited the Levi's store on Lexington near Bloomingdale's a couple of months ago to check the skinnys out. I can't tell you if they were a good cut or fit or not because THEY COST $151 so I refused to even try them on. For me, Levi's skinny jean strategy is a good one for other retailers, such as Club Monaco that are charging a mere $98 for similar jeans. Prior, the thought of paying more than $50 for jeans had seemed outrageous to me, but now $98 seems like a steal!

And in similar skinny news (from a Reuters article): Gap's skinny black pants -- promoted as a new trend -- have ended up on the discount rack for $9.99, and some see mixed messages in marketing campaigns featuring rappers on one hand and deceased style icon Audrey Hepburn on the other.

The skinny conundrum continues...

Levi's fashions new outlook in ads, jeans
By Theresa Howard, USA TODAY
NEW YORK — Levi Strauss finally ironed out the wrinkles in 2005 after an eight-year slump.
After nearly a decade of sales declines, the company reported a 1% gain in fiscal 2005. Sales have chugged along since, and the company posted year-over-year profit gains of 14%, 50% and 29% in the first three quarters of fiscal 2006. "Things are finally turning the corner," says Amy Jasmer, director of publicity and promotion.
Among Levi's changes:
•New styles. Levi's was ready for the return to skinny and straight leg jeans last year. It promoted its 501 as the original straight leg for men. The new 504 is skinny and straight for women. "For years we took our eye off of innovation," Jasmer says. "We weren't putting out the most stylish jeans."
•New TV ads. Spots by longtime agency BBH, N.Y., gave some edge to Levi's image. One features a young man and woman walking a "straight line" through city streets, over obstacles, to meet. The music is a remake of Johnny Cash's I Walk the Line.
In a second ad, a man watching live TV news recognizes that a fleeing criminal is trying to steal his Levi's from the clothesline. He runs into his yard to catch him.
"The main objective of the advertising is to make sure we are consistently building the brand image," says Talbot Logan, group account director of BBH. "We've seen the brand gain strength in image, share and sales."
•More stores. Levi's is expanding its retailing unit to reach younger shoppers who favor specialty stores such as American Eagle. It has gone from seven stores in 2004 to 28 stores last year and plans to open more this year. A year ago, it returned to online sales; it sold online briefly several years ago.
•New CEO. John Anderson, a 27-year Levi Strauss veteran, took over as CEO in November after Phil Marineau, CEO since 1999, retired.
Though the Levi's brand has made great strides, the baby boom icon needs to make a stronger connection with younger consumers.
"We want to make sure we don't alienate older consumers who have been with us," Jasmer says. "But by virtue of denim we're trying to bring in new consumers."
That vital because the 18- to 24-year-olds buy more denim than any other age group, according to retail tracker NPD Group. That age group accounted for 33% of the $8.6 billion spent on denim in the year ended in October.
"There is still an opportunity for the brand to show this consumer that there is a range of styles and fits that look great on them," says BBH's Logan.
Results of Ad Track, USA TODAY's weekly consumer survey, indicate that the agency's latest ads haven't grabbed those younger consumers for Levi's just yet.
Overall, 17% of adults familiar with the ads like them "a lot" vs. the Ad Track average of 21%. But just 13% in the 18-to-24 age group gave them the top mark vs. 24% in the 40-to-49 group
Believing that the way it currently is spending its ad budget may not be in line with younger consumers, Levi's is rethinking how and where it puts marketing dollars.
In the fall the company opened four temporary stores on college campuses and sponsored a promotion that picked a handful of college students to be featured in a print ad campaign in the spring.
Also, this year Levi's will start to shift some ad dollars away from TV to new media that offer interactivity and that attract its sought-after young adults.
"We're looking at a small change and trying to be a little more engaging," Jasmer says.

Ghost on Bond St.: Hurry! $25 Jeans!

I have walked by, but never into Ghost on Bond St. But when one of my friendly stringers just informed me of their "we're closing sale" going on through the end of January, I decided I had to check it out.

Most of the rayon, unstructured, flowy dresses, skirts and tops are not really my style, but $25 designer jeans are! I tried on three different pairs and settled on the ones pictured below (the last ones of their kind). You need to get yourself in there and buy some. I found the "stretchy" ones much more comfortable than the "rigid" pair, however I think I liked the "rigid" denim better. I bought the stretchies (I must be getting old.)

I asked why they were closing, and can't really remember what the answer was because I was so mortally stunned by the following exchange:

Me: "Are you closing because the rents in this neighborhood are skyrocketing?"
Salesdude: "No, it's really cheap down here. Like Sixteen."
Me: "Sixteen hundred?"
Salesdude: "No, sixteen thousand."
Me: "A year?"
Salesdude: "No, a MONTH. It's retail!"

I should probably move to Idaho, because there is no way on earth that I could ever understand that $16,000 A MONTH is considered CHEAP. Oh good lord.