Good Girls Wait

Single girls, and the lucky boys who date them, are aware of certain "rules"to consider when faced with a new suitor. For example, no messy foods (think BBQ, spaghetti, etc) on the first date, always wait until after date #5 before having "the talk," and other such dating formulas. But whether you follow these rules, or make up your own as you go, come December you will be singing the praises of one dating principle in particular - that's when Nicole Miller's new lingerie collection, aptly titled 3rd Date, will be available.

The collection (Miller's second lingerie line) was designed for "the way women live their lives today," says the designer, no doubt referring to the pearls of wisdom passed down from such celebs as Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Aniston (as well as countless other women who are faithful to the third date rule). Seven bra styles, including a lace balconette (Hello, cleavage!) and a plunging strapless number, plus coordinating bottoms and a suspender belt with clips will make up the too-sexy collection, which will be available at Bloomingdale's this winter, and Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus after the first season. Expect to see print ads in Elle this November.

Average retail price for the bras will be $50, the garter belt will go for $24, and panties will be $15. Lingerie this pretty (and inexpensive!) should be shown off, but try to wait until the 3rd date!

Who, What, Where?

Los Angeles - Manhattan Beach swimwear designer Shay Todd has opened up her eponymous boutique in the beachside community. You may remember a certain Carl's Jr. commercial with a certain heiress donning a plunging one-piece a couple of years ago - yup, that was a Shay Todd original. But besides swimwear, merchandise in the 1,800 square feet space (which is shared with contemporary apparel retailer, Bombshell) will also include resortwear (think super-cute coverups). Look for prices to start around $150 and go up from there.

New York - According to WWD, Ambercrombie & Fitch may be coming to SoHo - and coming BIG I might add! A 40,000 square feet space is now occupied by Pottery Barn, but reports suggest the store will be closing to make room for the cargo-slinging, jean shorts-pushing A&F.

Emily Is King

If you haven't yet heard the mellifluous sound of Emily King you are truly missing out! The New York-born songstress with the voice as sweet as honey happens to be the daughter of international jazz duo Marion Cowings and Kim Kalesti, and her deep musical roots push to the surface of every song on East Side Story, her debut album due out August 28, 2007.

Influenced by musicians as disparate as Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Nas, and Neil Young, King's style is a captivating melange of R&B, pop and folk. Don't miss U & I (my personal fave), a winsome, lilting tune that Emily describes as "a pure love message." Plus Walk In My Shoes, a ripe coming-of-age expression, has a beat so mellow and infectious even the worst of dancers will find their rhythm.

Catch a live performance of U & I at HBO On Demand through the end of August (click here for the specs) or hear Walk In My Shoes at EmilyKingOnline.com.

I'll Drink To That

It's the weekend. I've had a long week. Plus my hair is doing some weird, frizz overload thing that has me ready to hide under a rock. Fortunately it's the weekend. It's been a long week. And now I can relax with some girlfriends and sip delicious cosmos. How cute will I look shaking things up with one of these:

Shopaholic Too Shaker, $34

Cocktail Shaker & Slip, $20

Single Martini Shaker, $25

These cocktail shakers are the perfect combo of kitsch and cool, don't you think? Have a fabulous weekend and remember to drink responsibly!

Who, What, Where?

Want to know when a major retailer is coming to your town? Curious to find out when a designer flagship store is opening? Well, Who, What, Where? is a new addition to Style Goodies that will give you all the details of where you'll soon be shopping!

Atlanta: Girls and boys, get your credit cards ready because H&M is setting up shop in your town! The Swedish retailer is bringing a two-level, 24,000 square foot store to the Dirty South in March. Expect to find the full line of women's, men's, and children's clothing, accessories, lingerie, and everything else that makes H&M so fan-freaking-tastic, all in Atlantic Station.

Paris: And speaking of H&M, the City of Lights has granted the mass retailer to open a store on famed Champs-Elysees. Tres magnifique!

ShopBop Designer Boutique

Okay, so yesterday Barry Bonds broke every home run record in baseball history, or something like that - very good I'm sure. BUT TODAY... ShopBop introduced their Designer Boutique featuring gorgeous, vintage-inspired handbags from Zac Posen, cute little dresses from Thakoon, and so much more - WOOHOO!!! Fashionistas everywhere, rejoice!

I'm pining for everything (surprise, surprise!)! The Rachel Roy Biella Dress is the perfect balance of pretty and sleek; and the Derek Lam Long Sleeve Pleated Dress is sort of spacey and daring, but playful at the same time; and don't even get me started on the Givenchy Open-Toe D'Orsay Pump - magnifique!

Now, even though my meager writer's salary won't even allow me to purchase a sock from any of these designers, it's still fun to look at the pictures and daydream! Plus, I plan to live vicariously through those of you who will be getting some designer goodies. So tell me, what do you have your eye on? Style Goodies wants to know what you plan to splurge on!

Steal Nicole Richie's Look (For Less)

The oversized glasses, the chic LBD...Fashionistas everywhere swooned at Nicole Richie's classy, Jackie O-inspired ensemble on the day of her court appearance a couple of weeks ago. Today, Frugal Fashionista tells us how to get the look for less. WOOHOO!

French Dressing

I am a fan of French fashion website La Redoute because a) when people compliment my stellar fashion sense I can tell them I have my things shipped from Paris [NOTE: this is technically not a lie] and b) this website allows me to get my shopping fix without breaking the bank (nearly everything is under $100 and most stuff is even less than $50!!). Here's what I'm jonesing for this Fall:

My office is always ridiculously freezing. This Poncho Cardigan looks deliciously cozy and I love the off-white color.

Poncho Cardigan, $49.99

The perfect blouse to throw on with skinny jeans (the darkest of dark washes) and metallic pumps. Plus it costs less than what I pay for parking!

A-Line Blouse, $29.99

The must-have denim of the season! And since they're so much less than, say, your Sevens or Antiks or Acnes, I can buy a ton of cute tops and sweaters to go with them.

Wide-leg Jean, $39.99

To go with the jeans of course!

Tie-neck Top, $29.99

And you already know there are a ton of dresses and shoes that I'm pining for (far too many to list!) Can't wait to show off my "little somethings I picked up in Paris!"

The Fashionista Diaries

So did anyone else watch the premiere of The Fashionista Diaries on Soapnet?! I did and I thought it was fabulous! It combines all the juicy, gossipy, catty drama of, say, The Real World, but with a stylish, red-carpet, fashion and beauty industry twist - genius!

Here's the scoop (courtesy of Soapnet.com):
"Six lucky twentysomethings -- Andrew, Bridget, Janjay, Nicole, Rachel and Tina – plunge headfirst into the New York fashion world on The Fashionista Diaries. As these newbies will learn, the business of beauty can get pretty ugly. You can find out all about our Fashionistas -- Andrew, Bridget, Janjay, Nicole, Rachel and Tina – by reading their revealing diaries. They're full of juicy fashion tips, sexy secrets and surprising confessions."

The first episode was already pretty juicy - Bridget, a cute but possibly manipulative city girl, moved in with Andrew, the only guy, which begs the question, "Will they or won't they?" Plus, after only a few days of work Nicole began to doubt her ability in the industry (as did her boss!). The Fashionista Diaries airs Wednesdays at 9pm on Soapnet. Click here for more scoop about the show.

Going for Broke Pt. 2: My Secret for Not Going Broke!

So someone asked me (referring to the previous post about Young, Fabulous & Broke), "What if I don't have money to spend over $100 on a simple little dress to lounge around in?" Great question, because quite honestly I don't have that type of money either. What I do have is a fierce, almost crippling addiction to clothes, and unfortunately, champagne taste to counter my annoying beer budget. So while I may splurge on one YFB dress (because, really, they are to die for), I'll spend an equal amount on about thirty items from American Apparel. See that - it's called balance!

Poplin Cross-Front Dress, $36

Baby Rib Cross-Back Summer Dress, $39

Is this not the most adorable, deliciously comfy romper you've ever seen?! LOVE!

Tri-Blend Halter Romper, $28

If you've never checked out American Apparel you simply must! They have a huge-beyond-your-wildest-shopping-dreams selection of dresses, skirts, leggings, shorts, tanks, rompers, socks, and tons more! Everything is colorful and fresh and super-comfy, plus you can't beat the prices with a big ol', expensive, designer stick.