Items tagged with 'style'
Viva Kaitlin!
Check it out: Kaitlin is featured in Glamour España!
The mag highlighted Kaitlin's blog, All This Happiness, and her love of vintage fashion.
page grab: Glamour España
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
Barber Poll: Mensroom
On Columbia Street, around the corner from B. Lodge.
AOA Greg was in a long-term haircutting relationship for the better part of the last decade. And then he wasn't. Suddenly unattached, Greg was at a loss for where to get his hair cut. So he asked the AOA crowd -- and it had a bunch of good suggestions. Now he's playing the field, in search of a new shop.
I had heard some good things about Mensroom -- and it describes itself as "a contemporary barbershop with an 'old school' feel." So, it sounded like a good candidate and I was looking forward to checking it out.
The before/after pics and more after the jump...
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.
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
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.
Twilight Vintage in Troy
Twilight Vintage. The window displays are just the beginning of what's so fabulous.
A while back, when I did the AOA vintage round-up, LQ suggested taking a gander at Twilight, a vintage store at 44 4th Street in Troy.
Now, generally a trip into Troy will keep me around River Street, peeking into antique stores but rarely buying. Not anymore.
Thanks to LQ, I've definitely found a new favorite just a few blocks away.
Suggestions for a good seamstress?
Meg emails:
I need to have some tricky alterations made to a bridesmaid dress. I saw your posts on shirt and suit tailors in the area, and am hoping you and your readers can hook me up with a talented seamstress. Any ideas?
We wonder if maybe there are seamstresses (or tailors) who specialize in dresses. We know next to nothing about sewing, but we suspect that altering a dress is more complicated (and perhaps more of an art) than hemming a pair of pants.
Anyone have suggestions or experiences to share with Meg?
Earlier on AOA: Where to find suit tailoring?
Elsewhere: Kristi recently got a question about where to get pants hemmed.
photo: Flickr user d3b...*
Barber poll: Knockouts
It's boxing gym meets bachelor pad.
AOA Greg was in a long-term haircutting relationship for the better part of the last decade. And then he wasn't. Suddenly unattached, Greg was at a loss for where to get his hair cut. So he asked the AOA crowd -- and it had a bunch of good suggestions. Now he's playing the field, in search of a new shop.
OK, let's just get this out of the way upfront -- no, I would probably never go to Knockouts on my own. But the place has gotten a certain amount of attention and the barber poll is all about trying new places. So, here we go.
The before/after pics and more after the jump...
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...
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.
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.
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...
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.
Barber poll: B'yond Style
It's in the strip near New Scotland and Manning in Albany.
AOA Greg was in a long-term haircutting relationship for the better part of the last decade. And then he wasn't. Suddenly unattached, Greg was at a loss for where to get his hair cut. So he asked the AOA crowd -- and it had a bunch of good suggestions. Now he's playing the field, in search of a new shop.
The shop up this time around: B'yond Style on New Scotland in Albany, across from St. Peter's. And, wow, did they have their work cut out for them -- my hair was a mess.
The before and after pics after the jump...
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:
A haircut and a beer
While reading Fun in Saratoga's Dan's great post about his haircut at Swagger, the new barbershop in Saratoga, we took note of the fact that the shop offers customers a beer. As Dan wrote:
Finally, when my eventual, ummm I guess barber, Jenn (let's just say she's very different from the barbers I had when I was a kid, that's for sure), offered me a beer, I was in Caroline Street Utopia (at least Caroline Street afternoon utopia - later in the evening my Caroline Street utopia involves bars and even later it involves Esperanto, but I digress). And it's not mainstream and wimpy Bud Light or Corona they offer - nope - Swagger offers Pabst Blue Ribbon and Schlitz beer - the same blue collar cheap stuff with a bite that I used to steal from my Dad 25 years ago. Good brew, and it fits right in there.
It seems the beer with a cut has become a little bit of a trend.*
Rumors IV Men in Latham has offered customers for a cold one with their cut for a while. Adding to its rep as "the Hooters of haircuts," so does the new Knockouts on Wolf Road. And now Swagger. (We wouldn't be surprised if there are others.)
Update! B and Kim pointed out two more: the Men's Room in Albany and Executive Barber Shop in Latham.
A few shops in other cities have taken the "drink with a cut" angle even further. In Manhattan, a place on Wall Street keeps a stocked liquor cabinet. And a shop in the DC area serves martinis.
Earlier on AOA:
+ Barber poll: Jean Paul
+ Where should AOA Greg get his hair cut?
*There's old joke in journalism: if you can find three of something, it's a trend. So, uh, right.
photo: Fun in Saratoga Dan
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.
Barber poll: Jean Paul
AOA Greg was in a long-term haircutting relationship for the better part of the last decade. And then he wasn't. Suddenly unattached, Greg was at a loss for where to get his hair cut. So he asked the AOA crowd -- and it had a bunch of good suggestions. Now he's playing the field, in search of a new shop.
Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions. I'm looking forward to checking out a bunch of them (though, sorry Siobhan, there will be no weaves).
The first stylist up suggested herself: Rebecca at Jean Paul in Stuyvesant Plaza.
The search for winter boots
So many boots. So much ugliness.
Not to be a downer, but snow is coming.
Piles and piles of snow.
We're all thinking it -- tugging our winter coats out of closets and waiting for the gloves and scarves to go on sale. Then, there is the trickiest part of the winter ensemble: the winter boot.
Skin Poison
There are some things you just want to be sure of.
Okay, so you'd really like a big dragon tattoo but you can't figure out exactly where it would look best.
Wouldn't it be great if there was someplace you could get a sort of virtual tattoo -- something that would let you visualize the tat on your bod before getting the real thing.
Turns out, there is. It's also kind of a MySpace for Capital Region tattoo lovers.
Casey Dwyer's wool headbands
Fashion, meet function.
I saw these the other day and can't help but lust over them.
Glens Falls resident Casey Dwyer's wool headbands just seem like the perfect way to add a little warmth to a cold day and still look cool. They're made out of three layers of wool felt in hand-printed floral and leaf designs in a bevy of colors.
Dwyer works on her designs out of a studio in the Troy Shirt Factory , which despite it's name is actually in Glens Falls and is home to several local businesses and artisans. But she's selling her wares in boutiques and craft fairs from Brooklyn to Portland.
Lucia of Saratoga
If the list of things you need includes: delicate jewelry, a special dress, late-fall mittens for windy walks, a passport case (so that you can wear said dresses and jewelry to somewhere awesome), a clever postcard, or a gift for someone who is terrifically hard to shop for, I offer you Lucia in downtown Saratoga springs.
Those who remember the Saratoga shop, Mabou, can think back to the jewelry and gift selection (Lucia is owned by Lucy Strauss, the daughter of Mabou owner Mark Strauss). Lucy's shop is one of my favorite places in downtown Saratoga that doesn't involve food.
Passing Fashion: Nicole's vintage transition
Who?
Nicole, an employee at Albany Medical Center Foundation.
Where?
Lark Street
... said Kaitlin about Viva Kaitlin!