Okay, so we might not have Lucky Magazine’s stable of editors to supply us with a fresh “obsession” every week ("We’re craving studded bracelets!  We’re mad for Mary Janes! We’re cuckoo for colorblocking!") , and we certainly don’t have  Vogue’s Closet or Glamour’s Fashion Cupboard at our disposal.  Nor is anyone sending us press kits about their newest collection or plying us with free beauty products to sample. 
Not, mind you, that there we’re saying there would be anything terribly wrong with that .
 In fact, we’d be faxing our resume and cover letter over there right now ("Dear Editor:  I’m OBSESSED with becoming a Lucky staffer!") just so we could compete in the Cute Outfit of the Day contest--that is, if it weren’t for the fact that wearing black tights EVERY SINGLE DAY seems to be the primary prerequisite for winning.  (You just know that their furry little New York City legs haven’t seen a razor or a bottle of self-tanner since Labor Day, don’t you?) Add to that the fact that almost everyone working there seems to have the same overgrown, dead-ends-greased-up-with expensive-product (that was probably filched from “The Closet” for free), “piecey” hairstyle, and we have to wonder if all these fashion obsessions aren’t taking their toll.  Which is why we’re limiting our obsessions to just a few of our very favorite new discoveries for spring.
   Here are our top four:


The Badgley Mischka Platinum Label Bag

You’ve probably at least heard of the  Badgley Mischka design duo, but what we bet you didn’t know was that they just launched their first mid-priced handbag line this spring. 
And for some reason, we just love it.


Yes, thanks to Mark and James, we FINALLY found a designer handbag that’s so fresh, so new-looking,
and so reasonably priced for it’s category that we bought it the minute
we laid eyes on it in Saks. 

Honestly, girls, the picture doesn’t do it justice; it’s really more mustard-y than orange (bright enough to pop a plain outfit, but muted enough to not compete with prints and bolder hues), and the quality of the patent leather is ah-mazing.  Its slimmer profile and long strap make it a joy to carry, but it’s still big enough to hold all of our junk.  And the distinctive Badgley Mischka deco embellishment gives it the the kind of insider fashion cred we love—a well-designed piece that doesn’t (yet) scream Luxury Brand like so many of the bags we’ve come to loathe.
We can’t tell you how many compliments and inquiries we’ve gotten about this bag--from the streets of SoHo in NYC to the SoHo Starbuck’s in Tampa. 
(Btw, we found ours at the Saks at Westshore Plaza).


The Lisa Curran classic tank swimsuit:

Actually, this one is nothing new--we bought our first one in a department store a few years ago when we were looking for a chic-simple one-piece bathing suit to take on a corporate junket.  That was before they became a cult favorite (outed in the New York Times Sunday Styles section in 2006) and were almost always sold out.  The good news is, the supply/demand issues seem to have leveled out, so we are finally able to order another. More substantial and luxurious than, say, a J.Crew suit but not as obviously “shapey” as a Miracle suit, they strike just the right balance between designer-y and preppy, and for those of us who don’t need or want to flaunt our junk anymore, they cover just enough skin without looking too matronly.    They’re not cheap by any means, but the fit and quality are as good as any suit we’ve owned.  In fact, the one we bought years ago (chocolate and honeydew green--not available now) looks as fresh as ever, especially now that colorblocking is all the buzz.  (At least for this week, anyway).

Anthropologie Shoes:
We’ve long been fans of Athropologie’s wonderfully eclectic Won’t-Find-Them-Anywhere-Else shoe collection.  As with their clothes and housewares, the Anthropologie buyers are genius at sourcing good designs without the pricey designer labels.  But it used to be that we could only get the shoes online (with the exception of the occasional flat or flipflop), which was often frustrating, since, not only are we not good at delaying our New Shoes gratification, but also, the best pairs tended to sell out far too quickly.  (When you can snag cuties like these for $68, is it any wonder?  And don’t even TRY to get a sale shoe in your size… )


So the fact that our Tampa Anthropologie  has started carrying shoes now is pretty much a dream come true for us--we’ve already snagged two pairs of flats and some fabulous wedges that look like they cost twice what we paid.  If the football-field-sized shoe department at Nordstrom makes you dizzy, or if you’re as tired as we are of seeing the same shoes in every department store  (Honestly? if we never see another Tory Burch flat again, we’ll die happy), we highly recommend you pop into Old Hyde Park Village for a little Anthro-shoe-therapy.

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(But if you wear a size 8, you’d better hurry, because we’re going back soon… )



Theory Tees

It’s easy, at first glance, to feel like Theory is overpriced ($350 for a simple little shift?  $298 for trousers? Are they serious?) until you  A) Try them on and B) Take them home and find yourself wearing them day in and day out, week after week, year after year. 

Quality fabrics, superb fit, and that simplicity of cut are what make Theory the modern girl’s “investment dressing” label of choice.  (When the style gurus tell you to buy a few quality pieces and update them with inexpensive trendy ones, these are the kind of pieces they’re talking about, Dear). 
But, in our obsession with those serious anchor pieces, we had never really paid much attention to the fact that Theory also carries some great casual blouses and tops.

We especially love their detailed tees--the knit tops that, due to super-soft, drapey fabrics and a touch of tailored detail, are a cut above sporty but are still low-key enough for our dressed-down Tampa lifestyle.  They’re just the thing to throw on with jeans for shopping or lunch with the girls, yet they can easily hold their own with dressier bottoms for the office or cocktails.
(You can find Theory at the big 3--Saks, Neiman’s and Nordstrom-- or at online boutiques like Shopbop and Revolve.)

Right now, our favorite, always-in-the-wash top is this Nara Deep V in zinc.  It seems like there’s nothing we haven’t worn it with, except, maybe, black tights and stringy hair. 
Even we’re not THAT obsessed.