Neon nail polish- Nail polish is always a key accessory.  In 2008 the colors got much louder and much bolder. Many a star donned the bright new hues, such as Rihanna, Beyonce (or Sasha Fierce, who ever she is) and even Lilly Allen.

Wearing your support of Barack Obama became more than just a political statement this year; it was a huge fashion statement as well! It seemed like everyone was rocking an Obama t-shirt, button, sticker, etc. . . . We can only wonder if the underdog allure will fade and this statement will be retired once he takes office.

Crazy Heels- Shoes got especially unique this year. They become far more architectural and even reached heights of up to 8 inches. Platforms were a best selling style, as they provided every woman a few more inches on the men. Maybe in 2009 heels will become a lot simpler, as the current recession leads us to hypothesis that shoe companies might want to cut down on the flourishy details, popular in 2008.

Boyfriend jeans- These are by no means new, but the slouchy jeans look did seem to become especially popular in 2008. Celebrities like Katie Homes, Reese Witherspoon and Gwen Stefani were all spotted in these comfy staples. We never thought of Katie Homes as a fashionista, but apparently that’s what happens when you marry crazy Tom Cruise; the abundance of disposable cash accompanied with the strong desire to flee his clutches if only for a few hours, managed to plant her firmly on the media’s fashion radar. We still aren’t buying it.

Sarah Palin Effect- Alaska was an overlooked state before Sarah Palin reminded us that it was still in the good ole US of A. When McCain announced her as his running mate, all Hell broke loose. Her ‘doo became a signature look for the mid 40′s, republican, professional woman, while also becoming one of the most popular selling wigs in Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods like Brooklyn’s Borough Park. It even helped spawn a useless infomercial contraption called Bumpit. As if that wasn’t Palin overdose, Tina Fey impersonated her on SNL to rave reviews and she inspired one of the best porno titles of the year: ‘Nailin Palin’. Even still, it doesn’t seem like shotguns and hunting moose caught on as readily.

The Future – The runways were overcrowded this year with the futuristic, armored look. Gareth Pugh took cues from Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana and many other designers followed suit. This look is uncomfortable but fierce. Will you be wearing these crazy creations in 2009? We still love our oversized sweatshirts and vintage high tops…..

Target  designer collaborations-2008 was the year  Target began collaborating with designers in a serious way! We can’t think of every designer collaboration that was available but we have come up with a long list of the notables. 2009 is going to be a huge year for them again. With designers like McQueen, Loomstate, and maybe Betsey Johnson, we want the Target collaborations to keep on coming- maybe they should hire us?

Febuary-Converse One Star
March 2-Jovovich-Hawk
March 23-Subversive jewelry
May 20-Rogan,
April 3- Zac Posen (Australia only)
April 6-Gryson (Handbags)
July 20-Botkier,
August-Jemma Kidd, Pixi, Napoleon Perdis (make-up)
Aug 3-Richard Chai,
Aug 17-Dean Harris Jewelry
Oct 5-Jonathan Saunders
Oct 8-Anya Hindmarch
Oct 12-Sigerson Morison
Dec 28 2008-Thakoon,
Dec 28 2008-Hayden-Harnett

Skinny Jeans took over the Hood- Ushered in mainly by fashion forward artists like Pharrell and Kanye, eventually even platinum selling  Lil Wayne made the urban look a bit slimmer. The streets followed suit, and me likey. Though baggy is still a hip hop style staple, many men secure enough to do so made the skinny switch, becoming more cutting edge while also limiting their ability to carry a concealed weapon!

Ripped Tights- Keeping a pair of tights rip-less is almost impossible. In 2008 tights got all ripped up! Holes became hot and added an extra detail to any outfit. Seen on the runways of Alexander Wang and Rodarte, tights with rips and runs eventually reached the mainstream.   We’re over it now though, it’s getting too cold for that nonsense, and anyway, we were already punk already in the 80′s, (when it counted.)

DEATH of sneaker culture-  You know it’s bad when all my “in the game” homeboys are wearing shoes or grown up man kicks. Probably due to over saturation of products and weak collabos (too many to name!) this year from the athletic super brands, kick culture took a hit of stock-market proportions.  Since sneakerheads are some of the most fanatical and loyal consumers on the planet, and as soon as one drops out, 2 more are there to take their spot, high end fashion brands stepped it up to fill the gap left by sportswear companies.   Above are offerings from Marc Jacobs, but Givenchy, Lanvin, Coach and D & G (to name a few) tried to cut a chunk in this market, with limited success. Personally,  we were opting for boots more than ever this year, as nothing quite tickled our fancy. Except maybe these.

Fashion TV -  Fashion is in full focus on the small screen and it is totally scaring us! From the obvious reality programs like The Rachel Zoe Project, Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style,  Project Runway, Stylista, Glam God reality programs to the sub-scripted The Hills and now The City (vom in mouth), to fashion as the sub plot on sit-coms and dramas like Ugly Betty, Gossip Girl, Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia, we were disappointed.  No one failed to get in on the act; Even Run’s House, our favorite of the MTV’s (crap) lineup, depicted Run’s daughters, Vanessa and Angela, launching their new sneaker brand through Baby Phat; Pastry (see above) and eventually even their 13 year old half-brother Diggy pitching clothing lines to Uncle Russell! (Not to be confused with much cuter Russell Jr. AKA “Russy.”)   We really prefered 2003′s Ambush Makeover, and the lame oversaturation even made us pine for Pat Field’s inventive styling on the long lost SATC.