Photo: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via Getty Images
[theCut] Mug shots are the most unforgiving of photo shoots. The downcast lighting and unforgiving camera angle highlight every sagging eye bag, sallow cheek, and oily pore that look the worst in the wee hours of the morning, when the hangover is just beginning to set in and many of the most unflattering celebrity mug shots are taken. Paris Hilton, however, is a mug-shot unicorn: She always avoids looking like she got dragged there from the floor of a wrecked Maybach, instead looking fresh and lovely, like she walked off the set of a Swiffer commercial. Celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal told us, "I love how she knows what her angles are," and praised her signature swooped-to-one-side mug shot do. Her latest mug shot, taken Friday night in Vegas, is also mighty impressive from a hair and makeup standpoint, although she could have used an extra half a second to open up her lazy eye. Cops took her in after they followed the smell of pot to her Escalade, and then saw her accidentally produce a bag of cocaine from her purse when she pulled out her lip balm. You can tell she's done this a few times because, though she looks a little stressed out in the eyes, her hair is remarkably flyaway-free.
There is a reason that there are over 36,457,549 people in the state of California. Simply said, it kicks ass. The beaches, weather, palm trees, wineries, and Hollywood glamor are all great, but there are other reasons people like me choose to starve, pay insane taxes, and sit in traffic for hours, days on end. Having been a “resident”...ah-hem... of the Sunshine State for over six years now, I have the first hand low-down on why there is no contest when it comes to the infamous East Coast vs. West Coast battle. After all, there is a reason best rhymes with west.
1. The people. I don't care if you are a wannabe, musician, hipster, lost soul, retiree, or tranny, California is your place. The mix of people on the West Coast is phenomenal. At any given day, you could look out your office window and see a guy in skinny jeans, fedora, vest, unnecessary black glasses, tie, and leather bracelets chatting with the homeless man in a purple wig with braided pigtails about the American Idol finale last night. Oh, and an Asian tourist taking a picture of them.
2 . Over 5'7”? Great, you never have to wear heels again! They breed 'em small out here, especially in LA, where the average height for a guy is a solid 5'8”. Took me a while to get
used to this, but then I realized stumbling home in flats is even more enjoyable than dating an appropriately sized man.
3. Yes, New York may have gotten a great summer jam from the self-proclaimed “best rapper of all time”, but where do the girls wear daisy dukes and bikinis on top year round? That's what I thought.
4 . In LA, specifically, there is no stress if you are unemployed. If you need extra cash, become an extra for CSI or 90210: no talent required! If you are embarrassed about all your free time, just tell people you are “doing the acting thing”, then go drink Starbucks and hike up to the Hollywood sign to enjoy “nature” and read a “script”. Over here, not having a job has turned into its own full time job.
5 . West Coasters have day drinking down to an art. Credit the insane amount of rooftop pools or the incredible weather, but I can only assume that has a large amount to do with number 4.
Let's see anyone try to argue their way out of this one. The West Coast is the best coast, hands down, forever and ever...well, until that one big earthquake, but until then...Oh, and one last thing, the Valley isn't really that far from Beverly Hills, so there was no real reason for Cher's dad to get so upset.
Disclaimer: I am a Texas girl born and raised and will forever consider myself that way. However, for the sake of this article, I am not counting the bit of Texas that may or may not be
considered “beachy” and is uncomfortably close to Mexico as a coast...I know you Texans understand).
Like to feel like you could work in the red light district? How about wearing something that no one can tell if it cheap or expensive? If you answered yes to these two questions than you either went to a university that rhymes with Slexas Slate or you are seriously misguided in terms of style. (Vivienne Westwood gloves, DSquared dress)
I love a good, wardrobe updating trend as much as the next girl, but come on people, red leather? That's a little too literal, don't you think? If you don't then you should. It just looks cheap to me. I will, make one exception: a red leather skinny belt. I make this exception because it is understated enough that it won't overpower your outfit or make you look like a hooker. But, regardless of this exception you still won't find me wearing one, so wear one at your own risk. (Versace boots)
Check out some of Fall's misguided attempts at establishing a new trend that sadly straddles the line between what's hot and what's not. The pants, the jacket, the S&M feel of it all! Just say no! (Versace pants, Givenchy boots)
Notice I haven't said no red leather purses: while I am not going to be carrying one I would say that this is the safest zone for the trend. Carry at your own risk - just don't match it with your belt...
[NYTimes] This question pops up everywhere, underlying concerns about “failure to launch” and “boomerang kids.” Two new sitcoms feature grown children moving back in with their parents — “$#*! My Dad Says,” starring William Shatner as a divorced curmudgeon whose 20-something son can’t make it on his own as a blogger, and “Big Lake,” in which a financial whiz kid loses his Wall Street job and moves back home to rural Pennsylvania. A cover of The New Yorker last spring picked up on the zeitgeist: a young man hangs up his new Ph.D. in his boyhood bedroom, the cardboard box at his feet signaling his plans to move back home now that he’s officially overqualified for a job. In the doorway stand his parents, their expressions a mix of resignation, worry, annoyance and perplexity: how exactly did this happen?
It’s happening all over, in all sorts of families, not just young people moving back home but also young people taking longer to reach adulthood overall. It’s a development that predates the current economic doldrums, and no one knows yet what the impact will be — on the prospects of the young men and women; on the parents on whom so many of them depend; on society, built on the expectation of an orderly progression in which kids finish school, grow up, start careers, make a family and eventually retire to live on pensions supported by the next crop of kids who finish school, grow up, start careers, make a family and on and on. The traditional cycle seems to have gone off course, as young people remain untethered to romantic partners or to permanent homes, going back to school for lack of better options, traveling, avoiding commitments, competing ferociously for unpaid internships or temporary (and often grueling) Teach for America jobs, forestalling the beginning of adult life.
The 20s are a black box, and there is a lot of churning in there. One-third of people in their 20s move to a new residence every year. Forty percent move back home with their parents at least once. They go through an average of seven jobs in their 20s, more job changes than in any other stretch. Two-thirds spend at least some time living with a romantic partner without being married. And marriage occurs later than ever. The median age at first marriage in the early 1970s, when the baby boomers were young, was 21 for women and 23 for men; by 2009 it had climbed to 26 for women and 28 for men, five years in a little more than a generation.
[NyMag] A certain sect of the city's most fashion-conscious women, those who try the hardest to look the trendiest with either spectacular success or laughable failure, look like Elaine from Seinfeld, according to the Times. You know the girls, who wear floral prairie dresses with Peter Pan collars under denim vests with white ankle socks and lace-up shoes. Or maybe they do blazers with pillowy shoulders and flowing, below-the-knee skirts. Essentially, these are the chicks who try to copy Chloë Sevigny. Anne Slowey from Elle explains:
“You see someone like Chloë Sevigny wearing it, and you’re like, ‘Oh wait, I want to do that, too.’ The Chloë Sevigny version is shorter and cuter. It’s a flirtier, cleaned-up version, but it is derivative. Who would ever think Elaine from ‘Seinfeld’ would be a style
icon?"
The irony of this latest piece from the Cut it that I've been seeing this in Austin for some time now and I just couldn't put my finger on it. This article does a pretty legit job. It's that I'm-not-trying-too-hard to be sexy that only my favorite hipsters can pull off. The fact that so few are being successful at embodying Chloe's style and are therefore looking like Elaine is gold.
[viaStyle]Peter Philips has created a limited-edition set of khaki-colored nail lacquers that will debut in New York at Chanel stores on Fashion’s Night Out. Khaki Brun is an earthy gray-brown; Khaki Rose is a muted, dusty terra-cotta; and our personal favorite, Khaki Vert, is a mossy green that just may be this fall’s answer to October ’09’s smash hit Jade.
The Fall 2010 installment of Austin Restaurant Week will run from September 19 - 22 and September 26 - 29, and is hosted by Rare Media. The event will allow participants to dine at the finest establishments throughout the city for fixed prices, ranging from $10 - $15 for lunch and $25 - $35 for dinner.
Happy Hump Day! In honor of our rather warm August, I offer up a classic summer dish, fish tacos. This recipe comes from New York’s Papatzul in Soho. When I happened upon this recipe not only did I salivate (just a little) I couldn’t help but share it with the readers of The.Well.Set. Not only is it a deliciously modernized version of fish tacos, but it involves a very do-able method frying the fish. Tilapia fillets work best for the tacos. Cut in four long pieces on the bias.
One pound of tilapia will make ten or twelve tacos.
BATTER
1 cup Negro Modelo
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flower
½ cup water
Mix all ingredients with a whisk until combined (but not whipped). Consistency should be that of a thick pancake batter, adjust flour accordingly. Add salt to taste.
CHIPOTLE CITRUS MAYO
1 ½ cup mayonnaise (homemade if possible, but a good real mayonnaise is fine)
Juice of 1 orange and 2 limes
½ tablespoon orange zest
1 ½ teaspoon lime zest
1 chipotle en adobo pepper or 2 if you like it very spicy (a small can of Chipotle en Adobo La Morena, available in Whole Foods or most bodegas)
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper
SLAW
½ Savoy cabbage sliced very thinly (preferably on a mandolin, but not necessary)
2 tomatoes small diced
½ red onion small diced
Juice of 2 limes
¼ cup olive oil
Heat enough vegetable oil in heavy medium-size stock pot; in the meantime, season the tilapia with salt and pepper, and coat with some all-purpose flour before adding them to the batter. Once they are nicely battered, deep-fry the fillets until golden crispy (about eight to ten minutes).
Combine all the ingredients for the slaw in a bowl; mix with the lime juice and the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Do this at the last minute so the cabbage remains crunchy.
Warm your tortillas (corn or flour) on a comal or a cast-iron pan, but keep them nice and soft. [I find it easiest to wrap the tortillas in a paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds.] Keep the tortillas wrapped in the towel until ready to serve.
You can cut the fried fillets a little and start making your tacos by adding the fish on a tortilla with some of the mayo, and then top with the slaw and a little more mayo. For a perfect meal, enjoy your tacos with a Pacifico!
So this blog, http://www.dearcoketalk.com/, is maybe the most entertaining thing I've ever read - she's like Chelsea Handler on 'roids. I have a big, fat girl crush on her. Devin, my old roomie showed it to me and guaranteed I'd be smitten. Well, he was right, and so I now pass the torch to y'all.
Myfavorite section of her blog is Dear Coke Talk's Kill Yourself. Where ppl write in ridiculous questions and she simply tells them to kill themselves every time. It's so f*cking outrageous. Can't handle it. These are just a few of my favorite snip-its, enjoy.
Kristen McMenamy is having a moment. With her long grey locks sparking a trend of their own, a cover of Dazed and a whole Viktor and Rolf show dedicated to her allure, there is no question that Kristen is the super to beat this year. The icing on the cake comes in the form of August’s Vogue Italia cover; Steven Meisel explores Kristen’s otherworldly beauty with a picture that excites and intrigues – the black rocks, the mist, the BP oil spill undertones - and has the fashion world abuzz.
[viatheCut] Franca Sozzani said her magazine's controversial editorial and cover depicting Kristen McMenamy in a high-fashion oil spill were created with good intentions. "The message is to be careful about nature," she explained. "Just to take care more about nature. ... I understand that it could be shocking to see and to look in this way these images." I think that the undertones might have gone deeper than she cares to admit, re: the changing landscape of fashion post recession caused by hella insane consumerism (hell-o, changing regulations for off shore drilling reference post lackadaisical regulation enforcement due to hella oil consumerism - this stuff is real). The dead-bird model, Kristen portrays, is a little too close to home after a few seasons of people wondering if fashion truly was doneskey. Could this be a foretelling of whats to come. Surely not because people have to dress themselves. Right?
[via Zap2It] Lady Gaga was a headliner at Lollapalooza over the weekend, and tens of thousands of people jammed Chicago's Grant Park to see her perform. But they might not have gotten the best Gaga show of the festival.
A few hours before she took the main stage on Friday (Aug. 6), Gaga made a surprise appearance on a side stage during the band Semi Precious Weapons' set. Or, rather, on a stage and in the crowd.
As you'll see in the (not especially SFW) video above, after joining Semi Precious Weapons on stage and banging on the drummer's kit for a short time, Gaga -- wearing fishnets and pasties -- decided to take a dive into the crowd. Security was not especially pleased with her crowd-surfing, but she seemed to be having a heckuva time. And the crowd, as you might expect, pretty much went nuts. (Check out all the phones and cameras pointed at her when she dives in.)
She also made out a little with SPW singer Justin Tranter, just for good measure, and he joined her in the crowd as well.
From the video, it looks like the SPW set drew a pretty big crowd -- several thousand, probably. We're guessing, though, that many, many more will claim they were there.
While I am first and foremost a fashionista, I am finding that I am also becoming a considerable frugalista. While that word initially hurt my ears and my tongue I'm trying to get over it. Especially in terms of what is realistic for me. Ah, realistic. The word hasn't resonated well with many Americans in my lifetime a la super credit card debt and serious recession.
We all love to live the life we think we are supposed to have. Think being the optimum word. I think I deserve those Chloe' shoes because they suit the image that I am trying to portray of myself to the world: successful, attractive, style savvy. It's because of thoughts like these that I have fallen out of touch with the luxe for less side of my style mantra (Can you tell I've been reading Eat Pray Love? All this mantra talk...It's great by the way and I was a skeptic).
It's about what you look like and how you feel: not how much your clothes cost or the label on the inside of your shirt. Given my shift from affordable housing to a more pricey lifestyle downtown I am having to shift my spending habits quite a bit. Much to my chagrin that is. I am going to have to start living conservatively. You'd think after working for my boss for nearly 3 years that this mantra would sink in. It hasn't. That's why I'm making a consorted effort to really, really, really live within my means. As much as it hurts.
That efforts include my one true love: fashion. While I've grown to be one of those "have to have one piece of designer wear that embodies each season's trend" type of girls I am quickly realizing that those $600 boots not only break the bank {hello credit card debt!}; they also break my BUDGET. That's right. I've created a budget and I am trying to stay within it. As hard as it is. Because the first step to getting over an addiction is admitting you have one. I am not even kidding a little.
So, I've resorted to actively looking at the must have items of the season by the designers that showed them in their F/W 2010 collections and recreating them using affordable, similar items. You know, like I used to do, before my obsession for nice things spun out of control. I am a Taurus and we can't help it. It's more work, but the payoff is legit or so I've been told. I hear it's a literal payoff in your bank account (savings account anyone?) so that you can travel more, save more, live more. I am starting with two of the biggest trends of the season: lady like bags & leopard print.
Let's talk about lady like bags. One of the best things about them is that they are about the shape - not the label. They are generally label-less, made of supple leathers in varying colors. There are a lot of different options as Who.What.Wear showed (left). Some ranging from $58 (5. Kimchi Blue at Urban) to $1695 (6. Miu Miu pinched ruched bag) and they all look pretty much the same. Anyone can rock this trend and that includes you.
While my finger thrillingly hovered over the "Check Out" button for the Mulberry Neely Shoulder bag (3. $995 - I actually thought: it's less than $1K what a deal! I wish I was kidding) I stopped and said, ok, take a break, this is a lot of money. So, I went to Asos.com and checked out this European sites' wares (free shipping including returns!) and purchased the very wallet flatteringASOS Leather Croc Lock Across Body Bag that cost a wopping $85 - it's real leather too (right). I like it, it's within the trend and best of all I can actual carry it knowing that it was bought with real money. It is good looking and well crafted so who cares that the tag doesn't read Salvatore Ferragamo? I don't and you shouldn't either.
Ok, lets talk about the all over the place for Fall 2010 trend: leopard print. It's on vest, bags, pants and most importantly scarves. Thanks to Dries Van Noten, who was on everyone's favorite show of the season list, including mine, and it was due to his subtle blend of luxurious textures and patterns like leopard print with modern tailoring and reliably elegant items that are actually wearable. I was lusting over that scarf like a tiger salivates over a steak. Not just because of the styling (it was real rabbit fur!) but the fact that it was $565! I actually thought that that was a deal. I am crazy about designer clothes. Hence this live within my means experiment.
A little side story: I found said Dries van Noten scarf for sale at mytheresa.com - it was at about 10:30 on last Tuesday night and my credit card was not accepted. Because mytheresa.com is a German company. That's right: I was going to buy this bad boy from Germany - there is no where I won't go to get my fix, I tell you, get me on Intervention people(!). My credit card company put a fraud alert block on this purchase because you know it was late at night and in Germany, of course they thought it was fraudulent. I nearly DIED when it didn't go through.
So, the next day I went to work, got onto the website to try again and they were SOLD OUT. Talk about upset. I was devastated. I called my credit card company and they removed the hold (imagine me calling them and explaining this to them: they thought I was NUTS). But it was too late. I guess they did me a favor because I couldn't afford it anyhow.
I am still dealing with the grief of the loss of said scarf, but I'm dealing. I was ready to move on, so I went to Asos.com and found something that is within the same style and within my price range: Asos Crinkle Oversized Leopard Scarf, $27 (right). It's also more practical because it's cotton, not fur, which makes WAY more sense here in sweaty Austin, TX.
I'll keep you posted on my journey to financial stability. Wish me luck - in the meantime - happy saving?! Weird. Just seems weird. Not exactly my usual: happy shopping! Ugh. My name is Afton and I am addicted to shopping, my name is Afton and I am addicted to shopping, my name is...
As Know Your Meme explains it best, “Haters Gonna Hate is a popular catchphrase that has its roots in American hip hop, but it also spawned an image macro series featuring pictures of celebrities, animals, and cartoon characters strutting or posing in a conceited manner.” Like this little guy, who was created by artist Omar Noory in November 2008 as an animated gif. Now Noory is selling his original drawing as a limited-edition print in a run of 100. Click through for a better look.
Painting working-class ennui in broad strokes, Arcade Fire’s latest album is a giant, loud, exhilarating ride through tales of going nowhere, fast.Arcade Fire have never been a subtle band, and The Suburbs, their third full-length, continues their attempts to steal the throne of everyman chroniclers from the likes of Springsteen. In their Suburbs, cars either won’t start or break down, the kids are plagued with wanderlust, businessmen are vampires to be avoided at all costs, and the only solace from the sprawl comes from dancing to the record player in the glow of the television.The Suburbs has a handful of songs — “Half Light II (No Celebration)” and “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains),” specifically — with heavier bass riffs and more pulse than one might expect from the band behind “Keep the Car Running.” The true thrill of the record comes in the way these moments are juxtaposed with the plaintive narratives of the title track (which returns as a record-closing dirge), filling The Suburbs with the highest highs and the lowest lows of the group’s history.Visit Arcade Fire’s official website, follow them on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, buy a copy of the album, and watch a live stream of the band’s Madison Square Garden concert on Thursday nigh
Who doesn't love something that is timeless? In these trying economic times cost-per-wear is about all we have going for us when it comes to throwing down the big bucks for fashion. Thankfully, one of the fall trends that is most on par with this is head to toe camel. While I'm not 100% on par with what I've dubbed the Saharan Tuxedo (see Canadian tuxedo, get it? ha) I do like doses of it throughout every girl's wardrobe.
Of all the shows that featured this Michael Kors (right & below) did it up right pairing camel coats with shearling collars (so huge right now) while Hannah McGibbon's Chloe' (above) continues to wow the masses by channeling the every-girl (every-rich-girl that is) who just loves high quality, understated luxury design wear.
Here's my Must Buy list for this fall camel trend, that thankfully will be wearable for many moons to come:
1. the camel coat: buy it, wear it, love it: eventually it will be cool again and this will look stunning with jeans and boots for fall/winter.
- see Michael Kors' version, left
2. the camel trouser - think Annie Hall - high wasted'ish (not too high or too tight or risk looking like chunky Jessica Simpson) with a straight, slight flare leg: menswear tailoring at its finest. - see Eli Tahari's version, left
3. the camel blazer: in the land of a million blazers this is the one to get with fall, try it in a boyfriend cut and put it over anything since it is a neutral - don't be afraid to pair it with black either although it looks its best with white, denim and cognac leather...
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