Recently in Pants Category

And here I thought it couldn't get any worse than jeggings! Boy was I wrong! Wow is all I can say about these ripped leggings. Who in their right mind would not only wear these, but could stomach paying $100 for them?? Even if you could pull these off, there's something so poseur-ish about wearing faux-ripped leggings. Not only are you wearing leggings meant to mimic actual pants or jeans, but then you have this fake wear-and-tear. I don't even think someone with a too-cool-for-school personality a la Erin Wasson could pull these off (and I sure hope she doesn't try!).

What do you think about ripped jean leggings? Snob or Slob?

Funny how fashion works -- pants get lower and lower and once they reach the "low limit" and everyone owns a few pairs, they get super-high waisted. The same thing applies to width; pants get tighter and tighter till everyone owns too many pairs of tight pants to buy any more so designers convince us that we all need wide pants! So here we are, suddenly from skinny jeans, jeggings, and the likes we're starting to see wide leg trousers pop-up all over the place. I like the look of this cut when worn with a fitted shirt tucked into the pants, paired with some medium-high heels (3 inches), and well accessories with over-sized jewels. I would say these are a definite no-no with flip-flops a la the Melange pair on the left).

What do you think about wide leg trousers? Snob or Slob?
Jump for info on the pants pictured above!

A lot of people find this hard to believe, but there is no Target in Manhattan (a travesty if you ask me:-(). Luckily the folks at Target know that there are a ton of fashion obsessed folks in NYC that would do pretty much anything to get their hands on limited edition frugal designer collaborations, so they usually have some form of a pop-up shop when they launch one of their special lines. This time around - over a week before the line officially launched - Target helped take the hassle out of holiday shopping with a Target To-Go walk-up holiday shopping stand. Stationed under the High Line they had display windows with 50 items including three Rodarte for Target dresses (see image below) from which shoppers got to choose what they wanted and then ordered (like you would at a fast food drive-through), payed, and got the items all wrapped and ready-to-go...pretty genius idea if you ask me! I snapped-up the Rodarte Rip Cage dress ($49.95), and was surprised at how great the quality was. Of course my mother cringed when she saw it and asked that I please return it in favor of something else (no chance, I love it!), but even she was impressed by the workmanship given the price. Target definitely beats out H&M when it comes to quality and price of these designer collaborations and I anticipate people buying-up a ton of Rodarte today. I myself am logging-on to buy some lace cardigans!

Will you be shopping the Rodarte for Target collection today?

I have had a gray obsession for years. It's a softer alternative to black and is always so chic and pretty.  I especially love wearing tonal gray shades together; it gives your outfit depth and keeps it from looking blah or depressing cuz let's face it, gray is not the most cheerful of shades!  Gray is sophisticated with silver jewels but with gold it is stunning and unexpected.  To add a bit of gray to your wardrobe, I found a few of my favorite grays of the season.  Starting clockwise from the left:
Dacute Light shearling jacket $1295

Rebecca Taylor The Socialite satin dress $295

Preen Line Asymmetric cotton trench $690

Lee Angel Serena glass-pearl necklace $285

Pringle of Scotland Rabbit-trim cashmere scarf $1350

Adam Woven jersey sweater $275

7 for all mankind Roxanne corduroy skinny jeans $180

Milly Jersey long-sleeved dress $395

Brian Atwood New Davis suede boots $1475

3.1 Phillip Lim Silk eyelet-embellished dress $525

Juicy Couture Sequin-embellished sweater $200

I found the most delightful little boutique while wandering on 3rd street in LA this week. From the window I got a peek of an actual studio behind the store where seamstresses and pattern makers were working. Intrigued, I walked in to get a better look and discovered a hidden gem-- designer Elaine Kim. Elaine is no stranger to the fashion industry, the force behind ultra popular brand "Product" in the 90s, she returned to LA from NYC to focus on raising her young family. A couple of years ago, she could not resist her true calling-- to dress women in easy pieces that may be worn in multiple ways for multiple occasions. I spent an hour in the store and would have taken every single piece in there if not for the upcoming Christmas season (always feel guilty splurging on myself when I should be focusing on giving to others!). I did, however, pick up a few key essential pieces that will kick up my wardrobe. If you live in LA, you must go check out Elaine's boutique! She is there almost daily and will give you the best styling tips, ever.

1. Dasha Cashmere Scarf Jacket: This will be my daily piece, I can wear it backwards, wrap it around like a capelet and pin it with a vintage diamond brooch or just leave it hanging open for that nonchalant ease.

2. Delta Slim Pants with leather zip detail: Holy crap, I have never worn a better pair of slim fitting pants. The fabric is ultra thick and holds in every single flab-- it's like a girdle for your legs and butt! And the leather zipper on bottom back of the leg is genius, leave it open so you can wear high platform boots and elongate the slim silhouette.

3. Deidre Leather Vest: I have dozens of leather jackets and vests and really didn't need another one but this is a butter soft lambskin with a dramatic high collar detail. I wrap the Dasha Cashmere scarf jacket around it which makes it into a whole other jacket. Zip it up and Elaine says it gives the look of "authority". Unzipped, it's an effortless chic piece to throw on over long tanks and jeans.

If you do not see your size online, call Elaine and she will make it for you! All of the pieces are made here in the US, and the cashmere is handknitted by LA artisans. Elaine Kim 8373 West Third Street LA. 323-937-0355

Karolina Zmarlak is one of NYC's hottest up-and-coming designers. In just a few short seasons she has won the Gen Art's Styles 2005 styles award in the Eveningwear Category, has lead design direction on various projects in New York, Delhi, Paris and London, and has presented her ready-to-wear collection to influencers including Fern Mallis, Amanda Hearst, and Alexis Bryan Morgan. Zmarlak is truly a genius in the way she manipulates the fabrics she works with. Her pieces are versatile -- each piece is reversible, designed to bind and tighten, and wrap or cocoon over the body. Literally you could wear any one of the designer's pieces in an endless array of ways. With so many of us looking to tighten our spending, Zmarlak's pieces strike me as a great investment (you can buy one piece, wear it three different ways and no one will know you're wearing the same outfit multiple times!). Check-out Karolina Zmarlak's collection on her website or at Takashimaya, Debut, and Eva or stop by Eva on October 29 when the designner previews her S/S 2010 collection. Invite after the jump!

It took a while to wean myself off super long bell bottoms and now I can't live without my assortment of cropped pants with booties!  This season I'm going to go for the grandpa pleats, too-- they look amazing with a short fitted vest or cropped sweater.  I'm petite so I have to watch it with the cropped pants, they have to hit right above the ankles (but not too much above or they'll look like capri pants) and the waist has to fitted.  The proportions will work for any figure (yup, even longwaisted short legged beauties-- just wear high heels!) and instantly chic up your ensemble.  Here are a few of my faves (and don't forget the booties)!  
Alexander Wang Baggy Cropped Pants $390

Elizabeth and James Kingsley Trousers $275
Geren Ford Pleated Leather Pants $495
Ruthie Davis Bullseye Peep Toe Booties $895

I'm pretty much over leggings/spandex. Unless I'm going to the gym, I rarely wear them other than when it's pouring rain and I don't want to get my pants wet. I guess designers have caught on to a slight legging backlash because they've been spicing things up with all kinds of twists on the classic, plain black ones. I can't see myself sporting any of the variations (ripped, accented with leather, equestrian-style...). They look too overtly trendy and uncomfortable! What do you think about leggings with a twist? Jump for buying info. 

Clockwise--

• Maje Geneve strapless mini dress, $375
• Oscar de la Renta Floral-print dress, $1,145
• Miss Selfridges Floral Print Short Playsuit, $59
• Parker Floral Cami Dress, $187
• Rebecca Taylor Wildflower silk tunic dress, $280
• Topshop Floral Bloomer Shorts, $59

For the most part I only like two kinds of floral prints: over-sized bold ones and petites ones. I wish I had the guts to pull-off petites fleurs bloomer shorts -- so hot! Above are a few mini floral prints that I think make for cute, casual, summer day-time outfits. What kind of floral prints are your favorite?

Guest blog by -- Julia DiNardo, the founder/editor of Fashion Pulse

The basic black legging has served its function well; but like all trends, it must follow the fashion cycle and evolve to the next stage of its lifespan. The legging prototype was transformed on the fall 2009 runways to include such transformations as the leather piece meal and laser cut looks at Rodarte, to animal prints galore at Diane von Furstenberg. New fabrications, textures, and exotic skins are being explored, while the leather/pleather/liquid legging trend continues to appear. We've found several ways for you to get the new legging look for $100 or less, starting with the animal print legging and leading into the liquid legging trend. If you absolutely must get the DVF legging look, we recommend trying the Crop Legging in Leopard from Express or the Snake Printed Legging from bebe; for $29.50 and $49 respectively, its not a huge bust if you only get a season or two of wear out of them, or decide you feel more like Peggy Bundy than Gisele! If you're big on the punk reincarnation of slashed leggings, try these Mary Meyer Black Spine Print Leggings ($96, Oak) or the David Lerner Ripped Leggings ($99, Shopbop). More into prints than anything else? Go for the Dark Harts Safety Pin Legging ($34, Urban Outfitters), or the Groovy Tulip Leggings ($11.80, Forever 21). The last trend we can't forget to mention is the leather/pleather/liquid legging; go for a versatile solid black, or funk it up with an even shinier metallic. We're fond of the Hue's Liquid Leggings ($30, Bare Necessities), the Romeo & Juliet Couture Black Faux Leather Leggings ($35, Bluefly), and the Factory Girl Silver Leggings ($48, emoda.com).

Still consider yourself a legging skeptic? Don't go overboard, but add a new tiny detail to freshen up the basic legging look, such as a zipper or button; check out the Comfort Zone Zip Vent Leggings ($19.95, New York & Company) to build a new legging outlook into your wardrobe.