Congratulations to Talya, winner of our My Little Empire Giveaway! She will be wearing the awesome outfit you see at right with vintage lavender ankle boots! Read her deserving comment below; sometimes we luck out on the random choosing:

I have a completely adorable pair of vintage lavender ankle boots--very high, delicate heel and pointed toe--that I found in a thrift store in SF's Mission District. They're perfect for this--the whole look would be very diaphanous and ethereal, but a little bit funky, too!

Congratulations also to the winner of our Roman Savell Giveaway, Glenda! Whatcha gonna put in that classy bag, Glenda?

Jenna Bush got married this weekend at the Bush family ranch in Crawford, Texas, and we're sure her new husband, Henry Hager, had no regrets as to his choice when he saw her walking down the aisle. Jenna was dressed in an Oscar de la Renta gown that we just loved -- it had a simple silhouette, but an intricate design with embroidered organza and matte beading from the very top to the end of her chapel-length train.

Not everyone looked so sharp, however -- check out the gallery to see what we loved and what we could've done without.

Leighton Meester might be in a struggle for Queen B status on Gossip Girl, but she was in her element on the red carpet at the MET premiere. We were thrilled to see her go with a bright color, and while some folks find this color slightly reminiscent of Big Bird, we've been in love with it ever since Michelle Williams wore it at the 2006 Oscars.

Several elements of this outfit work together to create this simultaneously classic and trendy look. Click through the gallery to see how you can grab this Gossip Girl's red carpet style.

The Kentucky Derby brings with it so much excitement -- the parties, the betting, the race itself -- but none of that comes close to the excitement of the fashions.

Of course, the hats are the main draw -- from the fabulously funky to the terribly tacky, unique hats (for the men as well as for the ladies) are an absolute must. But one can't get away with wearing only a hat to the Derby. (Seriously. Don't try it.) When it comes to clothing, here's what you can expect:

Like every other blue blooded American child, we spent the better part of our lives participating in the cruel and unusually sadistic ritual called P.E. in elementary school. While our friends excelled at indoor volleyball exercises and endurance tests, we never had it that easy. We always were the last to finish our daily mile, (but that probably had more to do with our little respiratory problem called asthma).

Anyways, all of the "athletes" wore similar attire to work out in. The key piece? A pair of knit wind shorts. They were sold at places like Target or Foot Locker for $20. So, imagine our shock when we stumbled upon these blue hot pants by Elizabeth & James that cost a whopping $225.

This one is for Clinton Kelly.

If Mr. Kelly, of TLC's What Not to Wear, has pushed one fashion accessory on the American public it is the pocket square. Unfortunately, very few of the very few men that appear on the show are open to said square. Why not? What's the big deal?

Do people think squares are for squares? Probably. Not us. We agree, Clinton, a bold silk handkerchief in a man's coat pocket can add just the right amount of pop to his ensemble.

If there's one thing we can do to make ourselves feel like Spring even when it's 40 degrees outside (yes, we exaggerate, we know, but if you lived in LA you'd be mad at Mother Nature, too), it's dressing in Spring flingy clothes.

We love the colors on the Zig Zag Striped Dress (it may have something to do with Tiffany, but we won't admit that out blog), and still can't get over the fact that it's made by Missoni. The signature Italian knit designer has updated its styles with color-blocking and a new shape. The dress features a scalloped hem that falls 37½" from the shoulder, giving you enough room to show off your early-glowing legs in a pair of silver or gray strappy sandals for a casual evening, or patent white flats for a slightly dressed up daytime.

The Zig Zag Striped Dress by M Missoni is available from Saks Fifth Avenue for $595.

Sarah Jessica Parker comes across as such an honest, down-to-earth woman. You know, aside from the fact that she wears amazingly expensive designer clothing everyday and mixes and matches as she pleases.

In a recent interview with Access Hollywood, SJP, wearing a Martin Margiela black sleeveless mini and looking amazing, she talks about how she treats all her high-end threads.

Last night I partied like the Warhol muse that I think I am at Fred Segal in Santa Monica. The event celebrated Fred Segal's new pop-up store, which exclusively carries the collection by Damien Hirst in collaboration with the Warhol Factory and Levi's.

The scene was not your typical fashion-event-going crowd; it was very (very) hipster -- lots of grungy boys and girls wearing hoodies, sneakers and jeans (which of course was fitting considering the collection was based on those pieces). DJ's were spinning, drinks were being mixed, and photographers were snapping away -- Warhol would have been proud.

The collection itself was pretty darn cool too! Amazing skull bedazzled jeans, skull printed short-shorts, tee shirts, and one of my favorite pieces were the shiny leather jackets. In fact, I liked the jacket so much that I got one of the hipsters to model it for me.

Check out the store at Fred Segal in Santa Monica on Broadway and 4th Street (420 Broadway).

Inessah and Tara are two New York ladies who found each other through Craigslist as subletter and sublet-ee in college.

"Two years later, after having worked traditional careers, Tara and Inessah missed the spontaneous community, independence and creativity they felt when subletting. So over lunch one day, they decided they would create their own permanent sublet through Sublet Clothing."

--Subletclothing.com

I'm not sure how logical that is, but I don't care. Look at this dress! A sweet, curve-skimming cut with an unusual non-halter-style bow at the back. It's made of organic cotton, spandex, and bamboo. Sixty-seven percent bamboo!

In fact, all of their simple, elegant clothing is made with bamboo. How exotic! How perfect for the Retro Princess! You could slay a black and white party, a garden party, or even just a nice dinner in any of their items. The only place I wouldn't recommend wearing these clothes is the zoo. 'Cause, you know. Pandas.

(Carnage.)

I've never been a fan of logos, designer labels, or any of that crap, unless it's something sarcastic like a middle finger -- and then it's only kinda cool. So it's no surprise that I can't stand this ridiculous new logo for Ralph Lauren's high end line, Purple Label. Look, I'm OK with the small and inconspicuous polo player -- because I've seen it all my life -- but this new one is just ugly and over the top.

A multi-color, oversized logo of a polo player riding a leaping horse? Really? I thought RL might have better taste than that, especially on a shirt that's over $200. I think that might be even worse than The Big Pony collection that features giant versions of the original logo. Maybe RL has been spending too much time thinking about that over-hyped American Living Collection.

Logos never make clothing look better and, more often than not, they just screw up whatever the design had going for it in the first place. The only place for a logo as far as I'm concerned is inside the collar. If I paid $245 for a polo shirt, the last thing I'd want to do is lease out part of my shirt for advertising space.

Buy for $245
[via ManoloMen]

Last year, I posted a report from the Baltimore Comic-Con, where artists James Jean and Paul Pope made some surprising announcements about plunging into the fashion world. After reading this great post on James Jean's deal with Prada, I decided to share a little more about his work.

As an illustrator myself, I'm a tremendous fan of Jean's work. He does the coverwork for one of my favorite comics, Fables, and I even have one of his signed sketches hanging in my bedroom. Although his paintings are great, his linework is what really blows me away. The fluidity and organic lines interweave until they form the most delicate figures. Just taking a look at his website is enough to show you why he was asked by Prada to create fabric and that huge mural that now envelopes the Soho Prada store.

This is just the start of the growing trend of having illustrators bring their work into fashion. Hint, hint... Versace, call me.

If you have chosen to purchase a designer purse/dress/suit/coat, etc., I have a word of advice for you: Learn to pronounce the designer's name.

Just to clarify -- if you don't plan to own, wear, or discuss designer apparel, and you really have no interest in it, you're off the hook. No judgement, no problem -- go on about your day. However, if you expect to be taken seriously as a fashionista, you should at least sound like you know what you're talking about. It's like any other field of study or interest -- would you trust a doctor who had trouble pronouncing pneumonia?

The good news is, if you're unsure of some pronounciations (totally understandable, seeing as how designers from all over the world are in the mix), The Budget Fashionista has a guide of all the top designers listed for your learning pleasure, starting with A-G, then H-M, and finally N-Z. You know, so you don't thank someone for the compliment on your "Guh-VEN-chee" dress.

To be fair, I actually kind of like this. I picked up on it from Kristopher Dukes, and it's what she's hating right now -- I hope she doesn't bitch slap me.

But, the truth is, it looks kind of like a highly polished rock, or dinosaur egg or something. Or maybe a paperweight, or one of those decorative air fresheners that sends out a lovely "puff" of flowers or sunshine or rainbows or something every few minutes.

However, it is in fact a clutch, designed by Alexander McQueen. Practical, it certainly is not, but it would be a great conversation starter at a party. However, I'm not sure I'm willing to spend $630 on a conversation starter -- I've got less expensive party tricks in my other expensive bags to serve that purpose.

Spring is here. Let's get out some white clothes.

This spring, white is hot. Jeans, dresses, and tops for men and women. For casual sophistication without looking overly preppy, pair a solid, bright white (no ivory) piece with something brightly colored. The result is bold, crisp, and if you're female, very Retro Princess chic.

Remember all the jewel tones this winter? Well, you can pair them with white to make them look fresh. You can also go hunting for bright clothes in the newest spring styles, like the above cinched front top in orange from Forever21, which I'd pair with slim white pants.

Beware the washed-out, muted colors that Forever21 and H&M tend to overstock, though. Go for pizazz. One company with their finger on the pulse of bright colors that sing? Uniqlo.

Whether you'll be lounging on a catamaran or just going to work, solid white with bright is a safe, stylish way to go!