Ladies Who Lunch: Men's Pick Fall 2010

The middle of August is upon us already!! As I have been perusing this Fall’s offerings and making my “Must Have” selections for women, it suddenly occurred to me that I have not made any “Must Have” picks for men yet.  This is clearly something that I must remedy.

As I think of Fall, my mind turns to that special crispness in the air and a certain smell that is hard to pinpoint.  It is a little bit the smell of dry leaves and a cool freshness mixed together that conjures up images of evenings before the fireplace and jumping back into the social season!

As I have been spending the last few Falls on the West Coast and overseas, my Fall/Winter wardrobe is definitely in need of sprucing up.  Especially since I plan to be spending more time at home in NY.

All of these musings lead me to my “Must Have” Men’s Fall 2010 pick.  The military jacket or coat.  This tailored masculine look is not only flattering, but it is also a lot of fun.  The attention to detail is definitely appealing: perfectly placed pockets, beautiful hardware, shoulder broadening epaulettes.  I am definitely loving this look for Fall.  So, the search for my fave of this look is on.

I am a sucker for a trench coat and trench coats are a popularized style that originated in the military.  Trench coats are timeless and a good wardrobe builder.  And who doesn’t look good in a trench?  But not your usual trench, I’m looking for a trench that functions as a Fall overcoat.  I turned to Burberry, the master of trench coats, and sure enough, they have a beautiful military inspired wool trench. Truly a beautiful coat, it also appeals to my practical side, as it is black and will never truly go out of style.

However, my playful side is thinking of also taking advantage of some of the more dramatic of this military trend.  Burberry is also offering an overcoat that is a little less subtle in its military reference.  I love the khaki color of this coat, the gold buttons, wide buttoned cuffs and large pocket flaps.  The Yum Factor of this coat definitely sucks me right in.

 On the runway, Burberry showed a beautiful collection of military inspired jackets and coats and so few of them made it to retail.  Quite disappointing. One in particular had a zipper at the waist so that you could unzip the lower half and turn it into a short cropped jacket.  Which got me to thinking.  Since I couldn’t get the 2 in 1 coat, perhaps I should also look into a short jacket.  Burberry has a great military themed short jacket in the khaki green that I am finding appealing.  With its Nehru collar and tightly spaced buttons, this jacket looks like it could just fit the bill.

If only choices were that easy!!  I have also found a great cropped jacket from McQ.  Like the Burberry trench, its military reference is a bit more subtle, but it is still a gorgeous jacket.  The boxy cropped fit would work perfectly for the seasons layered look and again like the trench it is timeless in its styling.

While I may have chosen the “Must Have” piece for Fall 2010 Men, I will still need to choose which  of these styles will win out. Will dramatic or classic win out?  It looks like I will have a hard time determining which one (or ones if I am lucky) to go with.  Wish me luck!!


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Ladies Who Lunch: Sheath Loves Me Sheath Loves Me Not

Diligently, I have been sifting through the Fall Collections, looking for those must have pieces.  And what exactly are my criteria?  Number One is that it has to have what I call the Yum Factor.  If you look at it and your gut response is “Yum, I have to have that”, it passes.  Second, that it has to have an essence that conveys the look that seems right for this time.  As Chanel said, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening”.

And just what is happening this Fall?  The sheath dress.  Although they weren’t widely represented on the runway, they are showing up at retail big time.  Yes it is back and big this season and a must have for your wardrobe. I am a long time fan of Micheal Kors for his stylish and trendy collections that are also completely wearable.  And this Fall, Michael Kors is offering up several variations on the sheath dress, something for everyone!  You can go the classic route, the starlet route, the modern zipper accent route or mix it up with a print sheath.  With its sleek fit, these sheaths are perfect with cardigans, wraps and under a great Fall coat. Either way, the sheath is in this Fall!!

Ladies Who Lunch: The Skinny on the Situation

Armani Collezioni

While some designers showed full leg pants for Fall (some of which were very flattering), the trend and clear winner seems to be towards the skinny pant, jean or legging.  This item goes onto my ‘must have” list for Fall 2010.

Somehow, it looks just right for this season!  A must have for this Fall’s layered look, the skinny look goes great with those bulky Fall sweaters, elongated baggy cardigans, luscious wraps, capes and wonderful new Fall jackets.  With all of the layering on top, the skinny pant helps to visually elongate the body and create a look that is cool and confident.

Burberry Brit

Behnaz Sarafpour

Weekend Max Mara

Akris

Missoni

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Ladies who Lunch: Cupcake Nation

The emergence of Cupcake Culture several years ago has led to a proliferation of them in the market place.  It seems like everyone and their mother is making cupcakes these days!!  As I am always watching my weight, I don’t consume a massive amount of cupcakes, but I am always in for trying a new one.  I have discovered a few that have become favorites, Babycakes being my recent passion.

Just when I thought that I had seen everything in the cupcake world, I am surprised to find new talent.  This talent comes in the form of Decorative Cupcakes and Cookies By Linda.  Last Saturday evening, I was at the launch party for ACT Today! for Military Families (Autism Cure & Treatment).  Dessert was served and the centerpiece of the selections was a display of cupcakes, decorated sugar cookies and lemon cookies.

The cupcakes took center stage with their delicate, almost fragile, icing and they were topped with a small flower, also made of icing.  Oftentimes, cupcakes that are visually beautiful do not necessarily deliver in the taste category and vice versa.  The flavor and texture of these cupcakes lived up to their artistic veneer: not overly sweet, light moist and melt in your mouth.  I tried the red velvet cupcake and was hooked.

Once I had satisfied the cupcake urge, I finally paid attention to the cookies.  The decorated sugar cookies were the first of the cookies that caught my attention.  Since this was a wine tasting event, the cookies were decorated with that theme.  Small cookies with white icing and topped with an icing medallion of a grape cluster vied for my attention with larger cookies in the shape of a cluster of grapes.  The icing on the larger cookie was executed perfectly and on top of that, Linda somehow managed to emboss the frosting with a subtle design.  Like the cupcakes, the sugar cookies deliver a just right combination of sweetness and flavor

Then there are the lemon cookies.  Not as showy as the cupcakes or sugar cookies, they are still pleasant to the eye and deliver incredibly on flavor.  Again, not overly sweet, these lemon cookies really are about a fresh lemon taste that wafts across your tongue and circulates around your mouth.  The texture is ever so crisp on the outside and airy, moist and slightly chewy in the center.  A perfect lemon cookie.

It is not very often that I am this impressed with cookies and cupcakes, so take note! These creations are little pieces of art and you almost hesitate to eat them since they are so beautiful.  Whether for an event or just for yourself, I would definitely give this emerging talent a try!!

Decorative Cookies and Cupcakes By Linda (located in Orange County, CA)

Linda_Bertch@yahoo.com

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Ladies Who Lunch: Fall 2010 1st Must Have

It has always seemed a bit bizarre that the dead on Fall lines arrive in the middle of the summer amid the sweltering heat.  My mind is most definitely not thinking about Fall/Winter coats at this time.  The whole buy now/wear now mentality is rapidly becoming the norm. However, if you are truly into the fashion groove, you know that if you don’t shop now for those special pieces, they will be gone by the time Fall rolls around.  And who wants to get stuck with the dowdy pieces no one else wanted??

So with that in mind, I am starting to search out my fave must have pieces for this upcoming fall season.  My first must have is a bomber!! Marc by Marc Jacobs has a great twill one in what they are calling Maverick Green.  The military influence is not only apparent in the color, but also in the large flapped pockets and epaulets.  I love that it has a drawstring waist so that you have the option of cinching it in and highlighting the waist or uncinching it for a more relaxed look.  And if that all weren’t enough, the tonal faux fur collar completes the look perfectly.

Loves it!!  Go to Bergdof Goodman, my favorite temple of worship, to check it out!!

http://tiny.cc/fk1f5

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Ladies Who Lunch: All That Glitters........

Are suffering from Shopping Ennui?  From time to time, even I can fall into that abyss.  At times like these, I need a metaphorical defibrillator to jolt me back into my shopping groove.

I found myself slipping into one of these conditions this week and despaired that it may be irreversible.  Then I discovered these new handbags by Chanel and I experienced a miraculous recovery!!  The phrase “Diamonds are a girls best friend” may be cliche, but at least in my book it still rings true.  And even if they are not real diamonds, I am most certainly attracted to the glitter of the bling on these bags.  Like a moth to a flame, I have been sucked in and just can’t help thinking about these bags.

Most people would leave these as exclusively for evening, but I think that a person with the right fashion sense could make these bags rock during the daytime as well.  A little bit of glamour during the day can definitely put you on the celebrity circuit, even if it is only in your head!!  But then again, thoughts become things I keep being told, so bring it on :)

Check them out on the Chanel Site :

http://www.chanel.com/fashion/1-accessoires-mode#1-pieces-d-exception-accessoires-chanel-10,1

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Ladies Who Lunch: A Nitro to Remember

It all started in my teens when I took a job working at the very first Haagen Dazs on Columbus Avenue.  Everyone told me that I would learn to hate ice cream after working with it everyday.  Quite to the contrary, I actually became addicted.  For years afterwards, I could devour an entire pint in one sitting (aren’t pints single servings??).  Besides making me an addict, it also educated and spoiled me.  From that point on I could only eat “premium” ice cream from Haagen Dazs to Berthillon in Paris.

Recently as I have adopted a “near vegan” diet and eliminated most dairy from my diet (I guiltily still indulge in small amounts of cheese once in a while), my ice cream addiction has led me to explore dairy options.  I have tried and enjoyed different varieties of Soy Milk Ice Cream, Rice Milk Ice Cream and Coconut Milk Ice Creams.  All different, all interesting and most importantly, they satisfy my addiction.  However, a new kid on the block has arrived in the ice cream world and I have to give it  a try.

The latest rage in the ice cream world is Nitro Ice Cream.  Instead of using the traditional process of freezing and churning the ice cream over time, liquid nitrogen is introduced into the ice cream ingredients while it is mixing, which instantly freezes it.  The advantage to this rapid freezing is that it eliminates ice crystals forming and produces a smoother and thicker ice cream.  Although Nitro Ice Cream has been around for a little while in a few haute restaurants by inventive chefs, if has not been available to the public outside of that arena.  All of that is beginning to change.

Nitro Ice Cream got the Luxury World’s attention with the opening last week of Europe’s first Nitro Ice Cream Parlor in London.  Chin Chin Laboratorists, founded by Ahrash Akbari-Kalhur and Nyisha Weber has become the rage of London with their nitro ice cream creations. The other major advantage to making nitro ice cream in a parlour setting is that customers can concoct their own flavours and have it made instantly right before their eyes. Which started me exploring.  Had this concept made it’s way to the USA?  Interestingly enough, it has.

Nitro Magic Ice Cream, located in Williamsville, NY, peddles it’s 

frozen treat by way of private events.  They will actually bring the ingredients and process to you and make it for your guests, whether it is a small or large function.

Blue Sky Creamery started in Ames, Iowa and has a factory store in Ames as well as a location in the West Des Moines Mall. Like Nitro Magic, they also do private events. They have franchises in Missouri and their product can be found at 2 Donut Shops and in several retail outlets across the state.  Currently, they also have franchises in Georgia and North Carolina that at this time only do private events.  In addition, you can order theit nitro ice creams and gelatos on-line and they will ship it to you over-night in a special freezer container.

Both of these operations can only make you wonder when the nitro ice cream rage will come to a location near you.  I definitely want to try this new entry into the dessert scene, but think that I would probably want to experience it live where it was actually being made.  Knowing my travel habits, I most likely would be in London sooner than the US locations.  Hmmmm, another reason to go to London. :)  I will report back once I have had the pleasure of being Nitroed!!

http://www.chinchinlabs.com/

http://www.nitromagic.com/

http://www.blueskycreamery.com/

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