Retro dresses

[style.com]

Wow, Mad Men fever is everywhere. Even Banana Republic is doing a marketing campaign with the AMC show. After finally catching up on my August magazine subscriptions, which feature a ton of fall items despite the heat, I am most looking forward to the fifties retro-inspired looks. I adore the ladylike dresses (bouffants optional) from Prada's and Louis Vuitton's Fall 2010 collections.

I also love the chunky-knit legwear that was paired with the Prada dresses. I can't find them online, but I just purchased some Prada-esque Hue thigh-highs at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for the bargain price of $8!

SATC2 premiere

[people.com]

I'm so excited about Sex and the City 2 on Friday that I'm getting my tickets tonight! The premiere was held in NYC last night. I think the best dress is going to have to go to Carrie Bradshaw herself, Sarah Jessica Parker.
[instyle.com]

The neon yellow color of her Valentino Couture gown is fabulous. I love the asymmetrical hem and train. It's also a more fitted look than we're used to seeing her sport on the red carpet. She wore a black, lingerie-inspired Elie Saab frock to the afterparty that I'm not as big a fan of.

Second best dressed goes to Kristin Davis's hot pink Jean Dresses vintage gown. Maybe I just prefer the bright colors. Cynthia Nixon wore Carolina Herrera, and Kim Cattrall wore Naeem Khan. I have the SATC theme song in my head now.

Shoe bling

[toryburch.com]

There's nothing wrong with a little foot bling (as long as it's not in the form of a toe ring). Tory Burch's 'Percy 2 Sequin High Wedges' ($350) have my name written all over them. These ultra-glam 5" wedges have gold suede, a metallic strap and sequins. What more could you want? Actually I know, these need to go on sale then I'll be happy.
If you prefer a shorter heel, there's the 3" 'Declan 2 Wedge' with pewter suede. If that's still too high, Burch offers the classic 'Sequin Reva' flat, which comes in silver, gold and terracotta.

[stevemadden.com]

If these aren't blinged out enough for you, there's always Steve Madden's new 'Snookie' shoe in all it's jerseylisciousness. It comes in black glitter, glitter multi and glitter gold ($109.95).

Most improved at SAG Awards

[usmagazine.com]

Since it's awards season we'll be seeing more and more lovely gowns this month and next that will leave us (or at least me) wishing that we too had somewhere glamorous to go. Of course there are always those dresses that make us cringe - I'm talking to you, Mariah.

Saturday night's SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) Awards brought out a few improved ensembles over the Golden Globes. First, let's start with the best dressed celeb of the night: Christina Applegate. Her silk chiffon blue Roberto Cavalli gown was so elegant. I especially liked the flowing train and illusion neckline.

[usmagazine.com]

[justjared.buzznet.com]

Up in the Air and Twilight actress Anna Kendrick's gown was a great improvement from her Golden Globes choice. Her strapless bustier Alberta Ferretti gown in a vibrant purple color was a much more age-appropriate than the matronly Marchesa dress she sported last week. I also like that she paired it with a fun cuff.

[usmagazine.com]
[justjared.buzznet.com]

Always a fashion risk taker, Inglourious Basterd's Diane Kruger's marigold Jason Wu dress was stunning. Personally, I'm a big fan of marigold, and you almost never see it on the red carpet. The one shoulder and perfect fit made it a hands-down winner over the pink confectionery Christian Lacroix dress that she wore to the GGs.

Golden Globe fashion, etc.

[yahoo.com]

It was a rainy night in L.A. last night, so everyone was sporting umbrellas on the red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards. They've always been my favorite show of awards season because everyone is less uptight (and a little drunker) and more fun. TV and movie people are all schmoozing together in one room. Ricky Gervais hosted last night and told a few jokes at the actors' expense.
[yahoo.com]

Despite the revelry, almost every celeb was wearing a "Remember Haiti" ribbon. It was announced that George Clooney is holding a telethon to raise money on Friday. That, my friends, is why everyone loves that man!

Now for the fashion. Here are my favorites of the night...

[yahoo.com]

-Asymmetrical necklines
The common theme of the night seemed to be an asymmetrical neckline. Crazy Heart's Maggie Gyllenhaal wore a lovely peach RM Roland Mouret gown. Nine's Marion Cotillard wore a one-shoulder green satin Christian Dior gown. Award winner Drew Barrymore for her role in Grey Gardens wore a nude one-shoulder Atelier Versace gown. Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman and Amy Adams also wore skewed necklines of some sort.
[yahoo.com]

-Sandra Bullock
The Best Actress winner for her role in The Blind Side had the best color choice in a jewel-toned purple chiffon strapless Bottega Veneta gown. 2009 was definitely her year!
[yahoo.com]

-Sparkly awards
House actress Olivia Wilde wore a sparkly silver-black Gucci gown for a sleek look that appeared to be comfortable too (she's also auctioning her dress to help Haiti). Toni Collette wore a glam gold Elie Saab dress. Felicity Huffman's lovely peach gown had some serious sparkle around the neck. True Blood's Anna Paquin wore a daring plunging Stella McCartney gown.

[yahoo.com]

-Ladies in black
A lot of women wore black dresses, which if you ask me, is smart because everyone knows that black is the most flattering color. Award winner Meryl Streep wore a flattering belted black dress. Helen Mirren looked fabulous in a black, sparkly gown. Jennifer Aniston wore a black asymmetrical dress with a thigh-high slit. Up in the Air's Vera Farmiga also wore a strapless black gown. Mad Men's January Jones wore Lanvin with a polished up-do and black headband. Lea Michelle of Glee wore a dramatic, sweeping black Oscar de la Renta gown.

[yahoo.com]

Where there are favorites, there must be least favorites...

-Mariah Carey. I just have one word for her skin-tight black Hervé Léger dress: yikes!
-Lauren Graham. I think I'm just very picky about satin. It has to be just right to avoid the dreaded bridesmaid look. Graham did not succeed, plus it looks wrinkled.
-Cameron Diaz. Her red satin Alexander McQueen dress was boring and looked too old for her. She unfortunately paired it with a shade of lipstick that didn't match.
-Kristin Bell. Her short white dress seemed out of place. She does get extra credit for not pairing it with white shoes like Kate Hudson did with her Marchesa gown.

-Chloe Sevigny. The winner for role in Big Love wore a bold lilac Valentino dress. I've always admired her risk-taking, but I would have chosen something more flattering.

On another note, Julia Roberts' ego seemed to be in rare form last night. On the red carpet she stood with Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson and didn't let either of them get a word in edgewise. I didn't know if she had one too many glasses of champagne or what. She also wore a black YSL cocktail dress that would've been great for a, uh, cocktail party.

I thought that Jeff Bridges of Crazy Heart and Precious's Mo'Nique had the best acceptance speeches. I really hope that Crazy Heart comes out here soon. It was also great to see James Cameron's Avatar win. I saw the movie yesterday, and it was amazing. The Hangover won for Best Comedy. It's a hilarious movie, but that was a definite upset. That's why these shows are so exciting!

"Sex and the City 2" movie poster

A teaser poster for Sex and the City 2 has been released, and I'm not crazy about it. The "Carrie On" thing is cute, but I prefer the accessories that Sarah Jessica Parker was wearing with her white Halston dress when she was seen out-and-about in New York City filming. They made everything just a bit too gold for the poster. Her gold Christian Louboutin Pigalle pumps should have been left as they were for sure.

Oh well, I still can't wait for the movie even though we have zero idea of what the plot entails! It's set to be released in May 2010.

Andrea Bocelli's "My Christmas"

I'm a sucker for a Christmas album, and I finally got Andrea Bocelli's My Christmas. In this album the Italian tenor fuses opera, pop and classical music to bring us delightful holiday music.

My favorite song by far on the Italian tenor's album is "What Child is This?" featuring Mary J. Blige, which they performed on Oprah's holiday show at the end of last month. The two of them together are an unexpected duo, but they sound positively beautiful together. Another favorite is Bocelli's duet of "Blue Christmas" with country singer Reba McEntire. He also sings with Natalie Cole, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The Muppets and Katherine Jenkins (a Welsh classical/pop singer).

I love his version of "White Christmas." There's a reason that Bing Crosby's version of this song is one of the top-selling singles of all time - it's simple lyrics are timeless. The album can be purchased at Amazon.com for $12.99. Here are the tracks...

1. White Christmas/Bianco Natale
2. Angels We Have Heard on High
3. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
4. The Christmas Song / Natalie Cole
5. The Lords Prayer / Mormon Tabernacle Choir
6. What Child Is This / Mary J. Blige
7. Adeste Fidelis
8. O Tannenbaum
9. Jingle Bells / The Muppets
10. Silent Night
11. Blue Christmas / Reba McEntire
12. Cantique de Noel
13. Caro Gesu Bambino
14. I Believe / Katherine Jenkins
15. God Bless Us Everyone

Gossip Girl's star's questionable outfits

[people.com]

I'm a fan of Gossip Girl, though the plotlines of late have made me rethink my loyalty (Dan/Vanessa/Olivia threesome? ewww!). Despite this, the show has always had great fashion. Blair Waldorf brought back headbands for goodness sake. However, some of these well-dressed stars have taken a turn for the worse lately on and off-screen.

Leighton Meester wore this hideous outfit (above) to perform her new single "Somebody to Love" at the opening of American Eagle in Times Square. I've always admired her for her fashion-forward choices, but this is too far. There isn't a single redeeming quality to this outfit - those pants, that belt, the boots, the tube top, a dewdrop. Ouch, now I have a headache.

The outfit that Meester wore after her performance wasn't much better. The harsh makeup, and again, there she goes with the tube top thing.

[PR Photos]

Now let's discuss Blake Lively. She wore this atrocity to the premiere of her film The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Has she never heard the cleavage/leg ratio rule? Those white pumps, shorts and jacket are awful. If she had to wear that jacket, it would've been better with a pencil skirt or pants and black shoes. While I'm on the subject, her clothes as Serena on GG are starting to starting to mirror her real-life clothing choices, and that's not a good thing.

CMAs fashion, y'all

[Getty Images]

I watched last night's Country Music Awards (CMAs) on and off. I do have a soft spot in my heart for country music as a girl from Virginia. The show was pretty entertaining. Of course, I had to turn it when Glee came on though.

Hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood sang "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Kanye" - a jab at Kanye West for interrupting their girl Taylor Swift. Underwood changed dresses like 1,000 times, but I did really like the silver, sparkly dress she wore (pictured).

Nicole Kidman, who was there to support hubby Keith Urban, wore a gorgeous raspberry-colored L'Wren Scott dress. Kidman has red hair again, and it looks great. I just wish she would stop doing whatever it is she's doing that's giving her that frozen look.

Swift was the youngest person to win ever win the Entertainer of the Year Award. Her princessy Reem Acra gown with gold sequins was another favorite. The best dressed couple award goes to Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, everyone's favorite country music couple. McGraw was looking mighty fine in his signature cowboy hat, and Hill's grey strapless dress with layered necklaces was simple and flattering.

[Getty Images]

I did not like Kellie Pickler's metallic one-shoulder dress. Or maybe it was the new darker 'do I didn't like? I also didn't like presenter Patricia Heaton's (who made an awkward shout-out to Kidman) burgundy dress. Too. Much. Cleavage.

Glee soundtrack out today

Gleeks (like me) are rejoicing! The Glee soundtrack, Volume 1, is released today. There are some great songs on there. However, none of the beloved mash-ups are on this album, like "It's My Life/Confessions" or "Halo/Walking on Sunshine." I also hope "The Thong Song" makes it to Volume 2.

Amazon and Borders have it for $8.99. Here's the track list...

1. Don't Stop Believin' (Glee Cast Version)
2. Can't Fight This Feeling (Glee Cast Version)
3. Gold Digger (Glee Cast Version)
4. Take A Bow (Glee Cast Version)
5. Bust Your Windows (Glee Cast Version)
6. Taking Chances (Glee Cast Version)
7. Alone (Glee Cast Version Feat. Kristin Chenoweth)
8. Maybe This Time (Glee Cast Version Feat. Kristin Chenoweth)
9. Somebody To Love (Glee Cast Version)
10. Hate On Me (Glee Cast Version)
11. No Air (Glee Cast Version)
12. You Keep Me Hangin' On (Glee Cast Version)
13. Keep Holding On (Glee Cast Version)
14. Bust A Move (Glee Cast Version)
15. Sweet Caroline (Glee Cast Version)
16. Dancing With Myself (Glee Cast Version)
17. Defying Gravity (Glee Cast Version)

I haven't purchased any of the MP3s, and I'm glad I didn't for this cheap album price. I'll be blasting "Alone," Don't Stop Believin'" and "Hate On Me" in my car tonight for sure.

Regis & Kelly go BA-nanas

It's always a riot to see what Regis and Kelly dress up as for Halloween. This year I think they took the cake with their hilarious spoof of The Rachel Zoe Project. They also did one of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" and The Bachelor, but they weren't as good.

Is it just me, or does Kelly look eerily similar to Rachel with those oversized shades? Of course she was rocking Rachel's signature fur too. Regis was her assistant Brad in a bowtie and glasses. Kelly also played Taylor in signature plaid and dark nails. Gelman was Rachel's husband Rodger. Lit-rally dying!

[Today Show]

It's also always fun to see what the Today Show crew will transform to. This year they went with a Star Wars theme. Hoda gets the award though for her Yoda get-up. It's pretty cool that they were able to use authentic stuff straight from George Lucas.

Here's who was who: Natalie Morales (Queen Amidala), Kathie Lee Gifford (C-3PO), Chewbacca (mystery person?), Meredith Vieira (Princes Leia), Matt Lauer (Luke Skywalker), Al Roker (Han Solo), Ann Curry (Darth Vader) and Hoda Kotb (Yoda).

New TV obsession: Glee

So, I am officially obsessed with Fox's musicomedy (hmm, is that a word?) Glee. It's about a glee club at an Ohio high school and all of the drama that goes along with it. The show is hilarious, entertaining and often ridiculous.

Everyone on the show is so talented - many are Broadway actors - that it's fun to watch. Each week I can't wait to see what songs they'll do next. One week the football team did Beyonce's "Single Ladies."

The adorable Matthew Morrison plays the glee club teacher Will Schuester. He has a manipulative wife, Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig) who thought she was pregnant but was really having a hysterical pregnancy and couldn't tell her husband the truth. Terri has just become the school nurse despite her lack of experience. To make things even messier, the guidance counselor, Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays), is in love with Will. Will's arch-rival is the coach of the cheerios, Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). She has hysterically ridiculous lines and wants to destroy the glee club.

The stars of the glee club include Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), a dorky, but talented, overachiever, who is in love with Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith), the school's cute quarterback. He's dating Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron) who he thinks is pregnant with his child - but it's his best friend, Puck's (Mark Salling), baby. Drama!

In last night's episode, to try to boost the club's competitive spirit, Will had the guys and girls compete in a mash-up. The guys did "It's My Life" and "Confessions," while the girls did "Walking on Sunshine" and "Halo" (see videos). If they seem a little jittery, it's because they were given a stimulant from Will's wife, the school nurse, beforehand. Good grief!

There have been numerous cameos including Josh Groban, Victor Garber and Kristen Chenoweth, and there are apparently more where that came from. The show is on Fox on Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. (ET).

Emmy's Best Dressed

[Getty Images]

I was in Switzerland when the Emmy's took place last Sunday, so I'm just now catching up on everything. Of course 30 Rock and Mad Men were big winners of the night. Justin Timberlake also scored an award for his SNL performance.

Now, who dominated the fashion? Here are my faves:

-Chloe Sevigny in Issac Mizrahi. Her one-shoulder, black-and-white polka-dotted dress with a yellow slip underneath was fabulous. As usual, the Big Love actress had a look that was her own. The gold brooch on the hip makes the dress look vintage.

-John Hamm in Gucci. The handsome Mad Men star managed to look even more dapper than usual (if that's even possible) in a classic Gucci tuxedo.

-January Jones in Atelier Versace. This dress is amazing! It's very futuristic and definitely stood out on the red carpet. The fitted art-deco bodice and the contrast of the flowing bottom half was so unique.

-Ryan Kwanten. The Australian True Blood actor wore a simple black suit and tie. When it comes to men on the red carpet, you can not go wrong with this look - especially with that face!

-Olivia Wilde in Marchesa. The House actress wore a leaf-like, mint green one-shoulder gown. Even though it could be considered risque, it still looks classy. There is subtle nude netting on the front and back. I love the layering of fabrics in the skirt.