TV Style/Review: Dresscue Me

I'm not sure how I stumbled across Dresscue Me - it's pretty deep cable (channel 286 on directv) and at first glance, it doesn't seem to fit with the other shows on Planet Green. A vintage fashion reality show on the same network as Whale Wars and various renovation shows?

But Dresscue Me establishes its place in the Planet Green ethos early on in the episode, Shareen Mitchell, owner and designer for Shareen Vintage, is doing a collection of upcycled "bat-wing tops" (a phrase that is repeated endlessly), made from those crinkly Indian-print skirts everyone wore in the 90s. To fill the order, Shareen and an assistant visit this mountain of discarded clothing:

This scene really illustrates the green aspect of vintage dressing and the finished product shows how creativity can help eliminate all that wasted clothing.

Not my style, but I know a lot of girls who would love it.

The time we spend in the shop make up the best parts of the episode. Shareen Mitchell, whose LA-ness made my eyes roll a bit, is nevertheless very talented at matching the girl to the dress. The dress try-on parts of the episode really won me over.

Shareen Vintage has its celebrity clients (Nylon tells me that Kirsten Dunst shops there) and I was so excited to see Cat Deeley on my TV! I do miss her in between SYTYCD seasons. There's a charming dress try-on sequence with lots of Cat laughing joyously and ooo-ing over the fab dresses. We even get to see her try on a dress she wore on the show last season!

The other client highlighted in the episode was a gal who was going to be in a wedding party. Shareen finds a GORGEOUS 50s seafoam-green wiggle dress that the girl loves. Shareen Vintage alters the dress and when the girl comes to pick it up, she brings her friend...who ruins everything. It's interesting to watch the girl deflate as her friend stares at the dress and dismisses it as "...wedding-y." She tries several other dresses that the friend dislikes and Shareen diagnoses the problem: "Do you wear vintage?" "No." And it all makes sense - to a lot of people, wearing vintage will always look either overdone or costume. Sometimes it's hard out there for a vintage-loving girl (she ended up looking cute in a tropical floral dress).

 Unfortunately, the reality show construct just can't help itself and we're treated to a few "Shareen is the fashion boss from hell" scenes before the fashion line launch party. I wish this trope would go away: everyone gets stressed at their job, especially when they have a big event or project. Just because this person's job is in fashion does not automatically make them Miranda Priestley!

Beside that nod to reality tv, Dresscue Me is an enjoyable way to spend a half hour in the afternoon. More vintage dress fashion show, please!

TV Style: Lemonade Mouth

I am not above the Disney Channel.  I know I'm too old for it, but I will watch Wizards of Waverly Place like an obsessed 12-year-old.  Also, Disney Channel Original Movies.

Both places are were I found myself loving the way they dress Bridgit Mendler, a dimpled cutie-pie Disney Channel blonde.  I even bought a skirt similar to one she wore in Wizards of Waverly Place. I am 26 years old.

However, I did not buy the wings or vampire teeth.

In the newest Disney Channel Original Movie, Lemonade Mouth, I decided I covet her outfits.  They are so super-girly cute, in a dress-with-cowboy-boots kind of way.  Observe:

This was my favorite outfit from the movie.

 Seriously, super-cute, right? Is it wrong that I'm totally in love with the fashion on a Disney Channel Original Movie?

TV Style: Gossip Girl

You know I love Gossip Girl. And you know I love the insanely awesome style they all have. Particularly, I love it when they get preppy.

One of my daydreams about going to prep school involves the uniforms. I always picture student after student personalizing their uniform: fraying the edges, wearing their tie a certain way, going crazy with accessories. It's probably unrealistic, but hey, it's a daydream!

Anyway, this is why I loved Jenny's first-day-of-school outfit: she's playing on the pleated-skirt-and-blazer look with her cute shorts and rad vest; she's got her tie, but she's layered it with a bunch of necklaces and she's wearing aviators, one of the official sunglasses of cool. It's like my prep-school uniform daydream come to life!

TV Style: So You Think You Can Dance, episode 14

It was double the dances last night, which means double the costumes (yay!)!

There were so many great performances, but I thought Jeanette and Brandon really stood out this week. Their first dance was the Argentine tango, which was fantastic - they really had the attitude down and Jeanette's footwork was amazing. Their second dance closed out the night - it was choreographed by my favorite, Wade Robson, and it was about jewel thiefs:

I loved this dance - Wade described the movement as cartoony, and it was cartoony in the best way. There was a lot of exaggerated tip-toeing and herky-jerky movements - it was so stylish! And that brings me to the costume: it was perfect! I loved the mod look - white sunglasses, striped shirt, high-waisted pants. It was completely adorable . . . I wouldn't mind owning that shirt, with it's cute black ruffle around the collar.

Melissa and Ade have been my favorite couple from the beginning - they did really well last night. One of their dances was a waltz, which had one of my favorite dresses of the night:


I liked that this dress was cut a bit looser - it made it more flowy while Melissa danced. Plus, the detail at the shoulder was beautiful: silk rosettes with a long trail of fabric streaming down. It was really the perfect dress for a waltz.

Last one: Kayla and Kupono did a love-at-first sight Broadway dance, inspired by West Side Story. I loved Kayla's dress:

The pink floral is so cute, but the layered crinoline makes it. It was so cute and flippy whenever Kayla did a kick or turn.

And finally . . .

What Cat Wore
Our girl was pretty subdued this week, but pretty nonetheless. Cat was really rocking the 1940s glam look - the bows at her sleeves were sweet but still elegant and the cut of the dress was lovely. I loved her sparkly accessories - this picture doesn't show it, but her hair was pinned up all fancy with a cool filligreed floral hair clip. Her hair was my favorite part of the whole look, with the pin-curl waves in front and the classy 40's updo in the back. Cat looked gorgeous, as usual!

TV Style: So You Think You Can Dance, episode 12

Both Karla and Vitolio were kicked off So You Think You Can Dance this week, but I think they went out on a high note (kick?). They danced the quickstep; the choreography was very lighthearted and fun and it seemed like each of them got into the spirit of the dance. They both looked fantastic - Vitolio as a dandy and Karla as the lovely lady he twirls around the dance floor.

As much as I enjoyed the dancing, the most memorable part of the number was Karla's MAGICAL DRESS, which changed from a polka-dotty shift to a flowy sunset-colored ballgown.



Here's a link to the video - it's totally amazing. I've watched it in slow motion a few times, trying to figure out the mechanics of it. I think it must be velcroed at the shoulders or something. Anyway, AWESOME!!

Sorry you had to go home, Karla, but at least you got to wear a magic dress!

And now . . . .

What Cat Wore:
I adore this outfit - the color, the belt, the pockets - it's all gorgeous!


And I think I'll take this moment to state my opinion: all dresses should have pockets, from now on. Seriously. It seems like dresses with pockets have only been around the last few years, but they should exist forever. I know the pleaty, structurey thing will go away eventually and pockets won't work quite so well, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts!

TV Style: So You Think You Can Dance, episode 10

I had a hard time choosing my favorite costume on So You Think You Can Dance this week - between Melissa's amazing drapy ballroom outfit, Jeanine's adorable 40s getup, and Cat's fabulous tribute to Farrah Fawcett, it's a photo-finish within miliseconds. Since I can't pick, I think I'll just list them for your enjoyment, in no particular order:

So far, Melissa and Ade are my favorite couple. They both exude a quiet confidence, which makes it really easy to root for them. This week they did the rhumba; I love it when the contestants get a ballroom category because it really seems to showcase their partnership as a whole - if one person struggles, they both struggle.

Also, it brings out the crazy-awesome ballroom costumes that aim to be over-the-top, sparkly concotions of fabulousness. And that's what Melissa got this week:
It's completely crazy - a copper-colored bikini underneath a sparkly copper toga-thing - yet it's completely amazing, too. It has no real-world style application - it's just amazing for what it is, a fab ballroom costume.

In contrast, I would wear Jeanine's cute 40s dress today if I could:

She and Phillip did a fun dance inspired by the too-great-for-words movie, Singin' in the Rain (no video b/c sound is disabled on all clips I found, copyright reasons or something). Not only did Jeanine get to wear a sweet little lavender dress, but she got to rogue her lips and pin up her hair like a war bride waiting for her man to come home. The whole look was just adorable - it would have been my favorite if Melissa's dress hadn't existed on the same show.

And finally, Miss Cat Deeley, the most adorable show host in all the world. She's just so sweet and seems to have just a bit of the geek in her - I totally want to be her best friend. Along with her hosting duties, Cat gets to wear crazy things that only a tall, blonde dance competetion host can get away with.

This week, she got away with a Hawaiin-print, halter-neck jumpsuit.

Normally, I consider jumpsuits part of the fashion industry's masterplan to dress middle America in unflattering things for their own amusement. However, Cat is an exception - she is the kind of person who can wear something so silly, yet still look amazing. Also, I love that they feathered her hair - intentional or not, her whole look seemed a tribute to Farrah Fawcett's fresh-faced beauty from the 70s.

TV Style: So You Think You Can Dance, episode 8

It's no surprise that I love So You Think You Can Dance: it's colorful, frothy summer fun. So far this season, the dancing has been great - already, there are a few routines that stick out as being great.

Last week, in particular, Kayla and Max danced a pop jazz routine that was SO cool and SO stylish (go here to see video). The movement was so angular and sharp - combined with a 1920s-ish Russian glamor - that it almost seemed like they were old-timey marionettes. Basically, it was a dance that was made for me to obsess over.

A lot of times, the costuming on SYTYCD is a little silly or obvious, but I was in love with the crazy ballerina look they gave Kayla:

It's got every possible embellishment - feathers, tulle, beading, ruffles, flowers - done in total in-your-face bright colors and it should be totally tacky. Instead, it's completely perfect - she looks like a ballerina who maybe spends a little time in the speakeasy downtown.

TV Style: Privileged

There's a cute little show on the CW called Privileged. It's about a Yale-graduate who has been hired to tutor a set of obscenely wealthy twins and finds herself swept away in a world of privilege and money, blah blah blah. It probably won't be renewed, so I thought I'd memorialize its fun style.

The show's tone is really sweet and light and so is the fashion. The main character, Megan, wears cute cardigan-and-jeans outfits, while the twins get to wear some seriously stylish clothes. The season finale features a wedding, so the girls get to dress their best.

Here's my favorite outfit, worn by Lucy Hale, who plays Rose:


I love the girly floral print with the pleated structure - so adorable! The 2009 Resort collections had several dresses using this super-cute combination:

I am so in love with this trend - it's girly great!

TV Style: You know you love me!

I've been catching up on Gossip Girl the last few days - last week's episode, "You've Got Yale," led up to an evening at the opera, providing the UESers an excuse for dressing up fancy. The style on this show is amazing- you know I love Blair's headbands - but it's especially amazing when they get all fancied up.

My favorite dress belonged to Queen B, Miss Blair Waldorf:

Some googling reveals that it's part of the Dior Resort '09 collection:

Further research on style.com:

I'm loving the orange color and the ruffly layers - so pretty!

EDIT: I'm loving the orange so much, I did a treasury for it! See it here!