I Dream Of Diane Von Furstenberg

($725, Diane Von Furstenberg, DVF.com)

I both dream of and die for this Diane Von Furstenberg navy sequin coat from the Diane Von Furstenberg Fall 2010 collection. Well, I die figuratively for it. Not literally. No coat is worth actually dying for. I knew I loved sequins, but I never knew I could love navy so much. I'm constantly amazing myself, aren't I? 

Diane Von Furstenberg coat

($495, Diane Von Furstenberg, Saksfifthavenue.com)

Please also note the excellence of the Axelle DVF sequined cardigan, which comes in black and navy. Normally I'd go for black sequins, but since I already own a black sequined cardigan and a black sequined t-shirt, I'd go for navy. Also, navy's apparently having a moment this fall.

Anyway, since I'm now clearly on a DVF binge, please enjoy my grown-up girl dress that I bought this summer. It's the DVF Anina khaki silk shirtdress, and it looks casual, but it's really not. It's basically a gorgeous earthy canvas that you can style approximately 17,032 different ways.

I bought my DVF Anina dress (on sale!) at Diane T., which is a really nice boutique in Cobble Hill. It's kind of like a touch on the more conservative/mainstream side than is Bird. And a hair more affordable.

Finally, I TRULY think someone should buy me this Diane Von Furstenberg leather wrap dress (!!!!). I've worked very hard this year, I've been a very good girl, and I always finish all of my broccoli before asking for dessert.

($945, Diane Von Furstenberg, NeimanMarcus.com)

Dear Preen Printed Dress: Why Do You Cost $1,195?

($1,195, Preen, BlueandCream.com)

Frowny fashion face. Pretty, pretty, pretty Preen dress. You're so out of my reach with your perfectly wide straps and fun layers and great graphic prints. Sigh. Here are some kinda-sorta black-and-white print dress lookalikes:

($484, Diane Von Furstenberg, Matchesfashion.com)

($78, Topshop)

(Apprx $60 USD, Missselfridge.com)

($250, Topshop.com)

You So NEED A Sequined Jacket For Fall... TRUST.

The prospect of sequined blazers make me SO wish it were fall instead of almost summer. And when it comes to sequins, I like my sequined apparel like I like my Waffle House hash browns: smothered and covered. Seriously, go big, go hard, or go home. Because you know what looks cheap and shoddy? Like three or four sequins timidly schlocked onto a tank top. SNORE, and go ask your grandma about that. Because you know what looks BOWIE as fuck? A cropped, fitted jacket FUCKING COVERED in sequins. (And check Project Rungay for a comprehensive list of designers who welcomed back the sequin for Fall 2009.)

Anyway, while this sequined jacket from the Chanel 2009 Resort collection is, ostensibly, just beyond my reach:... like in every way imaginable...

This sequined Topshop jacket is the do run run...

($370, Topshop)

True, $370 is "a lot of money," but a sequined jacket is an investment in your fashion future, and I read the newspapers (sometimes), and now is the time to INVEST (right? isn't it?)

($755, Les Chiffoniers, Net-a-porter.com)

It's also half the price of this gold sequined Les Chiffoniers jacket, which is intense. I mean, if I had a spare $755 and was in the market for a gold sequined jacket, which I am, this would be it.

($795, Diane Von Furstenberg, Net-a-porter.com)

I do have to say, I am NOT feeling this DVF sequined jacket. It's way too long in that kind of uncomfortable way when a bad joke won't end and just keeps going and going... Also, it's kind of fugnasty. And I don't care if it was glorious on Whitney Port. WE are not Whitney Port. Let her KEEP it. Team Topshop!

PS:

($332, Adam, Net-a-porter.com)
Never.

Somaly Mam: Bid On Beauty For A Beautiful Cause

Yo. Today is International Women's Day, and many good-hearted beauty professionals have come together and set up an eBay auction to benefit the Somaly Man Foundation -- a nonprofit public charity whose vision is to put an end to sexual slavery.

Some background on Somaly Mam: Somaly is survivor of human trafficking. Somaly was sold into sexual slavery in Cambodia by a man who posed as her grandfather, forced to work in a brothel with other young girls. Beaten, raped and tortured, she finally escaped, and at age 30, became a spokeswoman for women and children tortured in Cambodian brothels. In 2006, Somaly was honored as Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year for her courageous work in fighting sexual slavery, and she has been profiled as a CNN Hero in recognition of her brave fight to save so many young, innocent victims from this horrible silent crime.

The auction starts today, and some of the items up for auction include:

+ Cut & color with celebrity stylist David Evangelista
+ Tickets to the Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2010 Runway show in September 2009
+ Over $1000 in Givenchy Le Makeup, skincare, and fragrance
+ The new Dior L'Or de Vie Skincare Collection
+ Autographed Anya Hindmarch handbag
+ 3-month Equinox Fitness membership
+ VIP tickets to see a live taping of Rachael Ray
+ Lots of beauty products from brands including Fresh, Guerlain. Dior, Sephora, and Frederic Fekkai!!!

I know lots of us don't have a ton of spare cash right now, but if you're looking to pick up a gift for Mother's Day, a bride, someone's birthday, and you want to be able to spend somewhere where your money can give back, this is a great way to do that.

+ Bid here! Bid high! Bid often! Good luck!

Amazing Recession-Busting Deals on Diane von Furstenberg

If you can't make it to the DVF sample sale (for the sake of my sanity and savings, I am skipping it, but it was a hard decision -- Racked has the insider report... per the comments, I cannot BELIEVE some chick is driving up from Maryland!!?!?!?!?), check out two great deals I found online:

($320, Diane von Furstenberg, Shopbop)

The DVF Suede Pharaoh High Heel Boot was originally $640, now $320. Also, if you're reading this RIGHT NOW, you can get non-sale items for 20% at Shopbop with promo code SNOWDAY (until Tuesday, 10/9 at 11:59pm). So, these boots don't apply, but full-priced stuff does. Also, purple suede boots aren't me, but have at 'em if you can do.

Anyway, also check out this ridick chain-print DVF wrap top:

($209, Diane von Furstenberg, QueenBeeGirls.com)

Try using promo code qb20sale for 20% plus free shipping (expires December 15), which brings this to just $167.20! Mazel tov!

Zac Posen, Marc Jacobs & Diane von Furstenberg eBay Steals!

I've started to poke around eBay a bit both for a potential wedding dress and for a bridesmaids dress for my bestie's wedding in April. And HOLY HELL are there some designer steals and deals out there, assuming they're not fake of course.

($336, Zac Posen, eBay)

This listing's just for the skirt. Still a great deal. I'm not always a huge fan of brocade, but this whole look is so crisp and timeless. Too bad it's not an entire whole dress though. How great would it look with those Tuleste Market necklaces?

($149, Diane von Furstenberg, eBay)

Also just so elegant. A look you really can't mess up... unless you wear it with sneakers or something.

($139, Marc By Marc Jacobs, eBay)

This Marc jacquard dress would look HORBS on me but possible adorbs on YOU?

($239, Marc Jacobs, eBay)

... As always, check feedback and return policies stuff before you get all click happy.

Or, go with the known entity:

($39.50, Alloy)

Another great necklace to go with those Tuleste Market necklaces.

($39.50, Alloy)

These Alloy dresses, combined with the fact that Alloy's got free shipping (well, they charge like $1.95) until December 7th -- NO MINIMUM -- make me so FREAKING excited I practically wanna jump out a window like Kristin Wiig's Sue:

Diane Von Furstenberg Sample Sale: December 9 - 13!

I can has wrap dress? Diane Von Furstenberg (herself!) is holding a sample sale (in New York -- sorry, everyone else...) December 9 - 13 at 260 Fifth Avenue between 28th and 29th.

I'd hit it.

I Want To Be A Part Of It - New York, New York

We're well into New York Fashion Week, and it's about time to do a post dedicated to this week that so many of us have been waiting for. I have been so busy lately (and still am!), so I have to admit that I haven't had the opportunity to look through all of the collections yet. I know, shit, shock, horror and all that, but I'll definitely sit down properly when I have the time and savour in every single one of the collections properly. I can't wait!

Up until now, I do have quite a few favourites. Preen's collection is so gorgeous with it's body-hugging dresses, vibrant colours and denim-looking pieces. Matthew Williamson's disco-glam suits, tight, colourful dresses and bohemian outfits are fantastic and Betsey Johnson's collection inspired by Peter Pan/Jack Sparrow is filled with so much fun and magic with it's sexy corsets, skirts with massive volume and pink, green and purple wigs.

Rag & Bone's collection impressed me quite a lot. I love the effortless and chic feeling they express with their clothes. The tight skinny jeans and relaxed blazers are great, and I like that they have used suspenders in their collection. I've got grey ones and black ones lying around somewhere after I used to wear them all the time about two years ago. Suddenly I just stopped using them and completely forgot about them, but I think I'll definitely rekindle my love for them now after seeing this collection.

I think one of my absolute favourite collections is Diane Von Furstenberg's. For as long as I can remember I have been so fascinated by the hippies, flower power and the 70s style in general. And I have found that once you go hippie, you never go back. Whenever I see a maxi dress, wide-legged trousers, floral blouses or hippie headbands on the runway, on a celebrity, in a shop or on a person on the street I just have to have a good look and admire it. I really do wish that I lived during the 70s. I would have been such a hippie girl! So you can probably imagine how I squealed with joy and happiness when I first lay my eyes on the DVF S/S 09 collection. Floral headbands, floaty floral fabrics and short, white crochet dresses came together like a dream and it almost became too much for me to handle. Why oh why must fashion be so fantastic?

Which collection(s) do you like?

Images: style.com

That's a Wrap?!

Who doesn't love DVF wrap dresses? It's the thing she's famous for, so classic, flattering, etc. BUT what was she thinking with this unfortunate "wrap" bag??

And you have to drop $900 for this ill-considered item! It's bad enough that so many designers these days feel the need to adorn bags with "belts," now this? What's next? I rue the day when bags have, like, plunging necklines, bubble hems, or other accessories stuck to them. Although, now that I think about it, Marc Jacobs already did that—to weird and wonderful effect. This, just: no.

That said, I bet you could use an influx of cash to buy some dresses. Well, DVF is having a contest in which you could win a $5,000 DVF shopping spree, a trip to NYC, and a chance to have a seat at the 2009 DVF fashion show. Like the best contest, this one is merit-based: Just write an essay on the inspirational women in your life. Go here to enter. We'd do it, but we're lazy.

Dresses I Wish Weren't $1,120: Chloe's Striped Jersey Dress + "Relatively" Cheaper Options!

($1,120, Chloe, Net-a-porter.com)

ZOMG. Granted, the design and colors of striped jersey Chloe dress are awe-inspiring, um, but, WHY is it over a grand? It's made of fucking JERSEY, people! Look at all the other similarly cute jersey dresses you could purchase for far, far less!

($139, Betsey Johnson, Bluefly)

It's Bluefly, bitches!

($425, Diane von Furstenberg)

Not cheap, to be sure, but it's DVF. Worth every cent for this gorgeous wool frock.

($448, Badgley Mischka, Saks)

Next to Chloe, this Badgley Mischka jersey dress is "a steal!" And it's far more elegante.

($203, Mara Hoffman, Saks)

This doesn't totally apply, even though it is jersey, but I threw it in there because I forgot how much I love Mara Hoffman, and because it's stripey, and because I think it could actually look really cute with some peach-y pumps.

($88, JC de Castelbajac, Yoox.com)

Ok, certainly we're straying a bit too much into total-tennis territory here, but this adorable red-and-white-striped dress feels like a children's book come to life -- now, normally that would be really bad, but the not-too-obtuse scribbles make it whimsical and not too cloying.

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!