Hasta La Ideas

The Weather Sucks, But Couture Makes Everything Better -The Cut

Japan Fashion Week In New York Delivers a Colorful Shot of Tokyo’s Best -Refinery29

Alexander Wang: Another One For The Boys -Style File

Attention, Shopaholics: Your Weakness May Be a Proper Disease -The New York Times

Eastpak x Rick Owens “Dark Shadow” Collection -High Snobiety

Fashion Week Sneak Peek -Fashionista

Mad Men Costume Designer to Launch Own Line -Racked LA

In Support Of Pugh -Vogue UK

Ever wish you could go to a celeb-filled awards show? Ever think to yourself that it would be fun to go…but only because of the gift bag? We totally understand. To prove it, we’re giving away an official Critics’ Choice Awards gift bag! Sure, the actual ceremony was a few weeks ago, but trust me, the goodies that this bag is packed with are far from being old news. Want a taste of what’s inside? Think designer denim, apparel, handbags, and sunglasses, eco-friendly home products, beauty items from Tarte and other natural collections, Cheeky Monkey jewelry, and much, much more, for a grand total of $3,778. Sounds to me like they’re going to need more than one bag to contain all of these fabulous treats!

Interested? To find out how you can win the entire haul for yourself, and to view pictures of all of the products inside, click READ MORE!

The ubiquitous bow tie has been a part of men’s fashion for years– decades– centuries, even. From the classic tuxedo, to the retro ice cream shoppe soda jerk, to the trio of Disney dandies known as the Jonas Brothers, the bow tie has been an “it” accessory for men. They come in many varieties. There are those that you can tie yourself (courtesy of the Brooks Brothers and Ralph Lauren), or the ones that you can clip on effortlessly (if Band of Outsiders makes it in this variety, then it must be cool). Now as we walk into a new year (and a new presidency– go Obama!), has the bow tie overstayed its welcome as a casual item of sartorial charm? Or should it go back to being a part of the template suits of prestigious Ivy League professors? I haven’t worn a bow tie since my high school senior prom, and I have still hesitated to buy one just because I think it will make my face look wider – but that doesn’t mean I have discounted the item. I just need to find one that suits me if I choose to don the trendy accessory. Whatever side of the bow tie fence you stand on, here are a couple of bow ties that you can add to your neck accessory arsenal.

While the character she plays, or is, on The City is pretty loathe-able, you’ve got to admit Olivia Palermo’s style is pretty phenomenal. The socialite has a major knack for mixing and matching throwing high-end items together with low-end and playing with varying proportions, cuts, and fabrics. At the book launch for Awareness: Inspiring Stories About How to Make a Difference hosted by Kenneth Cole, Olivia looked polished and chic with a bit of edgy-fashion-forwardness thrown into the mix wearing a red skirt with cascading ruffles, a loose blazer, platform ankle boots and some seriously statement-making necklaces. This look can work for an event, the office, a date, cocktail hour, and so much more, so why not give it a go?

Check out my SLIDESHOW to get the look!

While the one thing the internet seemed to latch on and enjoy sharing a laugh about was Aretha Franklin‘s inauguration hat (like in this set on Flickr), the designer of the hat has been enjoying a sudden, overwhelming flow of money coming into his Detroit shop. Ever since Aretha sang at last week’s event, Luke Song, owner of Mr. Song Millinery, has been taking order after order for recreations of the hat, less expensive than the original and not as fawned over in his shop (Aretha’s took two full days to make), but definitely a close copy. And thus far, with no end in site. Here’s a bit about her past with the shop:

Franklin has been a customer of the store for 20 of the store’s 25 years, said Song, whose father used to own the shop. She was not charged for the hat: After all, she helped come up with the concept, wandering around the store and “adding and subtracting to what we had already” to match a coat she wanted to wear, he said.

Elsewhere in inaugural fashion, as expected, all eyes have been on one of the two designers Michelle Obama selected for the big day, Jason Wu, who created the gown the new First Lady wore that evening. The stories written on him number into the millions, we’re estimating, but with his new found fame comes the negative press, particularly after he was quoted as saying how much he enjoys using fur in his collections. This didn’t fly so well with sites like Perez Hilton lashing out at Yu, calling him “out of touch” and a “killer.” Still, despite being called names, you have to think that Yu knows he’s finally made it after seeing him connected to one of Perez’s MS Paint scribbles.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media