Have you met our new BFFs over at What’s Haute? We love popping over there to do some “window shopping” of all the designer bags and accessories that we would have to work for life and beyond to afford. Still, we can’t stop. Well, our friends know how we feel and now they are bringing us some cheaper (yet still beautiful) alternatives, right here on CollegeCandy. To see more couture goodness, visit What’s Haute.

The new Gucci Large Jockey Python Hobo Bag is sure to be a hit amongst fashionistas. Celebs love Gucci, python, and typically anything expensive and exclusive! The hobo is made of genuine python in a cool black color. Sturdy leather trim and signature brass Gucci horsebit studs complete the sleek look. Sure it’s an amazing bag but don’t we all have a better way to spend $3,295? So what’s a recessionista to do?

Shop just-as-haute alternatives. Read More »

In days of yore, clothing lines were created by people like Jeanne Lanvin, CoCo Chanel, Hubert de Givenchy; people with skill, talent, vision, taste. You know, fashion designers.

But nowadays, it seems like any celeb with some cash and spare time on their hands can slap a few pieces together and call it a collection. And while some lines knock it out of the park (why hello there, L.A.M.B.!), a vast majority fall more in the category of utter hot mess. Below is a sampling of the messiest of the hot messes.

5) The Kardashians: DASH – Oh, Kardashians. Kim becomes famous (?) by hanging out with Paris, nailing Ray J on tape, and having a mega huge ass, and the rest of the family rides on the coattails of her, um, success. Taking this into consideration, I suppose the Kardashian sisters’ line DASH makes sense; tacky, trashy, cookie-cutter and distinctly substandard, DASH looks very much like the $4.99 rack at Forever 21, only the items cost anywhere from 11 to 250 times as much. But I heard that every item is sprinkled with magical butt-expanding powder, so maybe that’s where the mark-up comes in.

4) Travis Barker: Famous Stars and Straps – I don’t like ghetto style. Baby Phat, Ed Hardy, gold tribal embellishments on jeans, air-brush aesthetics, ew. No thank you. But while a line may not suit my tastes personally, I’ll still give it props for being good for what it is (insert a nod to Apple Bottoms). Unfortunately, Travis Barker’s Famous Stars and Straps has the double issue of going for an aesthetic that is inherently fug and is badly done. From an uninspired/outdated logo that’s plastered on EVERYTHING to graphics that scream seventh grade, Famous is the clothing equivalent of the suburbs: generic, boring, and painfully white trying to front like it’s fly. Read More »

2008 was an interesting year for fashion. Gone (thankfully) were the maternity tops of 2007, replaced by blasts from the past inspirations from the 20s through the days of our best pals on Beverly Hills 90210. We saw everything from the mom-jean to the 90s flannel button down. Some of it was fab, and some of it… not so much. So, let’s take a look at this year’s fashion highs and fashion oh-hell-no’s.

Because without the crap we can’t appreciate the couture. Read More »

I read an article in The New York Times the other day about New York shoppers spending three or four hundred bucks on a pair of sunglasses at stores like Ilori in SoHo. According to the article, market research firm The NPD Group has tracked purchases of luxury goods and, even in this constantly drooping economy, the amount spent on designer sunglasses has gone up while the amount spent on designer purses has gone down.

I’m not at all surprised.

Even more so than a purse or shoes, sunglasses are the first thing people notice about your outfit. You wear them all day and some people, like myself, wear them everyday. So why not drop as much on a pair of Gucci shades as you do on a pair of Manolo’s if you’ve got the spare change?

In recent years sunglasses have become the new It accessory. Pictures of Nicole Richie in oversize glasses that engulfed her tiny head became as ubiquitous in tabloids as pictures of Britney Spear’s cellulite, and the Olsen twins are now more famous for their Ray-Ban Wayfarers than their Balenciaga Motorcycle bags. Even wearing sunglasses at night has become popular with hundreds of pictures of drunk hipsters wearing the Kanye West designed shutter shades in dark clubs on websites like lastnightsparty.com. Read More »

Wednesday night’s finale of Project Runway had me on the edge of my couch. I was a Christian fan ever since overly confident attitude and overly hair-sprayed spunky hair graced my TV. I was hooked on his designs from the very first challenge when he made that fab plaid jacket. So I would have to agree with him when he said “It’s crazy, but, hello, did you have a doubt?”

Out of every season of Project Runway, this is the first time I absolutely LOVED all three collections. Rami’s woven pieces and Jillian’s knit wear made me wish I knew how to use a sewing machine. And know how to draw. And be a fashion designer. Or maybe just have it all in my closet. (Hey a girl can dream right?)

But 21-year-old Christian Siriano’s final collection proved he has what it takes to play in the majors. His collection of skinny trousers, ruffles, high collars and big belts (and a delectable two-tone feathered gown) were so extravagantly detailed and were screaming high fashion. Not to mention, he got Victoria Beckham to (gasp!) SMILE. (Which even she admitted was a tough feat to accomplish, as she told him she would love to wear his stuff) Read More »

So, has anyone else noticed that dolls are getting really slutty?

First, the world had to deal with Bratz. Strange, big headed dolls with too much make-up and really skanky outfits. Dolls that—as far as I can tell—are totally aimed at creating 4th grade fashion disasters.

Besides making it seem cool to be so skinny your head looks like a watermelon, Bratz embody insipidness, sluttiness, and vapidness, limiting girls’ imaginations to taking their dolls to the “mall”, buying their dolls “stuff”, and seeing how many times their doll is mistaken for a hooker on the doll sidewalk.

Gone are the days when girls would be satisfied with a long, frilly pink dress for their dolls. Gone are the innocent one-piece bathing suits and “career” outfits. Now, thigh high stockings, tiny shirts, and skirts so short you can totally almost see plastic doll butt are all the rage.

Illustrating this disgusting theory even further is Barbie’s—or rather, Mattell’s—answer to the Bratz dynasty: My Scene Barbie. Read More »

America’s Next Top Model got batsh*t crazy last night, when the girls practiced runway walking while wearing straightjackets. Seriously.

Miss Jay explained that often in couture shows, you have to walk in constricting costumes. Which is a fine explanation and all if more than a handful of past ANTM contestants have ever walked on a runway after the show.

The green van takes the girls back to the house, where Bianca calls Saleisha “borderline plus-size,” which, you know, makes me the poster child for morbid obesity.

Bianca goes on to say that she’ll “bring bitches down,” and will stoop to cutting up clothes, but don’t let the red hair fool you! She’s a real model and she can be couture!

Uh, what? Someone needs anger management classes a bit more than runway training, methinks.

A couture runway show is up next, and I’m officially in love with Victoria. She has the most interesting face in the competition other than Janet. Saleisha wins the challenge and Bianca sneers and bitches and makes me loathe her more.

The bondage theme of the episode continues with a photo shoot involving ropes and couture. You know, just another day climbing a rock wall in a designer gown. My favorites were Heather and Victoria (sorry Janet!), but the whole thing just didn’t do much for me. Read More »

Let’s see. We have fashionable clothes for our dogs, stylish plugs for our ears, and cute cases for our cell phones. And finally, the day has come. We now have couture for our coffee cups, making our daily dose of caffeine yet another true accessory.

Cupcouture.com offers you “high fashion thermal sleeves for paper cups” – sassy alternatives to those old, boring, brown cardboard things. They’re insultated, resusable, and they range from 12 to 16 bucks a pop.

My personal favorite “cupcoat” is the Andy, inspired by Andy Warhol. Very funky. But there’s a wide selection of patterns and materials for every Coffee Fiend, from flowery to furry. And there’s even a selection for guys! Although, if your boyfriend is envious of your cupcoat, I would find a new boyfriend.

Are these things over the top? Yes. Unnecessary? Of course! But when it comes to couture, it always is. Cupcoats just make something already hot even, ahem, hauter.