Remember Chanel’s Vamp – circa 1994? Meet the reincarnated polish (if you can find it) - Chanel’s Black Satin.

The black polish was released in July and has been more scarce than a Chloé Paddington bag. Black nails are no longer reserved for the doomy goth gals, this new black is shinier and more complex with undertones of purple, silver or red. It’s super glam and even corporate babes are wearing it to the office. How hot is it?

…Sarah Michelle Gellar swiped someone else’s bottle during NY fashion week. Nice going Buffy!
…The average price on eBay is triple the retail price.
…Hundreds of names on waiting lists, and now salivating as Beauty Addict busts out that there is finally a new shipment hitting stores this week.

Can’t wait? The New York Times shares some black nail polish alternatives:

- OPI Lincoln Park After Dark
- OPI Black Onyx
- Shu Uemura ME083 (a gun-metal black)
- Mac Nocturnelle (pure creamy black)
- Essie Wicked

Bonus! The end of summer always means the end of my healthy long nails. Thank goodness the shade de semaine actually looks best on shorter, squared nails. And here’s a tip from Glamour: Devise an anti-chip strategy. Use ridge filler as a base to stop bleeding; keep polish off your cuticles and refresh your topcoat every third day.

Spring Trend Alert: Chanel is creating a black with blue marine tones for Spring 2007.

Image [source]
Evan Agostini/Getty Images

Before you bloat on turkey - inspire yourself to skip the stuffing so that you can dazzle in that cute little dress you’re going to wear thru the Christmas party circuit. First you have to get the dress, right? - so start looking now!

One of my best purchases was a moss green chiffon number from Rampage. I spent $90 and I wore it to a ton of parties by just messing around with accessories. I’ve got a handful of cheaper stores that are 90% hoochie (or maybe I’m just too old to shop there) and 10% gold mine: Rampage, Heart Moon Stars, Hot Kiss, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe and Zara.

The trick to buying from cheaper stores: the material and detail in the right places. Chiffon, crepe, lace, and shiny can be more forgiving. Budget finds are often simple in the back and save the detail for the front, but if you’ve got an expensive pashmina shawl to wrap - does a plain back matter? (retorical question). Here are two perfect examples of great deals on little black dresses that you can add your luxe touches to:
 
Bonus: One more dress here. It’s not a dress, but here’s a cute top at Hot Kiss that falls into the 10% goldmine category! Scoop Neck Lace Top.

1. Capes /Capelets (or a cropped military jacket with bell sleeves)

2. Stacked Heel Shoes

3. Fab Kneelength Flat Boots

4. Animal Prints

5. Multibuckle Belts

6. Layers of knits

7. Red Splashes

8. Cropped trouser (& a pair of slouchy trousers) - with a crisp white shirt

9. Pencil skirt - with a crisp white shirt

10. Jet Jewels & Luxe Gold ala Tiffany’s Frank Gehry (Guggenhiem Architect!)

Dresses: It’s the season of the dress. A sweater dress is the best choice (and you can warm up with leggings underneath. Legging rules - cover your bum!).

Gold: Gold hardware, around your neck (layers of chains), shoe details, and fabric. It’s a rare woman who can mix silver and gold -so be safe and retire the silver for a little while.

Boots: Knee-high or little booties - just keep in mind the heel is flat or chunky (no stiletto). Cuffs & buckles galore.

Skinny Pants: With so much layering volume on top, you want your bottoms slim. The only skinny I’ve ‘really’ liked is the velvet skinny.

Menswear-inspired Trousers: If skinny and leggings don’t do it for you -your answer is plaids and pinstripes in wide-leg or long Bermuda short-style.

Sweaters: Since skinny is the look below - the counterbalance is big up top. Oversized flowing knits.

Red accents: Red is the No. 1 accent color for the season, says Gregg Andrews, a fashion director at Nordstrom. Buy a red coat, or a red handbag. Wear red lips.

Black accents: Coordinate jet onyx beads and crystals with just the right sparkle to subtly stand out on black.

What are you are coveting for Fall? Or what  are you already living in for Fall? Post your answer on your blog and send me a link to it in the comments of this post by September 25. Your links and summaries will be posted here on The it Lists for the October update.