My biggest denim issue has always been length - it seems like every pair is made for the Elle McPhersons of the world, while I hover just above the 5'0" mark. Oh, just get them hemmed, you say? Well, that wouldn't be such a pain if it didn't:

1. Automatically add $25 to the pair of already way-too-expensive pants.

2. Put my purchase at risk of butchery (I once had a pair of very expensive jeans ruined by someone who took them up just 1 inch too high - yes, that's all it takes.)

3. Make me feel like life is so incredibly unfair for all the short people, unless you're an Olsen.

But after an unusually successful department store trip this past MLK day, consider me satisfied (at least for now.)

I finally got around to trying out the petite line from Paige Jeans (owned by Fred Kayne, father to Jenni), and I have to say, they're amazing. Not only are they subtly flattering (which is really all we want from jeans), but the second I slid them on - and could feel only the floor beneath my feet - I knew I was going to walk out of a store with wear-ready jeans for the first time ever.

Now if I could only convince shoe designers that 5.5 is a worthwhile size to include in their normal lines, I'd be all set.

The film was to star Heath Ledger, though of course now that can't happen.

His romantic lead in the movie was Lily Cole, and although her scenes were scheduled to be shot soon, there's a good possibility that now, they won't be filmed at all.

The news comes on the heels of another odd bit of news from the Lily Cole cinema sphere:

Her highly hyped movie Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll, created and co-starring Marilyn Manson, has been moved from "post production" to "pre-production" status on IMDB.

Tilda Swinton will take the role of the Red Queen, originally created for Angelina Jolie.

The big news:

-Laura Mercier is opening a lash bar (think Shu), only at Bendel's, the second week in February. (Britt, at press time, is applying her new pair in the bathroom.)

-Makeup artist extraordinaire Mally Roncal is selling the amazing sheer red lipstick she originally created for Zooey Deschanel.

-And Le Métier de Beauté is coming out with a liquid liner pen that works exactly like a fine-point Sharpie.

But our favorite part of the morning? When colorist Katrina from Giella overheard our nail polish woes (we've been trying to find the perfect shade of bright orange,) and mixed the exact shade we had in mind right on the spot - much like the Fashionista lip gloss they made for us last year.

It might be a little pricey ($25 a bottle!) but we think it's worth it - especially for getting certain wait-list/only-sold-in-Europe shades, or even for tweaking colors you love but clash with your skin tone.

It was the most well-rounded breakfast we've had in a while.

"Clients were breathless with excitement. 'I want everything - it was made for me,' the actress Diane Kruger said, while Sofia Coppola uttered one joyous word: 'Flats!'" - Suzy Menkes, on the wave of approval at Chanel's S/S '08 couture show, in IHT.

The ads were styled by Diane and designed with help from François-Marie Banier, the French artist who's known the Belgian-American style icon for years.

We're usually not fond of artwork in place of fashion photos, but because Diane's iconic prints seem splayed in every corner of this image, it's actually rather magical.

The campaign was created with help from ad exec David Lipman, who shares his Meatpacking neighborhood with Diane herself - Natalia, meanwhile, lives a little further down, in Tribeca.

Ben Cho has hired a crew of air brushers to paint his models before they hit the runway for his Fall '08 show.

We'll try to be backstage taking photos of the color war, and we desperately hope Lara Stone's in the lineup -

After all, she's the expert on how to look good painted.

Whether this catwalk trend will translate into any actual style choices is somewhat doubtful, but as long as nobody's spraying themselves with an orange "suntan" shade, we'll support anyone's curiosity to experiment the look come Spring.

Hint: start with soap crayons, and work your way up...

Christian, Jillian, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named aren't the only Project Runway designers showing during the week:

Season One alumna Alexandra Vidal has shipped herself from Miami for the occasion, and she'll show her Fall '08 collection at the Bryant Park Hotel on Tuesday, February 5.

Ms. Vidal stacks her appointments against the Marc by Marc Jacobs show, Tory Burch, Matthew Williamson (who's back from London), and Narciso Rodriguez, and according to her website, she goes like this:

"Discriminating women with impeccable taste, her clients include many whose names regularly appear in the society pages and in fashion magazines. They have sought her out for her individualized creations whose colors, fabrics and details make them stand out."

Great - but who will get a bigger audience for their solo collection, Alexandra... or Victorya?

"They offered her family a lot of money to switch," says the source, "And they couldn't turn it down."

Next represents some incredible talent (Petra Nemcova, Anja Rubik, Catherine McNeil, Joy Bryant), and adding Karlie to their stable will undoubtedly make their women's board even stronger.

But Elite's recently gained a reputation for nurturing new talent, with Coco Rocha skyrocketing from nowhere under the tutelage of her Elite managers, Ali Stephens booking the new Chloe campaign, and Darla Baker morphing into indie fashion's go-to poster girl.

We love Next; we love Elite; we love Karlie; we can't wait for Fashion Week.

But we're also smitten with this extra bit of news:

Riley Keough, the granddaughter of Elvis Presley, former face of Dior, and now-legal bombshell, is at Elite's New York agency... and what's more, she's in their show package.

Riley on the runways for Fashion Week?! It's too good...

The actress announced today that she'd star in the lubricant's latest campaign, which will show her nude body but not her face - in the photo, she buries it in her knees.

We wonder if Vaseline will go on to recruit other refugees of Neutrogena campains -

After all, now that Mischa Barton's posed for Arena, she could totally do a no-clothes shoot for a drugstore brand. Gabrielle Union would likewise look great, and if Vaseline would donate a portion of profits to a Save the Dolphins fund, we bet Hayden Panetierre would be in, too.

Even Neutrogena's latest spokesgirl, Vanessa Hudgens, could get bumped up to a Vaseline campaign - she's already taken her clothes off for a cell phone camera; she might as well get hair, makeup, and residuals from it.