Fresh Junk: Margiela Ripoffs

I'm baaaaack! Thanks to Cho for the Photoshop help--I promise that I'll be updating MUCH more regularly now.These "celebrity censored" sunglasses from Fred Flare are unfortunately sold out, but I wonder if they were on sale before the Margiela L'Incognitos? In any case, the boat might have left the harbor regarding this trend, but I'm a sucker for a sick pair of sunglasses.

Really Obsessed With: Studded Shoes

I just want to direct your attention to just how freakin' sick these shoes are. If I'm not mistaken, they're both from this one place on Lafayette St. (all you in the area, help a girl out with the name?). The entire store is stocked to the brim with custom-studded shoes, boots and jackets as well as vintage tees, distressed denim and everything else you could imagine showing up in a kool person's closet. I'm KICKING myself for not picking something up while I was there, but maybe one day I'll be able to cash in on the studded fun.

Best and Worst Dressed at Olympics 2008

Hideously dressed, I present to you the Spanish...otherwise known as the worst dressed Olympians.

Classy and sophisticated, the Americans...Duh!

Opening day is all about style. Gold Medal goes to us!

Inspired by: New York City

Big Apple apologies for my three day hiatus--but I swear, I was trying to visit parts of NY before I leave for Michigan this Wednesday. No doubt my trip here in NYC has been fantastic, but I'm offically ready to head home. Until then, here's the quintessential NY outfit for a rainy day like today which is a bit of Blair, a smidge of Holly Golightly, and a whiff of those creepy touristy vendors.

Mad Delusions: Designer Water

So yesterday, I'm looking for a water bottle to bring to work, and the only container I could find was this bottle of Voss water that I had bought on a whim. It was made of glass which made it impossible to throw around, and it had an awkward screw top which made it impossible to drink out of. It was also expensive, which made me more pissed off that I had bought it in the first place...and did this water taste any different from my trusty old Aquafina? Uh, no. Wait..., maybe...no. Not at all. Designer waters may be pretty to look at and pretty fly to carry around, but that's all they are. But sometimes, form comes over function - and if you're in the mood to be haute and hydrated, visit finewaters.com to buy a few liters for yourself.

Mad Delusions: Satin Hobo

This bag is just so wrong for me. It's impossibly big for a satin bag, too glam for the daytime and way too unstructured for night, not to mention that it'd be impossible to clean. Plus, it'd probably be a magnet for little spills and stains, I'd have to keep it away from anything that might snag the fabric, and its contents would have to be limited to only soft, fluffy, voluminous things (stuffed animals?). If the bag was a person, it'd be the most annoying, high-maintenance, whiny, prissy, disgustingly girlish thing around. And yet? I love it. I love it so much that I'd be willing to devote my life to just perching atop a flight of stairs in an old Gothic cathedral (with a horde of bodyguards to make sure the pigeons, people, and dirt stay clear) wearing just this bag and a giddy look that says "this scene is just far too glamorous, isn't it boys?" Oooooh Kristen Lee. Shame shame for making me think these thoughts!

Mad Delusions: Marc Jacobs Booties

I'm a little bummed about leaving New York next week. But you wanna know the best type of therapy for this? Shoes. Shoes. Ohmygawd, shoes. These Marc Jacobs booties would be the perfect pick me up to get me through the next couple weeks. Seriously, they're perfect. Jewel toned, ribbon laced, with a chunky heel? Someone figure out how to hook me up to an IV drip filled with these babies, and I'll be back with a blogging vengeance sooner than you can say shucks.

Really obsessed with: two-toned pumps

THESE are delightful! I rarely wear pumps (they're usually too cutesy of a shoe for me), but the cone heel, mustard yellow, patent leather and suede upper have got me in a shoe daze. Sure they're kinda pricey, but my birthday is only (er) 3 months away, and I'm sure the price will creep down soon enough.

Channeling: Daft Punk

Just in time for August, I've got my motorcycle gear ready. The epitome of this tough look resides with old electronica favorites, Daft Punk. Rock this look with head to toe black, unexpected quirky jewelry and a serious panache for incognito-look-at-me-ity.

Really Obsessed: Karen Walker Shades

As I was organizing my sunglasses collection yesterday evening (wahoo), I happened to notice that the ratio of aviators to non-aviators was a disgusting 5:1. But the problem with aviators is that, at least for me, they never seem to last very long. Most of mine had a missing nosepad or were bent funnily. One sad pair only had one lens. I'm on the lookout for chunkier frames made from near indestructible plastic so they can survive my penchant for sitting on them, dropping them on the ground, or stuffing them deep into my bags only to be crushed by heavy textbooks. Karen Walker shades scream "ABUSE ME, BABY", which, to be honest, is the only thing I want to hear my sunglasses screaming right now. Funeral for Aviators#12 and Aviator#7 will be held next Tuesday : (

Fresh Junk: Cloche Hats

I was on the lookout for a fall/winter hat that's a little more structured than my collection of knit hats. These cute felt cloches are perfect for keeping my head warm and balancing out the masculine-y feel of my fall wardrobe. I just recently popped into Urban Outfitters (who is having a super rad sale now, yes yes!), and saw that their entire lot of cloches were on the sale racks (wtf). With the additional 50% off on sale items, the hat wasn't more than $10. It seems that this hat has skipped right over the Misshapes crowd and right into the pages of Vogue, which, if you ask me, makes wearing one WAY less annoying.

Mad Delusions: Sequined Hoodies

Seriously. In this getup, I'd be the hottest sci-fi watching, discotheque hopping, head shaking, eye batting, glamazon alien queen ever. I'm not kidding. Why isn't this mine? Jen Kao makes amazing conceptual (yet very wearable) pieces in a self-described "rough and tumble spirit."

Fresh Junk: Paper Bag Waist Skirts

This GORGEOUS silk skirt from Prada has been popping up on girls since last winter. I tried to recreate this look by bunching up a skirt that's a few sizes to big with a belt, but all it did was make me look like I had a cottage cheese ass. The Topshop skirt is a few steps down from the Prada, but considering my bank account, this might have to do.

Really Obsessed with: Plaid Dresses

As the perfect outfit for a date with the Brawny man, a plaid dress is a must-have for any girl who likes to get down and dirty (and then clean it up). I picked up two at H&M this weekend (upper left corner - $15 each). I can see myself in them already, lounged out in a soft meadow somewhere, annoying the birdies around me with a grassblade whistle. And then, behold! Over the hills comes my ruddy-faced man. "Why madam" Brawny says as he reaches into his pocket for an absorbant wipe. "You've got a bit of blueberry jam on your lip." Create your own idyllic delusions with these (from left) by Marc by Marc Jacobs, Forever 21 and Topshop.

OMG...Why?

"Well shucks," I first thought. "Props to that girl for being brave enough to wear a miniskirt when she has that bad a case of eczema." Upon closer inspection, I discovered that no, it wasn't the inflammatory breakouts of skin lesions that I had exepcted. It was, in fact, the most hideous leggings that I had ever seen. Ever. They were white, lacy, and close enough to her skin color for me to diagnose her with a skin disease. But, if you feel compelled to take your leggings/tights the lacy route, stick to black or neons. Anything else will make friend-making seriously awkward.

Really Obsessed With: Light Graffitti

Ok, so this post doesn't have to do so much with fashion (ok, so it doesn't have to do with fashion at all), but it does have everything to do with mad style. Something about this rogue temporary tagging excites me--enough so that I think I'm going on a short light graffiti escapade when the sun goes down. Wish me luck! (Ya know, gotta watch out for coppers) How to do it (according to the lichtfaktor, the artist above): Tools: A small collection of flashlights, biking-lights and flashing LED, camera, tripodSteps: The exposure should be around 10-30 sec. Stay in front of the camera and do your writing. To not overexpose, set the camera to about iso100, and close your aperture as much as possible. if there is still too much light you might have to use a nd-filter.

Fresh Junk: Kara Janx Skirt

This summer, I filled out one of those voucher things that my airline sent me for free magazines. Apparently, I got a little too free-magazine happy, and ended up subscribing to a dozen separate publications. Now, our living room coffee table is overflowing with glossies that run the gamut from "The Economist", to "Upscale" to "Ebony" and "Bazaar". I'm sure my roommates are a little irked about the inundation, but at least they're never going to run out of reading material, right? Yesterday was crazy--we received four magazines in the mail, and one of them, "Radar", showcased this lovely little Kara Janx skirt (remember her from Project Runway?) on this lovely model who wears it as a dress, which I think is just way too freakin' adorable.

Model Spotlight: Chanel Iman

Chanel Iman is the next biggest super model...For sure!!
She's 18 years old from California and has only modeled for two years, but has already been recognized world wide.
She has walked for big names such as: Custo Barcelona, DKNY, Dolce and Gabbana, Issy Miyake, Marc Jacobs, Valentino, Dsquared, Hermès, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Anna Sui, Diane von Fürstenberg, Vera Wang, Jean Paul Gaultier and Stella McCartney.

Chanel appeared with models Du Juan and Coco Rocha in the Spring 2007 issue of TIME Style&Design. In the May 2007 issue of US Vogue she was featured on the cover with fellow models Doutzen Kroes, Caroline Trentini, Raquel Zimmermann, Sasha Pivovarova, Agyness Deyn, Coco Rocha, Jessica Stam, Hilary Rhoda, and Lily Donaldson as the new crop of supermodels.
Chanel also appeared on the cover of Teen Vogue alongside fellow American teenage models Ali Michael and Karlie Kloss in 2008.

Chanel is known to wink on the runway at a random person as she turns to head backstage.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cRq_5EzXv_c

Gucci Hysteria

The reason for my fixation is simple: the fall handbag collection is particularly exemplary and it's definitely a challenge to look away from the gorgeous options.

Swarovski for Phillips

I mean...there's always more room for bling in your life, but...this is a little much. The Phillips-Swarovski Active Crystal collection definitely goes there, squeezing as many Swarovski crystals as possible onto some very cute electronic gadgets. Headphones=$149, USB=$179