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| Lifestyles Pomp and circumspect BY michelle andrews Image and reality. Even if their exuberance was irrational, people still want to live large. "The consumer is saying, `I'm not going to do without. But if I have to cut back, I don't want to look like I'm doing it,' " says Marshal Cohen, copresident of NPD Fashionworld, a market research firm in New York. Just ask Maggie Edwards. The promotion manager for Wired magazine admired a necklace made of a triple strand of rose quartz, priced at $3,000 in various shops. She got a nearly identical piece for $400 from Femmegems, a store that opened just last November in Manhattan's trendy Nolita neighborhood (212-625-1611, or femmegems.com to place a Web order). At Femmegems, patrons mix and match semiprecious stones to create a look all their own, at a fraction of the regular retail price. "People might bring in something they found in an ad for Bergdorf's for $10,000," says Lindsay Cain, the founder of Femmegems. "We'll figure out how to do it for $300." That's why Edwards is now a regular. "In this economy, you may not want to go out and buy a $1,500 suit," she says. "But with accessories you can buy something new and fresh without making a major investment." Department stores like Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor, and Saks have tried to capitalize on accessories' growing appeal by moving these departments to the main floor so customers pass through when they enter the store. |
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