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by Julie D. Andrews
The first batch of holiday party e-vites has landed in your in-box. A handful of holiday fundraiser invitations, written in swirling calligraphy, has arrived to your mailbox. Now, it’s time to hit the store racks in search of this year’s bedazzling holiday dress.
Unlike trying on bathing suits – which can be dispiriting after winter’s left you pasty and pale – dress shopping is nothing short of a good time, from slinking about in silky, svelte numbers to spinning around in short, billowing skirts. Before you hit the shops in search of the latest styles and colors, check out this sampling of some of the hottest holiday dresses on the Upper East Side … and find out where to buy them.
| | Coup de Coeur
“The hottest styles this holiday season?” asks store owner Momar Diagne, “Long, sexy satin dresses, animal prints, black-and-white and black-and-red color combinations. And for the casual look, short baby-doll cuts.”
At this unassuming, hidden-treasure boutique, I try on three dresses which each fell at, or a tad above, the knee. That’s because the long dress in the window is unfortunately no longer available in my size. The thing to know about Coup de Coeur: While the store receives a new shipment of clothing every Thursday evening, that shipment includes only one small, one medium, and one large size for each style. “Things go fast,” says Eduardo Vazquez, who is working the register on this rainy Friday morning. So, when you find something you like and it fits, he says, snatch it up. My personal favorite here is a gray, slightly shimmering baby-doll dress ($45) in a muted polka-dot fabric. Hanging by delicate gray-ribbon spaghetti straps, this dress, made by The Original, Inc. is 100 percent polyester and cutesy short – a good ten inches above the knee.Sales assistant Vazquez, 27, is a true gem. He’s laid-back and friendly, working with customers individually to pick styles that fit their look. “Just play with it” he says when I ask with a tilting head how to tie the red ribbon belt on a short tight-at-the-top, loose-at-the-bottom V-neck dress ($45) made by The Original, Inc. in a black, red, and brown floral print. “Tie it how you like it, and make your own style.” He makes shopping a fun experiment at this funky boutique that has mango-painted walls and feels as cozy – and as tiny – as your best friend’s closet. |   | | Vazquez, originally from Venezuela, worked in Hell’s Kitchen before starting at the Upper East Side Coup de Coeur six months ago. “People are friendlier here,” he says. “That’s the difference. There are regulars, and people remember my name.” Some customers, such as Cindy, Michelle, and Amy, who work across the street, even invite him over to their homes for drinks or an occasional bite to eat, he says with a glowing smile.
It’s owner Diagne’s eye that’s behind the cutting-edge trends that appear in the store. Twice a week, he goes to the showroom to select the fashions. “You have to feel the fabric, and see the clothes on a model, before you can make the best choice,” says Diagne. Originally from Senegal – which explains the hip Senegalese music sometimes playing at the store – he was a banker and a sales assistant at Barneys New York before opening his first boutique in Murray Hill in July 2003. He brought Coup de Coeur to the Upper East Side in August 2004. What’s in the name? Says Diagne, “It’s like a heartbeat, or to fall in love with something immediately. We want clients to come in once, fall in love, and keep coming back.”
With prices for dresses starting as low as $40, it’s likely they will return … again and again. “The name on the tag may be different, but the quality of the clothing is the same,” says Diagne on why his prices are so low. “These fashions will only last three to four months. We keep stylish trends affordable”.
Leaving Coup de Coeur, I see a trim woman with shoulder-length blond hair walk by with a blond little boy who looks to be her son. “Hi, Eduardo,” she says as she waves.
Tip: Get on Vazquez’s secret client list. That way, he’ll give call you when new shipments arrive letting you know to expect corsets or hooded sweatshirts or dresses. Get first dibs on new arrivals by poking your head into the shop on Thursday evenings or Friday mornings.
| Coup de Coeur
1628 Third Avenue (between East 91st and 92nd)
New York, NY 10128
212-410-9720 |
| | Montmartre
It was the simple, elegant gray dress in the window that first enticed me into this Madison Avenue boutique a few weeks ago. Buyer Vanessa Lee, who worked at Henri Bendel for five years before starting at Montmartre two years ago, is the eye behind these style selections.
“Right now,” says Lee, “we’re seeing a lot of A-line mini dresses, a lot of satin and lace, and a lot of dresses with volume. And, there’s a lot of black-and-white going on.”
Here, I try three dresses. Lee tells me that the L.A.M.B dress she sold to Britney Spears a few weeks ago has sold out. While no more of those dresses will be re-ordered before the holidays, she says, there is a new shipment of satin, three-quarter sleeve Amanda Uprichards V-neck dresses ($198) -- that had also sold out. |  | I put the Kelly green dress on, which is one of Lee’s personal favorites. The baby-doll cut screams New Year’s Eve rock-’n-roll. It’s mini-skirt short. It’s shiny. It’s vibrant. It’s a walk on the wild side.“A lot of people are intimidated by color,” says Lee. “But, it’s the easiest way to make a statement. Kelly green is bold, but basic. It looks good with every skin tone.” What’s another hot color? Butterscotch. “Very au courante,” says Lee. “Very now. A color that says, ‘Hi. I’m here.’”Yes, that is a fun party dress, but the one with which I fall in love is a Rebecca Taylor design that’s sleeveless, V-neck, and made of cotton ($348). Lee tells me it was featured in the November issue of Elle magazine. The pattern is ornate, but the cut is clean and A-frame simple. It looks sort-of tropical, with its lilac-and-mustard colors and collection of small jewels that shine discreetly at the base of the neckline. One thin, gold silk thread runs the entire seam of the dress.The Shoshanna black vintage lace halter dress ($398) is also a keeper. It’s halter-top shape and black-lace look are classic and ideal for a more conservative holiday work party. It comes to just above the knee and the skirt has a bouncy flow to it. A thick black ribbon ties the halter at the nape of the neck. This dress is comfortable and predictable, but still exceedingly fun. And, it holds everything in place, so your eyes won’t be glued to your bosom on fall-out patrol when the urge to dance strikes.Another more casual, simple option at Montmartre is the Ella Moss V-neck jersey dress ($158). This is the gray number that originally beckoned me from the window. The creation of a tee-shirt vendor, the dress is comfortable and basic, with a string of small gold beads that runs along the entire neckline. With the empire waist, the uber-comfortable jersey fabric falls nicely on any shape and makes for easy movement.Montmartre has styles for all ages, from twenty-somethings to forty-somethings. “It’s not about age,” says Lee, “it’s about lifestyle.” The majority of clients, though, are women in their 30s and 40s, whom Lee calls “hip Upper East Side Moms.”Tip: If you go with Kelly green, a gold necklace makes a stunning accompaniment, says Lee. And, Montmartre on Madison will soon be expanding its sales section. Give your e-mail address at the register to receive an e-mail that announces when items will be discounted.
| Montmartre
1157 Madison Avenue (between East 85th and 86th)
New York, NY 10028
212-988-8962 |
| | Searle
“The jumper dresses are very popular, as are the dresses with deeply plunging neck lines” says store manager Claudia Blatt. But, if you’re uncomfortable with a neckline that dives nearly to the belly button, she says, try closing it up or wearing a skin-colored camisole underneath.
I fall hard for the Searle baby-doll dress ($238) in … butterscotch. In a word, the dress is adorable. I would have never willingly picked the color, but when I hear it is the only shade in my size, I just go with it. To my surprise, this splashy color really seems to work. This wool and nylon ditty is short – as short as the shortest mini you can imagine. The fabric crisscrosses at the top and is buttoned to create an attractive keyhole opening in the chest area.
With black tights and high boots, it looks every bit as sweet as butterscotch candy tastes. Keep in mind, though, that with its high cuteness factor, this is no sizzling-hot frock. When I later ask a guy friend his take on all the dresses I tried on, he says this is his least favorite. Why? He describes it as reminiscent of a Kindergartner’s school dress. |  | The Vera Wang black V-neck dress ($398) is situated closer to the equator. It has a low, low neckline, is sheer, and has a slight ruffle at the bottom that falls well below the knee. As a slip dress that’s made of 100 percent silk it’s comfortable, and has an empire waist cut. The caramel-brown slip beneath the black sheer fabric covering it, adds an interesting hint of brown. Tied with a black ribbon, the dress is a cross between classic black-and-lacy and modern low-neckline.
Searle also carries an ISSA silk jersey wrap dress ($498) in a black-and-white print with a zipper inching down the side and full-length sleeves. It ties with a sash and makes a bold statement. When I popped into the store, this was the most popular dress going. Searle has eight locations in New York City and the Madison Avenue location is three stories high.
| Searle
1035 Madison Avenue (between East 79th and 80th)
New York, NY 10021
212-717-4022 |
One thing about dress shopping on the Upper East: Don’t hesitate to ask a fashionista for advice. At least one of the sales assistants I encountered was an FIT student. And in each store, the staff was eager to tell me what was hot, what was not, and why. Ask questions. Have fun with it. And, nab that to-die-for holiday dress this week. Something tells me you’re going to need it.
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