Vanessa Bruno + Lou Doillon

I am eating up the new Vanessa Bruno-Lou Doillon collaboration for Spring/Summer 2010. It makes me yearn for warmer weather, and I can only imagine how much fun it is to dance around in a pile of talc...just like being a kid, making a mess, and not giving a damn. Enjoy, and let's start counting the days till winter winds down...oh wait, it is only the last day of January. Bring it February and March!

My Favs: Richard Haines

I truly owe a random morning of browsing through The Cut to meeting Richard Haines. Fashion designer, illustrator, teacher, and blogger extraordinaire (you must check out What I Saw Today); Richard has his fingers in many pots around the fashion world. After commissioning a portrait for a friend's birthday, I let my inner narcissist loose and sat for two of myself (one pictured and right, and one on the Shitty-Chic FB fan page). After hanging with Richard for an hour I knew he had to be my first featured My Favs male. Enjoy!

BEAUTY
LIPS - I buy a little jar of Carmex 2x a year: summer and winter. Then, I love it about two weeks later, my lips dry out, and I repeat the same process next season.
SHAMPOO - I use my daughter's Garnier Fructis stuff that smells like candy--it's kind of gross, but it's always available.
MOISTURIZER - I am adamant about Kiehl's Nourishing, Soothing Skin Cream for Men
HAIR PRODUCT- All kinds of stuff I buy when the person who cuts my hair uses it. But, when I use it it never looks the same.
SCENT - Nothing. I don't use fragrance or deodorant...
TOOTHPASTE - Duh, Crest.
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR HAIR CUT? I go to Erica Bennett at Damian West Salon. She's as lovely as she is talented (cuts men & women).

CLOTHES
JEANS - Uniqlo super skinny 000. People ask me if I'm wearing super expensive jeans, and they're like $39!
UNDERWARE - American Apparel color stuff and H&M makes a fierce pair of boxer briefs.
SNEAKERS - I bought some black sneaker/moccasins by Generic Surplus at Reed Space on Orchard Street. My daughter is mortified because I'm 'wearing skater shoes.'
WATCH - Bright blue Timex at Opening Ceremony
T-SHIRT - American Apparel or J. Crew
DAYTIME LOOK - See me in Burberry/The Art of the Trench: wrinkled shirt, tie, Uniqlo jeans, Prada lace-ups. Always with my 25 year old croc belt with silver Tiffany buckle to give it some 'history.'
BAG - J. Crew cotton bag with my drawing of their Broadway shop on it.
EVENING LOOK - Haha, that's funny...see 'daytime look.'
FAVORITE ACCESSORY - A wrist strap the Bray Brothers/Billykirk traded me for a sketch I did of them.
FAVORITE DESIGNER - Lanvin for men's and women's--it's modern chic full on.

HOME
WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Yo Bushwick!
FAVORITE ART - Impossible to answer. Good art restores my belief in the goodness of mankind to create beauty in the face of chaos and despair. I can't name one person...
SHEETS - I got some good stuff using a gift certificate at Restoration Hardware.
MORNING STARTER - Coffee! Trader Joe's or some amazing stuff from this hippie shop in Cape May.
STATIONARY - When I was a fashion designer I had embossed cards from Dempsey & Carroll. Now, I use a sketch pad.
FLOWERS - A big bunch of roses in different colors. Anyone reading this is more than welcome to send me some...
GADGET - iPhone apps. Right now the Scrabble app and the one that allows me to do portraits on the iPhone.
NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT - Roberta's at the Morgan L stop is the shit. So is An Choi on Orchard St.
DRINK - I don't drink, so it would have to be Snapple green tea in the 17.5 oz. containers.
DESSERT - Anything that starts with the word 'creme.'

INSPIRATIONS
DISCOVERY - Brooklyn. Not news anymore, but a real discovery to me.
WHO INSPIRES YOU? My daughter--her curiosity, humor and intelligence inspires me every day.
NECESSARY EXTRAVAGANCE - Flowers, books, time, flowers, good candles, fashion books, massages, an occasional therapy session...
CHARITY - Anything benefiting children in orphanages.
MOVIES - Too many to say. But, the one movie that still resonates about how and where we live is Robert Altman's classic, 'Nashville.'
VINTAGE STORE - Didier Ludot in Paris--not your typical vintage place. Hermes and Dior--the real deal.
HOTEL - L'Hotel on the left bank in Paris. Small on size but grand in taste.
COLORS - Like art, too many to choose. But, I usually reach for any shad of blue colored pencil first...

NYC Restaurant Week is ON

I am going to claim complete ignorance here...I know Restaurant Week is happening from Jan 25th-Feb 7th, but I have never participated with the vigor or unending appetite as some of my friends. I know people who literally make a resie every night to nosh on $35 3-course dinners at some of the finest eateries in NYC. I have mixed feelings though...isn't this like gourmet gluttony? Wouldn't one rather spread out these amazing meals instead of concentrating them into a back to back food orgy? Of course, the really hot tables in town don't feel the need to participate (ie Minetta Tavern which I am dying to go to), but there are quite a few places I have had my eye on that would definitely be worth a whirl.

Thoughts on Restaurant Week? Not worth the hype or something you really look forward to? Good experiences, bad experiences?

Click here see the full list of participating restaurants and to reserve a table.

It's Always Summer for Viviana Volpicella

We may be in the throes of winter, but for Viviana Volpicella (editor's assistant for Vogue Nippon) it always seems to be summer. I have always approached color with a skeptic's eye, and needless to say, have ended up with a wardrobe full of black and gray. However, I am loving how she combines color in a modern way. I think the trick is to stick with a clean silhouette, steer clear of prints, and make accessories (like scarves or bags) burst with color. She is also the owner of the emerald green leather gloves I recently posted about. Read a bit more about Viviana on one of my fav blogs du jour, Habitually Chic.

Hands Down Best Winter Accessory

I was tooling around on Style.com when I found Tommy Ton's photos from Milan fashion week. Leave it to the Italians to look chic, but not so impossibly chic as the French. The picture above really caught my eye and truly exemplified the importance of accessories. No, not the cigarette as that will make you gag and not in a good way, but the emerald green leather gloves. Me likey! Winter can be full of blacks, grays, and browns, but a punch of color like this changes the game. Check out Portolano's website for their amazing, yet affordable, cashmere lined leather gloves. Each style has about 13 different color options, and I recommend going with the 4-button for yummy scrunchability.

Ladies gloves on Portolano.com

Fur vs. Leather: Truth by Greeting Card

"Fur is protested more than leather because it is easier to harass rich women than biker gangs!"

Inside: "May you be pelted with Joy! Happy Birthday!"

I almost died laughing when I found this birthday card. I want to plan the first annual Shitty-Chic "Suck it PETA" day where we unite and wear anything fur, leather shoes, and go eat hamburgers. Who's with me??!!

I know you have a friend whom this card is perfect for. Click here to buy.

Finds at the J.Crew Final Sale

One of my favorite "places" to shop for shirts is the J.Crew Final Sale. I think my friends are sick of the silk snow leopard print shirt I chose last year, so I thought I needed to expand my horizons from black, gray, and animal prints. I always seem to catch the Final Sale in January after most everything has been picked over, but never do I leave without filling my "shopping cart" with a few goodies. And, I know the stores in NYC rarely have anything on sale let alone things in my size, so online is the way to go. I am definitely a separates person. This way I can do shirts with jeans, skirts, or trousers, and I don't get boxed into dress land. I know better than to buy dresses....I just won't get as much wear out of them, and since I don't need to dress up for work it is really a pointless purchase for me (summer dresses are a different story).

To whet your appetite, here are a few of my favs from today's shopping excursion. You may see me wearing any one of these in 4-7 business days, so don't tell anyone my little secret.

Click here for the J.Crew Final Sale

PS - I got free shipping using the code SRC51Y I found on the blog JCrewAficionada.

Balthazar on a Budget

Balthazar is my Tiffany's. Nothing bad can ever happen to a person at Balthazar--via Holly Golightly. I had brunch there for the first time last weekend (shocking, I know, since I love bistro food more than a fat French child loves a chocolate croissant), and I experienced some of the best eggs Benedict I have tasted outside of The Wolsely in London (I am convinced it is the English muffins made in England that make the difference).

No cheap affair, I will hardly be enjoying this splurge on a regular basis. But, I have discovered a way to get my French fix and a fraction of the cost. The answer is Balthazar Bakery just next door. I love to stop in on a weekend morning to pick up a croissant and coffee (I am not into coffee but love it from Balthazar, strangely). The pastries and breads from the bakery are pure heaven. The croissants are like lace and you can not go wrong with any of the sweet morning treats or savory sandwiches and soups they offer. When the weather is nice there is a little bench to sit, enjoy, and people watch the euros go to the main restaurant for brunch. Never have I seen so many Hermes belt buckles or chic Europeans at 10am on a Saturday.

BUT, my favorite time is to stop by after work when the bakery goods are on deep discount. Last week I popped in just after 7pm and walked out with two croissants for $2.70 (normally $2.75). It's a great treat after a long day to have a bit of fancy deliciousness accompany le diner.

Bon Appetit mes amis!

Balthazar Restaurant &
Balthazar Bakery
80 Spring Street btwn. Broadway and Crosby

Golden Globes: The Good, The Bad, and The Boring

AWARDS SEASON IS HERE! Let us all rejoice in glamour, hair extensions, and donated designer gowns. Here is the fashion shakedown of Golden Globes 2010.

Note: 1) I may love someone as an actor, but that will have no bearing on if they look great in my book or not. 2) I never pick on spouses, girlfriends, or guests because they are just along for the ride. 3) I try to look past the plastic surgery, botox soaked faces, and hair and makeup faux pas to focus on the clothes, shoes, and accessories.

The Good....

Cameron Diaz
Now this is how you do red on the red carpet. Totally digging the umbrella and the little oomph added to the shoulders.

Kate Hudson
Loving this: A touch avant garde with feminine lines.

Julianne Moore
The shoes are great and a very nice contrast to the dress. Completely poised and put together as always.

Emily Blunt
Hair awful, dress amazing. Can we please depart from the Lauren Conrad/Gisele hair? It is so 2006.

Christina Hendricks
Va-Va-Voom!

The Bad....

Sandra Bullock
American Apparel does evening....see-through purple lame?

Zoe Saldana
I don't even know where to start with this abortion of a dress; Looks like a Project Runway loser. Michael Kors would have a field day with this.

Elizabeth Moss
Unflattering. What else is there to say really? Stick with jewel tones, girl. Powder blue and pale are not a good combo.

Tina Fey
So disappointing. The only thing that can salvage this is amazing jewelry...which has been forgotten. Shoes in any color but beige would have been a huge improvement. Red?

Vanessa Minillo
Miss Teen USA days are over, but at least you aren't as bad as.....

Maria Menounos
Garish.

The Boring....

Julia Roberts
I love this, but would I could wear this on a date or even to work, but to the Golden Globes?

Fergie
Man, I didn't know David's Bridal was doling out dresses. Girl, you run around in basically nothing when you sing, play a prostitute in Nine, and you couldn't vamp it up a bit? I think this is taking it to the extreme of modesty. You can't cover up those boobs so why not flaunt them, and your hair is a rat's nest. Fire your stylist immediately.

Sarah Hyland
Points for not looking like a prom nightmare, but minus points for not going more all-out with the accessories. Large, stacked bracelets, statement cocktail ring, anything! This dress is screaming for personality.

Lisa Edelstein
This dress was popular in the early 00's. How many times have we seen the plunging neckline halter dress? Waaaaa Waaaaa.

Amy Pohler
Not bad, just boring.

PS - Lauren Sanchez looks like a tranny. Definitely not a white wedding for this one.

This Weekend: Decades Out FREE Theatre

This just came across the Shitty Chic radar screen:

Looking for something to do this weekend? Something involving theatre maybe? Something free?

Tonight, Friday, is the opening of the DecadesOut playwright's reading series, The Launch Pad. A reading of 'Dark Matter' kicks off the series at 7pm (a really wonderful script), tomorrow Sat afternoon 2 to 5 pm they'll be reading 3 short plays. And, another full length feature ends the series on Sat evening at 7pm. All the details and descriptions of plays and directors actors etc are below. And this evening the posse will reroute to a local watering hole for a toast or two afterwards. I hope you can make it out for some FREE cultural activity this weekend. A great opportunity to get to know a fantastic group of artists in the collective, DecadesOut.

3-Legged Dog (3LD) Art & Technology Center
80 Greenwich Street at Rector St in Lower Manhattan

Half of the donations collected throughout our series will be donated to Haiti Relief in partnership with the Beholders Group.

• Friday, January 15th
  7:00pm–10:00pm
• 
  
• DARK MATTER by August Schulenburg
  Directed by Zack Calhoon
  Maxine Clerk is a physicist chasing after the mysterious dark matter and energy that make up 95% of our known universe. As a rival colleague undermines her efforts, her personal life also begins to unravel. Facing the illness of her daughter and father, the distance of her lover and mentor, and the dangers of her own darkness, Maxine's struggle to understand the universe becomes a matter of personal survival.


• Saturday, January 16th
  2:00pm–5:00pm
  


• Two Shorts and a Solo Piece
  Directed by David Denson
  WORMHOLE by Whitney Hamilton
  A female astronaut drifts on the outer reaches of our solar system as her radio contact tries to help her back. She squeezes through a wormhole --- a hypothetical "tunnel" connecting two different points in spacetime in such a way that a trip through the wormhole could take much less time than a journey between the same starting and ending points in normal space. Thus, she is propelled into another dimension.
  
  LISTEN TO THE UNIVERSE by Francis Kuzler
  Radio astonomer Peter Haskell has spent years deciphering the sounds of space, but now he hears something that he's never heard before, the voice of a woman screaming about love and the human soul. Can Peter cope with his latest discovery?
  
  FIRE IN THE GARDEN by Ken Weitzman
  In 1965 Norman Morrison, a Quaker from Baltimore, drove to the Pentagon and, in protest over the U.S. policy in Vietnam, doused himself in kerosene and lit himself on fire. Looking on as he did this was his one-year-old daughter. Fire in the Garden is told by a new father who finds himself haunted by Morrisonís act as he struggles mightily (and comically) with the challenges of modern fatherhood.
  
  Featuring: Jennifer Larkin*, Ryan McCarthy*


• Saturday, January 16th
  7:00pm–10:00pm


• EXILE by Lindsey Ferrentino
  Directed by Tony Macy-Pérez
  Exiled historical figures Einstein, Brecht, Lenin, Trotsky, Napoleon Bonaparte, and a Catholic Nun meet in front of a wall to contemplate how and why they need to get over it, confusing themselves into wondering whether or not they have already done so. Consumed with the menial, they debate action vs. intellect with cynically humorous dialogue as bleak and ironic as their landscape. Inspired by the proposed wall to be built between the United States and Mexico, this play questions the idea of boundaries, what it means to be contained, and the isolation of genius. The cast of characters must work together to salvage their sanity before it's too late in this new absurdist tragicomedy.
  
  Featuring: Grace Kiley*, Pascal Escrout*, Thomas Garvey*, Patrick Melville*, Marek Sapieyevski, and Leal Vona

Associations of Hip Needs Your Help Today!

All I am asking is for a few bucks. It's the 15th (one of my two favorite days of the month) so I believe most people got paid today and what better way to do your "good deed for the day" than to donate a few bucks to get this project produced. My great friend back all the way from middle school, Sarah Saunders, is involved, and they only have until midnight tonight to raise the money needed to get the rest of their funding. If they don't get to $4k it's lights out, so they need our help!

Trust me, you will never miss that dollar (or $3, or $5, or $7), but you will make a huge difference here.



About the project:

"Art scenes come and art scenes go. What then remains? New York City and its Burroughs have long been a place for the aspiring to enter and the famous to exploit. Each new art neighborhood shifts according its own the economic status. When one neighborhood’s art scene explodes, so does its real estate. For instance, West Village turns to Soho turns to Williamsburg turns to East Williamsburg turns to Bushwick. When a scene is brought to a neighborhood hype grows, there becomes a pressure, an obligation to be cutting edge; an obligation of hip.

Associations of Hip takes place during a demolition party. This party models itself off a party I attended the summer of 2008 in the Lower East Side where the entire building was being torn down to build condos so the tenants decided to throw a party and make as much noise as they’d like, spray paint the walls, kick holes through partitions and plenty of drugs. Associations is a tribute to the underground art scene and asks the question; are these artists, or are these kids trying to be cool?

Incorporating multi-media and live stream video to explore the power of a camera and the vogue of celebrity. An allure and curiosity we all carry with us. Laura Fitch is a young photographer turned video-blogger who is dealing with the loss of her first great love and left to face the reality of her current job. She’s making money and doing her art, but is that enough? Through avoidance, drugs, liquor, friends, and an underground party, she learns to jump out of her own pain and discover self-expression.

There are many movements towards giving our artists a place to play, let this be another."

Minx Nails...Are They Worth the Dough?

Unless you have been in Siberia for the past six months or so, you have most likely heard of Minx nails. The newest thing in "nail fashion" according to the Minx website, it has been sported by Beyonce, Rhianna, Lady Gaga, and is now available in a nail salon near you. But, at $40 a pop for a Minx manicure, you have to ask yourself....is it worth it?

My dear friend Heather Futterman recently got Minxed, and I decided to put her phalanges to the test. Just for the background on Minx, it is a film with an adhesive backing that is applied to your nails with heat. It was originally used for automotive decals, and you can have truly reflective metallic finish (as opposed to what you get with silver polish).

What she loved about them:
1) They look awesome in ways conventional nail polish just can't achieve (like metallics). 2) They really stay on. Minx may come up a bit at the tip of your finger or nail bed, but it can be fixed with a hair dryer. 3) They peel off when you are finito.

What was not so great:
1) The price. It was $40 + tip for a Minx manicure in the city of the sub-$10 manicure on almost every street corner. 2) It only lasts for about 2 weeks. Once your nail grows, it's over.

The verdict: If you need your nails to wow, are going on a two-week vacation with no access to touch up, or have endless amounts of money to do a beauty binge, Minx nails are a very fun thing to play around with. However, for the price of one Minx mani, I can probably have three standard NYC manicures and tip the little ladies quite nicely.

Click here to get Minxed in your city

Tracy Anderson Method: Day 1

I love running outside. I just do. I love going to the park, running around the neighborhoods, the obstacles of pedestrians, and red lights so I can catch my breath. But, I don't let myself run when it is below freezing...which means I have not run in about two months....which means I am getting mushy. Who better to deal with a mushy body than Tracy Anderson. I ordered both the Dance Cardio DVD and the mat workout and today is officially day 1.

I started with the Tracy Anderson Method Dance Cardio workout, and my plan is to alternate the cardio with the mat workout 5 days a week to achieve my potentially "tiny, dancer-like body" according to Tracy. This is quite exciting because I have never been tiny nor dancer-like in my life. I take that back...I was five pounds when I was born, and that was the last time I was tiny.

So, here is what happened for day 1 of my workout:

- I did the 45 minute tutorial on learning the eight (yes, eight) dance routines that one does during the normal workout. I thought the tutorial was a bit of a workout in itself, and since I am no dancer it is a truly humbling way to spend your morning. I am planning on doing the tutorial again later tonight to try to solidify the moves and improve foot coordination. I am very glad that you can watch the video looking at Tracy's back so you don't have to mirror, you only need to follow.

- I did the warm up section for my "cool down". After the tutorial (aka cardio sneak peak) I thought it a good idea to wind down the muscles.

- I then made the mistake of watching the first bit of the actual full-speed cardio workout. Sheer terror must have spread across my face, because she was doing moves I did not even remember learning at a tempo of some sort of dancer fembot on overload. I am sure dancer-like people look very cool doing this, but I will most likely look incredibly uncoordinated. And, now I know why Gwyneth and Madonna looked completely drenched in sweat apres workout.

- To delay the inevitable, I watched the Gwyneth Paltrow interview, and she said she was completely uncoordinated and had no booty shaking moves when she started (which made me feel much better). She went on to say that since she has been doing the workout for a year she gets it...OMG a year!

So, in twelve months I should look pretty great doing the moves, but I can brace myself for humiliation for the next eleven. It does look fun when Tracy is doing it, so let's hope I am a fast learner. Wish me luck! Will be updating as progress comes along.

Easy on the Wallet Wellies

Once I returned to the frozen tundra of New York city after the Holidays, I realized I was in desperate need of a new pair of winter boots. This meaning warm, waterproof, quasi-stylish, not a boot that hits the knee as it is fairly impossible to stick your pant legs inside it, and one that may work double duty as rain boots in warmer months. I once had a pair of Marc Jacobs wellies that made my heels bleed, so I was hesitant in going that route again. Lesson learned: stick to the rubber boot experts. There is a reason the Marc ones are so cheap: they are incredibly heavy, hard to walk in, and they draw blood.

I had always walked past the Tretorn store on Spring Street and after checking out their website I had to stop in a try them on for myself. I am in love. Forget Hunter wellies that will run you over $100 + $30 for the fleece socks. I bought a pair of Tretorns on the spot for $45 on sale. I went with the black Skerry's with the brown leather pull-tab, and I love that they are mid-height. They also have micro-fleece lining which has been super warm with my thick winter socks. And, as an added bonus, it looks like everything on their website it currently on sale. I will definitely be back when the weather warms up to check out all their canvas sneakers, which are a stylized breath of fresh air to their Converse All-Star contemporaries.

PS - I love the Skymra Mid Puffer for guys

Shop Tretorn Online

New Year Resolutions - 2010

Ok, so it is January 5th but each day is a new day, and today I choose to make my 2010 resolutions on how to lead a more Shitty-Chic life. If 2009 was the year of the broke bitch, then it will be interesting to see if 2010 will be the year of luxe living (on a shoestring, of course).

1. Stop buying "disposable" clothing - You know what I am talking about...as in buying for one occasion, shoddy quality, knowing you will get a few wears and toss it before the seams have time to come apart. This dirty little habit does not a luxe life make. So, in 2010 I am buying for quality and longevity which is much more cost effective in the long run. I am not talking about Gucci or uber designer duds, but solid pieces to build many outfits. Sorry, but H&M is so 2009.

2. Wear lipstick during the day - Ladies, we need to get on this because the trend won't last forever. I started wearing lipstick for going out at night this past summer---lovely shades of magenta, coral, and red, and now I feel like I am going to the gym or something without it...haha I don't go to the gym.

3. Don't leave the house without a little bit of glam - This can be as small as a bracelet, belt, or lipstick, but remember...the accessories make the outfit. The clothes are the cake and the baubles are the frosting. Yum!

4. Don't leave the dishes in the sink overnight - Just a good rule to live by.

5. End the party at 2am - Everyone needs their beauty sleep, and really, the party never gets better after 2am...it has usually just hit its peak. Do yourself a favor and head home. Your hangover will thank you in the morning.

What are you planning on doing more of or not doing at all this year?