Fashion Meets Music: Marry The Night

*Another MISS exclusive for you, check it and the amazing images as laid out by C_Rocka at Fashion Meets Music: Lady Gaga Marry The Night.


After splitting with her creative director of four years, Laurieann “Boomkat” Gibson, Mama Monster has taken the reigns and delivered a music video wrapped in a 14 minute short film. With less than subtle nods to “Fame,” “Black Swan,” “Desperately Seeking Susan” and a touch of “The Bell Jar,” this somewhat dark trip into the recesses of Gaga’s mind is worth the 14 minutes just to hear her muse on BeDazzlers and next season’s Calvin Klein.


According to the lady herself, “Marry The Night” depicts the worst day in her life. If the worst day in her life included well phrased monologues, custom Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, break downs in Manhattan lofts, mint hair dye and blowing up cars in over the knee Christian Louboutin boots, I’d gladly trade. Of course like she says at the beginning as she’s being wheeled to a room in a psych ward after an undisclosed operation, this is her version of the truth which is more true than the actual truth. Whatever break down that lead to Stefani becoming Gaga was devoid of the sick clothes, amazing choreography, over the top imagery and hard hitting sounds that we see in “Marry The Night,” but it undoubtedly lead to it.

Break down over and done, the beauty in “Marry The Night” is not just the metaphor laden overarching theme but the clothes of course–I mean seriously, it IS Gaga. From the moment we see a barely conscious Mama Monster being wheeled down the hall by two hot nurses in sterile white dresses with sick white heels and mint hair nets, we know this is a Gaga production. Fast forward to a newly released Gaga losing her mind in her studio, bathing in honey nut Cheerios and dying her hair mint green as she sings the opening lines of “Marry the Night” in her bathtub wearing, as we see later, nothing but a pair of sparkly platforms. She has her Madonna moment in BeDazzled denim and a pair of awesome custom shades, and slides into the roof of a car in a black pleather outfit that is equal parts Batgirl and dominatrix. Through the quick flashes of the moments leading up to her break down we get glimpses of a pre-meat dress Gaga circa The Fame. While I loved every outfit from beginning to end the most beautiful, and wearable ones, were worn by the nurses as they wheeled our little “morphine princess” back to reality.


Whatever you think about Gaga, her backstory or her abilities as a director, you have to admit that the girl is smart. I mean only someone with a mind full of references addled by self induced trauma could come up with such a fitting homage to the struggles of fame and reinvention,  and everyone’s favorite city all while wearing heels so high that falling off of them would break a major bone.

Give It to Me...Now!

*This is a MISS exclusive, featuring me tapping into my inner Veruca and demanding asking for some lovely Christmas gifts. View it in its original format at What I Want for the Holidays 2011: Anastasia. 

It’s the holidays again and you know what that means: family is driving you bananas, the mall is crowded as hell and it’s time to get your wish lists in order to ensure that you don’t end up with leaping lords, milking maids and water fowl under your tree on Christmas day. As a “grown up,” my Christmas list usually begins with requests to pay off my student loans, pay off one of my credit cards or a brand new car, and eventually ends with things my parents, friends and boo can buy without taking out loans to do so. This year, after a rocky past few months, I’ve decided to keep it relatively simple and only ask for stuff I’ll actually use and get, not that I wouldn’t be happy with something not on the list that is green and can be used to buy whatever I want. However, I have a few people in my life who are bad gift givers–daddy–and need to use this as a visual aid to find the present that will guarantee I don’t go all Veruca Salt on Christmas day.

1. Carrie’s Lost Choo aka Jimmy Choo’s Marlene Sandal- I’ve always had a thing for shoes, my friends can tell you that in college they watched me work up the shoe ladder from Steve Madden, Nine West and Aldo to Calvin Klein, BCBG and Michael Kors so it was inevitable that Choo would be my next step. While other girls are eying practical red bottom shoes just to say they have a pair of Louboutin’s, I’m embracing my inner Bradshaw and going for Carrie’s iconic Marlene sandal. At $1995 these violet platform sandals with hand-applied feathers and crystals may be more of a shoe dream than a reality, but you can’t knock a girl for asking.

2. Rebecca Minkoff Snake Stamped Metallic Leather Laptop Case- Last Christmas, in addition to boots on boots on boots, I got the most amazing grown up life present ever: a 15″ Macbook Pro. She’s a life saver and my best friend, unfortunately she’s a bit smaller than my old Toshiba and doesn’t have a laptop case to call her own. Sooo…she needs this more than I do. I mean my Mac is a fly chick and deserves a fly place to sleep when she isn’t busy hanging out in coffee shops, on my coffee table or working her tush off.

3. Spiritual Gangster Limited Edition Guru Yoga Mat- On top of being a bomb dot com writer and fashion addict I’m also a huge spiritual gangster and in love with yoga–although I’m just getting back into it after a brief hiatus that has lasted several years. To get back in my yoga groove I need a new mat–I had crawfish and beer on my last one years ago and ruined it–and this one is certified gangster, like listening to Jay Z while reading Deepak Chopra and retweeting @UncleRush kinda gangster.

4. Vitamix Blender- With the call back to my yoga mat finally being answered, my body is now calling out for a break from pizza, tacos, burgers and all the other junk I feed my body. The best way for me to get my body back on track is to blend and the best bet in the blender department is the Vitamix. It blends smoothies, frozen big-girl beverages and juices, which is the real reason I want it since buying fresh juice from Whole Foods is a good way to be healthy and poor.

5. Tiny Devotions Transition Mala- Part two of my spiritual gangster path brings us to my mala, aka prayer beads. This particular set is made with labrodorite and amethyst and is supposed to protect you during vulnerable growth stages and add a little peace and tranquility to your life and outfit. With a big move from the dirty south to the big apple looming on my horizon, I figure I can use all of the protection, peace and tranquility that I can get.

Remember, ’tis the season for giving, gathering, and being grateful so keep your head up and pass those unwanted fruitcakes my way, because I’m strange and I actually like fruitcakes. Happy Holidays y’all! 

Mother of Pearl SS12 Lookbook

Fashion piece for Frank 151....so you know the drill. Find it in its original format at Mother of Pearl SS12 Lookbook.

Adrenaline junkie Maia Norman’s Mother of Pearl line is back with a new collection of athletic-inspired fashion for SS12, and has been winning fans all over the Internet. This season MoP has brought in acclaimed artistFiona Banner to produce a series of prints that form the foundation of the collection. She also took the "book" portion of the word lookbook literally, and published the collection as a book complete with its own ISBN number, registered under the title Mother, that can be seen throughout the designs. 


Heavily inspired by art and Norman’s sporty lifestyle, (she drove in the 2011 Gumball 3000 in an Audi R8 with a wrap designed by Jim Lambie), the SS12 MoP collection features a fresh palette of mint and line green, pastel orange, electric and pale blues balanced with black, grey and cream. Banner’s illustrative prints add an edge and energy that make MoP the clothing line of choice for ladies who have outgrown that sneakers and tees phase but haven’t fully embraced the fashion beast lifestyle. 


Rounding out Mother of Pearl’s SS12 collection is the brand’s first official swimwear collection. Expanding on capsule swim ranges from previous seasons, the one-piece and bikini styles offered for spring and summer feature Banner’s prints and fit in perfectly with the ever growing brand.


Available at Colette in Paris and Joyce in Hong Kong, Mother of Pearl is enjoying a cult following amongst the most hardcore anti-fashionistas. Blow your girl away this Christmas by snagging one of these hugely coveted pieces for her.

Ronnie Fieg x New Balance

This was done as a part of my new duites as a contributor in style area over at Frank 151. To view it in it's original format go to Ronnie Fieg x New Balance. 

Ronnie Fieg is moving to Manhattan this Friday, November 11, or at least Kith will be. To celebrate the opening of their downtown flagship, the Kith crew has teamed up with New Balance on two classic, American made 574's. Owing their saturated color and plush feel to the use of premium pigskin and soft mesh, each one of the 72 pairs--that's 36 pairs per colorway--will retail for $135 and will come with an NB x Kith tee shirt, also made in the USA. Both colorways will be exclusively available at Kith NYC on Friday 11/11/11 when the doors open at 10 a.m. So get there early, it's Friday morning and you don't have anything to do except work maybe.

Fashion Meets Music: Our Deal

This is a M.I.S.S. original so....you know the drill. Find the original at Fashion Meets Music: Our Deal.

What do you get when you put the beachy, SoCal sound of Best Coast in a blender with some of Hollywood’s hottest up-and-comers, The Warriors, West Side Story and tons of eyeliner? Drew Barrymore’s music video directorial debut for Best Coast’s “Our Deal.” Shot for MTV’s Supervideo series, videos shot sans the band under the premise of telling a story not selling a single, “Our Deal” features my favorite under 20 actress Chloe Moretz as a star crossed lover in an L.A. gang kicking ass and falling in love with the wrong guy–who hasn’t been there.

“Our Deal” is a typical easy, breezy Best Coast track that would fit right into one of Drew Barrymore’s smaller budget romantic comedies or a movie about a modern day Romeo and Juliet who are members of rival houses and gangs–wait Baz Luhrmann already made that movie. Either way Barrymore’s four and ten minute long videos both accomplish what so many videos fail to, telling a smart story with good acting that does not rely heavily on seductive dance moves and over the top costumes. Although it was tough to watch as a recently single gal, this video gets an A for storytelling and an A+ for style.

Speaking of style, Drew Barrymore told the people over at Pitchfork that the entire video was inspired by the timelessness of the jean jacket and Best Coast’s modern meets retro sound. Sound aside, it is beyond obvious that pre-filming Barrymore was on a strict visual diet that included The Warriors, West Side Story, The Outsiders, and Rebel Without a Cause. Her girls sport Winehouse-esque hair, tons of eyeliner and the kind of bad chick attitude I’ve been trying to cultivate for years with little success–I don’t think my hair gets big enough to hide eyeliner and razors in for that. The guys in the clip have that dangerous mix of James Dean and that cute hipster dude you always want to ask you out but never does. Channel this urban rebel look with skinny dark denim, biker boots, an amazing leather jacket, vintage tees, black liner and enough Aqua-net to kill the ozone layer dead.

Check me out on FRANK 151

You know the drill. This content is all for FRANK 151, my newest online home. They don't hold all the rights to my work but they do hold a few. To view this in its original format go to Vans OTW November Releases over at FRANK 151. Big, big hug to C_Rocka-my M.I.S.S. PnG- for the hook up.

Since last summer the Vans OTW Collection has been quenching shoppers’ thirsts for skate-inspired designs that go the extra mile in the style department. This month we’re getting three new additions to the oh-so-popular OTW collection. Arguably the most in-demand of the bunch, the Vans OTW Bedford comes back this month in two new suede-textured colorways. One pair of the mid-cut sneaker features a grey and burgundy paneled upper while the other is solid black, both have plaid linings. This month’s grouping also sees a new colorway in the low-cut Ludlow hitting the shelves in grey wool and tan vegetarian leather. All three pairs are available now. 

Fashion Meets Music: Shake It Out

This was written exclusively for M.I.S.S. To view this post in its original format please go to Fashion Meets Music: Shake it Out. Big thanks to C_Rocka for doing all of my FMM images, no matter how late I get them to her. 

Blame it on the economy, Boardwalk Empire or next year’s Great Gatsby release but designers have gone head over heels for the Jazz Age. In almost perfect timing, Florence Welch is embodying the joie de vivre of the prohibition era in the video for her latest single, “Shake It Out.”

 Before I dig in on the inspired and inspiring fashion sported in the video, I have to talk about the track itself. As the second single from Florence + The Machine’s upcoming album Ceremonials, slated to drop on Halloween, “Shake It Out” is filled with the beautiful and stirring lyrics that we’ve come to expect from Flo and Co. Seriously, “Shake It Out” will be to Ceremonials what “Dog Days Are Over” was to Lungs, you know the catchy, poppy hit that strikes a chord with everyone from self help devotees to Gleeks. The magic one this one is not only in the lyrical content, which is spectacular, but the instrumentation as well. It literally makes you want to get up and shake the bad juju out of your hair before attempting to start again.

 Sartorially speaking the entire video is a send up to the raucous all weekenders that we who did not live through it associate with the Jazz Age thanks to a Mr. F. Scot Fitzgerald. While the fashion isn’t 100% true to the era that brought us the little black dress and the bob, it does touch on important high notes of the defining style of the time. Florence floats ethereally in a flowy red dress, becomes the life of a masquerade in a gilded sheath with serious back emphasis--a hallmark of evening gowns form the 30’s--and gives us a little Victor Victoria vibe in a black dress that would be at home in the decade preceding Gatsby and Daisy’s. Not only are Florence’s looks beyond ideal but the looks of her fellow revelers, clad in 1920’s-ish pieces and Venetian masks, hints at next spring’s love affair with decade that perfected excess a generation before the 80s .

Incorporate a little 20’s glam into your wardrobe, and look like such the trendsetter by picking up on next season’s trend before it hits the mags, by seeking out pieces that pour on the glitz. Think dropped waists, t-strap, moderate hight heels--leave the super high skyscrapers at home, lots of gold, silver, sequins and feathers, and rich fabrics and colors. A perfect way for girls no blessed with Florence Welch’s mile long legs to get in on this trend and the video’s vibe is to pair a knee length dress like this one by French Connection with t-strap heels, a great cocktail ring and a perfect red pout--lipstick only came in varying shades of red way back when. Taller girls can shake it all out in a dress similar to the red chiffon number that Florence gets down in and float into their next fete with all eyes on them. Just be sure to top it off with costume jewelry to bring the look together.

Fashion Meets Music: Bjork

This is M.I.S.S. original. To see it in its original format go to Fashion Meets Music: Bjork.

“The pop landscape, not to mention the fashion scene, is always a duller place without Björk.”

Truthfully, the world would be a little less bright without the quirky sounds and styles of this Icelandic performance artist who brought strange to the mainstream long before meat dresses were in vogue.

This pixie-like siren with a voice as distinctive as her look, has been bringing her eccentric style to the masses since she was 11 years old. After fronting various bands since the age of 14 Bjork finally hit the big time as a member of the Sugarcubes, an alternative rock band that gained a cult following in the states and abroad during the late 80’s/early 90’s. Post Sugarcubes, Bjork moved to London to pursue a solo career where she linked up with producer Nellee Hooper and her first super hit “Human Behavior” was born. While “Human Behavior” didn’t get much air time, the video directed by frequent time Bjork collaborator Michel Gondry went into heavy rotation on MTV and that was pretty much history. Several albums and awards later, this singer-songwriter/composer/producer/occasional actress has earned acclaim across several genres and influenced and mentored several struggling recording artists. While her eclectic sound and three octave vocal range have cemented her as one of the greatest voices of all time, according to NPR and MTV, her striking appearance is as distinguishing as her sound.

Who can forget the impish Bjork bopping down the red carpet at the Academy Awards dressed in a swan? Her signature coal black hair framing her face as she baffled every red carpet commentator with her Marjan Pejoski creation. After seeing Gaga carried to the Grammys in an egg, Bjork’s 2001 choice seems tame in comparison. As the answer to “What came first, the mama goose of the egg,” Bjork’s unconventional style has spawned legions of fans and admirers. She’s collaborated with fashion’s favorite rule breakers, Alexander McQueen and Jeremy Scott, and came up with outlandishly amazing creations more for art’s sake than to shock and garner attention from a crowd. Face paint? Yes. Dresses that are more papier-mache art projects than dresses befitting an in the flesh start? Check. Dark hair that adds a certain mystery to her strikingly East-Asian features? Banged and falling around her face or tightly wound in Princess Leia like buns.

While most avant garde, performance artist types from the 90s have fallen into anonymity, Bjork has recently released her 8th album Biophilia, the world’s first “app album” in collaboration with Apple which was partly recorded on iPad. To top 2011 of right, Bjork has also collaborated with the Dirty Projectors on their album Mount Wittenberg Orca, due out in late October.

Whether you are a fan of her quirky fashion sense or phenomenal vocal and musical talents, we can all agree that Bjork is one iconoclastic performer.

Things That Made Me Smile in the past 2 weeks

It's been a long time so I have a looong list of things to be grateful for!

*new shoes * Jeffrey Fashion Cares * the after party * meeting some ahhmazing bloggers (s/o to the fly miss behind the Fashion Bomb) * getting more compliments in a dress from two falls ago than I get almost ever * hanging with my favorite creatives during FNO * pizza and wine with the gals * Rodney Oliver Banks ya'll * being in the same #FF tweet as Jason Wu * baby groupies * nails done hair done everything did * new art in the house * brunch with BG x 2 * talking it out * the very beginnings of fall * on the spot j-o-b interview * de-cluttered apartment= de-cluttered life * "That was Nancy Grace?" * "Ummm the batteries for the safe are locked in it." * The Weeknd * tapping in to my inner goddess...ps it's Durga so don't push me * getting ready for the BF's return..and boy is it about time * finding my "real" jewelry * window shopping for cars * QUITTING MY J-O-B!!!! On to the next one.

Fun with Polyvore and Photoshop

Here are a few sets and such that I put together with the help of my besties Polyvore and Photoshop. Some of these were created from my blood, sweat, and tears (just kidding, I don't bleed blood) others were edited by me as a part of duites over at Gamine. Either way...enjoy!

Gamine's favorite things for August

Conceived by Lola, refined (edited) by Moi for Gamine's What to Wear When...Is It Fall Yet?

Gamine's inspiration board...cupcakes, class, and sass!

Compiled by Lola, edited by Moi for Gamine's What to Wear When..Hanging on the Stoop.

Gamine's Mood of the Month, February 2011

Ask Ana: Bad Chick that Wants to Look Like Eva Mendes

I can't find the link to this for some reason...but it was put together by Liz and refined by yours truly for Gamine.

Memorial Day Must-Haves for Examiner.com

Things That Made Me Smile This Week

OK, sooo my life is pretty much a roller coaster--the kind that is super awesome but can make you sick with so many twists, turns, loops, and drops that can leave your stomach in your throat. In an effort to keep me grounded while my life pulls turns sharper than an ice skate, I've decided to take a page from Gala Darling's blog and list all of the little things that make me smile each week. Sorta like counting your blessings but not so much, you know. Oh and I know the magazine is mirror imaged since I took the pic in Photo Booth.

* Skype dates with the BF * Brunch at Flying Biscuit with BG * Free coffee at the FNO Atlanta press conference * Mint chocolate cupcakes from Cami Cakes * Tan Louboutin spiked loafers, I died * Getting my credentials wrapped up with a bow for Jeffrey Fashion Cares * "Since when did like every dress at BCBG cost $400?" * Spending the week with Toro y Moi, Washed Out, Little Dragon, Tune-Yards, How to Dress Well, Wild Nothing, The Weeknd, & George Benson courtesy of the BF * Seeing the day of work I put in styling and profiling with the Jezebel team on the newsstand, despite them misspelling my name * Going to Fellini's with Patrice after Jezebel's Most Eligible party * Learning all about Namibia via daily emails from the BF who comes home 9/6 * Recapping True Blood with Keisha, Gabs, and Christina at work then Amber via text and Ari while it was on * Seeing my articles tweeted by @FashionCares, @ CarenWest, and @FNO Atlanta, ranks up there with @PeoplesRev tweeting at me * New bathroom decor

Fashion Meets Music: Beth Ditto

This is another MISS orignal for my weekly Fashion Meets Music column. To view this piece in its original format go to Fashion Meets Music: Beth Ditto.

Mary Beth Patterson has been compared to a punk version of Melissa Etheridge, a character from a John Waters’ flick, Pink meets Divine, and a whole host of other characters since she blew up the scene with Gossip (same band as The Gossip) in 2006. While whatever people say she is she isn’t, Beth Ditto is for sure the kind of girl who blows stereotypes out of the water and could soothe a savage beast with her voice.

Hailing from Searcy, Arkansas, this 30 year old performer with more energy than an atomic bomb went from a wannabe singer who thought her weight would keep her stuck belting out songs in the Bible Belt to a bonafide star after toiling for years with her bandmates, Nathan “Brace Pain” Howdeshell and first Kathy Mendonca then Hannah Billie. Since forming in 1999, working the underground club circuit in the Pacific Northwest, changing drummers, and dropping the “the” from their name, Gossip has won several awards, released four albums and experienced the kind of mainstream success that VMA’s are made of.

When it comes to style, this self professed “fat, feminist lesbian from Arkansas” has broken every rule that attempts to confine plus-sized beauties to dark, structured pieces pushing them into the background. If there is one thing Beth Ditto is not, it’s a background type of girl. This one woman revolution dons spandex dresses in bold patterns including the taboo horizontal stripe, shows as much skin than her svelte counterparts, and has been known to love Miu Miu’s (not muumuus) flowy frocks. Whether she’s changing up her hair color, piling on the eyeliner, or proclaiming that she doesn’t shave her arm pits, how punk of her, this girl from the backwoods doesn’t have killer style in spite of her roots she has it because of them. While she’s come a long way from shoplifting from Marshall’s and Goodwill, the style she developed out of necessity has carried her from Arkansas to Paris Fashion Week where she opened John Paul Gaultier’s Spring 2011 runway show.

Although this punk rock, plus-sized charmer may have landed on the cover of Love magazine’s first issue, stark naked might I add, and had her own collection of clothes sold by UK retailer Evans, she has empowered countless girls to be who they are no matter what size they are. In fact, her unique ability to embrace every inch and ounce of her body, something most women struggle do regardless of their size, lead to her contributing an advice column on body mage for The Gaurdian.

Whether you love her for the way she growls and gets down on stage or for her sincerely in your face style, Beth Ditto is for sure the real deal and worthy of our adoration.

Fashion Meets Music: Amy Winehouse

This is a MISS original, making the copy and layout all theirs. To see it in its original format go to Fashion Meets Music: Amy Winehouse.

By now most of the world has heard the news that the 27 club has gained a new member in Amy Winehouse. While this talented, young singer may never get the chance to make the comeback we were all rooting for, her talent and bold sartorial choices will go on to inspire generations of young women for as long as the Internet still stands. Since we have already covered the life, times, and brief career of Amy Winehouse, I’ll skip the pleasantries and get straight to the fashion.

Before exploring 50’s and 60’s girl groups sounds in her Back to Black album, Amy dressed like any other recording star on the rise in her late teens. As evidenced by the album covers for Frank and Back to Black, Amy’s early style was quite tame compared to what it would eventually evolve into. Her dark hair didn’t even have the crown fullness of Snookie’s pouf and her eyeliner had yet to reach Cleopatra-like proportions. Somewhere between the 2003 release Frank and the 2006 release of Back to Black Amy fell in love with duwop and embraced the style of women like Etta James and Ronnie Spector, or Veronica Bennett as she was known during her days with The Ronnettes.

Instead of carbon copying the style of 50’s and 60’s icons, Amy added her own spin on things and came up with a look reminiscent of a character from a John Waters flick complete with skyscraper hair and Tracy Lords like body con outfits. To accessorize her modern girl group member meets pin-up girl style, Amy seemingly used an entire pot of MAC fluidline to draw an exaggerated cat eye that would make Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra make-up artist jealous. On top of the over the top beehive, that sometimes sported a white streak or two, the drape like outfits, and the eyeliner that launched one thousand make-up tutorials, Amy made sure to show off her impressive and always growing collection of ink. Amy Winehouse’s distinctive style was so innovative and in demand that she was asked to collaborate on a 17-piece collection with the Fred Perry label which hit stores in October 2010.

Years after Amy’s “Rehab” and “You Know I’m No Good” put her on the map stateside, girls are still embracing the modern pin-up look, piling on the eyeliner, and pulling inspiration from Amy’s muses. While her look may have inspired a fad that died out the minute she began to give in to her self-destructive drug habit, the true legacy of Amy Winehouse’s style is in showing her fans that it is okay to be who you are. From Adele and Duffy who benefited from Amy taking the soul revival mainstream and making a way for them to move from the UK to the US, to Lady Gaga who credited Winehouse with making it easier for non-Britney pop stars to have mainstream success, down to the girl next door experimenting with her make-up, we all can learn a thing or two about expressing ourselves from Ms. Winehouse.

Add A Little Summer Chic to Your 9-5 Routine

This was post was written for KC Style. With all layouts being done specifically for that site as well....In other words I'd better not see this anywhere else online. To view this post in its original format go to Add A Little Summer Chic to Your 9-5 Routine

With temperatures across the country hovering near boiling, it should come as no surprise that most of us have been dying to inject a little summer fun into our work wardrobes. Before you step into those shorts or pull on that cropped top, here are a few things to consider when merging your summer style with your 9-5:

Beach wear is for beaches not the boardroom. Your summer work wardrobe should not include anything you would wear to a beach, amusement park, or backyard barbecue. So steer-clear-of flip-flops, even if they are dressy flip-flops, anything cropped, rompers, and anything that exposes way too much skin.

Let the sunshine in with brightly colored pieces. Add a heap of instant summer to your work wear by simply swapping navy, brown, and black for brighter hues. You can also play with the season’s hottest trend, color blocking, by wearing a top and skirt in contrasting or complimentary colors.

Keep cool in lightweight fabrics. There is a reason that wool and flannel suits disappear from the shelves in spring. Instead of trying to summer up your fall and winter weight suits, invest in a cotton or linen number to keep you cool and dry as you trek from the car to the office. Speaking of linen, your linen suit should have a similar cut to the wool ones you wear in winter and should not make you look like a guest at a party in the Hamptons.

Use prints and patterns to add interest.Take your Monday through Friday top and slacks/skirt combo up a notch by adding a floral or nautical striped top into the rotation. Beware of any print that resembles the Hawaiian shirt your dad brought back from vacation, that kind of kitsch is best left in gift shops, retirement homes, and ironic tiki parties.

Bare your toes at your own risk. Some offices are okay with you wearing sandals, not flip flops, to work while some have a strict closed toe only policy. If your higher ups are okay with you baring all, when it comes to your feet of course, please be sure that your feet are ready for their close-up from toe to heel. A quick to the local nail shop for a pedicure is a must. Also stick with sandal styles that enclose your heel, incase they’re not camera ready, and that have a sturdy yet comfy bottom. An espadrille is a great way to add height while staying comfortable and work appropriate.

Life and times....

Most of the time my life goes by at a pretty normal pace, well normal considering I'm a columnist/contributor for like 6 online publications/blogs and a key holder at Benetton, which is nothing like being a key holder in Ghostbusters because that would be awesome. Lately things have picked up and I've been both simultaneously over and underwhelmed with everything causing the crazy to peek out from my YSL bag. All crazy aside, I decided to take a few minutes and do a general update on the life and times of Ana B, which are a lot less fab than you think.

1. I'm restarting my quest to take over the Internets one site at a time and have lended my name and writing prowess to typef.com...as soon as I finish my first three articles which is taking more time than you'd think (can we say chronic procrastinator).

2. I can now add ghostwriter to my ever growing list of writing accomplishments. While I don't get credit for my work, I do get paid and we all know money makes the world go round mein herr.

3. Putting together a round table discussion on race, fashion, and the brain drain in ATL for one of my outlets, more details to come on that later.

4. Me: "I'm really a writer now right? Since I'm doing more paid work these days than free you know."
BF: "Yes, you're a writer."

5.I've been mustering up the cajones to send out a few pitches to a handful of national PRINT mags and feel like I'll be there before I turn 27 in August.

6. I have been busting butt trying to get Gamine past the level of expensive hobby to a bonafide blogazine and it hasn't been happening. In all fairness I haven't put half the effort into the content and feel of the site as I put into getting dressed in the morning so what else would I expect. I do plan on fully changing that asap though.

7. In addition to my non-supernatural new title at the j-o-b, I also got a pay raise. It was $0.50... o_O I plan on quitting by my birthday but that's between you and me, internet.

Now that that's out of the way.....check out this video from last night's Ultimate Girl's Night Out featuring a book signing by the real Carrie Bradshaw, Candace Bushnell thanks to Rosalyn Wilson of the Chic Boutique Tour, more on that another time. (I was there with Roz and pals but didn't make it to the vid, the free drinks and book more than made up for it though)

The Making of a Coveted Closet

This is a Gamine original, which means it belongs to me as both the co-founder and Fearless Leader of Gamine and the writer of this piece. To see it in it's original format go to Spring Cleaning"The Making of a Coveted Closet.

Initially this spring cleaning post was all about cleaning out your mind, body and wardrobe, however after a very sobering trip to Lenox Square-for an event that lead to me window shopping-I decided to dedicate it to something that all of the Gamine Girls can relate to, transitioning your wardrobe. I don’t mean moving from spring to summer to fall, I mean transitioning from college to intern to entry level or in my case college to intern to professional blogger. As a persnickety, style obsessed, true to my sign Virgo I could think of no one better than myself to guide you through the journey from co-ed to coveted, a journey that I’m actually beginning now.

Before you run to your closet and start throwing away everything that screams undergrad and book it to your nearest J Crew, take a deep breath and inventory your sartorial influences. As you get older the things that influence you change, or should change, due mostly in part to the fact that you’re experiences should have broadened your range of things to draw inspiration from. When I was 21 my style crushes were J Lo, Simple Life Nicole Richie and Carrie Bradshaw, which made for a very trend focused schizophrenic closet. Now that I’m rounding the corner to 27 I love Nicole Richie even more, especially since she’s toned it down a bit, but I’m also a huge fan of Bianca Jagger, Anna Dello Russo and Genevieve Jones with a little bit of 90s grunge/indigenous/art deco thrown in, which makes for an even more nutty wardrobe that actually works. Just because your influences have changed doesn’t mean that you should throw out all of the clothes you’ve collected during your “not a girl not yet a woman” stage. I still have quite a bit of stuff from college that still fits me and style personality, with a few tweaks. So once you’ve gotten a hold on your style personality, its time to physically inventory your closet.

Mix up a batch of margaritas, or pop open the bubbly, crank up your favorite Pandora station and go at your closet like a surgeon doing lipo. First figure out what you actually wear, if you’ve worn something in the past month or so leave it where it hangs because you obviously love it. Stuff that you haven’t worn for 6 months should not be chucked but reevaluated to figure out why you haven’t worn it. If its too big or too small, toss it! If you bought it to pair with something and you still haven’t found its mate, toss it! If you have no idea how to wear it, toss it! The only things you should keep from your 6 month pile are things that you know how to work into your wardrobe, unless you have a stylish friend who can help you figure it out. After your 6 month pile, move on to the things you haven’t worn in a year and TOSS THEM! If you haven’t worn something in a year you obviously don’t know that you have it/how to wear it/it probably doesn’t fit. Now that you have some empty hangers and a pile of clothes on your floor, grab those rejects and list them on ebay. You’d be surprised at how much money I’ve made selling my cast offs on ebay. If having an online yard sale isn’t your thing, gather your girls together for a clothes swap and get some new goods for the price of your old rejects. Be careful with this and only invite pals who you know have great taste or they’ll clean you out and you’ll be left with nothing.

Once you’ve cleaned your closet and earned a little cash from selling the stuff you absolutely didn’t need or want, hit the mall yall! The thing about building a wardrobe is that you want to look for pieces that work together to create a couple of looks not just pieces. Try to create an outfit that can be broken up into three more outfits. In all honesty I’m a piece shopper but before I buy anything I always ask myself “What else will I wear this with?” if I can’t answer that I leave it. Times are too hard for 20 somethings these days for us to go out and waste money on things that we’ll only wear once, NAGL!

Unless you are rolling in the dough, or a guest on TLC’s What Not To Wear, going through each of these steps and building a wardrobe that is worthy of The Coveteur takes time-ever wonder why they feature so many fashion people, people who work in fashion get freebies and a crash course in style from the moment they start interning. Not only do you need the money to replace everything but you need the time to develop your personal style. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be on your way to owning a coveted closet in no time, as soon as that salary position comes through.

JUDAS!!!

This is another M.I.S.S. exclusive, so you know the drill. To see this post in it's original format go to Fashion Meets Music: Lady Gaga's "Judas".

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germonatta has obviously done her fair share of time in catechism and art history, because the video for her latest single, “Judas” is dripping with odes to religious iconography and popular culture. Instead of serving up a blasphemous video with an anti-Christian theme, Gaga merges the Renaissance with The Wild One and gives us a modern day version of Jesus Christ Superstar.

While a storm of unnecessary controversy swirled around “Judas” from the moment Gaga announced the track’s title, the lyrics are intelligent for a pop song, making the connection between Judas, Mary Magdalene, Jesus, and our little fame monster, the beat is sick albeit familiar, and the video is a sartorial feast for the eyes from the first frame. Although her chola version of Mary Magdalene felt like a continuation of her “Telephone” character, the Byzantine style crown she wears while ripping up the streets with Jesus and his chosen twelve, which calls to mind both Mary the mother of Jesus and the Empress Theodora another historic bad mamajama, and her leather top embroidered with a Sacred Heartmerge Renaissance portrayals of one of the most celebrated disciples with a modern day bad girl image.

Gaga’s fashionable play on religious imagery only begins with a Sacred Heart and a bikini top with a few strategically placed crosses. She carries the image of the beloved chola disciple from her mother superior with a lipstick loaded gun to her final scene as a Harajuku bride in creepers being stoned by her detractors. Despite her over the top fashion reeling you in from the first frame, the most striking image of Gaga comes when she bathes the feet of Jesus and Judas in simple leggings and a crop top with Botticelli like curls, but that’s just me you may prefer the Elizabethan Gaga entering the biker bar.

Clothes and Christianity aside, Gaga’s makeup was the underlying star of this video. Her thick eyeliner recalled on of history’s ultimate femme fatales, Cleopatra, and was very apropos considering her role as Bonnie to biker Jesus’s Clyde, who was very easy on the eyes mind you. Not only was her makeup game locked but Gaga’s stiletto nails were more than worthy of a place in our weekly Mani Monday wrap up. From a set boasting 3D nail art and what looked like a hint of denim to those amazing black and red nails dripping in gold chains, Gaga’s nails almost make me long for the days when I kept a fresh acrylic set.

Whether you are the fan of the makeup, the fashion, or the artful use of Gaga’s one year at NYU, most little monsters will agree that the only sin committed in “Judas” was mixing Chanel with Lacroix.

Cherchez La Gamine

These are from March when the Gamine girls met Jamie Hopper for coffee, tea and a mini photo shoot for our new banner.

Photographer: Jamie Hopper

Creative Director: Anastasia Nicole

Set styling: Patrice

Models:Anastasia, Liz, and Patrice all in their own clothes

I don't really have anything else to say, I just thought it looked a little strange to have our feet right under our bodies looking all disconnected. That's all.

www.cherchezlagamine.com

Monday Monday

Lately my Monday's have been way cooler than my Fridays. Last Monday I hung out with Gaga and some of the most amazing bloggers this side of the Mississippi and yesterday was the perfect follow up to last Monday's madness.

8a.m. Woke up and got the closest to working out that I've ever been in months. I actually considered going to the fitness but stopped myself and opted to do 100 plies instead but only did maybe 60. Workout done!

9 a.m.-11a.m. I know my deadline was last night at 9 but that doesn't mean I can't turn it in late. You know one monkey doesn't stop the show....whatever that means. Filled out an email interview questionnaire all about me for a blog, I have no style pics to send with it so it's chilling in my draft folder...but more on that when it posts.

1p.m.- Meet up with Selden Beylouni. Not only is her salon amazeballs, she uses Kevin Murphy and No 4an all vegan French product line, but she is super cute and knows her stuff. (Write up coming to Haute Living soon.) Another fun fact about Selden is that she was the hair and makeup person at a photo shoot that I worked on as a lowly intern at Pregnancy and Newborn way back in the summer of 2007. Talk about small town Atlanta. (That still doesn't beat the phone call I had with the founder of Harlem Fashion Row who worked with the same company that I interned with in New York less than a month after I ended my internship. Oh and she was referred to me by an Atlanta connection not one from NYC-cue Twilight Zone theme.)

3p.m- HOT DOGS!!! nom, nom, nom.

6p.m.- Listened to the Sartorialist chat about his life, his blog and valuable information for your everyday life whether you're in fashion or not. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he's much shorter in person and is completely down to Earth. He also validated my penniless existence as a starving blogger. Too bad I had to leave early I would've died for a photo with him.

7:30p.m.- Freelance writing class at Emory....I learned more from Scott Schuman about myself as a writer than I did from my professor but since its paid for and I'm a nerd, I'll keep going.

10:oop.m.-Waffles!!! Who says waffles aren't what's for dinner?

With an action packed Tuesday ahead of me-writing, meeting, work, Shrek the Musical-I'm pretty sure that my weeks will keep etting better.

xo

A

Mondays with Gaga

In an effort to actually enhance my abilities as a writer, I ditched my Monday night freelance writing class to hang out with Stefani Joanne Angelina Germonatta and her little monsters at the Gwinnett Arena thanks to one of the most amazing beauty PR girls ever. While Stef won be back as a fan with her stirring version of Born This Way and her impressive vocal and running in heels skills, her fans as usual stole the show and placed it firmly back in her hands by the time the last note was played.

Getting back to the beginning, I met up with the most awesome group of girls ever, including Ren of Makeup By RenRen, Tiffany of Makeup by Tiffany D and AJC style writer Nedra, for a pre-show sip and chat about everything from dressing up as the artist for concerts, a la Gaga's petits monstres, to twitter apps. As a group of beauty/style bloggers and PR types you know arriving in style was number 1 on our plate so, we hopped into the same SUV Gagaloo was chauffeured in the last time she was in Atlanta, according to the coolest driver ever, and made our way waaaay outside of the perimeter to the Gwinnett Arena in record time. After freshening up we took in the sites, and by sites I mean tons of fans from 2-92 dressed in their best Gaga-esque attire, which was strikingly similar to what people wear on Halloween and during Mardi Gras. There was tons of this...

A couple of these.

Of course a few of these...

And thank heavens I didn't see any of this...

But my favorite incarnation of Gaga had to be this...

Two 13 year old girls, out way past their bed time on a school night, screaming at the top of their lungs in a fever pitch "WE LOVE YOU MAMA MONSTER!", while their parents occupied the seat next to them. (Side note: Apparently parents and grandparents love Lady Gaga, which is a very different reaction another tongue in cheek, Italian American, performer who started out on the same LES received in the 80s due mostly in part to the fact that these parents were teenagers and in their 20s in the 1980s.) The amazing thing about these girls, aside from their black, bee stung lips and their home made Pokerface masks, was the ability to cut through the dangerously high decibels being generated in the room with their barely pubescent voices-ahh teenage girls. Oh and did I mention that their parents were with them!

Before I finish up on how the entire thing made my week, it was a great show and I hardly ever get out with a group of ladies these days, I have to tell you about Gaga's opening acts Lady Starlight and Semi Precious Weapons. Lady Starlight seemingly lives by Ke$ha's motto and brushes her teeth with a bottle of Jack every morning because girl did a 30 minute set and downed an entire bottle of whiskey between DJing and dancing on stage in what looked like the kind of pants that football players wear on game day. Lady Starlight, who has been pals with Gaga since her Tisch School days, was followed by Semi Precious Weapons, another group of Gaga pals from her LES days. All I have to say bout these guys is that their frontman, Justin Tranter, has the best legs I've ever seen on anyone and made me want to hit the treadmill harder than a Gaga fan at a wig shop on the day before the Monsters Ball.

Like I said, this show for sure made my week, form the great group of girls that I enjoyed it with to Gaga leaving everything on the stage as she ran around and danced in over 6 inch heels. Kinda makes me look forward to her upcoming video for Judas, which already has the Catholic League sweating in their pews, just like Mama Madonna would have done.