Prefall is well underway.  Here’s just a small sample of what caught our eye from Loeffler Randall….

It’s that time of year again, LAST CALL!! Arlene and I have been looking forward to this for months now. Since starting our own business (not to mention, being in the middle of a recession), we’ve really had to cut back on our spending and have been dreaming and dreaming of new designer shoes. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for a little bit of Christmas money and are going to high-tail it on over to Neiman’s to see what’s left in our size on the bargain basement rack. We don’t tempt ourselves by visiting NM before the final Last Call markdown ’cause we know we’ll just end up writing checks that our bank accounts can’t cash! We’ve spent the last couple of weeks poring over the FW09 shows on Style.com and we’ve got our eyes on a few goodies!

Chanel (Arlene’s a Chanel fanatic, so keep your fingers crossed for her!)

Also, she always manages to find the most irresistible flats, so I have a feeling she might stumble across this adorable little guy from Chloe…  

There was an awful lot of goodness from Chloe, so I’ll be happy if I can get my hands (or feet!) on anything from that collection. 

We’re both jonesing for this lug sole pump from Prada… 

   as well as this Miu Miu stunner…

I’ve been all about the Proenza pumps and booties since I first laid eyes on them…

       love anything Dries…  

and would happily add a pair of YSLs to my wardrobe…

Even if we don’t find any of the above, I’m sure that Arlene and I will leave Last Call with big smiles on our faces and big style on our feet! Happy sale shopping to all — may you get everything your little heart desires!!

all images via Style.com

Believe it or not, spring is here!  Well, not exactly, but you know what I mean!  One of my two favorite trends for S10 is Utilitarian Chic aka the neutrals.  The neutrals, khaki’s, linen… they always seem to make it on the trend list for spring, no??  This spring is the first I really took note and WANT!  I’d have to say, Ms Phoebe Philo at the helm of Celine had quite a bit to do with that….as well as Chloe and a new line for us, Rachel Comey, and my constant go-to Acne.

images via Style.com & Acne Studios

La prisonnière photographed by Xevi Muntane, featuring model Angelika Kocheva and styled by Elisa Malan and Eleonora Panzetta.  Let’s just give kudos now to those due!  There are two editorials I have been obsessing over lately…this being one of the two.  The couture is captured perfectly with all the playful light details throughout and of course, look at that Margiela comb dress and ooooo The Chanel!!  love.

images lovingly borrowed from Crash

We love our dresses and now we love Gary Graham from NYC.  NYC, yes, but a graduate of our famed School of the Art Institute of Chicago  How impressive … he’s been out on his own for 10 years and has now recently earned himself a CFDA/Fashion Fund Finalist title (oh also, a shop-in-shop in one of my favs, ABC Home).  His beautiful creations are such a breath of fresh air from all the studs and rocker chic looks out there.   Wouldn’t you just LOVE any one of these pretty keepers?  Oh yes!

images via Gary Graham

Has anyone seen the new Hermes F09 advertising?  As if our love for the ultimate accessory, the scarf, wasen’t deep enough!  This campaign certainly needs to be seen over and over again (possibly even hung up in our closets!) just for the style inspirations alone.  Here their ode to the scarf…streetstyle.  Genious!!!

many many more looks via Hermes insert via Jalouse Magazine

We understand color can sometimes be a challenge, but just a hint of it can really add a lot of fun to your look and mood! Especially now when fall is in full force and we’re back into black.  Our color in our wardrobe this season is RED.  It’s power packed!  What other color exudes so much confidence and playfulness at the same time?  Don’t believe us?  Then take your cue from Alexander McQueen’s McQ prefall line…

I say, go for the red shoe!  Here’s our pick…these always put a smile on our face and a pep in our step!

Images via McQ-Alexander McQueen via Inspire the Starling

We do love our fashion editors — Giovanna Battaglia, Carine Roitfeld, et al.  These ladies all have such incredible style and we thank the likes of Scott Schuman and Tommy Ton for bringing their style to our attention. One of the editors that has always been high on my radar is Elle’s Kate Lanphear. Kate’s style is 100% rocker, but somehow she manages to do it in an approachable way. As with Giovanna and Carine, her style seems effortless and totally and completely her. I just love that she always manages to rock black and grey, leather, studs, zippers and chains without looking harsh.

In that last shot, Kate is wearing the Chia jacket from a new favorite of ours, Gar-de. It comes as no surprise to us that she’s a fan — the lady does have great taste! And after our spring buying trip to NYC, we can assure you all — and Kate, too — that Gar-de is just getting better and better as they go along. Their collection for Spring 10 really took our breath away — leathers, jerseys and silks all with their eye for unique details and top-of-the-line craftsmanship. 

Can’t wait to work that perfect motorcycle jacket into my wardrobe. Spring cannot come soon enough!

top 2 Kate Lanphear images borrowed from Jak & Jil; all other images courtesy of Gar-de.

Every season Kate and Laura Mulleavy blow me away with their insane creativity. I don’t like to blog very much about Fashion Week while it’s happening because I figure all of you are up on the latest buzz, have seen all the shows, and have formed your own opinions. But Arlene and I do always feel compelled to comment on the shows and designers that move us. To this end I always find myself posting about Rodarte.

When the very first Rodarte collection hit stores, Arlene and I were working for a boutique that had bought 3 dresses from the line. I remember the day the box arrived (it’s always a little bit like Christmas or your birthday when UPS drops off a box of new merchandise!) and I remember — very vividly — all of us oohing and aahing over the 3 pieces that emerged: 3 silk dresses, one in black, one in a peacock blue, and one in a sort of pumpkin hue, all hand-adorned with feathers.

The fabric, the design, and the workmanship were obvious from the beginning. These are 2 women who are not afraid to take a risk and put themselves out there and I, for one, am SO glad that they just keep doing what they do — feminine and sexy with a major rock-and-roll edge.

And can we talk about that styling??? When they found their inspiration in the California wildfires, they just went ALL. THE. WAY. The smoke, the slicked back hair, the vamp lips and nails, the tribal tattoos… hot, hot, HOT (no pun intended :-))

all runway images via style.com

More great shows out of NY these last couple of days…Elise Overland,Derek Lam, CFDA Fashion Fund award finalist, Ohne Titel and a recent favorite for us, Jeremy Laing.  His slighlty avant garde silhouettes, the mix of soft neutral colors and the luscious layering gets us all the time

photos via Style.com