Items tagged with 'style'
Indigo organic salon
No harsh chemicals or smelly stuff allowed.
So last weekend at the Farmer's Market in Troy, we met a woman who was sporting a chic new hairstyle. Always curious, we asked where she'd gotten her new look.
"An organic salon called Indigo."
A what? Organic salon? What is that ?
We had to know more. So we dropped in on Kathe Anzola, the owner of Indigo. It's a peaceful, airy little place on River Street.
She cleared things up for us.
What to wear to the ballet at SPAC
Sure, these are fine if you're on stage, but what do you wear if you're more the spectator type?
Maybe you haven't been since your childhood, but the ballet is where it's at this month in Saratoga. And, since our Mommies and Daddies won't (typically) be picking out our clothes this go-round, Violet's of Saratoga and owner Laura Ferrar has a plan.
The one-year old boutique on Broadway is filled with some hip little delicacies that would leave a sophisticate with a stimulus check breathless. Perfect for ballet dressing, whether you're lawn-bound or reserved for an amphitheater seat.
Passing Fashion: Rachel and her anti-hoodie
Who?
Rachel, a marketer for All Star Body Art in Scotia.
Where?
Outside Borders on Broadway in downtown Saratoga.
Sum up your style with one word.
Classy!
(click on Rachel's pic for a closer look)
Passing Fashion: Sherri and her parasol
Eclectic and elegant.
Who?
Sherri, founder of a women's organization from Harlem.
Where?
Outside the capitol building on Washington Ave.
How do you describe your fashion style?
Eclectic. My mother always told me to wear long things that are long and flowing.
Shopping Albany on Etsy
Check it out: you can search Etsy, the online marketplace for cool craftiness, by location. So we punched in Albany, NY. Here are a few things that caught our eye.
Anatomy of a trashion piece
We put together an anatomical diagram (so to speak) of a trashion piece by Troy designer M.T. Maiello. The full size image is after the jump.
From trash to trashion
Pieces from the M.T. Maiello's trashion collection.
This Friday night models will strut down a catwalk at Revolution Hall wearing outfits made of stuff other people threw away -- in the garbage. Designers have been working for months on the trash couture that will be showcased at the annual Trashion show. No, you won't find people wearing this stuff off the runway -- but what these designers can do with trash is pretty amazing.
So how does trash become trashion?
Passing Fashion: Meaghan
Comfort, meet style.
Who?
Meaghan, a U Albany Student from Saratoga.
Where?
On Broadway in Saratoga.
Behold, "The Rachael"
One more reason it's good to be Rachael Ray: your friends design shoes just for you. And then sell them on QVC.
Taking over the world apparently involves being on your feet a lot, so Gretta Monahan says she designed "The Rachael" to be extra comfy and practical. Because her Rachaelness is (circular hand motion) just like all of us.
Passing fashion: Michelle's awesome coat
Black and white and cool all over.
Who: Michelle, a UAlbany student from Long Island
Where: Crossgates Commons
The Caftan? Really?
And a floral print is somehow supposed to make it better?
I think the only person I have ever seen look gorgeous in a caftan was Jackie O in a photo from the 70s. And that's because Jackie O was magic and looked good in absolutely everything. Regular woman generally look pretty foolish in these things. Still, this frightening 70s trend is back, and it's popping up in stores all over the Capital Region.
Talking with Tim Gunn at Macy's
"Make it work!"
Well, we did it. After a week of agonizing over our respective wardrobes, we finally selected our outfits and set out for the "good" Macy's to meet fashion guru Tim Gunn.
The first thing you need to know is that, seriously, this guy is just as nice in person as he is on TV. In fact, he may be the nicest celeb we've ever met (because, you know, there have been so many). Tim was in town for a Liz Clairborne fashion show at Macy's (he's now chief creative officer for Liz Claiborne) and he set aside a few minutes to answer some of our questions -- and some of yours. Here's how it went...
Tim Gunn at Macy's: what should we ask?
The AOA team has been scouring their closets in search of the right outfits to wear for our interview with fashion guru Tim Gunn. Gunn is making a public appearance at "the good Macy's" in Colonie Center on Saturday and we've arranged for a 15 minute audience.
We'd love to take you all along, but we can't fit everyone... and it wouldn't be fair to take just a few. Still, as Tim likes to say, "We're concerned about you". So here's what we want to know: if you had 15 minutes with Tim Gunn, what would you want to know? Let us know and we'll do our best to get Tim to answer your question.
Make it work! Tim Gunn's coming to town!
There was squealing at the AOA satellite office this afternoon when we found out that Tim Gunn -- the best thing to come out of Project Runway -- will be at the Colonie Center Macy's (you know, the "good" Macy's) April 26 at 2 pm. It seems that Tim, who's now chief creative officer of Liz Claiborne, will be demonstrating "how to build a versatile wardrobe with a couple of key pieces."
And maybe he can explain to us why Victorya seemed like such a pill on the last season of Project Runway.
UPDATE: You'll need reservations for the event. Call 1-888-622-9769 and apparently you can leave a message to reserve your spot. Probably. The reservation process seemed a little unclear.
(Thanks, Aja!)
photo: Bravo Company
The hunt for an alternative wedding dress
For the bride-to-be with a taste for the non-traditional, the Albany area presents a few obstacles. The Capital Region is nothing if not traditional, especially when it comes to the contemporary tradition of finding a wedding dress.
So when AOA friend and rebellious bride Renée wanted my advice on where to find a dress for her upcoming nuptials, I had a significant challenge on my hands. The ceremony will be outdoors later this Spring, so she wants something on the shorter side. Also, she's hoping to wear, in her own words, "Kermit Green."
I know this is probably a surprise, but there is no abundance of Kermit-hued dresses at Crossgates (who knew?). She's already tried the usual suspects at Stuyvesant Plaza with no luck and now she's moving on to Saratoga. So, here are some good Spa City shopping bets...
The Brunswick Goodwill: a great place to score new, or nearly new, stuff cheap
Pants, pants, pants! And cheap.
My experience with thrift shops is admittedly small. This is mostly because I'm lazy. I love fashion and I love all of those great vintage pieces I see on celebs. But I also love merchandising. Pretty displays always make shopping a more pleasant, navigable experience. And that's why I generally avoid places like Marshall's and thrift stores.
I love the idea of cheap, awesome clothes. But at the mall, "cheap" and "awesome" are usually in the same company as "poorly made." This is not necessarily the case at thrift stores. So after Eileen mentioned how great the Goodwill store is in Brunswick, I decided to have a go.
Finding a local stylist -- and products -- for curls
Katherine looked all over for the right stylist.
The only thing I'm more envious of than people with a great sense of personal style, is people with great hair. You can wear the most uninspired clothes in the world, but a hair cut and/or style can make the clothes a moot point.
Katherine, a former colleague and good friend of mine, never has that problem. Not only is Katherine's hair always great, but it's curly AND great. The two do not have to be mutually exclusive (I just straighten the hell out of my African-American hair to avoid having to style it in its naturally curly state).
Here's how Katherine found her style in Albany.
The art of transition
Classic and versatile, a trench coat can handle whatever March has to offer.
So it's finally (barely) March, and the Spring clothes are out in full force. The rest of us have finally caught up to the retailers, and we're itching to purchase and wear them (unlike January). The problem is that with March comes this lion/lamb business. We could be wading through the snow straight through Easter, or we could be in sandals before St. Patrick's Day.
The key to surviving and enjoying the early spring months is transitional dressing. Here are three things that I think everyone should have to bridge the gap from Winter to Spring:
Smart dresser
We all know people that we envy a little because being awesome is so effortless for them.
In college, it was that person on your floor who was a super-busy do-gooder. Somehow, despite never being around (due to saving the world), he or she would mysteriously make 20-page papers appear out of thin air and, of course, get an A. You on the other hand spent two weeks in and out of the library, and a couple of very late nights, to eek out a B.
At work, it's that person who, despite having 12 projects going at once, never breaks a sweat, and always manages to smile.
And then there are the smart dressers.
I like to look nice, but a really good outfit for me usually requires actual thought and planning. The best dressers I know just throw outfits together without a second thought. They also mysteriously acquire the most coveted pieces. Here's an excerpt of a typical conversation with a smart dresser:
Me: "I love your Boucle jacket! Very Chanel-esque. Where'd you get it?"
Smart Dresser: (without any smugness) "This old thing? I found it in my grandmother's closet."
Me: "All I ever find in my Grandmother's closet are floral Mumus."
I know quite a few. And over time, I'll be profiling them here. The first is my co-worker Eileen.
Nice shoes
There's nothing like a great shoe bargain to brighten up a wet, gray February day. This week we found these fabulous Rocketdogs at The Shoe Dept. in Colonie Center.
Fabulous because they're really cute, fabulous because they're really inexpensive ($15 for the Corduroy, $25 for the plaid) and fabulous because it's fun to say Rocketdogs. Try it, "I'm wearing my Rocketdogs." See, told you it's fun.
Shopping Mecca in the 'burbs
Are the good deals a myth?
I'm not a fan of bargain stores. I love a good deal, but I HATE the hunt. I don't consider
it a payoff to find $300 Theory pants for $40 if I had to spend two hours picking through the racks and fending off an equally interested shopper to get them. But if you live for the hunt, a trip is well worth it.
For a few years now, everyone's been telling me about how the Marshall's in Clifton Park is amazing; that you can find much better and/or higher-end merchandise than their stores directly in or around Albany.
I'm always skeptical when people say things like that to me. I mean, same company, same stuff, right? Mmm, not so much. A little birdy informed me that unlike sister store TJMaxx, Marshall's stores are stocked by zip code. So more affluent areas generally have more highly-coveted merch. This would explain how a former co-worker of mine got a cute Coach tote (non-logo, thank god) from the location a few years ago. My interest was peaked at the time, but not enough to make my way up the Northway.
Recently, I finally got the itch to go see what all the ruckus has been about. Here's the verdict:
Happiness Is A Tall Red Shoe
Never let it be said that high fashion doesn't exist in the Capital Region. (I'll just point out right now that I'm usually the person complaining of this.) As it turns out, it not only exists, it exists at ~gasp~ the mall.
January is not spring.
But you wouldn't know it from walking around the mall.
Each year in January, like clockwork, our little corner of the country gets slapped with a nasty cold-snap. I've stopped being angry, and just accepted it. However, our favorite stores have not, and it pisses me off.
I generally am not ready to invest in new winter stuff until I'm sure the cold business is going to stick around. (I know, it always does. But a girl can hope.) Then the Holidays hit and most of my disposable income (Ha!) goes to gifts. So finally, after the new year, and a few weeks into the season, I decided to go looking for a few wardrobe updates.
It was not to be.
... said Amelia about local college rankings