After months of sweltering heat and humidity in New York City, I am officially ready for fall—bring on the pumpkin lattes, cozy sweaters and crisp air. And the best part about the changing seasons? An excuse to go stock up on back to school fall essentials. And I’m not talking about school supplies (though I do miss the thrill of purchasing fresh erasers and binders). I’m talking about some rockin’ new outfits to help start the semester right!

Accessories are the easiest way to keep your rotating pieces looking bold an on-trend. When they’re from Payless, you don’t need to drain your piggy bank for cool new looks. You can mix up your go-to looks with bags, cute new shoes and awesomely glitz and glam jewelry. After a few purchases, you’ll swear you have a whole new wardrobe.

All of the fall finishing-touch accessories in the following looks are available at Payless and brashgirl.com and are from the retailer’s new edgy brand — Brash!

Read More »

If it’s one thing we’ve learned here at CC, it’s that all people are fascinating (Yes, even your econ professor). Let’s face it – people love to glimpse into the lives of other people. Disagree? Then please explain why you’re currently looking at your friend’s brother’s girlfriend’s cousin’s photos on Facebook. Or reading about the latest Chris Brown/Rihanna dramz in this weeks’ tabloids. Yeah we thought so.

Fact is we connect to others by learning about them. And everyone has something to share (even if it a story about a particularly embarassing fall…in a dress). So to give you yet another reason to procrastinate, we started ‘The Five Questions We Ask Everyone’ (and five just for that one person) because we know whether we’re schmoozing with an A- list celeb or your local bartender, you’ll be equally entertained.

Style expert and entrepreneur Ashley Thompson, 29, enjoys a life immersed in the international fashion scene as both a forecasting fashionista as well as the owner of New York City’s well-known shopping hotspot, Owl’s Lab.  Some of those sporting her goods include industry icons such as Mary-Kate Olsen, Jessica Alba, Paris Hilton, Mariah Carey, Maggie Gyllenhaal and more.

Owl’s Lab has been featured on TLC’s “What Not To Wear” and in publications such as Vogue, Teen Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, Lucky, US Weekly, In Touch Weekly, New York Post, New York Daily News, E! Online and Daily Candy.  It also holds the title of one of the Top 100 Boutiques in New York City (Lucky Magazine, August 2007) and is listed as one of NYC’s five “Best Bets” boutiques alongside Phillip Lim and other notable women’s fashion destinations.

Ashley knows fashion, so we wanted to get to know Ashley. Read More »