Designer Looks for Less

So-called fugly shoes have a long history steeped in tradition, from Birkenstocks and Doc Martens, to Uggs and Crocs. (I have personally owned and worn three of the aforementioned four styles. And I still stand by my Ugg boots because they're hella warm.)

By now we've all noticed one of the latest trends in fug-footwear, namely, garishly striped, spotted and otherwise bespattered rainboots, or Wellies as they are affectionately called, named after the original Scottish export, the Hunter Wellington rubber boot.

Fine, I thought. Fun boots for a rainy day. I even considered buying a cheap pair from Target to add some cheer to dreary, gray days when I must still brave the elements and walk my dog.

But now it seems the Hunter boot is poised to become the next official, expensive fugly shoe: Shopbop.com has 6 styles in a range of colors, all retailing for over $100 (I should mention they have normal colors like your basic black, brown and navy, too). They're trying to make Hunters cool. My question to you is, are they succeeding? Are you craving a pair of clunky silver rainboots with a can't-miss Hunter label emblazoned on the front as if to say, "I know these are ugly...but they were expensive!"?

Only time will tell...I'm pretty impressionable, especially when Shopbop tells me something is chic. But IF I cave, I'll get something like these "Zetta" navy rainboots from Target.com, just $24.99.

Wild Wellies: Fug or fab?

I want to own most of the pieces in Phillip Lim's Fall 2008 collection, and maybe, just MAYBE, I will end up buying a piece or two months from now on mad sale - because I can truly see myself treasuring his clothes for years to come - but in the meantime, I must settle for imitating his style, on a budget.

In this look, Lim combines a few updated classics in a way that's mature without being too severe. I found affordable options to recreate this ensemble but I would recommend buying the best possible pieces you can afford if you like this look. A gray blazer, denim pencil skirt, and black leather boots will last for seasons to come. You can swap out just about any tee, belt, bag, scarf and tights. However, make sure they interact visually. Lim's purple scarf and red clutch really add an element of interest and it's those two colors which, when combined, make a big impact overall.

Tee: Cheap Monday Tina Tee in Black at RevolveClothing.com, $20
Blazer: Urban Renewal Vintage Ladies Blazer at UrbanOutfitters.com, $48
Scarf: Simply Vera Waffle Weave Ribbed Scarf at Kohls.com, $24
Belt: Madisson Croc Belt at Forever21.com, $8.80
Skirt: Bisou Bisou Dark Denim Pencil Skirt at JCPenney.com, $17.99
Boots: Mossimo "Kat" Tall Boots at Target.com, $34.99

T-bags is a popular L.A.-based brand that I usually associate with artsy patterns, bold solids and willowy silhouettes. Their pieces are on-trend without being overly trendy, feminine without too many frills... although, they do frills and embellishments quite nicely, in a sort of smart, modern way.

I love this T-bags Jemma Pleated Top (above left) because it's playful and has a cool DIY-vibe with the detail along the neckline. At the same time, it's not too fussy, and you could dress this top up or down. While browsing Forever 21's website, I came across a similar top that has a completely different feel because the bright hue is vastly different than the subdued color of the T-bags top, but that pleated ruffle neckline? C'mon. Gotta be a knock-off. At least they changed the color, right?

Left: T-bags Jemma Floral Top at standardstyle.com, $145
Right: Pleated Satin Trim Top at Forever21.com, $19.80

Everyone loves Marc Jacobs and the designer loves everyone back, as evidenced by his playful Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall 2008 collection filled with plenty of accessible fashions for his adoring fans. There were tons of trends we liked and they're easy to adopt even on a budget: Prints included plaid, houndstooth and checks. Dark shades, leggings, berets and biker boots rounded out the black-is-the-new-black accessories. And silhouettes ranged from cheerleader minis and pencil skirts to wearable trapeze frocks. All in all, Marc gave us lot of goodies to play with and mix and match to create our own "eighties-ish new-wave vibe" (via Style.com). In our budget-friendly take, we took Gap's plaid popover dress, roughed it up with some ASOS biker boots, added leggings for warmth (tuck them into boots and they'll read like tights), and then we tossed in a pop of color with a cute colorblock purse from Forever 21 (which I believe is actually a Prada knock-off).

Is this a look you love, hate, like for certain people...but not yourself?

Dress: Plaid popover dress at Gap.com, $58
Leggings: Express.com, $39.50
Boots: Buckle detail low biker boots at ASOS.com, $65.10
Purse: "Chroma" hobo handbag at Forever21.com, $19.80

Maybe it's too early to be thinking about snug cashmere sweaters and cozy wool coats, but the other night I caught my first episode of The Rachel Zoe Project on Bravo, and Rachel Zoe got me thinking about Halston (Zoe was hired as a creative consultant for the brand, although last I heard, she had been "let go") - all of which led me to peruse Halston's Fall 2008 ready-to-wear collection at Style.com.

In addition to gorgeous capes and other voluminous, billowy silhouettes, what caught my eye most was the way they worked over-the-knee boots (which are making a comeback this season) in a manner that exudes elegance and power. Mind you, over-the-knee boots can quickly sink an outfit into pole dancer/streetwalker/ dominatrix territory - all of which are places that we generally don't want to take our style. Generally.

But not so with Halston: Apparently, part of the trick is to pair your over-the-knee boots with a long coat, skirt or dress that just barely covers the top of the boot. Add an androgynous turtleneck, minimalist hair and makeup, and you've got yourself a edgy, sophisticated look for even the coldest days.

Not bad for a train of thought that began with Rachel Zoe.

Turtleneck: Cashmere turtleneck sweater at JCrew.com, $158
Coat: Calvin Klein Luxe Wing-Collar Wrap Coat at Macys.com, Was $275.00 Now $206.25
Boots: "Endear" over-the-knee leather boots at SteveMadden.com, $259.95

Watching Full House as a kid, I never would have guessed that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen would some day become the style icons that they have grown to be. But in retrospect, it makes sense. The twins are endearing. Their personal sense of style, love it or leave it, inspires reactions both good and bad. Don't tell me they earn so much that they should look "better" than they do - a complaint I often hear - they are people, just like you and I, and they're entitled to express themselves however they see fit. Personally, I rather enjoy their irreverent approach to fashion, money be damned. Which isn't to say they don't wear designer duds, head to toe, most days... because they do.

But I digress. The stars have ventured into the designing end of the fashion world, and I can't blame them, because if I had their money, that is precisely what I'd do. Design. They don't design so much as pull together pieces of a certain genre, mood and spirit but they do it well. Elizabeth and James is a collaborative effort by both sisters yet, as Mary-Kate tells InStyle in the September 2008 issue, it's really her brainchild. Named after the twins' sister and brother, Elizabeth and James is "more accessible, contemporary and playful" than their other designer line, The Row, says MK. I appreciate very much the play of yin and yang, masculine and feminine, hard and soft that resonates throughout the Elizabeth and James collection.

Above left, this Elizabeth and James plaid poncho really speaks to Fall and I'd love to own it. At $695.00, I'm forced to find cheaper sartorial pastures from which to graze, which leads us to the Silence & Noise Buffalo Poncho on the right. At $68, you can embody the Elizabeth and James uber-cool vibe without spending a fortune.

Ponchos, plaid, celebrity designers...what do you have to say?

Left: Elizabeth and James plaid Olivia Poncho at Shopbop.com, $695.00
Right: Silence & Noise Buffalo Poncho at Urbanoutfitters.com, $68

Most stylish women are repulsed by lace unless it's underneath her clothes in the form of seductive lingerie. It's just so unmodern. And tacky. Unless, of course, it's Prada lace, in which case, we can't get enough it. The designer made lace the hallmark of her Fall 2008 collection, and now everyone's carrying some form of the openwork fabric. Our intention with these "runway to real way" posts isn't to bastardize the work of great designers - we get it, there's no comparing apples and oranges - but we think inspiration can and should be drawn from the "source." The look on the left isn't something most of us could wear without feeling a bit ridiculous (ok, really ridiculous) in our fabulous, everyday lives - yet the look on the right is not only wearable, it's downright chic. A lace skirt, feminine blouse and on-trend patent oxford booties make lace work for, say, the office and drinks afterwards.

Top: Fitted cotton long-sleeve shirt at BananaRepublic.com, $59
Skirt: Modern Vintage Lace Skirt at Forever21.com, $29.80
Shoes: Tate Oxford Bootie at Payless.com, $24.99