spreads

Here are some new clothes from a brand who just recently changed hands. While officially Out Of The City for the weekend, we were perusing the advertisements in a September glossy when along came a Jil Sander ad. Our boyfriend's mother asked, rightly, 'what sort of woman might wear heels so, so, uncomfortable looking' to which we answered (from the back seat of her smooth gliding non-taxi brand of automobile), that a more forthcoming question would be to ask what kind of woman wouldn't wear them. That is, most. Whatever you are left with, that lone woman with her hand raised, is your Jil Sander customer and you better believe she's not embarrassed to be poised as such. Jil Sander, ever defined by its slick, androgynous, aggressive aesthetic, has just been purchased by Onward Holdings Company for a clean 244 million. The brand, energized by Raf Simons and their previous holding company Change Capital Partners, is expected to keep Raf on board. Here's to a new chapter of Jil Sander and a seemingly confident change of hands. Now if only we could get Yoox to photograph the clothes so that they don't look like they're straight out of a Coldwater Creek catalog.

You can tell when the gal at Net-a-Porter responsible for writing up the product descriptions really likes something. The Fendi Oversized Logo Shoulder Bag, she writes, is "seriously chic". It's not just chic, it's seriously chic ladies. But is she right? YES! This is a seriously chic bag! It's so deco, so nicely shaped, so on trend with that chain strap! We're all about the grey bag, in the first place, because you've escaped that whole black/brown battle without having to commit to a color. Pair this with your Save The Garment Center t-shirt and a pair of Slow and Steady shades, and you've pretty much hit the nail on the mid-season head. In case you'd like a little more Fendi and a little less affordable for your outfit, check out the other just-delivered Fall options below.

As much as we hate the word 'bubble' in our fashion lexicon, we do love this Marc by Marc dress. In fact, we've kind of been on a frock kick these past few weeks because its an investment that works now and will last through the fall. This neon (ahem) bubble dress is a perfect example. This cotton blend dress with 3/4 length sleeves is perfect with bare legs and flats (we hear a fashion week outfit calling) and will work with black opaque tights and black booties come fall. On that note, we're particularly obsessed with that combination for fall. Brights and whites on your frock and an all-black look from thighs downward is a sharp trend for Fall 08 and one that is easy enough to manifest a million times over. Below, that neon number from two different e-commerce sites (take your pick) and a few other Marc by Marc frocks that follow the same set of rules. This is a look that's not hard to wrap your mind around and, let's face it, some mornings that kind of simplicity is appreciated. To see these frocks on the Fall 08 runway, click here.

We've found new hair care love: Sleek.Look hair products by Matrix. The story goes like this: Allure magazine sent us the Sleek.Look shampoo and conditioner as part of a beauty picks care package (Allure, among other magazines, have rated these products as the best of the best) and then, when we requested some hair product for shooting and review, we received the sealing serum and iron smoother spray. So, in a week's time we'd ended up with the entire system in our bathroom shower caddy, and found ourselves the subject of a full-fledged beauty trial. We're big fans of the straight iron over at Coutorture (but not in a burned out, too-straight way) and so we were crossing our fingers that these products would work. Did they ever. The spray and serum combination made our hair really slinky (that is the only word to describe it) and gave us the look that our hair has on 'day two' (as in, yesterday's shampoo). You see, the problem with day two, conceptually, is that day two translates to no gym and that just doesn't seem fair. Why should we have to sacrifice a workout for a good hair day? We know we sound like fashion bunnies right now but we also know we're not alone in this matter . The Sleek.Look product line also has a ton of ingredients to be thankful for. There are UV filters for protection, apricot oil and shea butter for moisture, and ceramide which seals split ends. The line, available this Fall in salons (if you find it at Duane Reade, we discovered, it's illegal), is something we wholeheartedly endorse. Our hair has never looked so wonderfully day two.

With news that fashion brand, Mayle, is closing down after Resort/Holiday 09, we think a spread is due. Perhaps you've only loved the Mayle aesthetic from afar, perhaps you've indulged in every smart frock and pair of trousers from previous seasons, or perhaps the brand hasn't meant much to you until now. Either way, we have a feeling these last deliveries will mean much more to many of us. To think, just last week we wrote up an immaterial about a shearling caplet that is part of the Fall 08 collection. Little did we know it would be one of Mayle's last quirky offers. If anything, this should stand as an example of how difficult is is to run a fashion business in general, and how the contemporary companies in particular, often get thrown the wolves if they don't peddle their clothing properly and act as total slaves to the buyers (who have peddle on their own accord). It's not easy, especially in our current economic climate, to endure the season-less demands of the contemporary shopper. Jane Mayle, in her conversation with WWD, referenced perfumery and home goods as being her next endeavor so we're sure we haven't seen the last of that magpie/indie girl aesthetic. That said, it's still the end of a clothing line beloved by many young burgeoning chicsters. Below, our spread of Mayle from Spring 08 (all on sale) and Fall 08 (just delivered). If you shop only for the sake of archiving, we won't blame you.

Sometimes the chaos just isn't worth the effort, and sometimes you've not choice anyway. Our New York colleagues over at Racked are providing live coverage of the Barney's warehouse sale and as much as we love to drop the New York-centric post now and again, we realize not everyone has access to the madness. That said, when we scoped out what Barneys had to offer online, the 60% off or more options were plentiful. Below, check out our spread of the best from that category. Between the Maison Martin Margiela Cork Knee Boots, marked down to $355 from $895, to the Lanvin Large Peplum Bag, marked down to $789 from almost two thousand, it's clear there are still some non-warehouse goodies to be had. Just be warned that a link is only a link for a day or two. Much of what we'd put into a wishlist for ourselves has gone out-of-stock either because it was moved to the sale or because it sold out overnight. Such is the nature of sample sales, both online and in warehouses. Pick up something for yourself today and call it an ode to the Fall season and a looming fashion week, where cork boots and Lanvin purses will come in handy.

Today we bumped into a gallery of some outerwear options for Fall 08 and found ourselves daydreaming of the possibilities. Alas, we experience this song and dance every season. First we draw up an ideal fall wardrobe, the coat being an integral part of this scene, and shortly after the beloved purchase is made it finally gets cold. We will acknowledge the fact that some places do not get as cold as others and that some people need not walk fifteen blocks from the subway to their apartment but in New York, we do. That said, the coats we buy in September hardly ever make it past the holiday season and maybe, you know, that's fine. We're just saying. Or maybe, you never know, we could think ahead and skip the chic short-sleeve number in favor of something more substantial. Being chic, in any context, means dressing appropriately and yet having your own sense of style. Maybe this season we'll try to think ahead, and leave those coveted short sleeve numbers for the Californians. Below, our best guesses at what might help you brave a harsh winter in New York. Sigh, and below that, the coats we really wish we could wear as our winter jacket.

While checking up on local New York jewelry designer, Wendy Nichol, we discovered Nichol's daughter modeling in her newest look book. The shoot, a very pretty, very sweet, very Marc Jacobs-inspired gallery of images, shows the leather-covered hearts and pyramid shapes that are prominent in this most recent collection as worn by the youngest of the Nichol's clan. We know Nichol from our days in e-commerce and know that she and her family are more or less the perfect version of 'I'm never moving to the suburbs' and so we only saw it is as very sweet and quirky of the Nichols family. How will other people feel, we wonder? It's hard to say. If anything the shoot will bring some extra-jewelry shopping attention to her brand or, at worst, upset people who misconstrue it as inappropriate or damaging to put a young girl in mascara--it does, in a way, make us feel old and haggard even in our mid-twenties. Look book aside, Wendy Nichol is an amazing jewelry designer. Her rock and roll vibe and balance between costumery and fine jewelry has made her a prominant New York designer. In the end, our headline is 'cute daughter in tough-girl jewelry makes for Marc Jacobsy/quirky look book'. It's a winner.