BREAKING: This Cat Shirt Rules

($44, Nümph, Modcloth.com)

Ha ha! JK! That's not breaking news, OF COURSE. But it worth expediently pointing out that the cat on this Nümph tunic is super bright, obviously, because he wears glasses. I feel like he spends a lot of time reading books printed by the Oxford Press, you know? Those REALLY big tomes with the tissue-thin paper, that's so impossible to highlight. Anyway, I'd believe anything this cat told me. Anything.

Also, check out more of Danish brand Numph's this-side-of-adorable apparel at ModCloth.


PS -- I'm feelin' on their dressy-but-comfy slouchy bow pants!

($114, Nümph, ModCloth.com)

4 SUPER Cute Tops For Under $100

When staring down into the deep, dark unknown that is my crappy Ikea wardrobe that houses the bulk of my closet (you say "walk-in," I say "hastily constructed particle board rectangle with doors!"), I've started to realize that what I'm really lacking is cute, easy-to-wear tops. Being, um, let's say generously curvy in "places," I try to avoid tight tops because they can look hooch-o-rama and kind of tacky. I aim to be neither of those things. So I like a slightly tailored yet comfortably slouchy top. Even better if it's got a banded waist so I don't look like I'm wearing a paper or plastic bag.

Anyway, here are four adorable tops -- I'm big into lace insets, apparently -- that look perfect with jeans and are still casual, don't get me wrong, but they're a half step up from the t-shirt-and-jeans look. And they're all under $100, so that's even more adorable, you know?

4 Adorable Tops I'd Buy In Second Because They're Under $100 

+ Ella Moss "Kaleidoscope" Lace Inset Sweatshirt, $98, Bloomingdales.com
+ Ella Moss "Chastity" Lace Draped Neck Top, $61.42, Bloomingdales.com
+ Dustie Doll Acid Wash Lace Cutout Sweatshirt, $65, Stantonjames.com
+ BB Dakota cropped Lake Superior Top, $48, Fredflare.com

2 Cute Loft Tops I'll Inevitably Buy

UPDATE! BOUGHT! They're great. The striped blouse is so light and slouchy. GET IT.

I should really just stop procrastinating and buy these, right? Procrastinating is bad!

($49.50, Loft)

($49.50, Loft)

I love a flowy blouse, and I love Loft. That's obvious.

Manish Arora: The Obsession Grows

Manish Arora's super psychedelic, kaleidoscopic, Bollywood-takes-a-head-trip prints (he's not called the Galliano of India for nothing) are yet another reason I need to start recycling cans for coins or something, so I can save up and splurge.

($188, Manish Arora, Thecorner.com)

($176, Manish Arora, Luisaviaroma.com)

I mean, COME ON. THIS SHIRT IS CALLED "FLAMING DISCO BALL." That's exactly almost what my parents used as my middle name, but it didn't fit on my birth certificate.

GAP Coupon Code!

YAY! It's FALL, y'all Do some fall/winter shopping with this GAP coupon code for 30% off. It's "savebig." It also works for Banana Republic and Old Navy.

I just bought these two shoulder zip pullover sweatshirts, since I realize I own almost no tops that aren't t-shirts, and most of those I hate or have a cat on them, which is fine for sometimes but not all the time. So I'm trying to diversify with some basic tops.

($39.50, Gap)

Usually I wait for everything and anything Gap to go on sale, but I saved $23 with that coupon code. HOLLA for a DOLLA!

($29.50, Gap)

Also, this nylon puffer bag is extremely cute. But I will definitely wait for this to go on sale.

Two PERFECT Charlie Girl Silky Tops For Fall

I love a silky top like it's my damn vocation. They feel easy breezy in the summer when you wanna "fance it up" a bit but don't want to melt, Wicked Witch style, in a pool of your own perspiration. And they're the BEST to layer with in the fall, with a leather jacket and some black skinny jeans. Oh yeah, and I also get lots of questions about what to wear with booties or ankle boots -- ding ding ding! A long, loose silky shirt, skinny jeans, and some great black or grey booties. Or, tuck it into a pair of well-tailored wide-legged trousers for a Marlene Dietrich/ modern-day Charlie Girl look.

($174, Gemma, Farfetch.com)

OY. LOVE the watercolory interpretation of snakeskin on silk.

($68, KNT By Kova & T, UrbanOutfitters.com)

SeriouslyK, PLEASE wear this with a leather jacket or chunky black motorcycle boots so as to avoid looking like a referee. Or an employee of Foot Locker.

Cute Shirt Alert: 7 For All Mankind/ Mika Ninagawa Photo-Print Flower Tee

($89, 7ForAllMankind.com)

While I'M SUPER particular about floral prints -- forecast: sometimes cute, with a high chance of OD'ing on '90s grunge-girl nostalgia -- I freaking LOVE a photo print. Especially 7 For All Mankind's small collection of Japanese photographer Mika Ninagawa's floral photos. I LOVE the bold fuschias and quick flashes of blue.

It's a LITTLE tricky to style without veering into Totally Cheesy Territory (avoid the overly obvious black pants/ black blazer combo because then the shirt's just way too loud) but I'm thinking these light-rinse Gap jeans:

($69.50, Gap)

... And (stay with me here) some nice neutral sculptural shoes like:

($210, Pour La Victoire, Zappos.com)

I can't personally do wedges, but I LOVE these Pour La Victorie grey cut-out wedges.

Anyway, love the floral photo-print lily tee. It's basically the Bjork Post album cover of shirts.

Ooh! Yay! An H&M Cat Shirt! + Grauituous Cat Photo!

It is NO secret that FashionBinge LOVES a cat shirt. This one's coming to H&M. Fun, right? But not as fun as my (and Beauty Blogging Junkie's) cat, who put herself in this box all by herself!

Potential ModCloth Binge

Oh ModCloth. You're like Urban Outfitters without the copyright infringements! So many cute offerings, so little dollars in my pants pockets.

Were I to gorge on ModCloth's cute stuff, here's what I'd add to my sadly empty basket:

($149.99, Miss L. Fire, ModCloth.com)

Almost nothing else on this oil-stained earth makes me happier than a pair of '80s heels. And detachable gem clips with bows (bows are SO big right now!) are just icing on the cake. And honestly, icing's always my favorite part. Seriously, when will someone just make an all-icing cake anyway?

($47.99, ModCloth.com)

Seriously, I HATE summer and shorts SO much that I just wear black jeans all summer and pray for a freak snow storm. This cuters black and yellow top is perfect exactly such a scenario.
And it doesn't look hugely tacky or cheap like sooo many tank tops. Am I the only one who's encountered that? What's up with super cheap-looking tanks? Bullshit!

($49.99, Industry, ModCloth.com)

LOVE this tank. Reminds me of the type of shit you used to be able to find on St. Marks before it basically turned into McDonald's.

($44.99, ModCloth.com)

A crafty take -- check out the raised threads in the stripes -- on Breton stripes! Plus, button shoulders? Oh, ModCloth. You're too good to us.

Crazy Roberto Cavalli Parrot Top

($470, Roberto Cavalli, Theoutnet.com)

I hate it so much I almost love it. It's like Miami barfed all over silk and Roberto Cavalli swooped in and made a top out of the whole mess.

ADORBS ALERT: Tibi Women's Tango Silk One Shoulder Top

($160, Tibi, Bloomingdales)

SO cute with skinny jeans and maybe a tiny cropped grey jacket, nu?

You Could Be Wearing This Right Now: Nanette Lepore Pink Bustier Top

($160, Nanette Lepore, Net-a-porter.com)

Such pretty pink ballet princess-ness. Makes me wanna do pirouettes, but the fact is I'm better at eating Pirouettes than doing them. And you could be wearing this right now if only you'd click! CLICK!

yums.

Cuteness Revisited: '80s Graphic Prints and Splatters!

While still dreaming of the pieces I dug up on the wings of Nicole Ritchie's Chanel-print airplane dress, I discovered this:

($185, Julie Brown, ActiveEndeavors.com)

Though do yourself a favorite, and put something on underneath.

And pair them with...

($49, Tarina Tarntino, ActiveEndeavors.com)

And...
($115.50, Ash, Shopbop.com)

These heels are the heat.

Pony Necklace: A Tribute to Thumbelina, World's Small Horse

Real quick last post of the day...

I saw Thumbelina this weekend -- the world's wee-est horse! She's only 60 pounds and apparently likes to sleep -- probably because she had kids (um, and grown-ups... guilty) gaping, hemming and hawing at her all day on Saturday, when I saw her at the Natural History Museum's opening day celebration of their new exhibit, The Horse."

Apparently she travels around in the "Thumby-mobile," visiting sick kids and melting hearts in her wake with her freakishly adorable teensy stature. She's only about a foot high! Eeee!

Sadly, I didn't get to see her for long, because I was surrounded by pushy children and even pushier prototypical New Yorky parents, and I felt bad for her (the horse, that is), so I snapped the above pic and scurried away, but her sweet, sleeping mini-horseness will live on in my heart forever.

To commemorate her, check out this horse necklace:

($34, Frozen Peas, CandyStoreCollective.com)

Sweet, and cute, like Thumby herself. Won't somebody think of the kids -- i.e. me -- and get me this? Please? I barely even got to see Thumbelina!!!


... More cute stuff:

($40, Pony Attack, LittlePaperPlanes.com)

By the awesomely-named San Diego duo Pony Attack.

($24, Caitlin Keegan, LittlePaperPlanes.com)

The rare piece of non-wearable art -- "Horse Lady," by Caitlin Keegan. I like to think of it as "Me + Thumby = TLAAF!"

And, sorry to OT for a second, but I also love this one:

($24, Caitlin Keegan, LittlePaperPlanes.com)

Peacocks! My second-fave! (Don't worry, Thumby! You'll always be first!)

High Rollin' On Hump Day (Translation: Expensive Stuff)

All of the following items have the following in common:

1.) They're gorgeous.
2.) I want them all.
3a.) They're all $169 and up.
3b.) In my world, things $169 and up qualify as "expensive."

Let's take a looksee, shall we? In declining order of dearness, meaning the closer you get to the bottom, the greater your chances become of being able to afford stuff (if you're me).

($895, Anya Hindmarch, Vivre.com)

DEFINITELY not a plastic bag.

($390, Celestina, Vivre.com)

Beautiful, timeless, worth doing some "creative refinancing" on the monthly budget for... almost maybe.

($385, Jill Stuart, Shopbop.com)

So sweet, and more subdued than your typical red-and-black cherries fare.

($365, MZ Wallace)

Gorgeous everyday bag. Love it in orange too.

($363, Alexis, ActiveEndeavors.com)

And you, faux croc ombre envelope clutch -- I covet you most of all.

($216, Maria Bonita Extra, ActiveEndeavors.com)
Possibly the greatest ballet flats/ skimmers/ whatever ever.

($169, Prairie New York, CoutureCandy.com)

I'm starting to feel a bit "meh" bout jeweled embellishments at this point (but not 100%), though this is supes cutes. But don't click the "indigo" version if you're easily offended!

Old Navy's Safari Style

Dear Todd Oldham,

I know we don't know each other personally, but I used to like watching you on House of Style back in the day on MTV. I'm sorry that neither your clothing line nor, let's be honest, that Bravo show you hosted worked out. But I'm over the moon over the news that as of October 2007, you've been named the new creative director of struggling Old Navy.

Old Navy's always been there for me, but only sorta in that last resort sorta way. In much the same way that you'll eat the last, sorta crappiest looking thing in your pantry -- the thing you wouldn't touch but only turn to out of starving desperation -- Old Navy is usually last on the list.

But I have hopes that much as you were able to resurrect shitty old college couches by recovering them with animal prints, you'll be able to breathe life back into Old Navy, which, it seems, is now "The O.N."

And, seeing as how I have a weird giraffe-print fetish, I'm hugely enamored of your new urban explorer line of safari-inspired stuff:

So much cute animal-print stuff, and so easy to shop for! And I truly love the citrusy yellows and greens. Lovely change from Old Navy's usual crop of primaries and pastels.

More stuff I'd readily buy:

($29.50, Old Navy)

While there's been much ado about this dress, I'm a much bigger fan of this one. Nice way to do florals and safari without doing too much of either.

($19.50, Old Navy)

Speaking of ado, there's been plenty of it over the giraffe-print clutch, but I'm also fond of the squiggly olive-print clutch too.

($15, Old Navy)

Sweet, simple little keyhole top -- a classier alternative to a tank or Tee.

($19.50, Old Navy)

I do believe I need both of these animal-print and animal-print-inspired (because I'm not sure what animal is red and grey, but I'd sure like to meet him!) flats. (MKHo blogged about the lemony ones not too long ago. Psychic style sisters!)

($4, Old Navy)

We all need undies! I have a pair of similar hipster unders, and they fit perfectly and have held up after many a'wash. (Because I'm hygienic like that!) And these are waaaay cheaper than the awesome yet expensive Cosabella bottoms I blogged about befo'.

Okay, well, Todd, I realize that this has become more of a personal shopping list than a letter. I'm off the ballet (yay!), so I'll end this now with this old-school House of Style clip.