Trend: Chain Necklaces

Forget dainty charms hung from a sliver of a chain. The new trend across fashion blogs and magazines is the necklace made of hardware, a statement piece comprised of a mass of heavy chains in various sizes and metals, sometimes knotted together, sometimes cascading to great lengths. Even J.Crew, the bastion of preppy style, has not remained immune to this new punk look: the necklace shown above is one from their new jewelry line designed by Dana Lorenz of Fenton/Fallon.

While shopping this week at HaShouk HaCarmel, I raided the two jewelry stands and found quite a selection of chains in various sizes, all costing around 20NIS per necklace. These fabulously inexpensive alternatives can be layerd on top of one another or knotted by hand. Below, a detail from my favorite pick:


Top image credited to J.Crew (www.jcrew.com).

Sip Well: Arcaffe

There's no arguing the fact that, although this is a city filled with lively cafes, you should still be able to drink a great cup of coffee without ever having to leave your apartment. The instant brands that people are so fond of here just don't do it for me: their taste strikes me as a bit tinny, and the caffeine never seems to hit me in quite the right way. Filter coffee is just as easy to make, especially when you're using a standard, uncomplicated french press, and the key is only to find your perfect blend of beans.

While Tazzo d'Oro may serve up my favorite coffee in the city, it's a bit of a trek for days when we need a filter refill. Enter Arcaffe, another Italian coffee transplant, which has grown into one of Israel's largest coffee chains. A popular cafe in its own right (serving decadent pastries, juices, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, etc.), Arcaffe also sells excellent ground coffee beans for take-away. My personal favorite is their flavorful Roma blend, which works well for espresso, Turkish coffee, or filter, and is ideal for those who prefer a stronger taste. Also offered are Cafe Creme, Mocha Creme, Toscana, and the decaf Pianissimo, each of which is recommended for a particular preparation method or two. As the beans are ground upon your order, it's possible to purchase as much or as little as you like. Pick up a 250 gram bag (or more) and ask them to slice one of their fresh loafs of bread (they are excellent and less expensive than bread found in the grocery store). This is my weekly take-away ritual and, thus far, it has served me well on many a morning.


Tel Aviv Locations:
Dizengoff Center
Rehov Basel
Rehov HaArba'a
Sderot Rothschild

www.arcaffe.co.il

Images credited to the Arcaffe website.

Shop Well: Paula Bianco

Gan HaHashmal is known as Tel Aviv's district for up-and-coming designers, but Smadar-Pola Azriel, with a jewelry line that sells at Bergdorf Goodman NYC, Colette in Paris, and Harvey Nichols in London, has already gained a heady international reputation. The fact that her Paula Bianco gems still locate a tiny storefront in such a decidedly industrial district is a testament to both the line's cool factor and the bargains that can be found by purchasing directly from Azriel herself.

Several different themes can be found throughout the store, from the selection of scarves, to the rows of tiny gold charms, to the necklaces with alphabet pendents fashioned from old stamps. Perhaps the signature Paula Bianco look, however, is her wide array of jewelry made from antique buttons, ribbons and pearls. Found in the form of earrings, headbands, rings, bracelets, and necklaces, these statement pieces fashion feminine materials into strong designs, establishing the line's perfect blend of soft glamour and tough chic.



Paula Bianco
12 Harakevet St
+972-3-6850171
www.paulabianco.biz

Images credited to the Paula Bianco website.

Shop Well: H&M Arrives

Yesterday, March 11th, 2010, Tel Aviv (and all of Israel, for that matter) got its first-ever H&M store. My boyfriend is involved in the company, so I was there. At 11:00 a.m., the ribbon was cut and mayhem erupted, as people at the front of the line were literally falling over one another to get their hands on the clothes. One H&M employee was hit in the face as the crowds rushed through the entrance; another scrambled to help a woman move her stroller swiftly out of the oncoming foot traffic. Why anyone would bring a tiny baby or toddler into an environment like this is beyond me.

Besides the general fighting over garments, here are some of the oddities I observed:
1. A woman plowing people down with a double stroller that held her twins.
2. Someone walking around with a bag over her head, so as not to be photographed.
3. A woman breastfeeding in the children's section.


Totally overwhelmed by the crowd's behavior, I took the afternoon off, but made it back at 9 p.m. to see the shop close. The scene was a clothing graveyard. The store, which had looked so pristine and beautiful two evenings earlier at the VIP party, appeared to have hosted a ransacked "going out of business" sale, not an opening day. Hangers were strewn across the floor; clothes were piled upon display tables or littered in aisles; the selections of clothes on racks were entirely mismatched and misplaced. Lingerie could be found on the opposite end of the store in the children's section and vice versa. Employees informed me that four people had lost their pants in the mayhem, one had lost her dress, and one had lost her baby, who was found, eventually, sleeping peacefully in a corner.

The store, which was supposed to close at 10 p.m., stayed open until nearly eleven, in order to accomodate the continuing stream of people. When the gate finally had to closed, employees and CEOs alike stood in the entrance and created a human shield against individuals who were still trying to sweet talk or argue their way inside.

www.hm.com/il