Styled Up

Socialite Paris Hilton appeared all grown up as she cut a demure figure on a recent Beverly Hills shopping trip. The 32 year old wore a silk jersey Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress in a pretty purple and white print. The dress had long sleeves, an A-line skirt and a self-tie belt. Her accessories were similarly understated as she sported cream-colored heels, a white bag and sunglasses with a white frame. The former reality star recently told talk show host Wendy Williams that she’s “grown up” and “staying out of trouble.” Her outfit definitely shows a new grown-up attitude. She’s come such a long way since The Simple Life.

Article by:
Michelle Loeb

Kim Kardashian, take note: this is how you dress a baby bump. The Duchess of Cambridge, otherwise known as Kate Middleton, has made a bunch of public appearances in recent days, showing off a stylish array of dresses and coats that both fit and flatter her growing bump. On a visit to the Willow Primary School, the Duchess wore a beautiful silk shift dress from Erdem. The navy blue dress featured a unique floral pattern with elements of red, pink and white, and the Duchess paired her fashionable frock with a navy blue clutch and matching heels. The fit was just tight enough to show off her blossoming figure, but she definitely looked both comfortable and tasteful at the same time. Stylish and classy—the future king or queen of England deserves no less!

Article by:
Michelle Loeb

Selena Gomez caused quite a stir at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards but it wasn’t because of who she brought as her date or the dress she wore or even the new song, “Come & Get It,” that she premiered on the show. Instead, Justin Bieber’s ex got people all riled up over an accessory she wore on her forehead. Selena accentuated her fiery red dress with a bindi, a traditional Hindu forehead decoration that has religious significance. Now she’s coming under fire from the Hindu community asking her to apologize for what they see as trivializing a part of their culture. “It is sometimes referred to as the third eye and the flame, and it is an auspicious religious and spiritual symbol,” explained Rajan Zed, leader of the Universal Society of Hinduism. “It is not meant to be thrown around loosely for seductive effects or as a fashion accessory aiming at mercantile greed.” Harsh. So far Selena’s camp hasn’t issued any sort of statement or apology, but she did perform with the bindi a second time—this time on Ellen. We’ll have to see if she keeps it or gives in to the pressure to drop the look.

Article by:
Michelle Loeb

The producers of Mad Men being notoriously tight-lipped, we can’t share any details of the show’s highly-anticipated sixth season (premiering this week on AMC). But some newly-released publicity stills do give us some insight into what’s next in fashion for Don Draper and co. With pops of color and wild prints galore, the late 60s are definitely here. Even stuffy Pete Campbell is rocking side burns this season, while Don Draper can be seen in a blue and white printed shirt under his camel jacket. The most ‘60s outfit of them all can be seen on Jessica Pare, who plays Don’s young wife Megan. Standing in what looks like a beach scene, Megan is wearing a big white floppy hat with a multicolored psychedelic-print blouse and large round sunglasses. She definitely looks ready for the Summer of Love. Can the same be said for the rest of Sterling Cooper? Guess we’ll have to tune in to find out!

Article by:
Michelle Loeb

Style mavens Stacy London and Clinton Kelly will have to dust off their most fashionable job interview outfits soon as the pair’s long-running show What Not To Wear is coming to an end after 10 seasons. The TLC show, which taught us about everything from tailored jackets to dark-wash jeans, has featured a revolving door of “contributors who are clueless about their makeup, hair and fashion. Not only have Stacy and Clinton styled everyday folks like you and me, but they’ve also gotten their hands on some pretty fashion-backward celebs, including ‘80s pop star Tiffany, American Pie actress Shannon Elizabeth and The Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik. “I’m excited about our final episodes,” London told People Magazine. “We are getting to do things we’ve never had the opportunity to do before, and there are many surprises in store. I do love that we are going out with a bang.” The final episodes of What Not To Wear will air on Fridays beginning in July.

Article by:
Michelle Loeb

Ethik Clothing has made a huge impression on me recently. I walked into their store in the Lower East Side a few weeks ago on a whim, and I was impressed. The relatively small store was huge in variety. Picking one item to go home with is damn near impossible when there are piles of great merchandise lining the store wall to wall. Even better is that the store only carries original products. There’s no hidden Odd Future tee’s in the $10 bin here. Seems to indicate that Ethik isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

What may be even more cool than the fresh clothes is the projects and collaborations the guys at Ethik have been cooking up. As any good fan would, I went home, liked the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ethik-Clothing-Co and did some research on my new clothing crush. They promote some pretty dope artists and are involved in some great shows. They’re featured in Vice magazine and even boast connections with the Pro Era crew. In fact, this Friday, January 18th they are having an in-store party and performance to promote their mid-winter line. Stuff like that really makes me like the company, not to mention great performers like Good Looks’ very own Sam Siegel and more. Check out their Winter collection, and the site ethikny.com.

Article by:
Evan Isler

As I wear my 2012 pair of Olympic 7 sneakers, I wonder what, if any, will be the next pair of original Jordans to come out that will be highly sought after? I can’t remember the last pair of non-re-release Jordans that even appealed to me. It is hard enough for people who don’t care for “fresh kicks” to get the concept of spending hundreds of dollars on a pair of sneakers, or for anyone at all to fathom the merciless killings that have occurred over high end shoes, but for sneakers that come out every couple of years or even months? It truly is baffling. When Jordans first came out in the 80′s they were the coolest things in the world for some. Many thought that they would allow you to play somewhat as good as Mike himself (crazy right?). MJ was such a god amongst “ballers” at that time that it seemed worth a shot. Now almost 30 years later people are purchasing re-releases of the very first pair.

I admittedly felt just a little bit foolish camping in the cold from 3am-10am for a pair of sneakers, but the experience and money saved (the sneaker resale industry is becoming nearly as lucrative as Jordan himself) made me feel better. As dreadful as getting to a store six hours before opening is, or how intimidating being the one hundred and somethingth person in line can be, the most daunting is waiting those six-seven hours in the cold to realize that you are not getting a pair. Fortunately I have huge feet and was able to get the second to last pair (size 13), but for the hundred plus people behind me the ordeal was an agonizing waste of time. How long will the people at the Jordan company be able to get away with duping “sneaker heads” into buying the same sneakers literally over and over again? At this rate it could be forever, especially when even as I write this and want to kick myself for it, I wonder how I’m gonna get my hands on the Bred 11′s!

Article by:
Evan Isler

Rihanna can now add “reality star” to her long and impressive resume. The chart-topping songbird is set to produce and star in a new show called “Styled to Rock” on the Style Network. The show will feature twelve contestants – personally selected by Rihanna – who, over the course of ten weeks, will design outfits for some of the most innovative and talked about celebrities and television personalities in fashion! A few VIPs have already signed on, including Ri-Ri’s BFF Katy Perry, and her personal stylist, Lysa Cooper. The winner will be given the opportunity to dress the Baja beauty for an appearance in London, not to mention bragging rights!!
“Fashion has always played an integral part in my life and career,” Rihanna said in a statement. “I am so excited to partner with Style Network and share my creative insight with these 12 designers and give them this opportunity to showcase their work.” I’m excited too! Fashion seems to be Rihanna’s comfort zone, coming second to music, so it’ll be great to go behind the scenes and see the fashion icon at work! The show kicks off August 14, 2013.

Article by:
Evan Isler

Virgil Abloh must be all smiles as of late. His clothing company, Pyrex Vision’s, newest collection called “Youth Always Wins” has been buzzing around the Internet a lot this past week and there are several superstars to thank for that. Interestingly, Abloh entitled his promotion video “A team. What sport?”, using the ever-on-the-rise outsiders of Harlem, A$AP Mob to model the clothes. A$AP Rocky, leader of the A$AP mob, is known for his fashion prowess, and has fans on the edge of their seat anticipating his next influential move, so it was a true win for Abloh when Rocky was seen sporting one of Abloh’s “man dresses.” That’s right…a dress for a man…worn by a rapper. Somehow, Abloh then got a second boost when the omnipotent Kanye West wore a Pyrex design. Kanye is a beacon of outlandish fashion sense and already a TMZ favorite, so when he decides to wear your newest line at a Hurricane Sandy Benefit Show that was boadcasted live from Madison Square Garden to an estimated 2 billion people, no one is going to miss it. That’s exactly what happened two weeks ago when Kanye wore Abloh’s leather “man-skirt”, and ever since this trend has been the newest topic of discussion in the hip hop-fashion community. Will this trend get picked up by the masses or should it be left to the Kanye’s of the world? The most pressing question is how do we feel about entertainment’s toughest and roughest men wearing women’s clothes? What do you think?

Article By:
Evan Isler

Every day, more and more women are seen wearing their sneakers to work, school, shopping, or wherever else their day might take them. Are the women of New York City on a new health kick? As if. A new fashion kick, however, is more likely. These are not your typical sneakers. These kicks have a built in wedge that not only adds a stylish flare and level of dress to your sneaker, but they elongate and flatter the leg as well. Finally, there’s a way to be comfy and cute without looking like you’re on your way to bed or the gym. Credit for this fashion trend goes to designer Isabel Marant, who works to combine fashion with comfort—a feat sometimes considered impossible, as we’ve all heard the phrase “beauty is pain.” Thanks to Marant’s flagship design, beauty is now accessible literally on the run. Although Marant’s version of the shoe goes for a hefty $300, so many brands have followed suit that even our most frugal fashionistas can afford to buy themselves a pair. These versatile shoes can be paired with nearly any and all cuts and color of denim, dress pants, and even skirts and dresses, which as we know would be a major fashion faux-pas with traditional sneakers. Ladies, prepare yourselves to be unprepared. No need to buy an outfit to fit these shoes, they will fit nearly anything in your closet! Personally, I am on my third pair. I wear them to work, on dates, on errands, anywhere where I need to look cute, yet stay comfortable. From bedazzled and embellished, to simple and conventional, every girl can find a pair to fit her style personally. Ironically, the only place where these high heels fall short is at the gym.

Article By:
Gabrielle Kalika