Dress of the week: Topshop Canvas Dress by Unique

This dress is part Ad Reinhardt painting, part blank canvas. It is clean, modern and ready to be finished with your signature accessories.

Canvas Dress By Unique
$170.00 at Topshop USA

Dress of the week: Anthropologie Moulinette Soeurs Golden Light Dress

Part Yuan dynasty, part Bollywood, this dress shimmers with glowing gold.

Golden strapless silk dress with tiered skirt, by Moulinette Soeurs.

$188.00 at Anthropologie.com

Bless Her Heart, Barbie Has Fat Ankles

Anytime someone makes a remark about Barbie's body it's a scandal. Is she too thin, too fat or too curvy? It's enough to fill one's hollow plastic head with all kinds of body-image issues. So, of course, when a spokesperson for Christian Louboutin suggested the poor dear had the dread "cankles" people went nuts. The thing is, though, he's right.

It's important to clarify that fat ankles do not equal fat. Barbie is clearly not fat. But, let's be honest, her body is somewhat oddly shaped, her feet less than elegant. I know Barbie's figure well, as my sister and I both served as her personal couturiers for much of our childhood. We never attempted to make shoes, but even with Jem on the scene if you really wanted to dress your dolls like Debbie Harry you had to break out the scissors and safety pins.

Barbie's feet are absurdly small for her body and shaped in a way that not only makes it impossible for her to stand without assistance, but also makes one wonder if Mattel is run by a bunch of wacko foot binding enthusiasts. They just seem wrong. I think this is what compelled me as a small child to chew the heck out of the misshapen things. Was I teething at six? Maybe. I think I was subconsciously rejecting or trying to fix those ridiculous feet. They are deformed and they make her ankles look even bigger.

Barbie's ankles are a too slim head-on, too wide in profile mess. If someone with as much reverence for a woman's foot as Christian Louboutin wants to improve things I, for one, approve.

Homemade halloween costume ideas

If you find the idea of purchasing a ready-made Halloween costume sad, but don't have any ideas for this year, here are some costume "recipes" from American Apparel.