Shopping in NYC.

I went to New York City for New Year’s Eve - my friends’ appartment in Brooklyn was empty for the holidays, and I had heard about this fantastic happening that occurs on Pratt University’s campus on New Year’s Eve.
[ Check out http://jeffsharlet.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html for a taste of what happens there. If you can, go - it was amazing. ]

Because 2007 was a major spending year ( I started my business and upgraded lots of clothes and home things), my resolution for 2008 is to not shop at all for a year, so of course I went nuts in the days leading up to the end of 2007. Well, I shouldn’t say nuts - normally I go crazy for the dirt cheap couture knock offs, well priced shoes and Chinatown handbags. This time, however, my shopping companion and I were much more refined and stuck to the SoHo boutiques. I purchased only four items but they were all super high quality, unique and impossible to say no to.

1. Sweater of a life-time from Nicholas K: Oatmeal Merino Wool, long, cable knit, zipper and double-breasted leather buttons, satin lining, bunchy neck, can be worn as dress.

2. Limited Edition Suede Boots from Te Casan: This store in SoHo works with 7 shoe designers to create limited edition lines of incredible shoes - I went ga-ga. I couldn’t afford most of them, but lucky for me, a pair of made-in-Spain, knee-high, wine-red, suede boots with a 2 inch wooden heel were down from $650 to $250. The clincher: they came with a detachable 2 foot long suede fringe. With the fringe: ridiculous, Cher-inspired, once a year wear. Without: incredible high quality and comfortable heeled boot that goes with both fancy dresses and jeans.

3. Soft Cotton Turtleneck, made in the U.S. Can be worn as a dress.

4. Marc Jacob Toque: sauntered into a Marc Jacob Blowout Sale in Greenwhich village and found a grey cashmere men’s toque for $40 that holds all my hair (and I have a lot of that). I haven’t taken it off since. Ew, maybe it is time for a wash!