SARTORIAL SANITY: Plie and Stretch - Channeling your inner black swan

Forget me knots

Remember the good old days of friendship bracelets? No going behind your roommates back to steal her socks, no flaking on your so-called friend's birthday and definitely no getting to cozy with your best friend's boyfriend - plain and simple: if you had the bracelet you were the best of friends who would do anything for each other, even if it meant standing up to her bully. Well, I don't think I'm alone in my wishful thinking for the old days and now, I don't have to be. Take a cue from jewelry designers like Shashi or Ariel Gordon for a new spin on the more adult but still inherently and innocently pure friendship bracelet. Hand them out to your best friends and say 'adios' to the unneeded drama.

Spring camp!

I recently ended a few of my magazine subscriptions in an attempt to cut back on my lack of cash flow so, I spent the day at Newsbar on 12th street yesterday flipping through everything from V magazine to Lucky. And, I really got into some of the spring ad campaigns. Below are a few that I am particularly smitten with...

I really love the pale pink hair in the Valentino ads...something I could never pull off but I think looks so effortlessly, I-don't-give-a-shit cool.

I wasn't familiar with Vera Wang's spring collection but when I was flipping through God knows which magazine I saw this ad and got really excited to check it out. This look seems like something a bit out of left field for VW but I think it's smashing - gothic fairy meets hollywood glamour.

Fendi's spring collection has a familiar Rodarte quality to it and I love the dichotomy of the hard-edge torn dress and the whimsical background...the whole campaign is really stunning.

SJP for Halston

On the heels of Sarah Jessica Parker's essentially failed fashion venture, Bitten, it's in the works for her to become the new Creative Director of American label, Halston. A way for the brand to gain some publicitiy in this rough, economic climate, SJP seems to be following in the vein of Lindsay Lohan's work with Ungaro. Hopefully for SJP, second time's a charm.

Elephants and Snowmen and Gucci, oh my!

Gucci has recently teamed up with author and illustrator Michael Roberts to guest design a collection of bags, key chains and coin purses from which 25% of the sales will go benefit UNICEF. Roberts, author of Snowman in Africa (also available on Gucci.com- 100% of proceeds from book sales will go to UNICEF), lent his colorful and child-like prints to a variety of products that seamlessly combine childhood fantasy and chic sophistication. If you've got the cash, these products would make great gifts that give back.

Posh designer - take three

Victoria Beckham, or as she'll always be cemented in my mind as Posh Spice, launched her new collection exclusively on Net-A-Porter today. A third-season-veteran designer, Beckham decided to give her line another go after her first collection, a denim line, was dropped by Saks Fifth Avenue. Rather than just sticking to denim, Beckham is diving into her own signiture looks including architecturally structured mini dresses as well as her staple cigarette slim denim. Beckham will also introduce a sunglass line - surprise surprise, I feel like I've never actully seen a photo of her without a pair of oversized shades. Hopefully third time's a charm!

Alber Elbaz - hononary mailman?

You know you've made it when the French postal service asks you to design their stamps. For the 120th anniversary of French fashion house, Lanvin, designer Alber Elbaz designed two different stamps that are illustrated with the colorful doodles for which he's known. Not that I'm not patriotic but this is what differentiates the ridiculously chic French from Americans. Even their postage stamps are fashionable!

Leather rosettes, I'm in heaven

How beautiful is this clutch?!? From Anthropologie, this buttery leather bag is the perfect topper to any holiday look. If I had $298 laying around, I would definitely snatch it up.

Hot head

The man can do no wrong...even when designing helmets? It's true and from the first time we saw them on Karl Lagerfeld's runways last spring, they have finally come to fruition and are available at Colette in Paris as well as other various specialty stores. These tough chapeaux range from $1,805 to $6,837 and include anything from mink to pearl detailing. This is a giant step for all of those fashion conscious motorcycle riders out there! Hey, if you can pull it off, more power to you!

A Bleak Black Friday

In my hometown of Chicago this past Friday after Thanksgiving, I ventured out of the house with my mom and sister armed with comfy shoes and a easy on-and-off jacket- ready for the crowds of Black Friday. A day that I usually dread, I don't get to see my family often so I thought I'd tag along on this shopping day from hell. But, to my surprise, the stores didn't seem any more crowded than usual. No home plate dives to snag that last pair of Chloe flats, (In your size!!) no cart bashing, no store employees herding the masses from door to dressing room to cash register. But, the herds of shoppers didn't seem to be absent because they had something better to be doing, but because the savings that most stores were offering really weren't anything to write home about. Apparel stores boasted sales of 15% off or buy one get one 30% off. We found ourselves in Best Buy later that afternoon, my dad dreaming about upgrading our huge cube TV to a sexy plasma, and the best deals they had were $50 off a $600 plus TV! It's a vicious cycle: retailers can't afford to give discounts and consumers can't afford the quasi-full prices. I've read a lot of blogs too saying that online discounts (free shipping, X% off) were way better than in store discounts on Black Friday- makes sense because online retailers don't have to pay rent!

The King of Fierce is back

Ladies (and gentlemen) hold your breath! The king of fierce is once again going to grace us with his fabulousness! Christian Siriano, Project Runway Alum, is going to be invading our homes once again on a weekly basis on his new documentary style Bravo TV spin-off. The designer will take us with him through the triumphs and tribulations of creating his Spring and Fall 2010 lines. The show is supposed to be The September Issue-esque as it really gets behind the scenes of what it takes to create a comprehensive collection and the inside scoop on where Siriano's inspiration for his wears comes from.

Do you think this is just Bravo grasping at its former Project Runway glory days or will you tune in?

Halloween is an excuse to go over-the-top high fashion!

I've never really been into the whole Halloween thing... Dressing up liking something hideous and terrifying or going the slutty nurse route has never been my thing. But, this year, I'm heading to a party at the Maritime Hotel in NYC where a costume is a must, unfortunately. But, good news, after stressing about not spending money on a ghoulish get-up for one night it hit me- rock star glam! With studs and spikes all the latest rage on the runways this fall, why not take this opportunity to really go over the top with the latest trends and go as a chic and cool black eye-lined, stud wearing rock star? A la Taylor Momsen's everyday look, I'll through on some black skinny jeans, a vintage band Tee or tank, loads of silver necklaces, and an arm of studded bracelets. And, maybe a few crayola tattoos to top it off...can't wait!

Saucy Minx

Just heard about this new nail treament called Minx nails that I absolutely love. This new nail technique gives the choice of polished looking metal nails- silver, gold, pewter. Although a manicure could set you back $60-80, it lasts way longer than normal polish and looks flawless! Next time I have some extra cash (which will probably be the day after never) I'm definitely going to treat myself!

Faux paw?

So I've always been a huge animal lover. Hey, I was even the president of the Animal Rescue club in highschool. I was that girl who would spend her Saturday mornings at my local animal shelter cleaning up my fury friends' "mistakes." Flash forward five or so years and I'm out at a swanky lounge in NYC with my closest friends. I'm wearing black skinny jeans, a vintage Harvard tee, a handful of silver and gunmetal grey necklaces (in retrospect, probably one too many) and this red wool riding jacket/blazer with a fur collar. Not too shabby I think to myself until...A friend reaches over to pet my collar saying, "poor little guy." You can imagine how I lept to my feet saying, "this isn't real fur! This is totally faux! You would't think I'd wear real fur right?"

My reaction later got me thinking- the whole point of faux fur is to resemble the real deal right? So as a quasi animal "activist" is it just as wrong to fake it as to wear the real thing? I'm still torn and slightly biased due to the red culprit in my closet that I found after digging through the sale racks at Saks' outlet store. Is faux fur actually a faux paw?

My top 5 Fall Trend Picks

Give the cold shoulder:

A variety of designers are shifting the balance this season with one-shouldered frocks that will leave you with a chill.

Tell me about it stud:
Although you may not be one for Harley's and helmets, get in touch with your rebel side with studded vests, belts and bags.









Fancy a pattern?:
Mix and match patterns, fabrics and genres to your heart's content. This season its all about eclecticism. Sport your favorite grandma sweater with a liquid leather legging and a pair of loafers.













Ohh, the days of Light Bright:
From hot pink to citron green, neon is now! Pair a terrifyingly bright blouse with a pulled-tweed pencil skirt to achieve the look without going overboard.












All about le BF:
Whether its the boyfriend blazer or the boyfriend cut jean, over sized t-shirts and menswear details will keep you on par.

Leibovitz forced to sell rights to her photos

After photographer, Annie Leibovitz was outed on in the NYT for her gastronomic debts we all sat along for the ride as we watched what she was going to do next. The famed photographer who has snapped such iconic shots as those of John Lennon, Demi Moore, and the more recently controversial Miley Cyrus, was sued for $700,000 for failure to pay her bills. So, what's the most sought after photographer (in arguably the world) to do? Sell your rights to your photographs (a.k.a. your legacy). She recently received a lifetime acheivment award...let's hope she's still got plenty of black and white running through her veins for a few more iconic images.

Lackluster at Chocheng SS2010

While the overarching details of the Chocheng show were beautifully constructed, the collection in its entirety seemed a bit below par. Last season, as the recession was really starting to sink in, a lot of designers played it safe at their fashion week venues, hoping to appeal to their largest customer base. But this season, designers (excluding Chocheng) seem to be coming out of the recession slump and serving up some really exciting pieces. Unfortunately, the Chocheng show seemed to be stuck in that mentality of simplicity for the sake of preservation. Although I will say that there were a few pieces that worked as Chocheng's saving grace, hopefully the designer will get on board with something a bit more exciting for fall 2010.