Back when it was perfectly acceptable for a kid to spend hours in front of the television, I was an incredibly dedicated Smurfs devotee. Why it took the Hanna-Barbera people 17 years after the show went off the air to issue The Smurfs, Season One, on DVD, I can’t imagine. Anyway, I bought it, and the daily lives of Papa, Brainy, Vanity, Jokey, et. al. are as compelling as I remembered.

One Saturday morning and a few bowls of Froot Loops later, I am totally brainsmurfed. I’ve never been one to fall for a trend I see on TV or in the movies — in fact, as far as I’m concerned, once Rachel Bilson makes an appearance in anything, it’s pretty much jumped the shark. And yet, how else to explain this weekend’s extravagant, and eerily Smurf-like, purchase?

The platform slingback Jimmy Choo heels I took home from Gretta Luxe yesterday measure in at 4″ tall (about the height of a Smurf), and are a Smurfy shade of royal blue. These shoes are completely fantastical — not unlike Smurfs. Also like the Smurfs, they may remain a well-kept secret. (more…)

During an otherwise slow news day (death, pestilence, bank buyouts) I was completely charmed by a brand new fragrance that promises to “wash away the sins of the night before” while serving as a “tribute to tomorrow’s glorious possibilities.” Man, get me some of that!

While fragrance copy is pretty much a parody of itself (I actually spent a good 45 minutes on a transatlantic flight amusing my companion with in-flight perfume pitches), the real hook on this product is its mentor: Tom of Finland.

You might not know the name of this now-deceased Finnish homoerotic artist, but you definitely know the look: Some say he single-handedly invented the late ‘70s gay policeman—the mustache, the hat, the boots (read: the Village People police guy). (more…)

As dedicated patrons of the Coolidge Corner Trader Joe’s, Bostonista has spent months wondering what retailer would move into the vacant spot next door. Last week, Pure Blu Jeans finally opened at 1309 Beacon. For a minute, we were super-excited: We thought the store was going to be a U.S. outlet of Japanese label Pure Blue Jeans, a cult line currently domestically available (as far as we know) only in a couple of SoHo and San Francisco boutiques.

We weren’t entirely sure what kind of retail strategy involves NYC, San Francisco…and Brookline, but we thought perhaps the Pure corporate people shared our love for quirky, reasonably priced neighborhood grocery stores.

Alas, no. We quickly realized the new shop, with its missing “e”, is an entirely separate place. And while this Pure Blu Jeans isn’t quite as exciting as its Japanese counterpart, the store still stocks a solid selection of designer denim. (more…)

As a Bostonista intern, one never knows what a day at work will hold. Wrangling puppies for one photo shoot? Outfitting sweaty rock stars for another? It’s all in a day’s work.

Typically, fellow intern Raj and I squeal with delight when asked to try out beauty services in the name of research. But last week’s assignment to brave Blaine Beauty School was hardly the Newbury Street spa day experience we were hoping to brag to our engineering major pals about. (more…)

Our lives simply are not poignant enough to make millions of people tear up in unison. That’s why we’re not waiting by the door for Oprah or that spiky-haired dude from ABC to come knocking and “extreme makeover” our homes.

Instead, we’re left to fend for ourselves when it comes to decorating our house. What we’ve discovered is that choosing the right furniture is often a battle between what’s practical (this cement table is tragically unattractive, but it’ll last forever!) and what makes you swoon (so what if you can’t walk on it, a white alpaca fur rug is so chic!). That’s why we were thrilled to discover the ultra-versatile yet utterly stylish Tripolina Chair at Diseño—a local design store which, unlike some national chains (ahem, Design Within Reach) is more interested in filling our homes than emptying our wallets. (more…)

Reality TV stars can’t be trusted. From false professors of love to tax-evading survivors, we’ve never looked to this particular breed of megalomaniac for anything other than mindless—often cringe-worthy—entertainment. So the idea of a clothing line fashioned by MTV reality darling and Hollywood Hills resident Lauren Conrad didn’t exactly inspire confidence. And then we saw the clothes. (more…)

I’ve been waiting for Zara to open in Boston ever since I returned from studying abroad in Europe. The retailer debuted in Spain in 1975, and is now an internationally known fashion mecca in more than 61 countries. Thursday, my wish came true. Zara finally opened its doors at 214 Newbury Street inside the former Emporio Armani.

Yesterday, we hit the grand opening to start building our spring wardrobe. We arrived expecting a horde of women and men and a dressing room backup a la H & M. But it was surprisingly calm. We were able to shop comfortably and get in and out of the fitting rooms quickly (although we hate the six garments or less rule). (more…)

If responses to our annoyance at blowout ambiguity are any indication, most well-coiffed Newbury salon patrons believe extra blow-dry charges are criminal. Case closed.

But since we’re on the topic, let’s tackle another area of salon uncertainty: gratuities. Specifically, are we supposed leave something when the salon owner styles our hair? (We’ve occasionally been handed envelopes for the owner, which we thought defied conventional etiquette.) And what percentage of our services’ total cost are we supposed to be tipping?

Since our mothers are woefully far away, we decided it was time to call in another expert. Enter Jodi Smith of Marblehead-based Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, who provided some modern mom-caliber advice. (more…)

Style-strapped locals often look to Bostonista for advice on a wide range of topics, such as what to wear, how to decorate, and which area hotel to visit for an afternoon tryst (seriously).

This week’s query:

My office is business casual, which means I don’t have to wear a tie to work. That’s great news, considering I’d rather hang myself by a silk noose than tie a Windsor every morning, but it leaves me befuddled over what to do with my collar. Do I button down its flaps like I would with a tie? Or do I let them hang free and loose to flap in the wind?

Sincerely,

Collar? I barely even know her. (more…)

I’ve been having a hard time lately—as anyone who’s seen me around town in the same outfit again and again can attest to—and, as a result, have lost quite a bit of weight. Now, avid readers of Bostonista know we’re typically open to healthy diets, but there’s nothing flattering about baggy jeans and sagging dresses. Fortunately, my fellow editors always look out for me (and my occasional fashion hiccup) and quickly came to the rescue with the newest way to add a little junk back into your trunk.

The brainchild of Newton-based entrepreneur Susan Bloomstone, it’s called the Booty Pop (yes, really) and consists of underwear reinforced with two 1-inch-thick malleable posterior pads. Basically, a padded bra for your butt. (more…)