Feelin' It: Dolce Vita for Target

A weekend trip to New Jersey means a trip to Target, which is cause for celebration enough. Add in Labor Day weekend, and suddenly it's back-to-school shopping (without the school): double yay! Then, the cherry on top: a designer collab I'd completely forgotten about and, to be frank, kind of written off. I saw the pics for the Dolce Vita for Target collection a few weeks back but wasn't really into them, even though I'm a fan of Dolce Vita shoes and have a bunch of them. Somehow, in person, the boots didn't seem quite so pirate-y, and the flats were a little more special.


Lace-up boots, $34.99. I'm not usually one for lace-up boots, but I decided I could try to be one. Like my fearless coblogger! Also these have a handy diagonal zipper up the side that means you only have to fix the laces to your liking once (they're still functional). And the faux leather is of pretty high quality. Beware, this shoe for some reason runs at LEAST a full size large; I got a 7 when I usually wear an 8.



Studded ballet flats, $29.99. The major selling points for these are the tiny understated studs and the square ballet shoe–like toe. These run a tad small; I should probably have gotten a half-size up, as I now see the reviews are telling me. Why can't they standardize the sizing? Cute, though. Sold!

Some other back-to-school finds:


Mossimo boyfriend cardigan, $20. Leggings, boots, done.



Mossimo lace inset cardigan, $22.99. Cardigans are pretty much a staple of my fall wardrobe, so. Why not?

Anyone else feeling the DV for Targs?

Senso's Pony Heels Are So Hot They Should Come With A Fire Extinguisher

($159.95, Senso, Solestruck.com)

It's hard to say which is stronger -- the preemptive guilt I'd experience buying these fur pony heels or the remorse I'd experience not buying them at all. #moralstruggle

They're by Australian brand Senso, and they're a hard-to-believe-they're-not-more-expensive $159 at the Solestruck, which is currently rebranding itself from "basic online shoe store" to a select, covet-worthy collection of "fun" (as opposed to "mom) brands like Jeffrey Campbell, All Black, Dolce Vita, and Rachel Comey. Basically, Solestruck incepted my mind while I was sleeping and set up a shop of all of my favorite affordable shoe brands. And pony fur heels.

FashionBinge-Approved Sample Sales: Soundgirl, Dolce Vita, ROP!

+ FashionBinge fave... Soundgirl, Shoes For Lovely People and stuff:
Saturday January 24th (that's today!) & Sunday, January 25, 12 - 8pm
111 Saint Marks Between 1st and A

+ Superduper Dolce Vita neighborhood blowout sample sale
Saturday, January 24: 11am - 8pm & Sunday, January 25: 11am - 7pm
@ OpenHouse Gallery, 201 Mulberry St (between Spring and Kenmare)
Nice stuff from:
Dolce Vita
Honey in the Rough
Clarabella
Edith Machinist
TG-170 (awesome!!)
Maryam Nassir Zadeh

... Not in NYC? Fret not! Enter to win FashionBinge's Chloe & Jane Perfect Spa Set Giveaway and/or stuff from Lulu's! See? Everyone (almost) wins!

Saxy Time! Dolce Vita Grey Cut-Out Heels With Maroon Tights!

($132, Dolce Vita, Bonadrag.com)

These grey suede cut-out Dolce Vita booties are super saxy times, and the price is even saxier, no? They'd look gorge with some rusty, russetty orange or maroon tights -- We Love Colors' got 'em -- and maybe a brown leather skirt, like the one I order from Urban Outfitters and is STILL on backorder?

($12.50, We Love Colors)

More Quick 'Mad Men'-Inspired Fashions: Michael Kors Pencil Skirt , Sexy Dolce Vita Heels, Plus-Sized 'Mad Men' Dresses Too!

For the few of you out there who AREN'T watching Mad Men, I KNOW I need to chill on all the late-50s, early-60s-inspired Mad Men fashions, but also, on the other hand, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WAITING FOR? IT'S THE GREATEST SHOW IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION! FOR REAL! I've been super sick, and the one redeeming thing about that has been that at least I've been able to catch up on all of the Mad Men I've missed.

Okay, lemme back up right quick, by the way.

If you haven't seen the show, here's what you need to do. It's what I did.
1.) Buy the Season 1 DVD, Netflix it, or borrow it from a friend.
2.) Download the first few eps on iTunes = WORTH it.
3.) Watch the rest of Season 2 on on-demand; in Brooklyn and parts of Manhattan, it's on "Entertainment on Demand," channel 1012.
4.) Watch all the video extras on AMCTV.com
5.) Feel your life INSTANTLY improving!!!!

Oh yeah, there's also a Mad Men marathon on AMC starting tomorrow (Thursday, Sept 25), but it's only the first eight episodes of Season 2.

And no, I DON'T work for AMC, but I kinda almost wish I did.

Okay, onto the fashions, in petites and plus sizes too!!

($89.50, MICHAEL Michael Kors)

Is there ANYTHING more Joan Holloway than a cheetah-print pencil skirt? I think not! Also, here's how to spend almost $900 more on an almost identical skirt by the same designer.

($89.99, Dolce Vita, Piperlime)

Super sexy. Love the the curl detail.

($89, OneStopPlus.com)

Super elegant, and the dark shades and high waist makes this super Mad Men. In sizes 14 - 26.

($69, OneStopPlus.com)

Love this pleated crepe dress. AND it comes in black, purple, blue, and red, all in sizes 14-26. Check Chadwick's for the exact same pleated crepe dress in sizes 4 -18.

($79, OneStopPlus.com)

All you need's a small little patent handbag hanging over your forearm, a pillbox hat, and a three-martini lunch, and you're good! (Same dress in smaller sizes here at Chadwick's.)

+ More obsessive Mad Men fashions!

Already, I Am Sick of Gladiator Sandals...

And it's barely even Spring!!! Seriously, unless you're actively involved in battling bears or guys who look like Russell Crowe, you do NOT need to encase you foot in a leather cage. Please. DON'T!

Some particularly egregious offenders:

($98, Jeffrey Campbell, Urban Outfitters)

If you're concerned that your cankle areas (for lack of a better term) are going to be chilly, MAYBE IT'S TOO COLD OUT FOR SANDALS! But you really truly do not get to do both.

($28, Urban Outfitters)

Dudes, fringe is not for shoes. Fringe is for jackets... no wait a second. Fringe is NOT FOR ANYONE outside of Branson (and I'm sure several of Branson's fine citizens don't even wear it). Don't ever wear fringe EVER. (One exception: you are Dolly Parton and/or 1967 Dennis Hopper.)

($57, Naughty Monkey, Karmaloop.com)
Seriously? What the shit??

($79, Nine West)

We get it. The American economy is in the shitter, so we're supposed to buy bright things to make us forget. I love bright things, but that's no reason to let the sandal equivalent of Bill Cosby's Coogi sweater creep up your foot.

($125, Urban Outfitters)

As if someone sent a perfectly okay jazz shoe through a paper shredder.

You get the point. So now, some lovely warm-weather footwear alternatives to the scourge of gladiators:

($48, Urban Oufitters)

Not my all-time favorites, but definitely not bad at all. At least there's no covered heel or ankle nonsense.

($105, Dolce Vita, Piperlime.com)

Perfectly reasonable, sweetly (note: not barfily) trendy metallic peep-toe that says "I'm a grown-up, and I'm perfectly mature about keeping MOST of my foot consistently -- not schizophrenically covered."

($105, Sam Edelman, Bloomingdale's)

Love both of these. (Very similar, cheaper ones here, BTW.) Wedge-y but not towering, which is more than I can say for these:

($29.50, Alloy.com)

Holy hell. Anyway, back to better spring shoes:

($175, Cole Haan, Bloomingdale's)

Rarely do I see white shoes I'd actually wear, but these are great (both versions!) all-purpose sping/ summer heeled sandals that completely do not suck or offend.

($365, Chie Mahara, Sodafine.com)

Sweet, sweet design. Sweet, sweet desire. It's like the Golden Gate Bridge found a happy home on your foot (minus the congestion and the jumpers.)

($375, Ralph Lauren, Bloomingdale's)

The price is a bit ridick for a bit of rope, and sure, they're a bit campy, but they're still fun in a WASPy sort of way. (And Ha'shem KNOWS I'm WASPY!) Though I'm not sure why you wouldn't just opt for Kinos -- Key West classics -- instead:

($11, KinoSandalFactory.com)

($11, KinoSandalFactory.com)


($41, Steve Madden)

It's not much, but it's right to the point and WORLDS better than the much-aligned flip-flop. HELP US HELP YOU!

Also, Steve Madden promo code:
$10 off: SML963BF1E (Not sure if this is a one-hitter or what.)

Finally, if sandals aren't your thing (and I get that), I like these ridiculous (and ridiculously priced!) Nikes:

($79, Nike, Alloy)

Do I offend???

Friday Footwear Binges!

SHOOOOOOOOOOEZ for Friday! Weeee!

($124, Dolce Vita, Shopintuition.com)

MORE perfect grey boots! SO tempting!

($34.99, Target)

Can't beat cute boots for 35 bones. Oh, Targze! You foul temptress, you!

($155, Asos.com)

Gorgeous blue hue. These would look super HAWT with grey jeans.

($99, Asos.com)

Silver and blue = sexy. These would rule with some black tights -- yay for the closed toe! Nothing more annoying than a perfectly cute pair of heels RUINED by the unnecessary open toe.

($99, Asos.com)

Love the heel, so I'll overlook the open-toed-ness.

($77, Asos.com)

... And here, the plastic heel excuses the open toe. Ugh. In general: open toe: SO overdone. Is that a conspiracy by the footwear industry -- make more open-toed shoes so women will be FORCED to BUY more shoes when they can't easily winterize? If it is, it's clearly working.

Totally unrelated note: *Is Zachary Quinto hot or not? I vote HOT. Thoughts?
(Photo via: Ohnotheydidn't)

*ETA: Hotornot featuring ZQ was originally the brainchild of Chicagoland's JP. Sorry fer fergettin' to point that outs.

Awesome Shit, Some On Sale

Two collections of gorgeous items. They're all lovely. They're just not all within my budget... Oh who am I kidding -- I can't stick to a budget.


STEAL IT

($865, Christian Louboutin, Saks Fifth Avenue)

Prettier than the prettiest princess in the pod. Sigh.

($578, Anna Sui, Madisonlosangeles.com)

Very cute. But maybe a little TOO early '60s??

($545, Thomas Wylde, Net-a-porter.com)

My favorite piece of the post.

($395, Michael Kors, Saks Fifth Avenue)

Nothing earth-shattering here, yet I just love it.

($350, Milly, Net-a-porter.com)

So elegant. So perfectly wintery. So want it.

($265, Jalda, Saks Fifth Avenue)
Luscious.

YOUR ACCOUNTANT LOVES YOU...

($496, Stella McCartney, Net-a-porter.com)

... Because you know a good deal when you see one. Plus, the layering practically means you get three tops for the price of one!

($339, Zac Posen, Saks Fifth Avenue)

Surely this is even cuter in person. And with some cute opaque tights and booties.

($312, Botkier, Ssense.com)

This is half beautiful, half looks like it came from within.

($258, DKNY)

If you can find a more versatile dress, lemme know.

($229, Ports 1961, Saks Fifth Avenue)

Gorgeous, eventhough this does sorta look like something you'd find at H&M.

($145, Mike & Chris, Rarechic.com)

Come and just TRY to tell me this dress isn't serious sexytime. And NOT just because this chick probably isn't wearing anything underneath. Ahh... just PERFECT for the office, no?

($97, Cass Guy, Rarechic.com)

How perfect would this look under a grey or navy cardigan?

($95, Plenty By Tracy Reese, Labelspree.com)

I know I've posted this before, but I rediscovered, and now it's even closer to cold weather time. Yay! Get it! (Whoops. My inner voice started typing).

($88, Dusty Of California, Bussstopshop.com)

Utterly adorable. I can't even deal with all of the what-to-wear-on-the-bottom options that this dress comes with.

($85, James Coviello, Saks Fifth Avenue)

Normally this sweater would NEVER be my thing, but it just has some sort of Natalie Portman je ne sais qoui. Although I'm fairly positive that simply wearing this sweater wouldn't magically give me an adorable pixie cut and perfectly placed mole. Though I didn't read "The Secret," and perhaps I should.

($75, Naughty Monkey, Redvelvetcouture.com)

This is a prime example of the type of thing I probably wouldn't dream of getting on my own, but then I'd stop by a friend's apartment on our way to go to the movies, and I'd just pop in to use her bathroom really quickly because it's on the way to the theater, and these would just be sitting on her living room floor next to the paper, and I'd see them and be like HOLY FUCK WHERE'D YOU GET THOSE? WHAT THE FUCK? THOSE ARE FUCKING AWESOME! And she'd blow it off because to her they're no big deal and totally her and we'd maybe be running late to the movie, but then all I'd be able to think about for like the next week would be those boots. And the movie would be totally ruined for me. That's how sick these boots are. At least to me.

($69, Dolce Vita, Shopbop.com)

Great, huh?

(Apprx $50 USD, Topshop.com)

These are so fun, but they'd be hard to wear without running the risk of some d-bag at work or something coming up to you and bein' like "So, you're bringin' the '80s back, eh, Material Girl?" or something completely lame like that, so it almost makes them not worth it...

(Apprx $30 USD, Topshop.com)

So you're probably best off going with something like this. Ugh. I hate d-bags.