With Memorial Day upon us, we decided to ask upscale swimwear designer Susan Elizabeth Hubbard to find a cheap-yet-stylish beach outfit.
Hubbard’s sexy suits – which are detailed with touches like ribbons, gold hardware, ostrich feathers, embroidery and lace – range in price from $250 to $700, and are available exclusively at DeCollage in SoHo.
Actress/singer Taryn Manning and rapper Lil’ Kim love Hubbard’s stuff, and pop star Kylie Minogue recently asked for one of everything in Hubbard’s current line.
“My girl is a lounge girl,” says the 26-year-old Hubbard. “She wears my suits to the Shore Club [in Miami], or to St. Tropez with her boyfriend – who is paying for everything.”
We’ll settle for Jones Beach – and for Old Navy, where we begin our search.
GOLDEN RULE: “Always go for something clean, and accessorize with items you can use over and over – that way, your money is not wasted.”
Old Navy
(503-511 Broadway; [212] 226-0865)
“If you’re going cheap, go for the most simple bathing suit that you can dress up with a gold necklace,” she says. “Then, it looks like a Chloe.”
Hubbard selects a standard black bikini; then we head to a fabric store to look for something that could double as a “classy” beach top.
Ben Raymond Inc.
(545 Broadway; [212] 966-6966)
After a bit of browsing at this fabric store, Hubbard spots a vintage lace tablecloth for $2.
“All you need is a safety pin, and [to] tie ribbon around it,” she says. “It will look like it costs $1,000.”
Hubbard now has $81.02 to buy accessories, so we head to the H&M across the street.
H&M
(558 Broadway; [212] 343-2722)
“It’s imperative to shield yourself from the sun these days,” says Hubbard.
She buys a pair of sunglasses, then snags a hip-hop style green visor.
It’s time to search for some heels at Daffy’s.
Daffy’s
(462 Broadway; [212] 334-7444)
While Hubbard’s “lounge girl” would clearly rather wear Manolos or Jimmy Choos, today she’s on a tight budget, and only about $20 is allotted for footwear.
Hubbard falls in love with a pair of striped clogs: “They look like Candies!” she exclaims.
Next, she stumbles across an Asian-motif straw umbrella, which she declares “the perfect find,” before cutting off her spending at Daffy’s to shop for jewelry at a nearby store on Broadway.
So Good Jewelry
(496 Broadway; [212] 625-9552)
This ironically named store specializes in fake Swarovski necklaces and sterling silver cuffs.
“I am such an accessories queen,” says Hubbard, who then asks the salesman to pull a “gold” necklace with rhinestones from its display space on the wall.
She gets it – along with a geometric gold bracelet.
All that’s left to buy is a belt. So we go to “Sex and the City” costume designer Patricia Field’s store.
Patricia Field
(10 E. Eighth St.; [212] 254-1699)
Hubbard has very specific advice when shopping here: “The biggest thing is not to overdo it,” she says. Remember: “It’s a museum of clubwear.”
She sifts through a bucket filled with accessories and fishes out a chunky gold lamé belt. “We’re going glam,” she says.
She also spots a polka-dot beach bag for just $2; she snatches both items.
Now, all we have to do is assemble the look.
Susan Hubbard’s showroom
(Greene Street, SoHo)
Hubbard takes the tablecloth out of the bag, folds it in half, then secures it with a safety pin to create a makeshift shawl. “You can also make it into a skirt,” she says.
Hubbard adds that having only $100 to spend forced her to become incredibly creative: “Stripes, polka dots, gold, lace and Asian fusion in one outfit,” she says. “I like it.”
Old Navy (bathing suit, $17.98)
(503-511 Broadway; [212] 226-0865)
Ben Raymond Inc. ($2 a yard)
(545 Broadway; [212] 966-6966)
H&M (sunglasses, $4.50; visor $2)
(558 Broadway; [212] 343-2722)
Daffy’s ($19.99 sandals; $4.99 umbrella)
(462 Broadway; [212] 334-7444)
So Good Jewelry (necklace, $6.99; bracelet, $4.99)
(496 Broadway; [212] 625-9552)
Patricia Field (vintage belt, $12; polka dot bag, $4)
(10 E. Eighth St.; [212] 254-1699)
Susan’s showroom
Greene Street, SoHo
Total cost: $79.44
