Ann Taylor is offering a 30% off Friends & Family discount tomorrow 11/17 through Sun. 11/22. The online code is FRIENDS.
As I've mentioned a few times this the Fall, their stuff is so much nicer this year thanks to their new designer. So this is a great chance to take advantage...
" So, for this dreaded excursion, I paired my newly mutilated motocross pants with a black 82nd Airborne "Death From Above" T-shirt and boots from my "Frankenhooker" collection -- an outfit loosely translated as "No, I'm not interested in a Michelle Obama-inspired, stretch satin, office-party 'mistletoe moment' dress, thank you very little." "
Cintra Wilson on the prospect of visiting/reviewing Ann Taylor, excerpt from 'At the Office, A Job Well Done', New York Times.
Based on this, you wouldn't expect the reveiw to end up a good one. But it's a fair bias for her to start with. As I mentioned earlier this Fall, Ann Taylor has always seemed like boring clothes for office robots with no style... but their new designer Lisa Axelson seems to be bringing them out of this. In her review Cintra highlights better quality in the details like quality fabrics with nice hands, felt lining under collars, pinstripe lining in jackets so you can roll up the sleeves... etc. Nice little extras that make the clothes much nicer. She sums it up, " Ann Taylor's office-wear may still be 98.9 percent edge-free, but it is concentrating on the right values: timeless lines and longevity. Other chains would be wise to follow in the plucky working girl's conservative (yet spike-heeled) footsteps."
I was looking around at Ann Taylor over the weekend, the one near Crate & Barrel on Madison Ave... I was checking out the shoes and one of the sales ladies commented how nice they were this season, I agreed and said they were very Christian Louboutin-esque in their shapes... she didn't seem to appreciate that... as if Ann Taylor is too good to copy CL? (what a moron)
Anyway it's impossible not to see the similarities especially between AT's "perfect pump" and CL's "simple pump".
Ann Taylor Perfect Pump ($155), 3-1/3" heel
Christian Louboutin Simple 85 Pump
Also with the platform versions:
Ann Taylor Perfect Platform Pump ($175), 4-1/4" heel.
Christian Louboutin New Simple Pump
This looks fun, too bad I don't really need another pair of jeans...
Madewell has some great denim, and much more reasonably priced than the top brands...
I was taking a look at Longchamps at Bloomingdale's over the weekend and I noticed that the Pliage bags don't have "Made in France" imprinted in the leather on the back anymore. I thought that was funny, so I looked inside for the country of origin and I couldn't find it. I asked, and the woman showed me there is actually a small sewn-in tag made of frosted clear plastic (so it is hard to see) that does indeed indicate the country of origin. The large tote I was holding happened to be made in France. All of the medium totes that I looked at were made in China! (I looked at several) I asked her what the deal was and she didn't really know, she said that the stock comes in both ways (France and China). She even said that some customers will look through every bag and buy up the made in France ones! Maybe at the Longchamps store in Soho they would have a better understanding of the production (ie. which items are made in China and which in France) or if they source all of Le Pliage in both places and you have a chance to find a French one if you keep looking...
Anyway, I think it's pretty much an outrage. I don't want to buy a French bag that's made in China, certainly not for full price. It almost seems like an "authorized couterfeit".
Here are the two bags I was looking at:
Longchamps Le Pliage Large Tote ($145) and Medium Tote ($125).
The large tote is 19.25W (top) 13W (base) x 13H x 7.5D with a 10" drop for the handles.
The medium tote is 9.75W x 9.75H x 5.5D with an 8" drop for the handles.
What's the deal with Madewell 1937, it seems like they just came out of nowhere and became this cool brand... how could they have been around since 1937 if no one's ever heard of them until, like, this year year?
Okay so I did some google-ing and found out that J. Crew launched Madewell actually back in 2006 to attract a younger demographic than J. Crew, and sell at slightly lower price points. The first store was opened in Dallas in Aug. 2006. As per the 2006 press release, "[Madewell is] inspired by the New Bedford, MA workwear company founded in 1937, Madewell is a collection of real, honest women's clothes that speak for themselves: not too trendy, not too girly, just cool clothes infused with a modern upbeat attitude. It's an edgy take on casual with a few vintage details and a modern twist." Mickey Drexler had acquired the rights to the name before he joined J. Crew in 2003. They now have 13 Madewell stores and intend to add online shopping in 2010. Right now their website just has info and lookbooks, and you can order from an 800 number. They don't even have a catalog. I've been getting emails from them starting this year... I wonder why J. Crew was so slow to leverage their J. Crew database? Anyway, mystery solved. It's interesting to see how brands develop...
I really need to go down to their Soho store (486 Broadway at Broome St.) and check everything out.
I like the shredded up Ex-Boyfriend Jeans in Smoked Wash, $95.
The London based label Preen is doing a line for Topshop. Here's a nice strappy sandal. All leather, $160. That's a pretty good price for a shoe with a leather sole. Although it may seem expensive for Topshop.
Speaking of Topshop, they will finally be opening their first US store this Spring. (It was supposed to have opened last Fall but has been delayed. It will be in Soho at Broadway and Broome.
