Beyonce at this week’s BET Awards.

“Does this robot suit make me look fat?”

Over at the locally based Makool Loves You web store, you can now find 25% off Babbu Bags. What on earth is a Babbu Bag, you say? Well, they’re cheery, funky, and somewhat childish Italian-made handbags and messenger bags. My favorite are the roomy carry-alls, perfect for packing all your soup-to-nuts beach or park summertime goodies, from a sunscreen to snacks.

I’m always impressed and intrigued by things that I know I could never ever do myself. Handmade Julz is the brilliant accessories line designed and created by Julie Briggs a recent Portland transplant from Texas. Briggs takes her graphic design talent and combines it into creating very wearable rings, bracelets and necklaces. Handmade Julz is currently being sold here in Portland at Redux and Presents of Mind, but you can visit her website at www.handmadejulz.com and order a completely customized piece by choosing from many fun graphics, size and color of wiring preferred. She’s also offering a special on designs that rotates each week throughout the summer. I’m drooling over her bracelets and well-designed bird graphics that would nicely add playful color to any summer outfit.

Liz Claiborne died of cancer yesterday, at the age of 78, close on the heels of fellow designer Gianfranco Ferre and magazine contributor/career discover-er Isabella Blow. If death really does come in threes, maybe this is it for a while for high profile fashion people passing away. While the name Liz Claiborne might make you think of the more matronly sections of department stores now, she was pretty kickass back in the day, and her Working Woman ensembles ruled the office in the ’70s and ’80s.

Well, that’s not a phrase you hear very often (especially around the Mercury offices), but I just found a reason to say it.

Each Tuesday at Moxie (2400 SE Burnside), you can take 15% off any pair of jeans! They carry denim by Yanuk, LTB, Level 99, and EC star.

And word has it that Moxie will soon be carrying Jordache jeans in various colors. So mark those Tuesdays ladies, I can’t imagine the Jordache line staying on the shelves very long.

I went down to the English Dept. (724 NW 23rd) on my lunch break, where the 50% off sale that runs until the end of the month is slowly eating away at the store’s merch. Go now, and go fast—like, after work today. There are still some good finds, the trick is them having what you like in your size! Here are just a couple snaps I took:

(I love their artful little displays.)

The new menswear shows in Milan are up on the internets, and if you’re a fancy lad like that (or, you get a good laugh out of such things) you should check them out. Here are a couple of the more plausible looks so far (if you consider dizzy plaid suits plausible, which I do.):

(Alessandro Dell’Acqua)

(Gucci)

(Alexander McQueen)

(Burberry Prorsum)

(Neil Barrett)

Woah. David Lynch has been named as director for the commercial advertising the new Gucci perfume, called, er, Gucci. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with for this. Check out what he did for cigarettes:

This Sunday, from 11am-4pm, Weiden + Kennedy hosts the Sample Sale of the Century, with Sameunderneath, Paul Frank, No Star, OBEY, San Damian, DB Clay, Monsieur T, Acme Made, Hello Minor, and Equilibrium offering deals on clothing and accessories merch. The deals are promised to be insane, so don’t miss it!

One of the east side’s best boutiques, Una (2802 SE Ankeny) is having a sale today through Saturday, with 30% off all clothing. And bonus: If you bring your Una receipt next door to Artemisia, you can get 10% off of plants at the nursery.

Check it: Secret’s out. Through the end of this month, you can get 20% off one item at each of the following locations: Sole, Nolita, Le Train Bleu, Bubble Boutique, Physical Element, Lexidog, Pearl Health Center, Ecru Modern Stationer, Olive Shoes, Pearl Retriever, Relish, Cheeky B, and Bella Moda. When you go to any one of these stores, you’ll get the discount, and a card listing the other participating locations. As you make your way through to each, they’ll be marked off. Lickity split.

(Cacharel dress from Le Train Bleu)