Walk with metal thorns for $139.95 at Solestruck.

All colors cost $319.95 and are available for pre-order at SoleStruck.com.

@CFashionista: Question 1: What runway jewelry are you seeing students wear a lot this summer? #FashionTalk

@fashionindie: We love stacking multiple watches! Also wearing rings to the first knuckle and jewelry that looks like weapons #fashiontalk

@mollivitta: i’m also seeing a lot of knuckle rings as well! very grunge meets bohemian accessories this summer. #fashiontalk

@fashionindie: @janebhaynes a body chain necklace by http://louisemanna.com is a MUST HAVE #fashiontalk

@franimalRU: @mcarthurjoseph I love body chains but i’m also falling in love with leather harnesses. #fashiontalk

@CFashionista: Question 2: What is a versatile bag you can wear to an internship but also out at night? #FashionTalk

@JessicaLapidos: #versatilebag BRIGHT satchel: room for plenty, no hands needed.fashionindie.com/brief-your-wor… #fashiontalk @fashionindie #fashioneditor #fashiontalk

@CFashionistaUK: @AlexanderWangNY is the best! RT @frontrowfashion: RT @fashionindie: Alex Wang bags go really well from day to night #fashiontalk

@KateLCooper: cross body bags will never go out of fashion for students, they are the best option for dancing with on a night out! #fashiontalk

@hannahryan_park: @piperlime has amazing amazing designer crossbody bags for a decent price! check it out everyone!#fashiontalk

@CFashionista: Question 3: What are your thoughts on flatforms? What other shoes trends are prevalent on Fashionistas this summer? #FashionTalk

@JessicaLapidos: #flatforms grab the eye, they’re gorj AND points for us -they never hurt. Thanks @ladygaga & the 70s @fashionindie #fashiontalk

@BreanneRochelle: Am I the only one that will hide a sprained ankle or foot injury by wearing platforms or strutting in pain in heels #fashiontalk

@Lposts: @BreanneRochelle totally had a pair of black platform combat boots total spice girl love.. I was very proud.#fashiontalk

@BreanneRochelle: @Lposts I had the Sketcher platforms like Ginger Spice. Yeah, I thought I was cooler than I was.#fashiontalk

@caitlinsole: sometimes flatforms remind me of those moon bounce shoes people had as kids… http://tinyurl.com/4y7ghp8#fashiontalk

@hannahryan_park: @swh33lz @symaspeaks NUDE PUMPS ARE PERFECT for any outfit! love love love #fashiontalk

@CFashionista: Question 4: What summer headwear can’t you live without this season? Turbans, fedoras? #FashionTalk

@JessicaLapidos: @fashionindie @iamsamlim #headscarves and giant derbies, the two can interplay#fashiontalk

@ElizTaufield: What’s so great about turbans is that you don’t even need to buy one… make them out of what you have- scarves, bandanas, rope #fashiontalk

@fashionindie: Headwear trick: cut off the sleeve of a tshirt, automatic oversized turband! (@iamsamlim) #fashiontalk

@fashionindie: Im also still into the braided rope headbands around the forehead, hippie chic is timeless really #fashiontalk

@maricorgaraniel: fascinators are fun, too (ala princess catherine), for weddings… can you really rock them outside of teh UK though? haha #fashiontalk

@skiesbelow: Fishtail braids are great, so easy to do when you get the hang of it! Love all hair pleats RT @marleegiglio#fashiontalk

Props to @dynamicbovine for the profound fashion randomness.

@dynamicbovine: Maxi dresses are the ultimate way to survive the summer heat WITHOUT shaving your legs. #jussayin #fashiontalk

@dynamicbovine: Seeking high-waisted bathing suit bottoms! It seems worth the sacrifice of a bad midriff tan. #fashiontalk

@dynamicbovine: Shoutout to all my 5″8 and up girls that STILL wear wedges and skyscrape tiny boys with bad height genes. #fashiontalk

“‘One picture is worth ten thousand words’* and these carefully selected images are set to inspire anybody fascinated by either fashion, foibles, or simply the photographs themselves,” Elizabeth Walker says in the book’s introduction. “It is all about stylish contrasts, strange situations and rarely glimpsed pictures; all set to get the mind buzzing and the creative juices flowing.”

*Frederick R. Barnard 1927 Printer’s Ink

It’s difficult to put this amazing book into words when the story in-between the covers are told through photographs. And so, here are some of the coolest images that will surely inspire your wardrobe this week.

Rolling Stones Brian Jones sports a striped suit in 1967.

Lauren Hutton rocks a menswear-inspired look at Studio 54 in 1978.

Kate Moss wears a white fox wrap at Mario Testino’s London exhibition in 2002.

Diana Ross wearing a graphic black and white jumpsuit in 1983.

Joan Collins looking gorgeous in high-waisted jeans in 1955.

And there is more where that came from. Walker explores 13 trends that have been relevant since the 19th century until modern times.

What owning this book says about you: I love fashion history and the evolution of trends throughout the years. I’m a classic girl always looking for ways to update a definitive dressing movement.

What your dinner guests will say upon seeing this book on your coffee table: This book goes so well with the vintage clothes in your closet. I love Oscar Wilde in that fur coat!

How this book will make your fashion brain grow: By learning where trends came from and how they’ve evolved throughout the years, you’ll find new ways to recycle your classic pieces. True style comes through knowing the art and adaptation of fashion through time.

If you like this, you’ll love: American Fashion, Special Edition by Charlie Sheips

This Boutique Critique is about the amazing designer vintage store, 1 Of A Find.  Curator and self-professed shopaholic Honey Moon goes on buying trips all over the world seeking out beautiful, unique, impossible-to-get-your-hands-on Hermes, Chanel, Gucci, Lacroix, and Lanvin to satisfy her international clientele.  She used me as a Barbie doll and transported me into worlds I only dream of.  Best part? Her prices are as unique as her collection, so we definitely recommend scooting over to her Brooklyn location asap.  Check out all our amazing finds after the jump.

This gown was to DIE for.  It caught my eye immediately as a dress made for the 1950′s movies I play out in my head. When Anna Wintour extends me a VIP invitation to the Met Gala, I will surely be sporting something like this on the red carpet.

Vintage red bow evening dress- $250
Neiman Marcus rhinestone snake shoes- $135
Gold Heart Christian LaCroix earrings- $125
Little Black velvet purse with rhinestone clasp- $65

Oh-la-Lanvin!  This split front evening skirt with matching metallic sandals took my breath away.  I channeled Carrie Bradshaw and paired it with a Levi’s jean jacket and a fun net hat (something so Kate Middleton right now) to mix it up.

Lanvin gold brocade skirt- $850
Black velvet and net hat- $55
1950′s pink silk slip- $65
1960′s gold platform sandals- $68

The perfect summer maxi — the sheer chiffon made it cool in the heat while making a major fashion statement with its bold prints.  Paired with Dior booties, a Gucci bag, and a summer straw hat, I was loving this luxe warm weather look.

Sheer floral chiffon dress- $138
1950′s pink silk slip- $65
vintage coral necklace- $48
wooden beaded necklace- $25
1970s Pottery leaf & corded necklace $55
1970s Gucci “hobo” bag- $345
Chunky Amber Bracelet- $75
Wide brimmed straw hat- $55

You can’t do Brooklyn vintage without channeling a little inner hipster.  These Dior shoes (with the angelic sweet bows), vintage Levi’s and amazing seuqin blouse kept the look casual but party ready.  A python bag and flat brimmed hat made me look MUCH cooler than I am.

Silk and Sequin blouse- $85
Stetson hat fedora- $125
Vintage Levi’s 501s- $85
Dior Python and leather shoes- $65
Beige python and leather bag- $135

What screams glamour like a metallic jumpsuit?  Nothing.  What screams glamour-queen? Pairing it with these futuristic shades, a geometric statement necklace, and lace up leather booties. Retro chic and ultra fierce.

1980′s silver colored jumpsuit- $115
Etienne black and gold belt- $35
Maud Frizon brown leather booties- $138
Liz Claiborne 2 tone glasses- $45
Monet black and gold necklace- $65

The Mod Squad would have adopted me in a heartbeat in this Montaldo Op Art dress.  I fell in love with the digital print, it was so eye catching and well, trippy.  Bubbled sleeves and a high neck are hard to pull off without looking like Julie Andrews, but this psychedelic wonderland of a dress with slim cuts made it utterly chic.  I fell in love with the leather wedges and actually scooped them up for myself (sorry shoppers!).

Montaldo’s Op Art Dress- $115
Andrew Gellar white leather clutch with gold trim- $85
Chunky multi-colored beaded necklace- $65
Clegerie leather platform sandals- $88

I never thought I could pull off a Blair Waldorf headband until I found this gem of a velvet headband.  So sweet and a little schoolgirl, it matched perfectly with this lace dress from the 60′s. The chunky heeled shoes kept the look 100% vintage, and the hand painted wooden purse kept a touch of fantasy in the mix.

1960′s burgundy lace dress- $98
burgundy satin headband- $35
1960s hand painted wooden lock purse- $135
Chaos of London stacked black velvet shoes- $85

If you have any questions about the store and more vintage finds, tweet me @iamsamlim

Walk through puddles like it’s nothing in your Roger Clergerie lifts. They’re patent leather, so they’ll hold up against the elements. And it’s relatively warm out now in NY, your feet will be fine getting a little wet. Clergerie soles his shoes sturdy with good rubber traction so you won’t be slipping around. And best of all, you’ll look fabulous.

As you dress this week for the onslaught of rain, just consider wearing platforms, as long as they’re not suede. It’s the future of rain gear.

Clockwise from top: Michael Antonio $100, Matiko $174, Elizabeth and James $365, Siren $200, Karen Millen, 185 GBP

LINK LOVE: Fashion Copious

“If you look at any movement… it’s people rejecting what’s just behind them and pulling something out of the past.” – Vivienne Westwood, 1986

At the beginning of her journey into the fashion world, Westwood opened a store with design and business partner, artist Malcom McLaren. Through many incarnations of names, a store called World’s End (with a 13 hour backwards moving clock over the doorway) became the breeding ground for their experiments of unisex clothing inspired by 18th-century men’s undergarments, swashbuckling Pirate-wear and other historically sound yet new-age garb. The photo below was taken in the store, Vivienne on the bottom left, Malcom on the right.

McLaren and Westwood took the anti-establishment of World’s End to the runway. The first look below is a unisex tunic and pants ensemble, which was part of the Pirates collection in 1981. The next is made of sweatshirt fleece supplemented with blouse and baby blanket material. The third look from the Buffalo collection of ’82 is an antique-looking brown satin bra top with a full cotton skirt; the show note went to the tune of Take your mother’s bra and put it over a sweater with a muddy face. The fourth look on the right is a pair of distressed pants suspended by springs “to show the movement”.

The Buffalo collection:

The influence of Vivienne Westwood and Malcom McLaren moved beyond the streets and runways of London and far past the doors of World’s End when musicians got involved. In fact, the Sex Pistols wore their designs back when their brand was still called “Let It Rock”. With the advent of MTV, celebrity fans of World’s End like Boy George and Adam and the Ants became fashion icons before the world on television, in Westwood.

Vivienne Westwood drew great influence from philosopher Bertrand Russell. It is his quote on her shirt, “Orthodoxy is the Grave of Intelligence.”

With that, in 1984 when she and McLaren parted ways due to artistic differences, she went against the grain of the eighties. Where most of the industry was creating silhouettes of power shoulders and boxy suits, she drew from the Victorian era and developed the “mini crini”; a knee length version of the crinoline understructure. She also dipped into the seventies and Japan and pulled out platforms, but gave them a pirouette; the rounded up toe allows for perfect balance on point. Even more radically, she resurrected the corset, bringing it back in a liberating manner for it was no longer required. The quote on this photo reads, “…taking tradition into the future.” – Vivienne Westwood.

Feminizing the Scottish kilt, futurizing the corset and harking menswear back to medieval times, Vivienne Westwood in the late eighties was well on her way to stamping her unique print on fashion. She ended the decade with a bang: November ’89 cover of British Vogue.

More on Vivienne Westwood and the FIT exhibit:

Photography by Tommy Mendes

A patent platform rawring with cheetah will keep my tootsies fly and dry. The bright crimson is flexible, can can make a standout home in this intermediary time.  Opening Ceremony: Stefania Platform Bootie, $685

Chloe Sevigny it seems has crafted enclosed boots for the seamless transition. They’ll keep me solid inches above any residual precipitation lingering on the ground, but look light enough to satisfy summer dresses. Oh, those words – summer dresses – feel so foreign as I type them. But this weather too shall pass, and I’ll be wearing mine with these. Chloe Sevigny for OC: Mary Jo – tobacco/natural, Mary Anne – black/black, $495

Rain, snow, sleet, what have you, rain boots are a problem solver. Ditch the tall Hunter for something a bit more inconspicuous. Loeffler Randal: LR Rain Bootie Army Green Rubber, $165

Should your shins feel at any point exposed, leg warmers do actually work. Under or over the shoe, your preference. Like this simple under warmer by Rag & Bone: Shoreditch Legwarmers now $45

Or go wild, and create your own Chanel wookie boots with a pair of fur leg warmers. Boots not included. Jeffrey Campbell: Shield, $190

1. They’re good for your sole. Believe it or not, a platform only helps ease the pain of wearing high heels by providing an extra layer of comfort. So when you’re stepping on the carcasses of anyone who dared stand in your way  on the ladder to the top, you’re arches will be fully supported.

2. You’ll tower above the competition. A platform also adds an extra inch or two to an already spiky heel, giving you the extra height needed to grab for that last sequined Dolce clutch or to slap away the French-tipped fingers of the trash jostling for it next to you.

3. Is that a stripper pole? Sign me up! Slip on those Lucite heels and pop in that Carmen Electra stripperobics DVD, it’s time to get sassy. Platform heels are great to dance in and make you feel all kinds of sexy, even when you’re grinding your junk all over a greased up pole. Or one of these.

4. Beauty is on the foot of the beholder. The best platform heels — we’re talking Balenciaga‘s architectural arches, Prada‘s fun and funky wedges and YSL‘s hairy-heeled stilettos — are works of art that require a public viewing.

5. Flats are the devil’s footwear. Plain and simple, flats are bringing about the downfall of civilization. Just think about it. Flats are easy and suddenly life’s so easy everyone becomes complacent, then complacence breeds laziness and laziness breeds stupidity, next thing you know we’re all picking our noses and staring blankly into space while listening to President Palin’s State of the Union Address. It all adds up.

Photo: Style.com

Olive has consumed me. Which is strange because it’s typically me consuming olives, like three, in a slightly naughty martini. But the pitted extra virgin maker is the hue I’m so drawn to right now.

It’s that brown with just a droplet of green – and not a drop more or you’re going too jungle. Why so perfect? Its chameleon ability to match with black, gray and brown, and nearly every other color you desire. Like that cool Fendi blue in the previous post.

1. 3.1 Phillip Lim Side Draped Sequin Dress, $950 – This gold-gone-green sheen hits the palette right on.

2. Steve Madden Annnie Olive Suede booties, $169 – I just bought these yesterday after months of searching for a perfect black platform boot (it’s been a confusing journey). Turns out I really needed olive to make me come around. And Steve? I was pleasantly surprised.

3. Chanel Le Vernis Khaki Brun Nail Colour, $20 – You don’t wear Jacques anymore.

4. Marie Hélène de Taillac Quartz ‘Princess’ Ring, $3,040 – It’s a gem of subtle flavor yet with enormous punch.

5. Acne for Opening Ceremony Admire Boot, $480 – Avant garde leather drapey velcro strappy olive bootie.

6. Topshop Eyes in Dirty Martini, $14 – Dirty sexy smokey.

7. YSL New Tribute Last Pump, $525 – Just a touch of grit makes this slender olive pump a tribute to why I must have these now.

8. Acne Nelli Long Pleat Skirt, 170 GBP – Long and see-through with a built-in mini feels classy in this hue.

9. Fogal 30 Dernier Opaque Pantyhose, $43 – The sheer olive against the skin simulates a most desirable skin tone.

Either way…

TEAM GAGA ALL THE WAY.

Last night, the fashion people gathered at SoHo Grand to preview the new collection by Rad Hourani. Hourani told Style.com that this unisex line isn’t necessarily a diffusion line (priced from $100-400), but that “this is just more relaxed and easier to wear in cotton and jerseys.”  The line will be available in November online and in stores, perfect timing for these pieces, which include a lot of jackets, vests, super skinny jeans, t shirts, and perfectly draped shorts.  

Judging from the runway and all of the fashionable people there, must-haves for fall:

-guys in heels

-platforms

-destroyed tees

-partially shaved heads (for guys and girls)

-black, black, black

We had the pleasure of seeing the man himself, who was looking fabulous as to be expected.  Other sightings, Kelly Cutrone (who told us that she works out in her cowboy boots), Kate Lanphear, Malcom Harris.

See our photos of the runway show, and a few fashion people on Cult

(photo up top by Jak and Jil)