Finding The Best Jeans for You

Jeans are just one of those items that no matter how many we own we are always searching for just the right pair. Here is a great link that can help you out....

http://www.shine.yahoo.com/event/fallstyle/how-to-find-your-body-s-best-jeans-2389813/#photoViewer=1

You Can Bring The Shops To Israel, BUT........

Israel is quickly adopting the mall culture of the USA. Wherever you turn, there are small, charming malls as well as large mega ones that are developing in major cities and in small towns. It does make sense that indoor shopping centers are sprouting up, as they provide great protection from the outdoor elements and, generally speaking, parking is easy.

I find Mall shopping is usually void of flavor and interest, with every center having the same stores and every store the same selection. You feel that if you have been to one you have been to them all. But with that said, there has been a perk… many major retailers are finally making their way over here. From high-end labels such as Ann Fontaine (known for their great white shirts) to more commonly-known chains such as H & M and The Gap.

But on recent outings to find gifts in various malls, such as the new Mamilla mall, the G-mall in Kfar Saba and the newly-renovated Arena mall at the Marina in Herzliya Pituach, I could not help but notice that even while shopping has gotten better in Israel and people are spending more, many Israelis just do not know how to dress.

France and Italy are examples where style is a part of the culture and fashion is inbred from the moment you are born. IT IS NOT ABOUT SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY - it is about knowing what works for you and finding your inner self and exposing it through clothing to the world.

Yes, things are changing, there is a light, I hope, at the end of the tunnel. But apparently, for now at least, you can bring the shops to Israelis but you cannot change their dress.

A New Year... So, What do You Wear?

With the arrival of Rosh Hashana, many people are busy thinking about the magnitude of the holidays that are upon us. They are looking for ways in which they can better themselves, both on a human level and on a spiritual level. But to be honest with you - and myself - the main thoughts running through my head are: what to cook and more importantly what to wear! Yes, these are not the holiest of thoughts, but it is the truth.

I have many fond memories of the HOLIDAYS as a child, the food, the table, feeling excited to hear the shofar… but the strongest memory is of pulling out my brand new “Shabbat” clothes and wearing them to shul for the very first time and feeling glorious.

Now that I have been living here in Israel and the weather is usually warm (especially this year) during the Chagim,I only get to admire the new fall collection hanging in my closet. There are some people out there that no matter what the weather is outside, they must put on their new purchases for all to see. They may be sweating under the collar and feel the beads of sweat dripping down their backs, but they feel (as I did too) that for great fashion it is a worthy price to pay.

Today, I realize that they are, as I was, just plain dumb!!! I have learned that when it is hot out - dress for the heat.

So if you are like me and have already bought a thing or two (or more) for the fall and are anxious to wear them….as it is customary to wear something new on Rosh Hashanah (as a sign of a fresh start), here are a few items and ways to get some use out of your new clothes and still look right.


1. New shoes: got to love shoes... high-heeled, platform or lady-like kitten heels are all the craze and they can make you feel like fall is in the air without feeling hot…. Do wait awhile to bring out the boots or booties!
2. Accessories: bracelets, necklaces, earrings - there is a wide variety out for the fall/winter and adding them can make something old feel new again
3. Belt: now that the weather is more bearable having a belt around your waist looks and feels great
4. White shirt: there is nothing like a crisp new white shirt to make you look and feel fresh

Yes, winter clothes are in the stores…. fashion is always one step ahead. But as long as temperatures are still high, be smart and look great without being a fashion victim

HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR

Shoplifters Event II

Another SHOPLIFTERS event..... happy shopping

מצורפת עבורך הזמנה לאירוע האופנה הקרוב של SHOPLIFTERS , ענת ניצן וגילת.
מכירת קולקציות קיץ של מעצבים מובילים מהארץ ומחו"ל.

הפעם בחרנו ליצור אירוע בעל קונספט אוריינטאלי וקראנו לו SALON BOMBAY :
את המסע הקטן שלנו ברכבת האוריינט אקספרס נערוך בלוקיישן ייחודי ברחוב אבישי 12 בשכונת צהלה, ת"א.
התאריכים: 17-19 לחודש יוני. (שעות הפתיחה מצויינות בהזמנה המצורפת.)

את מוזמנת לחוויית קנייה חד פעמית, אותנטית, אפופת קסם ומיסתורין מעולמות רחוקים שטופי צבע ומורשת, אשר מתמזגים בסביבה מודרנית ויוצרים אסתטיקה עיצובית חדשה.
את האירוע נערוך בשיתוף פעולה עם כמה גורמים:
'וילה מרוק'- אשר תלביש את האירוע בריהוט אוריינטאלי מסוגנן אשר יוצע למכירה באירוע.
'גלריית UMA '- הגלריה היפהפיה מיפו תציע למכירה פריטים וחפצי אמנות לבית אשר קורמים עור וגידים באירוע.
לראשונה יתארחו אצלנו זוג הצורפים שי ועדי לחובר שיציעו עד 30% הנחה על קולקציית התכשיטים.
בנוסף, בעקבות הביקוש הרב, הפעם נציע קולקציית גברים שלוקטה במיוחד עבור האירוע בשיתוף פעולה עם BRAVO כך ששווה יהיה לשכוח לרגע מהמונדיאל :-)

כמכותב/ת שלנו,ניתנת לך אפשרות להגיע ל-V.I.P , יום לפני כולם, ביום רביעי, ה-16 ליוני החל מהשעה 14:00 (בתיאום מראש).
לפרטים נוספים או לתיאום הגעה ביום רביעי ניתן ליצור איתנו קשר בטלפון 054-6679799 054-6679799
נשמח לראותך,

ענת, ניצן וגילת
SHOPLIFTERS

--
Anat Tal
SHOPLIFTERS
972-54-6679799

Israeli Fashion Designers

In the world of fashion we think Paris, Milan, NY and London. That seems to be changing; Enjoy the link below about Israeli designers making their mark.

http://israel21c.org/201005318015/culture/israels-top-10-fashion-designers

The Search for the Perfect Jeans

Finding just the right jeans has always been a project. You go into a dressing room with a pile of different cuts, colors and designers and then, one after another, you discard them... this one is too tight, that one makes your tush look huge and don't you just love the one that was designed for someone with toothpick legs (those won't even get past your thighs, sigh......).
Well, I can not promise that the agony of finding just the right jeans is over. But with some help from the denim guide in the link below, you might be stepping into the right jeans very soon.


http://www.net-a-porter.com/denim?cm_mmc=Email-_-Dedicated-_-Denim230510-_-Intl

An Unexpected Discovery

One of the nice things about Israel is that you never know what hidden treasures may lie just around the corner. Sure, wandering through the streets of Tel Aviv isn't quite the same as meandering down Madison Avenue or Bond Street. But if you keep your eyes open, you may just stumble across some unexpected finds.

This happened to me the other day when I was walking through the newly renovated "HaTahana" ("The Station") in Tel Aviv. "Hatahana" is the city's old main train station which sits just south of the Neve Tzedek neighborhood and north of Jaffa. The area has undergone renovation and restoration and is full of charming boutiques. It is a worthwhile pitstop to walk through, have a cup of coffee and shop.

While there, I came across a store called Hagar Satat, which designs jewelry made with leather. The pieces are beautiful, interesting and, most importantly, they are wearable. Among my favorites were rings with bands made from leather. They also have a great long necklace designed with leather and a crystals which can be worn either layered or very long for that flapper look. If you are looking for a little something for yourself or for a gift, the prices vary but are reasonable. I would highly recommend it to all your friends and family from abroad, as I am sure they will love it.

While the store has several locations, I recommend the one at "Hatahana". For further details, check out their website at: http://www.hagarsatat.com/

And while you are there, make sure to stroll around and enjoy this up-and-coming area. It is still a work-in-progress, with new shops slated to open in the future, but it makes for a nice afternoon.

The Perfect Glow

The perfect glow:

As a teen, there was nothing better than spending my time baking (or should I say burning) in the sun. Once the summer arrived I would launch a quest to get the best tan as fast as I could. So instead of slowly building a tan (which is also not healthy) I would head out, grab a lounge chair, smear on the oil and lie out for hours - moving only to do either the flip or dip. The flip, of course, was rotating from stomach to back and back to stomach every 20 minutes… as I did not want the rays to miss a single spot. The dip was jumping into the nearest body of water to cool off the burning sensation that was covering my frying skin. After a day of this I would get ready to go out, dressed in something white, with blue eye liner and silver lipstick to help enhance the color (blisters) all over my face.

Well, needless to say, those days are behind me and the era of avoiding the sun is here. I have come to terms with the white pale skin look . But for many of you that still want that “healthy glow” but know that spending too much time in the sun is damaging, you do have options:

Self-tanning cream: today's self tanners no longer make your skin orange, but be sure to pick a tint that will match your own skin tone.
Self-tanning sprays: similar to the cream but they are applied standing in a machine (remember Ross on "Friends"?) or a person can spray you manually.

Testing a small patch first is best. Also, do not forget to exfoliate all over to avoid streaking

shoplifter event

As promised, below are the details of the "shoplifters" next event. The information is in hebrew so here is a chance to test those ulpan skills

בעבר קיבלת מאיתנו הזמנות לאירועי אופנה כשבכל הזמנה חשפנו בפנייך מה מצפה לך כשתגיעי.
אז הפעם, לא רק לשם הגיוון אלא גם כדי להפתיע, לא נחשוף את כל הקלפים ורק נספר ברמיזה קלה...

חלל הבאוהאוס המוכר ברח' אחד העם 49 יעבור שינוי ויהווה תפאורה לאירוע חד פעמי שכולו בסימן יום כדור הארץ הבנילאומי ותרבות החיים האורגנית.
בתוך המיצג החד פעמי הזה תמצאי עולמות של אומנות, עיצוב, קולנריה וכמובן אופנה (דוקא לא אורגנית)של מעצבים/ות מובילים/ות אותם כבר הכרת באירועים שלנו. כל אלה יתחברו יחד לאירוע אחד שהוא סופ"ש של חוויה- עם נגיעה באג'נדה חשובה.

זה קורה מייד לאחר יום העצמאות, בסוף השבוע הבא בין התאריכים 22-24 באפריל ברחוב אחד העם 49 (פינת מזא"ה) בלב תל אביב. יש חניון ממול.

22/4- 12:00-22:00
23/4- 10:00-20:00
24/4- 11:00-21:00

כמכותב/ת שלנו,ניתנת לך אפשרות להגיע ל-V.I.P, יום לפני כולם, ביום רביעי, ה-21 באפריל החל מהשעה 14:00 (בתיאום מראש).
מצורפת הזמנה ובה כל הפרטים.
לפרטים נוספים או לתיאום הגעה ביום רביעי ניתן ליצור איתנו קשר בטלפון 054-6679799

*תתכונני לקיץ- יוצעו למכירה בגדי ים יפהפיים!

נשמח לראותך,
סופ"ש נעים
SHOPLIFTERS
ענת, ניצן וגילת
--
Anat Tal
SHOPLIFTERS
972-54-6679799

Sites to See

Suck in, stand straight and a smile would help.

What is this?

Sorry, you are not "20 something" anymore.

No comment!

New Sneakers!!

After Pesach, I spoke to several relatives and friends who live overseas and once again was reminded just how lucky I am to live in ISRAEL. Although Pesach is not an easy chag no matter where you live (in fact I think hotels should begin running 3 day packages for all of us out there who cleaned, prepared and cooked), the fact is that Pesach in Israel is easier. We have one seder, the holiday is only 7 days long, and you can easily go out for a bite to eat.

And now that Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikron and Yom HaAtzmaut are here

I really love living in Israel.

That is, until I need to buy my children new sneakers. This may sound strange - that of all things, buying sneakers would make it to the top of my list, but it really does. First, the prices are ridiculous. Second, the selection is limited. Recently, when a salesperson brought out a number of sneakers in “girl” colors saying that is all they had, hoping to somehow fool my 12 year old into thinking that pink is now for boys, well.... he did not fool me and he certainly did not fool him!

Third, if the style and color have finally been picked then the issue of size nonetheless remains an issue. If the sneaker is too tight, they rip out the insole. If the sneaker is too wide then they pull the laces tighter, and if the sneaker is too long or too short they will always say it is perfect. I therefore try as best as possible to avoid buying sneakers here and wait until we are in New York. But as I am sure all of you out there are aware, an annual trip to the USA does not get you through the year.

So I took my son, who at this point was desperately looking and searching… and we ended up in the Adidas store at the Tel-Aviv port. When we walked in my son said “this is like NY”. Trying not to raise a pessimist, I agreed and said “it really does”, all the while thinking to myself: lets see what they try and ”sell us”.

Well, to my astonishment, the whole experience was a great success, starting with Shira a sweet, kind and patient salesgirl. Once a style was picked, she went in to the back, brought out what we wanted (along with other options), checked the fit on my son's foot, the correct way: the length, the width and had him walk around to make sure they were comfortable. I was really shocked.

So when another boy needed sneakers we went straight back to Shira at the Adidas shop and again, she was sweet, kind, and patient. Only this time when the size was not right, she went into the back to get the right size, and when they were all out, she suggested we order the right ones, no excuses, no stories … just professional.

Although the prices are still ridiculous, the selection and service were great.

Pessach Clean Up

It seems that all the basic rules about looking nice have gone out the window. The last few days I have been busy at home, organizing, sorting and cleaning. Pesach is around the corner and that means that spring cleaning is in full gear. Sure, bread crumbs may not be in the top cabinet in the guest room, but that did not stop me from climbing on a ladder and wiping it clean. So I do not know about you but…. I look and feel like I have been through the ringer.
I do not remember when I showered last (please do not tell my kids), I have been wearing the same dirty clothes all week (no point in making new ones dirty too), and my fingers are covered in band-aids.
Really, I am quite a sight to see! NO pictures will be included.

Fortunately, I will be cleaning up my act from head to toe.
Here are my recommendations where you can do the same. Some are near and some are farther, but all are worthwhile:

HAIR:
cut and color

Miki Burganim: 1 Pinchas Street, Tel Aviv: call for appointments: 03-546-3242

FACIALS:
anti- aging, deep cleaning etc.

Rinati: located in the Ramat Aviv medical center (adjacent to the Ramat Aviv shopping center) call for appointments: 052-682-8340
Or
Eti wolf: 35 Maskit Street Herzliya Pituach: call for appointments: 09-9577120

GENERAL BEAUTY:
eyebrows, waxing, manicures and pedicures

Smadar: 37 Keren Hayesod, Raanana: call for appointments: 052-382-8910
Or
Miri: 8 Anne Frank Street, Herzliya Hayeruka: call for appointments: 050-659-4409

Shoplifters

As Pesach approaches, many of us would like to have something new to wear for the holiday but either do not know where to go or are too busy to spend time searching through the stores.

But shopping here in Israel just got a whole lot easier thanks to “Shoplifters”. Don't be fooled by the name - this isn't some type of criminal enterprise!Shoplifters is a store/service, which offers a one-stop shopping experience for those of you without the time or the inclination to track down the clothes that you need.

Anat,Gilat and Nitzan started five years ago to bring clothing, shoes and accessories from various local and foreign designers together in one spot. Every 6 weeks or so, they introduce a new theme (when I went, the theme was Japanese, and it ranged from the flowery décor to the home goods being sold to the sushi that was served).

Shoplifters pulls together a fun, personal and enjoyable local shopping experience, and to top it all off there is great music and wine too.
Although I am not one for the public dressing rooms (the one draw back) I managed to find several items to buy.

Shoplifters events are by invitation- email only, so check back here for the upcoming event.

Italy From Behind

When you think of Italy what comes to mind? Great food, wonderful art, perfect vacation spots, beautiful and friendly people and of course incredible fashion.
There is a joy of life that Italians have, one that expresses itself in everything from their culture to how they present themselves.
Indeed, when traveling to the major cities of Italy, I have always admired the well-dressed men and women. The people all seem to have an effortless perfection to the way they are dressed: a simple outfit paired with the perfect bag, a pair of shoes and a smile and they are out the door.
But on a recent excursion to some of Italy's lesser-known locales, I was surprised to find that the sense of style seems to have gotten lost when making its way from the big cities to the smaller towns and villages.
The wonderful looks of Milan, Rome and Florence were left behind in Milan, Rome and Florence. In case you don't believe me, see here for yourself:

The Color Purple

As a child I always loved purple - purple clothes, purple wallpaper, purple bedding. And even though it was not kosher, I knew that I would surely love grape-flavored bubble gum if given the chance (since it is, of course, purple).
And I was not alone in this. Most girls I knew, if they did not like pink (I did not and still don’t) loved purple just like me.
I have left my childhood behind and with it my passion for purple, or so I thought until recently...
Purple has made a comeback! And I was quite surprised to see that purple is no longer a color just for us girls, I mean women. Yes, men have started wearing purple too. At first, I have to admit, I was taken aback and thought that men should never wear this color. But at recent parties and other celebrations, I have seen a growing number of men daring to don purple, and it was then that I realized it isn't just for women anymore.
The fact is that men can and should wear purple (depending on the shade, of course).

So if you are ready to add a little life to your basics without adding too much color, go for it.
The right shade of Purple will help you stand out in a crowd without shouting “look at me”.

Service With a Smile?

The other day, while out scouting on behalf of a client, I was pleasantly surprised at the change in the level of customer service. After living in Israel for fifteen years, I seem to have grown accustomed to the rude and aggressive behavior of salespeople. But while I was roaming through the Shivat HaKochavim shopping mall in Herzliya, the service I encountered was courteous and friendly. Of course, it may have been due to the fact that the stores were virtually empty and they were trying to make a sale. Or perhaps it was my notebook and pen in hand which gave the impression that I was taking a survey. Either way, I felt good and occasionally needed to stop and remind myself that I am in Israel!

That is, of course, until I entered a store called Sigal Dekel.

Sigal Dekel is an Israeli designer with an interesting mix of style. Her stores can be found throughout Israel and she also has a boutique in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood.

Although I find it is a hit or miss when shopping at Sigal Dekel, it is worth a stop when you are already out and browsing through the stores. However, I would stay clear of the store located at the Shivat HaKochavim mall. The salesperson there is rude, obnoxious and simply unbearable.

What a pity that after such a positive experience at all the other stores, it was Segal Dekel’s boutique which provided me with an unpleasant reminder that Israel's customer service revolution is not over yet.