Street Style: Tote-ally Chic

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STREET STYLE: TOTE-ALLY CHIC

Kiefer Roberts carries himself (and his bag) with style.

Posted by Charlotte Wilder on 2/13/2012 at 11:54AM | No Comments

I photographed this stylish man on the street, only to realize he was the fabulous Kiefer Roberts, one of my friends from high school whom I haven’t seen for 6+ years (!). I was thrilled to see him because he’s a warm, lovely, smart guy. And well-dressed, to boot (pun intended). After catching up, I asked Kiefer a few questions about Boston style, what he listens to, and what blogs he reads.

What are you wearing?

A J.Crew puffer coat, Rugby chinos, Cole Haan desert boots, and an East-West bag by Holly Caldwell, a handbag designer who started locally. My scarf is from a street vendor in SoHo.

Tell me what you think about Boston style.

I think Boston gets a completely bad rap when it comes to style. As a city with so much history, we’re very proud of that and have developed a very particular style and look which can often be seen as stuffy or boring. I think Bostonians would do a bit better with being less judgmental when people try and break out of the typical New England prep style, though, and that way we’d be viewed more positively and be able to be more daring.

Where do you shop and what style blogs do you read?

I enjoy the J.Crew Men’s Shop, and Sault and Uniform on Tremont Street. As for style blogs, I’m obsessed with the snarkiness of New York Magazine’s ‘The Cut.’ I love Fashionista, The GQ Eye, and Por Homme.

What are you listening to?

I’m having a serious moment with Mumford and Sons and I’ve been listening to their live stuff a lot, as well as CSS’s La Liberación and for working out, strictly Avicii and Swedish House Mafia.

FIRST LOOK AT CRUSH’S NEWBURY STORE

Posted by Courtney Hollands on 2/10/2012 at 8:04PM | No Comments

Crush owners Rebecca Penner and Laura Macris have been nosing around the city for a few years, looking for the right location for a second store. They considered the Fenway area, the North End, the South End, even Wellesley, before landing on the almost 900-square-foot space at 264 Newbury Street (formerly Matsu).

The bright new store boasts a rustic, custom-built wood cash register surround and jewelry case, as well as more natural light than the duo’s subterranean Beacon Hill flagship; vintage suitcases overflowing with purses and shirts dot the shop and chandeliers sparkle overhead.

Both of Crush’s locations will carry pieces from Shoshanna, Alice & Olivia, and other lines, but each shop will have different designs. Labels exclusive to the Newbury outpost include Brandy Melville, Ladakh, Black Halo, Gold Hawk, and more.

The boutique opens to the public Tuesday, a.k.a. Valentine’s Day — may we suggest a pink or red frock for the bash that night?

(All photos by Courtney Hollands/Boston Magazine)

THERE’S MUCH TO LOVE ON CHARLES STREET

But, not everyone feels that way.

Posted by bostonista on 2/10/2012 at 2:44PM | 2 Comments

Picturesque, cobble-stoned Charles Street is home to bakeries, boutiques, nail salons, and gift shops — the strip has something for almost everyone. Except, perhaps, for designer Sara Campbell, who’s closing her storefront there this month.

“There is no way to survive doing commerce in that neighborhood,” Campbell told Beacon Hill Patch, in an article that ran Monday. She cited “ruthless” parking enforcement officers and high rent among the causes of her Beacon Hill demise. (Campbell who owns shops in the South End, Wellesley, Concord, and Hingham, is also opening a location outside Chicago, according to the story.)

I’m a sales associate at a small boutique on the drag, and as someone who lives and works in the part of Beacon Hill in question, I disagree. Charles Street is roaring. And I’m not the only one who feels that way.

Campbell calls Charles Street a “rambling of assorted stuff” — but buyer and manager of Moxie, Kristen Caldon, says that’s just part of the charm. “Everything here is less mainstream. There are all different designers and brands that you can’t find in a department store.” And it’s true. Charles Street is Newbury without the commercialization.

Susan Corcoran, co-owner of gift shop Black Ink, has been on Charles Street for 18 years. Her business has grown and she says the high rent pays off in the long run. “People come here because these stores are idiosyncratic, they are owner-operated. It’s a good thing,” she adds.

The portrait painted by Cambpell is a mischaracterization. Of course we’re sad to see her store go, but with loads of exceptional boutiques in this neighborhood-shopping street, we’ll be back—and often.

— Madeleine Coleman

(Photo by Allie_Caulfield, via Flickr)

STREET STYLE: FROM SAN FRANSISCO WITH LOVE

Fashionable outerwear is one (the only?) good thing about Boston winters.

Posted by Charlotte Wilder on 2/9/2012 at 11:30AM | No Comments

Nick Noyer went to college in Boston and loves coming back because he enjoys wearing his heartier wardrobe pieces (shivering Bostonians in the beginning of March might not feel the same way). Nick looked great and was kind enough to chat with me about what he had on. READ MORE

STREET STYLE: PICTURE-PERFECT PAIR

These two add flair to old glamour.

Posted by Charlotte Wilder on 2/8/2012 at 4:05PM | No Comments

I’m obsessed with the show Mad Men, and Jessica and Arturo looked like a modern Betty and Don Draper. Find out where their fabulous clothes came from, and what they like to read, listen to, and eat.

What are you wearing?

Jessica: My coat is vintage Marithé + François Girbaud that my mother bought in the ’70s for skiing. The shoes are oxfords by Frye, and I have on a dress that you can’t really see, but I bought it at the Tannery.

Arturo: I have on shoes from Allen-Edmonds, pants from Theory. My coat is from J.Press in Cambridge.

Where are you from?

Jessica: We’re both from Texas. Well, Arturo’s from Mexico, originally. We both moved here from Texas for school.

Favorite place to get drinks or dinner in Boston?

Arturo: We like Giacomo’s in the North End. And in Cambridge, where we are most of the time, we like Hungry Mother and Craigie on Main.

What are you listening to these days?

Arturo: Jessica’s been listening to Kanye’s new album, and we love Daft Punk…

Jessica: For working music we listen to Chopin and Beethoven’s symphonies. For fun: Daft Punk, Deadmau5, MGMT.

What have you read recently?

Jessica: I actually just finished The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I loved it. My impression is that it’s his magnum opus.

Arturo: And I’ve been working on David Foster Wallace’s The Infinite Jest for a while now. It’s long. But it’s pretty good.

STREET STYLE: LOVELY IN LAYERS

Erin embraces neutral shades on Beacon Hill.

Posted by Charlotte Wilder on 2/6/2012 at 6:32PM | No Comments

Erin agreed to pose for a shot because she loves fashion blogs and wants to support them. Here, she told us which ones she reads and what she’s wearing.

What are you wearing?

I have on a Banana Republic coat, a Marc Jacobs hat, a Michael Kors purse, Lucky Brand sweater, and I have no idea where my shirt is from. Then I’ve got on Old Navy pants and Franco Sarto pumps.

Which fashion blogs do you read?

I read the Little Black List, This Time Tomorrow, The Glamourai, and The Sartorialist.

What’s your favorite coffee shop in Boston?

Definitely The Thinking Cup on Tremont Street.

ZOORA.COM LAUNCH PARTY

The Boston-based e-commerce site offers custom-tailored designer clothing.

Posted by Courtney Hollands on 2/3/2012 at 1:30PM | No Comments

A fashionista’s heartbreak is turning away an ill-fitting, but otherwise perfect statement piece. We’ve all been there. Enter Zoora.com. The local e-commerce site offers pieces from designers (currently Emily Muller, Lily & Migs, Nirva, and ten other designers) that are custom-tailored to each shopper’s measurements, or “style DNA.” About 75 Bostonians hoofed it to Rescue last night to see the new website’s clothing in person. Although the site is Boston-based, organizers plan to expand by three to five brands per month as they embark on a national launch tour.

Check out some photos from the party:

(Zoora.com founder Aubrie Pagano with an Alana Hale piece available on the website. The customizable dress is available in three colors, and with or without a fur trim.)

(Zoora.com intern Kelly Hogan measured partygoers for the custom-fit clothing.)

(Medical student Mitch Izower and designer Amanda Curtis.)

(Fashion stylist Naomi Mirando and James Perse manager Jessica Letendre.)

(Kristina Tourt browses the Rescue racks.)

— Kate Spalla

BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S PROJECT DEBUSSY

Fashion students inspired by the music of Claude Debussy debuted their designs

Posted by Charlotte Wilder on 2/3/2012 at 1:08PM | No Comments

(Designer Kowoon Jeong, from the School of Fashion Design and winner of the competition, watches her model get ready.)

Design a dress inspired by the music of Claude Debussy. That was the challenge given to area fashion and design students, who showed off their work at the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Project Debussy last night.

The young energy was palpable in Symphony Hall. “It’s great to get students involved with the music,” says Sarah Manoog, Director of Marketing for the BSO and the brains behind the annual Project series. “I did come up with it, but it’s taken on a life of it’s own,” she says. “The designers have really made it theirs.”

I snuck backstage before the show to see the dresses. Models shuffled carefully from the steamer to the jewelry and make-up tables as the designers hovered around them. Flowers were pinned on, trains held up, and fly-away hairs smoothed. They models and designers walked out for a preview before the BSO presented its Strauss, Dutilleux, and Debussy concert, featuring Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit and French cellist Gautier Capuçon — and patrons admired the ruffles and delicate stitching as the girls posed on the red carpet.

The actual fashion show took place just after the concert. Judging the dresses were Catheline van den Branden, president and executive director of the French Cultural Center, fashion designer Sara Campbell, Improper Bostonian columnist Jonathan Soroff, Alan Bilzerian, owner of the boutique by the same name, and Althea Blackford, executive producer and host of Style It Up. Designer Teresa Calabro secured the “People’s Choice” category, and Kowoon Jeong was crowned the overall winner of Project Debussy for her stunning moonlight-inspired gown.

And Manoog put it, “this event is great for Symphony and great exposure for the designers.” After all, who couldn’t use a bit of celebratory glam in February?

(Teresa Calabro, left, and Kowoon Jeong with their models / Photo by Stu Rosner)

Here are some photos I took backstage and during the pre-show walk:

(Nicole Clancy wears a design by Lasell College’s Lindsay Holcomb.)

(Katie Suji Kim, of Mount Ida College, says of her design, “the music flows like water, and reminded me of watercolor, so I used brocade to get the smudge-like effect of the paint.”)

(Alison models a design by Lasell College’s Amanda Erickson. Erickson sewed the gold details on the dress by hand.)

STREET STYLE: THE MAN IN BLACK

If a women's blazer fits, wear it.

Posted by Charlotte Wilder on 2/2/2012 at 6:47PM | 1 Comment

Michael Weferling — who was out for a stroll in Beacon Hill — doesn’t mess around when it comes to style. Read on to find out why his blazer is like deodorant and how he’s getting pumped for the Super Bowl.

What are you wearing?

I am wearing a Lacoste polo with a Banana Republic cotton long sleeve tee over it. I have on a Band of Outsiders blazer from Barneys New York, Citizens of Humanity jeans, Cole Haan loafers, and a Celine “Boston” bag that I got before spending a semester in New York when I knew I’d have to look like a New Yorker.

What are you listening to?

I like this band Tamaryn, and another band called Tame Impala. And lately I’ve been getting really into early ’90s Madonna. I think I’m preparing myself for the superbowl.

What’s your favorite restaurant in Boston?

I love South End Buttery. And I like Mooo for their lunches.

What style blogs do you read?

I read Knight Cat and Who What Wear. What else, let’s see…The Sartorialist, of course, and New York Magazine’s The Cut.

Do you have a recent piece of clothing you bought that you love?

My favorite recent piece is definitely my Band of Outsiders’ blazer, the one I have on right now. It was, as they used to say in the old deodorant ads, “strong enough for men but used for women” [laughs]. So yes, it was made for a woman, but I found I could fit into a certain size, so it was perfect!

BEAUTY BATTLE: COLOR-INTENSE MASCARAS

Mac's Zoom Fast Black Lash vs. Cover Girl's Exact Eyelights

Posted by Lindsay Tucker on 2/2/2012 at 6:43PM | No Comments

Welcome to the latest installment of Beauty Battle, where we pit two similar products — one high-end and one drugstore — against each other to see which one reigns supreme. This week, we’re testing two color-intense mascaras: Mac’s Zoom Fast Black Lash and Cover Girl’s Exact Eyelights in Black Pearl.

Mac Zoom Fast Black Lash
$15, available at department stores

The hype: Mac’s newest mascara is “designed for voluptuous night-sky volume…it’s intense. Fast. And blacker than black,” boasts the website. I asked one of Mac’s online makeup artists what she loved about it, and she said she’s stoked because it provides instant gratification for full, blackest-black lashes.

The application: It’s true that one or two coats is all you need for dramatically darker lashes. However, some clumping at lash tips does occur. The worst part? After a few hours the texture becomes flaky and dark smudges creep down under my eyes—leaving me less rock-star glam and more Rocky Raccoon.

Cover Girl Exact Eyelights
Price: Around $7, available at Target and CVS

The hype: Cover Girl claims your eyes will actually look four times brighter if you use this product. There are four different shades, one for each eye color: Black Pearl (brown eyes), Black Sapphire (blue), Black Gold (hazel), and Black Ruby (green). Allegedly, tiny flecks of light-reflecting metallics in the mascara are tailored to the different eye colors.

The application: I have brown eyes so I bought the Black Pearl. Application is smooth and easy, with little to no clumping. In fact, the brush bristles are very fine and appear to be made out of plastic—the best mascara brush I’ve tried since DiorShow. Color lasts all day and doesn’t flake.

The verdict: While the Zoom Fast leaves much to be desired, the Exact Eyelights is definitely a keeper. It goes on easy and stays put, adding ample volume and length. What’s more, while I wasn’t really convinced my eyes looked luminous, I walked around the office wearing one mascara on each eye, asking my colleagues which one looked brighter: Ten out of ten — even the guys! — chose the eye clad in Exact Eyelights.

Archive for the ‘Fashion & Style’ Category