Bostonista loves many things about Intern Liz : her smarts, her sunny attitude, her willingness to run out in the cold and round up items for photo shoots. But we’re not going to lie…we mostly like her for her expertly applied eyeliner.

It’s a just-thick-enough, seemingly smudge-proof line that punches up her indie/au naturale look and makes her eyes look Bambi-esque. After three separate editors commented on it, we decided to go straight to the source. (One more reason to love her: She does our blog posts for us!) (more…)

I have a winter coat with a big furry hood that I wear all the time. The fur is fake, but it looks very real.

A few weeks ago, my four-year-old niece Morgan took one look at my hood and said, “Is that Bojangles on your head?” (She was referencing to my old family cat that passed away).

But who can blame her? It looks and feels like real fur. As it turns out, maybe it is. (more…)

Alpha Omega stores remained closed today, four shopping days before Christmas. At the Natick store, posted signs read ‘Closed for Inventory,’ but stores at other locations displayed nothing but darkness. Shoppers peering into the Harvard Square location reported empty display cases.

Bankruptcy attorney Richard E. Mikels of Boston firm Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo—who told Bostonista he was retained by the company three weeks ago—could not comment on when, or if, stores might reopen, what has happened to items left in Alpha Omega’s possession for repairs, or whether or not customers will ever get those items back. Mikels added that he expected Raman Handa to return to the U.S. “within a few weeks.” (more…)

Just moments after Pete the Boston mag mailroom guy dropped off today’s mail at our desks—and before we had time to actually open any of it—we and other members of the Boston media received this email from an anonymous aol address, with no traceable IP address: (more…)

Phoning in from the Pru, gymrat71 reports that the lights are out at the Alpha Omega outpost there. Calls to stores in Burlington and Harvard Square went unanswered. At the brand new Natick Collection boutique, voice mail told us it was no longer accepting messages. Handa’s own cell phone is live, but no one picks up.

We’ve also learned a little more about Handa’s financial situation. (more…)

Late yesterday afternoon, Bostonista obtained a copy of a memo addressed to ‘The Alpha Omega Team,’ dated December 19 and issued by Robert A. Joy, the Human Resource Director for the company. (Joy hasn’t returned our call seeking comment).

The memo, after the jump: (more…)

Style-strapped locals often look to Bostonista for advice on a wide range of topics, such as what to wear, how to decorate, and which area hotel to visit for an afternoon tryst (seriously).

This week Harold* wrote:

Dear Esteemed Fashion Expert, I’ll be spending Christmas at my girlfriend’s parents’ home, and am dreading it. The problem isn’t her parents, who are lovely people but rather her parents’ bodies and the soap that rubs all over them. There’s only one shower, and only one bar of soap in that shower. I don’t want clean myself with the same soap that they’ve rubbed all over themselves.

In the past, I’ve just stood under the water for a prolonged period of time. Once, I even tried using the shampoo as body soap, but it left an uncomfortable residue. Is there a way around this slippery situation? (more…)

Over the past few weeks, rumors of financial strife and internal chaos have swirled around Boston-based, nationally renowned jewelers Alpha Omega. Now we hear that owner Raman Handa has quickly and secretly fled the country, taking with him his entire family — including son Amit and daughter Nidhi, both visible faces for the company — and leaving behind 4 stores, what must be millions of dollars worth of inventory, confused employees, and even the family dog. (more…)

In the spirit of Bostonista’s bout of TMI, I test drove some rather festive underthings.

A bit of background before we begin: I never wear thongs. Ever. Unlike the rest of our style team, I find them awkward, slightly skanky, and perpetually uncomfortable. Plus, I’ve always reasoned, the careful ogler can still see a VPL, it’s just higher up and, typically, lacier.

But earlier this month, I had a revelation while watching the Salvatore Ferragamo fashion show at the ICA. One of the models was wearing a tight, silk black skirt and… grannies. Her underwear line pretty much killed the outfit (not even a pair of $700 shoes could save it). I realized, after a rather smug “I told you so” look from a fellow Bostonista, maybe my boyshorts weren’t cutting it. (Or, more to the point, were cutting it.)

(more…)

Choosing a bridal gown is stressful enough, but just wait until you have to find one dress to flatter six women. Six women with six varied skin tones, hair colors, and body shapes, no less. I began the bridesmaid dress search for my late spring beach side wedding months ago. While I wanted the entire bridal party to like the dress I chose, I knew the chances that everyone would be happy were slim to none.

But Aria Bridesmaids at 39 Newbury St. confronts this potential crisis head on. (more…)