happy holidays

a gift from fashion to us: the knockoff

in the spirit of upcoming festivities i provide you with one that i particularly enjoy

the original:

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN ROLLERBALL via saksfifthavenue

and the affordable:

MATIKO LEILA via solestruck

while we must sacrifice the spiked studs for the, less dangerous, more rounded ones...and trade the soft velvet for leather...the idea stays the same and our wallets a little less depleted

note: if you happen to be in desperate need of some nonchalant weaponry that is also quite fashionable then feel free to aquire these loubys, they got u covered...all though im not quite sure why one would need fashionable weaponry?

but in case you do heres another option:

LUV AJ SPIKE KNUCKLE BUSTER RING via shopbop

you are now well versed in fashionably defending yourself, compliments of the trendy intellect...

the trendy intellect on fabsugar

the trendy intellect has been featured on fabsugar!

woot woot

leather sans bdsm

using shoes as a visual aid, i present to you a timeline* of trends that have evolved over the past couple of months...

1 - LACE

2 - STUDS

3 - MILITARY

4 - LEOPARD

5 - FUR

6 - FELINE ACCENTS

7 - LEATHER

lovely.

now...you might be wondering: "how might this lovely timeline help me make my next fashionably savvy purchase?"

well if you weren't...you are now

one word: leather.

feel free to take note from the above two shoe examples, however, if they happen to break yo' bank, as they do mine...i suggest the following leather LITA shoe from JEFFREY CAMPBELL (shoe god.)

(as seen on rumi neely of fashiontoast and a plethora of other fashion authorities...)

also, i thought it be only fitting to share with you balmains' spring 2011 ready-to-wear collection via style.com

leather

leather

leather

leather

.

*shoe timeline directory (in order of appearance):

Valentino Sculpture Lace Pump,Alexander McQueen LEATHER LACE PUMP
Valentino Studded Patent Kitten Heel, Christian Louboutin Spiked Boot
Prada Camo Platform Pump, Tods Lace-Up Gommini Bootie
Prada Mary-Jane Slingback Sandal, Miu Miu Leopard-Print Platform Bootie
Christian Louboutin Toundra Fur Boot, Christian Louboutin Flat Fur-Cuff Boot
Yves Saint Laurent Hortense Lace-Up Detail, Acne Wrapped Wedge Bootie

ti dictionary:
bdsm - role play involving dominance, submission and sadomasochism, commonly using leather props/ apparel

images via bergdorfgoodman and solestruck

chuck klosterman - pop culture god

its getting colder and colder outside and warmer and warmer under the covers, so here are a couple books to entertain you while you're there...

SEX DRUGS AND COCOA PUFFS BY CHUCK KLOSTERMAN

"Countless writers and artists have spoken for a generation, but no one has done it quite like Chuck Klosterman — with an exhaustive knowledge of popular culture and a seemingly effortless ability to spin brilliant prose out of unlikely subject matter. Whether deconstructing Saved by the Bell episodes or the artistic legacy of Billy Joel, the symbolic importance of The Empire Strikes Back or the Celtics/Lakers rivalry of the 1980s, Chuck will make you think, he'll make you laugh, and he'll drive you insane — usually all at once.

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is ostensibly about movies, sports, television, music, books, video games, and kittens...but, really, it's about us. All of us. As Klosterman realizes late at night, in the moment before he falls asleep, "In and of itself, nothing really matters. What matters is that nothing is ever 'in and of itself.'"

IV BY CHUCK KLOSTERMAN

"The pop culture obsessive voice of his generation returns with a collection compiled from ten years of essays, opinions, theories, and hypothetical questions, covering everything from robots to Radiohead.

Chuck Klosterman IV consists of three parts:

Things that are true
Profiles and trend stories: Britney Spears, Radiohead, Billy Joel, Metallica, Val Kilmer, Bono, Wilco, The White Stripes, Steve Nash, Morrissey, Robert Plant—all with new introductions and footnotes.

Things that might be true
Opinions and theories on everything from monogamy to pirates to robots to super people to guilt and (of course) advancement—all with new hypothetical questions and footnotes.

Something that isn't true at all
This is new fiction. There's an introduction, but no footnotes. Well, there's a footnote in the introduction, but none in the story."

pop culture at its finest...

women in black

my perusal of numerous online fashion sites and blogs have led me to one conclusion: aside from the 'mixed neutrals' trend everyone seems to be pushing lately, all black has made a rather large comeback (unintentional rhyming, points for me!). you may have noticed that the most common perpetrators have been the olsen twins, mary kate and ashley*. now if you look below you'll see i've collected an array of photos of women in black just for you. 

*as an avid reader of my blog, which i know you are, i would like to make a reference to an older post about mary kate and her apparent inspiration, allison reynolds of the breakfast club... and if this happens to be new information to you i command you to scroll down and read it now! just kidding... i'll provide you with a link - the breakfast club - only one click away!

note: while you might think you will look like a punk, or say, a black cat, don't fret: kate moss does it, so its fine if you do too.

and if you haven't already heard, lanvin has released a special line exclusively for h&m, re:

what did i tell you? all black...

do notice that while all black may be the main focus of these ladies, they still happen to channel some of the latest trends (other than mixed neutrals):

turbans

maxi skirts/ dresses

chunky knits

combat boots

top hats

fur!

and if i may quote style.com, punk's not dead.

images via various blogs

a borrowed idea

in case you're looking for a perfect peep toe pump, and you happen to have your eye on -

SERGIO ROSSIS STAMPED LIZARD PEEP TOE PUMPS

then i suggest you invest in -

SAM EDELMANS NILAND PLATFORM PUMPS

in effort to save some $$, and perhaps get yourself a -

HERMES CLIC H NARROW BRACELET

- as well, with this classic on your wrist, no one will be able to tell your sams from sergios...

(except maybe me)

(props to my girl RM who gave me the idea for this post; i guess that makes me a sam to her sergio...?)

images via bloomingdales.com, saks.com, and hermes.com

spotlight: victoria beckham (the line and the lady behind it)

as a former spice girl, one would think that posh's* collection would run a different route, closer to that of...heatherette's*. however, just like her husband, her collections are drop dead gorgeous. here are some pieces from her latest collection, chose by yours truly (me, duh!), for your viewing pleasure. notice the awesome silhouettes and structures. 

victoria beckham ss/11

victoria beckham vs heatherette

  

now i'd like to dedicate a moment to the awesomeness of the spice girls...

and another moment to david beckham*...

(don't tell me your not adoring  those amazing abs that gorgeous smile!!)

also, to make your lives easier, here's the link i know you'll all be searching for within the next few minutes: spice girls - wannabe

all power to the girls of spice! especially posh 

*the ti dictionary (a cure for the inept):

1. posh - victoria beckham, former spice girl, married to 
2. david beckham - famous soccer player and all around hunk
3. heatherette - surprisingly successful clothing line run by richie rich and traver rains (why??)

images via victoriabeckham and around the web