the skinny on the skinny

for all of you ready to free your ankles from the bondage of skinny pants, look no further than fall 10 where designers began showing some relief for our delicate little tarsuses. john patrick of organic (below) and phillip lim (bottom) both welcomed a wide leg on the runway, so be prepared to pack away your skinnies and open your mind to a new cut.

photos from style.com

on the first day of christmas...

welcome to the poole shop gift guide. from now until december 24th, we'll present you (no pun intended) with the best presents for everyone on your list this year. from grandmas to long-lost cousins and family members you'd rather disown, our collective brains have come up with some real show stoppers guaranteed to please. you'll probably even find a couple things for yourself along the way...cheers!
what: 3.1 phillip lim lace driving glove
who: your eccentric great-aunt. you never know what to get your grandmother's sister, but she's been at every family gathering sipping her special christmas cocktail ever since you were wishing for the barbie dream house. she's lived in paris and london and once had a brief affair with a famous actor in the 1940's. she's seen a lot in her day and isn't surprised by much, but this year we're confident she'll love the old-world luxury and charm of phillip lim's lace driving glove. it may even take her back to her great gatsby prohibition days.

playing dress-up

it must be difficult being a celebrity these days. in addition to the incessant flash of the paparazzi invading your personal space, there's a whole generation of bloggers out there ready to criticize your every move. but we feel that while you're on camera, you should dress your best (especially if you're afforded the luxury of a stylist). below we've outlined some misses from television's most popular hosts, and offered our advice on how to turn them into hits.

1. catt sadler, host of e!'s "daily 10" has a flirty style that suits her personality, but sometimes her fashion sense steers a little too far in the direction of "floozy." a general rule of thumb is if you're fitted on top, have some volume on bottom. to re-interpret catt's style, we've put together a gold see by chloe top and leather phillip lim "ra-ra" skirt that creates a fun, flirty look without being too sexy for prime time television.

2. rachel ray is a fan of patterns, but sometimes the look is overwhelming on her frame: lame-o! to keep it simple and more flattering, a bold stripe print, like the sea dress pictured above, creates drama and interest while a tailored corduroy blazer from wren keeps the dress from overpowering her.

3. on the biggest loser, alison sweeny's look seems dated. while she's careful to accentuate the positive by belting her slim waist, she's also prone to wearing pieces that look like they've been hanging in her closet for years (especially the satin frocks she wears at the weigh ins). to bring her up to date, we suggest a chic asymmetrical-hem dress from clu that can easily be dressed up or down. the shoulder pad detail on the dress also works to draw the eye toward the waist when belted.

4. samantha harris has quite a burden on her shoulders to keep up with the glitz on dancing with the stars, but we think this is a case where "less is more" should come into play. the black A.L.C. dress pictured above has a simple silhouette that flows beautifully while on the body. paired with a dramatic necklace, it's all the glam a girl needs to set herself apart from the competition.

edie rocks

have you met edie? we first blogged about it months ago, and it looks like the celebrity set has finally caught on to the inherent coolness of phillip lim's latest bag. rachel bilson has been photographed toting hers all around town, and alexa chung even tweeted about hers! no wonder the bags are selling out in NYC and LA. the good news is that we know a place where you can still find the edie: poole shop (at least for now). we love its vintage meets rocker meets holiday sweater vibe...you just can't go wrong with this one.

bows, bows, bows

whether unconventional (lydia delgado, left) or whimsical (derek lam, right), bows took the stage at the fall 2009 runway shows. our favorite reinterpretation of the bow this season? check out phillip lim's edie bag, pictured with diane kruger (bottom) at a recent appearance on live with regis and kelly! to get a better view of this little gem, come visit us at poole shop. the bag just arrived in two colors!