Is Chickdowntown Out Of Business?

My sources (uh... the Internet) point to YES.

According to a story posted on Pittsburghlive.com today, Chickdowntown.com was living on a $973,000 line of borrowed credit. Yikes. Chickdowntown.com's site is down, and the phone at the brick-and-mortar Pittsburgh store had been temporarily disconnected. Chickdowntown advertised in Harper's Bazaar and Vogue and had TV spots, which, you know, costs money.

Oddly the Chickdowntown Blog is still up and features some transparent posts (part of me feels bad reading it -- another indie boutique succumbs to the economy, but the other part of me is like HOW do you end up almost 1 million bucks over your head!!?!? Plus, the store's customer service record has been TERRIBLE.) Anyway, Founder Amy Reed jetted off to TWTRCON in DC this past October to represent "Real Time Brand," and though I don't know what's up with Chickdowntown as a brad, it very much sounds like Chickdowntown.com the site and e-commerce offerings went the way of Phi.

The PERFECT Boyfriend Blazer!

Unless you've been renting out space under a ROCK or reading about boring-ass health care or something, you know that you NEED a boyfriend blazer (BFB) for fall. I also like to refer to it as a Best Friend Blazer, because what if you're gay? You might not want a boyfriend! But everyone wants a best friend. And everyone should want this blazer, which I just purchased today.

($92, BB Dakota, Chickdowntown.com)

Unlike most boyfriend blazers which are kinda 1930s Marlene Dietrich (and not totally unlike Alexander Wang's blazers that can be a little longer... and a lot more expensive), this one's double-breasted and straight-up 1980s Dorothy Zbornak-stylie with the pushed-up sleeves (so I can free my arms to eat cheesecake!) I'd like to think the late, great Bea Arthur would be proud. Also, my MOM would be proud, since I saved 25% with promo code: "september25." I think that using that promo code precluded me from being able to return it or something (boo!), so hopefully I'll love it.

Enter To Win Current/ Elliot Jeans!

($239, Current/Elliott, Chickdowntown.com)

Want these shoutrageously adorable high-waisted flared current elliot jeans? They remind me a little of my beloved Yanuk jeans, which I *ahem* outgrew... err... they shrunk. That's it... Anyway, of COURSE you want these Current/ Elliott jeans because mama didn't raise no fool, and because they're freaking FREE... if you win the FashionBinge giveaway! Also, they're only available in sizes 31 and 32, so know that.

Anyway, tell us why you PHYSICALLY NEED THESE JEANS, and they could be yours. (Only open to U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Contest ends Wednesday, 5/20/ 2009 at 9:45PM EST.)

GET IT, GURL!