Sunday Spotlight: Rachel Raczka
In this week’s Boston’s Sunday Spotlight, we hit up Rachel Raczka, beauty & style writer for the Boston.com & Boston Globe, for some great first date fashion tips & awesome date ideas in Boston.
So how does one begin a career in the glamorous world of fashion & beauty? Rachel’s first job was at Inc. Magazine, interviewing for beauty & fashion entrepreneurs. Since then she has written beauty & fashion for major publications & media houses such as NBC, Time Out and AOL covering & interviewing household beauty & fashion names such as Kate Spade, Isaac Mizrahi, and Ivanka Trump.
When asked to describe her fashion style, Rachel says “A striped boatneck, an amazing heel, and a clean swipe of lipstick.” Simple & Classy.
To keep up with her latest & greatest, follow Rachel on twitter @rachelraczka
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1.Could you recommend this summer’s best “first date look” for our ladies?
For day dates, I love little jersey dresses — they’re simple, comfortable, and can be super sexy while still leaving a lot to the imagination. This fun drape front striped dressfrom Gap can be easily dressed up or down with a few simple accessories. I like this with an easy pair of low wedges (cobblestone streets and stilettos just don’t get along ladies, just accept it), a skinny belt in a bright color, and a wristful of <a “””href=”http://www.shopbop.com/rita-bangle-set-zeffira/vp/v=1/845524441940337.htm?folderID=2534374302060428&fm=other-shopbysize-viewall&colorId””” =10186″ target=”_blank”>bangles.
Finally, I love a good swipe of bright lipstick to add a bit of glow to the face. Tone down the rest of your makeup but a sweet soft coral like this one by Make Up For Ever (#N41 Watermelon will keep him wondering).
2. Great! For our gentlemen?
I think one of the smartest investments a guy can make is a great fitting pair of jeans in an appropriate day-to-night wash. I’m a big fan of APC denim on men. They’re classic, they’re simple, and they’re built to last. Barneys has a great selection of the New Standard in a variety of washes or you can grab a pair online from APC.fr.
Fred Perry on Newbury and the J.Crew Men’s Shop in Copley are also both safe bets for day date staples. They’re always full of dapper dudes that are knowledgeable enough to put any wary shopper into a fitted shirt that suits them. I dig a fresh and unexpected stripe like this one by Saturdays Surf x J.Crew ($108 at J Crew.com) for the summer. A boat shoe is an un-fussy footwear choice (these Jack Spade ones made in collaboration with Maine-based Rancourt & Co. are awesome, $250 at 129 Newbury St. ) and I’m always a sucker for a weekend tie (I’m obsessed with this chambray one by R.C.P., $75 at ReadsClothingProject.com).
3. What is your idea of the best Sunday date in Boston?
The ICA recently opened a new exhibit featuring the work of Josiah McElheny, a locally-bred artist who works primarily in glass and mirrors, as an extension of his permanent piece at the museum, “Czech Modernism Mirrored and Reflected Infinitely”. I’ve deemed the exhibit (named “Some Pictures of the Infinite”) the Chihuly of this summer because it’s incredibly accessible and beautiful even if you don’t know anything about art.
After the museum, the Waterfront is a fantastic area to not feel like you’re trapped in the heat of the city but still have easy access to plenty of dining and activities. Quick bites to eat that are easily affordable include the always-room-for-more Flour where BLT is easily one of my top 10 sandwiches of all time, or the simple bar bites available at one of the many dockside joints where I swear the view makes up for the lack of culinary creativity.
Want to wrap things up? Drink is a classic option for cocktails that keep conversation flowing and the evening going. However, if all else fails — Louis Boston is just around the corner for post-date dread and some seriously deserved retail therapy.