Hit and Miss of the Week: Models & Vampires

There has been a great selection of celebrities out and about this week. Twilight mania continues on from last week, with Rachel Roy catching a screening of the latest film in New York wearing a beautiful printed coat, and Paloma Faith attending the UK premiere in a fantastically over-the-top ensemble.
Showing no interest in vampires this week were models Elle Macpherson and Heidi Klum, who both put together outfits that showed off their perfect (and very long) legs. I loved Heidi’s skirt but I’m still undecided on Elle’s PVC trousers. So see what you think…

Heidi Klum: Hit

I know that opinion was divided over Heidi Klum’s bob haircut, but I really like it – it’s grown on me. This week Heidi was in New York making an appearance on Regis & Kelly, and I think it’s a great outfit for a bit of Talkshow action.
Heidi doesn’t exactly need any help in the leg department, but the cut of this pencil skirt makes her legs look even longer than usual. A very clever move. And the subdued nude blouse counteracts the amount of leg on show, keeping the outfit sophisticated.

Rachel Roy: Hit

Fashion designer Rachel Roy and her daughter attended a screening of Eclipse this week in New York. I love both of their summer outfits, such a great use of print. Rachel’s cost is absolutely beautiful (I assume it’s her design, but I haven’t been able to find out which collection it’s from) and the greige shorts keep the look on trend. I personally would have swapped the ankle boots for heels, but overall I love this look.


Elle Macpherson: So-So

For as long as I can remember I’ve suffered from major Elle Macpherson hair envy. Those golden locks are so perfect, and she constantly looks like she’s just walked off the beach. For the press launch of Britain's Next Top Model Elle chose a tight-fitting pair of PVC trousers. Normally I can only handle leather/PVC on Angelina Jolie, who somehow has the magic ability to always make it look right. I don’t think Elle looks bad in this outfit, but it is perhaps a little too try-hard, and the trousers are very shiny. I can’t decide whether it’s a hit or a miss. What do you think?

Mischa Barton: Miss

I desperately want to be able to give Mischa Barton a hit, but her style is just not working for me at the moment. This jacket could easily look good if she wore if over a tie-dye summer dress or something delicate and frilly. But worn with the cut-off denim shorts and white shoes (you know I loathe white shoes) it looks a little clumsy. And not that I want to sound cruel, because I think people give Mischa such a hard time, but her hair is starting to look a little bit Britney Spears. I know Mischa can do better than this!

Paloma Faith: Hit

This is Paloma Faith arriving at the Eclipse premiere in London. Wacky as ever. This outfit has a distinct Helena Bonham Carter feel to it, it’s very theatrical and very well thought out. The dress is a little too dressing-up-box for me but I adore the acsessories. I wonder her Vuitton trunk is filled with bottles of Fiji water, Andre Leon Tally style…

Rachel McAdams: Hit

I’ve always been a big fan of Rachel McAdams. Just like Natalie Portman she keeps her private life private and that air of mystery makes her much more interesting. Her casual style isn’t anything to scream and shout about, but Rachel has good taste.
This printed skirt is a lovely choice for a sunny day, and paired with classic espadrille wedges, a black t-shirt and a pendant necklace it looks lovely and fresh. I’m lusting after her baby blue Miu Miu bag too.

Who would you give a hit this week? And which celebrity gets a miss?

Images Getty/Famepictures/PacificCoastNews at picapp.com

Catching Up With Lake Bell

I've had a major style crush on Lake Bell for a long time now, but I haven't posted about her in ages. Lake generally stays under the radar, but her red carpet style is completely flawless, and she's always included in the annual 50 Best Dresses of the Year list. I expected Lake to blow up in the way Zoe Saldana recently has, but I quite like the fact she keeps quiet. Sometimes it's nice not to share your style inspiration with the rest of the world.
Here's a quick catch up of some of Lake's most recent outfits. It's best to stock up on inspiration, as there might not be any new Lake pictures for a while.

For the Shrek Forever After premiere in LA Lake kept it casual in a pair of tailored black shorts and a lemon yellow shirt. Obviously yellow isn't for everybody, but switch to a white or blue shirt and you'd have a great workwear look for the summer. There are still some great zip-detail Elizabeth and James shirts in the Net-A-Porter sale that would work perfectly for a reinterpretation of this outfit.

At Coachella this year Lake stuck to an on-trend denim playsuit, dressed up with a tan belt and across-the-body bag. I love the beachy hair and the overall relaxed vibe of this look. It reminds me of Kate Hudson, and that is never a bad thing. I wish we got more candid shots of Lake.

This is my favourite Lake Bell look so far this year. The LBD makes her legs look amazing and the necklace is a great use of statement jewelry. The heels are a great choice too, and I always admire a celebrity clutch-less on the red carpet. I think that shows complete confidence, as they don't need anything to hold onto...

At an In Style magazine event back in January Lake went for a monochrome strapless Lyn Devon dress. Keeping her hair, makeup and shoes so simple is a smart move as you just notice how great Lake looks. But she could have pulled off a splash of lipstick.

And finally wearing a Narciso Rodriguez dress at the New York premiere for It's Complicated (love that movie). The body-con shape of this dress really compliments Lake's figure, and the up-do is really beautiful. I wish Lake would wear colour on the red carpet more often. Fingers crossed she has lots of red carpet events lined up for the rest of the year.

What do you think of Lake Bell's style? Which is your favourite outfit?

images from ZumaPress/Getty Images/ Newscom/PacificCoastNews all via picapp.com

The Miu Miu Cover Girl

My subscribers copy of ELLE always used to arrive so late that for a while I really disliked the postman. But the August issue arrived on my doorstep bright and early yesterday morning and I read the whole magazine in one sitting. Lily Allen is obviously popular with ELLE readers as this is her second cover in under a year. Lily has had a her fair share of magazine covers over the years, but I don't remember liking one as much as I like the August cover; and this is probably down to the lilac Miu Miu A/W dress she's wearing.

In my not-so-professional blogging opinion I think the lilac lace dress is definitely the key look in the Miu Miu fall collection. It's the piece that comes to mind first when the Miu Miu collection is mentioned. You may remember Carey Mulligan wore this dress to the Met Gala in May - albeit a slightly altered version. Because it's already walked one of the most important red carpets of the year I would normally predict the dress would head into an early red-carpet-retirement to avoid any 'who wore it better?' situations, but as Carey wore a paired-down version of the look I think it could still make another appearance. Who would you like to see it on next?
And, of course, the mustard yellow Miu Miu dress appears on Eva Mendes' July W cover. I swear if my magazine man doesn't have W and US Vogue today I might actually throw a tantrum in his shop. It feels like I've been waiting forever.

What do you think of Lily's ELLE cover? And which Miu Miu dress if your favourite?

ELLE UK is out out Saturday 3rd July

Lily image: Photography by Rankin / Courtesy of UK ELLE Magazine
W image justjared.buzznet.com and catwalk images from style.com

The Miu Miu Shoe Obsession Continues

Just like every other woman on the planet I fell deeply in love with the chunky heels from the Miu Miu S/S 2010 collection. I even tried a pair on, and I don't think I've ever been so reluctant to take a pair of shoes off my feet - and they weren't even that comfortable!
I noticed the obsession was getting a little out of hand though when I was logging onto Net-A-Porter to look at them on a daily basis. Luckily (or not, however you look at it) I now have another pair of Miu Miu shoes to dream about - the A/W 2010 courts.

These shoes don't seem to be as popular as the S/S satin heels were - and I've even heard some people say they don't actually like them- but I think they're completely hilarious in a crazy and inappropriate way. These are shoes Carrie Bradshaw would wear. And the heel isn't that high, so on some level they are actually quite practical.
For those lucky enough to get their feet into a pair when they arrive in stores I think the trick to styling them is keeping the rest of the outfit simple. Cropped trousers, worn-in t-shirts, slick blazers and subtle across-the-body bags will show the shoes off. Or wear the with short sixties-esque party dresses, as shown on the Miu Miu runway.

From left: Violet jersey T-shirt by Vanessa Bruno (and now with 30% off) at net-a-porter.com; Animal print scarf from Topshop at topshop.com; Army pants by Current/Elliott at my-wardrobe.com.

Are you lusting after the Miu Miu A/W heels too? And how would you wear them?

images from vogue.co.uk and store websites

Would You Wear Your Hair in a Bow?

I don't follow Vogue Australia, but this morning I came across their July 2010 cover with Rose Byrne, and it caught my eye. Not only does Rose have her hair tied into a bow on the cover, but she wears this hairstyle throughout the editorial.
Now I adore Vogue's styling of Rose (why doesn't she get more attention from the glossies? And why don't I read Vogue Australia?) but I really hate this hairstyle. It reminds me of shih tzu show-dogs, and if you don't believe me check out this pooch with a very similar hairstyle style. It's a look I'd describe as Crufts Chic, but in my opinion, it should be kept far away from Lanvin and Prada.
It's not just Vogue playing around with this style though. Being as over-the-top as it is Lady Gaga obviously loves the look, and has been tying her hair into a bow for over a year. Here she is wearing wearing the hair bow in January 2009. Always an early adopter.

I don't like this look on anyone, but Gaga definitely does a better job of it than Rose -  because you expect craziness from Lady G. Paris Hilton is also a fan of the bow hairstyle, and the result isn't as bad as you would expect.
I admire those willing to give this look a go, but for me it is still a style no-no. What do you think of the hair bow? Would you give it a go?

Rose image by Max Doyle from thefashionspot.com. Lady Gaga image Picapp/PacificCoastNews

Waiting Patiently is Getting Boring

I have visited my magazine man for the last four or five days now in the hope that US Vogue will be out. But it still hasn't reached the UK. Or my local newsagent, at least. I'm not a very patient person anyway, but when it comes to waiting for magazines I find it practically impossible.
One of the most interesting looking shoots from the July issue (with Marion Cotillard on the cover) is Raymond Meier's "The Bright Side". US Vogue is great at accessory shoots, and this is pretty much how I look every day - waiting not-so-patiently outside the newsagents, hoping for Vogue.  The only difference is I don't have dreamy yellow Celine wedges to keep me company...

Editorial: "The Bright Side"

Publication: US Vogue, July 2010

Photographer: Raymond Meier

Model: Patricia van der Vliet

After looking at the two images above who else is wishing they were wearing yellow right now? Especially the Celine dress, which is beyond gorgeous. And in more US Vogue news, rumour has it that Jourdan Dunn will model in the upcoming September issue. I hope it's true - I miss Jourdan.

images from thefashionspot.com

Is it Bye Bye Whitney?

Rumours are circling the internet that MTV has canceled The City. It's one of the few fashion/reality shows that I've never really taken too, so I'm not upset by this news. But it does leave the question what will Whitney do next?

When Whitney departed from The Hills (in that amazing hairband) I expected her to quickly out-shine Lauren Conrad, as Whitney was everyone's favourite 'intern', but The City left me majorly disappointed (that was mostly down to Jay) and I soon got bored of Whit.
Of course Whitney has her clothing line, large fan base, and more importantly she seems to be pretty tight with Kelly Cutrone off camera as well as on, but does the future hold for Whitney? And more importantly, what will Olivia Palermo do now? Here are the most likely options...

The Book Deal: I'm sure Whitney will be able to score a book deal like Lauren Conrad. Possibly giving advice on interning/making it big in NYC. Although regular interns don't have MTV paying their rent, following them around 24/7 and getting them in at DVF, so her 'advice' may not be so valuable. Olivia, on the other hand, seems more likely to land a magazine column (possibly at US ELLE or even Grazia) handing out style tips. That could be a very successful venture for OP.

The Hair Advert: Whitney and Olivia are blessed with salon perfect hair around the clock. Both of them are deserving of a shampoo advert and I think they are equally as likely to get a modeling contract. Personally I prefer Olivia's locks, but that's just me...


The Exercise DVD: Olivia is fashion skinny, but Whitney has the super-toned LA body. I always thought Lauren Conrad would end up making an exercise DVD, so maybe her and Whitney should team up? They did work out together in The Hills, after all...

A Move to London: For a while I've thought Olivia might move to the UK, and if The City did end now would be the perfect time. She recently did a 'Tody I'm Wearing' piece for vogue.co.uk, has modeled for  Matches boutiques label Freda, attended London Fashion Week in February and is constantly papped in Topshop and Mulberry.

And Finally... Looking Damn Cute: I love Whitney, I really do. But the beauty of Olivia and her boyfriend Johannes Huebl, topped off with the adorable fluffy puppy is unbeatable. It sounds harsh, but I think Olivia will end up being the break-out star of The City. But if all else fails there's always I'm a Celebrity - who wouldn't love to see Olivia doing a Bushtucker Trial?

What do you think about The City coming to a possible end? And what do you think Whitney and Olivia will do next?

all images from picapp.com