Jacket from Wolf & Badger. Balmain skirt. Charlotte Olympia platforms. Artelier by Nicole Miller earrings and cuff. Lanvin necklace. Gold bangle and diamond ring from 1stdibs. Dolce & Gabbana heart ring. Fendi watch. Katrin Langer clutch. Clock from Lamps Plus. Michael Aram candle. Lalique figurine.
Besides being a blogger, I am a sales consultant at Sunglass Hut in Times Square — the highest-grossing store out of 3,000 Luxottica-owned retailers! Helping people with their style, talking to tourists from all over the world (Mongolia? Check. Nepal? Check. Cayman Islands? Check.), and seeing all the new luxury sunglasses come in is very exciting. Upon greeting a customer, we always let them know that they can try on any of the sunglasses on display. I thought it would be cute to say “Feel free to try everything on!”, meaning that they can look and think as much as they need to before making a purchase, without feeling judged or pressured. When I shop, I make sure to look at every product that meets my needs. It’s simple if I need a belt and there is literally one belt in the store that fits me. What’s more challenging is scouring a store with a great many qualifying products…like, say, a store that has hundreds of different sunglasses when I need sunglasses for summer. And I wondered, could I do it? Could I honestly consider every pair I liked in the entire store?
I can. I went in on June 27, National Sunglasses Day, and spent three hours inside Sunglass Hut trying on every pair I liked. Here are 100 of the pairs I tried on:
Bulgari 6083 $370; Bulgari Serpenteyes, $470; Bulgari 6088, $510
Bulgari 8189, $440; Bulgari 6093, $440; Bulgari Serpenti, $410
Bulgari 8188, $470; Burberry 4241, $215; Chanel Butterfly Summer, $350
Chanel Round Spring, $515; Chanel Pilot Fall, $610; Dior Homme Composit, $565
Dior So Real, $595; Dior So Real Stud, $670; Dior Sight, $380
Dior Chicago, $395; Dior Diorama, $500; Dior Liner, $375
Dolce & Gabbana 2172, $340; Dolce & Gabbana 2169, $340; Dolce & Gabbana 4288, $330
Dolce & Gabbana 6105, $270; Dolce & Gabbana 2173, $650; Dolce & Gabbana 2170, $650
Fendi 0060, $455; Fendi Iridia, $520; Fendi 0133, $380
Fendi 0041, $470; Fendi Hypnoshine, $695; Fendi Rainbow, $545
Fendi 0025, $355; Gigi Hadid for Vogue 5211 in black/pink and white, $140
Gucci 0061, $400; Maui Jim Nalani, $280; Maui Jim Summer Time, $319
Maui Jim Manu 64, $270; Michael Kors Hvar, $139; Michael Kors Evy, $179
Michael Kors Lia, $159; Miu Miu 52RS, $410
Miu Miu 13NS, $380; Miu Miu 52QS, $320; Miu Miu 12RSA, $410
Miu Miu 52SS, $470; Miu Miu 11RS, $410; Miu Miu 05SS, $470
Oakley Tie Breaker, $200; Oakley Elmont, $210; Oakley Frogskins, $120
Oakley Crossrange, $210; Oakley Mainlink, $200; Oakley Catalyst, $160
Oakley Holbrook Ink Fade Collection, $170; Persol 100th Anniversary Collection, $410; Prada 65TS, $420
Prada 16TS, $460; Prada 68TS, $410
Prada 27NS; Prada 51SS, $330; Prada Cinema, $430
Prada 54SS, $330; Prada 61TS, $370; Polo Ralph Lauren 4125, $169
Ralph 5203, $150; Ray-Ban Cats 5000, $165; Ray-Ban Hexagonal Flat Lens, $150
Ray-Ban Gatsby, $185; Ray-Ban Flat Lens, $185; Ray-Ban 4274, $165
Ray-Ban Clubmaster, $175; Ray-Ban New Wayfarer, $155; Sunglass Hut Collection 1003, $80
Sunglass Hut Collection 2001 in red, black, and clear, $80-$100
Sunglass Hut Collection 2005, $80; Tiffany & Co. 4136 in brown and black, $380
Tiffany & Co. 4121, $380; Tiffany & Co. 4134, $390; Tiffany & Co. 3058, $330
Tiffany & Co. 3051, $310; Tom Ford Kasia, $390; Tom Ford Savannah, $445
Tom Ford Arabella, $475; Tory Burch 9046, $195; Valentino 4002, $350
Valentino 4005, $390; Valentino 4013, $290; Valentino 4008, $410
Valentino 2002, $350; Valentino 2004, $380; Versace #Frenergy, $315
Versace 4338, $240; Versace 2160, $265; Versace 4294, $240
Versace Medusa, $280; Versace 2177, $375; Versace 2140, $215
And the winner is…the Oakley Elmont!
Me and my new shades in my favorite corner of the store. Bebe blouse. H&M skirt. Bandolino pumps. Claire’s earrings. Topshop headband. Handbag from my mother’s friend, with no tag inside. Photo by my coworker Baruch.
Before I started working here, I thought Oakleys were for guys. There is a scene in the TV show Workaholics where the protagonists join a fraternity, and upon their initiation a frat member says “Here are your Oakleys,” as if every frat boy wears them. I know that show is basically one long joke, but the impression stayed with me. Until I found a pair of Oakleys that was polarized, had Prizm lens technology, and was feminine enough for even me.
Happy Summer!
You might think it’s winter (or summer, depending on where you live), but in the fashion world it’s Pre-Fall. Gone are the days when the majority of designers created only two collections per year, and this week the Pre-Fall shows are here to present the new products that will come to stores in May, June, and July. There were many trends to be seen across the runways, but perhaps the most striking was the explosion of purple. From lilac to fuchsia to plum to wine, this vivid color was everywhere.
I love purple. However, I don’t have that many purple clothing items. It’s not because I avoid the color, but because it is generally underrepresented in the fashion world. If you set out to find purple, you’ll find it. But if you just wander into a store or browse a website, it’s likely you won’t end up buying anything purple because the landscape is dominated by other colors. I had always sensed this, but I also confirmed it systematically. After looking through the first 300 clothing items listed on the brand-diverse polyvore.com, I found that only 3 percent of the items were purple. 79 percent of the new clothes listed were either black, blue, white, or grey.
There is a theory that people tend to form opinions about color based on the objects of that color that they see. Because we see so many different things every day, this process feels subconscious. Purple is a beautiful color, but we don’t really see much of it while out and about. Because of this, the color has developed connotations of fantasy, playfulness, and dream states. Unfortunately, it can also be associated with artificiality.
But come on, a purple coat isn’t like a purple Christmas tree! Fashion appeals more to the emotions than practicality, and the task of a great designer is to create a wearable fantasy. After all, a fantasy is a fantasy before it happens, and as it happens.
Neutral brown accents make this lilac coat even more vibrant.
Navy, persimmon, and wine flow smoothly when united by lace.
A short coat and sweeping skirt stand out in violet.
As the backdrop of myriad tiny flowers, the magenta of this skirt is quite delicate.
Lavender panels look sophisticated on this sleek column dress.
The brightness of fuchsia brings attention to every pleat of this sweeping gown.
Temperley London
This dramatic fuchsia dress looks lit from within.
Plum goes folk with dainty ruffles and bird motifs.
An eggplant floral is subdued and romantic.
Three gorgeous purple hues give a conservative look new life.
Credits:
Fendi photo — Giovanna Pavesi; Painting — fineartamerica.com; All other photos courtesy of respective brands.
Blissful Style 