L.A. "Fashion" Week
It ain't Paris, but I will allow that it is indeed more than jeans and T-shirts. Plus, Yoanna walked the runway at Petro Zillia and Custo Barcelona! Read more about it in the L.A. Times (which is actually a quality newspaper and has the most extensive coverage), WWD, and at Elle.com.
Gross, but cool
Warning: If you're incredibly squeamish, I'd suggest not reading this posting. But if you're like me and you like gross stuff, read on.

Even though every magazine in the world tells you not to do it, I still pick at my skin (as do most people I know). Because my nose is particularly prone to blackheads, I really enjoy squeezing my pores. (See, I told you it was going to be gross.) Those Biore pore strips work, but for me, they're just not as satisfying. Now, I used to use my fingernails, but, thanks to my friend Marcy, I was introduced to the extractor. A fine piece of steel, the flat end is for blackheads and the wire end is for whiteheads. Just a bit of pressure and ahhhh! Out comes the gross stuff! For optimal results, I suggest first steaming or putting a hot washcloth over your face to loosen up the gunk. Mmm, sebum!
Labels I Love: Banana Republic
Once upon a time, I thought that, much like The Gap, pricier older sister Banana Republic was stodgy and boring. I don't know what's in the water over at Gap Inc. headquarters--maybe their designers can just pull off spring's romantic look well--but suddenly I want to buy everything in the store (and while not as inexpensive as runty youngest sibling Old Navy, that notion is not entirely out of the question). Banana's jewelry has always been top-notch (and as of late, the accessories have been, too), but now the clothes are incredible as well. Plus, any store where I can comfortably wear a size 8 is A-OK with me.

Some of my favorites for spring: This sequined miniskirt makes me want to go dancing. Pretty quick with the knockoffs, this dress reminds me of Madonna's Grammy dress (also see this ruched top). These cropped pants are perfect for spring-transitional weather. The shoulder ties give this top a nice spin on the layered look. My lace-trimmed boy shorts are one of my favorite pairs of underwear, and they're virtually invisible under pants. (That was a pun.) I'm a big fan of whimsical shoes (well, okay, of shoes in general), and these suede leaf shoes certainly qualify. Finally, the jewelry I'm lusting after: the pearl cluster necklace, the enamel and stones cuff, the jade drop earrings, and the enamel flower brooch (trust me, brooches are the new chandelier earrings).

And, as if you needed any more incentive to shop, spend $125 and get free shipping (not a hard thing to do).
In the papers
NYT: The Chanel jacket is the new Murakami bag; Che Guevara is trendy; and (thank god), finally, Daryl K has reopened her Bond Street store (2nd item). Now if only former neighbor Katayone Adeli could reopen hers...

WWD: Sick of Tom Ford yet? Either way, he's still thinking about designing clothes; CFDA nominees; and Wal-Mart might start selling cashmere.

NYP: A paper after my own heart, the Post reports the negative effect of L.A. fashion on New York wardrobes; and a writer road-tests a typical L.A. outfit--to disastrous results.
Website of the Week
Since America's Next Top Model is off the air until next year, I'm having to come up with new and entertaining ideas for postings here at Cheryl Shops. (It's amazing how much time I have now that I'm not constantly obsessing about Shandi, Yoanna, et al.) Hence, Website of the Week, Labels I Love, and other new and exciting features coming soon.

This week's inagural Website of the Week is VernYip.com, official website of my favorite Trading Spaces designer, Vern Yip. (Yes, okay, I am a bit embarassed about how much I love this show, but I felt much better when I was getting my hair done a few months ago and one of the super-hipster hairstylists rushed in clutching an autographed copy of Ty the Carpenter's new book and raving about how hot he is in person.) Anyway, Vern offers some useful design tips ("Installing a large mirror with an interesting frame is often a great and economical way to create visual interest in a room with otherwise little artwork") and in his online shop sells a variety of cool, affordable home accents, including this lacquered bowl and this black silk pillow. Take that, Doug!
The week in shopping
Sale of the week: Girlshop, one of my favorite websites, is having its spring sample sale this week, with everything 40%-70% off--and the sale usually has items currently for sale for full price on the website. Expect Von Dutch hats, Havianas flip-flops, Circle by Mara Hoffman, Priorities, T-Bags, and more. 3/30-4/3; noon-8 Tue., 10-6 Wed.-Fri.; noon-6 Sat.; 154 W. 14th St. (6th & 7th Aves.), 9th fl.

Bloomingdale's is having a "private" sale Tuesday and Wednesday, details of which can be found here. (Not so private, eh?) Being a store-charge-card-holder, I got a plethora of coupons in the mail, which I fully plan to use (they're along the lines of "spend $100, get $15 off").

This sale was mega-crazy last time (i.e., lines out the door and into the street), so go at your own risk: Mella’s ubiquitous terry flip-flops are up to 70% off. 3/31-4/1; noon-7:30; 25 W. 36th St. (5th & 6th Aves.), 6th fl.

J. Rosen Showroom has swimwear and more from Vix, Bella Brazil, Lisa Curran, and others for up to 60% off; suits are $35-$65 (originally $125-$150); Havianas flip-flops are $8. Through 4/2; 8-7; 250 W. 39th St., Ste. 510.

Working girls, take note: Elie Tahari's office-friendly clothes are up to 80% off. 4/1-4/4; 11-8 weekdays, 10-8 Sat., 11-4 Sun.; Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 W. 18th St. (6th & 7th Aves.), 4th fl.

Bra Tenders, an excellent place to buy, well, a bra, is having a hosiery sale, featuring Wolford, Gerbe, and Donna Karan for $2-$30 (up to 50% off). 4/1-4/15; noon-6 weekdays; 630 9th Ave., near 44th St., room 601.

Gracious Home? Bah! Other Upper East Side institution S. Feldman Housewares has All-Clad, Calphalon, Miele, and more all for 20%-30% off. 3/31-4/30; 9-6, 11-5 Sun.; 1304 Madison Ave. (near 92nd St.).

Or, if you're a downtowner, try Broadway Panhandler’s knife sale, featuring Wüsthof, Chroma, Furi, and others, for $34.95 to $79.95 (usually $48 to $135). 3/31-4/4; 10:30-7 weekdays, 11-7 Sat., 11-6 Sun.; 477 Broome St.

While you're in the neighborhood, check out the Donghia Warehouse Sale, featuring all manner of contemporary furniture for 50%-80% off. Through 4/1; 9-6, 9-8 Tue., 9-3 Thurs.; Puck Building, 295 Lafayette St., (at Houston).

Back uptown, hip boutique Nellie M. is hosting a trunk show featuring Tom Nguyen and Nanette Lepore. Get 10% off, plus wine & cheese while you shop! 4/1; 6-9; 1309 Lexington Ave. (at 88th St.).

Finally, it pains me to mention this, but Saturday is the semi-annual Billion Dollar Babes sale. Because this is run by a bunch of idiots from Los Angeles, you have to RSVP in order to attend. Still, the lines are usually ridiculously long, and the good stuff gets snapped up right away. (Of course, you can pay for--yes, that's right, pay for--a platinum membership and get first dibs on the stuff on Friday night. However, this goes against the very ideals upon which sample sales were founded, so I strongly advise against it.)
Weekend shopping
Alvin Valley's well-fitting trousers (recently deemed trendy by the Post--albeit several years late) are 50%-90% off. Pants are $79-$179, (originally $250-$675), jackets are $129-$249 (originally $565-$895), skirts are $79-$139 (originally $232-$360), and dresses are $300-$800 (originally $1,400-$4,000). Through 3/29; noon-6; 632 Broadway (Bleecker and Houston), 6th fl.

Get 10% off and free shipping on orders of $500 or more at Ashford.com through March 29.

Funky vintage boutique Screaming Mimi's is having a one-day yard sale featuring vintage summer clothes for $5-$25. Plus, they'll have free Budweiser and lemonade! Cheap vintage clothes + free beer = my kind of sale. 3/29; 1-7; 382 Lafayette St.

Everything at cool Euro-design furniture store Helten is 30% off. Be sure to note "Easter sale" in the comment box.

All clothing and accessories at Petunia NYC are an additional 35% off their normally below-retail prices. Plus, get free shipping (and if you live in NYC, you'll receive your order within 48 hours).
Two new labels
Shopbop.com has L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, and I must say that I'm a bit underwhelmed, much like I was with her bags for Le Sportsac. The clothes are a tad pricey (like $198 for this cashmere-blend sweater tank) and very red-white-and-black. However, I did like the sailor pants outfit Gwen wore to the Golden Globes, so I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. No doubt. Ha!

And eLuxury is now carrying Capital Tailors, a much-hyped new line that's most likely receiving a lot of attention because while it's based in Los Angeles, it's not strictly a jeans-and-T-shirts affair. In fact, Capital Tailors' clothes appear to be...rather tailored. Their signature trouser looks like a winner and reminds me of Daryl K's wonderful cut. Of course, the true test is how the pants actually fit...
On the web
The Daily: Tote bags at every price; and how to get your stuff sold at Henri Bendel.

Elle.com: More on Sigerson Morrison's Belle line (love the green metallic flats!); pretty Lollia bath products; and the excellent shopping index.

Style.com: Five great pink nail polishes; W picks the best spring denim; and a preview of the best fall shoes.

Village Voice: Inspired by "Fashioning the Modern Woman: The Art of the Couturiere 1919-1939" at FIT, Lynn Yaeger checks out the stores of contemporary women designers.

Bonus: A special shout-out to new website Manhattan.com, a great resource for New Yorkers and visitors alike.
YoannaWatch
America's Next Top Model is in da house! (Well, not this house, but she's in NYC at least.) The Post reports that today is Yoanna's official first day as a model; indeed, a Gawker Stalker saw her exiting IMG, and later, strangely enough, in Hoboken. If that's not enough for you, check out her final portfolio at UPN.com. Seeing as how I'm veering into stalker territory myself, I think that's enough for today.
Fashion Police
In this week's E! Fashion Police, Angelia Jolie makes me consider switching teams (and, yes, brunettes can wear nude); Courtney the Crack Whore looks like she belongs at the Bunny Ranch; JC Chasez's style certainly is schizophrenic; Lenny Kravitz channels early-'80s Prince, especially with the hair; Paris Hilton has boobs (who knew?); Carmen Electra keeps hers under wraps; Lisa Marie Presley can't pull off the Goth look; and Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller are just plain adorable.
This one's for all the fat girls
So, Yoanna House won America's Next Top Model, and I must say, I'm really happy about the way it turned out. To be honest, ever since she did the nasty with the Italian model dude, Shandi was just phoning it in, and the judges realized this and cut her first. I was not terribly heartbroken. So then it was down to Mercedes and Yoanna; they got to walk in a "real" fashion show (which I'm sure was staged just for the TV show); and then Yoanna won, it appears, on the strength of her face (she is incredibly beautiful) and her passion for fashion--which was so strong that she lost 50 pounds in order to fulfill her dream. Now, speaking as a fashion lover (clearly) and a former fat girl (at one point in college, I blossomed to a heifer-like 170 lbs), Yoanna's victory was incredibly inspiring. It was like, "Hey, fat girls! You too can lose 50 lbs and become an incredibly glamorous fashion model who gets paid ridiculous amounts of money just to look beautiful!" Granted, I'm way too old and slightly too short to be a model (and, okay, I'd probably have to drop another 25 lbs), but it's the sentiment that counts.

Anyway, congratulations to Yoanna!
In the papers (and on the web)
NYT: The rising prices of luxury clothing; and the dress is the new T-shirt (2nd item).

WWD: What's selling for spring.

NYP: Jessica Simpson: fashion trendsetter? Plus: In a New York Times-like bit of slowness to report trends, the Post discovers Alvin Valley trousers; DIY spring trends; why The Supermodels are still working; cool new bags; and the fedora is the new newsboy cap.

The Daily: Fall's best bags; and beyond Blahniks.

Daily Candy: Folia jewelry.

Hint: A new Shop Tart, featuring punky designer Ziad Ghanem, the Comme des Garcons Guerrilla store, vintage wonderland Frock, and more.
The grand finale
Tonight is the final episode of America's Next Top Model, and let me tell you, I've been anxious about it all day. It's like 9 p.m. can't come quickly enough. Now, to recap, we have Mercedes, the perky, cute one who suffers from lupus; Yohanna, the formerly fat fashion lover; and Shandi, the former drug user/felon who has gone from ugly duckling to swan. My money is still on Shandi, but gossip is that Yohanna is the winner. (If you're really bored at work and/or just want something amusing to read, check out the message boards at fansofrealitytv.com.) Also, here's an article from today's Post. Expect a full report from yours truly tomorrow morning.
Spring sundresses
Now that's it's officially spring (calendar-wise, not outdoor-wise, unfortunately), I can begin my yearly search for a cheap, fun sundress. Some early contenders: Old Navy's bias stripe sundress is cute and, at $20, unbeatable pricewise. Delia's has several options, including the maye dress, for $38. Urban Outfitters has this mixed up stripe tube dress, a knockoff of the Ella Moss original, which is nearly sold out at Shopbop.com.

In other dress news, starting tomorrow, Loehmann's has "the dress event," featuring, uh, dresses by ABS, BCBG, Tahari, and more, for up to 75% off.

Also, all dresses at Oililly are 20% off through 3/27.
The week in shopping
Sorry for the lack of postings on Friday--I was at home with a nasty case of food poisoning. But now I'm back, albeit on a steady diet of applesauce, bananas, English muffins, and saltines. So much for low-carbs.

Henri Bendel has sweaters for up to 35% off. Also, they're having a closeout sale of Agent Provocateur lingerie (my second-favorite lingerie-maker), with bras, panties, shoes, corsets, and more at 60% off. The sweater sale runs through 4/3, Agent Provocateur until everything is sold. 712 Fifth Ave., at 56th St.

My favorite jewelry store, Boucher, has super-girly trinkets for 15%-35% off. 3/23-3/28; noon-8, noon-6 Sun.; 9 Ninth Ave. (13th & Little West 12th Sts.).

This week, Clothingline is hosting a vendor-direct sale, with 20 designer-run booths. So far they have Lulu Guinness, Walter, Deesh, and a few others lined up. Visit the website for updates. 3/23-3/25; 10-6; 261 W. 36th St. (7th & 8th Aves.), 2nd fl.

Raffia's high-end linens, including chenille throws, jacquard bath sheets, grosgrain ribbon towels, and more, are $20 and up. Through 3/28; 11-7; 241 Lafayette St.

Loro Piana’s ultra-luxe men’s and women’s cashmeres are 40% off. Through 3/23; 9-6:30; Parsons School of Design, 560 7th Ave. (at 40th St.), 2nd fl.

Vizcaya Home has pillows, duvets, linens, and more (sold at Gracious Home and ABC) for 40%-90% off. Through 3/28; 11-7, noon-5 weekends; 227 W. 29th St., 9th fl.

Another cool jewelry store is New York Adorned, and this week, everything in the store is 20% off. Through 3/28; 1-9, 1-10 Fri. & Sat.; 47 Second Ave.

Gump's, one of the most fun places to visit in San Francisco, is having an online sale; items are up to 75% off.
Labels I love: Marc by Marc Jacobs
I'm starting a new feature here at Cheryl Shops, called "Labels I love." It's pretty self-explanatory, really. So the inagural label is my absolute favorite, Marc by Marc Jacobs. (If you read my blog on a fairly regular basis--or if you know me personally--you've probably figured this out already.) A younger, hipper (and cheaper) version of MJ's signature line, Marc is a little bit retro and a little bit rock'n'roll (but not a little bit country). And, seriously, if I could afford to (ahem, ahem), I'd buy the entire collection. But since a raise is not likely in my future, here are some standout pieces.

I love the grommet jacket and red jersey mini here (the tank, sadly, is only available in x-small). I will also be purchasing (hopefully) this eyelet mini, and this terry beach tote would be great for my upcoming trip to Florida.

Saks has the star slide, which I've been lusting after for months (I like the silver color the best--very Jetsons). I also like the polka-dot sweater, although I don't know whether I could pull it off.

Bop has this amazingly cute papillon dress (that's "butterfly" in French), which must be mine at some point--it's the perfect throw-it-on-and-go-to-brunch summer sundress. I also am in love with the flight sateen skirt.

Now all I need is a big, big raise...
Tidbits
Today through Sunday is Friends & Family Weekend at Steve Madden. Enter code FRIFM304 at checkout for 30% off your order.

West Elm's Brooklyn store has received spring new arrivals (which I mentioned yesterday). 75 Front St. (at Main), Dumbo, Brooklyn.

If you're heading up to Woodbury Common Outlets anytime soon, you can take an extra 25% off bakeware, glassware, and table linens at the Williams-Sonoma Marketplace (where I once spent $300 on All-Clad pots). I haven't been to Woodbury Common in ages and I'm dying to go.

Today is giftcard-with-purchase day at Saks! You know the drill: Spend $250-$499, get $25; spend $500-$999, get $50; and so on. Enter code SPRINGSAVE4C at checkout.

Get 15% off your order at Art.com when you enter code BASEBALL at checkout.

More info on the Alice + Olivia sale at Find Outlet: Pants (in all sizes) are $79; cashmere sweaters are $89; skirts and shorts are $59-$69. Also, the sale is at the Chelsea location only. 361 W. 17th St. (8th & 9th Aves.).

Designer Tracy Reese is making a personal appearance tonight from 5-8 on the 5th floor at Bergdorf's.
On the web
New York magazine's Best Bets Daily raves about La Redoute, a kickass French catalog that's kind of like "Newport News" crossed with H&M. The best thing, though, is that they commission French designers to create supercheap stuff for the catalog, such as this Isabel Marant dress. Yesterday was an ode to these Isaac Mizrahi for Target shoes, which, coincidentally, I bought (in tan) when I went to Detroit in February.

Today's MUG has sample sales, many of which I've already listed.

Style.com's item of the week is an incredibly cute pearl necklace with ribbon from AV Max, which carries the unfortunate price tag of $95. My suggestion: Get a cheap strand of fake pearls from Claire's or the like, then hit M&J Trimmings on 6th Ave. and 36th St. for ribbon of your choice, and make one yourself.

In this week's Village Voice, Lynn Yaeger checks out the spring merchandise at H&M, Old Navy, and the Gap, and finds knockoffs galore, with H&M being pretty heavy on Prada's "jolie laide" look. (I love the term "jolie laide"--it's French for "pretty/ugly.")

The Daily looks at Vivienne Westwood's influence on the fall collections.
Beauty bits
At Sephora, get a free .5 oz. DDF Ultra-Rich Moisturizing Cream deluxe sample when you enter code TIMELESS at checkout. And if you're starting to freak out about your skin like I am (or if you're already there), check out N.V. Perricone Prescription Starter Kit, with a plethora of anti-aging products.

Today's Daily Candy features a pair of funny-looking, $234 anti-cellulite sneakers that you can purchase here at Blissworld. Now, I will admit that I've shelled out $60 on several occasions for anti-cellulite creams (which, I've found, don't work), but I think this is taking it a bit too far.

Hey, health nuts! All Kiss My Face products are 20% off at Drugstore.com. Or, if you're more of a Middle East kind of girl, buy two Ahava products and get a 1.1 lb. jar of Dead Sea Bath Salts (a $9 value) free.

Apothia.com has new products from hard-to-find brands like Dr. Comenge, Monyette Paris, and Sjal.

To celebrate the redesign of their website, Estee Lauder is offering free shipping, plus a deluxe skincare trio sample of your choice.

Stila has a new idiot-proof product: smudge pots, for sexy, smudgy eyes.

Get free shipping at Maccosmetics.com when you enter code FAV34 at checkout, now through 3/27.