http://www.blackmilkclothing.com/collections/leggings/products/muscles-leggings

​You know what's so great about the human body? More >>

www.etsy.com/listing/71280760/summer-breeze

Nat Kaplan Summer Breeze Dress

​Each week Gem features one standout piece from a local shop. Whether it's a jacket, necklace, or handbag, it's on our have-to-have list.

What: This vintage print dress in aqua and white from Nat Kaplan (a label that ceased production circa 1986) is a light, airy spring wardrobe addition -- given that bold, flowery textiles, and abstract patterns were a tentpole trend for 2012 spring and resort lines.

Designers including Kate Spade, Stella McCartney, and Balenciaga showed colorful, playful prints, and this dress' take on watery waves reminds us of van Gogh's Starry Night swirls.

Where: lollyPOP Vintage

Cost: $146.95

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Courtesy of Jason Wu for Target

​If you're losing your mind with excitement over Jason Wu's diffusion line for Target, which doesn't hit stores until Sunday, but you can't handle waiting any longer, then you're in luck. Pieces from the Taiwanese, Manhattan-based designer's capsule collection have made their way to eBay.

There's just one tiny, little catch: prices inflated by more than 250 percent.

We advise that you take the traditional route -- speed to every Target in a five-mile radius (okay maybe 10) until you find what's rightfully yours at a reasonable price point. (Just kidding. Don't speed.)

Of course, you could give online shopping a shot, but we all remember the total and utter disaster that was attempting to snap up items from Missoni for Target online last September.

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Photo by Becky Bartkowski, mural by Jessica Jordan

Cory Martinez and Ben Funke

​A couple months back, after spending an afternoon drooling over eBay shop Meat Market Vintage's eclectic, sometimes out-there stock, we mooned over the possibility that the couple who run the online store, Cory Martinez and Ben Funke, might someday have a place where we could admire their funky wares IRL.

So, when the duo announced via Facebook that they were opening up a brick-and-mortar storefront while continuing to sell their vintage finds online, we were pretty ecstatic -- and momentarily convinced that we had psychic capabilities.

Today, Meat Market Vintage is open for business. The small store is located at 1020 S. Mill Avenue in Tempe -- in the same unit that used to house Three Roots Cafe, which has now been halved. (For info on what's happening in the other half, Flavors, we'll refer you to our sister blog Chow Bella.)

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Photo by Becky Bartkowski

​Each week Gem features one standout piece from a local shop. Whether it's a jacket, necklace, or handbag, it's on our have-to-have list.

What: Every lady needs a Vegas dress, and this one takes the cake... that you can jump out of.

But seriously, this flashy party frock combines fun, frolic-worthy, all-over sequins with a sleek cut, lower back cutout, and half sleeves that make it less Kardashian and more wearable.

That's not to mention how much we adore sequins for spring, as recently seen in Karl Lagerfeld's capsule line for Net-a-Porter and Dior's spring couture line by Bill Gaytten.

Where: Nostra Style House (read more about the new boutique here)

Cost: $265

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http://www.betabrand.com/betapants/gray-dress-pant-sweatpants.html

​It's Monday. And if you're headed to any environment with four walls, a computer, and a semi-professional coworker or two, it means you're going to work.

But why bother getting all dressed up for the beginning of the week? Who says "Dress for the job you want," anyway? Thanks to BetaBrand's new Dress Pant Sweatpants, you can give up completely and let everyone know with a (saggy) ballsy fashion statement.

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Photo by Ryan Wolf, ensemble by Catrina LaDell

​It wasn't A Chorus Line, but it sure was a production. The Alternative Fashion Society made its debut at Crescent Ballroom on Saturday with the showcase Animal Royale, featuring a flock of models ranging from curvy to stick thin boasting a kind of T&A not typical of runway shows.

Not that anything at Animal Royale could've been classified as "normal." (For full visuals, hit up our slideshow.)

The nine designers in the Alternative Fashion Society specialize in kinky, quirky creations including lingerie (a lot of lingerie -- with enough pasties to cover the nips of every local burlesque troupe), swimwear, costumery, and party duds.

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Photo courtesy of the Heard Museum.

​Arizona has an official neckwear -- seriously. It's the bolo tie.More >>

​Fair warning: Just because you smell like Thor doesn't mean you're going to score Natalie Portman -- or any girl for that matter. More >>

Each week Gem features one standout piece from a local shop. Whether it's a jacket, necklace, or handbag, it's on our have-to-have list.

Becky Bartkowski

​What: This vintage Diane von Furstenberg dress is cut in a mod, slouchy silhouette, with an orange Creamsicle color scheme. It's a summery crochet that could fashionably function as a sweater dress or a beach-ready cover-up in swimsuit season. More >>