RIP: Anna Nicole Smith

I know we aren't like a celebrity blog, but I just wanted to say that I think that Anna Nicole's passing is really sad. I was never a huge fan of her's, but that doesn't make it less tragic. RIP.

Celebrity Spotlight: Jennifer Aniston

I feel like Jennifer Aniston gets kind of a hard time of it from blogs, as well as the media (who is always trying to paint her as some tragic shell of a woman). I, on the other hand, have always liked her. I’ve thought she was also pretty. No, she isn’t the most gorgeous woman in the world, but she is by no means an ugly person. So, I will be one of the few internet bloggers to have some nice things to say about our favorite friend and chose her as today’s Celebrity Spotlight.



Here is Jen’s first appearance since her nose job (which I love how you can’t really tell a difference, but you kind of can. That it is just subtle). I think this top is something really cute to wear out shopping, or to the beach or a picnic during Spring or Summer. I love the muted colors of her scarf and top as well.



Here we have two of our Celebrity Spotlights in one picture. I think Jen is definitely outshining Reese a little in this picture with her sleek black look, which Jen seems to love wearing.



Jennifer also seems to be a fan of the muted colors, as we’ve already seen her in them once before in this piece. I think this is a really flattering look that most of us could pull off, no matter the size of our waist, or bank account. Its perfect for those still-kind-of-cool spring nights.



I think this is such a classy look. It’s perfect for the office. I hope I can find something similar to wear to my own job.

Now, on to the more interesting clothing she chose to wear to events…



I’m starting off with this one because even though it’s black, it’s not very typical of what we usually see her in. I love that she took a chance and tried something a little different, cause she looks pretty fabulous. She really does have a great body.



I don’t think this is the most flattering dress she’s ever worn, but it’s still a pretty dress. Partly this isn’t the best photograph of the dress. It has a nice flow-y look that I like.



This is a classic Jennifer Aniston look. She seems to really love the strapless black (or navy) dresses. I came across quite a few. Here’s another one:



She looks good in them, so at least it’s not a hideous look she returns to on more than one occasion.

I’m having a really hard time picking my favorite dress for her. Not because there aren’t any great ones. It’s the contrary, there are three that I really like/love. So…I think I’m just going to post all three of them here. They are all great for different reasons really. Here are my top three dresses, in no particular order:



I absolutely love the top of this dress.



I love the fabric, and the cut of this dress. The movement of it while she walks is great. The top of the dress really shows off the great shoulders/upper body that Jen has.



Normally I’m not a fan of the cut out sides, but on this dress I think it works really well. It’s a little bit of a departure from what we usually see, which is a more tailored/structured look. I love the lines of this dress, as well as the color.

And as always, even the lovely Jennifer Aniston isn’t perfect:



This looks like something my mom would possibly buy me back in the early 90s. But even then, I don’t know that I ever had anything that bad.

Celebrity Spotlight: Zhang Ziyi

I’ve always thought that Zhang Ziyi was a cute girl. Her dresses are usually a classic dress that will still look beautiful years from now. She really broke into the scene in the US when Memoirs of a Geisha came out.



Here Zhang is at a conference in Beijing for Maybelline. I think this jacket is really cute and simple. I’m not 100% on pairing it with that shirt. But separately I think they are both cute. And it is workable together.



I find this outfit really cute and casual. Perfect for a day of shopping or running errands. She chose to wear this to a German festival. I think the jacket she chose is a really nice touch.



I’m not sure what event Zhang wore this dress to, just that it was worn in Seoul. I think this goddess look is always cute, as long as it isn’t over done.



I also have no idea where this dress was worn, but I for some reason really like this dress. I know it’s a little out there, but it still really caught my eye.



She wore this dress to a SAG awards ceremony. It’s one of the dresses I can really take or leave. It has some nice detail.


Zhang wore this dress to the 2006 Oscars. It is definitely not one of my favorites. The top I love. It has really great detail. But the bottom I could really do without. I think that something more similar to the top would look best.



Lovely. Hair. Makeup. Accessories. All perfect.



This is the premiere of Memoirs of a Geisha in Tokyo. This isn’t a dress that I would ever wear (or recommend anyone else wearing necessarily) but I think on her, it looks kind of cute.



This is the Hollywood premiere of here movie. I find it very elegant with the long train.



I think that this may very well be my favorite dress I’ve seen on her. It’s her choice for the 2006 BAFTAs. I love the dress, and the accessories. She really looks beautiful.

And lastly, one of the few glaring missteps in her fashion choices…



It’s at the MTV Movie Awards, so that explains the kind of casual look to it. But it is still a rather odd choice.

Japan's Obsession?

I subscribe to a Japanese newspaper that is written in English. Every so often I come across an interesting article. Today, I came across a very interesting one. In the article, this woman says how the Japanese people are obsessed with luxury brand names, French designers in particular. Also, that Japanese people buy as much as 45% of all the luxury goods sold in the world. Here’s another fact I found pretty interesting: “94 percent of Tokyo women in their 20s owned something from Louis Vuitton and more than 51 percent had goods made by Chanel.” That’s insane. Not only are those numbers high, but these are girls in their 20s, as in still in college, or just starting out. They can’t all be gifts either. They must be good little savers over in Japan.

On with the Show!

All Fashion Blog readers should already know that fashion week is in full swing with shows scheduled from morning til night. I haven't been able to look through everything yet, but from what I've seen so far (DKNY, Lela Rose, Philip Lim, DVF), Fall 2007 is shaping up to be pretty much gray and black with fun coats and tights to keep us warm.

Coming up tomorrow: Monique Lhuillier, Chaiken, Alice Temperley and Betsy Johnson

During the rest of the week: Michael Kors, Catherine Malandrino, Anna Sui, Vera Wang and Zac Posen

These are only a selection of the designers showing this week. Go to www.style.com for a full listing of Fall 2007 Ready-to-Wear collections.

(Photo: DKNY)

Some News

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Eva Longoria Just Gained Some Points

Apparently Eva turns down the freebies that she (and most, if not all celebrities) get sent. She is said to not wear them on the red carpet according to this article, where she states: "There are lots of designers I don't wear because they were so mean to me when I was a nobody," she said. "It's like Pretty Woman. They were: 'Who are you? We're not dressing you.' Now everybody's sending stuff. All the freebies are insane. I feel bad about taking them. I was on another show before Desperate Housewives and we couldn't even get a free doughnut." I kind of like that she stands up for what she believes in and doesn't endorse people who treated her poorly before, and have suddenly taken interest now that she's on a popular show. Although, the article is a bit old, so she could have changed her stance on things.

Celebrity Profile: Reese Witherspoon

I was going to write a post on the SAG awards. But by now it just seems too late. But I did have a favorite dress. It was worn by an actress who wore one of our favorite dresses to the Golden Globes. So, since I wanted to post a picture of that dress, I decided to do a post on the fashion choices of Reese. So let’s get started.

First off, one of the things I like about Reese, is that when she’s dressed casual (i.e. just out about town) during the day, it is something that us normal girls can emulate. Her outfits don’t come across totally out there, or like they would cost a lot of money to copy.



This is a perfect example. I have a very similar sweater from Gap. It cost maybe like $30-$40 (it was a gift, so I can’t be sure). And then just jeans and flip flops. Totally doable. It’s nice to see that we don’t always have to be wearing dresses with heels to emulate our favorite celebs.



This look is a little more “dressy”. Something you could wear to work on a Friday (or any day of the week depending on where your job is). This coat is cute. It kind of reminds me of Chanel. I also have a jacket like this that was part of a skirt/suit that I found at a thrift store. I think the whole set cost me about $5. Also the heels add a nice touch.

Enough with the casual wear. As good as it is to see what celebs choose to wear on a day to day basis, the real fun is in what they wear to events.



This looks like it’s at some sort of launch party, rather than an awards show or something like that. But I love the touch of the red heels with the all black outfit. It takes an otherwise sort of ho-hum look and pops it up a notch. Without those shoes, I wouldn’t have given this photo of her a second look.



This is not my favorite dress she’s worn, but I think it’s pretty enough. It looks like this is probably at the Oscars, since it’s a pretty formal looking gown. But I think that for how small she is height-wise, she pulls off this full length gown fairly well.



This is another dress that I think is probably hard to pull off for many people, but she manages to do it. The color of it could totally wash out a majority of people wearing this, but she somehow manages to do it. I know I would probably look sickly unless I’d gotten a good tan if I put this dress on. She manages to look good and healthy, and also not be tanorexic.



I really thought that Reese looked elegant in this dress. It flatters her figure, and I love the little cap sleeves.



This dress I love. I’d kill to own this dress. Well…maybe I wouldn’t go quite that far. But, I really like this one. It’s fun, flirty, age appropriate. All without making her look like she’s trying too hard. The kind of little black dress every girl wants to own. I also think the shoes are cute. They have that cute-but-comfortable look to them.



Here’s Reese at the Golden Globes when she won for her part in Walk The Line. Now, I know that Kirsten Dunst wore this dress first a year or two before. But that doesn’t change the fact that it is a cute dress. Plus, how happy Reese looks makes it look even better on her.



Here is the dress she wore this year to the Golden Globes, which we’ve already talked about. But I just thought she looked stunning. I think this was one of, if not the first, public events she attended since the divorce. Why Ryan screwed things up by fooling around with that other girl, I’ll never know.



Here she is at the SAG awards. I think she did another stellar job picking to wear this dress. She’s a little slimmer these days, and these last two dresses do wonders showing that off. I’m really anxious to see what she’ll decide to wear to the Oscars later this month.

And just to show that Reese wasn’t always such a fashionable dresser, and to help us all see that we can turn it around, here’s Reese in a rather horrid outfit.



The long skirt with the long, baggy peasant-top like shirt just do nothing for her. It makes her look not only short and stubby, but a little bit more chunky than she is as well.

Mark Your Hermes Day Planner

Just a reminder: New York Olympus Fashion Week starts this Friday, February 2. But what if you don't have time to review all the shows right as they hit the runways?! Never fear. The Fashion Blog will keep you up to date with our summaries and surmises of all the fashion fun to come...

Long Live Queen Westwood

"You have a much better life if you wear impressive clothes." Vivienne Westwood

All the Fashion Blog readers living in the San Francisco area (which basically means me) will be jumping for joy when they hear that the de Young Museum will be hosting "Vivienne Westwood: 36 Years in Fashion." This tribute to Westwood's extraordinary career will run from March 3 to June 10, 2007, and is the only American stop on its international tour. Organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the exhibition will showcase pieces ranging from punk to haute couture. If you have time, I would also suggest checking the de Young calendar for several events, such as art history lectures and films, leading up to this exhibition.

For those who aren't familiar with her work, Vivienne Westwood revolutionized fashion in the 1970's by inventing punk style. She owned a shop in London with her husband, Sex Pistols manager Malcom McLaren, and gained notoriety when the band members started wearing her clothes during their performances. She transitioned to the runways and continued making her ready-to-wear, as well as couture collections, in her signature non-conformist style. Always edgy and unique, Westwood is still known as "one of the most influential designers of our time."

Karl Lagerfeld to the Rescue

According to all the fashion insiders, Karl Lagerfeld may have single handedly saved the future of Parisian haute couture. His use of ultra-light weight fabrics, and slim sillouhettes are apparently just what was needed to lure in the next generation of fashion elite consumers.

Lagerfeld does not necessarily share the views that others have of him, stating: "My future is Chanel, the future of the other couture houses I don't really know. I only care what I'm doing. I'm not there to save the corporations. It's up to them to make an effort to save it."

Karl is said to have drawn inspiration from 60s "It Girl" Edie Sedgwick, eliminating skirts from the collection, and pairing black tights instead with the iconic tweed jacket of Chanel.

Leggings: Love Them or Leave Them?

When the trend of leggings first came out, I was 100% on the side of "OMG, you've got to be kidding me! Those are in style again?" I was never one to think that fashion from my childhood was overly great, and should be granted a second chance. But ever so slowly, the leggings grew on me. It started out at first with me buying them just to sleep in. "No one but my boyfriend will see me in them," I reasoned to myself. Then I started to wear them out to breakfast on a Sunday morning. "Only strangers I'll never see again will see them on me." But now, I dare say, I wear them out in the sunlight, during the week. Around people I see quite frequently. They are just so comfortable. Much more comfortable than jeans. And paired with the right shirt and other accessories, can even be passed off as acceptable for work. I know most people out there hate the legging trend, and wish it would die a quick death. I used to be there. Now, not so much. What are your thoughts?

Best News Ever? Probably.

I am deliriously happy! Tim Gunn signed with Bravo to do his own TV show! It's going to be called Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, and it's going to be based off of the book he is currently writing entitled "Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style". The book is set to be released in May 2007, and Bravo execs have stated that the show will premier after the book is finished. From what I've read so far, the show is going to be a type of makeover show, but Bravo insists that it's not going to be the same old makeover show that has been done a million and a half times before.

In Tim's own words, "This series aims to be one-part education with two-parts fun, and you'll see me being a fashion therapist, not a Svengali." Oh, Tim. Isn't he the funniest?

All of this great news comes on the heels of the not-so-great news that Bravo has cancelled Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. But we will shed a tear for those darling boys later. Now is the time for celebration!

Congratulations Tim! You're the best!

Awesomest

My favorite dress



My favorite Jew

Are They Still Friends?!

I guess the sinking of the Titanic is the type of thing that could really cement a friendship...