Windowlicker

As I wrote last fall, I was quite seduced by the retail experience in Tokyo. In New York, by comparison, high-end seems hit or miss. At Louis Vuitton, purchases are whisked away and returned wrapped after what used to seem like an annoying wait, but Hermes simply ruins it with stacks of boxes behind the register and a first floor full of cheap gewgaws (despite the arresting heliotrope purple gown so exquisite the mannequin called out for a laurel wreath). I stopped by Bottega Veneta on Saturday for some browsing with a friend and was genuinely surprised by how much they got it right -- soft lighting, neutral carpet, low furniture, unobstrusive staff, and the perfect playlist;  a lo-fi acoustic version of Amy Winehouse covering The Zutons' Valerie, followed by Massive Attack, Unfinished Sympathy, and the ethereal ambiance of Julee Cruise's Falling. All of the above combined to create an environment of sophisticated luxury so removed from the distasteful reality of the outside world that it seemed almost plausible that all that Ms. Winehouse needs to do is wash her hair (and upgrade her ballet flats). Well, at least for a moment.

[Bottega Veneta Ruched Satin Ballet Flats, $520 at Saks.com]

Windowlicker - from the French for window shopping: faire du lèche-vitrine - appears on Tuesday and Thursdays at 10am EST-ish.