Instead of filing our taxes, we've decided Saturday's spring sales are a must. Two in particular have thrilled the procrastinor in us: Sodafine's trunk show and EMG's monthly vintage extravaganza.

Sodafine's show spotlights two Brooklyn designers, Supayana and Popomomo. We love the photo of the latter's fuschia dress. What better way to prance around in a prickly, weedy backyard than in a designer frock? Plus, this trunk show promises snacks.

And starting at 2pm, it's EMG's monthly vintage sale at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. In addition to their usual retro threads, EMG will be selling Octopi at "deeply discounted prices." This means silk/linen "armor" dresses ($125), limited edition lame jackets ($150), and cardigans ($40).

We checked out Octopi's website for more information. Their "about us" opener reads:

This animal with the ability to transform its color, texture, and shape to suit diverse environments influences the Octopi line.

Huh . . . Perhaps it's best to just check out the sale.

Sodafine
119 Grand Street
Brooklyn, New York
718-230-3060

EMG
Tribeca Grand Hotel
2 Avenue of the Americas
212-519-6600

(From here: A Lilly Dache design or a prop from the TV show Blossom?)

Mark the date! Cancel your evening plans! Tomorrow FIT's offering a "special lecture" — Hats 101. You might think you know the difference between a beanie and a cap, but how about a Gatsby or a Fez? Join Ellen Goldstein, the school's chair of Accessory Design, for a night of millinery magic. And leave knowing way too much about berets and bonnets.

Hats 101 at the Museum of FIT
Thursday, March 29, 6-7 p.m.
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street
Marvin Feldman Center (C-Building), 9th floor Boardroom
212-217-5800

Tokio 7: H&M; is not a label.

It's time to consign. But the catch is that this requires not sifting through the winter clothes you've grown to hate over the last few months, but picking through your spring and summer goods and facing the reality of what you will actually wear this year, and what needs to go.

We like to bring a garbage bag or two to Beacon's Closet in Williamsburg (the Park Slope location is smaller and more yuppie-friendly) a few times a year and watch while some bored looking hip guy pushes our plain but good quality tops aside for anything ironic and trendy. Then there is the challenge of whether to take the cash or the credit (you get more credit than cash). If you're as broke as us, you'll know what to do. Do you really need more old lady skirts? or do you need to pay your cellphone bill, like, asap?

But Beacon's Closet is no place for labels. When it comes to the good stuff, we are fond of Tokio 7 on East 7th Street. Yes, the process of showing your items can be a painful one. There's no sugar coating here, ladies, but when they take something--in our experience--they sell it. You can name a price or they will suggest one, and in the end you get 50% of that amount. When we asked for some guidelines, an owner told us: "Current style, good condition, good quality. Designers." And do not dawdle. Selling something late in the season means lower price tags, and possibly scorn from the management. So revisit that BCBG top your mom gave you a few birthdays back, which you know you'll never wear.

Beacon's Closet

(Currently buying for Spring)

88 North 11th

Williamsburg

(718) 486-0816

Tokio 7

(Currently buying for Spring/Summer)

64 East 7th Street

(212) 353-8443

(From here: The alternative look of "tiny white hearts")

There just aren't as many teenage goths as there used to be. Or so it would seem for the apparel chain Hot Topic. WWD reports:

With fewer teens defining themselves as gothic or a metal head, Hot Topic, who once took pride in catering to these alternative groups, is looking for ways to appeal to a diversified consumer.

The new "Downtown" prototype creates a genre-free zone that management hopes will attract customers who describe the store as being too dark and intimidating.

For those who worry they're losing a manic panic connection, fear not.

While the new stores may be brighter and less edgy, analysts believe Hot Topic is not in danger of pushing away their goth customers.

"Hot Topic is as edgy as you get. It is not as though there is another retailer who will swoop in and take away those customers," said Kimberly Greenberger, specialty analyst at Citigroup.

Greenberger speaks the truth. Nothing screams edgy like their new red and white heart jumper. And don't get us started on their wild spring break collection.

The new Levi's ad is an intriguing faux art film. The stars go from weirdly hip to trendy and boring as they attempt to do it through many layers of denim. It makes you want to buy jeans or something.

(From here)

In her "Project Comeback" article last week, LA Weekly's Linda Immediato caught up with Jeffrey Sebelia to see what's behind his first post-Project Runway show.

Entitled "The Eternal Embrace," Sebelia's new collection is all about "true love." However, we weren’t quite prepared for the root of this inspiration—"the discovery earlier this year of two 5,000- to 6,000-year-old hugging skeletons."

"Just the thought of them embracing one another at the time of their death,” he says, “it touched me. It seemed like the eternal love people keep searching for. They've been hugging for several thousand years."

So how does this translate into threads? The skeleton duo "made him think of the color of bones and dust and dirt, all of which suggested a color palette for the designs, and also inspired simplified, stripped-down pieces."

"I know it sounds trite to say this out loud," Sebelia says shyly, "but I wanted to get to the skeleton of the pieces, the skeleton of fashion."

If you can't wait until the line's Wednesday debut, catch a sneak peak here.

Curious about Madonna's new H&M; collection, we hiked over to their Soho store. There a neutral palette of '40s tops and skirts, bodysuits (?!?), kimono-inspired dresses, and modish pants and trench coats, greeted us, then made us yawn. After viewing the collection's commercial, we thought the threads would be thrilling and different. The campaign suggests that a person's look will be transformed into a vision even Madge approves of. Yet, the dull clothes were more Banana Republic than designs created by the envelope-pushing Queen of Pop.

We tried on a few selectons. However, the black skinny pants produced the same look of horror all drainpipes do for us. And the mulberry silk kimono-style dress proved too unstructured; our winter shape demands tougher tailoring.

On our way out, we asked a salesperson how 'M' sold on its first day. She said more people tried on than purchased, but added that the black jumper ($39.99) and khaki rayon dress ($59.99) did well. We can't imagine why the matte ivory polyster/rayon bodysuit wasn't a bestseller.

We love us some crazy, and Naomi Campbell is a true gift--from the crazy-gods to the local news channels--that helped us all get through another work week. At 4PM today, the supermodel concluded her community service sentence--a week of cleaning at the Department of Sanitation--for hitting her maid, Ana Scolavino, with a crystal-encrusted cellphone, which resulted in four stitches on the head.

Campbell, who arrived at work this morning in black slacks, exited the building in a floor-length silver gown, smiling broadly and waving to the paparazzi. Ladies and gentlemen, the mayor of Crazytown, USA.

(From here: Illustration by Ryan Sanchez)

This week our fashion expert, Lynn Yaeger, takes on The Secret, Rhonda Byrne's popular book on how to use the Law of Attraction to achieve personal success. In Shopping With The Secret, Yaeger writes:

I now use The Secret's secret weapon, the Law of Attraction, to attract exactly what I want. Lucky for me, The Secret has come along just in time: This season in particular clothes, shoes, and especially handbags have price tags once confined to diamond tiaras and luxury sports cars.

If you remain unconvinced of this bestseller's ways, check out The Secret's film, playing next Wednesday at The Soho House Screening Room. If this isn't near where you live, focus the Law of Attraction and a screening event will come to your 'hood.

The Soho Screening Room
Wednesday 28, 6:30 p.m.
29-35 9th Avenue
[email protected]

(From here: Sleeving it up at Min-k)

So spring has officially arrived. Time to start thinking cotton sundresses, and forget about the winter boots-leggings-tunic combo (please!)

Thankfully, Min-k is here with warm thread inspiration. Tonight from 6-8 p.m., they are "showcasing" their new season. And to get you over the fear of showing more skin, wine will be served. Of course, if that doesn’t work, their winter clothes are on sale for $60.

This event is part of the first Nolita Spring Promenade. So if you tire of Min-k, stoll to another shop—they're all open 'til 8 and—you got it—serving beverages too.

Min-k
219 Mott Street
212-219-2834

(From here: Are you going to Vladivostok?)

We've never been on the trans-Siberian express, but we imagine the long journey (at least six days, no showers, lots of vodka) would necessitate comfortable clothing.

For the innovative designers of Feral Childe, this adventure's inspired creations of a non-hoodie variety. According to the Brooklyn duo:

Feral Childe's Spring/Summer 2007 collection Trans-Siberia Express is inspired by the legendry 7,000 mile railway journey across Russia to the Sea of Japan. These clothes for the quick change artist travel from dusk to dawn, nimbly pack to nothing and spring unscathed from suitcases and pocketbooks. Crinkled gauze, lame, distressed leather and rainproof nylon are embellished with signature Feral Childe details such as limited edition 'diamonds' and amber chunks of cast-resin.

Hmm . . . although we appreciate the rainproof nylon and crinkled gauze (no ironing!), we can't imagine traveling almost a week, sans shower, decked out in 'diamonds'.

But this won't keep us from Feral Childe's studio this weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, they're having a sample sale and stateside debut of their fall line "Canadian Alphabet." We're from that country to the North and we can’t even envision this one.

Feral Childe Studio
March 17-18, 12 p.m.-6 p.m.
269 Douglass Street at Third Avenue
Brooklyn, New York
RSVP: 347-225-7287

(From here)

Today's the opening of FIT's Lilly Daché exhibit. A sought-after designer from the '30s and '40s, Daché counted Garbo, Dietrich, and Harlow as clients. However, her contributions to style didn't rest at the head. Our fashion expert Lynn Yaeger details:

Lilly Daché arrived in America from France in 1924 with a bankroll of $13; from that inauspicious beginning she built a business in the 1930s and '40s that offers an early lesson in multi-branding. Daché slapped her name on fragrances, ready-to-wear, and gloves, but her most notable contribution to fashion was her hats.

With hats popping up in all shapes and sizes on the runways, this exhibit's sure to get you thinking outside the average cloche and safe newsboy cap.

Lilly Daché: Glamour at the Drop of a Hat
FIT Museum
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street
212-217-5800

(From here: Exhibit A's yours for $70)

Gap's had a rough week. Today, WWD reported that a Brooklyn accessories and costume designer has slapped the San Francisco-company with a copyright lawsuit.

Kate Cusack, a Brooklyn-based accessories and costume designer, filed a copyright lawsuit against Gap Inc. in Manhattan federal court.

Cusack alleged that Gap sold plush bath products and handbags that contained elements that infringed on her copyrighted "zipper pin" sculpture. The case was filed March 2, but the documents were only recently made available.

This announcement comes days after Advertising Age revealed the Red campaign was pulling in a "meager $18 million." According to the article:

It threatens to spur a backlash, not just against the Red campaign—which ambitiously set out to change the cause-marketing model by allowing partners to profit from charity—but also for the brands involved.

We guess Gap's RED t-shirts, hoodies, and panties weren't that inspi(red).

(From here: Where this now—under four layers).

Shopping for the current season can be tricky. It's either freezing outside and store windows showcase spring dresses or it's a hundred degrees and mannequins are decked out in wool ponchos. And with temperatures plummeting, Built by Wendy's coming sample sale is no exception to this retail irony. That's right, next weekend gauze camisoles and other breezy threads from last spring will be 40-70 percent off.

So, if you really missed their '06 tie-dye pants (wait, weren't those from spring '63?) or want to look creative with their cotton splatter paint top, and "high waistoid painter" jeans, take the L to their Brooklyn store.

And, if you can't think outside the mercury, their down parka ($190) and long john leggings ($63) are also marked down online.

Built by Wendy
46 North 6th Street
Brooklyn, New York
718-384-2882