Tall Girl In Stilettos: NY trending - All hail King Kale :)

Tall Girl In Stilettos: NY trending - All hail King Kale :): Like everything else in this fast paced city - food trends come and go with remarkable speed. One minute everyone was talking up...

NY trending - All hail King Kale :)

Like everything else in this fast paced city - food trends come and go with remarkable speed.

One minute everyone was talking up the wonders of the exotic acai berry.

Next up was quinoa. This is now old hat - and not just because it tastes like one.

Right now - kale has the spotlight. 

It's all about the green. Oh Yes. And not just because it's the color of the money.

Take a stroll around SOHO and you'll spot at least three women within a two block radius sipping from a plastic bottle of green sludge, as they charge down the sidewalk in their uber trendy Birkenstocks with their iPhone headphones attached to their ears.

 Apparently - we all should be gulping it too...and here's why:

 Kale is low in calorie, high in fiber and has zero fat. 

 Kale is high in iron.

 Kale is high in Vitamin K.

 Kale is filled with powerful antioxidants. 

 Kale is a great anti-inflammatory food

 Kale is great for cardiovascular support.

 Kale is high in Vitamin A.

 Kale is high in Vitamin C. 

 Kale is high in calcium.

 Kale is a great detox food.

Now - I love to be part of a trend as much as the next girl - but I just can't do the green sludge "juice thing"...

Liquid diets are not for me - well - not unless you added a lot of vodka.

 A Bloody Mary IS tomato juice right!?

And let me tell you - eating Kale in chip form is not to be recommended either.

Spying these in my local NY deli (for the wallet gauging price of $5:99) I thought maybe I could get my Kale fix in a salty; crunchy manner.

Er, Nope. 

Take my advice: if it looks like a scab and tastes like the bottom of a hamster's cage - put down the bag.

Clearly for me, the only way to go was to eat it in a salad.

And I did the other day at a great little place out in the Hamptons - LT Burger, Sag Harbor, NY. 

Drenched in a citrus dressing and served with candied walnuts; beetroots; avocado; and chicken, accompanied by a side of french fries. Yum.

And SO on trend. 

Until the next "big" thing.

In fact, I hear cauliflower is on a upswing ....

Have YOU tried it yet??

Breaking the rules in the spirit of Charles James

Photographing the exhibit at The Met was strictly forbidden and aggressively enforced, but I like to "color outside the lines" now and again, especially if it's for a good cause. 

Plus, it wasn't technically me who was doing it  - I had engaged my innocent looking ten year old daughter, who was more than excited to oblige. My little "fashionista" in training, she wandered around with her iPhone (flash off) and chose to capture what took her fancy.

And so it was that we channeled the very spirit of the truly revolutionary and rule breaking British designer, Charles James, to show you these images.

A man who in his heyday in the 1940's and '50's constructed the most technically brilliant and innovative couture clothing for the top tier of society ladies.

Who inspired a multitude of designers - including, most famously Dior's "New Look" - and has been endlessly copied and deconstructed since.

And as the exhibition makes clear,  didn't just design bespoke evening gowns either, but also invented "the quilted" jacket, and a multitude of other cuts and designs of outer wear.

Though widely celebrated and achieving fame and fortune in his lifetime, he nonetheless died penniless at The Chelsea Hotel, NY.

Don't you think my "secret" photographer did a great job?

And also following in my footsteps - check out her blog - www.tallgirlinuggs.blogspot.com

Hanging out, naked - at a Korean Bath House in Queens...

LED light therapy sauna 

It's a shame visitors to New York tend to stay in Manhattan, and miss out on some of the other neighborhoods. Sometimes the most fascinating places are off the island, in the outer boroughs of the city. 

One such place is "Spa Castle" - a 10,000 square ft Korean bath house and spa, located in College Point, Queens - in the shadow of the Whitestone Bridge.

I was taken there by a friend who's a "born and bred" NY city girl. Always open to new and interesting experiences, she's visited it many times and raves about the place.

Arriving for the first time at "Spa Castle", you might easily mistake it for a "Holiday Inn" or other mid priced motel - the building looks so nondescript. I was almost disappointed, but inside it's another story.

If you're up for a cross cultural experience - a kind of hybrid Korean/European spa in a New York City urban neighborhood - then this is for you.

The entrance fee is $40 for a weekday all day pass - which gains you access to all five saunas and the indoor and out door spa pools and jacuzzis. Parking is in a garage underneath the building and is free. 

First off, each guest is given an electronic locker key to be worn around the wrist like a watch, and which can be swiped to purchase food and drinks or other, additional spa services, like full body scrubs or massages. 

Once inside the changing rooms, you remove your shoes and lock them in a small locker. Your clothes and wallet and all electronic devices go in another one. You are now officially unplugged. The floor, like the rest of the place, is scrupulously clean, and everyone walks around bare foot. And that's not the only "baring" that goes on - but we'll get to that...

You are lent a couple of towels, and a "uniform" of pink T shirt and black shorts if you are female; blue T shirt and shorts if you are male. You must wear these if you are wandering around the five levels of the building; in the saunas or sleeping rooms or chilling out at the many different food service or bar areas.

If you are going to hang out in the co-ed indoor pool with the "swim up" cocktail bar (alcohol and non alcoholic options) or in the many different outside roof top heated pools or jacuzzis you must wear a swim suit. 

But this is what defines this place as different to your usual "American" spa - there are several indoor single sex pools - and these are where you must hang out naked.

It takes a little getting used to, being stark naked in front of strangers, but on my visit, all shapes and sizes of the female form were represented, so really there's no reason to feel too self conscious.

In this space too, you can get a full body scrub, where you are literally laid out naked on a slab and scrubbed within an inch of your life, by the look of it. I thought I might do that next time...

But more than anything, it was so nice to see the multi generational Korean families - Grandma; daughter; children, all enjoying the warm, bubbly water, and all in the "nuddy" there together. It kind of made me feel sad that our culture is often so prudish.

The beautiful interior of one of the saunas

Later, dressed in our uniforms, with our swim suits now underneath, my friend and I headed to try out the different saunas. There are detailed descriptions of the health and wellness benefits of each of the saunas posted - suffice it to say - we did it all.

The painted interior of the largest sauna

Next, we headed to the roof and bobbed about in the heated outdoor pools and jacuzzi and laid under the different water jets strategically placed to benefit the neck; back; shoulder.

At this point, feeling ready for some lunch, we chose to try some Korean shrimp dumplings (delicious), from an extensive menu of Asian offerings (Korean and Japanese). There is also a menu of "regular" American food items, if you prefer, as well as a Starbucks - if you really can't forego a caffeine fix.

One of the roof deck outdoor heated pools

Before we left for the day, we arranged a 30 minute private foot massage (for an extra $30) which was sublime. All I will say, is that when I'm filthy rich, I will have my feet massaged every day...

And you know, hopefully financial worries are a thing of the past. You see, I did spend quite a considerable time under the LED pale blue lamp in the "Light Sauna", restoring my "Prosperity"...

Don't you want to try it too?

Revisiting a denim trend

Over overalls? 

Done with dungarees? 

I don't think so. Get ready. You'll be spotting them a lot in 2014...Maybe you'll be wearing them too...

I started seeing them on the runways in the Spring collections last year. I thought maybe they'd be a little blip on the fashion radar. Wrong.

Another fashion throw back to the late '80's early '90's, along with retro sneakers and clompy flats, they are very "in" this season. 

All the "IT" girls are sporting them, with turn ups or not; dark or acid wash; and underneath - sleeveless tanks; blouses; long sleeve T's or nothing at all ...

Alexa Chung arriving in London 

SJP in NYC

Selma Blair in LA

January Jones in LA

And I think all these women look really great. Super cool.

But what about men? 

Should they jump on the unisex band wagon and wear them too? 

Um, NO.

Case in point, Ashton Kutcher, at the Coachella music festival this past week.

Yep. That's a NO.

What? What's that you say? But "Dexy's Midnight Runners" wore them in the '80's and they were sooo COOL. 

Yes. Maybe. But some things should be left as you found them.

Let's not go there again.

Anticipating The Met Gala 2014

Elle Macpherson - spectacularly and fabulously negotiating the Met Gala staircase in flats

The Met Gala is my Super Bowl.

Or maybe, a better analogy - my Grand National and Kentucky Derby all rolled into one. Well, we ARE talking frisky, high strung, long legged fashion fillies.

Fashionistas forced to negotiate a long flight of stairs in gowns and high heels; being blinded by flashbulbs; all the while trying to make it look effortless, might not exactly be a steeplechase - but it's not that much of a stretch. And seriously, it's much more fun to watch.

Like any sports fan, anticipation and excitement builds long before the actual event - at the beginning of the season really. The positives and negatives of each contender are endlessly discussed and meticulously researched; opinions are read; bets are placed. It's the same for me.

In fact, my mind starts to race, months before the actual event, held each year on the first Monday night in May.

But here's where the sports analogy fails and this is the reason the Met Gala is such a spectacular event to watch.

Each year the rules of the game change.

The theme of the Met Gala reflects the chosen subject or theme of that year's Costume Institute exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and one must dress accordingly.

This can go spectacularly awry, and many a thoroughbred has fallen at the first hurdle.

Take for example, Gwyneth Paltrow at last year's "Punk: Chaos to Couture", trying so hard to be clever by incorporating a slash and a "punk-ish" hot pink color, but looking instead like a Pepto Bismol preppy princess - and oh so very boring.

Or poor pregnant Kimye - who just wore her very own couch fabric and look liked one too. Or Madonna, who worse than being either "boring" or "tasteless" made the fatal fashion faux pas of turning up in a punk inspired Halloween costume. 

Ah, but those are but a few of the fashion fails. What about the winners? Those that adhere to the given year's theme, but pull off a look that is both fashion forward and beautiful? I give you as an example Sienna Miller in Burberry spiked jacket and headband the same year. Now, how cool is she? Sienna is first passed the post by a furlong.

And so, this brings us to 2014, and in stark contrast to last year, the Met Gala will be a tribute to the first couture designer of the fashion world: "Charles James: Beyond Fashion"-  a designer famous in the 1940's for his classically feminine and beautifully draped ball gowns...

The dress code for this event has already caused a stir amongst men, as it has been requested they wear "White Tie and Decorations" i.e. the most formal evening wear of white tie and tails and top hats. For women, floor length dresses will be a must.

But how to interpret this look without being too literal? And how to be elegant and modern? How to negotiate that super long staircase and not trip over your enormous dress?

How to give a nod of reverence to Charles James without looking like a giant cupcake? 

I'm on the edge of my seat...

Discovering Cape May, NJ

Cape May Lifeboat

Cape May Lighthouse - built 1859

If I ask you to think of New Jersey, or ask you to find some adjectives to describe it,  probably "pretty"; "ornate" and "quaint" would be the last on the list. Most likely you'd think of "loud"; "brash"; "tough"- I know I did too...

I bet you'd picture the fictional pop cult characters of the hit TV drama "The Sopranos" - Tony perhaps, cruising in his oversized SUV on the NJ Turnpike, hairy, bear like hand gripping the wheel, large gold pinky ring, smoke rising from his enormous cigar gripped between chubby fingers.

Or maybe you'd think of the bombastic and literally, as well as figuratively, larger than life NJ Governor Chris Christie.

Maybe the iconic, New Jersey born, blue collar musicians like Bruce Springsteen or Jon Bon Jovi, come to mind, and their anthems about working class heroes, industrial landscapes and their hard knock lives.

Or perhaps more likely the infamous "reality" shows like "Jersey Shore" or "Jersey-licious" - with their over the top, loutish characters, all tattoos and greased back hair.

Then, like me, you'll be surprised to find, there is also a quiet and genteel side to New Jersey too. In fact, there are attractive and historic little towns dotted about the state.

One of the best of these is Cape May, NJ, situated at the most southern tip. Located at Exit Zero on the Garden State Parkway, it is a Victorian beauty on the NJ coast.

Established in 1857, it is America's oldest sea side resort. The whole town is designated a National Trust protected historic district. There are over 600 Victorian buildings there - stunning, fanciful, gingerbread houses painted in pastel shades with intricately carved porticos and balustrades. Today a large number of the residences have been transformed into Bed & Breakfast places; of course many Victorian buildings were constructed as hotels in the first place. Invariably they have imposing and elegant wraparound porches, and are furnished with wicker sofas and porch swings, perfect to lay upon and take the sea air.

Ornate Victorian balcony

The Congress Hall Hotel

Victorian beauty with mansard roof

Reception at Congress Hall Hotel

In the summer season, you can take street tours of the best historic houses, either in horse drawn carriages or vintage style trolley buses. 

There is a small pedestrian shopping area in the center of town lined with little boutiques selling jewelry and knick knacks and antique white lace; a classic traditional fudge shop; a 1950's style soda shop too.

The expansive, award winning, white sandy beaches are gorgeous, and you can watch dolphins from the shore. If you feel energetic, climb to the top of the Cape May lighthouse at Cape May Point State Park and admire the view for miles of the ocean and the bay.

In other words, if you want a little break from the speed and craziness of every day life, this is the perfect place in which to decompress. It's a journey back in time, and an unexpectedly beautiful side of New Jersey, that plays against the stereotype.