posh brown's muse of the moment: blake lively

so...news!  posh brown has a new muse of the moment and it's the always fly blake lively aka serena van der woodsen.  you might remember that it is actually blair waldorf who was a gigantic inspiration behind the  posh brown establishment.  but i do feel that serena and the actual person, blake, bring forth the spirit of what posh brown is all about: uptown meets downtown, rebel meets refined.  from what i know, blake doesn't even use a stylist which is rare in the A list and even B list world.  no wonder there is such continuity to her effortless style.  and it's no wonder she's our muse of the moment.

visit the posh brown boutique xo

besos jenna pearle*

stay tuned...the carrie diaries edition

alas, my once favorite and most fashionable show, gossip girl, has finally ended.  it was past it's prime quite a few seasons ago really.  still, it was hard to say goodbye.  but before i could shed a proper tear, the cw came along with something fresh and fierce to fill in my monday night slot.  enter.......the carrie diaries!!!  this show is a prequel to the sex and the city hbo hit.  we find a teenage carrie bradshaw navigating her way through the suburbs on her way to the fabulous new york life she's known for.  there are quite a few reasons why i love this show but i'll narrow it down to three for you.

1.  the great storylines...
 although some parts are a little far-fetched (magically becoming an intern at a prestigous magazine at                sixteen by chance?  yeah, right!), most of the show show is fairly realistic and relate-able  (especially if you're a teenager or was once one).  boy trouble, sibling issues and drama with friends and frenemies abound.

2.  the fashion, of course
although i was far from a teenager, i did witness the wild and wacky and sometimes tacky eighties fashion for myself.  (droops head in shame) and yes, i even participated in it.  that's why i look forward to seeing eric daman's interpretation of what was worn in the era of excess.  so far, i think he does an excellent job of showing what kids were rocking to school and lets his creative juices splash all over the blank canvas when dressing the ny it girls.  
check out this blog for more about the clothes:  http://thecarriestylediaries.com/

3.  the diversity of the cast
by now you've heard of the controversy with the hbo show girls and how they've whitewashed the rainbow that is new york.  according to lena dunham, a diverse nyc has not been her reality.  if that's true, the sheltered writer  should certainly get out more.  in the carrie diaries, people of color are more than cab drivers and homeless people taunting the main characters.  in fact, we are play central roles in carrie's life (unlike the grown up carrie) even in the burbs of connecticut.  her best friend (mouse), nemesis (donna la donna) and it girl mentor (larissa) are all women of colour and charisma.  her guy pal (walt) is teetering on whether or not he's gay (he is) and her other bff maggie...well, she just might be white but her ethnic features are gorgous as well as ambiguous.  

check out carrie diaries-le book for more.

besos jenna pearle*

new obsession: all on the line

so, i never got into the whole project runway takeover,  at first, i didn't have the channel.  and then when i did, it didn't hold my interest much.  this is even after i got (and then turned down) an internship with one of the finalists.  i must admit, i felt kind of out of the loop but didn't want to be socially bullied into watching a show i did not care for.  but then something better and much more my speed came along.

a lil' show they call.....all on the line.  yes, all on the line with joe zee (from the illustrious elle magazine, of course).  now this show is the business.  the premise is some designer who had some form of success has fallen into a downward spinal and desperately needs help.  enter joe zee to the rescue to figure out where this talented wayward soul  went wrong.  the issues tend to delve a lot deeper than the clothing.  some are not able to vocalize their vision; others are not able to delegate because either they're too controlling or too wishy washy.  many are extremely stubborn and fight mr. zee the entire way.  what i find most shocking is that after landing a dream opportunity (which is usually a meeting with a major store and a feature on elle.com), many of the lucky designers end up unprepared and playing catch up until the last few seconds.  a--mazing!! i'd like to think that if my life and business depended on this one day, i would be there early, prepared and with bells on. 
sometimes, things go their way and the buyers decide to work with them.  many times, however, they end up disappointed. 
anyway, this show is the freakin' business.  i highly recommend you watch it...plus, even the commercials are informative and entertaining.  i promise.  #sundance channel

other fashion shows you may fall for:

*fashion hunters (about a nyc consignment shop)
*mad fashion (the lovable characters who make those over the top outfits)  both on bravo

http://theposhbrownboutique.bigcartel.com/
besos jenna pearle*

i call foul (for angelea preston)

well, i just finished watching the season finale of all star version of america's next top model.  it was going great with the three remaining contestants competing and angelea, the plucky underdog you can't help rooting for,was doing extremely well.  commercial break....and then, tyra's announcing that angelea was eliminated without further explanation.  it becomes obvious that this whole judging scene has been recreated to choose a new winner.  whomp, whomp!  technically, lisa the loony one won.  however, angelea is the true winner (especially in my eyes).  she deserved to win and spreading the good news too early doesn't seem like a good enough reason to be dqed (the rumor is she posted info up on her facebook before taping).  tyra, i call foul!!
besos jenna pearle*

posh brown's muse of the moment...tracee ellis ross

tracee ellis ross style-

eclectic and clever, tastefully done.

p.s  ms. ross's style is so fierce, her flawless yet fearless make-up is usually never mentioned.  i noticed, tracee.

besos jenna*

gwen, stylist to the american idol stars



this week, american idol was the talk of the town.  more like the talk of the entire country, really.  one reason was the talented gwen stefani.  she was chosen to dress the remaining female contestants for their performances.  overall, i thought she did a pretty good job   hailey's outfit was my favorite.  it was on trend and fit her eclectic personality and sound. 

the other huge drama on american idol concerned ms. pia toscano.  it seems not even gwen's jumpsuit could save her from elimination.  apparently, the consensus says she was the best vocalist in the contest.  its not that i necessarily disagree with that.  i just found my queens, ny brethren quite boring. singing all of those slow ballads didn't help matters much either.  anyhoooo, i'm sure pia will survive, if not flourish. 

but, i digress.  back to fashion....it was quite unfortunate that gwen didn't get a chance to style the quirky and vibrant naima adedapo.  they both seem to have a similar aesthetic and appreciation for the ethnic influence.  honestly, i believe naima's styling choices played an integral role in what sent her home.  she had fantastic ideas that she unfortunately, took too far.  overaccessorized, too many competing colors, unpolished ragged touch.  it was clear that naima was trying to stay true to her reggae ragga muffin signature look.  i suspect since she was making her dresses in the beginning of the show, naima was hoping to capitalize on the homemade apparel (just in case the singing didn't work out).  anyway, if you know anything about gwen, you understand her fetish for the black, brown and yellow culture.  her children are named kingston and zuma, for goodness sake.  safe to say, naima's ode to the caribbean culture would have been just fine with stefani. 


so, i tried to recreate the what if scenario.  what if gwen was able to style naima with her L.A.M.B line? i thought of four options for the up and coming songbird.  the first option is the tribal print jacket from gwen's latest collection with a pair of boyfriend jeans and heels.  for a more conservative naima, she could include a tank in white or black.  the second look is the african print halter dress.  a white suit seems perfect for naima with a few bold but flattering accessories.  perhaps a colorful scarf or turban?  the last choice is the maxi dress with the beautiful print.  as long as she isn't doing her african dance, this would be appropriate for her performance. 

naima made all the wrong choices for her hair.  what she didn't understand was that her lovely locs were a statement by themselves; there was no need for the intricate updos and flowers +.  the style gwen wore in the "sweet escape" video would do ms. adedapo justice.  for a sultrier look, i would suggest some romantic waves (like the lovely photo of gwen up top).  and that, my lovelies, is the advice i would offer the adorable naima.  what would you suggest?

besos jenna pearle*

blair bear's bday

happy birthday shout out to the baddest gossip girl, leighton meester. 

besos jenna pearle*

bass...chuck bass

having a bit of gossip girl withdrawal although my dvr couldn't take much more on a monday anyway.  but with my wealthy, wicked upper east siders in my mind, i present you with a springy bass, chuck bass.  isn't he handsome?!  you know you love him, xoxo

 jenna pearle*

they want to be on top- tyra's protege's

i've been having a hard time keeping up with tyra's america's next top model this season.  however, i must say that ms. banks has certainly been making some bankable models each and every season.  at the very least, she has brought some interesting faces to the forefront (especially for women of color) and for that i'm happy.  fatima (pictured at the bottom) is gorgeous and can be seen just about everywhere.   the beautiful bianca was a favorite of mine on the show (queens stand up!) and i get to see her every once in a while, too.  then there's mercedes (in the middle)!  i hadn't seen her in a while but judging from the pic she is just as beautiful as ever and i'm sure she's doing well.  there have been so many talented ladies, its hard to choose a favorite.  but those who i remember fondly include:aminat, jael, bree, jade, tocarra and eva the diva.  who has been your favorite contestant so far?

besos jenna pearle*

a hill of a life

above is ms. whitney port and lauren conrad of "the hills" fame.  both of these girls have allowed their fifteen minutes of fame to blossom into positive fashion careers.  port and conrad have both published successful style/fashion books on how to look your best in all situations.  i actually purchased lauren's book and it was pretty decent (especially if you're a novice to the fashion basics).  they have countless other projects in the works that i know will be great.  these two ladies kept it classy on the show and off.  although i'm certainly older than these fashionistas, i can definitely learn something from their work ethic.  i'm sure you can, too.

besos jenna pearle*

baby boy for rachel and rog

rachel zoe and her hubby, roger have their new son, skylar morrison!!!! really exciting news!  i know they must be thrilled.  i have been really missing the show and hope they return soon.  i also hope it will be entertaining since the departure of the blonde bitchy assistant (forgot her name; was it kate?) and brad goreski.  congrats, rachel and rog!  no pressure for the baby's fashion sense but i do wonder what little skylar will wear first...  besos jenna pearle*

and the pink pearl winner is...oscar 2011

i spent quite a few hours yesterday watching the oscars and the red carpet (while simultaneously watching the knicks defeat the heat).  fashionwise, i thought most everyone did a great job.  above are a few that were my favorites.  i really loved ann in the sexy, fitted tuxedo.  wasn't that gorgeous?!  just a glam night............besos jenna pearle*