coutorture --

If You Must: Sweats

coutorture — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:10:50 -0700

After the Capsule parties that kicked off the work week, we're thinking we might dedicate ourselves to loungewear this weekend. There's nothing better than taking a night off and wearing some 100% cotton incarnation, making tea, and reading or watching movies. Our network partner, Style Bubble, posted a little while back on a grey Rebecca Turbow sweater that had us thinking we might give our bedtime clothing a makeover. Yes, we think our Bum Equipment t-shirt is going to have to remain a staple, but surely a new pair of sweatpants couldn't hurt. Now, we don't endorse track suits or anything like that. The only person who should see your sweats, for that matter, is your local barista and even then you should be careful. No one should have to put on makeup and skin tight jeans to go grab their morning coffee, but a little effort needs to be made. Below, we've picked out some of our e-commerce options. No, this is not our ideal fashion topic but something needs to be said. A gal should feel good about what she's wearing even when she's not supposed to.

Capsule Spring/Summer 2009

coutorture — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:15:33 -0700

A few years ago our girlfriend Leah said men are the new women. She was clearly ahead of the curve as menswear keeps getting bigger, better, and vainer each season. The contemporary menswear tradeshow Capsule is in town. Organized by community member We Are The Market and Brand Pimps, the five floor extravaganza in the Lower East Side has brought out the best of breed for men's market week in New York. We took some time yesterday to explore the five levels of fashion in the Angel Orensanz Foundation on Norfolk Street.

We were tremendously impressed with the quality of the labels on display this year. Many traditional staples in the streetwear community were included but the real joy was the younger labels making their debut. We will be covering Capsule throughout the week focusing on designers of note.

Halter Without The Hideous

coutorture — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:30:51 -0700

The halter top is saddled with all kinds of unfortunate cultural associations. Your editor had a veritable closet full during her sorority days thanks to the good folks of Express Fashions (ask her about her miniskirt collection someday). Thus, when community partner Fashion Pad reminded us that baring your shoulders during the hot summer months is a good look for many women and not to mention quite cool, we did a double take on the halter top. We didn't want some boob hugging up in your face "why don't you buy me a drink, spare the roofie please, check out my sequins" contraption obviously. We wanted something that was in line with the fashion we already consume. A quick shopping trip has shown us that we are being rewarded by the gods of merchandising this summer. The hippest of the hip from across the cool spectrum including Martin Margiela, Mayle and Humanoid all have options we can sincerely endorse.

Directional Fashion

coutorture — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:16:25 -0700

Its easy to take potshots at hiptser fashion as being a bit silly. Unwearable clothing is a pastime in our hood and a few of your editors have been known to indulge. But we were never completely convinced that the Williamsburg set was dim. But it would seem a few other designers are not totally sold on just how bright they are as a demographic Stained Couture introduced us to this Marc by Marc Twinsie Cardigan. And then we saw it again on Chic and Untroubled. Sure its a bit cute that it has the two tone action going on. Every diffusion line needs a design gimmick in order to justify its price tag as far as we are concerned. But then we came across this pair of American Apparel leggings that is going the two tone route as well. Is this some sort of subtle kindergarten nudge to help us all remember which arm or leg is our "other left" appendage? In which case wearing both garments at the same time is sure to help drunk or otherwise addled fashion hipsters to remember how to turn left at Houston.

A Good Reason To Stay Home

coutorture — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:38:34 -0700

The weekend clearly wasn't long enough for at least a few people. The Daily Obsession and M.I.S.S Crew are both jonesing for some spa time. But since we are all paranoid about the recession these days it just might not be time for a full day of spa indulgence; unless of course you do it at home! The Daily Obsession has a list of products a mile long to get a spa feel at home and M.I.S.S Crew has one powerful tip on our favorite part of the spa day process.

A nice robe, some fuzzy shoes, a decent scrub, and a nice foot bath all sound ideal to us but we sure wish we could find a way to bring a good massage home. And somehow we don't think those "at home massage" devices are going to do the trick on our sore shoulders. They seem to be better at making other body parts sore.

Image Via Getty

Color Wheel

coutorture — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:40:48 -0700

The best style is shaped by a strong personality. But sometimes it can be hard to know what your personality should mean when it comes to getting dressed in the morning. Community member The Space Between My Peers has listed her personal colors and asked her readers to think about their own signatures. When your editors took an informal poll of the office we discovered, if pressed, the majority of us would claim navy as our signature color. We had a lone dissenting pink. Which leads this editor to wonder if anyone of us can even lay claim to have a signature color. Navy is one of the original fashion basics and as Diana Vreeland once said "pink is the navy blue of India."

Thus perhaps your editors don't in fact have signature colors but prefer to flock to signature basics. When you cope with the constant shifting landscape of trends and cultural signifiers, it may in fact be better to choose a basic, even if its black, to help you navigate getting dressed in the morning. For Between My Peers, we would wager her favorite basic is pewter gray. In tumultuous times we can think of no greater comfort than throwing together basic pieces in basic colors. Times are tough and as good fashionistas we choose navy to keep us on course.

A Hat For All Seasons

coutorture — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:19:00 -0700

Winter garments in summer is a big topic in the fashion industry as of late. We are crushing on shimmer nylons and have used Fall collections as the ultimate summer wardrobes so its no surprise that we continue to find ourselves enamored with community members that take this fascination as seriously as we do. Fashion is Spinach has fallen in love with hats even in this hot humid sticky months. She really enjoys tiny caps but we must say we are in love with really all kinds of hats and have been since we had the pleasure of shooting James Coviello's fall hats. Let's all hope that this trend catches on in a big way!

This Perfect Day

coutorture — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:51:59 -0700

This week has been a little rough for Coutorture and many of our friends. We aren't quite sure what the heck is going on in the celestial sphere that so many of our sisters are having troubles. Thankfully community member Catwalk Queen helped cheer us up with a little pink floral cheer. A super hot pink dress with some white hot accessories seem like just the thing to brush off all of the mind clutter of the week. Sure its a little Elle Woods but even the edgiest of fashionistas can probably get behind a See by Chloé mini right? We suggest putting on your brightest dress and singing along to this silly music video. Really, it made us feel better!

Yohji and Simons Collab Mad: Accessories Edition

coutorture — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:34:22 -0700

These shades will blow those coveted Grey Ant pairs out of the water. The Yohji Yamamoto for Linda Farrow Sunglasses unisex collection, named Prototype, will launch in conjunction with Spring 09 deliveries and include four original styles made from titanium, aluminum, silver, and antiqued gold. You can pick them up at Yohji and Farrow shops. No word yet on the numbers in production, or the cost, but we're guessing they'll conjure a pretty penny from many a chicster.

In other collabo news, Raf Simons will be designing limited edition Doc Martins come Spring 09. Our Network Partner, Chic & Untroubled, reported on the collaboration as it was revealed during the Milan trade show Bread & Butter. If that (for lack of a better word) chunky sole never bothered you, this might be a very exciting day indeed. We're not particularly stoked to see the naked foot of a (admittedly fashion-forward) man peeking out from a cut-out Doc Martin, but alas, it's Raf Simons.

Shimmer, Shimmer, Cross, Re-Cross

coutorture — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:40:34 -0700

The pantyhose debate continues to rage in small town America and corporate human resources departments. But frankly the right to bare legs (or arms, or even sometimes, shudder, midriffs) hasn't really been a concern for fashion women. So when we started to weirdly crave shimmer nylons in the dead of summer we knew something was up. Our first inkling came as we read Tom Wolfe's eulogy of Clay Falker in the great man's own New York Magazine. Discussing a style piece on Madison Avenue art girls we found ourselves inspired.

They became known as the “art birds.” As late as 1989 Japanese art collectors liked to have these pretty little American girls by their sides in the front rows for the “important” auctions at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. They loved the pretty things’ lithe young legs with their epidermi of sheerest ravage-me nylon shimmering up to the most tumescent swells of their thighs as they crossed and then re-crossed and then re-re-crossed and then re-re-re-crossed them shimmer shimmer shimmer shimmer beneath the downlighters.

Now the fact that we found ourselves inspired by sheer nylons in midsummer by a man who habitually wears suits, albeit white ones, in even the warmest weather seemed fitting. But then today network partner Catwalk Queen admitted that she was a hosiery hoarder. She begins in the context of pre-fall trends and uses fellow community members Kingdom of Style and Susie Bubble as evidence. But its when she admits to loving "the new breed of truly barely-there nudes" we knew we were not alone. We have a few plans in mind for showcasing just how sexy the "shimmer, shimmer, cross re-cross" can be even in the middle of a heatwave.

Battle of The Shorts

coutorture — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:06:13 -0700

The humidity is making us wilt in Williamsburg making it hard to focus on any style that isn't explicitly designed for ventilation. Thus we have had shorts on the brain. Network partner Ma Petite Chou is pondering how to style Bermuda shorts while The Budget Fashionista is having a high low moment with board shorts.

Their posts got us thinking about the relative merits of Bermuda shorts versus board shorts. One of your editors is terrified of virtually any variety of short while the other rocks high waisted short shorts with the best of the hipster chicks, so obviously shorts are a hot topic around the office. And indeed, Bermudas and board shorts collectively run the gamut of stylistic options when it comes to baring one's legs. One offers coverage, relative modesty and even the occasional workplace garment while the other has a wealth of casual associations. Sure these styles seem categorically opposed, Bermudas work in the office while board shorts are for the beach right? Wrong!

We happen to think other option can function in an urban environment, helping an overheated girl beat the summertime sweats as she runs from coffee shop to bar to home in the pursuit of the creative class dream. Who says you can't rock either style, dressing them up and down, swapping from long to short depending on your level of bloat (because face it even the slimmest of us have days when we want to cover up without impeding sweat evaporation). Our choices range from Nike to Martin Margiela, but in the end we think its the same family of style choices. Dress down a Bermuda with a Cassio G-Shock and flip flops, dress up a board short with Marni wedges, and keep yourself cool in the process.

Make a Pointed Statement at Work

coutorture — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:00:08 -0700

Summer dress codes can make the mind reel, particularly when one works a proper office job. Open toed shoes are naturally one of the trickiest pieces to integrate into an office appropriate wardrobe. These plebian concerns are ones rarely raised by fashionistas. But we feel like we heard the siren call of reason today from network partner Kingdom of Style. Well, OK maybe not reason but certainly a dissenting viewpoint we wish to espouse. Queen Michelle is tired of toe friendly options like open top, peep toe and round toe shoes. She is primed for the return of the pointy toe, and certainly brings up many daring and overbearing shoes. We are going to take this opinion and say we too are tired of toe barring shoes (conveniently leaving out the round toe quip) despite it being midsummer. A pair of pointy toed pumps is exactly what an office bound girl needs to shake things up. Think how sexy you will feel wearing a pair of red spike pumps with pointed toe while everyone else around you is letting it all hang out. Because really just how much cooling help are you getting from having bare toes? Cover them up and strut! A little pinching aside, we think it sends the message that you are ready for business no matter what the weather.

Olympic Level Joke From Prada?

coutorture — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:44:31 -0700

Fashion can often feel like one elaborate practical joke. Overpriced trinkets, beauty defined by fifteen year old girls with budding eating disorders, and a caste system that operates exclusively on rejection do not exactly engender fashion to serious minded folk. But like good economists we shrug our shoulders and say "what the market will bear" and move on. But today we ran across our network partner Slam X Hype's post on Prada tchotchkes for the Olympic games. Normally we would have shrugged our shoulders and moved on, but we decided to click through on the source material. We made it to Hypebeast which subsequently led us to a very sketchy looking site. Now Nylon seems to think that these goodies are real and frankly we don't feel much like playing detective further.

But regardless of the little Build A Bear-esque creation's authenticity, we have to admit that the creatures are pretty hysterical. They scream hipster irony even when irony is, well, played out. Maybe its the fact that Prada is gunning for an IPO but the idea of a completely silly product diffusion line for a controversial sporting event (Tibet, who cares, not our President) seems like Muccia Prada's way of giving us all the finger. But in a really subtle cute way! The line works on just about any level no matter who designed it or what level of fashion reality it is operating on.

So put on a boyfriend blazer, wear some wayfarers, rock your skinnies, and put on a Prada bear tee shirt! Maybe even carry the keychain. A crazy cross cultural clashing mix of influences, brands, cool, product placement, and rampant consumerism brings together the best of art, commerce and international relations. Its a fantastic fashion joke! Even if it ends up being on us.

Our Network Helps You Accessorize

coutorture — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:24:40 -0700

Leave it to the bloggers in our Network to keep your extras in check. While scoping out today's postings we noticed a few tricks and deals our Coutorture readers will surely be keen on. To start, Bunny Shop has a special promotion code that will get you 25% off all non-sale items at Fred Flare. That includes the irresistible, albeit slightly retro cum retro, three-pack of red, white, and blue wayfarers. They were twenty dollars and now, with the discount, they're sixteen. Perfect Fourth of July party favor? Quite possibly. Bunnyshop is also running a contest to give away a Jocasi handbag if your fashion question elicits the most comments.

Also on the accessories front, this time in terms of styling is Style Bakery. Alison, the blogger with all of the outfit answers, gives advice on what belting works with a simple cotton frock. Her cobalt and silver product spread has us thinking of putting together a belted number for dinner tonight, so sharp are her choices for the reader that sought her advice.

Also on our radar, after a Style Bubble shoutout on the same topic yesterday, is DIY hosiery. The Coveted, inspired by the recent Christian Lacroix Haute Couture runway show, dip-died her drug store tights for the gradient look she's long been aware of but only now indulging in. In her post she teaches you how to recreate the look making us think, at this point, someone could carve out a pretty successful space dedicated strictly to DIY hosiery tips.

A Feat In DIY From Style Bubble

coutorture — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:09:10 -0700

In fashion, stylists have more power than you might expect. In fact, aside from the designers, theirs is a second opportunity to realize trends. The way we see clothing in magazines, in the shop windows, on celebrities, is largely a product of their interpretations of the newest clothing. Though fashion editors and store owners and the people who employ stylists surely have a say in the matter, the stylists still hold the reigns in some regard. Especially when it comes to accessories and finishing touches. That said, our Network Partner, Style Bubble, was transfixed by styling in a Selfridges window and promptly went on a DIY adventure to replicate the idea. Style Bubble, a trend setter in her own right, studied a pair of hosiery that had been carefully torn by whomever was in charge of such a thing, and now, well, now we might just see it on more than a few chicsters. A recent post we wrote on sheer socks had us thinking about DIY hosiery a few weeks back. Perhaps because hosiery, as we've seen in the Fall 08 shows, makes such a big statement with a little bit of money, it can be said that the most stylish among us play around with the possibilities. Even if only for one outfit or one shop window, the simple task of altering those finishing touches might a massive trend make.

I Enjoy Being A Girl

coutorture — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:38:50 -0700

We might be on a bit of an estrogen overdrive thanks the menswear being shown in Milan this week. This is making us exceptional prone to cooing over the silliest of girly accoutrements. Community member Fashionation has an entire post about bows that set us over the edge of feminine sanity. She has an entire collection of bows for her hair that just made us squeal like schoolgirls. But its not all giggles and tea time, serious fashion designers like Diane Von Furstenberg have been showing bows in their resort collections. Thus in the spirit of being a girl we have picked a few bow accessories for your enjoyment and a little video ditty to express just how pleased we are to be the fairer sex!

Resort Roundup From The Network

meganzanke — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:14:24 -0700

Because we know you'll probably need a straightforward women's wear fix, and because Resort lasts forever, here's what's happening with vacation frocks and whatnot. Our Network Partners are covering Resort happenings diligently, giving up images and impressions of who is putting out what and why they like it.

From London, I Am Fashion, rounds up top picks from Resort 09. Namely, from the likes of Phillip Lim, Nina Ricci, and Lanvin. If there were ever a palatable list for a young chicster, ranging from least to most expensive, it would be this one.

Fancy a break down of Louis Vuitton's Resort 09 preview? Our Network Partner, Shiny Style, has images of the neon striped shorts, guazy silky numbers, and jewel detailing from the collection. She aligns it with Resort offerings from the likes of Lanvin and Balenciaga, whom she credits as having the more interesting designs. We should hope so, eh? If Phillip Lim starts blowing Oscar de la Renta out of the water we'll start wearing birkenstocks and move upstate.

Otherwise, J'adore Couture does Lanvin, Shiny Squirrel does Alexander McQueen, and Trust Your Style does a bit of Temperley, Rowley, Malandrino, and the like.

Resort Trends: The Printed Kaftan

coutorture — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:47:30 -0700

It doesn't come as a surprise that the printed, flowing Kaftan was a big hit this Resort season. Resort might be becoming a more prominent season for designers (and the chicsters who love them) but that doesn't mean the traditional garments are not steadfast. After all, this is a season inextricable from its functional purpose: to clothe women who travel, to get our pale bodies into warm-weather garments gracefully. Our Network Partner, Chic Inspector, put together this spread to display the similarities. Normally, we'd be raising an eyebrow at the likeness, but it's Resort. You know, there's only so much that can be done and, in the end, women want kaftans. Simple as that. We predict our faithful designers will alter the maxi silhouette slightly come Spring Fashion Week. We predict tucks and cuffs at the bottom of those long lengths (you know, the maxi meets harem pant kind of thing) and that, quite simply, is what makes Spring and Resort two very different things.

English Professor Chic

coutorture — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:34:03 -0700

Bow ties used evoke English literature professors for us but a hipster boy in a neat little bow tie makes as swoon. All the Williamsburg boys have redeemed the one once dorky accessory for us making us covet the item for ourselves. We stole their American Apparel shirts, their vests, and their Cheap Mondays so call us obsessed but we are excited for a new menswear feature to make it into womenswear. SheFinds tells us that bow-ties aren't just for the prom anymore and we couldn't agree more. The amount of designers with bow-tie dresses is somewhat astounding, clearly we aren't the only ones with a burgeoning interest. And at least this time we can't be accused of stealing this one from our boyfriends.

It's Ok To Be Cross

coutorture — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:30:45 -0700

The racerback and the criss cross are staples when it comes to tank tops but lately we have found that the classic is getting classed up. Trashbag Aesthetics is rocking an American Apparel Baby Rip Cross Back Summer Dress. She says it is basic, beautiful and perfectly cool for the hotter than Hades weather that is plaguing the Eastern Seaboard. The criss-cross action that has been bouncing through the blogosphere prompted us to search for our own cross dress on our beloved Shopstyle. The gods of fashion smiled on us as we found this silk jersey sleeveless dress with gathered waist and cross front from Barney's on sale. The perfect peach color is drew us like a moth to a flame and the half off price tag of $250 sealed the deal. It is a perfect immaterial obsession if there ever was one.

Surf To Swim

coutorture — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:40:58 -0700

Surfing before you swim is the way to go for the shy beachgoer, surfing online we mean! The It Lists has an impressive guide to swimwear online that we think may just be the key to looking good on the beach this summer. We personally find that trying on swimsuits in a store is a sure way to feel depressed about your body no matter how much time to dedicate to pilates. The glare of the lights, the way even the tiniest bit of cellulite makes you look like you have an orange for an ass, and the all too often condescending attitudes of the sales girls don't exactly make swimsuit shopping the traditional way a real blast. We are particularly enamored of the Everything but Water Monokini. The bikini has been a tricky subject as of late which makes our interest in the monokini somewhat controversial. But we can't help but share a few of our favorites.

For More Shoutouts Click Here

Obsessed With Treesje

coutorture — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:38:14 -0700

The Daily Obsession is obsessed with Treesje. With the proliferation of independent handbag lines it can be difficult to find lines products worth following but we trust the girls at the Daily Obsession implicitly to discover the good ones before anyone else. They are excited for the launch of the La Luna collection. The metallics are certainly compelling but regardless of the collection the detailing on their bags is impressive. Being stuck in JFK we can't be much more coherent than that but at 3:30am all we can think is PRETTY! Thus we give you pretty.

Stella McCartney Resort 2009 By The Network

coutorture — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:24:27 -0700

If there's a designer who could spark across-the-board attention from blog-reading fashion fans around the world, it's Stella McCartney. Her Resort/Spring 2009 show, which took place this past week, inspired quite a bit of content from our Network Partners. And, as any good blogger knows, that means straight up photo content. In this day and age, with thousands of words being penned by online journalists every day, sometimes a picture just speaks more loudly. And may we say, especially on a Friday. We'll spare your our interpretation just this once and point you directly to our beloved bloggers, namely, Fashion Indie, The Runway Scoop, and Season Five who all posted their thoughts (and pictures) from the collection.

Click for more Shoutouts

Marc Jacobs Resort 2009

coutorture — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:24:36 -0700

Our network partner, Fashion Indie, reported this morning on the Marc Jacobs Resort 2009 collection. His take on the collection (and the title to his post)? "Jewel-Toned Heart Adorned Kimono Wearing Gladiators from the 90’s Enslave Powersuit Wearing Women from the 80’s with Bows". Well, 'aint that a mouthful. The Marc Jacobs Resort 2009 collection was, indeed, a menagerie of cultural references (as usual, eh?) but one unified sentiment stood out to us.

Yves Saint Laurent, who passed away this weekend, pioneered the iconic look known as Le Smoking. That suit, in the mid-late 1960's, emboldened suiting for women and gave them, perhaps for the first time in a long time, a sleek, powerful silhouette. Now, it's impossible that Marc Jacobs could have anticipated Yves Saint Laurent's death (Jacobs can be perverse, not that much so) but it does strike us as one of those coincidences we might attribute to the collective unconscious.

Le Smoking, as everyone knows, single handedly gave way to the all-encompassing 'power suit'. The Le Smoking look, reinterpreted many times by Saint Laurent himself, encouraged strong shouldered blouses and jackets and androgynous trousers on every working woman from the 1970's clear through the 1990's. The Jacobs Resort collection, whether referencing the 1980's or 1990's has this silhouette in mind. Jacobs, for Resort, called up the power suit (with a definite nod to French style--also relevant) as a source of inspiration and this, to us, is a coincidence that only solidifies how unforgettable and irreplaceable are both Yves Saint Laurent and Marc Jacobs to fashion.

We Can Dance! Without Pants

coutorture — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:40:00 -0700

Inside jokes are funny things as it is almost impossible to reconstruct the genesis of a witticism particular to a clique. Nevertheless we feel a burning desire to share with you a strange connection we have made in our heads here at Coutorture about the danger of going without pants. Please bear with us while we explain. Your Editor in Chief and Creative Director have a unique take on Men Without Hat's Safety Dance. For reasons unknown to to them, in some fit of fashionista perversity they have managed to transpose dance for pants in several instances of the lyrics. Thus

I say, we can dance if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance
Well they're no friends of mine

Has become

'Cause your friends don't pants and if they don't pants
Well they're no friends of mine

And no we aren't sure how we arrived at this conclusion either but many choruses of "we can pants" have been sung. But clearly if friends don't pants well then they're no friends of mine! Or at least that is what we imagine the Tights Aren't Pants Manifesto we discovered via community member Fashionation might have to say on the issue.

And yet as good Williamsburg residents we just aren't sure if, despite our revised lyrics, people without pants are in fact no friends at all. It would seem dancing about in fields in crazy tights or leggings might very well be the sort of liberating "we can dance" experience that was made for fashion fans crazy enough to style in the weirdest of leggings. Even if they use them as pants.

Old Navy's Crowd Pleaser

coutorture — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:40:16 -0700

We realize we peddle some fairly expensive stuff on Coutorture but style isn't just about the price tag. Discovering when store has good merchandising is the greatest talent of a good market editor. Thankfully our small staff doesn't have to keep on top of everything by ourselves. Community member Chic and Untroubled has tapped into Old Navy's unexpectedly impressive accessory design with a feature on their summer sandals. And indeed we are impressed with the combination of design and price. Half the time lower priced retailers simply rely on bad facsimiles to sell their wears (Steve Madden we are looking at you). From metallic slides to strappy gladiators with a flat peep-toe espadrille thrown in for good measure, Old Navy manages to give us styles we like without feeling like an overt copy cat. And better yet, the footwear fits into their cheap, simple and fun branding so their regular customers and market editors alike can both happy!

For More Community Shoutouts Click Here

Hammer Pant Saturation Point

coutorture — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 06:35:01 -0700

Our network partner's post was the icing on the sweet, cavity-inducing cake that is The Hammer Pant Trend. This morning, wanting a fresh, fashion-forward look for Monday morning at the office, That's Chic snapped a pic of herself wearing H&M's latest incarnation of the pant of the summer. In her post on the outfit, she references another network partner of ours, a miss Style Bubble, who mused on the trend back in, ahem, August 2007. We might officially put this topic to bed, but before we do, we just can't help bringing back our posts on the silhouette that is holding our hand while we transition from skinny jeans to wider styles.

On Friday afternoon, in Phone Tag, we called 3.1 Phillip Lim to make sure they didn't have any harem pants left. A few months ago we got immaterial over a Rick Owens pair of drop-crotch trousers. We've also referenced the trend numerous times and had many a conversation over this punctuation mark in the changing silhouette. It also deserves a mention that, in the blogsphere, the conversation was being put to bed around the same time a certain fashion magazine wrote a nice little article on how, gasp, 'they're everywhere!'. A final sendoff to the pant that's given us so much content? The YSL Fall 08 version, our favorite by far (not to mention that haircut, which is, as we speak, taking New York by storm) and definitely a version that will not be forgotten.

Sweaty Upper Lip

coutorture — Fri, 30 May 2008 10:37:31 -0700

As much as we love summer, the season comes with one of our greatest physical embarrassments, otherwise known as the sweaty upper lip. Try as we might to be leisurely, avoiding working up a sweat as you amble from home to work to play is nearly impossible some days. Despite our best efforts we still find a thin sheen works itself up more often than is comfortable congealing with our makeup to form a kind of gritty urban beauty nightmare. Clearly we aren't the only one in our community worried about these issues as Ma Petite Chou has been fielding questions about water proof eyeliner, SheFinds is focused on waterproof foundation and other stay cool and dry techniques, Makeup and Beauty Blog's face of the day includes Chanel's waterproof Oasis eyeshadow quad, and Sugarshock is fixating on Cargo's Melt Proof collection. Naturally beauty marketers are aware that summer makeup is a near obsession for women and provide us with ample opportunities to lay down cash for products that may or may not work. Our take? Sure we love a lot of the products featured but some days we simply want to give up and go totally bare.

Image Via. For More Blogger Shoutouts Click Here

Don't Shed A Tier On Our Account

coutorture — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:52:42 -0700

We are having a bit of gender confusion today as community member She's A Betty helped takes us from money clips to the world's girliest trend in about an hour. Tiered dresses may just be the diametrical opposite of our earlier post and yet we we feel just as strongly in support of hyper feminine dresses as we do ultra masculine money clips.

Ruffles have traditionally made us feel a little silly but lately we have been feeling positively underage. We don't know if its all the Gen-X men that have been percolating around Williamsburg but we feel completely girly making this particular look almost appropriate. We want to curl our hair, giggle and bat giant eyelashes!

Predictably we must be channeling some sort of moment, as ruffles are showing up all over cruise collections. We are particularly enamored of a gauzy pink tiered blouse from Missoni's Cruise 2009 collection. If you want to buy into your inner ditz right now we have a few high and low selections or you can cruise right on over to She's A Betty.

You're So Money

coutorture — Fri, 30 May 2008 07:53:58 -0700

Men may be the new women but we love it even more when women are the new men. Community member Blooming Lily wrote up some darling Looka money clips that got us started on our latest women co-opting menswear kick. After all we constantly have loose dollar bills running around our giant Gucci tote (and we constantly make cracks about going to Scores because of it) thus we ask why settle for cute girly money clips when you can have hot masculine ones?

An alligator money clip from Brooks Brothers turns us on even more than the feminine counterpart from Nancy Gonzales (and its cheaper). We found options from skull money clips to Swiss army knife clips. But don't worry we threw in a few more feminine options just in case.

Beyond The Pale With 15 Minute Beauty

coutorture — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:17:16 -0700

Summer is a time for lighter makeup and bronzed skin. Or at least that is what the marketing materials tell us. Thus we shouldn't be so surprised that a tinted moisturizer for paler skin would be hard to find. After all, just because we are trying to go lighter with our foundation doesn't mean we don't want to go darker! Except, well we really do prefer to stay out of the sun. Community member 15 Minute Beauty seems to have the same trouble as our editors with finding a sheer and light tint for summer. She gives the thumbs up to Become Tinted Moisturizer but we just had to weigh in as well with a few product choices. Our choice for the palest of them all? Lancome Aqua Teinté is THE lightest tinted moisturizer we have been able to find on the market period. In natural it works on our skin even in the dead of winter.

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Vera Wang Is Sweating Into The Microphone

coutorture — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:22:13 -0700

Despite a rather unflattering report earlier this month on the stagnant Wang space in Soho, the designer seems unfazed. In a recent interview with MarketWatch, Wang alludes to the empty shop and her feelings on the recession, she says,

"This plan was made about two years ago...There's no question that many people in fashion have felt the repercussions of the recession. I'm fairly thorough about looking at the sell-through. I feel fairly optimistic that by the time they get done, hopefully the economy will be on the rebound."

Though the Wang shop sits unaltered with a flapping poster in the storefront, the designer's clothing collections are faring well. Or so the retailers say. Despite first quarter loses and decreased sales goals, Kohl's and Nordstrom insist that the designer's offerings, Vera by Vera Wang and Vera Wang respectively, should do very well this season.

Our network partner, The Runway Scoop, stands behind the notion that a recession doesn't influence fashion follow-through as dramatically as the public thinks. Her position, that luxury knows no-bounds when it comes to a slowing economy, seems to pivot on the fact that they big fashion companies, like LVMH, continue to expand in light of the recession.

It's just a matter of holding on to the railing, we think, as Wang herself said, "...by the time they get done, hopefully the economy will be on the rebound". That is, it's not as if the recession doesn't effect big companies, rather, that they have the means to push through the downturn and focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.

With a Vera Wang shop sitting empty on Mercer Street since January of 2007, we bet the "fairly optimistic" Wang (and many other high end brands) are crossing their fingers and repeating the words 'rebound' into the microphone because saying it, you know, makes them feel better.

Shout Out: Network Partners to the Rescue

coutorture — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:11:39 -0700

Yesterday we were in a brooding mood as we pondered the effect the economic downturn would have on our fashion choices. However, we've since turned our frowns upside down, as we realized that the fashion world doesn't have to become a virtual strip mall of homogeneous, low-quality goods. While we're still aware of its pitfalls and are sleeping with one eye open, we've found solutions for the fashion-craving girl or guy on a paltry budget. Our network partners show us the way.

We found inspiration in the form of a puffed shoulder, via Kingdom of Style's tale of victory on eBay, where she scored a unique bolero jacket that sent her over the moon with rapturous joy. Her jubilant photo spread with said jacket proved to us that you can still sate your high-fashion appetites. You just have to know where to look. Even if bidding wars aren't your thing, there are many virtual stores on eBay that don't require you to engage in high-speed clicking battles with an enemy mouse. For the uninitiated, these stores allow eBayers to buy and sell goods at fixed prices.

If it's indie accoutrements you crave, Etsy is pretty hard to beat. As a marketplace for independent designers to showcase their wares without the costs associated with a brick and mortar shop, it's a go-to if you're looking for unique, one-of-a-kind pieces that you won't see everywhere else. Plus, it feels good to support a fledgling designer and stick it to our mass-producing culture. Network partner Stereoette makes and sells her own jewelry at her Etsy online store. She also recommends Gavin & Lily, and Holly Stalder.

If it's vintage you seek, our network partners have you covered. Shrimpton Couture is a treasure trove of vintage finds and is currently offering 15% off of everything on the site until May 31. Debutante Clothing lets you know where to find the great vintage styles and tips you off to the best eBay and Etsy shops. Zuburbia always features an enviable vintage pick of the day and provides a well-edited list of links to vintage resources.

Perhaps our economic woes will force us to become better, more resourceful shoppers. There will always be a niche to serve those discerning consumers who won't be satisfied with what traditional retailers try to peddle, and as long as we continue to seek it, the market will respond accordingly.

Poking Fun

coutorture — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:55:42 -0700

We have always admired women that effortlessly combine prints. We can barely even stomach wearing one print let along pull off the styling miracle that strong print combinations require. But we were impressed by how easy SheFind's Guide to Wearing Multiple Prints was to follow. She has a few fantastic combinations we feel like we could pull off. We particularly liked her advice to choose similar prints in different sizes.

We combined a Dolce and Gabana Polka Dot Mini Skirt, C&C Dotted Jersey Tank, and Sonia by Sonia Rykiel Studded Cardigan. We threw in a Kate Spade 'Marceau - Malva' Soft Hobo that just happens to have a polka dot lining for fun and topped (bottomed?) it off with Marc Jacobs Collection Brushed Patent d'Orsay Pumps. Overall we think it looks pretty darn good. We guess combining prints isn't so hard after all!

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