Barneys Again

As I had to get a final Christmas present yesterday (for one of my sisters-in-law), I thought I'd make a pit-stop at Barneys. The reductions are the same as they were last week, but the publicity means that most of the good items had long gone. Again, I had mild regrets about not picking Marion up last week, especially when I saw what little was left. In Mayle, mainly Cecilia tops, one Yves in a size 8, one Kaori, size 8 (at over $200 less than I spent for a dress I have yet to wear). Several Sabbias, Gias and lots of Ebba dresses. No Enikos, no knitwear. It was a small rack but it looks like they may have started bringing in Mayle stock from elsewhere--more Cecilias, for instance.

They have started reductions on some holiday 08, but only at 40% and most items appear to have already sold out. No size 8 or 10 left in Theodora, only one Zora (I think a size 0) and not on sale. The pants are reduced and I have my eye on the size 10s when they go down further--hopefully after I return. I suspect that by Jan 9, little will be left though. Maybe by then resort will be in my price range, although there isn't that great a selection and it is all black/putty--none of the pretty lavender pieces.

So, that's my NYC shopping finished for the year. I'll be in London within the next 48 hours and have too much last minute packing/cleaning/grading to do to find any time for commerce. Furthermore, the icy streets and temperatures make me want to stay inside and read the NYT.

Mayle at Opening Ceremony

Just a brief note--they have spring/summer 08 Mayle stock at the Opening Ceremony sample sale in New York. It is cash only and according to racked.com they have dresses, including in size 4. I can't make it with grading and my upcoming flight, but it might be worth checking out. I doubt that they will have much in my size as OC LA seems to only stock size 0-6.

I am going to check out Barneys before leaving for the UK so I'll report back on what I find.

New York Oddities

I just finished grading one class--finished, that is, if you don't count the 10 students (out of 38) who didn't hand in a final. At least two are really great students so I suspect they are falling victim to their own perfectionism.

Before I go to bed, however, I just wanted to record the great dinner I went to on Tuesday night. My friend, Michael, is a historian of sexploitation cinema whom I met several years ago when he discovered that I was writing about Doris Wishman and femininity in sexploitation. I admire Michael as a scholar, but as a person, he's even more impressive. He has gathered together a group of sexploitation, softcore and early hardcore directors and stars/former starlets. Along with his equally amazing wife, Alison, he has befriended forgotten talents and helped make their work available on dvd and through the occasional screenings at Pioneer, Anthology and other NYC/East Village institutions. He is also Doris's biographer and they were great friends.

Tuesday night's gathering included Michael, Alison, director Joe Sarno and his wonderful, beautiful wife/actress/collaborator, Peggy Steffans Sarno, aka Cleo Nova (amongst other pseudonyms), all of whom I have known for years. I also got to meet Jamie Gillis, an AVN Hall of Famer, and Carter, a director whose last name I can't remember, but whose work is evidently very impressive. Jamie's girlfriend, Zarela Martinez, owned the restaurant and is a celebrity chef of some renown. Everybody was so interesting and smart, making it a relatively late night for me to trek back to Brooklyn. As I walked through midtown to the F, it was nearly midnight, but it was both warm and snowy, with Christmas lights ablaze. Despite the end of the semester stress and the struggle to get everything completed before I leave for the UK (and the terrible pain I always feel about being parted from my cats), this was a wonderful stolen moment. The city showed another side to its beauty, a misty, gauzy, gothic haze, where consumerism, religion, industry and media all combined into something specifically New York. And I enjoyed the wonderful pause it offered after reuniting with old friends, and their histories of what now appears to be a largely innocent erotica--something that, again, seems quintessentially New York.

And, on another note, Steven Alan is now vastly reduced. $39 cashmere hats and $59 shirts. If time permits, I'll try to get into the Nolita branch and get one more shirt to take home with me.

Christmas shopping

This week's shopping has been for others. Yesterday, I went to Banana Republic with Evan to get him some clothes--my parents wanted me to get his present as the deals are still better here, despite changes in the exchange rate. They had a deal where you spend $125 and get $50 off. He managed to buy 7 items for that--quite a difference from my shopping. I also got some adorable items from Baby Gap for my new niece. If I was less suspicious/wary, I'd have got some of them for my hoped for future child, but that will have to wait.

I haven't been back to Barneys this week--it is clear that somebody purchased Marion and my scouring the 7th and 8th floor on Saturday was all in vain. I doubt there will be much more in the way of reductions--even then, they'll likely be on items like Kaori that I already own (and for which I paid over $200 more than Barneys is charging). I had hoped to get the leather Billie Doux from shopbop, but they sold out before reducing it one more time. I'd like a Jeanne bag, but again, I'll wait and see if they go down further.

V.O.D. sent me their list of Mayle stock. They have some deals on fall items that are sold out elsewhere but they only have the small sizes. I'll post what they have soon--right now, I have to get back to grading!

Off to England

While I am not leaving just yet, I did finally get my ticket home for Christmas yesterday. Even with the now strong dollar and weak oil prices, there was only a little change out of $800. Given that this same ticket used to be around $400 a couple of years ago, this price indicates the airline industry continues to run its business in a baffling way. Still, it could have been worse. My 8.45 am flight had sold out so I had to get the 7.45, which only had two seats left. Leaving earlier would have more than doubled the price to over $2,000, so I acted just in time. I'll just be more tired by the trip which means I'll sleep better (hopefully) and have less jetlag once I get to London.

Ironically, the stronger dollar doesn't thrill me. I doubt the sales in London will rival those in NYC, although I might be able to find some of the small European lines that barely make it to US boutiques. I'm interested in seeing if I can find some Heimstone, Isabel Marant and others. As usual, I'll scout Topshop for deals (it is far more hit and miss than most Americans realize--you have to plough through many designer knock offs no better than Forever 21 to hit gold). I want to see what COS has to offer, and rely on my dear friend Sarah to show me what some of the boutiques and smaller designers are doing these days. But in the back of my mind, I'll be thinking about Mayle discounts.

I am annoyed with myself for missing out on Marion in Barneys but wonder if I wanted it or another piece of Mayle for $139. Sure, it fit beautifully, but it was a dress that I didn't originally tag as necessary or even remarkable. And I am sure black wool will pick up Peeps's fur. I'm not sure I need another black dress either, unless it is stunning like Melia or the Lily-type dress from resort. I just hope it went to a good home.

Retail Therapy

Feeling down yesterday, I took myself off to the shops. I'm not alone in finding shopping a way to escape my troubles, even if it doesn't solve anything in the long term. I can be who I want, I can enjoy the distractions the merchandise offers, the fantasy of other lives while getting out of my thoughts. These are, of course, the same escapes alcohol, gambling, drugs and other addictions offer so I'm not saying I'm proud. I don't think I am addicted to shopping--I don't just buy anything for the adrenaline kick, but I am aware I have more clothes than many of my friends and maybe I do have a problem. I am, however, able to stop and frequently do.

That said, yesterday was tough and the New York Times was even extolling the once in a lifetime sales (maybe because their ad revenues are falling?). I needed to get more Christmas presents and so I headed out in the torrential rain (without an umbrella--I was so stuck in my mind). I had not realized it was raining). My main destination was the Lutz and Patmos sale. I've never owned anything by them and assumed all they did was cashmere. Certainly, the sample sale was advertised as luxe cashmere and according to racked.com, they had cashmere hats for $25 and scarves for $50. I need a new hat, my mother would like a cashmere scarf and I figured I could get some really good presents at those prices. I'd also read that there was an amazing sale at Marc Jacobs with men's cashmere sweaters down to $50. All these reports came on blogs, from people who reportedly had got these deals.

If it all sounds too good to be true, it was. Lutz and Patmos was dead--nice staff, empty room (three staff, two customers, including me). It didn't even occur to me until after I left that this was insane. The reports of cheap luxe cashmere were also wrong. Hats were $40--and all were merino wool. Scarves also $50 and all merino. I scoured the sale and found next to no cashmere--only samples in a lurid orangey yellow or beige with odd cuts, chain detailing and a decidedly momsy look. The Barneys cotton/wool pieces were nice in a thrift-store way but way too itchy for me (like my mother and father, I am allergic to lanolin so most wool is out of the question, hence my cashmere fetish). The deals were good, but I didn't trek to the outposts of the Meatpacking District in pouring rain to get a wool sweater for $150. I ended up getting a cashmere/cotton spring sample sweater in black with puffed dolman sleeves and a scoop neck for $50. It was reminiscent of a sweater I had in school in the 1990s. I also got a cotton/alapaca sample sweater dress with beautifully croched short sleeves for $75, again in black. It looked lovely over my Steven Alan sweater and while it may be a little short, it will work well with leggings or even draped over a mini skirt.

Marc Jacobs was a bust. Sure it is 70% off but the label looks so matronly to me and has done for a while. Marc is a designer who has badly lost his way and needs to stop partying. That said, I was really looking for those $50 cashmere sweaters. Whoever posted that was lying/exaggerating. His men's cashmere was originally $1,100-$1,300. At 70% off, that is well over $300, not $50. I am not an idiot and can do math, so I chalk falling for that one up to my emotional turmoil. I also suspect all the posts about cheap cashmere came from people working the sales or for these brands to get shoppers in and then hoping that they'll spend even if what they wanted isn't there. It worked with me at Lutz and Patmos. But I would not have gotten the dress if it hadn't been so nice. The sweater will be useful but it wasn't a wow purchase.

I then headed to Saks. Basically everything discounted is still 50% off the reduced price and more stock is coming in. That said, Saks looks as dowdy to me as Marc Jacobs clothing, but they stock brands my mother likes, like Eileen Fisher. Alas, there was little of that left (I already got her a cardigan so it wasn't a disaster). I went to the shoe dept. on 5, and found more Chie Mihara stock in my size (40-41). I got a pair of ankle boots for $140. I shouldn't have done it, but they looked somewhat like the pair in the Mayle Fall 08 lookbook. I nearly got some lace-up shoes but they felt like they might rub. I also started feeling that I was escaping, not making my life easier. This is my IVF fund and I was spending it on things I didn't need. And I got no Christmas presents at all.

So, in short, sales are good but not as good as the hype. More Mayle is appearing online so there is a chance for some discounts later on--especially given predictions that the economy will really tank in January. Hopefully, I can get some items then, but I can't see any major reductions happening for a while. I think the stores are hurting, yes, but as always, the stuff that's really good sells, especially in New York.

Meanwhile, once I get the timer on my camera sorted out, I'll start posting pictures of my stash. Hopefully, that will curb my urge to spend--that is, until Mayle's resort and holiday collections are discounted.

Update on Mayle Resort 08 Arrivals

Although, sadly, it seems that Jake and some other online retailers like Satine are no longer stocking Mayle, some more resort has arrived at LaGarconne, who seem to have most of the fall styles other than Jacinthe, Hush and eLuxury, which now has the Asina and Dezra blouses. Hopefully, other stores and styles will follow and we'll all be able to get deals on these items during the spring when we can wear them with impunity!