Backstage Pass (Virtually)

It is Fashion Week in New York. Which means beautiful people and beautiful clothes all over the place. Don't you wish we were there?

(Are you there?)

Luckily for us peons, there is more than one way to get a behind-the-scenes look at the fashion wonderland.

Wanna hear one?

Very well.

Might I suggest picking up "The September Issue" on DVD?

You may remember reading, right here on this very blog, a brief recap of the film, a documentary that follows Anna Wintour and the staff of Vogue as they put together and publish the massive September issue of the magazine.

The DVD hits stores on February 23rd, complete with plenty of special extras, including outtakes, extended scenes and a backstage look at some of the biggest, fiercest fashion shows out there.

Like New York Fashion Week.

(Don't you wish we were there?)

I just listened in on an ever-so-interesting phone interview with the film's director, R.J. Cutler. He said lots of fascinating things about filmmaking and Anna Wintour and the rest of the Vogue gang, but the thing that stuck out most to me was his opinion that, even when we dismiss fashion as something frivolous and silly, we are what we wear. In R.J.'s words, "What you put on says a great deal about who you are."

In short, everything we wear makes a statement. Even when we're not trying to say anything at all. Or even when we are trying to say that we couldn't care less. Not caring is a statement of its own.

Deep, right?

If you are lucky enough to live in New York (don't the rest of us wish we were there?), you can get more wisdom straight from the horse's mouth. R.J. and a few of the characters portrayed in the film will be signing copies of the DVD and answering your burning questions at an event at a Manhattan Barnes and Noble on February 25th.

(Sadly I can't tell you which one, though I am sure you can find it somewhere else on the Internet.)

And I am happy to sign DVDs for those of you who can't make it.

What a deal, right?

How can you repay the favor, you ask? Well, hop into the comments section and tell us: If we are what we wear, what are you?

Just Once

It's here! It's here! It's here! Valentines has come and gone but the big day we've been waiting for (I mean really, what are chocolates and flowers in comparison to new clothes?) has finally arrived! So, if things didn't go so well at your house this Valentines Day just know that the new women's dresses you'll find at Shabby Apple with certainly make things better.

Our last New York inspired guest blogger is Stepanie. She comes to us from the Brooklyn Limestone she writes all about the ups and downs of home ownership, decorating and a little bit about the ups and downs of everyday living. If you haven't checked her out, you should. She is funny and artistic and lovely.

"Are we really doing this? Isn't this a tourist thing?" I asked with resignation. "We're going - it'll be fun!" He replied. So with classic New York cynicism, I bundled myself up against the frigid elements of the last day of the year. It was still early but the streets were teaming with people ready to say goodbye to 1998.

We met our friends on the subway platform and exchanged the usual pleasantries. Off to Time Square! We arrived to the expected throng of crowds. The usual city cacophony of taxi honks and sirens replaced by the voices of thousands of like minded revelers. Hours to go and blocks away from our destination, the crowd got so thick we had to push our way in through the cracks. Too many people, too little space.

Before long we resigned ourselves to wait it out just out of sight of the famous sparkly ball and enjoy the fun as best we could. And it was cold - so very cold, I admit to wondering to myself 'why am I here? I could be watching Dick Clark, while comfy and warm in my pajamas!'


Despite my best efforts to be unimpressed, the enthusiasm was contagious. All of the strangers around us didn't seem to share in my jaded New York cynicism. They were ready for the countdown - freezing temperatures and crowded streets were not going to dampen their spirits. It was impossible to resist taking part in the palpable joy that filled those blocks!. With nothing but time on my hands, I looked around and got to see the city from another vantage point. From the corner of my eye I caught the little vignettes that made up the crowd. A couple in love, staring up at the mesmerizing lights that surrounded us. A happy but loaded drunk without a coat offering us all a swig of his Jim beam. A group of friends experiencing a classic New York city moment for the first time. The conversation turned to how fast the year had flown by and before we knew it, it was nearly time.

The crowd was chanting numbers randomly. Eighteen…fourteen… nine….twelve…six…four. The anxiety of the moment heightened. Eight..six.. four…three…two…one. WHAM! Thousands of strangers raising hands and hearts to welcome in the New Year. No one knew if we were on time, no one cared. Noisemakers blasting, camera flashes going off, confetti floating through the night air. Cold and tired feet forgotten, no one could not be happy at that moment. And then as quickly as my appreciation for this moment came, it was gone. The thousands of people who had flocked to celebrate had had enough. So we about faced and marched out with the army of tourists and natives alike back to our own little homes. A reminder of the city at its best and its worst. And an experience every New Yorker must brave - just once.


There, like I said, she's lovely. New Year's may have come and gone but it's always an appropriate time for a new you so stop by and check out our new Central Park line--the bright colors, the bold shapes may just help you remember that spring is just around the corner and so is a brand new you (or just a you who is wearing a very darling new dress).

We're not really sure that Natalie needs any kind of introduction but we'll attempt it anyway. She's often called the Mormon in Manhattan but we like to think of her best as one of the authors of the hilariously titled No Sex in the City blog. If you don't subscribe you should. I don't even watch the bachelor and somehow I get sucked into the recaps (complete with DVR screen shots). So without further ado--Miss Natalie (Pictured here in a SA dress at a fabulous broadway opening just to give you an idea of how amazing she is)



i always knew i would be a new yorker. long before i had ever seen the streets of the big apple, i was well versed... please, i watched every Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in my short life, saw ANNIE and knew "NYC" backwards and forwards.

before my first trip to nyc (at 11 yrs old) , my dad told me to


keep my "head high, look like you know where you're going (even when you don't) ."
i knew where i was going.
i was going to create a life in nyc.
home.

i remember eating sesame seed bagels and cream cheese on the streets before i took a carriage ride thru central park , watching the mafia dons and their ladies (in full fur regalia) parade into Carnegie Deli and into the back room, and sitting with eager anticipation in the theater at my first broadway show.
this city is so electric, i thought. i can be anybody i want to be.

i believe it was only a short year later, when i accompanied dad on another business trip. with a promise not to tell my mom, he very confidently (and i guess, recklessly) handed me a subway token (yup, this was before metrocards) and pointed in the direction of the R train....Prince Street.
i was going shopping in SOHO-at 12 yrs old.
many years later, i still take that train to soho to shop with girlfriends or up to 57th street to play in the broadway baseball league, take a walk with my puppy , or picnic with my friends in central park.

i think i was raised in this city... or better, this city has raised me and, thanks to dad, i still keep my head high and look like i know where i'm going (especially when i don't) ... just like a real NEW YORKER.


thankfully, shabby apple has outfitted me all the way. i wear their sundresses to brunch, and dressier dresses to openings, fashion shows, date nights, auditions and church. the dresses are affordable, unique, and insanely figure flattering.
it's only fitting that they center a dress line around the park in the heart of our city.


welcome to new york, shabby.


you make us look good.


xo natalie


Isn't she divine? And wouldn't she look like she knew exactly where she was going in this?

Melissa at The Lil Bee is one of our favorites. Pretty much our love for her can be summed up from a quote we stole from her blog; "she don't believe in shooting stars but she believes in shoes and cars." Amen sister. Of course, it doesn't help that she's a sassy New Yorker, dog lover, mom and fashionista. So without further ado here's her Central Park memory.

When we lived in New York City, nothing made me happier than our early morning walks to Central Park. Dogs are allowed to run free in the park until 9am daily, and so off-the-leash time became a part of our weekend routine. We’d wake up on Saturday mornings, throw on our sweats, and head out the door by 7. The city is quiet at that time, somehow more 13 and a half miles small than 9 million people big. It is your own little island.

We’d walk first to the coffee cart on the corner—one light and sweet, one black—and then straight across 75th Street to Central Park. It was a short walk, maybe ten minutes long, but the anticipation was tangible in our dogs’ leashes—they knew where we were going and would pull as hard as they could to get us there quickly. And then, as we’d cross into the park and onto that first patch of green, we’d unhook the leashes and watch our dogs fly across the lawn to meet the crowd. There’d be a dozen or so other dogs and a medley of Frisbees and tennis balls and sticks and bones. It was an indescribable happiness.

Because this small grouping of people, with their dogs and their newspapers and their coffees light and sweet, was here not just for the day but rather a lifetime, this area of Central Park became our collective backyard, somehow more like twelve people across than 50+ blocks high. We knew each other by face and sometimes by name, and we’d chat about our dogs, the weekend bike race or 5k, the headlines on the Post. New York’s unspoken rule of speaking only when spoken to did not apply.

When it was time to leave, we’d head back home, taking the longer route through the park… up along the paved paths, through the tunnel where the saxophonist huddled down for warmth and spare change, around the pond where the bird watchers sat with stale bagels and binoculars, and up the hill where the runners would stop to catch their breath.

We’d pass by The Whitney and The Carlyle, Madison Avenue and the brunch at Orsay, New York institutions that marked our journey home like breadcrumbs to Gretel. If I did nothing else for the rest of the day, I’d still feel accomplished and alive for having soaked in that electrical feeling that only Central Park can give. It’s been over a year now since I called New York City home, but I’m forever grateful for the memories I have on that loved up patch of green, our own little private backyard.

You can read more about my love of NYC here (http://www.thelilbee.com/2009/12/reasons-to-love-new-york.html) and here (http://www.thelilbee.com/2008/11/central-park.html) on my blog The Lil Bee (http://www.thelilbee.com/).

Our new Central Park line may not be the perfect thing to wear taking your dog to the park but we're pretty sure that they may be nearly as effective as off-leash dog time at helping you break the "don't speak unless spoken too" rule and that you'll be sure to find those places where suddenly a big space feels just like home.

Filling Your Closet with Memories

Shabby Apple is pleased to be able to introduce Amber from www.mommiesontherun.blogspot.com. Amber is a working mother of twins who inspires all kinds of mommies (and not mommies) to keep running. We're cheating a little on this one because Amber is actually from San Francisco but she's no stranger to running the paths of Manhattan's Central Park so we asked her for one of her favorite memories of the Big Apple.

"I'm a city girl through and through. It doesn't matter what coast I'm on, I love the city. Something about the tall buildings, fast(er) pace and secret patches of green hidden amidst all the cement. When I'm not climbing the hills of San Francisco enjoying the endless oddities (this city has its share), I'm enjoying the New York scene. Where can you get a white coffee in the morning then buy a purse on the black market only to walk to the greens in Central Park?

My favorite day in New York was nothing special but it was perfect for me. It was a day last Spring whenI was in the city for a conference. My day could be described in a Clif Notes version of outfits: shorts and tank > blouse and slacks > dress and heels. I woke at 6 am to go for a run when the dark was cracking to light around Central Park. A flurry of suits scuttled by as did a handful of 20-somethings coming home from their night out. For 90 minutes I had my own private paradise with the pond, trees, bridges and patches of grass. Post run I made it back to change and shuttle off to a board room for a day of meetings. the evening brought an event at Rockefeller Center-a night of wine tasting over the city...A perfect day.


Great clothes can help introduce great days. In the same way that Amber's outfits helped determine and define her perfect day in New York, Shabby Apple (new line and all) is ready to dress you in clothes that will help you create those perfect memories. So get ready to fill your wardrobe with great memories. Maybe...like this one.....

Central Park is Full of Perks

The first real trip I ever took to New York City was Spring Break of my sophomore year of college.

We did it all. The Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Macy's, a Broadway show. And a walk through Central Park, eating those candied nuts you can buy on the street.

It was heaven.

(It was also delicious.)

I've lost track of all my trips to New York since then. The city always has something different to offer-- different styles, different plays, different food, different friends, different seasons-- but Central Park always has the same magic.

I have walked through Central Park on a breezy summer day holding hands with a cute boy.

I have rushed through Central Park on a blustery fall day on my way to a delicious brunch.

I have strolled through Central Park on a scorching summer afternoon, licking an ice cream cone with my mom.

I have stood in Central Park and closed my eyes and breathed it all in.

Central Park is the gift that keeps on giving, and that's why Central Park is the inspiration for the latest and greatest line of Shabby Apple dresses! Over the next couple of weeks, we're inviting some of our favorite New York City bloggers to share some of their favorite memories of Central Park and The City That Never Sleeps.

And we'll also be sprinkling in some sneak previews of the upcoming line, so I think it's pretty safe to say you are not going to want to miss a single day. I haven't seen the new line myself, but my sources say it is to die for. And my sources never lie.

So, sit down, strap in, and get ready for a Big Apple-style adventure!

And if you have some favorite New York City memories of your own, we'd love to hear them.

Of course.