Contributing Blogger Joe Walsh gives us a fantastic tour of his home state...a fabulous fall trip to make while you pick up a few items for the fastly approaching holiday season. Stick with Joe: he knows his way around!With your base camp staked out in Wrentham Mass, take the chance to enjoy some of these side trips, all within reach on one tank of gas, which should allow you to stay within your holiday shopping budget.
Boston, Massachusetts - 33 miles
The Locale: Boston is New England 's cosmopolitan center of gravity: world class shopping, fabulous food, a quarter-million college kids and... Fenway Park . On Boylston Street , Lord & Taylor sits on a million dollar mile, attached to the ultra chic Prudential Center and Copley Square malls and right next to the brand Mandarin Oriental hotel.
The Look: One of fall’s toughest transitions for me is going from flip-flops back to lace-ups. Somehow, the same lightweight pants that looked great all summer over bare toes look a little different over cap toes. Make the transition a little easier by easing into fall with bare ankles.
I know, I know, we talked about colorful patterned socks above, but try going sockless with a pair of simple leather loafers and a button-down like Perry Ellis’ fall triple twill check shirt in basic blue for a look that retains some summer cool but is neat enough for Friday at the office, and Friday night at the bar.
Go Euro: Take a culture break in the courtyard at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum , a beautifully tranquil setting that has remained unchanged since the museum’s namesake created the museum in 1903. It is the closest you can come to Europe on this side of the Atlantic , and if you have someone on your shopping list for whom that Euro vibe is a fit, head on over to Uniform on Tremont Street where you’ll find great patterned cardigans with a continental feel from fall's Original Penguin line.
For the past ten years, Bostonians have been buzzing about Uniform’s South End setting, and the mix of boutiques and martini bars. So, finish the day off by heading next store to Beehive for a drink at Boston 's hottest bar.
Portland, Maine - 150 miles
The Locale: A funky urban enclave smack dab in the middle of salty seacoast Maine , Portland is earning a reputation as one of New England 's premier dining and shopping destinations. Commercial Street runs right along the water, and Fore Street is where you'll find a lot of the most well-known hotels, shops and restaurants, but the fashion forward should make haste to Wharf Street .
The Look: Paved with cobblestones and giving off a real straight-out-of Moby Dick fishing village vibe, Wharf Street is home to the nautically-themed boutique for local menswear line Rogue's Gallery. They are featuring some of fall’s best flannels and plaids to pair with khaki/twill pants or cords in earth tones.
Get Fat: On the way out of town, be sure to swing by Middle Street and grab an order of Duckfat’s signature fries in homemade duck gravy.
Northampton, Massachusetts - 98 miles
The Locale: At the end of a two-hour drive from Perry Ellis that will take you through some of the area's best foliage country, you'll find "NoHo," where the New England prep school aesthetic (think: “School Ties” or “Catcher in the Rye”) meets bohemian cultural ethic (think: Woodstock).
Boston, Massachusetts - 33 miles
The Locale: Boston is New England 's cosmopolitan center of gravity: world class shopping, fabulous food, a quarter-million college kids and... Fenway Park . On Boylston Street , Lord & Taylor sits on a million dollar mile, attached to the ultra chic Prudential Center and Copley Square malls and right next to the brand Mandarin Oriental hotel.
The Look: One of fall’s toughest transitions for me is going from flip-flops back to lace-ups. Somehow, the same lightweight pants that looked great all summer over bare toes look a little different over cap toes. Make the transition a little easier by easing into fall with bare ankles.
I know, I know, we talked about colorful patterned socks above, but try going sockless with a pair of simple leather loafers and a button-down like Perry Ellis’ fall triple twill check shirt in basic blue for a look that retains some summer cool but is neat enough for Friday at the office, and Friday night at the bar.
Go Euro: Take a culture break in the courtyard at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum , a beautifully tranquil setting that has remained unchanged since the museum’s namesake created the museum in 1903. It is the closest you can come to Europe on this side of the Atlantic , and if you have someone on your shopping list for whom that Euro vibe is a fit, head on over to Uniform on Tremont Street where you’ll find great patterned cardigans with a continental feel from fall's Original Penguin line.
For the past ten years, Bostonians have been buzzing about Uniform’s South End setting, and the mix of boutiques and martini bars. So, finish the day off by heading next store to Beehive for a drink at Boston 's hottest bar.
Portland, Maine - 150 miles
The Locale: A funky urban enclave smack dab in the middle of salty seacoast Maine , Portland is earning a reputation as one of New England 's premier dining and shopping destinations. Commercial Street runs right along the water, and Fore Street is where you'll find a lot of the most well-known hotels, shops and restaurants, but the fashion forward should make haste to Wharf Street .
The Look: Paved with cobblestones and giving off a real straight-out-of Moby Dick fishing village vibe, Wharf Street is home to the nautically-themed boutique for local menswear line Rogue's Gallery. They are featuring some of fall’s best flannels and plaids to pair with khaki/twill pants or cords in earth tones.
Get Fat: On the way out of town, be sure to swing by Middle Street and grab an order of Duckfat’s signature fries in homemade duck gravy.
Northampton, Massachusetts - 98 miles
The Locale: At the end of a two-hour drive from Perry Ellis that will take you through some of the area's best foliage country, you'll find "NoHo," where the New England prep school aesthetic (think: “School Ties” or “Catcher in the Rye”) meets bohemian cultural ethic (think: Woodstock).
The Look: Jackson & Connor - in the centrally-located Thorne's Marketplace - is a classic haberdashery, and should have some great sweaters on offer for Dad.
Or, pick yourself up a fall look that will carry over from this spring’s ubiquitous tan and white combination: find a crisp, white oxford button-down to pair with those same brown or beige pants and a pair of low-cut sneakers like Original Penguin’s Jingle or Harvey .
Lunch Break: You can grab lunch at one of dozens of ethnic cafes, including in the confines of the very authentic Moroccan/Mediterranean atmosphere at Amanouz Café on Main Street . And, if you are bringing the significant other along for the ride, plan on grabbing a cup of coffee, a good book and a comfortable chair before she heads into Faces, a great little indie-owned womens' clothing store behind a classic art deco facade.
Providence, Rhode Island - 25 miles
The Locale: Waterfire is one of the country's most creative and appealing ongoing public art installations, as a Providence artist lights more than 100 floating bonfires in the canals of the three rivers that run through the heart of the smallest state's biggest city. The best part is that parking at the Providence Place mall right off of I-95 will put you in striking distance of the show and great shopping.
And see the whole show while you shop Perry Ellis at Macy's, Original Penguin at Nordstrom, and a host of other great upscale shops.
The Look: Paisleys and other patterns add some texture to fall’s more muted palettes. Check Macy’s for Perry Ellis' printed gingham shirt and wear it under a basic blazer in a versatile color. The blazer is going to be your fall staple, you’ll be wearing it to work and it can do dressed-down double-duty on the weekend over something like Perry Ellis’ Concert Poster V-Neck Tee with a great pair of jeans. Original Penguin’s Donegan Jean at Nordstrom is a perfect medium blue wash: not too summer light, and not so navy that it blends in with the blazer.
Finish with Fries: The tour books will direct you to Federal Hill for an authentic Italian abbondanza, but a trip to Little Rhodie would be wasted if you skip Stanley 's Hamburgers in Central Falls . With these four side-trips under your belt, you should still be able to fit in one of the legendary burger joint’s onion burgers. And, after a long weekend spent shopping and dining on the best that New England , Perry Ellis and Original Penguin have to offer, the $3 bucks a burger price tag will fit just right.
Or, pick yourself up a fall look that will carry over from this spring’s ubiquitous tan and white combination: find a crisp, white oxford button-down to pair with those same brown or beige pants and a pair of low-cut sneakers like Original Penguin’s Jingle or Harvey .
Lunch Break: You can grab lunch at one of dozens of ethnic cafes, including in the confines of the very authentic Moroccan/Mediterranean atmosphere at Amanouz Café on Main Street . And, if you are bringing the significant other along for the ride, plan on grabbing a cup of coffee, a good book and a comfortable chair before she heads into Faces, a great little indie-owned womens' clothing store behind a classic art deco facade.
Providence, Rhode Island - 25 miles
The Locale: Waterfire is one of the country's most creative and appealing ongoing public art installations, as a Providence artist lights more than 100 floating bonfires in the canals of the three rivers that run through the heart of the smallest state's biggest city. The best part is that parking at the Providence Place mall right off of I-95 will put you in striking distance of the show and great shopping.
And see the whole show while you shop Perry Ellis at Macy's, Original Penguin at Nordstrom, and a host of other great upscale shops.
The Look: Paisleys and other patterns add some texture to fall’s more muted palettes. Check Macy’s for Perry Ellis' printed gingham shirt and wear it under a basic blazer in a versatile color. The blazer is going to be your fall staple, you’ll be wearing it to work and it can do dressed-down double-duty on the weekend over something like Perry Ellis’ Concert Poster V-Neck Tee with a great pair of jeans. Original Penguin’s Donegan Jean at Nordstrom is a perfect medium blue wash: not too summer light, and not so navy that it blends in with the blazer.
Finish with Fries: The tour books will direct you to Federal Hill for an authentic Italian abbondanza, but a trip to Little Rhodie would be wasted if you skip Stanley 's Hamburgers in Central Falls . With these four side-trips under your belt, you should still be able to fit in one of the legendary burger joint’s onion burgers. And, after a long weekend spent shopping and dining on the best that New England , Perry Ellis and Original Penguin have to offer, the $3 bucks a burger price tag will fit just right.
