Sunday, September 30, 2007

Kim Kardashian Swabs The Decks Of Fashion

Ay, mateys! Tis here yarg parfect example of why shorties shouldn't wear extraaaaaaaar wide-legged anything! How much hornswagglin' bilge kayne she fit up them thur bellbottoms? Maroon the landlubber and her boo-tay smartly 'afore she's blackspotted! Yarg! Avast! Ahoy! Oy!

Friday, September 28, 2007

20 Del.icio.us Shoes

Yeah, so I've been doing this quick-blogging thing where I list shit on del.icio.us, specifically shoes. It's extremely satisfying. Cute item? Tag it, and you're done -- it's blogged, or at least saved for future possible purchasing. Here we go, 20 shoes presented with minimal commentary:



Sofft "Tyla" tall boot, $174.95. Check out that stitching up the back! Hot.



Born "Plover" flat boot, $149.95.



UGG "Locarno" boot, $224.95.



Aerosoles "Tint Cess" buckled boot, $135.



Seychelles "At Last" boot in gray, $169.95.



Steven by Steve Madden "Harness" riding boot, $229.95.



Rocket Dog "Happy" olive green mary janes, $63.95.



Naturalizer "Marmot" suede mary janes, $79.



Clarks "Kendra" mary janes, $88.95.



Jeffrey Campbell "Joel 2" mary janes, $74.95.



Corso Como "Candy" mary janes, $159.95.



Biviel "BV762" mary janes, $134.95.



Aerosoles "Vice Cube" mary janes, $59.99. Maybe in gray?



Chie Mahara "Oda" T-straps, $325 and gorgeous.





Natural Comfort T-strap wedges, now just $39.99! (8.5s are in luck!)



Jeffrey Campbell peep-toe T-strap, $49.99.



Sam Edelman "Celine" flats, $89.95. (When will these fuckers go on sale??)



Mariana by Golc "Madison" eggplant peep-toes, $109.95. (I think I HAVE to get these.)



Mariana by Golc navy peep-toes with piping, $109.



Anthropologie "Beauregard" slingbacks, $49.95.

Till your next irregularly scheduled tasting...

Tell Me About It, Stud: Cuffs, Bracelets & Bangles

I so wuv/ want these studded and jeweled bracelets:

($80, Hayden-Harnett)
Best of the bunch. It doesn't have that annoying air of "OMG! I ALSO OWN A BLACK RAMONES T-SHIRT BECAUSE I VERY MUCH WOULD LIKE TO LOOK 'PUNK'" sorta look that I SOOO hate.



($22, Asos.com)
Love the brown-and-gold '70s color combo.



An enjoyable Donatella Versace vibe (about the only time you'll see the words "enjoyable" and "Donatella" used alongside each other in such harmony.)


($198, CC Skye, Boutiquetoyou.com)
I'm still uncertain whether this sucks or not. I definitely like their slimmer cuffs much better. Thoughts? Comment it.


($45, Shopintuition.com)
BTW, this is fucking terrible. As much as I love zeppolis, it looks like something you'd see for sale at the San Gennaro festival or something alongside those personalized airbrushed license plate covers or fiber optic light-up flashlight things. Horbs.

Steve Madden: Favorite Boots...

These grey Steve Madden "Favorite" boots are a self-fulfilling prophecy.
($169, Steve Madden)
Love the fold-over cuff and, of course, the grey hue. They're nice in their black iteration, but grey saves the day! ... Or something...

Bargain Basement Bests

I was recently explaining to a friend that the reason why people like Betsy and Susie get flown to Paris by Chanel and people like Tamron and I do not is that we (or more accurately, I) do posts on, like, what is cute at Old Navy currently. Ce la vie. Sometimes they have cute shit! I can't help myself. Last weekend I went shopping at the Atlantic Center in Brooklyn (the closest thing we have to a mall in my neighborhood), thoroughly enjoyed myself for a good three hours, and came home with a bunch of shiznit. Which I will now document for you.



Stripey trapeze top, FIVE DOLLAH! Very trapezey but irresistibly cute.





The next thrilling purchase was this anorak in army green, on sale for $24.99. I can attest that loads of fashion girls rock the army jacket. It is SO much better than this picture shows, I swear. I'm going to live in it this fall. See if you can find it in the store in green. I ONLY recommend the green, and I know you LIVE by my recs.

I also got a couple V-neck long-sleeve tees in dark colors for $15 each, one of which I realized started unravelling before I even put it on my person. (Not really worth linking to.) I'll be taking that back, thankyouverymuch. And getting a new one.



I *think* this is the same ridiculous corduroy jumper, $12.99, I tried on in the store, which I was utterly swimming in. Yards of fabric swirling around me. Comical. Doesn't look that way in the picture. I realized I'd have to belt it, and frankly I just don't like belts, although I have just now thought of the very belt I'd belt it with. I think. Stupid belts! Stupid voluminous jumper! I still sorta like it though. Perfect for fall...



And yet despite my complicated relationship with volume, I totally want the trapeze dress, $29.50, in black. Stupid black sold out online in the last two hours! WTF??

Other things at Old Navy that I did not see that are cute:



Ruffle sleeve blouse, $12.50. For when you want to wear a T-shirt to work with enough cuteness to make it not necessarily a T-shirt.




Thermal knit cowl-neck
, to make you look a little nicer than your standard thermal-wearing, college-wardrobe-lovin' bum.



Oooh! I also got the Libertine trenchcoat from Target, on sale for $19.98 ($27.99 online though). It had been returned, according to the ticket, and was so randomly placed that I felt ultralucky. It's very slimming and cool. Love it.



I also bought these, possibly previously blogged "Jill" kitten heels at Payless. So cute, the kitten heels! Love 'em. Have yet to road-test 'em....

...as well as a dress the provenance of which will be revealed in a post wholly dedicated to the brand. It'll be good, fret not!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Wax On, Wax Off: More Wax Jeans!

Continuing the ongoing one-way discussion about wax jeans... I've been seeing them everywhere lately, and I predict they're going to be the indie sleeper hit of the season, especially since shines, glosses and polished finishes, especially in dark shades, are so big.

I still haven't found an actual "definition" of wax jeans, but fear not, they don't come with a wick and a gross Glade bathroom odor or smell like Veet or anything. From what I can tell, the wax is just a stiffer, glossy finish or wash applied to denim, usually employed on skinny jeans: I can only imagine that this would make skinny jeans look even skinnier. I can also only imagine that stretch is out of the question with wax.

The waxing can either be subtle (case in point: I realized that my boyfriend has a pair of Diesels that has a very light wax finish -- they almost feel sorta starchy) and non-offensive, like these...


($130, Vanessa Bruno, Net-a-porter.com)


Or they can be hardcore and fucking TERRIBLE when when they go wax to the max, like these:
($220, Gold Sign, Net-a-porter.com)
Wet look = no.



($189, Gold Sign, Activeendeavors.com)
Gold Sign and Stella McCartney seem to have the market cornered on wax jeans. These Gold Sign Misfit jeans just too "Tell me about it, stud." They are kinda hot in theory, and I guess there's a time and a place for them, but that time is probably around 2 a.m. and that place probably involves a ton of cocaine and Pete Doherty's bloody deviated septum.



($88, Asos.com)
These actually don't look too bad.


(Apprx $100 USD, TopShop)
These aren't too terrible.



($140, Jennifer Ann Gilpin, Aerluxe.com)
WHAT THE FUCK? I went to state school. People just do NOT do these kinds of things.

That is all.



Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Beauty Binge: MAC Mattene Lipstick In Flattering

Sooooooo... clearly FashionBinge is mainly about fashion, but it occurred to me the other day when I was switching bags and transferred about 18 lipsticks and glosses from one bag to the other: I have a beauty addiction. And lipsticks and glosses are my drug of choice. So, instead of admitting I have a probzor, I've decided to blog about it instead...

My newest acquisition is a MAC lipstick from their new Mattene matte line -- perf for fall, y'all!! The shade I have and am McLovin' is "Flattering," which is described as a beige pink semi-matte. On pasty-ass me, it's extremely pale but gorgeous and more peach than pink without any annoying old lady coral qualities. And it's super smooth yet light at the same time, and bish stayed on for HOURS without any icky build-up. This is the perfect complement to dramatic, smoky eyes.

The line hits October 4.


(I THINK this is Flattering, but I couldn't tell for sure.)



Forever 21:3:16

This tidbit came up the other day while discussing that Zara swastika (Zarastika?) story... in case you din't know... yes, Forever 21 DOES have wee little John 3:16s printed on the bottom of their shopping bags. Weird, right?

(Photo yoinked from this random Spanish blog)

The highly underrated New York Sun (which, to me, is like Salon.com but less of a commitment!) did a good piece on the Forever 21 bags last year.

I love this amazing quote from the New York Sun article:

"Jesus wore clothes," a 22-year-old from Brooklyn, Jason Schultz, said when informed about the phrase on his bag. He said it didn't bother him that the company wanted to spread a religious message.

TROOTH!

Anyway, I personally don't really have a problem with this. If I were Christian and super into the Bible, maybe I would, but then again, if I were Christian and super into the Beeblay, I'd probably be really stoked that John and his message were getting out to those who need it most: teenagers who buy cheap, slutty clothes! (Or, adult women like me who buy their designer knockoffs!)

I actually find it WAY more disturbing that In-N-Out burger prints a passage from Revelations on the bottom of their burger wrappers. Because NOTHING says “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” like animal style fries!

(Photo by me from my trip to the ORIGINAL In-N-Out Burgz in San Francisco.)

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Stella McCartney 's Vs. Wet Seal's Waxed Skinny Jeans

Fresh off yesterday's epic What To Wear With Booties post, check out this pair of Stella McCartney "waxed" skinny jeans:

($415, Net-a-porter.com)
The cut is absolutely beautiful. Is waxed the new black, or it just wack?


Again, per yesterday's post, check out Wet Seal's WAY cheaper pair:
($36, Wet Seal)
Said it before, and I'll say it again: price is right! Especially as compared to Stella's $415 pair!

Monday, September 24, 2007

Fall Trends: What To Wear With Booties & The Like

Okay. The other day, FashionBinge reader JP remarked:

"Those shoes... with what would you wear those? Skirt? Dress? Pants? Jeans? Please enlighten the unfashionable."

The shoes to which she was referring are these Salvador Sapenas from Asos.com:

Now, first, JP, there's no possible WAY you could be unfashionable because YOU READ FASHIONBINGE! But, I understand that naked feeling that comes with loving a shoe but having NO idea what to wear with it and just ruing your fucking abs for not being tight enough to allow you to wear JUST the shoes alone.

So... my take on what to wear with booties (and bootie-alikes, because the aforeblogged aren't technically booties, but whatever...)

1.) Skinny jeans or slim, fitted cigarette-style pants.

2.) A black skirt between mini- and pencil-length with thick black tights: NOT pantyhose, please, God, no. Not pantyhose. Unless you are well over 5'9". Nothing makes one look shorter than "stumpifying" oneself by wearing a dark mini, exposing lotsa flesh via pantyhose and then sealing the deal with some ankle-swallowing booties. GAH!

3.) Slightly baggy pants, i.e: menswear trousers that we're seeing a lotta. PLEASE don't mistake wide-legged pants (which so often suck) for BAGGY menswear trousers.


For instance...

OBNOXIOUSLY WIDE-LEGGED:
Lovely on Katie, maybe not on you...


UNDERSTANDABLY WIDE-LEGGED:
($285, Diane von Furstenberg, Nordstrom)
There's some flare here, but you're not swimming. I definitely wouldn't go any wider than these with a bootie.


($59, Gap)
As boring as the Gap can be, this is what I'm talking about. Roomy, but not so wide that you can sneak someone into the movies with you.



($325, Diane von Furstenberg, Nordstrom)
Now, DVF's "Gavin" pants are theoretically great, but are they bootie-friendly? No. See, I threw that in there just to see if you were paying attention...



($178, Diane von Furstenberg, Dianiboutique.com)
JUST the right amount of slouch! LOVE these! And the cummerbund is perfect for the tucking in of a button-down, or hiding a Bordeaux belly.



($135, J.Crew)
First of all, NOOOOOOO to the navy shade shown here (the black isn't bad though) and DOUBLE no to the cuff. I'm just posting these to point out that the overall shape is nice. The fact that these are available in red makes me wanna stick my head under my pillow and cry all season.


Okay... next... skirts....
($555, Herve Leger, Intermix)
Granted, this skirt is gorgeous, the only way Herve Leger should justify charging this much is if he held the patent on pencil skirt, which I'm fairly certain he does not. Regardless, this is a beautiful staple for every season, especially Menswear Mania of Fall 2007, and it ain't hard to find a lookalike for a tenth of the price. Anyway, the bootie is parFAIT with such a skirt, y'all, though you can't deny the hawtness of a stiletto or a solid-colored pump with a 2"+ heel, dig?



($264, Robert Rodriguez, eLuxury)
Just a few inches higher, and this skirt would be practically perfs.



($78, Gap)
Dudes, high-waisted black skirt + BLACK tights, and your legs are SOOOOOOO long it's practically wrong!


($15, American Apparel, Yque.com)
Okay, the fact that this is described as cotton and "spandex" and "skorts" IS slightly scary, but the cut's the thing here -- yes, this piece is super short, but you automatically de-sluttify when you pair your booties with covered-up black tights. It sorta says "Yes, I can be slutty... but not right now. No... never that. Not now at least. But I'll call you."



SKINNIES!
You can never been too skinny, right? Hellloooo... we're called Fashion BINGE, so we oughta know... seriously though... I'm curvy and have found I can pull off skinny jeans -- all about the comfy low-rise... And with a tunic, you can totes hide your unfavorite "prob areas," even though they're probably not really much of a problem at all. Anyway, let's look at some top skinny pants to wear with booties, kay? The rule of thumb is... the darker and longer the better...


($325, Ralph Lauren Black Label)
Love the scrunch and the monochromage here. Makes the booty super sexy and the star of the show, y'all. Don't love the price, but you KNOWS I found the good shit for you...



($59, DKNY, Macys)
Deliciously dark!



($69, Dereon, Macys)
Tina Knowles has given us PLENTY of reasons to NOT take her seriously as a designer, but these skinny jeans are fantastic. The contrast stitching on the seams: very smart.



($29, Forever 21)
I can't even get into how awkward these feet and sandals are making me feel, but I do love these jeans.


($36, Wet Seal)
I'd have to see this so-called "coating" in person, but from here, these look nice, especially for that price.


Finally...
($387, Luella, Net-a-porter.com)
I think much more than a body, you gotta have balls to wear leather pants. No... wait... yeah... mainly, you just have to have huge balls to wear leather pants. While I usually have a strong pair, I don't know if leather pants-wearing is in my wheelhouse, but if I had to wear a pair, I'd make 'em these. And see??? GREY BOOTIES!

Byeskies!