TV Ate My Wardrobe

Things That Should Stay in the ’90s: Joey Potter’s Hat

The ’90s revival is in full swing and if this decade was just about wearing plaid and looking like Angela Chase then there would be no complaints here. This isn’t the case and things that were terrible then are still terrible now. One of the reasons for starting TV Ate My Wardrobe was so I had an outlet for discussing costuming that I’d like to see in my own wardrobe, this new feature is the opposite and it’s a reminder of the awful items I did own and to stop this from happening all over again.

Things like Joey Potter’s hat from the Dawson’s Creek episode “Escape from Witch Island.”

It’s getting colder and so you might think that a wool hat like this is super cute, it’s not and it should stay in 1999.

Even if Joey has this endearing look in her eye, don’t buy a hat like this. Just don’t.

If you have any of your own suggestions then send them in and I’ll be putting my ’90s TV watching to good use as a way to prevent those fashion mistakes from the past from happening all over again. This is why I’m happy that things like Instagram and Facebook didn’t exist back then as all of my personal clothing horrors are relegated to shoe boxes full of photos.

Tags: '90s fashion, Dawson's Creek, Joey Potter, Katie Holmes

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Things That Should Stay in the '90s
Author Emma Fraser

New Girl Review: What’s in the Box?

16 Oct

There were feelings of discontent in the loft on last week’s episode of New Girl and that continues with “The Box” as Nick and Jess get into their first proper couple fight and Schmidt hangs out in the pity pool after his recent (self induced) romantic woes. It’s not all doom and gloom as Winston gets to feature in both of these stories and not in the crazy way we have seen so far this season; setting up a cat brothel was his wake up call.

Nick and Jess are fundamentally different and it’s the whole opposites attract thing (plus you know all of the chemistry) that will help produce plenty of stories to stop this couple from becoming old hat. In the last episode Nick’s inability to express his feelings and Jess’ oversharing came up; this was more about Schmidt trying to come between them, rather than them stumbling over these issues. When Nick receives a paper bag with $8000 in cash from his dad it opens up a can of worms, or in this case Nick’s box of things he doesn’t want to deal with. This is primarily unpaid bills and instead of using this money to pay off these he goes on a shopping spree, followed by a drinking binge. Jess can’t resist going through Nick’s box and pays off these bills for him.

This isn’t the first time we have seen Nick’s very random financial situation (after all he has the credit score of a homeless ghost) and his reluctance to face up to things is a consistent character trait. Jess is the loft know-it-all (it is her pogo) and so these two things combined was always going to lead to a situation where Jess meddles and Nick gets mad. Jess realizes that she has made a mistake and her attempts to cover up what she has done is hilarious as she contemplating starting a fire and ends up under Nick’s bed, you know for the shade.

As arguments go they both have valid points as Jess has violated Nick’s trust by going through his private things, but his system is pretty dumb. Nick and Jess yelling things at each other is nothing new, but this is the first time they’ve yelled at each other as a couple and so the stakes are now higher. The word ‘box’ is used for maximum effect as Nick stumbles for a moment before he returns to being mad at Jess again. The random things he picks in her bedroom to question their existence vary from a drawer of night peanuts (a cousin of night cheese?), some bobby pins (or Bobby’s pins), enough yarn to make a mansion and Jess’ vintage purses which he throws out of the window because they don’t have enough gems on them.

Jess insists that she doesn’t want to change him; she just wants him to grow a little which I guess kind of sounds like the same thing. What I think she means is she’s happy with who he is there are just some fundamentals that need addressing. It’s all about character evolution and a lot of Nick’s hang-ups revolve around not feeling like he is worthy. He’s a screw-up but he is willing to address these issues. This episode is dealing with this side of Nick’s personality and how it plays into the bigger picture of their relationship. This is why Nick goes to open a bank account as when he comes out of his drunken haze he realizes that he would do anything for Jess. It goes both ways and Jess plays the Nick role as he resists complaining about the $8 processing fee, but Jess goes all in “I understood at least 30% of the financial crisis and guess what I got from that? You suuuuuuuck. You suuuuuuuck so hard.” And hey they don’t have to pay the fee, free $8!

One issue this episode has is cohesion and there’s something about Schmidt’s quest to find out whether he is a good person that doesn’t fit tonally with the rest of “The Box.” Schmidt is wallowing after his recent love mishaps that were caused by his inability to choose between Cece and Elizabeth and while I understand that his question plays on how selfish Schmidt can be, it doesn’t quite work. It feels like a reason to have him have a slap fight with Jon Lovitz in front of a class full of kids or to save someone’s life and make it all about him. I did enjoy the length of time we spent watching Schmidt run like Tom Cruise; Schmidt is definitely the kind of person who would practice and perfect this style of running but overall this story is lacking something. It feels like they are isolating Schmidt from the rest of the housemates and I wonder if this has anything to do with the former roommate who will be turning up soon?

Winston got a lot of funny things to do that don’t involve him being crazy which is an instant bonus even if he did disappear for the middle of the episode. The gift of the candelabra is random but thoughtful; after hearing Nick’s breakdown of why gold, silver and brass are much better than paper I think he would have appreciated it a lot more than Schmidt did. I can also see why Winston ventures into crazy land with Ferguson the cat as it’s not always fun being the rational one in this loft. Oh and this is not the first time Winston has attempted to get money off Nick and he still hasn’t found a good way to get it back. Bribing Jess is at least more successful than his using the Memento method back in season 1.

This feels like an episode that might work better on rewatch and once again it’s the Schmidt plot that isn’t really flowing. The writers have a handle on Nick and Jess so far as a couple and giving them an episode of dealing with couple problems feels like natural progression, I just hope they can sort out the rest of the loft dynamic soon.

Tags: "The Box", 3.05, Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, Max Greenfield, New Girl, Review, Zooey Deschanel

Comments 3 Comments
Categories New Girl
Author Emma Fraser

Masters of Sex: Lab Coats and Laundry

15 Oct

The third episode of Masters of Sex involved hiding in the shadows both in a literal and figurative sense as characters were confronted with reality; some chose to continue down a path of reluctant acceptance of their situation whereas others tried to use this new found knowledge to help their progression in professional and personal matters. Ane Crabtree’s costume design continues to reflect this evolution and there is one piece of clothing that becomes central to how Virginia views her role at the hospital and with the external study work.

In the first session Virginia is performing her role as Dr. Master’s assistant and while I am in love with her pinstripe round neck dress, it’s pretty clear they are operating on different levels. At the study Master’s is slightly more affable to Virginia, but his prickly demeanor is in full force when he is talking to her at the hospital. He asks her to pick up a lab coat for a new doctor and when he gives Virginia a similar laundry based task at the end of the episode Virginia challenges this request. Master’s flaunts his experience and tells Virginia when she has as much experience as he does then she will be able to give him menial tasks. This is him asserting his authority and reaffirming their positions.

The new doctor is Dr. Lillian DePaul and much to Virginia’s surprise she is a woman. Virginia thinks there is something inspiring about Dr DePaul even if all of the other secretaries mean girl it up with remarks about how she has no feminine qualities and how she’s never getting near their lady parts. Dr DePaul isn’t exactly warm and welcoming to Virginia as she treats Virginia as any of the other doctors would be asking her to get her coffee. No new bestie for Virginia. This is the second role for Julianne Nicholson where she is playing a pioneering woman in a field dominated by men – in Boardwalk Empire she plays Esther Randolph, an Assistant Attorney General. This interaction with Dr DePaul has a big influence on Virginia’s costuming as the next session at the brothel sees Virginia wearing a lab coat.

This puts Virginia on equal footing with Masters from a visual perspective and even though he mentions she is taking liberties he doesn’t ask her to remove her new coat.

This is from the last night they visit the brothel for data and after a bit of coercion (Scully is someone living in the shadows) they will return the study to the hospital. Will Virginia continue to war the lab coat now they are back on hospital grounds?

Virginia has the bedside manner that Masters lacks and she uses this in several scenes with Libby Masters. This slate grey dress is possibly the most conservative of Virginia’s costumes so far (not that any of them are all that provocative). The button detail combined with the white collar gives it a serious tone and there’s something almost priestly about her look when she comes and sits with Libby. Later on Virginia shows further mercy as she is the one who tells Libby the truth about who is the one with fertility issues as she can’t stand to see Libby blaming herself for something that isn’t her fault.

Another discussion puts Virginia in the role of truth teller as she tries to convince Betty that lying to the Pretzel King isn’t her only option. Betty turns the tables on Virginia and suggests that Masters is in love with her. Betty suggests that they are both just as stuck by circumstance and that Virginia is no better as she is also hitching her wagon to a man. It’s a sad scene and we once again get to see Betty in her trademark red, a color she has worn throughout these three episodes.

This shot of Betty is before her surgery and shows the repeated red palette and on this occasion she is the one who uses the threat of public embarrassment against Masters at the hospital. Everyone is hitching their wagons to someone in this episode and using whatever means to get what they want with varying degrees of success. Masters agrees to do the surgery but it is too late and so Betty must live a lie to get the life she thinks that she wants. I’m not sure if this is the last we will see of Betty now that both her story and the brothel have served their purpose but I’m so glad they took the “hooker with a heart of gold” story and spun it into something so much more than that.

While I sadly can’t show you the full range of costuming from the brothel (too many nipples) this snapshot reveals the variety of colors and patterns the women of this house wear. It’s all about bathrobes and there’s a splash of leopard print and bright, bold colors. From this shot it looks like the most fun, but it’s all a facade and some of their research reveals the depressing truth why some of these women are here. Dottie is still wearing the heavy framed glasses that Masters gave her last week and she wouldn’t look out of place with this look today.

Libby’s costuming is all about pastel colors and delicate prints, once again showing how here role is completely different to all of the other women on Masters of Sex. One similarity she does share with the women at the brothel is that she is being treated as a scientific specimen but unlike those candidates her medical condition is being withheld from her. Even when Libby is sobbing she is still in light shades, whereas Virginia wears a lot of dark purple this week heavily telegraphing their contrasting characteristics. The friendship between Libby and Virginia is strong at the moment and I wonder how Libby’s pregnancy might change this.

So far I have spent all of this discussion looking at the women of Masters of Sex but I couldn’t leave out this flashback shot of Bill Masters where he looks optimistic and less buttoned up; the longer, less controlled hairstyle and jaunty bow tie will do that. Yes Bill Masters even makes patterned bow ties look rigid.

For more Masters of Sex coverage head here.

Tags: "Standard Deviation", Ane Crabtree, Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex, Virginia Johnson

Comments 11 Comments
Categories Costuming, Masters of Sex
Author Emma Fraser

Music Monday: American Horror Story Dance Party

14 Oct

There’s a scene in the first episode of American Horror Story: Coven that as a newcomer to this show helps inform why there is much fun to be had and this involves Jessica Lange dancing around her penthouse doing crazy amounts of coke. There are other aspects that are so disturbing that it feels like an attempt to shock just to be super provocative. From what I have read about the show in the past this is pretty much standard American Horror Story behavior and I definitely enjoyed enough of it to continue watching.

I do find witch stories to be rather intriguing (I blame The Craft for this) and the amazing ladies this cast comprises of is a big draw. I definitely need more Frances Conroy looking like a witchy mash-up of Vivienne Westwood/Grace Coddington.

The song that Jessica Lange’s Fiona is having her hotel room meltdown to is the 1968 track “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly. It’s psychedelic and chaotic, running for just over 17 minutes which means you can also have your very own dance party (minus the coke and smashing mirrors).

Tags: "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", American Horror Story: Coven, Iron Butterfly, Jessica Lange

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Categories Music Monday
Author Emma Fraser

Out of the Box: Look of the Week

11 Oct

Public appearances, magazine shoots and red carpet looks dominate “Out of the Box” this week. Remember to check out our Scandal costuming recap for all things Olivia Pope and our Masters of Sex color and costuming post here.

While I’m on the subject of Masters of Sex here is Lizzy Caplan in what looks like a jumpsuit but is actually two separates (though a long sleeve jumpsuit is available) by Corey Lynn Calter. Having just got used to seeing Caplan in all ’50s wear I’m glad to see this shoot with The Independent doesn’t try to mimic that style and instead goes for a more 1970s look.

The bag over the head option is probably only useful when it is raining (and really how much does that really do to keep you dry?) but this Clémence Poésy outfit in Stylist magazine is not only super adorable but also affordable. The coat is French Connection and the skirt is from Oasis showing just how winter florals are done and I basically want this whole ensemble – there are chaffinches on the blouse! Clémence Poésy’s next role is in another adaptation of Broen this time the border between France and the United Kingdom; instead of The Bridge it will be called The Tunnel and Poésy is playing Elise, the role Sofia Helin and Diane Kruger have also played. The three actresses all share a similar look and it’s unlikely, but I’d love to see a crossover involving the three different versions of this show.

I watched American Horror Story for the first time this week and while I’m still entirely sure what to make of the show I do know that I am excited to have Angela Bassett back on TV again and she looks incredible at the premiere of American Horror Story: Coven. This leather and lace Robert Rodriguez dress is pretty much perfect and completely in tone with the show that Bassett is promoting.

I’ve got so used to seeing Michael Shannon as the buttoned up (former) Agent Van Alden on Boardwalk Empire and so this combination of polka dot socks and pink t-shirt at The New Yorker “In Conversation” event is so utterly delightful. Rather than his impressive acting career this evening looked at music and Shannon performed with his band Corporal. Sadly there doesn’t appear to be a video of this performance on the New Yorker’s site and I can’t imagine his character on Boardwalk Empire getting up with a guitar anytime soon, unless a super coked up Al Capone wants him to of course.

There is something so wonderfully ’80s about this Band of Outsiders dress; it might be the puffed pointy shoulders or the black and white zigzag stripes. Whatever it is, Lucy Liu looks incredible. This outfit is for an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman but in my mind she is really working on a top secret take down mission in 1987. Now all I need is for someone to wear this outfit from Wonder Woman and I’ll be happy.

Tags: American Horror Story: Coven, Angela Bassett, Boardwalk Empire, Clemence Poesy, Lizzy Caplan, Lucy Liu, Masters of Sex, Michael Shannon, The Bridge, The Tunnel

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Categories Out of the Box: Look of the Week
Author Emma Fraser

Scandal 3.02 “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”: It’s All About the Coats

11 Oct

On the season premiere of Scandal Olivia wore a very striking white Burberry trench coat and in this week’s flashback episode she gave the audience at least 3 more reasons to have some serious coat envy.

So let’s get straight to it as we look at the costume design on “Guess Who’s coming to Dinner?” and the various coats from Olivia’s past and present

The first flashback reveals this is five years ago and the light in the scene is softened to differentiate form past and present. It’s immediately clear even without this chyron that this is some time ago as Huck is homeless and living in Union station and this is the only point in the episode where we get a date stamp. The first flashback coat is a grey tweed Stella McCartney funnel neck and while Olivia is giving off a relaxed attitude to Huck as soon as her back is turned her expression changes and we find out that Sunday’s are dinner with dad day.

The coat that Olivia wears for most of the flashback scenes is a traditional looking camel Burberry trench coat and in the shot above you can also see the Prada purse that costume designer Lyn Paolo got shipped in for the episode. It’s the black version of the bag that Meryl Streep has at the start of The Devil Wears Prada. Last week’s big bunker moment saw a completely different Burberry coat/Prada purse combination and shows that Olivia is consistent with her designer choices. In this scene Olivia is so transfixed by her dad’s possible deception that while searching for the pen she literally throws the other contents on the floor.

Here’s another close up shot of the Burberry coat and pretty much all of Olivia’s coats and jackets have amazing buttons on them (I’m a sucker for great button details).

In the present Olivia is also having frantic and threatening phone calls and here she is showing off both her old school looking Fitz only phone and her white backed (off course) smart phone. The navy blue Alexander McQueen jacket is what I want to focus on and once again it’s all about the buttons. This the kind of tailoring we expect to see from Olivia when she is in full crisis mode and it also reflects how buttoned up her character is as she rarely lets anyone in.

This is paired with white trousers and the light/dark motif is repeated in the flashback scene where Olivia meets David Rosen for the first time.

The difference here is that Olivia is wearing a skirt and this goes against her pants only work wardrobe. This is prior to Olivia’s big dad discovery and involvement with Fitz and a lot has changed in the last five years for this character and her clothing has evolved with these personal changes. David looks different too, his suit isn’t tailored showing he isn’t making all that much money – he jokes that he should have gone into corporate law. His glasses have heavier looking frames and yes that’s a goatee. It’s a small scene but I’m glad to see how these two crossed paths and how David inadvertently helped Olivia discover the truth about her dad as he’s always a strong purveyor of the truth.

Ah yes Eli Pope the man who is Command and this episode filled in a lot of the blanks about Olivia’s fraught and estranged relationship with the man who didn’t really raise her. In the scene above Olivia is in her defiant color – she’s wearing a white dress so we know she means business and this is where she threatens her father to get Huck back. Of course Eli has his way of showing his daughter just how powerful he is and that involves hurting Edison. Eli Pope might look meek in his Sunday sweater but he’s one scary dude.

Harrison isn’t as scary as Eli but he’s pulling a face to suggest that Olivia needs to do something and do something now. All while looking snazzy (standard) in another power clashing ensemble. Now that we know pretty much everything about Huck can we please find something out about Harrison? He’s still pretty much a blank slate right now.

Same applies for Abby and while we know more about her than say Harrison, her background is still full of holes including what exactly prompted this awesome new look. This is a lot funkier than anything we have seen Abby in before and it could be as a reaction to everything that happened with David, whatever it is I hope we continue to see more of this side of Abby. That’s a nice flash of leopard print.

Abby also gets to join Olivia in the amazing coat club with this DKNY wine colored cashmere shawl collar coat and it compliments her amazing raven hair. Good scarf accessorizing too.

Everything is about perception which is why they take Jeneane shopping and they need something current but classic and professional yet relatable. This is what Olivia is an expert in and it’s why she has been so good at creating an armor for herself out of the clothes she wears.

Random observation time but is it more than just a coincidence that Mellie and Quinn are wearing the same cobalt blue color? Mellie is aware that all of her snooping is bad – when Cyrus calls her evil she simply responds with a “You’re welcome.” Whereas Quinn is tapping into her dark side and not realizing the consequences of her actions; this involves Olivia’s emails and accidentally revealing that Olivia’s father is actually the head of the program that ruined Huck’s entire life. Pretty sure Olivia is going to be super angry when she finds out that Quinn has been looking through her emails. Mellie is learning the hard way that her meddling is having the opposite effect of what she hoped.

One final coat and it’s in the present viewed through the smeared windows of the morgue that Olivia checks throughout the episode for the missing Jake (he turns up at the end beardy, bruised, bloody and alive at the end of the episode). This is a grey Max Mara belted shawl coat and it’s another one to add to the “Olivia Pope Coats I Covet” list (see also the “Virginia Johnson Coats I Covet” list).

What is your favorite outfit from the episode?

Tags: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", 3.02, Coats, Kerry Washington, Lyn Paolo, Olivia Pope, Scandal

Comments 7 Comments
Categories Costuming, Scandal
Author Emma Fraser

Masters of Sex: Costumes and Color

10 Oct

Two episodes into Masters of Sex and TV Ate My Wardrobe is already obsessed with the 1950s stylings that costume designer Ane Crabtree has created. Each main character already has a signature look and this helps to inform the audience about the background of each of the women that we will focus on today.

We briefly discussed Virginia’s outfits from the pilot last week and noted the use of dark colors with greens and reds featuring prominently and this was repeated once again in episode 2. While Virginia doesn’t have a lot of spare cash this doesn’t mean that her wardrobe has to reflect this in an overt manner and her outfits are well put together even when she is running for the bus. Virginia hasn’t always worked in an office and her experience working in a music club means that her clothes are slightly edgier in terms of these darker tones that other women in the secretary pool don’t seem to wear. Virginia wants to be taken seriously by Masters, but her look doesn’t alienate her from the women at the brothel who Masters is having a hard time associating with.

The black sweater/red checkered skirt is my favorite of Virginia’s ensembles so far and it’s belted at the waist to accentuate her tiny figure, but it also shows off her hips at the same time. This helps with the 1950s swagger that we have seen countless times on Mad Men with Joan. As with Mad Men the costuming is authentic right down to the underwear which means girdles and pointy bras.

Jane is younger and less worldly than Virginia and so far she’s been dressed in bright blues and yellows to match her smiley demeanor. I particularly adore the “J” broach on the outfit above. Jane might be young but she’s also savvy, she knows how to handle horny doctors as she leaves them befuddled by reading them a passage from Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex. She doesn’t fall for Dr. Langham’s attempts to sleep with her outside the study.

It’s not only her costuming that brightens a scene and I hope Jane gets to remain this optimistic and as sunny as her yellow cardigan.

It’s a very different story for Betty, Masters inside ‘man’ at the brothel but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to strive for bigger things. Betty’s clothes feature a lot of bold patterns like leopard print and red is a dominant color throughout. It’s not surprising to see Betty in revealing attire when she is at home and her clothes aren’t as form fitting as the other women on this show. Both Betty and Virginia wear a lot red signifying that they are both aware of their sexuality. Virginia tends to wear darker tones that edge towards maroon whereas Betty’s red clothes look cheap by comparison – this isn’t surprising as they no doubt are.

When Betty comes to the hospital her clothes are still not as tailored as the other receptionists or secretaries and so she still looks somewhat out of place in this world and the dress that Betty is wearing in the shot above is probably the most like something I have hanging in my wardrobe. I’m really happy with how Betty is more than just your friendly neighborhood prostitute and that she poses a challenge to Masters as much as she helps him.

At the other end of the spectrum is Libby Masters; a woman of means who doesn’t have to work and her costuming is the most feminine that we have seen so far. Floral patterns and a pastel color palette is all part Libby’s wardrobe and it’s in stark contrast to Virginia. This was evident at the big fancy party in the pilot and as I mentioned last week there is a clear difference in how each woman views their own sexuality and their clothing reflects this difference.

Costuming in early episodes helps to differentiate characters and I’m looking forward to seeing how each of these women evolves as the season progresses.

Tags: 1950s, Ane Crabtree, costuming, Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Costuming, Masters of Sex
Author Emma Fraser

New Girl Review: Talking About Feelings

9 Oct

On New Girl Jess talks too much and Nick doesn’t express how he feels enough. This is a fundamental difference between these two characters and Schmidt attempts to use this to fulfill his promise to break them up. As Schmidt majored in Nicholas studies he knows all of Nick’s weaknesses and he’s also tapped into Jess’ too, so he knows that suggesting something bedroom related will cause problems.

Jess is still awkward about sex but it doesn’t come across as infantile as it did early in season 1 when she couldn’t say the word ‘penis.’ The incident only added to the eye rolls and criticism that Jess was just another version of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Now the writers have found a way to focus on Jess’ sexuality in a way that still relies on the awkward but doesn’t make her come across as a child who has never encountered another person in this way before.

Jess gained confidence in her relationship with Sam last season and chemistry is not lacking between Nick and Jess. When they slept together for the first time in “Virgins” the episode ended with a tag that played on the reality of the moment and I can’t think of another show that has celebrated a couple getting together with 30 seconds of different facial expressions. Jess and Nick have not suffered in the bedroom department until Schmidt manages to get in Nick’s head causing an evening of impotence; the use of “Get Lucky” as Nick and Jess can’t manages to avoid being annoying even though it has been played to death all summer. Jess learns the all important lesson that it’s always too soon to make jokes about penis problems.

What Schmidt ends up doing is fixing the one issue that Nick and Jess have and that’s their communication issues – Jess talks too much, Nick not enough. This is after he has suggested a rather debauched sex move called “The Captain” and while we never find out exactly what this is it’s degrading not just to women but all of mankind. This is one way that network shows work around Standard and Practices (I’m so fascinated by the process of what is allowed and what isn’t like how they decide on how many thrusts are appropriate) and it tends to lend to more comedic moments. It lets the audience fill in the blanks of what Schmidt was saying each time he put the blender on and Max Greenfield shines when he is at his most deviant. Schmidt in his attempt to break up Nick and Jess goes all in and we find out that after he saw Titanic he founded The Zaniacs, a Billy Zane fan club. Winston of course has found memories of this movie for very different reasons. I’m not sure how it would work but I kind of want to see a Titanic themed episode of New Girl.

It’s pretty terrible what Schmidt is trying to do to his best friend and as he mentions he hasn’t seen Nick like this before, he’s too wrapped up in his own drama to see that Nick and Jess are actually good for each other even if their happiness is nauseating. When his initial plan has the opposite effect and Nick opens up – Jake Johnson showing once again that he is the best at random lists of things – Schmidt goes into full on crazy mode trying to physically come between Nick and Jess. Destroying all the condoms and eating Jess’ birth control pills is his last desperate move and counting down the days as he takes the pill is hilarious; “Full wheel bitches.”

This leads to a much needed loft meeting and while Schmidt thinks the pills have taken effect (“I’m so aware of my nipples right now) he also gets to hear some home truths about how he alone is the cause of his misery as he did indeed do a bad thing. It’s a scene that is important of where Winston is right now and each episode this season has put Winston in the role of the loft crazy. He’s still pretty out there in this episode as he misreads flirtation as someone else trying to get their cat laid, but he also speaks the most sense when he discusses boundaries and the personal and public space of a loft. It’s not necessarily a problem that Nick and Jess are happy and having fantastic sex but they also have to be aware of their housemates; this is a new dynamic for them to get a handle on too and they’re not exactly having a great time in their own personal lives right now.

It’s a really funny episode and probably strongest of the year so far and J.J. Philbin – who wrote “Injured” which is still my favorite episode – layers the script with jokes and pathos. We get to the heart of some of the issues that have arisen in these early episodes like Schmidt not taking control of his situation, as well as character flaws that have existed forever on this show like Nick’s inability to reveal his feelings – “If we needed to talk about feelings they would be called talkings.” Highlights include Nick stumbling his way through conversations with the repeated tactic of moving his car and generally grunting or not finishing sentences all while looking mortified. Zooey Deschanel excels when she gets to yell at Schmidt with disgust about what she just did “And my night vision is very good because my eyes are so buggy and big and I saw everything and I can’t erase it from my memory.” The big eye gags are always a winner.

What this season is doing with Nick and Jess is showing that with Nick especially he does have the ability to change and by the end of the episode he won’t shut up about how he feels. One thing that’s clear from these opening four episodes is that the writers have a handle on the Nick and Jess side of the story and it’s the other two roommates that have become the problematic ones in terms of the overall story. There is acknowledgement from Winston that he is having issues (he is after all running a cat brothel out of his bedroom) and Schmidt is aware that he’s also messed up. It will be interesting to see where they take them from here especially as Damon Wayans Jr. will be turning up rather soon for an extended arc.

Tags: "The Captain", Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, Max Greenfield, New Girl, Review, Zooey Deschanel

Comments 1 Comment
Categories New Girl, Review
Author Emma Fraser

Michelle Williams Talks Dawson’s Creek Nostalgia

8 Oct

Michelle Williams sported a quiffed look at The New Yorker “In Conversation” event at the weekend as she discussed her TV and film career with writer David Denby. Despite a clip snafu that saw the wrong Blue Valentine scene shown to the audience – the hotel shower scene was instead of another fractious moment between Williams and Ryan Gosling’s characters – there are other things to talk about from this discussion including Williams’ recent trip to Wilmington, North Carolina where they shot Dawson’s Creek.

Williams explained that she “hadn’t been back since the show ended but I went back and took my daughter on vacation and saw people I hadn’t seen in 10 years and went all the places that we used to go. And it was great. It was actually a real stroke of luck to be transported there.” It’s all ’90s nostalgia at the moment and while I think a reunion episode wouldn’t really work (Spoiler Alert! Jen is dead) I am tempted to revisit this show, plus I still really need to watch the final episode (I know).

Wearing a Louis Vuitton shirt-dress that manages to incorporate both a black and white checkered pattern and a bow around the middle without veering into too cutesy/twee and not over powering the look with accessorizes, Williams looks fantastic and relaxed. While there isn’t a ton of things you can do to make short hair look different the quiff is a tried and tested favorite here at TV Ate My Wardrobe as it not only gets occasionally pesky bangs out of your face but also gives you a fresh new look. The pink lip color and nail polish adds a pop of color without overwhelming.

As photo shoots and magazine editorials with Michelle Williams tend to lean towards the melancholy these photos are a welcome change.

Next up for Williams is a turn on Broadway in Cabaret and she will be playing the iconic role of Sally Bowles alongside The Good Wife’s Alan Cumming, opening April next year. She also recently completed work on Suite Francaise based on Irene Nemirovsky’s work that tells the story of a woman living in German occupied France.

Tags: Dawson's Creek, Louis Vuitton, Michelle Williams, The New Yorker

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Amazing Ladies
Author Emma Fraser

Variety “Power of Women” Red Carpet

7 Oct

Variety’s fifth annual Power of Women luncheon was held on Friday and honored 7 women who have used their star power for philanthropic work and after Amy Poehler delivered an important message about her work with Worldwide Orphans (that you can watch at the bottom) she joked that “Thank you to all the bossy, right amount of crazy women in this room. Giving to charity is good for your skin and makes your ass smaller.”

Aisha Tyler hosted the event and the recipients as you can see in the photo above are Jennifer Hudson, Elizabeth Banks, the aforementioned Amy Poehler, Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Amy Pascal and Nicole Kidman. This is an impressive group of women and you can find about their charity work here.

Turning over to the red carpet at this luncheon and it’s good to see an array of styles and colors among the honorees with host Aisha Tyler working the neon pink to maximum effect. After a week of many public appearances and some dubious dress choices (the big gingham number springs to mind) Kerry Washington wore a Vince Camuto cocktail dress that reminds us why she is top of the best dressed lists. The gold polka dots are an instant favorite here and studded Christian Louboutin ‘Malabar Hill’ pumps add an extra bit of flare to the outfit. Elizabeth Banks also looks stunning in this red Dolce & Gabbana top and skirt with lace detail. I’m so excited about what Elizabeth Banks will be bringing to the huge Hunger Games press tour next month and all things Effie related. I could however, do without the nude Louboutin’s that she is wearing at this luncheon.

Some of the cast of Scandal were on hand to support Kerry Washington and Darby Stanchfield’s super pretty Valentino pastel graphic floral design is my favorite outfit from this luncheon. Stanchfield has been on crazy good form with her red carpet choices recently and her new look on the season 3 premiere of Scandal is definitely giving me some red hair envy.

Amy Poehler looks great in this teal long sleeved Beckley by Melissa with Worldwide Orphan founder Dr. Jane Aronson, who Poehler first met in 2009 at a Glamour magazine Woman of the Year event. You can watch a video of Amy Poehler talking about this cause, how great TV is at the moment as well as part of her speech. Did it suddenly get dusty in here?

To see the Amy Poehler and Kerry Washington Variety covers head here.

Tags: Amy Poehler, Darby Stanchfield, Elizabeth Banks, Kerry Washington, Power of Women, Variety

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Categories Amazing Ladies, Red Carpet
Author Emma Fraser

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