Barcelona Photo Diary

One benefit of having moved to Tel Aviv is being a hop, skip and a jump away from Europe. As I mentioned before, I took advantage a couple weekends back with a quick trip to Barcelona, a destination that's always been at the top of my must-see list for its bevy of surrealist buildings by Antoni Gaudi and its Catalonian tapas spots. With my expectations set high, the food was a disappointment, but the architecture—and the culture of great design that permeates the city—was not. Take a look...

Marvel Teams with Five Four on Super Hero Men's Collection

photos by Tracey Morris [via Five Four Club]

Well this is strange: Marvel (yes, the comic book publisher) has teamed up with men's subscription fashion site Five Four Club to create a capsule collection based on iconic superheroes. And the strangest part about it? The clothes aren't half bad!

As a child of the '90s, news of comic clothing sent me straight to thoughts of Warner Bros. stores in every mall and an unfortunate Tweetie Bird chambray button down I once owned. Thankfully, though, Marvel's collection is far more subtle in its inspiration, with outwear, dress shirts, tees and accessories that are more Tom Ford than Tom and Jerry.

Okay, I may be exaggerating with the Tom Ford reference, but it's surprisingly decent, right? Plus, the photo shoot took place at L.A.'s modernist Sheats Goldstein Residence (better known as Jackie Treehorn’s house in the Big Lebowski), so that's pretty cool.

The Marvel collection launches on Five Four's site on April 1st, with a box of superhero duds shipped out to members for $60 per month.

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Glamour Girl

earrings / jacket / sunglasses / watch / Rouge Louboutin / candle / bag / gloves

Some girls crave the finer things in life, so why not give it (or at least the illusion of it) to them? A faux fur jacket from Topshop brings the drama without the the high price tag, and Christian Louboutin's prettily packaged nail polish offers a little piece of red-soled cache. It doesn't get any blingier than this sequined and bejeweled Kate Spade watch with interchangeable straps, while J.Crew's crystal earrings are more subtle in their shine. Cashmere-lined leather gloves keep posh hands toasty this holiday season, and Valentino's Rockstud sunglasses protect glamour girls from paparazzi flashbulbs. On the splurgier side is the most perfect going out bag I've seen all season: the Soleil Mini in platinum from 3.1 Phillip Lim. Finally, a Jo Malone candle in Frosted Cherry and Clove perfumes the glamour girl's pad for the holidays.

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Jetsetter

luggage tag/ passport cover / 2015 notebook  / sweater / headphones / watch / spray-on moisture / weekender bag / cosmetic cases / slippers / luxe city guides / pillow + sleep mask

If you spent any time traveling over Thanksgiving weekend, you know how important it is to travel in comfort (stylish comfort, of course). So, today's gift guide is for the jetsetter—for that semi-nomadic friend who is always taking off for parts unknown or for the slightly less glamorous business traveler who is endlessly crossing time zones.

Cyber Monday Deals Are On!

I regaled you with some seasonably cozy interiors last week in lieu of Black Friday savings, so now that you're thoroughly relaxed, it's time to dig into the deals. If you weren't willing to brave the stores over the weekend, Cyber Monday may just be your saving grace when it comes to holiday shopping, and I've rounded up some of the best Cyber Monday 2014 deals on the interwebs. I've even categorized and alphabetized them for you, so get shopping!

• BLOOMINGDALE'S: 25% off a selection of regular and sale price items
• LES NOUVELLES: additional 25% off first fall markdowns with code TURKEYTROT
• LUISAVIAROMA: extra 20% off with code BFRS
• NEED SUPPLY CO.: 20% off sitewide
• NORDSTROM: up to 40% off select products
• OTTE NEW YORK: 20% off sitewide
• PIPERLIME: 30% off sitewide + 40% off markdowns with code CYBERSALE
• RENT THE RUNWAY: $40 off when you spend $100
• REVOLVE: 25% off final sale with code CYBERMONDAY20
• SCOOP NYC: 25% off sitewide + free shipping
• SHOPBOP: 15% off $250, 20% off $500, 25% off $1000 with code GOBIG14
• SINGER 22:  20% off sitewide with code CYBER
• SSENSE: up to 50% off
• STYLEBOP: 30% off winter items & jewelry + free shipping
• THE DRESLYN: 20% off sitewide with code CYBERMONDAY

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Hostess

A rare Sunday post today, since I know you are all probably shopping in earnest this weekend. (Keep an eye out for my massive list of Cyber Monday deals tomorrow morning!) With all the sales going on, I want to give you plenty of inspiration for holiday gift shopping so you can be prepared. Today's gift guide is for the hostess with the mostest who deserves something special this time of year... because wine is just so expected.

For your next holiday soiree, pick up something sweet (drunken chocolate figs), something fragrant (Tocca soaps), or something sparkly (a crystal wine stopper) for the host. Have a family member whose door is revolving during the holidays? A gilded quartz serving platter will make her hors d'oeuvres table shine. And design types will love Erin Gates' stunning coffee table book or Jonathan Adler's Muse candle.

Check out my other gift guides and my Pinterest board for more inspiration, and be on the lookout for more holiday gift ideas throughout the week.

Shop The Well-Appointed Catwalk's Favorites

Happy Monday, lovelies. Just a quick post today to introduce you to a new feature that lets you shop all of my favorite things—from items high on my lust list to old favorites that I can't live without. Just click on the SHOP tab under the banner to view it all.

Of course, I had to get this feature ready in time for the holidays so you'll know what to buy me. I kid, I kid! But you'll definitely find some great gifts here for the stylista in your life.

So far, it's all fashion, with a few favorite beauty products thrown in for good measure, but let me know if you're interested in shopping my favorite furniture/home decor items as well. Your wish is my command!

Whistles London Comes to Dress Boston

Kumiko faux fur coat ($450) / Shina embellished skirt ($325) / Milla backless shoe ($300)

Pieces from the Whistles holiday collection will be arriving at Boston boutique Dress any day now, making Dress the only independent boutique in the country to carry the fabulous London line. While the local Bloomingdale's now carries plenty of Whistles, it's far more pleasant to shop Dress' well-curated picks with the help of it's lovely sales staff.

Why am I so excited about Whistles, you ask? Well, from what I've experienced, the clothing fits like a glove, and it's rare to find such quality at this sort of price point. (The number of $300 ill-fitting tops out there is appalling!)

Read on to view more from Whistles' A/W '14 lookbook to see what Dress might have in store. And, if you aren't in the Boston area, you can shop Whistles online here.

Giveaway: Win a $100 Gift Card to Shop Boutikey

And She Was Dress ($68) / Watercolor Garden Midi Skirt ($48)

Great news: Shopping app Boutikey has expanded to e-commerce, which means you can now shop your favorite boutiques online at ShopBoutikey.com. As a Boston-based company, Boutikey launched their new site last week with offerings from a handful of local boutiques, but new shops from across the country will be added each month.

To celebrate the launch, Boutikey is giving away a $100 gift card to one reader of The Well-Appointed Catwalk. Click through to enter and to see more of my top picks from Boutikey.

Top 3 Picks from Altuzarra for Target

It's here! The full Altuzarra for Target lookbook landed in my inbox today, and while I wasn't totally on the money with my predictions (no cutouts or faux shearling), I was right about those slits, which make an appearance in each of my favorite looks from the collection.

First up is an Asian-inspired structured dress with crane embroidery at the collar paired with ankle strap heels and a faux croc belt. Striking, no?

Giveaway: Enter to win a $150 Boden Gift Card

Boden Rainy Day Mac ($178) / Skinny Ankle Skimmer Jeans ($78) / Pattern Sweater ($118) / Chic Ankle Boot ($178)

Two giveaways in two weeks? Yep, that's just how much I love you! This time, the prize is a $150 gift card to Boden to celebrate the British brand's latest collection, which landed earlier this week. The London-inspired fall collection is full of goodness for work and weekend, like the ridiculously cute Rainy Day Mac coat in Westminster print (above), which shot to the top of my wish list as soon as I saw it.

Click through to see more of my Boden favorites for fall and to enter the giveaway!

Wisons Leather Grand Opening at Assembly Row

SPONSORED POST 

As if I needed an excuse to check out the brand new Assembly Row outlets in Somerville, Wilsons Leather was kind enough to invite me to their grand opening there on May 31st. Nestled alongside a Saks Off Fifth and a J.Crew, the latest Wilsons location has some pretty fashionable neighbors to contend with, but I was pleasantly surprised by how the store has stepped up its game since my mall rat days in the '90s. Think loads of buttery, colorful leather jackets; an inexpensive and uber trendy faux line; and well-priced accessories reminiscent of Aldo.

What to (Possibly) Expect from Altuzarra for Target

Since word of these high-low designer collabs tends to spread like wildfire, you may have already heard that Target is partnering with Altuzarra come fall. Target released a single sketch yesterday to whet our appetites, but what else can we expect from the womenswear, shoe and accessory collaboration? Let's see if Altuzzara's Fall 2014 collection can provide a few hints...

Kate Spade Saturday Opens in Boston Tomorrow (with a Sweepstakes)

Kate Spade Saturday summer lookbook

Well, this is great news for the weekend: Kate Spade Saturday is coming to Boston! Opening this Saturday (see what they did there?), the new location at the Prudential Center marks the fifth U.S. store for Kate Spade New York's little sister brand.

Saturday launched in Japan in 2013, followed by e-commerce in the U.S. and stores in New York, L.A., Houston and Honolulu. As is it goes with little sisters, Saturday is hipper, less preppy and (best of all) less expensive than its elder.

To celebrate its Boston opening, Saturday has teamed up with JetBlue to give 10 Bostonians trips for two to Bermuda, including hotel and airfare. Make your way to Newbury Street near the Pru on opening day, and look for employees handing out free Saturday totes, each containing a golden ticket à la Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Then, bring your golden ticket to the new store to find out if you've won. Considering the size of our little city, I'd say your chances are pretty darn good.

Check out more photos from the Kate Spade Saturday summer lookbook after the jump to see what's in store for the weekend.

Serenella & Adidas by Stella McCartney Celebrate the Boston Marathon

The Back Bay is a veritable zoo right now with marathon runners and tourists flocking to the finish line to see... well, I don't know what exactly. I promise, folks: There's nothing to see here until race day. I, for one, am packing up my office (oh-so-conveniently located at the finish line) and getting the hell out of Dodge!

Fortunately, it seems Serenella had agoraphobic locals like me in mind when they decided to run their Boston Marathon promotion through the end of the month. Even after the tourists head home, the rest of us can enjoy a gift bag with the purchase of any adidas by Stella McCartney gear. And, trust me: the latest collection puts your black Lulu Lemons to shame.

Nordstrom Loves BaubleBar Debuts Today

I take my jewelry chunky and cheap, and if you're a girl after my own heart, you're probably no stranger to BaubleBar. The online purveyor is known for being both perfectly on-trend and perfectly priced, with jewels that look like they've been ripped from a J.Crew catalog (at about half the cost). And, now, BaubleBar is going brick and mortar at 35 Nordstrom locations across the country.

Beginning today, the department store is playing host to the "Nordstrom Loves BaubleBar" Pop-Up, a selection of serious statement jewelry, including 15 exclusive styles for Nordstrom customers. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings all range from $24 to $68 and are available both in stores and online. Click through to see more from the collection...

Introducing Boutikey: Shop Local, Earn Rewards

SPONSORED POST 

Launching in Boston just last month, Boutikey is a new app that is enhancing the boutique shopping experience across the city. Not only does Boutikey display what's new and trending at local shops, it also lets you earn rewards for every dollar spent at your favorite boutiques, making it a total game changer! Just think of it as LevelUp for the clothes horse.

I recently met up with Boutikey's Susan Trinh at Mint Julep to take the app for a spin, and I couldn't have been more pleased.  In addition to Mint Julep, nearly all of my favorite local shops have signed on to be a part of Boutikey. 

Join Me at Cynthia Rowley Boston February 20

Guess who's hosting a party? I hope you'll join me for some shopping and sweets next Thursday, plus a 20% discount for readers of The Well-Appointed Catwalk. See you then!

Unveiling Event: Saks Fifth Avenue Boston's Redo

SPONSORED POST 

Friday marked the unveiling of the newly renovated Women's Premier and Contemporary Designer floor at Saks Fifth Avenue Boston, and boy was it worth the wait! What was formerly a cordoned-off construction area revealed itself as a series of modern and bright designer boutiques, each paying tribute to the spirit of its brand: a sleek wall of green onyx at Céline, a brightly patterned wood floor at Stella McCartney, ornate wall moldings at McQueen...

Berklee and Neiman's Do Rocker Chic

clockwise from top left: 3.1 Phillip Lim Leopard-Print Leather Combo Dress / Nakamol Drop Earrings / Eddie Borgo Studded Bracelet / Theory Adashi Motorcycle Jacket / Diane von Furstenberg Mary Metallic Pants / Pour la Victoire Vara Bootie /  Rebecca Minkoff Studded Wallet-on-a-Chain Bag / B Brian Atwood Mercada Pump

Tonight kicks off a three-day collaboration between CUSP by Neiman Marcus and Boston's own Berklee College of Music for a celebration of rocker chic trends and three women who embody the look. Between 6 and 8 tonight at the Copley store, you can expect models decked out in leather and studs, a braid bar by Salon Mario Russo and — best of all — Betty Who!

The artist behind the infectious song in that Home Depot proposal video that I know y'all have seen turns out to be a Berklee alum, and she'll be taking the Neiman's stage for an acoustic performance. Tomorrow, Melanie Lynx rocks out between 5 and 7, while Shea Rose performs live on Saturday between 2 and 4. Not a bad excuse to shop, if you ask me!