Tag Archives: Girls

Out of the Box: Look of the Week

9 Jan

It is the first new “Out of the Box” of 2015 and after two weeks of near winter hibernation everyone is coming out to play for premieres, magazine covers, award shows and the TCA winter press tour.

Broad City S2 premiere Amy RyanBroad City returns in less than a week (Wednesday 14!) and after attending the Girls premiere a couple of days ago, Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer took center stage at the Broad City premiere party. If I was ever to attempt a form of crop top then Abbi’s outfit is my platonic ideal of this with the sliveriest of stomach skin on show. Amy Ryan is one of many guest stars we can expect to see in season 3 and this is one super happy photo of awesome people.

Broad City premiereSpeaking of awesome people and because I couldn’t chose between these two photos from the premiere here are Abbi and Ilana (her white jacket is aces) doing the group party pose with SNL’s Kate McKinnon and the always amazing Carrie Brownstein (also wearing a coat to be coveted). Drawing hearts around this.

Viola DavisAt the People’s Choice Awards (which I know no one really cares about but hey there were a handful of great outfits) Viola Davis looks stunning in an Escada column of hot-pink. Plus when she won there was a good amount of shade throwing at the awful New York Times piece that was somehow intended as a compliment towards Davis. In her speech Davis said “Thank you Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers and Peter Nowalk for thinking of a leading lady who looks like my classic beauty.”

Melissa McCarthyEverything about Melissa McCarthy’s outfit is a win and the leather piping gives a chic and stylish edge stopping it from being just another all black ensemble. Bonus red lipstick points.

Allison JanneyAllison Janney co-hosted these awards so there were a variety of outfits and it is this sparkly Rani Zakhem number from the red carpet is the standout. Smoking hot.

Kit HaringtonIt is going to be a weekend of a lot of dudes in suits and Kit Harington shows how it is done (even with a simple suit the tailoring can be off) at the premiere of Testament of Youth. Skinny tie perfection.

Tina Fey and Ellie KemperSwitching things up and TCA winter press tour delivered on the floral attire from Tina Fey and Ellie Kemper as they discuss their new Netflix (and previously NBC) project The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. All 13-episodes will debut March 6 and I am already obsessing over Kimmy’s super colorful wardrobe from the promo pictures.

Lena Dunham ElleLena Dunham covers the Women in TV issue of Elle and while it doesn’t quite hit the polka dot highs of her Vogue cover from this time last year, the cover shot is still a striking. Bed hair win.

Allison WilliamsAnother Girls star magazine cover and the styling of this Glamour shot is still very Allison Williams without going down the preppy or princess route. The Bottega Veneta dress and relaxed sitting/slightly hunched posing is really working for me.

Girls Season 4 Premiere Red Carpet

6 Jan

Girls is back this Sunday for season 4 and this year’s big premiere went all out at the Natural History Museum in New York City. The show has also been renewed before this season has even aired and Lena Dunham covers the Women in TV issue of Elle (here’s the leaked cover shot); 2015 is starting well for the creator and star of Girls.

Girls S4 premiereOne thing I love about these ladies is that even though I might not always be a fan of their style choices they aren’t afraid to go with what they like; there isn’t four versions of the same thing. So Allison Williams has gone for a very Allison Williams super pretty princess Monique Lhuillier gown, with Jemima Kirke sticking to satin as she did for the last premiere red carpet. Zosia Mamet’s doing the red leather Alexander McQueen thing and while I’m not feeling this new hair color, Mamet does get bonus red lipstick points. Going for the whole 70s revival, which I am very into at the moment is Lena Dunham and this Creatures of the Wind dress looks wonderful on her.

Gillian Jacobs GirlsWhile I’m not sure about the sleeve cut outs – on this occasion they complicate a dress that doesn’t need complicating – I am very excited about Gillian Jacobs appearing this season. Plus her shoes are very cute.

Abbi and Ilana Girls premiereAbbi and Ilana! The Broad City duo are both doing the ‘casual cool but still premiere appropriate when it isn’t your show’ approach and my only concern is for Abbi’s bare legs in the New York winter. I want Abbi’s skirt and Ilana’s sweater tee in my life. And season 2 of Broad City (which is also back next week!).

Natasha Lyonne and Jenna LyonsAt the after party Natasha Lyonne and Jenna Lyons are working the amazing coats slung over their shoulders approach with some major layering going on for the J. Crew creative director (and Girls guest star). A handy winter tactic.

And here’s a bonus shot Lena Dunham posted on Instagram showing off some of the museum as she poses in a rather sweet photo with her mother Laurie Simmons.

Girls returns to HBO Sunday, January 11 and you can watch promos for the new season here and here. I am very much looking forward to what new music it will introduce me to this year.

HBO’s Best of 2014/What’s to Come in 2015 Video Includes New Game of Thrones Shots

23 Dec

HBO has said goodbye to two longstanding staples, welcomed back one from long ago, delivered top notch episodes from both new and old shows and they’re set to do it all again in 2015. This video celebrates the best of 2014 while also revealing what is coming in the new year.

These moments are brief and if you want to go straight to the “Coming in 2015” portion skip to 1.37 where you will see a variety of pensive looking Game of Thrones characters including Cersei and Tyrion. Also on the returning shows ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ new footage list are VeepLooking and GirlsTrue Detective gets a title card and The Leftovers is a shot of Justin Theroux in aviators, which is the best placeholder for a show with no new material as of yet. Queen Latifah is going down the biopic route playing iconic blues singer Bessie Smith in Bessie, Dwayne Johnson will star in the half-hour dramedy Ballers and the Duplass brothers are bringing Togetherness.

It has been a very good year for HBO with Boardwalk Empire going out on a creative high, True Detective delivering two of the performances of the year, producing one of my favorite episodes of the 2014 with Looking’s “Looking for the Future,” outrage and laughter in equal measure with a side order of shirt approval while watching Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, bringing back Valerie Cherish and introducing Carrie Coon to the non-theatre world.

Here is a look at all of that and more:

http://youtu.be/5IMLt-fRIuw

For more promos previewing HBO’s 2015 offerings head here and here.

 

Coming in 2015: TV Promo Roundup Part II

17 Dec

January is fast approaching and it is time to take a brief commercial break from the end of year Best of Costuming series to take a look at the shows returning in next month. This is a sequel of sorts to the previous HBO/Comedy Central preview post with more from Broad CityGirlsLooking and Togetherness. Joining the preview line-up is the final season of Kroll Show and the start of 2015 is stuffed with some of TV Ate My Wardrobe’s favorite shows (see also The Americans and Parks and Recreation).

Abbi and Ilana watching dudes playing basketball last season was magnificent so now comes a Broad City teaser featuring poolside ogling, so many amazing Ilana hookup faces and a twist. The denim vest tee also makes an appearance much to my delight. #HotAsFuck indeed.

Double Broad City treats with a trip to Abbi’s favorite store.

http://youtu.be/gU3eYaLX4eM

Kroll Show is back for its third and final season; from this preview alone it looks set to go out on a high. Plus Liz got bangs.

As the only brand new show I’m glad this Togetherness promo is actually a featurette which explains the premise of the show and who these characters are. I am less pleased by the beard Jay Duplass is not sporting. Where did it go, Jay?

http://youtu.be/0OljpCK9FZo

The previous Looking teaser was just that; a disco light infused tease. Now there is new footage which shows more dating drama for Patrick, Agustin and Dom with suitors new and returning. Plus more Doris and dancing.

http://youtu.be/lWEuYfww6k4

Fractured relationships, new opportunities, tears and hugs are all on the cards for the fourth season of Girls as things continue to be messy. Romantic love seems to be at the center of the conflict and this might be the time for broken friendships to be mended.

Out of the Box: Look of the Week

28 Nov

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Out of the Box” and it’s been a rather quiet week for big events, but fear not as there are still plenty of magazine editorials, red carpet events and talk show appearances with stylish moments to enjoy.

Natalie Dormer Nylon MagazineNatalie Dormer’s doing the whole Mockingjay promotional tour which is fine by us as she gives great face and quotes. This is for Nylon and I especially love the Preen by Thornton Bregazzi frock with the Sandro jacket. On her natural facial expression Dormer comments “I must have a variation on resting bitch face, like, maybe I have resting manipulative face, through no fault of my own” and she is aware of the perils of typecasting “Don’t overestimate the occasional laziness and lack of imagination that can be found in this industry that continuously recasts you in roles you’ve already played.” 

natalie dormer nylonShowing remnants of the Cressida Mockingjay haircut with this side sweep, which was fine for Dormer except for weather related coldness “There were one too many polar vortexes in New York for this kind of haircut, but I enjoyed doing it. That’s a fun part of this job. You get taken out of your comfort zone physically, geographically, whatever.” And I am very into the Louis Vuitton vest/top ensemble and Azlee earrings (even if my ears are not pierced) in this second picture.

gillian jacobsCovering the new issue of Bust is Gillian Jacobs and she is definitely pulling off the Jean Shrimpton/Brigitte Bardot ’60s styling. Jacobs briefly describes her character on the next season of Girls as an artist who “challenges” Hannah (these spoilery pap shots will give you an idea of where these challenges lie) and she talks at length about Community. This includes Britta’s progressive attitude towards sex and how refreshing it is that “nothing terrible has happened to her because of it.” The whole interview is great and you can get this issue of Bust from both digital and physical newsstands now.

IMG_1119Doing the whole super cool coat draped over her shoulders thing is Emily Blunt on her way into David Letterman this week. The coat is Tory Burch, the dress David Koma and she hits every chic note. Even though this outfit doesn’t necessarily need it, my current red lipstick obsession has me hankering for a splash of crimson to really set it off.

Sally HawkinsThe same could be said for Sally Hawkins at the Paddington premiere, however her vermillion heels and super colorful floral skirt are both bold and fun making up for the lack of showstopping lipstick. The black turtleneck could be considered too casual, but as this is a daytime premiere for a family film it really works for me.

Coming in 2015: TV Promo Roundup

13 Nov

The year isn’t over and yet we are already looking to January 2015 thanks to these promos from Comedy Central and HBO for their returning and brand new offerings coming in the new year.

http://youtu.be/NhvBC-Ml01E

Abbi and Ilana are back with colorful (and super dark) lipsticks, crop tops aplenty, a white power suit and a surprise appearance by a leopard print fascinator. Commence the Broad City dance party now as season 2 looks set to deliver once again on the funny and getting fucked up antics of a TV Ate My Wardrobe favorite lady friendship. Broad City returns Wednesday, January 14.

From the Duplass brothers comes Togetherness and it’s going to be part of the Girls/Looking Sunday night block (starting January 11) which makes sense as it is another figuring out your shit tragic comedy/dramedy (or whatever we are now calling this genre). The cast/creators is why I am very excited and Amanda Peet’s line delivery at the end of the promo is perfect.

http://youtu.be/ott9VndhVEo

Looking gets the most teasery of teases with no episode footage and what comes down to a disco light party reminding us that Patrick is caught in a love triangle with Richie and Kevin. Plus there’s a whole lot of amazing facial hair. Season 2 gets an episode number bump with two more than last year and I’m looking forward to spending more time with these characters.

http://youtu.be/kB8y4Zp9UNc

Getting the longest preview treatment is Girls and this makes sense considering it has been on the longest; the characters are more established and there’s less mystery. Hannah’s moved to Iowa and she’s eating grapes for a snack, but this still leaves plenty of room for bad decisions and arguments aplenty. Marnie is still pining after Desi, Shoshanna is having a career/life crisis and a couple of people are getting arrested. Plus dancing, there’s always dancing.

 

 

“Not That Kind of Girl” – The Ask Lena Dunham Advice Video Series

25 Sep

Lena Dunham’s book Not that Kind of Girl is released next week (September 30) and to promote this venture Dunham is dishing out advice in a video series featuring questions about feminism, body image, sex and friendship. Pretty much everything you would expect from the creator of Girls.

Lena DunhamHere’s a selection of our favorites from the series and there is a hint of where certain Girls storylines originated from.

On being a feminist and the clothes you wear:

On body confidence and being plus size:

On sleeping with dudes who are not good for you:

On OCD and mental health issues:

On bad sex:

On feeling jealous when other people are successful:

For more on the advice video front Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls has an excellent Ask Amy series and Rookie’s Ask a Grown Man/Woman is also pretty great. These are both primarily aimed at teenagers, but the advice is super useful to all ages.

Head here to watch the whole 12-part video series and Not that Kind of Girl hits both physical and digital shelves Tuesday, September 30.

Elisabeth Moss, Zosia Mamet, Michael K. Williams “Dress Normal” for Gap

21 Aug

Fall season is upon us, New York Fashion Week is less than a month away, the September issues have hit newsstands and it feels like a new campaign is getting unveiled on a daily basis. How does a brand like Gap stand out in the hustle? With a lineup of celebrities covering several demographics and getting them to “Dress Normal.” Ah yes, normcore and while I have to refrain from all the eye rolls it actually makes sense for Gap to use this ‘back to basics’ stance mirroring their denim campaign which featured another Girls star last year.

Elisabeth Moss GapWhile the lack of adverbs might frustrate some, the overall campaign looks pretty great and the choice of actors involved including Elisabeth Moss – who looks super cute in the photo above – Michael K. Williams, Zosia Mamet, Anjelica Huston and Jena Malone are faces you wouldn’t necessarily think ‘Gap ad’ upon hearing their names. This is me trying to avoid using the word ‘quirky’ because a) not all of these actors are what I would consider quirky and b) that word makes me wrinkle my nose (yes I have probably been guilty of using it in the past). See also ‘kooky.’

Michael K WilliamsGap for me is where I go to buy wardrobe staples such as sweaters, vests and shirt dresses (yes I have the same plaid flannel dress in three colors from last fall) and while it might be considered a safe/boring option there are ways to dress these items up or even down further (ultra normcore anyone?). Or add a classic sports car to the mix.

Zosia MametThe ads will be accompanied with phrases such as “dress like no one’s watching” and “let your actions speak louder than your clothes” in that usual fashion campaign proclamation way. Gap’s Global Chief Marketing Officer Seth Farbman elaborated on this further telling Buzzfeed “There’s certainly a long tradition at Gap that people come first and that the clothes are there to make you feel like your best self, and we’ve been unapologetic about that for years. ‘Dress Normal’ is a reinforcement of that idea.” I’m guessing Farbman is also pretty happy with the Taylor Swift “Shake it Off” video that descends into a Gap-looking commercial by the end. Maybe add some black cigarette pants and three-quarter sleeve black turtlenecks to the “Dress Normal” collection.

“Dress Normal” launches September 2 and I will definitely be on the lookout for the boots and dress combo Zosia Mamet is wearing.

 

 

Adam Driver Covers the GQ September Issue

19 Aug

The next few years are going to be big for Adam Driver including more GirlsStar Wars sequels and a Martin Scorsese movie. Scoring the cover of GQ’s September issue is the natural progression, though I am pleasantly surprised it has happened so soon (I’m sure Details and Entertainment Weekly will happen in the not too distant future) and it’s a pretty relaxed looking shot. The all Burberry London ensemble (Henley and vest) kind of looks like one of Adam’s stage costumes during the last season of Girls and the third undone button is like the Henley version of the deep deep V, but acceptable hotness.

Adam Driver GQ coverNo Star Wars secrets are spilled, nor does he reveal anything about season 4 of Girls (which at the time of the interview he was still shooting). Finding out more about who Adam Driver is and how he came to become an actor is a subject that isn’t off limits and while he doesn’t want to talk about his family he does discuss his time as a marine, why he left and getting into Juilliard after one early rejection.

You might not think there would be a point of convergence between his first and second career, but Driver has found a way to unite the two by founding Arts in the Armed Forces; using performing arts to engage with those in the military as well as to entertain. Driver explains his desire to bring this kind of performance (rather than say cheerleaders) to those in service saying “When I think of my military experience, I don’t think of the drills and discipline and pain. I think of these, like, really intimate, human moments of people wanting to go AWOL because they missed their wives, or someone’s dead and they can’t deal with it. And that’s what I wanted to show.”

Driver seems uncomfortable with the success he has experienced so far “It’s very nice. But in a way, I don’t feel like I’ve really put in my dues. Like it doesn’t feel earned.” There’s still a personal conflict at play, however he has proven himself to be a very talented and charming performer and there’s just something about him. Considering how I felt about Adam at the start of Girls (so many hate tweets) and how this had dramatically changed by episode 6; this has as much to do with his portrayal as it does with the writing. Even in Inside Llewyn Davis and his limited screen time he shines.

Adam DriverThe editorial focuses on clothes with looser proportions – I know the 90s are having a renaissance, but let’s not get to that level of baggy again – and you can see the full collection of photos here. The first time he graced the pages of GQ  for a fashion shoot it involved a lot of sportswear (the 70s feel of this one including short shots is fantastic) and while there’s a lot more practical clothes for fall, it’s not self-serious either. Plus stripes and standing on the tips of his toes!

Adam Driver stripesThis outfit – all by Ralph Lauren, except the boots by Red Wing Heritage – is an ideal look and doesn’t slip into the baggy territory I fear.

For more from this fascinating interview (there really does seem to be something different about Driver to the usual actor profiles in these magazines) head here.

10 New Yorker TV Posts: From The Hummingbird Theory to Reality TV

24 Jul

The New Yorker has dropped the paywall for all articles dating back to 2007 for the summer and now is the time to catch up on seven years of writing that you may have missed or only read select quotes from. The New Yorker is calling this “a summer-long free-for-all” as they launch their new site and introduce a similar system to The New York Times in the fall. Content wise they are also introducing a Daily Cultural Comment column “in which our critics and other writers confront everything from the latest debates over the impact of technology to the latest volume from Chicago, Oslo, or Lima and the ongoing sagas of Don Draper, Daenerys Targaryen, and Hannah Horvath.”

With this in mind I have selected 10 articles with a link to television including some of my favorite pieces from current TV critic Emily Nussbaum (who makes up just under half the entries and hates lists, sorry Emily), recollections from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, a range of genres and one profile that is about a current pop culture queen back in 2011 (this one is the exception to the TV focus of this list).

EnlightenedIn the same package as The Hour boxset and another show on my catch up list is Enlightened and Emily Nussbaum’s Hummingbird Theory draws on Laura Dern’s Amy Jellicoe from Enlightened among others like Leslie Knope and Carrie Mathison. It is something we touched upon during our Comeback discussions and these kinds of characters are “idealistic feminine dreamers whose personalities are irritants.”

Emily Nussbaum’s essay on Sex and the City in reaction to Brett Martin’s Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution: From ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘The Wire’ to ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Breaking Bad is one of my favorite Nussbaum New Yorker pieces. Nussbaum looks for reasons beyond the terrible movies as to why Sex and the City has lost its place in TV legacy discussions. All while pointing out its groundbreaking position and reinforcing why it was one of the most talked about shows beyond its ties to fashion.

Continuing with Emily Nussbaum and female centric shows that spark a lot of debate/column inches with Nussbaum’s thoughts on the sex scene in one of the most discussed and beloved (and hated) episodes of Girls “One Man’s Trash.”

The final piece from current New Yorker TV critic Emily Nussbaum is an examination of the variety – quality and genre – of work from one of the most controversial and prolific showrunners working in TV at the moment; Ryan Murphy.

Tina Fey wrote about her experiences on SNL and the lessons from working on late night in an essay from her book Bossypants (there are slight differences between the two).

Nailing those pre-college summer job feelings and slowly realizing what she wanted to do with her life is Amy Poehler in “Take Your Licks.”

Emily Greenhouse says goodbye to Gossip Girl and makes sure to mention Dan Humphrey’s fictitious New Yorker submission.

Last year Lauren Collins asked why so many (myself included) have become obsessed with Scandinavian television tracking the success of Forbrydelsen (The Killing), Broen (The Bridge) and Borgen.

While I don’t necessarily agree with everything in Nancy Franklin’s reality TV analysis in “Frenemy Territory” it is fun to look back to 2008 when reality shows like The Hills were at peak popularity.

This last recommendation is a slight cheat as it isn’t strictly TV (SNLCSI and Teen Mom all get a mention), it is however a fascinating look at the Taylor Swift angst empire back in 2011. Lizzie Widdicombe talks about Swift’s “unjaded sincerity no matter how contrived the situation” in “You Belong with Me” and it’s just as relevant now three years later.

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