When I first visited South Beach in 1999, the shopping scene was very different. Lincoln Road was still home to a few high-end antiques stores and clothing boutiques as well as some of those bizarre "art galleries" that I believe one can still find in parts of NYC... you know, the ones that sell outrageously over-the-top chandeliers, paintings of dubious aesthetic merit, and bejeweled iPhone cases. All of that is gone now; Lincoln Road's stores are primarily chains, which distresses me even though I have been known to make a purchase at Anthropologie on that street from time to time. I'm also surprised and disappointed that Desigual couldn't make a go of it there; L'Occitane now has their former space. Note: there is a great open-air antiques market on Lincoln Road, but it isn't held every weekend.
Collins Avenue has a fairly interesting assortment of stores, even if most of them are also chains. There are a few "high street" stores that Baltimore lacks, notably Club Monaco, where J has had better luck than I over the years, and Zara, where the fit of garments can be incredibly random, but when they make something well, it's TDF. The latter's Collins Avenue outpost (one is coming to Lincoln Road soon) is located very near Puerto Sagua, a Cuban diner with amazing food and very friendly staff. So, after a delicious, somewhat decadent meal, I decided to try on clothes. Brilliant, no? Here's one of the pieces I came home with.
Yes, it's a jumpsuit. I've always liked them and are happy that they're currently (ugh) "on trend", otherwise known as available in stores. Vintage shopping is delightful, but has its downsides - condition, availability of sizes, etc. When I spotted this jumpsuit in Zara, I thought, ooh, comfy! Then I wondered... hmm... am I too old to make this work? Will I look as if I should be working on someone's car? Most importantly, do I give a damn? After I tried it on and determined that I needed my usual size - small - the answer to all three questions was an emphatic no. It didn't hurt that I texted a dressing room pic to a good friend, also a jumpsuit fan, who sent back her emphatic yes-you-need-that response almost instantly.
This outfit got a few quizzical looks last night, but it's the pants equivalent of a DVF wrap dress: as comfortable as wearing one's pajamas in public, yet with much more style. Paired with my motorcycle boots, gloves, jacket, and helmet, it makes me feel like a badass on my scooter.I've gone and ordered a similar Topshop jumpsuit from Nordstrom in grey; fingers crossed that it fits.
Oh, and just in case you're wondering if my style has suddenly changed dramatically, my other recent Zara purchase was a sundress with a big, pouffy skirt.
