Lose 10 lbs and eat what you want!

In Celebration of Cyber Monday, a deal especially for Where The Style Things Are readers:

Don't want to go on a diet between holidays? Starting today through December 10th, you can get 25% off of Shapewear and Legwear at Sculptz.com. They have a wide range of colors and styles - and at price points we can all get excited about this season.

Our personal fave: the opaque tights in "silver lining" grey, the season's most refreshing color. Pair them with a navy skirt or dress for the most impact.

Just enter promo code B806 at checkout on Sculptz.com.

A little bit of Europe in Manhattan

Washington Mews, near NYU

Guilty Pleasure

I'm coming clean: I love looking at other people's closets. I dream of the day when I have the space necessary for a chic, orderly closet. Until then, these pictures will just have to do!

aerin lauder's closet

My dream closet will incorporate space for every little last thing; it will be well thought-out. Everything will be interesting and cluttered - not clinical and clean. A closet shouldn't just be a storage place, it should be a source of inspiration! So go ahead and put down a leopard print carpet and install a chandelier for overhead lighting. You know you want to.

Pretty Chandeliers

That's all.

You Can Get Me This For Christmas.

I diiiie for Eleni's - I used to make up excuses just to go over to the Chelsea Market to get a perfectly baked and flooded cookie in the shape of a dolphin or beach ball. You can order online, and you can definitely order some for me! They're not cheap, but can you really put a price on a good sugar rush?

$45

$45

$125

$65

Dakota Fanning: Look Who's All Grown Up!

from Teen Vogue

What We're Playing Now: Europop

Remedy - Little Boots

Merry Happy - Kate Nash

Ting Tings - That's Not My Name

A Cause de Garcons - Yelle

Chelsea Dagger -The Fratellis

Never Ever - All Saints

Blur - Song 2

D.A.N.C.E. - Justice

Ce Jeu - Yelle

Tomber La Chemise - Zebda

Tres Tres Cool et Tres Tres Chic - Mocean Worker

Dragostea din Tei - Haiducci

I Said Never Again (But Here We Are) - Rachel Stevens

New In Town - Little Boots

C'est La Vie - B*witched

Bring It All Back - S Club 7

Wannabe - Spice Girls

Can't Help Falling In Love - A* Teens

Barbie Girl - Aqua

Fat Boy Slim - Rockafeller Skank

Blue - Eiffel 65

Tubthumper - Chumbawamba

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! - Vengaboys

California Dreamin (Remix) - Benny Benassi

Last Drop - Kevin Lyttle

Sandstorm - Darude

Red Lips At Night, Chicster's Delight

Leighton's been rocking the red lips quite a bit lately, which led to me venturing out to get crimson lipsticks and liners of my own. For the last eternity, I've only worn lip gloss (shout out to Clinque Airkiss) and lip balm, so color - especially one this bold - is a huge step for me.

Pale skin, dark hair, red lip - it can look a little goth, but vampires are in (and wizards are out), so I'm rolling with it. And I love it! My face looks more alive and sophisticated in pictures. It's not something I'd wear every day, but on special occasions I'll bust it out for a bit of glam.

Keep these tips in mind when testing out your crimson kisser:

1. Pick the right red for you. I'd recommend having a professional or an honest friend help you choose the right red for your skin tone.

2. The paler the skin, the more the pop!

3. Line your lips first - the edges AND the entire lip. It gives something for the color to hold on to.

4. Keep the rest of your makeup minimal so the focus is on your luscious lips.

5. Avoid wearing head to toe pastel or head to toe black - both are too harsh in the extremes.

A Few Fun Things From The Brooklyn Museum

"Reception" by Vadis Turner

The Beaux Arts Room

My Favorite, Favorite, Store in NY

I am supposed to be an "authority" on shopping, but whenever anyone asks me what my favorite store in NY is, I have to be truthful: It's Economy Candy on Rivington. My sweet tooth is no secret, and Economy Candy is the Mecca for all things saccarhine. It's got that old New York feel to it, and sells everything you can think of - imported British candies (Yay, Flakes!), sour watermelons, candy cigarettes. The only thing they don't sell are cinnamon lifesavers (sorry, Grandpa!). Last weekend we took a family trip down to our favorite store and my sister actually ended up out buying me - a first. Look at my goods!

yummmmm

they already had Christmas stuff out!

My goods for the day - the Pop Rocks were especially popular later on.

Check out Economy Candy on Rivington Street between Ludlow and Essex

J.Crew-of-the-month-club?!

Investigating into this more, but Racked NY claims there is a J.Crew of the Month Club, including various memberships, outlined here:

Jewelry of the Month - $850

Cashmere of the Month - $1800

Shoe of the Month - $1800

Tie of the Month - $225

Crew Cuts of the Month -$300 for girls, $225 for boys

At first I freaked at the prices -but if you do the math, you probably spend that at J. Crew in a year anyway. (Scary.) A thoughtful gift for the hard to shop for preppies in your life!

Say Cheesy: The City's Best Photobooths

via Time Out New York comes the city's best photobooths. Yes, it's cheesy, but the nostalgia is worth it!

Otto's Shrunken Head, East 14th St @ Avenue A

Bubby's, Hudson St @ North Moore St

Lakeside Lounge, Avenue B @ 10th St

Gallery Bar, Orchard St between Delancey and Rivington

Niagra, Avenue A @ St Mark's Place

The Smith, Third Avenue between 10th and 11th St

Crocodile Lounge, 14th St between 1st and 2nd Avenue

image of Edie Sedgwick by Andy Warhol, 1965

What I Want Now: Net-A-Porter

Just a few things I've been eyeing at Net-a-porter:

Thread Social dress, $495

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel "darling" top, $260

Preen Line dress, $240

Milly chiffon bow blouse, $245

3.1 Philip Lim top, $550

Lanvin quilted metallic bag, $1965

Giles & Brother necklace, $80

Fendi tee, $305

Crumpet embellished cardigan, $355

Charlotte Olympia Platform Sandals, $845

All available at net-a-porter.com

Mastering the Messy Bun

Tips from the girls over at Experience Parisienne on how to get the perfectly messy bun.

1 - start with dirty hair (dry shampoo, ladies!)

2 -pull hair together like a troll doll

3 - twist your hair down

4 - wrap your hair around itself creating a loose bun

5 - pin it with bobby pins to secure. not too many, but enough to make it stable

6 - pull loose strands around your face to give you the "I just woke up like this" glow. Et Voila!

Ta- da!

Is it wrong for totally digging these?

Spotted on Katy Perry: disco nails. Is it strange I think these are really, really cool actually? And I'm not the girl to have a glitter-backed iPhone either. They kind of look like grillz...for your nailz.

What do you think?

via Katy Perry's Twitter

Gossip Girl + Lady G = Best Episode

In honor of tonight's amazing Gaga and GG mash-up:

The Official Preppy Handbook: Lesson 6

Time for "A Preppy Value System":

1. CONSISTENCY - "also known as sameness. Generation after generation will dress, dine, walk, talk, decorate, vacation, work, get educated, get married, and name babies all in the same way...insures that future generations will know which fork to use."

2. NONCHALANCE - "Pride in social position, loathe to flaunt it. Understatement is key. Mummy may have inherited a king's ransom in sables, but she prefers to wear her four-year-old ski parka."

3. CHARM- "This is mistaken by non-Preppies as politeness, saying "ma'am" and "sir"....it's the Preppy's suit of armor, the facade of unflappable gentility."

4. DRINKING- "A Preppy's ambition is directed towards imbibition. Failure to master the skill of consuming large amounts of alcohol will result in a lifetime of denied invitations. The cocktail's ubiquitous presence proves that pleasure is life's major concern - it also provides something to do with the hands while standing and talking."

5. EFFORTLESSNESS- "If life is a country club, then all functions should be free from strain...always appear capable and comfortable, everything they do or wear must look as it if were done without a second thought."

6. ATHLETICISM- "Vacations and leisure activities usually revolve around locations for sports: ski slopes, golf courses, beaches. So it's necessary to at least pretend a predilection for outdoor living even if the only exercise performed is running down to get more tonic water."

7. DISCIPLINE- "Daddy often proclaims he got where he is through hard work, sacrifice, and denial of immediate pleasure for future good...Preppies believe that Latin in Prep school builds a sound English vocabulary and that a coat and tie build character."

8. PUBLIC SPIRITEDNESS- "Once connected to a proper organization, there's nothing a Preppy, especially a woman, wouldn't do...anything, as long as it doesn't conflict with [insert afternoon show here.] The same dictum that teaches modesty about financial status also insists on generosity, if only out of guilt for a lifetime of debutante seasons."

This Noreaster Blows

Literally. I was nearly swept away in 40mph winds tonight! It's not pouring down rain yet, but apparently it's coming, and to be prepared, I'm thinking (as always) chic. Instead of printed or bright rainboots (ick) or even your tried-and-true-but-everyone-has-them Hunter boots, try Aigle boots. They're originally French (bien sur), and understated to a fault since 1853. Shhh...sometimes I even wear mine when it's not raining! It just makes me feel like I'm riding through the English countryside or stomping through French fields. Instead, I'm sloshing through New York City rain, but at least I look good doing it!

Dressage rubber riding boot, $195, at aigleboots

The Rules of RSVP

It's always wedding season as far as we're concerned in my apartment, but it's never a bad time for a refresher course in invite response etiquette.

RSVP

"Respondez, s'il vous-plait!"

We all know this means "respond, please," but it also means promptly. Respond soon after you get the invitation. It is a courtesy to let your hosts know whether or not you will be able to come as soon as you possibly can.

RSVP IN THE MANNER INDICATED

If there is a phone number to call in the case of a party, it is okay to leave a message. But call back and make sure you speak to a human to cover all your bases.

If an email is provided, respond that way. If someone sends you an invitation via Paperless Post or Evite, it is always appropriate to respond via the invitation. It is also okay to email the host directly in addition to rsvp'ing in the manner they would like, to give a personal touch to the invite.

If there is a response card, fill it out clearly and fully. It's common now for brides and grooms to make the response card fool-proof by having you just check or x boxes, but if they leave room for a response, write something.

If it says "Regrets Only" or "No Gifts, Please," then obey the host! They wrote that on there for a reason.

CHANGING A YES TO A NO

There are only a few reasons you should ever change a "yes" to a "no": illness or injury, death, or a professional conflict. Just not showing up is not acceptable, and cancelling due to a "better offer" is rude.

It's okay to change a "no" to a "yes" only if it won't upset the host's plans, i.e. a dinner party for 8 where 9 might be a problem versus a cocktail party for 50.

MAY I BRING....NO!

"And Guest" means "And Guest." If it's just your name, it means just YOU.

If children are invited, it will be indicated on the invitation. It is never acceptable to assume children are invited.

In the case of a party, if you have a house guest you should first decline the invitation due to said house guest. Most gracious hosts will then ask you to bring the house guest. This is a much more tactful way then straight out asking if you can bring someone.

invitation image via Bird and Banner

Just A Reminder

Of what goes into making a Chanel Couture piece! Not like I ever undervalued the craftsmanship, but it is really something spectacular and special. I hope couture never dies - it's the source of inspiration and awe in good tailoring and good taste.

via Youtube

Spotlight on: BABEL FAIR

Two Sundays ago I happened to be up ungodly early and ran to do a few beauty errands on the Bowery. On my way home, I strolled down Elizabeth, a street I take nearly every single day, and saw something new and exciting: a new store! The cute windows drew me in, and the amazing merchandise kept me there.

The owner and curator (because it really is incredibly well-edited), Erica, sat down with WTSTA to chat about Babel Fair and its worldly goods.

How did you come up with the idea for Babel Fair? Explain the shop's concept.

I travel a lot and love to see what fashion trends have emerged in other cultures so I wanted a store that offered this worldly feeling and had unique global pieces. The store has only international product and they represent trends from around the world. Everything has a luggage tag with the country of origin stamped on it.

Some of the products are from big international designers and some are from small artisan groups but they all represent fantastic fashion those cultures have to offer.

A fully beaded top from Brazil. Must. Have. Drool.

Where's the farthest/best place you've gotten product from?

Sometimes I find really cool things in unexpected places like a street market in Hong Kong and they bring me to a small distribution warehouse where we don't understand each other and have to gesture.

(amazing bags from Ghana - one of a kind prints for $69!)

Any favorite pieces?

I love the Bolivian fur vests we have. They are from a small non-fashion related "company" so the prices are extremely inexpensive for real fur and they look amazing.

(It's $259. I had to show amazing restraint.)

Who's your customer?

I came in thinking that it would be the typical fashionista type but I have sold to people age 13 to age 65+ - also men as well as women. I think the store's strong point is is that there is a curiosity aspect to it. People like to see binary watches from Tokyo and cowhide bags from South America . So in that way we have had a wide range.

How cute are these iPhone backs?

What trends do you think are important for fall and/or spring?

Trends are hard to identify for me becauseI'm always chasing different ones in other international cities and trying to bring them here before they are big in the U.S. So its always changing - for instance in Argentina there is a big trend of wearing several layers of leather strands around your neck and in Japan everything is very oversized and drapey even though the girls are generally tiny. I guess the important trend here is trying to be unique - getting something nobody else has- that's what everyone wants.