Brahmin handbags at Macy's -- designer goods w/out the logo

The new Brahmin handbag boutique in the front of Macy's is a welcome alternative to Coach and Dooney & Bourke--designer leather handbags with no visible logo, priced from $95 for the 9-inch wide mini bag to $399 for the orange weekender.  For shoppers who hesitate, Macy's will offer the pre-sale Friends & Family discount of  25% off.  You will have to wait until next week to pick up the bag but that's ok.  At 25% off $195 for the bag I'm wearing, it didn't make sense not to buy.  This two-tone Cleo Crossbody Bag comes in black and pecan croco leather as well as earth tones and summer-y beach colors.  I can't find this particular bag anywhere online, not even Macys.com.  

Brahmin Leather Works is a family-owned company in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, established in 1982. Their bags are manufactured in the US and China. 

The bluuuest jeans at Variazioni, Soho

The bluest blue from Just USA jeans.  An impulse to take a walk on Spring Street led me to the jeans I've been dreaming of.  In royal blue and only $78.  Merry Christmas to me!  A blend of cotton, polyester and spandex, they're stretchy and soft and lightweight--more for spring than winter.  It was a beautiful balmy day, close to 60 degrees.  I was in the mood for light and cheerful.

I found them at Variazioni, a small narrow storefront on the corner of Spring and Lafayette.  Variazioni has five stores in Soho, ten altogether in the city.  I remember their first upscale boutique on the Upper West Side back in the 80s when it was a neighborhood destination.  If I hadn't known the name, I would have walked on by.  The flashy party clothes in the window are deceiving.  The store carries a range of contemporary sportswear--jeans, dresses, jackets, shoes and accessories.  If you're near any one of them, it's worth looking.  The two stylists I met today, Abdul and Jenny, will help you mix and match. I saw them pair a wide belt with a little black dress for another girl and it made a difference.  Most of what's for sale here can't be found in department stores.

Just for fun, I took a picture of hot pants ($80) on display near the door.  Dress up as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader for New Year's Eve?

If you need a break from shopping, have a salad, sandwich or dinner at Spring Street Natural across the street. Spacious, with great views of a busy corner, and reasonable prices.


Variazioni, 65 Spring Street, 212-941-7788
Spring Street Natural, 62 Spring Street, 212-966-0290

Barbie vintage watch

A watch is a timekeeper.  It can also be flashy or expensive, meant to impress, or it can say something about who you are.  The watch I found today has a picture of the girl I wanted to be when I grew up.  I got her after an operation on my tonsils when I was seven.  I was in Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, . . .

Tanjore NYC: Original Indian fashions for women on the Upper East Side

Some call New York City the melting pot, others call it a tossed salad. I agree with “the others.” There are people of many cultures living in the five boroughs, but we don’t all “melt” into a single culture. Instead, we live side by side as neighbors, friends and coworkers. We adopt each other’s phrases and gestures, share the food and drink of our native countries, and celebrate our ethnic roots in holidays, parades and street fairs every weekend.