What girl doesn’t love handbags? Not only are they practical and necessary, but you can wear them over and over and they are often provide that perfect finishing touch to your look. When fabulous handbags come at affordable prices, well that’s just every girl’s dream come true and that is why I am loving swell.com. Based in San Clemente, California, Swell is the # 1 surf apparel website that stocks fashion’s hottest styles as interpreted by surf and other beach-inspired lines. I was particularly attracted to the site due to their amazing handbag selection which features the hottest trends- studs, fringe, hobo, embellished, over-the-shoulder, cross-body- all at amazingly affordable prices.

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From our friends at Stylehive

Oh, the leather jacket. Never before has one piece garnered so much attention in the “save or splurge” category. You know the pros and cons of each by now, so let’s jump ahead to a much more exciting debate: real vs. faux leather. Faux leather is usually easy to distinguish from real, and a faux jacket can run you anywhere from $40 at Forever 21 to almost $200 at Urban Outfitters. While there are gems to be found, my guess is you’re giving up either quality fabric (not that good faux leather doesn’t exist) or quality construction– two things that can make or break your purchase. Real leather jackets, while often considerably more expensive, are generally going to be of a higher overall quality, regardless of the material, so if you plan on wearing your jacket regularly for more than one season, you may want to invest in the real deal. I’ve found several real leather jackets that retail for less than $250, and if you can dig up a coupon code or are brave enough to play the game known as “I’ll wait ’til it goes on sale,” you can snap one of these up for quite the steal. The trick is to look in places you may not normally frequent! So-called “mom brands” like Ann Taylor, Eddie Bauer, and Jones New York happen to have gorgeous leather jackets that easily rival the trend pieces you’d see in any high-end shop– at about a third of the price.

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From our friends at Stylehive

Get your plaid on with Sunner’s new collection exclusively at Bloomingdale’s. Check out their high neck ruffle shirt for $145 and their high neck riffle tunic for $155.

Available at Bloomingdales and Bloomingdales.com

Sure, there’s no sexier quality than your stellar sense of humor, but some Halloween costumes that are meant to be hysterical are also seriously unattractive. We’ll try to ignore that time you went as “junk in the trunk” with a pillow shoved down the back of your pants… and let’s face it — the Mary Katherine Gallagher from “Superstar” ensemble definitely didn’t get you any dates. Luckily there are store-bought costumes available that will allow you to be the true renaissance woman that you are: funny, stylish, and sexy, and maybe not so crafty, but no one’s perfect. Pay homage to a comedic character like a feisty cop on Reno 911, or give fellow party-goers a dose of 80s nostalgia in a sexy Ghostbusters get-up! You may not end up looking quite as skimpy as everyone else in attendance, but hey — the goal is to show off your personality!

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From our friends at Stylehive

The R&B Princess, Rihanna has been slowly crawling the fashion industry.  Really quiet climbing the stairs to the stage of becoming a fashion icon along with Katie Holmes and Posh Victoria Beckham. Continue reading at Lyndsay Cabildo

Gilt is a good thing this fall. Yes metallics are with us again this season. In addition to the metal stud trend is the appearance of warmer shades of gold and bronze.

Metallic leggings are one version of the many styles of skinny leg coverings for fall. We love these Helmut Lang metallic stretch leggings ($275.00 at Saks.com). Go for muted shades of metallic leggings such as bronze of antique gold. Metallic bronze leggings pair nicely with black boots. Lamé fabric is a great way to infuse metallics into your wardrobe with a softer more romantic look. One example is this Milly dress made of silk with a botanical print ($415 at Net-a-Porter) .

Gold metallic accessories are eclectic and bold. All of the pieces shown are statement pieces combined or alone. The organic shape of the Emilio Pucci bean-shaped clutch ($1,385 at Net-a-Porter) makes it one of the top obsessions for fall. So unique, it an object that can set the tone of an entire look. Missoni’s square link bracelet is a hybrid of a chain link bracelet and a cuff. Bold and offset with a whimsical tassel, this bracelet will look gorgeous set against either sleeveless black sheath or black cashmere turtleneck. Oscar de la Renta’s grommet platform sandal’s elasticized straps are a bold contrast of black and gold with a dramatic contemporary design ($675.00 at Neimanmarcus.com).

Top off your metallic look with a subtle hint of metallic eyeshadow such as Bobbi Brown’s metallic long wear cream eyeshadow ($22 at shop.nordstrom.com)

From our friends at TheFind Blog

How to Wear Suspenders [Omiru]

Lovin Leather [The It Lists]

I’m All Ears Today [Trend de la Creme]

First Look: Rachel Zoe for QVC [Chic Intuition]

Fashion Porn: Skirt Orgy [College Candy]

Image: Lyndsay Cabildo

Guest Blogger:Lyndsay Cabildo

Faux Hawk Hairstyle is popular in European countries specially for men.  What you might not know about is that, women can wear them too! Yes, Chic Pompadour, Mohawk, Faux Hawk, or Bump Hairstyle, whatever you wanna call them.  Well, it’s not just Men’s Hairstyle anymore. Read entire article at Lyndsay Cabildo

Michelle Trachtenberg

At the GUESS Flagship Boutique opening in New York City, actress Michelle Trachtenberg was totally on-trend and cutting-edge. Michelle updated a basic black cowl neck jumpsuit by adding a pop of color with an oversized hot pink Giuseppe Zanotti clutch and matching hot pink nails. She wasn’t afraid to push it a bit further by adding more electricity to the look with some standout jewelry pieces including a sparkly cocktail ring, statement bracelet, and black hoop earrings. To add some length to her legs, she opted for simple black peep-toe pumps. A black jumpsuit is a super versatile, easy-to-wear item that can be dressed up or toned down to suit any occasion. Glam it up like Michelle with eye-catching accessories, or tone it down by pairing it with sandals and a few muted pieces.

Make sure to visit our friends at Stylehive.

Rihanna

While Rihanna may have been hiding under her umbrella and taking a breather from the music scene ever since the Chris Brown fiasco, she hasn’t lost the following of her faithful fans… and her fellow fashionistas! A strong girl like Ri-Ri isn’t one to let a scandal get her down for long, and her eclectic and edgy style hasn’t suffered any despite her tiny break from the spotlight. From LA to NYC and beyond, she’s partied it up with pals in metallic leggings, relaxed spa-style in flowing printed dresses, rooted for the Lakers courtside in funky sneaker heels, and embraced her inner rocker-chick with moto jackets and a buzzed hairstyle. The Essence blog tracks her fashionable footsteps over the recent months as she enjoys the single life and gets ready to embrace the limelight yet again! Head over to take a look at the slideshow!

Make sure to visit our friends at Stylehive.