>> I decided to go on a mad shoe-shopping spree: I hit Designer Shoe Warehouse, Saks Off Fifth, and Neiman Marcus Last Call.  Sometimes I have more fun shopping at outlet stores like those because they have an element of surprise -- at the regular Neiman Marcus, Saks, etc. you can expect the latest designer shoe collections.  But at the outlet stores, they have a mishmash of random shoes, so it makes it more exciting to see what you can find.  Also, I don't exactly have a golden fountain in my backyard, so no endless budget. 

At DSW, I came across some red and fuschia suede Marc Jacobs wedges with a silver cloud shape on the outside.  Cute, but still $200 -- too expensive for me to blow on what I consider a pair of funky fun shoes.  Then I happened upon some black Donna Karans -- platform pumps, with two wide bands of black elastic criscrossing over the top of the foot.  Now those were hot -- I carried them around the store while I looked at other shoes, just to pretend I was going to be taking them home with me.  But alas, still $220 after all the discounts.  Just. Couldn't. Do it.

Next was Saks Off Fifth.  Automatically zeroed in on a pair of hunter green Prada loafers with stacked heels -- $180.  Again, carried them around the store with me.  Same reason as before.  Hey, it makes me feel better to hold on to them for a while, what can I say.

Neiman Marcus Last Call -- my last hope.  Found some tan Miu Miu open-toed platform slingbacks.  It was like shoe shopping hell -- all these good shoes -- kind of on sale, right?  It's a good deal, right?  And then I saw them.  Cobalt blue granny boots from Marc Jacobs.  You could see the soft supple leather from a mile away.  I think half the store watched me smell the boots.  I can't help it, I love the smell of real leather.  But wait, the best part -- they were $44.  Less than 10 percent of the original price.  And this is why I go discount shopping.  It always works out in the end.  Just cross your fingers that I'll get a little more cold weather so I can wear them before I have to wait until next fall.   

>> In my personal opinion, the fall collections were painfully weak -- with a few exceptions, of course.  Style.com has just named their Top 10 collections, so let's have the run down:

Balenciaga:  I agree on this one -- I love Nic's work.  And not just because he's cute.

Comme des Garcons: I always love to see what Rei comes up with, and I've always had a soft spot for androgyny, so I will agree on this one as well.  The masks were way cool. 

Lanvin: Lanvin was a big disappointment for me -- the collection seemed so plain -- I expected more from Alber.  So I disagree.

Marc Jacobs:  I've discovered that Marc Jacobs is like cheese for me -- it grows better with time.  I hated this collection at first, but I foresee it being very influential, so I will go ahead and agree on this one.

Marni:  This collection just didn't do anything for me -- nothing outstanding, nothing that flipped my switch.  Disagree.

Narciso Rodriguez:  There was one dress in this collection that I liked (left) -- the rest, well, I feel like it just made the list because Narciso is one of Anna's favorites.  Disagree.

Prada:  Bah.  Miuccia highly disappointed me with this bomb of a collection.  The fur-sleeved coat (right), anyone?  Disagree.

Proenza Schouler: Another Anna favorite.  I was looking forward to their collection -- usually I really like it -- but "kaboom" should illustrate my feeling accurately for you.  Disagree.

Rochas: Two words: the crows.  Agree.

Yves Saint Laurent:  There were some pieces that I really didn't like in this collection, but some of the details were so amazing that they outway the bad.  Agree.

But where was Preen? Luella? McQueen? Viktor & Rolf?  to name a few... I feel like the top 10 list is the same list of Anna's favorites every year.  Maybe that's just me.

>> Rumors are flying that Phoebe Philo, ex-Chloe designer, has been added to the payroll at Chanel, a house headed up by another ex-Chloe designer, Karl Lagerfeld.  Is Pheebs following in the Kaiser's footsteps?  Some sources are calling her the new muse for Chanel, others the "heir apparent."  A publicist for Chanel who was questioned about the rumor gave a cryptic answer (as publicists always do): "[Karl] was laughing about it, so maybe Phoebe wants to be here, but she's not here at all."  I say if the rumor's true, Phoebe should go for the coup d'etat approach.   

>> Looks like the April cover of Vogue did leak after all -- it's the Jen Aniston cover that I got ahold of over a month ago.  Anna needs to tighten the ship (is that possible?) -- a lot of leaks have been happening lately.  I'll give her one thing though -- she has a crack team of airbrushers, and she likes to use them.  Way too much.  Just taken a look at Jen's editorial, and you'll see what I mean.  I guess, if anything, the editorial is accurate in portraying Jen as the safe woman who always monochrome dresses... because that's what she is.  So hurrah for Anna's great accomplishment?

>> More on the Hedi Slimane-eats-baby-food front: apparently he not only eats it, but that is his meal!  A source told Vogue UK: "Hedi's diet consists of baby food.  He doesn't like to do too much digesting, so it's the obvious option.  His favorite flavor is chicken..."  Hedi's flaks confirm the rumor.  I'm sorry, but I just have to burst out laughing on this one... what people do for fashion... 

>> Apparently I have Chloe on the brain today... all my posts except one have been about the lovely label!  I guess I'm just holding on to the good stuff before everything goes downhill.  But I digress.  Basically, I've been hankering for a good slouchy cardigan -- when I saw this one.  It was love -- the big buttons, the long v-neck, the length... why do the good quality things always have to be so expensive?  Can't it be that you get what you don't pay for... or something? 

>>  Zia Ziprin gets to collect shoes -- nice shoes.  1,000 pairs of shoes to be exact.  And she makes money doing it. 

I.

>> Satin shoes -- they always scare me. They're really pretty to look at, and I love the texture, but if you accidentally get them wet, or dirty, or snag them on something, I feel like they're done for.  At least leather looks good beat up and worn in and maybe a little dirty (for some shoes, anyway, I guess not for nice shoes, but at least you can wipe them off).  Like these Chloe ballerina slippers  (left, below) -- they are beautiful, and I love the big floppy ties, but I would automatically get them in black, because if the sand color sees any kind of dust, its new color will be mud.  Why couldn't Chloe just have made the slippers in leather -- for those of us who want to wear them more often than once?