Bathing Suit Lust: Zimmermann's Avalon Butterfly Suit

($242, Avalon, WinkNYC.com)

To be sure, $242 is a lot for this bathing suit, by Aussie label Zimmermann, but it does come with a halter strap, and that's worth at least eight bucks! Very Golden Girls glam. Also, I don't really have $242 sitting around, but I do have some eggs ripe for the harvesting! Do you think Wink barters?

Another sweet butterfly motif Zimmermann suit:

($196, Zimmermann, Shopbop)

Will Broome For Topshop

Designer/illustrator Will Broome has illustrated for Marc By Marc Jacobs (he had to have done those robot designs), and his Topshop collection of tops with creepy-cool cartoon faces is now available. They're playful without looking too ridiculously young and '80-ish without treading into dangerous Hammer pants territory.

My two faves:

(Apprx $43 USD, Top Shop)

(Apprx $49 USD, Topshop)

+ Also, per Nylon, Topshop now ships to the U.S. YAY!
+ ALSO Also: Topshop New York is closer than ever to reality! Praise Jeebiz!

April Showers Bring...

... The need for a new jacket. A few I'd like hanging in my closet:

($1050, Rena Lange, Vivre.com)

A veritable steal considering it was 2,995! It's the only trench coat you'll ever need. Until you need another one. In which case...

($330, Mike & Chris, Net-a-porter.com)

Simple, elegant, gorgeous. Inspector Gadget meets The Mod Squad!

($179, Suzabelle, Modcloth.com)

Wool is a bit heavy for April, but it's a great piece to hang onto.

($187, Asos.com)

I've been seeing so many cute fitted leather jackets lately. I love the gathered panels on this one = girly and presh! Perfect mid-season piece at a perfect price. Yo quiero!

Is Heatherette Over? PLUS: Beauty Binge - Heatherette for MAC Sock Hop Lipglass

Oh bew. Has the mirrorball shattered at Heatherette? That'd suck but wouldn't be so surprising -- they pulled out of their last Fashion Week show. Apparently they're venturing down their own sparkly paths, which will surely be paved in glitter. But still, this split would be fairly unfierce. More at The Cut.

Also, uh, while you still can, you should check out Heatherette's "Sock Hop" Lipglass from their MAC line -- it's a spring-ready, salmon-pink coral gloss that doesn't reek of hot trannybotmess-ness:

($14, MAC, Macys)

It's totes sold out at MAC online, but SUUUUUP, Macy's -- you can still get it there, along with much of the rest of the collection. Better late than never. Check out more swatches and shots here.

OK, speaking of lates, it's bedtime. Happy Zs, FBs!

Oh, PS: Here's a slightly intoxicated me with the Heatherette dudes at a MAC event. Tee!

The Binge and the Beautiful: Bill Blass Fall 2008

Maybe it's because... when I went outside this afternoon, it had just rained. The sky was an overcast and muted grey, the hydrangeas were bursting into full-on shocking pink mode, and the towering trees were Astroturf green. The whole brilliantly beautiful scene looked freshly painted. Maybe it's because I'm listening to Fleet Foxes. But the rich jewel tones of this look from the Bill Blass Fall '08 collection (designed by Peter Som) are singing me the moody blues.

I Finally Met mark.

And seriously, we got along FAMOUSLY, I tell you. I got this mark. (the Avon-for-cool-kids spin-off line) lip gloss in a Makeup Alley swap -- it's a Shine Tube Hook-Up Lip Gloss in Butter Cream, but it looks like this one is an older product. Its newer iteration is Buttercreme Brioche -- which sounds much fancier:


Anyway, it's a really light neutral-goldish shade that basically just illuminates and enhances your lips with a light shiny glaze. It reminds me a bit of Stila's Lip Glaze in Vanilla, but honestly, I like mark. better (sorry, Stila!), as it's lighter and not as goopy and sticky. And, not to mention, it's way cheaper.

I couldn't find a photo of the product itself, but the swatch is above. Here's the same product in Crème Caramel:

($5, mark.)

I'd also deffo like to try the Sugared Almond -- you get a free connector to attach both products together when you buy two -- and for $5 each, I think I WILL!

Sample Sale Saturday

Y'all, I suck for being so effing busy at work and NOT EVEN HAVING TIME TO BLOG ON THE JOB. I mean SERIOUSLY! I have NO time to blog at work! WTF?

I will now make up for it by saving you cash on your Saturday shopping -- check out these sample sales. They're all in New York (sorry, everyone else).

Sample Angels for Love Heals Sample Sale
145 W. 18th St. (Btwn 6th & 7th Aves)
Saturday, April 24, 10-7; Sunday, April 25, 10-6
DVF, Ya-Ya Aflalo, Skin, Shoshanna, Lewis Cho, Torn by Ronny Kobo, Nieves Lavi, Yumi Kim, Zoey, Christopher Deane
All major credit cards and $.


Archetype Showroom & Gallery Sample Sale
676 Broadway, 2nd Floor (Btwn Great Jones & Bond St)
Saturday, April 26, 10 am - 7 pm
Black Sheep and Prodigal Sons, Bureau, Corpus, Digby & Iona, 80%20, Eskell, Fremont, Jenny Yuen, Kimberly Baker, Lorick, Quail, Samantha Pleet, Tankus
Cash and credit cards accepted


Olga Kapustina Annual Sample Sale
161 W 22nd Street (Btwn 6th & 7th Avenues, 3rd Floor)
Wednesday, April 30th; Thursday, May 1ST, 9am- 8pm; Friday, May 2nd, 9am- 7pm
50-70% off summer and spring dresses! Silk party dresses and cotton office looks. Sizes 0-10.


Pottery Barn
Not a sample sale, but, the Soho location is closing (a big-ass Hollister is taking its place -- eeeeewww) and, accordingly, is having a big-ass sale.
More at The Shophound.

Everyone else: check out these cute kittens (via AnimalNewYork.com)

Marimekko for H&M: Still There!

About a week and a half after H&M debuted their bold Marimekko-print collection, I finally made it to a store. And lo! While I wasn't tripping over trippy bright maxi-dresses littering the aisles, there was still a respectable selection of stuff. And some of it is quite cute.



I purchased this dress, in my opinion THE cutest in the collection. (The bathing suits are cute, too, but what's up with them being made of straight-up cotton? Huh???)

I'd also have considered these, too, had they been available:





More pics here and here.

Finally, since we've asked to cover more menswear on ze blog, I must implore all the ladies:



DO NOT DRESS YOUR MAN LIKE THIS!!!

Spending YOUR Money: Crazy Hot Bags (Plus: A Slight Urban Outfitters UK Rant)

... That I would only buy with your money:

($250, Linne Pelle)

Actually, I'd spend my own $250 on this Linne Pelle Angie bag, but, to quote the venerable Lil Kim, "Why spend mine, when I could spend yours?"

($625, Rebecca Minkoff, Winknyc)

It's a little diaper bag-y, but I love it. Even though I hate diapers.

($855, Vegan Queen)

While I am neither, I am a fan of both vegans and queens. Still, I'm not sure why this "eco-luxury" bag is $855, let alone $85. Still, if you're paying...


... Next... Joanna Louca.
I, like Just My Cup of Tea, came across Joanna Louca's breathtaking, handwoven bags at Dear Fieldbinder the other day. I walked out empty-handed and heavy hearted after yet another case of pricetag-induced horror, but these hos is worth your doughs.

Observe:



Makes the Chanel bow bag look like a downright snore, nu?
All bags from JoannaLouca.com, which is soooo Flash-intensive. Check the site for where to buy. Can't deal?

(Apprx $556 USD, Joanna Louca, Urban Outfitters UK)

(Apprx $418 USD, Joanna Louca, Urban Oufitters UK)

It's called "Spending YOUR Money" for a reason!

And while I'm on the topic of British Urban Outfitters -- HOLY FUCK! WHY ARE YOU SO FAR SUPERIOR TO US URBAN OUTFITTERS!!!!!! Observe:

(Apprx $191 USD, Mogil, Urban Oufitters UK)


(Apprx $39 USD, Ollie & Nic, Urban Outfitters UK)

Those are ZEBRAS, people! With an eeensy COSMETICS case! UGH! So cute I could poach a baby polar bear cub! Even your unnecessary crap is better than our unnecessary crap!

(Apprx $329 USD, Lotus Hallmark, Urban Outfitters UK)

Even your hot hooker heels are hotter than our hot hooker heels!

(Apprx $562 USD, Vivienne Westwood, Urban Outfitters UK)

Even your obscenely overpriced shoppers are better than our obscenely overpriced shoppers! Oh well. I'll console myself with our weak-ass dollar. EVERYTHING'S CHEAPER!

Natty Neckwear

I'm pretty sure I've seen these before, but I just re-fell in love with Etsy seller Paraphernalia's whimsical necklaces after being reminded about them by the new blog Eclectic. Inspired by vintage illustrations, her necklaces are trompe l'oeil triumphs! Take a look:



Vetements skinny-tie necklace, $27. Sorry, I bought this. I'm picturing it with a V-neck dress and oxford heels (if I liked them).



Vetements polka-dot necklace, $30.



Vetements fur-trimmed coat necklace, $17.



Fauna fish necklace, $27.

Lots, lots more at Paraphernalia.

Oh, Steve Madden

Really, you shouldn't have. Like, you REALLY REALLY should not have:

($149, Steve Madden)

($99.95, Steve Madden)

The real ones were bad enough -- and JUST about to finally die! These are a comedic collage of faux-Balenciaga errors.

Going Once, Going Twice...

So, it turns out that the Hayden-Harnett bag I purchased from their online sample sale in a bag-buying frenzy is just a teensy-weensy bit smaller than I expected. I like to be able to carry around not just, as certain websites say, "a bottle of water and a magazine," but maybe also a book, a sweater, an extra pair of shoes...you get the drift. This "satchel" does not meet those requirements, but it is a gorgeous bag nonetheless. A gorgeous bag that was a final sale. Before I release it to the wilds of eBay, I thought I'd give you, the loyal Fashion Bingers, an opportunity to purchase it from me for what I paid for it. Which was $200, but which is $440 at full price. So. Interested? Questions? Get in touch!



Hayden-Harnett "Margot" satchel, for sale by owner (me), $200.

UPDATE: Sold! Yay, Internet!

Shoes, Glorious Shoes

Check it out. Some shoes I've lately purchased and not purchased. Hey, how 'bout a fun guessing game? Which did I purchase and which did I not? And which am I merely thinking about? Answers at the bottom of this post.



A. Jeffrey Campbell "Susan" slingbacks, $84. So springy!



B. Faryl Robin "Betty" wedges, $69.95. I'm really into low heels at the moment.



C. Dolce Vita snakeskin mules, $89.



D. Dolce Vita twist-toe mules, $52.



E. Bronx "Fabiana" flat, $39.95.



F. Daisy Fuentes flats, $24.97.



G. Gabriella Rocha "Myls" mary-janes, $60.



H. Gap ballet flats, $39.50.

Wait for it....

Wait for it....

Did you write your answers down on a piece of paper?

Almost there....



ANSWERS!
A. Not purchased. Maybe one day?
B. Purchased! I'm really into low heels at the moment.
C. Not purchased but strongly considering. In silver or snakey?? Please weigh in.
D. Not purchased.
E. Purchased!
F. Not purchased, but only because they were out of my size. Curses!
G. Not purchased due to the fact that I have mary janes coming out of my ears at this point.
H. Purchased! And strangely comfy!

Being Heidi Montag

The fantastically funny Fug Girls squeezed themselves, regrettably, into Hills star Heidi Montag's new line, Heidiwood. Better them than us, I say. But better yet, better no one, as the F.G.s discovered. Hills-larity, of course, ensued.

My fave part:
"One of us wore black short-shorts with a one-inch inseam (half a thumb, for real) and a zebra-striped tank with a faux-chiffon back bow; the other, a white-denim, butt-cleavage-b

aring skirt with a backless teal top that's baggy in the bust and tight at the gut — perfect if you haven't eaten pasta in ten years and have ginormous implants (sound familiar?). The stuff was the complete opposite of flattering. We looked like rejects from Rock of Love II with Bret Michaels; stick us on the hood of a car and Whitesnake would've appeared, guitars in hand."

Read it and weep at The Cut.

(We Really Want To) Win A Birkin!

($9,025.95, Hermes)

FASHIONBINGE WANTS TO GIVE YOU A FREE BIRKIN BAG!

Okay, well, that's not exactly the truth -- in all honesty, we'd rather give OURSELVES a free Hermes Birkin bag. But we'd pick you as runner-up! Let the best 'Binger win the Bringing Home the Birkin Sweepstakes!

To celebrate the launch of Michael Tonello's new book, Bringing Home the Birkin, Harper Collins is giving away one Birkin. To us, we hope.



* Enter at Bringing Home the Birkin Sweepstakes. Downside: you have to register for emails you may not want. Plus side: You won't give two shits about those emails if you win!

Be like Lindsay Lohan, bishes!

Wickity Wickity Wicker

($34, Urban Outfitters)

Sure, carrying a clutch in grab-and-go NYC is about as smart as leaving a $50 bill on the doorstep of your urban apartment building and hoping to find it later (we once had a ladder stolen out of our front yard in broad daylight, I repeat, A LADDER!!) or your car running, unattended, while you run inside to go to the bathroom -- you're just asking for it to be taken. Still, this wicker clutch is so summer-chill, it might as well come with its own wrap-around porch and a glass of lemonade.

Spending YOUR Money: Philip B Truffle Conditioner

And now, it's time for a feature that will heretofore be referred to as "Spending YOUR Money" -- as in, things that I would gladly buy... with YOUR money. Get it?

($75, Philip B)

At $75 per 6 oz, Philip B White Truffle Nourishing Hair Conditioning Creme is SUPER pricey for a hair product. But here's the thing: it fucking empowers your scalp to grow ACTUAL TRUFFLES, which you can then harvest and sell at a premium. So, with the price of truffles having risen up to $3,500 a pound, the $75 is really just an investment in a lucrative future! Bonus: really gorge hair! Another unforeseen benefit: just sprinkle some head-grown truffles over some Kraft Easy Mac and voila -- your very own DIY version of Waverly Inn's now-$85 mac and cheese with truffles. (Grr, inflation! Because $55 for mac and cheese was SO much more reasonable!)

But back to Philip B's pricey fungus-infused conditioning creme: the site doesn't tell you much about it except that it contains amino acids (it'd better!) and "restores intense moisture and repair without weighing down your hair!" Um, for $75, I except a BIT more copy!

Only two Makeup Alley users and two Total Beauty users reviewed it; one of the former effused "the best hair I have ever had, It's just so gorgeous and lush!," while one from the latter claimed "meh."

I think I'll hedge my bets for a more middle-of-the-road option:

($27, Philip B, PeterLouisSalon.com)

Philip B Chocolate Milk Body Wash -- still a bit pricey, but ultimately, I'd probably rather smell like Quik than 'shrooms.

BTW: Because surely you were DYING of curiosity, this is what Philip B looks like -- a well-coiffed cross between Ty from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Fabio.

Now, Philip, bro, MOVE! THAT! BUS!

Freakin' Fugly Footwear

Three painful picks for this Monday eve:

($98, Jeffrey Campbell, Urban Outfitters)

Appropriately enough, the color of this shoe is "Whiskey." Jeffrey Campbell truly must've imbibed when he designed ONE shoe with a cinch toe, cut outs, laces AND WTF ever that bridge to madness is above the toe.

($59, Steve Madden)

Clowny McModsquad.

($499, Chanel, eBay)

But wait! They're Chanel. BUT WAIT! They're FUCKING WRETCHED! Are these like punk-dominatrix snow boots or something? You can be into S&M OR you can wear winter gear, but you don't get to be both at once.


The redeemer:

($286, Salvador Sapena, Asos.com)

Thank you, Salvador Sapena. You've answered correctly. You may be seated.

Welcome, Blister Season!

Not for nothin' (or close enough, really), but these cream ballet flats are really comfy 'cept for the tiny blood spot on the right outside heel and the sliced-up pinkie toe. Uh, maybe that's just me though. I'm sure these issues will work themselves out, because these are some cute, versatile, and crazy-cheap flats that I'm positive will be a staple of my summer wardrobe. I'm wearing them right now, in fact. Whee!



Payless ballet flats, $19.99. ($13.99 in-store!) Much cuter in person, too.

As for my tootsies, at least I'm doing better than ol' Amy Winehouse....

I'm Only Happy When It Rains

Okay, that's not true. I'm pretty bummed about this weekend's upcoming craptacular weather. But how awesomely ridiculous would you feel if you were wearing one of these utterly hilarious creations?



Nubrella, $49.99. I'm guessing there's no smoking allowed in there. I'd wear it with something that looked a little like this:



Actually, I don't see why they didn't just go whole hog and make a huge plastic ball you could roll around in like Wayne Coyne:



Perhaps helpful commuters could propel you to your destination, possibly bouncing you down the street on their own old-fashioned umbrellas! Then there's this amazing invention:



The UFOCap, $noclue. I'd wear them with these:



And just to "make it fashion," as Tyra might say, check out this Jean Paul Gaultier number:



It's square! For when someone is being really annoying and needs a definite poke in the eye. I'd wear it with these, of course:



Here's hoping it's a little sunnier where you are this weekend....

A Tale of Two, If Not Sometimes Three, Mascaras

While MKHo may not be a beauty blogger, I am a little bit of one myself. Therefore, please enjoy a completely overlong post about one of my all-time favorite beauty products, mascara! Wee!

The other day, I was celebrating the fact that it was like 7p.m. on a Tuesday or something equally as irrelevant, and I impulsively decided I REALLY DESERVED to buy myself something. (Un-)fortunately I work about 30 seconds from a Sephora.

Due to the fact that, like a magpie, I am attracted to any and all forms of shiny packaging, I swooped down on Urban Decay's Big Fatty Mascara:

($19, Urban Decay)

The wand is basically the size of a fucking toilet bowl brush. Unfortunately, this mascara completely sucks. Nothing showed up at all. I even thought I'd perhaps gotten a faulty, dried-up one. I read a review somewhere that said this mascara is good for "the natural look," and I can only imagine that refers to the look of WEARING NO MASCARA AT ALL. I took advantage of Sephora's open-arms exchange policy -- you can return anything if you're not completely satisfied, which I wasn't. So I did!

In its stead, I got Diorshow:

($24, Dior, Macys)

Ah, the redoubted Diorshow. I was sooooo ready to believe the hype. And the first few tests, it was okay (maybe I just REALLY wanted to believe) -- it definitely lengthens -- but after a few repeated uses, BOOOO Dior! WTF? J'clump!!! Definitely a lot of thick coverage, but zero separation -- it did that thing where it made major clumps at the center of my lashes and then made them look stringy-string-McStrung-out at the tips. Boo for reals.

Oh, and before I forget:
+ Free shipping over $25 at Sephora with promo code B388C2, through April 30.
+ Also, did you know you can return any and all beauty products to CVS if you're not feelin' it? It's true!

Anyway, back to the mascara:
... So, just yesterday, my sister came to visit. Every time we see each other after having not seen each other for months, we first act a'fool about how much we wuv each other. Then, we go into giddy-overdrive mode over mascara. She reminded me how much she loves CoverGirl's Lash Blash (the one that looks like a small orange sex toy), and I was so glad she did:

($6.79, CoverGirl, CVS)

Huge, right? But even more importantly, hugely effective. It's perfect on its own (after a few coats of course -- please stop kidding yourself if you think any one mascara can do it all in just one coat. Do you give your walls JUST ONE coat of paint? No. Unless you're a crappy slacker.) or as a base -- I'd also completely forgotten my own trick -- find a great separating mascara, use it as a base to hit as many individual hairs as possible that the slightly clumpier mascaras can't deal with, and then layer with a bolder mascara over that. Yeah, it's a little extra time, but so is dealing with those crappy lash brushes which never really end up working.

But, you don't have to take my word for it -- some Lash Blash reviews:
+ Makeup Alley
+ Makeup Moxie
+ Makeup Minute
+ The Makeup Girl <---- impressive before and after photo!

I also remembered how much I like MAC's Zoom Lash mascara: ($11, MAC)

A VERY thick (think mud) mascara. For $11, t'aint (hee) bad, but I don't advise it on its own -- instead, use it as a top coat over a solid separating mascara like Maybelline's Define-A-Lash, which is the Bentley Continental GT of separating but the mid-to-late '80s LeBaron of volumizing:



PS: Non-sequitur, yes, and I know I'm like the 23rd person to tell you this today, but Muxtape is awesome.
MU

Not That I Really Want To Think About Swimwear At This Point, But...

I mean, blah blah blah love your body and get breast exams and shit, but honestly, at this point in the season, I'd probably rather get a couple consecutive Paps than go bathing suit shopping. But that doesn't keep me from Windows shopping (GET IT????). Lame, I know. Onto the suits...

I just found out about swim line Red Carter. I likes what I sees!

(Red Carter, Tropi-Ties.com)

Looks like this one, the "Nouvelle," isn't available until later this month. Worth waiting for, I opine!

(Red Carter, Tropi-Ties.com)

This one -- the "Straight Arrow," is also TK, as we say in "the biz"... the biz of saying things. Can you handle the arrow pointing toward and away from your "choche"? (It rhymes with "encroach," in case you were wondering, and Daddy Likey inspired that one. It kind of almost reminds me of the Most Amazing Bikini Ever Created -- Kara Janx's fear-ocious tigerkini, which is on super-duper sale (in size L) here:

($60, Kara Janx, Azaeleasnyc.com)Good kitty. Down, girl!

($92, Carter Red, Bluefly.com)

Subtle but not boring! By the way, Bluefly just launched a new something-or-other called B*fly -- looks basically just like a site-within-a-site, designed to help you wade through the grammaw stuff and find the cute stuff faster. Okay then.

($115, Shoshanna, Nordstrom)

($66, Shoshanna, Nordstrom)

Shoshanna deserves mad big-boob props -- she designs for a wonderfully realistic range of weird cup-age, fruit-inspired body shapes and other various real-woman issues of disproportion. While the top of this suit does go all the way up to 36DDD, I really couldn't it being right for a busty broad. Nevertheless, this is an adorable pick (love the sunny mid-century diamonds!), and, as previously stated, Shoshanna is great for stylish, smart, supportive suits in an impressive range of sizes. I have two bikinis by her that I love. Get some.

(Top: $38, Bottom: $38, Billabong, Urban Outfitters)

Cute. A mass-market version of that ubi-quit-ous Elie Saab floral dress?

(Elie Saab, RTW 2008)

(Top: $9.99; Bottom: $9.99, Old Navy)
Easy, cute.

($98, Urban Outfitters)

I like me a nice one-piece. This one's flirty-cute, and it's got a lot of coverage, which isn't necessarily bad; modesty's not just for Mormons, you know! Oh yeah, also: Urban Outfitters promo code: 10% off your online order: PICKAWINNER, expires May 10, 2008.

($88, Coco Reef, Dillards)

Classic and class-y! This chick looks like Eva Longoria and J.Lo at the same time.

($100, DKNY, Dillards)

This one comes with the sash -- but not with the resistance ball. So if you want to wear your bathing suit outside on the way to the gym, you need to get BYORB. Anyway, the understated stripes are gorgeously offset by the fun-in-the-sun orange, (tee! Women's magazine writing!) LAYYYYDEEEEZE! I really do love this though. It's like the embodiment of Roy Lichtenstein's "Girl With Ball."


Night, lovelies! I'm off to catch some zois.

Bag Fever!

I started my morning with a little sample-sale shopping. Call it an early lunch break. First up: the Kooba sale. I've been eyeing this gorgeous creature for weeks now:



Kooba "Lola" bag, $645. I was even thinking about dropping that amount of cash, too. Still not sure though. My momma raised me...differently. And they didn't have the Lola at the sale, anyway. Lots of marked-down bags but nothing that quite blew me away. Oh wells.

They were sharing space with the Calypso sale, though. And I picked up this little number for a cool $10:



Christiane Celle for Calypso small purse, $125 retail; $36 to "buy it now" on eBay. I got the last blue one in the box, but there were plenty of hot pink and gold ones to go around. Perfect for going out!

Next I headed over to the Hayden-Harnett sale. The scuttlebutt among the other shoppers was a) it had been insane yesterday and b) they had way less stuff now. I was looking for a sweet hobo like one of the many they have on their site, but I didn't really like what they had in the way of those things. I did strongly consider this:



Or a very similar bag, anyway. This is the Pallenberg duffel, $142.50. LOVE the print, but I feared I wouldn't have much to wear it with. The one that was at the sale was actually smaller...and more expensive, at $200. Weird.

They have a lot of handbags online, too, though it looks like the prices are quite a bit steeper than they are in person.

I eventually decided to get this:



Malinka hobo, because it's unique and summer-fun AND it was only $45. Though it is $241.50 online — what the?? This makes me wonder if there were any of the gorgeous leather hobos available yesterday and if so, at what insanely low prices. Damn. Must get to sample sales earlier.

Because what I really want is a really nice black leather bag. Like this:



Hayden-Harnett "Margot" satchel, $198. In fact, I might just get this right now. Okay, I just did. Whee! Probably one of the best deals of the sale, too, down from $440 to $198.

Three bags in one day, AND I just got this in the mail today, too:



It's a Matt & Nat number I got on eBay. Yellow: pretty! Matt & Nat is a vegan company, but they also make incredibly well-made, interesting bags.

Two-Shoe Tuesday

First off, I'm gonna go ahead and agree with TLo that gladiators are for the most part to be avoided. Didn't that trend die like two years ago? Ugh. HOWEVER, these are cute—I think it's the lack of parallel cage-like straps:



Athena gladiator sandals, $24.90.

Secondly, and forgive me if it seems like I'm at Target every other day. I'm just on their SITE every other day. These came today:



Isaac Mizrahi "Marissa" crinkle patent wedges, $29.90. The color, technically pewter, is just ambiguous enough that it could be dark gray, could be brown, could be silver. Versatile! What are we cheapos gonna DO without Isaac?

Already, I Am Sick of Gladiator Sandals...

And it's barely even Spring!!! Seriously, unless you're actively involved in battling bears or guys who look like Russell Crowe, you do NOT need to encase you foot in a leather cage. Please. DON'T!

Some particularly egregious offenders:

($98, Jeffrey Campbell, Urban Outfitters)

If you're concerned that your cankle areas (for lack of a better term) are going to be chilly, MAYBE IT'S TOO COLD OUT FOR SANDALS! But you really truly do not get to do both.

($28, Urban Outfitters)

Dudes, fringe is not for shoes. Fringe is for jackets... no wait a second. Fringe is NOT FOR ANYONE outside of Branson (and I'm sure several of Branson's fine citizens don't even wear it). Don't ever wear fringe EVER. (One exception: you are Dolly Parton and/or 1967 Dennis Hopper.)

($57, Naughty Monkey, Karmaloop.com)
Seriously? What the shit??

($79, Nine West)

We get it. The American economy is in the shitter, so we're supposed to buy bright things to make us forget. I love bright things, but that's no reason to let the sandal equivalent of Bill Cosby's Coogi sweater creep up your foot.

($125, Urban Outfitters)

As if someone sent a perfectly okay jazz shoe through a paper shredder.

You get the point. So now, some lovely warm-weather footwear alternatives to the scourge of gladiators:

($48, Urban Oufitters)

Not my all-time favorites, but definitely not bad at all. At least there's no covered heel or ankle nonsense.

($105, Dolce Vita, Piperlime.com)

Perfectly reasonable, sweetly (note: not barfily) trendy metallic peep-toe that says "I'm a grown-up, and I'm perfectly mature about keeping MOST of my foot consistently -- not schizophrenically covered."

($105, Sam Edelman, Bloomingdale's)

Love both of these. (Very similar, cheaper ones here, BTW.) Wedge-y but not towering, which is more than I can say for these:

($29.50, Alloy.com)

Holy hell. Anyway, back to better spring shoes:

($175, Cole Haan, Bloomingdale's)

Rarely do I see white shoes I'd actually wear, but these are great (both versions!) all-purpose sping/ summer heeled sandals that completely do not suck or offend.

($365, Chie Mahara, Sodafine.com)

Sweet, sweet design. Sweet, sweet desire. It's like the Golden Gate Bridge found a happy home on your foot (minus the congestion and the jumpers.)

($375, Ralph Lauren, Bloomingdale's)

The price is a bit ridick for a bit of rope, and sure, they're a bit campy, but they're still fun in a WASPy sort of way. (And Ha'shem KNOWS I'm WASPY!) Though I'm not sure why you wouldn't just opt for Kinos -- Key West classics -- instead:

($11, KinoSandalFactory.com)

($11, KinoSandalFactory.com)


($41, Steve Madden)

It's not much, but it's right to the point and WORLDS better than the much-aligned flip-flop. HELP US HELP YOU!

Also, Steve Madden promo code:
$10 off: SML963BF1E (Not sure if this is a one-hitter or what.)

Finally, if sandals aren't your thing (and I get that), I like these ridiculous (and ridiculously priced!) Nikes:

($79, Nike, Alloy)

Do I offend???

Fryebaby on Board

In my apparently continuing quest to score a pair of cream-colored midcalf boots, I've graduated from low-ankle to, uh, mid-ankle. Check out these "Fryebaby" ankle boots I won on ebay for the bargain price of $10.50. I know they're not actually Frye, but they're pretty cool-looking nonetheless, eh?



Fryebaby ivory ankle boots, $10.50. So perfect for tucking jeans into!

I Am Not a Beauty Blogger

And yet I feel I must "review" this product:



Almay Eye Makeup remover, $5.99. This shit sucks. Does not remove mascara at all and leaves eye area greasier than a McDonald's hash-brown wrapper, despite the "oil-free" claim on the front of the bottle. Ewwww.



I'm totally going back to my previous remover, Maybelline Expert Eyes 100% Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover, $4.59. Does not suck. I decided to try something new because although the Maybelline works pretty well and comes in a container that's small enough, at 2.3 ounces, to be conveniently reusable for air travel, I found myself at the drugstore every other week to replenish. And replenish I shall.

Maybe it really IS Maybelline, huh? Huh??

Two Sweet Spring Bags

ONE:

($175, Pa-Tou-Tou, Piperlime)

Springy, yet sophisticated. The print reminds me of the decor at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica. Also, very Kate Spade.




TWO:

($22.50, Delia's)

A stylish friend assures me it's an Orla Kiely knock-off. Wee! Not that we condone that kind of thing... oh wait... we very much do.

Soundgirl Sample Sale: Score!

Yesterday I trekked over and down (the annoying city-grid version of a rook move in chess) to the Soundgirl sample sale and positively cleaned up! It's definitely worth stopping by if you like their cute, ruffly, girly aesthetic. Here's a look at my loot:



Turquoise hooded trenchcoat, $45 at sale; $119.99 at Modcloth. This is EXACTLY what I wanted for spring. So fun!

Of course, I had to get a couple of hoodies, since Soundgirl makes the absolute cutest hoodies known to man. (Credit TLo with introducing me to this fact.) At $15 apiece, I could have bought more than two, but these were the two with the absolute highest level of cuteness:



"Breakin" hoodie in taboo red, $62 on the Giant Peach.



"Sweet Meadow" hoodie, $66 on Karmaloop.

Jackets were $30 each, so I hemmed and hawed and finally decided on this, in black:



"Simone" jacket, $88 on Karmaloop.



Finally, I got this LPD (little print dress) for just $20. It's $99 elsewhere on the web.

So, final tally is: A trenchcoat, a jacket, two hoodies and a dress (plus a free tote bag!) for just $125. Not too shabby, eh? Recommended if you're in the city!

You Down With CDG? Comme des Garçons To Collab With H&M

Yay! Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo is on deck to collaborate with H&M for the store's guest designer collection this fall. The first wave will hit Tokyo in early November, followed by the rest of the markets later that week.

Kawakubo will design a women's and men's collection, with a few pieces for the kiddies too, in addition to accessories and an exclusive unisex fragrance.

Mas news as it's released.

** Also, soooo sorry for the lack of postage. I've been buried under a mound of Kleenex with the most vile sinus infection evah. Worst. Not worst: a fun contest coming soon

A Few Spring Picks

Who else has shopping fever? Here are a few of the spring purchases I'm considering/making



Calling all small-torsoed ladies! This French picnic skirt by Etsy seller ktjean, $66, is perfect for you. A fantastic price for a unique, gorgeous custom-made skirt. Maybe if I forgo dinner for a few weeks or have a rib removed, I can wear this to a spring bridal shower.



I'd wear it with these Report "Hali" flowered wedges, $73. So sweet.



This one's showing up in a bunch of magazines, so better order now. I know I am: Isaac Mizrahi for Target 4-Poster bag in yellow, $29.99. Apparently yellow is THE color for spring.



Angie & Lola satchel in bone, $34.99. I don't even care that this is PVC, it just looks so cool.

One of the categories I want to stock up on for spring on is little jackets. I picked up a couple recently at Forever 21. Observe:



Polkadot, $24. This may have been a mistake. Thoughts? Should I take advantage of Forevs' liberal return policy?




Mustard, $29.80, pronounced "very Marc Jacobs" by a shopping companion.



I also got these floral clip-on earrings, $4.80, also available in white, because regular earrings hurt my ears. I'm thinking of purchasing a huge lot of clip-on earrings off of eBay as a result. But will they be too Grandma-like? Hmmm....