Emma Pillsbury, Glee

Where do we start with our new favourite guidance counsellor? Miss Pillsbury’s breed of pretty and prim secretary chic makes us want to sing with joy – think pussy-bows, puffed sleeves, brooches and pencil skirts, everything in vivid crayon colours and offset by that perfectly-flicked ginger coiffure.

Hers is a clever look, falling in a sexy middle ground somewhere between dolly and granny. They key is uber-neatness – have fun with colours and accessories, but keep shapes precise and tailored to fit you beautifully. For catwalk inspiration, look to Louis Vuitton and Prada, who showed an array of refined and ladylike looks.
Meanwhile, a floral pussy-bow blouse like this one from ASOS is the quickest way to inject some Pillsbury-style prim into your wardrobe. Well, if it helped her get Mr Schuester (eventually), then it’s good enough for us…

Molly Ringwald

John Hughes’ 80s classic Pretty in Pink has long been one of our favourite squealalong movies. It has all the crucial ingredients – high school, prom, dashing romantic hero with like, his own car, and a nice line in teen witticisms. Meanwhile, Ringwald is divine as its new wave heroine Andie Walsh, a gawky Cinderella we can all identify with.

But it’s only in recent months that we’ve really started to appreciate her wardrobe. It’s Grade A eccentric but still pretty as a picture, with high emphasis on lace, pastels, natty hats and customising. One of the best scenes has to be Andie making her own prom outfit from an old pink bridesmaid’s dress, which has inspired us to get a bit scissor-happy on more than one occasion (if not always with quite such chic results). Also check out her outfits in other John Hughes offerings Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club (where she sports a particularly great leather-jacket-and-cropped-t-shirt combo).

The most obvious port of call when shopping for Molly’s look are vintage stores and charity shops, but there are also some very Andie-esque items to be found on the high street. Urban Outfitters has always specialised in misfit chic, and they come up trumps with this fabulous lace-collar dress. Team with woolly socks and lace gloves.Now all you need to do is choose between Duckie and Blaine…

The Mad Hatter

So Alice might be the obvious point of reference here, but there was another style contender at that tea party, and rumour has it he got 10% off… Yes, for an antidote to all the frou frou petticoats and headbands, take a few tips from the man in the hat.

This is last season’s boyfriend-borrowed chic taken to the next level; part Victorian gent, part late 60s dandy. Think Annie Hall Through the Looking Glass, with blazers, mannish shirts, fingerless gloves and dapper bow-ties in rich colours and prints.

The key to this look is texture. Pile on tweeds, silks, paisley prints and velvet with flashes of metallics for a look that stops just short of the neighbourhood crazy lady. Check out Anna Sui’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection for ways to get it right, and start off your own wonderland wardrobe with some gentleman’s brogues like these lovelies from Office.

(image: victorianweb.org)
Doris Day

When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother, ‘what will I be? Will I be pretty, will I be rich… will I be able to pull off fringed leather with some hotpants and red lippie?’ Yes, the goodie-goodie queen of 50s cinema is an unlikely hero in today’s edgy fashion climate, but for those of us who want to clean up our image for summer, she’s a great example of how to do preppy with pep.

A clean-cut mix of tomboyish shapes and sugar-and-spice colourways, ‘good girl’ chic was a strong catwalk presence at the Spring/Summer 2010 shows, like a palatte-cleansing sorbet amid all the chaotic prints and flounce. Look to Luella for colours and shapes straight out of Pillow Talk, and Lacoste (who else?) for tennis wear that will look as good in a bar as it does on the courts.

Think tailored capri pants, cut to the ankle and worn with jazz shoes or plimsolls. Or go for thigh-bearing, high-waisted shorts like these from Topshop with a tight cashmere sweater in a candy shade.

Keep a smile on your face, a spring in your step and a twinkle in your eye that lets everyone know you’re not as innocent as your outfit might suggest… And if it all gets a bit too saccharine, you can always try channelling Calamity Jane with some dirty fringed lather and a bootlace tie. Yee-ha.

Yourself, circa 1993

That’s right darling, you’re a fashion icon. Cast your mind back 17 years and mentally raid your old wardrobe. Mine consisted largely of little skirts with floral cycling shorts attached underneath, bum bags, stonewashed denim jackets and jelly shoes. The skirt/shorts were particularly useful because it meant you could do cartwheels in the garden without the boys from next door seeing your knickers, a crucial advantage in the social life of a five year old.

If you were a little (or a lot) older, you probably had a myriad of big white motif t-shirts, chunky oversized cardigans, high-top trainers and denim shirts stolen from your boyfriend/brother/Dad. All of these wonderful references and more will be back to haunt us this year, so it’s time to start flicking fondly through the old photo albums. If you belonged to a nudist colony during the early nineties or, oh horror, weren’t actually born, look to the following to see how it was done: Blossom; Claire Danes in My So-Called Life; Clarissa Explains it All, Kelly Kapowski in Saved By the Bell.

TwentyTwelve, Preen and Marc Jacobs have all sent grungey ’90s looks down the runway recently, while there’s plenty of denim, lyrcra, lace and faded florals to be had on the high street. Start off with some cycling shorts, put a lacy dress this one from New Look on top, a cropped top on top of that, and finish off with a denim shirt and some mismatched jewellery. Then put on Rhythm Is A Dancer and do a cartwheel on the lawn.

As with the first movie, we’ll be watching it for the outfits, but we think nothing will match some of Carrie’s looks in the first few series – dig out those dvds if you need a reminder. And we’re sure that Sarah Jessica Parker gets to wear more exciting outfits in the film than what she’s wearing here. White jersey is a lot less interesting than fur coats, floral prom dresses and Eiffel Tower bags.

If you’re in the mood for some SATC nostalgia, check out HBO’s galleries of the girls’ best outfits from all 6 series.

Stylist to the stars, Patricia Field, is sticking by Sarah Jessica Parker and the rest of the cast on the Sex and the City film sequel (phew!)

Despite reports that she might be quitting due to a row with SJP, Pat has confirmed that she is “absolutely” on board for the next chapter.

“I don’t use the recession as a reference for my creativity, true,” she told Radar. ” I am furious and had a row with Sarah Jessica over whatever? False.”

But that’s not all. In order to prevent leaks, producers have come up with five scripts for the sequel, each with a different plotline.

One version is even said to include Carrie, Big and a baby. Click here to read more sequel goss.

We’ve seen him gatecrash Milan Fashion Week and do bizarre things in the second row at Stella McCartney‘s Paris show, but until now, we haven’t been sure how this footage was going to come together to create something which could rival Borat in the funny stakes.

By the looks of this trailer, Bruno – the camp journalist from Austria, otherwise known as comedian Sacha Baron Cohen – is going to more than rival it, as he takes on the fashion world, creates carnage backstage at shows and adopts an African baby Madonna-style. Be warned, this isn’t for the faint of heart and an age restriction does apply if you want to watch it.

[via Ain't It Cool]

Listen to the reasoning behind Patricia Field’s outlandish choices for Isla Fischer as Rebecca Bloomwood, the central character of the new movie Confessions of a Shopaholic. I can’t imagine you’re on a fashion blog without knowing a bit about the book already, but if you are, there’s also a “From Novel to Screen” clip in the “related videos” you could check out, as well as more clips of Pat Field talking wardrobe.

Then peruse some items based on Rebecca’s wardrobe over at Bluefly. My, I’m spending a lot of time on Bluefly today. Must stop shopping, start dinner.

The nominees are in! While the Golden Globes may steal a little bit of award nomination thunder – yes we know Anne Hathaway, Kate Winslet and Angelina Jolie are all going to be up for awards – they certainly don’t take away from the red carpet anticipation.

In fact, the excitement only builds after seeing what everyone wore to the Globes. Will Angie, nominated for Actress in a Leading Role for The Changeling, splash out and wear something a bit more exciting? Will Anne Hathaway, up in the same category for Rachel Getting Married, break out one of her more fashion-forward choices?

Check back here Sunday February 22 when we’ll be liveblogging the awards. Meanwhile, click through for a list of nominees.

Best Picture

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Actor in a Supporting Role

Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Actor in a Lead Role

Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Actress in a Leading Role

Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, The Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader

R. J. Cutler’s new documentary The September Issue debuted at Sundance this past weekend to several packed houses, but when will the general public get to view it?

Well, if you go to Netflix you can add the film to your “saved” queue though no date is listed as to when it will be available. Another hope? A&E, the original destination for the film, says they still plan to air the film sometime this year.

While Anna Wintour didn’t make the Friday night premiere, she and daughter Bee Schaffer did attend a public viewing on Saturday, and the premiere of “Rudo y Cursi.”

“[I'm] channeling mountain casual. It is actually my first time wearing jeans to work,” Wintour said. She wore a leather Michael Kors jacket with a fox collar, an Oscar de la Renta turtleneck, J Brand jeans and Manolo Blahnik boots.

“This is very much R.J.’s film. I want to make it very clear that he had complete freedom to put together the movie that he wanted and it’s not in any way Vogue behind him telling him what he can and cannot do,” she said.

This may be in response to comments that Vogue, Wintour and Grace Coddington seem to be viewed through rose-colored glasses in the documentary.

Scenes we’re excited for?

- Bee attempting to discuss her future legal career with her mother

- An opening montage of Vogue editors freaking out about Anna

- Andre Leon Talley playing tennis

- Grace directing a photo shoot with Patrick Demarchelier and Caroline Trentini

[Source; Source]

What we wouldn’t give to be in the audience at Sundance among the first to see R.J. Cutler’s film chronicling the making of the September issue of Vogue magazine. Anna Wintour herself will attend the premiere in a rare show of support for any media exposure of her magazine.

WWD goes so far as to say that the film chronicles the last hurrah of the luxury boom, and hints that footage may include Anna talking about the end of her career.

What else do we want to see?

1. What everyone’s wearing, duh.

2. The fashion closet.

3. What Voguettes eat

4. Anna displaying any of the mannerisms found in The Devil Wears Prada

Cutler says enigmatically: “My observation with the creativity in the hallways and offices is that Vogue is like the mist. You don’t think it’s raining and all of a sudden you’re soaking wet.”

Apparently creative director Grace Coddington wasn’t as supportive as Anna.

“She couldn’t throw us out of the building because she’s not the boss,” Cutler recalled. “Anna’s the boss and she had invited us in. But she was unhappy to see us. And when Grace is unhappy to see you, that’s not the place anyone wants to be. God bless her, she [eventually] gave us a chance.”

Other notables you can hope to see include Thakoon Panichgul, Oscar de la Renta, Patrick Demarchelier, Karl Lagerfeld, Nicolas Ghesquière, Jean Paul Gaultier, Stefano Pilati, Phillip Lim and Isabel Toledo.

[Source]

Once apon a time, we all wanted to go through Rebecca Bloomwood’s closet. As long as it didn’t explode on us like it did that one time on Suze. But having seen the trailers for the upcoming film, do we still want to steal from Becky’s wardrobe?

P.S. Either way, you can steal – or at least buy – from her wardrobe – keep reading.

Well, if it’s on the Bluefly Confessions of a Shopaholic microsite, sure. There are cute pics based on every outfit, given that you don’t wear all of them together like Isla Fisher does as Becky in the movie.

But even this is disappointing. When you’re promising Becky’s closet – we want the exact items. I understand all the reasons that this is unreasonable – production schedules on movies, one-off items created for the film – but throw us a bone with a boot or coat Becky actually wore.

But all this is overshadowed by the far greater disappointment that Becky is an utter fashion mess in the movie! I guess I got the impression that Becky wore some crazy things in the books, but overall I think she was percieved as genuinely fashionable, if a bit label-crazy.

Why is Hollywood unable to give us a fashionable British chick-lit heroine? Bridget Jones is schlumpy and dumpy and Becky,,, Well, firstly they didn’t even make her British. Then they made her this crazy hot mess. I suppose it’s possible her character will go through a fashion transformation, but I don’t see it. And I might not see this movie. (Oh, who am I kidding, I WILL, but I’ll snort and giggle at her clothes a lot.)

Tell us what you think in the comments!

For more heroines, chick-lit and all things books head over to Trashionista.

Catwalk Queen‘s Kimberley Foster writes…

Ever since Kim Cattrall spilled the news to Mel B on The Paul O’Grady Show earlier this month, we have been keeping our ears to the ground for any updates on the rumoured film sequel to Sex and the City. At first, Sarah Jessica Parker was hesitant to confirm reports, responding with: “I’m thrilled to know Kim is excited but all the deals are not yet done.” Well now it seems as though the project has been given the green light, with SJP telling Access Hollywood that filming will begin next summer.

“I think shooting next summer is a realistic timetable. That’s when we’d start shooting to be out in 2010. But that means we need to figure this out in the next couple of months,” she said. As for those potential story rumours that Carrie could become a mum in the follow-up film, SJP also reveals the answer to that. Click on to hear what she said…

Adding to that, SJP told the news program: “We’ve had very general conversations about the idea. That’s the big hurdle: the idea. The studio is very enthusiastic, which is lovely and seductive. We’re at the place where [writer/director] Michael [Patrick King] has a wealth of stories so now it’s, ‘We think we have this story and how do we put this together and are we completely sure that it’s the right thing to do?”"

So is motherhood on the cards for Carrie this time?

“[Motherhood] doesn’t seem as if that’s going to be a choice she’ll make. It feels a little bit manipulative to toss that into the mix because she seems so pointed in a different direction,” she told MTV exclusively.

And what about those other rumours that a major character is going to kick the bucket in the sequel? Yikes!

[Source]