Fellow lovers of 30 Rock will know that Elizabeth Banks’s character, Avery, was kidnapped last season by Kim Jong-il and was being held in North Korea.  Could the proximity of Korea to Japan have been the impetus for her to dress like origami at Monday night’s Met Costume Gala?  Try as I might, the only other reason I can come up with for her to dress thusly would be if she bought Kate’s Paperie and wanted to be a walking advertisement for their gift wrapping division.  Either way, Hell No!

If there are still any rumors swirling around that January Jones gained weight for her character on Mad Men, allow them to be dispelled by this photo.   I mean, who doesn’t love a fat suit (even one used to augment a pregnancy which probably only put 10 extra pounds on her frame)?!  No matter how you slice it, in this lovely Versace girlfriend was dressed to kill (could that necklace literally be used as a dagger??) for the Met Costume Gala Monday night.  She nailed the color, the fit, and also the lid shut on all the folks hoping she got fat during the Mad Men break.  Standing O!

I love the phrase “everything old is new again” – especially because it is so often applicable to fashion.  And this season I’d like to firmly apply it to that one-time staple, the denim jacket.  It warms my heart to see so many fashionable ladies sporting them this season and giving them the credence they deserve!  Behold the above distressed number by Balmain.  It’s as easily worn with jeans and a t-shirt as it is with a sexy little dress and some tough-looking shoes.  Denim makes for a great between-seasons option as it is neither too warm nor too cool – and to that end, even uber cool brands like Isabel Marant are showing their versions!  So take your pick.  Or do like I did and let your wallet choose for you.

Oh the plight of men in the summer as they try to find footwear that’s comfy and versatile, yet more “mature” shall we say than flip flops or sneaks.  I grant it is not an easy task and must be considered with great earnest.  (OK, we’re not saving baby’s lives here but my male clients always seem to adopt very grave looks when discussing this topic.)  So allow me to submit to you an option which, at first glance, may appear an unlikely choice:  Reiss’s Stamco Suede Brogue Espadrille (a HYBRID – how PC!).  Here is a shoe that requires no sock (please insert Dr Scholl’s Odor Fighting Insoles), is super comfy, and versatile enough to wear with everything from a summer suit to colorful pants to fun shorts.  On that note, they’re perfect vacation shoes – wear them on the plane and you won’t have to pack any other options (hurrah to traveling sans checked luggage!).

You’re welcome.

Here and now I’d like to formally challenge the phrase “imitation is the best form of flattery.”  Behold Gwyneth Paltrow above looking flawless in Tom Ford at this year’s Academy Awards.  And now witness the below which, if I didn’t know better, feel more like a form of mockery than flattery:

You might tap different friends for different reasons – like going to the movies, shopping, or pigging out on pints of Dulce de Leche Haagen Dazs-  in much the same way, I tap different magazines.  And Vogue, for me, has been the magazine equivalent of my ice-cream-gorging friend (I will not mention names).  We don’t share a lot of personal details (read:  I don’t ingest many of the articles) but instead we get straight to what’s truly the inner core of our relationship – the (visual) feast (thanks in large part to  Grace Coddington).  That being said I was thrilled with the April cover featuring Jennifer Lopez.  She almost defines the phrase “over-exposed” (clothing line, perfume, singles galore, host of American Idol, need I go on?) and yet I never get sick of looking at her…especially when she’s looking like this.  I believe smoldering is the word.  I can’t quite decide if I want to dive into her eyes or the gorgeous blue water behind her.  Standing O to Vogue for staging her this way and double Standing O to Jennifer Lopez for being blessed with the sickest DNA in the gene pool.

Yesterday Stella McCartney and Adidas unveiled their creation for the GB 2012 Olympic uniforms.  I feel like this is one of those pictures from back in the 80′s where they tell you to  let your eyes go crossed and then you’ll see an image emerge.  (Reveal:  I used to have to lie and say that I could see whatever everyone else was seeing.  I was told this was because I needed to RELAX.  I was 12 years old.  Lay off already!)  Anyhoo – can you see the picture emerge on these uniforms?  Recognize the old Union Jack in there?  Pretty creative.  I think I like these.  But more for the female Olympians.

The Shops at Columbus Circle continue to forge ahead with the announcement of an exciting new resident.  Classic British fashion store, L.K. Bennett, will be moving in come fall.  (Fingers crossed that she’s a good roommate because we love her lady-like pieces!)  LKB’s first NY location means that we no longer have to covet Kate Middleton’s classic, feminine wardrobe from afar…or from the internet or gossip mags.  (Realistically, we will NOT be giving up the gossip mags).  Now we can get our hands on these pieces directly.  Our Kate Middleton dreams would largely be fulfilled if only they sold her glorious hair as well as her chic fashion.  Sigh.

Michelle Williams stars as Goldilocks in this fashion tale of “Goldilocks and the Three Dresses”:

Once upon a time there was a girl named Goldilocks.  She went for a walk in Hollywood.  Pretty soon she came upon a red carpet and walked right on it.

The first dress she wore was too matronly:

The second dress she wore was an odd length and wasn’t a great fit:

But the third dress she wore (look back up at the tippy top of this post) was JUST RIGHT!  Standing O!  This was one of my favorite looks of the night.

We hold these truths to be self evident:

1.  Angelina Jolie is gorgeous

2.  She also has great legs

3.  Most of us would cut our own grandmothers to live her life for one day

Therefore you can understand my confusion when at the Oscar’s on Sunday night it appeared that her legs were in a fight and the right leg was trying to get as far away from old leftie as possible.  Let’s get this straight, Angelina, WE beseech YOU.  You do NOT beseech us.  I haven’t had flesh pushed on me so frequently since I got stuck going to Medieval Times in college.

Sure the dress was lovely and voluminous and looked great on AJ but due to the leg, we have a split decision (pun intended):  Standing O for the overall look and Hell No to the constant leg thrust.