Trying to put my finger on "Jersey Couture"

It would be all too obvious to make fun of this new TV show on Oxygen, but I feel like I need to say SOMETHING.  So here it is: call me naive, but how in the WORLD do their customers afford the gowns they buy in this store?  One woman bought a dress for a wedding (as a guest, not the bride) for $999.  Another mom bought her young teenage daughter three different dresses (2 for proms, one for a wedding) that cost - if I am recalling correctly - a total of around $3,000(!)(?).  I guess I am a communist, but this really threw me.  Particularly because none of these people ever balk at the prices.  I mean, can't your daughter wear the same dress to the wedding and one of the proms?  And then they all buy matching new jewelry too! 

T.J. Maxx - 57th St.

Is 57th Street the new discount destination? T.J. Maxx opening at 57th and Eighth, around the corner from Daffy's. Watch out Union Square.

~nancy brenner

Report from the Front: LEGO Rockefeller Center

Lucky wide-eyed tourists and even jaded New Yorkers stopped in their tracks to watch workers on the night shift finish flourishes to the flagship Fifth Avenue store. Pop-art colors, mosaics, a giant green dinosaur and Big Apple special edition LEGO re-creations reflecting the famous sculptures surrounding Rockefeller Center and the ice skating rink will be a must see for Lego purists. Also, all fun seekers from 8-80 -- even for fashionistas headed straight for Saks Fifth Avenue -- may be tempted to help LEGO build the biggest apple in the Big Apple (a giant 15 footer)!

The times when the public can help build the 15 foot Big Apple model:

• Tuesday, June 29: 8:00am - 6:00pm
• Wednesday, June 30: 8:00am - 6:00pm
• Thursday, July 1: 8:00am - 3:00pm

 A store so new, you can still smell the paint fumes!

 
~nancy brenner

June 24: Zara's semi-annual sale

I'm not sure if I hate this store or not, but who am I to keep information to myself?
Tthe big Zara Semi-Annual Sale begins tomorrow, June 24th. All spring/summer clothing, shoes and accessories are on sale in all departments - women's, men's and children's. Store locations can be found at Zara.com, and the sale will continue until stock runs out.

Gird Your Loins: Report from Catherine Malandrino

Long lines for "early" entry into the edifice, the elevator, bag check and dressing rooms. Gilt go-getters expected a more expedient process. experience. If you are a petite, this is a chance for you to find flirty tops  for $80 at size zero or petite (usually $300 and up in the stores). A must if you are a Malandrino fan who will love the $150 feminine frocks. Have patience and come with a small cross-body bag to avoid the check-in and check-out lines. Also, walk up the four flights to avoid the elevator line.
123 West 18th Street.
 
~nancy brenner.

Layering Nirvana at Only Hearts

Delicious Camis in Brights are HOT at Only Hearts and are the #1 requested item from sample salees: Report from the Front.

Doors opened at Noon today at 230 Mott Street for these and other items, such as the above pictured July 4th dress perfect for a BBQ.  If you've been eyeing their pieces at their Columbus Ave. store or online, move quickly before best deals disappear.

~nancy brenner

Lingerie La La Land at Natori: Report from the Front

Sorry you missed the La Perla sale?  Don't be.  The Natori line is insanely priced and you'll wonder two things:  can I buy enough underwear to avoid doing the laundry ever again and why did I ever pay $50 or more for underpinnings?  Sheer shopping giddiness ensued at this sale where bras were $4 and $8, panties for $8, bodysuits for $5 and so on and so forth.  Josie Natori underpinnings that sold for hundreds are $20.  Don't berate yourself for being sidelined by an untold number of sample sales this week.  There is a new shipment coming in. Be prepared to sift through this one - it's worth it. Communal dressing room.

Today only
104 Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor
9-4

~Nancy Brenner

Affordable Champion Exercise / Rocker Shoes‏

The GS loves when she gets spontaneous helpful shopping tips from her friends, such as the one she received today:

It was only a matter of time but Payless now has the “Shape Up” equivalent shoes from Champion. Plus, they now have their version of the “Fit Flop”.

The Champion shoe is only $39.99 and I got mine from Sketchers for over $100. And their Fitflop is only $25 (versus $50 for the pair I paid).

They work really well for me but to be honest, since I still go to the gym, not exactly sure how effective it really is. In any case, wanted to pass it along to you girls.

Here’s the link to the shoes:
http://static.payless.com/htmls/static/championfitness-yahoo.html?cid=oa_10sp6_yahooto_4

Ben-Amun Sample Sale Devotees Get White Glove Treatment: Report from the Front

Beyonce, Leighton Meester and Rhianna have all been spotted sporting the funky line. If you're a regular Ben-Amun devotee, designer Issac Manevitz and his wife Regina are on hand to help you select your baubles, unravel a pearl necklace or even shorten a too long bracelet in a matter of minutes. Manevitz actually pulled out his tool kit in the midst of Ben-Amun addict mayhem - this is a designer always cares about treating his customers like jewels, even if they don't grace the pages of Vogue or In-Style. If you can't make it to the showroom, which you really should to discover one-of-a-kind treasures, bracelets starting in single digits - check out their facebook page where they have an item of the day offer for a green resin ball necklace going for $35, originally $180. Collectible looks range from the popular coins, to military to resin to crystal and everything in between.

• Coin bracelet $58, reduced from $145
• Hanging star pin, $24-$60
• Military hanging pin $30 from $75
• Yellow and red bracelet $10 from $25
• Crystal chain necklace $48 from $140

~nancy brenner

Even Friends & Family Line Cut at Shoshanna: Report from the Front

Experienced shoppers sidled up to the $50 sample sale racks faster than Lady Gaga flipped off photogs at the Mets game. Finds include the one shoulder frock in cobalt or cherry red retailing at Bloomingdales for $305 selling for $50; the rainforest floral sheath retailing at $360 and already sold out at the Neiman Marcus site except for a size 8, here for $150. Cover ups could do double duty as dresses on a sun-drenched city afternoon - a deep V-neck cover-up retailing for $220, a cutwork lace cover up for $255 and a floral one for $240, selling for $75 each. Real finds if you want your assets to look as fabulous on the beach as they do everywhere else.
241 West 39th Street
4th floor

~nancy brenner