For most people, Fall means three things: football, candy corn pumpkins (my absolute fav.) and midterms.

And for those of us not living in California, Texas, Florida or any place with a year round temperature of hot and hotter, Fall means crisp cold air, hot caramel apple cider and sweater season!

No?
Anyone?
Well, maybe no one else out there adores Fall as much as me because none of you have seen the fabulous new sweater trends taking over the (cold part of the) country as we speak. Heading back to school means torn up sweatshirts and stuffy sweater sets no more. With my pal Marc Jacobs on the loose setting trends and taking names, curling up on the couch with a warm beverage and a warmer sweater never looked so good.

Inspired by his Fall 2007 collection, designers from Vuitton to the people behind Forever 21 are upping the ante and going all out for Fall. What’s in store (literally!) for you this season?

Belted Sweaters: Nothing says cozy like an over-sized sweater. But, nothing says dowdy like an oversized sweater, either. So, what do we do to make it chic? Belt it! You get the best of both worlds – cozy glamour – for a walk to class or a day at the library. Throw in a sexy camisole and you have the perfect ensemble for a night out with the boy. Read More »

So, remember Vulva?

The questionable demand to smell…questionable is apparently, alive and well. In addition to smelling like a random va-jay, we can all spritz on something quite the opposite.

Thanks to Tom Ford, now we can emit the scent of a man’s crotch! Mmm…

Imagine waking up, taking a shower, feeling refreshed and ready for the day–but not before spraying on a little eau de crotch! Man, designers can make anything trendy.

But that’s not the only foray into fragrance Ford has made. If wanting to sniff genetials all day isn’t enough for you, it seems as though Ford’s also released a scent reminiscent of, get this, cocaine.

If anything, buying a 50 mL bottle of his new “Black Orchid” for $165 is way cheaper than importing the real thing from Colombia. Perhaps it’s the perfect scent for the coke-head gone clean! Read More »

It’s hard to take a stand on designer copyright.

On one hand, I understand why designers are so angry when their goods are blatantly copied by mass retailers (I’m looking at you Forever 21…), and on the other, I’m incredibly poor and terribly fashionable.

I am torn between what I know is right (not buying copied clothes) and wanting a great piece for a fraction of the price.

I don’t think it is right, but I don’t necessarily do anything to stop the flow of copied goods either. It’s not like I’m buying knock-offs on the street in Chinatown. That, I can’t do, because I can see the faces of small children locked in factories making fake purses for ten cents a day. My soft heart just can’t take it.

For a while this was okay. I couldn’t ever really decide how I felt on the issue. I understand copying an idea: a trend, a hem a silhouette. I understand that designers feel slighted and angry.

Overall, they feel that while unfair, it really just makes the trends end faster. All of a sudden, those with money aren’t the only trendsetters, as trendy items are available at every price range. I get it.

But then, it hit home. Read More »

On the heels of the release of clothing line “Bitten” from Sarah Jessica Parker and “Elizabeth and James” from MK and Ashley Olsen, an article recently appeared in The New York Times criticizing the extreme rise in the number of celebrity designers. Apparently, designer Phillip Lim is only one of many designers who is concerned by this phenomenon- and I don’t blame him.

At first there were a few labels by celebrities like Sean John by rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs and L.A.M.B. by singer Gwen Stefani. In these beginning stages the public could realistically believe that these few celebrity/designers had a genuine interest in contributing to the fashion world.

It wasn’t long before other celebrities smelled the money making, publicity friendly empire. Labels consisting of basic tanks, oddly shaped jeans, and tacky looking accessories were assembled and thrown into the market. Countless celebrity fashion lines later, it’s quite obvious that this is no longer about the clothes. Read More »

America has fallen in love with Tim Gunn. If a genie popped out of a lamp and granted every woman three wishes, one of them would be to have Mr. Gunn as our own personal stylist who followed us around while we shopped. The other two wishes would consist of Tim Gunn calling us and all of our friends “designers” all day and watching Pretty in Pink with us on a Saturday night in our pajamas.

Wow…that would be awesome.

The elegant man responsible for helping bring Project Runway to its height of popularity has a written a book.

Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style is a must-buy, because it inspires the fashionista in all of us to find our own, distinct style like only Tim Gunn can.

The tone of the book is written in the same way in which he speaks on the show, so his character undertones make it a very enjoyable read.

You can even read the first chapter here, where Mr. Gunn Read More »