In a manner that can only be compared to Black Friday, Target’s website crashed several times throughout the day Tuesday. Some stores had crowds lined up early Tuesday morning to be the first to have grab at Missoni womens’ wear, bikes, stationary, houseware, luggage, and more.  Many customers that placed an order online are recieving emails from Target informing them that the orders will be delayed, or worse- cancelled.

Jed Wexler, manager of Eight-Eighteen Strategies, a fashion consulting agency in NYC explains: “Target unintentionally (or was it intentionally?) accomplished the ‘digital velvet rope’ thing – a huge run on a product with limited access and supply, which inevitably generates buzz. It actually really worked in their favor. On the one hand they hate the fact that their site crashed for so long, but on the other hand, giddy that everyone is talking about it and that demand was so high that it produced a crash. After all, the collection did sell out. Amazingly, this ‘underestimation’ allowed Target to come out ahead here from a PR, marketing, and sales.”

Where does that leave Missoni enthusiasts who didn’t manage to snag the pieces they wanted? Never fear- if Target cannot manage to restock, Ebay currently has over 32,000 Missoni for Target items for sale.

The Loafer Heel

No shoe gives an outfit the same crisp, pulled-together feel as a nice loafer- and the added heel brings an even more refined look to the old classic. Try these, by Nine West.

Pointy-Toe Flats

To me, being in college and being forced to wear flat shoes on a daily basis for practicality reasons is a constant fashion buzzkill. However, I recently purchased these pointy toe flats in black. They go with everything and are quite sensible, while the angled silhouette gives them a little something extra.

Red Shoes

Ever since my childhood love affair with the Wizard of Oz, my favorite shoe color has been red. During the last election season, Sarah Palin and I were sporting the same pair of red Naughty Monkey heels. (I do believe our similarities end there.) I loved these from the Gap, which combine red with the pointy-toe flat trend, and for the truly daring this Jeffrey Campbell pair is fabulous.

Wedge Boots

Personally I think this is one of the harder fall shoe looks to pull off, but this black pair is fairly versatile- they could be worn with jeans, tights, or a more formal look.

1.)  Midis

One of the hottest fall trends will be these mid-length skirts. These skirts are perfect if you’re trying to achieve a fifties Mad Men-esque outfit.  Try wearing this adorable midi from Express with a waist belt to elongate your torso and legs.

2.) New Music

As school begins to start in August and September some truly great bands are releasing new albums that you will want to add to your back to school playlist on your iPod.  In August, they include the long awaited Beirut album The Ripe Tide and the Red Hot Chili Peppers tenth studio album I’m with You. In September, musicians releasing new albums include: St. Vincent, Girls, Bjork, and even Blink 182 is releasing a new CD years after breaking up.

3.) Long Socks

The past few years have seen a huge resurgence of stockings in all colors and patterns.  They are perfect for staying warm in dresses and skirts but if you’re tired of stockings try socks.  Wear either knee length or thigh length socks from stores like American Apparel for the perfect accessory to your fall attire.

4.) Lipstick not lip gloss

Typically when fall begins to usher in it means one can start wearing richer and deeper colors like dark purples and reds.  This is especially so with lip colors and because lip gloss simply is not pigmented enough for dark rich colors lipstick is the best choice. A deep matte wine colored lipstick like MAC’s Hang-up is always fashionable in fall and winter.

5.) Poketo School and Office Supplies

Poketo is an online store whose motto is “art for everyday life.”  They put upcoming artists work on everything from notebooks to pens to wallets. Some of their most creative back to school supplies include box tape adorned with art and an energy saving manual paper shredder.  Check out all of their artistic endeavors at poketo.com.

It was an unusually cold August night when my good friend and Niche co worker Emily Wells and I went to grab coffee at a favorite local café in their hometown of Orange County.

When we arrived our waiter informed us that Matt Costa would be playing an improptu show.  Surprised that he just happened to be playing in our hometown we soon learned he is from a city not too far from the coffee shop we were at. As Costa began to set up his equipment, we seized the oppurtunity to invite him for drinks and an interview after his set.

Costa played some of his new soulful folk music with his bandmante Danny Garcia. The set was an impressive display of the complexity and passion of acoustic music which we were very lucky to randomly catch.

Costa and Garcia played with a passion and vigor not often seen in today’s indie/folk singers. Costa dedicated this to the fact that he “easily gets lost in music.” Both former pro-track skateboarders, Costa and Garcia agreed that they most enjoy playing spur of the moment low-key events with each other, even more so than being on tour. “All of the best things to happen to me in life have been spontaneous.” says Costa.

This whimsical mentality held true when we asked Costa one of our favorite interview questions for musicians- if you were to hear three songs before you die, what would you want them to be? His response- “My worthwhile experiences have always been unplanned. If I answered that, I could be ruling out the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Costa also displays an incredible range of versatility in his passions. Being bibliophiles ourselves, we loved talking about our mutual love of John Steinbeck- “I’m reading a collection of his letters right now. He has a rawness that you don’t see in many authors today.”

When discussing computer choices for graduate school, Costa displayed a charming groundedness. “You have a computer? I have a computer. The delete key doesn’t work anymore. Now I have to really mean everything I say.” Costa isn’t one to spend extraeneous time allowing his mind to rot. “It’s up here”, he said, pointing to his brain. “That’s all that really matters.”

What’s next for Matt Costa? “I can’t really say. I’ll be playing as much as I can for as long as I can.”

Cha Cha Tint, Benefit Cosmetics

After falling in love with Posie and Benetint, the poppy pink and rasberry versions of Benefit’s new golden Cha Cha tint, I was so eager to try out this product. It’s not disappointing- the golden color is warmer and lighter than its predecessors, and perfect for summertime. It blends in with a bronzer, and works more naturally with a tan or for those with warmer skin tones.

Lip Shimmers, Burt’s Bees

Most women don’t want to be bothered with traditional lipcolor in the summer. Somewhere between lip balm and lipstick, Burt’s Bees lip shimmers come in array of colors and offer just the right amount of tint to brighten up neutral summer makeup.

Healthy Volume Waterproof Mascara, Neutrogena

In the warmer months, I don’t want a daytime look that’s too overdone. Neutrogena’s healthy volume waterproof mascara stays put through swimming and exercise, and looks natural and never clumpy.

All Soft Shampoo and Conditioner, Redken

Pools, the ocean, and sunlight all take a toll on hair health. Redken’s All Soft shampoo and conditioner are gentle enough to use everyday,  replenishing moisture and keeping damage to a minumum.

Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion, Aveeno

If you’re like me and your skin burns after just minutes in the sun, this is the sunblock for you. It endures all kinds of strenuous activity and has brought me the most success as far as avoiding sunburn.