When the day comes, one of the best parts about having a baby will be the whole new category of products to consider buying. Clothes are fun, but I'm more keen on the big-ticket items (cribs, junior Panton chairs, etc). Which is why I'm really excited about Henrik Vibskov's upcoming partnership with Quinny, the Danish stroller manufacturer. A full range of products will be available, from cloth diapers to sun hats, all done up in Vibskov's signature graphic prints, but it's the prams that stand out. They come in a medley of patterns and in models ranging from the umbrella strollers popular here to the traditional prams you see in Denmark. U.S. retailers haven't been set yet, but expect prices to go from $25 (for the diapers) to around $1,600 for the limited-edition strollers. For more information visit www.quinnydesign.com.

Jelly flats were a designer must-have this summer, with Chanel, Givenchy, and Marc by Marc all having fun with the eighties staple. Looking ahead to fall, the flat part is gone but the jelly remains in Marni's PVC Mary Jane. A classic, with a fun twist. Marni PVC Mary Janes, $435, available at Marni, NYC, (212) 343-3912. For more information, see www.marni.com.

More designers than ever are expanding into childrenswear, and to our unending delight, the trend of shrinking the adult pieces to mini-me scale shows no signs of slowing. Our latest "aww!" moment came today at the Creative Recreation press appointment. The L.A.-based sneaker company—seller at Barneys—is now offering kid- and toddler-size replicas of everything from their main collection. The pair above won't debut until the holiday season, but www.modernmunchkin.com has a selection of styles available now. Because it's never too early to develop a sneaker fetish.

Tired of paying top dollar for your dungarees? We hear that The Limited jeans are manufactured by a well-known denim brand with a celebrity following. We can't reveal any details, but we can say this: The Limited denim fits well and is very light on unnecessary details. Oh, and the high-waisted style is not only a must-have, it costs half what the famous manufacturer charges for its version. The Limited high-waisted jeans, $69.50, available at The Limited stores nationwide, for more information see www.thelimited.com.

If you're looking for an easy read and don't feel quite vegetative enough to sink to airport potboiler level, try Elaine Dundy's "The Dud Avocado" (NYRB Classics). Published in 1958, it tells the story of one Sally Jay Gorce, American girl on the loose in Paris. But the clichés end there—even when she's exasperating, Sally's a charming and unconventional companion, perfect for whiling away a few hours in the shade with. And if that's not endorsement enough, here's what Groucho Marx had to say about the book: "It made me laugh, scream, and guffaw (which incidentally, is a great name for a law firm)."

Bijules is as described by designer Jules Kim as both defiant and identifying, but we'll throw in clever and fun, too. Take these gold nail rings. Part of Kim's Serpensive collection, the snake-shaped accessories are fully customizable (you pick the color of your gold and the pavé setting stones). Then feel free to call attention to your new baubles. We suggest squinting your eyes, adopting a pensive look, and bringing your hand up to your chin—all the better to bling you with. For more information, see www.bijulesnyc.com.

The phrase "your slip is showing" is not one you want to hear (and who wears a slip nowadays, anyway?). Both these fashion facts may be changing thanks to a new line of decorative slips that are actually meant to be seen. Designer Gayle Cruise's aptly named Your Slip Is Showing specializes in the aforementioned lingerie, trimmed in ostrich feathers, lace, pleated organza, and patent fringe, all intended to mix and match with your own skirts and dresses. The slips even work on their own, which is more than we can say about wearing your bra as outerwear. For more information, see www.yourslipisshowing.com.

Zainab Sumu, a former sales manager at Comme des Garçons who opened an eponymous and very popular boutique in her Hollywood apartment last year, is about to kick-start yet another retail trend on the West Coast: She's introducing an aromatherapy collection and an exclusive tea assortment. And not just any tea, but the famed French brand Mariage Frères, which up until now has been unavailable in Los Angeles. "Angelenos appreciate an alternative and highly curated selection of products when they're shopping," says Sumu, whose knack for merchandising African art alongside brands such as Azzedine Alaïa, Azzaro, and Martin Margiela have established her as a force to be reckoned with. Fans of Zainab (that includes you, Kate Beckinsale) can expect to find further additions to the store next month, among them Galliano, Anne Valérie Hash, menswear, music, and a book library. For those beyond SoCal, an e-commerce site will also be launching. Zainab, 1843 N. Cherokee Ave., suite 411, L.A., (323) 469-3848. For more information, see www.zainabonline.com

Having many years ago bought, and broken, a bottle of Christian Lacroix's first fragrance, C'est la Vie, I was thrilled to find an empty one on eBay. The amber-colored bottle, shaped like a human heart, makes mine trill (as do most things Lacroix).

Baccarat is launching Insomnight, a new jewelry collection that's hitting stores this fall. With the Superhero trend in mind, we've already picked out our favorite piece: The 18K gold cuff bracelet with the brown mordore crystal. Baccarat 18K bracelet, $11,000, available at Baccarat, NYC, (212) 826-4100, www.baccarat.com.

Sadly, those friendship bracelets you made at summer camp all those years ago aren't really appropriate for the office. But Sunday's Best has come up with an alternative that you can wear anywhere: gold vermeil and oxidized silver versions that are cast from the real thing. Minus the fraying edges and loose threads, of course.

If case you didn't get the memo, shoes are the new bags. A pair of killer heels are where it's at, both in terms of expressing a unique sartorial statement and helping retailers to meet their bottom lines. Perhaps that's why iconic department store Liberty of London is launching a shoe salon, nicknamed the House of Heels, with a grand opening scheduled for next month's London fashion week. Playing off the store's historic Tudor architecture, the various rooms of the "house" create different tableaux in which the shoes are displayed, from warm and intimate in the "drawing room" to coolly contemporary in the "bedroom." Collections include offerings from YSL, McQueen, Alaïa, Balenciaga, Prada, Westwood, and Chloé, with U.K. exclusives from shoe savants Nicholas Kirkwood and Rupert Sanderson. Best of all, Liberty is launching an e-commerce site this September, and by Spring '09 the shoes will be available online.

Brazilian bikinis are still my favorites, especially now that the big trend there is the larger bottom (I must say, I was never a fan of the tiny ones.) Shopping for them in New York, however, has always been a challenge—I've even resorted to having them shipped to me. Rosa Chá is at the top of my list and every time I go home, I always stop in to see what designer Amir Slama is doing. Luckily, I won't have to have them sent from Brazil anymore, because he opened his first NYC store last weekend. Rosa Chá, 460 Broadway, NYC, (212) 777-0117.

Though Fall clothes are just starting to arrive in stores, I'm already starting to think fashion forward, to Spring 2009. Accessories designer Alexa Wagner wasted no time getting her collection together, and showed beautiful, brightly colored summer shoes. On my wish list? The orange and gray sandal—a great color combination—with little bows, and the open-toe green suede bootie. For more information, see www.alexawagner.com.

Much as I like the glam look of oversized sunglasses, I've never been able to find a pair that worked for me—a fashion deficiency I blame on my narrow face and build (when I put on a pair of giant shades, the result is not so much Jackie O as "uh, no"). Still, I live in hope, and at last, thanks to Selima Optique, that hope has been fulfilled. The designer's Pedro style is big enough to satisfy my film-star fantasies, but petite enough not to overwhelm me. And, as the very helpful sales assistant at the Prince Street shop informed me, the frame suits all kinds of faces, narrow or not. Selima Optique, Pedro frame, $325, at Selima Optique boutiques. For more information, see www.selimaoptique.com.

Hugo Boss is premiering its jewelry collection this fall. Each of the brand's lines (BOSS Black and BOSS Orange) will have an assortment of necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings to choose from at various price points. This necklace from the BOSS Black Twist collection is one piece that caught my eye. Made up of various interwoven chains, it has an edgy feel that feels right for fall. BOSS Black Twist collection designed by Ingo Wilts, $400. Available at Hugo Boss, NYC, (212) 485-1800, www.hugoboss.com.

To have curly hair is to be stranded in the gulf between theory and practice. In theory, I would like to be OK with my curly hair. In practice, I spend untold hours relaxing, blow-drying, flat-ironing, and fearing rain. In theory, I would like fashion to embrace curls, to spare a moment again for big, bonkers hair. In practice… Well, in practice I may be onto something. "It's nice to see wider, wilder, sexier hair," says Eugene Soulieman, the stylist who ringleted up Maryna Linchuk in the August issue of Vogue (above). "Think Helmut Newton, early seventies Saint Laurent, Guy Bourdin photos." Emboldened by Soulieman's endorsement, Ive been letting my curls run free this summer. Alas, this has prompted yet another discovery: "Without the right care, curly hair is all knots and frizz," warns stylist Ricardo Rojas, who is something of a missionary when it comes to conditioning. At his brand new salon on the Lower East Side, the Oribe alum and former keeper of Donatella's locks offers two different kinds of intensive conditioning treatments, and he sells (and swears by) the Kérastase line Oleo Curl. "Conditioning the hair the right way will allow the curl to define itself," he says. "The goal is to let the hair do what it naturally wants to do." Theory, meet practice.

After making its exclusive, by-purchase-only debut on iTunes last week, the video for Rihanna's latest infectious single, "Disturbia," is now available for your (free) viewing pleasure on YouTube. Sexy and dance-worthy, as most offerings from Rih-Rih typically are, this video stands out in director Anthony Mandler's body of work with the pop star for its, well, disturbing tenor. "She wanted to do something really dark," makeup artist Mylah Morales reports, which apparently lent itself to an almost carnal ferocity (animal-head masks and an assortment of feathers and tusks abound, as does a set of black metallic talons, which, according to Morales, are Rihanna's own nails and fingertips, airbrushed black). The hair and makeup looks vary throughout the four-minute video, but the overwhelming image is a superimposed close-up of the CoverGirl spokeswoman's lips in a highly pigmented shade of red, rivaling something out of a Robert Palmer video. "We used MAC's Ruby Rue lipstick," Morales reveals, a small tip from the Barbados beauty's makeup bag to you.

Even if you've been faithful to one mascara for the greater part of your makeup-wearing life, today is the time to consider a little infidelity. For one day only, Lancôme's revolutionary new battery-operated offering goes on sale at select counters in limited quantities—not to be available for purchase again until its official launch in November. Ôscillation, the world's first "powermascara," has a patented application brush that, with a little practice, will keep you coming back for more. The product features a formula designed to work specifically with the brush's 7,000 micro-oscillations per minute, a combination that completely wraps each individual lash in product for maximum separation and extension—no zigzagging hand gyrations required. If waiting in line for new technology isn't your thing, Sephora.com has managed to secure a limited quantity as well.

The South American beauty treatment commonly associated with an unruly bikini line (and about half an hour of eye-watering pain) has been given a new connotation by the Nelson J. Salon in Beverly Hills. Utilizing the legendary power of the açai berry—native to the Amazon region but now making frequent appearances at a juice bar near you—salon owner and celebrity colorist Nelson Chan's Natural Brazilian Hair Treatment has become a fast favorite with Southern California's dried-out and over-dyed masses. The lavish conditioning treatment, which contains shea butter and açai oil rich in vitamins, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and fiber, is massaged into the hair and scalp for 20 minutes, leaving a silky finish that lasts up to three weeks. To take the experience to multi-sensory levels, Chan has also created the Nelson J. Açai Elixir, containing MonaVie's açai berry juice blend—a post-treatment treat that is far superior to the redness and skin irritation of the other Brazilian. Nelson J. Salon's Natural Brazilian Hair Treatment, $50, including massage with an optional blow-out for an additional $45, www.nelsonjbeauty.com.

Although it's still really warm in New York and hard to image putting on a cashmere sweater, we've got a tip for you: Super-talented menswear designer Victor Glemaud is doing a special limited-edition collaboration with Henri Bendel that's hitting stores next Tuesday. Glemaud's 100 percent cashmere double cardigan will be available in three color combinations, and only 50 of each color will be produced. Don't say we didn't warn you. Victor Glemaud for Henri Bendel double cardigan, $348, available at Henri Bendel, (212) 247-1100, www.henribendel.com.

I seem to be surrounded by pregnant friends at the moment. I'm don't know if they're thinking about diaper bags yet, and I'm sure it's the sort of thing you can be very particular about—you might want one that looks very "baby," or maybe you want a normal-looking type of bag. If you're the kind of mom who falls into the second category, Carlos Falchi is now designing the perfect diaper bag. The bad news? It costs $2,500. For more information, see www.carlosfalchionline.com.

In an effort to remain hip all summer long, the bangs-wearing set continues to fight the good fight against humidity, frizz, and forehead breakouts. According to Elaine Mitchell, senior creative director for Sassoon's uptown Manhattan salon (they've officially dropped the Vidal, BTW), keeping your fringe manageable through the heat is all a matter of sprays and serums. "The correct product is crucial to prevent the bangs from becoming oily or weighed down," she says, explaining that the best way to combat humidity is to spray on something super-light while your bangs are still wet, like Kerastase Volumactive, then blow it dry straight and follow up with a flat iron. "If hair tends to get curly at the temples," she adds, "use a relaxing fluid like Davines', before blow-drying."

New Yorkers know Austrian-American Ludwig Bemelmans from the Carlyle Hotel, where his whimsical drawings cover the walls of the bar that bears his name. Having read all of his "Madeline" books, I discovered that he had written lots of stories for grown-ups too, and I am slowly savoring them. "Hotel Bemelmans," which is about his experience working at the Ritz-Carlton in the twenties and thirties, is my favorite, but I also enjoyed "On Board Noah's Ark," which was an especially good find because it features a babysitting dog, the Riviera, and color plates of Bemelmans' whimsical drawings.

Even if you won't be visiting the Amalfi Coast this summer, you can still get into the spirit of la dolce vita via Superga's limited-edition flag collection, which will be debuting over the coming weeks and on the company's Web site. Think triple-tone designs representing Italy, South Africa, France, the U.K, Spain, and the U.S. Perfect for just kicking around or for any patriotic occasion that might come your way—the stars-and-stripes American version, for example, was sported by Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers on a recent visit to the White House.

Since Martin Margiela is too private to inspire any gossip, his fans are free to focus on his clothes. I find myself particularly fixated on this belted trench from his Fall '08 collection. It's the perfect accompaniment to my private eye daydreams.

Yeah, I know you're sick of hearing how every new eco-friendly designer wants to make something organic but also fashion-forward. Trust me on this one, though—Larsen Gray is cool. And not just for a green designer. The brainchild of "Project Runway" alum Nora Caliguri and her friend Rachelyn Porter, Larsen Gray is focused on simple, modern silhouettes with interesting details. Think high-waisted shorts, baggy silk tanks, and one-shoulder dresses, all 100 percent organic or sustainable. And with the entire line priced under $260, you can feel just as good about your wallet as the environment. For more information, see www.larsengray.com.

Designer Barbara Tfank has been collecting vintage fabrics for a long time now, but a few years ago, she hit the mother lode. Legendary Lyonnaise textile maker Bianchini Férier was auctioning off brocades from the company vault, and Tfank managed to get her hands on a few choice bolts. She used bits and pieces in her clothes, and now U.K. shoe designer Olivia Morris has produced a very limited edition of heels and flats made from Tfank's carefully chosen stock. The Fall range has just arrived at the Susan stores in Burlingame and San Francisco, where they are being sold exclusively. Tfank notes that—despite the high-ish price tags—the shoes have been flying out the door. "It's one of those cases where people gravitate to something they know is really special. There just aren't that many of each pair, and the shoes at Susan now are the only ones that will ever exist." An addendum to that thought: Morris and Tfank have already put their heads together for a Spring collection derived from the Bianchini Férier cache, and have plans to add stack heel and sling-back styles to the selection.

Apparently, the first line of certified-organic cosmeceuticals has been on the market in Europe for a cool two years now. Yes, it's true, French women (and most of the luxe-loving European set) have been enjoying Patyka's Biokaliftin line—an exfoliating mask, face cream, eye contour, and night elixir formulated using the latest biotechnology and active organic plant derivatives—since 2006. But before you add "access to the wrinkle-reducing effects of beech tree bud extracts" to that list you've got going titled "why I hate the effortlessly chic," take pause: The products are finally available stateside at www.patykausa.com. Fans of the brand, which is widely recognized for its small-batch production model and natural-ingredient innovations, should also note that a New York flagship is in the works for fall 2008.

Now that sporting a logo on your temple is positively plebeian thanks to the popularity of designer sunglasses, it takes something a little more unusual (and a lot more expensive) to turn heads. DEOS Diamond [www.deos-diamond.com] ear phone covers fit that bill nicely—the collection of covers, which come with colored, clear, or black VS-quality diamonds set into titanium—are designed by Allison Lee Zeiss (an alum of Vera Wang's fine jewelry line) and cost between $3,500 and $40,000, depending on the number and color of diamonds. The sparkly little sleeves slide onto the standard white Apple ear buds to add instant glam to phone or pod. Not ready to shell out twenty grand on the real deal? The company plans on making a crystal and sterling version later this year.

The girls in the office and I have been searching for the perfect pair of high-waist, pleated trousers. Well, the search is over: DKNY has a great pair for $225, available at www.dkny.com. It's never too early to start our fall shopping.

Though Genevieve Jones has been designing jewelry for a while now, her first official collection was presented to press just recently. Her popular safety-pin earrings are still there, but she's moving in a bolder direction, with Indian-inspired chandelier earrings and vertebrae bangles (available in white gold, black/white gold, oxidized, and yellow gold) that feel very fresh and now. 18K gold-plated Railey snake vertebrae bracelet, $1,050, available at Muse Imports, (866) 301 MUSE.

On a recent trip to Duane Reade, I was stopped in my tracks by what seemed like some kind of beauty mirage. There, taking up prime real estate at the end of the skincare aisle, was a bounty of creams, face washes, lip balms, and body butters from niche natural companies typically found in health food stores—not the sort of products I associate with a mass-market pharmacy. While the New York metro-area drugstore has stocked Burt's Bees for a while now, DR recently upped the ante with offerings from J.R. Watkins, Alba Organics, and Befine, the vegan skincare line that you could literally eat, if you were in the habit of consuming soap (to each her own). Most surprising to see, though, was the cult Israeli Dead Sea line, Ahava, which is typically hard to find stateside, let alone at your neighborhood pharmacy. The mere presence of the brand suggests a new "aspirational" stocking approach—to which I say kudos: Being able to buy toothpaste and specialty products in the same trip is a huge bonus. Fingers crossed DR buyers stumble upon Jo Malone next.

Unlike the enthusiasm and appreciation it generates at our brother site, the parade of leggy models in skimpy bikinis at Miami's swimwear shows makes me want to wear anything but a bathing suit. Good thing, then, for Lisa Curran's new dress line, launched this season—the fresh, breezy little frocks are perfect for tossing on while poolside, but chic enough for making a run into town. They come in jersey, linen, and crochet styles, in a range of colors and prints to coordinate with your suit, whether it's by Ms. Curran or not. The dresses range from $90 to $300, and are available at www.lisacurran.com.

"You know, more than shoes, people look at your face and hair first," says accessories designer Jennifer Behr. She has a point—even when you're wearing Balenciaga knee-high gladiators, most of the time, they're not exactly in the average civilian's line of sight (fashion people are another story). So let's turn our attention away from footwear for a moment and consider Behr's feminine but sophisticated array of hair adornments, like this moon and star bobby pin set. Whether used to accent a formal do or to sweep back a too-long fringe, they're an eye-catcher in the best sense of the word. And, as the designer points out, they fit right in with the season's celestial trend (see Chanel, et al.). For more of Jennifer Behr's accessories (and to order), go to www.jenniferbehr.com.

You've got to respect a beauty doyenne who plays her client list close to the vest and lets her services do the talking. To wit, Joanna Vargas (above), about whose fanatical Hollywood following nothing will ever be said other than that every time Vargas and her team decamp to L.A., appointments for her signature Triple Crown Facial go about as fast as the daily reservations at Momofuku. (The especially addicted, meanwhile, have been known to fly to New York just to visit Vargas in her studiously private salon in Midtown.) Everything about Vargas is quiet, in fact—this is a facialist who can make the Triple Crown's series of diamond peel, microcurrent, and oxygen treatments go down like a lullaby—but when it comes to the latest weapon in her arsenal of instant fixes, she's finally naming names.

I panicked when CandyCast revealed that Anna Sui collects Arabia. Was the designer the formidable bidder driving up the prices of my favorite Finnish housewares? No, it turns out that Sui's obsession is with the company's Paratiisi line, whereas I can't resist the heart-rimmed enamel bowls (I have one at home and another in the office) and the children's sets, like this one, with a nomad herder and his strange menagerie.

As the self-proclaimed "curator of cool," Ron Robinson, trendsetter and beauty-buyer extraordinaire, has been satiating L.A.'s product fiends for the past 25 years by introducing the under-moisturized and scent-seeking masses to brands like Kiehl's, the House of Creed, and L'Artisan Parfumeur long before they became household names. It's no surprise, then, that his in-house fragrance line, Apothia Los Angeles (that's shorthand for "apothecary + utopia," BTW), is a favorite with everyone who visits his Apothia boutique at Fred Segal. For those of you who don't just want to spritz on essences of fig, clean linen, or geranium but want to bathe in them—literally—you're in luck: Robinson just released Apothia Hand & Body, a line of eight new hand and body washes that are paraben- and sulfate-free—not to mention an exercise in total luxury. Looks like he's done it again.

A friend in need is a friend indeed. Nobody knows that better than mother and daughter retail dynamos Sarah Lerfel and Colette Roussaux, as their intention of parking a shopping truck on the sidewalk of Colette during its seven-week refurbishment was turned down by Paris authorities earlier this week. Never fear, longtime friends and collaborators Comme des Garçons came to the rescue yesterday by vacating the premises of their perfumery, with its signature hot-pink glass facade in Place du Marché Saint-Honoré. "It was a last-minute decision, and one which has made us very happy," admits Lerfel, whose "Mini Colette" promises to soften the blow for summer shoppers in search of retail therapy. That is, until August 23, when all returns to normal and the 213 Rue Saint-Honoré address prepares to open its redesigned doors.

Good news for us shoeaholics: Rag & Bone is officially on the market. The first shoe collection hits stores in November, and we already have our eye on the shearling ankle boot. Rag & Bone ankle boot, $375 to $435, for more information, see www.rag-bone.com.