District L

The weekend began with EFFEN vodka and edgy electronic beats by Savoy – and it ended with Sunday’s sidewalk visit to Hulbert Waldroup, the infamous artist on West Broadway. Toss in a few glasses of champagne, a brunch session at Freemans, one major OAK sale, and a lazy afternoon at the Tribeca Grand Hotel…

No amount of youth is being wasted on these PYTs.

And if the rumors are true, spring is right around the corner. Toss your winter coats into storage and prepare to match your wardrobe to that new abundant social calendar:

Brunch at Marc Forgione: Two-Toned Heels by Kathryn Amberleigh (219 Mott Street)

Art Shopping on West Broadway: Crescendo Dot Dress by Lois Eastlund (153 Ludlow Street)

Nighttime Rooftop Pregame: Impact Silk Crop Jacket by Stylein (EVA New York)

Post by Amanda LaMela

When your daily motions start becoming routine and you find yourself sitting at the same Sunday brunch locations week after week, you know it's time to step out of the box -- This is New York, after all; there are no excuses for living in monotony.

Slip out of your comfort zone and into something memorable.for a weekend of new-boozing and subconcious contemplation.

As you head over to Bowery's New Museum to check out George Condo's "Mental States" exhibition, make sure to dress the part. Nothing accurately communicates one's unrelenting mental condition quite like properly applied punctuation. When paired with a mimimalist Lois Eastlund minidress of maximum graphic proportions, a girl can still grab glances on either side of Delancey.

And as quickly as we learned to say it loudly in Helvetica, Plastique Shop creates more shiny irony for us to wear during these weekend escapades.

After an hour or two of cerebral celebration, it will be time to shift into another mental state achieved only by determined brunching. L'asso on 192 Mott Street combines Dov Charney-like decor with modernized Italian cuisine and a Shazam-worthy playlist.

Before sauntering deep into Nolita, be sure to prove your devotion to Italian design -- as it is always appreciated just north of Canal. A pair of Cesare Paciotti shooties will certainly evoke a "ciao bella" or two as you make your way down Mulberry. Just keep your balance on those uneven sidewalks.

Post by Amanda LaMela

Three-day weekends are like invitation-only sample sales or open-bar fashion week parties – and District L hates abrupt, unwelcome endings. We celebrated the weekend’s start with a few rooftop cocktails at the Park Avenue Gansevoort. Despite the strong G&Ts and modern décor, the DL team kept Friday’s gathering short in order to make the most of our Saturday morning trip to Philadelphia. As we headed southbound on Saturday with Starbucks in tow, we enjoyed an AM impulse purchase from Plastique.

After arriving in Philadelphia, we held a fashion-fueled meeting with Lisa from Local Boutique. Although we were in the land of the Liberty Bell, we certainly maintained our New York state of mind.

We returned to New York later that evening and celebrated the day’s accomplishments at White Noise. Classic glamrock vibes kept us going until the wee hours of the morning. But Lou Reed quickly turned to Reade Street, with just a short nap separating our night-time follies from our brunch-time activities. We took to the streets of TriBeCa for some Sunday indulgence and stopped by Marc Forgione for bottomless mimosas and contemporary dishes. ­­After a few hours of excessive consumption, we sauntered around the neighborhood, visiting buzz-worthy shops like Working Class Emporium.

When the cold became too unbearable, we stumbled into the Tribeca Grand Hotel for a warming cappuccino. Finally, with the help of Nurse Bettie and her Rosemary Gin & Tonics, we returned to the Lower East Side for our Sunday nightcap.

We woke up to a work-free Monday and sartorial plans with Lois Eastlund. Wall Street was on a “red alert,” as we staged a rooftop photo shoot with a February theme.

After Lois left, our Monday melancholy returned with a vengeance. Fortunately, we will be curing these blues tomorrow at Irina Shabayeva’s preview event. From 5:30-7:30pm, District L will be swilling cocktails and chatting with the designer at Trump Soho.

Post by Amanda LaMela

This past weekend, during a particularly successful trip to Beacon's Closet to get rid of a gaudy fluorescent yellow jacket from S/S 09 and a shiny cobalt nylon Leonello Borghi bag (from same offending season), I decided to indulge the whole witchy-gothy vibe I've been pining to incorporate into my wardrobe. One Cheap Monday skull print mesh t-shirt and a drop-shoulder bird's eye sweater later, I still wasn't quite satisfied.

After picking up a rather intense looking skull ring (sporting a spiked bucket helmet and a vicious scowl) and then buying it because I couldn't get it off my finger quickly enough, the faintest inkling of an idea entered my mind. As it percolated, it evolved from a mere glimmer in my glazed-over left eye into a full blown sense of purpose, the desire to effect personal change in light of renewed opportunity.

In the world outside of my fevered mind, children, most call this a New Year's Resolution and I had decided mine would be to wear more dude rings. Small victories, small victories.

Enter Plastique, the online vendor boasting "plastic jewelry with a graphic designer's touch". The minimalism and precision that goes into Plastique's range of Gestalt-adherent accessories is indeed appealing. The pieces are just understated enough that a guy like me can get away with wearing them without being labeled a "Gaga-gay" or an "asshole", but just edgy enough that it doesn't look like I'm wearing a Cracker Jack ring and expecting a medal for it. I've never really been one for guy jewelry, but Plastique's educated and mesmerizingly simple festoonery is just the kind of back-up I need to actually commit to making this a thing.

*Although the "Helvetica" necklace will probably earn me a few "pretentious dipshit" comments here and there. But damn straight, I never said I wasn't. Sans serif fonts rule, and so does Plastique.

You can find these and more of Plastique's laser-cut acrylic accessories at their online storefront here.

Post by Nicolas Sera-Leyva