Caitlin Colford

Fashion is clearly the highlight of any runway show, but never forget about the thoughtful hair and makeup that completes the designer’s full concept. Below are four fall 2013 NYFW beauty trends that you can wear tomorrow.

Let us know what your favorite (and least favorite) beauty/hair/fashion trends were in the comment section below.

Dramatic Indigo Eyes

Christine over at the Hair Romance blog shared a series of her favorite fall 2013 NYFW beauty trends, and among them were Jason Wu’s dramatic, bluish-purple eyes. The look was done by makeup artist Diane Kendal, who used a lilac on the center of the eyelid for a little bit of dimension. Kendal also applied a smudgy line of color underneath the eyes and up toward the brow for a futuristic, winged effect.

Berry Pouts

While a deep, red oxblood hue adorned the lips of models on last year’s fall runways, this year it was all about berries. For example, Rachel Zoe and Derek Lam showcased berry-stained lips, as did Vera Wang. Check out the tutorial by The Platform on Youtube that shows you how to create a sleek and simple makeup look with berry lips.

Velvety Skin

ChickAdvisor‘s Alexandra was particularly fond of the velvety, au naturel skin worn by Fall 2013 NYFW models. Highlighting and contouring was kept to a minimum, she writes, as was blush. The key to achieving a velvety finish is to apply a primer before a tinted moisturizer or BB cream and then blend, blend, blend. Only apply heavy foundation or concealer where you truly need it and allow the rest of your skin to breath.

Art Deco Nails

Sahra Schukraft at Feminspire gushed over the Fall 2013 NYFW nails. “At NYFW it’s all about creating something unique, something that’s your own,” she said. For example, DKNY and The Blonde’s adorned their models’ hands with spikes, chains and an assortment of bells and whistles. Also spotted were dark, earthy browns and murky greens very reminiscent of scenic woodlands.

By Wendy Rose Gould

A large crowd came out for the first day of the Club Monaco Sample Sale. By 10:30AM about 50 people were already lined up to explore the sale, waiting for the doors to open at 11AM.  By kick off time, the line swelled down the block and slowly moved as only five people were let in at a time due to the required bag check. Shoppers were instructed a numerous amount of times that no try-ons were permitted, making it laughable when people disobeyed and were consequently barked at by Clothingline employees

Polo Ralph Lauren has quietly owned the steadily successful brand, Club Monaco, since their flagship store became popular in Canada in 1999. Perhaps this is why their clothing is consistently well made. However, at today’s sale, the ten or so racks of true samples that shoppers were racing to sort through, were tragically wrinkled as well as damaged. But don’t despair, the very well organized and displayed racks of gorgeous ready to wear made up for it.

I was surprised that many shoppers were ignoring the gorgeous clothing at the start of the sale and jumping right to the sample section. As they skipped over this area, they were missing great finds such as the Lanna Black and Gold Dress ($40), a pretty Beige Crochet Dress ($40, orig. $179.50), Elsa Burnt Orange Pants ($30, orig. $149.50), and a wide selection of Sonica pants in corduroy and denim ($30).

The skirts certainly stole the thunder of the sale and were available for only $25 each! Do yourself a favor and stock up on skirts starting with the Gold Gwen Skirt ($25), Daria patterned skirt ($25), Annie Long Flowing skirt ($25), Dark Brown Charlie Skirt ($25), the ultra comfortable Alma Long Knit Skirt in Heather Grey ($25), and the Emilie Brown Asymetrical Skirt ($25).

Don’t stray from this area without taking a gander at the Marsha Boucle Cream and Black Jacket ($60, orig. $179.50), the Annabelle Sweater ($30), which may or may not resemble a jumble of pretty cotton balls, and the Sarina Tweed Jacket ($60).

The accessory section was a hot mess. A bundle of cardboard boxes held piles of sample scarves ($10), which were frantically being picked through by shoppers, in addition to their winter accessories ($10). Also here was a great deal of leather belts ($10) and a small variety of straw and leather purses ($50), which were all very damaged and/or dirty.

A few pairs of shoes were on hand, including Club Monaco’s Rachel Comey Boots in Rust ($109), 2568’s Brown Moccassins ($40), as well as Minnetonka’s famous Mocassins in burgundy, dark and light brown, and white ($20).

Last but not least were the racks of samples, broken up into sections full of blouses, pants, skirts, blazers and jackets. There were a few finds within, but overall I was nowhere near impressed. Many of these items were damaged and so wrinkled that I could hardly tell if it was worth its low price tag. Here, blouses were $30, basic tops were $10, sweaters were $30, while cashmere sweaters were $60, dresses and pants were $40 a pop, blazers were $60, and outerwear was $95. Not much was on hand in this department, but any fur, leather, or suede item was marked at $109.

If you are a fan of Club Monaco, then I would absolutely recommend visiting the sale strictly for the first half of the room. The skirts are perfect for the spring and summer seasons and there are plenty of items to stock your closet with, for both casual and professional occasions. As for the sample section, I can imagine that most of the diamonds in the rough will be toted away by this afternoon, so proceed at your own risk!

WHEN: 3/11 – 3/15; M-F (11-7)

WHERE: 261 West 36th Street
between 7th & 8th Ave.
2nd Floor
New York, NY

By Caitlin Colford

Fellow Fashionistas: I know I promised you a brighter forecast in both the sense of sample sale shopping and sunny weather last week, and, as indicated by the inundation of snow, I regrettably failed you. Apologies fashionable friends! But this week, I mean it! I’m talking fifty degrees people, and sun! Not only that, but the lovely Daylight Savings Time will swoop in on Sunday to (quite literally) save the day, providing us with additional feelings of spring and longer shopping days for fashionably committed after work shoppers. This week, utilize your new and exciting spare hour of daytime wonderment and check out sales from Escada, Club Monaco, Alexia Crawford, Montblanc, and Nanette Lepore.

Sample Sale Alert: Orange

ESCADA Sample Sale

Start your week with a sample sale Sunday at Soiffer Haskin. The ESCADA Sample Sale opens early at 9AM, so grab yourself a venti latte to accompany you as you browse racks full of 90% off retail prices. At last season’s ESCADA sample sale, shoppers were pleasantly surprised by the lack of lines, although slightly disappointed by the lack of selection. With that aside, there were still plenty of shoe options for $100 and handbags priced in the range of $250-$350.

Club Monaco Sample Sale

It’s back! The Club Monaco Sample Sale returns Monday at 11AM with heaps of steals and deals. The weeklong sale will mark down women’s and men’s clothing, accessories and jewelry. The prices at last fall’s Club Monaco Sample Sale maxed out at $65! We’re talking tees for $10, blouses for $20, and cashmere for $50. Don’t mind if we do! Check back on Monday for The Stylish City’s review of the sale.

Montblanc Friends and Family Sale

The Montblanc Friends and Family Sale is the perfect stop to stock up on thoughtful gifts for loved ones. The rules are strict at the sale. There is a maximum purchase of 12 items and a maximum purchase of 4 writing utensils and 4 watches per person. At this stern sale, expect to line up with fellow fans of Montblanc before you’re able to push through and browse the selection of fountain pens for $150, as well as leather bags for $250. DON’T FORGET TO PRINT A COPY OF THIS FLYER OR YOU WON’T BE ADMITTED!

Alexia Crawford Sample Sale

Also beginning Monday, is the Alexia Crawford Sample Sale where her fashion jewelry, handbags, scarves, and hair accessories will all be marked down for up to 80% off retail prices. At past Alexia Crawford sample sales, prices ranged between only $5-$20. Seems to me like it will be a Manic Monday for sales and steals!

Nanette Lepore Sample Sale

Nanette Lepore is hosting a true blue Sample Sale come Tuesday, and calling it her Giant Spring Cleaning Archive Sample Sale. Here, bundles of one-of-a-kind samples will be offered for between $10-$85! Expect to find a great deal of dresses, with blouses and bottoms on hand as well.

There you have it folks — an incredible line up of rock bottom deals decorated with wonderful temperatures, in order to make you feel comfortable while darting from sale to sale thanks to your extra hour of sunshine.

By Caitlin Colford

To be a successful vintage shopper in New York City, one must be patient, savvy and monetarily wise. It can be easy to spend a week’s paycheck in a single trip alone to a downtown vintage boutique, given their lustful and conveniently available selection of second-hand designer goods and edgy tattered clothing offered within their rustic motif. If your familiar with downtown, you are aware that you simply can’t walk a block in the East Village or Lower East Side without passing a vintage store. It’s their bread and butter, so much so that it would be too tedious for me to sit here and list each and every store individually, as it would take up the next three pages and then some!

If you are anything like me, you live for vintage goodies. The mere site of a perfectly worn in vintage tee shirt paired with a long antique necklace gives you goosebumps. The vintage look isn’t for everyone, some balk at wearing second-hand clothing and cringe and toting around a used purse. To each their own, I suppose, but at least that leaves more for us vintage-philes to sift through!

Downtown vintage stores are generally split right down the middle. There are vintage and antique boutiques that are museum like in their décor, making it nearly impossible to not want to splurge on their carefully handpicked vintage. Within these boutiques, such as the East Village’s Stock Vintage — which features a magazine worthy Americana motif — a Harley Davidson tee shirt can cost you up to $225 and a pair Laredo boots, around $300. And then there are the larger second-hand shops, which resembles a well arranged Salvation Army, that contain racks of used blouses, tees, button ups, jeans, etc., for superbly low prices. These stores, such as No Relation Vintage on 1^st Avenue between 12^th St and 13^th St, are more time consuming than boutiques. These shops require you to sort through racks and bins in order to discover the diamond in the rough. However, if you are a dedicated and patient vintage shopper, this is by far the way to go, and will save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

Funny enough, What Goes Around Comes Around, one of the city’s priciest vintage boutiques, situated in SoHo, is celebrating the final days of a long and successful run of their pop-up outlet on Lafayette at Astor Place today. Since last year, this outlet has featured bundles of merchandise, leftovers, samples, and unwanted vintage from their New Jersey warehouse for incredibly low prices, compared to their over-priced SoHo boutique anyway. Until tomorrow evening, when the pop-up closes for good, every item storewide is 70% off tag prices and already discounted items. The majority of goods will only cost you between $5-$30, apart from jackets and specialty items.

When I visited the What Goes Around Comes Around’s Ultimate Vintage Sale this morning, there was plenty of merchandise still available, although the gems of the store have already been cleared out. However, don’t let this deter you! Utilizing the required vintage-shopping-patience can lead to a successful outcome, just as it did for the two trendy women in front of me on line who dropped $250 each at the register and toted away three very large bags jammed full of clothing.

As you enter the Ultimate Vintage Sale, there is a large table that features a variety of Inhabit cashmere sweaters, which are among the only non-second-hand items the sale offers. These typically expensive luxurious sweaters, now only run for around $40 a piece. After checking these out, start your quest for vintage by starting with what’s left of What Goes Around’s famous collection of hand picked vintage concert shirts, where you’ll find an Elton John tour shirt for $60 (orig. $200) and an Asia concert tee for $45 (orig. $150). Don’t exit the section without taking a gander at the small selection of designer jackets, such as the vintage Yves Saint Laurent Blazer for just $105 (orig. $350).

The remaining sections are fit for perusing, with plenty of round racks featuring fun vintage tee shirts for around $5, plaid button downs for as low as $3 and no more than $38, for those that are embellished. Bohemian skirts, peasant blouses, and denim dresses are all available for $30 and below, as are sweaters and cardigans. The fur coats are definitely worth your time, such as the gorgeous White Mongolian Fur Coat ($225, orig. $750) and the simple black and white long wool coat for just $23.

After you exhaust the racks of sweaters, blouses, button up, and denim shorts for under $10, start fishing through the giant bins of random finds for between $3-$5. Patience is a virtue! There are still plenty of diamonds in this rough!

If you are an inexperienced vintage shopper, get your start today or tomorrow by taking a slow stroll through the What Goes Around Comes Around Ultimate Vintage Sale. After you’ve gained your sea legs, work your way through the streets of downtown and pop in and out of the best, and most vast, collection of second-hand shops and boutiques this city has to offer!

By Caitlin Colford