It was the best of times, it was the...well, you know the rest. Here's a look back at some of the best and worst fashion trends of 2008. What would you add to (or subtract from) the list?

Worst

• Ridiculously high heels: Shoe heels soared to unreasonable heights in 2008 (I blame SATC, the movie). They look fabulous in theory but are impossible to wear.
  
• Voluminous tops: Tops that make you look pregnant just aren't flattering. Sorry.
  
• Leggings: On the wrong figure, leggings can look just awful, and 2008 saw plenty of unfortunate souls squeezed into these non-pants. Same goes for liquid leggings (even though I kinda liked them...)
  
• Wild wellies: Wacky colored rainboots were all over the place in 2008. Are they meant to be footwear or just a sick joke?
  
• Tacky knock-offs and hyper-monogrammed handbags: Enough with the faux Lous Vuitton handbags already. And while you're at it, lose the real deal Coach and/or Dooney & Bourke purses covered in "Cs" and "DBs." Yeesh!
  

Best

• Ruffles: Feminine, flirty and downright fashion-forward, ruffles made a big splash in 2008.
  
• Sequins: Far from igniting a disco-inferno, sequin's shined on runways and racks with wondrous results this year.
  
• Patent: It's leather, it's shiny. It's perfect for accessories that make a statement.
  
• Belts: Be they skinny or wide, belts helped accentuate curves and create waistlines on ladies everywhere in 2008.
  
• Skinny jeans: Tucked into boots or worn with ladylike pumps, skinny jeans reigned supreme this year as the bottom of choice.
  

Have a fun and safe New Year's everyone!!

Betsey Johnson denies any plans of a diffusion line, which makes sense since isn't that what Betseyville is for? [via The Cut]

Thakoon for Target and Hayden-Harnett for Target hit stores today. (Check back here tomorrow for full coverage of the collections.)

College Candy gives us Gwyneth Paltrow's celebrity-chic-for-cheap New Year's outfit.

Nitro:licious has the H&M Spring 2009 collection preview.

Get step-by-step instructions for 5 party worthy updos at RealSimple.com

Day-after-Christmas shopping falls short, but Amazon reports "best ever" season. [via The Chicago Tribune]

Cupcakes and Cashmere shows us how to rock a black lace skirt from Forever 21.

Zappos, the largest online shoe retailer on the planet, is sponsoring a new contest that you might be interested in. Winners are eligible to win 5 pairs of Stuart Weitzman shoes, a chance to meet the designer, and an all expense paid trip to New York City! Here are the unusual details...

"To enter, contestants will need to subscribe to the Zappos.com YouTube™ channel located at www.youtube.com/zappos and create a video depicting why they think they can beat Stewart Weitzman in ping pong – a sport champion in his own right. Entries will be judged on creativity and fun.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive an all expense paid trip to New York City to meet designer, Stuart Weitzman to play him in a game of ping pong. Besides showing off their ping pong skills, the lucky winner will also win 5 pairs of Stuart Weitzman shoes from Zappos.com and a 2-night stay at the Shoreham Hotel in Manhattan on February 6 & 7, 2009, along with a $500 stipend for meals and transportation. The total grand prize is worth $3,500.00.

Check out this video at YouTube Zappos Contest for complete contest rules. The contest runs now through January 9, 2009."

This past Friday, I posted an image of a young woman as photographed by Scott Schuman, aka The Sartorialist, and just because she was photographed on the streets of Paris, I falsely assumed she also made her residence in the City of Lights. But someone alerted me via comment that she is, in fact, a New Yorker—and she has a blog. A fabulous blog, at that.

So I stand corrected, but the good news is that there's hope for all of us: Upon reading her blog further, I learned that this self-described designer, stylist, aesthete, and fancy-maker originally hails from Austin, Texas.

For a true breakdown of what she was wearing in the Sart's photo, check out this post. (The covetable clutch, as I'm sure you're all wondering, is by Club Monaco.)

And for more inspiration, visit The Glamourai (http://theglamourai.blogspot.com/). You will be thrilled to learn its author wears a lot of thrifted, diy, and fast-fashion items, including these boots by Patricia Field for Payless (shown above). She also mixes Forever 21 with Manolo Blahniks—brilliant!

College Candy discovers guilt-free shopping at SwapStyle.com.

Betsey Johnson may be doing a diffusion line for either Target or H&M. [via The Cut]

Project Runway winner Christian Siriano will design a line for Payless [via The Cut]. Hmm, maybe they could tap Betsey Johnson, too?

Hollywood.com ranks the worst celebrity hairstyles of 2008.

Find the perfect last-minute gift and get exactly what you want at SomeoneSpoilMe.com

Kate Moss signs on for another three years with TopShop [via StyleCrunch]

New York & Company is offering 50% off the entire site until Christmas - shop now! [Featured above: City Style Sleeveless Ruffled Blouse, Reg. $34.95 Sale $17.47]