Suitors in Suits.

Nothing is better than a guy in a sharp suit.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I love the rugged blue jeans and the I'm casual-but-cool-like-Thelma-and-Louise-Brad-Pitt (no) T-shirt look.  But nothing is sexier, more attractive, or classier than when a guy cleans up.  Automatically their whole macho, I'm God's gift to humanity persona floats away and they become these sophisticated, sensitive, suave, and well, James Bond-esque men.  Who can resist?!

I feel like not enough people give guys credit when they wear suits, especially when it comes to awards shows.  Joan Rivers is constantly barking (yes, barking) about how the guy always looks so boring...yada yada yada.  And then if the guy goes a little to the crazy side, like add a spark of color, she tears him to pieces.  It's such a fine line and there is little room for creativity. aka. Annoying!  And really, in case Joan didn't notice - she looks like she went through a wind tunnel and her face stayed that way.  Honestly, who let her be a fashion police anyways?

Despite what celebrities and What Not to Wear connoisseurs claim about men's red carpet style, I love it.  All of it.  You can go classic with Armani or edgy with Marc Jacobs.  You can go navy, ebony, or white.  Mix it up with a little color.  Any way you swing it, guys just look great in suits.  Here are some of my favorite dashing looks:

Oh boys, boys, boys!  Let's go left to right.  

Adrian Brody: Great color, great stance, skinny tie, brown shoes. Mixing brown with blackish grey was an interesting choice...Still, I approve.  

Russell Brand: Quirky look, just like him and his strikingly gorgeous fiance (for the time being) Katy Perry.  Like I said, I can't rip on him for taking a chance. After all, he looks way more attractive here than he has in other moments caught on film (Can we say Meet the Greeks?)

Taylor Lautner:  Rawr! This werewolf teen knows exactly how to make the girls go wild.  Love the silky looking grey suit with the peeping black shirt underneath.  Very cool, very chill, very mature.

Chace Crawford:  I just can't get enough of this suit...or him for that matter. 

P-Diddy: Well, you don't mess with Diddy.  And he's made that perfectly clear with this suit.  This suit makes him look like he's in charge, in control, and has more confidence than...well P-Diddy.

The. Rat. Pack.  Old time classic men, enjoying their cigarettes, fame, and immense fortune.  And look at that million-dollar watt smile. Oh Frank, "I've got a crush on you".

McDreamy's gone McClassy.  A far cry from his surgical mask and scrubs, don't ya think?  The classiest doctor around, if you ask me.  He looks timeless in this Versace suit.  Now, if we could only have an McClassy ad campaign with McDreamy AND McSteamy.  Then my life would be McComplete.

See, even Guidos can look classy!  This is my best friend, and I must admit that he looks quite handsome.  He knows how to look his best (even with rhinestone studs in his ears).  Taking the chance with the robin egg blue and the grey suit, I'd say he did a stupendous job.  Classy in an instant.  But what else would you expect? :)

To those men who are disbelievers of the power of suits:

Like every good man, I strive for perfection, and, like every ordinary man, I have found that perfection is out of reach - but not the perfect suit.  ~Edward Tivnan

The Classiest Gams Around

Over the years there has been quite a fine line drawn between showing too much and showing just enough skin.  Modesty has become a quality that is completely unique to each individual.  My grandmother's version of modesty would look something like this:

Actually, this picture is very Grace Kelly-esque and I'm totally in love with style.  If I lived in the 50s, I would've totally loved this classy fashion era.  Full skirts are perfect for the Kim Kardashians of this world who have those voluptuous booties and skinny waists.  Accentuate the positives and minimize the negatives is what I always say.

It seems appropriate dress has changed incredibly since then, and now our generation has set a woman's best assets free: her legs!  Today we see short skirts, dresses, and shorts that show off those beautiful gams.  Muscular, toned legs might as well be considered a fashion accessory!  Let's take a look at the best and classiest legs in the entertainment industry:

Recently I've found this new appreciation for this health-crazed, fitness guru, worst-baby namer ever actress. She is the person who introduced the world to fitness expert Tracy Anderson on an episode of Oprah (where else?).  Apparently, the 5' trainer sculpted post-baby Gwyneth's body to look like this.  In my opinion, this Iron Man star has the best gams in Tinsel Town.  They are thin, with the perfect amount of muscle: typically a hard balance to find.  But I guess with one hour of dance cardio and one hour of strength training a day, I would look as good as she does.  Not to mention, she eats a very regimented diet and detoxes like its her job.  I even tried her detox diet once, but I barely lasted a day.  Terrible idea.  It's one of those things that they should preface with "Don't try this at home".  


But really, she looks phenomenal.  The proportions of her suit are impeccable, and her shoes - I just want to steal them!  A+ on this outfit.  I like that this normally minimalist dresser spiced things up a bit with the shoes, and obviously, her legs.  


If you really want to learn more about Ms Paltrow and her bohemian lifestyle, she has a fabulous blog that I follow religiously.  It's called GOOP and it has really interesting information categorized by: Make, Go, Get, Do, See, and Be.  It's really intuitively written and just discusses how to be the best version of yourself.  Check it out.
Classy scale: 10

Can we just gawk at this girl for a couple of minutes?  This outfit is my favorite at the moment.  It is THE outfit of the week.  A lot of people give Ms Kardashian a lot of crap, but she has always been a favorite of mine.  As you know, I'm all about the class, but Keeping up with the Kardashians is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine.  It's just so juicy and hysterical.  Their family dynamic is the best - quality television.


Now, she has always embraced her curvalicious body, and has been celebrated for it.  Kudos to her for differentiating herself from the anorexically thin socialites like Paris and Nicole.  This exotic bombshell looks amazing, especially since she's been promoting a healthier lifestyle.  Though I'm not quite sure how much Quick Trim contributed to her little weight loss, she does look lean and mean in this photo.  And with those nude heels...Ah!  Foxy.


She's not exactly who I would categorize as normally "classy" or "refined", but I do think she epitomizes a timeless beauty.  You can't deny that.  Plus, she is contributing to a physical ideal that is a more realistic body type.  So, that in itself is classy, and I raise my glass to her.
Classy scale: 8

Jessica Szohr has become one of my favorite characters on Gossip Girl.  Maybe I'm just a fan of brunettes and she is quite the sharp dresser.  Most days i like what she's wearing over Blake Lively who has become the go-to Gossip Girl apparently.  Everyone is obsessed with her.  And if Kim was an exotic beauty Jessica has her topped.  She is Hungarian and a "quarter African American".  Plus, she nabbed Ed Westwick, which that in itself is something to be jealous about.  


She is another one who shows off her legs like its her job, and she should!  She knows how to work it and work out to make sure she is in top shape.  Such inspiration.  I mean, if I could date a Brit babe like Eddy boy, I would work out like a feen too.  


And can we just take a minute to pause and look at her combination of pieces in this picture.  Florals and military?  I love it.  It's just girly enough and just masculine enough.  And look at that grin she's got - it makes the picture a thousand times prettier.  Smile on Jessica.


Classy scale: 10

Blake, darling you are stellar.  Her legs are AMAZINg in this photo.  And she claims she doesn't work out, which of course makes me nauseous.  Because I refuse to believe that anyone can look this good and not work majorly hard at it.  She knows how to dress her body, and she's always taking chances with her wardrobe which I admire.  Fresh-faced in this photo, the frills on her dress are avant garde, but in a fantastically whimsical way.  It works.


I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this outfit, except I do wonder - how the heck does she sit down in that thing?  


Classy scale: 7

And don't worry about living up to these beautifully constructed women.  You'll still be able to find a guy.  The sassy Marlene Dietrich says is poignantly, "The average man is more interested in a woman who is interested in him than he is a woman with beautiful legs."  Phew. I thought we all had to detox and wear unsittable attire to find a man! I'm relieved.

Laced With Icing

So today my mind has all been all about the sweets.  It's my biggest vice.  Cookies.  Candy.  Ice Cream.  More Ice Cream.  Straight Sugar. Smoothies.  All of the above.  Before last year, though, I was never a fan of cakes.  Maybe it was because I would've rather had the icing?  Or maybe it was because my birthday cake was always shared with my sister (our birthdays are 10 days apart).  But with this new craze that has hit the Food Network and TLC, how can I not become a cake lover as well?  Cakes surely have come a long way since I was a kid.  And so now I've become a cake fanatic, no that's an understatement.  I've become an obsessed sugar-crazed fondant cake stalker.  I love the artistry, the detail, the creativity.  The lifelike flower petals, or the crazy cake that looks like it is depicting a scene in a movie, and of course the prim and proper wedding cakes.  My only question is: Are they even edible?  Gosh, I hope so.

What my friends don't know is that in my free time, instead of online shopping or catching up on my daily Facebook gossip, I'm researching the coolest looking cakes around.  Seriously.  I think it all started with the Cake Boss (...the only good thing that came out of watching Jon and Kate Plus 8 during their "divorce season", because Cake Boss was on right after).  I have now been fantasizing for about a year about going to Carlos's Bakery.  I actually had a dream about it once.  No lie.  I was seriously considering going to one of his motivational cake shows (whatever that means).

And I know this blog is supposed to be about class and propriety and all, but a little indulgence now and then never hurt anyone!  Right?

Here are some of my favorite finds!  And don't worry, I'm not a cake discriminator. I appreciate cakes of all icing types!

This tiered cake looks so yummy, my mouth is completely wagging.  With its Van Gogh inspired icing: I am impressed.  Maybe its a new genre of baking: Impressionist Baking.

Okay so I know the designer of both of these cakes.  He made my graduation cakes as well, and they were AMAZING!  He's really got an eye for style, and his cakes were the only cakes I would eat when I was younger because his icing was just that good.  I've even snuck into his bakery and had an icing fight with some friends.  Hopefully he doesn't read this and find out!

Now what would this blog be without a little Pittsburgh spirit?  I am absolutely in love with these cakes.  I just hope the baker ate the Cardinals one first.  Remember, always save the best for last! :)

The tallest cake imaginable!  You could feed a small army with this baby.  What is it, 7 stories high?  Why would you ever need something like this?  Maybe Princess Victoria used it to feed the media after they ruined her intimate gathering. Most likely.

And the Queen said, "Let them eat cake!"  And I say, that on my birthday, THIS is the exact cake I want!  Ah it is the perfect tea party cake as well.  I'm just in love. Major love with this cake.  

Finally, to close for tonight.  The perfect trifecta: Tiffany's, Chanel, and Gucci.  Now really, you can't go wrong.

And now that I have visually indulged you for the night, physically indulge yourself!  Go eat some cake.  Bake your own confectionary masterpiece.  Or if you burn even the pre-made cookies, do what I do, drool over Ace of Cakes and the Cake Boss.  Either one will tie you over until you can get up early, before the gym, and scurry on over to your local bakery.

And now I leave you with the best cake/dessert quote I could find:

"Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie."

-Jim Davis

There's Hope for Us Commoners!

Since my last post was about weddings, I thought, why not continue the trend this sunny-weathered weekend.  Might as well take advantage of the bliss while it lasts.

On Saturday, Sweden's royal family celebrated their princess's opulent wedding: full of jewels, fancy dresses, heart-wrenching vows, and....a commoner groom?!  Last time I checked, royal weddings were all about marrying your cousins and creating alliances between countries.  Has tradition died?  Or is it just that monarchs really don't have political power anymore, and that they are just marketing tools for their country.  I mean, when was the last time Queen Elizabeth did something that was notable, besides attend some tea party?  I liked the backstabbing, power-hungry, selfish mentality so much better than this "for the people" democracy crap.  I mean, where's the drama?  The allure?  The fantasy of being in control and being adored?  .....Well, clearly I'm joking.  But I will admit, the days of Queen Victoria and Tsar Nicholas were so much more fun to gossip about!

Walking up the stairs into Stockholm's Cathedral where the ceremony took place.

All things considered, it was a beautiful wedding and Swede's lady, Princess Victoria, was glowing.  Her dorky, yet weirdly sexy hubby, Daniel Westling, was sporting an eclectic pair of glasses, which just made me smile.  In my opinion, it takes guts to wear glasses to a very formal event, but the rich and famous always are one step ahead of the trends.  I'm excited to see what the ex-gym owner has in store for the throne.  Oh, and little fun fact: This was the first European royal wedding since 2008.  Crazy huh?  These monarchs need to get a move on their matrimonial behinds.  I want some more fancy smancy weddings to gawk about.

Doting fiance... how precious.  Not to mention, she looks gorgeous!

Now, this is every girl's dream....riding in a carriage with a prince wearing an elaborate crown and smiling at all your adoring subjects. Well, I guess it would've been my dream if I lived in the 1800s.

Now, I realize, there is hope for Me and Prince William.  After all, if this commoner can...there is hope for lil American me.

The Ultimate Lace & Love Extravaganza

Every girl imagines what her wedding will be like.  What dress she'll wear, how big the rock will be, whether it will be a big or small gathering.  And of course, how can we forget who she'll end up with.  High school sweetheart? Baby's daddy? Soul Mate? You just never know these days... Regardless, the day is one that is documented by a multitude of pictures, and today I'm unearthing the most precious, most loving, and of course most fashionable wedding photography I could find.

This couple is actually one I know.  Their photographer did an AMAZING job on their engagement photos, and I was thrilled to creep on them on Facebook. ;)  The photographer is Limelight-Images, and they do a great job at coming up with creative ways to showcase a couple's love.  They specialize in making love look even better in photos!

I found this one on Google Images.  Typically, wedding photos are very posed, pleasantly candid - basically the couple looking their very best.  In contrast, this couple showed their personalities in this photo, and I just love it.  First of all, it's B&W, which makes it a thousand times cooler.  Secondly, it's actually really funny; there's a story behind this interaction.  It's one they'll tell their kids about.

Note to those bridezillas - not ALL your photos have to be fairy tale perfect.  There is a little beauty behind some imperfection.













This vintage shot is a mix of modern and old school beauty.  This photo reminds me of something my great grandmother would've worn at her wedding - so elegant, classy, and divine.  Very vamp-like, in a extravagantly glamourous way.  Her dress is simplistic and the camera work is astonishing.  And look!  Every bride needs that bit of lace to make her wedding look complete.

Oh, and I love how the bride's flowers match the ones on the banister.  My mother would totally approve.  Great touch.

Overall, this picture is a beauty and makes me wonder whether I want a more vintage or more modern wedding...

I'm such a sucker for sepia effects on pictures. This picture captures the intimacy of their love, shows a little innocence, and even has a throw back with the buggy vehicle.  Her choice of wedding dress isn't something I would choose for myself, however, it clearly fits her personality.  She's oozing of confidence and that is the number one thing a woman can do to make herself look her very best on her wedding day.  Not to mention....her groom is a total cutie.  I'd be smiling too if I nabbed that looker.

A little bit of lace, a lot of love, and the perfect photographer will make your day what you always dreamed it would be.  But don't let this post make you think your biological clock is ticking, you still got time.  

At least that's what I'm told.

There's Nothing Lacy About Convenience Love

It is true that love comes in all shapes and sizes.  From age differences, to different races, to people finally finding their soul mates well into their sixties.  I came to the realization tonight, that love shouldn't be about what is "normal", but rather what is abnormal.  What makes the relationship so special, what makes it uncomfortable.  Too often we are programmed to think that we should just marry the person we've been with the longest, have the most complicated history with, or who everyone expects us to end up with.  It becomes a matter of convenience rather than true love.  And in my book, there is nothing lacy about that!

Yes, true love is hard to find.  But when you find it (though I definitely still haven't), I think you'll just know.  At least I hope so.  I'm just waiting for God to knock me on the head and say, "Hey check him out!" I guess for now the best we can do is take some pointers from the couples of our time - Faith and Tim, Jada and Will, John and June, Beauty and the Beast, and even Posh and Becks - love is in the air, we just have to look around!

"I think what makes our marriage work amid all the glare is that my husband is my best friend. He inspires everything in my life and enables me to do the best that I can. I want to hang out with him more than anyone. " - Faith Hill

Lace & Love & The Tony's

Can someone PLEASE tell me what was up with the Tony's on Sunday??  I was so disappointed with the performances (except for dear Lea Michele's).  But really, everyone just seemed so unprepared: the timing was off, people couldn't read the TelePrompTer, etc.  I mean, I know that the Tony's aren't necessarily the most talked about awards show, but I was less than impressed to say the least.  At least the Tony committee had the sense enough to award Catherine Zeta-Jones with the wings.  She was fabulous in ALNM, and deserves to be recognized in the musical theater community. (Plus, I have a relative in that show which means even if I didn't want to, I have to support it - and it's Sondheim - I mean really, who doesn't like Sondheim?)  But enough blabber, let's talk fashion!

Naomi Watts and Liev Shreiber

Absolutely stunning!  They were the best looking couple of the night.  Don't get me wrong, I love a dashing Will and Jada, but these Aussie residents had it going on!

Scarlett Johansson

Elegance to the max.  She epitomized Broadway in this one dress.  I love the glitz and the glam, and the fact that it's a black dress.  Stunning.  Mrs. Ryan Reynolds knows how to play up her bombshell figure to a T.  Not sure about the hair, but who's judging?

Cate Blanchett

Since when is Queen Elizabeth from the future?  Really now, this suit, if that's what you can call it, is atrocious.  It looks like someone made it out of some terrible, cheap material and then put a shine serum all over it!  I appreciate her being daring, but maybe next time Cate, don't make me worry about being blinded by your reflection.

Lea Michele

Love the girl.  Love the voice.  Love the dress.  Hate the hair.  Those bangs have got to go.  This FHM hottie has made leaps and bounds since her first days as a Spring Awakening star.  She looks absolutely stunning (besides the bangs), and her performance was easily the best of the night.  Just love her.  I think the world has a lot more to see of this guru, and 

I am excited.

Hopefully next year's Tony's are a little better, performance-wise.  After all, should we expect anything less of the theater capital of the world?!