Elizabeth Charles at 2056 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, California.

You know when you have that really important event (work party, date, opening night, and- the most daunting- encountering an ex with their new girlfriend), and you want to look perfect and unique without being cliche?

Enter Elizabeth Charles.

Here, you can find the latest awesome fashion from Australia and New Zealand, and you can be sure no one else will be wearing the same thing. Since these pieces are right off the runway and support the designers, the prices can be high, but man, is it worth it. After all, which would you rather have: 3 H&M dresses that makes you look like everyone else and falls apart within a couple wearings (and don't get me started on slave labor and carbon footprints) or 1 fabulous piece you can rely on to keep you covered and looking gorgeous? In my humble opinion, I'd rather follow the footsteps of those glamorous Parisians and go perfection-guaranteed quality over dumpy quantity.

One caution, though: many of the dresses look *much* better on the body than on the hanger because of how well they're made. So be sure to try things on. After all, you want something that drapes elegantly over your curves and hides those problem areas rather than hangs like a boring towel from your shoulders, right? This is where fashion artists stand out from the fashion posers- their knowledge of the fabric, the body, and how to make something amazing, and Elizabeth herself is there to help guide you to perfection.