Be afraid, be very afraid. There's a disturbing trend this fall to bring jazz shoes and other lace-up flats back from whatever dark, fashion hole they were banished to the first time around.

Designers say it's because people like comfort and ballet flats have enjoyed growing popularity in recent months, so hey, why not an 80s Jazzercise revival, right?

Wrong. We love comfort but you gotta draw the line somewhere.

Everyone from Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Jill Sander and ::gasp:: even Christian Loboutin are rolling out these monstrosities. Luckily, we haven't seen the style trickle down to the masses—yet.


Word to the wise: when these shoes become available in your price range (and it's only a matter of time before they do), drop everything and run, don't walk (or tap), in the opposite direction.

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen is the world's richest model according to Forbes.com, having earned $33 million in the last 12 months. That's more than triple the amount made by Kate Moss, who came in second place with $9 million. (And we thought the supermodel was a dying breed!)

Gisele has always been one of our favorite models. She's impossibly tall, glamorous and has always exuded a strong, confident and, come to think of it, healthy energy. A budget babe, she may not be, but she sure makes fashion look good!

Since we're on the subject, do you think models make too much? Not enough? Do you follow your fave models or prefer they remain nameless mannequins? What do you think about the dominant trend in fashion to use actresses as spokesmodels instead of supermodels?

While you're pondering those questions, see who else you can recognize from the list...



























2-4: Kate, Heidi and Adriana
5-7: Alessandra, Carolyn, Natalia
8-10: Karolina, Daria, Gemma
11-13: Liya, Hilary, Shalom
14-15: Doutzen, Jessica

The World's 15 Top-Earning Models

1. Gisele Bundchen, $33 million
   


2. Kate Moss, $9 million
   


3. Heidi Klum, $8 million
   


4. Adriana Lima, $6 million
   


5. Alessandra Ambrosio, $6 million
   


6. Carolyn Murphy, $5 million
   


7. Natalia Vodianova, $4.5 million
   


8. Karolina Kurkova, $3.5 million
   


9. Daria Werbowy, $3.5 million
   


10. Gemma Ward, $3 million
    


11. Liya Kebede, $2.5 million
    


12. Hilary Rhoda, $2 million
    


13. Shalom Harlow, $2 million
    


14. Doutzen Kroes, $1.5 million
    


15. Jessica Stam, $1.5 million

Read the full story at Forbes.com.

We were dismayed to learn recently that a division of cosmetics giant L'Oréal was found guilty of racial discrimination after it sought to exclude non-white women from promoting its shampoo.

In recruiting young women to hand out samples and discuss hairstyling with shoppers, L'Oreal unit Garnier stipulated women should be 18 to 22, size 38-42 (UK size 10-14) and "BBR", the initials for bleu, blanc, rouge, the colours of the French flag. It's well-known the code BBR means "white" French people and not those of north African, African and Asian backgrounds.

The company's official website features, for lack of a better word, a non-Caucasian model on the homepage. Then we clicked over to the Garnier - France website, which has a Flash intro featuring three more non-Caucasian models. When were these images put up? We can't say—elsewhere on the L'Oréal site you can find actress Penelope Cruz and singer Beyonce Knowles as spokesmodels.

At the same time, we wouldn't be surprised if the company's PR department is taking immediate steps to cover their derrières. And patch things up they must, because there's no excuse for racial discrimination in employment. It's a widespread problem, and it's not just in France. We hope this ruling sends the message that this kind of backward thinking is, quite simply, unacceptable.

Read the complete article here >>

From Target.com—Patrick Robinson departed 7/14 (some items are still available on clearance, the best time to buy!)...and Libertine arrives today, 7/15, so if you're planning a trip to Tar-zhay today, be sure to check it out.

Related Links:
Libertine Next In Line for Target's GO International