Style Fix

Teenage and young 20-something girls and women tend to get overzealous when it comes to accessories. When getting ready (likely in a group, with chipper pop music playing), they get too focused on liking each individual piece of flare, that it becomes too hard to see the big picture.

Usually, this makes for good critiquing of teen celebrity outfits. But that seems too cruel to do too often. Especially since hardly none of us, myself included, can claim innocence in the matter: we all did it in high school, college, or both. It is just a way of developing our fashion taste and style identity.

So I commend the Bag Lady on her fun way of pointing out that starlets at the Teen Choice Awards loved their accessories, without destroying their ego: a fun matching game of teen-to-20 celebs’ faces and their award-night accessories. Go check it out!

She’s on the cover of TV Guide this week, looking like a smoking hot 20-something starlet … except she’s only 15. But that argument and commentary on Miss Miley Cyrus, of Hannah Montana fame, is over played.

On Monday, July 21, Miley stopped by the MTV TRL studios, along with Teddy Geiger and Emma Stone, in the teen-appropriate getup shown here. You have to hand it to the little pop icon, she has more confidence, spunk, and sheer cuteness her little pinky that most celebrities can ever dream to have.

Five points to Miley for an age-appropriate outfit that makes her happy.

However, those points are immediately negated by the sheer number of accessories. A hat, a bubble ring, two belts, a lace vest, and several bangles.

It’s a common youthful mistake, and even college girls still struggle with it. But ladies, the age old advice always holds true: Take off one accessory before you walk out the door.

Traver Rains (right) and Richie Rich (left), the New York City design duo known as Heatherette, who are famous for their elaborately staged and performed runway shows like Fall 2007’s Wizard of Oz inspiration, did not show a collection at the Fall 2008 Fashion Week.

Gossip and fashion snoops ran rampant with theories of Richie and Traver’s breakup, of Heatherette’s demise. But au contraire: Heatherette is alive and kicking … and expanding!

Aside from Richie working on an album (featuring Fergie), the Heatherette boys have been busy designing their own line of makeup with (who else?) MAC. And inspirations are just as crazy-fun with ideas coming from bubble tape and glitter. Plus, the boys say that their new makeup is perfect for the upcoming prom season.

Yes, it’s true: Heatherette has prom on the brain.

Read an exclusive Heatherette interview with ELLEgirl magazine online now! Find out what Traver and Richie wore to their prom (teaser: one went with an era theme; one wore a kilt), get suggestions about how to make yor look your own, and check out pictures (including the one here) from an awesome styling shoot with model-heiress Lydia Hearst.

And stay tuned to Style Fix, because after dishing on what I wore to my proms I hunted down photos of all three …

It’s May which means that tomorrow is my birthday! But, aside from that, most high schoolers are getting ready for prom.

All the prom buzz has me looking back on what I wore, and whether or not I was a delusional school girl with my dress choices.

SOPHOMORE YEAR

I was asked by a senior, and decided to make my own dress. Back then, I was not the sewing machine that I am today. This took a lot of help, but in the end I felt that it was worth it because I had an original … wait! Over there … that senior girl totally has the same dress as me!

I (and crew) used a deep blue, sequined (enter the sewing nightmare: sequin glue loves to ruin needles) fabric to make a halter-style, long and lean cut gown. And Tara, who did not make her dress, and was not pleased to see a little sophomore at her senior prom in the same dress, matched me identically!

JUNIOR YEAR

I went to prom at another school besides mine. Sneaky, smart Drew asked me light years
before. I was working at 5*7*9 at the time and snagged a clearance rack, satiny, pale mint green, empire waist number with bead and sequin work on the bust.

What I loved (and still do) about this prom look was how I accessorized: I got my makeup done at a Clinique counter, and had fabulous shimmery mint eyes. My hair was done up, in massive, soft curls with one of those boingy metal butterfly clips (with mint green jewels on his wings).

SENIOR YEAR

I didn’t go to my prom, or even the same school from my junior year. I went to a third school’s dance, with a guy that I hit on when he ate at the pizza place where I was hostessing.

I wore a white streamed-line dress that was also a 5*7*9 clearance rack find, and also had sequin and bead work on the bust.

Mom and I decided that the spaghetti straps were not flattering - so we took them off and made it strapless. Then, we saw my bare chest, back, and shoulders as a canvas. Intentions for Mom to paint a design on my back were foiled (see the irony, Mom? That was your idea and now I have a tattoo there) when the hair school that I went to for an up-do took hours and hours to style my hair.

Here’s the kicker to this get-up: I used eyelash glue to attach fake diamonds to my chest, continuing and extending the sequin/bead pattern from the dress.

I spurt out all of this, because the Heatherette boys recently interviewed with ELLEgirl magazine about prom. Aside from the gorgeous pictures with them styling model/heiress Lydia Hearst, they mention several ways to make your look your own … hence, I got thinking about how I did this.

Heatherette interview clips and photos up next, including what they wore to prom. … and possibly photos of all three of my prom looks. Do I dare?