SoHo's Newest Custom Shop

Your distaste for the word no is not really a state secret at this point.

You want your steak cooked Pittsburgh without a peep from the chef, your martini accompanied by five blue-cheese-stuffed olives and your Pauly Shore/Jessica Biel romaction script green-lit by the studio yesterday.

But when it comes to the acquisition of a new suit, someone willing to pull back the reins on your most creative notions just a hair can make all the difference.

Introducing Miller’s Oath, a custom suit shop that just opened in West SoHo for the luxe, understated, American-made suiting you so richly deserve to drape yourself in this fall.

Opened by Kirk Miller—who cut his teeth designing for upscale men’s brands like Seize sur Vingt, Paul Stuart and Thom Browne before starting Barker Black with his brother—Oath is not the kind of custom shop where you’ll be poring over exotic purple paisley silk linings for your six-button NBA draft suit.

Instead, Kirk insists on a collection of subtle details—one-button suit jackets, notch lapels only, ticket and hacking pockets, reverse pleats on the pants—that make it impossible for you to leave the small, sparsely decorated shop with anything less than a perfectly fitted, not too preppy, American-made suit, tux or overcoat (which, believe it or not, will actually be useful again at some point soon).

And while the focus is definitely on the made-to-measure goodness (which takes six to eight weeks to make), Kirk has also put a few shirts (complete with rounded spread collars), ties and pocket squares together if you’re in need of some instant gratification.

Because nothing says instant gratification like a good pocket square.

Top Fashion Apps

"What is 'apps?'" Christian Louboutin once asked a writer at The Wall Street Journal, before admitting, “I'm a very bad technician. Technology, zero.” Of course, Louboutin isn't the only Luddite in the fashion industry, whose frosty attitude toward all things tech is just starting to thaw. As more designers warm to the idea of e-commerce, they're also getting hip to the smartphone frontier. Several biggies have rolled out iPhone apps to show off their collections, and, in rarer instances, allow users to shop. And just last week, eBay, which pretty much has the web-retail sector cornered, introduced a free fashion app, which allows users to browse and purchase more than 20 million fashion items, as well as "try on" clothes and build virtual closets.

I sifted through the glut of fashion-centric apps to see which ones are worth your precious downloading time; click ahead to see our top ten picks for the iPhone. (Sorry, Android users, but your options are still limited.)

Chicfeed
This bare-bones app pulls photos from some of the Internet's most respected style blogs, including the Sartorialist, Face Hunter, and Lookbook. The sorting functionality — or lack thereof — leaves something to be desired, but if you're just seeking quick-hit eye candy, there's no better way to see loads of style snaps all in one spot.

Diane Von Furstenberg
While many designers with apps remain skeptical about mobile commerce, Von Furstenberg told W, "We already do so many things from our phones, so shopping is a natural progression." Accordingly, DVF's app allows users to shop via a "Looks We Love" section or by thumbing through the collections — albeit not 24/7. (Our nighttime request to purchase a one-shoulder floral dress wasn't addressed until regular business hours.) Still, DVF gets props for rounding out the app with Facebook-sharing capabilities and access to her Twitter feed.

Gap StyleMixer
This innovative brand app allows you to mix and match Gap items with pieces already hanging in your closet. Create outfits using uploaded photos or use the "Mixer" to browse Gap products and create head-to-toe new looks. Shake your phone and the Mixer will generate a random combination of pieces, including shoes and accessories. The "Community" function allows you to share your uploaded looks, as well as check out combos other app users are creating. On the downside, if you're near a Gap location, you can also supposedly "unlock" a special promotion on your phone; we tried, but were lamely told to "check back soon for a new offer."

Glamour Ask a Stylist
Wang or Wu? Jeggings or jorts? Dr. Scholl's with socks or without? These are the types of pressing sartorial questions one might bounce off a trusted friend — or one of Glamour's on-call app stylists. Here's how it works: Browse their mini-bios (some are from glamour.com, others from Craigslist), choose the one most up your aesthetic alley, upload your outfit pic and/or inquiry, and wait. Our selected stylist responded to our day-to-night dilemma fifteen minutes after we fired off our request. And, in true women's-mag fashion, we were given an extra boost of confidence ("You'll look awesome wherever you go!"). A solid bet for the indecisive.

iShoes
Scroll through more than 50,000 kicks in the shoe-porn Finder, or search the sea of shoes by style and designer. The app indicates which pairs are on sale and connects you straight to buy-it-now retailers. The app is free, functional, and offers decent-size closeups of each item, though we hope its creators introduce better browsing filters (like color, size, heel height, material, etc.) with the next update.

Lucky at Your Service
This free app uses GPS, e-commerce, and flesh-and-blood staffers to hunt down editor-approved clothing, shoes, accessories, and beauty products. Once you've settled on that to-die-for Nanette Lepore dress, the app will direct you to an online retailer, and in select cases, a store within 50 miles (typing in a Manhattan Zip Code netted results within the five boroughs, as well as White Plains, New Jersey, and Long Island) that stocks it. If you're game for an in-person pickup, tell the app your desired size and color, and the Lucky "concierge team" will call the store to see if it's available (regular business hours apply). If it is, they'll even ask the store to set it aside for same-day pickup. The app was super-buggy when it first debuted and is still slow, but it's the closest us proletarians may ever get to having a personal assistant.

Lustr Fashion Finder
Get off the G train in a new 'hood and want to kill time at a men’s business accessories trunk show within walking distance of where you are? This impressive sales and promo finder shows you exactly what's happening in real time near you, and draws up a list of upcoming events and promotions searchable by distance, neighborhood, and time remaining before sale end. Navigate sales based on your location and specify down to the type of product you’re looking for (accessories, beauty products, shoes, etc.), the occasion for which you’re shopping (working out, getting married, etc.), or the style you’re going for (edgy, preppy, etc.). You can even create an itinerary and score exclusive-to-Lustr deals.

ShopStyle: Mobile
This site's stylish and intuitive spinoff app aggregates clothing and accessories from more than 100 e-commerce sites (Asos, Bluefly, and Neiman Marcus among them). Poke around indiscriminately or filter by category, keyword, brand, store, price, color, size, and sale. If you fall in love, the site forwards you to an online retailer. The free app is best for those who don't really know what they want ("a white dress ... maybe sleeveless ... ideally under $200") and would like to cast a wide net to see what's out there.

Style.com
Instead of downloading a bunch of individual designer apps, peruse this hub of major ready-to-wear and couture collections (including menswear), dating back several years. The free app features runway videos beamed to your iPhone hours after the collections debut, as well as show reviews and photos of every look. Supplemental features include international party-scene coverage and access to the site's Style File blog. The app occasionally stalls and crashes, but it's thoroughly comprehensive and easy to use.

Stylebook
Like most wardrobe-organizing apps, Stylebook ($3.99) lets you upload photos from your closet, tag and categorize everything you own, plan out what you'll wear in the coming month, and track how many times you've worn each piece. But unlike the others, it allows you to move, assemble, and resize pieces from your wardrobe right on the screen, layering outfits to see exactly how they might look. The biggest drawback was the app's inability to edit out the background from uploaded photos — your best bet is to use the "manual erase" function, or just Photoshop it out yourself before uploading. All in all, Cher Horowitz would be pleased.

Beauty Marks

HAIR
• The undercut is having a moment. Salon customers are requesting the buzzed-underneath, long-on-top style thanks to Rihanna and party fixtures like Alice Dellal.

• Naomi Watts chopped her hair into a blunt, razor-textured style and then coated her strands in Moroccan oil for last night’s Salt premiere.

MAKEUP
• It Cosmetics' new Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil can actually regrow eyebrow hairs, which makes it the perfect tool for correcting tweezing mishaps.

HOW-TO
• The beauty junkies over at Glamour have some tips on creating romantic updos.

SKIN
• U.K.-based luxury skin-care brand Rodial is rolling out drinks infused with collagen-boosting extracts. They reportedly taste like cough syrup.

Loose Threads

• Chelsea Clinton will get married in a custom gown by Oscar de la Renta, not Vera Wang as previously rumored.

• For those of you who only work out in designer clothes, Armani’s capsule collection for Reebok will be available online this August. Apparel ranges from $65 to $195 while shoes range from $150 to $450.

• Marie Claire editor-in-chief Joanna Coles is no longer in the running for the editor-in-chief position at WSJ., the Wall Street Journal's fashion glossy. She reportedly met with them, then ended the conversations.

• Lindsay Lohan on rumors of her posing nude for her 6126 campaign: “You should not believe everything you read. I never was posing nude with my SCRAM bracelet and never for my 6126 handbag line. Although I am very excited for the debut of our handbags, and I hope everyone loves them and I am very proud of them, [for] the photo shoot I will be wearing clothes.”

• Los Angeles–based apparel company Jerry Leigh is rolling out a clothing line inspired by Betty White.

• Jean Paul Gaultier is the new president of the Jean Paul Gaultier group now that Véronique Gautier is leaving to pursue other projects.

• True Religion will come out with shoes for spring 2011, ranging from $125 to $250 and up.

• D.J.-slash-model Leigh Lezark stars in DKNY’s latest ads.

• Promotions at Allure include Kristin Perrotta to executive editor, Jillian Mackenzie to deputy editor/features director, and Amy Keller Laird to deputy editor/beauty director.

• This Fashion Week Lacoste will debut jewelry made from wood, acetate, translucent and opaque multicolor resins, and stainless steel.

The New Gold Standard

Gold.

You love it for its shininess, its value and, most of all, its Austin Powers sequel-ability. But you’re about to discover a new reason to covet it...

Presenting the Golden Radiance 24-Karat Facial, Miami’s first spa treatment to incorporate everyone’s favorite precious metal, now available at Elemis at Merrick Park.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to sit back, relax and have gold flakes massaged into your skin, this 60-minute treatment is for you.

To get started, you’ll want to make your way to the Asian spa in Coral Gables, change into a silk robe and prepare for the kind of treatment once reserved for Chinese emperors, Roman athletes and Cleopatra (she apparently slept in a gold mud mask every night, and look how that turned out).

Your face will be washed with mineral-based cleansers and exfoliated using collagen-restoring serums. Then, the spa’s skin-care guru will meticulously apply thin sheets of 24-karat gold to your forehead, nose, chin and cheeks. After 15 minutes (during which you’ll receive a scalp massage and foot massage), the sheets will be massaged into your skin.

When it’s over, your skin should feel tighter and carry a glow, and you may even notice fewer wrinkles (thanks to gold’s minerals and anti-inflammatory qualities). I look flawless now!

And since it’s Spa Month, you can grab this for $99 rather than the normal $325.

Next up: the silver pedicure.

The Caviar Pop Tart

Memorial Day is long past. The Fourth is but a faded firecracker. But now we arrive at the next great summer holiday.

Yes, it’s National Caviar Day.

And with National Caviar Day comes all the Russian indulgences—icy vodka, personal cold wars, opportunities to buy the Nets—that you hold off on all year long.

Oh, and Pop-Tarts. Let me explain...

Introducing the Caviar Pop-Tart, a secret, off-the-menu savory pastry bomb, available for a limited time at your favorite house of Russian excess, Mari Vanna.

It’s best to approach this flaky, salty stunner with a bit of caution. After all, this is the breakfast equivalent of a rogue KGB agent. It’s what Tolstoy might have lunched on if he had chosen peace over war—a warm strudel stuffed with salmon, draped in a blanket of cool crème fraîche and dotted with black caviar.

It’s crunchy, smooth and decadent, all at once, and it deserves to be consumed on a bear rug with a bottle of iced vodka.

And while we’ll leave you on your own for the bear rug, to wash down your new delicacy you’ll be offered a second holiday treat. For included with your Pop-Tart is a shot of icy chilled vodka with orange pearls of, yes, salmon roe floating at the bottom.

Also known as vodka on the eggs.

Cover Me

Being Ryan Reynolds must be pretty sweet. He's good-looking, married to a hottie, and wealthy, not to mention has great abs but also looks good wearing clothes. But all his charms were reportedly not enough to hang on to his September cover spot on GQ, a magazine with a wandering eye that settled on someone with more buzz, intrigue, and — let's face it — muscles: LeBron James. GQ won't comment on the issue or hold any awkward press conferences with Reynolds standing despondently behind them to announce this, but sources say James's shoot was in the works for weeks before his Miami announcement.

While the world waits for illicit text messages about how badly GQ wanted James, and how they promised the shoot would wear him out, more September cover confirmations have been announced! Like Blake Lively for Interview and Jessica SImpson for Lucky. Below, is the most up-to-date list of September covers:

Cosmopolitan — Jessica Alba
British Cosmopolitan — Cat Deely
Details — Zac Effron
Elle — Julia Roberts
GQ — LeBron James
Harper's Bazaar — Jennifer Aniston
British Harper's Bazaar — Gisele
InStyle — Hilary Swank
British InStyle — Nicole Richie
Interview — Blake Lively
Vanity Fair — Lady Gaga
T — Freida Pinto, making her solo cover debut on an American fashion magazine.
Town & Country — Tory Burch
Vogue — Halle Berry

Karmaloop Introduces Vintage Eyewear: Dior, Cazal, and More

The blistering summer sun calls for a great set of shades, but invest in the right pair and you can rock them all year long. Addictive streetwear megasite Karmaloop just unveiled a vast collection of vintage designer sunglasses (Dior, Gucci, Paloma Picasso, Cazal, Carrera, etc.), all newly restored and tagged between $120 and $350. There are just as many offerings for men as women, including a funky fold-up option, lace foil wayfarers with rainbow mirrored lenses, and to-die-for Diors with circular temple detailing.

Taylor Speaks, FINALLY!

"The last thing I want to hear is something good about Taylor," Rachel Zoe says in the preview for the third season of her Bravo reality show, The Rachel Zoe Project, premiering on August 3. But like it or not, Taylor Jacobson is doing pretty well for herself these days. Though she hasn't been in touch with her ex-boss or her ex-co-worker Brad Goreski since she left Rachel Zoe Inc. about eight months ago, she's set up her own business, racked up a celebrity clientele, and is busy with styling gigs varying from editorial shoots to Nickelodeon television promos.

You left Rachel Zoe Inc. almost a year ago. What are you up to these days?
I’m styling, I’m building my roster of clients — you know, editorials, campaigns, personal shopping for private clients I have. I’m pretty much doing the same thing, just on my own. Also, I’m consulting with my denim company, Kasil, and we’re introducing denim pieces and separates — you know, everyday casual chic pants, blazers, vests. I'm really excited about that because I’ve never done that before. I have a blog.

Who are you styling?
Obviously it was all over — the news about Kate [Beckinsale]. I have a celebrity clientele, but I don't want to say who else.

Have you been offered a spinoff?
Yes. I don’t know if I’m really cut out to do reality TV. It’s just not the direction I want — I’m so awkward. There’s things on the table, but it’s not my priority.

What was the transition to self-employment like?
It’s scary when you’re on your own, you know? It’s you — everything rests on your shoulders. There’s definitely been some bumps in the road and there’s definitely been some bad rumors out there. It’s scary, but I’m doing my best.

How does it feel to be working on your own now?
I was ready. To, like, go off on your own, do it for yourself, have your own clients, have your own ventures. In the terms of, like, getting your world, your accounts set up — like your FedExes — it’s been a lot of work. But I’ve never been happier. I assisted for a long time — serious stylists, actually — and I just felt like it’s time.

Do you have an assistant?
I have an assistant — she’s great, a real trooper. We were stuck in Big Sur on a location shoot with no Internet, no phone, no TV, no pay phone, in the middle of nowhere with 50 racks of clothes, poison ivy. It was horrible, like horrible-kill-yourself stuff, but she really came through. She’s been working for me seven, eight months.

Do you have interns?
I have interns. I like to roll deep — with lots of clothes, too.

Are you going to Fashion Week?
I think so, actually. But you never know.

How would you describe your personal style?
Eclectic. I like to mix, like, leather jackets and baby-doll dresses. Combat boots with chiffon. I like to mix feminine and masculine.

What was the first designer item you bought?
Remember when like Prada came out with those like nylon messenger bags back in like eighth grade? Ninth grade? I like saved up and I bought it. It was, like, my babysitting money. That sounds so lame (the babysitting), but that is the truth.

You babysat?
I hate kids — I have no idea why people would let me watch their children. I only did it a few times.

What trends do you like right now?
I love the clogs, I’m not going to lie. I love the ones by Chanel and everyone’s knocking them off. I like those twill, kind of boyfriend baggy trousers because you could wear them at the office, you can wear them at night — they look cute with ankle boots, they look cute with wedges, they look cute with gladiators.

What trends do you wish would go away?
The word fashionista. I hate that word.

What advice do you have for aspiring stylists?
First of all, it’s not glamorous. I feel like people don’t realize that it’s a lot of manual labor — you’re schlepping garment bags, you’re not in the most glamorous locations. But never give up. If that’s your dream, start interning at a PR company. Even try to get something, if you are from a small town — every town has a playhouse. Try to intern in their costume department. Intern at magazines — just intern and start. The minute you have that idea. just start, because it takes time.

Beauty Marks

SKIN
• The secret to Elle MacPherson’s looks isn’t diet or exercise, it’s popping powdered rhino-horn pills, which can’t be obtained without killing endangered rhinos.The model claims she had no idea rhinos were harmed in the process of extracting their horns.

HAIR
• Iran has banned mullets (sporting the hairstyle can now get you arrested), but the government is still cool with Elvis coifs and side parts.

• Eighties hair icons AquaNet, Finesse, and Pantene are modernizing their images with revamped packaging and specialized formulas.

NAILS
• Lindsay Lohan spelled out “fuck u” on the middle finger of her pastel airbrushed manicure. She flashed it subtly during her court appearance yesterday.

MAKEUP
• At Armani’s couture show, makeup artist Linda Cantello painted models’ lids with gold and copper shadows for a “slightly seventies” look.

• Chanel models walked the runway at the house's couture show sporting clean skin and cherry-red pouts, courtesy of Chanel lip liner in Carmin, topped with Chanel Rouge Coco lip color in Rivoli.

Summer's Hot Accessory

There's an ingeniously free way to decorate your wrists this season, and all it requires is stopping by the lobby of the New Museum of Contemporary Art, where Brazilian artist Rivane Neuenschwander's Eu desejo o seu desejo / I Wish Your Wish (2003) exhibit is on display through September 19. The gallery walls are lined with thousands of silk ribbons in every shade of the rainbow; each is printed with one of 60 wishes ("I wish for peace in the Middle East," "I wish to be rid of irrational fears," etc.). These are real wishes, submitted by real people, and based off a reciprocal-wish practice at the church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim in Salvador, Brazil. It's chilling to behold so many unfulfilled sentiments, some selfish, some anything but.

Anyway. Back to the superficial fashion angle: Museumgoers can pull a ribbon (or three) out of the wall, tie it around their wrist (the art handler on duty suggested using three knots), and then think positive thoughts. When the ribbon falls off, belief has it, the wish will be granted. Visitors are also encouraged to submit their own wishes, scrawled on museum-provided paper. Hundreds of wishes are gathered from the walls (and online) every day; at the end of the show, Neuenschwander will pick her favorites and feature them in a future exhibit. The competition is stiff, but hope springs eternal, right?

While you're there, be sure to pop by the New Museum Store, home to some seriously covetable jewelry. On our radar: Hand-numbered, walnut-etched feather earrings and necklaces by Free Time Industries ($64-$128), and Apsaras Playground New York's limited-edition NEBURA necklaces, which feature a single dandelion seed suspended in resin. It's $80 for the tiny tube, which comes strung on a sterling silver chain, or $72 if you sign up for a New Museum membership.

Loose Threads

• Madonna's new Macy's juniors' line includes an aggressively cropped crop top in sparkly jailbird stripes. Yours for $20.

• Not satisfied with her T-shirt line and fragrance collection, Mary J. Blige will start designing eyewear, too. The sunglasses will go on sale at Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman in October.

• American Eagle is offering free smartphones to customers who try on jeans. But the two-year service plan you also have to buy is far from free.

• Roberto Cavalli made an outfit for Shakira to wear in the World Cup closing ceremony. It combines tulle, fringe, flowers, pearls, embroidery, and denim.

• The ubiquitous Rosie Huntington-Whitely explores a dimly lit mansion in Leon Max’s fall campaign.

• Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken, landed a six-page editorial in British Esquire. While Ken looks dapper in Burberry, his modeling is a little stiff.

• Danielle Pergament has been named the executive editor of Lucky.

• This spring, Rebecca Minkoff is launching a men’s accessories line called Ben Minkoff, inspired by the designer’s grandfather and his career as a fighter pilot in World War II.

• DKNY Jeans is opening a 1,100-square-foot store in Singapore with décor inspired by our meatpacking district.

The New It Girl

Most of the top Asian models working today come from South Korea (Hyoni Kang), China (Liu Wen), and Japan (Tao Okamoto); the Southeast Asian sector has always been heavily underrepresented in the industry. Enter Filipino newbie Charlene Almarvez, a 16-year-old who has been charming editors with her sweet personality and doll-like features. Almarvez's major breakthrough happened last year when she became the first runner-up in the Ford Supermodel of the World contest. Towering at nearly six feet, she made a small but strong debut in February, walking for Diane Von Furstenberg, Sophie Theallet, and Peter Som. Although visa troubles put an end to her Fashion Week adventures in New York, editors at V courted Almarvez for a Richard Burbridge–shot editorial shortly thereafter. A European visa is in the mail now, and I can't wait to see what Almarvez does next.

How did you get discovered?
I was discovered by a director of Philippine Fashion Week during the parade in our town festival. He asked me if I wanted to be a model and encouraged me and my parents.

You represented the Philippines in the Ford Supermodel of the World contest. How has your life changed since? Do people recognize you?
I haven’t gone home since the competition! But because some press [was] released in my country, people have recognized me. They add me on Facebook and congratulate me. It can feel a bit overwhelming but I’m grateful!

You've already walked for some top New York designers and worked with Richard Burbridge. What else would you like to accomplish before the year's end?
I have a lot of things I want to accomplish, actually! I want to walk shows for big designers, especially in Europe, and continue to shoot for great magazines and fashion brands. I just have to get my visas for Europe first!

What are some of your favorite Filipino restaurants, stores, etc., in New York?
My favorite restaurants in New York are Grill 21 and Krystal's in Queens. They sell different kinds of Filipino viands and sweets. When I go there, I feel like I’m home in my country or like I’m in a movie scene in which a Filipino is traveling abroad.

If modeling never came into the picture, what would you be doing?
I would probably be continuing my studies in business or becoming a professional volleyball player.