Gojane.com: Where Have You Been all My Life?

I pride myself on being somewhat "in the know" when it comes bargain shopping. So when I discover a new shop or online store that has been around for a while (and I have somehow managed to miss it) I feel like there is some kind of secret conspiracy to keep me out of the loop. I had one of these "conspiracy theory" moments yesterday while browsing through Sara Millionaire's great blog, "Ain't No Fun Waiting Around to be a Millionaire." She was wearing an amazingly sexy pair of lace-up heels and was kind enough to mention that she bought them from a site called Gojane.com. I had never heard of gojane, so I hustled on over there to see what they had to offer. I quickly discovered that the site is similar to a Delia's-type store (mostly clothing geared toward a teen clientele), and while their clothing isn't at all my cup-o-tea, they have a great selection of super-cheap, crazy-cool heels and sandals. Since heels are not a daily essential for me, I rarely splurge on them (unless they are truly comfortable), so the $20-$30 price range on this site really caught my eye. Of course, on the flip-side, if you are the kind of gal that wears heels almost every day, this site is a dream come true. Needless to say, I quickly forgot my conspiracy concerns, became very grateful for the tip, and added the site to my bookmarks for very-near-future reference. Here are just a few of the options I am lusting after:

Stud shield sling-back heel, $24.99 (available in black, brown, and camel)

Strappy lace-up platform, $20.99 (available in white).

Slouchy leatherette platform, $22.99 (available in black, bronze, and pewter)

Leatherette shield peep toe heel, $25.99 (available in black, brown, grey, purple, and red)


Lace-front peep toe bootie, $31.99 (available in black, chocolate, and navy).




Platform snake gladiator heel, $24.99 (available in black, bronze, and gold)

Kate Moss a.k.a. Golden Girl

Kate Moss has been touched by Midas and she turned into gold!A 110-pound (50-kg) gold statue of supermodel Kate Moss was unveiled by Marc Quinn, a British sculptor. The nearly $2.8 million statue entitled "Siren" will go on display at the Nereid Gallery of the British Museum on October 4 until January 25.

In 2006, Quinn previously created a bronze sculpture of Kate Moss in a yoga pose, which was painted white and entitled Sphinx.

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Doutzen Kroes: The Newest Victoria's Secret Angel

Just recently, Victoria's Secret introduced a new obsession called "Supermodel Obsession". It is a collection of the must-have items for this season. Inspired by the hottest Fall trends, Supermodel Obsessions is the most sophisticated, ultra-feminine collection of lingerie and loungewear.

Browsing it, you'll find Adriana Lima and Doutzen Kroes posing in lingerie. Who's Doutzen Kroes? Victoria's Secret recently confirmed to People Magazine that Doutzen is the newest Victoria's Secret Angel. Born in Oostermeer in the Netherlands, 23-year-old and 5′10″ stunner was gracing ads for everyone from Calvin Klein to Dolce & Gabbana.

Fall Trend Alert: A Little Lace Goes A Long Way

This Fall, lace works its black magic on intricately detailed dressing for after dark. Frilly, yet fearless...mysterious, feminine and tough.

Did you know that a little lace can go a long way? With a lace, you can achieve a sophisticated and classy look or you can opt for dainty and innocent one. There were many different shades of lace, from classic black to metallic golds to baby blues to vibrant orange. The cuts were quite modest, with high necklines, low hemlines and demure silhouettes.

The "Lace" trend have infiltrated the collection of Prada and other designers. It has been published/posted to (online) magazines.







Thanks to My It Things , we can easily get fall's fascination with fine cut lace by starting with these picks:



Fashion Advice: A long transparent skirt looks chic when paired with a snug leather jacket. Show off lace ankle boots with a simple shift dress. Team dramatic black lace with alabaster skin for a gothic.

Sources: 1, 2

Gucci Fall 08/09 Ad Campaign: Brings Out Every Woman's Bohemian Wild Side

For Fall 08/09 collection, Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini explored the glamorous world of Bohemia. The collection is a combination of luxury with a bit of rock n’ roll.

Ornate embroidery with gold thread, metal disks, gold tassels and small beading touches everything from the sleeves of floaty silk dresses to the waists of cropped shearling jackets. Glittering metal or jeweled accents cover shoulders and hems, while sphere-like gold studs decorate the surface of bags, shoe booties and cropped leather jackets. The pants for this season is: narrow, low-waisted and with built-in stirrup closures. With grosgrain or passementerie piping, the pants are paired with soft embroidered shirts, heavy wool jackets covered in rich detail, and are tucked in to over-the-knee, fringed boots. Skirts, meanwhile are short, heavily decorated and paired with cropped hip-height jackets.

Check out Gucci's campaign ads for this collection and agreed with me that it brings out every woman's bohemian wild side.

Photo Source

Miranda Kerr As Seen On David Jones Summer 2008 Catalouge

After warming up the catwalk for David Jones Summer 2008 collections campaign last August 6, Miranda Kerr is back as she sizzles in the summer catalog of the "no other store". Here's some of the spreads taken in Rio de Janeiro.

Photo Source

Lucky Find: Lace-Up Ankle Boots

I totally forgot to post about this, because my NY trip took over all of my attention last week. I was very excited to find these 80's-throwback lace-up ankle boots at the Goodwill near my house for $3.99! This is the third pair of cool 80's era shoes I have purchased there, and they are in perfect shape.

Ironically, there is a very similar pair on Zappos for $69.00 (which is still not a bad price, but under 5 bucks is even better). Hurray for lucky thrifting!


Zappos.com: Fitzwell, District ankle boots.

Motorcycle Jackets: Real vs. Vegan

I have been trying to decide whether these badass beauties over at facehunter.com are wearing real or vegan leather jackets...either way, they look great!

This weekend, I plan to start shopping for a motorcycle jacket -- an item that has been on my Fall wish-list for a while now. I have been pondering whether or not I want to purchase a "real" leather version or opt instead for a faux/vegan version. To be honest, I love real leather -- I love the feel, the look, and the smell. In other words, I'm not a vegan. But, if you told me I had the option of a jacket that looked as good, cost less, and saved an animal's life, I would definitely be persuaded!

What I've decided to be the best course of action is to first try and find a used/vintage leather version. It is actually more eco-friendly to purchase second-hand than to purchase something newly produced (vegan or not). If I don't have any luck with that, I am going to opt for a new vegan jacket. I have had my eye on several options that I have found online. Here are some of the more tempting ones -- the Urban Outfitters option is probably my favorite so far (though the Target prices always tempting):

Target: Mossimo Faux Leather Wide collar Jacket, $34.99

Urban Outfitters, Silence and Noise motorcycle jacket, $128


Target: Exhiliration Faux Leather Bomber Jacket, $29.99

Vegan Essentials.com: Vegan motorcycle Jacket, by Vegetarian Shoes, $179.95

I'll keep you all updated on what I end up buying...and of course take some pics!

Native American Beadwork

Just because I grew up in Oklahoma (whose state motto is, "Native America"), doesn't necessarily mean I grew up loving Native American art or jewelry. My appreciation came with time and was helped along by the fact that I lived away from OK for many years -- absence definitely made my heart grow fonder in this case.

Beadwork is one of my favorite elements of Native American art, and I have been spying Native American-inspired beaded jewelry in a variety of shopping chains lately. I almost bought a beaded bracelet at Forever 21 a few weeks ago, but stopped myself because I felt guilty about the idea of buying something that was basically a "copy" of an authentic craft. Now, I'm not usually a stickler about this kind of thing, but I guess because I have grown to appreciate the artistry and heritage involved in the making of native crafts and jewelry, I realized it was better to spend a bit more money and actually support these artists, rather than shell out a few more bucks to big businesses that won't really miss the few extra dollars.

Websites like Coyote's Game, sell original, truly hand-made items from New Mexico and the Southwest and showcase the artists and artisans of these areas. Here are some beautiful examples:

These two are TOO pricey for me, but so exquisite to look at...


Navajo artist Nora Johnson made the light blue/multi diamond pattern loomwork for this belt using 14º seed beads, $366.50.



Rug pattern necklace made with dark royal blue/multi seed beads, $161.50

Some more wallet-friendly options:

Navajo/Comanche bugle bead pyramid earrings, $42.25


Navajo artist Mary E. Tsosie's hoop earrings, $22.50


Navajo Friendship Bracelet, $30.75


Navajo feather/diamond pattern cuff bracelet, $52.75