B E M Y V A L E N T I N E

A+ for Michelle Williams who has the right mix of sophistication and femininity in this lovely ensemble. The layered rara skirt and black bow belt exude this cutie pie look while the crystal embellished bodice is so stylishly elegant. And to top it off, her cropped cut conveys that classic Hollywood glamour slash 'I'm a mature female actress and you should take me seriously' vibe. She's so classy here, I do love a good cocktail dress which manages to have the same effect as a full blown slightly OTT Oscar gown.

The illusion of the high waist is also what intrigues me (also that my year 12 formal dress resembled a less awesome version of this dress). Either Michelle Williams is of the tall build or it's the high waist because there is no way that dress should end so high above the knees. Especially because it's tiered you expect to at least hit the knees but it finishes 'streets ahead' (I've been watching Community far too much this week). That's why I have this obsession with everything high waisted, skirts, pants, shorts, jeans, you name it. And I always tuck tops in. It makes your legs a little longer, which is perfect for short girls (even though it shortens the torso). The only thing I ask is that you have the right body to pull off the high waist - sometimes it can turn out horribly wrong and make you look more disproportioned.

1 comment Michelle Williams

C H A M P A G N E

Anne Hathaway just takes my breath away, she is shining like a star in Sydney for the Love & Other Drugs premiere (which I am super excited to see for three reasons 1) Anne Hathaway 2) Jake Gyllenhaal 3) Anne and Jake together) in Oscar de la Renta. This dress reminds me of champagne and sparklers. It's so simple and yet intricately stunning and Anne makes it look so effortless. She has the perfect body for a t-shirt dress style, it's not fitted but it still shows off her slender figure (can't say the same for me and my short legs). And I think the boat neckline makes it so subtly sexy, exposing just enough of her collarbones (and who doesn't love collar bones?) I used to associate sequins with Vegas showgirls or the my end of year dance concert costume from when I was seven but now I find myself eying everything from sequinned blazers to skirts. Along the way it somehow lost its tacky association and found itself on the runways and red carpets. As long as it's done with sophistication and elegance like Anne here, I'm all for it!

1 comment Anne Hathaway

T O P S H O P

I'm not sure what Topshop is like over in the States/ UK, I always thought it was a cross between Sportsgirl/ Forever New price wise, so I didn't know how to react when I found out it was Topshop on the red carpet. Nonetheless it's absolutely 'fabulous', charcoal grey is one of my favourite colours and looks great on lighter skin tones. And accessorising with gold pumps, gold box clutch and a cocktail ring is the perfect touch.

I'm seeing more and more of this short at the front and long at the back hemline (mind you it only works on dresses, never tees) and I think this looks so classy on Emma. It's like a mini train but doesn't drag along the floor and make you more likely to have a carpet blunder. I'm a sucker for flowy silk dresses (I just love the drapey almost ethereal 'I'm going to float from one side of the room to another' feel) and this one is no exception.

2 comments Emma Roberts

R A D I A T I N G

This is one of the more pleasant pictures that proves Miley Cyrus is a mature, responsible, independent eighteen year old. The wrap around pattern and the pinkish watercolour texture of fabric (which reminds me of my favourite ice cream flavour wild boysenberry) give it a light, breezy, refreshing feel. The sheer white of the dress almost makes her look... innocent?

Miley's just radiating in this dress with a combo of her sun-kissed skin and golden caramel locks complimenting the look. I'm a huge fan of the bandage style dress, as long as your cleavage doesn't spill, I think it's really flattering on any body shape and Miley's got that healthy glow.

The back of the dress concerns me however. The giant organza bow looks like paper towels rolled together to form an origami flower. And I mistook her train bowing in the wind for toilet paper. Such a beautiful dress had to be ruined by the back. I'd suggest either getting rid of the embellishments altogether (I suppose that would make for a boring red carpet dress) or decrease the size of the flower and the length of the train so it's not mistaken for cleaning products.

6 comments Miley Cyrus

T A I L O R M A D E

No longer the hopeless romantic teenage girl who cries in the rain, wearing sparkly dresses and cowboy boots and writing songs about all her lost loves and the boys who've screwed her over, Taylor finally decided to spice things up a bit.

When I first saw this, I had to double take - I don't think I've ever not seen her in floral sundresses and cardigans. This is completely opposite to her typical wardrobe - it's smart, sassy, sophisticated Ms Swift and I love it.

I do admire the way she embraces her curly locks but the blunt bangs and straight hair make her look more mature and frame her facial features. Black on black is about as chic as they get, the skinnys, the brogues and the blazer are such simple, staple pieces but work so well on her slender, tall frame.

It just goes to show how a makeover once in a while can do a world of good.

M A R C H E S A

Ah Leighton, what in the world? Nine times out of ten you get it right and I love you for it, then you go and pull this one out of the bag and then I start to get a little concerned.

I know that fashion is about taking risks, especially when you're in a position of power to impact the fashion industry, but I wonder if she thought this one through.

It's hard for me to shame this outfit when someone as lovely as Leighton is the one wearing it but I think she took this lace trend a little too far. A lace jumpsuit and lace heels? Not to mention that clutch that looks like a Christmas bauble. And the slip/ hot pants leave a little too much to the imagination, uncomfortable much?

Don't mind me Marchesa but I think this ensemble could have been improved in one of two ways: a) the bottoms could have been less see-through (I keep thinking she's naked from the waist down) or b) the jumpsuit should have been turned into a dress. Let's face it, the top half is absolutely gorgeous. Leighton takes a very risque, revealing piece, couples it with a classy updo, elegant diamond necklace and a killer shade of lippy - it's sexy and sophisticated all in one. I can just imagine it flowing into a full skirt from the waistband to the floor. Wouldn't it be lover-ly?

2 comments Leighton Meester

M N G

Hi my name's Olivia Palermo, I'm a total bitch to Whitney Port on The City, I have a job at Elle you could only dream of but you can't hate me because I have a killer wardrobe and an incredible eye for spotting trends.

Olivia Palermo is the epitome of style. She's always riding the front of the wave, wearing everything that's cool a season before everyone else. Here she's channelling a masculine-inspired look (one which she's known to pull off terribly well) with a silk pussy bow blouse and wide-legged camel pants. I can feel the wide-legged look making a comeback in the not so distant future - one I'm not too keen about because it makes me look terribly shorter than i already am and I can never figure out what shoes to pair it with. But she's sporting the high waist, which I love because it works well in anyone's favour to lengthen the legs.

Olivia pulls this one off with such grace and flare. Loving the brown briefcase clutch also. Very retro 70s work inspired outfit. Gotta say though, her haircut is at that 'awkward length' where it's too short to do anything fancy but too long just to leave it as it is.

4 comments Olivia Palermo

N O N E T H E R I C H E R

Who would have thought this would be the picture to make me realise just how amazing Nicole Richie is? Yeah the one where she's wearing a see thru white tee and a black mini. Not that I was ever in denial about her killer style. I just didn't appreciate her nearly as much as the average fashionista should.

I love outfits that look like they've been effortlessly put together. "Oh I'm just going out on a lunch date with my BFF Christina Aguilera. Wasn't quite sure what to wear so I pulled out some Christian Louboutin's and Chanel handbag (and probably some House of Harlow bangles) from my walk-in-closet wardrobe."

The one thing you should know about is me is that my style is very minimalist. I'm talking no prints, no patterns, no bold colours, straight out plain coloured tops and bottoms are my thing. Which is probably why I'm so attracted to this photo. It's so incredibly basic... and yet so effective. It's B&W simple chic at it's best. Beanies off to you Nicole.

1 comment Nicole Richie

L O V E L Y I N L A C E

The other night I said I wasn't a fan of a dress that looks like it starts and stops and starts again. It's like 'Oh I couldn't decide whether to wear a short or maxi skirt, so I'll just wear a combination of both.' But Kate (who has left herself in the capable hands of Chanel) has proved me wrong. Yeah I know, 'I told you so.' I don't know whether it's because the hem of her skirt blends into the carpet or that the lace isn't as sheer, maybe you just can't ever go wrong with a (little) black dress. It's fabulous, feminine, oozing with style and still so refined. Not to mention the statement chandelier earrings, box clutch and quiff updo are the perfect accessories to compliment this dress.

Please take note: Updos are compulsory with any dress that channels the classic retro chic glamour, especially with a high neckline. Save the luscious locks for a plunge neckline or strapless dress, capesh?

Classic Kate is classic.

C O U N T R Y S T R O N G

I love Leighton Meester (trust me this is not the last time you'll be seeing her on my blog) and I think she looks like her radiant self. But I'm not too sure about her dress choice. I know I shouldn't ever bad mouth Marc Jacobs (certainly not on my first day of blogging) but I feel like this dress should have been kept on the runway and off the red carpet.

I first saw the top of the dress thinking it was a little odd, especially with that out of place protruding gold breastplate thing, but it's redeemed by the black lace bodice which i know is all the rage this season.

Then I searched for a full body shot and realised what was going on below was uh-oh. Sure it's a really fun piece, a grecian style one shoulder with a modern, upbeat twist but the leather mini underneath a pink floral lace skirt is a little conflicting. It's like the skirt stops. And then starts again.

Don't mind me though, it's Leighton Meester. She can get away with murder.

On a more pleasant note, she looks absolutely stunning in this campaign for Vera Wang.

1 comment Leighton Meester

P O O R L I T T L E J

Dear Taylor,

What happened to you? You went from cute little Cindy Lou Who to sweet Jenny to part vampire, part hooker, part goth. Puberty must have hit you real hard.

The weirdest part is that this transition happened at the same her character got a bit of a makeover. So did the Jenny Humphrey within bring out the real Taylor Momsen or did she demand that her character change with her because there was no way she was going to act all preppy and Upper East Side?

There are so many things wrong in this picture. Firstly the black lace bra. Secondly the choker. Then the racoon eyes, lipstick and the oversized shirt she looked like she borrowed from her boyfriend's closet the morning after.

I can't figure out whether to call her immature or mature. She's clearly going through a phase where she's taking this hardcore rock chick persona a little too far and she'll look back when she's 21 and think 'wow how embarrassing.' (My most embarrassing teen phase involved black nail polish, eyeliner, Emily the Strange and skinny jeans). But at the same time she's dressing far beyond her years. 17 year olds do not dress like a hooker.

I'm sure this is all to kickstart her music career. Obviously people weren't going to take her seriously if she's just little J. And through all this I'm wondering where are your parents? Why aren't they stopping you from walking down the street in that let alone walking down the red carpet?

I hope that one day she hits her head and comes to her senses.

O L D E R A N D W I S E R

Why miss Emma Watson, look how you've matured, and so gracefully too. Taylor Momsen please take note. This outfit is all class, a chic smart black blazer, pencil skirt, across the shoulder bag and Mary Janes. Not a fan of the leopard print singlet (though I've never been much of a prints girl) but she gets it right by keeping it fitted.
This is her Deathly Hallows screening outfit but this could easily been worn to work too.
Still not sure about the pixie cut, (I prefer her with long hair, it suited her everyday wear) but hell if you're confident enough to do the chop, then I say go for it!

5 comments Emma Watson

T I C K E T S T U B

I'm a little undecided about this one. Of course Katy Perry's known for her kitsch, kooky, left-field outfits, but wearing a movie ticket dress? It half looks like a kid's elf Christmas costume made out of a potato sack but at the same time a very burlesque/ flapper/ Vegas showgirl feel with the glitzy sequins. Gotta give her credit, she knows how to pick a dress that'll show off her long legs and flattering figure. She tops it off with the ultra chic high ponytail, natural makeup and blue pumps, rather normal for Mrs Brand no? Given her track record she could have gone a little OTT with this one but she held herself back and manages to pull it off.

5 comments Katy Perry

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flourished & sunkissed.