Cheapskate: Unis Winter Sale

Get downtown and check out this massive Unis sale January 9th through the 18th. I hope they still have some of those chambray shirts, but with prices ranging from 20-200 dollars it will definitely be worth the look.

The War on Chromaphobia

Thanks to Susie Bubble for reminding me. about this chronic wardrobe malfunction. Every year I tell myself I'm going to wear more color and sometimes I even trick myself into thinking that I am. Once while going on a spirited tirade about men not wearing any color I was silenced by a friend who noted that I myself wasn't wearing any color at the time and usually wear a lot of blacks and grays. A glance down at my outfit revealed that in fact I was only wearing black. How did this happen?

I'd like to say that its just a symptom of being a New Yorker but a New York Magazine article from last spring showed a few examples of New Yorkers who can't get enough of color. Even if those rare examples are strictly monochromatic. It was hard not to get excited about color again looking through the collections shown this year, as sober blues have given way to more vibrant yellows. Cyan, Neon, and Mustard. This year, of all houses, Gucci surprised me with a fun psychedelic collection, even if it was uneven.

Gucci and Jil Sander

Asos Slip On Boat Shoes £34.26

All three looks from Yves Saint Laurent SS09

Stefano Pilati showed a crisp range of delicate hues: salmon, navy, and many different earth tones. Every look combined luxury with comfort and teased a dialectic between vulnerability and strength.

My strategy to break away from black is simple:

1. I buy black because of its versatility, but earth tones and grays do the trick just as well.
2. Accessorize more. After migrating south for spring I found myself dressing down by default and therefore accessorizing more, but accessories allow for an easy addition of color to an outfit.
3. Watermelon sneakers.
   

New York I Love You: Greenpoint

This marks the first of what will hopefully be a regular series of profiles on one of my favorite topics, New York City.

Greenpoint, Brooklyn is neighborhood with a large eastern european population. You'll see plenty of unremarkable strip-mall shops but the area is also home to a number of unique vintage and thrift stores like Alter Men(109 Franklin St. near Greenpoint Ave. Brooklyn, NY. 718-784-8818). Alter is known for taking apart old garments and creating original one-off pieces under the label This Old Thing and also offering a variety of indie brands like Hyden Yoo, Cheap Monday, and Kill City.

If you still need another reason to check out this shop they provide this hook on their site: You can shop at a cute, uncrowded, independently-owned boutique just minutes from Manhattan. A store with no long lines, no gross music and no frumpy sales people to take away your holiday cheer. A place like Alter.

A perfect description.



After treating yourself to Alter head over to Lost and Found (113 Franklin St) where you can have the world's best bloody mary/meal substitute. You can also play a few games of skee-ball in the arcade and take a picture with your new gear in the photobooth.