Yesterday, there was an interesting NY Times article about new trends in retail store design. Namely, how some stores are eschewing big windows for more secretive look - and how Ruehl, an off-shoot of Abercrombie & Fitch for the post-college consumer, looks like a city townhouse. While there is Ruehl on Bleecker Street that sells accessories, most of the stores are in the suburbs. From the article:

Intrigued by a store they cannot see into, consumers walk in to solve the mystery and stay to shop, executives said. more ›

So, Alex Kuczynski of the NY Times went to the Town Shop for this week's installment of her Critical Shopper column, and she found out what many Upper West Side women already knew: She was wearing the wrong size bra (was she bragging?) and the Town Shop rocks. When you walk outside, it sort of looks like an old lady underwear store, with only girdles, but they actually do have a wide selection of sensible as well as sexy underpinnings. Kuczynski even worked with Eyvette, a personal shopper there who we've worked with (she's awesome!), and found out how to eliminate back fat from bra straps, giving the store high marks. Gothamist would like to add that Brief Encounters is great, too - it's on Columbus at West 71st; overall, it's much smaller but has a beautiful selection and wonderful service, too. We also recommend Bratenders, on Ninth Avenue at 45th Street; they are appointment only, but they do the undergarments for Broadway musicals, so if you've got a fancy event or wedding, they'll have what you need. more ›

The Times' Alex Kuczynski gives the local color, calling it an event in a "Federico Fellini-meets-Michael Bloomberg kind of way," which, as Gothamist understands it, means the night involved lots of adulterous men, hookers, clowns, and billionaires turned civil servants. Cool! more ›

Buy Groundhog Day on DVD. more ›