When it rains, it pours.

I'm not a huge rain boot fan. They're heavy and clunky and not particularly flattering to your calf size. In theory, they're adorable and perfectly preppy. But often times in execution, they're quite the pain.

I had a pair of striped wellies in high school that did manage to brighten my spirits on gloomy days -- my English teacher routinely paused class to marvel them whenever I incorporated them into my outfit.

A couple years ago I bought a pair of riding-style Hunter's -- I liked their slimmer fit more than the classic boots. They became incomparably useful this past winter, when Pittsburgh was perpetually buried under foot upon foot of snow. (Apparently no one thinks shoveling sidewalks or plowing major roads is important over there.) I wore them nearly every day and, much to my own disbelief, they minimized my cold-weather-wipeouts to just ONCE the whole season! I usually average out around three a day from December to March. This was a big deal. By the end of the season, though, I dreaded pulling them on and off. If you've ever continually worn the same pair of shoes day-in and day-out, you'll know that it's not the most comfortable situation in terms of blisters.

There is something particularly empowering about being able to stomp around town, completely oblivious as to what you're walking through, though. No dodging icy spots, no leaping over puddles. If you've ever considered investing in a pair of Hunter's, I highly encourage the purchase. They are infinitely better than any cheapo things you can buy at Target and I promise you they'll last as long as you need them. My mom has a tremendous olive green pair that she's had forever.

As I recently realized that I can now wear heels whenever I'd like due to my recent suburban re-location, it's also dawned on me that I don't have a huge need for rain boots anymore. Nowadays if the weather is unfortunate, I can find indoor entertainment alternatives. Recently, my time has been focused on re-vamping my bedroom. And when I say re-vamping, I really just mean cleaning it out so all my crap from college fits inside. I'm making slow but steady progress -- last weekend alone provided three bags of trash, two bags for Plato's Closet, and six bags for Goodwill. Not to mention three boxes and some furniture that I put into storage. It's ridiculous how much stuff one can accumulate over the years...

In which I shamelessly ask you to win me $500.

While checking on my Piperlime order status, (I spent waay too much on waay too many pairs of shoes. Here's hoping none of them fit and I can send them all back.) I noticed that they're doing a little styling contest. You can pick out pieces from the site, put them on a model, and choose a background. So I whipped together an entry, loosely based on the outfit I'm wearing. If you're feeling generous, click on this link and vote for my look! If I win, I get a $500 gift card and I can keep all my shoes, plus buy a few more. Thanks a mill, kiddos!

Cher's main thrill in life is a makeover.

Houndstooth + Tortoiseshell got a face lift, just in time for fall!

Can't remember what it looked like before? Abysmally outdated, let me tell you. In fact, I'll remind you:

Much better now, no? Any ideas on how to further improve, puhleaseee feel free to share!

Fashion's Night Out: King of Prussia Edition

I'm here for you people. 100%. So, I feel it's my duty to let you know -- just in case you weren't aware -- that we've been in a bit of a recession the past couple years.

The economical mess was a bad time for pretty much everyone, but Anna Wintour, fashion savior that she is, didn't want the industry to suffer just because no one had the spare cash to dish out for full priced fur coats and leather boots and tailored suits. So along with her team of Voguettes, she invented Fashion's Night Out as her very own stimulus package. Marketed as a way to remind people that shopping is fun (though, I'm not particularly convinced that anyone forgot this fact so much as de-prioritized it...) the evening revolves around a slew of events in every retail establishment the glossy could convince to get involved. And because it's Vogue, that list of establishments includes, you know, everyone.

The event caught on so well that it took place in every corner of the globe, including -- low and behold! -- the King of Prussia Mall! I couldn't be prouder that my neck of the woods jumped onto the Vogue-endorsed bandwagon, so obviously I'm going to insist that you all head over to the mall on Friday and take a look at what they have to offer.

There are all kinds of sweet goodies to score (free wine, anyone?), store sales and fun events all weekend long. For a full list of details (and trust me, there's a lot), check out the KOP FNO website. Personally, I'm heading over on Friday at 6 to get 10% off at American Apparel -- I desperately want one of their turtleneck dresses for fall-- grab some hors d'eouvres, and settle in to watch the runway show at 7.

In case I didn't manage to convince you to go on Friday, I'll let Anna Wintour speak for herself. That always does the trick. Watch this.

So, how do you make it in the fashion industry?

Ever been curious about how, exactly, you become a runway show producer or stylist? Start taking notes -- you're in luck. In honor of King of Prussia Fashion's Night Out, the evening's runway show producer, Kathie Young, was generous enough to take the time to answer a couple of questions for me.

Kathie has worked for Vogue, W, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks, among about a million others. So if anyone knows how to break into the fashion world, she does.
She teamed up with the Reinhard Modeling Agency, stylist Artur Kirsh, and (of course) the marketing team over at KOP to put together the runway show. If you're in town, the show starts at 7 p.m. in the Bloomingdale's court. See ya there!


And now, onto career talk with Kathie:

How did you first get into fashion on a professional scale?

As a child fighting with my mother about what I would wear to kindergarten, there was never a question in my mind that I would either be a designer or a model. I always knew I would go into fashion in some format. I started sewing in third grade and started "designing" my own outfits in the fifth grade.
Somewhere in the middle of a theatre major in college I realized I'd rather pursue modeling than design. Not tall enough for fashion, I ended up having a successful career as a "parts" model and part time fashion show commentator and coordinator. At that time, shows were seasonal -- two months in spring and fall. All shows were commentated, and you pulled your own show. Being a theatre major, I was a good public speaker, and knew fashion lingo.
One thing lead to another: many contacts later and with the creation of "Seventh on Sixth" Bryant Park fashion week, I segued from part time show stylist/producer to full time.

Do you have any advice for young women who want to pursue a similar career path?

Try it out first. I always warn people that the job is not what you think it is... it's 90 percent schlep and 10 percent glamour. It's a physically hard and demanding job and the time line is more that of live theatre, as opposed to a photo shoot or video. As you know, "the show must go on" whether you are ready or not.
I love my job and wouldn't do anything else, but it takes a specific type of personality. I always recommend a trial run first. Get involved, volunteer to work on many fashion shows, and put in as many hours as you can to see if it's for you. If you can handle the schlep and the hours, you are home free.

What is your favorite part of your job? Least favorite?
I love the creative outlet it offers me, creating a visual image from scratch, working with existing materials.
Least favorite is the budgeting process and the logistical elements -- booking trucks/deliveries/catering, etc.