I LOVE THE RAIN THE MOST

This week in Manhattan, we got a little tease of springtime. The residual mess left over from the recent, multiple snowpocalypses finally melted and flushed away. I could hear birds singing, the sun peeked out and I got to wear light spring jackets. Of course, I peeled off the warm, wooly tights and went bare legged too. We’re coming upon April showers soon, so when I saw these wellies in the store, it brightened my day and made me look forward to even a rainy spring, but warm day.

Yesterday, I tried to convince my employer that she had to take her tweenaged children to the Liberty of London for Target pop-up store in Bryant Park. My boss-lady is incredibly polished, sophisticated and the ultimate and chicest fashionista around and she thought I was out of my mind when I suggested that. “Do you really think my kids are going to wear smocked, prissy frocks?” I told her that I would never want to waste her time by sending her there unvetted, so I would go and preview and scout the collection. So off I went on an adventure into the bowels of midtown Manhattan.

Now as you may recall my mentioning in recent posts, I grew up in London. My mamagirl dressed my three siblings and me in preppy clothing for the most part when we grew up. I remember a well worn reversible wrap-around skirt where one side sported navy whales on a white background and the other side decorated with pink and green flamingos, all piped pristinely in colorful grosgrain ribbons. When we moved to London, there was no such thing as PREPPY. I lived there in the days where the mode du jour was Carnegie Street mod, Kings Road punk and Camden Town goth spikes and studs. I thought it was soooo cool and I couldn’t wait to wear a pair of rad stovepipe tartan trousers, get a Bananarama spiky short haircut and start smoking fags. My mamagirl had other plans for me, however. She found the fuddy duddy equivalent of Lilly Pulitzer and started to buy floral prints for me in some shop on Regent Street called Liberty of London. Ugh, I hated it.  I was going to be the laughing stock of my cool friends. 

But now that I’m not such a rebellious teen, I’ve grown to quite like the house. I have a great appreciation for its inception – it was conceived and inspired by William Morris’s designs, the Arts and Crafts Movement and the entire Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. Whenever I think of this British 19th century aesthetic movement, it makes me think of the Colorado band, the Samples’ song, Nature. It’s all around me. And so, I now think Liberty of London is pretty cool - in an earthy, hippy but pretty way.

The pop up store in Bryant Park is open from March 10-13th. After then, it goes online and in stores at Targets across the country. I will tell you, the collection is kitschy and retro in a cool, boho-chic way. Besides having cool wellies, check out these pretty flip flops. There is something for everyone. Whenever I see adorable bathing suits or ruffley bloomers for babygurls like these, it makes me wish that Jackis had shot me some x chromosomes my way. But oh well, at least when JV and Gus are older, they can woo the babygurls with these cool men's shirt and tie combos. The cottons are crisp and good quality, the prints are precious, but you can also find some naughty, spicy tidbits. Check out these garter belts. I have my eye on this camisole bra top. But you have to have some pretty ginormous ta-tas to fill this style. I bet a buxom rack would make this sweet top seem alluring in the most precious of ways.

At any rate, if you live in Manhattan, I would encourage you to take a field trip down to Bryant Park and check out the pop-up shop. The sizes may not be plentiful right now, but I guarantee, if you spend some time in the store, you will come out feeing happy. The ranunculuses, the hydrangea, the daffodils, the poppies and other fresh spring flowers will get you out of your winter funk. Even if you don’t buy a pretty frock, buy an umbrella or a bike. Let flowers and nature into your inner spirit. There is a good reason why flower power works - it simply makes you happy!

Liberty of London for Target
I Love the Rain the Most, Joe Purdy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4yEtuebDdk