Hello Kitty for guys?

Starting next month, Japan's Sanrio Co. will begin targeting young men with the uber-popular Hello Kitty brand. A collection of T-shirts, bags and watches featuring a "more rugged, cool" Kitty is set to appeal to men in their teens and early 20s. Company spokesman Kazuo Tohmatsu says, “We think Hello Kitty is accepted by young men as a design statement in fashion...Young men these days grew up with character goods...That generation feels no embarrassment about wearing Hello Kitty.” Even though I'm shaking my head at this, I'm quite sure it will do well in Tokyo where men's clothing tends to be more androgynous and eccentric. And I can also envision some men here in the U.S. snapping for the kids in a tight Hello Kitty tee. What do you think about this? A must or a bust? Source

Trendwatch: Sheer Insets

Most memorably seen on the vintage Valentino gown Julia Roberts wore the night she won her Oscar, sheer insets have most often been relegated to the ice-skating and lingerie divisions of fashion. But recently I've spotted a ton of cute party frocks with sheer or nude insets, mostly in mesh or chiffon. By giving the illusion of bareskin, these looks have a coquettish appeal that any woman can take advantage of. Let's take a look-see: Sweet Lux House of Yes dress that gives the illusion of strapless Pleated Philip Lim dress with nude inset Mary L. Couture Gown with a sexy sheer rhinestone studded inset Donna Karan swing skirt with flirty sheer detail Jovani gown with sheer beaded midriff (I spy Miss Rehab USA!) Chic chick Thandie Newton was spotted rockin this trend a couple of months back So, divas, don't be afraid to show the slightest hint of skin this season, you may just end up in sheer bliss!

Beauty Buzz: Best Products for Dry Winter Skin

Ouch! One of my favorite magazines, Real Simple, has scoured the market for the best products to help your skin stay supple during the winter months. These are broken down into categories for somewhat dry, dry and very dry skin...look and learn my loves! Products for Somewhat Dry Skin Your skin may start to feel tight even before you notice visible symptoms, like mild flakiness, says Boer Kimball. You need gentle products that hydrate without making your skin feel greasy. afasdf On Your Face, Use: Kiehl’s Centella Skin-Calming Facial Cleanser, $28.50 Avoid soaps, which strip skin’s natural oils, says Ann Marie Cilmi, director of education and development for Bliss Spa, in New York City. This soap-free cleanser has aloe and chamomile, which are soothing. To Buy: http://www.kiehls.com/. Zia Skin Basics Nourishing Crème, $35 The key ingredient in this lightweight cream, sodium hyaluronate, seals water into the skin. Wheat-germ and jojoba oils soften. To Buy: http://www.zianatural.com/. On Your Body, Use: asdfasdf St. Ives Mineral Therapy Body Wash, $5 With a moisturizing body wash, you can use less body lotion. Minerals like potassium help keep skin hydrated. To Buy: At drugstores. Olivella Moisturizer, $22 This combination of olive, orange, and lavender oils adds moisture to spots such as knees and elbows, and it sinks in quickly. To Buy: http://www.olivellasoap.com/. On Feet and Hands, Use: Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Foot Creme, $5 The soles of the feet lack oil glands and require potent products. This one has glycerin, to hydrate, and alpha hydroxy acids, to exfoliate. To Buy: At drugstores. Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Intensive Smoothing Hand Creme, $45 The best hand creams hydrate but aren’t slick. This contains nongreasy exotic oils to maintain moisture.To Buy: http://www.esteelauder.com/. Products for Dry Skin When you’re prone to moderate dryness, your skin might get scaly patches and feel itchy, says Arielle Kauvar, an associate professor of dermatology at New York University. You can afford to use richer hydrating products. On Your Face, Use: Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/I, $72 When mixed with water, this combination of safflower and corn oils forms an emulsion that removes dirt but won’t clog pores. To Buy: http://www.shuuemura.com/. Orlane Intensive Nurturing Care, $150 Drier skin can feel tight in the morning, due to nighttime indoor heat. This night cream’s hyaluronic acid helps skin feel supple when you wake up. To Buy: http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/. On Your Body, Use: Olay Body Wash Plus Body Butter Ribbons with Jojoba Butter, $4 Drier skin does best with a body wash (not soap). With moisturizers infused in the formula, this one keeps skin soft and scale-free. To Buy: At drugstores. Cerave Moisturizing Cream, $15 Occlusive moisturizers (ones that form a film on the skin) help lock in water. This one is lightweight but includes the effective ingredient petrolatum. To Buy: At drugstores. On Feet And Hands, Use: Weleda Foot Balm, $10 With peanut oil and beeswax, this balm soothes itchy feet (a common concern with drier skin). Apply before putting on socks. To Buy: http://www.usa.weleda.com/. Talika Hand Therapy Gloves, $65 The gloves are lined with ceramides and grapeseed and avocado oils. Slip them on at bedtime. (They last for 30 wearings.) To Buy: http://www.talika.com/. Products for Very Dry Skin “People with severely dry skin experience cracks and inflammation,” says Susan Taylor, a dermatologist in Philadelphia. That means you need intensely hydrating products, like oils, creams, and butters. On Your Face, Use: Make Up For Ever So Divine Moisturizing Cleansing Cream, $27 A moisturizing, tissue-off cleanser is your best bet, as it doesn’t require water (which can dehydrate skin as it evaporates). To Buy: http://www.sephora.com/. Clinique Zero Gravity Repairwear Lift (Very Dry to Dry), $52.50 Its rich texture soothes dry, raw skin, while ingredients like linoleic acid help prevent moisture loss. To Buy: http://www.clinique.com/. On Your Body, Use: Gabriel Couzian Washing Oil Shower and Bath Wash, $45 This oil-based cleanser leaves behind a protective (but not greasy) layer that also soothes irritation and redness. To Buy: http://www.gabrielcouzian-usa.com/. Sheaterra East African Shea Butter, $14 Shea butter helps keep cracked skin soft and pliable, so fissures don’t get worse. This one has no chemical preservatives, which can be irritating to already compromised skin. To Buy: 877-427-6627. On Feet And Hands, Use: Kerasal One Step Exfoliating Moisturizer Therapy Foot Ointment, $6 With salicylic acid, this ointment sloughs off dead skin cells that dry out and crack. This allows the urea in the formula to penetrate deeper into the skin and seal in moisture. To Buy: At drugstores. Burt’s Bees Hand Salve, $8 This nearly solid beeswax and olive-oil balm softens and protects painful skin. To Buy: http://www.burtsbees.com/. What moisturizing products do you swear by during the winter months? Source

Now Wear This! Mackage Outerwear

The Valeria in Gun Metal One sign of a true fashionista? Embracing the cold in effortlessly glamorous outerwear. Mackage, a couture-inspired line of coats, jackets and knits, can help you do just that. Made from luxe materials in tailored silhouettes, the designs boast the most fabulous details that stand out in a crowd of puffer jackets and furs. According to Women's Wear Daily, Mackage can make any woman “sexy and glamorous in a jet-setter way.” The looks are quite urban-chic, with dazzling details like military-inspired hardware, leather accents, puffed sleeves, oversized belts, and scarf collars. The Ophelia in Black The Alix in Oatmeal The Alison in Black The downside? These coats start at around $500, and most only go up to a size Large. Boo! Thank goodness for Soia & Kyo, a downscale (read: younger and cheaper) line from the same Montreal-based design team as Mackage that goes up to an XL. YAY!!! Soia & Kyo Gemma Coat in Cream $350.00

Natalie Portman Goes Green

Vegans of the world rejoice! Ms. Portman has collaborated with Te Casan to design a collection of animal-friendly vegan shoes, including the spicy red patent Mary Janes above. The collection will debut at the brand’s New York boutique in February 2008, but starting January 15 you can preview and pre-order, with 5% of reciepts going to charity. Te Casan is a luxury brand that manufactures its shoes in a very limited edition, each pair having a number imprinted on it. So the Natalie Portman Collection is sure to cost a green arm and a leg!

Merry Christmas!

Hope it's a fa-la-la-la fabulously fashionable Christmas!

Venus in Vogue*

When Venus Williams first emerged on the tennis scene, a lanky teen who would distract her opponents with the sound of a million white beads poppin and lockin with each nasty forehand, who would have ever thought that this lil black girl from Compton would one day make the uber-exclusive Vogue Top 10 Best Dressed List? Not I, peanut, not I. I'm in a word...flabbergasted. Venus joins Kate Bosworth, Kathryn Neale, Astrid Munoz, Georgina Chapman, Kelly Wearstler, Amy Greenspon, Caroline Sieber, Huma Abedin and Agyness Deyn on the elite list. Admittedly, Venus has upped her ante this year, looking gorgeous in a recent photoshoot for ESPN Magazine that earned her and lil sis, Serena, my coveted "Fab Look of the Day" award. But just when I was ready to become a total Venus convert, she shows up to a press conference in Spain looking like this: A gloss application has never hurt anyone, Venus. But I suppose since the launch of her sportswear line, EleVen By Venus Williams, and her graduation from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale with an associate’s degree in Fashion Design, she has become a...kind of like a...somewhat of a...fashionista? Oh who am I kidding I don't believe this mess for a minute. Excuse me while I fill out my application for distance learning at The Art Institute. I'm trying to make Vogue in 2008! Source *three words I never thought I would write

Is that a pimp cup?

Luenell in all her splendor And are those shoes lucite? It's clear that Catherine Malandrino's tips for holiday dressing came a day too late for Luenell. I could spend a few hours dissecting all of the ways she has gone wrong here. But in the interest of my eyesight, I will merely point out that I don't think I've ever seen pink fur on someone over the age of 5. First time for everything.

Catherine Malandrino's Tips for Holiday Dressing

The good people over at FabSugar caught up with fabu-luxe fashion designer Catherine Malandrino and got her thoughts on dressing well during the holiday season. Nothing life-changing here but when Ms. Malandrino talks, I listen. How can you dress for a holiday party without looking like every other festive girl in the room? Never wear black, be daring and wear a BOLD color. Always wear heels. What are holiday dressing “do's” and “don’ts?” Holiday Do’s: be sensual, wear textures from feathers to paillettes, and mix it with light fabrics such as tulle, chiffon and organza. Always prefer a dress. Holiday Don’ts: no sneakers, no black, and no jeans, never go casual! How can you modernize your favorite old party dress? You can modernize your favorite old party dress with bold graphic colorful accessories, an oversized necklace or cover your arm with big bangles. Wear colorful high heel sandals. What are some fresh holidays colors you can work with? Not your typical, red and green... Fresh holiday colors are yellow, turquoise, and orange. Think holidays in the Tropics, bare feet on the beach under the sun. What’s a good dress up alternative for girls who don’t like to wear dresses or get all fancied up? A good dress alternative is mini shorts or Bermuda shorts. What are you doing and wearing on New Years?! I will be in Paris celebrating in an old Parisian Palace with friends, music and champagne. What are some cold weather style tips? Wear a fur hat and fur accessories to add a touch of glamour to your winter season.

Fab Look of the Day

Sexy beast Kim Cattrall is looking tropically delicious on the set of the Sex and the City movie. Her fitted white skirt is the perfect foil to the color-blocked bloussant top. And the accessories! The belt, bag and earrings totally make this outfit for me. This look has lifted me from my winter doldrums and has me thinking Spring! That's the power of fashion!

Public Service Announcement

I am now forced to interrupt my regularly scheduled fashion blogging for a Public Service Announcement. The Addict has already broken this whole situation down, but I would be remiss if I didn't put my official stamp of disapproval on Keyshia, Frankie, Neffe and the entire "The Way it Is" family. That's all.

Posh's Spicy Spread

By now we've all seen the fab-tastic January 2008 Elle cover featuring the van-glorious Vicki Beckham. The inside spread is an artsy mish mash of high fashion photos that resemble collages. I think I kind of love it. Thoughts? asdfasdf asdfasdf sdfasdfasdf asdfasdfdfsf Photos via Hollywood Rag

Look into my crystal ball...

Tell me, darling, what do you see? If you said two homeless people in a go-cart, you're close. If you said Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson in five years, you are corrrrrrect! It's actually Anthony Keidis and his baby mama, but tell me Pete and Ash aren't a couple years, a couple hundred packs of cigarettes and one unplanned pregancy away...

DKNuevaYork

Ski bunny extraordinaire Kate Moss is the face of Donna Karan's Spring/Summer campaign, debuting in February. The images, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott in L.A., have a movie-still setup with a Havana nights theme inspired by the energy of Cuba. Says Karan, "It's very cinematographic in that it shows a rawness but a polish of Kate, someone who has non-stop energy...It's not New York, but Nueva York." Caliente!

Sensual Seduction

Feast your eyes on the snoopy-licious December 2007 L'UOMO Vogue. Snoop is killing me softly with these pics. Church!

Louis = Love

Naomi Campbell The Louis Vuitton spring 2008 advertising campaign has landed, and the color-drenched photos are all about classic cars, candy-colored bags and supermodels. “I thought the idea of hot chicks and cars was really cool - and very Richard Prince,” said creative director Marc Jacobs to WWD. The ads featuring Stephanie Seymour and Eva Herzigova are slated to break in February magazines, followed by Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Angela Lindvall and Natalia Vodianova in subsequent months. “It is kind of groundbreaking to have six of the supermodels together,” said Antoine Arnault, Vuitton’s director of communications, adding that, “if [Jacobs] was managing the budget, he would have even taken 12.” Eva Herzigova Stephanie Seymour

Guess the Mess(es)!

This is so not suprising. I think _________ really enjoys having the fashion sense of a five year old. Can you Guess the Mess? Click click click for the answer! __________ looks as stiff as the Tin Man in this suit. The forehead alone should be a big clue to her identity. Can you Guess the Mess? Click away!

Ask a Fab Gay Man

Dear FGM, You are truly fabulous. Your oral sex tips were hilarious! So I thought you might be able to help me out. I'm a cute twenty-something independent woman with my own place, car and a great career. I'm single with no kids and am looking for a good man. Recently, I met a man who is freaking perfect for me - he's a professional, he's smart, he's funny, plus he's tall and cute as hell. We had this instant connection and I'm really liking him. The problem is he's married! I'm so confused! Everything is telling me to leave him alone but he makes me feel so good and I just want to be around him all the time. Nothing's happened yet, we've only been to lunch a couple of times and we chat by email and text. I know if it continues the way it's been going... Well let's just say I was wondering how to date a married man and keep my sanity. Am I kidding myself to think that I have a chance with him? Help! Monique from Maryland Darling 'Nique 'Nique, Thanks for writing. You've come to the right place. Unfortunately, many gay men (myself included) are all too familiar with the perils of dating married men. The first thing I would tell any woman who is attracted to a married man is DO NOT F*CK HIM. Okay, so now that you've f*cked him (lol) here are some tips for dating a completely unavailable man: Classify Yourself Generally, there are two types of women who date married men, we'll call one Dumb B*tch and the other Dat B*tch. Dumb B becomes a clingy, obsessive stalker after convincing herself that this man will divorce his wife and they will live happily ever after. On the other hand, Dat B couldn't care less whether he ever breaks up with his wife, after all she has other men on speed dial and an icebox where her heart used to be. Now, Monique, look within my love: Which B do you feel best describes you? I can tell you that the younger you are, the more likely you are to fall into the stalker category. Your letter gives me the impression that you are envisioning a future with this man. If this is true, you must snap out of it! As perfect as he seems, pursuing this relationship will only lead to two things for a delicate flower like you: hurt and regret. Now, for those of us who fit squarely in the Dat B category, the rules of the game are a little different. Here are some tips to remain the classy lady that you are, even in the midst of a little indiscretion: Consider Him Mr. Right Now Dumb B's convince themselves that their married man is Mr. Right. They couldn't be more wrong. Always consider a married man to be Mr. Right Now. Nothing more, nothing less. Keep your distance and your icebox on freeze. Enjoy it for what it is, but keep your options open. Date other people. After all, he's not leaving his wife. I repeat. He's not leaving his wife (and if you're a gay man, this goes double for you). I don't care how unhappy he says he is, or how many times he's threatened to leave her for you. Banking on his divorce is a surefire way to get your feelings hurt. Like Oprah says, why would he leave his wife, when he can have you both? Fall Back Don't find reasons to drive by his house. Don't google search his wife. Don't blow up his cellphone and email. As a matter of fact, do your best not to contact him at all. Not only are you more likely to avoid a messy confrontation this way, but you can more easily keep yourself from falling for this guy. He's not focusing all of his time and energy on you, so don't you dare do that for him. Act as unavailable as he is. And don't ask questions about his marriage. That's for them to figure out. Remain alluringly aloof. Keep the Upper Hand Don't swallow. I'm serious! This tells a man that he has you, and a married man simply isn't worthy. Make sure that you are receiving more than you're giving, in every aspect of the relationship. And do not let him punk you. If he says he's going to be at your house in a hour, and then shows up three hours later or not at all, make it plain that you will not stand for the bullsh*t. Married men are full of excuses, but he must learn that your time is just as important as his. Disrespect should not be tolerated. End it Before it Gets Ugly If you feel yourself falling for him, or him for you, put an end to things. This is no way to begin a relationship. And if the wife finds out, concede him gracefully and exit the situation with whatever shred of dignity you have left. You are in the wrong. Remember, the wife always, always wins. At most, you're second best, which is severely unfabulous. And only Dumb B's make a habit out of dating married men. After all, karma is real. Well, Monique, good luck to you! I hope that any of my pickled plums who find themselves in such a precarious situation will heed my words, be safe and above all, be careful with your heart! And to my married munchkins, if this column offended your sensibilities in any way, my sincerest apologies, but as the FGM I must speak the truth to my public! And remember, I'm here for you! Hit my girl, Elle, on the email with all those dilemmas that only a gay man could solve. Love you all to bits and pieces, FGM