fashion capital.

i had a quick trip to new york for a conference this week, and in between my sessions and a dinner with a friend one night, i walked a few blocks over to what's considered one of the most stylish streets on the planet: fifth avenue.
while i much prefer the character of antique row in west palm beach or shopping along south la brea avenue in los angeles where my new favorite american rag cie resides, when in manhattan, a few stops on fifth ave. are a must.



h&m is part of an nyc tradition my friend and company vice president started me on, so that one was a no-brainer. i was a little disappointed in the selection this time, but bought a few staples i've been needing to work into my ever-growing closet.

the real shop i enjoyed visiting on fifth, however, was urban outfitters. the multi-level store is much more of what i'd expect from the company than its counterpart in palm beach gardens, with wooden floors, open ceilings, small designer sections and a special sale room.

another high point of the cold weather, northern store that you won't find locally in the sunshine state? this mini wall of tights with more colors and patterns than i could imagine.


another thing i was able to see in person, this sunny, pleated dress by silence & noise from urban's colorful kaleidoscope collection that i've been eying online for a while. and i must say, it's even more stunning in person...i just wish i had somewhere to wear it!

got shoes?

as mentioned in yesterday's post, i was happily surprised to have a little fashion worked into the already-amazing conference i attended for my job tuesday. i should've known...it was in the fashion capital, nyc!

one of the most exciting parts was listening to the afternoon key note speaker, zappos.com ceo and therefore shoe (and hats, and sunglasses, and clothes...) god, tony hsieh. he told the story about running what is one of the best companies in the world to work for, and how the secret recipe is to sell customer service rather than shoes because "happy companies make the most money."

wow. what a cool guy, who also happens to be funny and smart. it's no wonder the company does so well. my only other thought?

i figured he'd have better shoes.

fashion line of the day #8

"telephone, telegraph, tell a woman."

~ estee lauder

the conference i attended for work this week - the word of mouth supergenius conference - was based on building creative grassroots campaigns, so although i knew i'd learn more about social media and other ways to enhance my clients and my own blog, finding actual fashion content was unexpected.

...which is why i jumped on the afternoon session run by marisa thalberg from estee lauder companies. she mentioned this inspiring quote by ms. lauder herself, who thalberg called the first word of mouth marketer.

just tell a woman and you know it'll get around. i love it.

i heart ny...and h&m

i heart new york, but h&m is my true love of the city (which could be because i haven't been there for longer than 24 hours since i was nine years old, but that's another story).

so obviously i was excited when i arrived in nyc for a conference tuesday, and the girls in my office and i made it to h&m within the last hour of being open. until the gardens mall store opens, living in south florida only gives me a few chances to shop at the cult-like retailer, so i was as happy as a kid in a candy store.

out of everything in the packed three-story shop, i walked out with three military-style pieces, a style i didn't even realize i liked before, and i was still very happy with my choices as i put on my khaki michael jackson-esque top to go to work this morning.

i guess this was all just practice for what's to come at the upcoming opening of the gardens h&m...can't wait, even though i'm sure my bank account can!