Another Hollywood actor and actress have headed down the aisle to marital bliss. Scarlett Johansson, 23, and Ryan Reynolds, 31, got married this past Saturday. The small wedding was held in a resort outside of Vancouver. The couple had been engaged since May 5. Scarlett was given a mighty big engagement ring from Ryan, but she never made public when the couple would marry. The couple had been dating since the spring of 2007, after Reynolds broke off his engagement with singer Alanis Morissette. With the way that Hollywood marriages are lasting these days, these two are going to have to break the celebrity mold to make their marriage last. Best of luck to Scarlett and Ryan.

It seems like another Hollywood actress has been arrested. Heather Locklear was taken into police custody Saturday night. She was held overnight and released Sunday morning. Locklear has previously been in a rehab center in Arizona for depression and anxiety.

Former Bachelor star Andrew Firestone and his new wife Ivana are expecting their first child. The couple just got married in July and will become new parents next April. Can we say honeymoon baby? The couple admits that they were trying to have children as soon as they got married, and it seems to have worked.

On a sadder note, legendary actor Paul Newman has passed at away at the age of 83. Reports state that he had a long battle with cancer and had been sick for quite some time. Not only was Newman a great actor, he was also a passionate racecar driver and philanthropist. He created his own line of food products called "Newman's Own" with the profits going to different charities. He also created a camp for children with illnesses called Hole In The Wall Gang. His great works and great movies will live on long after his passing.

Sources:
www.usmagazine.com
www.people.com

With the global financial markets in turmoil, taking a look at the fashions of the 1920s and 30s is almost irresistible. New York City has been filled with events from these decades of late, including a club night called Dances of Vice that celebrates the era, and a multi-day jazz picnic held on Governors Island.

But no matter where you are, it's easy to take a look at the spectacular fashions of the period, simply by turning to your DVD player and taking a look at the Oscar-winning 2002 movie musical, Chicago. From fabulous flapper dresses to the sensual, structural masterpiece that is Mama's dress, Chicago highlight the best of the 1920s fashion, in a theatrical, over-the-top way. It's a great movie to take cues from for everything from sexy Halloween costumes to fun New Year's Eve formal wear.

When it comes to style, Chicago doesn't overlook the guys either. Spectacular pin-stripe suits make everyone look thinner, taller and sexier, while the details of vests and pocket watches lend an air of refinement to suits that often feel bold when compared to today's pattern pallets. When it comes to shoes, the spectacular wingtips on the men should not be missed.

One of the truly great things about Chicago, when it comes to 1920s fashion, is that way it highlights both the clothes that have held our interest for decades and the simpler attire everyday people wore. Not everyone was a flapper, and not every woman was wearing dresses that relied on being slim and minimally curvy. While many people complained about the film's choice to present the musical numbers as essentially a product of Roxy's imagination, this strategy allowed costumer designer Colleen Atwood to provide some realism for viewers who are normally uncomfortable with the music genre and to take a look at non-ostentatious clothes from the period. They may not be inspiring to your wardrobe, but they provide a fascinating contrast and a reminder that no period has ever been about high fashion all the time.

The biggest accessorizing trend on the runway at New York Fashion Week was pale skin and lack of accessories to make the clothes stand out! Interesting marketing trend for the designers (it's accessories where they make all their money), although it does make life easier for the girls and dressers backstage.

As for actual, as in you-can-go-to-the-mall-or-online-and-buy-them accessories, L'Wren Scott showed gloves and capelets and paired black and white clothes with red shoes...the look was very Meg White doing Marc Jacobs ads.

Ralph Lauren featured messenger bags, fedoras and low-slung belts over clothes that gave off an Indiana Jones meets Yves Saint Laurent vibe. Sabyasaschi and Stephen Burrows both paired their elegant clothes with long, thin earrings a la Edie Sedgwick. Burrows added multicolored metallic bangles and his hair was an accessory too - the collection was entitled "Afro Summer."

Rebecca Taylor went '60s-'70s in another manner, showing fringed handbags and headbands worn across the forehead. Yes, yet another rich hippie look, but a nice one. (Milly was similar but that one was not so nice.)

I normally love Zac Posen, but his clothes and accessories in this collection looked like the light fixtures at Mohegan Sun casino. The silver lipstick was a nice touch, though... must find out who did the makeup, as I wasn't backstage at that one.

Marc Jacobs (eponymous, not Marc by Marc Jacobs) featured Mary Poppins hats, elaborate metallic wrap belts, piles and piles of bangles and complicated handbags. That was only on one model, and no, I'm not kidding about that! In the Marc line he accessorized with ascot-like scarves, skinny belts, handbags and headbands, which looked relatively clean.

The one trend in accessories that really puzzled me, though, was the rampant presence of gladiator sandals. Designers, that trend is a few too many seasons old now, and it doesn't look good on anyone, even on your perfect models and the cool girls on the street.

If you're fashion-conscious and planning on travelling to Asia, don't forget to visit Hong Kong. Hong Kong is Asia's paradise when it comes to clothing and fashion. Hong Kong is known as being an exciting and forward-thinking city. This attitude is also seen in the fashions that come from local Hong Kong designers like Vivienne Tam and Walter Ma, who design innovative clothing in Hong Kong one year, which you'll see in America the next.

The last time I was in Hong Kong, the one thing I noticed was the downright plainness of Hong Kong fashion when it comes to day wear. Many people in Hong Kong wear muted colors during the day - blacks, grays, browns and tans - and seem to love very casual, comfortable clothes. In Hong Kong, you'll see a lot of jeans, khakis, casual skirts, plain shirts and tops and T-shirts (and loads of jackets in the winter, when it gets pretty chilly). But Hong Kong, unlike Western cities, is a city of tailors, so the cut of the clothing, while casual, is impeccable.

At night, everything changes. Hong Kong is known for its fun nightclubs and world-class restaurants, and people really make the best of their sense of fashion after dark. Elegant, beautifully cut cocktail dresses appear along with brightly colored scarves and shawls in Chinese silk. Impossibly thin Chinese women totter around in high, strappy stiletto heels. Beautiful to look at but probably a killer on the feet!

Designer bags are also all the rage, with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dolce and Gabbana and Moschino coveted by all. That's one thing about Chinese women that's interesting. Many of them will buy an expensive designer bag or dress and expect it to last for years. Women in Hong Kong certainly seem to prefer quality over quantity and will pay the price required to get just that.

Jewelry is also important for Chinese women, especially gold and jade. According to Chinese belief, jade gives the wearer good luck, and gold is a safer way to save your money than the stock market, so you'll see many women in Hong Kong loaded down with gold and jade.

The great thing about Hong Kong is there's something for everyone's fashion taste here. From casual clothes to elegant evening gowns and a lot in between, you'll see it all in Hong Kong.

In the first edition of "Brandis R. Paden's Love Advice," she tells Joe from Las Vegas how to get a girl from the office to notice him. Her advice ranges from flirtatious twitter notes to macho swagger. Of course, since it's all done at the office, Joe faces the HR man after each situation and gets fired. It is a dual example of love and office etiquette. However, there was one tip missing. What was it? Paden's advice to Joe to change his clothing.

Without a doubt, what you wear in the office affects both your future career and your chances of meeting your future spouse. You just never know when you might encounter that person, which means you always need to be prepared for him or her to be around the next corner, whether that's a street corner or a cubicle corner. So how do you dress for love and still stay professional? Here are a few tips:

Guys:

Casual

• Black jeans
• Crisp white or black shirts
• Tanks under shirts that show pecs
• Leather sneakers or casual shoes

Professional

• Tailored suits
• Cuff links
• Modern ties

Ladies:

Casual

• Short skirts (knee to low thigh)
• Boots up to the knee
• Black jeans
• Fitted blouses

Professional

• Figure flattering suits
• Colored suits (pinks/oranges)
• Patterned tights

This type of attire is appropriate for the office but also attractive if worn in a certain way. To add to this fashionable office attire's allure, you should add a dash of cologne or perfume.

Now, don't ever say I didn't try to help you. I just gave you some reasonable ways to spruce up your office attire and get the attention of the man or woman of your dreams. Who loves you baby? Me.

Shia LaBeouf's hand may still have some healing to do from his car accident in July, but at least he can rest easy that he will not face DUI charges. The L.A. County District Attorney's Office stated that there was not enough evidence from the car accident to charge Shia LaBeouf with a DUI. Instead, the driver of the other car will be face criminal charges for running a red light and causing the accident. Although Shia is not completely off the hook yet, as he will face a DMV hearing where his license could be suspended, he can definitely rest easy that he'll stay out of jail.

In other Hollywood court news, Heroes' star, Hayden Panettiere's dad has formally been charged with misdemeanor battery. He allegedly assaulted his wife, Hayden's mom, last month. He was arrested for hitting his wife in the face. According to the county sheriff's office, alcohol did play a part in the fight. After being released from jail after the fight, Alan Panettiere called the incident a "misunderstanding." He faces up to a year in the county jail on this charge.

Switching gears away from the court systems, Johnny Depp has signed on to play Jack Sparrow one more time. He has signed on to star in the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie. But it seems like he will be awfully busy in the next year, as he has also signed on to star in two other movies. He will play Tonto in The Lone Ranger movie and the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland movie. I know many people are definitely going to be looking forward to Johnny Depp sporting the pirate look again.

Sources:

www.people.com
www.usmagazine.com

Few of us can afford to fly to Paris to see the collections, but if you're interested in a quick fashion getaway to a foreign city with a true international sense of style, nothing could be easier than Toronto. L'Oreal Fashion Week Spring 2009 will take place from October 20-25, 2008 at the spectacularly stylish Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto. Unlike New York Fashion Week, our neighbors to the north are a bit more egalitarian about fashion. Some of the shows are by invitation only, so this is one scene where, if it interests you, it's actually worth traveling to check out in person rather than viewing on Style.com.

The Fall 2008 Toronto Fashion Week included big names such as Alfred Sung, Diesel and Buffalo DAVID BITTON, but it also featured some of the most unusually named fashion lines I've ever heard: bustle, Damsels In This Dress and Playdead Cult, BODYBAG by Jude, and gsus sindustries. It kind of sounds more like an alternative music festival than a fashion week, but after being in Bryant Park for days, I was ready for a little irreverence and checked those lines out. The gsus line, which originated in the Netherlands as a skate shop in 1993 and moved through street wear into high fashion, impressed me the most; it featured red pleather pants and dresses, elaborate head wraps, some of the best cut jeans I've ever seen and, dare I say it, touches of acid-washed denim that managed to look completely modern due to their lines and construction.

Local line Preloved was another standout. Creative director Julia Grieve, a former model, constructs the remade clothing line out of vintage sweaters. One collection can require as many as 50,000 of them, and each new garment manages to retain the vintage flair while appearing totally up to date and assisting the environment. (The clothes used to construct Preloved would otherwise end up in landfills.) Preloved kind of reminds me of Toronto itself: clean, friendly and slightly cheeky.

Sometimes music is as much about what we wear as it is about what it sounds like. Certainly music scenes have launched fashion trends over and over again. The glam rock of the 1970s, the new romantics of the 1980s and the grunge of the 1990s are among the trend setters. And while each of those styles were peculiar to their moments in time and have largely faded with the passing of their corresponding musical trends, their influence can still be seen in today's fashion, particularly when it comes to the New Romantics.

The new romantic movement was a British music scene of the early 1980s. It spawned bands like Duran Duran, Depeche Mode and Adam and the Ants, and influenced both teen trends and high fashion designers with its mix of elegance and outrageousness. A stylistic outgrowth of glam rock in some ways, new romantic fashion often featured androgynous clothes and make-up on both men (Boy George's Culture Club also came out of the new romantic scene) and women. The new romantics also had affection for historical clothing. Ruffled shirts were common, as were outfits inspired by the military uniforms of the past. Adam Ant, in particular, was known for wearing a red hussar jacket, while also sporting eyeliner and braids in his hair.

While the more outrageous aspects of the new romantic look have largely fled from mainstream fashion, playing with gender roles and historical fashions remains popular in various youth and alternative cultures including goth and steampunk. In more mainstream fashion, the new romantic influence persists in the form of military and historically inspired fashions for both men and women, and periodic attempts to popularize cosmetics for men. With the recent revival of more mainstream 1980s fashions such as leggings and bubble skirts, it may only be a matter of time before the new romantic look is seen again on both sides of the pond.

It seems like prints are here to stay for celebrities. There are several different prints that all of Hollywood has been wearing. On everything from dresses to even shoes, prints are definitely in this season as a celebrity fashion trend.

Celebrities are sporting one surprising print: plaid. Now, you may think of the old, plaid, flannel shirts that are popular with lumberjacks, but this is an updated plaid look. The key to wearing plaid is including some sort of feminine touch. It should not look like you borrowed your boyfriend's old flannel. Vanessa Hudgens was a great example of this trend when she wore a fitted plaid dress that showed off her curves. Other celebrities indulging in the plaid trend are Lauren Conrad and Ellen Pompeo. If you are not sure about wearing plaid, start off small and wear a plaid scarf with your jeans and tee. You also may want to avoid the plaid mini-skirt, as you may give off the trampy school-girl look.

A not-so-surprising print that is popular with celebrities is a sophisticated floral. Floral prints are still in style for the fall, but you have to choose the right print. The floral prints for fall are richer and deeper in color, such as purples and dark pinks. Kristen Davis and Reese Witherspoon have worn floral dresses, which were feminine and flirty. If you are not comfortable wearing a whole floral dress, opt for a shirt or even a floral silk scarf. Floral clothing pieces are a great way to show off your feminine side and keep things light going into fall. Celebrity designer Roberto Cavalli has been designing for this trend. He made both dresses and blouses in sophisticated floral patterns, which celebrities have worn. With this celebrity trend, you want to avoid any floral patterns that look like baby or little girl attire. Make sure your floral pattern is sophisticated and modern.

Some of the most innovative ideas in fashion shows lately have come from charity events. One fashion show I'm really looking forward to was conceived by Seam Collective, an initiative that matches female designers whose styles complement each other with their ideal customer, the chic, urban boutique shopper. These designers and their ideal customer have heart, though, as they're now working hand in hand with Women Rising, a Hudson County based charity that serves women and their families in Jersey City and the surrounding communities, allowing them to achieve self-sufficiency and live safe, fulfilling and productive lives through social services, economic development and advocacy services.

Seam Collective is presenting Fenomenon, a fashion show whose proceeds benefit Women Rising, at the Canco Lofts in Jersey City on Saturday, October 25, 2008. Fenomenon will also incorporate a dance party with DJ Jen Johnson. Doors will open at 6 p.m., with a complimentary wine bar until 8 p.m., when the runway show will start. Other entertainment includes interactive photo shoots, burlesque dancers and visual art.

Designers showing at Fenomenon include Elizabeth Rynish, a founder of the Seam Collective, who primarily designs women's dresses; Deepti Moti Babani, whose Indian heritage is a strong influence on her designs; Kattina Hilton, whose unique specialty is well-constructed and sexy one-piece swimsuits; Annie Lim, who focuses on clean-lined, wearable sportswear separates; Elizabeth Kosich, who designs high-fashion knitwear bikinis and loungewear; Shiana, an alumni of Ebony Fashion Fair who designs elegant evening wear; and Bieja-Flor, a mother-daughter team who produce designer jeans with a Brazilian body-conscious aesthetic.

The concept of Seam Collective is to present female designers who excel in a particular fashion niche together, so that this ideal customer, an affluent young professional woman, can utilize this seamless shopping experience to fill all her wardrobe needs at once. Fashion designers are often criticized for excelling in one area above others ("She's just a dress designer" is the kiss of death from reviewers), but if we're honest, most of them do anyway, so why not be upfront about it? This is one fashion show where I'll genuinely want to shop.

Like many other fall and winter weather choices, today's fashionable trench coat is military in origin. Lightweight and rain-resistant, it was created as an alternative for officers and other ranked personnel during World War I, which was, of course, dominated by trench warfare. The coat is somewhat common; however, it is often easy to forget its origin, even though many of the details we consider hallmarks of the trench coat's style actually originated as military practicalities for the display of insignia and the carrying of equipment and weapons.

Military clothes have always had a presence in civilian fashion, usually because they are retained after war both for durability and as an indicator of status as a veteran or survivor. The trench coat was no different, and because its use had been restricted to those of rank, it quickly morphed into an indicator of wealth and sophistication. Civilian versions of the trench coat for both men and women began to be produced between the two world wars, and the military version of the coat remained in use during World War II, although in more variants as more countries added similar garments to their uniform options.

After WWII, the trench coat's trendiness really took off, and the coat became a staple of fashion in both books and films, particularly the detective genre. Perhaps most surprising, though, is the way the trench coat has been embraced by various alternative youth fashion movements for decades.

The trench coat was popular with the mods in the 1960s and is often seen in both the goth and heavy metal scenes (although usually in longer, black versions more accurately known as dusters). In more mainstream fashion, Sex in the City's Carrie also popularized the trench coat for women by making it sexy and flirty. For a coat that started in battle, the trench coat has had a surprising fashion history that is only likely to continue.

The Paris Ready To Wear (Pret-a-Porter) fashion shows will be held from September 27 to October 5, and one of the most closely watched shows will be Yves Saint Laurent, taking place at the Grand Palais on October 2. Although Stefano Pilati has been designing for YSL since 2004, this will be his first Parisian collection out from under the shadow of Yves Saint Laurent himself, who died in June 2008.

New York Fashion Week was filled with tributes to YSL, who was known for his slouchy silhouette and elegant appropriation of menswear. Tom Ford, who designed the collection until 2004, ignored this meme in favor of the sexy siren look he perfected for Gucci, but his worldview was met with disfavor by the Yves Saint Laurent customer. Pilati, however, has stayed closer to the mandate he's been given.

His Autumn/Winter 2008 collection featured menswear-inspired separates in neutral monochrome, with subtle shots of color like cobalt blue and sunshine yellow to alleviate the seriousness of the look. The waist and hips were a major focal point, with high-waist pants accented by narrow belts, color blocking, or ingenious cutouts in their matching jackets. Skirts and pants both belled downwards to echo the cocoon shape of the coats, allowing Pilati to present sophisticated but flattering lines. Tactile but potentially dour fabrics such as flannel, velvet, leather and tweed were accessorized with punk rock dog collars, severe haircuts and black lipstick, as if the youngest daughter in an English manor had dressed in the dark, grabbing half of her own clothing and half of her mother's. My favorite look was a high-collared brown velvet jacket with prominent zippers mixed with an asymmetrical black leather zippered skirt. It sounds odd in the telling, but it was a collection you not only wanted to look at, you wanted to wear.

I believe Yves Saint Laurent would truly be proud of his namesake of a sort. After all, he got his start at 17 when he took over design duties for Christian Dior.

Capri pants, which have enjoyed a prolonged popularity over the last several years, were first invented just after World War II and had their first surge of popularity in the late 1950s and early 1960s. While capris themselves are a relatively new invention, they descend from a long history of calf-length pants.

Like many of today's popular women's fashions, capri pants can be traced to early menswear including the formfitting breeches that were popular in the Baroque period and through the early 1800s. These pants, which ended just below the knee, were worn with socks designed to showcase the male leg as an object of beauty during a time in which women's legs were always covered.

As men's pants came down beginning in the mid-19th century and women's hemlines rose at the beginning of the 20th, a shapely leg went from a male beauty requirement to a female one, and as women increasingly wore trousers, especially as women joined the work force and war effort in the 1940s, it became logical that pants should be invented that would show off the leg.

Capri pants also have cousins in the pedal pusher, a female pant of the same length that is usually cuffed, and knickerbockers (often shortened somewhat confusingly to knickers, which in British English refer to women's underwear), which were baggy pants young men and boys wore in the early 20th century.

Capri pants are clothing's perfect compromise. Easy and casual with flats, sandals or athletic shoes, capri pants in fancier fabrics can also be dressed up with ease, simply by adding a pair of high heels and a well-fitted blouse for either a retro or modern look. It is important that capri pants be at the correct length, to accentuate the swell of the calf; the wrong length can make the leg look stocky instead of shapely and can create the illusion of reduced height.

While 1983's Flashdance may seem like a bit of cheesy 80s nostalgia now, it significantly influenced fashion at the time. With the resurgence of 1980s-inspired fashions, Flashdance continues to have an impact today.

The story of a young woman who works in a steel mill during the day and at a strip club at night, while dreaming of becoming a professional dancer of an entirely more respectable sort as she vies for entrance into a dance conservatory, Flashdance was one of many dance-themed pop culture moments of the 1980s. Television shows like Fame and an aerobics craze exemplified by Olivia Newton John's Let's Get Physical, helped popularize dance clothes as a part of mainstream fashion.

Flashdance helped bring legwarmers and leggings into mainstream fashion and paired them with everything from high heels to ballet flats and even the more logical sneakers. Additionally, the film helped popularize other forms of dancewear outside the dance studio such as the brightly colored leotards that were also becoming a common part of many women's wardrobes with the aerobics boom.

Flashdance's most significant fashion contribution, however, was probably the distressed, over-sized sweatshirt, which featured a cutoff neckline revealing one shoulder and often had cuts and slashes in other places. Shirts could be bought in this condition at hefty prices in many department stores and boutiques, while some savvy buyers often distressed their own. Gray jersey and other sweatshirt-like material became popular for high-fashion clothes and were heavily featured in at least one line from Norma Kamali. Wide belts designed to emphasize the waist also came into fashion with Flashdance's help.

In this decade, there has been a resurgence in dance fashion. Much of this is attributable to 1980s nostalgia, as well as a bevy of new dance films that combine street dance with professional aspirations that have come on the scene such as Take the Lead and Step Up. While color combinations and the ideal silhouette for a dancer have changed somewhat since Jennifer Beals starred in Flashdance the body conscious clothes and casual but calculated layering of the look remain popular.

Hair and makeup trends at New York Fashion Week Spring 2009!

Makeup for spring 2009 will feature dark, exotic eyes paired with rosy or neutral cheeks and lips, and hair will be streamlined, if you can believe what I saw backstage this week at New York Fashion Week. The look, ideal customer and intent is obviously going to differ from fashion show to fashion show if you're looking at Abaeté, L'Wren Scott, Carolina Herrera and Betsey Johnson, but there were a couple of common threads running through all those shows that differed merely in the details.

The makeup mastermind at Abaeté was Jeannine Lobell for Stila, and she created a dramatic eye using a Smudge Pot (gel eyeliner) in charcoal gray. The eyeliner extended around the eye in all directions, include inward (it was applied to the inner rim), and was neither smoky nor sharp but was blended to fade out like the end of a song. Jeannine let the eyes stand out by pairing them with clean skin and just a hint of rosy lips.

Carolina Herrera is the first lady of fashion, and her makeup look was positively presidential, much like that at Abaeté but slightly more ladylike and subdued. The hair at her show was slicked back but slightly textured, as shown off inimitably by Agyness Deyn.

The hair at Abaeté was created by David Cruz of Redken and featured tight buns with dimensional shine created by the application of Electric Wax. It's an elegant look anyone could wear successfully at home, and for this I applaud him!

L'Wren Scott's eyes were more rocker chick, and her hair was bed-head, but contained Bed Head, all of which was fitting for Mick Jagger's main squeeze. But the true rock star of fashion week was Betsey Johnson, and she had a look all her own, created by Fulvia of Make Up Forever and Italo of Redken. Her makeup was pure Raggedy Ann, with long faux eyelashes on top and bottom, created with Aqua Eyes eyeliner. These were paired with very rosy cheeks and lips on white skin, a look I'm about to recreate with stuff I bought at Target. Hair was synthetic wigs in bright colors with lots of shine, cut into a sharp bob to bring the eyes into focus. My good friend Italo says you need a certain personality to carry off those colors, but anyone can wear the cut.