Hi, Society - Part 1 of 3 - The Debutantes

Summary:  Gossip Girls, it’s Debutante season!  Blair, of course, considers this one of the most important days of her life, so she naturally selects royalty to be her escort.  Chuck and Nate however, have other plans.  Nate’s seen how relaxed she is lately—not realizing that it’s his best friend who’s “working out” all of Blair’s tension.  He decides he wants her back, and despite the secret sexual thrall Chuck has over her, Blair agrees.  Lily’s mother CeCe appears, Banquo-like, determined that Serena will make her debut and she’ll make it with Carter Baizen, who’s decided that looking like Matthew McConaughey between movies won’t win our fair maiden’s heart.  Allison Humphrey has her art show debut the same night as the ball, and can’t win her daughter away from the diamonds and dancing that Lily holds out like a lure.  And Allison definitely can’t keep Dan away from the belle of the ball, Serena.

The Debutante Ball is an event practically tailored for the likes of Blair Waldorf.  There’s gowns, polished parquet floors, champagne and backstabbing girls—and nevermind the formal dancing.

Here’s what Blair chooses to wear to the debutante rehearsal:  a navy romper, a matching blue tie, ruffled white shirt, and bright red tights.  This outfit is another example of the individual parts not being nearly as good as the whole.  I probably shouldn’t love this, but I do anyway.  Rompers have been blasted more than once on YKYLF, but I have to admit, if you’re going to wear a romper, this is the way to do it.  Blair looks crisp and classic and colorful—and wonderful.

This is literally the second time we’ve seen Blair wear jeans (or really, pants of any kind).

And now we know why.  It’s not her body—despite what she thinks, her body is practically flawless—it’s the cut of the jeans.  I know from personal experience, skinny jeans don’t work very well if you have short legs.

However, the rest of the outfit is a breath of fresh air for Blair.  The camel cable sweater paired with the wide-collared emerald green corduroy jacket is a nice combination and is lovely with her coloring.  Plus, it’s really nice to see Blair wear something more casual once in awhile.

It’s odd to see the above outfit compared to the one below, also worn while supposedly just lying around the house.

This filmy purple dress with a magenta sash is lovely.  It’s fun and flirty, paired with the black slingback stilettos, though I find it rather formal attire for a casual evening at home.

I wish we could have seen more of this ivory eyelet dress worn with pearls and a dainty pale gold headband.  But even what we see of it, I think we can give Blair a big A+ for looking her best at the reception held for the debutantes.

And finally, we come to the most important outfit Blair wears until she gets married.

Her debutante gown.

Okay, so I’m fairly sure that I’m going to get tarred and feathered for this, but from the moment I saw it, I thought this dress was a massive error in judgment.  It’s astonishing that for the first gown Eric Daman ever designed for the show, he decided to create this monstrosity.

The silvery brocade fabric isn’t terrible, though close up it looks very matronly.

I can’t even talk about the bow.  I’ve been permanently scarred by its parrot-like quality, perched there, right on the Queen B’s shoulder.  The rest of the bodice isn’t so bad, though from this angle it looks particularly ill-fitted on the opposite-bow shoulder.  Oh wait.  Those are pleats and they’re supposed to be there.

Undoubtedly, the very worst part of this dress is the bottom half, which resembles a car wash—plus makes Blair look chunky, which she is most definitely not.

My good friend Bella, when hearing I was going to be doing a recap of "Hi, Society," insisted that I specifically talk about both Blair and Chuck’s gloves.  As for Blair’s, sorry Bella, I can’t say that I’m a fan of them.

It’s not the idea of the gloves I dislike, but the execution.  The fabric the gloves were made in is the same silver brocade as the dress, and it’s too bulky to make a sleek-fitted glove.

On a more positive note, the simple chignon is classic and elegant, and I like the understated makeup.  However, I have to give my overwhelming approval for the necklace she’s wearing, as well as her drop diamond earrings.

Sorry, Blair, I have to be honest—this was not your best moment.  But, don’t worry, you’ll do better next time.

Oh Chuck, you break me with your suave style.

Could anyone else wear a checked khaki jacket with a St. Jude’s uniform and the famous (or infamous) scarf?  I think not.

Chuck truly brings it this episode.

I love this gray wool jacket with contrasting black trim.  The collar is so cool, with its buttons and unusual shape.  It works great in combination with the light pink shirt and blue polka-dotted ascot.

As much as I love formal Chuck, I love casual Chuck even more—he gets really creative with his look.  This big toggle-buttoned coat is simply awesome, though I’m not entirely sure about these jeans stuffed into the boots.  He kind of looks like a hunter on vacation, which is nearly the exact opposite of what he actually is: a scheming, womanizing, boozing billionaire’s son.

Okay, I lied.  I adore formal Chuck too.  This is honest to god one of the best formal Chuck moments to date or perhaps even the future (though I positively worship his sparkly tux in "It’s a Wonderful Lie").

This tuxedo is a miracle of sartorial sumptuousness.

The sparkly white shirt, paired with the satin bow tie and placket and large cuffs?  Glorious.

The severely tailored jacket?  Even more glorious.

The shiny skinny pants?  Um, not so glorious.

And for Bella, I will admit that Chuck’s gloves here are fantastic.  A million times better than Blair’s.  Plus, who doesn’t like a gentleman in gloves?  Not that Chuck is necessarily a gentleman, but he’s a bad boy masquerading as one, which is so much better.

Oh, look.  It’s more rumpled St. Jude’s uniforms from Nate!  What a huge surprise.

Does the man even know how to straighten a tie?  Or tuck in a shirt?

To woo Blair back, Nate changes into a casual outfit—and more astonishingly, it isn’t blue.

Actually, the sweater isn’t bad.  I like the little argyle detail in the upper right hand corner; its slightly more creative than what he generally wears.  An improvement overall.

But when he gets fitted for his tuxedo, we see him take about ten steps back from the green sweater. 

This tux seems like the first step in Nate’s plan to dress more interesting (or perhaps more like Chuck?), but he’s apparently decided he wants to go into the music industry and moonlight as MC Hammer.

Blair, who’s supposed to be supervising this fitting, is clearly a little distracted by a certain bad boy, because she doesn’t tell Nate that he looks ridiculous.

Admittedly, once the tux is properly fit, it does look better, but I still think the grey was an unfortunate choice that Blair definitely should have vetoed, even if it did match her dress.

Carter Baizen, Chuck’s nemesis, is back this episode and he’s been told by Grandma Cece that he has to win Miss Serena's heart.

This isn’t a terrible formal tuxedo look, but it seems off somehow.  The bow tie and vest are ill-fitting and an excessively boring dark gray when paired with the stark black and white of his shirt and jacket.  Plus, there’s too much gel in his hair.  Would you consider me crazy if I told you I thought he looked a lot more interesting before, when he was a globe-trotting, poker-playing peacekeeper?

Kati and Iz are obviously participating in the debutante activities as well, but instead of looking youthful,  they're straight out of Driving Miss Daisy instead.

Kati looks almost respectable here.  Her jacket and jewelry are much closer to chic than Isabel’s layered pearls and the matronly sweater paired with an Indiana Jones hat.

Unfortunately, we don’t get any view of Iz’s debutante gown, but probably due to Kati’s vastly superior reception outfit, we do get to see hers.

Unfortunately she fails pretty hard at the actual ball itself.  This gown, if we can call it that, is a real hot mess.  In fact, I don’t even think it’s a “gown”—it’s more of a skirt with beaded vest.  The skirt isn’t so bad, it’s more that it makes her look heavy.  The vest is really where she loses me because when you’re a debutante, you definitely want to look as unclothed as possible.

The final blow are those hideous gloves, with those ugly fluted edges that look straight out of A Knight’s Tale.  Nevermind that whoever was her date decided to give her a corsage made out of puff balls, some mistletoe, and one of Blair’s bow headbands.

Hi, Society - Part 2 of 3 - The Art Show

Oh, Little J.  What a cute beret!

I love it when Jenny goes straight for the adorable factor, like she does here.  That’s when she works it best.

However, we pull to a larger view, and the adorable factor segues into . . .

. . .well, something that’s pretty much the opposite of either adorable or cute.

I’m not sure if her legs have somehow taken on the characteristics of an oopma-loompa or if Jenny’s decided she doesn’t want to be Blair’s disciple anymore, and instead has switched to Lindsay Lohan.

Despite those incredibly unfortunate tights paired with those clunky brown boots (which, for the record match nothing in her ensemble), she doesn’t look too horrific from the waist up.  The jacket thing is kind of ugly, and the Humphrey Plaid Mania strikes again, but if it had been just a dress, instead of a tunic, it would have been marginally improved.  I like the potential of the darker blue and green plaid pleated skirt, but unfortunately almost completely hidden by the jacket/tunic/plaid painter’s smock thing.

You can’t see the dress she’s wearing underneath this pretty gray swing coat very well, but I wanted to include this picture if only for her gorgeous hair.  Maybe if I stare at it for five minutes without blinking, turn around three times, and spit on the ground, I’ll manage to exorcise of the demons of Jenny’s extensions in future Gossip Girl seasons.

Jenny isn’t, of course, a debutante herself (yet) but when she claims in front of Lily Van der Woodsen how much she adores the idea of a debutante ball, Lily instantly recruits her as a volunteer.

Here’s the dress she wears to the event itself:

While it’s not exactly objectionable (though the lace skirt paired with the satin training-bra like bodice is kind of tacky), it’s not great either.  It looks like something I might have had in my dress-up box when I was five years old.  The perfect dress to wear when I played Pretty, Pretty Princess.

Still, not a half-bad attempt, and reminds us that Jenny is still quite young.  My only truly negative comment is regarding that cheap-looking heart pendant necklace.  I found it very difficult to believe that cutting-edge Jenny Humphrey, who lives in a Brooklyn loft, would be caught wearing something so cliché.

Brooklyn-to-the-core Allison is desperate to try to keep a hold on her daughter, but maybe she isn’t do the greatest job.  Maybe if Allison was a little more like the glamorous Lily and less like . . .herself, she’d be more effective.

When you wear an ill-fitting t-shirt the color of rotten vomit and a saggy pink sweater with weird rose-like buttons, your daughter can’t exactly look up to you as a fashion role model.

I’ve mentioned before that the grownups on Gossip Girl have a terrible time dressing their age.  They seem to either dress far too young, or veer off in a matronly direction.

This is definitely the former, not the latter.  It actually looks like a dress that Jenny might pick out for herself, and look good in.  On the much older Mrs. Humphrey, it looks too girlish and more than a bit naïve.  Are those flowers on the neckline?  Starfish?  I guess you could make the argument that it’s possibly a vintage find, but even that’s wearing a bit thin.  For an art opening, even in Brooklyn, a simple cotton sundress is just too informal.

On a positive note, her hair looks wonderful up, and I like her understated but present makeup.  With a better dress, she might have actually earned a YKYLF gold star.  So close, Allison, but yet so far.

As for Allison’s husband Rufus, I have to first do my duty and point out his newest plaid.

The man owns so many plaid shirts, it’s a wonder he has room in the loft to store all of them.

I actually don’t mind this shirt and jacket combination.  It’s a bit unusual and kind of off-beat for Rufus, and it isn’t plaid—which are two things I’m incredibly thankful for.  Plus, it’s definitely nice to be able to write about something other than plaid when it comes to Rufus.

The shirt itself has some really interesting pattern going on, and I like the dull red and cream paired with the dark navy blue wide stripe of his jacket.  Plus, Rufus seems to have finally gotten the right length for his hair.  It’s not cropped too short or threatening to go mullet-wild.

Dan goes full-on Brooklyn for the debutante reception.  I think it’s possible he was feeling a little too mainstream, and felt the need to dig into his cardigan collection to remind him of his hipster roots.

I find it incredibly difficult to believe that Serena actually let him leave the loft that way.  Shirt untucked, with that hideous striped cardigan.

For the record, Dan, a cardigan isn’t a replacement for a nice sport coat, which we all know you own.

Of course, if he’d worn the sport coat, he couldn’t have vented about all his avant-garde lifestyle choices.  That would have been hypocritical and Dan Humphrey’s anything but hypocritical.  Right?

I actually like this tuxedo that he wears to the Debutante Ball itself.  You can tell he’s trying to make a statement by not wearing some cookie cutter black and white tuxedo, and on top of that, it looks good on him.  Different, yes, but not too different.

The dark colors work well on him, and unlike so many times before, Dan doesn’t attempt to formalize a casual outfit or dumb down a nice one.  He walks the fine line flawlessly  here.

The slightly lighter grayish-blue shirt with dark vest and bow tie is a nice combination.  To my shock (and probably Serena’s too) he not only looks good, but presentable at a formal occasion.

Hi, Society - Part 3 of 3 - The van der Woodsen Women

There are three generations of female van der Woodsens present at the Debutante Ball.  Let’s start with Grandma CeCe Rhodes, who is appearing (I believe) on Gossip Girl for the very first time.  The casting directors did a wonderful job selecting three actresses who could very well be three generations of the same family.  The three women look eerily similar.

CeCe appears to be making up for lost time by appearing in a grand total of six outfits her first time.  She might be even more of a clotheshorse than Lily and Serena put together.

I adore this suit.  It’s got a wonderful chic vibe to it, and the powder blue color and the cut are both very flattering.  I especially like the scarf, with its touches of the same blue of the suit, with other complimentary shades.  Also, I really respect the decision to give CeCe longer hair for an older lady.  A close-cropped haircut wouldn’t have looked nearly as elegant or refined, and despite the gin she drinks, make no mistake.  CeCe exudes class.

CeCe wears this briefly, but I loved the pattern so much I had to include it.

Wonderful rich colors—purple and gold and green.  But the real winner is the design.

This could be nightwear—Serena herself is in a negligee and robe during this scene—but I love the curling white embroidery.  Only CeCe would wear enormous pearl studs to bed.

A glorious red cowl-necked sweater.  The multi-strand necklaces are a nice touch, and her hair is flawlessly done.  As shocked as I am to say it, I think CeCe might be more perfectly put together than her daughter, Lily.

Alright so the coat is ugly—shapeless and blob-y—but the eggplant pantsuit looks suspiciously like something Anne Archibald wore only a few episodes back.  Either Eric Daman and co. dyed it purple for the Rhodes grande dame to wear or it came from the same designer.

With so many diverse costume changes under her belt, I admit I was expecting something spectacular for the Debutante Ball itself.

Instead what we get is this:

The pearls are gorgeous, but the prim, very conservative navy blue suit with gold trim on the collar is perhaps a bit much.  Also, I liked her hair much better down.  This makes her look like she intends to suck the joy and happiness out of the world one life at a time.

Lily, like her mother, oozes class out of her almost non-existent pores.  This gray dress with camel accents she wears to the dance rehearsal makes her look ten years longer.

Her purse sets my pulse racing because I have a lust for bags that is probably unhealthy.  This one definitely qualifies.

This is a great black dress that Lily wears to the ball.  The cut is definitely sexy, but not too sexy for her age.  The drop pearl necklace is beautiful, and adds a very elegant touch.  The only niggling complaint I have is that the fabric on the bodice is a bit bulky looking and makes her chest look slightly flat and saggy.  It could perhaps be fitted tighter or made from a different fabric, perhaps?

The third generation of the van der Woodsen women is Serena, the avant-garde couture princess of the show.  

As she and Blair walk to the rehearsal, she wears one of her modified Constance-Billard uniforms.  The oversize men’s cardigan has gold sequins, paired with a loose tie, and a short pleated plaid skirt.  Of all the uniforms Serena’s worn over her school career, this is one of my favorites and defines Serena’s style the best.

I love her knee-high gray socks with the clunky t-strap heels.  A great outfit overall and she looks absolutely fabulous.

Serena continues her episode of strikes with this daring gray dress she wears to the debutante reception.  Gray can often be boring, but it looks wonderful on blondes—especially Lily and her daughter, Serena.  The sequined straps paired with the tight brocade bodice is extraordinarily flattering and her hair looks stunning.

I just wish we could have seen the rest of the dress.

The ballgown that Serena wears blows everyone out of the water, including Blair.  Wait.  Especially Blair, considering the brocade fail she wore.

Like Blair’s gown, I know Serena’s has been polarizing.  However, I adore it.  It’s so Serena. She would never wear white or ivory or silver.  She’d wear something brighter, a little more daring.  Gold is perfect for her, and it lights up her whole face.  The brocade of Serena’s dress is a perfect fit for the style of this gown, and I love the way it falls to the floor with little rosettes of fabric.  The bodice is flawlessly fitted, though a bit low, and I love the gold sequin detail.

Her hair is fairly casual for such a formal occasion, but I think, just like the dress, the style suits her enormously.  The wrapped ponytail with the perfect blond waves looks stunning.  Definitely a home run for Princess Serena.