All The Girls Love Alice

Alice bands. Of property formerly belonging to the leggy ladies gliding around Sloane Square, Mayfair & cetera, keeping their static blonde manes intact with a thick velveteen band. Currently residing with the Noughties Girls, who reclaimed possession somewhere around the locale of the Upper East Side in NYC. Yep, CW’s Gossip Girl miniseries brought back the band.

Of course you don’t have to be established of title & light of foot to enjoy this trend: pretty much anyone can join in. For the lithe & svelte, alice bands bring a touch of the ballerina to one’s face, sweeping unkempt hair back into place.

For the really brave, take the highway out past Grunge and head towards the 1950s with a touch of satirical irony, following Ashley Olsen, Katy Perry & Lilly Allen in a nod to a somewhat twisted version of the all American stay-at-home mum.

For the art-ier Shoreditch-ly partial, hair bands of the plaited variety earn a sprinkle of Grecian stardust to bring sparkle to the spirited troops treading the puddles of Hackney Road and beyond.

From Helen of Troy to Hell of a Hairstyle, Diane Kruger steps up her game:

Leighton Meister, as Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf, preps up her outfit with a punch of cherry red kid-bows:

Recreate the look at a fraction of the expense with Credit Crunch prices:

Sportier and more athlectic aesthetics at the Lagerfeld shows:

Yep, Natalie rocks the same hair-band, different outfit:

Scarlett Johansson, MET ball 2008, wears Dolce & Gabbana:

Picture Sources:

Blair Waldorf pic: www.fashiontechnews.blogspot.com

Diane Kruger & Natalie Portman pics: www.instyle.com

Emmy Rossum & Natalie Portman, & Ashley Olsen pic (part of montage): www.people.com

Lagerfeld: www.thefashionspot.com

Scarlett Johansson pics: www.beautyaddict1one1.blogspot.com and www.thefashionpolice.net

Sandra Bullock, Sarah Michelle Gellar & Gwyneth Paltrow pic: www.thebaglady.tv

Zooey Deschanel pic: www.hairfinder.com

How to look like a stylishly seasoned traveller

I Dream of Wool & Cashmere Harmonies

A scarf/pashmina is an absolute must for the airport & plane trip. Try and ignore the tempting silken scarves or the lighter cashmere threads because these crease very easily. Best bet is 100% wool (make sure it’s not too itchy-scratchy) as it’s very dense & will actually keep you warm rather than just adorned.

Shoes

Do not wear heels unless you’re aiming to blag a first-class upgrade. (In which case, make them a requisite). Soft shoes that will fit in your handbag give out Rich Girl’s attitude of I Have So Many Shoes At Home Anyway, I Just Threw On Some Comfortable Shoes For Flying Because I Don’t Need To Draw Attention To Myself. Or something to that effect. Check out some sites that actually sell the proper professional ballet pumps. They are incredibly cheap, and come in some great neutral colours, as well as reds and blues. The ones below are from French Sole, £70, and centre/right, from www.dancingwear.co.uk. Only £12 a pop.

Who’s That Girl?

In a vain attempt to hide from prying cameras, stylistas will always whack on some fantastically huge sunglasses. This actually draws attention to the wearer, since the outsize proportions fascinate the mignons who are the stylishly challenged & too afraid to make such a statement. However, huge sunglasses, with the right frames, look ridiculously cool.

Bags of Space

A large hold-all carry-on completes the look. Different airlines have different size restrictions, so check with your carrier, but as a general rule, Heathrow cabin baggage dictates:

• 56 centimetres tall (22 inches)
• 45 centimetres wide (17.7 inches)
• 25 centimetres deep (10 inches)

Go for the biggest bag possible. Even if your purse & mobile phone look a bit lonely in amongst its depths on the way out, you can guarantee you’ll need the extra space on your way back home.

(Kudos to Whitney Port, above, for the cute plane-motif-ed bag!)

Moisturise, Moisturise

Heightened security threats (damn those terrorists) mean that there are limits to the liquids & creams we can now take on board. For a fresh-faced look, cleansing wipes are a must, since as they meet neither the liquid nor the cream category, can be packed in abundance. A small tub of moisturiser however is still vital for the pre-landing beauty routine. Go for an SPF based one, regardless of your destination (hey, climate change hits everyone, everywhere) and apply liberally to compensate for the dehydrating affect of high altitude atmospheres. L’Occitane and Clarins come highly recommended.

Failing all this, secure yourself a private jet (courtesy of Rich Boyfriend or Trust Fund Parentage), & anyone who gets to peek at you through your wall of security/bodyguards will be too in awe of the jet to notice your bedraggled behind.

Lauren Conrad at LAX.

Hayden Christensen & Rachel Bilson at LAX

Sources:

Ballet pumps: www.dancingwear.co.uk, www.frenchsole.com

Jen Aniston, Rachel Bilson & Kate Hudson pics: www.instyle.com

Lauren Conrad pics: www.bunnywithfangs.com

Whitney Port, Eva Longoria, Rachel Bilson with Hayden Christenson, & Ashley Olsen pics, from http://www.celebrity-gossip.net/

Style Icons

People whose style I admire. Don't question, just follow. No really.

Actually, style is obviously an individual thing. That's what everyone says anyway. But all art has got to get its inspirations from somewhere. So I like flicking through magazines, browsing websites, & cetera, to get some images of how different outfits are put together. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, whilst I may not agree with her politics, seems to hold up impeccably. & I love her choice of Yves-Saint Laurent, along with her "violet period" a few months ago.

Ashley Olsen, on the other hand, only 22 years on this earth bless her, often chooses more daring outfits than the pic I chose above ( see lateron...). But with those skinny jeans, Hunter wellies, big black shades, cool leather( a Rick Owens jacket maybe?), & messy hair, seems to have redefined (along with her sister's more arty/boho vibe) Generation Y's What It Means To be Young, Rich & Stylish. Sure, the twins may have grown up & made their first millions as some tweens on an all-American sitcom, but they have indefinitely matured into a pair of referential style icons who know their Balenciaga from their Balmain.

Other people whose style I admire:


Michelle Williams, wearing Oscar de la Renta (left) & Vera Wang (center).
(source: http://www.peoplestylewatch.com/people/stylewatch/gallery/0,,1224255_15,00.html)

Anne Hathaway wearing Marchesa
(source: asostoday.asos.com/2008/02/star-style-l-10.html)

Natalia Vodianova, wearing, l-r, Olivier Theyskens; Jeremy Scott by Linda Farrow.
(sources: l-r, British Vogue UK, courtesy of ecstasy-lover.livejournal.com/23977.html; dianepernet.typepad.com/.../natalia-vodiano.html)