It can be difficult to look put-together during the sweltering summer months. If I had to pick one summer style muse, it would be Kate Bosworth. Kate’s style is effortless, airy, and laid-back. Rather than selecting statement-making pieces, she prefers to mix and match simple summer basics for a signature style that is always on point but still accessible.

Kate’s summer wardrobe is made up of lots of neutrals, soft prints, ethereal dresses, boho tops, and relaxed-fitting cargos and cut-offs, all of which are highly versatile pieces that can be used to create endless summer ensembles.

If you love red carpet fashion, then you will probably hate my opinion.  Let’s get into it.

Amanda Seyfried:

I’ve never been a fan of one-shoulder outfits or outfits that resemble a shoulder sling.  I don’t know if it’s the asymmetry or my brain’s association with an outfit that an Amazon woman would wear, but I’ve always thought dresses and tops with one shoulder strap looked weird.The translucent material looks trashy.  I don’t know if the material is supposed to be sexy, but it’s not.  What is that thing under the shear-material?  A corset?  I really don’t know what is going on from the hips up.Now the skirt is good.  It’s short enough to be sexy and the pattern is interesting without being over-the-top.  Skin exposure is always a plus in my book (no sausage-casing tights, please).I realize she’s wearing fuzzy boots reminiscent of Uggs and I have no feeling on them either way.  I know that some people hate Uggs and anything Ugg-like, but I don’t care and I don’t think guys in general care.  Sure, we might think you’re a dummy if you’re wearing Uggs to the beach, but that’s your problem if you’re one of those people.For the most part I don’t like the outfit, but I do like her hair.

Amber Valetta:
This would be an awesome-looking dress if someone ripped off the stupid square shoulders and threw them off a cliff.  I HATE SQUARE SHOULDERS.The color of the dress looks great on her.  I know I always say that I don’t care about female fashion and all that, but I am a sucker for excellent color choice in general.The shoes are nothing special, but sensible for the outfit.  Plus they are heels and I always like heels.Her hair looks good (no bangs).  Given the choice, I like women with their hair down and lots of volume.  I’m sure she looks very nice with her hair down.Overall I think this outfit looks very elegant and simplified.  Again, the shoulders are ridiculous, but I’d still give it a passing grade.

Ashley Olsen:

I haven’t seen Alice in Wonderland, but this outfit looks like some kind of Alice in Wonderland midget that would haunt my dreams.  Just horrible.Her hair looks fine.  Her heels look fine.But that dress… my god.  The puffy shoulders are horrid, the wide waist makes her look like an oompa-loompa and the wide skirt looks silly.The skirt length is good, but there is no chance of this outfit looking sexy.  It just looks ridiculous.

Ashley Tisdale:

Yes!  Now we’re talking.This is what I’m always saying: a girl should look hot, feminine and normal.  Is that so much to ask?Her top looks feminine, great color and the smooth material gives a feeling of sensuality.Her accessories are interesting, but not over-the-top.  Erring on the side of subtlety is usually a good thing in these wacky times.Her skirt is very sexy.  Eye-catching, interesting and most-importantly short.The fact that she’s wearing high heels is great, but I have always felt cheetah-print is cheesy looking and silly.Her hair looks good.  I guess you technically could say she has bangs, but I don’t consider those bangs since they don’t cover her forehead.  Forehead coverage just looks stupid… that’s why bangs were out of fashion for so long in the first place!This outfit is all around sexy and by far the leader of this pack in my male-opinion.

Chloe Sevigny:

Words can’t even describe the horror I am experiencing as I look at this outfit.It looks like there’s a good dress underneath that awful, out-of-control, full-body tu-tu.  Again, translucent, gauzy-looking materials are just lame.Her heels are fine, nothing special.  Hair is plain and understated…  given the train-wreck of an outfit she’s wearing, I wish she wore her hair down to distract me from the mess.This outfit is just a disaster and that’s that.

Nicole Richie:

Nicole looks good here.  I like this outfit.I wouldn’t call it a “sexy” outfit, but I would call it a sensual-looking outfit… which is sexy in a way.It’s attention-catching, feminine and interesting, but not out-of-control or try-hard.You really can’t go wrong with something symmetrical and feminine.I’m anti-bangs, but I even think her hair looks good here.

Rachel Bilson:

I looked at this for a while, trying to figure out my opinion.My determination?  I think it’s a stupid-looking outfit and it does nothing for me.I don’t like that it looks like a strapless dress with shoulder covers added.And I hate that it’s “hairy looking”.   I would be distracted by her hairy dress if I had to sit next to her at an event (not that I have that to worry about).

That’s not to say that what a woman wears doesn’t make a difference to me.  It makes a huge difference – it’s just that I don’t care about “female fashion” as a concept. 

Let’s take a look at this edition’s picks…

Beyonce

You’ll get my honest opinion. That said, this outfit is a no for me
First, I have never been a fan of bangs.  Yeah, I know that they’re hot right now, but they’ll be out of fashion again soon enough, just watch.  I’ve seen Beyonce look much better and I would argue that it was because she didn’t have the bangs.

Now for the jacket.  I don’t know if she was wearing it to pay homage to Michael Jackson, but big square shoulders are always a ‘no’ in my book.  Always. There is no straight guy on Earth who wants to see a woman dress in a way that makes her shoulders look manly.  It’s just stupid. On the plus side, I like her heels.  And since it’s Beyonce, they probably have some good lift on them, so I am all for that.

As for the white shirt and jeans, I think it’s just plain.  I guess you could say they are the fashion equivalent of oatmeal – I don’t have an opinion on them one way or the other.

All in all, the outfit would capture my attention, but not in a good way. The jacket should remain an MJ signature.

Blake Lively

A lot of people think leather pants look hot on a girl.  They don’t do much for me in general and they don’t do anything for me here.

Again, wearing heels is always good, although there is nothing particularly interesting about the ones she’s wearing.

The gray blazer isn’t bad – it doesn’t do much for me but at least the shoulders are feminine.  Maybe the blazer isn’t doing it since it falls straight, giving the appearance of a straight line all the way up the side of her body instead of curves which look… well… feminine.

This outfit is just plain-Jane.  The leather pants are unusual, but I wouldn’t look twice if I saw her on the street.

Nicole Richie

I like this outfit a lot actually.  I would even (grudgingly) say that she looks good here all-around.

After working on ANM for a year, I do know what a “boho maxi” is.  This is not something I’m proud of.

Still, I totally approve of this look.  It’s feminine, it shows off her form and doesn’t hide her natural curves which happens with bubble pants and square shoulders .  Plus, I know she’s wearing heels, so that’s hot.  I dig her hair too… no bangs!

Reese Witherspoon
I’ve never liked tube-tops or strapless dresses.  I’m sure that women know why they look different in a technical sense… all I can say is that I’ve always thought it just looks dumb.I am a fan of any outfit with a skirt, although I would have liked her in a shorter skirt… What can I say?I do like her hair.  I guess she has bangs, but they don’t look bad on her.  I could live with it.And she’s wearing heels, so as I’ve said many times before, I approve.  Overall I think this is a good look, even with the dumb-looking strapless top.

Rihanna

Let’s be clear: Rihanna is a hot chick.  Really attractive. So when I see her wearing an outfit that looks like this, the only thing I can do is shake my head.

What the hell is going on?  First, the huge square shoulders are a monstrosity.  The balloony harem pants/capris look like a garbage bag fashioned for a themed college frat party.Plus, her hair is weird like someone smushed a mohawk.  For the sake of comparison, I have included a picture of Rihanna with a good hairstyle, where she looks jaw-droppingly hot.  See below:

It’s like a perfect trifecta of ridiculous fashion trends designed to make me lose all faith in humanity.It’s so dumb looking that even the peek of her navel doesn’t score any points.  I don’t know what it is.  It’s like there’s so much nonsense surrounding her belly-button that it doesn’t even compute in my male-brain as part of a sexy woman anymore.  She looks more like a fun smiling alien coming to show me moon rocks.Seriously, why can’t a hot chick just be a hot chick?  Throw on a dress and some heels and get a sexy hairstyle like you used to have.  Even the heels don’t save this ensemble.

Whitney Port
OK, I am a big fan of the leg exposure on this one.  I don’t exactly dig the fact that the entire upper portion of her body is covered (including her arms), but at least the outfit doesn’t cover her feminine form.  Again, she’s showing off tons of legs and that makes this outfit a complete winner in my book.

The heels are great too.  I mean, don’t get me wrong – if I weren’t writing this article I wouldn’t make a big deal about one heel versus another, but those silver shiny heels with all those strappy-things look really hot on her.  (I must be driving women nuts as they read my neandrathalic ramblings about how to describe fashion stuff.  I try though.)Now, someone might accuse me of saying that I like stripper-looking heels… to which I would not argue, but I think these walk the line of looking both very sexy and classy.I like her hair too.  No bangs, looks nice and soft.

So what did we learn today?

• Some people can make bangs work, but in general bangs are a horrid creation.
  If you’ve got legs show them off liberally.
  Big squared shoulders are anti-feminine.
  Shiny, strappy heels are hot.
  Tube-tops and strapless tops look dumb.
  Harem pants are ridiculous.
  Rihanna needs a hair time-machine.
  There was only one Michael Jackson.

So there you have it.    And whether you like it or not, another one is on the way sometime soon so brace yourselves.

Let’s begin…

This look isn’t bad.  It kind of reminds me of a child hiding in a pile of blankets.  I should mention that I loathe (LOATHE) circle sunglasses in general, but amazingly these aren’t all that bad.  Not that I would ever notice this in “real life”, but her matching shoes, watch and bag is kind of cool too.

Overall, the look doesn’t do anything special for me.  Wouldn’t turn my head

Overall, I like this look.  She’s rocking the outfit, which counts for something too.  I dig the heels.  In fact, as far as I’m concerned, heels are always a good idea (unless they’ll make the girl taller than me… then that’s a no-go).

The shorts are kind of gaudy/80’s-sh…  I’m not a fan of anything that resembles the 80’s as far as fashion goes.  On the other hand, she’s showing off lots of legs which definitely works for me.  I like the shirt too, looks feminine and the material looks nice and smooth like a night gown.  Plus it shows some skin, which (again) works for me.

I think the blazer is a good choice too.  Nothing breaks my heart more than seeing a hot girl wearing square or puffy shoulders.  I like the shape of a woman’s shoulders to look like… a woman’s shoulders!

Yikes.  Wow.

 But this is a disaster.
Plus, Kim Kardashian can look really really good.  She has a good body and yet… she’s wearing an outfit that looks like she’s trying to hide a weight problem.

It looks like she killed a golden retriever and wrapped it around herself.  And I despise the leggings.  Horrid.  I think opaque leggings are just plain dopey looking.  Anti-sexy.

I don’t know what it is, but those aviator glasses make her look scary.  And I like aviators, but those are… not good.

OK, yes. Now this is a good outfit.   Shows off lots of skin…  she’s not wearing a ton of blankets or shoulder pads or other crap.  And most importantly, she’s not wearing tights.  There is hope.

The shirt is a little weird, but I don’t care.  I like this kind of outfit – feminine, shows off her body and curves (as opposed to covering it with squared shoulders, baloony harem pants, etc.) and isn’t slutty-looking.

The heels seem to give her some nice lift, which I dig.  I’m not crazy about the closed-toe ballerina look, but it doesn’t bother me.  Let’s be honest, I wouldn’t notice the footwear in real life, but it would make all the difference to me if she’s wearing heels versus flats.

The more I look at this outfit, the more angry I get.   This looks terrible.

The squared shoulders and the blazer coming down to her hip make her body look like a square!  I can’t stand outfits that obliterate any semblance of the female form.  What woman-hating person created this outfit?

And again, I hate tights.  Nude-colored tights aren’t horrible, but dark or light colored tights just stink.  It takes something sexy (legs) and makes them look silly.  The only thing worse than colored tights is opaque colored tights.

The one positive thing I can say about her outfit is I dig the high heels.  The bracelet is OK too, I guess.

In conclusion, we learned the followed lessons:

• Tights look dopey.
  


• Squared shoulders make me nauseous.
  


• Wear whatever you want on your feet, as long as it has a heel on it.
  


• Show some skin.

(This is why straight guys don’t write fashion articles.)

Eva Jacqueline Longoria Parker (born Eva Jacqueline Longoria; March 15, 1975) is an American actress and fashion model. She currently plays Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives . She became a nationally recognized model in the 2000`s  after appearing in several high-profile advertising campaigns and numerous men`s magazines , reaching #14 in the FHM "Sexiest Women 2008" poll, and having appeared on the cover of various international women's magazines including Vogue , Marie Claire and Harper`s Bazaar . Longoria married NBA guard Tony Parker in 2007.

What Up With Your Leather Shorts, Leighton Meester?

About Leighton:

The Costumes She Wears:

Her Own Personal Style:

Leighton's Fave Designers:

Lindsay Lohan’s nocturnal activities have been known to get her into quite a bit of trouble- her night-time style, however, is always praise-worthy! When it comes to fashion, this troubled starlet is what all of us should be: confident, self-assured, and fully in tune with her personal taste and what works best on her. Lindsay’s style is heavily rooted in the edgy-femme juxtaposition- she strongly favors black, loves her leather, and always plays up her slim legs with micro-minis or her signature leggings
During the day, Lindsay loves to rock the loaded on layer look which she usually teams with her ubiquitous leggings. For night, however, she tends to vamp it up a bit more, showing a little more skin with mini-skirts and body-con dresses. Lindsay is the master of balance and infuses even the sexiest silhouettes with sharp sophistication and a fantastic downtown-cool flavor. Not surprisingly, she’s a huge fan of Alexander Wang, the man who put street-chic back on the map with an aesthetic that is just so totally Lindsay (I actually think she might own every single piece from his latest collection, no joke!).

Knightley inhabits a sense of ease, her ensembles are casual but
also versatile: comfort and class go hand in hand. Her leather satchels
and sensational angular features complement the grey ribbons of London
sky exceedingly well; I can't help but imagine her sipping Earl Grey in
a quaint teahouse or reading Bronte in Hyde Park.

'A la Keira' equates to British sophistication.

1920's Athletic Tank Suits

Fashion history was shocked into the 20th century with some of
the newer all revealing figure hugging swimsuits that revealed the body limbs more clearly than ever before.

   
    The swimming suit was ideal for the
androgynous athletic figure that fashion suited best in the 20s.  It looked very
similar to male swimming costumes of an earlier era. The swimsuit legs stopped at an
unflattering point mid thigh and beneath the swimsuit legs were built-in modesty
shorts. 

1930's Women's Bathing Suits

1940-60 Corset Like Swimsuits

In the 1940s, corset
manufacturers saw a gap in the market.  Corsetry was losing ground, but the new
more revealing swim suits really needed experts to design garments that hid
faults in a woman's shape.  They achieved this by adding stretch tummy control panels to
hold in the stomach. Manufacturers also used bra cups and boning to give bust
support. Costume could then be worn either strapless or with small straps that
buttoned onto the inside.

Women
still continued to wear all in one swimsuits in the 1950s.  They also took
great care to cover up their hairstyles with a swimming cap or bathing cap,
usually holding their head well out of the water when swimming.  The
swimming caps shown left were decorated with plastic petals or leaves to make
them appear prettier than a bald fitting bathing cap.

The bikini was still
thought of as risqué and best suited to film stars and exotic dancers. 

A wide range
of fabrics including lined cotton, stretch Lastech
and elastic ruched waffle
nylon was popular for a while.Zips were still used in the centre back of
swimsuits retaining the corset like appearance until the early 1960s. 

1960's Lycra Women's Swimwear

fabrics were mainly nylon or Lycra or a mix of the two materials. The all
important factor was stretch and pull on like a pair of panties. 

The  front panel of the garment
and crotch were both cut as one.  Other variations include little pleated or
flared over skirts with the idea of covering saddle bag thighs. 

By the late sixties swimsuits had revealing side mesh
net panels or cut out midriffs filled in with see through plastic rings. 
Right -1960's swimsuit with plastic rings and mesh midriff.

The swimsuit did its best to keep up with competition
from the two piece bikini by abbreviating it even further by cutting the
legs higher as well as straight across.  What is now thought of as
high leg is much higher than the high leg of 1970 over 30 years ago and
the phrase 'low leg' is now used to name the sixties high cut leg.

Many women still
prefer a swimsuit for the beach, but especially like it for swimming.  Some body
shapes, especially the thicker waisted simply look better in a one piece
than a two piece costume.  But even those with good and slimmer figures sometimes
just look much better in a one piece and many say they find a one piece more
comfortable.

As the years have gone
on it has become possible to buy swimwear in a wide range of cup sizes.  One of
the best brands for giving a good shape to the fuller body is Gottex swimwear.
They use individual cup sizes, and stretch control tummy panels combined with clever
cutting to create a good silhouette.  Expect to pay over £80 for a Gottex
swimsuit.

wear what you feel most comfortable in and remember to take a matching cover up
sarong or big shirt or wrap over skirt so you can feel totally at ease walking
that hundred yards to the ice cream kiosk! 

The Bikini of 1946

thousands of years ago.  After that pictorial evidence of 200 A.D., suggests that
bikini clad women were cavorting in Sicily's Piazza Armerina. 

1946.  His design was more akin to the skimpy string 1970's bikinis.  Bikinis made
news then and as versions have become skimpier they have always attracted
attention.  When the Bikini was named its impact was likened to the test atomic
explosion on Bikini atoll. 

But its impact was nothing as radical as the G-string or even more
revealing - the thong also called the Brazilian tanga.  The tanga was worn more and more often
in Europe and America in the 1980s and became very usual by the 1990s among the
young.  With it came a boon in pubic waxing and the Brazilian wax. 
Now in 2006 many women have taken this a step further opting for laser
hair removal, which over the required sessions becomes permanently
removed.

The introduction of Lycra initially promoted in the UK by Marks & Spencer has meant
that Bikinis are
flexible and mould to the body contour giving a better fit.  Legs are cut higher
now than ever before and frequently expose both bottom cheeks.  Some garments are
now so brief that women remain totally covered up by an oversized shirt or T-shirt
or sarong wrap, removing it only for a timed sunbathing session.

Speedo Fastskin 2007

          Many who have adopted Neo-Victorian style have also adopted Victorian behavioural affectations, seeking to imitate standards of Victorian conduct, pronunciation, interpersonal interaction. Some even go so far as to embrace certain Victorian habits such as shaving with straight razors, riding penny farthings and using fountain pens to write letters in florid prose sealed by wax. There is often a cosplay element, with Victorian-style fashion adopted. Neo-Victorianism is embraced in, but also quite distinguished from, the Lolita, Aristocrat and Madam fashions popular in Japan, and which are becoming more noticeable in Europe.

Social Conservatives

        Neo-Victorian aesthetics are also popular in the US and United Kingdom among cultural conservatives and social conservatives. Books such as The Benevolence of Manners: Recapturing the Lost Art of Gracious Victorian Living  by Linda S. Lichter call for a return to Victorian morality. The term Neo-Victorian is also commonly used in a derogatory way towards Social Conservatives.It should be noted, however, that the actual cultural social attitudes and conventions of the Victorian era can be disputed.

In popular culture and literature

         Neo-Victorianism can also be seen in the growing steampunk genre of speculative fiction. Neo-Victorianism is also popular with, and in many ways prefigured by, those who are interested in Victoriana and historical reenactment.Neo-Victorian details appeared in The Diamond Age, in which Neo-Victorians are one of the main groups in the novel.A growing number of 'serious' mainstream novels are taking the approach of neo-Victorianism, such as Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (2004), a fantasy novel written as a pastiche of Jane Austen.

History

Although it isn't exactly known how lolita became started, Lolita as
it is known today most likely started in the late 1970s with the
formation of famous labels like Pink House and Milk, selling clothes
that would fit today's standards of Lolita clothing. Shortly after that
came Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, and Metamorphose temps de fille. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the Lolita fashion trend began to pick up with bands like Malice Mizer and other Visual Kei
(or visual type) bands coming into popularity. These bands wore
intricate costumes, which fans began adopting as their own style.^[2] The style soon spread from its origins in the Kansai region, and ultimately reached Tokyo where it became popularized throughout Japanese youth culture.
When these bands began to wear the Lolita style, it quickly took off,
and even today, most American Lolita might tell you they learned about
the style from their favourite Japanese visual kei band. Today, Lolita
fashion has grown so much in popularity that it can be found even in department stores

Lolita

Although "Lolita" is a reference to Vladimir Nabokov's
famous novel, and lolita fashion is often worn by teens, most followers
of the style do not consider it overtly sexual. Adherents present
themselves as Victorian children or baby dolls and prefer to look
"cute" rather than "sexy". Many Lolitas claim that the term 'Lolita'
doesn't necessarily have anything to do with sex at all. The usage of
the word may also be considered wasei-eigo. Japanese culture
places a higher value upon extremely youthful appearance and behavior
than Western, and some adult women buy large amounts of products, such
as Hello Kitty
goods, that are typically marketed only to children in the West.
GothLoli is perhaps a more visible extension of this phenomenon.

Subtypes: Gothic Lolita;Sweet Lolita;Classic Lolita;Punk Lolita;Wa/Qi Lolita;Ouji/kodona/dandy(male Lolita fashions);Ita Loli

Lolita culture

In Japan, despite still being a subculture and fringe fashion,
Lolita fashion is mass-marketed and has wide visibility particularly in
the streets of Tokyo and Osaka, on television, in manga (see Paradise Kiss by Ai Yazawa
for an example of gothloli inspired manga) and computer games. Outside
of Japan it is still a widely unknown fringe fashion although it has
slowly begun to spread to other countries. Gothic Lolita, along with
cosplay and other Japanese cultural phenomena, can sometimes be seen at
concerts and anime conventions throughout Europe and the United States.
The style has not yet been mass marketed outside of Japan, although
increasingly Japanese brands are available for purchase abroad directly
from the brands. However, there are plenty of dedicated fans filling
the still-remaining gap. Gothic Lolita magazines are widely available
for purchase on the Internet and at Japanese bookstores which also deal
in anime and manga. Adherents often sew their own homemade lolita
outfits, sometimes offering them for sale to make up for the difficulty
of acquiring them from Japan. Apart from most western fashions, Lolita
tends to hold higher expectations to those that dress it. Higher
quality clothes are favored over "cheap" lace and cosplay-esque
designs. ^[19]
Many adherents also purchase lolita outfits, accessories and dolls
online from Japanese brands such as Baby, The Stars Shine Bright or
through Ebay or other fellow lolitas.

Harajuku (原宿 "meadow lodging") listen (help·info) is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan. The area is known internationally for its youth style and fashion.^{[citation needed]} Harajuku street style is promoted in Japanese and international publications such as Kera, Tune, Gothic & Lolita Bible and Fruits.

The term "Harajuku Girls" has been used by English-language media to
describe teenagers dressed in any fashion style who are in the area of
Harajuku.^[6] These girls may be members of various sub-cultures including Gothic Lolita, Ganguro, Gyaru, and Kogal. They may also be dressed as characters from an anime, movie, or manga (known as cosplay).

In the 1980s large numbers of street performers and wildly dressed teens including takenoko-zoku
(竹の子族, "bamboo-shoot kids") gathered on Omotesandō and the street that
passes through Yoyogi Park on Sundays when the streets were closed to
traffic. The streets were reopened to traffic in the 90s, and a great
number of teens stopped gathering there. Today there are still
teenagers hanging out in Harajuku, mostly on the bridge across the
train tracks from Harajuku station to Yoyogi Park.

• Architecture, interior design, and landscape design
• Arts and crafts
• Body type, clothing or costume, cosmetics, personal grooming, hairstyle, and personal adornment
• Dance and music
• Forms of address, slang, and other forms of speech
• Economics and spending choices, as studied in behavioral finance
• Entertainment, games, hobbies, sports, and other pastimes
• Etiquette
• Management, management styles and ways of organizing
• Politics and media, especially the topics of conversation encouraged by the media
• Philosophy and religion:
  although the doctrines of religions and philosophies change very slowly
  if at all, there can be rapid changes in what areas of a religion or a
  philosophy are seen as most important and most worth following or
  studying.
• Social networks and the diffusion of representations and practices
• Sociology and the meaning of clothing for identity-building
• Technology, such as the choice of computer programming techniques
• Hospitality industry such as designer uniforms custom made for a hotel, restaurant, casino, resort or club, in order to reflect a property and brand.