Red carpet wrap-up: Golden Globes

 [Image via TLo]

Yay!!  Dresses and mean jokes about Hollywood! 

Ricky Gervais was hilariously out of control last night, making jokes about the airbrushed SATC2 poster and how terrible The (nominated) Tourist was.  See a rundown of every funny-awkward-funny jibe here.  Many have speculated he went too far, but I only thought he really crossed the line in making a Scientologists are gay joke--we all know, Ricky, but outing people isn't funny.  Movieline has pointed out that Gervais essentially pulled off the Emperor's new clothes of Hollywood, un-self-awaringly illustrated by this quote from the HFPA: "Ricky will not be invited back to host the show next year, for sure. [A]ny movie he makes he can forget about getting nominated. He humiliated the organization last night and went too far with several celebrities whose representatives have already called to complain."

Gawker has their take on the most memorable moments.  Dave Karger contemplates how the wins affect Oscar predictions.  Complete winner's list here.  For my take, it looks like The Social Network is dominating, but I wonder if the academy doesn't want something more feel-good.  I hope Annette Benning beats Natalie Portman, and I think she has a good chance, given the Academy's penchant for career-achievement awards.  I think supporting actress is a wide-open race, and wish Hailee Steinfeld were getting more love (she was not nominated for the globes).

And the fashion: The Fug Girls have the best and worst outfits over at NYMag.  Tom and Lorenzo (bless them) have parts 1, 2, and 3, as well as a rundown of the men.

What did you think of the hugely mean-spirited and mildly sinister show last night?  (To paraphrase Robert Downey, Jr.)

Google launches seriously cool boutiques.com

 Google has launched a new fashion website, that allows you to shop in dozens of celebrity, designer, blogger, and (soon) user-generated e-boutiques.  As the NYTimes says in a piece that sounds like an ad for the site:

Boutiques.com has so many capabilities and components that even Google engineers have a hard time qualifying it. It is a collection of hundreds of virtual boutiques merchandised — or, in the new parlance, “curated” — by designers, retailers, bloggers, celebrities and regular folks. You can shop in the style of, say, the actress Carey Mulligan or Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen — among the celebrities who signed up for the launch — or you can build your own boutique and amass followers who can comment on your taste.
...In every boutique on the site, there are dozens of additional choices inspired by a designer’s or celebrity’s style — generated by algorithms — with product photos that are much larger and sharper than on other shopping sites.

Yes, it's part of the unrealistic fashion industry that wants us to spend $495 on "investment" jeans.  Ultimately, it's a way to change the model for how people shop for fashion, in a time when high-end designers are finally feeling the pinch of recession (luxury goods held strong for a while in the real-estate bust).  But what I like about it is the potential for it to become a sort of fashion twitter.  Each boutique creator has followers and can follow other boutiques.  That means that if you have impeccable taste and have always wanted to open a store, now you can with zero start-up cost.  I can imagine users who scour the internet for beautiful, unique items at great prices amassing thousands of followers, a la twitter.  Moreover, that means if I find a few boutique proprietors who I like, someone else can do my online shopping for me!  [Note, I tried out the feature, and it seems that google might limit the items you can put in your boutique to what it has in its "catalogue." If this remains the case, the potential for bargain-scouring might not be as great as I hoped.]

Special google magic also means that fashion searches that usually yield frustrating results are now going to work well, at least according to the Times:

And that may be Boutiques.com’s ultimate game-changer — how precisely it analyzes your preferences to give you what you requested. As many online shoppers know, search engines tend to give you stuff you don’t really want. A request for fern-colored shoes might yield fern shoes, plus fern-print blouses. But, as two experienced online shoppers found when they tested the site earlier this week at Google’s New York office, if you ask for cobalt blue shoes, you get them. And if you refine your preferences with a click or two, you get even more specific styles.

Time will tell whether the site lives up to its potential for fashion democracy.  In the meantime, I'll be doing some shopping in Carey Mulligan's boutique.

Guest Post: Purchasing Power in Numbers

Here's another great post from guest contributor VikingKitten, letting you know where to find the best deals online!

It’s smart to save money, especially in this economic climate, and “group-buying” seems to be the newest way to do so. Amazon’s June 30th announcement that they will acquire Woot.com, along with the recent news of the purchase of FreshGuide by Sugar, Inc (an online publisher focused on women’s media), indicates that the group-buying phenomenon has become more popular than ever.

Group-buying websites typically work like this: online shoppers indicate their desire to purchase a particular featured “deal of the day.”  If enough people agree to buy the deal, they get it at a significant discount. 

Here’s a quick comparison of our favorite group-buying sites:

Site Name	# of Cities	Main Type of Merchandise	How It Works	Rewards for Referrals	Other  Notes
BuyWithMe www.buywithme.com	6	Restaurants, retail, entertainment	Minimum number of buyers needed to get the deal	N/A	Includes a handy “how close are we?” bar to show how many more buyers are needed to get the deal
DealOn www.dealon.com	11+	Restaurants, retail, entertainment	The more buyers who join in the deal, the lower the price goes	$10 credit for each person who clicks on your referral link and buys a deal	Shows the starting price of the deal, the current price, and the amount of savings from retail price
FreshGuide www.freshguide.com	4+	Restaurants, events, entertainment	Minimum number of buyers needed to get the deal	$10 credit for each person who clicks on your referral link and buys a deal	Currently trying to expand into several cities
Gilt City www.giltcity.com	1	Fashion, events, restaurants, entertainment	Deal can be purchased until it sells out.	$25 when a referral makes a first purchase	Deals often sell out—so act fast!  However, you can be added to the “wait list” for a sold out deal, so all hope is not lost
Groupon www.groupon.com	93+ (incl. non-U.S.)	Restaurants, retail, entertainment	Minimum number of buyers needed to get the deal	$10 credit for each person who clicks on your referral link and buys a deal	Includes discussion boards with helpful staff members answering customer questions; Hilarious “Groupon says” section of each deal
LivingSocial www.livingsocial.com	26	Restaurants, retail, entertainment	1 deal/day. No minimum number of buyers required	If 3 people buy the deal using your referral link, you get it free.  $5 to a referral for signing up, and $5 to you when your referral makes a first purchase	Features a section of “365 things to do” in your city of choice.
SteepandCheap steepandcheap.com	online	Outdoor gear and clothing	1 deal at a time until the item is sold out; then another deal immediately begins	None	Has a neat feature where you can see the current number of people viewing the page; For apparel, the number of items remaining is broken down by color/size
Tippr www.tippr.com	9	Restaurants, events, entertainment	3 deals/day.  The more buyers who join in the deal, the lower the price goes	$5 to a referral for signing up, and $5 to you when your referral makes a first purchase	Can log on automatically though Facebook
Woot www.woot.com	online	Electronics	1 item/day until it sells out or the day ends.  Does not reveal the number remaining or the retail price of the item.	None	The management claims that there will be no change to Woot’s ways in light of Amazon’s acquisition—it will be interesting to see if this is true

Yipit.com is another helpful site, which essentially aggregates group deals from various group-buying sites, organized by city. Readers, are there other sites where you go to shop for bargains?

The purse: A gender roles enigma

This weekend I went shopping for a new bag, and found exactly what I wanted (an uncommon occurrence at the mall!). Not only that, but it was on sale (70% off)! I almost never shop for bags, and it struck me that I was engaging in one of those stereotypical feminine rituals, and that I had derived a lot of pleasure from it. Which led me to another thought: why don't men get to carry bags over their shoulders?!?

Common arguments for carrying a purse / bag:

• It's useful - you can carry all your stuff with you without having to sit on it
• It can be stylish
• It can be a status symbol

Common arguments against carrying a purse / bag:

• It's not manly. (See informative beer commercial below)

See! Beer is manly! Purses are not! Why, you ask? Because! Purses sometimes have fringes, or rhinestones, or are made of fancy faux leather - inherently feminine stuff! But wait...

Red carpet wrap-up: The Tony Awards

There was an awards show last night.  And that means dresses! EW has the best and worst, but their tastes seem to run a little contrary to the common thread.  People has good pics, but not enough snark to go with them.  If it's biting criticism you want, TLo has Part 1 and Part 2 of their dress analysis, and, of course, the Fug Girls.  Jez actually goes pretty easy on the locals.

For best-dressed, I vote ScarJo (left), Lea Michelle (but don't tell her, lest she become more insufferable), Dame Helen, and Jessica Hecht.

For those of you interested in the actual ceremony, EW's got the top-ten moments, and a review of Sean Hayes's performance as host.

Partial winners list:
Best Play – Red by John Logan
Best Musical – Memphis
Leading Actor in a Play – Denzel Washington in Fences
Leading Actress in a Play – Viola Davis in Fences
Leading Actor in a Musical – Douglas Hodge in La Cage aux Folles
Leading Actress in a Musical – Catherine Zeta-Jones in A Little Night Music

See the rest here. Crossover film stars won big, with recognition for Denzel Washington, Catherine Zeta Jones, and...Scarlett Johansson now has a Tony award, ladies and gentlemen.

Red carpet wrap-up: From wacky to tacky at the MTV movie awards

 Just to be clear, I mean neither wacky nor tacky as insults.  It just is what it is, folks, and let's not call it something else.

[Image via TLo]

TLo's got your wrap-up, and they really, really do not like anything.  They say Lindsay looks like a porn star.  Given her silver jumpsuit, I would add, "from the seventies."  EW's equally flummoxed, and thinks Shawn White should have worn a shirt.  Personally, I dig Katy Perry's blue wig, and her personal brand of, "When I was a child I dreamed of being a celebrity and doing whatever the eff I wanted," that she seems to bring to the red carpet time in, time out.  Jezebel is all like, we don't even know where to start.  People is nonplussed.  They've seen it all.

But did you guys see Sandy the other night at the Spike awards (vom)?  She has never looked better.  Including in Speed.

Beauty advice you can actually use

I wear makeup, paint my nails, futz with my hair, and I don't apologize for it.  I understand where radical feminists are coming from with their "makeup supports the patriarchy" position, but, in the end, I think it's possible for me to be critical of the demands of physical attractiveness and the rituals required to achieve it while also participating in them.  Most of us have jobs, want to meet cute boys or girls, and enjoy looking nice, so I think grooming is here to stay, like it or not.  BUT, that doesn't mean we need to get our grooming advice from sexist sources that demand we invest unreasonable time and money in said practices.  Reasonable grooming is the new bra burning.  Get on board.  (Very much so kidding, in case not obvious.)  So here's the best of the internet's offering on reasonable fashion and beauty advice.

The problem with most beauty and fashion advice sources is that their source of revenue are the makers of the products they're hawking.  That means that the number one thing they're there to do is to convince you that you need stuff.  Many fashion blogs are also supported by advertising, but they tend to be more up-front about their influences, acknowledging when they've received free products, or are reviewing a product from an advertiser.  Moreover, many feature user reviews, which provide a balanced opinion (unless written by a company mole!) when taken in aggregate.

Fashion photographers like to be racist, call it "edgy"

This latest spread from Interview magazine is soooooo not OK.

The copy reads:

Let’s get lost. The hour is late, the air is thick, and the evening is charged with a steamy sensuality. What works? Tone-on-tone swimsuits, slithers of silk, and plenty of skin, as flesh meets flesh, body meets soul, and Daria gets lost in the heat of the night.

From Africa is a Country: 

You would think that if they’re going to keep using Black people as the exotic background on which white people get to project their fantasies, they’d at least be more original with it. In the heat of the night? Really? Sorry, Interview, but the joke’s on you.

From TLo:

Aren't we past this whole colonialist idea of the fetishized black person? It's fine to cast a bunch of gorgeous black models, but they're more like props or backdrops for the white girl to play with or lean up against. Plus everyone's inexplicably sweaty, like sex is gonna break out at any second. This is all deliberate button-pushing and it's tired. "Let's be controversial" in a very 1979 kind of way.

Memo to fashion: stop being effing racist.  It is not edgy.  It is not artistic.  It is shameful.

Red carpet wrap-up: The Met Costume Insitute Gala

 [Image via TLo]

Sadly, awards season is over.  Or, as I like to call it, pretty pretty dress season.  But, lucky for us, the Met hosts an annual event just for that!  I have no idea what happens at the Costume Institute Gala.  I don't know what it's for.  I just know that everyone always shows up looking awesome (or, at least trying to look awesome).  And that, for a dress fiend like me, is awesome.

NYMag seems to have by far the most comprehensive slideshow, and the fabulous Fug Girls breaking down the ten weirdest looks.
 
People's got a gallery.  Gwen Stefani looked amazing.  Tina Fey wore a jumpsuit.  Anne Hathaway looked radiant, but strangely plastic.  Kristen Stewart was a no.  Renee loves her fishtail hems, but looked fresh and happy.  Maggie Gyllenhaal is now Helena Bonham Carter?  Katy Perry's dress had lights.  Eva Longoria Parker wants you to check out her train.

TLo has part 1 of their "fabulous and opinionated" critiques, with side-by-side runway comparisons (see above).  They no like Tina.  And they promised a part 2 and 3 last night on twitter! [They're here!  And here!]

More to come!  I'll update as more people put up their posts!  [Here you are: Jezebel has the good, bad, and ugly, but they also wonder why all the outfits were so boring.  The Fug Girls are having at it, and it ain't pretty.]

A new fashion statement

At a magazine-hosted shopping event I attended recently, my friend and I came across these shoes. I don’t know whether it was the drinks we had imbibed or whether these shoes really were that amusing, but we snapped this pic specifically to share with you all. I know that studding in clothes and accessories is trendy now, but we were astounded that the studs on these shoes are actual sharp-pointed metal studs that could, in fact, break skin. We all know fashion is art, fashion is practical, and fashion is a way of self-expression; now, my friend and I declare, fashion can be used in self-defense. “Kick ‘em where it hurts” takes on a whole new meaning with these bad boys… or should I say, gals!

Designer on the Cheap

As fashion week forges ahead, you may dream of a day you can afford those designer digs you see on the runways. Fear not, there is a plethora of discount websites you can get last seasons must haves at a fraction of the price. Below are a few of my favs, which cover every price point. They are all members only, and some require either joining a waiting list for membership, or getting an invite from a friend. When you're in though, pass on to your entire address book, because when a friend joins and places an order, you get a credit, depending on the site, anywhere from $10 to $30. 

There are hundreds of these sites out there, post ones you know and love in comments. I've listed just a sampling of the ones I browse on a regular basis.

Happy Shopping!

Giltgroup.com (Gilt, giltfuse, giltman and jetsetter)

$$$-$$$$High end luxury brands. womenswear, menswear, accessories, cosmetics, vacations/ hotels, wine etc

Ruelala.com 

$$ mid tier designer womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, accessories, cosmetics, hotel deals, wine etc

hautelook.com

$$ mid tier designer apparel, accessories, home-goods etc

beyondtherack.com

$$-$$$ mid tier to high end designer apparel, accessories, home-goods etc

ideeeli.com 

$ department store name brand womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, accessories, home-goods, luggage etc

myperfectsale.com

$ department store name brand womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, accessories, home-goods, luggage etc

Femonomics reads the internet so you don't have to: Kevin Smith vs. Southwest, Sarah Palin vs. Family Guy, and Fashion Week vs. the Recession

Two epic feuds and one made up one.  Read on.

Kevin Smith vs. Southwest
As you've probably heard by now, Kevin Smith was ejected from a Southwest flight when the captain decided he was too fat to fly safely.  Southwest has a longstanding "customers of size" policy, which dictates that passengers that cannot sit within the armrests of a seat must purchase an additional seat prior to travel.  The cost of the seat is refunded if there are extra seats on the flight.  The policy doesn't seem all that crazy, and is something many other airlines have recently adapted.  What's ludicrous is the capriciousness and insensitivity with which it is enforced.  Smith was ejected after he was seated on the flight, his carry-on was stowed, a desk agent had approved him flying with only one seat, and he had demonstrated he could sit completely within his seat, with both armrests down.  Smith's plight brought light to the issue, but reading the comments on Southwest's blog post revealed other customers with similar experiences, who had been ejected from flights in front of their peers or otherwise treated with insensitivity.

Why I heart Bust magazine

Bust magazine is not your average women's magazine.  It's a feminist magazine, unapologetically.  It features discussions of current events, reviews of feminist or women-centered books and movies, and interviews with prominent female figures, frequently celebrities.  But it also has a crunchy, DIY element that I love, even though I rarely take part in its suggestions to make a handbag out of an old cassette, or cross-stich a scarf for my loved one.  The recipes, on the other hand, I frequently employ.  In addition to these features, Bust includes all the standard elements of a women's fashion magazine, with feminist tweaks.

Fashion: Instead of page after page of editorials with rail thin models, and ads for clothes we can't afford, Bust hand-picks quirky, lovely, affordable clothing to be modeled by real-looking women.  That's right, the biggest progression from other pseudo girl-power mags like Glamour and Jane is that Bust actually walks the talk and features real-sized models in their editorials.  All the women are beautiful, but all of them look like a pretty woman you would see on the subway, not an unreal ideal.

"Long Live McQueen"

Today news broke on the death of Alexander McQueen. He was an innovative and brilliant designer and creator of some of the most beautiful wearable art. Not a season goes by that I am not coveting his newest creation. He is my own personal idol and I will be mourning this loss.

While I could gush about the brilliance of his work and discuss the supposed circumstances around his death, I think I will just leave it to the journalists. See links below for a sampling of already published articles and tributes:

 

http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/

http://www.style.com/stylefile/2010/02/alexander-mcqueen-rip/

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jzPAs7FSC3b4yNgNiomtKY-e7leQ

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250249/Alexander-McQueen-commits-suicide.html

http://jezebel.com/5469577/mcqueen-is-dead-long-live-mcqueen/

Fashion Trends and Must Haves for Spring/ Summer 2010

Despite the return of the frigid cold, spring will be here soon, which brings with it a whole new retail scene and excitement about summer’s must have clothing and accessories. So let me outline for you the biggest trends for Spring/Summer 2010. To be as brief as possible, I have grouped the more major looks into two groups, the feminine and the youth looks.

Minimalist femininity:

This look is anchored on layering, cowling and tiers of lightweight fabrics. Add in a dash of boudoir, military, grunge or Elizabethan details and make the look all your own (and a little younger). Emphasis on the shoulders continues, but in volume rather than embellishments. Leg of mutton sleeves or cowled draping at the shoulder draw the eyes up and broaden your silhouette.

If you don’t want to look like a linebacker, you can opt for the same pleating, gathering, draping and ruffling at the neckline, or really anywhere else you want, while still following the trend. Sheer soft, oversized tank tops or silky tee shirt dresses capture the essence of this trend in a more casual manner. Trousers take on a stove-pipe leg and high, synched/ pleated “paper bag” waistline. Shorts are also voluminous, and a little longer, in a bloomer silhouette. Blouson, Ruffled, dirndls, ruched, wrapped ballet and handkerchief skirts all make a come back as well as bloomer shorts for those hot summer days.

Some fashion for the men out there...

Gawker has a "look book" of CNN anchor Don Lemon.  I must say, the man's quite the chameleon.  He's like the barbie of 24 hour news.  What Don Lemon look is your favorite?

Quel maison!

Kitsune maison is a french label that successfully marries 2 of my great loves: music and fashion. The French outfit launched in 2002 as a record label that put out releases ranging from straight up electro (Boys Noize, Alan Braxe) to the more indie-facing autoKratz and the chilled out croons of Au Revoir Simone. Their sampler albums have been an ipod staple of mine since around 2007 and I recommend you listen to each and every one. I guarantee that all volumes are a perfect DJ-replacement for any house party and even the earliest ones still sound so fresh. From bubbly (and in some cases even folky!) electro pop to dirtier, more expansive electro, you will have your guests moving their feet in no time. In terms of the clothes, the ladies line is a bit prep-tastic for me but I absolutely love the crisp yet soft lines and colours of the men's collection - particularly the Spring/Summer '10 line. Check out the just-shorter-than-bermuda shorts, ankle trousers, wickedly textured waistcoats and slim-cut blazers that scream effortless chic. I'm also coveting the pale aquamarine bow shorts - would that I had the pins to pull them off. They also have a line of cheeky tees - my personal favourite is the LIFE IS BORING stencil in salmon on that gorgeous aquamarine.

The below video showcases both the music and the fashion. I'll be uploading more music from this label soon.

Kitsuné maison 8 - 'Golf Club' SS10 collection teaser
by MaisonKitsune

Party Like it's 1929...and do your bit for World Peace!

On Friday evening I had the pleasure of catching the tail-end of a gathering at fashion space The 1929 – a popup store created by a collective of young designers who have recently lost their commercial spaces in the wake of the r*******n. You can check out their whimsical-yet-very-New-York collections on the corner of Mott and Broome. I first stumbled across the boutique about a week ago when I was wandering up Mott St. after some delicious duck at Big Wong King and ended up spending over an hour chatting with the super-friendly designers about their project “to bring fashion to the masses”. All the pieces are modified vintage - excellent quality and with deliciously un-delicate neo-embroidery, and plenty of jewel and zipper detailing. The standout piece was a body-con LBD with a voluptuous, sculptural collar built on a sweeping bateau neckline (think Queen Elizabeth I meets Marilyn Monroe) and made entirely of black and gold zippers. A smattering of cute, gold, star-shaped studs added to the sparkle. If you're still in the market for a winter coat, ask if Levi Okunov is around: he is a partner in running the space and also runs a design/down factory upstairs. Whether you're looking for a gold leather blinging bomber, an electric blue vinyl puffa with magenta raw silk lining and a tutu-esque skirt (my personal favourite), or just a common-or-garden black waterproof, he can whip you up a bespoke coat in a matter of days.

Updated: TLo's got the goods on the dresses at the people's choice awards

I love dresses, and I love a little bitchy criticism to go with them.  TLo never disappoints.  Check out some of these fab little black and white frocks.  (TLo complains about the lack of color, but I definitely would not mind if any of these showed up in my closet!  Except maybe the bows.)

Update: And if that's not enough, check out Jezebel's the good and the bad lists, and EW's best and worst.

[Image via TLo]