Everyone fab and famous absolutely could not stay away from the Met's Costume Institute Ball last night. The gala feted the opening of Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy. Although everyone was encouraged to dress in superhero-inspired garb, only a few took it to heart - namely Christina Ricci (who showed up in a bustier-type Wonder Womanesque ensemble and the head mistress herself, Anna Wintour, who was dressed in a fierce Chanel couture gown reminiscent of an impeccably dressed queen alien villain.
However, we did spot three big trends on celebs shuffling into the party, and below are some of our picks for who rocked them the best:
1.One-Shouldered Gowns: Like we saw at the Oscars, the one-shouldered thing is still going strong, with stars like Kate Mara, Fergie, Liv Tyler, and Claudia Schiffer all sporting the look. Channel Fergie's classic glam style with this Calvin Klein matte jersey dress ($178).
2. Bright, Contrasting Shoes: In a surprising turn, stars were pulling focus away from their shiny, happy faces and towards their perfectly pedicured feet instead. Katie Holmes and Diane Kruger both opted for bold colored heels that popped against the colors of their gowns. These Louboutins ($795) are perfect in pink, but for a more purse-friendly pick, try these satin Jelissa heels ($100).
3. Fierce Red Lips: A no-fooling-around red mouth was spotted on many a leading lady last night. Both Posh Spice and Scarlett Johansson paired their red pouts with creamy frocks, while Maggie Gyllenhaal coupled bright lips with a subdued plum gown. Capture the va-va-voom effect with Dior Rouge's Action Red lipcolor ($27) (perfect for an evening of fashionable superheroes).
Why: In a prime example of art imitating life, heiress Lydia Hearst will appear on Gossip Girl's season finale on May 19th. Gawker says her character won’t be one of the nice girls – which is fine with us, Serena’s pretty much got a monopoly on the nice – but frankly we’re more interested in that beautiful bag on her arm. The tote ($528) comes in several colors, though we’re especially fond of Sandstone (below), a shade that would look fantastic next to a jewel-toned spring dress like the one Lydia wears. Looks like those Gossip Girl costume designers are onto something.
So the weather might not be beach-friendly yet, but that doesn't mean we can't fantasize about sporting itsy bitsy bikinis poolside while sipping margaritas and working on our tans. And who better to look to for the perfect suit than celebs who can afford full-time stylists who know the hottest swimwear on the market. Below are our top picks for celeb swimwear - let us know your fave of the bunch, and if you have one of your own, post it in the comments section and share the love!
Full-figured diva Liv Tyler dares to bare it all in this fabulous retro Lisa Curran bandeau bikini. We say power to ya, Liv. Who says curvy girls have to cover up? Remember the whole Jennifer Love Hewitt butt thing? She sure showed the paparazzi who was boss.
Ed Hardy is known for his crazy, collage-esque, tattoo-inspired designs. And now that he's ventured into swimwear, celebs like Denise Richards are snatching them up. What do you think of the controversial prints?
Liz Hurley has come out with her own line of sporty swimwear for Mango, and although it's not stateside yet, we think this James Bond bikini fits the bill just fine.
Yesterday's Oprah featured the cast of the upcoming Sex and the City movie: basically the only movie any of us care about. It has been generating buzz since the show ended, and with filming going on all over New York City last year, us Big Apple fashionistas have been foaming at the mouth for any info we can get our tiny little hands on.
Well, it comes as no big shocker that Oprah would have the ladies on her couch just in time for the May 30th premiere - and looking oh-so-fab, might I add. While we are still left guessing about what our four best pretend girlfriends will be wearing to the premiere (oh, and throughout the movie) we got to catch a preview of their personal styles from yesterday's show. Below are some options for each - which one is your favorite?
This retro floral dress by Plenty by Tracy Reese ($150) is great for channeling your inner Carrie (um, we mean Sarah Jessica Parker).
Cynthia Nixon looks demure and ladylike - not very Miranda - in a light purple halter. We suggest this silk chiffon dress ($98) for a slightly more vibrant option.
A simple, sexy, no-frills, contrasting dress like this Cynthia Steffe number ($230) that Kim Catrall was sporting leads us to believe she might be more like Samantha than we think.
This classic wrap blouse ($59) looks fantastic on Kristin Davis' petite frame. It also happens to be a perfect Charlotte staple.
From a SheFinds reader: Does anyone know where I can get the swimsuit Elizabeth Hurley is wearing here? I love it!
Well, lucky for you, we've been showcasing celeb swimwear all this week. So this is right up our alley…
Answer: Liz Hurley would be happy to hear your positive response—the bikini she's rocking is one of her own design for international clothing retailer Mango (the same spot Penelope Cruz and her sister have a limited edition line with). The suits aren't available stateside quite yet, but when they do hit the online shelves, your favorite rum raisin-colored halter bikini will retail for $40.
The line is generating quite a bit of press, not because of the designs, but because of Liz's comments on her own photo campaign. According to the still-stunning 42-year-old model/actress, bikini shoots are "unmitigated hell" and "literally torture." Poor thing. Lucky for Liz, she's not above a little airbrushing, and says she counts on "nice photographers and a bit of retouching" to survive her grueling (we bet) day job.
If you can't wait to get your hands on a two-piece like Liz's, look for bust-boosting halter style tops and scoop or low-rise bottoms in shades of deep purple, dark chocolate, or shimmery taupe. May we suggest: Kushcush's chocolate-hued Milla bikini ($158), Fabucci's James Bond bikini ($202), or Gap's bargain-priced Essential halter and low-rise bottoms ($17 each) in either deep brown or eggplant purple.
Have a question for the SheFinds editors? Tell us what you're trying to track down—a special size, the solution to a style conundrum, something your favorite star has sported—and we'll get on the case.
And check out our Swimsuit Guide for more amazing summer suits.
Who says curvy girls have to cover up in one pieces during beach season? Certainly not glamazon Liv Tyler, who foregoes binding "miracle" fabrics and instead shows off her hourglass figure in a Lisa Curran bandeau bikini. Liv makes a smart choice by pairing a strapless, twisty top ($75) in a retro polka dot print with a solid-colored bottom ($75) with subtle ring details. The dark bottom downplays Liv's lower half (yes, black is even slimming when applied to teeny-weeny bikini bottoms!) while the bandeau's big, busy print and volume-adding shape draw attention upwards.
Even if you're not as curvy as Liv, you can still cop her '50s-inspired beach bunny look. If you've got more of a boy shaped bod than Liv, opt for a similar cut patterned with horizontal stripes that give the illusion of curves; ShopBop carries the perfect option— a Lisa Curran striped bandeau two-piece in either classic black and white or more daring red and white ($160). Or maybe all-over dots are more your thing—a medium-sized, repetitive pattern on top and bottom keeps the eye constantly moving, which has an overall slimming effect (no time to pause on body "hot spots"). Get Lisa's Curran's fresh kelly green bandeau and ring-bottom set from Bluefly ($101). Uncertain about going sans straps? Not to worry—Lisa Curran's suits are all fitted according to cup size, so you'll get the coverage and support you need, even if you're not exactly an A cup.
Looking for a look like Liv's? Here are some tops, bottoms, and sets that play on the shape, dotty pattern, and mix-n-match effect Liv masters. Pick the pair that's right for your body shape, and get out there and catch some rays!
And peruse our Swimsuit Guide for more fabulous summer options.
Much to our chagrin, the New York Times has informed us that the fashion elite (namely Anne Slowey of Elle) is 100% over the dress. We're talking done. The frock is out. And in its place comes the trouser. According to Slowey, by the fall, "the thing it will be necessary to own in order to appear fashionable will be 'the pant.'" Well, this got us somewhat baffled, as we've been seeing quite a lot of dresses happily prancing about the scene as of late, showing no signs of anticipated departure.
Case in point, comediennes Tina Fey and Amy Poehler showed up at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Baby Mama Tuesday night donning adorable dresses.
These two may seem like they'd be fashionably challenged. Female comedians are notorious for dressing oddly. (Kathy Griffin, Janeane Garafalo) However, they must be paying big bucks for their stylists because they both looked fantastic.
But we suppose if Amy and Tina were to kowtow to the fashion elite and go the slacks route, these high-waisted tuxedo trousers ($240) have the same cut and pleat detail as Tina's Bill Blass, while these Lotta Stensson palazzo pants ($209) are light and flowy like Amy's Ferretti.
What do you think? Are pants the new dress? Are you ready to toss the frock for a pair of trousers, or will the dress forever be a fashion staple? Sound off in the comments section.
I must admit that I’m not a “Hills” person. Or a “Kardashians” person, or a “Gossip Girl” person, or an anything-in-that-whole-category-of-programming person. But I am a fashion person, so I was intrigued to learn that “The Hills'" Heidi Montag would become that show's second star to launch her own clothing collection (colleague Lauren Conrad's came out last year). Heidiwood, as the line is called, is aimed at teenage customers and debuted this Spring at Blue Anchor stores around the country. The idea to design apparently derives from Montag’s semester studying fashion in Italy during her college semester abroad—as well as (I surmise) her need to compete with Conrad. "Fashion is something that has always been a passion of mine,” Montag has explained. “I really look forward to creating an affordable, fun, and sexy line with Anchor Blue.”
Here are a few (presumably fun and sexy) items from the collection, modeled by none other than Heidi herself:
And here's Montag showing off her designs in person:
Oh, Heidi, you shouldn’t have! No, really—you shouldn’t have. The best thing I can say about Montag’s collection is that it’s fairly priced (between $10-$60). The worst thing I can say is what my popculturista extraordinaire friend commented: “Trash. Trashfest. Boring trashfest.” As you can see, the line features stripes, animal prints, and teeny-tiny shorts, and to be honest I doubt any of you SheFinds readers will want to buy this stuff for your daughter. And yet she’ll probably be dying to don a Montag outfit, so just keep telling yourself: At least that zebra print halter-top and white denim mini-skirt only cost $62. Anything from Lauren Conrad’s line would have (and probably already has) set you back quite a bit more. But at least LC's pieces aren't all made out of lycra blend.
