Fashion Week is almost upon us, and with it comes the annual parade of ridiculous things, like full-body ruffle dresses and, Kanye on the catwalk. But this year, things could get ridiculous in a racially charged way: apparently, taping back model's eyelids to make them look Asian is all the rage. Did we learn nothing from Miley Cyrus? more ›

In this grainy photo, you can see what Harlem financial consultant Malinda Knowles was wearing just before she headed to LaGuardia Airport to catch a JetBlue flight to Florida last year. It seems Knowles's attire just wasn't modest enough for the pilot, who allegedly refused to fly the plane with her on board. She says it's because somebody thought she wasn't wearing anything under her baggy T-shirt, and after dragging her off the plane for a degrading underwear inspection, the pilot still wouldn't take off. more ›

Kanye West is usually in New York for Fashion Week, but this September he'll be under all of the lights, debuting his own line. Sure, he may have donned a t-shirt and jeans to MoMA's fancy annual Garden Party this year, but he also has diamond teeth, so... more ›

Filene's has made a tradition of brides scrambling for wedding gown steals with "The Running of the Brides," and today, there was one at the Union Square location. Racked was there and dazed reporter . Fawnia Soo Hoo wrote, "I thought I'd seen it all at sample sales, but there are girls in bras and undies everywhere and these pervy news guys are loving it. They keep walking through the crowd and talking snaps. These women are all going to end up in the newspaper in their underwear!" Also, there was the opening stampede—check out this video more ›

Century 21 may be taking over 60,000 square feet near Lincoln Center, but the discount retailer is also expanding its 22 Cortlandt Street location. DNAinfo reports that Century 21 will, in celebration of its 50th anniversary, "add about 76,000 square feet of new retail space... including a cafe and additional dressing rooms and bathrooms." more ›

The Knicks tip off game one of their first round playoff matchup against the Boston Celtics tomorrow night; it's the first time the Knicks have made the playoffs in seven years, since the dreadful Isiah Thomas administration. Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony have been making the talk show rounds this week, promising that "we're looking to do something special." But many questions hover over the series: can the Knicks play defense consistently? Will Shaq be healthy enough to play? And most importantly, what will Walt Clyde Frazier wear? more ›

The Post has a hilarious article about the horrifying state of alleged mobster fashion, lamenting that the days of sharply dressed wise guys—a la the Dapper Don John Gotti, Jr. in his Italian suits and Carlo Gambino and Paul Castellano who "looked sharp in three-piece suits and starched white shirts"—are over, at least judging from photographs of those arrested in the federal authorities' massive organized crime takedown last week. Seriously—if your mob nickname is "Fatty" (or "Lumpy" or "Fats"), isn't it too expected that you'll be wearing a boring black t-shirt during your arrest? more ›

We tend to keep our hair nice and short, partially because it absolves us of a lot of hassle, and partially because of our receding hairline. So we've never had to worry about going to special hair care places for styling and such. And though we're sometimes jealous that we may never get to whip our hair around in the middle of a mosh pit, we're mostly grateful to not have to worry about or someone burning our bodies with scalding water while braiding our hair. more ›

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is ending its inaugural showing at Lincoln Center, its new home after leaving Bryant Park. Mercedes-Benz Director of Communications Geoff Day told us earlier this week that the move was almost a relief: As iconic as Bryant Park was, the show had become so larger and it was essentially a meat market, with pushing and shoving. Now, with 25% more space for designers, bloggers, attendees, and, yes, sponsors to spread around, Day said watching the shows was more of a "pleasure." more ›

Can we all just agree that Lady Gaga isn't some mind-blowing, game-changing, original pop star? She cops her looks from Paris Fashion Week shows and pawns them off as her own, so it wouldn't be surprising if she stole her persona from someone lesser known. Say, from her friend who committed suicide at age 19. According to the NY Post, Yana Morgana—the mother of Lina Morgana—claims that her dead daughter was the inspiration for Gaga's persona. The two did work on songs together (they were introduced by producer Rob Fusari), and Lina's style does have a distinct Gaga feel. See for yourself in this video Yana put together: more ›

The NY Times has at least two stories about bras today. There's a Styles section piece on small breasted-women feeling empowered while the New York section has an interview with bra store owner Linda Becker, who says of breasts' changing nature, "All through life your breasts change. You work out, you have babies, you have a condition, you lose weight, you gain weight, you’re lifting weights, your back gets bigger. Sometimes you do none of these things and your breasts change. I always say breasts have a mind of their own. They’re like two bad kids. If you don’t control them, they’re out of control." more ›

The Times' Thursday Style section comes to the rescue of Williamsburg's Latin nightclub Alma, which was greeted with "sarcastic sneering" by websites like ours when it debuted at the beginning of April. The Times cheers the upscale club as a much-needed nightlife alternative for the predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood, which has been recently besieged by a wave of upscale bars and restaurants catering to... different tastes? more ›

Taking a tour of the Natural History Museum it's hard not to notice that cavemen were just so slim and fit. This seems to be the inspiration for a group of "cavemen" New Yorkers, profiled in the Times Style section today. One of these cavemen lives in an Upper East Side apartment where he stores organs and deer bits in a giant refrigerator in his living room. He and his friends eat copious amounts of fresh-killed meat, then fast between meals, approximating the early man's diet. Exercise routines can include "scooting around the underbrush on all fours, leaping between boulders, playing catch with stones, and other activities at which [the] early man excelled." You know, they're the guys running barefoot and bare-chested in Central Park. more ›

In an unfortunate pairing with the alleged potbelly trend happening in Williamsburg, the NY Post's Justin Rocket says that showing a little man-thigh with some short shorts is now all the rage. This is all based off of the final Pool Party crowd this weekend, where men were showing more skin than the ladies. One 27-year-old told them, "I can feel the breeze now. I do feel a little girly, but this is great!" Meanwhile, 31-year-old Nicolas Carr, who teamed up his short shorts with suspenders, said, "My wife was giving me a hard time when I left the house this morning. Said I looked like grandpa. If you are revealing testicles, then it's too short. But otherwise, why shouldn't guys be able to wear shorts as short as girls?" Women applauded, saying they aren't the only ones with nice legs. Perhaps, but they are the only ones with shaved legs. Are you there, winter? It's us, Williamsburg ... please arrive soon. more ›

Our li'l hero of the day goes out to Dennis Reynolds, a 14-year-old from Staten Island who has the Department of Education backtracking after being sent home for arriving at school today with the most badass haircut seen in quite some time. The Great Kills eighth grader says that he was sent home from Barnes Intermediate School because administration wasn't fond of his Vice Do. Reynolds told the SI Advance,"The assistant principal told me my hair cut wasn't good enough." The school says that he will be let back in tomorrow, but they thought that he must have secretly shaved off half his head last night while sleeping over at a friend's. Quite the contrary—his mom was totally down! She said, "If a Mohawk is allowed, everything else should be allowed...It's better than wearing his pants hanging down. That I won't tolerate." The youngster, who we predict will have a facial tat by his sweet sixteenth says that he plans to get a star shaved in the hair that's left. When asked why half a haircut, he said, "I didn't want to go completely bald." more ›

Fashion designer Jason Wu's world turned upside down last week when First Lady Michelle Obama selected his white chiffon design as her Inaugural gown. Wu, who is just 26, told the NY Times that he wasn't quite sure if she was really wearing his dress at first, but then, "I was over the moon. I know I am an unusual choice for a first lady. I didn’t think it was my turn yet.” The Times' details his interest in fashion from a young age (his mother would drive him to bridal stores so he could sketch!) and, when asked to submit inaugural dress designs, how he was told "it had to sparkle." Also: "He was not paid for that dress or two more colorful designs he submitted later, he said, but made them with the understanding that if Mrs. Obama should end up wearing one, the dress would be donated to the Smithsonian Institution." For more First Lady fashion fun, check out the chat between Washington Post style writer Robin Givhan and WaPo readers. more ›

First Lady Michelle Obama, who must save the American fashion industry (at least, according to the NY Times), did not disappoint with her first outfit of her husband's administration: She wore a "lemongrass yellow" Isabel Toledo dress and coat with teal green Jimmy Choo kitten heels and olive green J.Crew gloves. Toledo, a New York designer who immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba when she was eight, didn't know that Obama picked her outfit until watching the TV and told the Times that 13 people worked on clothes—"Chinese ladies, Polish ladies, Spanish ladies"—and added, “We’re all grateful for this opportunity, and we don’t even have a PR person!” As for Obama daughters—Sasha in pink and orange and Malia in blue and black— they were wearing clothes made exclusively by J.Crew's Crewcuts girls' line; those outfits and coats will be available this fall. more ›

Don't go thinking all the fashion talk about the Obamas is geared towards Michelle, Barack has also been getting his fair share of critique since before he even won the election--Tim Gunn approved his style back in June. more ›

The NY Times today has a profile about Lolitas, a fashion subculture of young women that began in Japan and has been appearing around New York of late. Lolitas seem to alternate between dressing overly innocent with bright pastel dresses and bows in their hair and then dangerous, taking on a more goth appearance, a clash reminiscent of the "kinderwhore" look sported by many 90s female punk bands in America. A handful of Lolitas talk to the Times about their eccentric style, celebrating it as being both rebellious and modest, where "the childhood fantasy of Alice in Wonderland seems to collide full force with the Addams Family." If the Times' gallery has you thirsting for more demonstrations of the Lolita style, there are always plenty of examples direct from the source where it originated on the streets of Japan in Fruits Magazine. more ›

More budget and waistline conscious New Yorkers around the city are packing lunches at least a few times a week. Aside from sporting a Spongebob Squarepants lunch box or re-using shopping bags, there are plenty of stylish and eco-friendly options out there. more ›

Move over Madonna, you may be 50 now, but newly divorced Christie Brinkley's 54 and sans scary arms, in fact, "her hair is thick and golden, her skin is tanned but only just. Her teeth are gleaming, her waist is narrow." That's all according to the opening paragraphs in the uptown girl's cover story in New York magazine's current style issue. Rafael Nadal graces the back cover, and we learn all about his pirate look, "he’s managed to create what might be the most original look in men’s tennis history: sleeveless tees, shin-length pants, and bandannas tied with a cheeky flourish." There's also a feature on some New York folks (with tie racks the size of a studio apartment) and a look inside their closets. more ›

The critical darling 1960s ad agency drama Mad Men and its "Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" fashion inspires a NY Times look at what passes for advertising agency style these days. Boutique ad agency Droga5 CEO Andrew Essex sums it up: “Today, it’s the man in the artisanal T-shirt, selvaged denim with holes in them and really expensive vintage sneakers from a small boutique in Japan. The personalities haven’t changed that much, just the accouterments, like carefully harvested facial hair. Our agency people dress like well-paid teenagers, but that teenager may be 38.” Yes, and Peggy Olsen never left Don Draper a note letting him know she was getting a tattoo tomorrow. more ›

Clearly sensing an opportunity among fashion-minded new mothers, a Seattle-based company is making sure babies are at their most fabulous. Baby booties, shaped like high heels and available in a variety of styles (leopard print! patent leather!), are coming to NYC from Heelarious. more ›

The Observer has spotted a hot new non-trend: The Urbane Tomboy. The style says, “Sure, I’m still turning heads...but don’t think it took me more than 5 minutes to get out of the apartment.” It's utilitarian chic, and women city-wide are finding solidarity in sweatpants. Or rather, $500 designer jeans. And occasionally a "giant blanket." Next up? The return of the couch dress. more ›

The NY Times looks at some of New York's indie elite in their Men's Style Magazine this weekend. So incase you were wondering what last night's SNL music guests, Vampire Weekend, wear when they aren't decked out in their Columbia University alum apparel, now you know: Marc Jacobs. Or at least that's how The Times translates it. more ›

Director of the legendary hip-hop documentary Style Wars, Tony Silver, died last weekend after battling an irreversible brain condition for several years. more ›

Gucci has been touting its love (or ♥) of New York with a new "Gucci ♥ NY" line of luxury products and 46,000 flagship store on Fifth Avenue, but its legal department never cleared the usage of the trademarked "I ♥ NY" logo. According to the Post, the Empire State Development agency was never contacted for permission. more ›