Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Game


We’ve been obsessing over what will be our It bag of the season, and we've come to the conclusion that we're just too overwhelmed by all our choices. So when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the nominees in the running for the 2011 honor, we decided to make a little game out of it to help us decide. With Tom Waits, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Donovan, and Neil Diamond first-time nominees, we envisioned our red carpet looks, making each bag choice based on how well it would fit with each artist’s aesthetic. Read on to see our choices, then help us decide which bag is best!

Alice Cooper has a reputation of being a bad ass, so if the accolade goes to him, we’d want to be seen on his arm with the Badgley Mischka Claudia Bag on ours. The leather bag’s leopard-print flap amps up the rebel girl vibe, as does the chain-link strap, while the gold hardware keeps the look from going too punk. After all, we wouldn’t want to outshine the man of honor, now would we?

Leave it to Donovan to pen a tune that gives life to the Little Mermaid’s underwater kingdom--it’s one of our faves. To pay tribute to both the whimsy of the Scottish singer’s ditties and “Atlantis,” we’ll be sporting this Magnes Sisters Goodtimes Clutch. The black version may be more appropriate for your taste, but we’re here to support our man, so obviously we’re going to be seen next to our Antediluvian King with the aqua version in our hands.

Like a good Jersey girl, we’ll want to be ready for anything if our favorite Jersey boy Bon Jovi gets inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We’re gonna need our hairbrush, some gum, something to read, a sweater in case we get chilly, our makeup bag for touchups, some hairspray, and whatever else we can fit into our Badgley Mischka Delia Bag. Thankfully this oversize tote is beyond chic; everyone will be gushing over it. But we’ll definitely be “Livin’ on a Prayer,” fingers crossed no one wants to peek inside!

If Neil Diamond takes the cake, then we want to be seen just as sweet as Caroline. We’ll no doubt show up in a gorgeous black number, perfectly complemented with Santi’s Silk Pleated Clutch and its precious flower detail along the top. Depending on how the after-party situation shapes up, we may have to resort to pulling out the chain strap just to make sure we don’t leave her anywhere in the midst of all the fabulous celebrations. Good times never seemed so good.

Finally, if we got to accompany cool crooner Tom Waits, well we’d probably consider ourselves pretty lucky. To keep from melting at the sound of his voice--even if he's just talking--we’ll be looking to the Magnes Sisters Nine to Five Bag to help us keep our cool. We’re obsessed with the subtle yet chic detail of the pleats, but the real reason we’ll be wearing it awards night? To give Tom the perfect place to keep his nickels--or lay his head.

We think Mr. Waits helped us answer our own question, but we'd like you to weigh in as well. Which one is your favorite?
[ Full Story ]

Friday, September 24, 2010

Hot Child in the City


Alright, summer. You came, you saw, and it’s quite clear you’ve decided to extend your stay, but what’s a fashionista supposed to do with all the shades of autumn she’s primed her wardrobe with? She used the calendar’s warning of the change in temps as an excuse to max out her credit card, filling her closet with the latest trends her favorite fashion rags and blogs have been forecasting. Her new fall line has had these rooms booked, and now it looks as though there isn’t any room at the inn.

Seriously, it’s the first Friday night of fall and this style maven’s meeting up with the girls at 7:00 for drinks. The forecast says 85, and she looks into her closet with a puzzled look on her face. Don’t get her wrong: She loves the warm weather just as much as the next girl. But really, summer, you were just so fierce this year, there’s only so many times a girl can wear that spaghetti-strapped turquoise shift, that floral jumper, or that tribal-print tube dress. It’s clear she loved these pieces to pieces, but they’re in desperate need of a vacay with all the mileage they’ve accumulated.

Oh, but what’s this? It seems our damsel forgot she bought a sexy, sleeveless number when she got carried away with her shopping spree. Thankfully, black is always in, no matter the season or the place. The zipper detail in the front of this Graham and Spencer Charmeuse Dress adds some edge while the ruffled pleats of the neckline boast elegance. The perfect solution to what is looking to be a perfect evening now that she’s got that fashion dilemma taken care of. Yep, all eyes are sure to be on her tonight--which is all a girl could ask for.
[ Full Story ]

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Giving Back Is the New Black



Tomorrow marks the first day of fall, and with Fashion Week now but a memory, we’re updating our wardrobes with our favorite autumnal garbs. We’ll be pairing our favorite dresses with embellished cardigans, getting cozy in our grandfather sweaters, dusting off our boots to pair with our skinny jeans. All our favorite colder weather garments that this summer’s heat wave kept banished in our closets--it’s finally their time to shine again.

Don’t get us wrong, though: We plan on reinterpreting some of our airy favorites as the temps start to drop, holding onto those last dog days of summer before we stow them away for next season. There’s just something so fresh about fall, something so exciting about pulling those (slightly) heavier articles out to wear into the crisp, clean air, adding more layers while the trees shed theirs, the traces of summer literally floating away. But before the warm weather disappears, let us remember all the wonderful memories Fifth on Main helped create in the heat of 2010.

If you know anything about fashion, then you know that it’s just a form of expression, an artistic medium we wear to define ourselves and proclaim our individuality. To that end, we’re avid supporters of the arts, which is why we donated a $1,900 Andrew Gn cuff to the Bay Street Theatre. The Long Island not-for-profit takes pride in presenting new, classic, and contemporary works, and offers innovative educational programs for all ages, highlighting the power of live theater. And we here at Fifth on Main don’t discriminate; we want to encourage anyone and everyone’s artistic ability, no matter where their talents lie. After all, Rodarte sisters Kate Mulleavy and Laura Mulleavy studied art and literature at UC Berkeley. Who would have thought that the duo behind such a romantic, refined, and always unique brand would receive all the success they’ve seen without having even attended design school?

Ask anyone where the world’s fashion capital resides, and we’re sure answers will vacillate between Paris and New York. Sure, the houses of Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent might have set the bar high and kept Paris on the map, but New York has always given it a run for its money. And every summer, its money heads to the Hamptons to bask in the sun, enjoying the beach and a (slightly) slower pace of life. And with so many city-dwellers seeking a beachy respite out East, what could be a better time for a hospital to host a fund-raiser? That’s just what Southampton Hospital did, and the fashion folk came out to show their support--including us. We donated two $200 gift certificates toward Fifth on Main, as well as a Philippe Ferrandis emerald cuff, retailing at $600, which really helped raise some serious funds as it was auctioned off in a silent auction.

Of course, we weren’t merely visiting when we took part in the Southampton Hospital Fund-raiser; one of our three locations is nestled in the middle of all the excitement! So when we found out that Donna Karan, Charla Lawhon, InStyle Magazine, and special guest host Kelly Ripa were behind the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund’s 11th Annual Super Saturday in an effort to raise some dough for the fund in neighboring town Water Mill, we just knew we had to take part. We had Fifth on Main T-shirts in black, white, and purple custom-made especially for the event, which 1,600 lucky attendees found in their gift bags.

Obviously, we couldn't let Fashion's Night Out take all the credit, raising money all in the name of fashion. We just like to do anything and everything we can to help out those in need, proving that giving back never goes out of style.
[ Full Story ]

Friday, September 17, 2010

New York Fashion Week Is Put to Sleep



Each season Fashion Week descends upon New York like a hurricane. Even at its new Lincoln Center location, a whirlwind of models, designers, celebrities, journalists, and young fashionistas hoping to catch a glimpse of all the action takes over the city, if but one testament to New York’s calling card: The city that never sleeps. Front-rowers dashing from show to show (perhaps Anna Wintour got carried down five flights of stairs again this season?), models changing at breakneck speed to walk down their fourth or fifth runway of the day, designers making sure every last detail is perfect before sending their wares out for their debut…

The excitement ran like electricity: fast, constant, and was found everywhere you looked. With back-to-back shows and after-parties galore, it’s always amazing that anyone can survive New York Fashion Week and all the debauchery that seems to go hand in hand. Does anyone get any shut-eye when the glitterati come to town? Our guess is not much. But now that the New York chapter has closed and the fashion folk have crossed the pond to check out the London shows, those of us left behind are looking forward to catching up on some beauty sleep.

But you know who else is catching up on their z’s? The 19 boys who lay their heads at the Christ Child Convalescent Home in Trinidad and Tobago. We here at Fifth on Main know how important it is to get a good night’s sleep. If Fashion Week is any indication, so many of us take the time spent on resting, refueling, and reenergizing our bodies for granted. And though most adults can learn to live with an insufficient amount of sleep, children need the downtime to grow and stay healthy, but most importantly to be able to be alert and think so that they can answer questions or learn something new while they’re in school. How else will our future leaders be prepared to be our future leaders?

The future of our children should be our No. 1 concern--even if they aren’t our biological children. Which is why we donated 25 beds to the Christ Child orphanage. Because every child deserves a chance at a bright future. And who knows? One of the recipients could very well be the next Alexander Wang or Marc Jacobs…
[ Full Story ]

WWD Fashion Headlines

ELLE Fashion

InStyle Headlines