FASHION

More Of Our Beat-the-January-Blahs Faves

So many staffers weighed-in with their mid-winter pick-me-ups that we needed to spread the love between two separate blog posts. Today, we're giving a shout-out to festive new purses, great sample-sale scores, happy peppy bedding...


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So many staffers weighed-in with their mid-winter pick-me-ups that we needed to spread the love between two separate blog posts. Today, we’re giving a shout-out to festive new purses, great sample-sale scores, happy peppy bedding and lots of beauty products.

From left, Louis Vuitton’s “Mini Lin” Speedy bag; a look from the Thakoon for Target line.

On my end, three new items have been floating my boat. I’m loving the wide-brimmed vintage Jean Barthet hat I nabbed at the POSH sale last summer, which is chic in an Amish farmer kind of way. Another hit is the lightweight canvas Louis Vuitton “Mini Lin” Speedy hubby gifted me for the holidays. And of course I raided the Thakoon stash at Target. Who could resist those splash-print dresses? They’re like wearable Rorschach tests.

“As a complete credit card debt cliché, I shouldn’t be shopping,” says Jessica Iredale. “But my season-long quest for a winter coat recently brought me to the Stella McCartney sale, where the coats weren’t my style but a short black tulip skirt was. I wore it yesterday. Got lots of compliments. Suze Orman would not approve.”

Another Stella fan is Priya Rao, who scored two navy blue dresses at the sale. “One is pleated with cap sleeves and a teeny tie-belt. And the other is preppy-slouchy with fleur de lys buttons,” she says. “They’re lightweight, so they’re good for year-round. That makes me feel a little bit better about splashing out.”

“I went to Crate & Barrel right after the holidays and picked up super-bright Marimekko sheets—on sale!—because my apartment was feeling a bit bland but I didn’t want to do anything drastic,” says Sarah Haight. “Somehow, it felt like a more `grownup’ investment. They’re lemon yellow and very cheerful.”

Though she’s been eyeing a new BMW and an Andrew Wyeth (kidding), Treena Lombardo is opting for beautifiers instead. “For me, it’s been the cheap fix of beauty products,” she says. “Like rose toner, which I obsessively spray on my face. And any kind of essential oil for before, during or after a bath. No need to exfoliate since the wind does that for you! I seem to need soothing at the moment.”

From left, Crate & Barrel’s Marimekko sheets; Jurlique’s Rosewater Balancing Mist

“My favorite purchases lately have been Shiseido anti-aging face cream to keep dewy skin in this dry weather, an Undercover feather sweater dress (a splurge for my birthday “month”) and summer clothes from the other side of the hemisphere—Topshop Singapore,” says Kathy Lee. “I popped in for a few things over the holidays because I’m in total winter-denial. The cold is just so depressing.”

Exactly.