Deal of the Day: Ballerina Tie Leggings

Back in the summer when I wore these Ballerina Tie Leggings (courtesy of Anzevino & Florence) a few people mentioned that they loved them. Unfortunately Anzevino & Florence didn’t survive to produce more of these leggings. Recently while shopping on Betsey Johnson’s online sale though, I noticed a very similar pair of leggings for $33 (was $110). Currently all sizes are available so if you want to snag yourself a pair for warmer weather, act now! Otherwise, if you are crafty you might want to try attaching some ribbon on a pair of bicycle shorts for a DIY version.

To clarify, the leggings say they are $82.50 + an additional 60% off. When you add them to the cart, the total is $33. No promo code required.

Now Listening: Tight Pants / Body Rolls

As you probably noticed my usual taste in music is for most part pretty girly. Perhaps this is the exact opposite? My friend Nick introduced me to Leslie and the Lys the other day and the song "Tight Pants / Body Rolls" has become a total guilty pleasure of mine. Perhaps it's one of those rare cases where slightly disturbing = kind of amazing? The more I've listened the more I'm hooked. I'm a little sad that I missed her NYC concert as I hear she's even more awesome live but she's still touring cities around the country. Hope you enjoy too!

Perhaps it serves as another friendly reminder that leggings are not pants ;)

First Look: Katie Gallagher FW2010

I was uber excited today to have the opportunity to check out NYC based designer Katie Gallagher. For those of you not familiar, Katie Gallagher is a RISD grad who has cut her teeth at the likes of ThreeAsFour and Anna Sui.

Her collection was titled, "The Heart of the Woods and What I Found There" references the designer's love of nature and the inspiration it holds over her work.

This was only Katie Gallagher's second collection but given the quality and creativity of her designs, I am anxious to see more. Her designs use creative curvilinear seaming to highlight the best parts of a woman's body. The designer compliments the body con pieces with sculptural jackets/sleeves and expert drapery.

The resulting look was sexy, eerily beautiful, ethereal modern day warriors. Femme without the frills or ruffles.

Fabrications played with variations on tone and texture. Half the collection was angelic with a mix of white, grey and beige tones. The other half of the collection was darker and more gothic. Quite a few pieces featured black on black panels that allowed texture to take center stage and keep things interesting.

I probably wouldn't personally wear the leggings as pants, they looked great in the presentation.

Strong beauty looks perfectly complimented the collection. Crimped hair, grey lips and dark slashes across the eyes made a strong statement. The nails matched the clothing in the layered nude to black effects but they weren't a look I would wear.

Overall I thought the collection was very cohesive and had the right balance of edgy sexiness and wearability. Well done, Ms Gallagher! You are definitely one of my personal faves from this Fall 2010 fashion week. I wish these pieces were jumping into my closet! What do you think of the collection?

Would You Wear Jeggings? A Round Up of Options

Is it just me or are Jeggings everywhere lately? The first time I heard the term, I dismissed it as fashion editorial nonsense but looks like they are here to stay.

If you are asking what are Jeggings?
Jeans + Leggings = Jeggings. Essentially super fitted jeans that might as well be leggings.

Skinny jeans are good! Leggings are good when worn correctly. The marraige of the 2? I'm a little torn. I mean we've already established that leggings are not pants does adding a few pockets make it ok? I'm thinking it'll really have to depend on the material! If it's super stretchy denim, perhaps it's okay, but if it's a thin jersey, we don't want to see that camel toe, so be sure to cover up with a tunic, mini or summer dress.

Jeggings are pretty affordable and here's a quick roundup of what I saw available...not necessarily advisable!

Target's Xhilaration Jeggings for only $9.99, they are sold out online but perhaps they can still be found in stores? Don't really love this version as I feel like people might falsely try to wear them as pants!

Surprisingly Amazon.co.uk had a version of acid wash for only $16 that look fairly substantial.

Topshop Jeggings in Grey Denim Look $40. These look pretty bland and you almost can't tell they are jeans! I think these should be worn like leggings and definitely not pants.

ASOS by far had the best variety at the best prices. I think these might be safely worn as pants because they look slightly more substantial. They range in price from approximately $17 for the metallic versions on sale up to $48 for the cute floral print version.

Finally the creme de la creme of jeggings brought to you by the lovely designer/stylists of Current Elliott for $218 via Shopbop.com

dupli-CAUGHT: Urban Outfitters vs. American Apparel

Urban Outfitters has a bit of a reputation for copying others. And is it just me or have they found a way to copy "basics" from American Apparel?


Tribal print leggings
American Apparel, Afrika Printed High-Waist Legging, $34 vs
Urban Outfitters, Silence & Noise Aztec Legging, $32I prefer the print from AA over the one from UO since the distribution of black vs white is more even. Plus, I don't like the semi-geometric patterns on the UO leggings - especially the third and fourth rows.


Faux snakeskin leggings
American Apparel, Shiny Legging in Boa Black, $42 vs
Urban Outfitters, Silence & Noise Python Legging, now $34 (retail $48)I've seen both in real life. The American Apparel ones are thicker with much better seams, but I spotted a pair on $10 clearance at the Urban Outfitters in East Village and caved.


Figure Skater Tunic Dress
American Apparel, Nylon Tricot Figure Skater Dress, $48
Urban Outfitters, Silence & Noise Coated Tunic, $32Urban Outfitters calls it "coated tunic", but the product description reads, "Hit the ice in this figure skating-inspired tunic that is fitted at the bodice and flared at the swingy skirt." When they say figure skating-inspired, do they mean American Apparel-inspired? I'm not saying American Apparel is the creator of this design, but I think it's fair to credit them with the return of 1970's semi-athletic apparel.

Hurray for options! Made in the USA, sweatshop-free or not.  It's interesting that Urban Outfitters priced their leggings out to be the same as American Apparels, especially since we all know "Made in China" is cheaper than "Made in Downtown LA".

I'd like to take this opportunity to complain about the decline in quality at Urban Outfitters.  Erin recently bought a pair of tights that snagged almost instantly, and I bought a woven belt that was assembled backwards.  And a couple weeks ago, my friend Rose tried on a dress.  It would have been cute if the straps weren't different lengths!  Anyone else notice this?

Shine On Little Leggings, Shine On

A while back, I reported that Shiny Leggings were available at Target, perhaps I lucked out but they weren't in stores when friends went back to check them out and they weren't available online until now. At $12.99 these are a fraction of the price of Kova & T and American Apparel. So if you're into this look, now is the time to snag them!

So far I've been really pleased with mine, click here to see how I've worn them!

I'll leave you with a cute music music video that debuted earlier this year by the Brit band, The Kooks. Shine On!

Leggings Are NOT Pants

This shouldn't be any sort of news flash, but after spotting far too many pant-less girls and seeing leggings grouped under "pants" on target.com, I felt a post was necessary.


Leggings are not pants. They hug every inch of your body, and made of spandex, they thin when stretched out, meaning we can see your underwear (or lack thereof) when you bend over. With pants, this does not happen.

Leggings are appropriate under skirts, dresses, and in some cases, long tunics. If you wouldn't wear that tunic or long t-shirt without pants, then don't wear it with leggings because again, leggings are not pants.