TV Ate My Wardrobe

London Fashion Week: Color Blocking and Patterns

It’s the last day of London Fashion Week and the bold color/print trend that started in New York has continued as more designers debut their Spring 2014 collections. We’re going to be taking a look at runway photos from Burberry Prorsum, Christopher Kane, House of Holland, Jasper Conran, Roksanda Ilincic, Temperley London and Mary Katrantzou. As usual we’re going to play a bit of Fantasy Costuming with a quick fire round.

From Burberry Prorsum this polka dot/striped infusion outfit might be a bit out there for work wear – if Ugly Betty was still on I would suggest this for Amanda – and while Robin from How I Met Your Mother tends to play it safe I’d like to see them be a bit more daring with her costuming. Failing this Leslie Knope would totally rock that blouse on Parks and Recreation.

The Vampire Diaries is heading to college in season 5 and this funky Christopher Kane mini dress could serve as an excellent outfit for Elena. This is Mystic Falls so parties are aplenty but this will give them a chance to swap their fancy frocks for something less constricting. The blood stains might be easier to get out too.

House of Holland’s mixed checked skirt and blouse is a new twist on picnic blanket chic and while both pieces together might give you a headache, I can see Jess from New Girl wearing either one of these as it matches her bright and girly style.

Masters of Sex is set in the 1950s and while they might want to stick with vintage, if they want something new with an old twist then look no further than Jasper Conran’s Peter Pan collar dress as it would look good under Virginia Johnson’s lab coat. This is my most anticipated new fall show; for both the costuming and because I’m so happy to see Lizzy Caplan in a starring role.

I basically really want this Roksanda Ilincic creation for myself (yellow is my weakness) and if we were to ever see Olivia Pope divert from her usual color palette then I’d love to see this on Scandal. Failing that can Kerry Washington wear this on the red carpet?

It might just be because of this shot but this dress by Temperley London looks like it needs someone to strut with purpose in it and this is something that Alicia Florrick tends to do whenever she is in evening wear as all parties on The Good Wife tend to feature legal related woes. Who wouldn’t want a dress they could be dramatic and swish in? Once again this goes against the usual color blocking that we see in Alicia’s costuming, but it’s a beautiful gown that would look stunning on Julianna Margulies.

Carrie Bradshaw is all about the shoes and the 1980s version in The Carrie Diaries would look amazing in these Mary Katrantzou brogues.

To see some of the other highlights from these shows click on the photos below.

Tags: Burberry Prorsum, Christopher Kane, House of Holland, How I Met Your Mother, Jasper Conran, London Fashion Week, Mary Katrantzou, New Girl, Parks and Recreation, Roksanda Ilincic, Scandal, Temperley London, The Carrie Diaries, The Good Wife, The Vampire Diaries

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Fantasy Costuming, London Fashion Week
Author Emma Fraser

Music Monday Flashback: Doing the Chicken Dance with New Girl

16 Sep

New Girl is back this week and to celebrate its return we’re looking back to the episode that cemented those Nick and Jess chemistry tingles. While we wait to find out what happened after Cece called off her wedding and Jess and Nick drove off into the sunset, let’s enjoy another New Girl wedding moment from early in the season 1. Like most sitcoms New Girl took a few weeks to figure out its strengths and weaknesses; this episode is when it became clear that Jake Johnson and Zooey Deschanel have great chemistry (the drunken photo booth scene is one of the most gifed Nick and Jess moments prior to The Kiss).

The final scene in “Wedding” is hilarious and touching; New Girl’s strength is that it can flip between moments that are ridiculous and ones that resonate emotionally. Jess has been banned from doing the chicken dance – she’s been told to “suppress the Jess” – and so by Nick leading this moment and the other guys joining in, it shows that they are beginning to accept her weirdness and are becoming friends. Having them all dance in this manner to Phil Collins “Groovy Kind of Love” gives it a level of absurdity that New Girl has come to embrace and excel at . Also Nick needs to dress like that more often.

New Girl returns for season 3 tomorrow (Tuesday 17) on Fox at 9/8c. Watch a sneak peek here.

Tags: "Wedding", chicken dance, New Girl, Season 1

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Music Monday
Author Emma Fraser

Scandal Season 3 Promo Shots: The Storm is Coming

13 Sep

The cast of Scandal took to Twitter yesterday and each revealed their new individual promo shot with the theme “The Storm is Coming.” While it’s hard to exactly measure how much this social media interaction from the cast helps with their ratings, I think it is safe to say that Scandal is one of the most talked about shows on social media and when it returns on October 3 it will be interesting to see if there is a significant increase in the amount of Scandal related tweets. All summer my feed has been full of people catching up all things Olivia Pope (myself included) and so the prospect of the new season is making me a little giddy.

At the end of season 2 the press found out that Olivia is the other woman in Fitz’s life and it was revealed that Olivia’s father is the highly influential B613 boss Rowan, so yes a storm is indeed coming. In the promo world this storm goes from metaphorical to real and the cast get wet to varying degrees and now I’m wondering what it means that some get umbrellas while others get completely soaked – this is probably due to all the past theorizing for shows like Lost or Mad Men where every single detail means something (or nothing at all). When is an umbrella just an umbrella?

Olivia is probably the one weathering the biggest storm (ok Fitz is probably equal on this matter) and she is the one who is used to fixing other people; what will it mean for the dynamic of Olivia Pope & Associates now that Olivia is the one that needs help? Will she finally open herself up to everyone? Olivia gets an umbrella because of course she is prepared and this amazing Burberry white trench is the very same one I picked for the Olivia Pope Fantasy Costuming piece, a Fantasy Costuming first!

The bowed down position is reminiscent of the famous John F. Kennedy portrait (recently recreated by Rob Lowe for “Killing Kennedy”). Fitz has a lot to contemplate after the outing of Olivia; is this one scandal too many for this administration to survive? And yes, Fitz gets an umbrella.

This is my favorite shot from this collection and I like to think she is saying “Come at me with all you have got!” Mellie doesn’t need an umbrella. She’s also dressed in dark colors signifying that she is Olivia’s opposite and we know just how far Mellie is willing to go to keep her place in the White House. Mellie is one of the most interesting characters on the show because she goes beyond the usual Lady Macbeth imagery of whispering in the ear of the powerful man; she has this strength all by herself when he doesn’t listen to her. You can see a glimpse of pearls and this traditional First Lady look is as much her uniform as the white and neutral tones are Olivia’s.

No umbrella for Abby either and this is a pretty sexy shot. It’s been teased that we will be finding out more about Abby’s past and while we know that she was in an abusive marriage, beyond that it’s pretty much a blank slate. Hopefully the same applies to Harrison as his support for Olivia is unwavering; there needs to be a bigger reason as to why he is willing to do anything for Olivia beyond the help she gave with his past legal woes.

David’s going to be in an interesting position when we return as he has been both the betrayed and the betrayer; this has secured him a huge career bump as the new U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Is this going to leave him out in the cold? He has worked with and against Olivia and complications arose thanks to his relationship with Abby; is there hope for this pair? While I enjoyed David as one of the Gladiators, it will be good to see him return as antagonist and sometime friend.

For the rest of the cast shots check out the gallery below.

Tags: Olivia Pope, Scandal, Season 3

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Scandal
Author Emma Fraser

Out of the Box: Look of the Week

13 Sep

New York Fashion Week came to a close yesterday (the madness continues today with London Fashion Week kicking off) and so this edition of “Out of the Box” is a front row special.

Ashley Madekwe might be exiting Revenge in the season 3 premiere, but she has been doing the fashion show rounds. Madekwe has been running her own style blog for the past 5 years and so her presence at multiple shows doesn’t feel forced or contrived. Out of all the many stunning outfits that Madekwe wore this week, this super pretty bronze/gold beaded dress at Saturday’s Monique Lhuillier show is my favorite. Avoiding the pitfalls of ruining a good dress with too many accessories, Madekwe has also gone for a fresh faced look and it’s stunning.

Girls co-stars Allison Williams and Zosia Mamet have very different styles and at the Prabal Gurung you can see this in action – Williams is all about the classic and Mamet tends to opt for a variety of looks that sometimes fail to hit the mark. Not so at the Prabal Gurung show where she looks relaxed and stylish. Both are in monochrome – they’re somewhat power clashing but it works and the pop of color on Mamet’s floral top is eye catching. Mamet also looks like she wants to be there, a change from her standard red carpet pose that tends to suggest otherwise.

Kerry Washington took a break from filming season 3 of Scandal to perform judging duties at the Project Runway finale fashion show. This is Washington’s third time judging on the show (first for the final) and she looks delightful in this floral Stella McCartney frock. Washington recently wore another fun and flirty Stella McCartney dress at the recent Teen Choice Awards.

Michelle Dockery’s cerulean blue* flared mid-length skirt and beautiful Peter Pan-collar blouse is both stunning and demure at the Carolina Herrera show on Monday and she looks every bit the English Rose. The dahlia bloom print on the shirt is an interesting twist on the many floral interpretations that we have seen this week on both the runway and front row.

*Hard not to think about The X-Files episode “Pusher” when this color is mentioned

Who knew I was missing Gossip Girl this much that I would not only Fantasy Costume Blair Waldorf but also get excited to see some of the cast reuniting?! It’s as big a surprise to me as anyone, but it was good to see Kelly Rutherford and Taylor Momsen posing together backstage at the Alice + Olivia show. Momsen’s hemline and makeup are not as extreme as we are used to and Rutherford also opted for an above the knee black dress. While Momsen looks as surly as Jenny Humphrey in this shot apparently she was all smiles at the show.

Rashida Jones rocks a quilted sleeveless floral embroidered top at the Opening Ceremony show and pairs it with a skirt that I wish was currently in my own wardrobe. This is a double pattern success and bonus points are given for a great shade of lipstick. Also is crushed velvet making a comeback? This really must be a 90s revival of the highest order (see the woman in the background).

Tags: Allison Williams, Ashley Madekwe, Downton Abbey, Girls, Gossip Girl, Kelly Rutherford, Kerry Washington, Michelle Dockery, New York Fashion Week, NYFW, Project Runway, Rashida Jones, Revenge, Scandal, Taylor Momsen, Zosia Mamet

Comments 2 Comments
Categories New York Fashion Week, Out of the Box: Look of the Week
Author Emma Fraser

Oscar de la Renta’s Spring 2014 Collection: Polka Dots for New Girl’s Jess

12 Sep

It was a pattern and color explosion at the Oscar de la Renta’s NYFW Spring 2014 runway show and there are two dresses that have Jess Day from New Girl written all over them. Both are super girly and Jess does like to rock a lot of polka dots. The contrasting embroidered floral detail makes this dress stand out and elevates it from being just another ’50s style polka dot affair. So, so pretty.

And for a white version with floral shoes:

Tags: Jessica Day, New Girl, New York Fashion Week, NYFW, Oscar de la Renta

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Fantasy Costuming, New York Fashion Week
Author Emma Fraser

Joking Bad: Jimmy Fallon’s Breaking Bad Parody

12 Sep

Late night TV has had a good week with the reveal that Jimmy Kimmel was behind the Worst Twerk Fail video, but we have a new rival for best moment as Late Night with Jimmy Fallon unveils their Breaking Bad parody “Joking Bad.” As with the previous parodies like “6-bee” (a take on Glee featuring the Parks and Recreation cast) and “Downton Sixbey” it is essentially a love letter to a show that is dominating the conversation.

Jimmy Fallon is pretty spot on with his Walter White’s mannerisms, particularly the hunched posture when he is on the phone. There are also nods to the meth making montages, the roof pizza and how they like to stick the camera on random objects. Cameos from Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul and Bob Odenkirk, and a twist at the end make this a very fun piece from the Late Night crew.

Tags: Aaron Paul, Bob Odenkirk, Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Breaking Bad
Author Emma Fraser

The Jenny Packham NYFW Spring 2014 Collection: If Gossip Girl Was Still on…

11 Sep

Before Kate Middleton wore it, a fictional Queen B dressed in the same rose colored Jenny Packham gown. Gossip Girl is no more and so the new Jenny Packham collection won’t feature on the Upper East Side, but here at TV Ate My Wardrobe we’re going to play Fantasy Costuming with a twist. We’ve picked out several looks from yesterday’s Jenny Packham runway show that we think Blair Waldorf would want in her in closet. While it was definitely time for Gossip Girl to come to an end, one aspect we miss is the costuming; from whatever top Serena was pretending was a dress to the spike shoulder pads Georgina was wearing.

Fantasy Costuming keeps the dream alive and we’ve picked four evening looks because the parties were endless and one outfit that is perfect for daytime gallivanting for Blair Waldorf.

This has all the aspects of a Jenny Packham dress that would appeal to a character like Blair Waldorf; it is elegant, feminine and ethereal. The detail on the dress is sparkly without being garish.

Pink is a big trend this year and this is perfect for the Jenny Packham princess-like playbook and while the neckline is perhaps more Serena than Blair, the delicate beading and romantic nature of this dress screams Blair Waldorf.

Breaking up the billowy chiffon looking numbers is this ’70s inspired mustard gown; with the longer sleeves it’s pretty much ready to wear now as the temperatures start to drop. While it looks different from the other dresses it still has the cinched in waist and the embellishments look like built in pearls.

This slash neckline is probably more Blair’s style (not that she hasn’t done cleavage enhancing dresses in the past) and this is another example of exquisite beading on a pastel colored dress. The frilled sheer sleeves are similar to the dress that Blair previously wore on Gossip Girl.

Whether Blair is in New York or Paris this beautiful baby blue/mustard affair is perfect for working on the Waldorf fashion empire, or scheming (there will always be scheming). The sheer detail on the skirt is sexy without being too provocative and the burgundy belting adds a dramatic edge to the piece. The only let down is what I’m guessing is a bag but looks like a screwed up jumper. Blair Waldorf would not approve.

Tags: Blair Waldorf, Gossip Girl, Jenny Packham, Kate Middleton, New York Fashion Week, NYFW, Spring 2014

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Fantasy Costuming, New York Fashion Week
Author Emma Fraser

The Mindy Project and the Rom-Com Narrative

11 Sep

The Mindy Project had a bumpy first season and while most sitcoms take about 6-12 episodes to iron out the kinks, Mindy was still figuring it out by the end of its first year. The cast departures and replacements changed some aspects of the workplace set up and Anna Camp went from a regular to guest star as it became clear that Mindy’s best friend Gwen couldn’t organically fit into each episode. There are a few aspects that have been consistent from episode 1; great guest stars, a solid (mostly platonic) chemistry between Mindy and Danny and a strong awareness of the rom-com genre they are referencing.

A show needs more than this to be a success and the season 2 opener (now available to watch on Hulu and Fox.com) features all of these attributes – including a funny turn from James Franco – and aside from a weak Jeremy story it’s a strong return. The season finale took a bold move with Mindy and Danny and plays into the overall rom-com narrative. Prior to the finale I wrote:

“I don’t need to see them hooking up any time soon as their dynamic is interesting without these kinds of complications, but it’s good to know that when the inevitable happens they have built up their relationship from antagonists to friends.”

I’m still of this opinion and sadly I think the purely platonic phase of their relationship has passed; the closing moments of the finale sealed this and the season 2 premiere adds to the nails in this platonic coffin. The Mindy/Danny relationship isn’t the shows strongest aspect because of all of the sexual tension and I haven’t been clamoring for them to hook up in the same way I was with say Nick and Jess on New Girl.

It’s rare that you get a great male/female friendship on screen and so far I have been friendship shipping them but as Mindy Kaling is emulating both the rom-com format and the undisputed rom-com queen Nora Ephron, it is inevitable that the barbs traded between these two characters would turn into longing looks and sexual tension. I’m fighting against myself with this one as I get sucked into the Mindy/Danny tension and I simultaneously booed and cheered at the final scene of season 1; I really want them to stay just friends, but I can also see that the chemistry they share isn’t simply platonic. Damn you Chris Messina with your swoon worthy face.

It was only recently that I watched When Harry Met Sally (I know, I know) and the idea that men and women can’t be friends “because the sex part always gets in the way” is one that I don’t agree with in real life, but it’s definitely a prevalent notion in rom-coms. The Mindy Project is invoking this with Danny and Mindy and the other staple of this genre has been put into play; the “will they/won’t they.” This type of relationship isn’t just for the sitcoms, dramas do it well enough too and enhancing this kind of tension is a way to create a season long narrative with plenty of obstacles in the way.

The issue that The Mindy Project might have with this development is that Mindy and Danny are one of the shows strongest pairings and there are other aspects that need to improve. The overall dynamic of the workplace is fine, but they really need to develop Jeremy and the first episode back reveals this is still a problematic area. I like all of the high profile guest stars – the Seth Rogen episode is a season 1 highlight – but some of that time needs to be devoted to the underdeveloped characters we see each week.

The Mindy Project might end up using the “will they/won’t they” to turn this rom-com staple on its head or it could simply be following the well traveled path and there’s nothing subversive about where this storyline is headed.

Tags: Mindy Kaling, Nora Ephron, Rom-Com, Season 2, The Mindy Project, When Harry Met Sally

Comments 5 Comments
Categories The Mindy Project
Author Emma Fraser

New York Fashion Week: Fantasy Costuming with the Tracy Reese Spring 2014 Collection

10 Sep

The fall season is upon us and there’s time for one more fantasy costuming entry. At New York Fashion Week the stunning Tracy Reese Spring 2014 collection was unveiled and the press release describes it as “Sensuality, energy and optimism with an array of bold, spirited styles infused with Afro-Cuban influences to create an aesthetic full of texture and movement.” Bold patterns are something of a favorite here at TV Ate My Wardrobe and the blend of gingham, floral, polka dots and stripes alongside vibrant colors makes this a NYFW highlight.

Instead of picking one show or character we will be following the Burberry Prorsum model and opt for multiple shows and characters. These designs will appeal to a variety of demographics and narrowing the selection down to this amount was a challenge. Reese has used the vibrancy of Havana as an inspiration point and she told The Huffington Post that “The classicism that harks back to the 50’s and even the street culture today is melded and merged — young and old, black and white, everything in between. And everybody’s just enjoying the rhythm.”

The first fantasy costuming piece we did was for Jess from New Girl and we tried to mix up Jess’ wardrobe by opting for a more monochromatic look. This colorful polka dot dress is quintessentially Jess; it’s super cute and the cut is incredibly feminine (if you click on the photo you can see the detail). The patterned neckerchief is a beautiful addition and this is my favorite look from the new Tracy Reese collection.

I love everything about this; the bright orange hue, the contrasting gingham blue pajama like pants, another great scarf and the bonus backpack with textured looking straps- I’m definitely having a backpack phase at the moment. This is something I can see Mindy wearing on The Mindy Project when she wants to look a bit more casual but also super stylish. Mindy doesn’t tend to wear pants all that often (when she’s not in scrubs or sweats) but I could definitely envision her in something like this.

While the henna tattoo is probably not something you would see on The Good Wife’s Alicia Florrick (unless she drank all the wine) this form fitting stripped dress is more her style. Alicia tends to color block her clothes and patterns don’t tend to feature, but as she is now setting up her own firm we might see Alicia switching out some of her standard suits and dresses for something a little more adventurous.

I dipped in and out of Revenge last season as the conspiracy grew into a giant mess; the cliffhanger in the finale is enough to bring me back for now and this white floral dress embodies the picture of innocence that Emily tries to project while she is plotting her REEEEEEEEEVENGE.

The full bodied skirt is one trend that I will definitely be embracing this season and while I’m not really a crop top fan, I can totally see Carrie from The Carrie Diaries rocking both of these looks. Yes the show is set in the 1980s, but the costuming has a tendency to pay homage to that time period without worrying about accuracy. This isn’t as bright as some of the other pieces but it is definitely as bold with the big floral print.

Olivia Pope would probably not opt for the black and red striped top – though I’d love to see a flash of color in her wardrobe even if it goes against her ‘uniform’ – but those white pants with the black trim detail are perfect Olivia Pope lounge wear. This is where she eats popcorn and somehow doesn’t manage to spill red wine down herself, a feat I am constantly impressed with.

On Parks and Recreation, April Ludgate is off to veterinary school and while we’ve already picked out some costuming for her next season this is another back to school look for April. This is probably a slightly more girly look than we are used to seeing, but it doesn’t stray into the bolder palette of this collection and more muted tones are an April staple. The bonus backpack features one of April’s favorite colors – mustard – and will be ideal for all those books she’s soon going to be carrying.

On Arrow the Oliver, Diggle, Felicity team is the most fun aspect and while this dress might be outside of Felicity’s usual floral jersey dress comfort zone; it would be perfect for an undercover mission that gets Felicity out from behind the computer and into the field again. It’s super sexy and the embellished detail on this dress is stunning.

On New Girl Cece’s wardrobe tends to swing between form fitting bodycon when they go out and far less constricting baggy pants and vest when they are lounging around the loft. The above Tracy Reese combination is maybe a little out there for Cece but it would look stunning on her regardless and the two very different types of floral embellishment is power clashing at its finest. She could also donate the gingham strapped backpack to Jess for the new school year.

For more in this fantasy costuming series head here.

Tags: Arrow, New Girl, New York Fashion Week, Parks and Recreation, Revenge, Scandal, The Carrie Diaries, The Mindy Project, Tracy Reese

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Fantasy Costuming, New York Fashion Week
Author Emma Fraser

Music Monday: Belle & Sebastian’s “Sleep the Clock Around”

9 Sep

What a start to the week! My internet access has been down this morning, which is more frustrating than anything else – I did get some offline work done and without distractions I caught up on some writing, but there’s only so much you can do when you have to post things online and have emails to send. I’ve also just finished watching last night’s Breaking Bad and considering the prolonged heightened tension and huge cliffhanger I thought a soothing song would be best. So far we have only featured songs that have appeared on TV shows or in movies and while today’s choice has been on a soundtrack, this isn’t why it has the honor of being today’s “Music Monday.”

The track is “Sleep the Clock Around” by Belle & Sebastian and most recently appeared on a season 1 episode of The Killing (not so uplifting). It’s my favorite track from the album “Boy with the Arab Strap,” an album that I have listened to a lot from when it was released in 1998 as it’s played a big part in my essay writing album selection. It also feels like the perfect song as the summer comes to an end. Who knew that bagpipes could be this relaxing?

Tags: "Sleep the Clock Around", Belle & Sebastian, Breaking Bad

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Music Monday
Author Emma Fraser

← Older Entries

Newer Entries →

Search