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Setting the Mood: Cake, Cake, Cake, Cake

By |January 20th, 2014|Setting the Mood|

birthday inspiration boardI love birthdays.  Sure, we share our birthdays with approximately 19 million other people (except for you leap year babies, you’re special), but it certainly is nice to have a day dedicated especially to you.  This is a great time to kick up your heels and get wild with a raucous crew or take a personal day to pamper yourself and maybe spend some time alone.  Whatever your cup of tea may be, there’s nothing wrong with celebrating yourself– just not in a Stassi Schroeder type of way.  I suggest spending at least fifteen minutes of completely quiet time reflecting on your year and being thankful for making it through.  Then pop open a bottle of champagne and do whatever the hell you want… it’s your birthday afterall!  In case you haven’t guessed, today is my special day and in case it slipped your mind and you forgot to purchase something sweet for me, you really can’t go wrong with anything cashmere, diamond clad or lacy… I won’t even be mad it’s late.

birthday-gift-list

Diane Kordas Heartbeat 18kt Rose Gold Diamond NecklaceSaint Laurent Signature Rangers Studded Leather Boots,Donna Karan Oversized Wool and Cashmere Blend Pajama TopDolce & Gabbana Glam Floral Brocade Shoulder BagMimi Holiday by Damaris Bisou Bisou Azure Satin and Lace Bodysuit

Happy birthday to the other 18,999,999 January 20th babies.

xx,

WhyDid

Red Carpet Recap: This Red Carpet Has Me Feeling Blue

By |January 19th, 2014|Red Carpet Recap|

best dressed sag awardsJennifer Lawrence in Dior , Lupito N’yongo in Gucci, Rita Moreno in Roberto Cavalli and Herve Leger jacket, Matthew McConaughey in Dolce & Gabbana and Camila Alves in vintage Donna Karan

Award season really threw me for a loop when it decided to have this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) on a Saturday.  One can only assume it is because the Kardsashian season premiere is on Sunday.  Anyway, the stars showed up this evening looking to have a good time and perhaps take home a cute little statue.  It would appear that some of these stars clearly read WhyDid because they really stepped up their game from last week’s Golden Globes (ahem, Jennifer Lawrence).  Others were repeat offenders and some I have never heard of but was pleasantly surprised by their presence.  Within the first ten minutes of red carpet arrivals, I predicted a theme. Even though Giuliana may have (incorrectly) deemed the night that of this year’s Pantone color “radiant orchid” the color that truly reigned supreme was blue.  From royal to navy, startlets and stars wore this color like it was the new black.  Other trends that I picked up on were matching one’s jewels to the dresses.  Once considered a bit of a fashion faux pas, it actually looked incredibly fresh and I’m thinking that statement earrings are making a major comeback.  Luxe fabrics in jewel tones were also awfully popular.  In the beauty department, sleek deep side parts and bobs were the favorites for hair while very clean, polished makeup and matching eyeshadow to dresses was almost as popular as coordinated earrings.  Both Kelly Osbourne and Jennifer Lawrence coined new terms – SWASS (Sweaty Ass) and armpit vagina.  Giuliana may not know her Pantone shades, but she does know when she sees a potential love match like that of Jared Leto and Emilia Clarke.  Imagine those blue eyed babies.

But down to what really matters… who was the best (above) and who was the worst?  Eff it.  I’m going rogue.  I’m giving best dressed to two young starlets, an 82 year old icon, and one of Hollywood’s sexiest couples.  The worst… well, I never thought I’d hate a crop top or Julia Roberts, but I guess this is why they say, “never say never.”  While many loved Cate Blanchett’s pink Givenchy, I found it to look like a vagina, my father said he didn’t want to know what I meant by that but I told him anyway: pink and drapey.  As for Julie Bowen’s Carolina Herrera, I’m just wondering why she’s wearing a toolbelt.  Oprah wore “the color purple” and Sandra Bullock and Jane Krackowski gleamed in green.  Nudes, blush and soft greys were also ever present and for once I was totally wowed by something other than Sofia Vergara’s, er, personality in Donna Karan.

Blue Angels:

sag red carpetJulia Louis Dreyfus in Monique Lhuillier, Amy Adams in Antonio Berardi, Jennifer Garner in Max Mara, Morena Baccarin in Monique Lhuillier

sag awards red carpetKelly Osbourne in Zac Posen, Ariel Winter in Badgley Mischka, Cathy Griffin in Antonio Berardi, Anna Gunn in Monique Lhuillier

sag awards red carpetAnna Chlumsky in Sophie Theallet, Claire Danes in Vionnet, Mindy Kaling in David Meister, Julianne Nicholson in Philosphy

Nudist Colony:

sag awards red carpet 2014Elizabeth Rohm in Marchesa, Emilia Clarke in Calvin Klein, Laura Carmichael in Vionnet, Isla Fisher in Oscar de la Renta

Grey Ladies:

sofia vergara sag red carpetSofia Vergara in Donna Karan, Kaley Cuoco in Vera Wang, Malin Akerman in Naeem Kahn, Hannah Simone in Marchesa

Lightweights:

sag red carpet 2014Sarah Paulson in Rochas, Natalie Dormer in Marios Schwab, Gretchen Mol in J. Mendel, Sarah Hyland in Pamela Roland

Green Beans:

sag awards red carpetSandra Bullock in Lanvin, Jane Krakowski in Roland Mouret

“Radiant Orchid”:

oprah giuliana rancic sag awardsOprah Winfrey in Badgley Mischka, Giuliana Rancic in Basil Soda

Better Luck Next Time:

worst dressed sag awardsCate Blanchett in Givenchy, Kerry Washington in Prada, Julie Bowen in Carolina Herrera, Julia Roberts in Valentino

Hey Jared, if things don’t work out with Emila, call me.  Also, I need your colorist’s number. Thanks.

xx,

WhyDid

Red Carpet Recap: I’ve Got the Golden Ticket

By |January 12th, 2014|Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

golden globes red carpetTina Fey in Carolina Herrera, Amy Poehler in Stella McCartney, Kaley Cuoco in Rani Zakhem, Zoe Saladana in Prabal Gurung, Allison Williams in Alexander McQueen, Zooey Deschanel Oscar de la Renta

Nope, that’s not the second coming of the polar vortex. It’s just hell freezing over because for the first time in a long time, I thought most all of Hollywood’s leading ladies looked nothing short of lovely on this evening’s red carpet in party dresses for the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards. I wasn’t sure if it was the bubbles from the prosecco getting to my head, or if all of Hollywood had decided to take things more seriously, from their attire to their acceptance speeches. Perhaps it was the absence of teenagers and excessive twerking- in any case, I wasn’t about to complain. Seeing limo after limo from Boston corporate coach arrive depositing a well dressed, well coiffed beauty, I knew my job dissecting the night’s fashion was going to be tough.

And then Sandra Bullock showed up looking like a flamenco dancer.

Followed by Paula Patton as a butterfly struggling to shed her cocoon.

And before all of humanity starts sharpening their pencils (and knives) to write me hate mail, I was most excited to see what America’s current sweetheart, Jennifer Lawrence, would be wearing. I was less than impressed when she made her unfashionably late entrance in the predicted Dior. My dad likened her to a barrel, but I’m thinking she looked more like that awful game women are forced to play at bridal showers wherein they create wedding gowns out of toilet paper.

Her anticlimactic arrival could only be topped by that of America’s original sweetheart, Julia Roberts, who must be a method actor with a movie starring her as a Dolce & Gabbana wearing schoolmarm.  Her conestoga could not be located though.

But again, it wasn’t all bad. Red in all shades from tomato to garnet was by far the color most favored though Emma Watson’s version was the equivalent of a fashion mullet. There was also a lot of embellished black and elegant metallics. And we all know Jared Leto was the real belle of the ball.  Perhaps I’ve reached a new level of zen or have been in California for far too long, but I did not feel like dismantling the TV for the first time while watching an awards show.

Leaves me feeling like 2014 may be looking up. For now.

Red Hot Red Carpet:

emma watson golden globesEmma Watson in Dior, Julia Louis Dreyfus in Narciso Rodriguez, Julie Delpy in Romona Keveza, Berenice Bejo

Two Timers:

amy-adams-taylor-swift-golden-globesAmy Adams in Valentino, Julie Bowen in Carolina Herrera, Taylor Swift in Carolina Herrera

Black on Black on Black:

emma-roberts-golden-globes-red-carpetEmma Roberts in Lanvin, Jessica Chastain in Givenchy, Leslie Mann, Uma Thurman in Versace

Styled by Wiz Khalifa:

golden globes red carpetMonica Potter in Romona Keveza, Julianna Marguiles in Andrew Gn, Lizzy Caplan in Emilio Pucci, Emma Thompson in vintage Lanvin

Black and White and Red Carpet All Over:

margot-robbie-golden-globes-red-carpetMargot Robbie in Gucci, Zosia Mamet in Reem Acra, Laura Carmichael in Viktor & Rolf, Emilia Clarke in Proenza Schouler

Golden Goddesses:

golden globes red carpetKate Mara in J. Mendel, Robin Wright in Reem Acra, Michelle Dockery in Oscar de la Renta, Naomi Watts in Tom Ford

Platinum Princesses:

mila-kunis-kate-beckinsdale-golden-globesTatiana Maslany in Jenny Packham, Kate Beckinsdale in Zuhair Murad, Mila Kunis in Gucci, Sarah Paulson in Marchesa

Gang of Green:

golden globes red carpetTaylor Schilling in Thakoon, Helen Mirren in Jenny Packham, Reese Witherspoon in Calvin Klein

Ain’t No Drama with These Baby Mamas:

kerry-washington-olivia-wilde-golden-globesKerry Washington in Balenciaga, Olivia Wilde in Gucci, Drew Berrymore in Monique Lhuillier

And the Real Winners Are:

golden globes best dressedCate Blanchett in Armani, Lupito Nyong’o in Ralph Lauren, Laura Dern in Roberto Cavalli, Amy Adams in Valentino

Good Girls Gone Bad…Like Really Bad:

golden-globes-worst-dressedJulia Roberts in Dolce & Gabbana, Sandra Bullock in Prabal Gurung, Paula Patton in Stephane Rolland Couture, Jennifer Lawrence in Dior

Bring on award season… and the prosecco.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Trapped in the Closet, or At Least I Wish I Was…

By |November 25th, 2013|Celebrity Style, Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

american-music-awards-red-carpetMayra Veronica, Marc Anthony, Keltie McKnight, R. Kelly

Award shows always manage to leave me scratching my head and trying to figure out just how much wine I ingested in the last two hours.  It’s as if celebrities save up all their crazy for these star studded events and then unleash it on their adoring fans.  Fortunately for us, it’s all caught on film to be watched time and again for days to follow.  These evenings provide news sources plenty of ammunition and the platform to play things out and beat a dead horse.

Speaking of which… The only thing weirder than Lady Gaga’s arrival on a wind up horse, was her awkward performance with president R. Kelly who probably should have stayed trapped in the closet.  I didn’t have too long to wonder what the real purpose of this horse was or whether Ke$ha and Gaga are actually morphing into the same person, because moments later I thought I spotted a red carpet crasher, but it was just Marc Anthony who looked as though he’d been halfway through his Sunday stack at The Griddle when he realized, “Shit, that award show is tonight.”  His former better half, Jennifer Lopez, more than made up for his failworthy flannel with a high energy tribute to Celia Cruz.  It wasn’t all cringeworthy though.  Watching Rihanna accept the Icon Award from her mother even made me tear up and Christina Aguilera’s soft vocals during her performance with A Great Big World had me fall in love with her all over again.  Just when I started to think that maybe this award show was bringing back a little bit of class to the music world, Miley showed up in a cat covered two piece leotard and I had a hard time deciding which cat to look at because the one lip synching behind her kind of stole the show.

But alas, what we (at least I) bother watching award shows for… the fashion.  If you weren’t wearing white, you were wearing black- or a combo of the two.  This, of course, makes me happy because my second favorite “color” behind black is white.  If you weren’t wearing one of my two favorite shades, you were wearing metallics or heating things up in fiery reds and oranges.  To be clear, just because I post it below doesn’t mean I like it.  It just means it happened and I firmly believe in being informed.  Rihanna, Nicole Richie, Ciara, and a very Kardashian-esque Naya Rivera were a few of my favorites, while most of the others left plenty of room for improvement.

Great White:

miley cyrus amasNicole Richie in Emilio Pucci, Christina Aguilera in Maria Lucia Hohan, Miley Cyrus in Versus Versace, Zendaya in Donna Karan

Bad Bitches are the New Black:

rihanna-naya-rivera-american-music-awardsNaya Rivera in Michael Kors, Rihanna in Jean Paul Gaultier, Jamie Alexander, Ke$ha in Michael Costello

heidi-klum-ciara-american-music-awardsHeidi Klum in Marchesa, Ciara in J. Mendel, Jordin Sparks in Jovani Couture, Katy Perry in Oscar de la Renta

Black and White and Chic All Over:

kylie-kendall-jenner-zoe-saldana-american-music-awardsDaisy Fuentes, Zoe Saldana in Roland Mouret, Kendall Jenner & Kylie Jenner

Bright Like Diamonds:

emma-roberts-taylor-swift-american-music-awardsEmma Roberts in Lanvin, Taylor Swift in Julien Macdonald, Kelly Osbourne Rami Al Ali, Giuliana Rancic

Girls on Fire:

ariana-grande-jennifer-hudson-american-music-awardsAriana Grande in Dolce & Gabbana, Aubrey O’Day, Rocsi Diaz, Jennifer Hudson in Dior

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: MTV VMA’s (Very Much a Mess)

By |August 26th, 2013|Celebrity Style, Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

Katy Perry in Emanual Ungaro, Ellie Goulding, Becky G, Holland Roden in Naeem Khan

So, pretty much the VMA’s were the equivalent to the hangover I had from this weekend. And as a matter of fact, they actually made me want to drink more (Don’t worry, mom, I didn’t). For starters, when MTV hosts the Video Music Awards in Brooklyn, you know Brooklyn has lost all its “edge”- kind of like teen pregnancy and Lady Gaga. Guess it’s time to move back to the East Village, kids.

Speaking of Lady Gaga, who is apparently still making music, she started things off by impersonating her favorite internet meme: cat breading.

Don’t worry, she didn’t stay clothed for long. And not to be outdone, Miley Cyrus followed suit by also wearing some type of prosthetic panties for her performance with Robin Thicke, so I watched the rest of the show naked. We get it, Miley. You’re a bad girl. Side note: if Paula Patton knocked Miley upside her head for nuzzling her husband’s neck and teenage twerking, would that be considered child abuse?

No Pants, No Problem:

lady gaga vma mtv Lady Gaga in Prabal Gurung and in her panties

Miley Cyrus in Dolce & Gabbana and in her birthday suit

Things didn’t get much better from there or on the red carpet. I really have nothing good to report regarding the fashion from the evening… I mean, Rihanna skipped the red carpet altogether. There were, however, lots of leather clad children running amok. Perhaps this is where I show my age, because I had no idea who half of the individuals interviewed by Sway were (I don’t think he did either). I was actually shamed by two tweens the other night for not knowing who One Direction is. Noted, ladies. I wonder which 1D member stands to be the Justin Timberlake of ‘NSYNC. You see what happens to the others, guys… Dance harder.

From feathers and sequins, lots of leather, and more crop tops, stars left very little to the imagination. Even good girl, Selena Gomez, had an intentional wardrobe malfunction in her Atelier Versace. And what’s worse? Showing up for your big night wearing the same thing as someone else much like 2Chainz and Grimes did. I honestly, don’t know what could be more awkward than that …. oh, right… Taylor Swift’s dance moves.

Besties in Blue:

Taylor Swift in Herve Leger, Selena Gomez in Atelier Versace

Still Cropping Up:

mtv vmas 2013Shailene Woodley in Pucci, Jordin Sparks, Alicia Quarles

Songbirds…literally:

Ciara in Givenchy, Rita Ora in Alexandre Vauthier Couture

2Twinz:

mtv vmas 20132 Chainz in Versace, Grimes in Versace

Wonder What?

Sarah Hyland, Wonder Woman

Still More Modest than Miley:

Iggy Azalea in Emilio Pucci, Erin Wasson

If I decide not to reproduce, you can thank this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.

xx,

WhyDid