YOUNG Chinese, especially the "Me" generation, love their clothes - which means good business for fashion stores. But as more international brands make their way into China, local brands are lifting their game to meet demand too, writes Michelle Zhang.

When Zara opened its first outlet in Shanghai in 2006, dedicated Chinese shoppers waited in queues, vying with each other to try on flattering, affordable pieces freshly delivered from Europe.

The Spanish fashion brand recently launched its fourth store in Shanghai, which is within a stone's throw of H&M's flagship store and a C&A store on Huaihai Road M.

In fact, high-street fashion brands like Zara and H&M have become so much part of the fashion landscape nowadays that when a person says they bought a piece from Zara or H&M, people are no longer surprised.

The stores are always crowded. Checking out new arrivals almost daily has become a routine for many a fashionista in town.

It is always good for consumers to have more options, the more the better. But at the same time, the thriving business of such brands in China is certainly making their local counterparts uncomfortable.

Kiki Fang, a 26-year-old Shanghainese lady, used to be a VIP customer with Esprit when she was in school.

Today, however, she no longer shops at the Hong Kong-based fashion chain. Like many of her girlfriends, she has become a big fan of H&M and Zara.

"I usually buy casual clothes from H&M ?? they are cheaper compared with those in Esprit,'' explains the office worker. "And I buy formal wear and dresses from Zara. The prices are the same as Esprit, but the clothes are definitely more fashionable.''

With her office on Huaihai Road, Fang visits the two stores at least twice a week. "I don't always find something there,'' she says. "But I couldn't dream of going more than a week without a visit.''

Fang is representative of a large group of young people, especially those living in big cities in China. Domestic brands have come to realize that they have to make changes, or they will lose the battle.

"I think it's good that more and more international brands are coming to China,'' says Ray Fung, general manager of Bossini in the Chinese mainland. "It shows the huge potential of the market, as well as Chinese people's rising fashion awareness.''

Founded in 1987 in Hong Kong, Bossini is a widely recognized casual wear brand in China. It opened its first store in the Chinese mainland in 1993, and now has 522 stores around the country.

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My friend Micah, Kim and I were having a nice little shopping day at the South Coast Plaza. We bought a few things, made each other laugh, and laughed at other people. As we were walking by the store Zara, Kim wanted to show us this jacket that she was absolutely in love with. We went into Zara, she grabbed the jacket tried it on and we "Oooed" and "Ahhed" at her in it. It was a cute jacket that was red and long with big silver buttons. I think Micah really liked the silver buttons because he was staring at them...uncontrollably. He likes shiny things.

Anyway, I decided that since I didn't get Kim and Andy a wedding present yet (and since Andy never wants anything I give him) I'd buy the jacket for Kim as a wedding gift. So, we make our way to the check-out line. There was only one person waiting in line in front of us. I often find standing in lines a bit awkward, so I usually start small talk with the people I'm with.

As we were talking about something meaningless all of a sudden my eyes struck gold: The most hideous person I may have ever seen walk this planet stood right in front of us at the check out counter. She was a middle-aged woman wearing black spandex pants (She was clearly wearing granny panties), a black fanny pack, a black tank top, and some black low top 80's style pixie shoes. The sad part about this situation is that I just bought a new pair of pixie shoes five minutes before we walked into Zara. All of a sudden I was ashamed to have bought the shoes. I must say that her resemblance to Cruella DeVille was amazingly close. Sooo
we shall call her Cruella for the sake of this story. Cruella was a lady who obviously thought she had some amazing style because she was talking so loud you'd have to be deaf to miss her. And even if you were deaf you'd have to be blind to miss her. She craved attention, and she definitely got it. I was stuck staring at her, feeling weird inside, as she was happily standing at the counter trying on this red jacket. Then it hit me, it was THE jacket we were about to purchase. I quickly look back at Kim who was standing there looking at Cruella, praying that she wasn’t going to buy it. I then began to vocally express my sincere amusement of this incredible situation when Kim pointed out the fact that the Cruella and I already own the same shoes. That quickly shut me up, and I started feeling alone and incomplete. Then all of a sudden I hear her voice saying something to someone and Micah kindly tells me that the lady was speaking to me. So I turn around with the jacket in my hand, and she says, "amazing jacket isn’t it?" in this loud pitch voice. She kind of sounded like a very flamboyant gay man. I thought in my head "obviously it's amazing or I wouldn't be standing in line waiting to buy it,” but all that came out of my mouth was "Yep".

Now picture this: I'm standing in front of Micah and Kim in line and I'm holding the red jacket by the hanger with my index finger. This lady takes off her red jacket and tosses it on the table in front of her and walks over to me, stands in front of my face and says, "May I?” Before I could even answer the question, Cruella takes Kim’s jacket off of the hanger and she slides her arms into it and gracelessly frolics over to the nearest mirror. I'm assuming the jacket that she was trying on earlier was too big for her so she thought she could just take our jacket to see if it fit her. So she is modeling the jacket in front of the mirror and her hands are grasping the collar of the jacket as she sways back and forth switching up her feet while stopping to pose every few seconds.

Now do me a favor: Press the tips of your index finger and thumb together making an okay sign with your hand. Your other 3 fingers should be slightly curved but for the most part standing straight up in the air. Now slightly hang your wrist. Good. Now imagine a red jacket in between your index finger and your thumb holding it out in front of you as if it smells of feces. This is exactly what she does. She takes the jacket off, holds the jacket just how I told you to do it, and she throws it in my face. I was caught off guard because all I could hear behind me was Kim and Micah chuckling about what was going on and Kim saying "noooooo please don't put it onnnnn, nooooooooooo." Then I hear Micah saying, "Oh shet, she is putting it on!"

So all of a sudden I feel this jacket hit me as Cruella prances away with her nose in the air  straight back to the register without saying anything else to me. No, “thank you” or anything. Then she turns around to us again and she asks me if I was buying the jacket for my sister. I heard her say it, but I had my back turned to her and I wanted to make her feel like an idiot by making her repeat herself a few times. Then she asked again, and then finally the third time Micah was like "ummmm, Monique, I think she’s talking to you again."  So, I finally turn around and say, "yes, it’s for my sister". Then right when u think this lady is going to leave she turns around very quickly stands on the tips of her toes, and yells "TRAAAAVIIIIIIIIS!!!!!" across the store. Now let me tell you, Zara is a pretty calm and quiet store. Wearing high heals alone in that store causes a ruckus. So she yells his name and goes running over to him with one arm out in the air. I'm going to assume that he was her personal shopper/helper.

We bought the jacket and got the hell out of the store. Till this day Micah will frantically yell out "TRAVVVVIIIIISSS!!!" and wave his arm for no apparent reason, and we all have a great chuckle about it. I have yet to see Kim wear the red jacket. A part of me wants to blame it on Cruella but then I come to my senses, and realize that it's still summer time. There goes my theory. As for my shoes, I wear them and I love them. But every time I wear them Cruella Deville pops in my head holding a Capri Cigarette with the long plastic filter and Travis standing by her side.

 

 

When: Friday, October 10th, 2008.

What: Tailored women's shirt by Thomas Pink, skinny jeans from Zara, vintage scarf. Brown boots from Donald J. Pliner and brown suede tote bag from Banana Republic. Feather headband from Target and skull-and-pearls necklace from Betsey Johnson.

Confession: It took appx. five minutes to wrangle my ass into these jeans this morning. Maybe that should tell me something, but fuck it. Today felt like November, at last, and I needed these boots to feel it. These jeans go in these boots, period. The chill.

I listened to Louis XIV's Air Traffic Control (go on, listen, it might surprise you) and The Cure's Cut Here about 3 dozen times each and I made this:

Beauty soothes while love heals when the insanity of happenstance destroys. (LB)

Norton, I miss you. Earlier this week I said that life was cruel and lovely. I figured if anything was strong enough to carry so many memories and so much sadness and all the unanswered questions all at once, it would be my sturdy old Remington typewriter. (If I had a bike, I'd stick typewriter parts in there somewhere.) The femme has lost a friend. One week has passed.

How I made it through the day:

B: It changes everything forever but only in that you are a diamond and now one of your facets is deeply altered. It's not an imperfection, but it's such a change...Oh, life. I heart your crying, SBJ. It's so brave.

SBJ: Do you? I suppose it is. It's not as though it can be helped, though, I don't think.

B: It is brave, and it's important that you know that. There will come a day when there is another friend, and you will remember this pain and decide whether or not to be this brave again or to turn away from it, even incrementally. That is when you get to be even more brave and howl in pain until you once more stop, that facet deepened, your wisdom layered again. Even though you know how very, very bad it's going to be, you must always scream and cry against the loss. It's going to be one of the cornerstones of staying Skinny Bone Jones: your heart - none of it - can be allowed to turn to stone or wood. People have already tried, like your father, and you were stronger then - and you are stronger now. I have faith that you will go to your grave with a heart that rages and loves with purity, and not a heart with a cave at the back where cold things lie unattended.

How the Spanish apparel chain gets new designs into stores in two weeks while keeping costs low

ARTEIXO, SPAIN Many U.S. apparel retailers are choking on slow-moving inventories as consumers hold back on spending. But Spain's Inditex, whose Zara chain pioneered cheap chic, is zipping ahead. The $13.8 billion company, which is closing in on Gap (GPS) for the title of world's biggest clothing retailer, has nearly quadrupled sales, profits, and locations since 2000. This year, Inditex plans to expand by up to 640 stores. "They will weather the storms better than most of their rivals," says Michael Lewis, a supply-management professor at University of Bath's School of Management.

Inditex's secret? Besides selling relatively cheap clothes, which fit the times, the company maintains an iron grip on every link in its supply chain. That enables it to move designs from sketch pad to store rack in as little as two weeks. This "fast fashion" way of doing things has become a model for other apparel chains, such as Los Angeles-based Forever 21, Spain's Mango, and Britain's Topshop, which is set to open in New York next year.

Inditex has spent more than three decades perfecting its strategy. Along the way it has broken almost every rule in retailing. At most clothing companies, the supply chain starts with designers, who plan collections as much as a year in advance. At Inditex, Zara store managers monitor what's selling daily—and with up to 70% of their salaries coming from commission, there's a lot of incentive to get it right. They track everything from current sales trends to merchandise customers want but can't find in stores, then shoot orders to Inditex's 300 designers, who fashion what's needed instantly.

HIGHER PAY AT THE PLANT

Typically, apparel chains outsource the bulk of production to low-cost countries in Asia. Inditex produces half of its merchandise in factories in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, keeping the manufacturing of the most fashionable items in-house while buying basics such as T-shirts from shops in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia. Wages are higher at Inditex—its factory workers in Spain make an average of $1,650 a month, vs. $206 in China's Guandong Province. But the company saves time and money on shipping. Also, Inditex's plants use just-in-time systems developed in cooperation with logistics experts from Toyota Motor (TM), which gives the company a level of control that would be impossible if it were entirely dependent on outsiders.

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Jedenfalls ging ich mit der Absicht dorthin mir einen herzigen sĂŒssen etwa knielangen Mantel zu besorgen. Allerdings haben wir nicht gezielt nach einem Mantel gesucht, sondern sind einfach mal nach rechts, zur ersten Auslage und haben geschwĂ€rmt. Kurz danach zog meine Mutter einen Rock heraus, der irgendwie genau meinen lang gepflegten WĂŒnschen einen Rocks entsprach. Schon seit ich klein bin wollte ich einmal ein Rock, Blazer und hohe Schuhe. Zu den Schuhen kommen wir noch...jedenfalls zogen wir weiter und fanden dann auch einen schönen Mantel. Nun fehlte nur noch eine Ausrede mir den Rock zu kaufen. Die fand meine Mutter zum GlĂŒck auch...manchmal habe ich ja das GefĂŒhl, dass ich nie schöne Sache finde, weil ich an ihnen vorbei laufe. Nun denn anprobiert...und dann zur Kasse. Zahlen. Das erste Mal, dass ich soviel Geld fĂŒr Kleider liegen gelassen habe. Aber es hat sich gelohnt.

Nun was fehlte? Ausser StrĂŒmpfe...Schuhe. Also in den nĂ€chsten Schuladen und ein Paar anprobiert. Nun bis zu diesem Tag dachte ich, meine FĂŒsse seien ungleich muskulös und alles ausser Turnschuhe wĂŒrde deswegen am linken Fuss nie sitzen. Nix da. Mein linker Fuss ist fast ein Zentimeter kĂŒrzer als der Rechte. Toll. Die sehr nette VerkĂ€uferin meinte dann sie wĂŒrde mal nach einem Ă€hnlichen Modell in Grösse 35 suchen. Dameschuhgrössen fangen normalerweise bein Grösse 36 an. Der gebrachte Schuh war aus Leder, teuer (99.-), aber sehr sehr schön. Und hoch. Rechts drĂŒckte es schon etwas, aber links...da schlĂŒpfte die Ferse immer noch raus beim Laufen. Einlegesohle und zwei (!) ĂŒbereinander geklebte Fersenpolster spĂ€ter. Nein, sitzt immer noch nicht. Jetzt wird meine Mutter netterweise versuche irgendein Fersenpolster aus Schaumstoff zu basteln...Ob ich die Schuhe kaufe ist noch nicht sicher, vielleicht finde ich ja bei Dosenbach etwas Billigeres.

Fotos kann ich momentan leider nicht machen, weil meine Kamera einfach nicht auftauchen will. MiststĂŒck.

Ach ja, die Gesamtkosten bis jetzt: 268.80 = 179.2 Euro setzt sich zusammen aus Mantel, Rock und Blazer. Lalalalalala...

Thank God for pretty little bonuses once in a while, like the rainbow that came out just before the sun set.

Rainbows = win!

But I saw something mildly amusing on my way to Kaken's haus last Sunday - a Lifelines Arrows ambulance that had swerved to avoid a flooded gutter, skidded out of control, and flipped over.

I'm sure using the word "amusing" to describe it is possibly a very insensitive and un-Superstar thing to say, but intellectually you need to appreciate the irony.

An ambulance. Getting into an accident.

Fail!

I wish I'd gotten a better shot, but other cars were crowding me so all I could take was this one distant shot of a forlorn little ambulance sitting upside-down on its roof.

And now I am sitting here and I wonder - perhaps the driver had been worrying about getting his suede loafers wet in the rain, too...

Salam salut chÚres lectrices !!

A l’heure de la rentrĂ©e, on pense toutes Ă  la nouvelle garde-robe que l’on va se concocter. Seulement, nos revenus de jeunes Ă©tudiantes ou mĂȘme de mĂšre de famille ne nous permettent pas toujours de nous offrir les derniĂšres tenues Ă  la mode. Baisse du pouvoir d’achat, inflation et autres flĂ©aux nous Ă©loignent des nouveaux pantalons taille haute, des blouses Ă  carreaux, des derniĂšres Minnetonka et autre pantalons carotte. Je vous propose donc mesdemoiselles un retour aux sources qui fera se rĂ©jouir vos porte-monnaie.

La mode de cet hiver est comme la mode en gĂ©nĂ©ral, elle ne fait que recycler des styles et tenues crĂ©Ă©s durant les dĂ©cennies passĂ©es. Je vous propose donc de sauter cette Ă©tape et de fouiller tout de suite dans le fin fond de votre armoire. Lorsque j’étais au collĂšge, il y a dĂ©jĂ  pas mal de temps ( sortez les antirides !) je rentrais tous les soirs en craignant les foudres de ma grande sƓur parce que je lui avais (encore) piquĂ© sa veste en jean
 Et oui, on en a toutes une dans sa garde-robe et plus elle est vieille et usĂ©e mieux c’est. Voici quelques suggestions de tenues incluant la veste en jean :

Autre modÚle revenant en force, les épaulettes et les tailles hautes comme on vous en rebat les oreilles depuis quelques mois déjà.

DA-LLAS, ton univers impitoyaaableuuuu... Qu'y avait-il chez les Ewing hormis le pĂ©trole et les brushings de Sue Ellen : ses Ă©paulettes !! Et celles-ci reviennent en force, ce qui n'est pas pour nous dĂ©plaire. C'est super les Ă©paulettes, ça vous dessine une silhouette en mois de deux et vous confĂšre un port de reine en vous poussant Ă  vous tenir droite, tout cela pour un rĂ©sultat des plus chics. Seulement attention aux excĂšs, la menace Goldorak guette
 A choisir donc des Ă©paulettes marquĂ©es certes mais discrĂštes, enfin ce n'est que mon avis, si vous savez et osez en porter des gigantesques, je ne peux que vous en fĂ©liciter !

 

Enfin la taille haute, certes vous en trouvez partout dĂ©sormais, mais parfois une jupe un peu large et une ceinture suffisent, photos Ă  l’appui !

VoilĂ  voilĂ , on peut ĂȘtre tendance sans forcĂ©ment ĂȘtre ruinĂ©e
 A la revoyure memzelles !

As for me, The best part of my raya is to have the chance to celebrate it with my hubby and baby girl as well as my hubby's family. I wish I can celebrate it with my family in Cheras and Tg Malim too, but you can't have everything at the same time. I am in my confinement and my mobility is limited to Kangar area only. Plus, I can't eat all those yummy raya dishes accept for some nasi impit and kuah kacang this year, but I am contented and happy. I got to see my little girl grows in front of me. To see her many "ragam" and cute face certainly makes my day. Zara wears her first Levi's jeans and pink t-shirt on raya day, pressie from auntie Nicky and uncle Paco in LA. She is such a rock star baby! Hahaha.. We even got to take pictures in the studio this raya, which is the first for Zara and all of us. Can't wait to see how it turn out to be. I got one picture in my camera but I haven't got the chance to upload it yet. Will do it soon and share our raya picture with everyone.

Take care you all and have a happy Syawal 1429 Hijr~

********************             Update          ********************

Here's our raya pictures. Enjoy!

[gallery]

En fin, ahĂ­ va:

Un precioso Trench de color rojo, de Zara, de la talla mediana, doble botonadura y un cinturón para ceñirlo a la figura. ¥Una monada! Lo vendo porque me compré otro igual pero una talla mås pequeña porque me venía un poco holgado...

por 15 € + gastos de envío

Dejadme email en vuestros comentarios si estais interesadas!

I never knew a love like this before
That stepped up in my life and laid down at my door

Crawling under my skin
I never knew a love so deep within
Silence can you hear me crying
Do you want me like I want you
Silence

I never knew a love like this before
That stepped up in my life and laid down at my door

I love you I do love you

Crying
Can you hear me

I know that you think it’s untrue
How could I ever leave and be without you
Know that you’ve been there for me

Forever will I thank you
For eternity I’ll love you

Forever more forever more forever more
Forever more forever more forever more

Crawling under my skin
I never knew a love so deep within
Silence can you hear me crying
Do you want me like I want you
Silence

I love you I do love you

Crawling under my skin
I never knew a love so deep within
Crawling under my skin
I never knew a love so deep within
Silence can you hear me crying
Do you want me like I want you
Silence

Primul lucru pe care l-am facut a fost sa ma infig in harta. Fiind ditamai spatiul era absolut necesara studierea acestei harti ca sa stiu unde ma aflu, unde vreau sa ajung si unde e cea mai apropiata buda.

Dupa ce m-am facut toba de carte am inceput usurel, tropa tropa sa studiez piata. Bun, apuca-te Mona sa umbli brambura prin magazine. Nu le luam la rand ca dupa vreo 20 ma cam prindeam eu care e ideea. Mai mult decat exponatele ( asa numesc eu dubioseniile ce se vand in magazine ), ma intrigau colegii mei de actiune, ceilalti cumparatori. De la pitipoancele pline de genti Fendi si Balenciaga, cotopenite pe cizmulite Prada si stranse ca sardelele in blugi CK sau Chloe, la tipicele pitipoance cu pretentii de high fashion din Obor Haute Cuture. Nu mi-o luati in nume de rau, apreciez o haina frumoasa chiar daca e no-name si culmea ca exista foarte multe lucruri de calitate la un pret mai mult decat rezonabil, insa in momentul in care ai si bani si toate posibilitatile din lume si te imbraci tot ca venita de la muncile campului, ceva nu e in regula.

Barbatii...de cand au descoperit Zara traiesc un etern curcubeu. Viata lor e cyclam, crem, verde praz sau albastru intens. Insa cel mai mult pe mine ma distreaza basmalele alea in patratele pe care si le pun cu mult talent in jurul gatului astfel incat ciucurasii sa mangaie intotdeauna pectoralii.

Un alt motiv sa te duci la Mall este, dupa ce te-ai epuizat fizic si psihic prin magazine, sa tragi pe dreapta la oricare din fastfood-urile din zona special amenajata. De remarcat: Nordsee, Chopstix (parca asa ii zicea ) si La Zamfir ( pentru ca era singurul cu tipic romanesc de pe acolo, ah, si La Mama, dar era afara ). De neremarcat faptul ca la Burger King era pustiu. Cam sarea in ochi ca era pustiu din moment ce eu am stat o juma de ora sa imi iau de la KFC, din imediata apropriere, atat de mare era coada de acolo. Poate romanul nu e familiarizat cu ideea de Burger King, o fi prea nou pentru el, nu stie ce sa ceara, il cunoaste personal doar pe Mr. Big Mac, nu si pe Mr. Whopper. Ce pot eu sa vad spun e ca sunt mai misto cartofii de la KFC decat aia de la Burger King. Asa, ca o parere personala. Aia de la KFC macar au sare :D.

In alta ordine de idei in timp ce stateam pleostita la coada sa imi iau de halit, in spatele meu se instalasera vreo 3 smecherasi, nitel cocalari ( tot timpul eram cu spatele, dar cu urechile ciulite ). Au stat o juma de ora sa se hotarasca ce sa-si ia, daduse si in ei foamea si isi doreau sa ia cat mai mult cu cat mai putin. Dupa aceasta lunga analiza a ofertei, in momentul in care ajung la casa unul dintre ei face statementul esential:

- Bai, vreau si eu un din ala, un meniu vareti buchet. ( buchet, as in buchet de flori ). Needless to say, era sa scap pe jos de ras si suc, si aripioare picante, si juma din cartofi ).

Pana la urma m-am retras si eu la casa mea, cu niste adidasi pe care mi i-am luat in ultimul moment si cu inima jiind dupa niste cizmulite. Las, data viitoare vin sa-mi sparg la Mall alocatia :))Am ajuns la concluzia ca exista doua tipuri de a face cumparaturi ( si acu ma refer strict la lucrurile ce tin de estetica, nu de cumparaturile pe care le faci cand te duci la piata sa iei un morcov si doua ridichii ). Deci, exista terminologia "a face shopping", care cuprinde toate magazinele rasfirate prin oras, si exista terminologia "a mall-ui" care e total diferita de cealalta, denumeste mai mult un stil de viata, in timpul mall-uitului poti face tot felul de alte lucruri, de la a rezolva pe PDA o problema ce era in pending, la a lua un pranz de afaceri, chiar si pana la a te desparti de gagicul tau ( pe bune, i-am vazut pe doi ieri care mai aveau nitel si se luau de par in mijlocu magazinului ).

Va intreb, voi mall-uiti sau doar shopping-uiti?

A few days ago, I was driving from one office to another and was crossing over the 14th street bridge and there was this funeral procession.  It totally made me cry.  My family's close friend Linda, died a few days ago.  She was such a special person, someone that was there when I was born and has been for everything I can ever remember.  In fact, the-room-that-would-have-been-the-nursery, has a picture hanging on it with this thing she made when I was born that has my name, the date/time and my weight.

Life is so hard.  It's like we are losing people left and right, but I will never get used to it.

1.Deep jewel-toned colors:  I didn’t see much color on the streets of Copenhagen, but deep hues and tones were all over the fashion magazines and the stores.  Everywhere I found deep purple, scarlet, orange, fuchsia, emerald greens.  But I kept wondering who was going to buy these colors when everyone was wearing brown, beige and black.  Handbags were particularly “earthy” in tone.  After a few days of noticing this I then realized that while the coats and sweaters of Danish Fashionistas were of primary colors, please hold, because then they’d take off the outer layer, et voila!  There was the color.  Now the cool thing about this trend for Southern California is that it’s really easy to pull off here – We are used to a lot of color in our clothing, our shoes and our handbags.  So indulge baby, indulge.
2.Coats:  It’s getting somewhat chilly in Copenhagen so I saw a lot of light coats, trenches and long sweaters.  For SoCal invest in a cool trench coat (just pray that the heat wave doesn’t last through December – Seriously, get cold already, I’ve clothing to indulge in.  Something’s gotta make me happy given the current state of my IRA).   I saw a multitude of original and put-together trenches and coats in Denmark.   Given the climate’s penchant for dreary/wet this is natural (although while I was there it didn’t rain one day!  Wish it had - I would have justified buying a pair of awesome rain boots.  I seem to be the bearer of sunny and hot weather-UGH).  Trench coats are perfect for L.A. because it just doesn’t get that cold here.  At night or whenever the temperature does drop here, pair the trench with some snazzy tights (check out H&M for tights) and fun shoes to make a statement.  When looking for trenches make sure that the silhouette compliments your body type.  For instance if you are petite don’t buy a trench that overwhelms you.  I found an awesome trench in Copenhagen by the Danish designer Philosophy Blues Original.  Traditional cut with a flair at the bottom that makes it far from average.

3.Statement Belts:  Hmm
seems like everything is about making a statement this season (hello power dressing), and belts are no exception.  Think of belts with original touches like animal print, patent leather, unique and ornate details.  Ivan Grundahl (another fabulous Danish designer that makes avant-garde urban chic wearable for every day) makes the most fabulous belts, (think late 1980’s style).  Grundahl’s wide belts with double layering and buckles everywhere make me want throw on a Vivienne Westwood corset, a de-constructed skirt and some Doc Martins (there are a few high school photos of me in this type of outfit, for the right amount of bribery, I may just post one).  Funny enough, the October issue of British ELLE had a popular English Fashionista talking about getting her new gold Dr. Martins for Fall.   

4.Shoes:  Soaring high heels (or silly-heights heels as I call them) and flats are everywhere.  For the budget shopper check out Aldo for unique and economy-friendly heels.  Want to invest in a pair of shoes that are exquisitely designed, check out Il Primo Passo in Santa Monica.  I just bought my wedding shoes there – HELLO Pretty!  For flats I just saw great ones at French Connection (which you should check out for affordable off-the-runway looks-great stuff) and Zara.  Pricier but with infinitely more choices in colors and prints, check out the ballet flats at London Sole.

5.Power Dressing:  In summary, take all of the above, channel your Alexis Carrington or Amanda Woodward and break out items 1 through 4.   There is evidence of some people bringing back the shoulder pads.  I beg thee, please do not go that far because I’ll sneak into your closet and cut them out.

Everyone is pretty freaked out in the current economic climate, SO, check out what you already have in your wardrobe that could be “tweaked” or altered for Fall.  See if you’ve flats from past seasons stuffed away.  Find your old trench coat and update it by adding a new belt and make sure that it fits you!  If not, go be friendly with your tailor.  If your budget is simply not there for new Fall boots  make sure that the ones that you have are in good condition.  Replace the soles and heels, condition and water proof them and voila!  They’ll seem like brand new.  Sometimes you can take really inexpensive boots from a discount store (say like Payless) and simply by replacing the soles and heels with quality workmanship you can upgrade the appearance of the boot.  And someone for goodness sake pay the weather Gods to bring an end to this heat wave!

− Mamăăăă! Mamăăăă! Caută-mi Ɵi mie bluza asta un număr mai mic!

− Uite, am găsit.

− Ia uite ce miƟto ümi vine! Ce-mi place!

− Aoleo! Da’ ce facem cu ƣñƣele alea?

− Păi nu, mă, că o port cu maiou pe dedesubt.

− Ei, cu maiou! N-o porƣi tu cu maiou! Nu te duci aƟa cu ƣñƣele alea la Ɵcoală!

− Păi nu mă, mamă! Că pun maiou’ ăla alb de la Zara pe dedesubt.

− Cum să pui maiou pe dedesubt? Ce, la tine la Ɵcoală aƟa vin fetele?

− Da, măi! Cum să nu?! AƟa se poartă bluzele astea - cu maiou pe dedesubt!

− Nu! Deci nu-ƣi iau bluza asta să te duci cu ƣñƣele pe-afară la Ɵcoală!

− Mamă, da’ tu nu-nƣelegi? O iau cu maiou ăla alb de la Zara pe dedesubt! Că nici mie nu-mi place aƟa!

− Zici tu?...

− Da, mă mamă! Cu maiou ăla alb. Hai mă mamă, că chiar ümi place!

− Deci nu ƣi-o iau decñt dacă promiƣi că nu te duci cu ƣñƣele pe-afară la Ɵcoală.

− Bine.

− Bine.

[Nu e vorba despre mine; mai sus este redată o discuƣie surprinsă de urechea mea cea vigilentă la o cabină de probă alăturată alei mele, ßn mol.]

I wonder if tonight's House rejection of the $700 billion dollar rescue plan (a Republican decision), will create a halt on bridge line retailing by securing a distinct separation of class consumerism.

• Hot Jeremy Scott for Adidas Originals - WWD

• Rachel Bilson presents her collection for DKNY - Trendencias

• Rihanna to design - Nitro:licious

• Sergio Rossi's shoes for Puma - Fashionista

• Critics compare Frida Giannini's Gucci to Zara - The Cut

• Anna Wintour might be replaced - Discotheque Confusion

---------------

• Jeremy Scott (diseñador fetiche de Cory Kennedy) para Adidas Originals - WWD

• Rachel Bilson presenta su colecciĂłn para DKNY - Trendencias

• Rihanna tambiĂ©n diseñarĂĄ ropa - Nitro:licious

• Zapatos de Sergio Rossi para Puma - Fashionista

• Las malas crĂ­ticas a Gucci lo comparan con Zara - The Cut

• Anna Wintour podrĂ­a ser destonada - Por el amor de Dior