A Very 5th Avenue Christmas

First things first: I'm not Julia Chesky, nor do I have her photographic prowess, but I do love a good shop window, and no one brings it quite like New York City's visual merchandisers during Christmastime. Item the second: the 50mm lens I brought with me on this day was totally inappropriate for shooting store windows, but hey, the day was December 25th, the streets were crowded, and the air was cold; while my photos certainly don't do the brilliance of these windows justice, it is a nice little snapshot into the scenes along 5th Avenue. At least, I hope.

Sometimes It's All About the Shoes

If you've been following me on twitter for some time, you know I've been completely obsessed with Miu Miu's glitter shoes from the FW11 collection from the moment (literally, because I was watching the livestream like the maniacal Miu Miu obsessive that I am), they hit the runway. So, I might have gone a little crazy when they finally hit the Net-a-Porter sale... Just a liiiittle crazy. Can you blame me? A little shout-out to my transatlantic blogging soul sister Briony who has enabled and encouraged me for... many, many months. In other news, pants. Yeah, that happened. I realize I have repeatedly said "pants are stupid" and I don't necessarily retract my previous statements. I wore this outfit when I went to have brunch at Five Leaves with my friends Luxirare and Julia Chesky, (Luxi recapped our brunch outing here).

Shoes: Miu Miu via Netaporter, Coat: Diane von Furstenberg via Zoe (also comes in blue! want!), Top: ASOS, Pants: ASOS Curve, Sunglasses: Miu Miu, Purse: Miu Miu*

Photos by my BFF and unparalleled photog Julia Chesky

*My best friend's husband (Hi Nathan! You're one of 5 straight men who read my blog, including my Dad) recently asked if I am paid by Miu Miu to constantly obsess and endorse their goods. The answer is no, but this is definitely a goal for me to work towards! 

Speaking of things that are glittery, be sure to check out the December issue of Plus Model Magazine, if you haven't had the chance to do so yet! I am so honored to have been featured on the cover with my bestie and blogger favorite GabiFresh, with an editorial featuring some of our favorite extra sparkly holiday wares (and me in curls)! Thank you to Maddy, Lucas, Tara, and Eliza for helping to make the shoot an amazing experience!

Leather Weather is Better Than Sweater Weather

Jacket from Wilsons Leather (courtesy of Wilsons), Top from ASOS Curve, Skirt from ASOS, Polka Dot Scarf by Marc Jacobs, Bag by Louis Vuitton, Spectator Heels by Chanel

Photos by Austin Manning

If there is one piece of clothing that I could never live without, it is a great leather jacket. I've long lamented the fact that I couldn't wear my favorite leather bits year round, but I finally found a longer length leather jacket that's lined with Thinsulate to be wearable through even the colder months of the year, (and the leather itself is so buttery soft... Definitely one of the softest leather garments I've ever owned. Not exaggerating). I also love the little details - from the lapels to the buttoned shoulders and yoke. I'm definitely swooning... And if you are, too, the jacket is on sale now at Wilsons!
It also feels important to talk about my skirt, because, if for no other reason, I've had a long, complicated relationship with light colors, especially white. Being a bigger girl practically my whole life has lead to being told that wearing white would only "make me look bigger" - something I've been listening to for years. It's taken a bit of re-learning to work my mind around something that I've been conditioned to believe for so long. Anyways, I think it looks great - and it's a great, bright balance to the black jacket and mostly-grey weather.

How do you wear your leather year-round??

Gift Guide: Gifts that Give Back!

The holidays are a great time to give, but the truth is most of us have more than we need, (at least, I know I certainly do). In the spirit of giving, I've rounded up some of my favorite products with philanthropic roots and ambitions. If it's within your means to donate your time (or money) to your favorite non-profit organization or charity, consider a time during the holiday season to contribute!



1.  Warby Parker Jasper Sunglasses, Warby Parker Mabel Sunglasses, $95 each. Warby Parker's "Buy a Pair, Give a Pair" program puts glasses in the hands of one person in need for ever pair of glasses sold. 2. FEED Guatemala Ikat Bag, $45. Each FEED Guatemala bag will provide 15 school meals through the UN World Food Programme. The bags are made by Nest, a non-profit that empowers local artisans. 3. Lush Cosmetics Charity Pot Body Lotion, $21.95. 100% of each penny spent on a Charity Pot goes to one of many grassroots organizations throughout the world - including TreePeople, WaterCan, Amazon Conservation Team, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. 4. M.A.C. Viva Glam Lipglass and Lipstick, $14.50 each. Since 1994, M.A.C.'s Viva Glam has been supporting the M.A.C. AIDS Fund. 5. Papier-Mâché Animal Sculptures, $19 - $149. West Elm collaborated with Aid to Artisans to work with artisans in Haiti using recycled materials. 6. Roma Rain Boots, $84. Roma's fair trade labor and one-for-one program gives a pair of boots to a child in need for each pair purchased. 7. TOMS Black Glitters, $54. One-for-one program; each pair of shoes purchased puts a pair on a child in need. 8. Konaworld Africabike Three, $489. For every two bikes purchased, Kona gives a bicycle to a home-healthcare aid in Sub-Saharan Africa. 9. Shop Give Large Leather Pouch, $72. 10% of all net-profits at Shop Give go to charities worldwide. 10. 31 Bits Daphne Bracelets, $10 each. 31 Bits empowers Ugandan women and helps them rise above poverty, while using 100% recycled, local materials. 11. Pangea Organics Pyrenees Lavender & Cardamom Body Lotion, $18. Lip Balm, $12. Pangea Organics is dedicated to working with local artisans on to create small batches of high quality, natural products, while supporting Women for Women International and Jane Goodall.

Don't forget to check out Community Collection, too, while you're gift-giving! Community Collection is a (fairly) new website that puts major fashion brands in touch with global non-profits. Expect partnerships like Mackage for Operation USA, Elizabeth and James for Heal the Bay, and Diane von Furstenberg for Girls Inc.


WANT MORE GIFT GUIDES?
Gift Guide: The Jetsetter 
Gift Guide: The Party Girl
Gift Guide: The Boy(ish) 
Gift Guide: The Host(ess)
Gift Guide: Gifts that Give Back

Discovering DUMBO

 
One of my favorite Brooklyn neighborhoods, (which I don't get to spend nearly enough time in,) is DUMBO, the area between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges right on the waterfront. The views are spectacular, it's riddled with chic boutiques and cafes and bookstores, the streets are paved with cobblestone and it's just... beautiful. Since the East River Ferry started running from my neighborhood in Williamsburg to the Fulton Ferry Landing, I've been making it a point to get over there more often; (the trip is 4 bucks, 10-minutes, and offers unbeatable views of Manhattan and Brooklyn). In an effort to get to know the neighborhood better, I thought I'd highlight some of my favorite destinations...

I think the photos probably speak for themselves... The Skyline is pretty breathtaking. Both Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges top my list of favorite architectural works in the city, and the waterfront parks have been developed beautifully, too. Added landmarks like the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, The River Cafe, and Bubby's make for a well-rounded (and satiating) waterfront experience.




It's probably not surprising that one of my first destinations every time I'm in DUMBO is at one of Brooklyn's (and perhaps NYC's) best boutiques, Zoë. The Brooklyn branch just celebrated its 5th anniversary and boasts one of the best collections throughout New York. The selection is honestly, really, exceptionally curated (sorry, Jannuzzi) - with some of the best from Stella McCartney and Lanvin and and Carven and Proenza Schouler and Miu Miu and Celine (PHOEBE!) and Givenchy. I fell in love with an amazing wool and alpaca Diane von Furstenberg coat on my last visit, and made the plunge into investing in a proper, quality coat for the first time since I've moved to the east coast... It doesn't hurt that the shape reminds me of a more wearable version of the incredible oversized menswear inspired pieces from the Stella McCartney FW11 collection. Zoë also has an awesome selection of shoes (like my much coveted Miu Miu glitter heels!) and handbags (orange Celine luggage tote.... 'nough said) and casual pieces as well as menswear. If a generous benefactor would like to fund a few shopping trips, for me... feel free to email.
Zoë is located at 68 Washington Street between Front and York, and they also have a shop in Princeton!
Also! The folks from Zoe have been super kind and offered my blog readers 10%
off from now until December 7th with the code "NICOLETTE"! Time to buy those presents... For yourself?!


Brooklyn has a fairly huge community of French ex-pats which means that there are kind of amazing gems sprinkled throughout my fair borough, including Almondine Bakery. Their display case is filled to the brim with majorly indulgent pastries, colorful macarons, fresh baguettes and enormous cloud-like meringues; the chai lattes aren't bad, either. If you're more of a chocolate type of person, Jacques Torres is across the street.
Tip: Almondine is cash only.


If you're into coffee table books (and who isn't, really?) this is your place. I mostly say "coffee table books" in jest, but the enormous warehouse space PowerHouse has hundreds of art and photography books that provide eye candy, thought, contemporary reflection... You know, all that good, artsy-fartsy stuff; (I can say that because I went to art school). I walked out with a copy of Anna Gaskell's interpretation of Alice in Wonderland. They also have a pretty thorough round-up of best-sellers at the front end of the store - loads of Murakami, for example - it's perfect for Brooklynites.


Jane's Carousel is a new(er) addition to DUMBO's landscape, with a glass enclosure designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. The carousel itself was crafted in 1922 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company and has been completely restored. After a long restoration process that began when the carousel was bought at auction in 1984, the carousel finally arrived at its permanent home this past summer.



Do you know of any secret gems in DUMBO that you'd like to share with me? I'm always looking for new places to visit!