The HCG shopping trip to NY was so fun, but the day was a bit of a blur. I awoke in Caitlin’s apartment the next morning feeling hungover and achy, with pangs of regret and confusion running through my mind. What did I even buy yesterday? How much money did I spend? Where are my underwear? Fortunately, I took lots of photos to commemorate the experience.
The entire day can be summed up in one phrase that was directed at me in every single store: “Miss, you can’t take photos or video in here.” I debated pretending like I didn’t speak English, but I bitched out, got scared and started sneaking photos and video instead. Hence, the shaky footage in our first ever HCG video.
The Barneys Warehouse Sale wasn’t all I hoped it would be.Though we saw lots of high-end items – the designer womenswear section housed everything from Balenciaga to Proenza Schouler to Rodarte – the prices were still significantly out of our price range (as in hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than we were willing to spend). If we go to the BWS next year, we’ll try to schedule our trip until after at least the first round of markdowns.
Inside the BWS we encountered a decent but not overwhelming amount of people, bad fluorescent lighting and all these cheeky signs which I liked at first but which eventually made me feel even more pressured to buy something. Full disclosure: writing a blog post about going to a sale also adds another layer of pressure. Wouldn’t it be kind of lame if I went all the way there and didn’t get anything?Alex was definitely scared – mostly of the price tags.We started at shoes and really dug our way through the piles that remained but found nothing worth buying. A quick glimpse of the Marc by Marc Jacobs coat I did end up getting. Originally $628, on sale for $379 ($412 with taxes); not exactly the bargain of the century, but a great coat. Since Pennsylvania has no sales tax on clothing, I always feel like I’m hit in the gut when I pay tax out of state.We left the BWS feeling a little defeated, so we headed over to Soho to buy more reasonably priced items.After a quick stop in Zara (no purchases there but I debated a plaid wool swing coat), we hurried over to one of my all-time favorite stores – UNIQLO! As I’ve mentioned on HCG before, I’m a huge fan of this Japanese chain and make it a point to shop for great basics there every time I’m in New York. I picked up a dress, skirt, a few chiffon flowy shirts (a staple of mine) and smiled at my total: under $160 for 7 items. Booyah! I restrained myself from buying these faux fur tippets – at only $19.99 each, it’s a damn miracle I didn’t walk out of the store with a bag full of them.Our next stop was Topshop where we DID find the basic maxi skirt in navy, but it sadly wasn’t as cool as we hoped (you can see me giving it a thumbs down in the video). I made up for the lack of coolness of the maxi skirt by picking up a dress, skirt and bracelet. And Caitlin convinced the cashier to let me use her student I.D. Brilliant! We headed over to Times Square to grab a bite to eat and celebrate Caitlin’s Aunt Anne (cryptic, I know). Despite sporting my most comfortable flats all day, my dogs were barking and greatly appreciated the rest. You know HCG couldn’t go to New York for the first time since the 90,000 square foot Forever 21 opened in Times Square and not pay this shrine to cheap fashion a visit. The place was absolutely INSANE. Granted, it was 10:45 p.m. on a Friday night in August, so the number of tourists in the store and in Times Square in general was practically suffocating. I could barely grasp the vast size of the place. Every floor looked the same, and I kept getting lost. The music was about twice as loud as any Abercrombie I’ve ever been in, and I developed a splitting headache that prevented me from being able to focus much less buy anything. We stumbled out into the madness of Times Square and headed back to Caitlin’s place in Long Beach to spend the rest of the weekend recovering on the beach.Don’t you worry, F21. I’ll be back.
Did I forget to mention I was going to Hawaii for two weeks? I’m sorry. I intended to post shortly after we arrived, but I feel into a comatose state of intense relaxation. I tried to type, but I couldn’t make my fingers move across the keyboard. I’m better now.
A little more than two years ago, Joe and I made the huge mistake of staying at the Four Seasons on the Big Island of Hawaii and on Maui during our honeymoon. Our trip was unbelievable, but it turns out that once you stay at a Four Seasons, you have this weird belief that you should always stay there. That’s how we ended up here.
We’ve been staying at the Four Seasons Lana’i at Manele Bay on the island of Lana’i since Sunday, and our stay has been pure bliss. An example: on day 1, I took outdoor yoga, spent 7 hours lounging on the beach, swimming, reading, napping and eating, got a massage and then took a nap. Yes, that day actually happened. We forgot how incredible the service is here, especially on the beach. I quickly got used to the ice cold washcloths, Evian sprays, never ending water, lemonade, food and drinks. Lana’i is a very secluded island with not a lot to do, and we’ve taken full advantage of the lack of activity. Other people rent ATVs, go horseback riding and take hikes. Not us. Joe snorkeled a few times, and I watched him from my lounge chair (not true. I fell asleep. But I did wave when he first went in the water).
The perfect weather – high 80s, no humidity and sunny with a breeze – has only made our experience on Lana’i all the more amazing. Below, the view from the hotel lobby. Every morning when we went to breakfast (see me with my beloved Four Seasons pancakes here), we couldn’t believe the view. It’s that breathtaking:Lots more photos from our stay on Lana’i below. The Polaroid and other stylized shots come from new apps Joe discovered for his Droid. Today we’re off to Kaua’i to spend the next seven nights in an oceanfront house with 11 of our closest friends. We still can’t believe we managed to swing this long of a trip. More updates will come from Kaua’i!
I am incredibly proud to present the first ever VIDEO on Here Comes Gina! Our shopping extravaganza in New York last Friday was really intense, and hopefully this short little number will give you a feel for the day. A more involved post detailing the purchases and scene at the BWS will follow.
Don’t judge us or our dance moves - it was a very, very long day, and we were practically delirious near the end. We were scolded for taking video in every store, so we had to get REALLY sneaky to score this footage (hence the scene of me hiding between the racks at F21).
Special thanks to Joe for his masterful editing skills!
August 20, 2010 is a very happy day at Here Comes Gina. Today, for the first time, we are going to the Barneys Warehouse Sale.
For those unfamiliar with this event, the Barneys Warehouse Sale is a semi-annual blowout of amazing designer goods from everyone’s favorite luxury department store, Barneys New York. The sale is notorious for huge discounts, serious fashion finds and complete chaos. My only experience with an intense sale was the Running of the Brides at Filene’s Basement before my wedding, and I got into a near-violent altercation with a drunk woman wearing a large Miller Lite t-shirt and dirty sweatpants. But I also got a Monique Lhuillier slip dress for $250 which I wore as my second wedding dress. Take that, take that.
Clearly, I have big hopes for the BWS. I have dreamed of attending this sale for years, and the stars finally aligned when the sale dates coincided with a reunion trip with two of my longtime friends, Caitlin and Alex, in New York. Actually, the trip was originally planned (after much rescheduling) for last weekend, but I made a desperate plea for a date change when I realized I could go to the BWS. Luckily for me I have great friends.
The BWS isn’t Caitlin’s scene, so Alex and I are rolling to the sale Snooki and J-Woww style with plans to dominate. Our biggest fears are: (1) long lines, (2) really high price tags, and (3) lack of bathrooms. After the BWS, we’re meeting up with C and heading over to Soho to hit up HCG favorites Uniqlo and Topshop, then stopping by H&M and the new F21 in Times Square if we haven’t collapsed or run out of money. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Friday.
We’re not ones to wish away summer, but no season excites a hard-core shopper more than fall – and it’s almost here! You already know HCG loves maxi dresses, so it’s no surprise that we’re obsessed with finding an amazing black maxi skirt for fall.
The maxi skirt is a wise investment for many reasons. Not only can this piece be worn pretty much anywhere – work, shopping, parties, church (yes, HCG uses even religion as an excuse to dress up) – it’s perfect for transitioning from warmer to cooler weather. Wear it now with a tank and sandals and wear it later with a fitted leather jacket and big scarf.
The gold standard of maxi skirts is, of course, by Rick Owens and is pictured above ($800 at Net-a-Porter). While we’d love to have this wool-blend maxi skirt in our closet, we’d probably need a 90% discount before we could justify buying it. Fortunately, we found a bronze standard maxi skirt which is actually 95% cheaper than the Rick Owens version and which will fit the bill just fine (basic maxi skirt, $36 at Topshop):
We’re making a very special shopping trip to New York tomorrow and hope to pick this skirt up at Topshop, so we’ll let you know how it looks in person if we find it. If we can’t find this skirt, don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll find lots of other stuff to buy to make up for it.
Three highly anticipated and not-yet-released Target collaborations – bags by Mulberry, clothing by Tucker and housewares by John Derian – are being offered exclusively on Gilt Groupe this Friday, August 20 at noon before they hit stores.
Full disclosure: we love Gilt and the adrenaline-pumping flash sales the site offers every day at noon. We hate how the site sometimes crashes and how all the good stuff is already sold out or “in members’ carts” at 12:01 p.m. But while Gilt’s partnership with Target is a creative way to expand Target’s reach (if that’s even possible) to an audience already obsessed with online deals, we’re not sure we buy into it. The quality of the pieces in each Target designer collection greatly varies. As we’ve all learned the hard way before, just because something looks cool online doesn’t mean it will have the same effect in person. Plus, isn’t half the excitement about a Target collaboration getting pumped in the days leading up and stalking your local store like a psycho? This whole Gilt thing really messes with that routine. In the very least, the Gilt/Target pairing will help us learn more about the wares before they hit stores, and we welcome the advance knowledge.
If you’d rather wait to peruse the goods in your Target store, John Derian for Target launches on September 5, Tucker (the upcoming collab we’re most excited about) launches on September 10 and Mulberry launches on October 10. If you end up shopping Target on Gilt this Friday, holla at your girl!
The HCG shopping trip to NY was so fun, but the day was a bit of a blur. I awoke in Caitlin’s apartment the next morning feeling hungover and achy, with pangs of regret and confusion running through my mind. What did I even buy yesterday? How much money did I spend? Where are my underwear? Fortunately, I took lots of photos to commemorate the experience.
Though we saw lots of high-end items – the designer womenswear section housed everything from Balenciaga to Proenza Schouler to Rodarte – the prices were still significantly out of our price range (as in hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than we were willing to spend). If we go to the BWS next year, we’ll try to schedule our trip until after at least the first round of markdowns.
Alex was definitely scared – mostly of the price tags.
We started at shoes and really dug our way through the piles that remained but found nothing worth buying. A quick glimpse of the Marc by Marc Jacobs coat I did end up getting. Originally $628, on sale for $379 ($412 with taxes); not exactly the bargain of the century, but a great coat. Since Pennsylvania has no sales tax on clothing, I always feel like I’m hit in the gut when I pay tax out of state.
We left the BWS feeling a little defeated, so we headed over to Soho to buy more reasonably priced items.
After a quick stop in Zara (no purchases there but I debated a plaid wool swing coat), we hurried over to one of my all-time favorite stores – UNIQLO! As I’ve mentioned on HCG before, I’m a huge fan of this Japanese chain and make it a point to shop for great basics there every time I’m in New York.
I picked up a dress, skirt, a few chiffon flowy shirts (a staple of mine) and smiled at my total: under $160 for 7 items. Booyah! I restrained myself from buying these faux fur tippets – at only $19.99 each, it’s a damn miracle I didn’t walk out of the store with a bag full of them.
Our next stop was Topshop where we DID find the basic maxi skirt in navy, but it sadly wasn’t as cool as we hoped (you can see me giving it a thumbs down in the video). I made up for the lack of coolness of the maxi skirt by picking up a dress, skirt and bracelet. And Caitlin convinced the cashier to let me use her student I.D. Brilliant!
We headed over to Times Square to grab a bite to eat and celebrate Caitlin’s Aunt Anne (cryptic, I know). Despite sporting my most comfortable flats all day, my dogs were barking and greatly appreciated the rest.
You know HCG couldn’t go to New York for the first time since the 90,000 square foot Forever 21 opened in Times Square and not pay this shrine to cheap fashion a visit.
The place was absolutely INSANE. Granted, it was 10:45 p.m. on a Friday night in August, so the number of tourists in the store and in Times Square in general was practically suffocating. I could barely grasp the vast size of the place. Every floor looked the same, and I kept getting lost. The music was about twice as loud as any Abercrombie I’ve ever been in, and I developed a splitting headache that prevented me from being able to focus much less buy anything. We stumbled out into the madness of Times Square and headed back to Caitlin’s place in Long Beach to spend the rest of the weekend recovering on the beach.
Don’t you worry, F21. I’ll be back.
Did I forget to mention I was going to Hawaii for two weeks? I’m sorry. I intended to post shortly after we arrived, but I feel into a comatose state of intense relaxation. I tried to type, but I couldn’t make my fingers move across the keyboard. I’m better now.
Lots more photos from our stay on Lana’i below. The Polaroid and other stylized shots come from new apps Joe discovered for his Droid. 
Today we’re off to Kaua’i to spend the next seven nights in an oceanfront house with 11 of our closest friends. We still can’t believe we managed to swing this long of a trip. More updates will come from Kaua’i!
August 20, 2010 is a very happy day at Here Comes Gina. Today, for the first time, we are going to the Barneys Warehouse Sale.
We’re not ones to wish away summer, but no season excites a hard-core shopper more than fall – and it’s almost here! You already know HCG loves maxi 
This is strange. But cool – we think.