I'm Currently Craving Degen's Pizza Sweater

Sure, Degen's adorable pizza sweater (via the excellent Solange & Friends feature in Brooklyn Magazine) is $288, but it's made in New York by knit wiz and fellow Ohioian Lindsay Degen, AND it's definitely carb-free. Also, speaking of carbs, maybe it comes with a side of breadsticks?

Get it in 30 minutes or less from Sword-Smith. Just kidding about the 30 minutes thing, but you can get free shipping with promo code "shipme."

You'd be smiling too if you had pizza on your sweater.

$288, Degen,Sword-smith.com

PS: HOLY SHIT check out these Degen platforms! They're SO good! I think I love them more than actual, tangible, edible pizza, and that's really saying a lot.

$319, Degen, Solestruck.com

Partner Post: Holiday Looks For Every Body By Plus-Size Boutique Simply Be

Simply Be is a British online and brick-and-mortar boutique geared toward flattering, fashionable head-to-toe plus-size looks in UK sizes 14-32 by on-trend brands like Ruby Rocks and AX Paris. Check out their gorgeous illustrated mood boards for fashion and beauty looks to carry you through the holidays. (Americanas, check out Simply Be USA.)

+ Christmas Eve:

 

** My favorite Christmas Eve pick: Joanna Hope fringe lace dress. Super Victorian, super affordable.

+ Christmas Day:

 

 ** My favorite Christmas Day fashion picks: This goes-with-everything Peter Pan collar dress with chiffon sleeves and engagement ring print dress with Peter Pan collar. (CUTEST!) 

Holiday Gift Guide Day 1: Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit Fragrance & a-Thread Funfetti Sweater!

Ho ho ho, hoes! The holiday season is upon us! And while some boring-ass contrarian types may balk at an entire month devoted to consumerism, I say FUCK THEM -- GETTING PRESENTS IS THE BEST THING (besides carbs and white wine). Those Dismal Doras deserve no presents and should never know the joy of latkes or Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You." 

Spend that money on yourself since they're so unappreciative. 

This month, I'm bringing you some of my favorite holiday gift picks for any fun chick (yourself included) on your shopping list. Check out some of my favorite apparel, accessories, beauty products, shoes, art, and experiences, plus some cool charitable organizations so you can give back as you get.

$38, Fresh, Sephora.com

I recently discovered Fresh's Hesperides grapefruit fragrance, and there's probably no turning back for me. It's a fresh (duhr), crisp, clean, reinvigorating fragrance that's made me realize that sometimes it's just as nice to smell like a fruit as it is a flower. Plus, I'm pretty sure I now smell like one of those people who juice ALL THE TIME.

Shit. I Spent $500 Before Breakfast + Nelly's Vokal Tanktop

The other morning I woke up before work with a dangerous combination of YOLO mentality and the shopping shakes -- that jittery, antsiness that overtakes me when I haven't engaged in some middle-class TJ Maxx version of conspicuous consumption. It's like if you deprive yourself of sugar or carbs or Vanilla Dunkaroos -- sooner or later you're gonna just break down and faceplant, Valley Of The Dolls style, into a double-stuffed pizza pillow of your design.

Anyway, while shopping for my husband's upcoming birthday, I ended up finding one thing for him (though he is extremely difficult to shop for), and about four things for myself. So, happy early birthday to me!

The damage:

$179.10, DVF x Current Elliot, Saks.com

I've been sweating this DVF Loves Current/Elliott denim shirt dress for months. It went on sale from $398. When I bought it earlier this week, it was $238. Today it's $179, so I called for a price adjustment and Saks was great about doing that. ALWAYS do that! You're leaving money on the table, people. Don't let shame hold you back! That's $80 I can now spend on shoes instead of wisely saving it!

$42, Volcom, Zappos.com

Volcom chambray tank procured! I've been looking for one of these to pair with maxi skirts and little circle skirts. Commence summer of chambray! By the way, am I the only one who thinks of Vokal when I hear "Volcom"? You know, Nelly's erstwhile clothing company? As in when he shouts out "Vokal tanktop on at this point" in "Hot In Herre"? No? Just me?

Outfit Post/ GPOY: Current Elliott Leopard-Print Stiletto Jeans + Kurt Cobain Sweater

My Current Elliott leopard-print jeans arrived from Community Collection, and they're the absolute apogee of comfort. It's all I can do to keep from wearing them every day. And you know what? So what if I did? It's one of the joys of living in a relatively free country. Same pants every day? Not your problem! Stay noninterventionist about it. In the words of T.I. and Rihanna, live your life. But I digress.

Outfit:
+ Sweater: Dex: I've been looking for slouchy, '90s leaning (Kurt-ish RIP!) sweaters, and when I found this black and grey mesh sweater at ShopAddiction.com, I went in.
+ Jeans: Current Elliott
+ Boots: Marais
+ Necklace: Anthropologie (sold out)

T.I. - Live Your Life - Music - More Music Videos

It's Cute Sweater Weather!

Aside from a few highly uncomfortable, confusing days of Seattle-like humidity (SO BAD FOR MY HAIR, Y'ALL!!), it's ALMOST sweater weather here in New York! Since most of my sweaters have horses or cats on them -- there's a time and place for that, of course, but it's definitely not all the time nor is it any place -- I realized it's time to step up my sweater game. Fortunately, the nice folks at Lands End Canvas sent me their Striped Button-Back Sweater in orange. I don't have very strict criteria when it comes to sweaters (usually my main criteria involved... cats and horses), but this sweater is so perfect that's it now become the prototype, to cite Outkast. I'm wearing the medium, and it's a perfect fit -- roomy, but not in a Grandpa's Sweater kind of way. And it's thick and snuggly and perfectly soft without a single annoyingly itchy fiber. Not. Even. One.

Because I always stand in my own doorway with my hand on my waist! CHEERS!

Tie-Dye Done Right

I treat tie-dye like I treat tequila -- cautiously, sparingly, and never after 3AM.

($200, Diesel Black Gold, Farfetch.com)

That said, this Diesel Black Gold is everything right about tie-dye. Think moody, inky darks, to avoid looking like you took your style inspo from a container of Wavy Gravy or Phish Food.

It's Time For... CAT FASHIONS!

In honor of my cat Sim's untimely demise, here are a bunch of cheery cat clothes and accessories. Yes, I'm a cat person. DEAL WITH IT. I used to try to air on the side of discretion when shopping for or styling myself with cat-related fashion, so as not to look overly young. But at this point, I'm like fuck it.

($78, Marc By Marc Jacobs, Zappos.com)


($35, Marc By Marc Jacobs, Zappos.com)

Love Marc By Marc Jacobs' Fantastical Tale cat rings in brass and black resin. See? Marc Jacobs gets it!

($76, Your Eyes Lie, Topshop)

British upstart Your Eyes Lie makes excellent, photorealistic digital prints -- like this giant cat print dress -- on the softest jersey dresses. They look fantastic with leggings, run large (yay!), and are super layerable.

($13, Asos.com)

Two baby kitties in a heart ring! Ee!

MAC's Fabulous Felines collection is obviously my favorite collection of all time. When I found out they were doing a cat collection, I almost fell out of my chair. Why I wasn't asked to be a consultant on the collection I will never know, but I'll let it slide. This time.

My favorite of the Fabulous Felines are the Leopard Luxe eyeshadow quad. LOOK at that gold! And that muted orange! So autumnal chic.

($36, MACcosmetics.com)


($14.50, MACcosmetics.com)

Love MAC's Cunning very berry lipstick. It's sold out online, so check your local MAC store.

($25, Paul & Joe Beaute, Beautyhabit.com)

It's CAT LIPSTICK! LIPSTICK IN THE SHAPE OF A CAT! I wrote about it for Naag.

($40, Joseph Aaron Segel, Prettysnake.etsy.com)

Designer and RISD professor Joseph Aaron Segel sources vintage sweater and prints cats and sews hilarious, huge stuffed animals eyes onto them! And check out his Pretty Snake acid cat screenprinted t-shirts!

($38, Joyrich, Karmaloop.com)

LOVE Joyrich because they always have comfie, casual, cheeky streetwear. Love Karmaloop because they ALWAYS have promo codes.

Hayden-Harnett: Surprise Sample Sale!

I left the last Hayden-Harnett sample sale empty-handed, but they made up for it with this sale. They announced it on Tuesday afternoon on Facebook, but sadly I wasn't able to get down to the Nolita store until last night after work. It was obvious from the largely empty racks and the disaster-zone dressing room that they'd had quite a crowd during the day. Amazingly enough, the sale featured actual samples from the fall 2010 line, meaning mostly small sizes. And yet...she shoots, she scores!


The salesgirl was sort of instrumental in convincing me to buy this cool bomber, the Cromwell jacket, in charcoal herringbone. It also comes in brown (below, far left):



Only $60, and guess what it retails for? $538! Jeebus. (Methinks H-H's price points are a wee bit high, but their sample-sale prices, in this case, were just right.) In any case, I win. Is it time for wool jackets yet?



I also got a cozy, cropped sweater vest (above right, worn open). Love that scoop neck! And the zipper! Needed no convincing. $60. No word on retail price, as it's not on the H-H site yet. After a long, annoying day, that's what you call retail therapy, folks.

Some other things from the fall collection that I'll be on the lookout for at the next sale:


Welles large hobo tote, $544, and I guess a Welles hobo/cross-body bag (as yet unavailable)—love that poppy color!



Pistol & Dagger scarf, $95, in many awesome fall colors.



Coats and jackets galore!

The sample sale is at the Nolita store in NYC, on Elizabeth between Houston and Prince, and runs through Sunday, from 12-8 each day. Everything is $20-$70. Long live Hayden-Harnett!

YES, PLEASE, WANT! Cheap Monday Night Sweater Dress

($99, Cheap Monday, Karmaloop.com)

Cheap Monday's eerie, Egyptian-inspired sweater dress is what I NEED to be wearing right now. Someone with $99 to donate to my cause, make this happen. (Note: my cause is THAT I NEED TO BE WEARING THIS CHEAP MONDAY DRESS. kthx.)

Topshop Fall/ Winter 2009 Preview, Y'all!

In which I editorially select some of my FAVORITE pieces from Topshop's forthcoming Fall/ Winter '09er stuff. Did I hear a niner? Lots of chunky knits, studs, fake furs, feathers, and '90s grunge inspiration topped off with some '70s boho-meets-coke den attributes. Mix, but never match, okay? Look for the pieces to hit Topshop stores and Topshop.com starting nowish.


From the Horror Girls collection.



Will I EVER get over the raging perma-bone I have for pyramid studs?

Because I LOVE a sequin jacket, peeps!


Besides finding like $50 in your pocket, what's better than a banded sweater with a nice scoopneck, hm?









Both sweaters are from Markus Lupfer collection, and they're $170.

... Seriously, I will HAVE MY WAY with that leather bag and those black studded heels. Both are absolutely the last night I need right now (weddings don't pay for themselves, as it turns out!), but I can't stop OCDing about them in my widdle brain.

Okay, now for the Topshop Fall/ Winter '09 stuff that I am NOT feeling:

NO. Muppets died for these sins. I cannot handle THAT much '90s.

Please, no. Don't EVER EVER EVER wear a feather headdress unless you are an actual factual Native American engaging in some sort of purpose-driven ceremony.

This Sacai Cardigan Is $649. What Am I Missing? Besides $649.99?

I love a guy in a striped cardi. I think they're an Everydude staple as they look great across the board. But did I miss something here? Not convert the currency correctly? How the filfflarnfilf is this Sacai men's striped cardigan $649? DOLLARS! The PRPS cashmere cardigans I've been ogling are half that. This looks like the type of cardigan you could get from Topshop for like 1/16th the price. (Oh look! You basically can!)

($649, Sacai, Colette)

No, this isn't cashmere, and no, it doesn't even come with a car or a pony or anything.


Better deals:

($13.99, Target)

See? Sensible!

($24.99, Converse, Target.com)

$24.99! For a sweater! It MAKES SENSE!

($34.99, DKNY, Amazon)

Also not wack!

($70, RVCA, Jacksurfboards.com)

Order -- it has been restored in the universe.

This Yumz Wilen Sweater At Bad Joan...

($40, Wilen, BadJoan.com)

... Is seriously just $40... It looks so comfy it's off the radar.

A word or two about Bad Joan really quickly, while I have you here -- Bad Joan takes lotsa cute designer overstock (like, really small but really great designers) and marks them down 80%. For srsly. So, when you join "the club," so to speak -- you just email them for the promo code, which you'll receive immediately -- and "Joan" hits you back with a promo code that you enter at checkout, and BAM, you get 80%. No joke, no gimmicks. Miraculously, you can even return stuff. I ordered a great Wilen sweater myself, and with the exception of it being too big, it was gorgeous. But I was too lazy to return it, so I gave it to my mom.

Anyway, Bad Joan is the brainchild of Brooke Wilen, an L.A. knitwear designer and the owner of Wilen. These days she spends most of her livelong days (what the hell's a livelong day anyway?) doing BadJoan. Definitely check out Wilen, and I highly recommend the Marcello Toshi shoes and Jenny Han tops and dresses.