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Red Carpet Recap: Grammy’s One on One

By |February 9th, 2015|Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Red CarpetTaylor Swift in Elie Saab, Sebastian (with dad, Wiz Khalifa)

Last night marked the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.  Everyone was there from Beyonce to Mary J. Blige.  Even Prince showed up clad in head to toe sequins to present an award along with delivering probably the most profound message of the evening, “Albums, like books and black lives, still matter.”  Taylor Swift and Kanye may have buried the hatchet, but Mr. West nearly disrupted Beck’s speech while accepting the award for Album of the Year.  He thought it belonged to Beyonce and clearly we just need to give him a seat on every voting panel to avoid further broadcast disruptions.  In any case, I’m not sure who even hosted last night’s awards, but I wasn’t really tuned into the show post red carpet arrivals.  I had pegged Ms. Swift as my favorite for the night- that is, until Wiz Khalifa’s son, Sebastian showed up.  Two of my favorites who I never thought I’d be calling elegant, were Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj.  Both tamed their usually outlandish looks for sleeker, more sophisticated styles.  As for the rest of the arrivals? I’ll let you be the judge as I kept having the strange sensation of deja vu.

beyonce jessie j grammysBeyonce in Proenza Schouler, Jessie J in Ralph and Russo

57th GRAMMY Awards - ArrivalsNicki Minaj in Tom Ford, Miley Cyrus in Alexandre Vauthier

anna kendrick gwen stefani grammysAnna Kendrick in Band of Outsiders, Gwen Stefani in Atelier Versace

rihanna grammysRihanna in Giambattista Valli, Princess Peach

maddona givenchy grammysMadonna in Givenchy, Matador on a Cell Phone

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Red CarpetCharlie XCX, Creepy Rabbit

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Red CarpetSia and Maddie Ziegler, Thing One and Thing Two

chrissy teigen ariana grande grammysChrissy Teigen in Emilio Pucci, Ariana Grande in Versace

jennifer hudson grammysJennifer Hudson in Tom Ford, Papertowels

lady gaga grammysLady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell, Christina Aguilera in Versace

kim kardashian grammysKim Kardashian in Jean Paul Gaultier, Blanche Devereaux

katy perry kelly osbourne grammys Kelly Osbourne in Christian Siriano, Katy Perry in Zuhair Murad

rita ora grammysRita Ora in Prada, Swarovski Encrusted Microphone

xx,

WhyDid

Red Carpet Recap: MTV BMA’s

By |August 25th, 2014|Celebrity Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

mtv vmas miley cyrus jesse beyonce blue ivyLast night marked MTV’s 31st Annual Video Music Awards and also the fact that I’m way too old to be watching it.  My friends and I kept exchanging puzzled looks as one unrecognizable (to us) tween took to the red carpet after the next.  I had never been so excited to see Gwen Stefani or Jennifer Lopez as I was last night.  Phew!  Somebody we knew.  It became quite clear as to why E! has cornered the market on red carpet pre-shows.  As I quickly found myself on the brink of a melodramatic meltdown, I yelled at my TV,   “Sway, WHO ARE THEY WEARING?”  After having cooled my rage with a glass of prosecco, the actual show began.

Within seconds of the opening act, I was concerned that Nicki Minaj had somehow pirated the entire event as there was much more booty on stage than on any ship.  She became this year’s Miley while pirouetting her posterior to her current single, “Anaconda”, which left me hoping Sir Mix A Lot was somewhere wiping his own rear with all the royalty money he received from that song.  She then joined Jessie J. who forgot her pants and Ariana Grande who appears to have a perma hairstyle for their song, “Bang Bang” complete with wardrobe malfunction.  She later joined Usher for his song, aptly named, “She Came To Give It To You.”

Right around the time I’d given up on humanity and started Googling how to obtain an Australian work visa, Miley Cyrus shocked audiences again. This time, however, it had nothing to do with flagrant twerking or her wayward tongue. When she won the VMA for Video of the Year, instead of accepting the award herself, her handsome mystery date took the stage.  He identified himself as “Jesse” and proceeded to deliver a touching speech revealing that he, himself, had grown up homeless which was hard to imagine as he looked like far less homeless than the boys of Five Seconds to Summer in his well tailored suit.  He encouraged viewers to learn more about My Friend’s Place and to get involved by visiting and donating on Miley’s site.

But (with a capital “B”)  Queen B., herself, Beyonce, was not about to be outdone.  Bey performed for a solid fifteen minutes in a stunning jewel encrusted leotard before accepting the Video Vanguard Award from her husband, Jay-Z and the absolutely adorable Blue Ivy.  If all those divorce rumors do have any merit, she should have picked up an Oscar as well.

The other big “B” for last night had to be for Balmain as Jordan Dunn, Chanel Iman, Joan Smalls, and Kim Kardashian all wore the label.  Pro-tip: Do not show up to an awards show wearing the same thing as a supermodel.  While Katy Perry and her date, Riff Raff, gave a nostalgic nod to Britney and Justin, everyone’s favorite good girl wore a romper so short, she could have been a Minaj backup dancer.  Black was a red carpet favorite, but all renditions from sheer paneling to leather pants felt fresh and innovative rather than basic and boring.  Red, pink, and blue were the other colors that were most prevalent, mainly in jewel shades.  While everyone looked “nice,” I didn’t feel floored by anyone in particular… except for Amber Rose, that is.

Ban-Do:

miley cyrus jourdan dunn mtv vmaJourdan Dunn in Balmain, Miley Cyrus in Alexandre Vauthier

Anything but Basic Black:

kendall kylie jenner red carpet chanel imanKendall Jenner in Alon Livne, Kylie Jenner in Alexandre Vauthier, Chanel Iman in Balmain

Power Couples:

ireland baldwin adam levine mtv vmaIreland Baldwin in Roberto Cavalli and Angel Haze in Helmut Lang, Adam Levine Behati Prinsloo

Sister, Sister:

beyonce vma red carpetBeyonce in Nicolas Jebran, Solange Knowles in H&M Studio

Fulfill Your Destiny:

mtv vma red carpetKelly Rowland in Kaufman Franco, Michelle Williams

Soft and Subtle:

mtv vma red carpetKesha in Johanna Johnson, Jessie J in vintage Halston

Silver Lining:

iggy azalea jennifer lopez red carpet vmaIggy Azalea in Versace, Jennifer Lopez in Charbel Zoe

Animal Instinct:

2014 MTV Video Music Awards - Arrivals Nicki Minaj, Charli XCX in Moschino

Red Alert:

mtv vmas rita ora demi lovato red carpetRita Orain Donna Karan Atelier, Demi Lovato in Lanvin

Double Trouble:

kim kardashian joan smalls mtv vmasKim Kardashian West in Balmain, Joan Smalls in Balmain

Pink Ladies:

gwen stefani chloe moretz mtv vmaGwen Stefani in L.A.M.B. Couture, Chloe Moretz in Louis Vuitton

Cobalt Queens:

sarah hyland julianne hough mtv vmasSarah Hyland in Kaufman Franco, Julianne Hough in Emilio Pucci

Singing the Blues:

katy perry riff raff taylor swift mtv vma red carpetKaty Perry and Riff Raff in custom Versace, Taylor Swift in Mary Katrantzou

 You’ve Got Chainmail:wiz khalifa amber rose mtv vma

Wiz Khalifa, Amber Rose in Laura Dewitt

 xx,

WhyDid

 

 

Why Did You Wear That: Rain, Rain

By |May 5th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

kirsten smith whydidSpring in New York tends to be more fickle than the beautiful women who inhabit it.  One minute it’s all sunshine and soft breeze.  The next it’s dark storm clouds and running for cover.  One must always stow a small umbrella in her bag and never become too attached to her blowout. When Figleaves was kind enough to send me some stellar swimwear, I could not wait to suit up.  Problem is, it’s hardly warm enough for exposed limbs and there’s definitely not enough sunshine for SPF.  So, when the second to last day of April gave us just one last monsoon to remind us who’s boss, we had to get creative.  If rooftop poolparties aren’t in Mother Nature’s forecast for me, I’ll just have to make due with my own watering hole.

Don’t despair over your summer plans, folks. You can still wear a luxury swimwear this season if you can safely access a beach, have a backyard you can lay out in, or if you just decide to dress up in one around your house. Do you! We all have to take some precautions and make changes to our travel plans with a pandemic still happening, but sometimes a little shopping can help take your mind off things, even just for a bit. Miami Swim Week happened last year, but the runways work ahead of schedule, and these are the 10 trends we saw for 2020.

 

 

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bubble bath

rubber ducky

 

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kirsten smith whydid

 

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kirsten smithshirt:Lucca Couture, hat: Big Buddha, bathing suit: Huit c/o Figleaves, shorts: Joe’s Jeans, shoes: Steve Madden, sunglasses: Pucci, bag: Diane von Furstenberg, towel: Cynthia Rowley, bracelets: Alex and Ani

xx,

WhyDid

photos by Brian Schutza

Why Did You Wear That: Spring 2014: Style Cheat Sheet

By |February 25th, 2014|Why Did You Wear That?|

snow flowerAlthough it was fifty degrees over the weekend and snow flurrying today, we really are in the home stretch of winter.  Just hang in there, pretty birds, relief is on the way.  While we wait for the last frost of the season to cease, let us refresh ourselves on the clothing that is just waiting to make itself quite comfortable in our closets come spring.  Since each fashion week presents collections a solid six months in advance of when we can actually get our greedy little hands on it, it’s easy to forget what we need to start scoping for and what to relegate to the back of our wardrobes for the time being.  The fashion elite may be a bit clairvoyant perhaps predicting the dreadfully long winter we’ve endured as the spring collections did not shy away from color, bold patterns, and plenty of shiny embellishment.  Though black and white were ever present, it’s time to drop the dull all black uniform and have a little bit of fun.

While florals are really nothing new for spring, this season’s are a bit bolder and less feminine incorporating the trend of black and white as well as darker tones as opposed to the predictable pastel colorways.  Speaking of which, Easter egg colors abound and are best done head to toe, but if that has you feeling apprehensive of emulating Great Aunt Ida, the presence of a pastel leather jacket or clutch will do the trick.

Along with bold graphics that will have even the biggest globetrotters giddy, art aficionados rejoice.  Patterns for spring give a nod to pop art using brights that make them downright framable.  Wearable art, if you will.

Embellishment was big and came in the form of fringe, 3D embellishments and gilded golds, bronze, and silver.  An alternative to shine in the form of straightforward metallics is presented in the option of iridescence.

And to those who attempted a croptop intervention on me… bad news: the croptop (which will live on through Fall 2014) is stronger than ever for spring.  Might I suggest enrolling in a Pilates class, like last week?  Though tops are shrinking bottoms get a bit of volume in the form of wide leg trousers and full skirts seen prevalently in the midi length.

Most notably to me was that all of the various trends seem to work together quite seamlessly and in some cases there’s quite a bit of overlap.  Full metallic skirts, crop tops with sheer panels, and boldy printed wide leg trousers make hitting a few trends at once a spring breeze.

spring 2014 fashion trends

  1. Fresh Blooms: Rebecca Taylor Sweet William DressJoie Talina B PantsElizabeth and James Klaus Floral Print Silk and Mesh Dress
  2. Go Wide: by Malene Birger Cosyna High Waited Silk-Satin PantsDiane von Furstenberg Salma Wide Leg Silk Pantsalice + olivia Pleated Eric Pants
  3. Dirty Pop: Paul Smith Black Label Maxi SkirtLisa Perry Patchwork SkirtM Missoni Neon Crochet Knit Mini Dress
  4. Heavy Metals: Rachel Zoe Pearl Sequin Fishtail SkirtDAY Birger et Mikkelsen Metallic Chiffon Wrap Dress3.1 Phillip Lim Crossover Biker Skirt
  5. Peekaboo Panels: Yigal Azrouel Scuba Waterprint Mesh SkirtRag & Bone Molly SkirtRebecca Minkoff Antoni Silk Top
  6. Full Circle…Skirts: JOA Striped SkirtTOME Taffeta Skirt, Tibi Full Pleated Skirt
  7. Team Spirit: SEA Cotton-Blend Tweed ShortsSacai Luck Striped Cotton and Taffeta Dress, Equipment Abbot Silk Bomber Blouson Jacket
  8. On the Fringe: alice + olivia Caitlin Fringe Maxi SkirtHaute Hippie Fringe Pencil SkirtJason Wu Cropped Fringed Crepe Top
  9. Buttoned Up: Diane von Furstenberg Trudy BlouseMiH The Oversize Shirt, Carven Silk Floral Print Collared Cotton Shirt
  10. Perfect Pastels: Halston Heritage Asymmetric Satin Twill Peplum Dress, J Brand Ready To Wear Durham Oversized Leather Biker Jacket, Lotusgrace Polka Dot Sheath Dress
  11. Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop Croptops: Tibi Cropped Embellished Cotton Blend TopJonathan Simkhai Cropped Intarsia Jersey TopBCBGMAXAZRIA Kaja Harness Top
  12. Black (and White) to Basics: A.L.C. Harrison SkirtDonna Karan Printed Silk Wide Leg PantsMcQ Alexander McQueen Slash Effect Stretch Knit Dress
  13. Iridescent Does It: Acne Tine Sequined Silk Georgette ShortsRoksanda Ilincic Oriel Colorblock Wool Crepe Dress, 3.1 Phillip Lim Colorblock Suede A-Line Skirt
  14. Global Graphics Clover Canyon Diamond Quilt Printed Cropped Track Pants, Diane von Furstenberg Phaedra Jacquard Skirt, Line & Dot Silk Palm Tree Print Dress

 

xx,

WhyDid

Red Carpet Recap: Up All Night To Get Lucky (and write this post)

By |January 27th, 2014|Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

slipknot-beyonce-daft-punk-grammysLast night the 56th Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.  The red carpet was covered in designer clad nominees and presenters from Kendrick Lamar to Anna Kendrick all looking to clinch their very own gold sippy cups.  You know who didn’t win a Grammy?  My computer… because it failed to perform.  I’ve been without it since Thursday and fortunately was able to harass the geniuses at Apple enough to retrieve it at 6:45pm on Sunday evening– just in time to chip in my two cents on the evening’s events.  Phew.

To go ahead and get the party started, Beyonce, husband, Jay-Z, and that ass took the stage wherein we all began to feel guilty about the half chewed leftover piece of cold pizza in our mouths.  Perhaps we should all take up “surfing” because it seems to be doing wonders for Beyonce’s body… and love life.  While we’re at it, where can one meet a man who glances at us like we’re the elusive golden unicorn and also happens to be a rap music mogul and doting daddy?

While on the topic of children, teen dream, Lorde was given the duty of taking the stage after Jay and Bey and despite a somewhat spastic start, she nailed her vocals proving that she earned both song of the year and best pop solo vocal wins.  Speaking of nailing it, can anyone explain those nails to us?

But let’s get down to what really matters, the fashion.  The Golden Globes were all about crimson, the SAG’s about blue, and the Grammy’s were primarily comprised of glimmering golds.  There were spatterings of color from blue to orange and another heavy dose of red, and quite a few female icons opted for pants in black.  Madonna and son, David, wore matching Ralph Lauren and oh gawd, she wore a grill.   And shouldn’t her grill match her bedazzled gloves?  And what happened to her British accent?  It seems she’s traded it in for a southern twang… maybe due to her golden grill?  It’s too much for me to comprehend right now.  I ‘m drunk in love… or maybe prosecco.

The ladies who took our breath away have all graced both the best and worst dressed lists in award shows past.  Katy Perry was a vision in (predicted) Valentino, Beyonce in sheer white Michael Costello, a pregnant Ciara in Emilio Pucci, and a tiny Taylor Swift in Gucci.  I was torn on Taylor because there was no denying how stunning her gown was, but the hair and makeup didn’t match in my opinion.  This was her time to be edgy. A slick ponytail and more dramatic makeup would have taken her totally over the top.  Her half assed updo read post Pilates hair to me.  By the way, have none of Taylor Swift’s friends shown her a video of her dancing?  Please do.

On the other end of the spectrum, as adorable and talented as Ariana Grande may be, I’m heading to her house with a hairbrush and some tough love.  If I see her in another half up-half down ‘do, I’m shaving her bald like Britney.  As for the man posing as a roast beef eating Smokey the Bear, it’s a good thing you’re handsome and talented, cause that hat…  It’s got its own Twitter handle for heaven’s sake.  Skylar Grey wore what is essentially a flesh colored Band-Aid and Zendaya, I don’t even know what to do with you.

But for the most part the evening was full of fun surprises like 34 couples being married by Queen Latifah during a Macklemore/Madonna performance and a Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney reunion.  I’m just left wondering where our bad girls of the red carpet, Miley and Rihanna were?  Lady Gaga was also nowhere to be found leaving the fashion shenanigans up to the men and some creepy ass clowns.

Doesn’t Matter if You’re Black or White:

sarah hyland paula patton grammySarah Hyland, Paula Patton in Nicolas Jebran, Judith Hill

Back in Black:

kelly-osbourne-lorde-grammysKelly Osbourne in Badgley Mischka, Faith Evans, Louise Roe, Lorde

White Snakes:

The 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards - ArrivalsParis Hilton in House of Milani, Steven Tyler, Keltie Knight, Iggy Azalea in Elie Saab

It’s a (Wo)Man’s World:

maddona grammysStevie Nicks, Cyndi Lauper, Yoko Ono, Madonna and son, David in Ralph Lauren

Suits and Ties:

miguel kaskade grammysMiguel in Saint Laurent, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis in Mr. Turk, Austin Mahone in custom Sanctuary 28, Kaskade

Gold Album:

rita ora grammysRita Ora in Lanvin, Amber Rose in Naeem Khan, Chrissy Teigen in Johanna Johnson

Get Naked:

kasey musgraves grammysSarah Bareilles Blumarine, Kasey Musgraves in Armani, Brooklyn Haley

Red:

pink-miranda-lambert-grammysTamar Braxton, Miranda Lambert in Pamella Roland, Pink in Johanna Johnson, Gloria Estefan in Gustavo Cadile, Colbie Caillat in Ezra Santos

Channel Orange:

giuliana-rancic-grammysGiuliana Rancic in Alex Perry, Natasha Bedingfield in Christian Siriano

True Blue:

grammys 2014 red carpetAnna Faris in Fitriani, Bonnie McKee in Gustavo Cadile, Alicia Keys in Armani Prive

Outfit of the Year:

best dressed grammysKaty Perry in Valentiono, Beyonce in Michael Costello, Ciara in Emilio Pucci, Taylor Swift in Gucci

And the Winner Isn’t:

grammys worst dressedAriana Grande in Dolce and Gabbana, Pharrell Williams, Zendaya in Emmanuel Ungaro, Skylar Grey Michael Costello

and in case you missed it or just need a reminder as to why you need to hit the gym…

xx,

WhyDid