All Over Albany

The bindi lady

Brittany Johnson Michael -- the bindi lady.

Brittany Johnson Michael makes bindis -- the traditional Hindu jewelry worn by women on the forehead.

Brittany is not Indian, and she wasn't raised in the Hindu culture, but she's been wearing bindis and writing about them for years.

Now she's making bindis. And from her studio in Albany, her new twist on the ancient custom -- the Om body bindi -- has made it to Yoga studios and new age shops around the country.

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For your inner Joan

If you're looking to bring out your inner Joan in anticipation of the new season of Mad Men, locally-based makeup line Mode has a "Mad Reds" collection. Mode's site says the colors pay "homage to the iconic style of the 1960s."

The collection includes a very-Joan lipstick ("creamy warm red") and nail polish ("flaming fire red"). And they're cheap -- $4.75 for the lipstick and $3.50 for the polish.

Mode was founded by two sisters -- Cristina Samuels and Jennifer Issac -- in 2007. It's based in north Albany.

Mode products are available at Price Chopper and Hannaford, and online.

[via Arrive - thanks, Karen!]

image: MODE

Summer essentials for men 2010

How to pull off summer plaid, Don Draper style.

Summer essentials for men are, I think, somewhat harder than for women.

There is no sun-dress to turn to with endless silhouette options, and so the summer uniform for guys turns into shorts and some variant of shirt.

Rather than attempting to find sartorial inspiration for summer that delves outside of this, I went on the search for summer's essential basic items for guys that are somehow more than just the usual.

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Lark-ternative looks

Richard sent along a photoset of the avant-garde looks created by local stylists at the Lark-ternative Hair Competition this past weekend at Art on Lark. Some of the styles are whimsical, some are fierce -- all area little out there.

Bonus shot: Here's another photo from the competition by Mike Watson (Flickr user musicnartblue).

Bonus photoset: Flickr user vonnegutjr has posted a handful of photos from the music stage.

photo: Richard R

Summer essentials for women 2010

Big hats are on the list, and they go great with sunglasses...

It's officially the first week of summer.

So AOA fashionista Kaitlin Ressler did one of her favorite things. She hit the mall looking for what she considers this season's essentials.

After the jump, essentials for women. (Next week, essentials for men.)

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Trashion 2010 photos

Trashion + Fashion = Trashion

Mike has a posted a great photoset from this past weekend's Trashion show at the Atrium in Troy.

The hot looks this year? Compact discs, caution tape, magazines. And there was a lot of look in some of those looks.

Earlier on AOA: Trashion is back

photo: Mike Roach

Trashion is back

The Trashion 2010 show coming up this weekend in Troy. The exhibition will feature more than 20 looks that local designers have made out of trash. (Trash + Fashion = Trashion)

The show is at the Atrium Building Saturday evening (doors at 5:30). Tickets are $15 ahead of time ($12 for students and seniors), $20 at the door. You can buy the tickets online or at the Flavour Cafe. This year's show is a benefit for the Fulton Street Gallery.

photo: a piece from M.T. Maiello's 2008 trashion collection

Earlier on AOA:
+ From trash to trashion
+ Anatomy of a trashion piece

Swimsuit shopping (yes, it's time)

Everybody into the pool!

Lately every day feels more and more like real-life summer than spring. Shedding our cardigans and one teeny layer after another, it becomes more and more obvious that we're eeking into bathing suit season. Whether it's for dips in the pool or weekend excursions to ponds, lakes, and oceans, the nagging want of a new suit pops up every summer, even if last year's faithful suit is just fine.

It's probably one of most people's least-favorite shopping trips, the bathing suit shop -- and it's certainly not a favorite of mine. But instead of trudging through the racks and feeling resentful of handing over my hard-earned pennies for the teeniest garment, I chose to run around as though a magnificent vacation was on the horizon -- even if it was just imaginary.

After the jump -- some of the suits I found for women and men.

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Madison Handbags: made in Troy

Trish Rost, runs Madison Handbags from an old warehouse in Troy.

We're noticing them everywhere we go. They're stylish, they're custom made and, as it happens, they're sewn in Troy.

But you can't just buy one. You have to wait until you're asked.

Trish Rost was a sales rep for radio station WGNA when she dreamed up the idea for Madison Handbags. They're custom made bags you design yourself -- but can only buy at a hostess party.

AOA talked with Rost about her factory in Troy, and why she took the home party route in the age of the internet.

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The new Forever 21 megastore

It's huge!

After months of construction and teasing from a sign looming over the section of Crossgates that used to be Dick's, the new Forever21 opened on Friday.

I don't mean to make this sound super epic -- it's not exactly high-fashion heaven -- but it's the largest of the chain's stores on the East Coast. And for quick, trendy pieces and four-dollar sunglasses Forever21 is certainly a place to check out. And if you've never been, or haven't set foot inside for a long time, now it's definitely worth a look.

So I took one...

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Shopping for a women's interview suit

A few weeks ago Erik investigated men's interview suits, and the many suggestions on where to find suits for women sent me on a shopping trip of my own.

For women, the classic suit is slightly different than for men. It seems standards of dressing for interviews or general office attire are more varied. Not only can cuts of jackets and pants morph into something totally different from the standard cut (cropped, peplum, pleated and high-waisted, ruffled, boxy, fitted), but the option of skirt to trousers is always there.

So I went and wandered around, checking out some of the suggestions, trying on all kinds of suits. And I found quite a lot...

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Rain gear: staying dry and stylish

Does your rain gear make you this happy?

Yes, yesterday was sunny and dry and lovely, but we're not out of the woods yet. It's early April, and we all know that April showers bring... raincoats, umbrellas, and makeshift rain-gear.

So that you don't end up using library books or newspapers as a shield against leaky skies, I took a quick jaunt around town last week to see if we couldn't dress a bit more like Paddington Bear while braving the waters.

After the jump, stylish rain gear for women and men.

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Shopping for a men's interview suit in the Capital Region

The suit to wear for interviewing -- or dodging international spies.

If economists are to be believed, over the next several months we should start to see some job growth. With new jobs comes the opportunity for interviews.

Interviewing, for many people, is a mysterious science -- like alchemy or the inner workings of the iPhone.

So lets try to demystify at least one part of the process: what to wear. Oh, and where to find it.

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The hunt for tuxedos in the Capital Region

The Waldorf on Lark Street in Albany

I'm getting married.

I have four groomsmen, including my best man. Two of my guys are here in the Capital District, and two are out of town. One is downstate, in Rockland County. The other lives in North Carolina. And I'm here in Albany

With this in mind, I began my quest for a tuxedo rental solution that would work for my geographically disparate men.

But I'm pretty particular about tuxedos...

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Trends: the Boyfriend -- or 2 for 1 shopping

Diane Keaton made it famous, but the boyfriend's back.

One of fashion's favorite repeating trends for women is borrowing from the boys.

Whether it's the cut of trousers, haberdashery details on blouses or shirts, masculine textiles on feminine silhouettes, tomboy elements of dress pepper women's fashion just about every season.

At the moment it's particularly popular. And hey, If the sizes are right, it's double-duty shopping, sampling the men's selections in stores to find pieces that are so neat and necessary that they'll fit both a his and hers wardrobe. The only problem is deciding who wears what garment when, or whether or not perfume or cologne lingering on blazers and sweaters prevents a second-wearing.

So, from stores in the Capital Region, here are some looks I like for guys or women.

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Liberty for Target is here

Patterns, patterns, patterns.

The first time I heard the iconic British clothing brand Liberty was pairing up with Target for their GO International designers partnership, I was gleeful. Teeny-weeny floral designs (the kind Liberty is famous for) just for spring! And not just dresses, but men's shirts and ties, teapots, pillows, stationary... all kinds of stuff!

At the back of my mind was the tiniest bit of trepidation -- these collections have been disappointing in recent collaborations, but how could florals go wrong?

Thankfully, we have access to several Targets that carry the collections. I checked out the Albany and Latham locations. Here's what I found...

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Shopping all over: stripes

Stripes for spring.

Stripes get a bad rap. Makeover shows tend to harp on their unflattering aspects, citing them as the culprits that widen the figure, but a lot of that has less to do with pattern and more to do with fit.

When I think about iconic, classic clothing items, the striped shirt ranks high on the list.
The most classic version might be Coco Chanel's Saint James striped shirts, borrowed from fishermen

Just in time for spring, stripes are popping up in affordable versions all over stores. The trend toward the stripe seems to be mostly for women right now. They're definitely a spring staple to toss on with those hopeful floral pieces, and there's no shortage of them at stores in our area (in a range of prices for those of us saving our pennies).

I went on the hunt for stripes in the Capital Region, recently. Here's what I found.

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Where to find suit tailoring?

Dan emailed today:

I saw the post on custom dress shirts on AOA, but what about suit tailoring?

Right now I'm looking at getting a suit from Indochino, but wanted to get measured and have a place to bring it to get some things tweaked, if necessary.

Last year I had a suit taken in at Hong Kong Tailors on Central, and they weren't too helpful about getting measurements done for an Indochino suit. They also weren't forthcoming on their prices for custom suits. The Indochino suits seem to be good quality, and reimburse for the cost of tailoring up to $75 (their perfect fit guarantee)

Well, we sort of understand why a local shop wouldn't be too interested in taking measurements for a custom suit shipped in from China. But maybe the measurement and alterations are better than no business at all.

So, anyone have suggestions for Dan? We'll widen this question a bit to also include local options for custom suits.

Here's one possibility: Vince Rua, the founder of the former Christoper's menswear store, has his own custom tailoring business now. Custom suits start at $695.

Also: after the custom shirt post, Wanda suggested tailoring from Amore on State in Albany and llcwine suggested Simon's Men's Wear on State St in Schenectady.

photo: Flickr user d3b...*

Finding the fashion: The Oxford files

Classic + fun

For the past couple of seasons, oxfords in various incarnations have been popping up on fashion blogs, on runways and going for extraordinarily high bids on ebay. Thankfully, it seems that local shoe retailers are finally offering these funny little sartorial legends.

I've been hankering after a pair for a while (shopping vintage doesn't seem to be helping me in this case) and since I have problems finding shoes that work for my poor feet, I've gone back to wandering the mall stores in hopes of finding some. I'd prefer a flat pair. The ones with heels are kind of cute too, but I've found lace-up heels to be pretty uncomfortable.

Oh, and today's budget is 100$--preferably less.

So here's what I found:

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Shopping vintage in the Capital Region

There's good stuff out there -- you just have to know where to look.

If you haven't guessed by now, I'm a vintage junkie.

I love old things, curious objects, and of course vintage clothing. Thankfully, we live in quite a good area for shopping vintage. I love perusing the racks and occasionally (okay, maybe more often than that) snatching up a find for myself.

Vintage stores can be kind of tricky -- they're doing the searching for you, and so prices are not always a bargain, but if you'd rather spend on something perhaps a bit more special, it's the way to go.

After the jump you'll find a list of places to shop vintage and some info on what you'll find. This list is by no means comprehensive -- there are dozens of funny little antique and second-hand shops tucked all around the area -- but these are my favorites of the moment (not just for vintage luck, but for set-up or general charm).

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Overcoming the mid-winter fashion blues

It's worth the effort!

I'm feeling the weight of January.

Sure, we've had a few oddly warm days, but coats and boots are still required, there's slush, and it's going to be really, really cold for a long time.

These are the days when it's hard to resist dressing down and wrapping oneself in a cocoon, or, you know, caring enough to put an outfit together. Dressing well in an upstate winter is hard, especially when the holidays are over and it's just plain cold.

So I went shopping in the Capital Region and gathered a few ideas to help get over the mid-winter fashion blues:

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Where to get a custom tailored shirt

Do you think there's a custom shirt for that little guy hanging from the lapel?

A custom shirt doesn't just fit like a glove, it fits like skin. Better than skin even, because a custom-tailored garment hides, flatters, and accentuates.

Countless magazines, style guides, and makeover shows sing the praises of having ready-to-wear garments tailored. It can be a great help for anyone who has trouble finding sizes that flatter -- and a really fun luxury for others.

There's a history in a custom-made garment. Like couture, it's special and infused with care and detail. I don't mean to be overly romantic or wax poetic about this, but custom garments are a funny kind of imprint of an individual. Because they're special they can be passed down through generations, like jewelry.

Custom shirts are also a kind of a mark of arrival, like the first suit, first little black dress, first grown-up perfume or cologne.

There are a few places in the Capital Region where you can go for custom tailored shirts. I checked out the process at Caruso's Custom Clothier in Guilderland.

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Buying a winter coat. Yes, in January.

Is it time for a new coat?

Yes, it seems like a lot of mall stores are already getting their spring stuff, but here in the great Northeast, it's still winter. And it will be for a long time. And frankly, I'm feeling the winter blues or whatever you call the slump that happens when you realize that yes, you do still have to wear eighty-seven layers to make the walk to your car.

It's also the time when many of us come to realize that our old winter coat just isn't cutting it in this cold.

If your winter coat isn't working out, or you're in need of a fallback, now may be the right time to pick up a new coat. It's not just that coats that were left over from holiday shoppers are marked down, it's also that coats that didn't fit or weren't quite right have been returned to stores and some of those are also marked-down. You might just find the coat you wanted months ago but that sold out in a flurry of chilly anticipation.

I went coat shopping recently to see what was left and what kind of deals are available.

Here's a look at what I found for women & men:

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Holiday gift guide: bags at The Paper Sparrow

They're our bag, baby. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

We were Victorian Strolling through Troy last weekend when we popped into The Paper Sparrow to see what new home made goodies Kate had added to her collection.

What we saw on the wall had us digging for our wallets.

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Holiday gift guide: Albany Etsy

A little something for everyone.

Internet shopping makes the holidays infinitely easier to battle through, allowing us to avoid the frustrating lines in the mall and the dreaded parking wars.

On the other hand, how does one shop locally while remaining in the comfort of their pjs?

As it turns out, a whole bunch of our favorite local artists, crafters and other awesome gift-makers have shops set up on Etsy!

Here are three sellers who offer items I covet myself but will sacrifice as gifts for those who deserve fantastic local gifts:

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