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Wash West hair salon American Mortals — featured in our recent Spring Style Guide — is celebrating 10 years in the snipping biz by throwing a Summer Fair that not only honors their milestone, but serves as an official unveiling for their new product line and expanded salon space. “It’s about ending the chapter and starting a new one,” says co-owner Kimberly Bond. “[To] the community, our clients, our friends, I’d say it’s a big thank you.”
The daylong bash features an 8-foot prize wheel with rewards ranging from flat irons and free haircuts to prints by local painter/printmaker Thom Lassner. Also, expect live music from The New Impressionists and grub from Little Babies Ice Cream and Cookies Confidential, just to name a few. But, Bond says, the highlight of the day lies in an amateur cake bake-off, judged by Morimoto pastry chef Thomas “Tommy” McCarthy. Following the bake off will be a cakewalk, where everyone has a chance to walk it out for one of the fabulous treats. And when you're finished, you can have stylist Tenille Grider put one of those cute feathers in your hair. It's all the rage, ladies!
Sat., June 4, 1-6 p.m., free, American Mortals, 729 Walnut St, 215-574-1234, americanmortals.com.
The eight annual Art Star Craft Bazaar took over Penn’s Landing this weekend and, naturally, it rained. That didn’t stop tons of people from coming out to enjoy music, food, crafts, though. In case you didn’t get a chance to stop by, you can still order homemade goodies from pretty much all of the vendors that participated. Here’s my top six (cause five simply wasn’t enough):
MALAGUETA:
I’m so in love with these funky, hand-worked clothing designs. The appliqué and embroidery add the homemade touches every crafter goes wild for, but these pieces are totally wearable and look super comfortable and colorful. web.me.com/malagueta
INEDIBLE JEWELRY:
Picture this:
Girl needs jeans. Girl walks into department store. Girl thinks she’s a size 8. Girl grabs a size 8 pair of Lee’s, Levi’s, and Lucky Brand jeans. Girl embarks on a dressing room battle of epic proportions — the Lee’s are too baggy in the hips and thighs, but they won’t button; the Levi’s are enormous, and she rejoices that maybe she’s actually a size 6; but, alas, the Lucky pair isn’t so lucky — the pants won’t even make it past her knees. Girl leaves the store with nothing. Girl comes dangerously close to punching a stranger on the street.
It’s a situation women have lamented over for eons — a size that fits in one brand won’t in another because there's no sizing standard for women’s clothing. We end up with four different sizes in our closet, even if our bodies’ measurements stay the same. Being a “perfect size 6” really means nothing anymore if you’re only that size sometimes.
Enter MyBestFit:
The press has been all over this technology, which calculates a user’s exact body measurements to determine what clothing styles and sizes are most appropriate. So far, there’s only one MyBestFit location in the country — in the King of Prussia Mall (160 N. Gulph Rd.) on The Plaza’s upper floor, next to Sephora. And the response is overwhelmingly positive.
Neighborhood Watch usually looks for Philadelphia’s most fashionable. This week, howeve, Kala figuratively crosses the pond to examine what all the hoity-toity Brits wore to Kate and Will’s nuptials.
So the event you’ve probably heard nothing about (hah) finally went down, and it was just as posh and highly-bred as anyone could guess. Let’s ogle Kate’s much-anticipated gown and the duds of her guests. Oh, and the hats. My god, the hats…
THE BRIDE:
Well, there it is. The gown that people the world over speculated about for months. Kate ended up choosing Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, but one might never guess the house of McQueen had any influence given the conservative nature of it. She looks lovely, but I can’t help but think she was all but forced to wear something so, well, plain (though simple and classic is her style). She’s a royal; she has to be elegant and covered up, but wouldn’t it have been fun if she wore something more avant-garde? When I think McQueen, I think about Gaga in McQueen. Imagine Kate tromping down the aisle in snakeskin or the notorious hoof heels…
THE MAID OF HONOR:
Phillipa Middleton, Kate’s sister, also wore Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Another simple, elegant dress that fits her like a glove. Isn’t it weird that the maid of honor is wearing white? Isn’t there some sort of ironclad rule against that? Those crazy Brits… In any case, throw a veil on her and people would have been photographing her to death, thinking she was Kate.
View galleryNeighborhood Watch looks for Philly’s most fashionable. This week, Kala skipped the streets in search of a few pieces (and places) to check out as the weather gets more and more style-friendly.
Spring is here, but it’s still rainy and cloudy enough that we can officially call her a tease. In any case, you’ll need to know about a few things to pick up once it’s officially gorgeous all day every day. For instance…
Bombshell Pleated Bustier
Let your décolletage say hello to the sun (and hoist up the girls) in this flirty, summery top. The sweetheart neckline and pleating make it super flattering, and it would go perfectly with denim cutoffs and wedge sandals. Smak Parlour, $60, 219 Market St., smakparlour.com.
Inside Delta 6 Graphic Tee
For the gents, you can’t go wrong with a cool graphic tee, and Art in the Age has tons. This one’s an original artist print by Jungil Hong for the AITA artist habitat series, Just be wary of farmer’s tan. Art in the Age, $20, 116 N. Third St., artintheage.com.
World Links Necklace
You can’t forget about accessories, and now that your neck won’t be bundled up in scarves, it’s time to make a statement. This super unique chainlink piece just screams well-travelled (minus the plane fare). The Little Apple, $70, 4353 Main St., Manayunk, thelittleapplestore.com.
Civilian Bag
For the guy who’s understandably wary of the man purse (but still has a lot of crap to carry), R.E.Load has a great line of cool messenger bags. Whether it’s your livelihood or you just need a bag with lots of room, now’s your chance to slide on a satchel without trying to fit it over a huge winter coat. R.E.Load Baggage, $112, 310 N. 11th St., reloadbags.com.
Gray Tulip Spring Blouse
I couldn’t resist including one of Nicole Carey’s super cute homemade pieces. For now, you’ll have to shop for her stuff on Etsy, but she’ll be in town for the Art Star Craft Bazaar on May 14th and 15th, where you’ll have a chance to pick up her girly, funky designs in person. Nicole's Threads, etsy.com/shop/nicolecarey.
Drawstring Pleats Dress
This 100 percent silk sheath feels absolutely heavenly to wear (trust me, I tried it on), and Feral Child hand draws and pleats each dress. Perfect for when it’s hot as blazes and you’re feeling a bit like a feral child yourself. Rawr! Feral Childe at Arcadia Boutique, $298, 265 S. 20th St., arcadiaboutique.com.
Elizabeth Taylor seems to have packed 10 lives into her 79 years. She was married eight times, won two Academy Awards, was the first actor to be paid $1 million for Cleopatra, had a love affair with jewelry, pioneered AIDS activism and, strange fact, was born with two rows of eyelashes. Defining grace and poise, she was an exceptional beauty and tremendous talent — one of the most fashionable women the world has ever known.
With t-shirt racks, mannequins and "take me" bins bursting out the front door, Philly AIDS Thrift (514 Bainbridge St.) has been desperate for more space for a long time. And now they're getting it. This summer, the local, AIDS charity-driven thrift Mecca is moving around the corner to the spot that is currently Kroungold's Furniture (710 Passyunk Ave.). Assistant Manager Adam Proctor says the new locale is two times bigger than the current space and the across-the-street furniture warehouse combined. "There's a lot of stuff that cant be put out currently because there's not enough space," he says, "in the new space we'll be able to put out more."
After the move date, they pllan to utilize two of the three floors to showcase all of their merch - from clothing to books and bric-a-brac to electronics. "It's so big, it'll still probably look empty at first," he says. The third floor will be used by employees to sort and price incoming donations.
Proctor says he's already begun moving bins into the new store, but they won't make the official move until June — at which point they'll probably throw a big moving party.
As far as the old space is concerned, he says there are rumors that a a Fabric Row knitting store may be taking over. Check back to Critical Mass for updates on that, and photos and info about the new location.
Neighborhood Watch looks for Philly’s most fashionable. This week, Kala caught up with three warm-weather worshippers in Queen Village.
As the days get longer and the temperatures rise, lighter jackets (and even bare arms) become neighborhood norms. I caught up with hree girls who couldn’t wait to show off the duds that had previously been bundled under heavy wool coats.
Nashae Pettus (17) of Mount Airy, considers herself a “sandals and jeans” type of girl, and was perfectly dressed for a brisk and sunny day of strolling outside. She topped her black Gap jeans and striped H&M shirt with a light wash denim jacket from Weathervane. Her glittery, slouchy bag and beaded jewelry are also from Gap and H&M, respectively, but her taupe suede sneakers are from Lord & Taylor (and won’t be ruined by the snow on a warm day!).
She considers Urban Outfitters and Victoria’s Secret her other favorites, and is looking forward to shopping for new Spring looks. Aren’t we all?
[Picture 004-Mariah]
Mariah Carty (18) was visiting the area for the day from Delaware. Her knee-high boots are from Boscov’s, her pants are from Urban Outfitters, and her tank, sweater, and necklace are from Forever 21. Her shades are from Icing and she also toted a fabulous pink Coach bag.
While in Philly, she loved checking out South Street stores like Luluish and Temptation and Barefoot Shoes, which is like DSW on an even tighter budget. What more could a girl want?
[Picture 001-Talia]
Talia Daniels (17), also from Mount Airy, is a big thrift store fan. She doesn’t even remember where she picked up her oversized graphic print sweater, but she knows it was a thrift find, so she more than likely got a great deal. Her leather and fur roll top boots are by Ugg, and her jeans are Gap. She also loves Zara, TopShop, and online shopping at Asos.com.
“I can’t wait to be able to wear sandals and skirts,” she says. “I love flirty tops in different patterns and colorful stuff.” What better way to celebrate the return of fall than with color?
If you’re in the market for a chic, up-to-date threads or sexy minimalist furniture, you may want to peek inside the Matthew Izzo boutique, which just moved to Midtown Village. The artsy bazaar offers clothing with an alternative bent, modern art, furniture, and candle collections designed by owner Matthew Izzo. “Everything is local, we're trying to focus a lot on that,” Izzo says. “As a small business we rely on tourism, and this is a great tourist location, so we’ve been getting a lot of traffic.” You can check his new digs at 111 S. 12th St.
Neighborhood Watch usually looks for Philly's most fashionable, but this week Kala focuses on the stars who strutted down the red carpet at last night's Oscar ceremony.
In the wake of  what many are calling the worst Oscars broadcast ever (they say that every year), what else can we do but feast our eyes on the styles of cinema's elite?
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Anne Hathaway wore eight different dresses while she was on stage (and each was sincerely remarkable), so we'll only comment on her red carpet Valentino, the biggest miss. The bust seems ill-fitting, and the huge bustles are reminiscent of tumors. This red seems like a bit much for her—she wore a deeper, richer red dress on stage that suited her far better.
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Amy Adams' look is almost perfect. The L'Wren Scott dress is a gorgeous color and looks fabulous on her body, but that necklace is all kinds of wrong. She should have worn her hair up as well.
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Both Black Swan ladies pulled out the purple this year, and Mila's light-lavender Elie Saab is to die for. Perfect for her coloring, and the romantic draping and delicate lace suits her.
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Absolutely perfect. This Marchesa is so age-appropriate, chic and lovely on Hailee. The gold shoes seem like an odd choice, but everything else comes together fabulously.
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Bright red, skintight, and boob-tastic? This screams Baywatch. She looks absolutely fantastic, but the Oscars call for something more formal than this Calvin Klein.
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Obviously this showy Versace worships Jennifer's new svelte figure, and the color is perfect for her. However, it's doing horrible things to her boobs.
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This Givenchy couture gown landed on some worst-dressed lists, but it's perfectly keeping with Cate's typical red-carpet risk-taking. It's delightfully unusual, visually interesting, and she's rocking the hell out of it. Not many women could pull this off. She can, and that's why it works.
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Man, did Melissa ever crave that Oscar, which was adorable, but this Marc Bouwer dress is mostly a miss. The lace over-shiny gold foil is bold, but it does look a little like a doily, and the sleeves and color are stiff and ridiculous.
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Bow down, ladies. Helen consistently dresses better than girls 40 years her junior. The Color, style and fit are all fantastic on this Vivienne Westwood.
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Leave it to Helena to bring the crazy. This actually doesn't look bad on her. Everyone expected her to show up wearing a reconstructed piñata or something equally insane. She just looks like a Goth barmaid. Seems like a step in the right direction.
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This 50s couture Charles James moved beautifully on Marisa, but it's a bizarre dress. That tulle seems like it's a different color than the rest of the dress, but not enough so that it seems deliberate. The bottom seems like it's stapled on as an afterthought.
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Gwyneth's skirt is very cool with its fluid-like shimmer, but I'm not loving the dropped waist and the neckline is absurd on this Calvin Klein. She should have done something more interesting with her hair.
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It's hilarious how much taller Nicole is than her husband. She got some flak for this Dior, but it's original and the beading is lovely. The problem is the color, which washes her out.
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Color is great on Sandra, and it's a nice silhouette, but she could have stepped it up with something more interesting than this Vera Wang.
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Halle always looks fabulous (oh, how women loathe her), but the color on this Marchesa isn't great, and the messy tulle at the bottom looks like she got into a fight with Portman's Black Swan character.
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Like Helen, Annette looks fabulous in a silver-grey. Attention-grabbing without being in-your-face, visually interesting, and the perfect fit on this Ermenegildo Zegna.
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This Armani fits Reese beautifully, but it's really boring and a little out of style. Whatever was going on with her Barbie clip-on ponytail was not okay, though.
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Okay, I just threw him in so we can all laugh at his scraggly moonshiner beard.
(All photos from nymag.com's Vulture blog.)
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