It’s no surprise that the fashion of the ’90s is back. That being said, I do not take that 100% literal. This windowpane plaid suit, when buttoned up could be very reminiscent of Cher Horowitz’s iconic yellow suit from the movie, Clueless. Yes, I did skip the thigh high stockings and mini backpack purse. Sorry, Cher.
I purchased this set (sold separately) during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, hoping for it to be a great go-to outfit this Fall. For work, I will probably pair it with pointy toe pumps, but these strappy lavender heels were perfect for bottomless mimosas at The Oyster Bar at the Roxy Hotel in Tribeca.
September in New York, in my opinion, is the perfect weather scenario. This year, however was unusually hot. Not only that, but it drizzled rain the entire weekend. Hence the location of this shoot – the lobby of the The James Hotel. Our original plan was to shoot it on the cobblestone streets of Chelsea, near the flower markets, but the weather would not cooperate. If ya gotta relocate a shoot to indoors, finding a stellar hotel in NYC is cake.
Skirt suits are being seen far outside the boardroom this season. Coco Chanel made skirt suits a status symbol in the 1950s, following which time they were synonymous with business. In the ’80s women attending high brow meetings with corporations were often seen in designer skirt suits, in the ’90s they became shorter, louder in color and were suddenly trendy with teens. Now, they can go from the board room to the street.
Aimee Song pairs skirt suits with Louis Vuitton Archlight Sneakers. Don’t even get me started on this sneaker trend. I saw Louis and Balenciaga sneakers everywhere during fashion week, and I just don’t get it. Sometimes I gotta stand my ground and say “WTF?!”. The point is, skirt suits are still a power symbol, but times are a changing and so are the office dress codes. Yes, industry has a lot to do with it, but suits are worn less and less M-F and popping up more and more on the runways. Is this a sign that avant garde designs are becoming fewer, and more attention is being paid to tailoring and technique? Only time will tell.
When you hear the name “City Winery”, what comes to mind? Wine, of course. But it is SO much more than that. I had the pleasure of touring Atlanta’s own City Winery with their Director of Marketing and Executive Chef last week and I was blown away. City Winery is located at Ponce City Market in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood and serves as not only a wine bar, but a full blown winery (processing their own wine in house), an intimate music venue, event space, speakeasy and restaurant serving culinary delights by a chef who you may know from some Atlanta favorites including Rathbuns and Canoe. Need I say more?
Let’s talk about the wine. The wines are made in-house by Atlanta’s only winemaker, Travis Green, and then served on tap. You can order a flight, a glass, or fill a growler with your favorite varietal to take home with you. My favorite: the “Ponce Pinot”. And of course they sell wine by the bottle. In fact, their in-house designer will work with you to customize a label should you be planning a corporate event, wedding, rehearsal dinner, or want to give them as gifts! I was taken on a tour of the facility and how the wine is processed, mixed, and aged. The aging process happens in oak barrels and then transferred to kegs for selling by the glass or growler, which preserves freshness and is much more eco-friendly. The process is quite intriguing and I have to say, I learned more in a visit here than I did on multiple wine tours in Napa. They also have more than 10 sommeliers on staff, so you can guarantee that these folks know their wine. City Winery Atlanta is booking tours now. Click here for more info.
Experience a menu inspired by the wines they serve and feature fresh local ingredients. The goat cheese in the image above came from Decimal Place Farm only two days prior to being in my belly. Executive Chef Nick Anderson is all about some farm to table fare. His resume proves that he knows his stuff and has brought some serious skill to PCM… Prior culinary titles and residencies include sous chef at Canoe, Chef de Cuisine at Rathbun’s, and Executive Chef at Ormsbys. If those names don’t ring a bell, you have some eating to do.
Nick keeps the menu seasonal, diverse, and focused on ingredients that grow right here in Georgia. Of course, the idea is that these dishes pair excellent with wine, right? Not only do they pair well with wine, but he brings in many elements from the wine making process to his recipes. For example, the dough for the pizza was made from the leftover yeast from winemaking, and the grapes used to make the wines are also used to make the vinegar in many of the salads. Nick feels so strongly about using ingredients at their peak that during strawberry season he stocked up, made a preserves, canned them and now they are used as a topping on his homemade cheesecakes. It. was. delicious.
Hey dog moms! Did you know that City Winery has the MOST dog friendly patio in all of Atlanta? So, not only do they allow patrons to bring their puppies to the patio, but they encourage it by offering a “Canine Cuisine” brunch menu. You can even order your classy pup a glass of wine (it’s actually made of beet juice and some other natural, dog friendly ingredients). If Kobi were still around, she’d be dressed in her finest tutu and joining me for brunch at City Winery every Sunday. No human kids allowed (okay officially, I have to say that is a lie).
Head downstairs, next to the wine processing area and you will find a quaint listening room. City Winery hosts numerous talented musicians in an area that is intimate and perfect for a date night or a night out with friends. Your ticket guarantees you a table where you can order dinner, drinks, or bottles of wine throughout the performance. They do not require a minimum on food and drink, so if you just want to watch the show, go for it! But seriously, who would skip out on this fabulous food and wine? A big thank you to Chef Nick for gifting us with a VIP table to see Rumours (a Fleetwood Mac tribute band) and some delicious wine. The entire evening was truly amazing. Upcoming events and ticket prices are listed here.
City Winery hosts many events outside of their tours, tastings, and concerts. Every Friday and Saturday through the end of the month they will be hosting “Wine Down Weekends”, a free music series on the patio (bring your pup!) from 6:30-8:30pm. “Books and Booze” is an event they host in collaboration with Posman Books (also located at PCM), where they serve a “literary libation” based on the plot of the book. Another popular event is “City Wine Explorer”, which focuses on a specific wine region (Oregon for example), serving flights of wines from that area along with an array of bites, also influenced by that region. They also host intimate stand up comedy shows (30-40 ppl max) with wine tastings. They host about four beverage events per month, so whether you’re a dog parent, book club goer, music lover, or wisecracker, there’s something for everyone, as long as you drink wine! For more information on alllll of the above, go to www.citywinery.com/atlanta. If you have any questions for me (or Chef Nick) about City Winery, their events, menu items or otherwise, comment below. For videos from our experience, visit the “City Winery Atl” tab on my IG story highlights here.
