my new favorite photo

Swoon. Fest.
image Elle via OhNoTheyDidn't

killing it

fabsugar.com

It's far too hot to talk about fashion right now, but I had to share how incredible Leighton Meester looked at the Teen Choice Awards last night. It pretty much sums up everything I've been digging lately: black and white stripes, poufy things... uh, and anything featuring a cast member of Gossip Girl. I'm usually a little wary of bright shoes because I feel like it's a really lazy way to bring character to an outfit, but this dress already has a lot going for it and the shoes just take it to the next level. This was a much better Louis Vuitton effort than the mess she (awesomely!) wore to the Met gala, so she should be getting some major style points for this.
For those of you so inclined, the Teen Choice Awards air tonight at 8 p.m., so tune in if you're into watching Miley Cyrus pole dance.

Shameful

OK, so I'm pretty embarrassed to admit this, but when I saw the new Candie's ad starring Britney Spears stalking a polo player, I paused the video--not to examine Brit's overly airbrushed face, but to admire the adorable shoes she's wearing. I owned a pair of Candie's clogs when I was about 12 or 13 and never thought I'd revisit the brand, but seriously, these shoes are cute! Aren't they? Or am I nuts?

via candies.com

The sad part is, when I tried to find the shoes somewhere, anywhere, I couldn't. They aren't on the Candie's site, aren't on Kohl's site (where the brand is sold). What do I do? Maybe they just haven't been released yet. I just have to hope that if I do get my hands on a pair, people don't say "Hey, aren't those the shoes from that creepy Britney Spears commercial?"

Jack White

I need to start off by pointing out that this is a sort of experimental post that's not very timely. I finally traded in my Toshiba Satellite for a MacBook Pro (which just arrived yesterday). Obviously the Mac is amazing and I can imagine the blog improving because of it (mostly cause I rely on photos so much), but I'm still feeling things out. Hopefully I'll let go of my old PC habits soon and be more agile with this thing, but it will take some time. So, without further ado, I will share a quick post discussing one of my favorite people on the planet: Jack White.

buzznet.com
He's clearly thinking about more red/black/white combo possibilities.

I've had Jack on the brain since his new band the Dead Weather released their debut album a few weeks ago. I started thinking about how under-appreciated Jack is as a style icon. Aesthetically, people usually point out how ghostly pale his skin is or the particularly bright color red of his t-shirts. Then there's the ever popular "What's Edward Scissorhands doing at the Grammys?" But I think there's something to be said for a guy who can limit his wardrobe to three colors (red, white and black--the most powerful color combination possible according to J.W.) and come up with some truly creative and appealing ensembles. One of the main tenants of Jack White's philosophy is simplicity. It's easy to throw on layers upon layers of clothing and call it fashion forward, but its more challenging and rewarding to hold back and express yourself more subtly. That's what I've been attempting to do in my own fashion life these days, and I can turn to these gems from Jack's wardrobe for inspiration:

buzznet.com

Check out the texture of this coat. I've never seen this picture before, but I love the cut of this thing.

buzznet.com
I could do a completely separate post for Meg, but I love when these two coordinate. These outfits might be my favorite Meg/Jack collaboration because they keep the color scheme without appearing costume-y. I'd wear Meg's suit in a nanosecond.

rollingstone.com
He cleans up nice, too! Good thing tuxes are traditionally black. Here he's with his model wife, Karen Elson, at the Met Costume Institute Gala. You can't see them in this picture, but he was wearing some dapper wing-tipped shoes.

rollingstone.com
Now we have all three power colors represented. I'm guessing this is from the Icky Thump era when Jack thought he was a bullfighter and caught the most sartorial flack. Of course, I didn't mind cause I love a fashion chance-taker like my boy Jack White III.

juicy couture

I've definitely picked out a few favorites from the couture 09 collections so far. It seems that sheer, black and lingerie worn as legit clothes have been the trends so far.
(all images from style.com)

I didn't expect it, but one of my favorites was Armani Prive:

Dior was a standout:


Note to self: buy stockings like these in the fall! Obviously I can't afford the Dior, but I'll be on the lookout and keep you all posted.

Valentino kept the sheer thing going:

John Paul Gaultier's show was all over the place. I loved this:
And I feel bad that so many animals had to be sacrificed to make this happen:
Finally, my typically jaw-dropping favorite, Chanel, didn't deliver quite as strongly as I'd hoped. If you mosey over to style.com, you can see the bothersome mini-trains Karl attached to many of the ensembles. I really could have done without them because they cluttered up some really nice pieces. But here's a standout classic Chanel for ya:
I have a roommate who I think will really be coveting those lacy tights. Maybe for Christmas!

you know you love me...

Did Gossip Girl get a summer job working for Philadelphia's tourism department?

forgive me!

I always promised myself that I'd never write a blog entry like this, but pleeeaaassseee stay tuned. My life has been much like MK's down here, busy with coffee and pretending to read and stuff. I WILL be back soon, cross my heart!