Click here for a slideshow of 5 more of my favorite discounted items from the site.One of the best destinations for chic, offbeat housewares, Jayson Home and Garden, is hosting a summer sale, now through August 10th. The aesthetic here gets at a really good blend of exotic-modern-glamourous-classic. Take
this handmade Suzani print box (was $225, now $135) for instance—I don't even know what I'd use it for (jewelry? makeup? desk supplies?) but I really like the idea of seeing this on my countertop.
MZ Wallace is in the middle of a big sale, and it's a good one. Among the things I'm having a hard time saying no to are these red ikat cosmetics bags (the same ones
Elise wrote about a couple months ago, only now they're on major markdown!). They're made of water and stain resistant cloth, and the interiors are lined in satin with extra pockets for organizing your stuff.
The medium size is half off at $20, and there's
a larger one available for $25. I know it's crazy early, but these would be a great thing to stock up on now and give to your girlfriends for Christmas. I'm also really digging
this scallop edged clutch made from eco-friendly, hand-crocheted raffia (was $195, now $78)—it's the perfect, beachy accessory for a balmy evening out.
It's not too late to get in on the trend—a bunch of
Steven Alan's sweet Liberty florals have made their way to the sale racks. I love it all, from the
shrunken oxfords (I'm seeing this with rolled up sleeves and a lace trimmed camisole underneath, plus a battered denim mini; were $158, now $109) to the
boxy tanks (were $98, now $59) to the
swingy button-front high-waist skirts (were $205, now $79).
You wouldn't guess judging from the name—which sounds way more like an animal superhero from a kid's storybook than a really stylish, Upper East Side boutique—but the specialty at
Roberta Roller Rabbit is resort-y, exotic imports from around the world. And despite the total chicness of her inventory, the prices are actually reasonable. I don't get to the store nearly enough, only because it's a good 70 blocks away from my apartment and I'm lazy, so I was thrilled to hear that they just took their goods online at
robertarollerrabbit.com. There's a huge supply of lightweight cotton voile tunics ($70) that come in a range of gorgeous prints—these would be especially great for travel, given that they pack well, go with basically anything, and can be easily dressed up (dangly gold earrings and slim white pants) or down (over a bikini and denim cutoffs). I especially dig it in
this slightly mod red and white pattern with contrasting trim.
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Click here to check out a slideshow of my other favorites from the site!
I read on
Madison Avenue Spy—a blog that tracks the sales at fancy uptown stores—that
Bergdorf Goodman had started another round of markdowns, so I went to see if the
Marni sandals I'd admired a couple months ago were still there. Not only did they have them, but their price had come down from $620 to a WAY more manageable $217. Score! There's a lot left on the sale racks—designer shoes have been reduced to 65 percent off, and designer clothing has been slashed by 75 percent.
Designer Meg Cohen has long been
my default for winter-weight scarves made of the most lusciously thick, supersoft cashmere (the only reason you haven't heard more about her here is that her stuff is very hard to come by online!). I stopped by her jewel box-size Soho shop yesterday and discovered that she's now also producing shawls in a lighter, wear-them-year-round knit. They're available in a range of solids from buttery yellow to magenta-ish plum, as well as a whole bunch of neutrals. They have delicately sheared edges—a detail I always love—but it's really all about the perfection of the cashmere, which is fine and silky smooth like nothing else. Meg told me to watch out for the marbled cashmere shawls she's doing this fall, and in the meantime, she's also stocking gorgeous, brightly patterned versions by Me & Cashmere in her shop. Styles from both lines are $165 and though they're not online, locals can drop by her store:
Meg Cohen Design, 59 Thompson Street, New York City, or call 212-966-3733 to place an order.
Have you guys tried
Space Bags—you know, those as-seen-on-TV storage gizmos that seal and smoosh clothes down into really thin, airtight stacks? I'm contemplating putting in a rush order to help get everything to fit in my carry-on, but I don't know if that's me just being an infomercial sucker (I also recently fell for the ShamWow which was a bit of a disappointment). Thoughts??
Today I took out my suitcase to start the process of packing for my Spain-Morocco trip. Coincidentally, I also just stumbled on this post by Decorno,
one of my favorite design bloggers, who's off to Italy for three weeks and shared what she's bringing—impressively, it all fits into a carry-on backpack. I'm pretty fanatical about not checking in luggage, and I was psyched to read
her packing list, which is disciplined but not overly skimpy (she took five pairs of shoes!). Now I'm inspired to bring at least one black dress (probably
the brilliantly wrinkle-proof one I have by DVF), and am reconsidering my No Nice Handbag travel rule. I was also reminded to stash an extra nylon tote for shopping and to take to the beach. I'm all about
the ones from Flip and Tumble, which are sturdy but weigh next to nothing and fold up into a little ball that will easily fit into my day bag. They're a bargain too at $9 each (or $8 if you buy 3-6, $7 if you get more than 7). If you guys have any more packing tricks/must-haves, by all means let me know!
I was on a real tear to settle
my white jeans search this weekend. I zigzagged all over the city on Friday and Saturday trying on as many as I could find, and the winner was the
cropped skinnies by Helmut Lang I got on sale at
Barneys. They're as close to perfect as I could find: made of really soft cotton with a nice amount of stretch, the waist hits the right not-too-low, not-too-high spot (plus the wide waistband makes them that much more comfy), and they're completely devoid of any sort of embellishment or branding. They're really well cut, with a fit that's slim without being overly tight, and since they're cropped at the ankle, I don't have to worry about mucking them up against my shoes. All in all, just what I was looking for.
High on the list of things I find really, really hard to resist are lacy white blouses. Especially lacy white blouses as outright gorgeous as
this. It's handmade, which is particularly impressive considering all the details, from the smocked collar to the just right for throwing over a bikini, though it's definitely dressy enough to pair with skinny jeans and heels to wear out for drinks. On sale now from $195 to $129 at
Calypso.
