Celebrity Style

Here's another example of an actress whose style I greatly admire despite never having seen her act in a single film. Is that so wrong? As the ladies at Who What Wear Daily might say, "We don't care who you date or if you eat. We only care about what you are wearing." And so it is with Kate Bosworth. She is such a natural beauty and always manages to look super cool and girly without showing much skin or wearing anything particularly ostentatious. While she's a stunner on the red carpet, Kate also looks great in this casual outfit that's perfect for a laid-back summer day. In my budget-friendly version, I swapped the star's cut-off shorts with cropped jeans (a more flattering length on most gals), and found a tripped out pair of triple-strap flats from Dolce Vita that cost a fraction of Bosworth's Chloe shoes. Simple, stylish, and of course, easy to imitate without spending a fortune.

Do you admire Kate Bosworth's style?

[1] LA Made Button Back Pleated Tunic at revolveclothing.com, $52
[2] Oversized Plastic Shades at sunglasswarehouse.com, $15.95
[3] Indigo cropped jeans at topshop.com, $69.28
[4] Owl Charm Necklace at forever21.com, $8.80
[5] Dolce Vita flat with 3 buckles at shopdolcevita.com, $49.99

I have a confession to make: I do not watch Gossip Girl. I know I should tune-in for the fashion alone but somehow the planets have never quite aligned in such a way that made me catch the popular teen drama. But that doesn't mean I can't admire Leighton Meester's fashion sense - both on and off the show. While Leighton's character, Blair Waldorf, is known for her eccentric, fashion-forward looks, the real-life star proves she can turn heads in something as simple and refined as a little black dress. This particular number, which she wore at the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 premiere, strikes me as especially flattering, and the shoes are drop-dead gorgeous. She's adorable, and her style is worth copying.

Are you a Leighton Meester fan? Do you love her look?

[1] Heart Petal Ring at Forever21.com, $4.80
[2] ASOS Halter Neck Prom Dress, $69.22
[3] Jill Stuart Kasia Ankle Wrap Platform Sandal at Shopbop.com, Was $468.00 Now $140.40

She was named "Model of the Year" in 2007 by the British Fashion Awards and tapped as one of the world's next supermodels by Vogue on the cover of their May 2007 issue. British model Agyness Deyn, whose real name is Laura Hollins, has taken the fashion world by storm with her platinum blond pixie haircut, lanky boyish figure and rock-chick aesthetic. Her style has a decidedly London vibe which I love to admire - from a distance, though, as I don't think I could pull off most of her looks. Seeing her face in Burberry ads has given the company a fresh new edge and made me look at the sometimes stodgy label in a whole new way. While I don't see her as the next Kate Moss, though many have made the comparison, I do think she's gorgeous, she's different, she takes chances and heck, the girl owes her parents for some great genes.

Are you smitten by Aggy? Do you love her look?

[1] Wayfarer Sunglasses at FredFlare.com, $10
[2] Oversized White Tank at store.AmericanApparel.net, $24
[3] H81 Cargo Pocket Satchel at Forever21.com, $26.90
[4] Xhilaration Black Shorts at Target.com, $14.99
[5] Monogram Necklace at UrbanOutfitters.com, $18
[6] Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Hi Top Red at Amazon.com, $39.99

Actress Mischa Barton looked marvelous in a two-tone Mulberry dress with black peep-toe wedges at the Black Ball UK in aid of the ‘Keep A Child Alive’ HIV/AIDS charity in London. Inspired by Mischa's ensemble, I was reminded of all the duotone dresses that I've been seeing at fast fashion chains like Forever 21, dating back to this tweed cami dress by Black Halo. There's no need for a black skirt and white blouse - the four frocks above give you both in one article of clothing. Granted, they're no Mulberry, but the concept is similar and it's growing on me. Would you wear this look?

[1] Pleat Ruffle Satin Dress at Forever21.com, $34.80
[2] Victorian Pencil Dress at Forever21.com, $29.80
[3] Rose Chiffon Dress at Forever21.com, $34.80
[4] Shift Collar Pencil Dress at Forever21.com, $22.80

Fabulosity, Kimora Lee Simmons' junior line for JCPenney, is now available in stores and online. I was not looking forward to the launch of this collection, and after seeing the limited selection of tees, tube tops and denim pieces that are now at JCPenney.com, I gotta say it ain't good. Now let's just forget about Kimora for a moment here, because at the end of the day, she is irrelevant. You may admire her ambition, her work ethic, and her no-nonsense approach to business and even motherhood, but at the end of the day, as a customer, you will be stuck wearing a tacky t-shirt with a cheesy "Fabulosity" logo that bears no resemblance to it's creator and her high-end, jet-setting lifestyle. I felt the same way about Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker - as much as I adore the actress and everything she's done for fashion, I couldn't find a single wearable item in her so-called clothing line for Steve and Barry's. Fabulosity is fake streetwear. It's big companies saying, hey! Let's make a buck off what the kids are wearing today! So don't be fooled. I truly admire streetwear, and the real deal is not sold at JCPenney. If you want streetwear, shop at Karmaloop.com or Untitled. Fabulosity is akin to wearing a Hannah Montana t-shirt or SpongeBob SquarePants PJs - it's gimmicky, it's tacky and it's not cool unless you're under 10 years old. And if you don't believe me, I would simply say that I obviously do not decide what is and isn't cool. Cool is fleeting, cool is ethereal, cool is, well, something we're all chasing. Fabulosity is not it.

>> Not convinced? Shop Fabulosity at JCPenney.com

Do you know where I can find a budget version of the Hervé Léger bandage dress that's so hot right now? I've seen a lot of tight-fitting dresses out there, but none that have that distinct bandage look. Let me know, thanks!!

Hervé Léger is credited with introducing the form-fitting bandage dress to the fashion world, and his iconic creations have been a favorite among celebrities. We recently spotted Rachel Bilson rocking this look (above left), so your question comes at a good time...but why is it that whenever you're looking for something, you can't find it anywhere?!?

Yes, this look is tough to imitate on a dime, but as The Budget Babe, it is my duty to find you designer looks for less, so I gave it my best shot and managed to find a few frocks that might fit the bill:

[1] Tadashi "Bandage"-style Stretch Satin Cocktail Dress at Saks, Was $328.00 Now $196.80
[2] Panel Halter Dress at ArdenB.com, $128.00
[3] Front Tiered Tube Dress at WetSeal.com, $22.50
[4] (not shown) Ruched Tube Sheath Dress at Agacistore.com, $27.50
[5] (not shown but this one's pretty darn close!) Forever 21 Tiered Halter Dress, $24.80
[6] Sexy Striped Banded Dress at Bebe.com, $98

Has anyone else found a hot Hervé Léger knockoff?

More and more brides today are breaking free from the white wedding gown mold and donning colorful dresses on their big day instead, according to a fascinating article in the June 2008 issue of W magazine. (Western brides, the article notes, have been wearing white since the Victorian era, when Queen Victoria started the trend in 1840 for her marriage to her cousin Albert.)

Of course this is nothing new: Who can forget Gwen Stefani's 2002 marriage to Gavin Rossdale where she was decked out in a pink dip-dyed Dior wedding gown, or the black Morgan Le Fay frock which Sarah Jessica Parker wore for her 1997 wedding to Matthew Brodderick? Plenty of bold, confident women today think outside the box when it comes to picking their wedding outfits.

I've personally known two brides who did not wear white, off-white or ivory on their wedding days: One friend wore a splashy teal chiffon dress, and the other wore a rich green satin gown. As for other "nonconformists" that I've personally known, there was the Aunt who wore a stunning white lace suit, the hipster friend who wore colorful blue shoes, and at least two brides I can think of offhand who skipped veils altogether.