Winter skin? What's that?
 Those Lubriderm ads from years ago, the ones with the alligator/crocodile/large reptilian creature, were very effective. At least, they make us buy the stuff. Only trouble was, Lubriderm didn’t work that well. You’d haul a jug of the stuff home from the RiteAid, slather up every morning — and by noon, your elbow skin would be making audible cracking noises from beneath your cardigan. Not to gross you out or anything.
So, you moved on. Maybe to Eucerin. Or some pomegranate lotion from Whole Foods. Perhaps a cream of Germanic descent, or a slightly pricier model of goop from a destination spa. Some of the moisturizers smelled really nice. None of them keep winter from evidencing itself all over your epidermis. Then, if you were me, you got a press release about and a sample of Biologique Récherche’s new “body oxygénant” oil, which costs about $99 for 4.25 fluid ounces, smells like little to nothing, requires shaking before use — and totally works.
Not sure how. It doesn’t seem like complicated stuff. Main ingredient: Corn oil. Still, a drop on each leg and arm, and you’re good to go — all day long. It even seems to mask the fact that I’m the only person on earth who hasn’t set foot in a gym this year. It moisturizes, but it also, not to get too graphic, smooths stuff out. Of course, at $99 a bottle, it’s not exactly an impulse purchase. Still, it’s good to know that something out there works.
Available(where else?) via Rescue Rittenhouse Spa, 255 South 17th Street, 215-722-2766.
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The stock market's up — and so are denim's waistlines. Church ladies rejoice! Fashionistas, too!
The time has come. The end is near. And so we face… the final time you’ll have to pull the back of your sweater/t-shirt down over your waistband, in order to obscure the back of your, well, yourself.
That’s right: Fashion has finally, full-out embraced high-waisted denim (again). But imagine not the mom jean of yore. Think more: Holly Golightly in pencil-thin Lula-Mae mode. Ali MacGraw, super-flat front bell bottoms, the dressy kind. Farrah Fawcett, all day long. Bump-hugging backs. Waists that hit you at your waist. Flies that travel up your tummy.
Which means, yes, you might have to return to Pilates. You might even want to break out the old Buns of Steel VHS tape. Or, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’re already have the confidence to slide ‘em on, and show ‘em what you got: paunch or abs, booty-to-die-for or booty-what-did-I-eat-all-that-pie-for. At least you won’t be revealing any kind of whale’s tail or an affinity for the plumbing arts.
Behold a bunch of high-rise jeans we totally love — and think you should, too.
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Direct from Hungary, an extra-luxe line of skin care. Instant crush.
 Some things a skilled shopper takes for granted:
On January 2, there will be discounts. On the items you just bought for your family for Christmas.
When you find the perfect jeans, buy two pairs.
If you leave your pile unattended at the Lilly warehouse sale, and the woman next to you will steal your sample size pink-and-green sundress.
The first time you wear that white silk tank top, you will spill red wine or olive oil or butter on it.
If Neiman Marcus endorses it, it’s worth more exploration, and, most likely, generous investment.
So, when our very own KOP Neimie’s dedicates a whole counter in its coveted beauty department to a new-in-town skincare line, and when that line is called Omorovicza, we know we’re going to have to work on our pronunciation.
Helmed by Budapest nobles Margaret (pictured, and, please, check out the epidermis) and Stephen de Heinrich de Omorovicza (sooo My Fair Lady party scene!), Omorovicza has found inspiration in Hungary’s famous thermal waters for their exquisite creams, masks, serums, mists, sunblock, cleansers that beauty editors at little places like Vogue have been going, well, ape sugar for, since Omor… launched in 2006. And now it’s here, for us. Isn’t life grand? Or otherwise awesome?
Neiman Marcus, the Plaza at King of Prussia, 610-354-0500
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While you're shopping Walnut, don't miss this exhibit at Fleisher Ollman
 Please. Don’t miss Off Camera, the current exhibition at the Fleisher Ollman Gallery on Walnut. Really. I mean it. Their amazing upstairs gallery features photographs that have been drawn on, painted, collage-d, or transformed into sculpture. These works are truly unique and sometimes funny (notice these works by John Wood, Virginia Poundstone and Oliver Herring, and tell me you’re not loving the Wookie). I haven’t been this excited about an art show in quite a long time.
Off Camera, until February 19, at Fleisher Ollman Gallery, 1616 Walnut, Suite 100,
—by Kiley Baun
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If you haven't gotten around to shopping Three Potato Four yet, do it. This weekend.
 Early last fall the retail gods smiled on our somewhat shopping-needy city, and delivered Three Potato Four to our modest midst. Ever interesting in their choices, the big guys (or guy, or gal, or gals) in the sky bestowed the groundbreaking-ly cool, formerly online-only shop to Manayunk. Since it opened, well-meaning, vintage-stool-coveting Philadelphia shoppers have been meaning to go every weekend to peruse antique shelter stuff and cool desk-y accessories and beyond-cool flea market finds that, someone like Martha Stewart might collect. Might.
(The people who own this place are super-secret about their super-important client list. And, I’m just saying that if Martha collected things, she might come here.)
Anyway. Turns out, lots of us (like me!) didn’t visit 376 Shurs Lane as much as we’d originally planned. We were lazy. So, 3P4′s wise owners smartly decided to keep most of their weekends to themselves. Instead, they’d throw last-weekend-of-each-month barn sales like you’ve never seen before. Full of merch that’s not yet on their website. (Stuff that Martha, were she a 3P4 shopper, wouldn’t even have seen.) First one starts this Saturday, and happens Sunday, too.
Race ya!
BARN SALE: Saturday and Sunday, January 29 + 30, 10am to 5pm.
Three Potato Four, 376 Shurs Lane, Building A, Manayunk, 267-335-3633
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A warehouse sale at Bus Stop benefits the American Red Cross
 That’s always a nice headline to see, isn’t it? Means: Please, Come Spend Money And Don’t Feel The Least Bit Guilty About It Because You Are Helping People In Need. If you agree with this sentiment, then this is your lucky week.
This whole weekend at Queen Village’s Bus Stop Boutique, all winter shoes and boots, as well as a few spring styles here and there, will be marked down by up to 75 percent, which means that some prices will start at $25. (Wee!) These super hot Faryl Robin “Valenta” ankle boots, for example, were originally $225, but will be $100 during the sale.
A portion of the proceeds will be sent off to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which will use the money to relieve, well, any of the many natural disasters that need relieving these days. So you can don your new purchase with pride for both scoring a bargain, and shopping where it counts.
Warehouse sale hours: Friday, Jan. 28, 11am-7pm; Saturday, Jan. 29, 11am-6pm; Sunday, Jan. 30, noon-5.
Bus Stop Boutique, 750 South 4th Street, 215-627-2357.
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First, Details, soon, Petulia's Folly...
 Oh. Ugh. When one store opens, two go away. First, there was Details (103 South 18th Street,), the upstairs-downstairs repository of Crane stationery and custom invitations, who locked their doors and sent out a good-bye email on January 3, but didn’t seem to clean out the shop or even hold a sale on gift wrap. (Details’ owner Sonia Mele Forcina has filled all custom orders, and says stock, fixtures and furnishings will go on sale soon, so please stay tuned.)
Now, we hear from sweet shop owner Sandy Kim that Petulia’s Folly (1710 Sansom Street, 215-569-1344), which recently shifted away from clothing in favor of shelter, will also go the way of Foster’s (which, thankfully, was reborn as Jonathan Adler, who sells this great stuff). (Enough with the links, right?)
Darling Sandy says Petulia’s Folly will likely stay open a couple more weeks — it’s currently offering 60% off full-priced merch — probably until mid-February, and then will sell its fixtures, and close. For good. Only, not for good, for bad. Because Petulia’s Folly carried some really great lines, first in clothings (Phillip Lim 3.1, Rachel Comey, Lauren Moffatt) then in shelterings (John Derian, Tamar Mogandorff, Chilewich, and great Newgate clocks like this one, which seems a sad metaphor) was good, very good. And this news, well, it’s awful.
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Because I can't wait for the one in our February issue...
 Capes, woolen, plaid, retro and modern, have recently strolled down runways from Milano to Paris to New York to, believe it or not, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not everyone is bold enough to wear one — as with most voluminous pieces, the taller and thinner you are, the cooler the clothing looks (which is why Alek Wek can rock a paper bag) — and not everyone is ready to invest a month’s salary to buy one.
So, the short and poor and French fry-fed among us ought to be glad: American Apparel now has a cape of its own. It’s simple and wool, and comes in navy (pictured), tan, grey, dark grey, lighter navy, and bright red (a little too Clara Barton for me, but if you’re feeling it, go for it). And it costs a reasonable $170. Not chump change, but not bank-breaking, either.
At American Apparel, online, and in various locations.
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Attorney by day, Brown Betty owner at all times, Norrinda Brown picks her favorite things
We’re not revealing the cutest ever photo of Brown Betty owner Norrinda Brown — not yet. But, you can glimpse this most style-savvy Philadelphienne’s 10 favorite things, from basic T to wedge heels to vacation spot …
Read on!
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At least, Main Street gets a new shop for old things that feels so now, we're predicting a revival
 Wanna know the future of fashion/retail/shopping in general? So do I. Want my prediction? OK. It’s going to be independent, and it’s going to be urban rustic, a bit Victorian, and a lot vintage. Which means, it’s going to look a lot like RevivalSmith (at right, photo from the shop’s blog), a vintage-meets-modern-furnishings-plus-cute, stripe-y made-in-PA ribbed Ts and such on… get this… Main Street. In Manayunk. Manayunk!
So, to review, now the Yunk has The Little Apple, Three Potato Four, and this spot. Good for the Yunk, which could totally use a retail revival, since, well, Main Streeters need something to do other than just hang out at La Colombe all day.
RevivalSmith, 4233 Main Street, 215-509-6550
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PHILLY
EVENTS
Those Lubriderm ads from years ago, the ones with the alligator/crocodile/large reptilian creature, were very effective. At least, they make us buy the stuff. Only trouble was, Lubriderm didn’t work that well. You’d haul a jug of the stuff home from the RiteAid, slather up every morning — and by noon, your elbow skin would be making audible cracking noises from beneath your cardigan. Not to gross you out or anything.
