Fashion, Beauty, Style

WELCOME back Like we do every week, we have four brand new photos of celebrities in what they think is red carpet/awards show/movie premiere worthy, and we’d like you to tell us what YOU think.

Are the outfits suitable for the particular event they were attending? Do they make them look trashy or just plan boring?

Here are some of our favourite celebs at the Do Something Awards, held recently in Los Angeles, California.

Whatever it is, we want to know. Be as creative and witty as you can (psst… we don’t mind if you’re a wee bit nasty, just don’t use any profanity)

Adam Lambert

Tyra Banks

Demi Lovato

Justin Bieber

YEARS ago, Sex And The City was the go-to series for fashion and trends.

After the show ended, its influence on the fashion world spilled over onto the big screen with two fashion-forward films, thus cementing the ladies of SATC as “style icons”.

Many television shows have come and gone since then, but few characters’ style can compare to that of Carrie’s, Miranda’s, Samantha’s and Charlotte’s.
However, some have come close to doing so.

Television series have more influence on fashion than we realise – how many times have you found yourself admiring a character’s outfit and then gone all out to try and emulate what she wore?
Here are a few TV series (that are currently showing or were shown in Malaysia) which have the potential to give SATC a run for the fashion-forward series title.

Keeping Up With The Kardashians (and other Kardashian spin-offs)

Love them or hate them, you can’t ignore the fact that the Kardashian ladies have great style.

From posing for magazine covers to just sitting around at home talking and doing nothing, there’s never a dull fashion moment on any of the Kardashian reality TV series.

The Kardashians

 

I love how we get to see what the sisters and mother wear during all hours of the day – we’ve seen them in nighties, gym gear, swimwear, formal gowns, casual outfits and just about everything else.

There’s fashion for everyone on the show; the Kardashian/Jenner ladies are all of different heights, shapes, sizes and age (Kris is 56, Kim is 31 and the youngest, Kylie, is 13).

The only thing I wish they would experiment more with is their hair – so far the only one who has given us something to talk about is Khloe, who went red early this year.

Gossip Girl

Do you dream of being an Upper East Side New Yorker who shops on Fifth Avenue and only buys designer stuff? This may never become a reality for most of us, but it is comforting to know that we can always copy the chic outfits that are usually worn on Gossip Girl.

Like the Kardashians, actors Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Taylor Momsen, Jessica Szohr and many of their guest stars are so different in terms of looks, and it is difficult to ignore their varied style choices.

Gossip Girl

Watch these ladies (and their male co-stars) strut all over the city in trendy blazers, fancy frocks and even some boho chic-styles – there’s something for everyone on the show.

Mad Men

How’s this for a blast from the past? If you thought floral dresses, pussy-bow blouses and poofy hemlines were dead and gone, you haven’t been infected by the irresistable style of Betty Draper, Peggy Olson and Joan Harris.

The show’s setting is in an advertising agency, and the ideas for work outfits are abundant – there’s no better show to show you how to look fashionable in the office.

Mad men

The characters are also shown at quite a few events – dinners, tea parties, birthdays – so you’ve got those types of dresses covered.

To me, one of the best things about the fashion on Mad Men is that the clothes are all very feminine and summery, as well as conservative, and not as out-there as modern fashion.

IF YOU have been keeping up with fashion trends in the past few years, you would have noticed that golden rules are always being broken.

Take, for example, fashion from the 1980s. Shoulder pads, pleated khakis and blue eyeshadow were laid to rest as soon as the 1990s started to roll out, but these trends were recently ressurected in a big way.

There are also quite a number of trends like colour blocking and bohemian chic that are breaking down the barriers that restrict imagination and creativity.

Denim on denim is no longer a sin

One thing that has been subject to many a fashion faux pas is denim. For years, we’ve been slapped with all sorts of instructions on how to work the trend but today, we’re telling you to forget everything you’ve ever been told.

For starters, denim-on-denim is now legal (in the fashion sense, that is), as long as you don’t mix pieces in the same wash. Layering denim can look great, for example, pairing a lighter blue jacket with a dark pair of jeans.

Even a simple combination like cropped pants with a jean jacket and a denim purse form a perfectly stylish look.

Denim vests were a complete no-no for the longest time, but this season you’ll find tons of them in various colours everywhere, and there are quite a few ways to work this item of clothing.

Pair a floral-print summer dress or a white lace top or dress with a light blue denim vest and you’ll have one of the hottest looks this season. If you’re a little more daring, try combining a denim vest with a strapless maxi dress and sandals.

A denim jacket can go a long way. Wear it over a simple solid-colour dress – it works best with a dress that has an empire waistline.

Denim jackets can go a long way

Denim jackets also work well with print tops, and looks best when it is cropped, and worn with a longer blouse. To complete the look, wear dark linen pants and flat sandals or shoes.

For a more casual look, wear a denim jacket over a T-shirt and cropped or long khaki pants. Make sure the jacket is cropped, or at a length shorter than the waistline.

Ripped and shredded jeans, which were once a symbol of teenage angst circa 1994 is a trend that is slowly making its way back into our wardrobes. While a white top is a great choice to complement a pair of ripped stone-washed jeans, these days youths are taking it to the next level by wearing plaid shirts and frilly tops.

Ripped jeans are in

Wearing jeans out during the day, paired with a T-shirt or tank top is highly encouraged, and now, wearing jeans at night outings is becoming a fashion must-do.

No longer do you have to be fussed with waxing your legs or picking out a nice dress for a night out, you can simply throw on a pair of dark jeans and pair it with a nice top and high heels.

For some additional glam, pair a single tone, sleeveless top with chunky accessories and a pair of skinny jeans and you’re good to go.

Finally, denim isn’t just for jeans, jackets and vests. Denim skirts work with just about any top, and heaps of stores as selling denim shirts, which can also be worn in place of cardigans.

ALRIGHT!!!! Its that time of the week again, to give us your fashion feedback!Here are this week’s outfits of choice, one that we love, and three others that we’re ermm… not too sure about.

Give them a good once-over and let us know what you think, in the comment box below

Vanessa Hudgens

Emma Stone

Zoe Saldana

Maria Sharapova

I KNOW very few women who don’t own even a pair of high heels. This popular type of footwear has become (almost) every woman’s must-own..

and over the years the stilettos and platforms are just getting higher and higher.

On Sunday, I wore a pair of 15.2cm (that’s six inches) heels to a friend’s wedding.

Walking was challenging, and thankfully there were no accidents navigating staircases at the venue (thanks in part to my “minder” who generously extended his arm for support). The thing is, despite the discomfort, I was confident the shoes did wonders to enhance my already-fantastic outfit.

A woman's best friend...

There were several “almost-accidents” but I’m proud to report I made it out of there in one piece. However, this isn’t always the case; many times, I’ve scraped a knee or two teetering in my heels.

This got me thinking about whether there is a “safe” height and shape for stilettos, and whether all those things our mothers tell us are true (you’re going to damage your back, you’ll get bunions etc).

Research shows that the accepted height for high heels is 7.6cm (or three inches), but a study conducted by physicists at Britain’s University of Surrey said that 12.7cm (five inches) is about the height at which an experienced high heel wearer could remain stable.

They figured this out through the formula h=Q x (12+3s/8), which I totally get (it’s a long story though, so go look it up). But essentially, Professor Paul Stevenson, who came up with the formula, says that you can wear as high a heel as you want, but the broader it is, the more stable the wearer will feel.

Designer Manolo Blahnik says he was “hounded for years” about how bad heels are for the posture, but claims his mother wore them until she was 87 years old, with no ill consequences.

Manolo with one of his creations

He believes, however, that the limit is 11.4cm (four and a half inches), because when you can’t walk comfortably, it is no longer elegant.

Here’s what I’ve come up with, after some research:

The good news

Who doesn’t love the shape of our calves when we wear high heels? Looking great boosts your confidence, and in order to walk properly in heels, you have to fix your posture – you straighten your back, push your shoulders back and engage your abdomen muscles.

Nice calves...

Having good posture allows for optimal muscle and organ function, allowing for high energy, and toning of the core muscles. And yes, they work your calf muscles.

Being able to walk gracefully in high heels is a huge confidence boost, and nothing beats the compliments that come your way when you know you’re awesome.

The bad news

Yes, your mother was right about everything – wearing the wrong kind of heels can cause back and knee problems.

Calluses, corns and blisters aren’t a pretty sight either. Also, falling flat on your face in public, even if you don’t sprain anything, can hurt your self esteem.

Do, or don’t?

We are only here to deliver information, the choice of whether to wear heels is entirely up to you. You can go with the common 7.6cm-is-enough rule, Blahnik’s rule or the good professor’s advice, but all we can offer are the following tips:

• Practice and home and start small, then slowly build up height.

• Go with a thicker platform and thicker heel, they provide more stability.

• Don’t be cheap. There’s a reason why good brands are expensive – a lot of research is poured into making their shoes fashionable and comfortable.

• Don’t wear them all the time, be practical when choosing which heels to wear.

Not made for walking

• Lady Gaga may be your fashion idol, but bear in mind she has fallen over in her heels too, so when channeling your inner mama monster, choose wisely. Those Alexander McQueen armadillo shoes are really not made for real life.

• Have fun in your heels! Don’t wear them because everyone else is doing it, but because you love looking fabulous.

• Don’t run in them.

This week we take a look at some ‘trashy’ looks that actually work.

BEFORE you turn the page and mutter “I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything that looks like it’s owned by Ke$ha”, take a minute to visualise this fashion disaster.

Sure she looks like she just rolled out of her makeshift cardboard box home and fashioned a dress out of trash bags (she actually did do this once) but you have to admit, there’s a certain charm to her trailer-trash style.

But you think Kesha Rose Sebert (birth name) was the first to leave the house with her hair in a mess, have stockings ripped all up the sides and looking sick and sexified, look a little further back into pop culture history.

Long before Ke$ha and Taylor Momsen began sporting the ‘trailer trash/streetwalker’ look, there were others who incorporated these elements into their style including Courtney Love, three out of five of the Spice Girls and, at one point of her life, even Christina Aguilera.

Of course, what Ke$ha and Taylor did wrong was to take all their ‘trashy’ items of clothing and wear them out all at once, something you can avoid by working with just one piece at a time.

Stockings – frayed, ripped, holey

Fishnet stockings mainly work for themed parties and Halloween bashes, but worn with the right outfit you can make your frayed or ripped tights look less trashy, and more ‘flashy’.

Fashion forward?

You’d be surprised at how huge this trend is in Japan, Korea and Taiwan – they pair their stockings with boots, gladiator pumps and sometimes even ballet slippers.

To dampen the ripped effect, throw in a not-so-mini skirt and a cutesy top for contrast.

Pocket-showing shorts

This is a tricky one as most fashion sites and advice columns tend to warn against any shorts – denim or otherwise – that don’t hide your pockets.

Strangely, the trend doesn’t bother me much. Not too long ago I bumped into a friend who was wearing a white pair with a matching boyfriend blazer and a navy-striped blouse and sneakers, and I must say she looked very fashion-forward.

Admittedly, she does have a very fine pair of legs on her side, but I’m sure most people could pull this look off if they counter the shortness of the skirt, with some length and coverage on the top half of the body

Faux Fur/Feathers

Nothing says tacky more than fake animal fur or feathers, and Ke$ha knows this, which is why she loves showing up in various items made from this synthetic material.

Something like this

This item is even trickier than the stockings, especially if you live in tropical climate like Malaysia. Still, the way to get away with it is to wear items with just a little bit of the fake stuff.

For example have this element on maybe just your collar and cuffs of a jacket, or the hemline of a skirt, even just on your shoulders like in this picture.

Even a small purse or a beret made of fake fur or feathers is acceptable, but nothing more.

I don’t know about you, but the character I’ll miss most, of all the Harry Potter crew, is Hermione Granger.

Ok, maybe I won’t miss Hermione so much (she can be really annoying with her know-it-all remarks and perpetual frown) but rather, it’ll be the actress who plays her – Emma Watson.

Of course this isn’t the end of the road for her acting career and I’m sure we’ll see her in other films soon enough but I’m feeling a little melancholy.

After all, we’ve watched her grow from an adorable nine-year-old with thick curly hair to a stunning 21-year-old with a short pixie cut, ready to take on new challenges.

She may someday play a completely different character in a TV series, or jump from film genre to film genre but to fans of the HP movie franchise, she’ll always be Hermione.

Here’s a look at Emma/Hermione through the years.

Emma in 2002 at the London Premiere of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

In 2004, at the UK premiere of 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' in London

In 2005, at the premiere of the film "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", New York

In 2007, at the premiere of "Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

2008, at the National Film Awards in London

In 2009, at the "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" premiere in London.

At the London fashion week Burberry show in 2009

At the BAFTA Film Awards in Feb 2011

At last week's 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2' premiere in London.

Yesterday's New York premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"

OK people its that time of the week again, time to give us your fashion feedback!Here are this week’s outfits of choice, one that we love, and three others that we’re ermm… not too sure about.

Give them a good once-over and let us know what you think, in the comment box below

Best Dressed:

Zooey Deschanel at the "Winnie the Pooh" premiere in Burbank, California.

The others:

Emma Watson at the HP7 premiere in New York

J.K Rowling at the HP7 premiere in New York

Li Bingbing at the premiere of "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" in Los Angeles

This week, we’re doing Style It a little differently. (more…)