Remember that episode of I Love Lucy in which Lucy and Ethel are desperate for dresses from a specific designer?

They’re heading to a horse race and insist upon these fancy dresses so Ricky and Fred cut head and arm holes in potato sacks and sew the designer label into the burlap and convince the girls the dresses came straight from his atelier. They end up at the racetrack with their heads held high, acting like snooty brats in their major outfits.

They might’ve preferred these. We’ve been lamenting the loss of ’08s tent dresses and welcome the sack with open arms. It does, of course, take a lot of work to make one look like Tomas Maier’s at Bottega Veneta as opposed to a sheet. Laces, like at Celine, help, as does a delicate sleeve (though we’d prefer one on both arm) from Calvin Klein. As for actual burlap at Charles Anastase? At least Fred and Ricky would approve.

Wearing socks with sandals is usually listed near the top of any fashion don’t list.

Last fall, everyone welcomed tights with open toes. But it looks like spring’s headed in an even less practical direction pairing socks, whether ankle or knee high, with your favorite sandals. You can do it with platform wedges a la Topshop or Burberry, flats like Marni, shoe booties like Wang and Charles Anastase or studded party shoes like Louise Goldin.

Marc’s fall 06 show was the last time we even considered trying this (though alas, we aren’t Karen Elson), but we’re still not sure about its resurgence for spring.

Stella McCartney sent pants-less looks down her runway as early as her Spring 2008 collection (September of 2007, when Gaga was still just a noise babies made). She carried the look through to last spring’s line-up of pants-less suits and rompers, but this season almost every designer jumped on the bandwagon.

Charles Anastase showed a killer nude and black playsuit; Marc layered pants-less options under military jackets; Miuccia showed hotpants in Milan last night; Brian Reyes’ opening look was nothing but a white bodysuit. As if a lack of pants wasn’t enough, Alex Wang sewed sheer panels into his and Jenni Kayne added a matching leather bandeau, conservatively draped with a grandpa cardigan, of course.

But, well, you know which question remains.

I can never have too many Longchamp bags. They truly are a little slice of chic perfection and utterly useful.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of ANDAM (Association Nationale pour le
Développement des Arts de la Mode) - whose focus is to recognize and support emerging French fashion talent - the label collaborated with three past winners on limited edition Le Pliage bags: Jeremy Scott, Charles Anastase, and Bless designers Desiree Heiss and Ines Kaag.

Our favorite has to be the Bless innovation wherein the bag can literally be folded into itself becoming a leather bracelet. That is some serious fashion meets function action. The sweetness of Anastase’s ballet slippers illustration is rather lovely too. And of course, Jeremy went all sorts of loud, fashioning himself as a “nouveau samurai”.

Like I said, there is no such a thing as too many, so we’ll probably just snag all three when they go on sale October 1st.

It’s been a long time coming, but we of the weak eyes are finally getting our due.

It started on the runway: Natasha Poly looked sexy with her chignon and frames walking Michael Kors for Fall 08, and then Charles Anastase accented his sweet but sexy Spring 09 collection with black glasses.

Now they’ve gained real momentum. Terry Richardson (whose big frames we love) hilariously chronicled Lily Donaldson’s visit to the eye doctor (a process that ends in the always uncomfortable eye drops that we are all too familiar with) for US Vogue and the new Dolce & Gabbana and D&G ads include shots of bespectacled models.

Apart from advertisements for their actual glasses collections, this is the first we can remember them being used so very prominently in fashion advertisements. And boy, did pictures of Justin in those black frames at the CFDAs get our hearts pumping.

There are some serious fashion idols that rocked frames (Yves Saint Laurent and Iris Apfel come to mind) but now glasses have become a versatile accessory, and even our friends with 20/20 are joining in.

Those of us who suffered through elementary, middle and high school embarrassment eventually coming to self-acceptance and love of our glasses, felt a little bitter at first towards those who just threw on the frames now that it was cool. But ultimately, we feel rather proud that glasses are being embraced.

—AMANDA JEAN BOYLE

Dear Rihanna,

I don’t know much about your music. Mostly because I tend to pick up on music from the boys in my life and yours aren’t exactly their go-to tunes. But you’re on my radar (because I don’t live under a rock) and I’m digging your sartorial choices.

I know you have a red carpet/video/tour stylist, but I’m pretty sure when you walk out of the house in something like the Chris Kane dress at left, you’ve thrown it on all by yourself. Between that and your Stella sailor cardigan, the slouchy bag with which you dressed down that Alex Wang dress, your Balmain touches and this necklace you’re rocking all over NYC, we’re impressed.

So please wear more Chris Kane, check out Charles Anastase and maybe grab one of Marios Schwab’s 3D dresses? Also Ann D’s ribcage belt probably has your name etched along the spine and we’d love to see you in some Rodarte knits.

In closing, thank you for branching out where so many wear faded white tees and leggings - you’re like Michelle Obama for the Hollywood set and we kind of love you for it.

I think I spent an entire month watching over-the-knee boots march down runways.

From Rodarte in New York, to Pam HoggLondon in and Louis Vuitton in Paris - and about a million in between - they were everywhere, but aside from Lauren Santo Domingo’s turn in custom-made Brian Atwoods, we’d placed stretchy leather up to one’s butt cheeks in the runway-only category, along with everything sheer from SS09.

I was wrong, of course. Byrdie Bell broke hers out for a party a couple of weeks ago and as fall merchandise creeps its way into stores, we’re preparing for an onslaught. Stuart Weitzman’s square-toed versions, in both suede and leather, hit Shopbop this week and StyleFile is even contemplating thigh high clogs.

I remember the first time I wore almost knee-high leather boots to my suburban Catholic high school and gave everyone a heart attack. Even if this is New York City circa now, I imagine a similar, if not more dangerous reaction with those six extra inches of leather. I love the idea, am obsessed with the look, but I’m pretty sure I’d look like a hooker regardless of what I wear on the rest of my body.

Abby, however, can’t wait to rock a pair. Thoughts?

That recession thing everyone was obsessing over during New York Fashion Week? Well, in London, they have no idea what you’re talking about.

From our first show, Ashish - which featured a raging live performance, acrobats and gift bags packed full of makeup - to the last, there wasn’t even the slightest sign of an economic downturn. Champagne and food flowed, beer, wine and liquor, too; coffee in the mornings, water, Vitamin water, and Godiva chocolates everywhere you turned.

Gift bags popped up at almost every show - two at some like Roksanda and PPQ - totes packed with cosmetics, hair products, magazines, t-shirts and Barbies. And it felt like every single designer had an after party - including magazine and store parties, there must have been at least seven events a night.

And the photo pits, which we noticed were considerably smaller in New York this season, were huge. Not just at shows like Vivienne Westwood, but at Charles Anastase and Krystof Srozyna, too.

More importantly, no one even talked about it. Except for us of course, desperately running around asking everyone both British and American why it felt different on this side of the Atlantic. No one had an answer.

So we’ll leave it up to Paris - let the French have the final say in just how much the industry’s letting its inner turmoil reflect in its public face while we recover from London’s rollicking week-long party.

I’ve been salivating over shoes this week.

At yesterday’s Josh Goot show, I literally had to hold myself to the chair so as not to grab the two-toned platform wedges off the models’ feet. I’m not even sure if they were suede or slightly furry leather, but I want them alongside my imaginary collection of Charles Anastase stompers, Charlotte Olympia for Krystof platforms, Basso & Brooke elf shoes, Vivienne Westwood bondage sandals and everything else that I dream about.

The dresses and suits that went along with the shoes were pretty, too. There were two parts to the large collection: The first was a grouping of clingy, pinkish-beige and black, two-toned dresses, and the second made up of ruched pieces in what looked like a paint-splattered print.

Basically, I walked away from the show thinking about shoes and about how lovely it would be to be 5’10” and 110 pounds (ok, not really) so I could wear skin-tight nude dresses.

Sitting at the Charles Anastase show, we felt like London Fashion Week had really started.

It was a sweaty, hot, mad mess in what looked like someone’s really large flat. The PR’s screamed: “Is Suzy coming?”, “Yes!”, “No, I’ve just rung her driver!”, “Get Tim Blanks!”, “Is he downstairs?”, “Yes! Yank him up the stairs!” while Pixie Geldof held court in the front row with Diane Pernet and Daisy Lowe crashed half way through.

The collection was part punk, part wearable. We’d rock the plaid jackets and striped skirts anywhere, though we probably wouldn’t tie our arms down with rope; the oversized pink cardigan was striking, though no hand chains, please; the shoes were unreal though we’d need them 3” shorter and minus the smeared mud.

Shirts came printed with “Dementia,” “Don’t Kiss,” and “Malia Obama” and the models wore the goth red lip that was everywhere in New York.

Very excited chatter led the way downstairs.