She's back - the return of the power bitch!

I will never really understand why style forecasters claim at the beginning of each and every season that the 80s are "back"... I mean, did they ever go away? Anyone who hasn't been under a rock for the latter part of this decade must have noticed how fashion as well as music has been heavily influenced by 80s design and bands, respectively, for a good couple of years. Summer 2005? The Bravery, lacy layered "Who's That Girl?" mini skirts, crazy makeup, Motherf***er parties in downtown NYC. Somehow it feels like fashion never fully recovered from that intense experience: even though the 80s have not really been in style to any significant extent since then, they did by no means disappear completely. Case in point: following the mid-decade 80s craze, you never knew when some random balloon skirt, neon fishnet glove or harem pant would sneak its way onto the racks of your favorite boutique or the pages of an "edgy" fashion editorial!

However, one 80s look that never stroke again with full force was the power bitch trend. Thank goodness! It's bad enough having to be bitched around the office by some power-tripping, menopausal, micro-managing lady suffering from BlackBerry addiction as well as part OCD, part ADD... now imagine the same lady, decked out in poufy hair, a double breasted Thierry Mugler suit with shoulder pads the size of the Sydney Opera House.... and white commuter sneakers. Welcome to fall 2009!

It started quite innocently with the menswear trend - then all of a sudden, we were flooded with shows and editorials where models were styled as slick businesswomen in oversized double-breasted CEO blazers, marked shoulders à la Alexis Carrington, and with that dollar hungry gaze in their eyes... Below: Katie Fogarty and Kendra Spears channeling Wall Street with a touch of Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" in Bazaar.










Meanwhile, uptown as well as downtown boutiques are currently showcasing designs that would fit right into the wardrobe of any leading lady on Dynasty, Working Girl... and even Dallas. Below: day and evening power bitch looks at Dolce & Gabbana, double breasted coat and big hair at Prada (note that the mannequin sports the same frizzy hair as the models of the brand's fall campaign!), bedazzled evening gown at Angela's Vintage (11th & 2nd).









I do realize how this style can be glamorous as well as elegant, if worn by the right person on the right occasion. But even so, it does absolutely nothing for me! In addition to being overwhelming and a little too much in general, these designs are typically very mature looking and will add 5-10 years to almost anyone's age. The aging effect is reinforced further by the heavy makeup that is pretty much a necessity for pulling off the style in a believable way. I have no interest at all in trying this look, and I do not particularly enjoy seeing it worn by other women either.

Befittingly enough, as this has been on my mind a lot lately, I spent my Wednesday doing some work on the sequel to Oliver Stone's 1987 movie "Wall Street". Curious to see whether Gordon Gekko would be sporting the same sleazy hairdo and custom made shirts (by New Jersey shirtmaker Mel Gambert) as he did back in '87, I was a little disappointed to find out that Michael Douglas was not working the same scenes as me today. Instead, I got to share the screen with '09 power bitch Carey Mulligan, looking like she was ready to slap us all in our faces with her briefcase - too bad I signed paperwork preventing me from discussing her wardrobe (among many other things) on a public forum such as Blogger...

One thing I will say, though, is that Ms Mulligan looked extremely impeccable and well put together - unlike this lady, whom I caught sight of during my walk home (pictured on the right)! During the six years I've lived here, I have never really spotted sneakers on working women - but this season they suddenly seem to be the commuter shoe à la mode. If I was not convinced before that the power bitch is on her way back, I certainly am now! However, that would not necessarily be the upscale, well-dressed leading lady at D&G and Prada... but rather her sloppy, mismatched little sister!

To wrap up, I have two great pieces of advice for all of you who are guilty of doing this: please stop channeling Melanie Griffith '88 and instead see below, ASAP! Yes, you heard me. You're welcome.

Here comes the bride... on the A train!

Having acquaintances in the adult industry means having all sorts of useless information at your fingertips. Did you for instance know that the subway scenes in most NY-produced porn flicks are usually shot at nighttime around 3AM, on the A train between 59th and 125th Streets? I am sure this giggly bride (pictured right), who had her wedding pictures taken on the uptown A the other day, on the aforementioned express stretch, had no idea...

Forget how tacky it is to have your wedding album shot in the MTA system, and in particular on the porn stretch of the A train. As I sat there snapping away with my pocket camera (that's right, I have no shame), I was actually more disturbed by her dress. Why do all brides have to look the same - like giant pastries? I will scream if I have to lay my eyes on another strapless wedding dress, ballroom style with a satin bodice, tulle skirt, embroideries at the bustline, and organza ribbon decorations... (well illustrated by the runway looks on the left and the '08 Bridal Market look at Atelier Aimee on the right)!

I find it odd that women who are usually at least somewhat fashion conscious will throw every little ounce of personal style out the window when it's time to select a wedding gown. Now when bridal fashion is becoming more and more stylish and diverse, there is no acceptable excuse for dressing like a generic 2000's Princess Di on your big day, rather than to instead choose a bridal gown that incorporates your personal fashion trademarks!

I am one of those girls who could not give a rat's ass about my wedding ring. Rocks don't excite me that much - but oh, how fashion does! There is no way I could ever opt for a wedding dress that did not reflect my typical day-to-day fashion choices. So what gives? A quick peek inside of my closet will reveal my insatiable love of black silk sashes on white or ivory frocks and coats, as well as 60s mod shift dresses and almost anything faux fur. Needless to say, I would be thrilled to tie the knot wearing any of the looks below, from Anne Barge, Kate Spade and DVF, respectively (with my hair down just like in the third picture, please). Yes, I am aware the second and third looks are not bridal per se. Who cares?











Moreover, I would probably not hesitate to schedule my wedding (if it will ever happen) during the winter season, so as to have an excuse for wearing a white, fuzzy coat or stole when walking down the aisle! Below: bridal winter look at Karen Sabag (try to ignore all the bling and the big poufy sash... it's the fur that I adore!), embroidered wool/mohair dress combo by Molly Spinach (modeled by yours truly... I am trying to keep pictures of myself at a minimum in here, but sometimes posting them is inevitable), 60s bridal vintage look at Dior.



















Please note I was in no way born with this non-traditional attitude. At the age of 18, I was orchestrating three-day weddings in my imagination, and they were all about cathedrals, diamonds, Vera Wang-esque gowns, mile-long trains and veils.... now, on the other hand, I would really prefer to just slip into a lacy shift, walk over to one of the community gardens here in the East Village, exchange vows and then hit the nearest sidewalk cafe for a glass of Pinot. To me, a spontaneous, low-maintenance ceremony like that would be much more romantic and memorable than an event such as the one I was dreaming of as a teenager.

There would be no A train photo session, though! Aging might have replaced my appetite for romantic ruffles, princess tiaras and heirloom embroidery with a more casual and relaxed outlook on the "big day" - but I need to draw the line somewhere!!! :D

Weathering the rain in style - and staying dry!

I spent a good amount of today sitting around in a wet, windy and freezing cold tent in Prospect Park... and was dumbfounded as to how people dress for a rainy day. Come on, it rains about 25 % of the time in New York! Why not just roll with it and invest in some raingear that reflects your personal style, instead of opting for that drab and slobby look, wrapping yourself up in those unshapely garbage bag looking rain ponchos that people seem so fond of?

My outfit for the day consisted of a powder pink mid-thigh belted rain trenchcoat, a black/white nautical stripe mohair sweater, black skinny pants, a black chain-strap Chinatown Chanel tote (no laughing, please), a turquoise Thai silk scarf and my beloved bluebird rainboots, pictured above on the right. Sadly, I think I might have been one of the few who was at least somewhat warm, dry and cozy inside of that tent without deviating too much from how I normally dress.

The fashion cop inside of me was literally shuddering at the sight of one of my Festival Queen colleagues (pictured left). Rain poncho and flimsy Gristede's shopping bag legwarmers?! Or was there some other purpose that the plastic bags wrapped around her ankles were supposed to serve? When I started writing this blog, I vowed to keep it free of catty commentary - which I am highly capable of, if needed - and any pointing out of this and that person's most recent fashion faux pas... but I feel this is one of those cases where I just can't keep my mouth shut and, hence, breaking the rule is allowed. Fashion up, girl!

One of the makeup artists for the event (pictured right), on the other hand, tried to keep it uber-fashionable with a little black dress, silver jewelry and the most gorgeous boots I have ever spotted at a muddy park fest (not counting Kate Moss's Glastonbury wellies!). However, in my opinion there is actually nothing stylish or effortless about sticking to your signature minidress-and-stilettos look when spending a day in a muddy field and being soaked in sideways rain. Looking like a wet dog is not cute, and regardless, feeling miserable about freezing your limbs off is usually never worth it... nor is spending the following week in bed popping Sudafed.

When in doubt regarding what to wear for a casual outdoor event like this one, I guess Kate's Glastonbury getup is always a safe bet (I am not even going to think about posting a picture: I know you've all seen it a million times!). However, for those days when it's pouring like never before and you still want or need to look somewhat well put together, as opposed to as if you had just rocked out to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at APW'09.... check out some of my favorite rainboots (all from the FW09 collections), raincoats and umbrellas below for some inspiration. From left to right, row by row: Dior Patent Leather Rainboot, Chanel Camelia Rainboot, Coach Pammie Signature Stripe Rainboot (this one retails for a really nice price), Betsey Johnson Polka Dot Rain Trench, Chanel raincoat look, Marc Jacobs raincoat look SS08, umbrellas from Brollies Galore, Cath Kidston and Marimekko.






















So, dear readers, do you go fab or drab when it's raining?! I am dying to know! ;)

Whimsy jewelry

I just wanted to share with everyone that I won my first giveaway this week - from Haute Whimsy (www.hautewhimsy.com)! If you haven't checked out Jen's blog already, definitely click on the link and enjoy... she is a great writer and has fabulous giveaways! :)

The prize was the "A Bit of Whimsy" focal necklace from Creative.Manifestations by Jillian Matney, whose designs you can (and should!) browse on www.jillian1984.etsy.com. I am wearing it below with a matte purple vintage lace dress, my Guess biker jacket and leopard print Steve Madden platform heels (shoes not pictured... but you get the idea!) - click on the images to get a better look at the little bicycle pendant. A big thank you again to both Jillian and Jen!

















Other beautiful Creative.Manifestations pieces include (below, from left to right) the A Delicate Treat Necklace, Flapper Ring, Amelia Glass Amethyst Ring and Sit With Me 3 Owls Necklace - all on Jill's Etsy site at very reasonable prices. Go take a look!















Also, on a completely different note, I will be appearing tomorrow at the Turkish-Balkan Park Fest in Prospect Park as an Eastern European Hittite Ottoman Queen (one of my very unusual part time jobs). Check out the festival website for more info (http://www.turkishdaysinny.org/ProspectPark.aspx)!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend, and do come out to Prospect Park if you are a New Yorker! There will be food, arts, handcraft, rugs.... and Ottoman Queens, of course!

Who wants to snoop around in my bag?!

A couple of weeks ago, there seemed to an epidemia spreading like the plague within the fashion blog community, where one stylish writer after the other posted entries describing the contents of their handbags in quite intricate detail. I am not sure my readers actually want to take a peek at the (on a good day) disorganized chaos that is the inside of my bag, but decided to follow suit anyway!

I like carrying a different bag every day, so as to match it as well as possible with what I am wearing. Hence, my handbags are constantly put in rotation - and due to all this switching around as well as to being highly disorganized, I discover at least once or twice daily that I forgot to move my Metro card, lipgloss, toothpicks, or something else that I desperately need from yesterday's to today's bag of choice. Blame my absentmindedness!

Today I was toting around my fabulous Deux Lux gold hobo (above left) .... and this is what's in it!

• iPhone and charger. The first one goes without saying, the second one comes in handy when I'm on set, since I tend to be on my phone a lot and will typically run down the battery before I even have time to blink! I am infamous for always "borrowing" the portable outlets that hair stylists use for their tools on location out in the woods, some park or anywhere else where there is no electricity. What else is an iPhone addicted girl to do?

• Makeup and a few options of lip gunk. Three different shades of concealer and two different shades of lipgloss, all Maybelline. Some generic compact. Neutrogena SPF 15 lipbalm and Sephora strawberry lipbalm. I love mixing my own preferred color when applying undereye concealer - don't you agree it looks horrible when people just slather on a layer of something that's close to their skin tone, yet not a perfect match? No-no, not me! Currently cheaping out on free stuff from Maybelline... an unexpected job perk from a runway show I walked recently! I can really recommend the lipgloss: it tingles nicely when applied (!) and stays put pretty well throughout the day for being a drugstore brand.
  

• The essentials: wallet, Metro card (that I never use - I love walking) and sunglasses. Did I even have to mention those? My wallet is from Kipling and I've had it forever. Isn't it weird that you can be so excited about owning (and rotating) a whole closetful of handbags, but at the same time feel perfectly content owning and using one wallet only? However, I guess it would be too much, and too risky, for someone as messy as me having to keep track of and transfer important stuff like IDs, credit cards and whatnot from wallet to wallet on a daily basis. It's bad enough that I can't even handle moving my hairbrush from Furla to Kate Spade!
  

• A good read: currently the Bazaar October issue and a handbook for actors by casting director Paul Russell, that I really should have finished long ago, since I am currently enrolled in a workshop that is based on its contents! Oops.
  

• Chewing gum (preferably Wrigley's Spearmint or Orbit Maui Mint), toothpicks, wetnaps and a tissue/napkin. Sometimes I also throw some floss, toothpaste, mouthwash and a toothbrush in there. I am a stickler about having clean teeth and will freak out if I have to eat something without flossing, brushing my teeth, gurgling with mouthwash and chewing a piece of gum afterwards. My boyfriend thinks I'm a freak. He's probably right! Before anyone is wondering where my (obligatory) hand sanitizer is... yeah, I'm wondering the same thing! Most likely left behind in whatever bag I was carrying yesterday.
  

• Hairbrush, mirror, comb, elastics and dry shampoo. Anyone else live in a stormy place and have bangs? Have you noticed how your bangs can get super greasy just from having the wind whipping them around all over your face - even though you just washed your hair in the morning and have normal, not oily, skin? It's a mystery. But not to worry! Dry shampoo is your friend. I like "Psssssst!" a lot, but can also recommend Ojon for those who are above getting beauty products at Duane Reade. ;) My current hairbrush is from Ricky's, but I am dying to get a Mason Pearson if I am ever in a position where it does not feel weird to spend $130 on a freaking hairbrush (although I am sure it is well worth every cent)! Finally, as a fun fact, my father bought the little pocket mirror for me in Tokyo when I was about 9.... he probably forgot about it way back, but I still carry it with me every day.

• iPod. I am well aware that iPhones can double as MP3 players, thus making your iPod redundant. Doesn't matter - I love my little pink friend and would never abandon her! Check out her pink poodle case that I picked up in one of those little stores on North 10th in Williamsburg (I forget which one)!

• A couple of comp cards and headshots, as well as at least two pens and a little pad of post-its. You never know who you'll meet during the course of the day, or who will call you regarding work or auditions.... or when your pen will go on strike. Needless to say, any opportunity that might arise always comes my way on those days when I forgot to move some or all of this stuff from the bag I used the day before. But like I said... you never know! :D

As is probably obvious to everyone by now, I have a tendency to overstuff my handbags.... just take a look again at my total purse content above. All that junk in a medium-sized hobo?! A brilliant solution would (of course) be to acquire a new, roomy tote for the fall! I am wildly in love with all the gorgeous croco, python and lizard skin bags that I see on so many fashionistas' arms right now. Below are some of my current favorites for the season, all of them with lots of room for all that cannot-live-without stuff that I insist on dragging with me everywhere I go.

From left to right, row by row: Betsey Johnson Snake Charmer tote, Michael Kors large python hobo, Perlina Legacy croco shopper tote, Badgley Mischka Laura croco tote, Fendi Giant Chef tote, Furla Aster metal bucket tote, Coach Sabrina large handbag, Jalda Sophia faux croco handbag, Moschino quilt croco shoulder bag.





















OK, I know, I know... the Sabrina is not reptile and the Moschino holds no more than your absolute necessities. But so? Just pair it with a tote and you'll be fine! It comes in lemon yellow too, for those who like to have fun with color!

For a smaller wallet, check out these budget options - below from left to right: Jessica Simpson Jimmy crossbody faux anaconda/cobra bag ($78), Rampage Joelle faux croco satchel ($98), Serena Williams Signature Sophisticated scarf tote with gold metal trim ($75).








Yes, Serena does indeed design handbags, or at least she employs people who do and slaps her name on the final product. This particular bag comes in black, tan and lavender and looks like it would be perfect for lugging your books, fashion mags and other heavy duty on those days when you want to carry a small satchel or hobo for your essentials. That said, I would really like to see what it looks like in real life, not to mention on the inside, before I go ahead and purchase it. Which is easier said than done, since to my knowledge it is only available online!

But oh well, André Leon Talley is reportedly a huge fan of Serena as well as her sister, and if she is good enough for André.... she's certainly good enough for me too! Sold. :D

Screening of "Coco Avant Chanel"

Last night I finally made it to the last screening of "Coco Avant Chanel" at the DGA Theater here in NY! Seeing a good movie for free is always a yes in my book - especially when not having to suffer through endless commercials and trailers, and when in company with fellow actors/writers who know how to turn off their cell phones as well as to zip up their mouths during the showing. Not to mention, in a theater where snacking and sipping soda is forbidden and there is a security guard in place to reinforce the no-food rule if need be! Call me cranky, but it drives me insane to hear the constant noise of slurping and crumpled candy wrappers when trying to watch a drama - or any kind of film, actually!

I was completely mesmerized by the movie and I would recommend fashionistas, Chanelites as well as any cineaste to go see it when it opens in theaters this weekend. The storyline focuses on Coco's struggles before she moved out of her benefactor's mansion and opened her own atelier on rue Cambon, from where she designed and sold hats to society ladies. Today, 100 years later, the Chanel Paris boutique, Coco's elegant one-of-a-kind apartment, the brand's haute couture atelier and Karl Lagerfeld's study are located at 31 rue Cambon, only steps from where Coco opened her first hat shop.

While not being a couture documentary per se, the film does feature quite a few wonderful fashion moments that all made me smile happily. When Coco packs her belongings for the move to Balsan's estate, a sharp eye can spot her little quilted sewing kit on her bed next to the suitcase, and it looks very much like the 2.55! There are also a couple of adorable scenes, where Coco massacres her lover's shirts and houndstooth pants to create her own, unique clothing. No need to be a Chanel lover, or even to take the slightest interest in fashion whatsoever, to immediately recognize the brand's tailored, crisp style in the garments that Coco conjures up for her riding lessons and introduction to Parisian society life!

Obviously, there is also a lot of beautiful costuming to enjoy. Eudald Magri is the costumer of the film, which features wardrobe designed by Catherine Leterrier and hats designed by legendary London milliner Stephen Jones. I especially loved the crowd scene at the horse derby - I can only imagine the amount of effort that must have gone into the styling of the principals as well as all the extras (easily 150+) who were on camera for those shots!

Last but not least, there is no way I can go see a movie without shedding some tears. Two scenes moved me immensely, the first one being Coco's audition at the Alcazar (any actor, singer or dancer who has been interrupted half-way through will understand what I mean), and the second one being the last few minutes of the movie, with Coco sitting on the staircase overseeing her models walking down the steps, one by one. This one scene alone is worth the price of a movie ticket - and the film is indeed one that needs to be enjoyed in a theater, rather than on Netflix or similar. You should all dress up in your best bouclé, grab your quilted purse and get a ticket for the US opening night on Saturday!

xoxox

Pictures in this post: Coco Chanel portrait, Chanel SS09 bouclé runway look, sketches by Karl Lagerfeld for Bazaar, Chanel appreciation editorial - ELLE Sweden, Chanel knockoff at H&M, Audrey Tatou in the final scene of "Coco Avant Chanel".

Gossip Girl appreciation post

I am not going to bore you with details, but let's just say I am desperate for any kind of SAG work during this as well as next week - I'll take anything, as long as I make the requirement for insurance eligibility before 9/30! Just in case any casting directors would happen to read this...

Anxiously going through the list of possible employment opportunities in my head, I just realized I have not been on set of Gossip Girl for about three weeks, which means they are probably ready to have me back any day now! Now that would be just perfect, considering my current insurance dilemma! My actor friends think I'm nuts for being so excited about working on the show, since it pays below regular scale and all that... but I can't help myself! Being a hopeless fashion junkie, I am always curious to check out Blair's and Serena's outfits down to the last little accessory piece. And hell, I even enjoy getting wardrobe directions on the night prior to shooting, putting together my own, stylish looks and seeing if the picky wardrobe department will give them a yay or a nay (if any friend might be reading this: no, I am actually not kidding... however, my excitement over dragging clothes, shoes and accessories in a heavy suitcase on the subway to set is reserved for GG only!).

Below is a little behind-the-scenes recap of the work I've done on the show so far this season.

Early July: Vanderbilt charity polo match, shot in the Hamptons. There are simply no words to describe my love for horses. Hence, I really enjoyed being around all the beautiful thoroughbreds that had been brought to set for the polo match shoot. Another nice surprise was not having to wear heels... those are usually a must for any party/gala/event scene on GG, and during summer season thin-strap stilettos or peep-toe slingbacks are typically recommended. Needless to say, we all know those are maximally painful for your poor tootsies, at least if you have to wear them for 15 hours straight! However, for this one we all had to stay in wedges or flats throughout the day so as to not rip up the lawn. Cool with me - I am not ready for bunion surgery just yet!

Serena's look for the day - coral flowy dress with grayish wedge heels, I know you all saw it on TV last week - left me pretty unimpressed, and her horseback stunt double's well visible Spanx did not exactly spice up the outfit. Blair's wardrobe, on the other hand was flawless! Let's forget how tacky she looked from the back - wearing a bra with a dress that's low cut in the back indeed only works on a TV set, where you can select the angles you wish to be seen from. But even so, that green dress was gorgeous and I had to force myself not to stare too much... it's too bad I couldn't take pictures, as it's seemingly impossible to find images of her full outfit online! On a sidenote, I am sitting on some juicy Leighton gossip from that shoot day, but you have to buy me a pair of Chanel flats before I speak....! That would be size 8.5, please.

Most of the ladies were outfitted by the wardrobe department (their hat collection was to die for - I hope you paid attention to the headwear when watching the episode last week!), but I fortunately got to wear my own clothing:

• strapless pink peacock print chiffon dress with sash - Nanette Lepore
• strappy gold wedge sandals - Zigi SoHo
• layered charm necklace - Craigslist find
• gold bracelet - Pilgrim

I didn't really have a clutch that went well with the dress, but had no intention whatsoever to part with my phone, so I hid a little blue mini clutch, containing my iPhone, a compact and some lipgloss, in my hands and prayed that no one would see it or say anything... worked like a charm, and I was emailing and chatting with friends and my agent throughout the day!

Late July: Sotheby's on the UES. Shooting GG exteriors in Manhattan is always crazy, due to the ruthless paparazzi (pictured below) and all the crazy fans. This was a three day affair, shooting an auction scene at Sotheby's, but I had better bookings on day 2 and 3 (as in, NOT background work!), so I only worked the easy part: passing by outside on day 1 wearing two changes of comfy street clothes, while my friends had to suffer for three days straight in their sparkly cocktail dresses and strappy stilettos digging into their feet!

Stylish favorites from this shooting day included Serena's beautiful, hip hugging dress as well as Blair's intricate, braided hair updo. Can't wait to see them on the air! And while I'm at it, here's some props to Ed Westwick for not giving me any 'tude when I mistook him for a background actor and snapped at him to move out of my way. I know, my manners are just impeccable....

Outfit #1:

• fuchsia knitted jumpsuit - Nanette Lepore
• olive green tank top - H&M
  
• tan embellished suede wedge sandals - Dr Scholl
• yellow floral cuff - 80s vintage
  
• charm necklace - Craigslist find
• black quilted ice leather hobo bag with gold chain strap - Marc Jacobs

Outfit #2:

• hot pink/red floral dress with ruffled hem - Kookai
• black suede platform pumps - Steve Madden
• dark gray pearl necklace and earrings - gift from my mom, many years ago
• same MJ bag... I don't mind dragging my stuff around that much, but I will draw the line at bringing more than one purse!

Late August, Meatpacking District. I think I wrote my first entry on this blog ever right after having worked this shoot. I was indeed smitten by Blair's whole outfit, especially the floral skirt and the adorable little Chanel evening purse. Look out for her in the scene at Buddakan where she is yelling at the college rep! I also spotted some delicate silver-ish heels on Serena, as well as one of those rompers they put her in so often, but they were terribly hard to get a closer look at from where I was standing, and I was also miserable from being fresh out of the hospital as well as soaked in rain, so....

I will leave you with some images of paps and loyal fans hanging outside of Buddakan early in the morning, the cupcakes in craft services (I didn't have any... I'm not that into sweets, but I do think cupcakes look awfully pretty!) and even more fans, 14 hours later, braving the rain just to see a glimpse of Blake Lively outside the Chelsea Market.

I think I might be ready to do this soon again..... maybe. :D

xoxoxoxoxo

Leather lovin'

One of the current trends that I needed plenty of time to warm up to is the leather craze that's been prevailing for a while and seems to be here to stay for at least a couple of more months. Despite being a huge animal lover, I am not at all opposed to the material per se: I have no qualms about buying leather boots, gloves or bags, and I'm always open to checking out a cool-looking leather jacket or blazer. Who's not?! The studded biker jacket is undeniably a modern classic, at least for me, who flirted a lot with punk rock fashion during my teens. However, however.... that Domina look that is supposedly in style right now - leather rompers, lingerie and even pencil skirts and skintight pants - actually makes me shudder a little. It is in 9 cases out of 10 just way too much and, in my opinion, most often ends up screaming of bad taste and tacky styling. The YSL runway look (pictured right) and even more so Chloe Sevigny in Proenza Schouler (pictured left) are perfect examples of what I mean!

Maybe one of these in-your-face leather getups would do it for me if I was starring in a remake of Madonna's "Open Your Heart" video, or if I worked the whip all day long at The Nutcracker Suite (and then the clothing would be a nice tax write-off, too!), but as it is, I'll gladly pass! Let's please wear leather only on top and our feet/hands, and pretend these awful head-to-toe looks never existed!

There are some exceptions, though, for those who are stylish enough to know how to tread with caution. I do think a leather dress that is long enough not to look slutty and short enough not to give that scary head-to-toe dominatrix impression is a great choice for a night out. For instance, Angelina Jolie looked lovely in her Kors dress at the LA premiere of "Inglorious Bastards" (pictured right)! I believe the key to pulling off her look (other than being ridiculously beautiful with a great body) is to accessorize sparingly... the dress is almost a statement piece in itself and looks best with little to no bling. Worn with an updo, I guess a choker-ish necklace could have come in handy, but I'm a hair-down girl so I'd rather get a good blowout and just let the dress speak for itself - like Angie did!

Other current inspiration: boot at Fendi (on the left) and Angela Lindvall for H&M (below). Note how Angela's cotton tee softens the somewhat tough and bitchy look of the dress - I like it a lot, but am still not convinced it's the kind of style that would compliment me and my looks. However, a piece that I anxiously do think would fit me like a hand in a glove, is the fall '09 biker jacket at Rodarte (below - the one I am always crying over in here as well as in comments on other people's blogs!), or actually, at any model or fashionista trotting around New York C right now -- check out Taylor Momsen and Agyness further below, as well as the awesome snapshot of Belle Franke over at Jak & Jil from earlier today! I am fairly sure this jacket is how I am going to embrace the leather trend, as it's not only easy to wear and style, but also looks fantastic with mini skirts and dresses, which are garments I own en masse and desperately need to mix with some current pieces, so I can stay stylish throughout the season!

Now, for everyone's info, I will probably NOT step out of my house sporting Fendi-esque leather legwarmers, but I am indeed currently experimenting with knitted leggies and big platform pumps (from my closet) reminiscent of those in the ad above, and the results do not look too bad! The knits offer an excellent way to play up the rocker/biker/domina vibe if you're wearing a leather jacket and want to have a little fun with your outfit, or just offset the toughness of it.

I might have to write a blog on those legwarmers soon... but meanwhile, let me just share my love for these stripey ones with little skulls from Discount Dance Supply (on the right)! They would most likely look adorable with a purple knitted dress that I re-discovered today when I cleaned out my closet(s)... not to mention the GUESS faux leather jacket I just purchased, against better judgement! Obviously, I wanted Rodarte, but $4,000ish is a tad too steep for me, so I ended up choosing between these two from GUESS and Forever 21 (below). In the end, however, the former one just appealed to me a little more -- I prefer to be able to accessorize freely, as opposed to being restricted by a miniature minefield of punk chic rocker studs! Also, since I am mostly going to wear my jacket with dresses and skirts, I was very particular about the fit - it needed to be very snug without giving off that "one size too small" look... and the GUESS piece turned out to look like a million dollars on me, while the F21 was kind of blah!
And speaking of blah, I hear there is a similar jacket selling for a nice price at H&M, for anyone who's willing to search rack after rack of unsorted merchandise...! I've seen pictures and it looks great... albeit very difficult to find in NY stores (I tried).

To sum up for tonight, I am super excited about this aquisition and have a myriad of ideas on how to style it... but that will have to be a separate blog entry. Hope you all will have a great Monday tomorrow! xoxox