It’s happened to all of us. You’re taking a stroll in that awesome t-shirt you bought on Newbury Street last week when you spot someone across the way wearing the same digs. Suddenly, it doesn’t feel quite so hip and unique. Or, you show up to work in the perfect skirt snagged during a visit to Copley, only to find someone in Advertising is wearing the same thing — and, pout, looks better in it.

It’s times like these that make visits to Boston’s many weekends markets totally worthwhile. Not only do you get to experience the artistic and design talent that the Hub has to offer, but you also get to snag some truly one-of-a-kind finds. (more…)

The giant words “coming soon” on the MNG by Mango store in the Pru have been teasing us for six months. Originally sited to debut late fall, the Spanish fashion retailer had remained boarded up throughout winter and spring, leaving us doubtful that it would ever open its doors. Finally, the boards be gone, and business is on. But it’s either too late or too soon.

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With party season in full swing, last night provided no shortage of social options. Gaslight threw a soiree on its patio. And Esquire held an event for media and subscribers at Eastern Standard.

But the biggest, most see-and-be-seen bash of the evening was not so easily accessible, requiring a trip to the ‘burbs, believe it or not. Six hundred guests endured heinous off-Pike traffic to celebrate the opening of Hotel Indigo in Newton. (more…)

Like many apartment-dwellers, we’re oh-so-nostalgic for the fireplaces and campfires of our youth. But we’re also the owners of a mild fire phobia—not a three-chimney Wellesley Colonial.

What to do?

We’ve heard of flueless fireplaces—contraptions that require neither wood nor a chimney nor complicated installations—but the only one we’d seen resembled a flat-screen TV. Cool, but not quite conducive to gathering ’round.

On a recent trip to the Design Center, however, we discovered another flueless design we could definitely live with. Australian company EcoSmart has created a flueless, freestanding, and gorgeously chic fireplace that runs on ethanol. (more…)

At this weekend’s Daytime Emmy Awards, the Oscars of talk show and soap TV, Guiding Light starlet Gina Tognoni took home the best supporting actress award. Now, readers are probably wondering why this warrants a post; after all, it’s unlike Bostonista to be glued to the tube for mid-day dramas (we get enough of that in the office, thank you).

Here’s why: The winning woman was dressed by local designer Michael De Paulo. A regular on the Boston style and social scenes, De Paulo has been sketching and sewing cocktail and couture gowns for the past few years. Known locally for outfitting his muse, Tonya Mezrich, he specializes in bright, dramatic dresses.

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When I travel, I’d like to think I do it in style, but I must confess that chic (and uber-pricey) luggage has always kind of puzzled me. It seems pretty ridiculous to spend a ton of money on something that will more than likely be dropped, kicked, and shoved violently as cargo en route to your destination, and then show up at the baggage carousel wet and/or stained.

Or worse, reek of rotten seafood and gasoline (yes, this happened, and yes, it was horrifying).

But even a luggage skeptic like me was smitten with Samsonite Black Label’s latest collections of travel-ware, available at the brand’s boutique in Copley Place. (more…)

I’m the daughter of a proud neat freak. (Mom’s screen name is HooverHoney.) And while I may stray from Mrs. Clean every once in a while to make a temporary mess, I’m at the mercy of genetics when immediate cleanup is required.

I’m also into tricks of the trade. So when we here at Bostonista got a new vacuum to try out, I was first up for a test run.

The newest addition to the Transformer-like line of appliances is the Dyson Ball, named after the tangerine sphere at its base around which the vacuum pivots. Although it looks like something you’d find a hamster in, this innovative ball-in-socket joint (your shoulder), is much more versatile than the standard hinge joint (your knee). (more…)

According to karma—and Justin Timberlake—what goes around, comes around. And so it was for the reopening of streetwear retailer Karmaloop last Friday. When the store closed its doors for renovations six months ago, there was a dip in the Boston hip factor. But now the Newbury Street stop is back, with more street cred than ever. And its hoodie-clad, sneaker freak shoppers were ready to celebrate.

In its renovation, Karmaloop traded its graffitied walls for damask ones, now adorned with golden framed pictures and flat-screen TVs. The updated shop is still a haven for hipsters and a toy store for twenty-somethings—and now there are even more toys to play with. From the four computer stations where customers can order goods not sold in the bricks-and-mortar shop (free of shipping charges) to the see-through floor encasing vintage Jordans to a (real) rat skeleton and a (fake) human skull, there’s no shortage of visual stimulation in the relaunched store. (more…)

As alleged beauty experts, we probably shouldn’t admit that, until yesterday, we’d never tried false lashes. But it’s true. We’ d swiped every mascara known to man, we’d admired fake fringes on all the celebs, and we’d even done lash extensions…yet every time we passed strips of falsies at CVS or Sephora, we immediately pictured Tammy Faye Bakker. Or spiders.

So when we heard that Shu Uemura was celebrating its 25th anniversary with complimentary lash applications by makeup artist (and Best of Boston winner) Dani Wagener, we figured it was now or never. Wagener’s applied literally thousands of lashes…so at least we knew we’d be in good hands. (more…)

Every year, a few hundred of Boston’s best (looking) and brightest (looking) young professionals slap down a few hundred to swan—and later, swing dance—through fine art while sipping fine champagne. An under-45 crowd is plucked, tucked, and tarted up—tastefully, of course—in Louboutin heels and Dolce & Gabbana suits. Flirtations are initiated, deals are brokered, and social circles are paparazzied.

The kickoff to the summer event season, the MFA’s Museum Council party is the place to see and be seen if you’re young, fun, flush, and into top-shelf open bars. Saturday’s sold-out, Latin-flavored soiree began on the steps of the museum’s Huntington entrance, where gals in floor-length gowns emerged from limos and posed for photos (we disentangled ourselves from a Metro Cab and hid behind a column to swap our flips flops for three-inch Choos).

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