I Went to the New Upper West Side Century 21, And I (Barely) Lived to Tell the Tale

I have a rather shocking confession to make: I have never set foot in a Century 21 in my life. Yes, I’ve lived in New York for 10 years and am a self-proclaimed shopping guru, yet have never visited the hallowed halls of a Century 21 store.  I hope that doesn’t detract from my already fairly dubious credibility as an arbiter of style.

Here’s the thing–I hate so-called discount stores. Loehmann’s, TJ Maxx, Filene’s? They annoy me. I feel like I have to dig through heaps of stuff that no one else wanted to find something remotely interesting, only to discover it’s not THAT much cheaper. (Or…I’m a shopping snob. I can totally admit it.)

But with Century 21 opening right in my backyard, I had to check it out, so made the ridiculous decision to go this past Sunday. Yes. In the middle of the day. Now, I’ve heard all the legends about fighting over the last pair of size 5  Manolo Blahniks so I thought I was prepared for the craziness. No.

A few observations:

New York Fashion Week at Lincoln Center: Read About My Adventures at West Side Rag

So here’s a bit of shameless self-promotion, and also a plea that you check out West Side Rag, a rather stellar hyper-local blog. I’ve mentioned it before, but it bears repeating.

I also happen to be a columnist there, and wrote about my recent experience at Zac Posen’s runway show at Lincoln Center. I even spoke to a celeb–Kelly Osbourne. (Come on, she is so a celeb.)

My Poor, Ignored Blog

Hi, Upper West Side. I’m embarrassed at how long it’s been since I’ve posted. It’s been a long summer of fun and work. Work is taking over a bit more now. I’ve accepted a bigger role at my current day job, so it’s sucking up the hours I have available to blog, tweet, read US Weekly, and um, make dinner for my children. Many thanks to the 14 of you who continue to check up on Upper West Side Style. I promise I will be better!

There’s been a lot going on in our hood. And of course–it’s fashion week!

Photo of the Day: Wild Upper West Side Nail Art

I’m a sucker for a gaudy, bedazzled, bright manicure. I even indulge in them myself once in a while. The Upper West Side tends to be, like everything else, fairly classic when it comes to manicures, so when I see one loaded with rhinestones, I have to stop to admire it. 

Neon Is Trendy Now, Even on the Upper West Side

Photo: Proenza Schouler Spring 2011 Collection by Tommy Ton (on Jak and Jil)

For those of you *ahem* us, who were old enough to dress yourselves in the 80s, the thought of neon probably gives you convulsions. Not me! I have fond memories of the hot pink mesh hair bow that I tied around my huge permed hair. While most of my wardrobe now is black and grey, I’ve added a few neon things here and there. Nothing too cray-cray (I hate that expression and had to use it just once. I promise I’ll never do it again.)

Anyway, color is really fun to look at, especially in the summer.  And because I am nothing if not philanthropic, I’m giving you some neon options, all of which can be found here on the Upper West Side. Don’t be afraid–I’m prescribing very small doses. And even though fall clothes are starting to hit stores, I’m fighting against the retail cycle and still recommending summer clothes. Click through to see my colorful choices:

Would You Buy $2 Nail Polish From Some Guy on the Corner?

Today on the corner of 96th and Broadway I spotted this resourceful young man selling $2 bottles of “nails polish.” I have several thoughts about this:

Happy Fourth of July, Upper West Side!

I’ve missed you! I was away in the Midwest (Illinois and Wisconsin–how many of you have ever been to either one of these states??) for some old-fashioned family fun. But now I’m back and ready for a proper summer.