photo courtesy WWDI’ve already professed my deep love for all things Australian. Apparently Steven Alan shares my opinion.

He’s currently working on a project with V Australia (that’s Richard Branson’s new airline, not a spin-off of the magazine) where he’s creating the “perfect” travel bag. He just finished traveling around Oz (specifically New South Wales and Queensland) getting inspired.

And he’s Tweeting about it too. No sketches have been released yet, but he has put up some materials he’s thinking about using and color choices like reds, tans, blues, and oranges. If you feel like weighing in, now’s your chance.

The bags will be available exclusively at Steven Alan stores in New York and Los Angeles. If we can get over our jealousy of what sounds like a ridiculously amazing trip, we’re sure we’ll love them.

So our friends over at our sibling site, Above The Law, came to us this afternoon with a little situation. You see they’d posted a story yesterday about how corporate lawyer types were being allowed, and even told, by their big law bosses to dress “down” during the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh so as not to draw unwanted attention from the protesters that follow this meeting wherever in the world it is held.

But, what to wear some readers asked? So we decided to step in with a few suggestion (even jeans are allowed!)

My first thought for the ladies was to definitely keep it simple: a dark fitted jean (I’m currently obsessed with my “Curvy” style from the 1969 collection at the Gap), maybe a cool not suit-y black blazer, with a striped tee underneath and a simple black boot. Subtle, professional, but not too corporate lackey.

Or throw in a little retro vibe plus color, like this look from fall Chris Benz. Maybe I’m wrong, but brights don’t scream Big Law to me. The other option I came up with was to go luxe boho, like you’re part of the professional counterculture, if you will. Maybe something along the lines of this Anna Sui print with some black tights and a slouchy bag.

Magazines not for you? Don’t feel like helping a stylist? Not interested in writing for us? But you still want an internship? How about a showroom?

Steven Alan’s hiring. They need interns starting now and a good crop for fall, too. It’s kind of like working in the closet, you’ll check samples in and out and keep everything organized. But you’ll be doing it in a gigantic Tribeca showroom instead.

Housing Works is throwing a party with Robert Verdi tonight.

The TV stylist is working with the NYC charity to raise money for those living with AIDS through an exclusive sale of products from Steven Alan, Richie Rich, John Bartlett, Jonathan Adler and more.

While the VIP hour is from 8-9, the event opens to the public from 9-10 and will be full of brand new merchandise from all the designers, not to mention food and drinks, at their Chelsea location: 143 West 17th St.

And if a good cause, fun designers and free food aren’t enough for you - we’d place a pretty high bet that Simon Doonan‘ll be around.

If you, like us, only head toward Times Square/Port Authority for very, very special occasions - here’s one.

Save Fashion’s third week, May 15th through 22nd is devoted to the best of men’s: Acne, Band of Outsiders, Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers, Earnest Sewn, Inhabit, Rag & Bone, Rogan, Rogues Gallery and Steven Alan.

But then Abigail Lorick moves in and brings Eleanor Waldorf with her. You’ll have a chance to buy the clothes from the Eleanor Waldorf Fashion Show episode of Gossip Girl which means you won’t just have a one-off, but a one-off from the same runway Serena walked and Blair pitched a fit over.

Meanwhile, will Lorick for Little J for Eleanor Waldorf be there? Find out Friday May 22nd.

Welcome to Part II of Life With Steven Alan (here’s Part I) wherein we discuss:

- How to land a coveted space in the Steven Alan showroom.

- How to land an arguably more coveted space in the Steven Alan store.

- Why girls should dress like boys.

- Whether or not he’ll ever stage a proper show.

- How you can thank his high school for your favorite wrinkled button down.

Steven Alan might be the trickiest Life With subject yet.

He doesn’t just design men’s, women’s and children’s collections; he doesn’t just run a showroom representing over twenty of New York’s hippest designers; and he doesn’t just operate ten of his own stores - he also hangs out with his seven-year-old son.They like to eat things like seaweed with rice and salami and tuna and rank their favorite chefs.

But when he’s working, Alan works hard, scouting the best new designers to fill both his showroom and his store while maintaining one of the most cohesive design visions around.

After the jump, I try to understand just how he wears so many hats, so well.

(And since the Life Withs get longer and longer as I get more curious, check back tomorrow for Part II.)

We’ve been pretty into Urban Outfitter’s collaborations.

We welcome Steven Alan in any form and surfed through Spring Fashion Week in a couple of Hawks by Geren Ford tops.

They’re dressy and sexy and less than $100.

They’re also, apparently, the same exact design as Geren Ford’s main line - or at least this one particular Gather Ruffle Neck Top is. The blouse-y top comes in silk on Shopbop for $258 or a rayon/polyester/spandex blend for $88 at Urban Outfitters. (Also, the silk one’s dry clean only which adds about $100 to its lifetime cost.)

There’s also this: the Rivet Back Tank on Shopbop for $220 or the Grommet Back Tank at Urban for $88. Not exactly the same, but close enough. And because it’s all made by the same designer, there’s no copy guilt.

Just in case you were about to spend your hard earned recession-era pennies on Shopbop and you don’t particularly mind fake silk.

Housing Works must be making a killing on their fashion related auctions.

Just a month after their Marc hosted auction and one week post-vintage YSL blowout, they’ve announced a major Steven Alan sale.

The designer’s donated one thousand pieces of his own line, as well as the other brands he sells in his Manhattan store including Sea, Lulu and Willa, to the New York City charity whose profits go toward housing the homeless. There will be sweaters, coats, dresses, shirts and shorts for men and women - all priced at 70% below retail.

The sale starts, and probably ends, on Saturday December 27 at 11am at their West 17th Street location.

So whether you’re celebrating Christmas a couple of days late, looking for a post-holiday bargain or just a Steven Alan junkie like us, we’d suggest checking it out.

Let’s call it The Sartorialist Effect:

After years of tiny flowers dotting the fabric of Paul Smith shirts, the motif seems to be stretching into more men’s fashion - most specifically, and surprisingly, into men’s streetwear.

You can find floral guys’ shirts at H&M now, and floral ties at Steven Alan and Urban Outfitters.

But our most surprising find were these red sneakers from Nike, which feature tiny dotted blossoms all over their leather fields, at Opening Ceremony (Ok - so they’re sized for women, but the store purposely carries up to a women’s 12 - which is a men’s 10 - especially for boy shoppers.)

The kicks retail for $125, and if a boy wore them out on a date with us, we’d be kinda psyched.

Would you?

Tiffany, Steven Alan girl; Mara, tutor

Got Them: Lazing away the day on the corner of Prince and Mott.

Stalked Them: Because they were both wearing the same thing, except not really, and we wanted to know what they were drinking - a cappuccino and a watermelon juice, in case you’re wondering.

Shot Them: Because, Hello, they were totally giving us an advertisement for Steven Alan style

They Say: (Actually, not much. We asked them why they were dressed the same, to which they only giggled.)

We Say: We love fifth grade chic!

—BRETT KANE

Because I totally would.

I know, they seem a bit silly. But hear me out.

I’m short. The dresses in my closet - and my closet’s pretty much only dresses - are very short because I’m under the impression that the shorter the dress the longer my legs look. And this works fine in the winter because I can wear really opaque tights and flats.

But my spring and summer dresses have to be longer for decency’s sake, and because I tend to wear giant platforms when it’s warm. But if I had bloomers! Oh the short dresses I could wear with bloomers!

As Brett pointed out, “They look like Steven Alan underwear,” which is so true, so cute, and so much more reasonable than Miu Miu’s.

So if you see me walking down the street this summer, in what you think is my underwear and a really long top, it’s actually my favorite pair of bloomers and a recently hemmed dress.

But would you wear them? Or do you think they’re the silliest trend since fake glasses?