This week proved interesting in the eyes of the fashion web bloggers. From widelegged jean returns to items $55 and under. There was plenty of glorifying and grousing. Take a look:

LA-Story.com says that Summer 2007 requires sexy and sizzling swimwear and cover-ups !!

Three cheers for the red, white and blue - and green and brown! $55 and Under: American Woman at 55 Secret Street.

Stiletto Jungle advises you to get in your pre-order now because the brand new Agent Provocateaur Massage Oil Trio with be the gift to give and get at this summer’s poshest bridal showers.

Bag Snob is giving away the hot bag of the season, the oversized Marin clutch from Jimmy Choo!

Beauty Snob shows how to get Vogue cover girl Natalia Vadianova’s retro glam look!

Coquette is eyeing all the latest fashions and their sleek ruching details.

eBelle5 discovers the $1.63 Million Platinum and Diamond Designer Purse.

Fashiontribes finds the top 20 wide-legged jeans & pants to help you get a let up on this flattering new trouser trend.

Second City Style previews Fall 07 trends in prints and shows you What’s In & Out.

Enter SheFinds’ Freebie Friday Giveaway. Comment each week for your chance to win a cool beauty or fashion find!

Stylehive Hive5: Our favorite convertible dresses - versatile and sizzling looks!

You don’t have to be a bride to enjoy beautiful bridal jewelry says The Jewelry Weblog, especially when you get this 10% off deal from Redot Designs, exclusively for Jewelry Weblog readers.

Clinique’s new city block keeps girlawhirl from having to pile on the products

While I will not fight those who use interesting references to the trench coat phenomena of the fall season, you know, “Trench Warfare, Digging a Trench” and “In the Trenches.” I will say that they are a definite necessity come the fall season. A standout in particular is Noir’s Trench coat for the fall season. There’s nothing traditional about the line and they take this approach when constructing a trench. The flip side of this line is Burberry’s very traditional trench coat. With subtle changes from season to season, you know, understand, accept and at times love what you’re getting. Noir is different because of the subtle risks being taken with something that is supposed to be as standard as a trench.

The standout of the trench is the broad layering of the collar, the thicker fabric, pockets at either end and the double straps at the top. It’s the non-traditional trench at its best. It’ll cost more than an arm and two legs but it will be timeless. A can’t-do-without for the season.

See the full Noir collection here.

I stopped by Cathy Horyn’s blog this morning and found musings on her attendance at Karl Lagerfeld’s couture party yesterday. (How wonderful it must be to be her) I then scrolled down a bit to find an super beautiful preview of Lanvin’s Spring 2008 collection. Yes, soon we’ll be looking at Fall 2008/09. It’s downright scary. But how can you not look forward to January 2009. (Political reference for those “in the know”). I digress.

The short of it is, Alber Elbaz’s spring preview photos on Horyn’s blog are nothing short of beautiful. The piece in particular that has me tripping over myself is the Lanvin white shirtdress described on her blog as a “double-layered silk inspired by a man’s dress shirt, with a triple-layer navy chiffon minicoat.”

The one thing that really got my attention is how Horyn ends her blog post by stating:

His other accomplishment is to bring clear design integrity to shapes that appear simple, in fabrics like polyester (yes!), washed silk and organdy, so that the clothes are hard to copy.

wha.. wha.. wha what??!?! Not that designer’s clothes are relatively easy to copy, they add intentional intricacies to keep the retail masses guessing, but if he’s taking an additional step, the folks at Forever 21 may be shaking in their flats.

Read her post here.

Had to brush off a little bit of the French this morning. If you’re in this industry and don’t know how to fake it, you might as well go into accounting or something. I can think in two ways when it comes to the couture shows that go on in Paris: How wonderful that the filthy rich have their own shows where they can select pieces specially crafted for them. They can go to their cotillions and soirées and have a conversation like this:

Muffy: What a gorgeous wrap-around! Dior?
Buffy: Chanel
Filthy Rich Ladies: (in unison) OH…

Kind of reminds me of that business card scene in American Psycho. The second thing I think of is…How I want to be Buffy, even for only a quick minute.

Top photo: Elie Saab Fall ‘07
Bottom photo: Chanel Couture Fall ‘07

Erin Fetherston’s Target collection is growing on me. It didn’t take too long but it was somewhat necessary to get to the point where I’m ok with it, but the growing aspect really had to occur. The difference can be demonstrated by looking at Alice Templerly’s collection. The instant I saw it, the instant I was hooked. I think the delay on this end was the fact that Fetherston’s collection seems very 16 year old-ish. The next thing I look at when coming to this realization is that the lines for the Go International collections never translate as well from photographs to real life. I’m thinking of the Paul & Joe collection specifically. Take the dress on the left for instance, there is this hybridization of the tuxedo shirt with a mod influence thrown in somewhere. It’s a little over the top childish. Maybe it’s the presentation of it all that has me less than a fan. The fact that all the models for the collection are wearing blonde wigs (I guess that’s Fetherston’s charm) detracts from the strength of the presentation. Sure it’s cute and kitschy and playful, but I think I am conditioned from Temperly’s collection to have this initial dislike reaction. I guess the key here is not to compare but to look at it on its own merits. With that in mind, I can understand the overall allure of Fetherston’s collection.

On day 2 of looking at trends and lines coming for the fall season and the waning days of the summer season (I know, we’re not even halfway there yet), I think that the Target collections are going to be a part of wardrobes, but the dramatic attention they’re getting (specifically from bloggers) may not truly reflect the overall appeal of the lines. The Target collections are still great to look at and the fact that they’re so affordable make them a completely relevant option, but I would advise trying them on. They really are more appealing in photos.