The Style Files: That's Alright, I Found a Martyr in my Bed Tonight

As you probably know by now, I'm obsessed with Fun. Their album, "Some Nights," is literally life-changing. I actually haven't listened to other music all week. Anyway,  one of my favorite songs from this album is "Some Nights." It's essentially an alternative version of The Lion King soundtrack. Yes, it's that intense.

Style Spiration: The Oscars 

In honor of the Oscars- can you believe they're today- I'm dedicating this edition of  Style Spiration to some of my favorite Oscar looks. 

Natalie Portman at the 2009 Oscar Awards (Rodarte):  I can't even deal with how stunning this is. Not only is this dress perfectly executed, the quasi beaded bodice is gorgeous. What makes this look for me is the fabulous makeup. It's not overbearing by any means; however, it's so innovative. Pink lip and purple eyeliner? Fantastic. (Photo Cred)

Mila Kunis at the 2011 Academy Awards (Elie Saab):  This was definitely one of my favorite dresses from last year: the light purple works so well with the delicate lace. The minimal jewels keeps the focus on the dress' gorgeous detailing. Some people had issues with the light lace over her chest, but I think it makes lace look sexy. Translation? It makes the impossible possible. The glamourous hair and the feminine makeup finish this look perfectly. (Photo Cred)

Charlize Theron at the 2005 Academy Awards (John Galliano for Dior):  I'm going crazy over this detailing as well as the color. Nobody ever wears a color like this to the Oscars. This look is so successful because there's a fun play between smooth pieces and textured pieces. Her simple clutch acts as a neutral and balances the dress' ruffles and her super-intense hair. (Photo Cred)

 Michelle Williams at the 2006 Oscars (Vera Wang): Her stylist aced this look from head to toe, William's ensemble is daring and Oscar-appropriate. First of all, I love the yellow because it's so bold. And mixed with that red lip? Forget about it! The detailled neckline, the draped waist, and that fantastic train add so much style to a simple silhouette. Though I think this look would be perfectly fine without the necklace, it adds that dash of personal style. Also the low side bun? To die for.(Photo Cred) 

Nicole Kidman at the 2007 Oscars (Balenciaga): This is the definition of red carpet glamour. The simple silhouette plus that avant garde bow? Stunning. Also, that red is such show-stopper. To add an extra dash of glamour, Kidman piles on the sparkly jewels. Though that may seem like a fashion faux pas, her straight hair neutralizes the flashy bracelets.(Photo Cred)

Cate Blanchett at the 2011 Oscars (Givenchy): Serious question: can Cate Blanchett do any wrong? This dress isn't just stylish, it's a piece of art. I'm still going crazy over all of the intricate detailing. And that random dash of yellow? To die for. Thankfully, Blanchett's stylist knew to keep the rest of this look minimal. Her sleek hair, natural makeup, and dainty jewels make this look heaven on the red carpet. (Photo Cred)

All of Anne Hathaway's Looks from the 2011 Academy Awards: As always, Rachel Zoe managed to hit this red carpet round-up out of the park. From her adorable Lanvin suit during the ceremony to her uber luxe Valentino number on the red carpet, each of Anne's look are chic, extremely innovative, and super glamourous.  (Photo Cred)

Marilyn Monroe at the 1951 Oscars: Classic beauty that speaks for itself. (Photo Cred)

The Weekly

• Emma Stone at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon (Elie Saab): This look is so classic and youthful at the same time. The silhouette screams girly and the detailing is beyond fabulous. To keep this look cohesive, Stone's wavy hair and pink lip adds even more femininity. The nude shoes elongate the leg and keeps the focus on the gorgeous dress. 
• Michelle Williams at the Mulberry Dinner (Mulberry): Sultry versus sweet! I love the play between the leather and lace. And the silhouette? Fantastic.  Keeping this look monochromatic allows us to focus on the fabulous details. The pretty pink lip gives an appropriate splash of color. 
• Kate Beckinsale at the Costume Designer's Guild Awards (Vivienne Westwood): Only Kate Beckinsale can make a Vivienne Westwood dress mainstream and super glamourous. The draping plus the dramatic neckline is too good to be true. I also am obsessed with this light grey because it's both versatile and innovative. The statement earrings and the super glam hair keeps the focus on that fabulous neckline. J'adore.

xx

Which Came First: The Egg or The Gaga

I think out of all of the award shows, the Grammys are my least favorite; I like my own kind of music not so much Top 40 hits. However, the Grammy's fashion is superb. It's so weird and really makes you think, which I love. It was hard to narrow it down, because the Grammy's don't have any strict fashion rules,  but I think I got a pretty solid list going on here. So without a moment to spare, let us discuss the best and worst, shall we?

THE WORST:

• Ciara (Pucci): I think it looked good on her and definitely Grammy appropriate, I just really didn't like it. There needed to be more fabric and less slit. The fabrics were also really weird put together, I thought. Usually I really like Pucci, but this wasn't my favorite.
• Crystal Bowersox (Nobody knows who made this so far): Gross. No matter what, dreads will NEVER EVER EVER be a trend in my eyes. Do something nice with your hair, girl-who-I-do-not-know, this is the Grammys! As much as I love emerald green, it made her look rather old and chunky. The fabric is also pretty wrinkled, not okay.
• Gaga (Farm): For real? Yeah, Gaga's a pretty cool individual but this is getting annoying now. She's not being a human, but a spectacle. It's just really really old now. If I wanted to see this, I'd watch the History channel.
• Jennifer Lopez (Pucci): Her hair is fab, her shirt is not, I love the sparkles, but why is she looking like a Jenny from the Sketchy Street Corner. FIX YOUR HEM. Thumbs down, JLO, you should've known better.
• Kim Kardashian (KaufmanFranco): Kim, don't pretend that you're old school Jennifer Lopez. I hate this so much.  This looks so trashy and it's not even flattering! Her hair and makeup, however, looks really good. But it gets overshadowed by the stupid sparkly sac.
• Natasha Bedingfield (Something blue...nobody knows): This is extremely cheesy; very Miss America, in my mind. She looked a million times better at the pre-Grammy awards, why couldn't she swap?!

THE BEST:

• Keri Hilson (Basil Soda): Perfect for the Grammy Awards! She seriously hit the nail on the head with this one. Her blonde do looks so smashing with this bright blue mini. Bringing a splash of color to the red carpet, as well as that asymmetrical neckline. I kind of wish that the shoes were different, but she kept it classy and cool for this red carpet, BRAVO! 
• Nicole Kidman (Jean Paul Gaultier): So smitten with this look. Obviously, we don't expect Nicole Kidman to be carried in an egg,but she looked remarkable. The colors went beautifully with her complexion and ever so flattering. I think it was the perfect amount of cool for the Grammy Awards, in terms of Nicole Kidman that is.
• Lea Michele (Pucci): The lips are a bit harsh, but she still looks fabulous. I love how this is the anti-LBD: the slit is hypnotic and the lace is super super cool.  She kept the hair down which, in any other situation, would be kind of awkward worked for the Grammy awards. I'm glad she didn't try to incorporate a splash of color with the shoes; the dress had the perfect amount of "wow" to be chic.
• Florence Welch (Givenchy): I think this is one of the only times in history where I like this look significantly better on the red carpet than the runway. On the model, it looked really scary; however, Welch makes it so fun and ethereal. The no accessories was a good move, though: it would've been way too forced with out it.  Heaven on a runway.
• Jennifer Hudson (Versace): I'm really upset that she lost so much waste; I personally feel like she sold out and was ashamed of her curves which is INSANE. Anywho, she looks incredible in this Versace. The glitz, the navy and silver, the mullet hem- everything I love in a dress. This definitely is my favorite of the night. She looks rocker, but extremely put together. And the chunky Louboutins mimic the lines of the bodice of her dress. She's doing me proud.

xx

Sagging Style

I'll be perfectly honest, I am not a fan of the SAG Awards. Of course, the whole "acting community" is a nice thought, but it's boring. And the fashion is never like the big time award shows.

Buuuuut...

modern family won.

and the social network did not.

and natalie portman won too.
and my predictions were...slacking.

As I stated before, the fashion was so- so. At the Globes' red carpet show, I squealed and my jaw dropped a plethora of times. The SAGs? Not the same. But anyways, let's talk about the looks!

THE WORST

• Winona Ryder (Alberta Ferretti): Trainwreck. Ooooof I hate everything about this. Seriously, it's like she went to a senior prom in the 1980s. the bag is awkward, her hair is awkward, and the dress looks awkward on her. I just hate this.
• Jenna Fischer (Fendi): Yes, her hair and makeup looked amazing, but this was a terrible choice. The silhouette isn't the least bit flattering; she looks matronly and boring. She's such a beautiful woman and I wish she could've picked something better for this award ceremony.
• Jennifer Lawrence (Oscar de le Renta): Before this dress, I didn't think Oscar could do any wrong. But not all fashion geniuses are perfect. Don't get me wrong, the fuschia looks incredible on her, but I hate the black belt; it makes her look like she has a gut!  The hair is also way too serious for the SAG awards. I'm also debating the shoulders but I can't even focus when that belt is there. I also feel like  there is no communication between above the belt and below the belt; if the shoulders are going to be dramatic, lose the slit!
• Naya Rivera (Aurelio Costarello): THIS IS SO DULL. The beige doesn't suite her all  that well and partially beaded bodice makes the dress look awkward and incomplete. But what I hate most about this red carpet look is the hair. It looks like there was no effort at all! Just a quick wash and dry?! YOU'RE ON THE RED CARPET. She's so beautiful and I think she could've definitely done better.
• Eva Longoria (Georges Hobelka):Blegh. I loved the ivory on Eva, but this dress was a diaster;  the draping just looks odd and not maintained and the drop waist wasn't doing anything for her figure. Her outfits are always hits or misses in my mind, no in between. What would Gabrielle Solis think?! 
• Christina Hendricks (L'Wren Scott): I love long sleeved dresses, but she did it completely wrong. The fabric did not help her curves at all! This dress showed an awkward amount of skin and it just didn't look good. I'm sure dresses someone of her curves is hard, but this is horrendous.
• Nicole Kidman (Nina Ricci): First of all, what's up with the necklace she's wearing? It totally de-sophisticates her whole look. Anyways, the amount of lace on this dress made me feel like the lace was really a spider' web. I would've really liked this dress if the back was de-laced and it was just open and sexy. The lace on the neckline is great though. 
• Kim Kardashian (Marchesa): My least favorite look of the night! It looks like Princess Jasmine on crack!  She usually has such a dramatic eye and nude lip, the entire nude makeup makes her look sickly... and really scares me. It's so messed up, I don't even know what exactly is wrong with it...does that make sense? The color's nice and Marchesa is always fabulous, but this is no good!
• Kate Mara (Herve Leger): This is just weird. She's such a beautiful girl, but what's with the headband? It looks like she's trying to match...but failed. Down and loose curls would've made the world's difference. And she didn't even accessorize besides that! The dress is really interesting and maybe it would've looked better on someone else, but the execution was so bad!
• Melissa Leo (Randi Rahm): What is this...I don't even know how to go about critiquing this. SO UGLY! The hair is really awkward and there is such a thing as metallic not working...case and point: this!
• Matthew Morrison (Prada): I wasn't aware that Matthew Morrison was ALSO Ricky Martin. Sometimes, I question his sexuality whilst watching Glee (there is nothing wrong with any sexuality, just to throw that out there).  This is too casual, too Ricky Martin...too bad.

THE BEST

• Jane Krakowski (Badgely Mischka): Absolutely stunning! She showed off her bump and looked completely chic while doing it. The silver was beautiful with her complexion and hair. Also, the asymmetrical sleeve made a mama-to-be look hot and current, which I love! It was really smart of her to wear nude platforms, emphasizing the dress and the bump. Her hair and makeup was also exquisite.
• Mila Kunis (Alexander McQueen): Best of the night, seriously! I'm obsessed with this dress; she looked hip but relaxed, which is perfect for the SAGs. I'm glad she didn't over-accessorize, a classic print wearing rule. Her hair was flawless and she embraced many of the best trends on the carpet last night.
• Sofia Vergara (Roberto Cavalli): As we all know, Sofia Vergara is a woman with many...assets.  This Cavalli dress offered her two things: class and flattery. The color looked amazing with her skin tone and hair; nobody else really wore cobalt so she surely made a splash on the red carpet. The draping around the waist seriously made her look like a minute! Also, this dress showed of the right amount of her Vergaras. It was youthful but not immature. Perfecto!
• Heather Morris (Romona Keveza): LOVE! She looked like a Pretty Pretty Princess last night! The complexity of the bodice was a perfect match to the simple skirt. The color looked so beautiful on her and the simple accessories worked well with the feathery-fabulous bodice.
• Hailee Steinfeld (Prada): I think this dress was one of the most talked about all night. At first, I thought this was terrifying, but I liked it the more I saw it. I think the SAG  Awards is the only place this dress would get a good interpretation during awards season.  The SAG Awards are less serious than the Globes or the Oscars, so it's expected to wear something a little more relaxed.  The bright colors are good for this carpet and, since she's so young, it was a really fun dress. But for any other occasion, this wouldn't be good.
• Natalie Portman (Azzaro): So sophisticated! I love the black and white combination...didn't someone just blog about this recently? Hmmm.... anyways! I love how she also showed her bump; it's the first time she's done it since her pregnancy was announced! Yes, her hair could be better, but she looks fabulous regardless.
• January Jones (Carolina Herrera): First of all, thank you for covering up! Although I wish the hair wasn't weird, I love this dress. It's so beautiful and is really flattering on Ms. Jones. She worked the lace trend perfectly into her dress without looking like a web (a la Nicole Kidman). While some of the minor details could be improved, I like this soo much better than her Globes look.
• Justin Timberlake (Simon Spurr): Why is JT so cool?  Fashionable men have it rough: how can they make a statement on the red carpet without looking cheesy. By adding the double striped tie...he looked so chic. In addition, his suit fit him perfectly.
• Claire Danes (Louis Vuitton): Absolutely fabulous!  I love the aqua and black combination fo this Vuitton, so smitten!  In this scenario, I really like the black belt: adds spice to the dress and also makes it less formal. The pink lips are also genius! This has  to be my second favorite look of the night for sure.
• Tina Fey (Oscar de la Renta): I assume that seeing Tina Fey in this dress is like watching a baby's first steps. INCREDIBLE! I'm so happy she's ditched the frumpy black and showed herself off. The red is amazing; she looked sophisticated and super classy. I'm just so proud!
• Helena Bonham Carter  (Marc Jacobs): THANK YOU FOR WEARING MATCHING SHOES! She looks so cute in this black and white Marc Jacobs outfit...almost like a 1950's housewife. Her hair is of course quirky, but I'm glad she has the ability to tame her outrageousness for one night. Kudos, Helena.
• Dianna Agron (Vintage Chanel): When I first saw her, I thought it was Emma Roberts. Anyways, I'm so glad she wore something dark and sultry. The navy looks awesome with her blonde hair and light skin. The hem-line is really interesting, but still extremely classy. I'm also happy she paired a sleek hair-do together with dark and mysterious eye  makeup. Amazing, amazing,amazing. 

xx

The Weekly: Some Good Fun

As a break of my continuous study session, which will come to its grand finale on December 16th, I went to a concert on Friday where I saw three INCREDIBLE bands.

The Postelles

Steel Train

Fun.

Absolutely fabulous. Totally the type of music I love and we were pretty DAMN close! 

When at the concert, I kept analyzing their hipster/I-don't-really-care-but-I-kinda-do ensemble. Though it's second to Michael Buble's style, I always need a Michael Buble shout-out, I think it's pretty cool. This guy from Steel Train, that guy, wore a retro Mickey Mouse shirt and I was smitten. I'm apathetic to Hipsters, as a society, but I love when people have FUN with what they wear. To be honest, life isn't about being serious and neither is fashion.

Photo Cred: http://mogmusicnetwork.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_0558-final.jpg

BEHOLD THE SWEATSHIRT! Don't you want to be best friends with this fellow? Contrary to popular belief, fashion is about giving yourself some personality and EXPRESSING! 

But here's my question, when this look wasn't cool and the boy band gel-ed hair was in, what were band mates wearing?

Photo Cred: http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp2/features/wallpaper/images/800/boyzone.jpg

Now...ONTO THE WEEKLIES

• Mila Kunis at the Black Swan Premiere (Ellie Saab with  Louboutin Shoes): I will take this moment to tell you how bad I want to see Black Swan. SO BADLY! Who doesn't like twisted psychological thrillers with a few changements here and there? Nobody, I tell you! Anyways, she looks absolutely AWESOME. You know what else is awesome? This look. Mila is such a beautiful and young star so having that mix of sophistication and sex appeal is PERFECT for her! For example, she rocked the gown and sleek up do, but the overall silhouette gave it some va-va-vroom. The pale pinky lavender looks incredible with her complexion and topping it off, I love the Loubs! I think it's great, also, that she didn't take this time to over-acessorize this look: it makes her look understated but timeless.
• Nicole Kidman at the Rabbit Hole Premiere (Clements Ribeiro): Obsessed. Obsessed. Obsessed. First of all, I love the midnight blue in contrast to her orange-ish hair. It's so striking! Even though Nicole Kidman is so beautiful, everyone tends to forget that she's a growing lady. Consequently, this dress is so age appropriate. All of the lace and hidden sparkles make the Ribeiro dress look chic and fabulous on her, but the hem line stays true to her age. And I love how she paired this blue dress with tan shoes, the contrast throughout look incredible. I remember watching a red carpet show many years ago and someone said that Nicole Kidman would look great in anything...yep, still true.
• Selena Gomez at the Grammy Nominations (Asos): Say what you will about Selena Gomez, but I appreciate how she dresses like a classy young lady instead of a piece of trash. I love the asymmetrical hem on this Asos dress, it makes a potentially matronly dress look hip and YOUNG. I think this juxtaposition of young versus old is especially seen in her hair versus her shoes: the hair is so old school pin-up while the shoes are super young. If I was Selena Gomez, however, I would have picked something a little more flashy that stays in the black family. But overall, she always looks like a class act.

xx

The Weekly: The Fashion Depression

This week, I was having a wee bit of a fashion depression.




Don't worry, this is not the same as an actual depression, but it isn't much fun. You know when you look at your closet and you just don't know? Like, when you lose your styling mojo and you opt for something decent but not amazing. That's what I've been experiencing. I've been trying to cure it all week, watching  The Rachel Zoe Project a plethora of times, reading the latest issue of Vogue , and even falling asleep to The September Issue last night. But there is not thing that can fix this issue more than a good 'ol trip to a store. In this case: Urban Outfitters. Although I only bought one presh skirt, it was SO refreshing to be surrounded by new and exciting clothes again.


I didn't take any pictures of interesting things this weekend but I saw this picture this week and I lol-ed.

Photo Cred: http://fashionindie.com/fantasy-fashion-is-much-more-exciting-than-fantasy-football/

AND IF YOU WANT SOME MORE...

Now onto the weekly! A pretty good week in the land of fabulousity, if I do say so myself!

• Nicole Kidman at Omega Watch Event (Lanvin): Really, can this woman do wrong? I remember many award shows ago, someone said that she can genuinely pull anything off. Not like this Lanvin is "hard to pull of", but she seriously looks heavenly. I love the white with her red hair, such a beautiful color combination.  The halter neck in addition to the cinched waist is so classic but not overdone. I love Grecian goddess looks, always, and Nicole works it so well. I'm glad that the Dolce & Gabbana shoes were a rather muted color: Nicole's fashionable but not always a risk taker. And the gold bangles?! PERFECT! While several silver pieces hold sentimental value and importance in my mind, I'm really starting to LOVE gold. A flawless look, once again!
• The Kardashian Sisters at the NYC Dash Opening (varied designers): I'm not going to lie, I love Keeping Up With the Kardashians. It's so fun and ADDICTING!! Although I don't always agree with their fashion choices, these girls looked so stunning. The overall theme of black showed unity but they all tapped into their personal styles. I love long sleeved dresses and sparkles so obviously I loved Kim's ensembles, especially paired with that sort-of-really-fabulous red sole. It hugged her body, but in the RIGHT way. Khloe also looked so chic: her dress was understated but so classy. The small details, however, made it look awesome: her hoops were so cool and the belt showed that she put effort into the dress. But definitely my favorite outfit of the three was Kourtney. I LOVED this: so sophisticated and I LOVED how she experimented with different silhouettes! Since she's a mommy now, I respect that she can keep it classy. The leopard shoes gave it some edge and it was so New York in my mind! Although I would've opted for different earrings and maybe a different hair-do, she still looked incredible! Three cheers for the Kardashians!
• Tina Fey at the NYC Megamind premiere (Andy &Debb): Love it or hate it, I'm giving Tina BIG props for trying to move out of her fashion bubble: she's taking risks and that goes far with me! Personally, it was a major success! I love the silhouette and the geometric print: so mod which is something I'm really interested in right now! The accessories were a little minimal, but I think it works best for this look: simple and chic. She's gotta start somewhere if she's gonna be a fashionista! 
• Anne Hathaway at the LA Premiere of Love and Other Drugs (Antonio Berardi): First of all, I REALLY WANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE/ AM VERY ENVIOUS OF ANNE'S HAIR IN SAID MOVIE. I have such a middle school crush on Jake Gyllenhaal, but who doesn't? Although some might not like these "napkin accessories", I love it: how classy Gaga is it?! I like how this white dress has more of a two tone thing going on, which makes it exciting! I think it's rather simple, but it looks great!  I kind of wish she had different shoes though, the color works but I'm not crazy with the peep-toe.
• Carrie Mulligan at BAFTA Brittania Awards (Preen): Ugh Carrie Mulligan, stop creeping on me with you resentfully amazing style. Seriously. I love love LOVE the hemline of this dress: so flattering on the calf, so classy, and so trendy. I'm a fan. And there's this difference in texture which I'm really loving. But what makes this outfit incredible is the electric blue YSL pumps: those pumps gave it the wow factor and gave what would be a plain look some pizazz. Now if only she stopped looking so miserable...

xx

Spectacular, Spectacular

Ever since I was nine years old, I've been obsessed with Moulin Rouge.  If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest you do BUT have tissues, a blanket, or snuggle buddy with you! Born as a less intense theater kid, I loved the musical numbers (one of my best friends and I would religiously dance to "Sparking Diamond" on the swing set in elementary school). The love between the two has always been so heartbreaking, yet lovely to watch (I was so happy when my fabulous boyfriend got me a frame that said one of the best quotes from the movie on it for Valentine's Day). And the movie is so visually pleasing, from setting to costumes. I just loved it. And watching it last night for my movie night with my girls, even though we frequently interrupted Ewan McGregor's heartache with our own gossip, reaffirmed my love for that movie.  I'm just so inspired by the sparkly, semi-sultry costumes that all of the characters wear. My favorite scene, fashion-wise, is when we are first introduced to the Moulin Rouge. Harold Zidler, the pimp for all purposes, and all of his ladies come trotting out, each woman in an unique attire. The colors are more than satisfactory and, even though they are supposed to be "entertaining prostitutes", their outfits are rather feminine. And of course, there are your classically beautiful outfits in this movie. The red dress she wears in favorite scene, romantically, is just so beautiful and should be so iconic. The "Pink Diamonds" outfit is so girly but has that certain "va-va-voom" that I personally find inspirational. And the construction of the gray suit Nicole Kidman wears to8wards the end of the movie is constructed beautifully. I just find this whole movie absolutely inspirational. I love how such traditional looks can be added to something so showgirl, so sparkly, and so fabulous. I mean...do I even have to go on about how this is a major inspiration for my new wardrobe.  Just like in the not-as-thrilling musical movie Nine, I love the sexy details, the sparkles, and all of the fun because that's what I think fashion is about.  I mean, Venus Williams has gone Moulin Rouge and, even though this instance resembles something from Victoria Secret's Very Sexy collection, I love the inspiration and the attempt. So ladies and gents, I urge you to maybe break the boundary and let your inner can-can dancer out! 

I guess I will leave you with this! 

xx