In the search of the elusive jean

It seems i have tried on so many pairs of jeans in search of a truly vintage fit. Very few seem to suceed.In comes Lips Denim. Founded by Dan Donahue and Loren Cronk in a effort to revive the true 1970's look, fit and feel. They get inspiration from old magazines, vintage shopping, and their muse, Françoise Hardy.

The womens jeans are designed to be a true classic high waisted denim. On that drapes off the hips and gives a sexy silhouete. The men's are a skinny jean. "We don't do a lot of washing, allowing the fabric do what it does naturally," says Cronk. "We look for what we like through shade, construction, and weight, sticking to small Japanese and Italian mills."

Lips denim, from $149, is available at In God We Trust, 135 Wythe Avenue (between North 7th and North 8th streets), Brooklyn, 718-388-2012.

More exciting than Madonna and H&M . . . . .

The GO. International for Target collection by Proenza Schouler hits stores February 4th. So get your game face on. There will be many frenzied fashionistas snagging the best stuff first. I hope there is a PS signature piped bustier topwaiting for me. The target nearest me always has a good selection of the GO. collections, and I'm counting on half the shoppers browsing to not have the faintest idea who Proenza Schouler are. Attention, lost in suburbia. ahem. yeah.

*note: If you're in New York then lucky you. Not only will you be able to shop the collection in its Target/Proenza pop up store, you'll get it on the 2nd. The collection will be taking over the Opening Ceremony boutique in SoHo (35 Howard Street). They'll be cleaning out all the goods and it will just be the new GO. collection for 3 days.

*click below to check out the collection*

A Brief History

Ancient China
For VIPs Only
Nail varnish originated in China; some dynasties reserved black and red for royalty.

1967
Trippy Chic
Moody London boutique Biba makes black nail varnish for its groovy clientele.

1974
Bohemian Crossover
Flouting several conventions in one go, glam kingpin Freddie Mercury wears black varnish, but only on one hand; Marc Bolan, David Bowie, and other rock-star gender benders also polish.

1979
Ominous Glamorous
Bauhaus releases “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” a throbbing goth anthem; their fans incorporate lots of black everything for both genders.

1996
Comfort Goth
White contacts and black nails: the basis of Marilyn Manson’s safe-for-the-mainstream wardrobe.

1998
The Drugstore Version
Urban Decay releases Perversion, a vinyl black polish with purple highlights named after a Gravity Kills album.

1999
High Fashion, Part I
The models in Gucci ads sport immaculately manicured black nails.

2003
Still Rock and Roll
Despite cropping up on fashion models, black nail polish still says “rebellious rock,” as evidenced by indie band the Deathray Davies’ album, titled Midnight at the Black Nail Polish Factory.

July 2003
A Manly Manicure
Football superstar/dandy David Beckham is photographed for L’Uomo Vogue with black nails.

2005
Red Carpet Accessory
Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie keep their bad-girl images by mixing black nails with couture outfits.


Summer 2006
High Fashion, Part II
Chanel introduces Black Satin ($18), whose limited-edition status virtually ensures the kind of waiting-list frenzy that greeted its legendary 1994 Vamp.

*originally posted in the July 24, 2006 issue of New York Magazine