Panic Roommate - Part 1 of 3 - The Ones With a Goal

Episode Synopsis:It was an episode of schemes this week. Blair schemes to achieve a perfect performance review - going so far as to attempt to pimp Chuck out to relieve Epperly's stress. When Chuck declines, Nate (who, it turns out, loves The Sound of Music) takes his best friend's place and abandons his beloved pool table for a day.
Raina and Russell scheme to buy Bass Industries, but a certain Bass schemes to make Raina fall in love with him, in order to save Bass Industries.
Dan, Eric, and Damien scheme to get rid of Ben, who has taken up residence in the Humphrey loft. Lily isn't around to cause trouble this episode, leaving Serena and Ben to confront their true feelings for each other (or B may be right - as per usual - and Serena could be more in love with the idea of Ben than Ben…). Rufus is around, but besides playing a minor role in giving Ben a room, he just wears sweaters and eats cereal. Florence and the Machine also made an appearce, performing a stunning acoustic of Cosmic Love.

I like this outfit. In theory. B's ruffled canary silk de la Renta blouse has gorgeous unfinished edges and pairs nicely with the skirt and cardigan. But paired with the pleating in her cardigan, it's too much and simply unflattering. This goes for the Bensoni skirt as well - the sectioning and stripes aren't doing her any favors.

B won best outfit this week, and I have to agree with Jen.  The camel coat is also Bensoni (from Fall 2010, I believe), and I just adore the slightly puffed shoulder and fuller skirt. The buttons are a nice touch, too. I absolutely love her mahogany leather gloves. And that scarf? Ooh, red and dark purple ombre. J'adore. (Also - I have found a new way to tie my scarves…)

Too much red in this outfit. Her Marc Jacobs clutch is a nice break from all the red (red lips, red dress, red coat). Would've preferred a black coat instead - and perhaps with more shape?

I may have squealed when I spotted this Versus (Fall 2010) dress on Blair - I coveted from the moment I saw it on the runway. It's a shame you can't see the full dress, because it really is lovely. I've included a picture of Versus' model in the dress below. Just pretend it's Blair. And the fabric is far less garish in real life.
I do take issue with her necklace, however. It's a lovely piece, but the halter neck of the dress obstructs it from lying properly. It's awkward and slightly hovering on top of the dress' neckline instead.

(image courtesy of style.com)

I really hope Blair steps it up sartorially once starting her new job. The loose silk top would be gorgeous if paired with a black pencil skirt and without the beige Valentino cardigan. Speaking of the cardigan, the weird ribbing and bulky fabric (plus those ugly tulle shoulder flowers) adds unnecessary bulk and just looks weird.
Also, brocade Theory shorts. Who thought to make high-waisted shorts in a beige brocade fabric? They match my table runner exactly.

Only Chuck Bass would wait around for a girl in polka-dotted silk pyjamas and a paisley robe,complete with red pocket square.
I prefer him in Blair's robe (and bed).
Anyone else agree with me?

I dub this episode, "The One Where Chuck Makes Funny Faces". (I'm on a Friends kick, hence the titles). Case in point: his quasi-awkward nervous laugh after turning around to see Raina and his (and Blair's) expression upon seeing Epperly and Nate. I didn't even try to capture them in these screencaps, I swear. It just happened.
See? His facial expressions make up for the barely intriguing ensemble. Pink plaid, navy paisley, pink pocket square…nothing new here.

More funny facial expressions! His double-breasted coat may look a bit like Nate's, but it's sharp tailoring is so Chuck Bass.

At first glance, a boring black suit. Upon a closer look, a polka-dotted pocket square and striped-patterned tie. But am I the only one who thinks the picture on the right is hilarious?

There wasn't a funny expression in which he wore this (yawn-worthy) suit. Je suis désolé, mes amies.
(Side note: Lots of polka dots and paisley for Chuck this episode.)

A friend and I were discussing the fact that we may actually prefer Vanessa (I know - I'm cringing as I type this) over Raina. How can this be possible?
Well.
Vanessa: Bad hair, too much jewellery. Boho-chic-without-the-chic wardrobe.
Raina: Bad hair, obnoxious jewellery. Shiny, tight, revealing (in other words, Serena-style) dresses. Unconventional fur (or velour?) hat. Carries python.
Case 1)
Too tight dress with far too low a neckline (I almost feel like I should be censoring the right pic). Like the ruffles, though.

Case 2)

Python (shudder) bag. Velour/fur beret - the fact that I can't tell if it's fur (I'm going to guess chinchilla) or velour is frightening in itself. But her coat is a lovely color and the sharp, almost masculine cut is a testament to her position at Thorpe Enterprises.

Case 3)

A too-shiny slip that bypasses luxe and heads straight for gaudy.
I, for one, am impressed she managed to wear that slip under that skintight navy dress of hers.

Case 4)

I'll stop harping about the shiny fabric and concentrate on two things instead: a) the odd cut (the neckline and angle of the sleeves are not flattering) coupled with the odder folding & draping in the front. And b) the mess of black stones masquerading as a necklace.

Case 5)

I do like the soft dove grey and lucite buttons of her coat. But her over-processed, almost plasticky-looking hair earns her another point in the bad hair category.

Case 6)

Giant amber earrings she could have borrowed from Lily. Her dress is too tight and pulls in unflattering areas.

(I rest my case.)

A rather mundane wardrobe from the CEO of Thorpe Enterprises, which means he gets one compilation of pictures rather than multiple separate pictures. I would run out of words otherwise.
I will give him this: the man knows how to match without being overly matchy.

Panic Roommate - Part 2 of 3 - The Ones With a Scheme

A pretty unassuming outfit from Dan. Grey henley, black jeans. Yawn.

But then…Lonely Boy does something odd. He changes. In the middle of the day. To see Serena.
It may be the lighting, but if you look closely enough, you'll notice the henley on the left has four buttons (two of which are unbuttoned, because they'll use any excuse for Dan's chest hair to make an appearance), and a higher neckline. The henley on the right is not only slightly darker, but has three buttons and a lower neckline.
While we're on the topic of Dan's chest hair, I'd like to ask the CW where its mention in the credits is. I'd label it a recurring guest star, because we've had a respite from it lately…only to have it catch us unaware. Kind of like Georgina.

I must be coming down with something. But Dan…Dan is…he's…well…he's well-dressed here. (Major amount of effort went into typing that.) But it's true, no? There's really nothing bad to say about a tailored, well-fitting wool coat and reasonable stripe & plaid (gotta remember, he's from Brooklyn) scarf.

Then he reminds us he's still good ol' Cabbage Patch, and wears a speckled blazer and grey button-up.

Forget well-dressed. Olive green sweater and jeans…I bet if I photoshopped Rufus' head in, no one would know the difference. (Except for the fact that I am a horrible photoshopper.)

Wait…there just might be hope yet. Another well-fitted wool coat and this time, without a plaid scarf! Well done, Brooklyn.

I loved Eric's outfit. Let's forget about the plaid shirt - because it's mostly covered up, right? The toggle-button wool coat, cuffed jeans (!), and perfectly worn-in loafers are just too cute.

An unimaginative outfit, sure, but I'm 99.9% sure his button-up isn't white. Oh, no. It's the faintest blush pink.

For a second, I thought Eric hadn't changed from his first outfit. But check out the plaid collar - it's changed! Maybe this is why he wears the plaid. To assure us that he didn't sleep in yesterday's clothes (or worse, re-wear them).

Much like the first time we saw him this season (4x11), Damien wears all-black

Then mixes it up for the W party with a navy polka-dotted pocket square.

Then looks as though he's already been cut-off in a nondescript navy T, sweater, and grey jacket. Actually, he looks a bit like he's been shopping in Nate's closet. This is almost an exact replica of Nate's running outfits.

Panic Roommate - Part 3 of 3 - The Ones With Nothing Better To Do

Say hello to Nate (in Rufus' green plaid shirt), and his new best friend - the pool cue. He spent the entire last episode, and the beginning of this one, playing pool. Much like Dan's chest hair, I think his NBPC (New Best Pool Cue) deserves a mention in the credits.

But Nate steps it up in the outerwear department. Unlike Dan, he only wears one navy wool-jacket. Wait. Nate only gets to wear one wool coat, but Dan gets two? Blasphemy.
In any case, the brown suede elbow patches and matching strips on the sleeve cuffs are a nice touch.

Nate's W party outfit isn't even worth bringing up. Methinks he misses his pool cue.

I realized everyone would rather  a) gaze lustfully at Blair's gorgeous outerwear ensemble or b) read why I may prefer Vanessa over Raina. So to minimize boredom, I've compiled all of Rufus' boring outfits into one picture.
A few noteworthy things:
The little fur collar (and perhaps lining?) on his jacket (far right picture). My, oh my, how well he's acculturated into the UES.
Dan's expression (also included to minimize your boredom). I guess the judge-y expression never really leaves him.

Serena's been remarkably covered up the past few episodes. This outfit, in particular, is a bit reminiscent of the one she wore to visit Ben in 4x11.
I like the knitted grey vest-shrug, the simple sea-green necklace, and the sequined skirt. The skirt is a high point for S - it's subtly sparkly, and not flashy in the least.
(Side note: Serena always seems to be protesting/grumbling about something in these screencaps. I didn't even do this on purpose, honest. We already have 'the Serena Pout', maybe this is 'the Serena whine'?)

Another winner for outerwear this episode. Love the coat (she looks so cozy!), covet the boots, own the scarf (in navy), and am currently hunting down that Falchi bag (isn't it just perfect?). Eric Daman really excels in outerwear this episode. Serena looks gorgeously put-together. Everything complements each other, without being overtly matchy (perhaps she and Russell are sharing notes).

Yes, it's pink. And sequined. But I really love this Kaufmanfranco dress on Serena. It's daring and girly and fun at the same time. The sequined Valentino scarf does a good job of covering up her cleavage at first, but even without it, the dress is so cleverly designed that it's not really that revealing. Another winner for S, in my book.

(NB: First pic - the Serena whine. Second pic - the Serena pout.)

I really wanted to love this. The top is a bit like Anne's in 4x11 (so many 4x11 references!), but it's a definite Monet. Instead of looking luxe, up close it somewhat resembles rolled-up-spray-painted-glued-on tinfoil from my first grade projects. The jeans fit nicely, but those boots…from the tassels, I'm guessing Vanessa left those behind.
Also, we finally have proof that Serena is human. After a sleepless night spent worrying about Ben, her hair definitely looks the part.

I know he was recently released from prison, but does anyone else think Ben's a bit…skinny?
Maybe it's the navy blue button up. Which he must have gotten from Nate (you know, because Nate only wears plaid now).

The only piece of outerwear this episode that garners a solid 'meh' from me. Not much else to be said.

Ben's outfit to the W party (and later, jail), is a bit reminiscent of Dan's early I'm-a-Brooklynite-attending-a-UES-party outfits.

Blair's boss, Epperly, clearly has a penchant for dresses (or skirts) paired with blazers. I don't blame her, this was pretty much my go-to for my internship. Except my internship was at a hedge fund. Epperly works at W. I would've loved to see more Carine Roitfeld or Grace Coddington in her ensembles - alas, she's "trad[ed] W for Eat, Pray, Love."

Lovely outerwear. The cranberry scarf and minimalist coat are gorgeous. And her hair! It is what Serena's should aspire to be.

I like the chunky gold cuff and necklace, wish we could have gotten a better look at the oversized top-zip clutch, though! The navy blue suede looks lovely.

Fairly boring dark mulberry dress. She works at W? Really?

A freakishly calm Epperly in another blazer-and-skirt combo. Love the chunky cuff (right on trend there, too), but hate the necklaces. One too many, and they do nothing to add interest to her outfit.

Mini Recap: Panic Roomate

OMG, did you know Damien is a bad guy? Yeah, he totally is!

Party du Jour
Yet another W Magazine bash. Do magazines normally host this many parties?

Best Line
Blair: "You're trading W for Eat, Pray, Love?"

Best Outfit
B's tasteful outwear, shown at left. Yes, please!

Headshaker
Dan and Eric decide to out Damien? I'd watch out...he strikes me as the sort who will gladly cut a bitch.

Steph will have all the dish in her full recap this Thursday!