Petty in Pink, Part 1 of 3: The Fairytale

Episode Synopsis: Blair goes on a date with Prince Louis, but because of his disapproving parents, they have to keep it low profile. Blair decides the best way to get Louis's advisor, Generic French Guy, off Louis's back is to convince GFG she's with Dan. Serena's stewing over Vanessa's tip from last week, so she has Charlie follow Blair and Dan to get incriminating evidence. Charlie films Blair and Dan's staged kiss and sends it to Gossip Girl. Dan and Blair tell Serena the truth, but she's upset that they've become secret friends, because Blair can't have nice things. Meanwhile, Lily is under house arrest and can't attend the party of the week, so Serena blackmails a woman named Bubbles into moving the party to the Van Der Woodsen's. After lots of Mean Girl-ing at the hands of Anne Archibald, Lily accepts that she's no longer accepted among high socity. Oh, and in the end, Blair and Louis go public. It was a big night on the UES.

I keep wanting to write about Blair's looks through the episode, but all I can think about is that gorgeous Oscar de la Renta she wears to the Pink Party. But I'll try to focus, because this was totally Blair's night of being awesome. I am increasingly sold on Blair and Dan, if for no other reason than they play off each other so well and make the dialogue fun again.

I love this nightgown slip thing. It's a return to the more feminine Blair - definitely better than last week's moping pajamas. It has a very French feel to it, non?

Initially, I was all about the date dress. It's a great shape for her - classic Blair, with the vintage shape of a fitted bodice and poufy skirt. Sure, the back is sheer, and the black bra isn't as subtle as I would expect out of Blair, but I'll let it slide. After all, I wouldn't be shocked if her reasoning was that a sheer dress landed Kate Middleton a prince, so it will definitely work for her.

Then, as I was capping and resizing pictures I spent some time looking at it. It's not just the back that's sheer. The front is, too. That's not a slip, that's a bra.

Oh, Blair. I don't hate the look, and normally I wouldn't be quite so disapproving, but it's just a little obvious for a first date. Especially given that you've got the commoner thing working against you, I doubt the prince's parents would be wild about the sheer top.

This necklace, on the other hand, is absolutely perfect, especially with the dress. Seriously, if not for the visible bra, I would be all about this whole look.

And this coat! Seriously, Blair, you're making it so hard for me to disapprove of the dress because everything around it is so perfect. I love this jacket, it looks so ridiculously comfortable, but it's still very chic. And while I didn't get a good look at the shoes, I'm guessing they're pretty awesome as well.

I had to include this cap, because it's one of my favorite exchanges from the episode: Dorota: This say, sexy and smart.

Blair: No, it says "Let’s get dinner and make a sex tape."

Blair, you were raiding Serena's closet. What else did you expect?

Finally - the Pink Party dress. The best part of the whole outfit was that everything moved really gorgeously - both the coat and the dress were really elegant and moved with Blair. Which I realize you can't see in caps, so you'll have to either watch the episode or take my word for it. It was all just amazing.

A full shot of the dress. The first viewing, I didn't catch that there was a lighter second layer along the hem, which is just so cool and unexpected. This dress may be the most perfectly Blair gown we've seen in a while - very classic, with a very strong Audrey Hepburn vibe. It looks like something straight out of Funny Face or Sabrina.

The bodice was astonishingly well-fitted. Leighton's waist looks tiny in this dress, and the neckline is just perfect. I so hope that she was allowed to keep this dress once filming wrapped. This is not a dress that should be exiled to a costuming warehouse. This is a dress that needs to live in someone's closet, so they can put it on occasionally and just twirl around in front of a mirror.

Okay, I just asked her via Twitter because now I absolutely need to know what has happened to this gorgeous dress.

And the necklace ... it's just perfect. It's Swarovski and out of my price range, but I need to find a knockoff ASAP because it's absolutely gorgeous. It must be mine.

I know, I'm gushing, but Blair's outfit was worthy of gushing. This is grownup Blair, and I love it.

The other girl who got to live out her fantasy was Lily - or, she thought she was , until she realized that you can't be a socialite on house arrest on the UES.

Lily is spending her time under house arrest just like all of us here at You Know You Love Fashion would, if we had her budget: endless online shopping.

She opts for this comfortable looking but not particularly interesting sweater. It's not terrible, but it's beige, and also the sleeves sort of look like they're trying to devour her arms.

Lily does get into the jailbird spirit with some heavy bangles, though. A little bit handcuff, a little bit rock, and completely badass. The boots are great too.

If Blair didn't look absolutely amazing, I would say Lily won Bessed Dressed. She looks gorgeous, and the shape is very distinctly Lily - one-shoulder and body conscious. The color's great, too. If nothing else, the Pink Party was fun because it made everyone wear colors and tones they would never otherwise wear.

I love these shoes and am endlessly impressed that they managed to find nail polish in the exact same color. That's dedication.

Hello, pretty earrings. They were hypnotic when Lily moved her head, because each segment moved independently. I love that even when Lily is wearing something traditional or even matronly (like the sweater from earlier) she always wears younger-feeling jewerly. Compare that with Anne Archibald, who has lovely jewelry, but it's all a little aging, like she can't wait to be a Grand Dame. Lily's still holding on to her youth, but not in a way that feels embarrassing or overt.

Oh, Dan. What have we talked about? That much chest hair in the kitchen violates health codes. You are wearing a v-neck sweater, don't you want to throw on a crew neck Hanes under it? Otherwise, it's a little ... Eurotrashy. And it's just a lot of chest hair.

Cute. I didn't mean you should throw on an absurdly large scarf. I was just asking for an undershirt. How cold does your neck get, that you need to wrap it in six feet of scarf?

Blair forces Dan to button up the chest hair for the Pink Party. She does have a knack for making him clean up well.

Daniel, we have to talk about this hair. You're not Jesse St. James, you're not Mr. Bingley from the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Get that side curl thing in check. It's distracting.

I will give credit where credit is due, though: Dan looks smoking hot in his white dress shirt.

I mean, wow. Prince who?

Oh, right. This guy.

Is it just me, or does he kind of look like Dan? Not through the jaw, but from the nose up, he has a bit of a Penn Badgley look. I noticed it in this shot, and once I saw it, Prince Louis's wardrobe started to make a lot more sense to me.

Like this jacket. It's not tailored, it's military inspired - it's lacking the clean lines you'd expect from someone who presumably has an on-call tailor.

And what he's wearing underneath isn't much better. A plaid button up? Why does that feel so familiar ...?

He dresses like the French Dan.

Then again, at least Dan had the good sense to wear a tie to the Pink Party. I don't care that he has a pink pocket square, the only other character who didn't wear a tie was Rufus. Having anything in common with Rufus sartorially is a bad, bad sign.

I fully expect to find out next week that Louis is actually the prince of the European equivalent of Williamsburg. At least that would explain why the man can't be bothered to wear a tie to a charity event.

Petty in Pink, Part 2 of 3: The Evil Stepsisters

What was Serena's malfunction this week? Blair might be kind of irrational when it comes to Serena, but she's right: Serena can't deal with taking a backseat to Blair. Serena actually managed to put together a sensible outfit for a pastry run. Not just sensible for Serena, but like, "I'm running errands in the middle of a New York winter" sensible. Her legs are covered. She isn't showing inappropriate amounts of cleavage. She almost looks like the grown-up version of the Serena we met in Season 1.

I've been reading the Season 1 recaps by Bella and Bethany (if you haven't read them, go! It's so much fun to see the headbands and uniforms again). They both have pointed out season 1 Serena's affinity for sequins, and it's definitely back in this episode. Which is fitting, given that any growth she might have had in the last three seasons is completely lost the second that she starts to lose Lonely Boy.

I am loving these rings. Not many people would try to pull off two chunky rings on one hand (except Vanessa), but Serena makes it work. Then again, she's not wearing the rest of her jewelry box, which is where Vanessa tends to go horribly awry.

Okay, this is not a coat I would ever expect Serena to own. It's just so ... meh. It's not terrible, but it reminds me of the coat you'd throw on when you have to walk your dog in a blizzard. For this kind of a recon mission, I'd expect something a little more trench coatish.

Serena's Pink Party dress is 75% perfect. It's short but covers her chest, it's tight but flattering, it's a little architectural without making her look like an intergalactic space warrior. Everything about the front of the dress works.

The back, on the other hand, starts to lose me. I love the open back - a style Serena's worn before, and it really works for her. But the ruffled bustle thing is just kind of unnecessary. It's not terrible, and it doesn't ruin the dress for me by any stretch, but I think it's just that one extra thing that goes a step too far.

Serena has her standard beachy, slightly messy ponytail. In keeping with the beachy look, she has a starfish clinging to her forearm. While it's been cited as a cuff from Anthropologie, I'm not entirely convinced that she didn't borrow a starfish from the Bronx Aquarium. They're going to be pissed when she returns it tomorrow and it's all bedazzled.

Charlie continues her Serena-lite look. I can't decide if she's borrowing from S's closet, or if she's just immediately jumped into Single White Female mode. From the waist down, they are wearing identical outfits.

Her Pink Party dress is also very Serena. If it were half an inch shorter, she'd be making Gossip Girl headlines for a wardrobe malfunction. I really like the color (although, it's a bit more coral than pink), and the pleated bandage effect is really flattering and interesting.

But the point stands: this is a really short dress. Especially once Charlie starts moving. This picture is a great reminder that actresses aren't like the rest of us - they don't have to wear control top tights.

One slight deviation in the all Serena, all the time wardrobe Charlie's adopted - it looks like the coat was borrowed from Lily's closet. Smart girl - borrowing from Serena for the dress, but going to Lily for the overcoat to make it elegant. Charlie's proving to be a quick study of all things UES.

I know the minions generally try to coordinate, but Penelope and Blonde Minion (Jessica?) are wearing skirts made of the exact same pattern. That's a little much.

Do you think their classmates ever notice and talk about it? Or has everyone on campus just accepted that it's perfectly normal for two grown women to play "Twinsies" every single day?

If you don't see the rest of her outfit, Penelope looks amazing. Her hair is super shiny - we're talking Blair season 1 shiny. I'm kind of shocked Blair hasn't demanded Penelope get a pixie cut or something, because Penelope's putting Blair's flat, dull hair to shame. The blue headband is cute and works with her coloring. Her makeup's impeccable. She even manages to wear layered necklaces without having them be too much.

If you could just ignore her politician's wife jacket and dowdy skirt, you'd never know she's a lowly minion.

Blonde Minion almost makes up for Penelope's sensible jacket with this scoop back blouse. If anyone can ID it, please do - granted, I probably can't afford it, but I'd love to fantasize about wearing it tucked into dark wide leg jeans.

Oh, minions. The fact that Blair even let you show up to this party wearing those dresses is a sign that love has made B a more benevolent dictator. Everything about their dresses looks cheap.

Poor Penelope. She tries so hard, but she just never learns. I think she might be self-sabotaging at this point, because there's no way she's spent this much time with Blair and she still doesn't know how to dress herself. This dress makes her look huge, and the necklace isn't helping matters. Never mind that it looks cheap and junky, the necklace makes her look thicker. Yes, somehow Penelope has managed to wear a necklace that makes her look fat.

I have to seriously wonder if the actress got on Eric Daman's bad side. Penelope's never been great at dressing herself, but this is just beyond. Maybe it's Blair's way of punishing her for having lustrous, healthy hair.

Blonde Minion isn't faring all that well either. Her makeup makes her look really washed out. It's a pink-themed party, couldn't she have at least gone with a very on-trend bold pink lip? As for her necklaces, it looks like she forgot to accessorize before leaving the house, so she popped into Claire's for a quick fix. It's all plastic looking and fake, without any cohesiveness to the layering. Just ... bad. Not "does this necklace make me look fat?" bad, but bad.

Anne Archibald's back, all crazy eyes and vengeance.

Seriously, is this a woman you would trust? I'm not even sure I'd let her in the door.

Anne was so excited to knock Lily down a peg, Anne didn't even notice that she had left the house in an actual, honest-to-God color. I'm sure once she gets home and her champagne-and-bitchery buzz wears off, she'll start hyperventilating the minute she realizes she's not wearing ecru.

Points for the jewelry, though. I love the pearl necklace - the grey strand is a really nice touch, as is the flower clasp.

I would love to see Anne become a formidable antagonist for Lily. It's time to bring the social climbing drama and backstabbing back to Gossip Girl.

Petty in Pink, Part 3 of 3: The Plotless

Chuck, even in a post-coke daze, still manages to make his pajamas into an outfit. I mean, the man took the time to add a pocket square to his robe.

A pocket square that coordinates with his pajama bottoms.

He may exist solely for brooding purposes these days, but at least he's well dressed for the occasion.

Chuck's style has changed over the years (I miss the scarves but am glad to be rid of the Wall Street-esque suspenders), but one thing has been constant: he has a unique ability to wear different patterns and look put together.

His suit has a very faint plaid, his shirt is checked, and his tie is covered in circles. Three different patterns, but he somehow manages to not look like the male Vanessa Abrams.

And then he tops it all off with a checked overcoat.

So, in total, he's wearing an outfit with four different patterns. Then again, he is venturing across the river to a diner in Jersey, so he probably felt he had to step it up a notch, to avoid catching Secaucus.

I'm still recovering from the Eric-deficiency of the last few seasons, so whenever he's onscreen I get way too excited. He looks so preppy-casual in his button down and khakis. On anyone else, I'd hate the sloppily rolled cuffs on anyone else (Nate), but it's Eric, so it's okay.

For the Pink Party, Eric brings it with a pink bowtie. I'd like to think it was passed down to him from big brother Chuck.

Vanessa made a brief appearance. You'd think, with all those neutrals and very few accessories, that she might have turned over a new leaf. Maybe she's finally seen the errors in her ways - both socially and sartorially.

Except that her jacket appears to be molting, revealing its sequin-scaled skin. Oh, and she managed to be totally ungrateful and self-righteous when Dan was trying to extend a peace offering. She just can't help herself, can she?

Raina and Nate were also in this episode, but they're so painfully boring I kind of can't deal with them. Can you guess what they wore? If you guessed "A tight dress in a very pretty color and a plaid shirt with unwashed hair," you're right.

Seriously, are there two characters more boring than these two? They're perfect together in their own little subplot where I can continue to ignore them. Rufus continues his zip-up sweater and collared shirt look - nothing to write home about there. In fact, the only reason I'm including him in this post is because he needs a Pantservention.

I think I speak for all of us here at You Know You Love Fashion when I say:

Rufus, your pants are too tight. Like, way too tight. I can see the cell phone in your front pocket. If I can identify what you're carrying in your pockets, your pants are too tight.

I don't care if you were in a band during the 90s. The 90s ended ten years ago. You didn't know that CBGBs closed - and it closed in 2006.You are no longer a rock star. You are an UES trophy husband, and these are not the pants of an UES trophy husband. It's time to accept that.

And stop pretending you have pull on the UES. As tonight so clearly proved, you are not one of the ladies who lunch. You cannot pull strings to get galas moved. Your purpose is to look pretty, support Lily, and prepare ridiculously elaborate breakfasts.

XOXO,

You Know You Love Fashion

Mini Recap: Pretty in Pink

This episode hails as the best in "bitchy moments": Lily calls out Anne, Blair calls out Serena, and Dan finally tells Vanessa to GO AWAY...it's an Easter miracle!

Party du Jour
The Pink Party

Best Line
"The only thing thicker than blood is the ink on Page Six." -Eric

Best Outfit
Honestly, it's a three-way tie. Blair, Serena and Lily all looked phenomenal   

Headshaker
Vanessa's lacy/sequined jacket. I mean pretty much everything she wears is awful but when most everyone else looked freakin amazing...it really stood out as exceptionally bad. 

Amanda is recapping all the pinky goodness on Thursday!