Immaterial

At a recent Resort showing we saw a fashion gal wearing this Karta Grid print dress. The gal, a very womanly fashionista indeed, looked smashing. It's nice to see these garments on someone other than a size two. Knowing that the garment works on more than just the models is something that really solidifies the brand in our minds. Now part of the Net-a-Porter blow out sale, this dress is only a bit over $200 and seems like it would be a wise investment. Karta is a newly founded Los Angeles based brand that puts out quite a few shift dresses though each with its own special embellishments. It seems like Karta is just in time for Fall's opulence trends (an off-shoot of the recession) and should be favored by trend aware fashionistas who shop at a contemporary price point and veer away from the avant garde. Like any designer, as long as they're doing something interesting and speaking to someone who loves fashion, we'll take them just as they are. Below, check out some of Karta's other offerings, all marked down for Summer.

See those fabulous high waisted jeans in our [Summer] In The City photo shoot? Well, feast your eyes on Australia's newest denim incarnation, Denim & Thread. The label, borne in 2006, sticks with a classic 25 weight gauge thread to create a fit that rivals your mom's sick 70's denim. These jeans are not flimsy, they don't rip by the inseam, they're solid, sturdy jeans like the good 'ol days. Creating a 'classic' fit, however, doesn't mean the label's manifesto is stuck in the past. Denim & Thread is mostly created from organic cotton by way of sustainable farming and their distressed denim is hand sanded so that distressed doesn't eventually equal unwearable. The jeans featured in our editorial are part of the Fall collection but check out the brand's Spring 08 offerings, with everything from high rise to acid washed. Denim & Thread is run by designer Ron London and denim technician Alex Lambousis. In New York, they are sold at OAK boutique.

If you can't wait for the long, lean blazer you'll be living in come fall, this could get you there a bit early. The Vanessa Bruno Sleeveless Silk Blazer has the shape of those put out by Alexander Wang and Calvin Klein, but without the weight and without the pesky sleeves. Now on sale at Net-a-Porter, the 100% silk, blush colored piece is recommended by the e-commerce retailers to be worn via the runway styling. Namely, with other monochromatic silk pieces and neon lipstick. We think there's nothing wrong with taking styling cues from the runway show, especially when it comes to contemporary French brands like this one (a pretty safe bet, even the glossies rip this kind of runway styling for editorial). We think the same can be said for a well-branded look book. The images of a cool, desolate dusk/dawn place depict the sort of world where Bruno Spring 08 would be the only thing to wear. Below, check out other Vanessa Bruno pieces that were part of her breezy, silk Spring 08 collection.

Thank goodness for the 'faux' in this wrap dress, there's nothing worse that having the public witness your choice of 'comfortable' knickers. The first time we picked up an Issa dress, we were joking about how it belonged in the same family as the leisure suit, and the first time we put on an Issa dress, tears of joy were streaming down our face (okay, not tears but, still, we were really happy). To explain our first impression you have to understand that Issa frocks are exclusively loud in print, and always made of silk jersey. This doesn't always feel right; especially at $600 a pop. The catch though, is their tailoring and the ability for heavy silk jersey, print, and tucks of fabric to transform you into a total bombshell without the control top hosiery. So this frock, part of the Net-a-Porter blowout sale, is definitely worth a click-and-buy. It's a lovely print with that signature fit and, if you don't believe us, just consider how shapely and pulled together the (sometimes disheveled) mannequin looks.

Gracing Net-a-Porter's splash page today is this Fendi Circle Pattern Dress. The editorial is called 'Print Preview', get it? Like, before you print something out (what? paper?) you, you know, preview it. That goes with Fendi and other stuff, see what they mean? Yeah, it's one of those references that flies under the radar but doesn't really make sense when you stop and think about it. Or you could just take it literally and drop the cultural signifiers. Anyway, the editorial is pretty sharp and will surely help quite a few fashionistas drop twenty-four-eighty on a summer frock. The printed chiffon dress has front, back, and side circular prints and we can hardly wait for someone to knock it off as those deliberately placed circles could easily become suggestive targets when mass-produced for 49.99. Check out our spread below for more of what Fendi, headed by Lagerfeld, has delivered this spring.

We are positively miserable with all the rain that has been plaguing May in New York City. We thought it was April showers that bring May Flowers, not May showers that destroy April flowers with downpours. But the crummy weather continues on in the Big Apple prompting more than a few of us to put our rain boots in heavy rotation. In fact, this spring is seeing more rain boots on cute girls in shorts and little skirts than the cowboy boot epidemic of Williamsburg. Thus we have been idly browsing raincoats, rainboots and umbrellas of all stripes. And no we aren't going to bore you with a round up of our favorite picks, even we get nauseated by this content trick after a while. But we did find a raincoat so compelling (at Bloomingdales, another shocker) we simply had to share. The Echo Polka Dot Trench is a clear trench raincoat with black polka dots made of packable PVC. In other words, you can pop this beauty into your purse and whip it at at a moment's notice without ever hindering the view of the outfit you spent so much time perfecting in the morning. And its on sale for $33. Turns out staid department store shopping can be fun after all!

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This day-to-night dress makes us want to slick our hair back and indulge in the gold sandals we know are sitting in the back of our wardrobe. Made of silk jersey and absolutely perfect if belted it's no wonder industry people, like Tom Ford, are fans. The designer, Amr, began her company in London in 2005. Bodyamr focuses on figure conscious dresses that are ruched and pleated in all of the right places. The concept of Bodyamr is to be dressed to the nines while still wearing fabric that feels good on your skin. Even though Amr is Omani-born and based out of London, she sure seems to know a thing or two about Americans. That is, we like to be comfortable. If the classiest ecommerce site, Net-A-Porter, still stocks Juicy Couture track pants then let's call Bodyamr something of a saving grace. See the spread below for more from the Spring 08 collection.

Never have high waist shorts been so evening appropriate. We have to hand it to Jenni Kayne, the young designer who puts forth much more grown up frocks and separates than most designers her age, for making these color block lame shorts. At just 25 years old Kayne has already established herself as a designer worthy of a great deal of public attention. Like Ashleigh Verrier, a young, beautiful female designer who makes sophisticated clothing, seems to fare very well in the fashion industry. Fashion, after all, is a fan of all of those things. Pair these shorts with a crisp black button down, cotton basic, or bright colored blouse and you'll put all those cocktail dresses to shame. Below, our spread of Kayne's Spring 08 offerings.


Click for the Jenni Kayne Fall 08 collection
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Sportswear and summer go hand in hand. Recently we were perusing stock images of boxing uniforms at the New York Public Library as a lesson in sportswear, and it occurred to us that this particular uniform is one that could lend itself to ready to wear quite nicely. We've seen the oversized racer back tanks from the likes of Alexander Wang and Oak, but the square, baggy boxer shorts, we thought, we harder to come by. Jade Jagger, a Stella McCartney brand of fashion designer, has put out a pair of Zigzag Beaded Shorts that are right on the money. The appeal here is that these are the type of shorts that you can ride a bike in, the kind that when you sit down don't shrink to diaper-size, but, because of the beading, color, and fabric are far removed from your boyfriend's undershorts. We expect a lot of baggy shorts this season and this particular variation, free from buttons and zippers and otherwise constricting elements, is one of our favorites. Check out our spread below for some bright silks in the boxer short cut.