We are a day late reporting the news, but we are reporting nonetheless. Taylor Jacobson, who worked for Rachel Zoe, is no longer with Rachel Zoe Inc as of yesterday. The news is conflicting whether Taylor was fired or quit. If you followed the Rachel Zoe Project (one of my many guilty pleasures), Taylor Jacobson continued to express her disdain for her job and where her job was going. Though the end of the season showed things looking up between Tay and Rachel, Taylor is gone.

Now comes the different reports. Taylor seemed excited for a new beginning on her Twitter page stating: “Today is an end of an era and a beginning of a new professional chapter. Looking forward to what the future brings…!!!”.

Fashionista reported that Taylor sent out an email saying: “After four amazing years at Rachel Zoe Corporation, I’m saddened and exhilarated at the same time to announce my departure. After much thought and consideration, I have decided to take the challenging leap to go off and style on my own.”

But what People is reporting says that Taylor was actually fired by Rachel Zoe (story here). What is the truth? I am not sure right now, but I am confident that Taylor will have success styling on her own. Taylor has made a name for herself before the RZP aired and only solidified her name being on the show. We wish Taylor the best in her new endeavors!

Quilting can also be seen on accessories like this Stella McCartney Wide Quilted Waist Belt (upper left on model, $525 at Net-a-Porter) and of course winter puffer jackets. Embroidered patterns are laid out in vertical and horizontal patterns overlap to create diamond or other patterns that add dimension and texture.

We’ve spotted some of our favorite styles that incorporate the quilting trend. Juicy Couture’s Serena Quilted Duffel Tote (upper right, $198.00 at ShopBop.com) is constructed of nylon and has plenty of room to store your essentials inside 3 zip front pockets and two interior patch pockets. The double rolled handles; ruffled banding and Juicy Couture logo charm give this bag a youthful appeal.

Already on its way to becoming a classic, the Marc Jacobs Women’s Quilted Bruna Satchel (middle right, $1,295.00 at Bloomingdales.com) is shown in black leather and features double handles and gold tone accent hardware. This quilted handbag is tied up with a front belt accent, Marc Jacobs logo, zips closed and is embellished with a faux gold tone turnlock.

Balmain’s runway looks continue their influential appeal with this Mat quilted leather bag (bottom right, $1,915 at Net-a-Porter), which is quilted in Italy and assembled by hand in France. Tory Burch’s wearable modern classics are inspired by the designer’s globetrotter adventures. The Tory Burch Quilted Nico Tote, (bottom left, $295.00 at ToryBurch.com) is made of coated quilted poplin. Options for handles include both cross body and dual leather handles. Inside you’ll find two pockets and one side zip pocket just the right size for stashing your keys, phone and other essentials.

via The Find

You probably remember the Mulberry Mitzy Hobo that we picked for Ideeli to giveaway just a bit ago. Well, since things went so well, our friends at Ideeli have asked us to pick another amazing bag for them to giveaway. How could we hesitate? So, this time, the Burberry Fielding Leather Tote is up for grabs! This highly coveted bag is sold-out in most stores; one more reason to enter.

Today, November 6th from 1:30 pm EST through 8:30 pm EST head over to Ideeli and register to win! Make sure to act fast and good luck!

One of my absolute favorite websites to browse is Hermes. The design and clever interaction and photos on that web site somehow mixes the perfect dose of fun while staying classic and elegant. The website shows that Hermes wants you to enjoy their brand, and enjoy we do.

While their site brought many fun ideas and photos, the shopping was lacking. Yesterday when I found myself lost in the web world of Hermes I found they have extended the amount of leather handbags they have listed. And now you can buy one of my favorite everyday chic Hermes bags from their website, the Hermes Evelyne.

I have always loved the Evelyne. The long shoulder strap makes this bag work well as a shoulder bag or cross-body bag. There is a perforated leather H plaque on the front of the bag. Many people that are thinking to delve into the world of Hermes but not sure where to start, this would be a good place. The price of the smaller size, the PM, is $2,450. While that is not inexpensive, for Hermes it is a very reasonable price for a leather handbag. There is also a GM version which is larger for $2,750. The leather is clemence which is super supple grained leather and will wear beautifully with time (same leather as my new black Birkin).

To be honest, seeing that they have Raisin, a very coveted deep purple hue, I am itching to buy the Evelyne now as well. I must remind myself of my recent purchase and hold back. Buy through Hermes online.

If you’re looking for a recap of the second round of The Silent Real Housewives of Atlanta vs. Andy Cohen, well, you’re SOL. The only entertaining thing that happened for the entire hour was that we accidentally found out that Dwight has had his Dwang surgically enhanced, and I almost turned off my TV and went to bed right then. I have seen enough of Dwight’s manparts this season. I don’t want to know their medical history.

And I should have, because when Real Housewives of Orange County came around, I didn’t even get the new housewife with the giant diamond and the unmoving face as I was promised by the approximately 4,839 commercials that I’ve seen for this foofaraw over the past month.

But despite that, and the despite the fact that most of these women qualify for the title of Worst Person in the World on a weekly basis, the recap must go on.

The worstiest of the worst is, obviously, Vicki. She hoots, she hollers, she makes a spectacle of herself, and she never stops talking or judging or click-clacking away on her laptop. Hot on Vicki’s heels of terribleness is Tamra, Vicki’s blond, evil Bobbsey Twin. In what was easily my favorite moment of the episode, we got to see Vicki hurl herself out of a plane at the advent of last night’s show, and I realized that I would find this series much more enjoyable if the only thing that happened was that Vicki did things that made her unhappy and uncomfortable. I would tune in every week, even if I wasn’t obligated to for my job.

Speaking of Tamra, her and her awful husband Simon are on the rocks, and he flipped out over her friend making a sexual comment about her. But I ask you, readers: if your Best Gay can’t make a teabagging joke, WHO CAN? I could almost understand his irritation if the person joking had been a straight guy that tends to flirt with her (since she is still his wife at the moment), but I think this particular friend prefers slightly more penis in his women. Tamra makes mention of financial difficulties in the family, and maybe that’s the reason for the couple’s trouble, but I think it just might be that seeing Tamra on TV made him realize what a shrewish swamp creature he married.

And then there’s Jeana, who seems just about as sad as she was last season, but now with less money. She’s always been my favorite of the OC housewives, and I was so happy when she left her craptastic husband, but she still appears to not be fully in control of her life (that, and her sons are dicks). Combine that with a lack of cash flow because of the real estate collapse, and Jeana doesn’t seem to be feeling too good about life right now. She might be putting her house on the market because of her financial situation, but we’ll likely learn more about that in coming episodes. In this one, she doesn’t get much of a story line.

One housewife that appears to be weathering the recession well enough is Lynn, but she may just be a little too spacey to really grasp it anyway. She’s the one that makes those cuffs that probably match really well with Ed Hardy t-shirts, and if those are selling for her, then hey! Congrats to her! I’m not going to throw her any shade, as Nene would say. Also, she has managed to make Housewife Detente with Tamra, who hated her last season as far as I can remember, so she’s officially part of the In Crowd.

Which leaves us, of course, with Gretchen. She’s managed to be one of the most polarizing figures in all of Housewifedom, and not without reason. The beyond-middle-aged cancer patient that she was engaged to last season has passed away amid rumblings that she was either cheating on him or that he paid her to take care of him in the first place, and to all of that, I say: WHO CARES? If she made the dude happy in whatever way in the last months of his life, why do we care so much? So what if it was an arrangement? Or if she moved on too quickly (and with Slade, who seems to staunchly believe that his one true calling is to have sex with housewives)? He sure seemed to like having her around and lavishing her with gifts, and if that’s what he wanted to do with his money and energy before he died, then Tamra & Co. should just shut their pie holes about it.

But Tamra never shuts her pie hole about anything, so when the girls all got together at a little dinner party that Lynn threw for jewelry line (and the producers had to have her throw it because she’s the only one on speaking terms with all other members of the group), things hit the fan. It was mostly a rehash of last season’s Reunion Battle Royale between Gretchen and Tamra over weird phone calls and nudie pictures. Or maybe the nudie pics weren’t out by then – who knows.

Tamra got all high and mighty about it, and like last season, it just came off as jealousy. Gretchen is younger, prettier, and not married to a jerk that no longer brings in the big bucks. And it’s not like Tamra should really be telling anyone that they’re exposing themselves too much to a public audience – haven’t we seen nearly every inch of her that there is to see on the show itself? Pot, kettle, black, etc.

Gretchen eventually told her to STFU, which seemed to completely SHOCK everyone else at the table, despite the fact that Tamra had been calling her a hooker, among other things, and insulting her dead fiance all evening. I’m not sure why telling someone to shut up is any more rude than those things, but these people live in an alternate reality, and it’s important to remember that before we try to parse their actions with reality in any significant way.

It was a good catfight and a dramatic start to the season, that’s for sure, but I think my favorite part of the whole dinner was when Jeana interrupted the yowling to ask if one of the others was going to finish her mac and cheese. Jeana? She’s a woman after my own heart.

Smythson continues to be an amazing brand to look to for travel accessories and everyday handbags alike. We have already shared our love of Smythson travel accessories and now we will bring you more of our favorite accessories from a brand we cover far too little.

When I was in school, one of my favorite parts of the year was back-to-school shopping. I obsess over new notebooks, agendas, pens, tabs, highlighters, etc. Color coding and lists are my specialty. If I had discovered Smythson earlier, my back to school money would have gone to every kind of leather notebooks and covers from Smythson.

Net-A-Porter just nabbed a group of Smythson exclusives. My favorites are the pink leather Passport cover, pink Wish List notebook, and black What’s New notebook. For those of you who love your notebooks, covers, and lists, make sure to check out the exclusive set of accessories and travel goods from Smythson at Net-A-Porter here.

It’s a testament to a bag’s inherent beauty and good design if the color it’s featured in is baby puke brown and I still absolutely love it. I’m opposed to all forms and iterations of brown and tan, but the Gucci G Wave Large Leather Tote is easily beautiful enough to shine through a color choice that I may not particularly care for (and that a lot of people may really like).

When Gucci gets something right, they get it right, and this bag is all kinds of right. The leather looks absolutely touchable and soft, but still thick and a bit rugged, which is perfect for Gucci’s slightly exotic aesthetic. Not only that, but the bag looks utterly functional, and is probably not too showy to use as a work bag, as long as your office isn’t particularly conservative.

But my favorite part of the entire design is the details. When details are bad, it can sink the whole bag (and, quite frankly, lessen my opinion of an entire brand), but the details on this one are so spot-on. I love the braided details, which appear to be an emerging trend across the handbag landscape, but obviously my favorite aspect is the crocodile trim. I wish more brands incorporated exotic accents into their designs – it’s a great way to add texture and visual variation to a bag, not to mention a note of luxury, with a relatively minimal expense (compared to making an entire exotic bag, of course). Gucci gets it exactly right with this one. Buy through Saks for $2900.

Every single aspect of this look I adore. I have to admit, Olivia Palermo is one of my new favorite people. Whether she has a stylist or not, nearly every time I see her she has her outfits perfectly put together. Her evening wear is typically elegant and spot on and her day time wear is uptown chic. Take this outfit for example. Olivia takes casual chic to a whole new level, pairing her J Brand Skinny jeans with a jacket that I must have (anyone know who makes it??) and her signature amazing wavy hair. The handbag is the perfect finisher. We need to know who makes this bag.

The time has come to give out virtual cookies. A virtual cookie for the person who can Name that Bag that Olivia Palermo is rocking!

We all waited. When we heard Balmain planned to release a line of handbags we were excited. We wanted for edgy, new, and innovative. And what did we get? Rather boring, uninspired, and expensive messenger bags. We are still hoping Balmain bags will be better next season.

We are simply here to tell you that the four messenger bags Balmain had at Net A Porter are back in stock. Prices range from $1,915 to $3,925.

Where do I even start?

Miuccia & Co., we have a problem here. Prada turns out some fine handbags, no doubt about it, but I think it might be time for the collection to refocus on designing a few truly great bags instead of making a huge collection of bags wherein a lot of them are just…mind-boggling. In a bad way.

There’s no reason that a bag that looks like it was made to coordinate with a University of North Carolina basketball jersey should be produced by a top fashion house and marketed to grown women for over a thousand dollars. The whole premise is mildly insulting. Come to think of it, this thing also bares a striking resemblance to a pencil bag that I had in elementary school, with the addition of some oddly long handles.

It disappoints me that the same people that were responsible for the utterly genius and gorgeous Gauffre bags are the ones that have now come up with what we see here – they can do a lot better, and we all know it. Buy through Saks for $1295.

With the popularity of animal print this season, it stands to reason that before long, someone would make a bag that is actually an animal-print animal. And of course that person was Judith Leiber – who else could it have been? And she’s really the only one that could get away with it; she has a gimmick and she sticks with it. Even if you don’t like her bags, you’ve got to give her that. But I can’t exactly decide how I feel about the Judith Leiber Jaguar Clutch.

I know that youth and modernity have never exactly been Leiber’s thing, but for some reason, this clutch is feeling particularly mumsy. Maybe it’s just because women of a certain age are often prone towards whimsical brooches, many of them sparkly, and often, a reasonably sized subset of that brooch category is safari-themed.

But then again, it’s probably the case that only well-established women have the cash on hand to be purchasing bejeweled jungle cats, so I may have missed Leiber’s point entirely. Couldn’t you see someone a bit sassy but still totally elegant like, say, Helen Mirren carrying something like this to an awards show? Buy through Net-a-Porter for $5495.

You know how much we have loved the Fendi Spy over the years. Now have a chance to own your very own at a discount!

Shop the Outnet Fendi Going Going Gone sale today at 12 EST!

]]> http://www.purseblog.com/fendi/fendi-going-gone-sale-on-outnet.html/feed/ 1 http://www.purseblog.com/fendi/fendi-going-gone-sale-on-outnet.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/purseblog/~3/6Hh5XIBpneg/miu-miu-studded-shoulder-bag.html http://www.purseblog.com/miu-miu-handbags/miu-miu-studded-shoulder-bag.html#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:34:27 +0000 Megs Mahoney Dusil http://www.purseblog.com/?p=17921 We have a combo on our hands. A pairing together from the Miu Miu Black Lambskin Tote and the Miu Miu Studded Leather Clutch brings us the Miu Miu Studded Shoulder Bag. And what do we think of this shoulder bag?…

]]> We have a combo on our hands. A pairing together from the Miu Miu Black Lambskin Tote and the Miu Miu Studded Leather Clutch brings us the Miu Miu Studded Shoulder Bag. And what do we think of this shoulder bag? Too much going on.

There is this corset yet Western feel with the weaving detail with large rivets on the sides. I must admit I have never remembered myself liking a weaving through rivets on a bag, especially when it looks as if this weaving is holding every side together. Then there are studs, lots of them. And this amount of studs and the joining of silver and gold different shaped embellishments I really liked on the simple black Miu Miu clutch. But on the tan leather larger Miu Miu Studded Shoulder Bag I can not see the studs as anything other than too much.

Amanda was kind of liking the Miu Miu Tote and I was liking the Studded Clutch, but when these two handbags combined it gave us a sensory overhaul. Pick what it is you like and stay with it. Buy through Net A Porter for $1,495.

]]> http://www.purseblog.com/miu-miu-handbags/miu-miu-studded-shoulder-bag.html/feed/ 3 http://www.purseblog.com/miu-miu-handbags/miu-miu-studded-shoulder-bag.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/purseblog/~3/XEPNn2ldS5Y/exclusive-saks-sale-event-going-on-now.html http://www.purseblog.com/bag-deals/exclusive-saks-sale-event-going-on-now.html#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:02:37 +0000 Amanda Mull http://www.purseblog.com/?p=17916

It’s that time of year when it seems like I wake up to multiple sale opportunities in my inbox every day, but it’s not that often that a major retailer comes through for us.

This morning, though, Saks put a great…

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It’s that time of year when it seems like I wake up to multiple sale opportunities in my inbox every day, but it’s not that often that a major retailer comes through for us.

This morning, though, Saks put a great selection of designer duds (including handbags and shoes!) on sale up to 40%. If you see something you like, then you better hurry – prices go back up on November 9.

Shop the Saks Sale Here!

]]> http://www.purseblog.com/bag-deals/exclusive-saks-sale-event-going-on-now.html/feed/ 0 http://www.purseblog.com/bag-deals/exclusive-saks-sale-event-going-on-now.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/purseblog/~3/_P8y7C48F8Q/vbh-python-clutch-with-crystal-detail.html http://www.purseblog.com/exotics/vbh-python-clutch-with-crystal-detail.html#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:49:24 +0000 Shannon Mahoney http://www.purseblog.com/?p=17913 One word for you: GORGEOUS. VBH handbags and clutches have captured my attention since day one and I’ve never looked back. I can’t remember the last time I came across a VBH handbag where I was disappointed. Can you? I…

]]> One word for you: GORGEOUS. VBH handbags and clutches have captured my attention since day one and I’ve never looked back. I can’t remember the last time I came across a VBH handbag where I was disappointed. Can you? I didn’t think so. I was perusing Browns today and almost fell off my chair when I saw the VBH Python Clutch with Crystal Detail. This bag is beyond breathtaking.

VBH handbags have been causing handbag lovers, especially exotic handbag lovers, to drool since 2001. These amazing bags have been designed with the idea that the luxury handbag market needed a face lift. Since 2001 leaps and bounds have been made and you aren’t as likely to see every woman in the grocery store carrying the same designer bag. However, just because this need has been met doesn’t mean VBH is going to veer off course. This bag is a perfect example of this.

Pewter colored python skin is adorned with crystal detail. This detail resonates throughout the clutch in singular lines. Beyond the lines themselves, I am thrilled to see that the lines chosen were well thought out. As you carry this clutch the light will hit the crystals with every move and you will sparkle. There is a fold over flap which is secured with a magnetic closure. Open up the flap and find luscious grey suede lining. This bag is timeless and worth investing in. Buy through Browns for £1,695.

]]> http://www.purseblog.com/exotics/vbh-python-clutch-with-crystal-detail.html/feed/ 8 http://www.purseblog.com/exotics/vbh-python-clutch-with-crystal-detail.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/purseblog/~3/bmPar-ukkWc/yves-saint-laurent-small-satin-chain-strap-bag.html http://www.purseblog.com/ysl-handbags/yves-saint-laurent-small-satin-chain-strap-bag.html#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:48:48 +0000 Shannon Mahoney http://www.purseblog.com/?p=17910 Before I say anything, I have to comment on how quickly this year has flown by. I cannot believe it is already November! However, the last few months of the year brings some of my favorite events, holidays and activities.…

]]> Before I say anything, I have to comment on how quickly this year has flown by. I cannot believe it is already November! However, the last few months of the year brings some of my favorite events, holidays and activities. Another one of my favorite things is that with all of the Holiday parties and gatherings I feel as though I have an excuse to beef up my evening bag collection and this makes me happy. So, it should be no surprise that I’ve been spending quite a bit of time trying to figure out which bags I should buy; I can always figure out my outfit afterwords.

One of the bags on my evening bag list is the Yves Saint Laurent Small Satin Chain-Strap Bag. As soon as I saw it a few months ago, I knew it would look great with so many outfits. This dark gray satin bag is elegant and exquisite. Then add the chunky gold-tone chain and you have a bit of an edgy feel going as well. The 8″ handle drop isn’t long enough to throw over your shoulder, and in fact it might look a little silly, but that doesn’t change the fact that this bag would be gorgeous carried in your hand. Certainly it is nothing too flashy, but it certainly is a lovely and timeless bag. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1295.

]]> http://www.purseblog.com/ysl-handbags/yves-saint-laurent-small-satin-chain-strap-bag.html/feed/ 2 http://www.purseblog.com/ysl-handbags/yves-saint-laurent-small-satin-chain-strap-bag.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/purseblog/~3/8gSrvKviLJw/gossip-girl-blairs-favorite-part-real-time-surveillance-playback-its-naughty.html http://www.purseblog.com/on-screen/gossip-girl-blairs-favorite-part-real-time-surveillance-playback-its-naughty.html#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:08:33 +0000 Amanda Mull http://www.purseblog.com/?p=17907

First, a PurseBlog PSA: apologies if posting is a bit light today across the blogs. Megs and Vlad are heading back home from their trip as we speak and I’ve got the dread scourge of tonsillitis. Mostly my cold meds…

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First, a PurseBlog PSA: apologies if posting is a bit light today across the blogs. Megs and Vlad are heading back home from their trip as we speak and I’ve got the dread scourge of tonsillitis. Mostly my cold meds make me a little too loopy to write, except for recaps, because being a bit loops actually helps.

Take, for example, the nonsense that went on during last night’s episode of Gossip Girl: we witnessed a staged drowning, Blair made friends with a random prostitute (ahem, high-class call girl) over a Valentino bag, Serena assaulted her with baked goods, Dan got called out on national television (but don’t worry, it was Fallon, no one watches him. And for what? I have no idea.) and someone actually up and told Serena that, honey, you look like a prostitute.

Last night, our Upper East Siders went to the polls. Check out their results, after the jump.

Remember Nate’s uber preppy cousin Trip? And he’s nicknamed Trip because he’s “the third?” And that’s the preppiest thing I’ve ever heard in my life? Well he ran for congress last night, at the ripe old age of 26. I’m about to turn 24 and he’s making me feel like an underachiever. Anyway, he’s just running because he’s got a Kennedy-esque lineage and name recognition that will ensure his victory, but just in case it’s not sure, Nate Manbangs concocted that whole stupid poker scheme like two episodes ago with Serena as the unwitting bait, and then Serena blew his cover and he’s still mad at her, right?

Well, someone in the Vanderbilt clan decided it was time for more chicanery, this time without the aid of Nate’s resplendent coiffure. With Tripp trailing on election day, Trip’s wife hired a dude to jump into the (absolutely disgusting) Hudson while Vanessa was filming her campaign “documentary” and then heroic Trip would heroically save him from drowning. And it all worked beautifully for a few hours!

The thing is, Vanessa was the one filming. And when she went to sell the footage to a news station, she realized that she had not only caught the “heroic” rescue, but that she had also filmed the dude jumping into the water, swimming out a few feet, and then pretending to drown. At this point in Vanessa’s life, the Humphreys hate her, her parents hate her, and pretty much everyone thinks she’s full of fail, and her principles are really all she has left to cling to.

But first, she goes to Nate with the footage to warn him about what’s in it, and Nate seems utterly horrified that someone in his family would try to use trickery to make sure that Trip won the election. Except that’s EXACTLY what he tried to do two episodes ago, right? So why is it horrifying now? Because no one clued him in on the stunt? Despite his dismay, Nate still manages to trick Vanessa out of selling the footage to the right person, and when you’re being outsmarted by Nate Archibald, you might as well just give up at life.

Everyone still makes it to the election party at Chuck’s hotel, despite the fact that everyone hates each other. Nate and his cousin are sure that his grandfather hired the fake drowning guy (he didn’t) and because Vanessa managed to find a way to get the footage to the media after all, Nate falls on his sword in front of the press at Trip’s party to ensure that Trip won’t be blamed, which is fine, because I doubt Nate has any political future anyway. Really, they’re just trying to wrestle power away from his grandpa, who Nate still insists on calling Grandfather, like we’re all Victorians or something.

But what would a Gossip Girl party be without at least half of the cast also in attendance? The soiree is at Chuck’s hotel so he does hosting duties, and because Serena and Blair are fighting (for reasons that I can’t even remember), S is able to make B feel insecure about having no actual friends to bring to the party.

So what does Blair do? She spots a chick with a Valentino 360 Hobo at The Coffee Shop That Everyone Goes To and, based only on sheer handbag envy (she’s still on the waitlist, how terrible!), decides to make friends with her and take her to the party. At which point I have to point out a mistake in handbag continuity – Jenny had a Valentino 360 Hobo at the Halloween party in the last episode. And it was a version that I liked better!

When Blair and Brandeis (seriously? That name?) get to the party, Brandeis knows absolutely all of the politicos in attendance, at which point I thought to myself, “HA! She’s a prosty!” And, lo and behold, she totally is. And not in the same way that Serena is – she doesn’t just look like a hooker, she actually is one, in the Elliot Spitzer/Ashley Dupre sense of the word.

But Serena has zero problem passing as a hooker for a few minutes in order to find Brandeis out and request to have her removed from the party, and when she informs Blair of the goings on of the evening, Blair just calls her a hooker for getting paid to date that client of hers, who is stumbling around drunk somewhere at the party, peeing in potted plants. But Serena never slept with the dude, despite his best attempts, and Serena is shocked, SHOCKED, I tell you, that anyone would ever compare the two things. Suitable solution to this problem? Push Blair face-first into a cake.

And I still can’t really understand why everyone is mad at Serena when all she did was not cooperate perfectly in various and sundry ridiculous schemes, but after some heavy-handed eye contact outside the hotel, Blair and Serena are totally dunzo, at least for one more episode, maybe two. No one ever hates anyone else forever on this show and the writers can’t properly arc a narrative to save their lives, but it is kind of amusing to watch them glare at each other in the meantime. Blair says that Serena isn’t an appropriate friend anymore because she’s not doing anything with her life, Serena says that Blair is still acting like this is high school. Gotta say I’m on Team Serena on this one, particularly since the accusation results in her quitting her job and we won’t have to see her annoying boss anymore.

Although I’m going to go ahead and make a prediction – Serena and Trip are gonna screw. His wife seems like a cold, calculating shrew, Trip is way too cute and as Blair so viciously pointed out, Serena doesn’t often decline that sort of invitation.

Oh, and the thing with Dan and Olivia? It was ridic. Beyond stupid. I almost don’t even want to write about it. Olivia went on Jimmy Fallon’s show, she told a stupid story about Dan that seems to have been meant to imply that he excused himself to go masturbate in the dorm bathroom (but seriously, I don’t think guys take their shirts off to do that), and he got dubbed Bathroom Boy. Dan is supposed to be mad, but he isn’t, he just realizes that he had forgotten their one month anniversary. To which I ask: after the age of sixteen, do one month anniversaries even exist? Did we somehow miss the conversation where they agreed to go steady and she gets to wear his letterman’s jacket?

As for the next episode, I have but one word: threesome.

]]> http://www.purseblog.com/on-screen/gossip-girl-blairs-favorite-part-real-time-surveillance-playback-its-naughty.html/feed/ 2 http://www.purseblog.com/on-screen/gossip-girl-blairs-favorite-part-real-time-surveillance-playback-its-naughty.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/purseblog/~3/wcxRvxVnl34/project-runway-we-hate-it-we-hate-you-youre-fat.html http://www.purseblog.com/on-screen/project-runway-we-hate-it-we-hate-you-youre-fat.html#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:05:51 +0000 Amanda Mull http://www.purseblog.com/?p=17893

Despite the fact that none of our designers can ever hope to be as spectacularly talented as Christian Siriano was two season ago (or as any of the top four were that season, really), they still continue to plug away…

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Despite the fact that none of our designers can ever hope to be as spectacularly talented as Christian Siriano was two season ago (or as any of the top four were that season, really), they still continue to plug away at this thing we call Project Runway, even though it’s on a network that no one watches and it directly competes with Real Housewives. Not a good time slot decision, Lifetime execs.

Anyway, I digress. We have, what, like six or seven designers left? I’ve lost count. There are a bunch of chicks and only two dudes left, and the dudes are kind of fail-tastic. Christopher started strong and faltered, while Logan simply managed to sneak in to the next episode every week by not blowing his entire fail load on any one outfit thus far. That doesn’t mean he’s any good, it just means that he’s been slightly less offensive than someone else, time after time.

So did his card get pulled this week, or did another member of his mediocre brethren face Heidi’s tall, Germanic ax? Make the jump to find out.

This week, the designers were asked to look to their best outfit from the past to create a new look. Everyone but Logan has won a challenge and those looks were used for them, but he hasn’t even been in the top three, so they just chose a random dress that I don’t even remember for him to use to create his second outfit.

And apparently that random dress had some zipper on it somewhere, I don’t know where, because he bought like a million of them at Mood and made a collar out of them. Too bad Althea had done that a few weeks ago in the Bob Mackie challenge. Understandably, she gets mad and goes to Irina to talk smack about Logan behind his back. And really, I think that may be Irina’s only redeeming quality – she’d be a good person to snark with.

Ultimately, though, Althea decides to take the high road and not say anything on the runway, which is the correct decision. Project Runway history shows us that those who complain about copying or cheating to the judges just look like mealy-mouthed jerks, and it’s best to not look like that on national television if possible.

Irina, though? Irina wouldn’t know the high road if you pushed her out of a moving vehicle on to it. Because she made a big sweater in the last challenge, she’s decided that no one is ever allowed to make a big sweater again, ever. Althea’s design contains one, although its shape and feel are completely different than Irina’s previous effort (or the one that she makes for her new challenge), and Irina calls her out on the runway for it, in spite of their previous bonding over the Logan issue.

The judges were unimpressed by Irina’s accusations because they’re never particularly impressed with stuff like that, and both looks were in the top three along with Carol Hannah and her cute little frock. I was kind of disappointed that she didn’t do something with a bit of the feathers and sequins that appeared on her Bob Mackie dress (which was my favorite look of the entire season thus far), but what she made was perfectly serviceable.

But it was Althea that took the win this week, much to Meana Irina’s chagrin and my utter delight. Not because Althea’s outfit was that great – her pants would be unflattering on anyone other than a model, although I liked her big, ridiculous sweater – but because I just like seeing Irina scowl when someone else wins. Hopefully her face will freeze that way eventually.

It’s also worth noting that the top three this week are the ones most likely to make it to Fashion Week – Althea, Irina, and Carol Hannah are easily the best designers left standing (although Epperson and probably Ra’mon should still be in the mix, ideally), and now we’re just a party to the slow death march that is the elimination of Logan, Christopher and Gordana. Although considering the bad judging so far this season, it wouldn’t surprise me if one of them managed to sneak in to the final three.

Although it won’t be Logan. His zipper extravaganza got him eliminated this week, although I don’t think it was the worst look on the runway. That dubious distinction belongs to Gordana, who made a flaccid grey blazer that appeared to be straight out of a discount store in 1994. I’m comfortable with Logan’s elimination, though – he’s been the most consistently bad of the remaining designers, and at this point, does it really matter in which order the riffraff are removed?

]]> http://www.purseblog.com/on-screen/project-runway-we-hate-it-we-hate-you-youre-fat.html/feed/ 16 http://www.purseblog.com/on-screen/project-runway-we-hate-it-we-hate-you-youre-fat.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/purseblog/~3/ZX56zBVxY4U/autumn-reds.html http://www.purseblog.com/shutterbags/autumn-reds.html#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:05:48 +0000 Vlad Dusil http://www.purseblog.com/?p=17899

Intense autumn reds in mid-west Americaland.

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Intense autumn reds in mid-west Americaland.

]]> http://www.purseblog.com/shutterbags/autumn-reds.html/feed/ 15 http://www.purseblog.com/shutterbags/autumn-reds.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/purseblog/~3/VFrtsky8Q_A/chloe-hedda-large-tote.html http://www.purseblog.com/chloe-bags/chloe-hedda-large-tote.html#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:59:04 +0000 Megs Mahoney Dusil http://www.purseblog.com/?p=17894

I am thinking they should change the name of this bag. This bag should be called the Chloe Hella Large Tote versus Chloe Hedda Large Tote. Dimensions are large, 22″x22″x7″ with a short handle drop of 4″. I am having a hard…

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I am thinking they should change the name of this bag. This bag should be called the Chloe Hella Large Tote versus Chloe Hedda Large Tote. Dimensions are large, 22″x22″x7″ with a short handle drop of 4″. I am having a hard time even reviewing this bag because of the size factor and the obvious weight factor that will come into play.

One thing Chloe bags are very well-known for is their hefty weight. The leather Chloe uses is extremely thick and sturdy. It has become rather expected from Chloe bags. I still love my Chloe Paddington, but I would be lying if I said it never gave me a problem because of how heavy it is. And now this bag comes into the picture.

The Chloe Hedda Large Tote is a cool bag, don’t get me wrong. There is a very urban street chic vibe going on. The double handles only have a 4″ drop so this would need to be carried in the crux of your arm or by hand. The body of the bag features black stamped leather and gold tone hardware. The front features a fold-over flap with a turnlock fastening, which seems to be a trend we also saw on the Coach Kristin collection recently. All I need to finish my review of this bag is a scale to weigh it, and/or a half day carrying it around with my typical essentials to see how heavy it is. Chances are this bag will double as a weight lift workout for those that carry it (make sure to switch up arms!). For me, this bag is too much to handle. Buy through Net A Porter for $2030.

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