It appears that American Apparel‘s roaring twenties are over, and they’re growing up and buckling down.  This isn’t a negative thing; on the contrary it marks a gradual maturity from the AMAP we’ve loved for the last five years.  Instead of concentrating only on their trademark hoodies and spandex, the new American Apparel is clearly focusing on design and style rather than coasting on their older styles.

Where before we would only think of v-neck tees, hoodies or leggings when it comes to AMAP, we now have statement products like the reversible petticoat, summer blazers such as the Ottoman rib and Sailor Stripe and their expanded selection of shoes.

Now we have more art inspired fashion shots in black and white; while they are a classic look, these still echo true to American Apparel’s soul.  One can’t help but love what the top brains are doing with the brand, and one can only imagine what they’re going to release next. In the meantime, check out AMAP’s coming soon section, which is complete with photos and descriptions of new pieces!

Mother’s day is a tricky thing; you don’t want to be the lame card and chocolates gifter – it’s 2010, and you’re going to get something your mum actually likes (and wants!)

Anti-aging products are always a sure bet, though make sure you don’t have an uptight momma that’s just waiting for a reason to slap you because you looked at her eye sag cock-eyed.  I recently gave my own mom Relastin skin revitalizer, and she was so hyped to have it.  If you want to get a little more fine tuned, more specific treatment creams like Kiehl’s firming eye treatment or ReVive’s lip treatment are excellent choices.

Scents are another line from the beauty train of thought to bite on.  Leslie Blodgett’s Perfume Diaries scents come in a variety of application styles ranging from $16 for a eau de parfum rollerball to $55 for a 1.07 oz eau de parfum spray.  The Perfume Diaries scents are made from fruit and flowery scents, which is perfect for the modern mum.

Jewelry is also a prime choice if you have the budget for it; Birk’s has a fantastic freshwater pearl collection, with the single strand pearl bracelet as the most affordable at $300.  For a financial step down, Carolee Vintage’s amethyst cuff is a beautiful gift for the purple loving parent.  Cluster stone pins are also an option, since they can be worn with nearly any sweater, blazer or jacket.  LK Designs’ cluster Swarovski pin is a beautiful piece, though colored stones on other jewelry styles are also lovely (think Kenneth Jay Lane’s Cabochon studded cuff).

Joe Fresh is a surprising option for Mother’s Day shopping; the flower drape necklace is only $19, a straw sun hat is $9 and there is the entire Joe Fresh Beauty line to consider, especially their new nail polish tints.  The last frontier is the practical gift, such as Juicy Couture’s classic leather wallet or the statement MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check kettle.  I bet you can’t think of a mom who doesn’t carry cash (and cards) or drink tea, so at the very least these two gifts will be home runs.

Religion is one of my favorite rock inspired UK brands, and it’s easy to understand why.  Religion is very English, affordable and quirky; perfect for the building blocks to your edgy summer styling.

Religion’s flag top and dress are easily the most eye catching of the group, and far more affordable than most pieces of this style.  The rough and tumble designs are also quite lovely, especially the Ladder 49 torn dress with tails.  The Rock Taupe dress follows the same distressed look, while the lattice dress is a more refined style within the same vein.

The brand also follows a very 60s macabre feel; the Mask Girl tee, Smoking Girl 60 dress and the Ex-Ray Skull tee are just a few examples of what Religion has available.  Last of all are the Victoria drape, Forest silk screen print skirts and the asymmetrical Simple leather jacket, which happens to be very Rick Owens.

If you think of a Doc Martenboot with the shaft and lace cut out and built with a thinner sole, you’ve got the Cirrus Christina flats.

These flats succeed because of their modest soles; check on the Melinda Mary Janes, and you can see just how easy the soles can make the footwear horribly wrong.

Each of the Cirrus flats are priced to own at $60, which is incredibly reasonable considering the craftsmanship of Docs.

While we may have only been given the House of Holland treatment thus far, it is better to have access to three Katie Eary t-shirts with the chance of expanded item availability than to have nothing!

Take my word for it – outside of London (well, even within London) it’s incredibly difficult to track down an Eary item, so this online store is a sublime gift. The insides t-shirts are £60 (roughly $92 US) each, though they are certainly three instances of delightful gore.

Crazy awesome leggings are part and parcel of summer 2010, and these seven designs are just what you’re going to want to have on your lower half’s radar.  These range from heavily embellished to basic prints, but it’s all in how you’re about to wear them!

Pretty prints are so affordable and easy to wear; Asia Jam’s Union Jack and Rojas’ Cosmic leggings are well under $100 per pair.  ‘Knee pad’ style paneling is also showing hints of popularity; Daisy’s liberty knee jersey pair and Banubora’s shredded pair may be basic, yet the coloring and fabric effects dictate a relaxed summer style.

The elite pairs truly are that, and while they are of incredible design.  Sass & Bide’s The Bullet beaded design is easily one of the most beautiful, glamorous pieces seen in SS10.  The last are a grey duo; Burberry Prorsum’s ruched cotton and Les Chiffoniers’ printed leather leggings are truly two of the most delightful, summer leg covers one could procure, if you’re so financially endowed.

Chambray, or cambric, is a type of fabric. Specifically, it’s a type of fabric clothing lovers enjoy during summer, since it’s a lightweight casual fabric tightly woven and usually created using a mix of cotton and flax or polymer.  Chambray is experiencing a revival, and since summer 2010 is enjoying a load of denim, its blue to gray textile goes along with that trend just swimmingly.

Like denim, chambray is no longer stuck in a design pigeonhole; you can find so many different cuts and styles.  Favorites include Allsaints’ draped Idun dress, Uniqlo’s boyfriend blazer, a denim style Miss Selfridge gilet.  There are the more basic designs like as the Soul Cal shirt dress, Volcom’s basic short or even Topshop’s layered bodycon skirt, though the real trendsetters will be reaching for a chambray romper.

There are such a variety of jumpers that it’s difficult to pin on design to recommend overall.  Bluenotes’ belted and Derek Heart’s shirt-and-short jumpers are very classic, while Juliana Jambour’s rolled sleeve jumpsuit is design forward with an asymmetrical zipper and cord ties.

If you’re looking to get an easy jump into Chambray World, the place to go is American Apparel.  Their jumper pant, jumpsuit, skinny leg trousers and even the shirt dress are excellent base pieces which range in price from $47 to $72CA.

There’s nothing like a rogue nail polish going and shock naming their newest color, and BLEACHBLACKs Jizz nail color is no exception.

The online fashion conscious world has been, uh, messing their pants over this nail color ever since it was caught by the first few finders.  Each bottle is going to run you $12.95, though apparently you can’t ship it internationally.. perhaps it has something to do with shipping organic materials (kidding!)

Regardless of the kitsch surrounding Jizz, it’s the color of right now.  One has to wonder what BLEACHBLACK will come up with next… perhaps black tar heroin.

In just a few short days, we can rely on Topshop for not only incredibly fast high street clothing design, accessories and footwear but for cosmetics as well.

Topshop does not appear to have named their new range; it only bears a new, crayon-esque logo typeface, or the price point for that matter.  Makeup artists will be in touring around Topshop locations to push the new range, so if you’re near one that’s the best bet for testing.

Come check out Storefront for clothing, accessories and art at the DNA event in San Fran! Storefront will be carrying samples priced to sell from Rory Beca, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, Plenty by Tracy Reese, and Graham & Spencer and other designers, so you’re going to want to be there.

BONUS: This is going down at the same event as the A.OK x The Seventh Heart pop up shop, so you’re killing to birds with one rad stone!

IT’S TONIGHT!!

San Fran shoppers, you’re going to want to be at this grand opening event!!

Pastels are not my usual cup of tea.

I like to consider myself a lover of intense clothing, and one does not automatically jump to pastels as an accompaniment of the intense.  The pieces below, however, are exceptions to the rule because of their design, not because of their fabric’s hue.  Check out the shoulder effects, embellishments, the ideal draping of the pieces – these are some delicious items, indeed.

My most favorite pastel hue is mint green; it’s fresh, and a delicious sip of visual.  American Apparel sent me a pair of the mint Slim Slack Lites (the salmon hue is shown in the bottom right), and I’m in summer slack love.  Zimmermann has the most delicate mint satin skirt, and Time/X9 offers a cropped mac in the same hue. Miss Seldridge’s denim shorts are classified as mint, though the color is incredibly faded; pick up these when you’re looking to make less of a statement.

Pinks and yellows are a hard sell, I know; especially when they are this light.  The band style shouldered top by Minni’s Closet and Ruche’s Mariachi Ensemble cardi are two of the very rare exceptions to this aversion.  Rebecca Minkoff’s perfect-in-every-color Rocker cross body is also one of these pieces; a hard little accessory in a bright and smiling leather color.

Easy item integrations are found with Balenciaga’s blue print t-shirt, while accessories such as the Aqua bangle set and Vivre’s visually blasting amethyst necklace are easy pieces to take inspiration from.  Other pieces such as Debenham’s painted silver or Butler & Wilson’s bib necklaces are beautiful, feminine items that can easily accent darker colors if you’re not ready to take the main piece pastel plunge.

Animal skulls and oxidized bronze, how else would you want your delightfully macabre jewelry to go?!

Las Jewelry is created by the very talented Daniel and Lisa Soltis, and embodies perfect essence of dead things.

They are reasonably priced for such finely created skulls; the sabertooth ring being $85, gazelle ring is $129, the crow skull on a chain is $145; even the longhorn (pictured) is only $129.

Check ‘em out, and explore the jewelry realm that honors the world’s departed beasts.

Blue is the color of the sea, the sky, water (when reflecting the sky) – basically the color of life, since you can’t have green without blue.  It would stand to reason that you want to cover yourself with the color of awesome, so let’s get to dissecting the delicious finds mapped out below.

The easiest way to get yourself blue is a dress. Emilio Pucci’s print, Allsaints’ Tanzer tie dye and Stretsis’ striped dress are three examples of the variance in style and price you will come across.  One point to remember is keep loud pattern pieces as simple cuts; all of the dresses we’ve got demonstrate this, and thus do not appear overdone.

When it comes to separates that are meant to be blended, solids are the safest styling bet. Vila’s band influenced cardi, Marc Jacobs’ silk bustier, Lisa Marie Fernandez’ neoprene skirt and Doma’s leather bike jacket are all incredibly on trend.

Colorful accessories are the easiest method of working in a burst of color; Marina Fossati’s crystal bracelets, Super’s square frame sunglasses and (of course) a Mini Plasteramic Toywatch are the best choices.  Kicks are the last frontier, and Steve Madden’s Jezebel jazz shoes, Doc Marten’s floral print canvas boots and even a pair of chained jelly Gladiator sandals by Givenchy are all familiar styles, only in delicious shades of blue.

Oh, lordy… nobody is immune to breakup-itis, least of all Lorenzo Martone and Marc Jacobs.

While they seemed happy enough six months ago, cutting fake weddings cakes and romping around in speedos with Louis Vuitton towels, apparently that isn’t the secret to ultimate fashion fueled wedded bliss.

It appears that Lorenzo and Marc are no more, and it’s so very sad.

Plain ‘ol straw hats are so last summer, and during 2010 you have no reason to have your head unadorned.  All budgets are available to have a new, lovely head covers, so let’s check out where you can pick ‘em up!

La Cerise Sur Le Chapeau has a variety of  bright Panama hats; the lovelies shown below are the magenta and yellow styles, both are $230.  For a little less luxury and a lot more high street, Debenham‘s carries a lovely purple trilby ($23), and Eugenia Kim for Target offers two brilliant mint and mixed straw/blue trilby designs at $17 each.

There truly is something for everyone out there, and remember: there’s a massive difference between a trilby,  fedora and panama, so don’t go asking for one when you mean the other!

Barbie seems to be getting an odd treatment; while she gets her dream shoe collection by the French master, she is stuck with some of the ugliest costuming seen on skin or plastic.

The third Barbie, the Anemone,  in the Louboutin collection is a bit of an eye blinder, and $150 like the previous two dolls.

Once again, the talented and tortured have sought to remind us how bitterly easy it is to check out early.

Like many actors before him, Lee Alexander McQueen’s autopsy toxicology report showed there to be cocaine, tranquilizers and sleeping pills in his system at the time of death.

While the details of why he was self medicating will always be a mystery, one thing is for certain: mixing drugs (prescription or otherwise) is bad.

Who knows just how altered McQueen’s mental state could have been before he decided to slash his wrists and hang himself thanks to that deadly cocktail.

Let’s hope McQueen is in a better place.

It’s time again for one of Ion Magazine‘s epic parties, and with Ion’s 7th anniversary party you can guarantee it’s going to be an awesome ruckus.

The party is going down in a 7,500 square foot warehouse, and features Nautiluss (formerly of Thunderheist) as one of the live acts on the DJ tables.

Tickets: $7 in advance, $15 at the door
Time:  May 15th, 9:30PM – 2AM
Venue: 121 West 2nd Ave, Vancouver (alley entrance between Columbia and Manitoba)

MINORS AREN’T OLD + COOL ENOUGH TO BE ADMITTED

Nine West is holding a very short term flash sale on select flats and heels, which involves 50% off the footwear in question!

The Elkie sandals (pictured) are included in the sale ($62) as are the white Sherlene sandals ($48).