Annie Hall & Me

During this time of year, New York City breaks out the "holiday" fairs in abundance. But these are not ordinary street fairs. No siree. It's as though Saks Fifth Avenue divided all of its departments into mini boutiques and moved them to the curb. I found a knit hat I liked at the holiday fair in Bryant Park. It was selling for a mere $20. I saw the same hat a couple of days later in the window of H&M. I went in to look at the price tag: $7.99. Fortunately (and uncharacteristically) I had not purchased the hat at the Bryant Park fair.

Nonetheless, you do get something at the street fairs that you don't get in the stores: compliments. I know for a fact (because every hat vendor at the fair said so) that I look good in hats. No wait, I look *great* in hats. I can wear *any* hat, and mind you, not everyone can. In fact nobody could wear *that* particular hat...except me, of course.

That sort of thing would never happen on a fashion tour, because the people with you are shoppers, not sellers. And those shoppers are your friends. You've spent hours together in very close quarters in your underwear. Those people will tell you the truth, as in "Run, don't walk, away from that pair of pants!" or "Not your color, honey." (Remember her?)

But some days you just need to believe the shysters, know what I mean? Check it out:









Whaddya mean it's blurry?