Spring St. (North Side, between Greene St. and Wooster St.)

More pictures from the evening of February 17 (yes, I took a lot of pictures during that session), heading west on the north side of Spring St. from Greene St. to Wooster St. Next time, I'll try not to take pictures during rush hour, as there was too much pedestrian traffic. Honestly, though, I'm not sure what the best time is to take pictures on Spring St. -- it's always crowded.

Here's the eastern window of Burberry, at 131 Spring St. All together, the outfit is fashionable enough in a uptight, upper-crust casual sort of way, and the long jacket would hide more egregious ass issues, but that high-waisted pleated pant with the belt and the skin-tight top looks specifically designed to highlight a poochy stomach. The knotted ropes holding up the placards are a nice nautical touch that meshes well with the store's preppy aesthetic.

Not a bad effort toward glitzy evening sparkle in Burberry's western window. The long "ties" are a little too busy when mixed with that long necklace, though, and I'm uncertain about the ankle boots. On one hand, I think the boots are kind of cute with the dress ending above the knee . . . but on the other hand, the boots also look like a businessman's black socks in that awkward, vulnerable moment just after he takes off his trousers.

This sepia-soaked, theatrical display of a decrepit tenement room is in Diesel's eastern window at 135 Spring St. I give them major props for the effort of building such an authentically squalid set, but I'm also reminded of the Derelicte fashion show in Zoolander . . . and of the Nine Inch Nails video for Closer. As for the apparel itself, well, there's not much here, really. That's a cool enough brown shoe on the chair, and the scarf hanging on the wall has some style. I'm not positive what item of apparel that scarf is paired with, though . . . could that be a long wifebeater with a hoodie? Or just a rumpled sack dress? This is why mannequins come in handy.

Another of the funky Diesel windows with their tenement set. I remember in my 7th Grade art class, my teacher told me to leave out all the wires and outlets from the baseboards, unless I wanted the room I was drawing to look specifically sordid and busy. So, here: specifically sordid and busy, but rather lovely in an Ashcan-school sort of way. I believe I already owned that shirt in 1986, when I was aiming for a cool New Wave look with touches of Goth. I guess that can come back.

The westernmost Diesel window, alongside the entrance. I do like their purposefully edgy and schlumpy aesthetic, but has anyone else noticed how surprisingly uncomfortable Diesel clothes can be? It's like they're factory-imbued with scratchy starch.

A street vendor's tables displaying skull-emblazoned beanies and scarves with roses. The booth appeared abandoned, with no actual vendor in sight. He was probably off keeping warm somewhere . . . it was frigid outside, and my hands were getting chapped holding the camera.

Ah, Chanel. 139 Spring St., on the Spring St. side. This is taken from the easternmost window, although these mannequins are in the center of the store, as though they were discriminating patrons themselves. Having money is the only excuse to wear that color. What is that color, anyway . . . coral? Clownfish? Clementine? I love the way the poster in the background appears to hover in the middle of the store, like an apparition of Ophelia floating by.

A Chanel purse and sunglasses. I say that flourichon on the purse is too much. Cute little planner, though. Mary J. Blige could rock those sunglasses.

An impressive goddess gown on the front mannequin in the westernmost Chanel window. The back mannequin is wearing the kind of power trousers that Chanel perfected.

Right outside the Chanel shop, this New Yorker and Vogue cover art street vendor has taken shelter in his car. I first saw New Yorker covers for sale at a street vendor's booth up by Central Park, and I was going to buy a few, but then I realized that they were just color printouts in cheap frames, so I made my own at home.

Wooster St. (East Side, between Spring St. and Prince St.)

Tuesday, February 10 was unseasonably warm here in SoHo . . . close to 65°F! Which meant that the neighborhood was jam-packed with shoppers, and I was doing a little back-and-forth, wait-to-shoot, wave-them-past sidewalk dance to take these pictures.

These shots were taken on the east side of Wooster St., heading north from Spring St. to Prince St. We're up to the glitzier stores in the village mall now.

Chanel, sweetie-darling, Chanel. 139 Spring St. These pictures are from the Wooster St. side only. Yes, they're absolutely fabulous, and reek of Patsy Stone. I do rather adore the man's houndstooth hat balanced on the femme's upsweep. The expression of the model on the right makes me think that Mrs. Dalloway decided to buy the flowers herself.

Ladies of a certain age, don't drool on your keyboard. Terribly difficult to clean.

That navy dress is gorgeous; love the stitching detail. And the white pants would look fantastic on Kelly Rutherford on Gossip Girl, although she would fill out that top much better.

You older gals, didn't I tell you what would happen if you didn't quit that messy drooling?

Eres, at 98 Wooster St. Please be wearing the giant panties! Although the affectless expression on the mannequins' faces makes this window look like a Stepford Wife showroom showcase.

More Eres. Those are happy, fun colors for swimsuits, but the headbands are rather awkwardly retro, and the mustard and ochre ones are just plain ugly.

The northernmost window of Eres. That's a pretty sexy bra to be wearing with those dowdy pajamas. I kind of like the Olympic-inspired swimsuit in the back. More stupid headbands. Really, they look like misplaced belts.

Quite safari, quite Kristin Scott Thomas. Although I like the lines of the hooded white raincoat in the back, especially with the big buttons, and paired with that red bag. Not sure what the point is of the high breast zippers on the jacket on the right. m0851, at 106 Wooster St, south window.

I'm coveting that raincoat on the left; elegant yet casual simplicity. Not loving the hooded leather jacket, especially not with a blue-gray messenger bag. The short, fitted white jacket in the back, paired with that red messenger bag, seems a little too British nurse, circa WWI. m0851, north window.

Ugh, I loathe that ugly sailor-tattoo V in the Korres window at 110 Wooster St. What does that have to do with homeopathic Greek moisturizer?

You're not allowed to wear any of the items in the São window (112 Wooster St.) until after you've had your first face lift. But I am not immune to the charms of the nubbly red jacket hanging in a picture frame; love that collar.

Okay. This is the southern window at multi-label Amalga, at 114 Wooster St. This is a store that prides itself on "Japanese niche brands and ultramodern pieces" with a "casual, goth-y rock & roll flair" . . . and that has to do with hanging rows of leather sausages how, exactly? I have to admit that the acid tag on the window does support the punk-Goth ambiance nicely.

I believe (from the lettering on the glass) that these are Thomas Wylde Resort Collection items in the Amalga northern window. I have to say, I rather love the Gothic flapper style. It's difficult to be both hard-edged and feminine, and these pull it off.

Heinous nastiness on the Tiffany-blue mannequins in the south window of Barney's CO-OP (116 Wooster St.). Let's see . . . smocky black-and-white kulottes? Flower/lepoard-print slutwear? A hippy gray gingham nightmare? Awful. But (up to) 75% off!

The northern window at Barney's CO-OP is infinitely better. Those sweaters are perfectly wearable.

I get that Giggle (120 Wooster St.) wants to show off their cute pink sheet sets, but that crib setup doesn't leave a lot of room for the baby . . . unless you want a princess-and-the-pea, falling-onto-the-floor sort of situation. Those big plastic babies are right on the edge of cute and horrifying, but I'm going to go with "cute" so I don't have nightmares.

All right, I can see the Twiggy '60s Mod thing working on the mannequin on the right in the tibi (120 Wooster St.) storefront, but what's the matter with the mannequin collapsed on the floor? I suppose the relaxed pose and embellished tank-top are meant to suggest a certain casualness, but I keep thinking she's going to burst into over-dramatic sobs.

Also at 120 Wooster St. is BCBG Max Azria, with frilly dresses in painful colors. Plus floating lime-green umbrellas.

A picture of the inside of the BCBG Max Azria store, taken through the open doorway. Is Falcon Crest back on the air?

Now that's a gorgeous yellow! Pleats Please Issey Miyake, at 128 Wooster St. It's hard to make a burnt orange happy and feminine, but these manage it somehow.

More happy springtime clothes in the corner window at Pleats Please Issey Miyake. I love the geometric bags. (Picture taken from Prince St. side.)

Another shot of the Pleats Please Issey Miyake storefront from the Prince St. side. While the first few hanging articles might be too busy (and loud), I adore that soft blue in the middle of the rack.