Notes of a shopaholic

Friday, January 17, 2003:

This is truly one of the best buyer pitches I've seen on Ebay:

So this week I hit the MOTHERLODE of MENS DESIGNER CLOTHES! Seems a major HOLLYWOOD MOVIE PRODUCER has put on some weight, and I got the call for his fabulous clothes!
Steven Sherman // 6:20 PM

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Thursday, January 16, 2003:

Woohoo! Paper Magazine says Diesel's having a sample sale this Sunday. "It's hot. It's stylish. It's en vogue. It's all this and more, and a tad on the expensive side to boot. But you can look stylish without being giving up every penny you have when you check out the Diesel sample sale. The denim magnate is offering the hottest threads at deep discounts, with jeans for him and her flying off the racks for 50 simoleans, marked down from the business-as-usual $135. You can build a whole new wardrobe at this fashionpalooza, with button-down cotton shirts reduced from $140 to $30, printed T's down to $10 from $58, and more. 261 W. 36th St., (212) 947-8478. 10 a.m.-4 p.m" Too bad its in NYC--D''oh!

Guess I'll have to stick with Ebay--which I find is starting to replace Bluefly for me. Anyway, snagged a Martin Margiela vest (not easy to find) for $35, so why complain?
Steven Sherman // 7:00 PM

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Hard to decide which is the best item in this week's Chic Happens. News of Paris Hilton's Green Acres style reality show? Rumors about it not being Kate Winslet's body beneath her face on the cover of Harper's Bazaar? Probably most relevant to this site is this item about Vivienne Westwood's recent men's show:

"Talk about a storm in a D-cup. At the men's shows in Milan this week, pensionable provocateur Vivienne Westwood sent the himbos down the catwalk wearing fake breasts under their cashmere sweaters. We're talking full-blown chesticles here, not gym-sculpted pec-steaks. While Westwood's bosom buddies aren't likely to launch any new trend, the manly meatbags piqued the interests of enraged editorial writers everywhere. As ever, the cerebral Westwood dressed her decision up in gobbledygook. "The inspiration for the man with breasts was Fifties sweaterboys," Westwood told reporters. "Also dressing up as a way to think how men are so much attached to the breast of their mother a symbol of eternal warmth." She should know, her husband is 25 years younger"

On the other hand, I don't anticipate this design innovation influencing shoppers much in the near future.
Steven Sherman // 10:20 AM

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Wednesday, January 15, 2003:

Kenneth Cole responds to my e-mail asking where my order is--only about three weeks after my inquiry, and over a week after I received the order! That's customer service!
Steven Sherman // 8:00 PM

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Tuesday, January 14, 2003:

It's difficult for an e-shopaholic to praise Bluefly highly enough.This site does so many things right. First, it lists the materials clearly--80% wool, 20% polyester... This seems obvious enough, but it's amazing just how few sites actually do this. Similarly, the pictures on the site accurately convey the colors of the items. They always ship promptly. They package things nicely. And best of all, they have such an excellent selection. Fasionable pieces from DKNY. Unusual stuff from Marc Jacobs or Martin Margiela. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but it actually completely changes the shopping horizon in a place like North Carolina.
Steven Sherman // 6:09 PM

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Sunday, January 12, 2003:

Today I took a drive over to Charlotte to visit the Mint Museum of Craft and Design. I think I like contemporary crafts better than contemporary art. You get the feeling that all the time artists spend honing their jargon to impress critics is spent by craftspeople refining their skills making objects look beautiful. Anyway, couldn't take in Charlotte without hunting down Urban Evolution. Its quite good--lots of small designers doing the grunge hippie thing that's most cutting edge right now. With a little work, this could actually be effectively imitated through vintage--the key would be to get some striped dress shirts, some patches, and start sewing. Maybe rip off the front pocket while you're at it.

Of course, the store had plenty of stuff on clearance, so, long story short, I picked up a microsuede tunic with embroidery from Toku for $44. Definitely spending more than I mean to lately. But I am returning a lot. And selling plenty of books on Amazon (no bids so far on my Ebay stuff).
Steven Sherman // 5:39 PM

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