Cool or just plain crazy? Karl Lagerfeld's new collaboration for Repetto.

The window displays are up! We're only two days away from the opening of the first stateside Topshop.

Despite its whopping $9,875 price tag, the champagne silk corseted Vivienne Westwood dress that Carrie wore to her wedding in the Sex And The City movie went on sale at net-a-porter.com this past weekend—and almost immediately sold out. 

Take a peek at model and jewelry designer Erin Wasson's coolly undone Venice Beach bungalow, replete with backyard skate ramp and tree house.

The Obamas are paying for the White House renovation out of their own pockets. Am I the only one dying to see the finished product?

Through tomorrow, Neiman Marcus is offering an extra 25 percent off all the goods in their Last Call clearance section. Right now, this swingy magenta car coat by Elizabeth and James is just $228 (was $650).

Also, you can get an additional 20 percent off all sale items on Tobi.com until April 1st with the code "20TREAT". A.P.C.'s flannel dress embellished with a cheeky bowtie was $260, and is now $182.

Kirna Zabete has kicked off their first ever warehouse sale, and happily, it's all being sold on their website. There are all the high-end, super-fashiony labels you'd expect from them, only reduced to much more palatable prices. The inventory is going fast, so be decisive if you see something you like in your size. Here, a few highlights:

1) Proenza Schouler twill dress (was $650, now $162.50): A great work or cocktails look in the most beautiful shade of crimson.

2) Stella McCartney jersey two-tier top (was $695, now $139): Flouncy accordion pleats and ruffles feel playfully sophisticated.

3) Superfine straight-leg jeans  (were $225, now $56.50): So lean and chicly pared down.

4) Proenza Schouler tropical wool pencil skirt  (was $495, now $123.75): This is the kind of piece that will last you forever.

For more great sales near you, take a look at our weekly local listings section for store events and deals in 13 cities.

Do you remember that '80s infomercial for something called The Infinite Dress—the miracle garment that could be worn a zillion different ways? While the one they were hawking back then was a bust (or appears to have been, since I haven't seen that ad in 20 years), the concept is thriving in Butter by Nadia's signature wrap dress. I bought one several years ago and it remains one of the best investments I've ever made. It's cut from soft cotton jersey that conforms perfectly to your body, and with a few twists, it can go from halter to strapless to cap-sleeved to one-shouldered. It can even be worn as a skirt! I've tried it every way you can imagine, and it really works. It comes in tons of colors (mine is sort of smoky plum, though I'm also tempted by the navy), and there's even a dressier satin version. And it's one size fits all! (I can vouch: I've recommended this piece to friends with totally divergent body types.) Her just-launched website has a great slideshow illustrating all the ways to wear it. I've got a dozen weddings to go to this year, and now I'm inspired to wear this dress to at least half of them.

This Clu dress is an amalgamation of many, somewhat disparate things I love: ruffles, a dusty gray-pink color, scoopneck tees, full skirts, and silk. It all comes together here and totally works in this sweet, ballerina-ish way. It kind of reminds me of the outfit I used wear to dance class as a kid—a short-sleeved pink leotard and tutu. More grown-up obviously, but similarly swingy and fun to wear. I like the idea of adding a trench coat or my decade-old denim jacket to balance out the femininity of the dress; and as far as shoes go, I'm thinking strappy, tough flat sandals like this pair, featured in our accessories under $100 guide.

I've been jonesing for Diane von Furstenberg's Staedtler jacket ever since I first spotted it on her website a few months back. That craving went into overdrive last week after the season finale of The City, as Whitney wore it everywhere during Fashion Week (and looked absolutely adorable, as usual—I love Whitney!). She paired hers with a diaphanous floral skirt, and I want to go into full-on copycat mode and crib her combination of sharp tailoring and bold rugby stripes with wispy, super-feminine ruffles. I have the feeling that this jacket is one of those key pieces that elevates anything else you have on—worn-in jeans, a simple black sheath, khaki shorts, whatever.

I'm a big fan of the website spartan-shop.com, so much so that I'm going to start campaigning to have it added to our Sites We Love list. As the name suggests, there's not an overwhelming amount of stuff to buy, yet it's a trove for reasonably priced housewares with an elegant, Danish-modern vibe. Bookmark it now as a resource for gifts. I've never been into eating olives, though I like the idea of picking up this lidded olive bowl that comes with a stainless steel fork ($16) for entertaining (a great piece to take to a dinner party in lieu of a bottle of wine for the host). And I'm going nuts over this sculptural glass decanter with a wooden stopper ($26)—it's understated and so pretty. They also stock these chic steno pads ($11) by Postalco, and these candles ($20) that come in little stone pots that can be repurposed for house plants later. And, currently on my wish list, is this cylindrical table lamp ($150), which would look great outfitted with an old school Edison bulb.

I hesitated for a second before I threw on my new blue sweatshirt. I was dying to wear it, but I hadn't washed it. I started pondering whether it's unhygienic to wear something you just bought without laundering it beforehand. Think about it in terms of bedding at a hotel: Is wearing clothing that a bunch of people have potentially tried on at the store the equivalent of staying at a hotel where the sheets haven't been cleaned? Doesn't that just seem gross?

Maybe it depends on the item? I find that with silk (or anything dry clean-only) I just put it right on, but with stuff that's easy to throw in the machine (socks, tees, and, though not apparel, towels and sheets), I pre-wash. What do you guys do?

Plus, check out our tips and tricks  on caring for tough-to-wash clothing.

I've always been a fan of L.L. Bean, though mostly for the classic boat totes and rugged nylon duffels (and these shearling slippers, which I've been wearing nightly and are probably the one thing I'm going to miss about winter). Recently I noticed that the clothing seems to evolving in a more fashiony direction, with things like this slim cropped peacoat cut from water-repelling cotton canvas ($139). I love it in navy, which comes lined in periwinkle blue. I'm also into this hooded tunic ($59.95) with a graphic, leafy print in lightweight nylon that dries super-fast, making it the perfect post-swim cover-up. The fabric has UV-absorbing properties too, so wearing it is the equivalent of being slathered in SPF50—so brilliant. And as an alternative to my favorite metallic Newport News sandals that were recently discontinued, there are these dainty gold T-straps  ($44.95), which will probably be more comfortable and last me longer anyway, since they're actually made of leather with cushioned soles and rubber bottoms.

Auto is offering a 20 percent discount on all full-priced merchandise through tomorrow. Now would be a good time to stock up on chic beach accessories, like this classic fedora or this zigzag cotton pareo (which also doubles as a scarf). The code is "HAPPYSPRING09".

The Conran Shop has also slashed most of its collector-worthy furniture, rugs, and lighting by 20 percent. I'm digging this industrial-looking fire engine red steel chair (was $275, now $220), which can be used indoors or outside. The sale ends March 22.

One of the best gifts with purchase I've ever heard of: free stationery with every order at paper goods emporium redstamp.com.