Sartorial Jacket

Honestly, the selfish side of me wants to keep Cutiemus.com–an uber adorable online  store that sells modern and vintage duds without burning a hole in your wallet–all to myself, but that’s not good fashion karma. Plus, I think the world would be a better place if there were more cutie-nistas walking around.

To best describe it, Cutiemus’ style is a cross between Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie. It’s feminine and sweet but still manages to possess its own unique flair through its details.

Check out the site and spread the word! Just do me a favor: Leave the Sartorial Jacket, Gigi Dress, Naomi Blouse, and Green Tea Top for me, please.

Style.com

This article can also be found on Villagevoice.com.

Fashion Week ended with a fairytale happy ending, thanks in part to Isaac Mizrahi’s “Central Park Story Book” fall collection. So what’s it like getting a fifteen-minute peek into the mind of the fashion-forward fairy godfather? Think: the Upper East Side on ecstasy. Elevated bag ladies, fanciful fairies, haute game and wildlife, and samurai warrior princesses floated within a bling’d-out urbanosphere.

For Mizrahi, this year’s fall femme fatale is soft, relaxed, and feminine with a finesse of understated bad ass–the bad ass part being especially attributed to his “Society Samurai” chapter, which was inspired by the Met’s Japanese Armour Show. 

In terms of “The Look,” the models drifted along the runway with natural muted faces and disheveled tresses pulled back in low ponytails.

Some of our fave accouterments include the fur-fringed hoodies, the kaleidoscopic leggings, the look-at-me! muppetfur coat (a.k.a. Fraggle Rock on acid), the ice-lizard blazer, the foxtail scarves, and the Cinderella glass slippers.

What’s a fairytale without a ‘lil bit of romance? Our hearts were in a whimsy during his “Parka Avenue” and “Vagrant Fairies” chapters, particularly when the leafy green cocktail and the sunburnt wanderlace one-piece pranced down the runway. There was also some serious bling action in the designer’s “Fish and Wildlife” chapter, in which we were happily blinded by the set of crocodile dresses that came in tangerine, pinkberry, and diamond.

For the red carpet look, Mizrahi did not disappoint. A number of his “Seven Winter Fairies,” who, by the by, had to weather the faux snow falling from the Bryant Park Tent Heavens, were draped in flowy evening gowns that had lots of poofy drama billowing out at their ends.

When the Story Book ended, we dreamily walked out of The Tent, wondering if the fairy godfather would be so merciful to grant us one humble, discounted request. Target, please?

Meet Parisian parliamentary official Valérie Boyer. The mother of two teenage daughters, Boyer is proposing legislation that requires advertisers to attach a disclaimer on retouched photos. Simply put: Her hope is that such a law will help young women, including her daughters, feel better about themselves and their bodies.

My thoughts? Good intentions, dud idea. I don’t think that placing a Photoshop disclaimer of any sort is going to make a positive impact on a young woman’s psyche–maybe on an intellectual level (like for a second), but ultimately, the image will have a dominating emotional suasion. The way I see it, the image remains digitally altered and the fantasy behind it is still ostensibly laid out for impressionable eyes to see. You know how they say “a picture says a thousand words”? Well, I think it’s safe to say that those “thousand words” will definitely drown out the few words that might make up a disclaimer. Come on, do you think disclaimers work on cigarette ads?

There are legitimate arguments from all sides of the controversy. I just don’t think this latest legislative attempt puts us on the right path toward a viable solution. And to play devil’s advocate, let’s be real: Fashion photography is a subjective art, and fantasy and escapism play an integral role in the genre. Some of us–maybe on a subconscious if not conscious level–want to be captivated by those illusions…so what to do? I don’t know the answer to this complex, pervasive problem, and it’s hard to draw a line on what is permissive to retouch and what isn’t. But maybe the fashion industry should start out by inventing a new, less harmful illusion–and making a point to keep the damn curves on it.

When I heard about RentTheRunway.com (RTR), I–in keeping with fashion guru Rachel Zoe‘s signature adverbial misuse–”literally” felt like diving into every corner mailbox. For all you who were analog shopping, Rent the Runway serves as a “Netflix” for glam garb by allowing you to borrow dresses at 10% of their retail price.  You simply peruse the site, choose an A-list designer dress to be shipped to your address, and once you’re done wearing it, drop it off in the mail. (The gals at RTR even do the dry cleaning.)

In all seriousness, my initial thought was: “Ridiculosity.” The way I figured, frivolous services that allow us to become more antisocial and lazy as a society are just bad news. But, a few seconds later, I switched my cynical hat for my girly one and thought that maybe this new idea was actually, quite possibly, an aesthetically utilitarian one indeedy. After all, I was reminded of this yummy low-cut V-neck Bebe dress I bought eons ago that I managed to wear only twice and which now wistfully hangs at the back of my closet accruing dust–and my guilt. You know what I’m talking about; your closets all harbor the same story.

So, the verdict is still out, but for all you practical and budget-conscious ladies (and trannies) who need a lil somethin somethin for a fancy night out on the town, RentTheRunway.com might be a smart avenue to click to–plus, it’ll make you a trendsetter twice over. Literally.

*Photo from RentTheRunway.com.