Sermoneta Gloves -- Madison Avenue

Ahh, Italian-made gloves. At a fraction of the cost of Missoni, Sermoneta's first and only shop outside of Italy sells hats, scarves and lovely tailored gloves leather gloves. Known for their primary colors, they seem to be going away from the 80's this season with more muted shades.

609 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
212.319.5946

It's an Andy Warhol X-mas at Barneys -- Madison Avenue

I love Simon Doonan. Who else could make a bust of Andy Warhol out of a bunch of cookie jars and Russell Wright crockery?

Madison avenue and 61st street
NY, New York
212.826.8900.

X-mas at Saks - Fifth Avenue

We are all unique masterpieces, just like the snowflake; at least that's what the story on the windows at Saks Fifth Avenue says to all the gawkers. Click on the photo to read it yourself. I didn't bother to read the whole story because it was split up on separate windows, corresponding to the scene depicted in each window, and frankly, I couldn't stomach standing in the long Disneyland-like lines to look at a bunch of naff dioramas.

611 Fifth Avenue, at 50th Street
NY, New York
212.753.4000

Santaland at Smith Haven - Lake Grove

This is the first grotto I've seen this season. Where have I been? While the Santaland is nice enough, it's not magical. However the Father Christmas more than makes up for the shortfalls in Santaland. His beard, his rosy cheeks and his Santa-like physique make him the perfect candidate for the jolly old elf.

Smith Haven Mall
Rt 347
Lake Grove, NY

5-7-9 Shop - Lake Grove

Often, when I'm taking pictures for this blog, kind hearted passers-by offer to take my picture in front of whatever store I'm photographing. Sometimes they'll want to be in the picture too. When I was taking a picture of the 5-7-9 shop at Smith Haven mall, this character insisted on being in the photo. He's certainly not a customer, but somehow, he fits.

Smith Haven Mall
Rt 347, Lake Grove
631.979.9003

Feria Ubana - Inner Sunset

This is more like it.

Held at the Canvas Gallery on Lincoln Way, this Urban Fair is what I expected at Pandora's Trunk last night. Those who like jewelry and accessories hit the jackpot. Handcrafted baubles with a modern aesthetic shared table space with Victorianesque pieces in strange proportions.

Among the gifts for wry children, stuffed monster dolls, made more for parents than their kids, were among my favorites.

The only things that were a bit dodgy were bags made out of reclaimed materials, straight out of ReadyMade magazine and pillows in burnt out velvet that may be good for those who like to decorate with gargoyles.

I went with good intentions of buying Christmas presents, but left with gifts only for myself.

Canvas Gallery
1200 9th Ave
San Francisco, CA 94122
415.504.0060

Pandora's Trunk - South of Market

I expected some sort of Punk Rock craft fair, but what I got, instead, was a bunch of baby clothes for adults and grandma does Blade Runner. Didn't rave clothes go out in 1989? They should have handed out whistles. I felt like I should go to the Hacienda to see Madonna perform.

While the concept was cute for some of the crafts, they weren't particularly well-executed, nothing I would buy to give as a Christmas gift.

At er reading about Art Basel Miami, though,I have to say it was refreshing to go to an art show held by real starving artists. They didn't even look askance at my H&M velour sweatsuit and scraggly hair, drenched by the deluge outside.

I've heard of red-hot sales, but this is ridiculous -- Great Lakes Mall

Picture this: A fire breaks out at your favorite Dillards during high-holiday shopping season. Do you grab your loved ones and run out the door, greatful to be alive and unharmed, or do you continue shopping, taking advantage of the blinding smoke to grab the goods away from your fellow bargain hunters? That's exactly what shoppers did at Dillards in Mentor, Ohio. The fire was severe enough to cause $130,000 in damages, but it didn't deter customers intent on finishing their holiday shopping.

This reminds me of the year I worked at Macys during the Christmas rush. The power went out and instead of leaving the store, customers were annoyed that we didn't have flashlights or mechanical cash registers to ring their purchases up with.

Full story on the fire at Dillards

7850 Mentor Ave
Mentor, OH
440.255.5651

Apple - Union Square & Oxford Circus

Have you ever noticed how many times the word "love" comes up when people talk about their Macs? If you type the phrase "Why I love Macs" into any browser, 100s of sites will come up. People put things like "mac user" on their MySpace and FaceBook profiles, on their blogs and on personal ads. A quick search on Tribe turned up groups devoted to Gay Mac users, Lesbian Mac Users, Black Mac users, Mini Mac, Old Mac, Burning Mac. HMMM - I wonder if there's any crossover? This brings me back to my question. Does Mac inspire this type of devotion with clean, sexy design, or are the types of people who gravitate to the more intuitive usability of the Mac more right-brained and naturally more in touch with their emotions?

My irrational love for my Mac, carries over to the Apple store, one of the few places offering free wireless access in the city. The Apple store at Union Square is almost identical to the Regent Street store, my home away from home in London and also one of the few places to find free wireless in London.

One Stockton Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
415.392.0202

235 Regent Street
London, W1B 2EL
020 7153 9000

Top 10 Worst Places to Shop in the U.S.

In no particular order:

Ross -- There's nothing good about this chain. The stores look like someone's garage.

Marshalls / TJ Maxx -- See above, plus I've never been to a Marshals with a clean bathroom. They are filthy, even first thing in the morning. If the employees use those toilets, I don't want to touch anything in the store.

Big Lots -- Don't believe the TV ads. This place is depressing. It should be called Big Jobs.

Walmart -- Complete lack of corporate responsibility. If price is important to shoppers, there are cheaper, better alternatives.

Ann Taylor / Ann Taylor Loft -- bland

Barnes & Noble -- Terrible return policies and filthy bathrooms. This is especially disturbing since most Barnes & Nobles have in-store cafes.

Old Navy -- Cheap teenage wear made of cheaper fabrics. This season, the color palette seems to be mud. If you want cheap throw-away wear, go to H&M or Forever 21. At least those stores change their merchandise frequently.

The Disney Store -- More cheap crap from China. It seems that the nice Disney-themed things are sold elsewhere.

Victoria's Secret -- Cheap, poorly made underwear for those with small tits. The bras aren't even cute. They belong in a Tijuana bordello.

Pottery Barn -- Over priced junk made in third word countries. Plus, they lose points for being everywhere, adding to the blandifying of America.

Smelling like Paris at Macy's - Union Square

I've been to Paris in the summer, and all I can say is that I would not want to smell like that. The same goes for Paris Hilton. Does anyone really want to smell like her? What about Britney Spears? If all those photos of her going commando in various miniskirts are to be believed, she's a worse hoochie than Paris. Yet, they both have their names on perfumes. Why would Macy's waste valuable Christmas window real estate featuring photos of celebrities who endorse perfumes? Will the marketing spin ever end? Are we, as consumers, so stupid that we think the people on our lists will like this kind of swill?

It may seem like I'm picking on Macy's, lately. I actually love the flagship stores, San Francisco and New York. The Manhattan flagship is an institution equaled by no other, and, since the renovation a couple of years ago, the San Francisco store is even better. Unfortunately, Macy's doesn't successfully carry the brand throughout their stores. The Santa Rosa Macy's, is just not equal to the San Francisco Macy's, neither is the store in Corte Madera, Westminster, Long Island..... you get the point. This is why a pedestrian store, such as Nordstrom has just a high reputation among those who say they are "born to shop." The Nordstrom in San Francisco is pretty much the same as the one in Walnut Creek. The Scottsdale Nortstrom is similar to the one in Roosevelt Field. Macy's' flagships far surpass the others, but out in the suburbs, shoppers are subjected to rows and rows of, Inc, Charter Club and all those other house brands Macy's has manufactured in China. Eventually, it will be like Marks and Spencers, selling only house labels. I'm not sure why Macy's does this, but it seems to me that they underrate their customers. Are we really going to think we're in Manhattan where we're shopping at a low-end Macy's in Colma? I think not.

170 O'Farrell Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415.397.3333

X-mas trees at Bloomingdales - Westfield San Francisco Center

While not exactly a winter wonderland, the trees are pretty & the ornaments for sale are some of the best I've seen so far this season.

845 Market Street
Westfield San Francisco Centre
San Francisco, CA 94103
415.512.6776

Crowds at Union Square - San Francisco

The day after Black Friday, Union Square was a crowded mess. People jostled each other with shopping bags from Macy's, Old Navy and Victoria's Secret. Don't they have those stores in Hayward? Why do people come into the city to shop at these places? Wouldn't it be easier just to go the local mall? To add insult to injury, hundreds of people walked right by the striking engineers at Macys, just walked into the store without hesitation, then out again with their sale-priced goods.

While I'm on the subject of erratic behavior, why do people insist on wearing the ubiquitous Louis Vuitton bag with ugly clothes from Ann Taylor Loft or Old Navy? They'll buy the heavily branded bag, but would never buy a Louis Vuitton suit. If they were really into fashion, wouldn't they at look in the mirror before leaving the house? Even wearing something from H&M would be a step up. People are duped by marketing. It's the brand, not the look that interests them. These are the same types of people who drive BMW 300 series cars and carry Coach bags.

Wishbone - Inner Sunset

What could be a better x-mas present than an air freshener shaped like a poo? If you agree this shop is for you. Even if you don't, Wishbone has quirky unusual gifts for all the nontraditional people you buy gifts for, even yourself. The selection of cards is must nicer, and cheaper than Papyrus. Several cases sell fun, locally made jewelry and irreverent baby gifts abound.

601 Irving Street
San Francisco, CA 94122
415.242.5540

Black Friday - San Francisco

Black Friday is an American tradition, the start of the holiday shopping season, but it's not the biggest shopping day of the year anymore. Retailers are trying lure people in and get a jump on the competition by opening earlier and earlier. It's bad enough that Mervyns, Circuit City and JCPenney open at 5AM on the day after Thanksgiving, but worse yet, KMart and the 24 hour WalMarts were open on Thanksgiving day. How did they break the news to their employees that instead of getting holiday giblets, they would have to work instead?

I wish I had the wherewithal to get up this morning and see what type of people would shop on Thanksgiving day. Did they run out to buy extra roasting pans, or did they shop for Christmas gifts? Do they care that people had to work so they could shop?

It seems now that Japanese and French tourists have heard about this craziness and are booking vacations just to shop on Black Friday. Are they turning American?

Crossroads - Inner Sunset, Fillmore, Castro, Haight Ashbury

"You have some cool clothes, but...." This is the mantra that must be part of the training for anyone who takes a buyer/cashier job at Crossroads. If you want to sell your frocks, don't bother unless you have designer clothes, or premium brand names, like Levis big E's. Then, if you're lucky, you'll get $5 cash - or $8 in trade.

The selectiveness of the buyers is not reflected in the stock for sale but if you hunt you can find a few good things. For example, a recent shopping trip yielded a $300 pair of brand new, straight legged ACNE jeans for $60. A few designer garments, about 10-20 per store, are hung on the wall above the clothes racks, but overall, there is a lot of polyester, a bunch of t-shirts and jeans and some new, disposable Forever 21-type clothes. If you don't mind used shoes, some real bargains can be had on solid labels. Cute bags, purses and junk jewelry are a good way to complete your environmentally and fiscally correct recycled outfit.

The Sunset branch has the best selection for women, while the Castro branch has the most men's wear.

1519 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
415.355.0555

1901 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
415.775.8885

555 Irving Street
San Francisco, CA 94122
415.681.0100

2123 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
415.552.8740

Samsonite Black Label -- Union Square

Gone are the days of moulded plastic in Barbie colors. The Samsonite Black Label line is chic, chic, chic. The Alexander McQueen collection is not in the store yet, but Samsonite's new shop on Union Square is filled with luggage that proves form and function can peacefully co-exist. Each bag is displayed like a piece of art in this spare, clean interior, with a price tag to match. The prices didn't seem to be dettering shoppers, though. English tourists, rich with the strong pound, and Japanese tourists who, let's face it, know good things when they see them, were plonking down their credit cards.

The Union Square Building
287 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415.391.2024

The V & A - South Kensington

Just visiting the exhibits at the Victoria and Albert museum is a form of shopping. I suppose you could call it window shopping, or as the French say "licking the windows." It's such a giant warehouse of fashion for the home and body, that I am seriously skeptical of those who say they can see everything in one day.

If shopping is only satisfying if you actually lay out some money, visit the V&A gift shop. It sells the requisite postcards, note cards, and history, art and design books, but it's also a nice representative of good British design. Whether your preference is Urban Outfitters or Harrods you can find clothes, accessories and nick knacks to suit your taste. I still regret not buying a purse I saw there a couple of years ago. I don't remember the designer, but it was made of many different labels sewn together, similar to the technique Fake of London uses. "I'll find it online," I thought, trying to be fiscally responsible for once in my life. Sadly, it was not available online. It was one of a kind. I lost my chance to support the arts and to own a thing of beauty.

Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL
020 7942 2000

Harrods - Knightsbridge

What can I say about Harrods? The foodhalls are great if you're rich enough to buy a small pinapple for £10, or you're an American who's nostalgic for a fresh Krispy Creme and dedicated enough to stand in the long line.

It's little bit Las Vegas...

... a little bit Disneyland, and a large dose of naff.

I think of Harrods as the eBay of department stores. If you want access to a large breadth of designer labels, from food, to clothes to china, this is the place to go. However, if you want to look at a carefully edited selection of obscure, up-to-the-minute collections, go to Selfridges.

I'm not saying it should be avoided. There are times you may want to see everything a label has to offer, especially during the sales. I bought a lovely Anya Heinmarch tote here at 50% off, and it was a style I have never seen anywhere else. The toy department at Harrods is fantastic. It's an extravaganza of posh dolls, teddy bears and expensive cars. If you're a Playmobil fan, you'll feel like you've hit the jackpot. This is also one of the last places in London you can buy the un-PC gollywog.

Knightsbridge SW1
020 7730 1234

Tchibo - London

How does a coffee mail-order business turn into a chain of shops that changes its stock every week? Were the executives sitting around drinking coffee and reminiscing about the lucky dip? "Wouldn't it be fun," they said to each other, "if shoppers could have a new experience every week?" That must have been some strong coffee.

Strangely, though, it works. This is not to be confused with job lot vendors like the £1 store. You never know what you may find at Tchibo, but it's all new, and made especially for the chain, from a shrink-wrapped set of men's pajamas, to a Chanelesque ladies jacket, also sealed in plastic, to handy items like curling tongs, battery chargers and home furnishings. It's all a bargain, but follow the Moscow rule of shopping if you like anything, because it will be gone in a week and replaced with all new stock, except for the coffee, served fresh all the time.

Barnet, London
19, The Spires Shopping Centre
EN5 5XY Barnet
Brentford, London

101 High Street
BR1 1JQ Bromley
Camberwell Green, London


74 North End
CR0 1UJ Croydon - London
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Kingsland Centre, Unit 14
E8 2LX Dalston - London
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Ealing - London, London

Broadway Centre Unit 11
W5 5JY Ealing - London
Edgware, London

Broadw.Sh.Ctr Unit 22 Station Road
HA8 TBD Edgware
Enfield, London

Palace Garden Shopping C. Unit 13
EN2 6SP Enfield
Harrow, London

84 St. Ann'S Road
HA1 1JP Harrow
Hounslow, London

21 The Treaty Centre, High Street
TW3 14S Hounslow
Hounslow, London

112 High Road
IG1 2AS Ilford
Islington, London

Su 2, Parkfield Street
N1 0PS Islington
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