Sandy: The Aftermath

Sandy is a messy one.  Clearly she didn't get the memo about picking up after herself.  Hope you all stayed safe/dry last night!  My area in Williamsburg was pretty lucky - everything stayed intact (power, gas, water) except for a brief stint with the internet last night.  Overall, definitely can't complain.  It's day 2 of being under lockdown and I had to go out to get some air - I can only watch the same news broadcasters so many times and eat so many cookies....

Sample Sale Report: Life: Curated

Stopped by the Life: Curated Spring Sale on my way home from work this afternoon since it's in my hood (whoohoo to summer fridays!!). Since it was the middle of the day and raining a bit, there weren't that many people outside and no line outside.

Everything in the store is on sale and ranges from 30%-70% off womenswear, menswear, shoes and accessories. The pricing is pretty straightforward. Each tag is highlighted in a different color - and each color corresponds with a discount (i.e. blue is 70% off). The majority of the items on sale are in the 60% range which is pretty decent. Sizing is for the most part available with the exception of certain items and there was plenty of Converse by John Varvatos if you're a fan.

Timo Weiland oversized collar plaid shirt - now $58 (was $194)

This one one of my favorite pieces for menswear and it was 70% off - I though the exaggerated collar was playful without being overbearing. In general there were very few pieces for 70% off and only one was available in a size L.

Here are some of the options at the 60% off price point:

Button up cardigan by John Varvatos for Converse $74 (was $185), YMC plaid shirt $52 (was $130)

Saint Augustine Academy contrast shirt $58 (was $145), Nicholas K cardigan with insert $85 (was $212)

At the 50% mark, M:Zero shoes are available and will set you back $50. They had the gray and black sueded loafers available.

At the 30% off mark, there was a Nicholas K half button down shirt available for $153 (was $218). I smiled a little when I saw this since I actually picked this up in a different color a couple days ago at the SHOP event for $60 (also running the duration of this weekend)!

Signs are clearly marked and discount rates are easy enough to figure out (minus the math!) in the event that things get misplaced in the wrong section. The color coding is definitely a smart way to distinguish the discount with minimal effort.

While I didn't scope out the women's section in detail, for the most part it seemed similar to the men's in terms of discount range (with a few more 50% off items), sizing (i.e. for certain items a range of sizes were available) and quantity.

Under.linge by Doo.Ri geometric printed dress $113 (was$375)

Have a great weekend!

Who: Life Curated Stockroom Sale
What: Up to 70% of menswear, womenswear, accessories, furniture and home goods
When: June 17-19, 2011. Fri-Sat(12pm-8pm), Sun (12pm-6pm).
Where: 186 Grand Street - Williamsburg, Brooklyn (nr Bedford Ave). 347-689-9143

Health & Wellness: Yoga to the People Comes to Brooklyn

Yoga to the People is opening up a new location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (211 N 11th St between Roebling & Driggs). I'm super excited; yoga was on my list of New Year's resolutions!

This weekend only January 22 & 23, they will be offering free pre-opening hot yoga classes at 10am, 12pm, and 5pm. The sessions are free, but you'll need to pre-register online. For more information and to sign up, click here.

Another one! Samantha Pleet Sample Sale

If you are a fan of rompers and eco-friendly fashion, get yourself to Williamsburg! A friend let me know that it's Romper heaven! She picked up several for herself and a trench coat version! Prices are $20-150, mostly under $100.

Who: Samantha Pleet

What: 70% off Fall'10 & past seasons. Also adorable mince pies and hot spiked cider!

When: December 11, 2010. 11am-8pm

Where: 181 North 11th St. Suite #203. (b/n Driggs & Bedford Ave) Williamsburg

Weekend Sales

Here are a couple more sales this weekend to supplement the list from earlier this week that includes Elie Tahari, Duckie Brown and more!

Who: Built by Wendy Sale
What: Up to 70% off on corduroy coats, oversize blouses, plaid button-downs for men and women from previous fall/winter collections. Charcoal cropped sweater vest (was $232, now $70), tweed belted trench (was $394, now $118).
When: October 22-24, 2010. Fri-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun noon-6pm.
Where: 46 North 6th St (b/n Wythe & Kent Aves) Williamsburg, Brooklyn 718-384-2882

Who: Pitch Control PR’s showroom sale
What; Men’s and women’s new and vintage clothing and accessories from Chanel, Prada, Mulberry, and more are $10 to $500
When: October 22-23, 2010. Fri-Sat 11am-7pm
Where: 95 Canal St (nr Forsyth St) Suite 300

Deals on Gestuz & Torn by Ronny Kobo at Peach Frog

If you live in Williamsburg or find yourself there over the weekend, you might want to pop into Peachfrog. It's a discount retailer and the shopping experience is similar to a TJ Maxx, where the inventory is definitely hit or miss and you have to be able to see things out of context. Sometimes I joke about how it's where designer goods go to die, but it's a nice business that I want to support. The owners are very friendly, and I've spotted some pretty great deals there.

I stopped in a couple days ago, and while a bit limited, there was a pretty impressive selection from Gestuz.
Gestuz is one of my favorite lines from Denmark. I usually check out their pieces online or Oak, so I was excited to see some of their fall pieces at Peachfrog. Unfortunately, most of the pieces were not in my size. There were a few coats that might fit a size small, but most pieces I wanted looked like they would be for a size medium or larger.

I was super bummed I couldn't fit the leather-denim paneled jacket. It was so awesome and only $125, a steal for such a unique designer piece! Other highlights included edgy black coats and dressy pants. Most prices ranged from about $50 to $150.

There was also an entire rack of pieces from Torn by Ronny Kobo. These actual pieces weren't there, but I saw these prints in the mix. I believe most of the pieces were from previous seasons, though some looked newer to me. There were lots of tops and a few longer one shoulder dresses. Prices were similar to previous Torn sample sales if not cheaper. If I remember correctly, prices started at $30.

Again, as with most discount stores the selection at Peachfrog is very hit or miss (sometimes with more misses), but if you're in the neighborhood, it might be worth checking out. If you stop by, you might want to check out the $30 vintage-military-inspired bags and backpacks. And I'm not a fan, but there were also some deeply discounted L.A.M.B. heels.

Dirty Diamonds, Curated Cocktails & Disco - Thurs 8/26

Next week, join me and DJ K!O for a special edition of Dirty Diamonds at The Counting Room featuring special guest Youth (Young Edits)! There will be no cover, just curated cocktails and disco.

The Counting Room is our favorite new bar in Williamsburg, off the Bedford L. It's a hot space with an equally amazing drinks menu.

K!O and I are so excited to have Youth (Young Edits) joining us all the way from Australia. Check out his disco house music at soundcloud.com & mixcloud.com

The party starts at 9PM with drink specials all night. We hope to see you there!

Who: Lani Love, K!O and special guest Youth (Young Edits)
What: Drinks and disco
Where: The Counting Room (downstairs)
44 Berry Street at North 11th in Williamsburg, Brooklyn of Bedford L stop
When: Thursday, August 26th 9PM

To find the event on Facebook, click here.

Topshop Tour Bus Hits NYC

Remember that fun Topshop van that everyone was following just before Topshop opened it's doors last April? Well now that they've been in town for a while they decided to continue to promote the store on wheels, this time taking a tour bus on the road packed full of activities and keys to get you to visit the store.

Who: Topshop
What: Topshop will have a tour bus travelling the city to different offsite locations for various planned activities. Also, to get you to visit the store, 400 special keys will also be given away. Be sure to mark your calendars, one special key will unlock a wardrobe at the TOPSHOP store to reveal a daily gift. Activities include Makeovers, Personal Shopping & Customization!
When: June 23-26, 2010. noon-7pm Wed-Sat. In addition vistors to the Topshop store during the tour dates who spend $80 or more will receive an exclusive gold chain key necklace!
Where: Various locations across NYC as listed below.

Wednesday June 23, 2010. MAKE – UP MAKEOVERS @ Union Square
Makeovers, video tutorials, live tutorials, tips & tricks. The first 100 visitors to the Tour Bus win a free make up bag! The first 400 receive special keys, but only one key, opens the wardrobe at the TOPSHOP store that holds a beauty box of goodies for the lucky winner!

Thursday June 24, 2010. PERSONAL SHOPPING @ Washington Square Park
On the Tour Bus! - TOPSHOP’S ever so stylish Personal Shoppers will be on hand to provide trend tutorials, key looks and insider fashion summer tips and tricks. The first 400 visitors receive special keys. Try your hand at opening the wardrobe for a chance to win a $250 shopping spree and an appointment with one of our Personal Shoppers!

Friday June 25, 2010. CUSTOMIZATION @ McCarren Park
Make, Mend & Customize. Rejuvenate your summer wardrobe with NY stylist Whitney Fierce. TOPSHOP provides the white tees and Whitney provides the tips on how to re-do and makeover your style. Be the first 400 visitors and receive special keys to try your luck at winning a collection of limited edition TOPSHOP dresses.

Saturday June 26, 2010. POP UP SUMMER @ TOPSHOP
Come join us for a bit of island fever, just outside the TOPSHOP store. Put your feet in the sand, lounge and listen to live music. Gone shopping? For any spend over $50, refresh and rejuvenate with a glass of frozen lemonade from the tour bus. Be sure to come on down; on this final tour date, 400 keys will be given away, but only one will unlock the wardrobe to reveal a $250 summer spree!

*Keys will be color-coded each day; keys must be tried the same day they are distributed.

Visit: Single Fare

On the weekend I had a chance to drop by the Single Fare Exhibition in Williamsburg.

Art student, Imogen Slater, wasn't able to leave her apartment when she ran out of surfaces to paint on for an assignment. Slater discovered a pile of used Metrocards and created mini paintings to complete her assignment. Her professor, Jean-Pierre Roy, was inspired and wanted to take the idea further and ended up casting an open call for artists. In the end, Metrocards became the canvas for over 500 artists who participated in the show. The cards covered the walls and were priced to sell at a very wallet friendly $50 a pop. Although there were over 750 cards, by the end of the night red dots were all over the walls!

Honestly, I've never purchased art as it always felt like something I should do one day and currently my budget tends to lead me to buy accessories rather than artwork but it's definitely something I should consider especially when it's within reach. I think I've always appreciated art, but on an everyday basis appearances are what get you noticed in the fashion industry and so my priorities are slanted for now.

It was fun to see how differently artists treated the same humble piece of plastic and created such a variety of textures and imagery. As with all artwork, it is very personal and I found some pieces to be amazing while other pieces weren't exactly my personal taste, but I really did enjoy seeing it all. If you are in the area you should definitely check it out!

Single Fare, now until May 12, 2010. noon-6pm. 224 Grand Street, Williamsburg (b/n Driggs & Roebling)

bottom image courtesy of single fare

Now Eating: Arepa Arepa Brooklyn

Every year since my food awakening (sometime in college) I think that I've had a food of the year! A particular type of cuisine that is perfection for my palate. This year I think the food type would have to be Venezuelan. Not only is it delicious it's also very affordable.

Ever since I first went to Carachas in the East Village with Lani, I was in love with Arepas. The Venezualan staple which is almost like an English muffin made with corn and griddled with care then stuffed with loads of delicious ingredients. Carachas has this sweet and spicy hot sauce that is almost magical so after many repeated meals, I decided it was time to venture out and see what else was out there in the world of Arepa.
I went to Arepa Arepa in South Williamsburg on Friday night with Lani and our friend Jo and I had a great experience. Although Carachas has a special place in my heart, I fully appreciate the lightness, freshness and super relaxed ambiance of Arepa Arepa. It's not the biggest space but it's open and feels very comfortable. It was nice not to have to eat almost table to table with strangers. The owner was the only person I saw working but he was very friendly and managed to be surprisingly efficient.

Also, the side dishes are quite extraordinary. My fave being the Plantanos, sweet plantains that are fried to a crisp finish, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cheese. Contrasting salty sweet to perfection. I also tried the Platto of rice, black beans, plantains and avocado (we devoured it before realizing we didn't take a picture!). This dish has some of the same plantains served with black beans which I thought were okay, but the rice that came with this dish was absolutely amazing! I'm not quite sure what was in it but it was bursting with flavor (garlic was the only definite we could determine).
As for the arepas we tried the corn bread was thinner and crisper than Carachas providing for a much lighter feeling dining experience. Another significant difference is that Arepa Arepa offers fish options. I had the Pescado which is Tilapia, Tomatoes, Onions and Parsley. The flavors really complemented each other and the fish was delicate and moist. My companions had the Caroatas and the Champinones which they assure me were equally delicious. We also were given a salsa accompaniment that added an extra burst of goodness to every bite! We asked for more but could have asked for thirds...it's just that good!I also tried the 3 milk cake (cant' remember the name), it was decent but not my fave, next time I think I'd rather try the flan.

With Arepas mostly between $5-6 and sides for $3-4, this makes for a definite affordable meal. 3 girls eating to our hearts content ran us only about $30. Although a bit off the beaten path, I'll definitely make my way back to South B.Burg soon.

Arepa Arepa 160 Havemeyer St (b/n 2nd St & 3rd St) Brooklyn, NY. (718) 388-5797

Menswear Collaboration: Ruffian for Macys

Our male readers no longer have to be jealous at all the collaborations that fall upon women. Macy’s has heard your cries and hired Ruffian designers, Brian Wolk and Claude Morais, to create a menswear line for Macy’s. The collection will be under the label Threads & Heirs. Wolk and Morais will design for Threads & Heirs Spring 2010 and Fall 2010 collections and another guest designer will take over in 2011. Affordability and designer looks can be yours for just $24-99.

So what can you expect from these womenswear designers best known for their understated glamour? The designers tell WWD that the collection will be inspired by Williamsburg, Brooklyn "a hotbed of art culture. It's very Americana, Fifties and Beat-inspired mixed with punk…blazers, short-sleeve plaid button-downs, and knit-woven combinations such as a classic knit polo with a plaid collar. There are also striped dress shirts with white collars, four-pocket cotton jackets with band collars and linen shirts with pocket details and pleating." So hopefully a far cry from the unfortunate and prevalent Hipster looks of the Burg.

Vena Cava Dresses for $100 via Bird

The fab designers of Vena Cava, Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai, and one of my fave boutiques, Bird, will be teaming of for Fashion's Night Out to bring you dresses for a mere $100!!! Better start saving because NY Mag reports:

The pair will be creating limited-edition dresses from archival fabrics salvaged from their past ten seasons, priced at $100 a pop. The silhouette will be similar to the current T-shirt style...but in various throwback fabrics. Block-party revelers will also be entered into a raffle to win a studio tour and free dress from the designers.

So I popped by Bird on the weekend and learned they will be hosting a black party at the Grand Street location in Williamsburg on September 10, 2009. The dresses should launch on or before then but may be a really limited distro (read: not all locations) so be prepared to make the hike to the Burg.

Spotted: Top Shop Truck!

I reported previously Top Shop Truck is out about town giving away goodies now to April 1st! As of right now I just got a tip that they are in Williamsburg parked in front of Union Pool (484 Union Ave. Bburg) with tonnes of goody bags but no one around taking them!

My friend LD got a tote bag with a waterbottle, a promotional postcard and a chance to win $500! Hoping you'll fare better!

If you're in the Burg, Run don't walk ;)
xo