LE CATCH

$59, modcloth

So, here's the deal: Had Isabel Marant never sent Carmen Kass down her Fall 2012 runway in a western-style blouse, I don't know that my heart would be ablaze for a shirt like this. But Marant, with her Midas touch, always manages to make the unexpected downright irresistible, if not mandatory. I've contemplated buying her now iconic Lauryn shirt numerous times, but never pulled the trigger. Maybe the universe was telling me to hold out for Modcloth's budget-friendly lookalike, which I could make very Mar-want-a-be, with...

1. Mod Cloth western blouse, $59, modcloth.com
2. Topshop navy coat, $300, topshop.com
3. Alexander Wang bag, $750, ssense.com
4. Madewell flats, $98, madewell.com
5. Etoile Isabel Marant corduroy jeans, $335, netaporter.com

It's looking like staying warm and on-trend this winter will be as easy as pulling on a cute knit hat. I'm liking these from Madewell, Mulberry, Marc by Marc Jacobs (an eye-catching red/black stripe) and Gap.

Photos: Tommy Ton, Le-21eme, Streetpeeper, Style

$79, asos.com

The gold accents on this slinky sandal effect a festive big-night-out tone. They'll surely add major flash to any holiday-party look, like this...

1. Lanvin satin camisole dress, $537, theoutnet.com*
2. Kelly Wearstler 18-karat gold-plate necklace, $385, shopbop.com
3. Henry Cuir envelope clutch, $310, barneys.com
4. Asos gold-trimmed sandals, $79, asos.com

*That's 70% off - orginal price was $1790!

One of my best friends is bag designer Stephanie Johnson, who not only makes the most genius travel-friendly makeup cases and toiletry kits, but is a seriously savvy frequent flyer, herself, constantly crisscrossing the globe and sharing all of her insider-y travel tips on her blog SJ's Style Compass. I've been all over the place with Stephanie, so I can attest to her expert packing skills (she took a single carry-on for a week-long trip to London and Capri!) and her amazing ability to sniff out the coolest places in town (like Lamucca in Madrid!). Over the years, she's taught me a few things--like how to make the most out of missing a connecting flight--and, of course, provided me with her multi-purpose bags to keep my life on the road in meticulous order. She asked me to share some of my travel customs, which you can check out here.

$110, topshop

The bell sleeves on this sweater make it as elegant and feminine as a blouse (it reminds me of a Chloe sweater I once borrowed from a friend and begrudgingly returned!), but the cozy ribbed knit means it's deep-freeze wearable.

1. Topshop wool sweater, $110, topshop.com
2. Adia Kibur antique pendant necklace, $30, shopbop.com
3. J. Crew coat, $325, jcrew.com
4. Anthropologie beaded clutch, $68, anthropologie.com
5. Valentino studded pumps, $945, bergdorfgoodman.com
6. Current Elliot leather jeans, $900, netaporter.com

My affinity for Clare Vivier's clutches is probably not lost on any of you, as her minimalist-chic bags can be found on this blog frequently. So, it should come as no surprise that I was delighted to find a few of my favorites, including the iconic oxblood fold-over clutch, above, on sale at Shopbop (which just launched a big up-to-70%-off-sale), along with a motherlode of other covetables, including this amazing sequined sweater from Winter Kate (seriously love!), these Belle by Sigerson Morrison suede ankle boots, and this faux fur vest from Patterson J. Kincaid. I am thinking today might be the advent of my holiday shopping.

$189, club monaco

It's going to be hot today (don't forget to vote!) here in LA, but they say that the season's first more winter-y weather will arrive here on Friday. The impending sweater weather has me hankering for this neutral zipper-trimmed cashmere knit, which would undoubtedly get major play all season long, accompanied with...

1. Club Monaco cashmere zipper-trimmed sweater, $189, clubmonaco.com
2. Gryphon bronze-coated faux fur coat, $193, theoutnet.com
3. J. Crew python bag, $795, jcrew.com
4. Gucci peep-toe booties, $960, netaporter.com
5. Topshop floral print pants, $80, topshop.com

There's an art to stacking bracelets, and one key trick is to mix metals, styles (vintage and modern) and textures, as shown above. These stunning--and well-priced!--pre-mixed sets from Noir Jewelry, Ashley Pittman, Topshop, and River Island make stylish arm parties fast and easy.

$114, asos

A high-drama jacket is the perfect lift for any wintry outfit. This one has bold flashes of gold, stripes, and neon, plus a very Isabel Marant-like scoop neckline.

1. J. Crew wool turtleneck, $49, jcrew.com
2. River Island embellished jacket, $114, riverisland.com
3. Banana Republic leopard print calf-hair clutch, $79, bananarepublic.com
4. Asos peep-toe booties, $79, asos.com
5. Brit Burberry waxed jeans, $275, netaporter.com

A couple of years ago I was at a dinner party at Soho House, celebrating my older sister's birthday, and one of her good friends who happens to be a Supermodel (yes, with a capital "S") asked me where she could buy a great but not terribly expensive motorcycle jacket. I took a moment to respond, mostly because I was wondering why a Supermodel was asking me this question. Then I rattled off a short list that included All Saints, Topshop, Rag & Bone, Asos, and a few others. Fast forward to today and my list is twice as long, because the motorcycle jacket has evolved into a wardrobe essential that's not only intrinsic to the model-off-duty, editor-on-duty and rocker-round-the-clock uniform, but to every woman. This season the leather staple is being rendered in various crowd-pleasing silhouettes (fitted, cropped, oversized) and fabrics (boucle, silk, denim and wool). Here are a few of my current favorites: a classic leather investment from Acne, an oversized Topshop (along with a dressier fleece-lined wool version), a polished boucle and leather-sleeved Vince, a military-inspired BLK DNM, a structured coated denim Asos (particularly love!), a camouflaged lined Nasty Gal (and its distant olive/faux-fur trimmed cousin), and the creme de la creme, an asymmetric leather-coated and woven ground-breaker from Proenza Schouler. Below are some inspirational snaps.

Photos: Tommy Ton, Altamira, Harper's Bazaar, Stockholm Streetstyle, The Northern Light