*The Jersey Shore has not taught me anything.

I wear my bikini at night so I can midnight dip without reservations. My night may take me through to tomorrow morning's sun, so I'll be prepared to head straight to the beach. Chromat toes the line between playful and naughty, so it can be both cool beach-wear or sexy lingerie.

For a twist, get a single back-buttoned shirt. Let the sexy back of your (non-tied) bikini stand out. Turn it around to let the bikini show on a boardwalk stroll.

You've got a flowing shirt, now make room for the mini. Coming in over the bikini bottoms is a skirt, not with flare, but with prints. Its brightness will lead into daytime, while a simple black skirt still says "nighttime"

Find a low to the ground platform or square heel. Though you obviously take your shoes off on the sand, you want your heel to have the option of keeping it on.

Non-metal jewelry will ease the night-to-day. This Orly Genger necklace is made of rope and enamel, and plays with the concept of casual vs. chic.

 I’m Lauren, your resident NYC dweller, crazed shopaholic and blogger from Diary of a Fashion Addict.com. Join me as we explore this week’s best online sample sales, NYC street deals, exclusive discount codes from your favorite designers and more. Like what you see and want more of it?! Check back with us every Tuesday, and visit my blog www.diaryofafashionaddict.com for even more sales, shopping tips and style inspiration.

Deal for a Day:

Fulfilling all my t-shirt and legging needs: LnA on Gilt today, 8/23! Don’t miss it.

for an invite email: Lauren@diaryofafashionaddict.com

Discount Code DL:

Love Taylor Swift’s Love ring? Me too. Get yours for 20% off with code “grechen” at Shop Rumor.  Avanessi ring originally $350, now $280.

Sale on Sale:

I’m gonna pretend this doesn’t hurt since I paid retail for these Karen Walker sunnies! Get 30% off ALL sale items at Buy Definition with code “summer11.”

Do yourselves a favor and snap these up before they are gone: Karen Walker Deep Freeze sunglasses originally $180, marked down to $126, now approx $89 with coupon.

Real Life NYC Sample Sale:

LF Boutiques are a bohemian safe haven for any hippie wannabe. I spend more in this store then any other and I literally run to be first in line when they have their end of the season sale. Get this: the entire store is 60% off! I’m talking Jeffrey Campbell, Dolce Vita, Soixante Neuf, Furst of a Kind vintage tees, Car Mar denim and more.

What: LF Boutiques

When: NOW

Where: NATION WIDE

www.lfstores.com

The Male Sale:

Hands down, this week’s Mens sale is Mackage on Hautelook on 8/24. Buy your guy a leather jacket for Fall and score your own James Dean. While you’re at it, get one for yourself, they’re having a Ladies sale too!

For invites email: Lauren@diaryofafashionaddict.com

 Bonus: The City Steal

2 chances to get a great deal on tickets to the US Open finals! RueLaLa is having a sale on 8/24 and Gilt City is hosting a package going on NOW.

The Height: Aside from turning me Glamazon (the 4.5” platform puts me at a staggering six feet and change!), it allows me to blow past puddles like it’s nothing. The feet will never get wet. These kids are resilient.

The Sole: The shape of the outer sole is such that it allows me to roll rather than walk. It’s curved ever so slightly at the toe and the heel. This is especially useful on the dance floor as I glide from front to back, and can even stand damn near on point in them.

Next I must try these Walter Steigers that will actually keep me on my toes.

The Color: Electric blue and and orange that’s been happily mistaken for red and hot pink bounce off of the shoes. The white keeps it bright.

The Socks: You’re right, they’re not part of the shoes, but these shoes do appreciate a good socking. These particular Native Americanish socks are from LF. Pairing the luminosity of the platform with the vibrancy of the socks, they don’t appear to be fighting one another, but rather teaming up to make something even brighter.

Word of Caution: These shoes take practice. If your foot is not accustomed to a giant platform like this, you’ll need a bit of a buffer before you can wear them with absolute confidence. Keep your balance centered so you don’t roll an ankle – if you slip to one side, it could take you right down. Don’t get discouraged, just hop back up onto your platform horse and ride your sexy strut down to the nearest disco and/or brunch (they work just about anywhere).

But you can’t wear them on April 5th – that day is the One Day Without Shoes.

Photography by Tom Mendes

The contents of someone’s bag tells a lot about them. And here at FashionIndie, our bags can’t keep their goddamn mouths shut.

Sam – Louis Vuitton backpack

My favorite moment was about 4 hours into our Blogger Break Room when we had like 80 people simultaneously getting spa services, drinking champagne, being fabulous and magically nothing went wrong!

Rebecca Minkoff mini wallet
Camera
Grey matte nail Polish
Keys
Gucci aviator sunglasses
Fashion GPS front row seat and after party drink tickets to L.A.M.B. and Ivana Helsinki
Taxi receipts
A fat pile of business cards
NYFW credential badge
Dollar bill from the VMAN Magazine party
Louise Manna body wrap jewelry
3 pens
Moleskine mini notebook
Liquid black eyeliner
Maybelline lipgloss from the Tents
Lotion
Vitamins

Amanda – Bag made from recycled plastic bottles from Love Brigade

- These are my favorite sunglasses of ALL TIME. I bought them at my favorite old lady consignment store like 6 years ago. The case is from Topshop.
- My wallet is full of maxed out credit cards and a $5 bill, so sad.
- I keep vitamins with me in case I start to feel under the weather during fashion week.
- There’s nothing worse than when a nail breaks, so obvi a nail file is necessary.
- iPod, headphones, self-explanatory.
- Notebook and pen for notes and doodles.
- My Canon EOS 20D camera – I’ve been snapping photos all over town.
- My many keys
- Deck of cards from the Malan Breton show yesterday.
- My everyday beauty essentials – hairbrush, makeup brushes, Make Up For Ever Powder, Sephora eye shadow palette, Smith’s Rosebud Salve, Burt’s Bees, Benefit Bad Gal Liner, MAC Satin Lipstick in Rebel, Sephora lip gloss and Maybelline Falsies mascara
- Hand sanitizer for public transportation horrors.
- The collection description sheet from the Son Jung Wan fall/winter 2011 show.
- Business cards from Fashion Week that must be filed away!

Lester – H&M tote

While typing up my list I realized I’m basically a woman. And am fine with that.

Sequined clutch — I don’t care for man wallets
Interview mag with Tom Ford
Nail polish remover — for the 2 bottles of nail polish I got from Blogger Break Room
Headphones
Hand sanitizer
Notebook
2 pens
Duane Reade Cold & Sinus Relief — I crawled over the fashion finish line with a fever and god knows what else
T-Mobile crap since I “lost” my phone and had to get a replacement
Carmex
Programs from various fashion shows, including Richie Rich and Kimberly Ovitz
Box o’ biz cards
Trial size deodorant, baby powder and lotion, should I spend yet another night on someone’s couch
Stain remover pen (LIFESAVER)
The Socializer under eye treatment
Orbit gum
The First Wives Club– one of my fave movies so I decided to check out the book
Body oils (red Egyptian musk and Sandalwood)
Lanvin perfume, Arpege
Lollipop from Cocktails and Couture
Press pass from Diesel
Cough and eye drops
Mirabella eyeliner lip and cheek ink and
Compact — I got so much free make-up even though I don’t wear any of it. Now I have a reason to start.
Gloves
Christian Siriano Payless pump Polaroid
Swiss Army knife should I ever need to cut a bitch

Jess – Faux fur bodybag from LF

1. My brand spankin’ new Macbook pro, that I would have died without. Frequented that AOL StyleList blogger’s haven with it on the regs.

2. Multiple sparkly Milani nail polish. I did my nails everywhere, painting over layers to change up the colors constantly. There was a rotating slew of colors that cycled through the bag this week.

3. Lipsticks: Illamasqua: The Box (rouge), YSL fucsia, Iman (Pat Field‘s) Jaguar

4. Business cards. Gave out about 75, received at least as many.
5. Several WWDs and Daily Front Rows. I do admit I love reading the Daily.
6. Tickets. Many. Some I’ve disposed of, some made it. Some standing, some seats. None actually with my name on it.
7. Various runs of show. Ones that have lingered in my bag: Timo Weiland, Anna Sui, Dennis Basso, Alexandre Herchcovitch.
8. ESSENTIAL: Blackberry. Can’t believe it took me this long to talk about it. Maybe because I’ve done so much damage on it that it actually just broke. Fashion Week broke my phone…. now…. iPhone?
9. Because that’s not an iPhone, that’s an iPod touch and it’s been keeping me cat walking myself from place to place.
10. Biggie camera. I spent 3 years, that’s 6 seasons in the PIT with this guy. Not this year. Now I just got to use it on celebs backstage, at presentations and the like.
11. WIRES. OMG. My bag was like a radio shack. Heaven forbid I should be without a charge.
12. Small purse. Vintage. Used it when I stashed the big lady mama at the after party coat checks.
13. Wallet. Duh.
14. Deck of cards? The last free gift to remain in this bag. They’re usually the first to go when I get home.
15. Voice recorder, which I ditched for my Blackberry video camera.
16. Pashmina – much lighter than a laptop case. I didn’t wear it, my MacBook did.
17. Vintage Korean flower cardi I wore yesterday. I took it off when the world got mild.
18. Urban Zen literature – got my reikis healed (?) in the AmEx Skybox. Still confused about the process, but I felt great after.
19. My handy dandy notebook. All of my show notes are in this little thing.
20. Napkin from Timo Weiland’s after party on which Paul Steiger (as in Walter‘s son) drew shoes for me. I’m going to the press sample sale today!

That is all that remains. I’m surprised I didn’t find at least 3 Frappacinos and a slew of Fijis, but I lightened my load as I went along.

Mac – Faux croc tote from 21Men

I used the camera to take amazing photos all over NYC this Fashion Week.The Coke Zero is used solely for caffeine purposes but Lord knows I dont need any empty calories. I have two pairs of sunglasses to switch up my eyewear but maintain my air of mystery. The Marc Jacobs ones were gifted to me by stylist Robert Verdi as was the Kenneth Cole cologne, Reaction (the scent is fresh and young).  Finally the latest copy of VMAN for the train and cab rides all over the city. And yes I still have the dollar that was in his mouth.

Coke Zero
Powerade
VMAN
Sony Camera
DOTS Wooden Bracelts
Forever 21 Sunglasses
Marc By Marc Jacobs aviators
Notebook
The Daily
Brush
Chapstick
Fashion Indie Vol 2 mixtape
Biz cards
Cash
Metrocard
Pens
Hand Sanitizer
Ray Ban glasses case

Josh – Laptop bag

At the Richie Rich show I heard several people say, “Oh my god! That Rod Stewart impersonator looks so convincing!” I later learned that person was the real Rod Stewart.

Olive Leaf Extract Pills
Vitamin C
Shades
Icebreaker mints
3 $15 iTunes gift cards
Apple wireless mouse
Apple ear buds
GQ magazine
3 Random pens
1 Show invitation
Notepad
Small USB dog that humps computer
Sony voice recorder

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEXT PHOTO.

If you’re looking for some trendy swag at a not so painful price, be sure to check out LF’s only sale of the season! Sale is tomorrow February 6th only, so get your butt over to one of LF’s locations!

LF Soho: 149 Spring Street (NEW YORK)

LF Robertson: 106 South Robertson Blvd (LOS ANGELES)

Check out LF here!

This spring, denim is the new black. We’ve seen destroyed denim cut-off shorts and boyfriend jeans make it big, but possibly the trendiest look for the season is denim on top. Ever since I saw Corey rock out his denim vest last summer, I’ve been pretty optimistic about this look, but denim vests are just the beginning. The spring season forecasts denim blazers, tank-tops, tuxedo button ups and tee-shirt dresses. While light-wash and destroyed pieces are all the go for the fall, I wouldn’t be too surprised if sleek, dark-washes continue into the chillier months. 

If you’re a bit apprehensive that this look might make you look like an 80′s rocker or worse, red-neck trailer trash, take a look at some of styling ideas from the Spring 2009 runways. Givenchy, Louis Vuitton and even Banana Republic know what’s up! 

Thanks Elle! Main photo courtesy of LF!