Years ago when I lived in Brooklyn, there was a boutique a few blocks from my place where I spent a lot of time and even more cash. The owner was consistently ahead of the curve, and was always discovering one indie designer or another a good year or so before their stuff was selling in shops over the bridge in Manhattan.
So I was surprised one Saturday when I was combing the racks and came across a Marc by Marc Jacobs coat. Not because I didn’t like Marc by Marc Jacobs—we all did; the line had just launched and it was wall-to-wall Marc by Marc mania out there. But it was a known entity and read like a shortcut here. I expressed surprise to the owner. “That’s what pays the rent,” she replied. Which reminded me yet again that retail is tough; tougher still if you care to take risks. And she was pushing some pretty esoteric stuff for Atlantic Avenue in 2002. Les Nouvelles reminds me of that store. There are safe bets on the lineup, but this site is mostly about discovery and the unexpected. And a whopping dose of color and prints, which is never a bad thing.
Lady-type stuff almost never works for me, but the drapey details and unusual floral print of this Karen Walker dress almost make me want to give it a go anyway.
A touch vertigo-inducing, yes. But there’s something to be said for any take on the shirtdress that allows it to be worn on a variety of body types. And this one has a nice, feminine, swingy cut.
Just a pretty, flouncy floral print skirt you can have fun mixing patterns with, like so.
This Cacharel tunic is nice and long—for those days when butt-coverage feels like more than just a good idea.
I have a crazy-or-cute? reaction to this Rachel Comey dress—with its clever cable-knit trompe l’oeil print— every time I see it. It’s a little on the edgy side, but I know there are a lot of you out there far cooler than me who could pull it off.
This Gryphon trench is exactly the kind of classic with an interesting twist that I’d occasionally see one of the gutsier fashion editors show up to work in—causing me to go into an immediate shame spiral for always playing it so damn safe.
In a world where truly un-special beaded tunics proliferate, wouldn’t it be nice head into beaded tunic season with beaded tunic you could stand by?
I’m usually not one for pink OR floral prints, but that first dress is intriguing.
LOVE the trench coat. Cool outerwear is such a weakness for me– it just seems like an easier, lower-commitment way to be a little bit daring.
The floral print skirt is so pretty but there is no way I would even try to mix patterns. I’ll just stick to a pretty WHITE top.
I love the Cacherel top because butt coverage is ALWAYS a good thing.
Ooh, these will all most certainly have to be for pretend as even the sale prices make me recoil like a snail in its shell. But definitely putting ideas into my noggin’ for down the road…