Trend: PVC and Leather

You have to be willing to take a big risk of looking like a hooker to head into PVC pleather territory. But that's the beauty of it all, wearing something potentially trashy and making it look sophisticated. And with a rainy season coming up, PVC is usually a more interesting raincoat than a regular trench:

TopShop Waterproof Button Coat £65.00
DKNY PVC Raincoat: $120.00


You have to be really daring to wear do the whole black leather/pleather skirt thing, like Julia Restoin. Here's a LAMB pencil skirt from Shopbop:

I recommend ladylike pointed kitten heels, and loose, billowy top. No sheer stockings, no hooker heels.

Of course, there's always the gothic fetish shops, for authentic seediness.

Hayden Panettiere's Closet

So Hayden Panettiere, aka The Cheerleader from Heroes, is selling her clothing to save the whales. She's a penchant for dressing really old lately, but she's got some good clothes in there. Here are my picks:

Scarlet Eva Franco Evelyn Pleated Puff Sleeve Jacket $335.00



Eva Franco Onyx Crystal Dress: $245.00



Black Juicy Couture Equestrian Princess Hand Bag: $495.00

^Ok you would really have to care about the damn whales for that somewhat tacky bag, but whatever, it's for the whales.

Link

Now if only Julia Restoin-Roitfeld would take up some inane cause and sell her clothes...

Celebrity Streetstyle: Penelope Cruz in J Brand

Penelope looks like she's wearing J Brand "Lovestory". They looked a little exagerated on the hanger. Who knew they could look so hot? I'm loving her color palate of black, white and navy blue. Her hair also has that styled, but unstyled look to it. She's the epitome of modern continental chic. This is the kind of look that Charlotte Casiraghi should be wearing, not that street urchin look that she's been sporting around London lately.

I Love Faux Fur

It's still freezing cold where I live, so a warm coat is usually essential until about mid-March, so I've been obsessed with faux fur lately. That's when I came across this little number. How Audrey Hepburn is this? With big sunglasses, thick tights, black mini, and slim boots, it could work. Link

Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue and the battle of the Grace Kelly impersonators

I was upset about America Ferrera being regulated to the very edge of the layout. I was also suprised that Annie L. and company would put Jessica Biel on the cover. I was even more suprised that Scarlett Johansson was not on her 5th cover of Vanity Fair by now. Especially considering both Annie Lebowitz's and Vanity Fair's obsession with Scarlett, rivals only their obsession with Gwyneth Paltrow. However, I was reassured of their love of both actresses when I turned to the Hitchcock themed Hollywood portfolio, where the gruesome twosome were featured (imitating Grace Kelly, natch):


Scarlett adds absolutely nothing to the photo. If Javier Bardem wasn't there, I wouldn't know who she was supposed to be. They would've had better luck with a mannequin. Even the hair is wrong. She looks like she's going to a sock-hop.


Gwyneth Paltrow is actually sort of good here (alongside Robert Downey Jr.). So good for her, you could also credit the slender figure, filled in eyebrows and the dark lighting. She looks so elegant, and smug. Much better than when she attempted her Kim Novak impersonation, and instead ended up looking like a geisha drag queen:



However, Charlize Theron blows them both out of the water in her portrait as Margot in Dial M for Murder:


The expression, the hair, the styling is absolutely perfect. It's a bit ironic that it's also the least complicated layout. Methinks Charlize could've been a Hitchcock blonde from way back.

Link

Switched at birth?

Grace Kelly, above; Catherine Deneuve, bottom (picture from Perfume Shrine).

"Actually, Christie, they've got nice lines, and a fun, frisky use of color.."

One of my favorite movies is Romy and Michelle's Michelle High School Reunion. The hilarity, soundtrack and of course, the clothes are perfect. Also, the movie is responsible for one of my favorite characters ever: Heather Mooney. Needless to say, it was always a dream of mine to create a closet full of clothes for myself like Romy and Michelle did. Unfortunately, I'm terrible at sewing, and it took a whole week (a whole week!) for me to make an apron in Home Ec.

So imagine my glee at discovering this real-life Romy/Michelle on the craftster.com forums. Aparently she makes most of her creations from her own pattern, and is inspired by movies like Sophia Coppola's Marie Attoinette, and Belle de jour. She also has a penchant to create dresses out of bed spreads and sheets. She truly makes sewing look fun.

Now I must go watch my like, 36th viewing of Pretty Woman....