A Doomed Spinoff Looks Great on Kate Walsh

We generally love Grey's Anatomy. We love the bad acting, the ridiculous plotlines, McWhatever. We thought we'd love Addison Montgomery Shepherd's spinoff series Private Practice. And secretly, we do but we're also predicting its imminent demise, mostly due to the presence of Taye Diggs.

However, Kate Walsh looks amazing lately. Amazing.


Bravo Kate for uncovering the perfect black pants. This outfit screams ideal proportions and we love the use of the red shoe. A red shoe is not an easy accessory, in fact, we're going to issue a please don't try this at home on that one.

In another example of a woman who really knows how to pick the right shoe, note the above almost nude pair. We think this is modern and sleek as well as a great match with the leather jacket and feminine dress. Ms. Walsh looks much younger than her 40 years and has come a long way from her one CSI guest appearance as a transvestite.

So what if private practice won't be to Grey's Anatomy what A Different World was to the Cosby Show. Ms. Walsh, you can rest easy that you will eventually be able to join the Rachel Bilson I'm hotter than my other unemployed former co-stars club because a doomed spinoff looks great on you.

Shake It Off Hilary Don't Be So Yesterday

We've noticed a disturbing trend. It seems like Hilary Duff is a diva in training. A very specific diva in training.



If someone told us we were going to morph into Mariah Carey we'd start making some serious life changes faster than you can say box office opening weekend of Glitter.

We Love Mustard

Of all the "new" colors out there for fall, the one we're feeling most in synch with right now is mustard. We've noticed we're liking neutrals as always, as well as most of the saturated colors but not the neon-bright colors the GAP is trying to push on us right now. With a quick nod to runner-up cayenne, we're pegging mustard as our favorite fall color.

This color works with just about every other color we can think of from black, to gray to all the colors in the latest Prada ads. P.S. Isn't their use of color this season brilliant?


Mustard happens much easier to wear than orange or yellow, more interesting than red and unlike say a fun turquoise, actually feels like fall.

Uniformity

We've been doing a lot of thinking lately about various grand, overarching themes with regard to the topic of dressing oneself. I think we can all understand and agree that far beyond just the practicalities of wearing garments, one's clothes are always, whether one likes it or not, communicating with the world. As daunting as that may be, it is a reality and facing such, we've come to believe in certain strategies that make life easier and certainly more aesthetically pleasing.

Does anyone else subscribe to the value of a personal uniform? If t-shirt and jeans springs to mind yes, that's sort of what we're talking about but unfortunately while that is a uniform it's not, barring James Dean, personal. We're looking for a signature look rather than a look that says "hipster" or "investment banker." It doesn't have to be groundbreaking but it does have to be specific. Karl Lagerfeld and Coco Chanel spring to mind.

Of course, this concept can stretch outside the realm of fashion. It definitely includes haircuts. Think the Anna Wintour bob, this woman cut her hair that way in the 70s and it still somehow looks fresh today. We're impressed. We think red lipstick falls in this category. Really anything appearance-related that can stand the test of time, looks good, and becomes a portion of one's identity qualifies.

We haven't quite defined our version of the personal uniform yet but we are continually adopting and refining the principles of simplify, edit, and streamline.

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.

Baby Weight Looks Great on Nicole Richie

No matter what the tabloids say this particular month, it seems like there is ALWAYS a celebrity that could direly use some help from a pre-Gilmore Girls peak "Save the Children" Sally Struthers. Ahem, Mary Kate, you're still invited to our barbecue and Phat Tony just threw your double cheeseburger on the grill.

Its should come as no surprise then that we avoided all guilty pleasure media for the months surrounding the peak of Nicole Richie's "I don't have an eating disorder" problem.

I mean, bikini bottoms should not be baggy, that's so gross and it's enough to send us straight for a big steaming pot of fettuccine alfredo and let's just say we don't really need that kind of encouragement. But lately, thanks to Joel Madden weaving his magic spell of impregnation, our little Ms. Richie looks fabulous.


I think I see muscle tone and those are definitely curves. Might she even be succumbing to a hint of a smile?


We're not really sure how she's going to keep this up post birth unless she's already purchased her tickets to the Britney Spears "how to become the physical embodiment of Cheetos" seminar. Needless to say we're a little concerned but for now Nicole Richie, its time for seconds because baby weight looks great on you.

Dear Stylist: Balenciaga Edition

Dear Stylist,

Ok, this is a shame. We think Balenciaga fell off the rails this season. We're pretty sure this isn't Jennifer Connelly's fault.


Yes, we were madly in love with Fall 2007 and then found that the Spring 2008 offering from Nicolas Ghesquiere pained us too deeply for to speak of most of the time. But seriously stylist, think before you blindly follow a supposed genius. This is what fashion victims are made of.

Yours truly,

The Aesthetes