Fashion Trends and a Few Finds in NYC!

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Fashion

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Last week I had the pleasure of vacationing to one of our family’s favorite spots (Westport, MA) for a lovely 10-day hiatus.  I intended to write last Friday. To be perfectly  honest, I was relaxing and enjoying being with family and friends WAYYY too much to attempt writing the blog last week.  It was  just as well, as I have been having “picture problems” for several weeks.  Last evening I spent 2 1/2 hours  in the Apple Store trying to remedy the problematic issue.  (Is anyone else having problems downloading pictures from “the cloud”?).  It’s all so confusing to me but I would not have been able to download pics last week anyway based upon what I learned just last evening.

During the vacation, I was fortunate to be able to make a 3 day side “girl” trip to NYC with a couple of my all time favorite shoppers. Our ancillary “girl trip” has been a special component of my vacation on the east coast over the many years.  I don’t know about any of you, but I have always considered myself a “lone shopper”.  I have always loved shopping by myself.   Over the years, however, I have found a few friends who I thoroughly enjoy shopping alongside.  Among those few are my friend Liz and her daughter, Fiona.  We even shopped well together when we used to shop Target stores over a decade ago. Here we are pictured outside our hotel, coffees in hand and ready to “hit the streets” to see all that we can see. (Me with my own girls too). IMG_4736

I realize people love and travel to NYC for many reasons.  Some for work, in search of fine cuisine, for sightseeing, museums and shows.IMG_4731

IMG_5011FullSizeRender-2 I have enjoyed some of those NYC experiences too.  But by far, the best part about being in NYC for me, is the shopping!!!   I have been reluctant/embarrassed to admit this. It just sounds so darn shallow and so unintellectual.   While out shopping yet again this week, I engaged in a conversation with a salesperson who admitted she loved the shopping experience the best too.   It made me feel so much better.   Is this true for anyone of YOU who are reading this now?  I would love to know there are other people who will admit the same thing! And it’s not that I feel the need to BUY everything either.  I genuinely LOVE LOOKING at the merchandise, (window shopping and dreaming) spotting trends and just being out amongst the shopping crowd.  I dream and say to myself:  “If Only”….”If only I could have a job or reason to wear fabulous clothes every day and have them expensed while doing so?”  Why can’t the marketers at Prada ( or elsewhere for that matter) decide they need a midwestern menopausal Mom to model their clothes instead of the 20-something lithe models?IMG_4752

IMG_4746 (1)IMG_4930Side note: For years, my husband has jokingly threatened to bury me in a Prada shoe box if I pass away before he does.  I  initially did not find that comment as amusing and apropos as I now do.  I always thought I would dedicate my dead body to science.  (Being a nurse and caring about the science of things).  But given the morbid and gruesome thought of soaking in formaldehyde in plastic wrap in some college lab atmosphere, the thought of being in a beautiful pink Prada shoe box does indeed seem more appealing.  Really, the Prada boxes are well made and many of the boxes ARE light pink!

I digress.  Back to the subject at hand.  Let me first tackle the TREND concept.

Of note, it’s hard in a city the size of NYC or many cities these days, to easily pinpoint any obvious trends.  (Nearly anything goes while walking the streets.)  That said, one must visit the stores and notice the  displays and the associated merchandise.

This trip I identified 3 emerging and continued “Hot” trends. I also stopped at the Mall of America this week and snapped a few pictures from Nordstrom for examples of these identified trends:

1. BoHo-Hippie-Back to the 70’s lookIMG_4744IMG_6008

2. EmbellishmentsIMG_4747IMG_6015

IMG_4767IMG_4766-23.Still lots of “Flapper” shoe styles I highlighted from last Fall.IMG_4763

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($750 for these GIVENCHY slip-ons! (Bambi themed-of all things)  Outrageous!!!)

Here is a brief synopsis of visited stores, associated trends and some favored items that I liked:

DAY #1

We started our three day adventure in a store I visited for the first time only 3  short years ago.  It’s a discount store called Century 21 and its flagship store is located near wall street. IMG_4698 I remember a friend of ours telling me about it many years ago.  It’s a “hit or miss” sort of place.  If I lived there or near any others (A brand new one had opened up in Philadelphia when I was there in April) I would be frequenting the place often.  The deals you can score are incredible.  For me, this trip, I walked away with only one beautiful  silk blouse by an exclusive designer valued at nearly 800$ marked down to $149.00  I swept that up but wasn’t WOWED by much else this trip.  I’m hoping if I visit again I’ll find one of the glorious Prada dresses I tried on in the SoHo store.

Next the teen girls wanted to go to Urban Outfitters. I often find some little item there. I ended up buying this little mini dress and wore it that evening to a very casual dinner.IMG_4710

Obviously urban outfitters isn’t exclusive to NYC but it was fun to shop at one in NYC. This is where I discovered the most BRILLIANT new device I am excited to tell you about.  It’s an in-store cell phone charging station that you put your phone into (secure with a code) while you shop.  I was ASTOUNDED and also grateful for this service as my cell seems to always be running low. Then I saw it again at Bergdorf’s the next day!!!  IMG_4998

Day #2

We ventured to SoHo which I love and where I walked into the Prada store and fell in love with nearly everything in it.  (See pics above).  I really fell in love when I tried several of the dresses on…The fit, the fabric, the embellishments.  I felt as if I was wrapped in pure luxury and ecstasy.

We had a lot of fun visiting the smaller boutiques including Miu Miu (the child of the house of Prada-the name was conceived from Miuccia Prada’s family nickname). IMG_4755

Look at this beautiful building in SoHo that houses a Tiffany store within it:FullSizeRender (4)

We also spent a considerable amount of time perusing the ZARA store in the SoHo area.  See the identified BoHo trend via the displayed merchandise:IMG_4743

IMG_4742Our final stop on day #2 was Saks Fifth Avenue for our first foray in to the land of luxury. I made a return visit there on my last day.  I still think Saks is a GREAT store.

Day #3

With only hours left to enjoy the city and shops, we set out early to see what we could see at MY favorite BIG 3-BARNEY’s BENDEL’s and BERGDORF GOODMAN’S.

Henri Bendel’s-

Here is my little FIND at Henri Bendel’s this trip:IMG_4925

Monogrammed phone case: 15$ for monogramming or in my case, my actual name. (Because, I’m not afraid to confess, with a name like Berit, I am still “making up” from being deprived of having a personalized bike license plate in my youth. Therefore, I now like personalized “stuff”).

Barney’s-

(My favorite thing about Madison Avenue)

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Mens Floor:IMG_4918

Home section:FullSizeRender (1)

Shoes:IMG_4922

LOOK AT THIS PRETTY DISPLAY OF MANOLO BLAHNIK’s in the window:IMG_4937

Prada collection:IMG_4928

Bergdorf’s-FullSizeRender (3)

Ahhhhh and this is the Mother of all luxury stores.  It simply makes me happy walking through the departments and looking at all the finery.  Here is a small sampling of a few rooms and particularly extraordinary apparel:IMG_4993

IMG_4996IMG_4995IMG_4994IMG_4997(John Derian Collection)

IMG_5001VALENTINO

IMG_4999-2 (1)IMG_5002The Fabric is exquisite!!!

IMG_5003IMG_5006IMG_5005IMG_5009IMG_5008 I think I am going to be able to return for a few days again during Fashion week accompanying my husband.  I will not get to see any runway shows this year.   However, I will get to attend a dinner where Ellen DeGeneres’s new apparel and home line will be featured…MORE about that in a future blog post!

In the meantime.  I have lovely memories of a trip to “Dreamland” in NYC.  “It’s never a good idea to give up on your dreams!” * and live with HOPE! IMG_5032

* Quote by Barbara Stamp

So until my next visit, farewell NYC.

I would DEFINITELY Love to hear about any of your favorite NYC experiences and especially your favorite shops and finds there.  Thanks  for reading a little bit and looking at some pictures from my short visit there.

 

 

 

 

2 Comments

  1. Sue Zelickson says

    Berit. Thanks for sharing your fabulous photos and comments of NYC. It made me want to jump on a plane for a much overdue trip to that magical city . Always leave there with great ideas and happy memories. Did you stop into that bakery in one of the earlier shots? Hope yor found some good food spots along your fashion finds . Sz

    • author says

      Hi Sue,
      Thanks for reading my NYC post. Funny, no, the pic was just one tiny example of all the food/restaurants there. We have our usual little casual spots for dinners. When you are a marathon shopper, there is no time to stop and “waste time” eating…Poor Marit was treated to a water and hot dog alongside central park prior to our visit to Bergdorf’s. I am usually very satisfied with a hotdog from a street vendor. Michael would NEVER eat a hotdog from there which he envisions is soaking in dirty NY water. I never even think about it. Too busy “hunting” and looking at all the fabulous clothes… Hope you are enjoying this lovely MN summer!

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