Spoiled for choice at Malandrino

This weekend I found myself shopping for an event dress for a client. My first instinct had been BCBG, which did happen to have a lovely dress selection. I love that the dresses were upscale, but young and fresh, as well as affordable. After trying on several dresses and picking a couple favorites, we found the bar had been set pretty high at BCBG. However, as we continued to pound the pavement in Soho NYC, we found that many shops were lacking in fancy dresses. It was looking like BCBG had knocked it out of the park. But my client was concerned that while the dresses there were perfect for an awards ceremony (yes, she is an award winning friend!), she felt like she would not have another occasion to wear the dress again.

So as we tromped down Broome street towards Bloomies (where I was afraid we would mostly find prom style dresses), I dragged her into the beautiful Catherine Malandrino shop. This elegant and chic french designer is most known for her delicate knits, bright colors, and feminine textures. I was initially doubtful, as we wanted more of a modern graphic look, but lo and behold we found the perfect dress. And here's

the news: it was on sale. In fact, there were a few great contenders in the shop for around 70% off. We were oscillating between choosing an understated sophisticated number (above) or a bright young fresh strapless print. The bright print won out this time, as it best served my friends personality and the mood of the occasion. Lesson? Self expression and communicating the right feel can be just as important as flattering your silhouette. None-the-less, I will be dreaming of how James Bond the nude lace dress was, which looked like a non-event on the hanger, but once on the body was a wowza knockout. Lesson? Always try stuff on...hangers can be very deceitful.

Our BCBG choices