SHOPPING

The BG Follies of 2012 Bergdorf Goodman’s windows are undoubtedly a sight to behold. They’re a revival of the Art Deco era; displays inspired by various entertainment of years gone by, including the Ziegfeld Follies, Vaudeville revues and Busby Berkeley’s Hollywood ’30s musicals. There are five main acts.

Act I is a black and white homage to Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot, Act II is a tribute to burlesque performer Sally Rand and Act III showcases a collection of mid-century miniature American mannequins a la the 1920s Ziegfeld Follies. Act IV features a runway look from Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and highlights 24 plaster dogs performing every trick under the sun.

Arguably the most impressive, though, is Act V. It’s the result of an idea that, according to BG, has been brewing for the past year: a giant mirrored, rotating kaleidoscope. Approximately 1000 individually beveled mirrors were used to create the window, which is an homage to Busby Berkeley’s overhead kaleidoscopic camera shot seen in Footlight Parade.

The Stylish City decided to check out these gorgeous windows in person. Sure enough, the holiday windows were nothing short of spectacular. In fact, they were enough to lure us right inside to check on merchandise for potential holiday gifts.

While the windows were breathtaking, finding a gift that was affordable was a difficult feat. In fact, we had trouble finding something under $1000. Confident and determined, we asked a sales woman on the first floor jewelry to direct us to something appropriate for a gift guide we were working on.

To our chagrin, the sales person gently brushed us off and suggested we talk to BG’s PR reps about that topic. However, she did inadvertently hint that any gift we’d include in our guide from the store would likely be accompanied by no less than a $500 price tag. I think my wallet just groaned.

In the end, we’d have to say that shoppers will find more affordable options on the cosmetic floor of the store. There are a few gift sets that’d make lovely presents this holiday season. All in all, though, our best advice is this: Soak up the beautiful (stunning, really) windows, but move right along to Henri Bendel where gifts abound.

It’s important to note that we do adore BG, especially as they’ve undergone some major transformations over the past few years. However, it’s not the most appropriate place to do your holiday shopping.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Photos:Micky Filip

The month chock full of holiday cheer and tireless shopping is in full swing, with a ticking clock growing louder and louder while it counts down to the ultimate gift giving day we are all looking forward to. This week, with sales from Charlotte Ronson, DVF, Frette Fine Italian Linens, Haute Hippie, Alain Mikli and Tory Burch, you’ll have ample opportunity to find the perfect gifts for your fashionable friends and family members, as well as take a special time out to browse for yourself. It may be the time of year to think about purchasing thoughtful gifts for others, but that’s no reason to pass up a good bargain for you!

This Week’s Sample Sale Alert: ORANGE

Start off the week right with the Haute Hippie Sample Sale on Monday. Their luxurious bohemian clothing would make the perfect gift for the free spirits in your life. April’s Haute Hippie Sample Sale was a hit, which provides great potential for this winter sample sale with up to 75% off.

Rest up Monday evening, because there is a lot of shopping to be done come Tuesday! Begin your day right at the strike of 9AM and be first in line for the DVF Diane von Furstenberg Sample Sale at 260 Fifth Avenue. This four-day sale will provide up to 70% off DVF ready-to-wear, bags, and accessories with actual samples on hand.

Next up on Tuesday, tote your beautiful new DVF wrap dress uptown and arrive right on time for the 11AM opening of the Tory Burch Sample Sale on West 36^th. Be sure to get your sister’s and girlfriends’ sizes in advance, and load up on buttery soft flats from among the most comfortable brand on the block.

End your day in SoHo with the last official Alain Mikli Sample Sale. Consider purchasing a pair of Alain Mikli’s bold frames in order to bespeckle the sophisticated men and fashionable women in your life with high end eyewear.

After a hectic month of shopping, you’re going to need a nice cozy bed to rest in. Transform your bedroom into a luxurious living space with fine Italian linens from the Frette Sample Sale, opening Wednesday. With bed, bath, and table linens also available, this sale could be the perfect stop for special gifts for your loved ones.

Uptown on Wednesday, the Charlotte Ronson Sample Sale kicks off, with up to 70% off her popular clothing from Ronson’s fall collection. From tweed jackets with leather trim, to floral print flocks, this is the ultimate sale for the downtown style maven in your life.

With next week being shopping crunch time, this week may be the last chance for sane shopping without the added stress, pressure, and crowds. To reward yourself for shopping ahead of time, saving with great bargains, and purchasing thoughtful presents, be sure to gift yourself something special from your favorite sale.

By Caitlin Colford

There is a truly fabulous Designer Sale underway at Saks Fifth Avenue this week, a precursor to their vast Holiday Sale, where sales grow and prices are slashed right up until New Years Day, when the highest deductions take place. As we mentioned in this week’s Don’t Miss, this is the time to get your shopping on for your holiday party wear, before choices are slim and time is limited. Lucky for you, there is no better one-stop shopping retreat than the Designer Sale at Saks Fifth Avenue this week with up to 40% off designer goodies.

The mood for holiday dress shopping is immediately set in place as you take a gander at Saks’ glorious windows decorations. This year acts half as one major advertisement for — you guessed it — holiday party wear. From a Mad Men theme in one window, to flapper style in another, right up until the latest trends, windows depict the ultimate cocktail dresses and accessories in a glitz and glamour manner. The second half of the windows feature the main event, where tourists and locals alike, flock to snap their digital cameras and “ooh and ahh” over the imaginative displays. I must say, these are one of my favorite window displays of recent Saks’ holiday seasons.

Beginning with the sale on designer shoes, I was overwhelmed by the selection and size availability. This floor is definitely among the highlights of Saks’ sale. Jimmy Choo had the perfect party flat with their Black Sequin Loafer ($385, orig. $550, pictured), while Gucci offered a Cement Suede Strap Heel ($455, orig. $650, pictured), and taking the gold was Reed Krakoff with his Red and Mango Melanie Cut heels that would make any little black dress pop ($525, orig. $750, pictured), as well as his Leather Buckle Military Boots ($906.50, $1295, pictured).

The women’s contemporary wear on the 5^th Floor took 1^st place with the best of the sale. I was completely obsessed with 3.1 Phillip Lim’s Green Shearling Motorcycle Jacket with leather detail ($570, pictured) and his Knee Length Ivory Coat as well ($570, pictured). The sale selection of 3.1 Phillip Lim in Saks definitely trumped Lim’s less than thrilling sample sale last month.  Moving along to Vince, I loved their Brown Cords and Grey and Orange Denim ($117-$136.50), as well as their massive Oatmeal Wrap Cardigan ($267, pictured). I certainly saw some great party options from Rag and Bone’s Agra Shirt, for a casual option ($174, pictured), to Milly’s Winter White Dress ($237, pictured) and Diane von Furstenberg’s Black Dress with Leather Cap Sleeves ($298, orig. $498).

I wasn’t so impressed with the sale on denim. Corduroys seemed to take charge of this section, with J Brand Brown Lioness Cords ($105) and 7 For All Mankind Plum Cords ($106).

Your classic little black dresses are all waiting for you. Within this great selection is a traditional Ali Ro Black Dress ($184), a cute Belted Shoshanna Dress ($198), and Nahalchand’s Black Dress with Lace Cap Sleeves ($358). For a glitz and glamor look, check out Monique Lhuillier Dazzling Sequenced Dress ($358), B44’s Black Sequenced Dress w/ Bow ($136), and lastly Aidan Mattox’s Crochet Knit Bead Dress ($210). Employees were still rolling out dresses to this section, with heaps of options for all tastes and sizes.

On the designer floor there was a small selection from Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Derek Lam, Jean Paul Gaultier, Doce & Gabbana and the works.  I wasn’t so impressed by these collections as they offer very little options. In the ten or so pieces on sale from Jason Wu I fell in love with his divine Red Lace Dress ($1,107, pictured).

The fur coat sale section was buzzing with shoppers, while around the corner the Stella McCartney sale racks wow-ed with her Bat Wing Sweaters ($738), Vibrant Blue Belted Dress ($933) and Blue Midnight w/ Gold Sequence Sleeveless Dress  ($2,475).

Do check out the Ralph Lauren racks with a color palate of nudes and mint greens, as well as the plum and white blends in Burberry’s sale assortment.

The Designer Sale at Saks Fifth Avenue is ready to doll you up and prep you to party. I highly suggest going, not only for your holiday outfits, but also to get the designer merchandise you have been lusting over all season, as it is highly unlikely it will be there as prices drop and sales continue. If that means paying 10% more for an item you’ll wear to death, then I say it’s worth it.

By Caitlin Colford

Photos: Caitlin Colford, Micky Filip

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Holidays, everyone! Did that greeting warmed up your heart, or brought up tears to your eyes? Depending where I was in life I felt joy or sadness myself at the arrival of the holiday season. What do you feel this year? While we usually talk about shopping, and this is definitely the happiest time of the year for retail, let’s pause for a moment and make sure we are doing it right. Are you ready? Have you planned ahead? Do you have a list and a budget? I have few words of advice worth lots more than all the money I’ve saved you with our sample sale listings. Money and mountains of gifts don’t buy love and happiness. Before you go gift shopping, figure out how much money you can really afford to spend. Then stick to your budget. Try this instead: be ridiculously generous in a non-materialistic way and make sure you create amazing memories. You’ll thank me years from now.

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