Desperate time call for desperate measures. Don’t believe me? Check your Inbox.

• Barneys lures (effectively, in my case) with ‘PRIVATE SALE STARTS TODAY! + Complimentary Shipping’
• The Discover Store tries to put immediate pressure to buy with time-sensitive subjects like: ‘20% Off Site-wide Secret Sale Ends Soon!’
• BCBG begs customers with ‘50% Off Winter Sale Continues - Plus Free Shipping Offer!

And the list goes on and on and on and on…and will continue to (so make a mental note in case you haven’t already - DO NOT buy anything at full price right now because in a day it will be discounted). But what really takes the cake are the messages sent out to anyone a marketing team can get an email for that are meant to be tender, heartfelt personal letters directly from big company CEOs, founders, whatevers, to us (the little people) that practically beg for our business but mask it with unending inspiration (Don’t know what I’m talking about? Click the link below for a recent example). Needless to say, I find these incredibly annoying and insulting - I mean, even the design on these emails is usually very poor. Like I’m seriously going to shop more at some store because some poor copywriter was made to stay an extra 3 hours one night drafting this bullshit that some poor graphic designer clearly didn’t care about either. No, not at all.

If these business really want my business then they should offer better product selection, control their marketing people so we are sent a reasonable amount of communicative messages, check their own egos, and think about what consumers what - honestly the “75% off New Styles Hand Delivered Right to Your Door!” emails are a million times more inspirational than the ones that try too hard to be ‘real’ and personal.

I’m more than slightly obsessed with my email and check it constantly from the moment I wake up around 7:45 am until I fall asleep somewhere around 2 am. All I can say is that I’ve been opting out of a lot of email programs lately.

I know this might sound really random, but I really hate it when fat, short men swear. It just makes them even more unattractive than they already are.

Somehow in today’s sweltering heat, I managed to make my way past 7th avenue…past 8th…and all the way to 11th for a runway show of the FORM Spring 2009 Collection at The Atelier Skylounge at 635 West 42nd Street.

Even if it was a fairly long walk down one of Manhattan’s trashiest streets, it was worth it: the show took place on the roof of the relatively new Atelier building against striking blue skies and a breathtaking cityscape.

After spotting Miss J. Alexander (yes, Miss J. Alexander from America’s Next Top Model), we grabbed lemony drinks before heading to our seats to soak in a little sun. Seats were arranged over the entire roof and it was a good thing we had sunglasses as we were seated facing downtown.

It was actually incredibly relaxing and the show ended up providing a calm in my otherwise fairly crazy day. And there were none of the crazy theatrics I was expecting since Tara Subkoff was involved.

But on to the clothing - Georgette, chiffon, twills, and various knit pieces were created by designer Jerry Tam in warm dessert shades of ochre, sand, grey, khaki and soft sky blue. The collection featured everything from short spring trench coats to bright white swimsuits layered with encircling clouds of delicate gauze. I feel like this is another collection equally suited to the spring as it is to the fall, but this could be due to my own personal mindset or simply because a lot of the looks were shown with boots.

The pieces all have a deconstructed romantic rocker-chic element to them and while I’d love to own many of the looks shown, I do feel the collection could have been edited down. The torso-chain jewelry was also a bit overused and sort of odd…Click below for more images from the FORM Spring 2009 Collection and scene below.

This season, there is a major return to costume jewelry. Balenciaga’s dazzling bling has been included in practically every fashion magazine’s September issue. Alexander McQueen’s maharajah worthy gems dripped off models as they strutted down the catwalk. Vera Wang’s girls had crystal encrusted snakes slithering around their necks and super-oversized crystal cuffs locked on to their wrists (created in a collaboration with Philip Crangi).

About 3 or 4 years ago, brooches seemed to be everywhere and I couldn’t leave the house with out wearing one - so needless to say I’m very excited at the idea of piling them on my capes and coats this coming fall.

Believe it or not, fabulous faux jewelry is (sort of) in my blood. My parents are ballroom dancing instructors and over the past ten or so years, my mother has amassed quite a collection of costume jewelry (her favorite place to shop is Hello Beautiful in Honolulu, HI). My mom and I actually went through a Swarovski phase together, buying delicate crystal hat pins and exotic bird brooches that have long since needed to be repaired and are sitting in my jewelry box.

I also began my career in fashion as an intern for Showroom Seven where I had my first taste of the crazy fashion jewelry that is Erickson Beamon…and I after several sample sales, I’ve gathered quite a little collection of my own. And although my jewelry box is already overflowing, I’d gladly make some room for pieces by Tom Binns (he actually has a ridiculously gaudy necklace at Moss right now called, ‘Now This is a Fucking Necklace’) or the House of Lavande.

No collection to call your own? Well, there’s never been a better time to start your own collection of brilliant baubles…Begin with Kenneth Jay Lane, Banana Republic, HSN, or at any vintage shop and bling it up. Don’t be afraid to wear more than one piece at a time - after all, it is costume jewelry.

One of the best things about New York is the constant change.
One of the worse things about New York is the never ending construction.

I woke up to the sound of pipes banging loudly right outside my window. And now, at work, there is jack hammering or something happening on the roof next door.

Another thing that goes with the steady construction are the steady comments, looks, and whistles from construction workers - which is something that I must admit I have a love/hate relationship with. Everyone likes a little attention and comments like “Wow - that’s my wife right there!” are always amusing, but sometimes things go to far and innocent girls wearing heels and cute outfits are called bitches for not responding to a barrage of unwelcome comments.
Its all lovely really, just lovely.

When we go through something traumatic, some of us need to indulge in serious retail therapy as part of the healing process. I just learned more about the events that led to my recent breakup and could really use buying everything on the island of Manhattan.

My ex-boyfriend tried to ‘play’ me - I didn’t think it was something real people did, but apparently, you pump a guy up too much and he thinks he can fuck the world. I should really have my own reality show, there is more drama in my life than in the entire Hollywood hills…

I never thought this day would come. Yes, I love Sex and the City, but seeing the posters plastered all over every store window in Manhattan is starting to annoy even me. Just because a certain shoe or purse or jacket was in the movie doesn’t mean we’re all going to buy it. In fact, the whole point of fashion in SATC is about wearing what you love, not what others tell you to love.

There are (many) times when I ask myself, ‘Why on earth don’t you do something else? Make more money? Work with intelligent people?!’

Well tonight (after my roommate and I watched The Devil Wears Prada for the first time), we began talking about fashion, Anna Wintour, why her hair style has been the same for decades, etc. and I ended up defending many of the things that so often drive me crazy, realizing (yet again) why this ridiculous industry is the one for me.

I enjoy getting dressed in the morning, pulling together an outfit and walking out the door confident, comfortable in my outer shell. Today I wore my plaid cape with the skinny jeans and felt cool, smart, fun and lovely. And that is what fashion does to us - it brings out the you that you were looking for, whichever one will make it through another day.

Fashion might be pretentious at times, might be a tad too serious, over-the-top, unrelatable, whatever, but that is what makes it great and gives it such appeal. Through fashion we are able to constantly redefine and further explore ourselves, which is perhaps why I do love it so much, that and all of those damn heels!

I can’t help but notice that soooo many mags are highlighting their editors lately. The editors are becoming so much more than editors were, their jobs and lives becoming a bit more mtv altogether. And with the online sites, we have little editors who are blogging constantly, becoming the voice of the mag, spilling the inner workings and making it all seem so, well, I don’t know, sort of junior actually. When I moved to New York three years ago, I was in complete awe of the magazines - I loved the little that I knew and in my head it became glamorous and so aspirational. Like working at Vogue was sooo much better than ever being in Vogue. Now it has changed - working at a mag seems more about maintaining a “realness” the readers will be able to relate to. The editor now seems to be that girl who goes to every event (no matter what it is), who wears h&m and every designer collabo, is thrilled to drink fruity drinks, loves music as long as it isn’t too mainstream - she’s fine. She’s ok. She’s certainly not Anna Wintour. But what is she really and who will she become? She seems almost a teen crush, a teen dream - not the stylish professional I wanted to be in the later part of my college years. She loves people recognizing her (as we all do/would) and always wants to be known as the nice, cool girl. She’s energetic and excited about things. She thinks she’s a better writer than she really is, but she’s still good and getting better by the day. She wants to be excepted in every circle, but also to be the little celebrity among the group. She wants it all - wants to stay young, have a career and a following. And I actually like her, I do, but I’m already growing bored of her - she seems exactly like the next one and the one prior. I hope she grows up and into fashion, becomes somewhat as fashionable and stylish as the industry she wanted to join when she was first an intern. And I hope her magazine realizes that while we like seeing the ‘real girl’ fashion stories, we also love the amazing editorials, locations, models, the couture. We want to be inspired and sometimes we need more than the average editor to do that…please don’t push for these girl to be the next “it.” Let it be natural and let them evolve.