What happened to Hollywood glamour?

First, take a look at what used to be...

Today's celebrities are getting tackier and tackier...and so are their fans. I mean, have you seen these "little" girls running around wearing Hannah Montana t-shirts? Gross!

Example #1: Justin Bieber buys his mom a Mother's Day gift at Forever 21. Really?







Example #2: Casey Johnson (late heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune) gets engaged to internet/reality tramp, Tila Tequila before her tragic death due to complications from diabetes.








Examples #3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10: The mere existence of Miley Cyrus, Lindsey Lohan (the entire Lohan clan for that matter), Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Heidi & Spencer Pratt...oh hell, the entire cast of the Hills, Jersey Shore, and any of the Housewives shows. How did these people become revered as celebrities?

None of these people are any more than white trash with money. What is the fascination? I will admit, they are similar to the train-wreck phenomenon in that you just can't seem to look away. However, we have to prevent our youth from thinking this type of behavior and appearance is okay in any way.

In the golden days of Hollywood, even the most controversy-prone stars who came up from nothing, had immense amounts of class and grace. Look at Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. They had a mysterious way of mesmerizing anyone who crossed their paths. They also tried to keep their private lives somewhat private. Now we have the Kardashians and a bunch of Playboy bunnies parading their every movement in our faces 24-7.

Who is to blame? The celebrities for lacking class? The paparazzi for following celebs around all day, every day? The media for shoving them in our faces? The general public for buying into it? Or is it just the evolution of what it means to be a celebrity?

You tell me...

The Round Winners are...

You have chosen your favorite celebrity designers from each round. Now it's time to pick your overall favorite. The poll on the right have each round winner (and what percentage of the vote they got in their round). Who is your favorite? Leave your comments below.

Next Up...Prom 2010! Trust me, it's tragic!

UPDATE: Gwen wins with 60% of the votes!

Celebrity Designers Round 4: Models, Actors, and Reality Stars

Every person who has ever had their name in lights (or in the tabloids) for some reason feels the need to release a clothing line. Some actually have a decent idea that has potential (see Alyssa Milano). Others have an arrogant need to impose themselves on us...whether we want them to or not (see Heidi Montag). There are too many to go into detail about, but I'll give you a glimpse of as many as possible. 

Celebrity: Nicole Richie

Line: House of Harlow 1960 (jewelry)/ Winter Kate (clothing)

Established: 2007/2009

Rating: 8

It seems the wild girl found her calling! She's really got something here. I love her hippie-chic style. Her maternity line for Pea in a Pod was even cute. If it had been out when I was pregnant, I may have even purchased some pieces. 

Celebrity: Lauren Conrad

Line: LC by Lauren Conrad for Kohl's

Established: 2009

Rating: 2

I'll give her an 'A' for effort, but just because she had a desire to be in the fashion industry (as seen in her multiple reality shows), doesn't mean she should be given her own line! She didn't earn it, so I don't respect it. Besides, it's nothing new. It looks like everything else sold in Kohl's junior department. BORING! 

Celebrity: Heidi Montag

Line: Heidiwood

Established: 2008

Rating: -12 (yes, that says negative 12)

Do I even have to say anything about this? 

Celebrity: Sarah Jessica Parker

Line: Bitten

Established: 2007

Rating: 7

This would score much higher, but since Steve & Barry's went under, it's nearly impossible to find. I don't believe it has been picked up yet by any other retailer, so it's currently in limbo. I do love the line...and the fact that every piece is under $20. Brilliant!

Celebrity: Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen

Line: Elizabeth & James for The Row and that unfortunate line for Wal-Mart

Established: 2008 (estimate)

Rating: 4

The Elizabeth & James line for their own couture label, The Row, was a decent attempt to distance themselves from the Wal-Mart pre-teen line, but it wasn't enough. The clothes aren't terrible though, I'd probably even wear a few pieces...under a different label!

Celebrity: Gisele Bundchen

Line: Ipanema (sandals)

Established: 2007

Rating: 5

Bonus points for donating proceeds to Brazil's rainforests...or something like that. The sandals are okay, but I'm a loyal Reef girl when it comes to flip-flops. 

Celebrity: Kimora Lee Simmons

Line: Baby Phat

Established: 1998

Rating: 3

I personally HATE this brand. I hate all the logos and the gaudiness. The runway stuff even has too much gold! However, it is beloved by so many. I really don't understand what they see in it. Can somebody please explain? Besides, it is so annoying how she always pimps herself and her kids in the ads! Her modeling career has been over for a long time, but she can't seem to pass the torch! 

Celebrity: Alyssa Milano

Line: Touch

Established: 2007

Rating: 7

Knowing that athletic team wear for women was seriously lacking, Alyssa Milano introduced Touch. This is a genius idea! As a HUGE Yankee fan, I appreciate that she's doing something especially for the ladies! Some of it is cheesy (jeans with team logos on the butt), but for the most part, she's doing an awesome job with this line!

***Just a side note - Alyssa Milano was my favorite actress growing up! So much so, that I wanted to change my name to Sam (her character on Who's The Boss)! Since my parents wouldn't let me, I named my cat Sam instead. Yup, I realize how lame I sound right now, but I so don't care!***

P.S. I want both items shown in the above photos. I do accept gifts! 

This concludes the celebrity designer series. I know there are many celebs with clothing lines that I did not mention, but there are just so many of them, I can't keep track of them all. Make sure you vote in all 4 polls in the sidebar. The winner of each round will go up against each other to determine your favorite celebrity designer. 

Hope you enjoyed! Up next - Prom Season! 

Back to Black

The feedback was slightly mixed, but it seems most of you like the dark background better. You win, this is how it will stay...until I get bored and change it again!

Make sure to vote in the polls in the sidebar. Round 4 of Celebrity Designers will be posted soon and we will then pit the winners of each round against each other for the overall favorite! 

Also, RSS feed is now available for Google, AOL, or a reader of your choice. Click the links in the sidebar to add RSS feed to your reader.

Pages have been added for additional content, and to lessen the amount of info that is in the sidebar. The 'about me' section, the weekly quotes, and the contact pages are now linked. More to come. 

Thanks for following! ♥

Celebrity Designers Round 3: Athletes

Music and fashion go well together. Sports and fashion, not so much...unless they are designing athletic wear.

Celebrity: Serena Williams - Tennis
Line: Aneres
Established: 2004
Rating: 2

It's rather ironic that Serena is the one with the fashion line, since Venus graduated from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale with a degree in Fashion Design. Even though Serena also attended the Art Institute (did not graduate), after looking at the line, it becomes obvious that she is lacking a formal fashion education. This line is a mess. The quality is sub-par, the designs are not even a little bit creative, and the styles are out dated. Needless to say, I'm less than impressed. I highly doubt this line would have ever made it off the ground if she hadn't already made a name for herself in tennis with her crazy sense of style. Even the website is super cheesy!

Celebrity: Lance Armstrong - Cyclist

Line: 10 2 (for Nike)

Established: 2007

Rating: 7

10 2 is a line for Nike that includes high-tech jerseys, shorts, shoes, and other athletic wear. This actually makes perfect sense. Who better to design riding gear than the arguably best rider in the world? I wouldn't buy any of it, but I'm also not the target customer. If I were a competition bike rider, I would probably be interested in this line, but the yellow and black on everything is slight overkill. We get it, Lance - Livestrong! Not everything you make needs to be yellow and black. That would be like me wearing red every day just because that's the color of my blog. Won't happen!

Celebrity: Tony Hawk - Skateboarder

Line: Hawk (for Kohl's)

Established: 2007

Rating: 8

As much as I don't like real fashion designers selling out by designing for places like Kohl's or Target, I don't mind athletes dong it. They never had the high-end line that is being downgraded, they are simply providing something wearable to their fans. The clothes in the Hawk line aren't too bad at all. Totally worthy of a skater and reasonably priced. Even my extremely picky brother, who only wears flannels and Dickies, wears the Hawk line. The only downfall is that it is only for boys and young men. Girls skate too! 

Celebrity: Shaun White - Snowboarder/Skateboarder

Line: Shawn White for Target

Established: 2008

Rating: 8

I rate this pretty much the same as Tony Hawk for Kohl's. Besides the fact that they are good friends, they both have great business sense. These clothes would be over priced and out of context if they were sold in, let's say, Nordstrom. Target and Kohl's really work for their target market. The Shaun White line is cute, casual, and comfortable for the kids. But again, it's only for boys. There are tons of girls into extreme sports, where are their clothes? 

Celebrity: Michael Jordon

Line: Jordon (for Nike)

Established: 2004

Rating: 10

Honestly, what can I even say about Jordon? He's a legend...both on the court and in the boardroom. Just as dunking seems to come naturally to him, the man seamlessly runs his business and created a brand recognizable world wide. He turned his personal identity into one of the best selling brands in history. That's brilliant! One image is all he needed, and it's worked for decades! I don't wear them, but how can you fault a guy that singlehandedly made Nike the billion dollar business it is. 

Come back soon for the final round, Round 4: Actors, Models, and Reality Stars!