What was the biggest fashion crime of 2008?

Last year at around this time of year, we asked you to tell us what, in your opinion, had been the biggest fashion crime of 2007. Unsurprisingly, you voted for Crocs. We were proud of you.

This year we want to ask you the same question. What do you think was the biggest fashion crime of 2008? The thing that made you turn pale and reach for the smelling salts every time you saw someone wear it? Some of the usual suspects are making a re-appearance on this year's list because, sadly, despite our best efforts, we've not yet managed to completely eradicate these crimes. There are some newcomers too, however, and, as always, if there's something you think we've missed, you can drop us a comment to nominate it!

So, without further ado: what was the biggest fashion crime of 2008? Was it:

Online Surveys & Market Research

Look under the jump for more on each option!

Low cut tops: how low will you go?

Earlier this week we asked you about short skirts, and how short you would deem to be "too short". (We got some interesting answers too - feel free to wade in if you haven't already). Today, then, we'd like to ask you a similar question about low-cut tops. Just how low would you go, we wonder?

The Fashion Police, you see, would suggest that the top half of the dress shown above? Is Too Low. Because it looks like there's a danger of the model's boobs making a bid for escape at any second, and even if that's not the case, and tit tape has been employed, that still qualifies it as "too low" in our book. The fact that the neckline extends below the bottom of the boobs was a big clue there, too.

What do you think, though? Is there such a thing as "too low", or as long as it's not actually indecent (which this one isn't), do you think it doesn't matter?

(This dress, by the way, was reported to us by Hannah, who commented that it "aspires to be daring and provocative but what you end up with is something that you borrowed from your friend 10 sizes bigger than you".)

Skirts: how short is too short?

Putting aside for the moment the fact that Danielle Lloyd here (she's a British glamour model, for those of you unfamiliar with her boobs, sorry, we mean face...) is ruthlessly flouting the "short skirt OR completely see-through top" rule of fashion in this photo, we want to ask you about her skirt. In fact, we want to ask you about skirts in general.

How short is "too short", do you think? Is there such a thing, or does it all very much depend on the age/shape/attitude of the wearer, or on what they happen to be wearing the short skirt with at the time? Do you draw the line at a particular length, or are you happy to go as short as Danielle here, for as long as you can get away with it?

So many questions, but do tell us your thoughts - it'll help us police the fashion world that little bit more effectively!

Fashion Police Poll: Has the world financial crisis affected your spending on fashion?

The Fashion Police have always maintained that we like to keep our money where we can see it: hanging in our wardrobe. We know, however, that the current climate of economic gloom, job losses and banks going bust has meant that many people have had to cut back on their fashion spending and look but not buy.

What about you? Are you spending more or less on clothes, shoes and accessories? Have you been affected by the credit crunch, or, like Katie Price, seen here shopping up a storm at Kitson recently, are you continuing to shop while you still can?

Tell us in the poll you'll find under the jump!

Fashion Police Poll: Do you buy a new winter coat every year?

As you may have guessed from our regular Coat Corner column, we're just a little bit obsessed with outerwear - particularly so this year, as the Chief of Police is currently engaged on a never-ending search for a new winter coat, the last one having been forced into retirement after more years on the job than the Chief is prepared to admit to. (Don't worry, it'll get a full Police Pension and a nice retirement gift).

This search has got us wondering, though: we always advocate spending as much as you can afford on a coat, because you get so much wear out of them, and a good coat will last you for years - literally, in the Chief's case, although this has been more due to not being able to find anything she really liked than anything else.

Do you actually wear your winter coat for years, though, or does the beginning of each winter signal the start of a search for a new coat? Do you like to be frugal, make an investment and then get lots of wear out of it, or does the thought of wearing the same outerwear for more than one season make you reach for the credit card in despair? You'll find a poll under the jump, but feel free to expand on your answer in the comments!

[Image: Dotty Spot Coat, £120, Monsoon]

Style on Trial: Faux Fur

From the very brief look we've taken at the Fall 08 collections so far, it's already clear that there's going to be a fair old amount of faux fur around this winter. And now we want to know what you think of it.

So far, we've had comments both for and against faux fur, when we've shown you photos of it. On our New Look preview, for instance, Zoe described it as "Ugly, boxy, and glamorizing real fur. Yeugh."

On our Miss Selfridge preview, meanwhile, Gokarm commented: "To me, it has a historical relevance...nearly every civilization in the history of mankind has worn fur, so obviously there is an aesthetic attraction between humans and fur. Thank God we live in an age when we can be cruelty free and still feel that connection to our roots."

So, let's put it up On Trial...

Best Dressed at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards - Leighton Meester, Blake Lively, Rachel Bilson or Sophia Bush?

(Click image to enlarge)

The world of celebrity fashion has been continuing to bore us lately, with a lot of celebs choosing to play it safe in the type of outfits that look nice enough, but don't exactly leave us wanting to turn Fashion Criminal ourselves, and find a way to raid their closets.

Still, it's part of our police duties to report on what the rich and famous are wearing, and with that in mind, we bring you this "Teen Choice Awards 2008" edition of "Best Dressed. We've selected Leighton Meester, Blake Lively, Rachel Bilson and Sophia Bush to stand trial today, leaving it up to you, the jury, to decide: who was the best dressed - and why? You'll find a handy poll located just under the jump, but we'd love to hear the reasons for your vote, which you can leave in the comments box below... 

Marks & Spencer charge extra for larger sized bras - should they?

This week Marks & Spencer have been coming in for a fair bit of stick for their practice of charging extra for some bras that are larger than a DD cup. 

Women with DDs or larger can expect to pay around £2 more than their smaller chested sisters for some styles at M&S, which has led to cries of discrimination. A Facebook group has been set up in protest, with members describing the increased price (around £2) as a "tax" on those with bigger busts.

Is it, though? Let's look at the evidence...

Fashion Police Poll: What's your shopping addiction?

As mentioned in one of our previous polls, I have a lot of jeans. And the thing is, no matter how many pairs of jeans I own, I just keep on buying more. I'm not sure if it's just because it's such a rare thing to find jeans that fit me properly, but when I DO find them, I will want to buy them, even if I already have jeans in that same wash and cut at home.

The same could be said of quite a few other items. Vest tops, for instance. I don't even dare to count how many of these I own, but I will still buy more if I see them. "Well, they're cheap, and you always need basic vest tops," is the rationale I apply to this, but there's a little part of my brain that sometimes has to concede that, actually, when you already have white vest tops by the dozen, maybe that purchase isn't quite as essential as you thought it was.

What about you? What's your shopping addiction: the one item you keep on buying, even if you don't need it?

Fashion Police Poll: Does where you live influence what you wear?

Fashion Police towers is located in a place I like to think of as The Land That Fashion Forgot. So far behind are we in terms of style, that skinny jeans haven't even arrived here, never mind starting to die off. As you can imagine, this makes indulging my passion for fashion difficult: well, when you live in the kind of place where "jeans and a nice top" is considered "dressy", even wearing a dress can get you pointed and laughed at in the street - and it doesn't even have to be a particularly fashionable dress, either.

Fashion Police Poll: What's the most you've ever spent on a single item of clothing?

When I was younger (and, some would say, stupider), I thought nothing of spending what now seems like a small fortune on clothes and accessories. Of course, these were the days BM (Before Mortgage): I was still living with my parents, I didn't have much in the way of bills to pay, I was working two jobs... the result was that I had a whole lot of disposable income, and what better thing to spend it on than clothes?

I spent a lot. In those days I would buy a lot of designer items, particularly handbags and dresses. I thought absolutely nothing of spending an entire month's salary in one store, and walking out with just a couple of items. Like I say: I spent a lot.

Best Dressed of the Day: Petra Nemcova, Teri Hatcher, Naomi Campbell or Ivanka Trump

(click the image to view it larger)

Four beaoootiful ladies stand before you, Fashion Police Jury, but only one can be named Best Dressed of the Day, so who's it gonna be?

Will it be a barefoot Petra Nemcova, seen here exiting a yacht in Cannes in the most glamorous style possible? Or does Teri Hatcher, on the red carpet at the American Idol finale float your fashion boat? Then we have Naomi Campbell, in a shant dress and a surprise entry from Ivanka Trump, who, we should point out, was attending some kind of dog-related event, and not just using the pooch as a fashion accessory - a very serious offense in the eyes of The Fashion Police.

Tell us, then: which of these women was the best dressed of the day? 

Best Dressed of the Day: Cate Blanchett, Christina Milian, Liv Tyler or Taylor Momsen?

One of these glamorously dressed ladies looks like a Fashion Criminal to us. At least one other is deserving of a Fashion Police badge for good behaviour. What we want to know is whether you share our thoughts on these fine celebrities, which is why we're asking once again: who was the best dressed of the day?

Was it Cate Blanchett, in her metallic gown, Christina Milian, who looks like she's already won some kind of medal, a newly single and slightly gothic looking Liv Tyler, or did little Jenny Humphrey, aka Taylor Momsen float The Fashion Police boat? And which is the fashion criminal?

Look under the jump for bigger pictures of the celebrities, and a poll which will help us decide who was the best dressed of the day!

Best Dressed of the Day: Dita Von Teese, Gwyneth Paltrow, Monica Bellucci and Eva Herzigova in white at Cannes

Dita Von Teese, Gwyneth Paltrow

The Cannes Film Festival rumbles on, and for reasons unknown to The Fashion Police, white seemed to be the colour of choice on yesterday's red (and grey) carpets, with Dita Von Teese, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gwyneth Paltrow, Monica Bellucci and Eva Herzigova all rocking up in white gowns. But who wore it best, that's what we want to know? Do you like Dita's floral design, Gwyneth's sheath dress and gladiators combo, Monica's dash of black, or Eva's floor length gown best?

Who, in short, wins the Best Dressed of the Day award? (Assuming there was one, obviously.)

Take a look under the jump for the poll, plus pictures of Monica and Eva. 

Fashion Police Poll: Celine Dion has 3,000 pairs of shoes - how many pairs do you have?

Last week, Celine Dion revealled that she's the proud owner of something in the region of 3,000 pairs of shoes. This shock revelation was greeted by horror and derision by some, who seemed to equate ownership of a large number of shoes as one sign of the approaching apocalypse, and with a gentle shrug of the shoulders from others, who figured that hey, it's her money, and if she wants to spend it on shoes, so be it.

The Fashion Police are firmly in the latter camp (Assuming that the shoes are nice ones, obviously, and not Frankenshoes) but as the issue of shoes, and the number of pairs that women own, seems to have attracted the attention of the media this week, we think it's time for our readers to 'fess up, too. So tell us: how many pairs of shoes do you own? (You'll find the poll after the jump)

[Image: Jimmy Choo at Net-a-Porter]

Fashion Police Poll: Visible bra straps - how bad are they REALLY?

Spring has finally arrived, so it's time for The Fashion Police to slip into our summer uniforms, which generally involve some form of vest top or camisole. The problem with this, though, is that the cut of most vests these days makes it pretty hard to hide the ol' bra straps under them. Of course, you can always buy yourself a bra buddy, or some kind of strapless/backless bra, but say you don't have any of these? What's a girl to do?

What we're trying to ask here is: how big a crime are visible bra straps, really? Do you cringe every time you see them and go to any length to avoid them, or are they just one of those things that can't always be helped and aren't worth worrying about?

Opinion Polls & Market Research

If you had £40 to spend on fashion...

...what would you spend it on? Imagine that this £40 (which is about $80 for the benefit of our US readers) has just landed on your doorstep, a small gift from The Fashion Police. The only rule is that you have to spend it on clothes, shoes or accessories - what would you buy?

For myself, I'd buy Topshop's jersey corsage dress, which would come in just under my £40 budget at £38. We featured it back in January in one of our 'What to Wear' features, but it sold out before I could get my hands on one. Now it's back in stock, but I have nowhere to wear it, and have been bravely trying to convince myself that it would be a waste to buy it and then just hang it in the wardrobe, unworn. A £40 windfall, though, would let me buy it guilt-free, so it would be my choice, no question.

What would you buy with £40? Link to your chosen item in the comments field, and we'll try and post all of your picks tomorrow!

Fashion Police Poll: Are you wearing your spring/summer wardrobe yet?

British Summertime officially began quite some time ago now, but so far it's been "summer" in theory only. I'm still sloping around Fashion Police HQ in thick cardigans and remembering to take my woolly hat with me when I walk the dog, but when I cast my eye over our recent Fashion Police Checkpoints, I notice that a fair old number of you are getting away with much more summery fashions.

To be honest: I'm jealous. I'm desperate to get all my little sun dresses and sandals out to play, but I know that if I give up my winter woolies right now, I'll probably freeze to death by dinner time, so I'm going to have to settle for living vicariously through you, our readers.

Go on then, make me jealous: tell me whether you're wearing your Spring/Summer clothes yet. And do you start wearing them when the calendar says its summer, or do you wait for the weather?

[Sandals: Kors by Michael Kors, available at Net-a-Porter]

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Fashion Police Poll: Underdressed or overdressed?

Despite constantly complaining about having nothing to wear, there's one thing I can always be sure of and that is that no matter what the occasion, I will almost always be totally overdressed for it. Luckily, I'm used to this by now, and so are most of my friends, so the fact that I spend most of my life sticking out like a sore thumb is nothing new - and at the end of the day, I think I'd rather be overdressed than under-dressed every time, although I have to admit that sometimes it would be nice to turn up somewhere and have managed to strike just the right balance!

What about you? Are you a dressed up girl or do you generally tend to play it casual?

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Fashion Police Poll: How many pairs of jeans do you own?

Over the weekend I decided to reorganise my wardrobe a little, and in doing so I realised that I am the proud owner of eight pairs of jeans - not counting the ones I have stored in the attic, "just in case" I decide I ever want to wear them again.

Actually, of these eight pairs, only about three of them are regularly worn, with the others falling into the category of "old, but I can still wear them around the house" or "I don't like this cut any more, but I might like it again someday". Still, I have to admit that, because I work from home, I have become a bit of a lazy dresser, and jeans have become something of a default "uniform", it being so easy just to throw a pair on in the morning and forget about them. 

I'm in the process of trying to wean myself away from jeans, slowly, but in the meantime, you'll find a poll after the jump, so do tell: how many pairs do you have?

Fashion Police Poll: Do you own a little black dress?

Like white shirts before them, the little black dress, or 'LBD' as it's so often dubbed, is one of those things that womens magazines would have us believe is a true "wardrobe staple", something that every woman should own at least one of. Naturally, then, we decided to challenge that idea and find out whether women actually do believe the LBD to be indispensable, or whether it's just one of those fashion myths, like the idea that wrap dresses "suit all shapes".

Personally, I will admit to owning, not just one, but several little black dresses, and while I always try to seek out something with a bit of colour to it (normally green, in my case) for special occasions where I don't want to be just one more girl-in-a-black-dress, I will admit to finding them very useful for those days when you need to look smart/dressed up and just can't find anything to wear. My black dresses instantly make me feel good, which is the best thing a dress can do, if you ask me, and because they're far less memorable than a bright colour, you can get away with wearing them over and over again with different accessories, which is good news when you're on a budget.

What about you? Do you own a little black dress? Do you consider them to be true "wardrobe staples"?
[Dress pictured: Oasis]

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Fashion Police Poll: Do you iron your clothes?

When we ran our last Fashion Police Poll, on the fascinating subject of white shirts, I was intrigued by the number of people who commented on ironing, their hatred of it, and how their hatred of ironing prevents them buying clothes that require it.

Now, this was no surprise to me. I hate ironing with every fibre of my being. It is far and away my most hated household chore. Despite this, though, I am a compulsive ironer. I can't stand the thought of putting on creased clothes, so I find myself ironing on an almost daily basis, much to my disgust.

Fashion Police Poll: Do you own a "classic" white shirt?

When I was reading over your answers to our recent Fashion Confessions post, I noticed that, like me, a lot of you admitted to not owning a white shirt. Given that so many fashion editorials list the so-called "classic" white shirt as one of those "wardrobe essentials" that every woman must own, I found myself wondering why this is. Has the humble white shirt had its day? Is it perhaps not quite so classic as the fashion editors seem to think it is?

For me, my lack of white shirts (or any shirts, to be perfectly honest) has nothing to do with appearance, and everything to do with comfort. I just hate wearing the things. I apparently own an upper body that white-shirt makers find impossible to dress. Loose shirts are either too short, and constantly coming un-tucked, or else are so long that I have to walk around all day with a huge amount of material bunched up under my skirt or trousers.

Which fashion season do you like the best?

When it comes to fashion, I'm very much a "summer" girl. By that I don't mean I've "had my colours done" and been told to wear peach and pastels - I just like summer, and tend to prefer summer fashions to winter ones. (This is unfortunate for me because I live in Scotland, and in Scotland? We don't really get summer. Gah.)

My main problem with winter, unsurprisingly, is the cold. I am a very cold person. Even when I holiday in Florida, I always carry a light cardigan with me at all times because I tend to feel the cold very easily, and  when other people are frying in the heat, I'll be privately thinking it's a little bit chilly. For this reason, all thoughts of fashion go out the window in winter.  During the warmer months I'll dig out my dresses and skirts, knowing I can always throw a little cardi over the top if I get too cold. I'm much more experimental with my clothes, and I get much more fun out of them.