Boutique-ing in the city...Darling

As you all know, finding a go-to boutique in NYC can a frustrating affair. But don't worry, we are ready with your weekend's shopping! The adorably pocket-sized boutique Darling is, quite simply, darling.

Located in the West Village at the corner of Horatio Street and 8th Avenue, we just love the dress selection. Darling carries some of our favorites - Amanda Uprichard, Eva Franco, Dolce Vita, just to name a few. And there are always hidden gems to be found! In fact, the basement is devoted to vintage finds.

Need to accessorize, obviously?! There are tons of cute baubles to be found, literally hanging throughout the store. And, especially useful in this weather, we have scored more than one floral scarf at this boutique.

Darling's Exterior

Window Display

 

Interior

This boutique is a refreshing break from the monster stores of Meatpacking, and the perfect post-brunch stop!

Darling NYC
1 Horatio Street @ 8th Ave
New York, NY 10014 USA
Phone: 646.336.6966
Fax: 646.336.6969
Store Hours:
Monday - Saturday 12 - 7pm
Sunday 12 - 6pm
http://darlingnyc.com/

Princess-Palooza...Jackie Kennedy Onassis

Princess-palooza continues! And since it is 4th of July weekend, who better to celebrate than our own American royalty, Jackie O?!

Even as the young Jackie Bouvier, it was clear that her image would be immortalized when she was named 1947's debutante of the year.

And with her marriage to John F. Kennedy, the trajectory of Jackie's legacy shot skyward.

As first lady, she famously favored a pillbox hat to accompany her suits.

Jackie's wardrobe was full of elegant classics. When keeping it casual, she opted for unadorned basics paired with a headscarf. Of course, she also sported giant "Jackie O" sunglasses, perfect for shading her eyes from the warm Italian sun when boating along the Amalfi coast. 

When attending functions in her chic ballgowns, Jackie really did seem like our very own princess.

More Jackie O pictures on Pinterest here.

Princess-Palooza...Princess Diana

As we all eagerly await the arrival of the newest royal, we just as eagerly await the latest royal style choices. Just imagine what we could do with those kind of absolutely no clothing budgets! To satiate our obsession with royal fashion, we are kicking off July with Princess-palooza, taking a look at the sartorial leanings of Princess Diana, Princess Grace Kelly, American Royalty Jackie O, Disney princesses, and of course Princess Kate, just to name a few!

As perhaps the most style forward of the bunch, we will start with Lady Di.

As Lady Diana, she was already making a statement with her hairstyle, but it seems that she was still discovering her wardrobe palate. Early on she favored bright patterned jumpers (as the Brits would say), long pencil skirts, and Wellies.

 

 



As Princess Diana, she grew visibly more confident and started choosing richer fabrics and patterns, such as these herringbone and velvet looks.

 

 

The princess also started making bolder choices in formalwear, owning Dynasty-style shoulder pads, shimmer, ruching, and pleating. Of course, a non-ironic tiara as your bling doesn't hurt, either.

 

 

 





Even when dressing down, she still managed to be all-out glitz.

 

 



As the 80s waned, Princess Diana's hemlines went up and tailoring went tighter, a great look for the 5'10" beauty.

 

Diana, forever a tragic young fashion icon.

 

Next, we will check out her successor, Princess Kate, who so far has shown us more conservative choices all around.

Summer Sunglasses

With summer officially here, it is time to bust out the shades! Our latest obsession is Warby Parker.

The glasses are stylish and affordable at $95 per non-prescription pair. We love that the brand is also philanthropic with is "buy a pair, give a pair" program.

 

Shown below is the Ocean Avenue collection, including our fave - Orange Fizz, a delicious play on the transparent frame trend.

 

www.warbyparker.com

5 Hairstyles to Harness the Humidity

 As much we're obsessed with summer, it can present some formidable battles with our hair. We intend for our look to come out like this:

And wind up with this:

 

 What to do? Here are our top suggestions for taming that mane:

Pinterest via Tatum Pottenger

 

We love a classic top knot - super fast and super chic.

 

 

Pinterest via Styles For Less

 

A French braid is another cute way to do the trick. There are tons of varieties of this look - classic, side, two side braids, the list goes on!

 

 

Pinterest via Tara Eaken

 

A fishtail braid is a fun nod to the beachiness of summer while still keeping the frizz situation under control.

 

Pinterest via Harriet Jane

 A low ponytail can work for almost any occasion and is so simple that it is a great choice. Mess it up for a night out or keep it sleek for the workplace.

Pinterest via Megan Erickson

 

Half up-half down is a good compromise to keep some of your hair loose while still controlling it.

How to wear printed pants

 

Printed pants...friend or foe?

 

In theory, we like the idea of something fresh in the pants category. On the other hand, printed pants are a very tricky trend indeed. If you pick the wrong pair, you wind up looking either like a kaleidoscope or an elephant. If done right, though, they can be a fun pop of individuality amongst otherwise bland bottoms. The bottom line is - when in doubt, go looser and limit the color palette to one or two colors...also break it up - we can't focus on print on top and on the bottom. The right pair of heels are another secret weapon to pulling off this look. In fact, the clear chunky heels that we've been seeing lately could be a great neutral companion to a printed pant.

 

Joe's Jeans makes a floral skinny jean version which are visually appealing in this photo. To avoid the sofa-like illusion recently created by Kim Kardashian's dress at the Met Gala, we suggest that you do NOT pair these jeans with a floral top.

 

Photo from revolveclothing.com

 

 

Let us know how you pull this look off!



Dear Rebecca Minkoff Sale...It's not me, it's you

The eagerly anticipated Rebecca Minkoff sale is finally here! We checked it out this week, braving about a half hour on line in the hopes of some shoulder swag (i.e. purses). As usual, there was a LOT of merch to choose from, and the prices were lower than we remember them being in previous years. Unfortunately, though, we just didn't love the selection. On the other hand, if you need a mini mac, this is definitely the place to get it. As for the rest of the selection, though, we were a little disappointed. There were a lot of nylon and straw options, and a table full of samples. Missing from this sale were the gobs of MABs that customarily are present. Could it be that our love affair with Minkoff is ending??? Say it isn't so!

Also, there were clothes and shoes at the back of the room, all at reasonable prices. However, we didn't love any of the clothes. And, let's face it - we were there for the bags!

The sale runs through 8pm tonight and 3pm tomorrow at 260 Fifth Ave. Last chance to grab your mini macs!

Minty Fresh Trending

It seems like everywhere we turn lately, we see someone wearing cool mint green. This pastel, a lovely soothing color, is tricky to wear in a flattering way. For example, pastel pants tend to work on only the slimmest specimens. Still, there are several good options for the rest of us. Whether it's dresses, blazers, or accessories, there are more than enough mint juleps to go around for everyone. Here are some of our wearable favorites!

Amanda Uprichard Maxi Dress

Dolce Vita Sandals

ALC Blazer

(photo courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman.com)

 

Rebecca Minkoff Skylar Mini

(ok, we know this is mint blue, but love it paired with a mint green)

 

 

And, with the Rebecca Minkoff sale starting on Monday, you will be able to snag mint green purses galore!

Basically masculine at the James Perse Sample Sale

 

The scene outside, around 2 p.m. on Tuesday

 

 

 

Some of the men's merch

 

Men's hoodie and lovely strawberry

shortcake colored women's tee

 

After impatiently waiting on line for about 30 minutes yesterday, we happily (as you see above) scored some great bargainst at the James Perse Sample Sale. The scene was crowded but not crazy, which was good since it was necessary to pick through each rack in search of misplaced items. Basic tees were marked at $20. The men's selection boasted a greater variety than the women's. Men had their pick of short sleeved tees in limited colors, long sleeved tees and heavier long sleeved shirts in a variety of colors, and comfy zip up hoodies.

 

For women, almost all of the basic tees had already been snatched up - the options that remained were mostly sample dresses, pastel tanks (a cool $15 each). There were also a wide selection of cropped cargo pants by Perse's Yosemite brand.

 

The bottom line: if you are looking for good deal on basic men's tops, it's worth the wait. Otherwise, you might want to save your $$ for one of the many upcoming spring sample sales! On the other hand, word is that they will be restocking, so maybe your luck will be better than ours!

 

The deets: 260 Fifth Avenue, through 4/21. W-F, 10am-7pm. Sat, 11am - 7pm. Sun, 11am-5pm.

 

Note: keep in mind that the brand sizing runs from 1-5, with 2 equating to abuot a medium.