Hat parade

Get ready for the hat parade everyone.
With Passover and Easter coming next week, ladies who are into hats - and you know who you are - are readying their outfits, complete with a hat.
As the book "Crowns" says, it's all about the hatitude!
Even if you aren't a hat lady, you probably have a hat story.
My favorite is about my Auntie Barbara (my mom's best friend - you know how we call close friends Auntie, right?). So anyway, Auntie Barbara is into her church hats, honey. The bigger, the better.






Auntie came to visit Mom in Chicago while attending her church convention. There was a separate suitcase just for the hats, y'all.
Well, I happened to be around one day when mom was going to drive Auntie Barbara to the hotel for that day's convention activities. And I kid you not - Auntie couldn't get into the car because of her hat.
I mean Auntie was bending every which way trying to get into the car with that hat on. And my mom drives a Cadillac, too!
After about 15 or 20 minutes of attempts, Auntie finally agreed to take the hat off to get in the car.
So here come the hat ladies. Watch out world!

Idol - March 27, plus a chat with Idol's stylist

You know you're in trouble on "American Idol" when Paula starts out by saying, "you looked great'', or "you're a pretty girl.'' Ouch!

Or in Sanjaya's case, there is the hair. (What was that last night, by the way?)

"Idol" stylist Miles Siggins (he has nothing to do with hair, he points out quickly), says his challenges are bigger than some people may realize.

"We take them shopping every week, one-on-one. It's much easier now with just 10 contestants. When we were doing 24, it was crazy,'' he says. "We're there to advise them. Some of the contestants know exactly what they want and others don't have a clue."

Sometimes, Siggins adds, the challenge is not so much finding a look, but making sure the look is within budget ($400 per contestant each week), and doesn't look too similar to other contestants'.

"Sometimes you watch the show and realize everything looks dark or everything looks too gray,'' he says.

Some contestants, because of their body types or personal tastes, present bigger challenges than others.

Melinda Doolittle, for example, was not used to wearing dresses and had to be persuaded to try them, he says. Siggins adds he also looks for styles that don't hide Doolittle's neck since she has a habit of hunching her shoulders.

"LaKisha is all about dresses. She'd wear a gown every week if we let her. We're trying to get her away from the gowns," he says.

Siggins says he laughs when he hears celebrity stylists complain about dressing big stars.

Says Siggins, "Anyone can dress a star with a black Am Ex. I'd like to see some of them try to do this."

As for this week's winning looks, here are some of my favorites (and they can sing, too):


LaKisha Jones.
Okay, so she's in a dress, but it's a much more contemporary look than we're used to seeing from our Miss Jones. The cleavage was a little scary, though.




Gina Glocksen.
Who says you can't be classy and be a rocker chick? This look hits all the right notes.

Court-Ture '07

We're more used to seeing NBA players on the basketball court. But anyone who has seen an NBA baller on the sidelines or outside the locker room knows these men like to dress (well most of them anyway), and the ones who like to dress do it well.
One designer helping these tree top bros is celebrity clothier Jared M, a designer who has made catering to NBA players a specialty.
On March 21, Jared M. teamed up with the NBA, Rochester Big & Tall and GQ magazine to present a special fashion show of looks for the big and tall man.
Pinstripes. seersucker, bold colors, finely tailored suits, and snazzy dress casual looks were all on display.
For these super tall gents, finding clothes is serious business.
Former NJ Nets star Kenyon Martin (now playing for the Denver Nuggets), for example, shared that it's almost impossible for him to find clothing at a regular men's store.
"The shirts? Forget it. They never fit right if I go to a regular store," he said.
In addition to Martin, other models included legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Antoine Wright from the New Jersey Nets, and New York Knicks forwards Jared Jeffries, Channing Frye and David Lee.
Here are a few shots from the show. All fashions in these pictures are by Jared M.


Walt "Clyde" Frazier.



Jared Jeffries.



Kenyon Martin.



David Lee.

Great site for American Idol fashion details

Hi all:

I've got a bunch of stuff to share with you in the next few days - a look at NBA ballers strutting the catwalk, and a chat with American Idol stylist Miles Siggins. So stay tuned.
In the meantime, check out this website: www.starstyle.com
All of you who have been itching to know who made this dress or that pair of jeans can find that information there.
And, Alaina's blue dress was by BCBG and LaKisha's green dress from this week was by Maggie London.
Cheers!

American Idol - March 20

Applause, applause, applause.
Not only are some of our American Idol finalists finding a look that works (Hello, LaKisha !), but some finalists are really stepping up their fashion game.
There were a few misses among the Final 11 (Stephanie's boots with her strapless cocktail dress were a definite no-no). But quite a few of the Final 11 stepped to the stage in style.
Here are our favorites from last night.


Sanjaya.
I'm not a Sanjaya fan when it comes to singing (though he did okay last night). But I love, love, loved his jacket last night. Fashion wise, it was funky, cool and arena stage ready.





LaKisha.
Lakisha has had a hard time finding looks that work for her body without making her look matronly. With last week's gown and this week's cocktail dress, she seems to have found a look that works for her and her body. The draping across the top is very flattering and the green is a good color that pops on the camera. And LaKisha also deserves props for the way she accessorizes. It's always just right.





Melinda.
I went back and forth on if I should include Melinda this week. Singing wise, there's no question she's tops. But this tunic top isn't the most flattering look for her. She could have used something that minimized her wide torso a little bit more. But I liked the overall look and as tunic tops go, this one was beautiful - sleek and simple. Loved her new 'do, too.

America's Next Top Model - Any favorites yet?

So we're a couple of weeks into the new season of America's Next Top Model.
Perhaps you all see a diamond in the rough among this lot??
Here's a look at some of the top girls from last week. But I must admit: I don't really see a clear winner yet.



Felicia.
Right now, Felicia, the Tyra lookalike is probably my favorite. There's just something about her, a real sense of presence, that makes you take a second look and listen.



Jaslene.
Jaslene has a really great look, but there's something about her body proportions that's distracting. Maybe it's that her torso is a tad too long to be a top model? Another problem: she does not speak well. Then again, Danielle didn't speak well either and she won it all two seasons ago.




Brittany.
The judges seem to love this girl but I just don't see it.

American Idol - March 13

It was grey night on "American Idol."
Kidding. It just looked that way judging by some of the contestants' choice of outfits. I mean can someone please take Brandon Rogers in hand and encourage the brother to add a little bit of color to his wardrobe? Just a little?
Blake Lewis tried a little bit too hard to impress with his layered look, though I liked how he popped the collar on his suit (grey, of course!). And I won't even get into Sanjaya's hair. Did he really perm it or has he just been straightening it all this time?
But thankfully there were some fashion winners last night. So drumroll please ....


LaKisha Jones.
LaKisha has struggled to find the right looks but her white gown was not only beautiful and very goddess like, but a perfect fit for her song choice - "God Bless The Child." The only thing missing was Billie Holliday's trademark flower in the hair.


Jordin Sparks.
This burgundy number was a showstopper, but what really made it a winner was not only how well it fit Jordin and her mood, but how well it suited her - not too young, not too old, but just right.

The modeling show wars

In case you haven't noticed, there's a mini reality show war going on between two shows covering the modeling industry.
In one corner, we have our veteran - "America's Next Top Model." You can catch it on Wednesday nights on the CW11. In the other corner, our challenger - "The Agency." You can catch this one on Tuesday nights on VH1.
Each has its own charms.
"Top Model" is really a misnomer. The show has never discovered a supermodel and really the era of the supermodel is over, at least for now. The industry sentiment seems to be that supermodels cost too much money and cost too many headaches. The biggest stars to emerge from "Top Model" have been Tyra Banks and her coterie of guest judges and coaches. I mean did anyone really know who Nigel Barker, Miss J or Mr. J were before outside of the insular fashion world?
If you really want to get a taste of how the industry works, check out "The Agency." It's a bit over the top sometimes, but then so are some of the people in the fashion world. But the bluntness, the cattiness, the snarkiness, the body and youth obsession focus is right on the money.
Wouldn't it be great if someone put together a fashion block of programming? Fashion Night would have "Project Runway" then "Top Model" and then "The Agency" and maybe then an episode or two of "Full Frontal Fashion" or "What Not To Wear."
Okay, whichever smart cookie pulls that off, you can send my consultant fee to me at anytime.

American Idol - The Girls, March 7

Watching the girls in "American Idol" is like watching a whole different show.
There's a decided sense of polish, energy and real competition from the women that you just don't get from the guys.
And I'm not just talking about the clothes.
But this is a fashion blog, so I'll leave the singing analysis to others.
From a fashion point of view there were some "I can't believe she wore that" losers such as Miss Gina and her red bra shining through her grey top. Note to Gina: just because you're rocking out doesn't mean you have to be tacky.
And there were some interesting also rans such as our local girl Antonella Barba, whose black dress and boots went for simple elegance but seemed out of touch with her song choice and personality.
LaKisha Jones also earned some style points with her black ensemble, but would have been served better by something that was a single piece (so as not to cut her body lines) and in a matte fabric. I feel for LaKisha. She has an especially tough body to work with. But I think she's doing pretty well with her look. Oh yes, and the girl can sing!
Now on to the winners.



Sabrina Sloan.
This scrunched cocktail dress looked young and sexy without going overboard into embarassing waters. And it showed off her tan nicely, too!




Stephanie Edwards.
I love, love, loved this black sheath with the aqua blue strips. The length was a tad too long, but it made her look elegant and polished. A real camera-ready look.

American Idol - The Guys, March 6

And the winner is ...
No, no. I don't know who won from last night. But fashion-wise, there was only one clear winner.
Drumroll please ...



Jared Cotter of West Orange.

Cheers to Jared for his prep look. Very classy and classic.
And thank goodness for Jared because if not for him, I would have labeled last night "T-Shirt night". Can someone please help these guys dress a little better? Even the usually reliable Blake Lewis stumbled last night in the fashion department.

And before some of you point out that "American Idol" is a singing competition, let's be real here ... a big part of the music business is image and how you present yourself. These young men (and tonight's women) aren't just selling a voice, they're selling an image.

Alaina's dress and other designer credits

Thanks for the feedback y'all.
To answer a question received, I don't know who designed Alaina's dress, but if I find out I'll let you know.

America's Next Top Model - New Season

I'm going to reserve most of my comments on "America's Next Top Model" until the final girls have been selected.
But there's one major flaw to this show that will continue to mean none of these girls will ever really reach supermodel status:
They're too old!!!
Hello. Go look at your favorite fashion magazine - Vogue, Elle, Harper's. Really look at those faces. These girls are not in their mid-20's.
Top models start when they're teenagers - 14, 15, 16, 17. They typically reach top model status around 18 or 19.
The spokesmodel thing has been taken over by actresses.
The other major flaw is something the show probably can't change: these days, the hot look on the runway is that of the Russian girls. Fashion folks can't get enough of them.
I'm not saying an American girl doesn't have a chance of making it big. But ...

American Idol Feb. 28 - The Girls

I felt for the women performing last night on "American Idol."
Somehow they've got to find an outfit that fits them (no pulling across the hips or bust, please!), is in the right proportion for their body, doesn't wrinkle or crease easily, fits their song, fits their overall look, is a complementary color for their skin tone and makes them feel good and comfortable.
LaKisha Jones, for example, has a tough body to work with. I liked what she tried to do with her outfit last night (and I, unlike Simon, loved the vibrant coral and dolman sleeves of her top). But the fit wasn't quite right and the skirt was a tad too short.
Sigh...
Take a look at three ladies who in fashion terms stood out from the crowd last night.


Alaina Alexander.
Her empire-waist cocktail dress with a sequinned bodice was classy and elegant but still very much fitting for her personality and body type. The length was perfect - showing off her gams just enough without veering into hoochie territory.



Melinda Doolittle.
Okay, the way she sang "My Funny Valentine" last night, girlfriend could have been wearing a burlap sack. But the dark denim suit she wore fit her to a "t". Smart girl to dedicate her performance to her friends who give her style advice. They deserved the props.



Haley Scarnato.
The tropical print tunic top over jeans was just dressy enough for the stage to make her a fashion winner and this is a look that flatters just about any figure. And the teal/white/lime print looked good on camera and was flattering for her skin tone.