Into the Studious Wild

As I often say in the store to customers, during our fall and winter seasons, "this and that outfit look very English Countryside," by which I mean to indicate an array of plaids, pleats, brimmed hats, button-up shirts underneath three button cardigans, laced oxfords or riding boots. If every trend has its season, then English Countryside takes its place in the colder months when layers necessitate a peeking-through check stripe.

 

All merchandise INA Chelsea: Dries Van Noten silk, men's striped maroon scarf; men's Ann Demeulemeester navy, wool long vest, Dolce and Gabbana white button-down with gray circle print, Burberry brown leather strap cotton hat; women's vintage striped fur coat, Miu Miu pleated plaid charcoal skirt, Bottega Veneta tan, cotton and lace shirt, Piazza Sempione burnt orange suede heeled loafer; Adrienne Landau fox vest, Steven Alan wool plaid long-sleeved shirt, ALC olive miniskirt, Manolo Blahnik chocolate heeled ankle boot, Louis Vuitton monogrammed backpack; men's Burberry navy & white hearts button-down shirt, Hermes leather gloves, Tommy Hilfiger navy velvet hat, Rag and Bone cashmere blazer.

 

A Last Look

Every year is a chance to start again, with New Year's Eve as the aging year's crowning moment, nostalgically setting the tone to come. In addition to an endless selection of sequined numbers, INA has an understated wardrobe to offer for New Year's Eve, with INA Men housing both men and women's suited looks, glancing back to a most memorable moment of 2014 on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival when celebrity women overwhelmed the carpet in tuxedos. 

 

All looks from INA Men: Saint Laurent wool black coat with velvet collar, Dior pants with white stripe, Christian Dior belt, Jimmy Choo shearling loafers, Emporio Armani button-down tuxedo shirt, Cor Sine Labe Doli ceramic bow tie, Hermes black leather gloves, silk polka dotted scarf; Saint Laurent metallic gunmetal blazer, Match Play Adidas black sneakers; Givenchy dress shirt with star collar, vintage bronze bracelet with pearls; Margiela tan sweater vest, Christian Dior grey cashmere men's coat, Thom Browne wool gray pant, Saint Laurent metallic leopard loafer. 

Happy Holidays from INA

Larger than any year previous, this year's INA Holiday party included the employees of our six stores, most recently Union Square. And Giorgione, Italian restaurant on Spring, hosted us for a third year, passing wood fired pizza all around between orders of lamb chops and linguine with clams. Thanks this year to Gina, employee at INA Union Square, for bringing her Instamax camera - all polaroid pictures are courtesy of Gina, who turned party guests at ease, catching them with a certain aplomb.

Dancing until the end, Giorgione closed as the last party goers were still mid-movement.

This year at the INA Holiday party, an all black attire held reign, with only a couple in white tuxedo jackets. 

... and a couple more in grey stripe.

Tricks and treats abounded as anyone may imagine.

But who needs anything else, when you can just dance a tango?

 

 

Cold Shoulder

From day to day, I read a book on the train entering and returning from the city. Usually I read a book set around a fictional character, although this month it is Christian Dior's autobiography: Dior by Dior. The book details the life of a humble man designing a fashion line, and without an explicit aim to do so, winning an Oscar in Dallas, Texas with his first-ever collection called The New Look, designed at the age of forty.

He at times modeled his lines after French monuments, once, the Eiffel Tower and the Cupola. He says, on designing, "I was always searching to alter the general attraction of woman and enliven her silhouette. The material ought to live on her shoulders, and her figure live beneath the material."

With Dior as our inspiration, below are a number of cold weathered shoulders found in INA Noho. 

 

 

All Items located in INA Noho, from top: KittinHawk leather shoulder pads; R13 leather, fur lined and khaki vest; Torn sweatshirt with metallic shoulder; Torn cable knit sweater with fringe shoulders; Skingraft leather shirt with transparent striped shoulder; Burberry men's cream sweater with epaulette; Iro black jacket with leather shoulder; A Detacher gray dress with one exaggerated, blousing shoulder.   

Furs of Fancy

With a Nor'easter in our midst, what better way to prepare than to accessorize with winter layers? Ruby Andreolli, manager of INA Nolita, guides us through the best fur toppers and hats currently in store. 

"Double espresso, anyone?" Spend a morning at your local cafe wearing this vintage mink, tassled shawl and a cross-body quilted fabric Chanel purse.

Bundled at the lunch counter, ordering is always more satisfying in ear muffs (fox) and a Marni belted vest with mink panels.

"Who's that girl?" Garner looks from passing shoppers while wearing an Ermanno Scervino fox-lined sweater. It even doubles as a coat. 

No waiting is necessary with an Hermes Gaultier Birkin in hand. Turn up your curly lamb collar and grab a ride with a passing driver, all the while wearing an Yves Salomon fur fox hat.

 

All merchandise INA Nolita, from top: vintage Saks mink, tassled shawl, Chanel quilted purse with gold chain, and wide brimmed felt hat; fox ear muffs & Marni belted black vest with caramel mink; Ermanno Scervino grey fox sweater, Christian Dior maroon leather clutch, and Lack of Color grey wide brimmed hat; Miu Miu vintage black coat with curly lamb collar, Hermes white leather Gaultier Birkin, and Yves Salomon black fox hat. 

First Words

Living life in the fast lane of fashion, learning the alphabet is easy. Are a baby's first words necessarily "yes", "no", "please", "thank you", or rather, could they be "muff", "scarf", "beret"? In the mind of a toddler and adult alike, furry winter accessories are the building blocks of a vocabulary in Soho style. 

B is for beret. Not just any beret, but a vintage beret with a shearling pom pom. 

B is also for beaver. B for the black beaver lined vest by Co. 

M is for muff. Ear muffs, black and grey muffs made of fox and connected by an iridescent band.

S is for shoulder, a shoulder woven from black fox. And for scarf. S is for a wild white lamb scarf.

R, as we well know, is for rabbit. A grey rabbit Christian Dior purse, no less. 

And finally, H is for helmet. Prada's black fur toy soldier helmet. 

 

All merchandise in INA Soho: Co beaver vest, Assembly white pants, Fendi leather purse with brown and navy, vintage shearling beret; Prada black dress with black fox shoulder, Japanese fox ear muffs; vintage white lamb scarf; Chanel sequin silver blazer, Balmain marching pant with stripe, Christian Dior grey rabbit purse; Prada fur helmet.