Blog Posts by Joanna Douglas, Senior Fashion and Beauty Editor

ChanelWhen it comes to designer merchandise, there are definitely different tiers, and the ubiquitous Louis Vuitton is actually considered lower end when it comes to accessories. (We know.) While you can purchase one of the iconic LV monogram bags for several hundred dollars, Chanel is a totally different story. Their most popular quilted bag costs a whopping $2,600.

If you live in an affluent city like New York, you see Chanel bags on the arms of many, many women--some ladies insist the classic chain-link straps and quilted patterns are the epitome of chic. But $2,600 is not enough for the greedy folks at Chanel. They fear their items have become mainstream, and wish to be more unattainable and exclusive. So they've upped their prices around 20 to 30 percent. These are a few of the price hikes found in Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, and Chanel boutiques:

• Medium classic bag: formerly $2,600, now $3,400
• Jumbo classic bag: formerly $2,995, now $3,795
• Jumbo reissue bag: formerly

Read More »from Ugh. Chanel raises prices to become more exclusive

Radiance by Britney Spears via TwitterWith Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds paving the way (and maybe Debbie Gibson's Electric Youth if you're an '80s baby like me), celebrity fragrances have proven to be successful money makers over the years, though they have never been more popular. Mary J. Blige sold over 50,000 bottles of her new perfume, My Life, on HSN this past Saturday, with one dollar of each sale going to her charity. Last week Britney Spears Tweeted a photo of the ad for her upcoming ninth fragrance called Radiance. In September Beyonce will be launching her sophomore scent, Heat Ultimate Elixir, and Shakira's perfume, S by Shakira, which just launched in Madrid, will be making its way to the States. Katy Perry will be launching her fragrance debut, Purr, in November.

We think these celebrity scents getting out of control. These days it's harder to find a celebrity who doesn't have a fragrance than ones who do. Last time we checked Jennifer Lopez had 18 perfumes to call her own. Others scent shillers who come

Read More »from Celeb scent overload! New fragrances from Shakira, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and Katy Perry

Getty ImagesIt has long been rumored that Tom Cruise, who sits comfortably at 5'7" wears lifts in his shoes to stack up to his tall costars, but we've never really noticed them in action until now.
Yesterday Cruise walked the red carpet at the premiere of "Knight and Day" in London with Cameron Diaz. The former model is 5'9" and wore what appear to be four-inch stilettos, so how is it that little Tom Cruise is eye to eye with Diaz? Stilts in his pants? Assistance from David Blaine? Whatever it is, we'd really like to know. A couple inches never hurt anyone.
Related: The celebs you're taller than

Getty ImagesDuring this time of recession and "fast fashion" from stores like H&M and Forever21, many women in America are starting to evaluate their overstuffed closets. Trinny Woodall, the original co-host of "What Not to Wear," and "Making Over America," told Oprah.com that most women wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time. In reaction to this excess and extreme consumerism, websites have been popping up that challenge women (and men if they're interested) to follow "shopping diets." All you really need, it seems, are six key pieces to form the basis of a reliable wardrobe.

[Read about: How to look great without breaking the bank]

The New York Times has profiled sites like SixItemsOrLess.com, an experiment where each participant may only wear the same six garments over the course of one month. TheGreatAmericanApparelDiet.com encourages pledges to not buy any new clothing for one year. Both sites have attracted over 100 enthusiastic men and women willing to participate. Humble beginnings, Read More »from How to dress with just six pieces

Fame Pictures via OMGPoor Britney. She's overcome nearly every bad situation from her past except those awful hair extensions. We've seen the tracks of her weave in the past, but nothing as awful as this before.

Danielle Staub of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" pressed charges when teenager Ashley Holmes ripped out a clump of her hair extensions, but Staub ought to take a look at this photo to know what true horror is.

Britney, God bless her, seems to have really gotten her life back on track with a popular tour last year and regaining custody of her kids. But why can't she take some of her hard-earned millions and get herself some hair?! We're starting to understand her frustration in shaving it all off in the first place. [OMG]

Read More »from Move over, Danielle Staub. Britney Spears has some real hair problems!

Elle UKThe odds are slim, but occasionally celebrities are spotted wearing identical or similar designer gowns to an event. The responsibility of such a fashion faux pas usually falls on the designer who is lending out the garments and the stylist to determine in advance if other leading ladies will be wearing the same dress. But what about magazine covers? The July issue of W, and the August issues of Elle UK, and British Vogue all feature the same appliquéd Miu Miu dress on the cover. And while the dress, a $3,000-$5,000 creation designed by Miuccia Prada, was part of a critically adored collection, that's one huge coincidence.

[Photo blunder: Sandra Bullock's identical magazine covers]

The dresses in question, while similar, are not 100% identical. W shows Eva Mendes and British Vogue displays Danish model Freja Beha Erichsen both wearing the same yellow dress (though the latter's appears orange on the cover), while Lily Allen models a similar lilac lace version for Elle UK. But with the

Read More »from Triple threat: The same Miu Miu dress lands on three magazine covers

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Read More »from The top celebrity hairstyle trends right now

Getty ImagesAccording to a survey in the upcoming September issue of ShopSmart by Consumer Reports, women spend an average of $34 on their denim. They interviewed over 1,000 women ages 18 and up about their jean habits. Younger ladies aged 18 to 34 cough up a little extra dough, spending around $60 a pair. Only one in 10 women said they've spent over $100 on jeans. And while 85% of women wear jeans at least once a week, more than half of them said they wished they could wear them every day.

"As much as women are hooked on these weekend faves turned fashion staple, over half of the women polled (56%) said they have trouble finding jeans that fit and flatter, with 8 percent seeking professional help to find a pair," says ShopSmart editor-in-chief Lisa Lee Freeman.

Some more fun facts about jeans from this survey:

• Women own seven pairs (25% own ten or more)
• Four pairs are in regular rotation
• 50% hold on to their skinny jeans hoping they'll fit again, while 31% refuse to go up a size to

Read More »from Women spend an average of $34 on jeans