In the past I have enjoyed shopping from Delia's, but this plaid trend just won't work for me. I'm a city slicker, not a lumberjack! And besides: I did it in the '90s. I'm too old to play this time around. Welcome to My So Called Life, okay?!?! Anyway: The plaid. There's lots of it.

Don't let the puppies fool you! We're not here to look at doggies. We're here to witness a plaid phenomenon.

Will you look at all the colors?!?! Now, as we mentioned in August, buffalo check was declared "impossible to miss" on the runways in 2008. Welcome to 2009: We're drowning in it!

If a shirt isn't special enough for you, try a cardigan!

If a cardiagan's not right for you, try a plaid scarf — with a bright coat!

If a bright coat doesn't do it for you, go ahead and get a plaid coat. Or a check coat.

Do it now! Limited time!

Don't like toggle closures? They've got buttons. JUST BUY SOME PLAID.

Or check! Don't you want white buffalo check, just like the Ralph Lauren runways? (Last year.)

Whatever you do, don't forget you need something plaid! It's imperative!

How about a dress?

Or you could just get a bag!

Plaid shoes. Shoes! This is what it's come to. Wake me up when we get to polka dots.

Earlier: Urban Outfitters: Everything Old Is Fug Again
Entertainment Earth: Where Your Fangirl Dreams Come True
Halloween At Dean & Deluca: The Trick Is Being Able To Afford The Treats
11 New Weird Christmas Ornaments From Bronner's
October At J. Crew: Pretty, Preppy, Preposterous
Free People: Winning Us Over With Cute, Cuddly Critters
Anthropologie: Sartorialist-ic "Real" People Impossibly Pretty, Well-Dressed
Fall At J. Crew: Romantic Ruffles, Destroyed Jeans, Hideous Shoes

I can't get away with tiny animal print shorts, but surely some of you can? Thirty bucks is a good deal!

This long, strapless printed dress seems versatile — whether you're going to the supermarket, to the beach or to a garden party. $50!

Multi-colored denim — matched to Chucks — just makes it seem like the world is full of joy and possibility. Or maybe it's giving me a flashback. The jeans and the sneaks are $50 each.

Loving the poppy, op-art tunic. Pair with footless tights for a mod look! It's $45. the plaid shirt I'm meh about, though it looks great on the model. ($40)

Hmm, plaid dress? Do we likey? ($45)

Four words: Cute, cute, cute cute! That black and white boy-short suit on the lower right is additionally adorbs.

I've written about being a plus-size shopper who plunders the pages of Alloy before; this issue has plenty of items I covet. Starting with the backdrop on the cover… I don't know where it is, but it looks like a vacay. I want to go to there.

I have some of those Truck jeans (far left) and they fit great. They come in sizes 1-25 and inseams 30"-37". Because — gasp — women come in different shapes and sizes!

Even though I despise jumpsuits, this chick is pulling it off. Maybe because it's a "romper"? Or maybe the backdrop is helping.

Pretty!!! (I could say more, but why?)

I love summery clothes which are loose and loungey. And! That tunic on the right comes in sizes S-XXXL.

For some reason I find that tops with open, square or scooped out necklines are not only flattering to the double Ds but more comfortable and breezy. Hence: Want.

Psst. Yoga pants "super steal."

Teens who wear outfits like this are better-dressed than I am but then again I blog from home in a muumuu.

More pretty. Especially the long dress on the left and the tunic on the right. And everything here is under $50.

Add an ice cream cone and some flip flops and you've got a summer classic.

Delia's [Official Site]
Alloy [Official Site]
Earlier: Alloy: The Secret Weapon Of The Broke & Plus-Sized
Delia's Deals: A Guilty Pleasure For The Young At Heart

• Would Rachel Zoe support Code Pink? Here's her response: "I’m embarking on a big initiative this year for ovarian cancer—that’s next. But if I lived in the ’70s, I would have been right in John Lennon’s bed with him and Yoko. God, I wish he were alive." We'll take that as a...maybe? [BlackBook]
• Anand Jon: Rapist, or simply a creep? [Radar]
• Despite rumors, Pixie Geldof isn't designing for New Look. She's modeling for them! [ElleUK]
• Finnish designer Ivana Helsinki based her knits line for Topshop on "the champagne state of drunkenness." Sign us up! [VogueUK]

• H&M feels the pinch. Don't we all. [WWD]
• Is Alessandra Facchinetti getting the pink slip at Valentino? [Fashion Week Daily]
• At the end of the day, fashion's a business. Albeit a ridiculous one. [Independent]
• Which is why Lanvin might be selling a stake to a Qatar investor. [IHT]
• Posh's new boots: ugly, of course, but are they equally uncomfortable?! [Guardian]
• Apparently Paris fashion week is sucking far less than did New York's. [Fashionista]
• This new hand-held scanner can tell if a garment's a fake -so you don't have to send your clothes to a lab, like you were doing before! [IHT]
• Foot Locker's buying skateboard apparel maker CCS. It's currently owned by Delia's. [WSJ]
• Model Sarah Murdoch says "In fashion ... there is an unhealthy body image for young women." No shit. [News.com.au]
• Balenciaga show apparently bites. [NYT]

• Sadie defended fashion from hateful Wintourish anti-heroes.
• We told Seventeen's constructive criticism and eyeshadow advice to suck it.
• Women's magazines "saved" Cathy Alter's life.
• But not ours.
• Dodai revealed her secret passion for juniors fashion..

• Tracie slayed the "emotional conquistador."
• Lamb cums all over Gwen Stefani's face!
• We were fondly embarrassed by our fathers.
• It's thankfully, oh so thankfully Friday! So enjoy your Cocktails n' Dreams and have a fantastic weekend

Remember: The fewer the sheep, the better the bedding.

Brightly colored bedding can bring some oomph to the bedroom, okay? Digging everything here except the ankle-busting bed.
Marimekko Hedwig bedding, $99.95 for a Queen set. [CB2]
Grade: 1 sheep







Another ankle-buster. Some people like pain. Bruises in the bedroom, wink, wink. As for the pattern? Meh.
Kikku bedding, $99.95 for a Queen set. [CB2]
Grade: 3 sheep







Loving this! Plush, with pops of color. Soothing, but fun. An aside: Awesome pink bedside table.
Taj linens, $24.95 - $129.00; henna pillows, $39-$59. [CB2]
Grade: 1 sheep







Delia's sometimes has really cute bedding. This isn't it.
Victorian sheet and pillow case set, $49-$99; comforter cover, $48-$78.
Grade: 4 sheep

This is some kind of test, clearly. If you are under the age of 21 and your favorite movie is Moulin Rouge, this bedding is acceptable. Otherwise: No.

French twist sheet and pillowcase set, $49-$79. comforter cover, $48-$68. [Delias]
Grade: 3 sheep

Too cutesy? Too fun? Too girly? Not if you choose the blue or the polka dots, instead of both. But why not leave it the way it is: Can you really ever have too much fun in the bedroom?
Antique chic sheets, $69 for a Queen set; comforter cover, $68. [Delia's]
Grade: 1 sheep

While this is a dreamy bed, it's a wee bit plain. Plus, putting it in the lobby of an abandoned hotel might make it hard to sleep at night.
Crowned crane bedding, $58-$348. [Anthropologie]
Grade: 2 sheep

Into hideous acid-trip nightmares? This is the bedding for you!
Iris bedding, $58-$228. [Anthropologie]
Grade: 4 sheep









Gah. All of my secret desires to be in the remake of Les Liaisons Dangereuses could be fulfilled here. I'd love un peu more color, but mon dieu! Très sexy!
Rosemallow bedding, $58-$228; Italian campaign canopy bed, $1,250-$1,898; wingback chair, $1,998; mirrored dresser, $1,298. [Anthropologie]
Grade: Zzzzzzzz.






Earllier: Pottery Barn, Anthropologie & West Elm: Bedding Porn For Sleepyheads

Most items mentioned are available in sizes XS-XXXL.

This stuff is not just for teenagers! Wear the dress to work with a cardigan; the trench with trousers. Pretend you didn't see those pre-torn jeans.

These are the jeans that you should wear with the previous trench. Plus: The Karmann-Ghia is my dream car!

Cotton blouse with lace inset! Under $32! Actually, everything on this page — except for the pre-torn jeans — is pretty great. And that includes the vintage luggage, which, sadly, is not for sale.

While all of these are cute, your best bet is the Sackrace dress. Cotton. In white or black. Up to XXXL. Forty bucks.

I have this dress. I get so many compliments on it. It's so crisp and easy and looks cool with silver bangles and gladiator sandals. Highly recommended; now on sale.

Skinny jeans! I know they are much-debated. I think they can be slimming. You may disagree. But check this out:

Wide leg, trouser cut and boot cut. From sizes 1-25. Awesome fall colors. All under $40.

More dresses! I've already ordered that drop-waist one on the left. I'll let you know how it goes.

The top and the dress are pretty great. Ixnay on the eansjay and the ootsbay.

I also ordered this blouse. Cotton! 35 bucks! I'll pair it with a pencil skirt and the kooky oxford heels I got at Payless.

[Alloy]

Look at how happy they are! Not a care in the world! I want what they have! And by that I mean $45 skinny jeans.

Cardigans are my life. Winter, spring, summer or fall. With dresses, pencil skirts, A-line skirts, jeans, sneakers, heels, evening gowns and pajamas. $39.50? I'll take one each in berry, black, oatmeal and heather gray, thanks.

Oh, and one of each on this page.

Whoa. Pass. They can't all be winners.

Even if you live in a place called OverThirty, as I do, and therefore probably won't wear this stuff, you can appreciate that there's something refreshing about these images. It's almost enough to quell a jaded soul.

Each one of these darling summer dresses is under 35 bucks. You're welcome.

Happy happy, joy, joy.

[Delias]

The slightly puffed sleeves and the longer length make this sweater more interesting that a plain-old J.Crew one. (Cotton boyfriend cardigan, $29.50)

Classy in black, preppy in khaki, adorable in red! (Maria trench, $68.50)

Ksubi electric blue jeans are around $220, but get similar pair for 40 bucks — at that price, you might as well get every color. (London low-rise skinny; Brooklyn bright skinny, $39.50 each)

OK, maybe we're too old to wear this, but do kids today even know what mix tapes are? (Mix tapes hoodie, $44.50)

Guess what? Some of us still wear underwear. Checkered boy shorts for the win! ($6.50 each or 5 for $19.50, choose from 11 patterns)

Cozy flannel booties almost make it alright that the weather is getting colder. (Hobbit sneaker in brown, gray or plaid, $48; rainbow Red Label Converse, $67 {and part of proceeds goes to Global AIDS fund}; sequin Chucks, $82)

Gold chains and plaid? Kind of schoolgirl charming, kind of hip-hop preppy. (Sweet Tartan bedding, $67 for queen-sized sheet and pillowcase set; $57 for reversible comforter cover; $50 for bedskirt)

[Delia's]

(As always, click on pictures to enlarge.)

Don't mind the fact that the models are all of fourteen. Delia's has tons of affordable fashions that work for women well into their 30s. Like this Nikki dress (left, $44.50) and Bette shirtdress (right, $44.50):

These may be blatant knock-offs of Marc Jacobs' fruit/clock pendants but hell, they're more affordable ($29.50) and (almost) as adorable.

What sort of body does one need to pull off a kimono? Do we have that body? Who cares? Both of these cuties are under $35.

Black-and-white hued tunic with floral Pop-Art ($29.50) plus skinny black pants equals fashion goodness. Those Ray-Ban knockoffs ($12.50) aren't bad either.

Next up: Sundance.

Anthropologie catalogs are kind of like the hipster guys we hung out with in high school: creative, alluring, and full of personality, but inaccessible in a way that gives us the sneaking suspicion we're not the sort of girl that turns them on. This undercurrent of iciness, of course, only makes us coming back for more, and it's no different with today's arrival of Anthropologie's new Print catalog.

We're not quite sure what the point of Print is, other than gathering together lots of apparel, footwear and home accessories with, well, prints. But we're besotted nonetheless. Take, for example, the gorgeous Splash Halter Dress, which is practically a spring steal (coming from Anthropologie, that is) at $178.

We're also loving Anthropologie's obsession with botanical prints, as evidenced in this adorable Chlorophyll Study Dress and, admittedly, way-too-pricey Dahlia Sketch Tunic. And remember how we were all atwitter over the bedding in yesterday's Garnet Hill catalog? Fuck that. We're switching allegiances to this Bella Quilt.

Speaking of high-school, is it unbecoming that we're almost into our mid '30s and love teen mag-a-log Delia's? Seriously folks: there's not only some cute stuff in the latest catalog (this could look great with a pair of indigo jeans) but a lot of that stuff — which is already way-affordable — is on sale. SALE! Like this Cameo Crew. Or this Ribbon Chain Headband. (It could look like shit in real life, but there's always the option of giving it away to the tween in your life).

We may be 30-somethings with the emotional maturity — and bad skin — of the teenage girls the catalog is meant for, but dammit: We're proud to say that we [heart] Delia's.