Nothing can stop your beloved Atticus editors! We’re slaving away just for you.

Inspired by a good friend’s musings on first date outfits (and okay, a little miffed I wasn’t consulted to weigh in on the subject) I set about conducting a serious scientific survey of my own, appeased by said friend’s promises that when she writes her ‘what to wear to make out in an alley’ post, I’ll be her first call.

Since I adhere to a strict anti-dating regime, many of my hang-outs happen spontaneously so I don’t have the benefit of knowing when I’ll run into friends who also happen to be boys. This week, however, I found myself in unfamiliar territory, panicked and stressed, not only because I had committed to an actual time and place but because all I really knew about the boy I was meeting was his seriously stylish aesthetics quite possibly surpassed my own. A text from my fashion advisor/life coach reassured me that showing up in anything other than my usual sartorial masterpieces would feel wrong, so I settled on a variation of my daily uniform: boots, dark denim, loose layered tanks, an oversized cardigan and 3 or 4 necklaces.

The responses from friends confirmed that the only thing to remember when selecting “hang out” attire is to wear what you love. I assumed the input from my fashionable circle would lead to the magical culmination of the perfect date ensemble, a veritable ‘nothing can possibly go wrong if you wear the following’, checklist. But tragically, all but one of the friends surveyed have been off the market for some time and I was forced to make do with what they donned for the first date with their now beaus. Phenomenal and reassuring, their answers solidified that it really doesn’t matter what you wear! Or at least it didn’t in these cases. Names are omitted to protect the fashionable.

• “Bop Basics dress with the ACNE Dolores top under it, leggings and boots because it fits really well and it’s not too scandalous.”
• “Well we were both bartenders so either black pants or a skirt and a Pokegama polo or white shirt.”
• “I don’t know, it was super ugly. I think a long white prairie skirt with a brown camisole I got in London. I can’t remember which shoes exactly, but they were flat sandals. Gold I think.”

Which then brings me to the friend who graciously supplied almost a powerpoint presentation including (but not limited to) a numbered list detailing where and when she purchased all items. Did I mention this date happened in 1995?

• “Black ribbed merino turtleneck sweater from Club Monaco, vintage Levi’s bellbottoms, de rigueur chunky black boots, an ill-fitting vintage velvet peacoat from Cheap Jacks and a Prada knockoff black nylon bag from French Connection.”

Obviously, we’re desperately in need of a brush up on date dressing, so please help us! What are your go-to pieces?

On Piece’s grand opening day, I’m at Atticus. Working all by myself. While everyone else gets to listen to Vinnie Toma and eat candy. Even though I’m not with the rest of the Atticus Girls at the new store, at least I’m looking cute. Today I’m wearing:

We’re thrilled to introduce the newest addition to our fashion family, Piece by Atticus!

The new brick and mortar store at 551 State Street in Madison, Wisconsin is only a few blocks from the Atticus you already know and love, but with one seriously major perk: every item in the store is priced under $100.

You talked and we listened. The response to item pieces and lower price points was overwhelming, so we’ve been slaving away (with much help from Mom and Pop Wild) to create a shop stocked with a quality, affordable, fashion forward assortment. In addition to discounted apparel from Atticus, Piece will carry contemporary brands like House of Harlow 1960 jewelry, new men’s denim line Comune and luxe basics from LNA and T by Alexander Wang.

Can’t control your excitement? Read more here and join us for our grand opening party this Saturday, February 20!

Although she could easily be mistaken for an Upper East Side lady of leisure, Shayna Miller is Madison to the core. As Style Editor of Madison Magazine, she’s an authority on all things retail, dishing about eclectic offerings and diverse shopping venues that make up this fair isthmus. An advocate of locally owned independents and champion of sartorial individualism, her voice is every bit as unique as her editorials.

Bag?
Aldo

What’s in your bag?
Kleenex, phone, reporter’s notebook, digital camera, pouch full of lipglosses, giraffe-print pouch full of other essentials (Band-Aids, Bath & Body Works sanitizing hand gel, eye drops, etc) wallet, sunglasses, hand lotion, purse clip, iPod Shuffle, receipts (um, I shop a lot), coupons (I shop a lot), snack bar, business cards, gum, Listerine pocketpack strips and a mac and cheese recipe from the Old Fashioned (run last year in Madison Magazine, no less) that I’m dying to make. I’m actually quite organized and don’t like to carry around a lot of unnecessary things!

Where and when was it purchased?
Aldo in October

How much does it weigh?
No idea, maybe around 7 pounds? Ugh, that’s a lot. And to think I could fit even more in that bag…

Most & Least Expensive item in the bag?
The credit card can BUY the most stuff, but probably the digital camera. The least expensive is the 99 cent Suave hand lotion.

Any items not yours?
I have a greeting card I’m giving someone that I’m holding on to! I also have business cards from contacts that were given to me at various events.

Biggest thing ever in your bag?
I have this creepy cat umbrella I got at a rummage sale for $1. It even has this weird wooden handle in the shape of a cat face. So, I’ve stuffed it in the bag before.

When do you carry it?
Pretty much all of the time–though I’ll sometimes switch it up with a smaller clutch for night, like my favorite magenta one I bought from Atticus! I don’t like to lug around a large bag at night. It’s all about matching the outfit at that point.

Favorite spots in Madison to take it?
Shopping, out to dinner, the movies, the Comedy Club, anywhere I’ll be hanging out with friends.

Favorite places to shop for a bag in Madison?
Anywhere that’s locally owned—although mine is from Aldo—I couldn’t let it go once I spotted it; I had to have it because of the color! Locally, dependable handbag shops include: Patricia Shoppe, Dazzle, The Purple Goose, bop and Atticus.

Where would you never take it?
Sporting events like a UW football game or Brewer game, it’s too bulky and gets in the way—I guess it being seven pounds doesn’t help!

Oddest thing ever in the bag?
I don’t think this is odd but the people who haven’t seen it do: the purse clip I have unfolds and attaches to the edge of a table so you can hang your bag there! It’s fantastic—I highly recommend it. Another wacky thing: a photo on my camera of myself and Jamie Foxx. I met him this summer at his concert—I have a friend who knows him!

Farthest the bag has traveled with you?
Minneapolis, Minn., or Hayward, Wis.—that’s waaaaay up north (five hours)—I haven’t been on any trips since purchasing this bag since I just got it in October.

What do you wish you’d find in it?
Free money. A vacation gift certificate. Or, a gift certificate to any of the fine local retailers I write about all of the time! So fun.

How many other bags are currently in your rotation?
For work I have a brown patent shoulder bag by Loeffler Randall for Target. I love it. For nighttime I’ll carry a clutch. I have many iterations: snakeskin, a magenta one from Atticus, gold pyramid-studded, silver, black patent with a bow, Anya Hindmarch for Target nude and gold, a Coach wristlet, brown and red quilted patent, and I just bought a teal satin ruched one that goes perfectly with a teal necklace I own.

What’s your dream bag or the one you’re eyeing next?
I was reading InStyle the other night and spotted an Urban Expressions studded gray shoulder bag that I LOVE (it comes in turquoise too…beautiful). If money were no object I covet Marc Jacobs royal blue studded “Stam” handbag or any number of handbags from shopbop.com.

What’s the one piece of clothing you can’t live without?
You’re asking the wrong person: everything I have in my wardrobe has a purpose…but, I guess I’ll say for winter my skinny jeans because they go with everything including flats, heels and boots and for summer cute, floaty sundresses are my thing. They’re low maintenance. For accessories I can’t live without gold jewelry, including my gold boyfriend watch and gold hoops that I wear every day.

Justification #1: The first shipment of Alice by Temperley is in, and this piece is by far my favorite!

Justification #3: This line gives the quality and details Alice Temperely is known for, at a price point that everyone can love.

Justification #1: The first shipment of Rag&Bone/Jean is also in! We’re one of the first to have it up online…proving yet again that nice girls finish first.

Justification #2: The stiletto bootcut is perfect for wearing over your favorite booties without being reminiscent of ever-so-popular 2002 move of bootcut Sevens over hideous pointy-toed heels.

As the countdown to the premiere of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland continues, we’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of a different Alice. Alice by Temperley. With her own ability to add edgy details to a whimsical story, Alice Temperley is well known for creating flirty frocks and infusing her collection with sharp silhouettes like studded jackets and leather skinnies. Her new diffusion line, Alice by Temperley, places a piece of her world at an accessible price point with no shortage of covetable looks. Inspired by girls-of-the-moment in London, the tiger print dance skirts and Victorian blouses cinched with pirate belts really do remind us of a collection that fell into a rabbit hole in Mayfair and landed somewhere in the East End.

I’m forgoing my usual deep thoughts for the week to pay homage to one of fashion’s true talents. Alexander McQueen’s death will leave a gaping hole in an industry starved for exactly his brand of outlandish genius. Especially now, when many designers are forced to choose between bottom lines or artistic vision, he never concerned himself with playing it safe. He was a rule breaker, but also the kind of man who, when asked in an interview with his mother, answered that love makes his heart skip a beat.

His innovative imagination and seemingly limitless talent churned out brilliant, truly astounding collections season after season. His moving, controversial, fantastical interpretations of modern aesthetics were what fashion is really about. Loved or hated, the designs were deeply emotional and brought even the most jaded back to that visceral gut feeling reminding us why we fell in love with this industry in the first place. Viewing his collections, suddenly we were all 8 years old again, staring wide-eyed, minds racing with an aching desire and passion that no matter how many words spilled, could never be articulated.

Editor of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman sums it up,

“at one level he was a master of the fantastic, creating astounding fashion shows that mixed design, technology and performance and on another he was a modern-day genius whose gothic aesthetic was adopted by women the world over. His death is the hugest loss to anyone who knew him and for very many who didn’t.”

He will be missed.