The original ain't that great to begin with, so why Forever 21 would knock-off Phillip Lim's granny-chic (if you can call it that) lattice neckline dress is beyond me. I'm sorry, but where I come from, this dress would cost a quarter at the church rummage sale. And another thing: Lim probably knocked this look from one of the ladies running Bingo night (no offense to plebeian fashion—or Lim—just pointing out that designers have been pilfering ideas from us "nobodies" for years.)

Left: Phillip Lim lattice neckline dress at Net-A-Porter.com, $575
Right: Chelsea Knit Tunic at Forever21.com, $32.80

Etro taps into some of Spring's hottest trends with its 2008 ready-to-wear collection. A no holds barred use of color, florals, stripes, ethnic-inspired motifs and retro 70s throwbacks makes us wonder: What trend don't they cover? And yet, somehow Veronica Etro makes it all work by paying close attention to silhouettes (balancing structured pieces with more feminine forms) and a constructive use of color that makes it something truly marvelous to behold.



One of Etro's standout pieces is this floral striped dress, which retails for $1,335. (Are you still with me?) Now, a few years back, it would have been next to impossible to find all that designer razzmatazz at reasonable prices, but today, we budget babes have options: Topshop, for example, lets you channel the Etro vibe with their floral striped dress for only £50.00 (98.27 U.S. dollars).

Chalk one up for the little guy...er, girl.

Left: A look from the Etro Spring 2008 Ready-to-Wear collection (Image source: Style.com); floral striped dress available at NeimanMarcus.com, $1,335.00

Right: Topshop Floral Striped Dress, £50.00 (98.27 U.S. dollars)

Crossbody handbags are très hot these days, and with good reason - they're practical and stylish at the same time. One of these purses gives you that winning combo of form-meets-function for just $12.49 - that's less than Chinese takeout! The other purse, however divine, will set you back $243.75.

Can you guess which is luxe and which costs less?

We find ourselves befuddled by the Spring 08 alice + olivia collection for Payless. Is it awful? Or is it cute in a fugly sort of way? Let's see: The bold and colorful polka-dot ballet flats give off a goofy, circus vibe, while the sneakers have us questioning whether this is a kid's collection, and not a women's line (it's probably targeted towards teens). On the other hand: A stand-out, neon wedge makes our heart skip a beat with it's cheeky drama. The verdict: We're taking a middle of the road position on this one...it's not a nay or a yea, but an "ay." Check out the pics and tell us what you think.


From Payless.com: "The alice + olivia ballet flat marries '60s femininity with '70s sophistication. It's a mashup of bold styles and colorful surprises that can only come from Designer Stacey Bendet," $30


Ballet flat in pink and black, $30


Ballet flat in green and white, $30


"Colorful denim is a do with this spunky, sparkly, metallic sneakers from fashion designer Stacey Bendet of alice + olivia," $30


Editor's Pick: "The Spring 08 Collection from Stacey Bendet of alice + olivia is a mashup of bold styles and colorful surprises. The Aidan is no exception with its feisty fabrication and purely potent 4" platform heel," $40


The Aidan wedge sandal in black, $40


Black Patent Olivia sneaker, $30

Gucci knows how to get a girl's heart pumping - but they could also send her into cardiac arrest should she succumb to paying $695 for the killer gold heels on the left. Keep your cool and still sizzle with the similar-looking gold Nine West sandals featured on the right. For $89, they're equally fierce, but will give you significantly less stress.

Left: Gucci Sevigny High Heel Sandal, $695.00
Right: Nine West Olavera, $89.00