Contrary to what my daily wardrobe might suggest — you can usually find me in a pretty predictable ensemble of lululemon leggings and a Bari top — I love fashion. Since starting Bari, I’ve had to get creative about how to maintain my personal style while prioritizing function (in other words, spandex is mandatory). Enter: fitness fashion — clothing that melds high fashion trends with fitness function. Win, win — right?

Lately, I’ve been inspired by the punk rock trend that has infiltrated the fashion scene this fall — and I’m tackling it full force.

After visiting the Punk: Chaos to Couture exhibition at the Met this past summer, I’ve been fully afflicted with punk fever and the rebellious aspect of this avant-garde ideology. Punk sub-culture is fascinating; everything from its anti-establishment views and the promotion of individual freedom is empowering, inspiring and across-the-board badass. Individuality with a side of kick ass? We’re obviously on board at Bari.

As workout gear becomes more fashion forward — pushing the bounds of fitness expression and making it harder to draw the line between workout gear and standard clothing — it gives me great peace of mind knowing that people might not notice that I wear workout attire 90 percent of the time. In celebration of punk culture and badass individuality, I’ve rounded up my favorite items that motivate me to sweat, kick ass and feel a little rebellious in the classroom.

1. Anti Gravity Bra, $85. To those (like me) who probably own more sports bras than regular ones, meet your new buse (boob muse). Exuding punk characteristics, this contemporary yet sporty bra is something you could have rocked out to a Sex Pistols show back in the 70’s.

2. Vortex Tank, $95. A girl can never have enough tanks, but this one in particular is the definition of bad to the bone.

3. Isis Bodysuit, $250. If Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” taught you anything — and who are we kidding? of course it did — it’s that strutting around in a black bodysuit is always a great idea (especially if you want him to put a ring on it).

4. Gauntlet Arm Warmers, $70. Out of the many things to thank Madonna for, we should be most grateful for putting arm gloves back on the radar. On those cold winter days that are quickly approaching, layer these on to keep wARM. (Get it?)

5. Psyche Leggings, $195. If only we had an audience to Bari to… These pants literally make me want to jump off a stage and crowd surf into the imaginary masses. (If you see me in class in these pants, be forewarned. I can’t promise I won’t attempt this.)

6. Coot Shorts, $220. An ode to the genius that managed to create a short out of garbage bag-esque material and make it look damn cool. Pair with Isis Bodysuit for a killer outfit.

Photos via brand websites

Contrary to what my daily wardrobe might suggest — you can usually find me in a pretty predictable ensemble of lululemon leggings and a Bari top — I love fashion. Since starting Bari, I’ve had to get creative about how to maintain my personal style while prioritizing function (in other words, spandex is mandatory). Enter: fitness fashion — clothing that melds high fashion trends with fitness function. Win, win — right?

Lately, I’ve been inspired by the punk rock trend that has infiltrated the fashion scene this fall — and I’m tackling it full force.

After visiting the Punk: Chaos to Couture exhibition at the Met this past summer, I’ve been fully afflicted with punk fever and the rebellious aspect of this avant-garde ideology. Punk sub-culture is fascinating; everything from its anti-establishment views and the promotion of individual freedom is empowering, inspiring and across-the-board badass. Individuality with a side of kick ass? We’re obviously on board at Bari.

As workout gear becomes more fashion forward — pushing the bounds of fitness expression and making it harder to draw the line between workout gear and standard clothing — it gives me great peace of mind knowing that people might not notice that I wear workout attire 90 percent of the time. In celebration of punk culture and badass individuality, I’ve rounded up my favorite items that motivate me to sweat, kick ass and feel a little rebellious in the classroom.

1. Anti Gravity Bra, $85. To those (like me) who probably own more sports bras than regular ones, meet your new buse (boob muse). Exuding punk characteristics, this contemporary yet sporty bra is something you could have rocked out to a Sex Pistols show back in the 70’s.

2. Vortex Tank, $95. A girl can never have enough tanks, but this one in particular is the definition of bad to the bone.

3. Isis Bodysuit, $250. If Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” taught you anything — and who are we kidding? of course it did — it’s that strutting around in a black bodysuit is always a great idea (especially if you want him to put a ring on it).

4. Gauntlet Arm Warmers, $70. Out of the many things to thank Madonna for, we should be most grateful for putting arm gloves back on the radar. On those cold winter days that are quickly approaching, layer these on to keep wARM. (Get it?)

5. Psyche Leggings, $195. If only we had an audience to Bari to… These pants literally make me want to jump off a stage and crowd surf into the imaginary masses. (If you see me in class in these pants, be forewarned. I can’t promise I won’t attempt this.)

6. Coot Shorts, $220. An ode to the genius that managed to create a short out of garbage bag-esque material and make it look damn cool. Pair with Isis Bodysuit for a killer outfit.

Photos via brand websites

We’re not players. We just crush a lot. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.) In our Bari Crush blog series, we’ll introduce you to the people, companies, products and services that inspire us. Today, we’d like to introduce you to Duane Littles Eyewear.

We sat down with Duane to learn all about his one-of-a-kind, vintage eyewear line, and we can’t wait for you to get to know him! Already in love with the sunglasses? We’ll be hosting a Duane Littles Eyewear trunk show at Bari Tribeca this Saturday, October 19th, from 10 a.m to 12:30 p.m.

What inspired your Duane Littles Eyewear collection?

Duane Littles Eyewear is a reflection of my personal style. My love for all things vintage spurred my desire to sell vintage eyewear. There is a very distinct look and feel that you get in vintage clothing, eyewear and furniture that you don’t get in most modern mass produced items.

Give us a little back story. What were you doing before you ventured into fashion and designing?

I had been working professionally in entertainment for approximately 10 years before adding eyewear to the mix. In 2006 to 2007, I developed and produced a TV Pilot for Comedy Central. Initially my idea was to just write and sell a few scripts, but one project went full circle. I produced and financed the pilot and went broke in the midst of all of the excitement. So I scoured help wanted ads to look for a way to inflate my then-deflated bank account. I happened upon a position for a stylist for an expanding luxury division of an eyewear company. I was intrigued! I interviewed, got hired and went through some of the most intense and best training that I’d ever had. The company was ILORI, and now six years later, I am extremely happy that life took me in that direction. I didn’t even know that I had a thing for eyewear! Entertainment and Fashion. The perfect marriage.

What pushed you to take it from concept to product?

When I acquired my first round of vintage frames I IMMEDIATELY fell in love! Part of me wanted it to be my little secret, but I knew that I had to share them with the world.

What goes into sourcing and designing a pair of Duane Littles glasses? What is the creative process?

I have several distributors that I work with nationally and internationally. First, I decide what styles I need to add to my collection, and then I look at what offerings are available through my network of distributors. Once I get an overview of the offerings, I narrow down my buy based on my gut reaction to the frames. It’s usually an instant love! Once I receive all of the orders, I compare the frames to the current collection to determine what colors the lenses will be. After that is decided, I take them to a local optical shop in Brooklyn to discuss the tint colors and BAM!

We imagine that picking your favorite pair of glasses must be similar to a parent choosing a favorite child - but can you give it a shot? Tell us about your favorite pair of glasses and the story behind sourcing it.

The search for the perfect pair of sunglasses can be somewhat challenging. One of the first distributors that I started
working with was an optical company based in Northern Africa. From them, I acquired a rare pair of Ray Ban’s from the early 80’s. Everyone that sees them is like, DAMN! They are the perfect pair of unisex sunglasses.

Anything else you’d like to share with the Bari Tribe?

Your search for the perfect pair of sunglasses should be fun. It’s like any other piece of your wardrobe, so that’s the way you should approach it. Different glasses for different looks, occasions or moods. Be open and just try it on! You may be surprised at the outcome.

Hope to see you at the trunk show on Saturday!

Photos via Duane Littles Eyewear

We’re not players. We just crush a lot. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.) In our ‘Bari Crush’ blog series, we’ll introduce you to the people, companies, products and services that inspire us. Today, we’d like to introduce you to Dikokore.

WHO they are: Dikokore is a socially-conscious bracelet company that uses fashion to empower women artisans and their communities.

WHAT they create: Fair-trade, environmentally-friendly handwoven bracelets made from grass and vibrant dyes; sourced directly from the women artisans of Dikokore, 15 percent of the company’s profits help fund and create sustainable development projects in the region.

WHERE they’re from: Dikokore is based in Dikokore, Benin and Los Angeles, California. All bracelets are produced in and imported from Dikokore.

WHY we love them: Fashion with a conscious? We couldn’t help ourselves. We fell in love with Dikokore’s bracelets before we knew their story. But after learning that the company’s mission is to sustain and empower the female Dikokore community through socially-responsible retail, there was no going back.

HOW to support them: Learn more about Dikokore here, and shop their online store here.

Photos via Dikokore

We’re not players. We just crush a lot. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.) In our ‘Bari Crush’ blog series, we’ll introduce you to the people, companies, products and services that inspire us. Today, we’d like to introduce you to Dikokore.

WHO they are: Dikokore is a socially-conscious bracelet company that uses fashion to empower women artisans and their communities.

WHAT they create: Fair-trade, environmentally-friendly handwoven bracelets made from grass and vibrant dyes; sourced directly from the women artisans of Dikokore, 15 percent of the company’s profits help fund and create sustainable development projects in the region.

WHERE they’re from: Dikokore is based in Dikokore, Benin and Los Angeles, California. All bracelets are produced in and imported from Dikokore.

WHY we love them: Fashion with a conscious? We couldn’t help ourselves. We fell in love with Dikokore’s bracelets before we knew their story. But after learning that the company’s mission is to sustain and empower the female Dikokore community through socially-responsible retail, there was no going back.

HOW to support them: Learn more about Dikokore here, and shop their online store here.

Photos via Dikokore

We boast some pretty intense New York pride at Bari. Not, like, Yankee fan intense. But we’re unabashedly in love with our city.

For the most part, we’ve all lived in New York for a while now. And it’s easy to numb ourselves to the tall buildings, crowded streets, aggressive pan-handlers and wafting smells of pizza (on.every.single.block). But the city itself never ceases to remind us that we live in a one-of-a-kind, weird-but-beautiful place.

Case in point: Only in New York could you be walking down 10th Avenue and stumble upon a sheep-laden gas station.

Okay, so we didn’t exactly stumble upon it. Our director, Sara, quasi-dragged us there. (A little back story: Pre-Bari, Sara worked in the art world. And sometimes her inner artist rears its head and demands to do something artsy. See: That one time we painted our walls black.)

In any case, Sara wanted to go see these buzzed-about gas station sheep. So we took a little Bari field trip.

Our takeaways?

1. Seeing 25 sheep take over a Getty gas station that you’d previously visited to, you know, fill your gas is surreal.
2. Each sheep is worth about half a million dollars. You are not allowed to touch them. And there are ‘sheep bodyguards’ there to make sure you don’t. (Note: ‘Sheep bodyguard’ is probably not their official title.)
3. Real estate developer and art collector Michael Shvo bought the Getty Gas Station to use it as a stage for outdoor art exhibits.
4. This Getty Station will rotate outdoor art exhibits and is going to be incorporated into a future luxury High Line residence. Again, only in New York.

Our little field trip served as a welcome reminder that art is everywhere in this city. We can’t look down on our walk to work without coming across a funny spray-painted message on the sidewalk. Or look up without seeing message-based graffiti art. And now, we can’t walk through Chelsea without seeing sheep in a gas station.

New York, you are weird and beautiful. And we wouldn’t have you any other way.

Photos via Bari Studio

We boast some pretty intense New York pride at Bari. Not, like, Yankee fan intense. But we’re unabashedly in love with our city.

For the most part, we’ve all lived in New York for a while now. And it’s easy to numb ourselves to the tall buildings, crowded streets, aggressive pan-handlers and wafting smells of pizza (on.every.single.block). But the city itself never ceases to remind us that we live in a one-of-a-kind, weird-but-beautiful place.

Case in point: Only in New York could you be walking down 10th Avenue and stumble upon a sheep-laden gas station.

Okay, so we didn’t exactly stumble upon it. Our director, Sara, quasi-dragged us there. (A little back story: Pre-Bari, Sara worked in the art world. And sometimes her inner artist rears its head and demands to do something artsy. See: That one time we painted our walls black.)

In any case, Sara wanted to go see these buzzed-about gas station sheep. So we took a little Bari field trip.

Our takeaways?

1. Seeing 25 sheep take over a Getty gas station that you’d previously visited to, you know, fill your gas is surreal.
2. Each sheep is worth about half a million dollars. You are not allowed to touch them. And there are ‘sheep bodyguards’ there to make sure you don’t. (Note: ‘Sheep bodyguard’ is probably not their official title.)
3. Real estate developer and art collector Michael Shvo bought the Getty Gas Station to use it as a stage for outdoor art exhibits.
4. This Getty Station will rotate outdoor art exhibits and is going to be incorporated into a future luxury High Line residence. Again, only in New York.

Our little field trip served as a welcome reminder that art is everywhere in this city. We can’t look down on our walk to work without coming across a funny spray-painted message on the sidewalk. Or look up without seeing message-based graffiti art. And now, we can’t walk through Chelsea without seeing sheep in a gas station.

New York, you are weird and beautiful. And we wouldn’t have you any other way.

Photos via Bari Studio

First, let’s get this party started by acknowledging that every week, we celebrate Meatless Monday. So, it feels kind of okay that we’re switching gears and writing about Cronuts today (Tasty Tuesday?). Balance, right?

So, yes, Tribe, we’re here to talk about Cronuts. And, yes, that means we tried them. If you don’t know what a cronut is, it’s likely that you live under a rock (we’re cool with this, so long as you leave said rock for your daily dose of Bari). For our rock-dwellers: a Cronut is a deep-fried half-croissant half-donut pastry created by Dominique Ansel. In the face of a full-blown Cronut craze, some New Yorkers have vowed Cronut celibacy and others have literally gone crazy buying scalped Cronuts for $50 off Craigslist.

Upon hearing about this coveted pastry, we were intrigued but immediately dismissed them as a delicious-sounding-but-definitely-not-worth-the-effort delicacy. Plus, we can’t really stand in line at 6 a.m. in pursuit of a Cronut and expect to make it to our 7 a.m. class. So, we had decided to carry on our lives without ever getting our Cronut on. (Our nutritionist approved.)

But our interns Clare and Stephanie did not. They took to the front-lines (literally) for some hard-hitting journalism (read: pastry sampling) and brought some Cronuts back to the Bari HQ so we could see for ourselves whether this was a fad worth shunning, forgetting or totally fan-girling over.

The verdict? Yum. No, wait. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. They are truly sublime. If there is such a thing as a pastry masterpiece, it’s a Cronut.

But how to do you get your hungry little hands on one? The whole Cronut acquisition process is, according to Steph and Clare, actually fun. To a first timer, it’s also a little daunting. Worry not. We’ve put together this step-by-step guide to getting a Cronut:

Step One: Get in line. Good morning, sunshine! We recommend getting there between 6 and 6:20 a.m. You’ll probably be between the 50th and 75th person in line. These are not typos. You know how they say New York is the city that never sleeps? Yea, that’s because of the wackos waking up at 3 a.m. to get a Cronut. By 6:15 a.m., the line bends around the corner of the block and is at least 150 crazies deep by 7 a.m. But you’ve got what it takes, Tribe. It’s early, but it’s worth it. (Especially if you have interns who are willing to do it for you.)

Step Two: Now we wait. This line is not for the faint of heart. Some of these people are crazy (not us though, really). While you wait in the line for about 2.5 hours, you’ll have your choice of activities. Being judged on what book you’re

reading, beating Candy Crush, eavesdropping on the annoying people behind you, definitely not creeping other people out by doing yoga stretches, and aggressively drinking coffee from the Starbucks (treat receipt, what’s up!) around the corner are all equally valid options. You’ll have to explain to every single passer-by what the heck you’re doing, but this never gets annoying. Another good option to pass the time is to sleep standing up; just make sure you’re awake for the free Madeleine samples! They’re handed out just before the shop opens at 8 a.m.

Step Three: CRONUTS! When the cashier hands you that little gold box of highly-anticipated glory with two beautiful little Cronuts nestled gracefully inside, you can’t help but hear a harmonious chorus of “TWO FOR YOU, GLEN COCO! YOU GO, GLEN COCO!” Because Ansel doesn’t want to become a Cronut shop, he limits the daily batch of Cronuts to 300 and each customer to two Cronuts so he has the time to make other almost-equally delicious treats. You’ll take that first bite, and suddenly everything will right itself in the universe. Babes descend from the heavens with little harps to throw roses on you. Seriously. We’re just warning you now: You will not be able to control the sounds you make. Don’t try. Just accept the eerily-sexual sigh, the weird-old-man deep-belly groan, or the embarrassingly loud “OH MY GOD!” Everyone around you will understand. It’s a safe space.

Step Four: Go-Time. It’s simple. Just feast. That #Baribody deserves it.

First, let’s get this party started by acknowledging that every week, we celebrate Meatless Monday. So, it feels kind of okay that we’re switching gears and writing about Cronuts today (Tasty Tuesday?). Balance, right?

So, yes, Tribe, we’re here to talk about Cronuts. And, yes, that means we tried them. If you don’t know what a cronut is, it’s likely that you live under a rock (we’re cool with this, so long as you leave said rock for your daily dose of Bari). For our rock-dwellers: a Cronut is a deep-fried half-croissant half-donut pastry created by Dominique Ansel. In the face of a full-blown Cronut craze, some New Yorkers have vowed Cronut celibacy and others have literally gone crazy buying scalped Cronuts for $50 off Craigslist.

Upon hearing about this coveted pastry, we were intrigued but immediately dismissed them as a delicious-sounding-but-definitely-not-worth-the-effort delicacy. Plus, we can’t really stand in line at 6 a.m. in pursuit of a Cronut and expect to make it to our 7 a.m. class. So, we had decided to carry on our lives without ever getting our Cronut on. (Our nutritionist approved.)

But our interns Clare and Stephanie did not. They took to the front-lines (literally) for some hard-hitting journalism (read: pastry sampling) and brought some Cronuts back to the Bari HQ so we could see for ourselves whether this was a fad worth shunning, forgetting or totally fan-girling over.

The verdict? Yum. No, wait. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. They are truly sublime. If there is such a thing as a pastry masterpiece, it’s a Cronut.

But how to do you get your hungry little hands on one? The whole Cronut acquisition process is, according to Steph and Clare, actually fun. To a first timer, it’s also a little daunting. Worry not. We’ve put together this step-by-step guide to getting a Cronut:

Step One: Get in line. Good morning, sunshine! We recommend getting there between 6 and 6:20 a.m. You’ll probably be between the 50th and 75th person in line. These are not typos. You know how they say New York is the city that never sleeps? Yea, that’s because of the wackos waking up at 3 a.m. to get a Cronut. By 6:15 a.m., the line bends around the corner of the block and is at least 150 crazies deep by 7 a.m. But you’ve got what it takes, Tribe. It’s early, but it’s worth it. (Especially if you have interns who are willing to do it for you.)

Step Two: Now we wait. This line is not for the faint of heart. Some of these people are crazy (not us though, really). While you wait in the line for about 2.5 hours, you’ll have your choice of activities. Being judged on what book you’re

reading, beating Candy Crush, eavesdropping on the annoying people behind you, definitely not creeping other people out by doing yoga stretches, and aggressively drinking coffee from the Starbucks (treat receipt, what’s up!) around the corner are all equally valid options. You’ll have to explain to every single passer-by what the heck you’re doing, but this never gets annoying. Another good option to pass the time is to sleep standing up; just make sure you’re awake for the free Madeleine samples! They’re handed out just before the shop opens at 8 a.m.

Step Three: CRONUTS! When the cashier hands you that little gold box of highly-anticipated glory with two beautiful little Cronuts nestled gracefully inside, you can’t help but hear a harmonious chorus of “TWO FOR YOU, GLEN COCO! YOU GO, GLEN COCO!” Because Ansel doesn’t want to become a Cronut shop, he limits the daily batch of Cronuts to 300 and each customer to two Cronuts so he has the time to make other almost-equally delicious treats. You’ll take that first bite, and suddenly everything will right itself in the universe. Babes descend from the heavens with little harps to throw roses on you. Seriously. We’re just warning you now: You will not be able to control the sounds you make. Don’t try. Just accept the eerily-sexual sigh, the weird-old-man deep-belly groan, or the embarrassingly loud “OH MY GOD!” Everyone around you will understand. It’s a safe space.

Step Four: Go-Time. It’s simple. Just feast. That #Baribody deserves it.

Tribe, I need to tell you something. But, before I do, I want to make sure that this news doesn’t leave you jealous. To state the obvious, you will always be my number one. And my number two. But… I’ve adopted a new tribe: the Citibike Tribe.

When I received my annual subscription to our city’s new bike share program, I was excited. But, honestly, I didn’t think I’d be using the bulky new bikes that have stolen all of my best parking spots that much. The subway is a block away, and it’s where I get my prime people watching done. Cabs are better; easier on the legs. Ubers open the door for you; easier on, well, everything.

I was wrong. I’ve been using my Citibike pass so much that when they raise prices next year, it will probably be my fault. I’ve used it at least 95 times, which means I’ve already paid about $1 per ride. It’s the same way I price out the true value of shoes. If they cost $700, and I’m going to use them 70 times, that’s $10 per wear. Which is a BARGAIN! (Trust me, I’m a Wharton kid.)

Without further ado, here are some tips, from a Citibike Triber. (Yes, guys, it’s a thing. Jump on this bandwagon before I crash all the Citibikes in the city and there are no more left for you to use.)

• You will be late to meetings if you don’t leave earlier than you think you need to. Google Maps for bikes doesn’t take all external and unforeseen factors into account when giving you an estimated travel time. For example, they don’t tell you that sometimes you will have to get off your bike and walk it across the intersection while trucks and cabs aggressively honk at you for almost crashing into them. (Get it together, Google.)

• Don’t attempt to do forward or back leg lifts while waiting for the light to change. Instead, opt for side leg lifts. (Super insider Tribe tip: You don’t always have to wait for the red light to change, but I can’t legally suggest that in this post. But… if you want amazing legs, you’ll do it.)

• Cabs. You would think they would be scared to hit you. Logically, if this happened, you would get hurt. And you could sue them. And you would probably/definitely win that case in court. And then they would have to give you a lot of money. But they don’t care. I’m actually pretty sure they have a shared and secret (or not-so-secret) vendetta against the Citibike Tribe, because they do not make any efforts to keep you safe. They’re just mad they’re driving with other people on the road, and if they can wipe you out so you don’t take an inch of their streets, they will. So anytime a cab honks at you or yells at you, just wave at them really enthusiastically. If you’re feeling super balanced and zen, blow them a kiss.

• Bring three to four towels with you on your Citibike ride so that you can wipe the buckets of sweat from your face and body before you walk into the meeting you almost just killed yourself to get to.

• Don’t try to pretend to be better than the no-break, delivery bikers. Just don’t. They will win. They always win. Even when they crash, fly into the air and do spins before landing on the pavement, they do it gracefully and bounce back like a rubber doll unscathed.

• Memorize the streets with bike paths. They feel like they were made for us (the Citibike Tribe, obviously). Even if they’re out of your way, try to take them just so you get that “I’m not going to die!” high, even if it’s only for one block.

• Cobblestone streets are the worst. Or the best. They’re a nightmare. But also so much fun. I can’t decide.

• When you’re in a life threatening situation, don’t forget that there’s a sidewalk. Is it legal? No. Will you be the king/queen of the sidewalk, and will people get out of your way? Yes. Weigh your options, and maybe wear a tiara.

• No matter what, don’t overdo it. You definitely don’t look as cool as you think you do. (But I happen to think you’re the coolest.)

• For all the “late adopters” who are still hailing cabs: When you, the ahead-of-the-times Citibiker, ride past said late adopters with their arms flailing in the air, give them a high five to let them know you’re cooler than they are. I did this last week, and the woman yelled at me, “Asshole!” And it was in that moment, when a New Yorker told me I was an asshole, that I truly feel I became a real New Yorker.