Somewhere in between, Blasberg manages to fit in a trip to Forever 21.

Hold up: What’s this man-about-town and style maven doing at a mass-market chain store for women who prefer to buy their trendy clothes on a tight budget? Specifically, the two-level, club music-thumping, highly-trafficked outpost in New York’s Union Square? Flanked by a Whole Foods and DSW shoe emporium, this particular Forevs 21 location speaks to the brand: loud, bold, unsubtle, down-market, hugely popular, a place to get prom dresses and work-y clothes (even if you’re much older than 21). My mother’s friend refers to it as “the hoochie store,” but as everyone from Blasberg to Tim Gunn to Stacy London will say, “It’s all about how you wear it.”

Which brings this back to Blasberg:  Crushable kidnapped him for a stunt tied to his new book Classy: Exceptional Advice For The Extremely Modern Young Lady. In the name of said stunt, Blasberg willingly agreed to pull Forever 21 looks that showed how to look classy vs. trashy; I volunteered to be the model/guinea pig, at my own risk. And truth be told, I was initially nervous to meet Blasberg given his high-fashion cache,  elite circle of friends (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Kate Bosworth, Chloe Sevigny) and strict standards on style and etiquette (sample advice from Classy:  “A lady looks presentable at an airport. Those leisure jumpsuits are for being at home. The airport is one of the last remaining places to meet eligible men who can afford to travel.”)

Would he be a judgy jerk? Would I leave Forever 21 scarred forever?

Turns out, Blasberg is neither too cool for school — nor too good for Forever 21.

The 27-year-old St. Louis native double-majored in journalism and dramatic literature at New York University; after graduating, he worked at Vogue and swiftly made a name for himself as arm candy for socialites and boldfaced names like Tinsley Mortimer and presidential daughter Barbara Bush (here’s the duo at a New York Rangers hockey game). A self-described “scholar-athlete” at Affton High School, where most kids went to the mall, Blasberg developed a taste for vintage clothing in his junior and senior years. “I guess in that bubble I was stylish,” Blasberg said in an interview earlier this week. “But I didn’t know who Versace was. Actually, that’s a lie!” When Gianni Versace was murdered in 1997, Blasberg — then around 14 — created a makeshift tribute to the designer in his bedroom with the centerpiece being a picture of Gianni with his sister, Donatella Versace.

“I guess it’s appropriate that I work in fashion,” he added, looking sporty-cool in a thrift-store denim button-down, plaid Opening Ceremony vest and YSL shoes.

Blasberg’s literary career took off when he edited the Olsens’ 2009 coffeetable book Influence, an ode to the twins’ style and personal heroes; after that gig, Blasberg scored a deal to write Classy, his style-and-etiquette guide for aspiring young social climbers that hits stores April 6. In the book, a collection of tongue-in-cheek essays, he weighs in on the vulgarities of skank culture: flashy designer logos, thong-baring, too much lipstick and eyeliner, and sexting. “A lot of this advice I’ve been dispensing for a while,” he said.  What really irks him: the lack of attention on classier celeb role models who cover up versus tackier stars who flash their crotches to the paparazzi on the way out of the limo. He refused to name the worst offenders — Heidi Montag? Miley Cyrus? Lindsay Lohan, perhaps? Come on! — but did offer Harry Potter star Watson as a positive example of a young star leading a new generation of classy refinement.

“There’s a lot of books out there are sort of, like, how to be famous in a month or, you know, sort of unhelpful, innappropriate yet amusing advice,” he said. “Whereas the over-reaching theme in my book is that you can still have fun and be a sophisticated woman. You can still have fun, you can still go out, you can still be cool and be classy.”

So there we were, at Forever 21, where I witnessed Blasberg’s ideas put into practice. He scoured the store with missionary zeal, selecting eight contrasting outfits in four categories: gingham, shorts, evening and leopard.

“I don’t fuck around at Forever 21,” he quipped.

The results of our expedition are in the gallery below. I  am still recovering from the humiliation of baring my blinding-white midriff to Blasberg and his publicist, as well as a brief fainting spell in the dressing room induced by the dizzying glare of flourescent lights. I have the forehead bump to prove it.

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Check out the video below. The pants hiking comes at about 5:30 minutes in.

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We’ve known about this fashion tool for a few months, but it’s just too good not to share. It’s a Web site called Rent the Runway, which allows you to rent a designer dress for the fraction of the cost of buying it. We think it’s perfect for those last minute events where you need something fancy but don’t have any time — or money — to shop.

Here’s how it works: you sign up, then pick out the dress you want online (you get a second size for free if it’s the first time you’re picking a new designer). You promise to return the dress the way you got it plus gentle wear within four days, and you get your pick of dresses from designers like Badgley Mischka and Diane von Furstenberg to Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent. Rental prices range from $50 up to over $200, depending on the dress, and if you get a dress that doesn’t fit, you can always send it right back.

Of course, there are some drawbacks to this method. For example, if you know you have an event a few months down the line, you can’t order dresses just to try them on and pick your favorite, unless you find some way to game the system. And you can’t hold on to the dresses for more than a long weekend, without paying additional fees. So, it’s ideal for certain, last minute situations, or when you are coveting a dress that you just can’t afford to buy, but may not fit with every fashion need.

Would you ever use Rent the Runway? Have you ever used it? What were your experiences?

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One question: Do these items come with … oh, man, we just can’t make this joke. (Something about crack pipes). We don’t want to go to there today.

(Women’s Wear Daily)

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A visual wonderland of mismatched ensembles worn by independent lasses unafraid of whimsical style (and smiles), FUDGE eschews that which is trendy in favor of celebrating the individual and unique. You don’t need to know how to read the text to be inspired, either; it’s all about using imagination to create your own story from the snapshots. It’s as if your heightened senses make you that much more aware of what you’re looking at.

In addition to the usual monthly layouts and designer overviews, the magazine highlights global street-style (and has been doing so for years before the legions of web-savvy sartorialists hit the scene). The youthful denizens of Tokyo—from the cool kids in Harajuku to the laid back lovelies in Aoyama—know how to layer texture, color, and shape better than any other fashion capital. FUDGE, you see, is their bible, and they, in turn are FUDGE’s muses.

Japanese fashion acolytes are known for their love of extreme-theme style (the gothic baby doll “Lolita” look for instance), and an outfit’s inspiration might be drawn from a place or worked around one particular item of clothing. FUDGE has been known to devote dozens of pages to the simplicity of a cardigan or show how multicolored glasses can change a look. (I love the name of one of their recent 8-page features: “Only My Glasses Rule!”) Sometimes, they’ll pay tribute to a film such as Peter Weir’s 1975 ode to innocence lost, Picnic at Hanging Rock, giving readers a complete world to aspire to—from willowy dresses the characters might have worn to the china they might have taken their tea in. Nothing is off limits, and mash-ups are encouraged. Harry Potter meets Frida Kahlo anyone? Bring it.

Then there are the models. No need to roll your eyes at yet another bored 13 year-old weighed down by designer duds intended for women decades her senior, FUDGE employs young women who actually look like they’d wear what they’ve been styled in. Aside from being multicultural (how many magazines can boast that these days?), it seems the models are encouraged to let loose and animate the way they feel in what they’re wearing. They’re almost always photographed engaged in solo activity—be it snacking, daydreaming, or calmly contemplating life—and they almost always look like they’re having fun.

A blunt-cut redhead in a Misfits t-shirt and floral skirt balances a straw hat while pulling a wonky guffaw. A longhaired brunette reads lazily in the sun, her argyle legs drawn up underneath her, a gingham dress flapping gingerly in the breeze. Accessories often play a major role, too—from plastic tiaras at a Victorian birthday party to a shrunken fedora worn on a lonely train.

The Japanese consider how you dress to be an all-encompassing lifestyle, and FUDGE wants to give readers an extension of its stylish world beyond fashion. You’ll often find inserts featuring interior design—real-life homes that match the various themes of that month’s issue—complete with artwork you can recreate or furniture to hunt down at your local thrift shop. They feature food, too, and a new pair of tights might inspire you to pick up a dainty pastry in a matching hue.

Sadly, picking up a magazine like FUDGE isn’t always as easy. If you don’t live near a Japanese bookstore such as Kinokuniya, simply call the location nearest to you and ask if you can order a few issues over the phone (they almost always carry back issues in addition to the latest one). Then, do as I do: pick up some sushi, pour a hot cup of jasmine tea, and savor the sweetness that is FUDGE.

–By Andi Teran

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Brooke Moreland, founder of Fashism.com and all-around-cool-girl, shows us how to get military chic.

The first time I ever entered an Army Surplus store was at age 13. I desperately wanted to buy a pair Doc Martens, which at the time was the ultimate badge of conformist individualism. They were counterculture, but in a way that was totally safe. Basically, it was the perfect item for a rebellious, but still totally insecure pre-teen. But my parents were having none of it. “A hundred bucks for a combat boot?” my dad asked, stunned. “No way, if you want combat boots, we are going to the Army Surplus store.”

I thought about this story when, a few weeks ago, I was flipping through various magazines trying to anticipate my spring wardrobe. I kept noticing one trend over and over. Military. Military fashion has inspired many mainstream designs over the years, and every few it comes into prominence again on the runways. Now is one of those times. Balmain has a military jacket. Marc Jacobs too. I wonder what my dad would say if I spend $11,000 on a Balmain jacket. Seeing how I have nowhere near enough money to even entertain such a notion, I decided to return the Army Surplus store to see what I could come up with.

After a few seconds of online research, I discovered Uncle Sam’s Army Navy Surplus store. I quickly honed in on the Women’s Vintage Blazer for $28.76.

I purchased it immediately. And instead of having it shipped, I decided to pick it up in person at the outpost in NYC so I could browse around and see if I could find some more treasures. While at the store I snatched up a bullet key chain for $6.50. When I got home, I removed the key ring and popped it on an old chain I had lying around. Voila, a necklace!

When I tried on the jacket, I immediately loved it. It fit like a glove. However, I was not so keen on the big plastic button holding it together. It looked a little too cheap. So I decided to replace it. I located a gold cameo in a sewing shop in Manhattan’s Garment district for $2.50. Similar buttons can also be found on Ebay or Etsy for a range of prices.

So now that I had my jacket looking spiffy and my new necklace, I wanted to find some basics to wear underneath. I wanted something simple and monochromatic. American Apparel was the natural choice. I scooped up some green tights for $14 and the Sebastian Tellier “Sexuality” dress for $26. For shoes I went with these Shuler and Sons booties that I already had in my closet.

So there you have it. Military chic on the cheap. Total outfit cost (not counting previously owned items): $77.76

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Alexander Wang

Time to break out the pleats, plaid and Doc Martens? Hmmm … we don’t think Cher wore Docs, but they were HOT in 1996.

(Fashionista)

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People hate it. I love it.

Green and yellow go together like peas and carrots, peanut butter and jelly, Chuck and Blair.

Here’s why: It’s preppy collegiate stripes, it’s springtime whimsy, it’s mod ’70s, it’s a bohemian Diane Von Furstenberg print.  It’s unexpected, and therefore, not boring. And finally, the colors co-exist within the same palette (yellow + blue = duh).

If you are also a fan of breaking rules regarding supposedly clashing color combos, try these: Black and Brown (Marc Jacob’s favorite pairing) and Pink and Red (for the timid: pair a pink dress with bright red lipstick — it will make you look awesome, not crazy).

Trust me.

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Molly Dimick skewers the latest red-carpet hits and misses.

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Look who was spotted sitting front row at Burberry Prorsum today during London Fashion Week: Mary-Kate Olsen, Kate Hudson, Kristen Stewart, Clare Danes and Mia Wasikowska. Also on hand, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, natch.

(Photos by Dave M. Bennett/Getty for Burberry)

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