Question of the Day: What Former Project Runway Contestent Was Recently Unleashed on Hollywood

Seriously, where are Michael Kors and Nina Garcia when they're needed:


ill fitting,


unecessarily complex


and badly constructed have come to town, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it.

Celebrity Time Machine: All Roads Lead to Winona (and we don't mean Judd)

I think we all would have no problem predicting what all the chestnut haired waifs in Hollywood will look like in 10 years. Luckily, they have absolutely nothing to fear since all roads lead to Winona.

The Upstarts:

Natalie Portman

b. 1981
Breakout role: "Marty" in Beautiful Girls
Blockbuster franchise role: Queen Amidala in Star Wars I, II, & III
Next project: The Other Boleyn Girl

Keira Knightley


b. 1985
Breakout role: Juliette "Jules" Paxton in Bend it Like Beckham
Blockbuster franchise role: Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Carribeans I, II & III
Next project: The Duchess (apparently, "A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who reviled for her extravagant political and personal lives" as per IMDB...sounds riveting).

New Edition:

Ellen Page


b. 1987
Breakout Role: Clearly, "Juno MacGuff" in Juno. I mean how many times do we have to tell you, Tots can't skate.
Blockbuster franchise role: We had thought none yet but actually she played "Kitty Pryde" in X-Men: The Last Stand.
Next Project: Smart People, not much information here except she's joined by Sarah Jessica Parker and Dennis Quaid in this one.

The Original:

Winona Ryder

b. 1971
Breakout role: "Lydia" in Beetle Juice but for us, nothing tops Winona as the "Veronica" in Heathers.
Blockbuster franchise role: um...we always thought Reality Bites could've used a sequel...
Next project: The Last Word, based on a Bret Easton Ellis novel.

Dear Stylist: The Other Boleyn Girl

Dear Stylist,

We're fans of historical fiction, clearly. It's all the drama and intrigue without all the messy ties to what really, actually happened. So with the release of The Other Boleyn Girl, we're pretty excited, especially upon hearing that it would star the eminently watchable Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman.


Our eyes skipped by this photo of the starlets at the premiere just as easily as we find ourselves jamming along to a favorite 80s track only to then discover that we're listening to Eaaasy One Oh Two Point Seeeveeeen. Can anyone assure us that we're not the only ones experiencing this phenomenon on a regular basis, please, pretty please?

Upon closer inspection we realize that while Scarlett's dress is a lovely, flattering shade and seems to be a nice classic shape, she is also wearing enough eyeliner to put Lauren Conrad to shame. Subsequently, Ms. Portman is sporting what seems to be a lace tatoo. With strategically placed drapery of course but seriously Portman, Queen Amidala had more red carpet appropriate garb. And she was super-busy saving her planet.

Yours truly,
The Aesthetes

The Secretary Blouse

It's late October and we're knee deep into the season of pumpkins, cider donuts and football but does anyone else feel like it's the endless summer? Not that we're complaining, it's just that every time we try to wear our puffy vests we find ourselves breaking a sweat and we LOVE our puffy vests.

If you're one for fashion magazines, surely you've noticed that editors are screaming about the "secretary" trend for fall. Admittedly, we support the return of lady-like in women's fashion, for example we've always been a sucker for a good 1950's vintage day dress but what of this specific trend, and what of it's mascot, the secretary blouse?

We can't seem to shop anywhere lately without coming across something like this.


Why hello frumpy, what's your name? Prim and proper is one thing but attack of the hand-eating blouse is clearly another. We're finding this ultra literal translation of this trend quite a bit boring and another fabulous example of how to be a fashion victim.

Options abound for adopting a hint of this trend and giving yourself the option for wearing the garment next year. Several favorites below:

Banana Republic Satin Ribbon Top: $78


Just the black and white kicks it up a notch and makes the whole look more youthful.

Anthropologie Alameda Top: $59
More contemporary drape, nice sleeve detail. Would be great with a pencil skirt and some crazy heels.

J Crew Rivoli Blouse: $115


Not quite the traditional shape at all but definitely hinting towards that YSL ovoid silhouette that folks are loving right now.

Finally, we think the most brilliant way of capturing this trend in a semi-literal manner is with a sleeveless secretary blouse a la Natalie Portman's costume in Wes Anderson's short film Hotel Chevalier. We think that if you choose to go with the flouncy tie neck or any sort of ruffle, it is imperative to also impart a sense of long and lean. The sleeveless shirt lends a beautiful columnar aspect to an outfit especially when paired with a wide-leg trouser and high heeled boot.

We can't find an image of it online but you can download the short film for free here.