Today I had an extravagant selfternoon, and thought it would be a great time to talk about "Little Luxuries" : a tribute to small things that make a big difference. Key to this part of my lifestyle is "The Hustle" - getting what you want when you want it, and for the sake of a "Little Luxury". Perhaps this is a perfect pairing with the theme of the performance I am about to see - Baldwin and Eagly "create worlds where the adorable and the monstrous coexist, often in the same moment."
So here goes ...
Little Luxuries
Today I spent my selfternoon at Bergdorf Goodman and along 57th Street between 5th and Madison. This is one of my favorite places to walk around by myself in the City. Others include The Metropolitan Museum (always #1 - try sitting on the balcony on a Friday night with a martini and a book before you go out), The Whitney, Bloomingdales SoHo, the "Bleecker Street Walk" and PS1.
I consider Bergdorf to be a museum of taste, fashion and style - and you can actually touch the art! THIS is a little luxury. Yes, you've just taken up an entire afternoon, but its free and its fabulous.
I started in the Chanel handbag section, and found this, the perfect bag:
Barbara, who gave me her card (The Hustle), brought out a brand new one for me, still in the box, and let me trot around with it. We discussed size, shape, classic versus season, the color of the chain and leather quality. This one is a black lambskin "Maxi", and it's new this season. They're almost sold out at Bergdorf, Barbara explained, and I was advised to buy it on the spot. She was also kind enough to inform me that if I have it shipped to a friend or family member out of state, I'd save big on tax. Thanks, Barbara! I died a little. I said I'd have to think about it for a little while. Moving on...
I wandered around the next three floors in a daze - I could swear I started crying from the beauty, but maybe it was just all the perfume. Bergdorf houses some of the most exquisitely made garments, and walking from vendor to vendor on the plush off-white carpeting, I could swear I had found salvation.
Salvation came most especially in these two Thakoon frocks, which I excitedly had carried into a dressing room for me:
The saleswoman knocked on my dressing room door excitedly and handed me another Thakoon, saying it was the most popular one and looked great on everyone, adding that I may recognize it as "the Michelle Obama dress." Indeed, it was that same iconic dress that Lady O had worn. I quickly realized why Michelle's arms, "thunder" and "lightning", are so avidly discussed - they must be amazing, slender things to have squeezed through the armhole of this dress. Needless to say, I could hardly get the armholes past my elbows and accepted my fate of never being the First Lady's doppelgänger. Ah well.
I know, know, you're tired of hearing about my silly little day at Bergdorf (I also popped into the YSL store [they are always nasty to me in there], the Burberry story and the Chanel flagship store on 57th Street). I digress. Here's some key "little luxuries" that I find it necessary to indulge in - never buy large items, just fill your life with small ones.
My house always has fresh flowers. They don't need to be fancy, just alive.
The Hustle: Buy tulips or daffodils that haven't opened yet, and they'll last much, much longer. If they don't have them out, ask if they have unopened ones in the back.
Never leave a department store, a Sephora or a parfumerie without samples.
The Hustle: Today I left Bergdorf with a nice big vile of Coco Chanel Mademoiselle perfume. My favorite place to hustle the stinky stuff is at Bond No. 9, on Bond Street in NoHo. They have the most sophisticated smelling scents out there. I went a few days ago and had my entire "smell profile" taken, citing it was my birthday soon and that I was "shopping around for gifts to tell people to get for me." (They must have thought I was such a snob, but it's a small price to pay for weeks' worth of amazing, expensive perfume for free!). I walked away with my favorite scent, Hamptons, plus two new delicious hustles - Union Square and Astor Place. I also favor Lexington Avenue and Coney Island. Most of the scents are unisex.
Good cheese. Buy it. It's worth it. Buy everything else cheap. Do it.
The Hustle: Don't think you can't try a piece of every single cheese in the store, and ask questions! Free education, free cheese, can't lose.
Oh goodness, look at the time. Accept my apologies for rambling and not quite getting to the point. Alas, there are so many more little luxuries, and so many more things in this great big City to hustle.
In conclusion: live your life in the lap of little luxuries, never fear the hustle, appreciate beautiful things that you cannot have and never, ever buy your own perfume.
To be continued. On to the New Museum.
Ciao.
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