Comptoir des Cotonniers
Neighborhood: SoHo
Type of Place: Women's Clothing
Description:
Wedding season! I am one who makes it my business to attend as many of the weddings I'm invited to as possible; if you're gonna go through the effort of planning a wedding and you have chosen to invite me, I'm gonna do my best to be there. This year I'm up to four accepted invites so far: Congratulations to Marlyse and Jesse, Denise and Jon, Aileen and Michael, and Andrew and Priscilla!
With the wedding invites come the questions: What to give? If out of town, where to stay? And, of course, what to wear? In these times, a new, formal, and expensive wedding outfit is hardly practical, unless you can wear the same outfit to all your weddings (and you probably can't). But last week, I happened on just the shop for this concern. Light, airy, friendly, and trés chic, it offers gorgeous basics that not only can go from day to night but will suit both office and wedding! Practical, beautiful, and reasonably priced: What's not to love?
The line of Comptoir des Cotonniers (loosely translated as "Place to buy your cottons") began in France in 1995, and the SoHo shop is the NYC flagship. Feminine and delicate but wearable, these clothes feature lovely textures and prints and classically elegant style. I was utterly taken by what I saw on the racks: a swiss-dotted white cotton blouse ($95; pair with a pencil skirt or slacks for the office and a fuller gypsy skirt for the wedding); a cornflower-blue cotton tunic with front pleats ($120; with slacks for the office and maybe a long skirt for the wedding); a misty grey cotton blouse with gorgeous, delicate fabric buttons ($105; with, perhaps, black slacks for both office and casual wedding!); a grey-and-white print strapless blouse with delicious pink roses ($155; jacket on for office, off for wedding); a sleeveless white silk blouse with a cowl neck and black polka dots ($135; tailored skirt or slacks for office, festive for wedding—you get the idea! Also available in a dress, for $200); a smock-like coral-colored jersey viscose dress ($155; perfect for wedding or office—just change the shoes from lower to higher heel!); and perhaps my favorite of all: a smart silk dress in a print of white and cherry red ($175; also in a blouse, $120; and perfect for just about any temperate day that you're hoping to enjoy). Pure fashion-staple bliss.
To highlight the clothes' versatility, the line is running a terrific campaign featuring real-life, non-model moms and daughters wearing these designs. The campaign is charming, and I love it—but when they're looking for the next idea, perhaps Office to Wedding will work. Not too many places could outfit you wonderfully for both. A toast to the bride, the groom, the office, the wedding, and a wardrobe that does it all. - Pamela Grossman; June 8,2010
Comptoir des Cotonniers
155 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 274-0830
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