We slept without the air conditioner last night. The eerie quiet of our loft that made it nearly impossible to sleep leaving us in a daze of transitional tossing and turning. More than any other sign, this is the one we use to gauge the end of summer as the subtle shifts in atmosphere precipitate our own internal changes, be there physical or spiritual. And while its been a good summer in the city, we are beginning to feel the Michaelmas transition.

But to cling is human and the Zen of transition is not strong in many of us. Thus this Labor Day, for us the last weekend of summer, is a critical marker for a certain kind of fashionistas. The traditional rules of white reach their last viable wear date come Monday. No more white frocks can grace your tanned frame and white sandals and pumps must be lovingly stored until next May. Sure, plenty of people continue to wear white past these expiration dates. But too often it feels forced, like a faked fashion trend or over done styling. Cruise gives us a second chance and yes we relish trips to Miami, but really our grandmothers may just be right that this is our last chance. And so we celebrate the the last white weekend with airy frocks and the best of this summer's shoes. May you spill BBQ sauce on them come Monday!

Season number six of Mercedes Benz Berlin Fashion Week begins Thursday, followed by Miami Swim Week, which starts this Friday. Consider the Spring 09 season officially underway. The names you'll probably recognize, showing in this year's Berlin Fashion Week include Vivienne Westwood Anglomania, Kai Khune, c.neeon, HUGO, and JOOP! jeans. We'll have loads of photos and reviews for you as things progress. To read about the designers participating in the Berlin shows, click here. Miami, which will no doubt serve as a alcohol-saturated vacation for all of those showroom reps who undoubtedly deserve some time off, will also host an exciting roster of designers including Zimmerman, Custo Barcelona, and Tibi. We're off to Premiere Vision tomorrow afternoon, a textiles trade show for the Fall 09 season, and then to a Paul Wilmot Holiday 08 preview, which means sneak-peak pics of Uniqlo, Monique Lhuillier, Naeem Kahn, and L.A.M.B. Exciting things happening in Coutortureland and the fashion world proper. For the rest of the day, we're going to throw back caffeine and office-poll who will confuse the seasons in an interview first and what everyone will be wearing come spring 09. One possible answer: straight jackets.

Whether Valentine's Day leaves you feeling blissful or bitter, improve your mood with today's Must Reads. The It Lists, Temptalia, The Scented Salamander, Shopalicious, and ShopDiary relieve a bit of the holiday tension.