…And the Oscar Goes To

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards are so close that I can almost feel the softness of the red carpet under my feet.  Soon James Franco and Anne Hathaway will be famously standing on stage announcing this year’s much-anticipated winners.  I know they say it every year, but this has truly been a great year in film.  With The Social Network and Black Swan as my frontrunners, I predict that a select few will be walking away with numerous awards.  Since I have been too busy following the engagement of William and Kate religiously, I have yet to see The King’s Speech, but I believe that film will also take away its share of awards.

As every socialite knows, no awards show is ever about who wins, but about who Joan Rivers and the rest of her Fashion Police posse deem the best and worst dressed.  Ever since I was a little girl, the designs of Oscar de la Renta have always been my favorite on the red carpet.  So it is going to be a very close race between Oscar de la Renta and Vera Wang as to who will win the Oscar for designing my wedding gown.  Truth is always stranger than fiction.  Since I’m a little bit dramatic when it comes to just about everything, I think that maybe I should get an Oscar for playing myself in real life.  I have done an excellent job and it’s not my fault that there weren’t any cameras there for my most tragically beautiful moments.  So this year as I watch the biggest movie stars of the moment walk the red carpet at the Academy Awards while tweeting simultaneously, I will not cease to remember that I aspire to be myself only in a far more iconic way.

Marie Antoinette: Can Excess Be Too Excessive?

Long before Paris and Nicole lived The Simple Life and Kourtney and Kim Take New York premiered, the lovely Marie Antoinette made her mark on France with her famous proclamation “Let them eat cake.”  Though I am no history buff, I truly believe that royalty were the first ever socialites.  Flowing champagne, over the top parties, and cute little dogs act as parallels between the European royals of yesterday and the NYC socialites of today.  Perhaps, SoHo House is the new Versailles?  It also could be that the high society tradition of vacationing in the South of France may be somewhat inspired by the life and death of Marie Antoinette herself.

If it weren’t for the whole losing her head thing, Marie Antoinette’s story dramatized many times over, my favorite being Kirsten Dunst’s version, would be one to aspire to. Therefore, my advice to Aspiring Socialites everywhere is to shop and party all you want, but when you feel you are losing your head, it is time to take a step back.  If you ignore the philanthropic side of being a socialite, you may be pulling a Marie Antoinette.  To become a socialite you must be able to see yourself the way others see you.  This applies to both your attire and your actions.

Since you should live everyday as if it were your birthday, I encourage everyone to eat cake.  Unless, of course you are on a diet.  This scene from Marie Antoinette (2006) is among one of my favorites.  The outfits are completely ridiculous, but I love the shoes.

 

Socialite Prep Work

Once upon a time, I was an Abercrombie & Fitch wearing teenager who spent all of her babysitting money on A & F polos bearing the moose emblem. I did so all in the name of preppiness. This was a precursor of the Aspiring Socialite journey I would embark on as a young adult in New York City. Over the years, I have found preppy style to be as timeless as a tennis foursome. Preppy fashion is not a requirement of being a socialite, it is an inevitability of the high life.  These looks are as classic and versatile as men’s suits or the little black dress.

Popularized by the Kennedys, America’s Royal Family, preppy fashion with its iconic collars, plaids, and argyles is as distinctive as the East Coast Ivys where it originated. Even if you have never played tennis or golf, you have probably worn the clothes or at least an inspired style. These virtually unchanging looks give us a much-needed element of dressy casual. If it were up to me, we would all participate in athletics photo ready with a color coordinated collared shirt and matching bottoms? If there is anything I have learned in my 24 years on this Earth, it is that it is always better to be overdressed than under dressed. What separates a true prep from the rest of society is that a true prep is never under dressed no matter what the circumstances may be.

For a photo tutorial on how preppiness has stood the test of time check out Take Ivy:

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of my wonderful fans and readers!  I must say that I truly love you and your support of the Aspiring Socialite movement. Thank you for joining me in showing the world that there is nothing wrong with loving the finer things in life, even if they are completely out of your price range.  Speaking of the finer things, even if you are not in a relationship, who doesn’t want the perfect engagement ring for Valentine’s Day?  Being both sparkly and symbolic, there is no doubt in my mind that an engagement ring is the ultimate accessory.

The best engagement rings are noticeable, not oversized.  One must be able to look at it and know it is an engagement ring within seconds.  It is the responsiblity of the ring to announce your engagement before you do.  Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t need to be 20 carats to do so.  Emma Bunton, the pop star formally known as Baby Spice, received one of the most impressive engagement rings a few weeks ago when longtime boyfriend, Jade Jones, proposed to her a few weeks ago on her 35th Birthday.  In honor of the occasion Emma tweeted, “Yahooooo I’m Engaged! Love you Jade! I’m a very happy lady!”  Paired with this lovely picture of her and the ring, it was the tweet that shook the dating world.

Diet Pepsi Gets Skinny at Fashion Week

They say you can never be too rich or too thin. With the psychological ballerina thriller, Black Swan, up for best picture, thin is in.  Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week just got a little bit more sparkle with the Diet Pepsi Skinny Can.  To compliment its thin physique, the Skinny Can stands a total of 6 inches tall which is comparable to 6 feet (model height) in the sassy world of soda.  The Skinny Can will be available in stores nationwide in March. But, first “The Skinny” (as I like to call it) is currently making a stop on the runways of New York Fashion Week (Feb.10-17.)

Aside from the festivities and sexy window displays going on at the Diet Pepsi Style Studio located in Soho at 362 West Broadway, Diet Pepsi will be offering onsite refreshments at Lincoln Center with exclusive giveaways and sponsorships. Diet soda is all about having your cake and eating it too. You don’t have to be a socialite to know that zero calorie sweetness is indulgence at its best.  I guess champagne won’t be the only sparkling beverage gracing the runways and after parties of New York Fashion Week.