San Francisco-based Giftly, which launched last month, is a new way to give gift certificates. The web-based company allows buyers to give gift certificates redeemable at up to three separate locations. The best part? No cards, paper scraps, or e-mails to keep track of. Put simply, after a receiver is notified of their Giftly, they choose where they prefer to redeem it, spend the amount gifted, then log into Giftly’s website and with the click of a button the company puts the amount directly into the recipient’s bank account.
So what does that mean for us here in Boston? A Giftly can essentially be used at any retail location in town of the gifter’s choosing — without the need to purchase a gift card directly from that business. Which means that once the snow storms hit, as they most certainly will, you can do all your Christmas gift certificate shopping this year without even leaving the house. Plus, they never expire — unlike “real” gift cards.
Tim Bentley, CEO and Founder of Giftly answered a few of our pressing questions: READ MORE
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 Photograph courtesy of Beyond Boston Chic Back in 2008, Martini Severin set out to document the unique style she witnessed on the streets of Boston with her blog, Beyond Boston Chic. In just three years, the blog’s popularity has skyrocketed — so much that she landed her own photography exhibit at City Hall, which opened this week. We chatted with Severin about her inspiration, putting together her first exhibit, and the best places to go in Boston for a heaping dose of chic.
What inspired you to create a street fashion blog?
I’ve always had an interest in fashion. I remember growing up and seeing how wonderful my mom and my aunts looked when they dressed up. And when I got older and lived in France, my interest in fashion really elevated because I realized I couldn’t just walk out of the house in pajama pants. I spent more time on my appearance. Then when I came back to Boston, I just kept looking for something else — something that wasn’t just magazines. I thought, well, I’m going to take inspiration from Bostonians, and I decided to just start taking photos of people. It’s been a really wonderful way for me to get to know the people in this city and talk to them about why they’re wearing what they’re wearing. READ MORE
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 Image courtesy of Fashion's Night Out. What are you doing tomorrow night? If you like fashion, music, complimentary cocktails, and dazzle galore, the answer should be “Heading to Fashion’s Night Out.” This year marks the first-ever full-blown FNO event in our city, which is finally joining the club of cities in 17 countries across the globe. (For more history on the organizers, check out Christopher Muther’s piece on Boston.com.)
In previous years, select retailers have opted to host parties or offer special deals, but organizers struggled to find willing participants. This year, though, FNO is exploding throughout neighborhoods from the North End to the South End, JP to Copley. Newbury Street will be closed to vehicles, giving style-hungry shoppers unfettered access to the one-night-only frenzy happening at their favorite boutiques. Check out the list below for a few of what we predict for the highlights, then tell us in the comments: What are you most stoked for? READ MORE
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 Photo courtesy of Marc by Marc Jacobs. Forget OKCupid or speed dating; if you’re looking to spice up your love life, just head to the Marc by Marc Jacobs store on Newbury Street on Friday, August 12. Celebrity astrology consultants Stella Starsky and Quinn Cox will be holding a “Cosmic Clinic” from 4 to 7 p.m., signing copies of their bestselling books, Sextrology and Cosmic Coupling. Purchase one and get a frank five-minute astrology reading focused on romantic possibilities. READ MORE
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By now, we’ve all heard that GQ named Boston the worst-dressed city in America. And we have to admit, the mag has a fair point about “unfortunate coeds” clinging to that eye-gougingly awful trend of leggings as pants long after we were hoping it would go the way of the VHS tape. But most people wear something unfortunate at some point in their lives, and, luckily, it’s as easily forgotten as everything you learned in Baby Bio.
But if you put something offensive on the Internet ― like, for example, GQ‘s declaration that “Boston suffers from a kind of Style Down Syndrome” ― it never goes away. Not even if you delete the sentence from the online version, as the magazine has done without explanation (but not before drawing the ire of advocacy groups across the state). READ MORE
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 Photo courtesy of pacres (flickr.com/photos/pacres). Ye gods! On Monday we reviewed our experience with the hair-feather craze; the same day, the Seattle Times reported that the trend is causing fly fishermen nationwide to freak out, as stylists and trend-hungry females are using the sportsmen’s favorite flymaking materials as hair adornments. It’s not every day that you see such a clash between fashion and recreational activities; for our money we’d like to know what PETA says about all of this — apparently some farms are euthanizing 1,500 roosters per week just to keep up with demand.
What do you think? Should the hair-feather trend be put to rest?
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By: Ally Betker
It’s that time of year again: time to show some love for Mother Earth. And no one knows it better than ethical-fashion company Proxy Apparel, which is taking Earth Day to heart and throwing a fair-trade birthday party for the planet.
The 2011 Earth Day Gala will kick off with a sustainable marketplace featuring 15 local vendors who are driving sustainable consumerism, including Aveda, Stonyfield Yogurt, Boston Organics, and Proxy’s own pop-up retail space, from 5 to 7 p.m. Proxy’s Spring Collection will be unveiled with an ethical-fashion show at 7, followed by fair-trade birthday cake and organic wine at 8, giving you a tasty way to network with your fellow conscious shoppers.
Proxy founder Heatherjean MacNeil says she’s looking forward to educating consumers to be more socially responsible by supporting local agriculture and fashion. “I’m really excited about bringing together the different [businesses] that will be there,” she says. “It will be interesting for attendees to see how they can shop and support local companies.”
For more information and to RSVP to this free event, visit proxyapparel.com/pages/earthday.
April 21, 5–9 P.M., Mass Challenge, 55 Northern Ave., 14th Fl., Boston, proxyapparel.com.
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Don your most dashing cocktail outfit this Saturday, March 12, for the 20th annual Casino Royale event to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Sponsored in part by the Boston Bruins Foundation, the bash will include hors d’oeuvres, live music by The Pulse of Boston, and a silent auction offering goods such as weekend getaways and Celtics tickets ― and, of course, Vegas-style gambling.
Don’t like to chance it with your cash? Don’t stress: CFF has been lauded as a charity that “won’t waste your money” by SmartMoney Magazine. A percentage of your ticket price is tax deductible, and proceeds from the event will fund research and clinical trials to help find a cure for the disease, which affects 30,000 children and adults in the U.S.
General admission tickets are $70 in advance and $75 at the door. If you’re feeling extra ritzy, the $150 VIP party pass includes entry to a private reception and casino, chow from assorted food stations, and complimentary beer and wine throughout the night. A good cause, a great time, and a chance to break out your favorite LBD? That’s a deal we’ll take. Because no matter what Bond says, you only live once.
8 p.m.–1 a.m., Seaport Hotel, 200 Seaport Blvd., Boston, 617-385-4212, cff.org.
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By: Joanna Arpie
This weekend, ditch your sensible scarf for plastic bead necklaces, because Mardi Gras is coming to Boston. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay is hosting its annual Big Night Gala charity bash this Saturday, January 22, at the Boston Convention and Expo Center. The theme of this year’s event is―guessed it―Mardi Gras, meaning the convention center will get a Bourbon Street makeover, complete with live jazz, Cajun food, and plenty of Fat Tuesday―appropriate drinks to go around. READ MORE
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When it comes to spinning, “no pain, no gain” seems to be the operative mantra. But taking a spin class at your gym often means enduring the barks of an instructor channeling a drill-sergeant while migraine-inducing techno pounds from the speakers. Enter Recycle Studio, Boston’s first dedicated indoor cycling facility, now open in the South End. Owner Cate Dwyer offers calorie-torching spin sessions in a space that’s more yoga studio than boot camp – what Daily Candy referred to as a “holistic environment.” The studio is decorated with images of bicycles and cheery fabrics from a New York–based textile company Dwyer used to work for. Even more intriguing, all the classes are taught by candlelight. “We want you to enter this space mentally and feel the mind-body connection,” she explains. “The candlelight transports you so you have a different mentality toward workouts, where you’re able to get into it and push yourself physically.”
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