Salt Meets Wound - Part 1 of 3 - The Cranberry Brigade

Episode Synopsis: Hanna is released from the hospital, and our Pretty Little Liars rally around their friend, who later discovers her mother's stash of thousands, hidden "in a box of carbs that's been sitting untouched for ten years". Thousands which are later stolen by none other than--who else?--A, at the surprise 'Welcome Home!' party Mona throws for Hanna.
Spencer continues to puzzle over Melissa and Ian's abrupt marriage, but finds herself on the outs with Alex after 'A' decides to take things into her (his?) own hands.
Aria avoids Noel, who is not simply the pretty boy we all believed him to be. A diabolical plan invoking mistrust between Aria and Ezra is pulled off flawlessly…hmm…could Noel really be A?
Emily psychs herself up for a dinner between her parents and Maya. Maya, who manages to charm Emily's Colonel father, falls short in Emily's mother's eyes. And Emily's mother, Pam, coldly tells her daughter exactly how uncomfortable Emily and Maya's relationship is to her.
In other news, Lucas was adorable, Alison was conniving, Mona is nuts, and Jenna and Toby had some sort of relationship…yepp, they're step-siblings. Oh, and cranberry (or wine/mulberry/maroon) seems to be the color of the episode. Which was the inspiration for the titles.

Spencer's preppy, collegiate style always gets her a thumbs up from me. In her mini-recap, Kate chose the sweater pictured below as the best outfit. I have to agree with her. The cream and hot pink is a wonderful combination, and I love the detailing around the buttons. Her capris, however, are ill-fitting and look as though they were borrowed from her mother.

Undoubtedly my favourite outfit of Spencer's, ever. I love the knee-high boots, the cranberry button-up and matching cloche. The grey tweed vest is just so Spencer. I'm iffy on the lace miniskirt (it simply doesn't work with the rest of her outfit), but that gorgeous leather carryall makes up for it. The optional crossbody style makes it perfect for school, and the shape is simply perfect.

I have to say, out of all the younger Liars, Alison is the best dressed. The others seem stuck in awkward pre-teen phases. Even Spencer. Always aspiring to be more grown-up, she borrowed Melissa's too-big skirt, and cut the sleeves off her mother's gardening shirt. There is no other explanation for how ill-fitting her clothes seem to be.

For Hanna's 'Welcome Home' party, Spencer dons ankle length leggings (yech, but she pulls them off wonderfully), a tailored jean jacket in a horrible denim wash, and a sheer, embroidered…well, at first glance, I thought it was a top. But as you can see, its closer to one of those slipcovers on my grandmother's old dining room chairs.

A slightly dowdy, floral peasant top is doing nothing for Spence, who probably wants to be taken more seriously than Ali's luggage attendant.

This is so Aria. The loose, lacy, flowery top paired with a maroon baseball jacket. Two completely different styles, but Aria pulls it off with ease.

I'm on the fence about this dress. I love the tartan, the exposed gold zippers, and the fact Aria wore a long-sleeved top with it (school-appropriate, yay!). But the skirt of the dress fit oddly, and wasn't the most flattering cut.
But gosh, Aria's makeup is just stunning. Kate mentioned it in her live-tweet, and I gotta agree with her. The plush lashes, strong brow, and pink lips are simply lovely.

More tartan for Young Aria, but let's file this under 'How not to wear…'. The shiny gold belt, striped tee (are those rosettes at the neckline?) and pigtails are a bit much, but this is most definitely an Aria outfit.

I loved Aria's party dress. It looks like it could be a romper, but either way, I love it. The black fabric was studded with hundreds of little gold beads. Subtle sparkle. J'adore. The studded belt and multitude of bracelets are a nod to Aria's edgy style.

Fresh-faced little Aria really pulled off this yellow tank with roses, and the skirt is a gorgeous lighter mulberry. So much love for this outfit - it's young, without being too young.

Another loose-fitting tee for Emily, this one in a punchy cranberry. Cranberry is the recurring theme in this episode.

Though I'd never pin Emily down as a jean mini-wearing-girl, I love her outfit. I love the striped, casual cardigan, and the chestnut lace-up boots…but I mostly love her gorgeous cream bag. Cream, multiple straps, exposed zippers…ooh.

For dinner with her parents and Maya, Emily opts for a matronly wine-colored dress. Yawn, but this is further emphasizing my point that cranberry is the color of the episode...

Young Emily in an unflattering cargo skirt and teal tank. Sporty, not too fashion-counscious…yepp, definitely Em.

I do, however, love her biker-inspired sweater here. The fit is gorgeous, and I've such a weakness for off-center zippers. Plus, it's the perfect sweater to go confront Ali's supposed killer. (Who was released from jail.)

More sporty Emily! But the egg's robin blue polo looks gorgeous with her skintone.

Though I believe she does need a change of sunglasses as well, Jenna really knocks it out of the park with her lacy dark cranberry (again!) cardigan, over a simple bejewelled black tee and black pants. At least, I hope those are pants. And not leggings.

Oh, Lucas. I admit to being annoyed with him for most of the episode, but not so much near the end. ("It'll take me eleven minutes to walk home". Aww)

And his red (not cranberry, but close) tee, striped button-up, and navy jacket matched his personality to a tee. Part awkward, part adorable.

Salt Meets Wound - Part 2 of 3 - The Navy Cavalry

Poor Hanna was confined to a wheelchair for the entire episode, and her sartorial choices were quite limited. This is the same Hanna that wore that gorgeous pink silk robe and ruffled top in the hospital, right? But she was nearly run-over, so I'll forgive the baggy sweater.

Her outfit for the party is still casual, but less scruffy. The sheer top and black tank aren't quite noteworthy…but her hair? Good God, this girl has the most gorgeous hair, even when she's supposed to be incapacitated.

First, I had a bit of a laugh at the fact they made Hanna hold (or rather, hug) a bag of chips. And her dowdy, loose, baggy clothes belong to the less fabulous Hanna Marin, but they do fit her pre-Alison's-death character rather well.

More loose, non-form-fitting shirts for Hanna, and though it's apparently summer, she's still covering herself up. Chin up, Han!

I love Maya's camel-colored coat. The leather looks sumptuous, and there's some pleating detail around the buttons. It was difficult to see what she was wearing underneath, but it looks to be a cute zip-front shirt paired with an avacado-green lacy top.

For dinner with Emily's parents, Maya goes for a gorgeous, and yet still demure, strapless dress with an interesting print. And the chains and pearls necklace is a nice touch. I'm guessing the navy cardigan was worn with Emily's straitlaced mother in mind?

Mona may be the new Vanessa. Okay, not really--but kind of. Her oversized ring, hoops, and gaudy necklace are not a step in the right direction. But let's count the cringe-worthy aspects of her outfit.
Metallic bag (cringe). Too-tight mini in hideous floral print (cringe). Braided belt cinching together a too-small jean jacket (cringe).

While her first outfit was a flop, I really loved Mona's party outfit. The chandelier earrings and pendant are just enough jewelry, and the bandeau skirt paired with loose polka-dotted top is so Mona. Only cringeworthy aspect here may be the giant belt buckle.

We at YKYLF usually recap the main/supporting characters' outfits. But this girl's outfit was so great I couldn't resist. The navy and white striped dress paired with gauzy red scarf resonated with my love for all things nautical-themed. Plus, her jacket is swoon-worthy.

(OMG, hi Serena van der Woodsen! - Jen)

Oh, boys. They PLL boys are usually more fun to look at than to discuss sartorially.

Example 1: Adorable smile. Light grey tee. Dark grey sweater.

Example 2: Grey. And Navy. But Noel more than makes up for it with his adorable puppy-dog expression.

Example 3: Even when they were younger, they were boring. Or, Noel was, at least. Nothing noteworthy here, except for thank God he learned how to style his hair.

Example 4: Pretty eyes. Chinos. White button-up with peculiar pockets.  Grey and navy cardigan.

Salt Meets Wound - Part 3 of 3 - The Black Batallion

Emily's mother is always impeccably put together. Even at breakfast, when most are still in pjs and with messy hair, Pam has a perfect breakfast ready for her family, and is already dressed in a dark teal draped top and perhaps, pressed jeans?

Again, Pam looks absolutely wonderful and put together. She really would be the type of mother to expect ironed jeans. I love the slight ruffles and tweed fabric; the black belt is a nice touch.

Firstly, how cute was the mother-daughter pre-school coffee date? And Spencer's mother, Veronica, pulls off business chic with ease. Bluetooth? Check. Blackberry? Check. Conservative button-up and blazer? Check, check, and check. Though her purse (laptop case? suede and crocodile?) leaves a little to be desired.

Alison really is the best dressed of the five. This is also indicative of her personality, as I suppose she thought herself better than the other four and dressed the part. A pretty, gauzy, magenta top with rosettes and a studded black belt. Age-appropriate, yet perfect for a party.

And she continues to dress better than the others. Here, in a pretty black summer dress with drop necklace and wide belt. Her attitude has me yelling expletives at the screen, but her sartorial choices garner her a thumbs up from me.

It seems the more interesting sartorial choices were made by the so-called 'misfits' of the group. Toby here is channeling his slightly creepy bad-boy image with a leather jacket and combat boots.

I'm not sure how well this picture demonstrates this, but has anyone else noticed that A's gloves seem to be quite loose and ill-fitting? Or is this just me wondering if A is really a girl wearing men's gloves? Hm…

Mini Recap: Salt Meets Wound

Hanna's out of the hospital and you know what that means...A is just messing with her more!

Drama-rama du jour
Mona throws Hanna a surprise party...at Hanna's own house. 

Best Outfit
There wasn't one whole outfit I loved, so I'm going with Spencer's sweater/jacket--at left. The colors give it a unique twist. 

"A" Message
A sent out a few messages this week. I liked "Point, set, match."--sent to Spencer

Current "A" suspect
Still Noel. 

Steph has our full recap this week! Check back on Thursday!