Posted in Nightlife on September 24th, 2009 by Seph
Wow. Casa La Femme is a find. Deep in the West Village on Charles and Washington, it’s not the kind of place that you just happen to wander by. Translation: nice, cool crowd. Actually, nice looking crowd. The bartenders and staff are also gorgeous (verified by blackbook.com) and we haven’t even gotten to the belly dancer that was (ahem), really talented.
This picture doesn’t show the real atmosphere which is a bit darker and feels more intimate, especially after a few drinks. The place serves Egyptian food (which I did not try) and has a very ornate middle-eastern-north-african theme.
Yes, there is real grass on the ground. Yes, it is inside. No, I don’t know how they do that. There’s a nice bar area and a bunch of little booths and small tables surrounded by massive chairs. The martinis are amazing and there is a very, very long champagne list. Nothing is cheap, so come prepared to indulge. If you’re in the mood (you’re in the mood) they’ll also bring out the hookah for you.
This can make for a slick after work spot, earlier in the evening before it gets dark (and before it gets cold) because the entire front opens up to the outside. It is also really cozy in the back, and they are open late, so feel free to drop by around midnight. We left at 4am and it was still going on. If you’ve got a hot date (single or double) keep Casa La Femme in mind.
2009 is coming. Next Thursday actually. Yes, we are celebrating.
What you should wear on New Years Eve depends entirely on where you’re going and what you’re doing. Here are some ideas.
Lying Low – Nice Dinner (Not Our Plan)
If your NYE plans are to simply take your girlfriend out to dinner. NY Magazine suggests a nice black suit, white shirt and red tie. Very presidential really. We like this advice. If you’re going some place nice expect everyone to there to be looking their best and you need to make your date proud. Even if you didn’t twist your brokers arm to get you a table at Jean Gorges it won’t hurt to be looking extra sharp.
Lying REALLY Low – The Couch (Also Not Our Plan)
If you can’t be bothered to get out of the house for New Years Eve and are planning on staying at home alone (or with other miserable people), then it doesn’t really matter what you wear. We suggest either nudity, or a comfortable pair of sweat pants and white t-shirt.
Something Outside (Also Not Our Plan)
If you’re planning on going to Times Square to watch the ball drop with the mob your friends, About.com suggests you wear plenty of warm layers (hats, scarves, jackets) and comfortable shoes and socks. The last couple days it has been warm(er) in NY, but it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen next week. Don’t worry about looking good as much as being comfortable. Bonus tip: DO NOT let your girlfriend wear heels or you will be hearing about it all night.
The Scene (Also Not Our Plan)
You’ve already booked your table at the club. You’re planning on going through several bottles of Dom Perignon and Grey Goose. Justin Timberlake, Paris Hilton, or (insert celebrity) might be there and it’s going to be the best party ever. You’re not taking a date, but you have coordinated with several girl “friends” to be at the same club – anything could happen. If you’re prepping for this sort of scene you want to look the part. We suggest following Askmen.com’s advice and going with a leather jacket over a blue or eggplant dress shirt. Ignore their advice to wear leather pants though. Stick to a good fitting pair of slacks or consider a nice pair of dark washed designer jeans.
The Loft Private Cocktail Party (Yes, This is Our Plan)
Either a friend, a friend of a friend, or a friend of a friend of a friend has an apartment that can comfortably accommodate 50+ people and they’ve agreed to host a party. This could range from a catered all you can drink cocktail bar with professional DJ to a keg in the corner and someone’s IPod hooked up to a stereo. Regardless it will be fun. As the party varies so does the dress code, so be aware of what you’re getting into. Most likely your outfit should be somewhere between fancy dinner attire and the over-the-top-night-club. A good host will lay out guidelines in advance – like “black tie” to help their guests – so be respectful and dress according to the suggestions. Just do it better than everyone else. You will certainly want to wear a dress shirt. Possibly a jacket and or tie. The lighting will be better than at the club and you’re probably going to take your jacket off, so make sure your dress shirt fits you right and makes you look your best. We also suggest wearing a nice pair of shiny leather shoes. They won’t get destroyed as badly as they would in a club and people will notice.
Ok – now that you got the “what to wear” problem solved – move onto the much more important “who to kiss” problem. Sorry Proper Cloth can’t help you there – but we wish you luck.
Have any other plans, or know of any good parties? Let us know.
So, what can you do to keep your job? Hey, maybe even rise above the pandemonium and take advantage of the situation? The first step is to look at the bigger picture and recognize that this current “financial crisis” was not caused by external factors. It was not terrorists or elections that caused Goldman’s profits to plunge 70 percent this quarter. No, this financial crisis is the opposite end of a feedback loop fueled by the finance industry itself. The over-leveraged irrational-exuberance of 2004-2007 is coming back to haunt us.
As this realization comes into the collective consciousness, expect your employers to swing back (over-react) to policies of conservatism. In fact, right now as you are reading this, your boss is selling off his personal stock in IBM and buying bars of gold. Business strategies will also return to the basics. Cost cutting measures will be back in style and anything that hints at “excess” will be gone within a few months.
With this understanding, it’s time to properly equip yourself for survival. What does that mean? It’s time to blend in. All those loud, gaudy Thomas Pink Shirts with purple stripes and white collars – get rid of them. Those Platinum Dice Cuff Links – hide them where no one can find. Keep it simple the next few months with clean, basic white dress shirts. With Proper Cloth’s Straight Point Collar, and Classic Barrel Cuff, you can be the poster child for conservatism and basic business fundamentals. And of course with the Proper Cloth tailored fit, you’ll look sharp, self-aware and confident… and that could be just the edge you need to stay employed.
So, why not take a break from that deal-there’s-no-point-finishing-because-you-will-have-a-different-boss-tomorrow and check out Proper Cloth for a shirt that can really put you on the path to success.
The Proper Blog is a collection of our thoughts on fashion, design, business, life and staying proper.
Enjoy. And if you don't already know, Proper Cloth is a custom clothing label in New York specializing in unique, tailor fit men's dress shirts designed online and made by nice Americans in 4 weeks or less.
