Cheryl Shops

Often when I admire someone's coat, it's by Mackage. They're well designed and well made, fashion-conscious and yet timeless. In other words, everything you want a coat to be. During their sample sale this week, you can score one at 30%-50% off, a worthy investment no matter how you put it. Also available: fellow Canadian outerwear label Soia & Kyo. 3/15-3/18; 10-9 Th-F, 10-7 S-S; Chelsea Market, 75 9th Ave. (15th & 16th Sts.).

New York Fashion Week officially starts on a Thursday, but there are always shows the day before; in my case, I was invited to seven. So much for sticking to the calendar. Anyway, I take this day-before-the-official-start-date as an opportunity to ease myself into the Fashion Week schedule, and so I hit two low-key presentations that I was most interested in.

Mackage is probably best known for making strong, fashion-conscious, yet also timeless coats; they've eased into ready-to-wear in recent seasons, and, just like its outerwear, it perfectly toes the line between classic and current. It all seems designed to appeal to a wide range of people—not that there's anything wrong with that. Mackage stuck to a very neutral, if non-committal, palate of white, black, and beige, with nicely cut sheath dresses and slim pants. I was just starting to think of Mackage as the, well, beige of the contemporary market when I saw the look at right, which looks like it could've been designed just for me: a khaki motorcycle jacket with leather sleeves over a black dress with a pleated skirt (which is actually detachable). Who needs color when you can look this cool?

If Mackage is beige, then What Goes Around Comes Around is a psychedelic rainbow. A contemporary line designed by the owners of the eponymous vintage store in Soho. WGACA's shows take place at the Soho Grand, include free champagne (I can neither confirm nor deny whether I imbibed), and are produced by People's Revolution, thereby giving them a somewhat blasé downtown vibe. As for the clothes, they're equally off-kilter, but, much like the show, in a charming way. There were ponchos, maxi dresses, and, a trend that my inner Palm Springs doyenne hopes will come to fruition, caftans. What Goes Around Comes Around, indeed.

There's a fresh crop of pop-up stores, well, popping up all over Manhattan just in time for the holiday shopping home stretch. Here are the latest arrivals.

Just in time for the party season, Alisha Trimble's flirty frocks and handmade jewelry are on sale at Arrojo Studio on Saturday 12/12 from 10-5, 56 King Street (6th Ave. & Varick St.).

For the athlete on your list, you can find everything from $9.99 socks to $39.99 waffle tees up to super-high-tech jackets for $549.99 at the Under Armour pop-up shop. It's open now through 1/24 from 10-8 (11-7 Sun.) at 3 W. 57th St. (5th & 6th Aves.).

Find luxe, menswear-inspired gifts like silk and cashmere scarves, cashmere throw blankets, and stuffed animals at the Bryce & Co. pop-up shop. Hours are 11-8 M-Th and 11-9 F-Su at 92 Perry Street (at Bleecker St.).

Mackage makes some of the most flattering, chic, and yet still warm and comfortable coats around. They've moved on from the Meatpacking District and have opened a new pop-up shop in Soho. The new location is open through the end of December from 11-8 (noon-7 Sun.) at 148 Spring St. (W. Broadway & Wooster St.).

Finally, Twinkle by Wenlan is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a pop-up shop this weekend at Cadillac's Castle in the East Village. Expect to find fall clothing and bedding items, plus reissued classic pieces and limited-edition items created just for the pop-up store. 12/10-12/12; noon-6 Thurs., noon-8 Fri. & Sat.; 333 E. 9th St. (1st & 2nd Aves.).