Enormous Panties Not Just For Bridget Jones

Ahh… the control tops, the granny undies, possibly the best invention ever, or whatever you want to call them. And guess who’s wearing them? None other than Katie Holmes.

My fave spinster and role model Bridget Jones would be so proud. Are they sexy? Probably not. But everyone knows they work wonders.

Considering the Mrs Tom Cruise is looking fab after her baby, maybe the enormous panties were donned out of fear of doin’ a Britney – who decided to go starkers ‘down there’ a few times.

Holmes appears to be significantly more style-conscious these days.

Designer Water

Six months ago toting around a banana in Australia was huge news. Now bananas weren’t decorated in Swarovski crystals or anything, but basically you were “someone” if you could afford one.

Companies are now cashing in on our obsession with water of all things. The growing trend to be a health nut means sugar-filled soft drinks are out and the natural resource (aka water) is in. Apparently people like being ripped off by paying $5 for a stylish looking bottle.

The surge in water has also opened up the market for bottled water for our pets. Yep, PetRefresh now has a line specifically designed in mind for the furry kind.

Consumers (myself included) are such suckers for image. Madonna is apparently a big fan of Voss Artesian Water, while Penta boasts Cameron Diaz as a fan of theirs. Glaceau Vitaminwater has linked Kelly Clarkson with their kiwi-strawberry flavour and 50 Cent has inspired Formula 50 – “Roll with 50 (per)cent of many of your daily requirements.”

And then of course there is little Lindsay and her vodka “water” bottles.

Since we’re in a drought and all, there has been a lot of talk about having to drink sewerage water. Now there’s a flavour I’d rather miss.

Mobile Phone For Prada

Fashion labels must be the absolute best at marketing and branding their products. Prada have decided that producing luxurious sweaters is not enough, and that a mobile phone is in the works.

The mobile will be developed along with LG Electronics, already a leader in mobile communications. Apparently, “the result is a unique, sophisticated and elegant phone, with an advanced touch interface which eliminates the conventional keypad.”

No word of how much it will cost, but expected launch is early this year (for UK, France, Italy, and Germany). But will this phone really be different to the other thousand models of phones we already have saturating the market?

If I had one of these phones, every time it rang, I would be like “Ooh, that’s my Prada ringing.” Of course people would probably look at me like I was one of those spoilt brats from MTV show “My Super Sweet 16”. Please tell me I’m not the only one who is irritated from those types of girls? They are utterly embarrassing... Not that I would ever watch that show or anything. *Grabs remote and changes channel*

Naomi Campbell Really Does Beat People

British supermodel slash superbitch Naomi Campbell has pleaded guilty to third-degree assault for doing “a Russell” and throwing a phone. Campbell threw the mobile at her housekeeper Ana Scolavino last March and as such will spend five days doing community service.

This is nice deal for Campbell considering she could have faced a seven-year jail term on the original charge of second-degree assault.

Campbell was ordered to attend a two-day anger management course as well. Will two days really help? Who throws a phone anyway? She must've been mighty pissed off.

OK, I Forgive Pink (sorta)

If you read any of my earlier posts on Pink, you would know I was fired up over her comments about boycotting the Australian wool industry. Well, she’s now retracted part of her comments, admitting that she failed to do enough research on the issue.

Pink, who appeared in a video for PETA on animal cruelty, in which she described sheep mulesing as “sadistic”, now admits that she was misinformed.

"My message was, in my mind, boycott animal cruelty - not an entire industry, not Australia, obviously, because it's my favourite country.

"Then going back, I was speaking without thinking and I actually did say ban Australia, which is bulls***. It's not something that I can agree with,” she said.

I suppose this is a fairly decent apology. I will inturn also withdraw my own comments that I would boycott Pink’s music and never download it again.

PETA’s boycott on Australian wool saw some American and British retailers on side. However, leading clothing retailer Bennetton realised it was a load of crap and refused to lend their support to the campaign.

Golden Globes Fashion - Hits & Misses (regular updates)

Haven’t seen much of Heidi Klum of late. What’s with the gloves? Fab choker. I wonder if it's from her jewellery line.

Salma Hayek and her ‘puppies’ are out in force.

Maggie Gyllenhaal. Is this what motherhood does to women? Maggie used to have an off-beat style, but I didn’t realise tragic was part of the equation. Wtf is this? It’s totally all wrong.

Uh, ok, does Zach Braff wear make-up?

Ahh… McDreamy.

I can see why these two generate so much interest – just look at them. Gorgeous. Jolie has the skinniest arms for a mother.

Abigail Breslin. This girl is such a cutie. I’m hoping she doesn’t end up like how all the other child stars do.

Tina Fey in a dress? Who, what, when, where, why and how? Amazing. If this photo hadn't said "Tina Fey" under it, I would be utterly clueless as to who this is. She's so funny.

You can always count on Sienna Miller for style. This is such an unsual dress - beautiful though. It's early days yet but so far white is proving a popular choice.

Aaron Eckhart lookin' mighty spunky.

Rosanna and Patricia Arquette. Do I need to even comment on these two dresses? Nuff said already.

Hayden Panettiere chose well. You can’t really see the detail in the dress from the pics, but on TV this dress looked amazing.

Ali Larter. I hope she packed tape in that purse. Just in case.

Jennifer Love Hewitt. Way too monochromatic – brown from head to toe. Nice bodice, the rest looks more frump than anything else.

She looks pretty in this pic.

Babies Are Fashion Accessories

This is the funniest picture. It sums up celebrity adoption perfectly. I came across this picture on Hollywoodrag.com, which was created by Artist 14 and featured in Cracked magazine’s Jan/Feb issue.

Gucci tried to bring the babee back a few years ago, but the trend to adopt an orphan child seems to have caught on better. Do Louis Vuitton sell baby carriers already? If not, I’m thinking there’s a big market for them.

I was thinking the illustration would have been even cooler if there was a stamp on the baby's forehead "We Do Not Accept Returns" or something.

MK Loves Her Bag

Mary-Kate Olsen must really dig this bag. It's unusual to see famous people (especially females) wearing stuff more than once - they seem to dispose of clothes as soon as they've been photographed in them.

Meanwhile this is one of the worst outfits I have seen in a long time.

Coming Soon… New York Fashion Week

Look out for NY Fashion Week starting on Feb 2. I’ll be posting on which labels crashed and burned and which ones made me cut up my credit card out of fear of spending too much.

Also, red-carpet season is near, giving all of us a chance to see what celebs spend their millions of dollars on - is it good stylists or bad taste?

Meet Fulla… Arab Barbie

Fulla was created by a United Arab Emirates toy company and is designed to be a “global doll”, not necessarily a “Muslim doll”.

Fulla of course looks nothing like the blonde-haired, big-breasted Barbie (that Westerners know and love). She does not own a bikini, instead opts for an abaya – a long, black robe – fully covering her body. Barbie’s golden tanned skin is replaced with Fulla’s caramel skin, chocolate eyes, jet-black hair and there is certainly no DD’s (the booby kind not the batteries).

Barbie doesn’t seem to make the cut in this multi-cultural world we live in. African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American dolls have all been introduced of late in order to meet the demands of different religions, races and cultures.

In the Middle East, Fulla outsells Barbie and seems to take the opposite approach of Barbie. Fulla “respects her parents” and asks “girls to take pride in themselves and not dress for boys and be the sex symbols that other dolls tend to be.” That is according to Fulla’s creators NewBoy.

Even if a child has a Fulla doll and realises that women shouldn’t be sex symbols, said child can still turn on MTV and see women like The Pussycat Dolls whoring themselves around. Dolls are only one object that children are exposed to. I don’t think there is anything wrong with Barbie, despite her unrealistic proportions. Unless parents decide to take away the TV, DVD’s, Internet, magazines and countless other media communications, children will always be influenced to some degree by what they see. But then again, it’s just a doll.

Useless Fashion Tip #1: Big Bags Cause Bigger Problems

Apart from their expense, large, over-sized carry bags are not what they seem. Ok, sure they are trendy, but like high heels, they are bad for your health. And bank balance.

The bigger the bag, the more shoulder problems it creates. We used to get reminded about this in high school. Whenever I’m at uni and carrying loads of books I can really tell it’s a problem.

After years of carrying school bags on a particularly shoulder, people often find that that side kind of slopes lower than the other. Definitely not a cool look.

So my tip of the day is letting you know that it is advised that a bag should not weigh more than ten per cent of your body weight. Honestly, who has the time to figure that out? Do I look like a numbers girl?

Health hazard?

Models Get Picked On

There has been so much comment on models lately and their lack of body weight and “lifestyle” choices.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America has now weighed in on the debate about models and has released a new health initiative to combat anorexia, bulimia and chain-smoking.

These are suggested guidelines only and not enforceable:

# Keep models under 16 off the runway and don't allow models under 18 to work at fittings or photo shoots past midnight.

# Educate those in the industry to identify the early warning signs of eating disorders.

# Require models identified as having an eating disorder to receive professional help and only allow those models to continue with approval from that professional.

# Develop workshops on the causes and effects of eating disorders, and raise awareness of the effects of smoking and tobacco-related disease.

# During fashion shows, provide healthy meals and snacks, while prohibiting smoking and alcohol.

Do you really think the last one is going to be achieved? Smoking and models seem to go together.

There is no mention of a BMI guideline. A BMI under 18.5 is considered underweight.

''The CFDA Health Initiative is about awareness and education, not policing. Therefore, the committee is not recommending that models get a doctor's physical examination to assess their health or body-mass index to be permitted to work,'' the CFDA said in a statement. ''Eating disorders are emotional disorders that have psychological, behavioral, social and physical manifestations, of which body weight is only one.''

You have to feel sorry for the models that are genetically thin. At some point people have to realise that some people are naturally thin, curvy, and large. Does it really matter? I don’t assume that all ‘big’ people suffer from obesity. If that’s their body type, then so be it.

Michael Vollbracht, the creative director at Bill Blass, said ''thin is always in, it's how you show clothes… But then those size 0 styles are plucked by stylists for Hollywood actresses who then feel fat and then diet when they can't fit into the tiny garments, and there are so many girls and women who then look up to the stars. It's a perpetual cycle”. The guy makes a valid point. So it is settled then – celebrities are to blame. I knew it. Isn't it great that you can blame everything on famous people?

Fashion = Skin Cancer?

The Cancer Council has fears that fashion is a contributing factor to teenagers ignoring warnings about skin cancer.

David Wild from the Cancer Council believes the idea that suntans are made out to be “cool, hip and healthy” is a big problem and thinks fashion is partly to blame for this. Schools will soon be given educational resources about skin cancer in the hope it will deter youngsters from burning themselves to a crisp.

Apparently teens are the worst offenders and are simply not getting the “slip, slop, slap” message. I would have thought that young people would have realised that nobody has real tans anymore; just fake ones.

I can understand how one would make the assumption that it’s fashion’s fault. But in reality, I think that fashion/beauty writers advocate for fake tans instead of the real thing. The amount of fake tanning ads I see in both print and on television is amazing. How could you not get the message?

Does anyone else agree that tanned skin looks so gross on really old people – like all those years sunning themselves has turned their skin to leather?

Myer's $4m Splurge on Hawko

That gorgeous former Miss Universe gal Jennifer Hawkins just received the best birthday present ever – a lucrative $4 million, four-year deal with Myer. Hawkins secured the deal on December 22 – her 23rd birthday, which also includes share options giving her a direct equity stake.

Hawkins appeal and selling power was the decisive factor in landing the contract. Myer chief executive Bernie Brooks said "when Jennifer wears a dress to say a racing carnival, we would have no difficulty selling 1000 of those dresses over the ensuing weeks.”

Even so, this is a huge amount of money to be spending on a model. Apparently Hawkins' contract is the most lucrative deal ever for an Australian-based model. Way to go Hawko.

Men Will Have to Learn to Accept Being Ugly... Queer Eye No More

OMG. The Fab Five will soon be over. After winning our hearts with snappy remarks and oodles of style and flair, not to mention making the opposite sex appear more attractive, the current series of "Queer Eye" will be its last.

Does this mean men are up shit creek? In the fashion stakes that is.

I think straight men have two options: they either fend for themselves in the grooming and style departments and hope not to fuck up – that is trying to avoid mixing plaids with stripes; or they do nothing and keep on wearing yesterday’s smelly/gross/possibly soiled (eew) undies, jeans, socks and shirt. Please let it not be the latter.

In announcing the show’s end, Frances Berwick, Bravo's VP of programming and production said, “we proudly watched as viewers embraced the series that really helped open the closet doors on gays and their presence on television and in popular culture."

P.S. Carson you are hiliarious and I’m sure your legion of fans will miss you.

Peter Alexander Do Great Sales

I’ve never bought anything at Peter Alexander – I always assumed they were a tad over priced. Plus, there are only two stores in Brisbane anyway (at shopping centres I never go to). But I picked up some cool cosmetic cases there the other day. I’m so chuffed with my purchases I might go back and get more.

The Indooroopilly store is so adorable. I love the pink front door. (Although I love anything pink, so this really isn’t a surprise.)

Huge Towelling Cos Case

'Penelope Goes to Paris' Spot Cos Case

See www.peteralexander.com.au for more cute stuff.

Latest Apple Products

Isn’t it great that liking technology doesn’t mean you’re a total geek? I’m way into gadgets, which is weird for a girl who is also really into fashion. Nerds have come a long way. They have awesome street cred now.

Synonymous with technology is style, and with that comes fashion. I suppose this is because technology itself gets a design overhaul every few years. Just think back to the first mobile phones in what, early ‘90s? They were massive. It was as if people were walking around and speaking into a brick. So all the gadgets these days are way stylish and it’s an image thing really. And isn’t image one reason as to what fashion is all about?

This week Apple’s iPhone has already caused a bit of a stir. In a nutshell the iPhone will be an iPod mobile phone, which can also be used as a camera, as well as listening to your favourite tunes. I wonder if Nokia and all the other major phone companies will be shitting themselves?

But it ain’t cheap folks. Priced at $US499 for the 4GB model and $US599 for the 8GB, the phones will be available in the United States from June. This probably means that Australians will unfortunately have to wait a long time for this nifty piece of equipment to arrive.

In other Apple news, Apple TV will be available in February at a cost of $US299 for the 40GB machine.

Glamour's Fashion Poll Results

Glamour Magazine Best Dressed List:

1. Kylie Minogue
2. Victoria Beckham
3. Nicole Richie
4. Kate Moss
5. Sienna Miller

In a surprise twist, Kylie beat out Kate Moss this year by sporting a new look after recently recovering from breast cancer. Moss slipped down to fourth place, while her skanky boyfriend Pete Doherty came in at worst dressed male. David Beckham picked up the award for best dressed male (as expected).

Celebrities Mischa Barton, Rachel Bilson, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, and singer Gwen Stefani made up the rest of the top 10.

It must have been the gold hot pants that did it.

Wilma Valderrama Goes From Fez to Fashion

Wilmer Valderrama has announced he will launch a “latino-inspired” fashion label later this year. Cue laughter. The former "That 70s Show" actor has plans on a men’s clothing range, to be called Calavena.

I just can’t work out why celebs are so determined to move from the big screen to fashion design. Celebrity marketing has gone too far.

Valderrama was so loveable as Fez on That 70s Show.

Suit Up In Alannah Hill

I never thought Alannah Hill would ever change her market, so the news that she’s adding corporate wear to her portfolio comes as a surprise.

Known for her uber-ladylike designs in a palette of pastels and pretty much the owner of the girly chic trend, Hill has been faced with competition from new designers offering their take on her style.

Newcomers such as Alice McCall, Kate Sylvester, Arabella Ramsay and Caravana forced Hill to look at her options.

The never shy designer says her new line is “workwear for the sexy and wayward secretary”. I’m picturing one of those blonde fembots as seen in Austin Powers – all over-the-top, blonde hair in tight outfits.

"I like to think of them as a naughty secretary look; conservative but with a little split, or a peek-a-boo bit of lace or a special twist like a bow at the back and little puffed sleeves . . . little Alannah-type touches," Hill says.

The garments will sell from $389 to $429 for jackets, $249 for pants and $269 for a skirt.

Marie Antoinette

Sofia Coppola's film Marie Antoinette might be getting a bit of a panning from film critics, but fashion lovers are well, loving it. Watch out for the film’s costumes to become the next big influence for fashion designers.

US Vogue editor Anna Wintour has already given the film her stamp of approval to transition from film to fashion. "It's an extraordinary accomplishment," she says in the magazine. "I think Marie Antoinette will have a considerable impact on fashion for years to come".

It is rare for a film to make a contribution to style, but every now and then an extraordinary film has the power to do just that.

Jamie Huckbody, fashion and features director of Harper's Bazaar is spot on when he comments, "We're all craving a little excessive flourish to add to our brushed, functional aluminium kitchens. It's the surprise of the decadent."

Already we have seen obvious romantic and femininity influences on the Louis Vuitton catwalk for spring/summer 2007. Also, their recent ad campaigns featuring Scarlett Johansson are a great example of what we’re in store for fashion this year.

Word on the street is that pastels are making their big comeback in 2007. Can’t wait. Other predictions include porcelain skin, heavy bush/rouge and powder for make-up.

I always enjoy Coppola’s work – she’s a very creative and talented chick. Before directing she worked as a stylist and fashion photographer, as well as designing costumes.

I only want to see this film because of the costumes, not that interested in the script itself.

The Graduate Store

This is a really cool idea.

Six fashion graduates from TAFE’s Fashion Design Studio have banded together and will run their own shop – The Graduate Store. The shop is due to open next month in Sydney’s Strand Arcade.

The studio is considered one of the top design schools in the country, while past graduates include Alex Perry, Lisa Ho, Michelle Jank, Akira Isogawa, Nikki Zimmerman and Wayne Cooper.

The store is funded partly by the six graduates, fashion-industry sponsors and the TAFE institute.

Students will have a year in which to sell their clothes and build a solid client base. The idea is by this stage they will be able to venture out on their own and a new graduate takes their place.

The concept is an interesting one that’s for sure. Hope it works.

Sienna Miller Fashion Line

It has been a big week for celebrity designers. They seem to be popping up left, right and centre. Sienna Miller can now be added to a very long list of celebrities turning their talents to design.

Miller, along with her fashion designer sister, Savannah, will launch a line Twenty8Twelve by s. miller. In case you’re wondering about the label name it’s from Sienna’s birthdate, who turned 25 on December 28.

Carlos Ortega – the owner of that groovy little label Pepe Jeans will be backing the project. Sienna has also appeared in Pepe Jeans ads before.

Savannah has been making a name for herself as well. She studied at the prestigious London’s Central Saint Martins and has worked with design genius Alexander McQueen. Lucky girl. Am I right to assume that it is Savannah who is the creative one behind the label, while Sienna is the face of the label?

In an interview with Vogue, Sienna said she was inspired by everything from Patti Smith, poetry of the Beat generation and the dark London of Dickens. Hopefully you will be reading this and like me, have no idea what these things are. Miller told Vogue “we wanted to create that London world that feels inaccessible.”

Apparently love poems will be tucked into jean pockets, which is kinda creepy… you go in to buy a pair of jeans, you come out with debt on your credit card and a brooding, sodding poem. (Ha – I just said “sodding”. I’m so English right now).

The line will include denim, dresses, outerwear, knitwear and tailored jackets. Just for clarification is “outerwear” anything you wear outside the house? Because that’s pretty broad. I mean I occasionally go out dressed like a lumberjack* to the local Blockbuster, does this mean this sort of attire will be included in the line? I hope so. I’ll totally buy it then.

I do actually like Sienna Miller - she has great style and a cool name. Unfortunate taste in men though.

* Historically I think lumberjacks are typically male and wear suspenders, plaid flannel shirts, boots and accessorise with a chainsaw. Neat. It’s not really my style, but every now and then it’s cool for something different.

M by Madonna

Madonna will launch her clothing line – M by Madonna - in March, with the range being a part of the H&M label. According to H&M, the “line will reflect Madonna’s timeless, unique and always glamorous style.”

In a statement Madonna said “I've made no secret of my love of fashion over the years. Working with Margareta and H&M was an exciting and new creative challenge for me. I'm really happy with the results and look forward to wearing 'M by Madonna' along with the rest of the world.”

Madonna is quite the genius in reinventing herself and her style, so it comes as no surprise that after all these years in the industry she has turned to fashion. As we all know, fashion labels are very “in” for the celeb crowd.

New Year Fashion Resolutions

It’s that time of the year again when we write down all the things we want to achieve in the new year, regardless of the fact that we won’t keep any of them. At the start of the year I always have plans to revamp the wardrobe – kind of an ‘out with the old, in with the new’ mantra.

My Fashion Resolutions for this year:

• Sell unwanted stuff on ebay.
• Start buying matching underwear (despite its expense). Replace classic Bonds undies with something a little classier.
• Buy suit. Not sure when I’ll wear it, but I figure everyone should have at least a basic black one in their wardrobe. I’ve always considered a suit to be a fashion staple.
• Don’t buy any more jeans, unless they are super cheap and a damn fabulous fit.
• Don’t buy something just because it is on sale. Wise words.
• Buy first pair of boots for coming winter. I know this one will never happen – I’ve been telling myself to buy boots for about 3 years now.
• Sew something for best friend in order to keep her being my best friend. Bribes are the best.

I also think I should be socially responsible and include some fashion resolutions for teenagers. This includes:

• Stop wearing tight hipster jeans when clearly visible “muffin top” protrudes over tight jeans.
• I’ve never understood the appeal of wearing ugg boots with a denim mini skirt to the beach… Pamela Anderson has a lot of explaining to do.
• Try to abstain from shopping at Supre. You’ll thank me later.
• Keep sunglasses in proportion to one’s head size. i.e. the bug look is over. Let it go kids.