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The Fashion Plate

Get your daily serving of fashion and style from N&O fashion writer Samantha Smith. No extra calories, just lots of juicy fashion tidbits from the Triangle and beyond, including delicious dirt from NYC Fashion Week and sumptuous shopping tips on what's new in stores and when to shop the big sales. Got something to dish? Send it her way: samantha.smith@newsobserver.com. Keep up with style trends and more fashion news Mondays in the N&O's Life section.

Cravings winter sale

Got a friend who's pregnant? Let her know about the 25 percent to 75 percent off sale at Cravings, the maternity boutique in North Hills. Look for deals on pjs from Olian or Bellabumbum, wrap dresses from Notice and T-shirts from Three Dots.

The sale also includes OiOi and Storksak diaper bags and holiday tees from Michael Stars.

Hurry! The good stuff goes fast.

C.T. Weekends' big winter sale

And it's a biggie. They've take even more mark downs, with accessories, dresses, skirts, pants, tops and outerwear now up to 80 percent off.

If you love Christopher Blue jeans or corduroys, find them now for $40.

There's also a rack of clothes marked down to $25.
 
The sale starts today.

C.T. Weekends has stores in Glenwood Village and Triangle Town Center.

Surf and sun the latest designer look for Target

Women's Wear Daily is reporting today that Tracy Feith, known for his seasonless resort-wear look, will be the 15th guest designer for its Go International program.

Don't know Feith? No worries. He's become sort of a cult fave in recent years in sun and surf circles, especially among the Hamptons and winter resort crowds. He's known for sexy and fun pieces made from mixing fabrics, such as lace, corduroy and velveteen. His biggest crowd pleaser seems to be the printed sundress.

“I was pleased when I was approached to do (the collection),” Feith told WWD. “The distribution is exciting, to have so many people exposed to the line. Certainly some people will know my name and others won’t."

Look for the collection, which should include about 60 styles and 15 original prints, in stores just in time for summertime fashion — May 17 through June 27.

The sun is shining again on Fashion Week

Just when it was starting to look like the forecast for NY Fashion Week was getting a little gloomy, show producers released a partial list of designers who have already signed on to present their fall collections in February.

The list is chock full of regulars and a few newcomers to the tents. Missing from the list, of course, are Vera Wang and Temperley, who pulled out in part because of the economic environment.

Here's who's on board for the season:

The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection 2009 (one of my favorites!), Yigal Azrouёl, Duckie Brown, Charlotte Ronson, BCBG MAXAZRIA, Nicole Miller, Academy of Art University, Venexiana, Lacoste, Georges Chakra, Andy & Debb, ADAM, Barbie, Verrier, Monarchy, Lela Rose, Hervé Léger by Max Azria, Calvin Klein Men's, Terexov, Diane Von Furstenberg, Akiko Ogawa, Erin Fetherston, Miss Sixty, Iódice, Carolina Herrera, Carlos Miele, Tracy Reese, Luca Luca, Donna Karan Collection, Yeohlee, Tony Cohen, William Rast, Cynthia Steffe, Badgley Mischka, Matthew Williamson, Pamella Roland, Diesel Black Gold, Dennis Basso, MAX AZRIA, Tibi, Thuy, Nanette Lepore, Michael Kors, Richard Chai, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Milly by Michelle Smith, Anna Sui, Tommy Hilfiger, Rebecca Taylor, Calvin Klein, Custo Barcelona, Zac Posen, "Project Runway," Ralph Lauren and Tadashi Shoji.

Christian Louboutin's New Year's resolution

Here's what French shoe designer Christian Louboutin told Footwear News he vowed to do in the new year ...

“To brush my teeth three times a day, to not accept for one year to be a godfather — except for Barbie — and to not buy any real estate.”

Can you imagine Christian Louboutin as your godfather?

What's that stale smell at Vogue?

Are you not getting your typical monthly fashion fix from Vogue lately?

Keep getting the feeling that you've seen that same celebrity on the cover before?

Apparently, you're not alone. And editor-in-chief Anna Wintour knows it.

New York Times fashion writer Cathy Horyn gets to the botton of what's up in a recent story.

Rescuing Talbots

Have you heard the rumors about Talbots closing its doors?

Well, they simply aren't true, says Talbots CEO Trudy Sullivan in a recent article in the Boston Globe.

Yes, the company is going through tough times (what retailer isn't?). But she's been working hard in recent months to turn around the business, according to the story. And one of the biggest changes, which you might have already noticed, is the clothes, moving away from dowdy, matronly cuts to more modern looks that still feel like classics.

(Honestly, the last time I was in the store, there was so much to pick over in the clearance area that I hardly bothered to see if the fall selection was improved. It might be worth another trip to see Sullivan's vision.)

Don't like what you see in the catalog? The company wants to hear from you. Apparently, Sullivan includes her e-mail address in every catalog, all part of a plan to encourage customer feedback.

 

Cameron Diaz's New Year's resolution

 

I'm still pondering Cameron Diaz's resolution in US magazine ... I knew Whoopi Goldberg went without, but Cameron?

"I have always had the same New Year resolutions: to stop smoking, to start wearing a bra and to stop shopping."

9 things to look forward to in fashion in 2009

Oh, there's plenty to look forward to in 2009 when it comes to fashion. Here's a two-word hint about the best part: Michelle Obama.

The stylish future first lady tops the list, but find out what else will keep us guessing and interested in 2009.

Friday Freebie: MAC Dame Edna lipstick in Kanga Rouge


I can't think of better way to kick off the new year than with a new tube of lipstick in the most gorgeous, vivacious shade of red.

Today's freebie is a hard one to part with. It's part of MAC's new Dame Edna collection, which, as you can imagine, means lots of glitz, sass and glamour. The stand out is this red lipstick in Kanga Rouge.

And who doesn't like a MAC lipstick? Glides on, stays on. I love the stuff.

The value of this lipstick is $14 at MAC counters (Belk at Crabtree). But it's free to the first person to post a comment on this blog.

 

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