STYLE

New Yorker’s know the wave of relief they feel when they see their favorite bodega scored a B+ in Sanitary Inspection. Most of the time we don’t consider the letters as most nice restaurants and over 30% of all city restaurants score “A” averages. But what about that little sushi place you order from on Wednesday nights or the quesedilla you rely on to cure your hangover. What does that B+ mean?

The inspection procedure, according to nyc.gov is an unannounced visit to restaurants, retail bakeries and “take outs” conducted by Public Health Sanitarians who have college degrees in health sciences. Sanitarians spend most of their time observing the food workers practices including (via their website) “the manner in which they receive and store foods, how they process foods, and the temperatures at which they cook, hold, and reheat foods.” Then they get out their red pens and grade – A,B,C. Inspection frequency increases depending on grade, and establishments receiving a B or C have one chance to improve food safety procedures before they are required to post their grade. (Some violations are as small as dented cans or leaking faucet.) B and C restaurants do not pose health threats to their patrons. Those restaurants are shut down. “A” students receive their letters to post on the spot. 

By July, all restaurants – yes, even Per Se – will be required to display cards upon entrance. By requiring the grades to be posted, New York anticipates a marked increase in restaurants following near-impeccable food safety and sanitation rules. When L.A. implemented grade posting, the number of restaurants meeting the highest food safety standards rose from 40% to 80%. So it’s only slightly gross to eat at 20% of L.A. restaurants. From one New Yorker to another, we aren’t there yet, but we are on our way.

Emma Dinzebach

Retailers jonesing for greater access to global markets are hoping that the Obama administrations health care win will free up some time to focus on trade. Unlike the former administration’s focus on free trade agreements, this round of trade talks will likely trade infrastructure such as port management and creating system efficiency. Many would still like to see Congress consider lifting transactional duties on countries like Vietnam, South Korea and Columbia to allow for more movement and option, factors retailers find key in their goals to further tapping untouched markets.

For the sixth straight week retail stocks were up as retailers try to play catch up with the economic recovery. By day’s end Monday retail stocks outpaced all others with Dillard’s, Williams Sonoma and Tiffany’s leading the way. Also in the black were Tod’s, New York & Co. and Ross.
Former Anne Klein design director, Isabel Toledo, is working on a new line for Topeka, Kansas based shoe and bag retailer Payless. Toledo will join designers Christian Siriano, Alice & Olive, Lela Rose to shoes and handbags for the masses.  Olympic gymnast Natsia Liukin plans to team up with Penney’s to create a girl’s apparel line. Esprit opened their newest and biggest flagship store on 34th Street, and it’s not what you expect. Gone is the signature red door, white walls, bright lights and nauseating nautical theme. Esprit is focusing on their global consumers as well as re-purposed wood paneling, chic mannequins and a more sophisticated environment. In sportswear, Nike kicks off it’s FIFA World Cup marketing. In the Northwest, Saks closes it’s Portland store and warns more closures. In beauty, Sephora plans to unveil exclusive brands in Europe. In Milan, Marc Jacobs store is all the rage. And online, Anthropologie looks to open an international site.
Finally, why does it pays to be busty? Literally. Larger bra sizes are creating more sales for lingerie companies like Victoria’s Secret, Haneswear and even Harlequin. In the 70’s and 80’s the median bra size was a whopping 34B. By the late nineties and early aughts, it rose to a 36C, and last year, more and more women asked for D, DD, and sizes up to K. (Oprah Winfrey pulled a G cup from her closet.) Individual stores say they can’t even keep large sizes in stock, and a spokesman for Calvin Klein’s full-figured line, Lane Bryant, said they are increasing production for bra sizes E-H every year, which is wonderful news for ladies who need a extra support.

So in your effort to keep retail going strong, consider a lingerie overhaul, until next week…in shopping.

Emma Dinzebach

Most beauty posts last week focused on the Academy Awards dress, jewelry, make-up and hair. But take a second look and you might notice white. Ubiquitous, er rampant, white. Maybe celebs lathered on sunscreen during their winter vacations so the rest of America wouldn’t feel raging jealousy that their monetary status lends blizzard escapes. Or they are trying to show Jersey Shore lovers that guns don’t kill people, tanning beds kill people.

But seriously, the amount of red carpet white was stunning. Skin looked exfoliated, scrubbed and very well protected from the big bad sun. The cheeks were quite bare – just a swipe of shimmery pink or the teeniest hint of tan. “It’s an entire movement towards a more pure lifestyle,” said my favorite Bliss facialist. Keeping skin safe from UVA rays (see also: anti-melanoma trend) is a lifestyle choice. And as much as we love J Wow and Snookie, skin cancer, we don’t want age spots and wrinkles in our future. We’re fine with glowing white faces for our gala’s this spring. So as the sun starts to show it’s pretty face, lather up liberally ladies. Lather up.

Emma Dinzebach

Some of our friends flew South (really far South) to catch a mid-winter glow, but we weren’t so lucky. So we set off to find our get our glow on el natural. Face masks, bronzer, extensive exfoliation, and a even pricey facials only got us so far. To obtain an authentic mid-winter glow, we had to work our way from the inside out.

Sweat, however uncomfortable and icky it might be, is your dull winter skin’s best remedy. Why is sweat so good for your skin? A good sweat can remove up to 30% of your body’s toxins.  Foods we eat, drinks, and the smoggy city we live in fill our bodies with toxins on a daily basis. Sure our body naturally rids itself of some toxins, but sweating is a fool proof way of cleaning our bodies and making our skin shine bright.  (Incidentally sweat helps regulate our pulse and calm our neurotic NYC nerves.)

Winter might be a time when you sweat less – the gyms are cooler, outdoor runs are increasingly difficult with the streets covered in snow and slush, etc. But winter is one of the most important times to flush your skin. So hit the gym, got to hot yoga, or run the stairs in your apartment building. But by all means, sweat once a day to rejuvenate your skin.

Emma Dinzebach