Tasha Nita Adams is the ultimate shop girl. Last April, she helmed the launch of Racked LA -- a site devoted to every fiber of local style and retail. The Rage asked the "Rack" a few questions about our much maligned fashion scene and the local economy:
How would you defend L.A. style to a snotty New Yorker who says that Angelenos only wear flip-flops, tight jeans and $300 T-shirts?
Adams: "I think one of the greatest benefits of L.A. is that we're not tied to wearing designer labels in the the same way that New Yorkers are, which lends to a lot of creativity. I would say at one time that the stereotype was a lot truer than it is now. L.A. has become much more sophisticated in the past five years; sure people wear jeans, flip-flops and tees, but if they're going out, it's much more dressed up, while still maintaining an aesthetic reflective of living in a warm climate and so close to the ocean."
"I would also drop a few names: Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, Cynthia Vincent, Geren Lockhart of Geren Ford, Jenni Kayne, Rami Kashou, Corinne Grassini of Society for Rational Dress, Michelle Mason, Juan Carlos Obando (who was just nominated as a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist) — amazing designers come out of L.A."
We're in a recession, but Melrose Place is booming. Is anyone shopping down there?
Adams: "That's a very good question. I've been down there on a number of weekends lately and it's been quiet but for the Sunday farmers market. Often retailers will tell you that everything is "fine" despite the economic climate, but I don't think any retail -- from luxury designer to the little indie shop -- is immune to the economy right now. Many, many retailers have told me that it's very tough right now, even worse than post-9/11, one boutique owner reported."
Read on »
 Bikini. 
Three syllables that inspire dread in most women. Just whisper it aloud -- "bikini" -- and it sounds suspiciously like a playground taunt from a sharp-boned, blond bully.
This season, just say no to the ordeal. One-piece suits are not only more merciless, but also  much sexier. This Ralph Lauren racerback with a plunging neckline and girlish ruffle shows off the right amount of skin. It's racy enough for a Bond girl, but tastefully suited to a mom too.
Better yet, it's on sale for $129 at RalphLauren.com, reduced from $160.
There's a cute matching cover-up, (see above left), for $59 too.
Photos: RalphLauren.com
 
As Anna Wintour comes up on a 20-year tenure at Vogue, Washington Post style writer and Pulitzer Prize winner Robin Givhan, right, sums up the accomplishments of the empress who has too many clothes here.
Choice cut: "No other American fashion magazine exudes such an unapologetic, cool-girl, gloriously elitist attitude about style. It does not explain fashion or gently lead its readers into the next season. It is a monthly fix for those who understand the futuristic appeal of Balenciaga and the wry wit of John Galliano."
"Vogue treats fashion the way that Sports Illustrated treats athleticism: as something glamorous and in need of neither explanation nor validation."
Get this woman another Pulitzer, please!
Photos: Getty Images
What: The Maxi dress, an ankle-grazing, "I'm more bohemian than you" frock that has been spotted everywhere in Hollywood and beyond.
Who started it: Hard to say, but a pregnant Angelina Jolie really launched the look in Cannes in May when she walked the red carpet in a mauve Gerard Darel dress. Before that, Nicole Richie may be the culprit -- as witnessed here at last year's Fashion Rocks event.
Herd mentality: Ashlee Simpson, Jessica Alba and Eva Longoria have all sported the look too. It's quite popular with the pregnant celeb set.
Why it won't go away: Starlets love to pretend that they are hippies at heart -- even though they hardly live in communes or subsist on seitan.
Why it sucks for mortals: These frocks are the modern day mumus. In a Maxi dress, you're only revealing your upper arms and clavicle. Both had better be in great shape or you'll appear twice your size. Actresses and starlets can get away with the billowing style because of their tiny frames. We know that they are size zeros beneath these tents. You and me, however, just look like silos.
Photo: Peter Kramer / Getty Images
 In the ever increasing annals of celeb-designers -- wasn't there a time when all actors wanted to direct? -- here's one that actually makes a shred of sense. Dita Von Teese, ubiquitous burlesque star with an 18-inch waist, has designed a collection of vintage-inspired underwear for Wonderbra. The line will debut in London in September and quite possibly make its way to the states too.
Expect 1940s-style push-up bras in satins and silks. Champagne glass and adoring men with a thing for Bettie Page bangs, not included. (Thank the Lord.) Photo: Getty Images
With designer shops multiplying like hares on Melrose Boulevard, it's sad to note that hometown hero and Parisian expat designer Rick Owens will open his first U.S. boutique in New York. The Cut blog reports that the TriBeCa store will open on July 14, and it even has some prelim shots of the temple -- replete with a fog machine and his new furniture collection.
You may recall that Owens once roosted across the street from Les Deux -- he and Michelle Lamy are romantic partners -- in a concrete atelier. (A friend brought me there in the late '90s and we fingered his draped creations, as fluid and breathtaking as wearable glaciers.)
Owens told Hint mag about his L.A. days: I was operating on a real fringe back then. In those days, I was a part of the wicked Hollywood Boulevard hustler bar world. I hung around people like Goddess Bunny, a dwarf friend of mine, and Mr. Beanbag in super sleazy, crystal, tranny hustler bars just off Hollywood Boulevard, a couple of blocks from my studio. It fit into my aesthetic of broken idealism.
If you can't make it to TriBeCa next week and crave an Owens of your own, hit Net-a-porter.com and pick up this exquisitely cut cowl-neck top from his "Lilies" collection on sale for $172.50, regularly $230. Trust me. You will always collect compliments in a Rick Owens piece. His creations are so artful that they make you feel like Peggy Guggenheim.
Oh, and perhaps you'll meet Mr. Beanbag too. Photos: Pierre Andrieu / Getty Images; Net-a-porter.com
 This just in: Celtics coach Doc Rivers donated his final game dress shirt to a charity auction and some poor sap bid $55,000 on it. The custom-made white ECC Life & Style cotton shirt with mother of pearl buttons was badly stained with pink Gatorade (maybe fruit punch flavor?) and also signed by Rivers and Celtics star Paul Pierce.
(Oh, and the Gatorade bucket came with it. That's probably how this guy explained his impulse purchase to his wife.)
The proceeds benefit the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation.
photo: Charles Krupa/AP
The Rage welcomes a news dispatch from colleague and Image staff writer, Adam Tschorn:
When Game 1 of the NBA Finals gets underway in Boston tonight, the big question will be: how high can Kobe go? Not just in points scored or assists, or any other on-court statistic, but in dollars — as in  how many greenbacks will it take to buy the purple No. 24 road jersey right off his back?
The man who nicknamed himself the "Black Mamba" could probably keep the merchandising arm of the NBA in the black all by himself, earlier this year — long before he was crowned league MVP — his jersey was the second-bestselling in the NBA (ironically, bumped from number one by the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett) and second-best in the last decade (behind Michael Jordan).
Which should make watching the NBA.com auctions website (auctions.nba.com) tonight almost as much fun as watching the game itself, since the NBA announced yesterday that, as of tip-off, actual game-worn jerseys from active players on both teams will be up for bid.
To find out exactly how this works, we called Barry Meisel, president of the MeiGray Group in New Jersey, the company overseeing the auction. While Meisel enthusiastically prattled on about security tags they’ve sewn into the jerseys for authentication purposes, and the post-game chain of custody, our concerns were a bit more pragmatic. Like, are these jerseys washed before being shipped to the winners or are lucky Laker fans likely to end up with a malodorous Odom, a grungy Gasol or a wilted Walton? And isn’t there something creepy and downright unhygienic about buying somebody else’s gym clothes –- no matter how famous they are?
"In most case the jerseys are washed after a game," Meisel said by phone. "If the timing of an auction is so tight that we don’t have time to launder the item, we’ll at least run it under cold water to make it a little more, you know, palatable." Meisel said that his company will take possession of the Laker (road) and Celtic (home) uniforms after tonight’s game and they will be laundered and securely stored until the auction ends on June 24.
Meisel declined to offer how much Bryant’s jersey might fetch, but compared it to LeBron James’ Game 3t jersey from last year’s NBA finals, which sold for $25,540. "And we expect Kobe’s to go for much more than that," he said. Since a gold home jersey worn by Bryant during one of the several "Hardwood Classics" nights this season is currently bid up to $6,001 at auctions.nba.com, bidding for tonight’s Kobe-wear is sure to put a strain on the wallet, but that will probably pale compared with the price when the Lakers return to Staples for Game 3 and their home jerseys hit the auction block. If the home team is just a few wins out, the MVP’s gold No. 24 jersey might as well be 24-karat gold.
-- Adam Tschorn
 You just got lucky if you're in the market for a wishbone necklace from Lena Wald. The yellow gold necklace is on sale for $140 (reg. $262) at Hautelook.com right now. Wald's diamond initial studs are also going at nearly half off -- $76 per letter.
The yellow gold angel wing
necklace--see right-- is also priced to fly at $365. Get over there quick, if you're game. These online sales happen fast and this one ends in about 13 hours. You will need to register to make a purchase -- it's quick and painless and free though.
The Vatican exclusively contacted the Rage to ask if she could add these five fashion faux pas to its modernized list of mortal sins.
1. Thou shalt not wear gold lame short-shorts--a.k.a Satan panties--from American Apparel unless thou art a tart.
2. Thou shalt not fight over the straightening iron. In fact, thou shalt confer over which thou will be going out with flat hair, which, incidentally, looks extremely fussy and fey on a dude.
3. Thou shalt not wear brown lip liner with no lipstick. Evil. Makes the devil dance a jig and cause droughts. 
4. Thou shalt never ever ever wear a boa. Ever.
5. Thou shalt not dress like a naughty Catholic school girl gone teen runaway meets a Vegas stripper when thou art, like, 30-plus. The Pope really hates that look.
photos: AmericanApparel.com; Getty Images.
New Yorkers may snub Cali-style as "too casual." But clearly, when it comes to closet staples,  our classics -- like a structured leather jacket or a flattering pair of jeans -- trump East Coast perennials. Case in point: My esteemed colleague, Emili Vesilind, pointed out to me that Vogue chose "The New Staples" in their November issue and five of those seven items come from Los Angeles designers. Here's a quick rundown of our local heroes and their wares, as picked by Vogue.
 1. The leather jacket by Mike & Chris. The Edward style ($805; ronherman.com) is a fitted, pleated zip-up in luscious lambskin. (I own a jersey trench that I bought at Barney's from this husband and wife design team and it's a compliment magnet.)
2. The bikini by Haverhill. These body-flattering two pieces shouldn't incite terror in you. The designer, Haverhill Leach, keeps the often fulsome female form in mind when she cuts tops and bottoms, ($65 to $85). The vintage-inspired prints are equally pleasing.
 3. The sportgear by FreeCity. This line from Los Angeles designer and VP of menswear at Ron Herman, Nina Garduno, is known for its dove or rainbow logo. But it's the fit and softer-than-silk feel that keep fans flocking to buy more hoodies and tees. The company's art collective ethos is cool too. Check it out at Freecitysupershop.com.
4. The tee by James Perse. Never underestimate the power of a basic tee. Perse doesn't. The designer cuts longer styles, perfect for layering, and keeps the collars at their most sultry -- just the right amount of neckline plunge for brunch in Silver  Lake. Check them out here.
5. The jeans by J Brand. Finding the right denim could be more difficult than splitting the atom. OK, maybe not. But any woman will tell you that losing -- or outgrowing -- a perfect pair of jeans merits an Irish wake. J Brand, a fave of everyone from Angelina Jolie to Beyonce, flatters the front and back.
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devoted to every fiber of local style and retail. The Rage asked the "Rack" a few questions about our much maligned fashion scene and the local economy:
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