Bar Hopping Survival Kit

It's new year's eve and with a stomach full of pizza and champagne I'm geared up to hit the town. I haven't always been so prepared, in fact I'm infamous for taking eight million years to get ready to go out. Now, it's not because I'm a diva, it's because I need at least 3 hours to walk around the house with a befuddled look, accidentally running my extremities in to door frames. It's taken years of practice and several evenings of my boyfriend freaking out for my evening routine to become so streamlined. So babies, in the spirit of the fresh new year, I've compiled a list of bar hopping must haves to make your partying that much easier!

1) Flats: No one wants to forgo heels altogether; they're the linchpin of a perfect evening get up. But these days everybody from Tory Burch to Dr. Scholl is making little fold-up flats that fit right in your purse! Switch to these little dudes at the third bar and you won't be walking like a sea-sick cowboy by the end of the night.
Option B) Get so drunk you don't care about your foot pain. (Not recommended. Includes knee bruises and Lady Ga Ga impressions.)

2) Lipgloss: Unless you plan on staying pretty damn sober, don't bring lipstick to the bar. Sure, flapper-esque crimson lips look great with your dress, but by martini four your application skills will greatly decline. Stick to something sheer with a tiny hint of color that will keep you looking put together. That way, when you don't quite color in the lines it's not a big deal.

3) Hair-tie: If someone starts puking, you're to the rescue with a quick ponytail. If you decide to hit a club, you can do a quick chignon to keep your hair from getting sweaty. The uses are endless.

4) Eyeliner: I don't know about you, but I use bar hopping as an excuse to perfect my copious-amounts-of-eye-makeup application skills. One of my best girlfriends, Katie, has this insane ability to perfectly line her eyes. She can do it in the dark, she can do it in the park...you get the picture. This girl always has gorgeous smoky eyes with a perfectly geometric eyeliner application. After seven years of trying, I can't figure out what her secret is, but I do know that she always re-applies. So take a tip from Katie, and keep a stick in your bag, just in case.

Well, kiddies, I truly hope this list helps you get your shit together. Now I've got to grab my friends & survival kit and hit the bars. Good luck, and I'll see you on the mean streets of party town!

xoxo

Text Hannah Morris

Rose Colored Glasses

It's official. Honeysuckle pink is the new black. PANTONE, the mega corporation that is responsible for the production of color pigments used in most interior design and fashion endeavors, announced the shade's reign this month. Why grandma's-beach-house-towel-pink you ask? Well, Pantone reps are touting this color as the panacea for all worldly ills: "A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life," their website claims.

Now, with designers like Peter Som and Badgley Mischka jumping on the Honeysuckle wagon, I'm not too quick too poo-poo the shade. But really folks, let's purchase our new pink frocks and then actually do something to "instill confidence and courage" in style.

Text by Hannah Morris

Robyn - Dancing On My Own

Robyn. Wow, what a girl. I am very intrigued by her. She has the kind of look that you just want to stare at her. You notice her every feature, from her body to her hair to makeup to her teeth to her one earring to her shoes to her outfits. Robyn has the look of Watts from the 80s movie, Some Kind of Wonderful. She has that tomboy like charm, but is also very cute and beautiful. From the words of my sister, she resembles Arizona from Grey's Anatomy. One may not be able to decide if she is gay or straight. I can see even straight girls getting a little girl crush on this one. She is truly an artist. I wouldn't be surprised if she really is an artist. Not only with painting, but I'm sure she writes her own lyrics. By the way she sings and expresses her feelings through the words, it is obvious these feelings are real. On Jay Leno tonight, she was dancing all by herself on the stage. This looked slightly out of place, but the lyrics are "Dancing On My Own", so this does fit.

Watch this video! Be as intrigued as I was!

Text Alexandra Faye

Francesca Woodman

As the work of Francesca Woodman graces the walls of the Victoria Miro, it is only fitting that this retrospect hangs in all its glory as a full on museum exhibition having previously toured various European institutions. As a photographer Woodman's extraordinary growth as a commercial and critical thinker and artist means that she has gained a reputation as a great American Photographer in the last quarter of a century.

It's often impossible to comprehend or at least acknowledge that Woodman passed away at 22 years of age and was a relatively unknown artist. What is sad is that she died not knowing at the time the acknowledgment and respect that would come for her work. What is amazing is the tenderness and intelligence of theme and image that she could capture at such a raw vulnerable age. Her representation of the body and her small, square format, typically in moody monochrome are instantly recognizable as Woodmans work. A beautiful retrospect of a wonderful picture maker and thinker, until January 2011

The New Hue

Over the past few seasons, monochromatic looks have been created using minimalistic principles and hardly any color at all. The result was startlingly simple, but was well received by critics and consumers alike during all three major fashion weeks. As we move into the pre-fall season, I’ve noticed that monochromatic outfits are still very “in”, but they have taken a turn for the playful. Instead of head-to-toe black, grey, white, or camel, this upcoming season is filled with looks composed of multiple hues of the same bright color. For example, Oscar de la Renta‘s pre-fall collection showcased a plethora of single color, multi-hue looks using pinks, greens, reds, and golds. Standout looks included an emerald green sweater paired with a slightly lighter green knee-length skirt, complete with an oversized bow at the waist; and a neon pink ensemble which, though similar to the all-green look, managed to tie in feminine lace detailing and an always coveted boyfriend style blazer. The result of mixing the basics of monochromatic clothing and all of the eye-catching hues of the color spectrum is everything a great look should be- simple, yet detailed, and playful without being over-the-top.

By Ali Antonucci