Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but in the world of fashion it consitutes a multi-billion-dollar sore spot.  Burberry, Gucci, Coach, and the ubiquitous Louis Vuitton (ever seen an old lady in LV-print pants?) have witnessed their logos splashed illegally across all sorts of gaudy merch.

For my fellow fashionistas who wish they could get their hands on something a bit cheaper than that $900 Tod’s tote at Holt Renfrew, here are the options:

1. Discount Designer Handbags

2. Designer Inspired Handbags

(yes, there are really only two options.)

Discount Designer Handbags: These stores are purveyors of last season’s merch, over-produced, overly-trendy, or just ugly handbags that not enough rich folk want to shell out for.  Let’s face it, they’re last season (and sometimes fairly… interesting looking…), but they still have a gool old bona fide logo slapped on them.  And they’re the genuine real deal.  Here are some places to pick up one of these discounted duffles:

http://www.pophandbags-shop.com/view.php?id=34

http://www.bagstyleonline.com

http://www.principalfashion.com

**NOTE:  ‘discount fashion’ is definitely grey-market.  While some products are almost certainly legit, others will not be.  Hint:  you can buy fake rolexes for $1,000 … so how could you buy a real one for under $10?***

Designer Inspired, Designer Replica:

These are the significantly less glamorous (and much more shoddily made) look-somewhat-alikes of the real things.  You can buy one of these but once you’ve left your teenage years behind (or you happen to be a sweet little old lady), these things aren’t worth your time or money.  Just buy a plain, higher-quality bag for the same price, minus the tacky pretend logos all over.

http://www.aaareplicas.com/ (to be fair, these are really good replicas by my standards)

haha, and this is just for kicks.  keepin it real.  over and out!

In all fairness, it’s a Sunday night as I write this.  Cheap Mondays are my favourite day of the week.  Chances are, my booze money is spent – everyone else’s booze money’s spent – so everyone can have a nice quiet night without worrying about missing out on any fun.

But enough about my life /erm nothing.  What I really want to talk about are Cheap Mondays, as in the denim. Cheap Monday jeans are fresh from everybody’s favourite mass-marketin’ socialist nation, Sweden.  Those Swedes don’t settle for following trends – they MAKE them.  If you’ve seen pictures of Stockholm on The Sartorialist (http://www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com), you’ll know what I mean.  The Swedes just get it – and Cheap Mondays just get it too.

Cheap Mondays are the last word on skinny jean.  Most people buy them 1 or 2 sizes bigger than their usual size, but in fact, they are meant to be worn in the jean size you normally wear.  It’s just a very – very – brave thing for most of us North Americans to endeavour.  Though looking around Vancouver these past 3 years, pants have never been cut slimmer.

But I digress.  Cheap Mondays are great denim.  They’re edgy, they’re hip – and most of all – they’re cheap.  CHEAP!  In a world that seems to think that slapping a heart-stopping price tag on ‘vintage-inspired couture’ makes something cool, Cheap Mondays are a breath of fresh air.  Not only that, but Cheap Monday denim stays true to its original concept.  Not all of their ideas take off, and that’s okay by the designers.  What makes Cheap Mondays truly special is that you get a quality, reasonably-priced item that still rocks a funky vibe.

Ladies, get yourselves a pair of Miss Sixty’s if you want to ooze retro style and glam.

Miss Sixty Jeans, like all things Miss Sixty, have a very distinct look about them.  Part of the appeal is the obvious flirtiness of the style, and a big part of it is the retro look.  In the quest for mid-century style, Miss Sixty definitely is a choice leader.  You can spot em a mile away, too, just by looking at the distinctive back pockets.

To get a good look idea of some of the really funky retro flares, skinnies and bellbottoms (and all else retro) check out Denimology‘s Miss Sixty Jeans section.  Side note:  I happen to love Denimology.  Their store makes it really easy to find price points and a large variety of styles of just about any denim brand you could name.

Ah, David Bitton.  Designer for popular Buffalo Jeans, his stylish yet mid-priced denim has proven popular on an international scale.  In 1985, he opened his first ever jeans store in Montreal and never, apparently, looked back.  Today, Buffalo by David Bitton is ubiquitous in Canada and the US, and has stores as far away as London or the Philippines.

David Bitton’s jeans, targeting stylish 15 to 35 year olds, fit tightly (there aren’t GAP jeans, folks) and generally fit best (and look best) on slimmer frames.  They’re Montreal-designed … what did you expect?

To get an idea of just how small these jeans run, Victoria Beckham kept a 23″-waisted pair of David Bitton denim… isn’t that a size 000 or 0000 ladies’ ?!?!? Read the full story here… I am pretty amazed.

Personally, I used to wear these jeans in high school all the time.  I go in and out of liking the ultra-trendy, stylish looks of David Bitton denim, but when in search of something kinda different – or distressed – Buffalo by David Bitton is the place to go.

over and out!

-FH

In my eyes, Tom Ford can rarely do wrong. Time and again he has brought his game to the runways at Gucci, working magic on collection after collection and re-vamping Gucci as one of the world’s leading fashion houses. Not only that, he is constantly flanked by some of the world’s most beautiful people, all dressed in some of the world’s most beautiful clothes. Be that as it may, that does not mean that everything he produces is necessarily gold.

Take this year’s AW08 collection, for instance (one of the few I’d dare criticize – the man is a virtuoso). Ford sends models down the runway in a mishmash of autumn palette: prussian blues, regal reds, dark browns and rich blacks. We see some new trends emerging, as well as the follow-through of some old ones: the increasing use of enormous man-bags and the proliferation of the Shantung shirt (a button-down blouse with a wide open pointy collar). However, there were some drawbacks.

I found the clashing dissonance of patterns, though certainly a distinct look, not to be a very appealing one. Many looks that went down the runway were just too cluttered or laden down with a cacophony of distracting details. I guess you could call it ‘rustic’ or ‘nostalgic’. You could even postulate that it looks like the sort of clothing you’d wear, huddled around the fire, drinking hot cocoa. I’ll grant it that much, but it’s a little too tacky and laden with texture to be completely appealing. Furthermore, I’m getting sick of designers constantly looking backwards for inspiration. While the collection did thrive with a horde of new ideas I found that some old cliches were brought into play – like the rustic patterns that played out across the women’s collection.

Now that I’m done griping and looking like a very poor sport, let’s get on with what I liked about the collection. The evening gowns, for one thing, were incredible. This is as it should be: Gucci gowns have long slunk through swanky lounges across the globe. Another thing I really liked were the tassle boots, as sported in the ladies collection. The mens outerwear is definitely worth investing in (if you plan to remortgage your house anytime soon). Here are a few of the good (and bad) looks that capture the essence of Gucci’s AW08.

Now that I’ve dealt with basic sunglasses (see last post), I’m bringing Burberry to the blog – until recently, a fairly old and stodgy brand. However, Burberry has taken control of its image in recent years and has regained its place as one of the world’s most prestigious fashion lines. Burberry sunglasses are, without a doubt, coveted by everyone: bankers, rappers, artists, anyone with money and an eye for the expensive (not to mention that notorious ‘Burberry Check’ – red, black, white and tan) all wear these, so if you’re looking to spice up an otherwise ordinary summer outfit, and attract some gold-diggers — er, look stylish and successful — then Burberry sunglasses are the ones for you. Ladies, I’ll start with you.

OK, Tortoiseshell Burberry sunglasses: Very cool. These manage to look updated, with a touch of Retro Brit in them. These are pretty neutral, but obviously not for use with businesswear. These in particular would look great with a headscarf or shawl of sorts, as they have that 50s appeal.

Next up, these space-age shades are really cool and updated, but definitely anything but retro. These are great to wear out to a party or with something pretty trendy. If you move with the clubbing crowd, these are the ones for you.

Now, gentlemen, on to our shades. This first pair is my hands-down fave from Burberry to date. They’re aviators, so they have a hint of retro about them, but they’re so much cooler than just that. They’re sort of a sleek, updated version of the aviator which makes them a lot more timeless. Not to mention, they’re great all-around glasses. These would even look good with a more dressed-up outfit (but they’ll still look wicked at the beach!). Definitely, definitely, worth saving up for.

This next pair is basically the same thing, but full-on aviator form. These shades are great for more casual outfits, and they’ll never fail to make you look like a star (or at least cool). Not as versatile as my favourite pair but to each his own. These are definitely great glasses to look cool in while roadtripping or going to the beach – just some summer imagery for you there. Clearly, I need to get outside and spend time in the sun.

OK dudes, one more post for us because I’m a guy and I need to research men’s sunglasses desperately (I have still not found a pair for this summer – yes, yes, I’m wearing my Polo Sports from 2 years ago! Cut me some slack eh?). This pair is more unisex than any I’ve shown so far… I could definitely see some ladies pulling these off. The thing is, they’re pretty mod. Make sure you’re trendy enough to wear these, as they’ll just look dorky with most outfits. If you’re prep central, you’re not going to want to wear these – unless you’re nerdy prep, in which case these would be just the thing to complete your summer wardrobe. Tricky, huh? Not really – just remember: these seemingly square shades are NOT for squares (because you will look like even more of a square). If you’re quirky and a little offbeat, or so conservative that it’s a mod statement, then you probably want to pick these up.

So, recap: Burberry sunglasses are great, if you’re prepared to shell out and generally fit into the middle-of-the-road stylish crowd. Nothing too far out here (aside from the token pair of space age shades). So these sunglasses are perfect for the fashionista ready to branch out and try something new, but nothing too scary/offbeat/trendy. Over and out!

-FH.

I bring to you a post on Hermes Ties, because I haven’t posted for awhile and, well, all of my recent posts have been rather female-oriented. I want something pertinent to mens’ fashion up here for a change! Hermes ties are a rather quirky spot in the very conventional, traditional world of male fashion.

While I myself tend toward the conservative when dressing myself, I really like Hermes ties because they are so fascinating! This very stylish, very expensive bastion of French fashion makes ties that … have random prints all over them? If you’re going to a formal-but-sociable occasion, they make great ties. In fact, if you’re an investment banker and every Friday is Wacky Tacky Tie Day … These would make a great addition to your collection (and double as a way to flaunt your personal wealth to your coworkers and the world at large). Not only that, they’re random but still somehow tasteful?? I guess that’s the charm of Hermes.

This is one of my favourite Hermes ties. It’s silk (as they all are). I love the tigers and monkeys running across it! One of the really cool things about Hermes is that each pattern comes in several colours for you to choose from – that makes it a lot easier to coordinate outfits. The ties are not that expensive (well, for a tie they are – US$160). Compared to the bags, which retail for thousands of collars, even for a canvas gardening bag! The really expensive ones (like the Hermes Birkin) start at $4,000 for a basic model – and trust me, the prices just get steeper the more exotic you want it.

Ok, next tie – the interlocking anchors. Not a bad choice because it’s reasonably ambiguous and geometrical enough that you can wear it and still be taken seriously in a court of law, for example. The green and blue isn’t the nicest combo (I liked the blue and red better) but I love this particular shade of green so I chose to show you guys this one.

Is it just me, or is this very reminiscent of Babar? Anyone? Just me? …ok. Maybe it’s just because it’s French, and there are elephants on it. I think it looks like one of my favourite childhood literary characters. Not exactly the sort of tie you’re going to wear to court – who actually buys these? I’m not one to wear a tie outside of dressier formal occasions and business, but I guess there are some people out there with enough disposable income to buy an Hermes tie with a random pattern on it – even if they only wear it once in their life. Hah, I wish.

Now for something you could get away with anywhere, no matter the occasion. This is one of those patterns where the company has decided to integrate the ‘H’ as subtly as possible and I think they’ve done a very good job. You could wear this to work, to formal events, whatever… And nobody’s going to look at you like “hi, you have animals on your tie… were you supposed to be the clown tying balloons? you’re not even funny”. I think this is the tie I would be most likely to buy of the lot … Though the one with the tigers is tempting… Oh, well.

That’s all for today. When I return, more fodder for you female fashion huntresses out there. over and out!

-FH.

Now that I’m on a roll with Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2008 collection, I might as well give you some Chanel Eyeglasses to consider getting. Chanel Eyeglasses are a great way, in fact, to break into the brand if you haven’t already. Prescription eyeglasses are not cheap, and it only costs a bit more (well, $100 or so extra) if you want to upgrade from some generic run-of-the-mill perscription brand, to runway-for-your-eyes. This is why you see people wearing Pradas all the time: it’s a cheap way to get the brand!

A friend of mine did this and paid the extra $120 to upgrade to her Chanel Eyeglasses and she loves them. This was about a year ago, and she does not regret it at all (though it took her 2 hours to choose a pair). She was looking for a pair that gave her a sophisticated look, but not too prudish – something that she could wear with most of her clothes and look stylish without becoming a tacky, overly-trendy eyesore. Eventually she settled on a pair of black wire-rimmed squares, with the crossed Cs on the sides. Here’s what’s new from Chanel eye wear this season:

This first pair – what the hell?! Trompe-L’oeil eyebrows. (EYEBROWS!). Definitely for the adventurous only. These will look great with a more artsy look, but I find that most of the new Chanel glasses will. Pair these with a bohemian, vintage-indie style and you’ll be fine. Another option would be to use these to spice up a very sophisticated but bland wardrobe: Imagine wearing a grey suit with minimal accessories… Topped off with a pair of these babies! Oh, and before I continue, it should be noted that all of these accessories come in different colours. If you’re interested, click on the Chanel link at the bottom of the page. =)

Next up, gold-topped glasses. Very, very retro look. I love these ones, but you have to wear them with a really funky sense of style to avoid looking like the stereotypical ‘frumpy librarian’. This pair is great because it goes with so many accessories – as long as they’re gold, royal blue, red, light pink… you get the idea. I need say no more about them: Either you understand them or you don’t.

This pair is for a sophisticated, classy, understated chick (and most similar to the ones my friend bought – but hers were slightly thinner rims and more squared off). She knows what she wants, and that’s a pair of sturdy glasses that will look cute, but won’t age, and will go with all of her clothes. These I recommend if you’re a first-time buyer, or someone with a very centred, mainstream sense of style.

Minimalist. That’s all I can say about the front of these. When you turn them to the side, however, they have the signature Goatskin-on-Metal Chanel Weave! That’s pretty cool. It’s executed in a way that keeps it very up-to-date, this look isn’t retro at all. Good for a girl who needs a functional pair of classes that stay out of her way, and don’t steal too much attention away from the rest of her look. Subtle, classy, understated, elegant.

Whoa … Funky! If I were a girl, I would be wearing these. Yes, in the red colour and everything!!! I know these look a little bit more like the classic Prada glasses (although those ones are in black) but hey .. These ones come in RED (and other colours as well that I don’t enjoy quite as much)! Either way, if you’ve got a Chanel bag then these are gonna complete your look much better than slapping on a pair of Pradas – if you wear too many different name brand accessories (aka. eyeglasses, bags, etc) you will look like a brand whore. If you stick to one brand per outfit, you’ll do just fine under the eyes of even a critical fashionista. Anyway, these are my all-around faves.

This last pair, I chose to show in the turtle-shell colour because, well, that’s what they look best in. Turtle-shell is getting to be overdone, but if you wear the right colours (browns and greens) you will work them well. Notice the sides on these are quilted: I find it tacky, but to each his own, right? As long as your bag isn’t quilted, too… (awkwarddd)… Then you can wear these and the quilted pattern is acceptable.

I know I didn’t give a full range of colour here so I’ll leave it to you all to check out Chanel yourselves and see: www.chanel.com . Oh, and one last thing: Keep in mind you’re going to be (ostensibly) wearing your prescription glasses for quite a while. Especially if you’re getting the brand name ones … So don’t do anything overly trendy. Unless you’ve got money … Don’t choose rash, without the cash! Over and out!

-FH.

I didn’t post these ones the other day — too many dresses! Anyway, here are a few of the other ones. I found Chanel dresses to be very hit-and-miss this year, (but maybe I always do and just forget each season) but maybe that’s just high fashion for you. I now present the remaining Chanel Dresses worth buying from SS08!

At this point, the collection takes on a more gothic, streetwise appearance. That would be the dark colours and ubiquity of chains kicking in. Interestingly enough, chains were a favourite of Chanel. She liked to weave metal chainlink through with lace or leather: a look still seen today (but often really shoddily executed). All I have to say about the silver boots is… Look out, Eastern Europe. And maybe Tokyo. The boots are definitely only for the daring (and from my experience with Ukraine and Russian, those girls are up for just about anything, fashion-wise. Even if it means teetering down cobblestone streets in 4 or 5 inch tall stilettos).

I am a big fan of the sheer black dress. A really big fan. Granted, if everyone wore this out and about, the magic would fade but who cares; it’s really cool! I can guarantee only a few people (again, see about re: the silver boots) are going to dare to wear this. If you’re looking for something a little classier and easier to pull off, I strongly suggest the cute navy dress with the bow. yay ! It will look good on you, I guarantee.

Again with the dark colours! All of these dresses are cool but I think the first one, the one with the navy that’s floor-length, is paticularly interesting. I like how it’s different – not for everyone, but still cool. I also think the second dress stands out in terms of originality, it plays on gothic influences, like some of the other dresses in the collection. Very cool.

Finally, these last two – nothing too special, but I really like how light & fluttery they are! Very spring/summer. And that’s that, these are *the* Chanel dresses for the season. Over and out!

-FH.

Screw the stars – most of them don’t know how to dress, anyway! For all of your wardrobe advice, Fashion Hobo can give you a good dressing-down on what (or what not) to wear. In this post, you will learn how to look good in a Chanel dress. You’d better look good in these, because they aren’t cheap, as well you all know. So. Here is Fashion Hobo’s pick of Chanel Spring/Summer 08 dresses, complete with running commentary.

First down the runway, these leading ladies look great in red, white, and navy concoctions. I don’t think I need to point out the irony of the Stars and Stripes spangled throughout Chanel’s SS08 collection?! What does Lagerfeld think he’s doing? Chanel would not approve (then again, she did have that affair with a German officer in WW2 and then retreated to Switzerland – so one has to wonder, would she even have cared?). I understand that ‘summer nights’ is a whimsical enough reason to smatter stars everywhere, but the red-and-white stripes are not subtle. Not at all. Stop trying to make some sort of commercialized political statement, or at least realize that your future markets lie in Russia and China – so if you’re going to go the political route, JUST STICK WITH RED! ok? ok. But I digress. Beautiful draping (this is key to dresses, because aside from patterns and adornment, otherwise they all look the same but for draping), and classic Chanel cuts.

Again, with the starry dresses (which happen to be very cool). I like the dangly necklaces, and the jackets over top. The longer dress reminds me more of Hussein Chalayan (with the outlandish pattern), but the mini-dress is quintessential Chanel. Even though it might be too short to wear in public, this one sure looks great on the runway (or maybe even on the boardwalk at the beach).

Next up, the classics. These dresses emanate class. The subtle colours, traditional-yet-updated cuts and accesorizing, everything hints at Paris of the 20s, 30s and 40s. All of these still manage to look very ‘now’: wear any of these, look well-put-together.
That’s all for now: There are more to follow, but I don’t want to put them all in one enormous blog. Over and out!

-FH.