Given the choice between skinny jeans and a skirt, I’ll always take the skirt. No matter how many times I tried, wearing skinny, nearly painted-on jeans always made me feel incredibly uncomfortable and not very feminine.  More Jim Morrison than Audrey Hepburn.

So anyway, when the latest skirt trend this autumn came in the form of the tulip, I was excited. What a lovely name, if not for anything else. But what is a tulip skirt? Its a skirt which is obviously shaped like the famous flower from Holland.  Cinched at the waist, ballooning slightly outwards in the middle, tapering down.

Now many fashion bloggers have attested that this style is NOT for the average woman (read: over size 4), as it has a tendency to make the hips larger.  But I beg to differ.  In fact, there are a multitude of styles of tulip skirts out there, and provided you find the right one that suits your body type, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without one in your wardrobe.

To get an idea of this, check out Styleshop.  Here you’ll see what I’m talking about.  If you’re happy with your legs, you could try the fun mid-thigh soft, wooly version by Urban Outfitters, a steal at $48.  For a more glam look, Banana Republic has a longer, purple one in taffeta perfect for the holidays, or if you feel like a splurge, Marc Jacob’s silky heart-print with black belt could be ideal.

But before you buy, its always a good idea to try on first.  So browse through your neighborhood shops and see what style suits you best.  And don’t forget these great tips I found at eHow:

1. Choose a tulip skirt with top pleats. If you are looking to create the illusion of having more curvaceous hips, buy a tulip skirt with pleats at the top, near the hips.

2. Buy a tulip skirt that flares at the bottom if you are top-heavy. A tulip skirt with a flirty flare on the bottom will help balance out the overall shape of women who have larger upper bodies.

3. Search for a tulip skirt with a slightly flared hem at the bottom for work. A tulip skirt that is fitted throughout, but flares ever-so-slightly at the bottom will add a dash of fun to your work wardrobe while still looking professional

4. Decide on a long tulip skirt with soft pleats. A long tulip skirt with soft pleats running vertically will add romantic charm to your wardrobe.

D & G Spring 2009

With the world in economic turmoil, the buzzwords these days of “bailout”, “recession”, “credit crunch”, “cost conscious” and so on, have now also hit the fashion world. The look is very much reminiscent of the depression era of the 30’s - tweeds, hats, waistcoats and grey, grey, grey, which is actually perfect for the autumn. Watch out for it in the high street shops like the Gap and H & M.

Also getting into the depression-era look, but not quite slumming it was D & G’s Spring 2009 collection which had the models decked in Deauville-inspired nautical pieces paired with modern touches like platforms and fishnets, strutting to the tune of “La Vie en Rose”.

And in Paris, where collections wrapped up just last week, talk of seriously slumping retail sales made everyone nervous, as reported by the associated press:

“Honestly, we don’t know. It’s all a big guessing game,” said Ronald L. Frasch, president and chief merchandising officer for Saks Inc. The executive described the economic crisis affecting the North American retail sector as “maybe the worst I’ve ever seen.”

“Clearly, the ones who are in the best position are the ones who have the strongest brand names. The ones who have the most difficulty are the ones who are either beginning to develop or trying to get their goods onto the market,” Frasch said.

Popular items were the swimsuit-wrap dresses by Jean Paul Gaultier - two designer peices for the price of one!

On one of my research browses, I stumbled upon “Colette“.  The mouseover read “styledesignartfood”.  All things up my alley, so with trepidation I clicked.  I arrived at a white page, (after the annoying few seconds of “loading”), with a pulsating blue circle and very funky music which got my hips swaying even at 8 a.m. Look at the photo above and you’ll notice a little bit on the lower right hand side which is a mini music player, which has some very funky tunes indeed, making me feel like I needed some kind of cocktail in my hand was sitting in a very plush cushion, schmoozing with some extremely cool people (no doubt in Colette gear).

Colette is a concept boutique in Paris, which also has a flagship store in New York city. Named after the famous novelist (who wrote Gigi), the Paris store is strictly for the seriously chic Fashionista, who wouldnt be caught dead shopping at Printemps. Up and coming designers as well a smattering of uber-cool home furnishings and accessories, have found their way to Colette (as well as a very swish tea salon), and their website is a good place to source some of this coolness from the comfort of home.  Some items on the Fashion Hookup list:

Oakley X Colette Frogskins (only 100 pcs. in the world)

Little black dress with gold bow de Valentino by Alessandra Facchinetti

Tote Bag Stephano Pilati “I Love My Planet”

In Paris, Colette is at 213 rue Saint-Honoré 75001.  In NYC, 54th and 5th Avenue.

The eBay market place is home to many different items, real and fake. North Face jackets are extremely popular items on eBay because they can be sold at high prices because they are high quality jackets. However, there are a large number of North Face jackets which are being sold on eBay which are fakes. It is widely reported that you will find at least 300 fake North Face jackets at any one given time on eBay.

Like with many fake items on eBay, it is very difficult to tell the difference between the real and the fake items until you get them in your hands. However, one thing you can check is the location of the seller. I do not intend to be prejudice in any way, but you have to be very wary of the sellers of the North Face jackets if they are located in Asia. It is widely reported that you can only very rarely find a real North Face jacket from an eBay seller located in Asia, the majority are fake.

Even when you have received your North Face jacket, it is still difficult to indentify if the jacket is real or fake. In many cases, the fake North face jackets will have the authentic tags and the exact same quality patterns as on the real jackets. They are the exact same looking jackets but with a major difference, the material! The fake North Face jackets will not be made from the Gore-Tex material. It will be manufactured from a cheap substitute material.

You will soon realise this when you go out in the rain or snow later on and you find that you are soaked through within minutes and you are sweating like mad! If the material is real Gore-Tex then this shouldn’t happen. You should be kept dry! It may be easier to identify bad materials if you are already an owner of a known to be real North Face or other similar quality jacket. You could pour an amount of water on an area on both jackets and observe how wet the underside of the jacket feels and also time how long the wet patch takes to dry. If there is a major difference in the time taken by the two jackets then you will have probably identified that the jacket is fake!

The best advice that you can give to anybody when buying a North face jacket is to be suspicious right from the beginning. I know that doesn’t seem appropriate but it must be done. If you take some time to research about the jackets and use your own common sense if you see a really cheaply priced jacket, you will soon be able to identify if the North Face jacket is fake. It is not easy, but you will soon be able to differentiate between the real and the fake.