The Townie - Part 1 of 2 - The Jetsetters, Roadtrippers, and Townies

Episode Synopsis: This week’s episode was one of revelations, confessions, and discovery. Lily’s fantastic parenting skills and expertise as a hostess finally came to the forefront, as did her deception in sending Ben to jail and betrayal of selling Bass Industries.

In a series of flashbacks, we finally get the entire story of Serena's supposed boarding school transgressions with Ben...I mean, Mr. Donovan. Intercut with said flashbacks, we have Dan, Blair, and Rufus' vintage Morris Minor Convertible (Two For the Road, anyone?) as they search into Juliet’s past. Joining the unlikely pair is Damien, who leads the trio to Mrs. Sharp, Juliet’s normal, townie mother.

Juliet herself arrives home, is greeted by the mailman, later spots the UESiders, and books it back to NY just in time to threaten S. The Archibalds’ family drama finally comes to a head as Anne admits she and the Captain could never work.

The half-season finale ends with Chuck off to possibly recruit his enemy - Jack Bass, Serena seeing Ben after all these years, and Blair and Dan...washing dishes and sharing a moment.

We didn't see much of Chuck this episode - but as per usual, he was looking dapper in a suit and tie. Suit, pink-and-navy shirt-tie combination, gold Rolex, and a glass of scotch. Classic Chuck Bass, not much more to say.
Except this line: "My face actually hurts from smiling so much."

I'm still wondering why Chuck Bass, who owns a bowtie and coordinating pocket square in every color of the rainbow, would choose grey and pink for a holiday party. We've seen Chuck in so many suits they're beginning to blend together. As much as I love suited and booted Chuck, I miss the whimsy of his season one and two outfits.

Yeah, I'm confused too, Chuck. Why is there a picture of Lily (whom I mistakenly thought was Juliet during my livetweet - Lily's doctor is good) with the same dress, updo, and earrings behind you? Why the paisley bowtie and grey suit with subtle pink running throughout?

This, Juliet, is how you travel. With a woollen grey sweater that bears no resemblance to Rufus' and leather overnighters. We'll pretend to forget where you're going, and more importantly why you're going, because your pocket square is shaped like a rose, and lavender looks good on you.

Quelle horreur! The Queen B and Lonely Boy? These two make an unlikely alliance - and an unholy coupling. Blair will always remain best-dressed of the two. Donning a checkered coat and Eugenia Kim beret, B is well equipped to, as GG puts it, "find that bitch". The lace tights and Giuseppe Zanotti two-tone pumps are, of course, parfait, as usual.
Still not sure what's going on with her bag. It's a bit of a mess, really.

I was on the fence about this outfit, but ultimately, decided that I love the silk top with lace insets and tweed skirt. The lace insets on the sleeves do match her lace tights - which was what made me love it.

Gorgeous makeup, albeit flat hair, but I wanted to draw attention to Blair's bow necklace. N'est-il pas adorable? If you found her lack of headbands this episode alarming, B makes up for it with this necklace.

Perhaps one of the most hilarious moments of this episode, we have Blair explaining to Dan that one must wash Riedel glasses with L'Occitane shampoo (and props to Dan for pronouncing L'Occitane correctly - he's assimilating to the UES nicely). We'll forgive the giant cluster of pearls that serves as a necklace, because of the three ostenatiously large necklaces of the episode, this is the best. The red-and-black tweed dress is festive, shows off Blair's oh-so tiny waist, and also matches…

Yeah, we didn't expect it either. Dan and Blair matching? Say it ain't so!

Poorly-constructed grey coat, jeans, brown loafers…*yawn*. Next, please.

Underneath the grey trench Dan wears a navy blue henley. Only thing I can say is, *yawn* and Dan, please button the top of your shirt. Your chest hair is milimeters away from demanding its own trailer and a mention in the credits.

Also, I'd like to draw attention to Blair's childhood dolls collection - she's got her very own cabbage patch doll (has her doll met Cedric, Dan's own cabbage patch?), right alongside limited edition barbies and a Carebear.

I was hoping for Dan to forgo his plaid for the holidays. 'Twas not to be, mes amies. (He and Blair do match rather nicely, however.)

Following Blair's look of disgust upon entering 252 Cornice Ave…an old foe (ally?) pops up.

Damien! Looking devilishly handsome as always. His clothes, however, are a bore.
Black.

And more black. (although he complements Dan and Blair's outfits rather nicely. They make an odd trio, albeit a matching one.)

Boarding school Damien, however, is adorable. His asking Serena if a B- would be okay (S: "I want an A+.") and look of amazement after the Serena van der Woodsen kissed him endeared him to all of us. We almost forgot he was a drug dealer. The buttoned grey school cardigan and perfectly knotted tie scream adorable nerd. Well that, and the pencil in his hand while the rest of the group watches Serena down absinthe. I'm curious to know exactly how he got into his profession…

Blair and Dan's conversation to Conneticut was hilarious (Blair: "Is the pedal to the metal? Because I swear if I shove my feet through the floor I could run faster."), but this picture warrants a laugh. Note Damien's headphones - is he trying to drown out Blair and Dan?

Ben did quite a one-eighty this episode. From the scheming prisoner with a grudge against Serena, he develops a moral compass and actually warns Nate that Juliet is going after Serena. It appears this moral compass was in play even back in his and Serena's boarding school days. As Serena says, "he was the only guy to ever say no to [her]".

The leather shoulder bag, tweed coat, plaid shirt, and comb-over all scream pretentious boarding school teacher. I could see him in some twelve-dollar-a-cup niche coffee shop, grading papers on a Saturday afternoon.

The best shot I could get of Ben's second outfit - navy blazer and brown pants. Hardly noteworthy, but his and Serena's 'study session' was très adorable.

Dressed in a woollen brown top, jeans, and (are they moccasins?) questionable shoes, Mrs. Sharp is quite a departure from the cocktail-dress-at-noon-wearing mothers of the Upper East Side. However, it encompasses Juliet's non-UESider status perfectly, and her mother looks every bit the suburban - I mean townie - mom who bakes cookies and pins their children's paintings onto the walls.
Note the well-worn, scratched up couch, complete with masking tape. Kudos to the GG prop department for realism.

Ignoring the battered blue suitcase and the fact that she's dressed in pretty much one color again, Juliet's outfit is lovely. The studded grey satchel and grey Manolos lend themselves nicely to the cropped black shearling, and the sweater dress looks gorgeous on her. However, the real star in Juliet's look is…

Her hair and makeup. She may have had to learn to do her own hair, but damn is she good (perhaps Orlando Pita is hiring?). Juliet's makeup is understated and gorgeous as well - it's a shame Jenny didn't stick around long enough to learn a lesson or two (about hair and makeup, not scheming) from Juliet.

The tousled locks, red, tear-filled eyes, and plaintive, "We're nobodies" had us actually feeling sorry for Juliet. Her loose, studded black sweater looks both comfy and chic.

A shot of the grey and black sweater dress, because it looks cozy, tasteful, and looks great on Juliet.

And one last shot - Breakfast (okay, lunch) at the Basses, anyone? This is the non-judgjing breakfast club (sans Chuck who is busy getting his luggage together) plus Dan. Plus, the tableware is gorgeous.

Gaslit - Part 1 of 1 - All Together Now . . .

Episode Synopsis:   Gossip Girl’s annual Thanksgiving episodes are usually good (the flashback to drunken-needing-to-be-saved-by-Stranger-Dan Serena in Season 1), the middling (Season 2’s Archibald family drama part deux), to the hideously bad (yes, I know, you permanently removed the painful memory of Season 3’s Serena-Tripp love connection and the revelation of Blair’s millionth self-esteem issue).  If you thought there was a pattern there, think again, because the Thanksgiving episode is back with a vengeance — and a few nitpicky caveats...

The Pros:
• Juliet is even crazier than Georgina Sparks, and thankfully less fertile.
•The Serena-has-yet-another-drug-problem storyline, if only because everyone seemed to have forgotten she used to be even more of a mess.
•Blair and Chuck taking the mature, less is more, long term love over short term lust.
•The return of Harold’s fabulous pumpkin pie.
•Blair finally bringing up her eating disorder, a storyline I’d thought had fallen off the face of the planet.
•Dan sticking up for his um. . .step-sister. . .love interest. . .Serena.
•Eric actually getting more than one line! 
•Dorota’s baby!

The Cons:
•Rufus completing the final transition into Upper East Side Stepford Wife—Martha Stewart called and she wants her tablescape back.
•Everyone conveniently avoiding the Flowers-in-the-Attic elephant in the room: that Dan and Serena are step-sibs . . .ew.
•The fact that Blair only remembers she has bulimia on Thanksgiving.
•Anne belatedly recalling she is still married to a conniving, embezzling, drug-addled convict.
•Nate for being downright shocked that his frigid judgmental bitch of a mother wants a divorce.  Bless him.
•Vanessa existing at all.
•Ditto for Jenny.
•Most shocking of all, everyone keeping the same clothes the entire episode!  Thus, we only have one post...

Despite the fact that he’s changed everything he represents to marry Lily, I thought Rufus actually stayed kind of true to his roots this episdoe.  The sweater he was wearing was structured like a tailored sweatshirt, and the shirt underneath it was a muted plaid (of course).  Despite the Botox he seems to have gone wild on, he looked good—and oh so biddable.

Even the gray jeans are nice, but still have a hint of rock ‘n roll.

But really, who wants to talk about Rufus’ clothes, when we can discuss how well he’s learned to entertain?

How far the mighty ex-rockstar has fallen.

But then, we look at a shot like this:

And why we were rooting for Rufus and Lily to get married comes roaring back.

Naturally, Lily looks fabulous.  I feel like a broken record saying it, but it’s almost always true.

Very simple back shift, not too short or tight—fits her flawlessly in fact.  Attention Vanessa: simplicity in wardrobe is how Lily gets away with wearing that big funky green necklace.  I want to think the green stones are emeralds and since we’ve clearly passed over into the realm of fantasy, we’ll call them emeralds.

Even though Lily almost always wears her hair back, she still manages to keep it interesting.  Perhaps that’s how she’s convinced Rufus to become the Next Food Network Star—keeping things inventive and fresh.  The complicated twist bun is beautiful and I couldn’t help but lament my own hair that would never consent to behave this nicely.

The accessories junkie in me lusts after this brown snakeskin bag the way that Blair lusts after pie.  Or Chuck.

In any case, it’s perfectly accented by that gorgeous camel coat.  It’s almost a little ridiculous how almost every episode, Lily, who’s supposed to be matronly, leaves all the younger girls in the dust when it comes to her oh-so-put-together look.

I’m personally giving thanks that this episode finally brought the return of Eric, and the return of some lines for Eric.

I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of this ensemble, but then again, he doesn’t look bad either, which is a plus considering his sartorial choices as of late.

However, I am more than a little concerned over his recent obsession with plaid.  Clearly having Rufus as a father figure (even if Eric isn’t ever around) is beginning to rub off on him.  The camel sweater is nice though, and clearly expensive.  If I could touch it through my computer screen, I’d declare that it was cashmere.

I swear to God we’ve seen this exactly same jacket on Nate at least once before.  It’s blue and it’s slightly structured, which fits all the requirements Nate seems to have for clothes.  Whether Eric borrowed it or not, it looks good on him, and ties the rest of his ensemble together so well that he looks better with it than without it.

So some of you (the three of you who’ve read my writer bio), know that me and @_stephau host the @ggwatchalong during every live Gossip Girl episode.  We’ll post snarky Blair lines, comments on clothing, general quips (like “wow, I can’t believe Nate is really this dumb,” or “can Chuck get naked now?”) and the occasional wish fulfillment fantasy.  Occasionally we’ll also gather together in a group chat and discuss the episode real-time as it airs.  This Monday, we had an awesome friend, @bakingbarrister, who joined us and when Vanessa arrived in this truly hideous jacket:

complete with hideous tassles, she was instantly reminded of one of her own personal photos.

I think Vanessa’s doppelganger is a classy, elegant broad, don’t you?

So we’ve seen the Jacket of Patterned Horror.  What else was Vanessa wearing this episode?  I keep saying she can’t get worse but then she showed up in this atrocity:

I think this is one of those times (after having compared her to a llama) that I don’t think words are really necessary . . .

Who am I kidding?  As if I’d pass up an opportunity to tear this apart thread by thread.

Despite the Navajo patterned blanket masquerading as a jacket, and the lumberjack tunic, and the gray tights paired with those bizarre brown booties—and nevermind the necklaces and those massive arrowhead earrings—her makeup is understated and I actually like her hair.

And yes, out an entire outfit—and let’s face it, Vanessa generally wears more items than the rest of the cast put together—that’s the only positive thing I can say.

As for Vanessa’s compatriot in suffering, she also has a spirit animal she’s clearly imitating.

A raccoon.

Jenny’s also wearing earrings the size of wagon wheels, but when they’re overshadowed by about ten pounds of ratty fake extensions, they aren’t nearly as noticeable as Vanessa’s.

I do like the necklace, kind of a lanyard chain, but the rest is just. . .

No.  I hated the plaid carpeting she was wearing as a jacket—it appears the Humphrey Plaid Plague is incredibly contagious, even way up in Hudson.  I couldn’t tell if there was actually a skirt or any other type of bottom-covering garment, but even if there is, if you can’t see it, that’s a problem.  In college, we had names for girls who strutted around wearing sweaters as dresses.  I won’t use it here, since I’ve already called Jenny’s spirit animal a raccoon.

However, I will leave you with this final haunting image.

Is it a bird?  A plane?  A raccoon, perhaps?  A bag lady streetwalker?

Actually, none of the above.  It’s our sweet, still-only seventeen Jennifer Humphrey, thigh high boots and all.

Jenny and Vanessa’s third partner in crime (and their ultimate betrayer), Juliet, continued on her merry way as both the most boring dresser on the entire show—even beating Dan, Nate, and Rufus for this honor—and the most psychotic nutjob since Georgina flounced off with baby Milo in her arms.

The draped neckline is alright, though I have to wonder why the dress she’s wearing is backless.

Especially after she knows she’ll be visiting a prison.  You don’t want to let the convicts near that much skin after so long.  There might be riots.

Juliet does redeem herself by choosing this gorgeous (I can’t believe I just typed that word in relation to Juliet) crimson coat, with military epaulets and smart tailoring.

It’s such a beautiful color, and even prettier color on her.

It seems unfortunate that her storyline is finishing up just as she’s begun to figure out how to dress.

What wasn’t truly shocking this episode wasn’t the lack of outfit changes, but that Dan Humphrey, King of Plaid, eschewed his favorite fabric of all time in order to squire Serena through Brooklyn after her overdose and subsequent incarceration in the Ostroff Center.

He actually looks good—I love this leather hoody, which I think we’ve seen on him before—and the green henley is too simple to actually screw up.  His hair is in need of a trim, but for Dan Humphrey, this is all progress.

That is, until you see him from the backside and you want to ask him if he spends a lot of time shopping at the girl’s section in Forever 21.  Dan’s always been a Brooklyn hipster, but this is a new low.

Men’s jeans should, simply put, never be this form-fitting.

Serena is the central storyline this episode that both brings everyone together, and grabs the lion’s share of attention on the holiday.

That’s because she wakes up, looking like this:

Not Serena’s finest moment. Though Blake Lively has agreed to go ugly for her art before (make sure you see The Town, it proves once and for all that Blake is not Serena Van der Woodsen), it’s nice to see her making the sacrifice again.

I read a recap commenting about how Serena truly doesn't look like she’s ODed in this episode.  Here, she does.  Skin that gunky is not an accident, people.

However, this is not the face of a girl who just experienced a drug overdose and was in the emergency room only a few hours earlier.

Serena might have good genes and fantastic skin, but nobody could look that good after what she’s apparently just been through.

It is a very appropriate outfit though.  This is as dressed down as we’ve seen Serena in ages and it suits her better than all the skimpy cocktail dresses and cleavage-baring tops.

I don’t like the weird insert in the skinny jeans she’s wearing, but the green sweater looks so cozy I want to wrap myself in it.

The tunic works with the outfit so I won’t even mention that it’s plaid—but it is.

Side Rant:  Clearly Eric Daman is in cahoots with some plaid weaver because no other show that I have ever watched has this much plaid.  Nearly everyone wears it, even Blair and Chuck.  This is supposed to be a show about rich people—let’s face it, the only ones not rich at this point are Vanessa and Juliet—and rich, stylish people simply do not wear this much plaid, ever.

Speaking of plaid, yes, they even got Blair in it this episode.

This dress has been pretty polarizing.  I honestly spent a lot of the episode trying to decide if I loved it or hated it.

In the end, I couldn’t help but love it.  A lot of it is Leighton Meester—she honestly wears clothes so well, she can pull a lot of things off.  Another reason I finally succumbed to loving plaid on Blair is the rest of the outfit.  The accessories are pitch perfect, and suit the dress so well.  Final reason?  It’s such a Thanksgiving dress.  You look at it and just instantly think Thanksgiving.

Really, I think it was this charming necklace that won me over to the dress's good points.  It’s so Blair, and really elevates a plaid dress to a higher echelon of style.

Blair’s outerwear, is, as usual, gorgeous.  She almost never wears a bad coat, and this one is no exception.  The dark hunter green pairs flawlessly with the fall colors of the plaid, and the light brown hose she’s wearing.  The muted yellow bag is the perfect choice for an ensemble that could have been dark, plus there’s the tiniest bit of yellow in the plaid.

I guess if you’re Blair Waldorf and you’re going to wear one outfit all day, you’ve got to nail it, and she does.

I also saw a lot of divisive posts on Chuck’s Thanksgiving attire.

But in my opinion, this is the perfect combination of colors.  There’s purple (of course) in the shirt, a dark green tie, and this stunning plaid wool blazer with navy blue velvet collar.

And  I didn’t even mention the mulberry trench he’s sporting.  Jen called it out as the Best Outfit of the episode in her Mini-Recap and I can’t help but agree with her, even though I’m terribly partial to Blair’s dress.  Nobody else could wear a mulberry trench coat and pull it off, but this is Chuck Bass we're talking about.  A mulberry trench coat is amateur hour for him.

I also have to point out that Eric Daman has finally figured out how to meld Chuck’s younger, much more fanciful, colorful style with the businessman Chuck that we were forced to endure all through Season 3.  You feel like he’s growing up, finding his true style, and just basically maturing.  Could you ever imagine Chuck of the past forgoing short term pleasure for long term happiness?  If I hadn’t seen it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it.

Plaid is apparently the Thanksgiving fabric of choice, seeing as Nate’s sporting a plaid shirt as well.

Remember how I said earlier that Eric’s jacket was surprisingly Nate-like?

I was so right.  Nate’s jacket is almost an exact copy of Eric’s.

Really the only thing I found interesting in Nate’s ensemble was the bottom half—because let’s face it, other than those demon eyebrows he’s sporting, the top half isn’t anything we haven’t seen a million times over four seasons.

Those chic brown loafers are so something I could see Chuck wearing, while on vacation during the summer—if he ever managed to relax for long enough.  Maybe finally some of style is beginning to wear off on Nate.

I couldn’t get a close enough look at the pants, but they appear to be this really neat stonewashed grey.  Note to Dan: that’s the right fit for men’s jeans.  Too tight and it looks like you're shrink-wrapped and too baggy and it looks like you might be joining the Crips.

One other aside: when did Nate decide that it was hot to wear his hair so unbelievably messy?  It doesn’t even look like bedhead—it looks like he went through a wind tunnel instead.  Not very attractive.

Anne makes her second appearance in as many episodes, and she still hasn’t figured out how to dress.

High-waisted pants that look like something my grandmother wore when she was over 80.  Not good.  Anne needs to take some pointers from Lily, who manages to dress chic and elegant, but never look old.  This whole outfit of Anne’s nearly relegates her to the deathbed.  The blue shirt is a nice color on her, and I do like the contrast with the dark crimson cardigan, but those big pearl earrings look cheap rather than expensive, and at this point, I’d love to see her wear any other kind of jewelry other than that pearl necklace.

However, I do love her camel fitted jacket she wears to visit the Captain in prison.

Not a total redemption for Anne, but a step in the right direction.  Without seeing the pants or the cardigan or the string of pearls, she looks about fifteen years younger.

•

The Witches of Bushwick, Part 1 of 2 - Pre-Party People

Episode Synopsis: Jenny is back on the Upper East Side (excuse me while I throw up in my mouth a little) to scheme, connive, and plot with new bosom buddies Juliet and Vanessa.  Meanwhile, Nate and Dan rekindle their bromance, only to find out Serena is playing them both...or is she? Serena is called into the dean's office with--her mom (didn't realize she reverted back to Constance).  Blair and Chuck seem to agree on their relationship, then not again. In the midst of all this, Eric and Elliot construct a rather informational Venn diagram for Serena--have a looksie...

There were not a whole lot of wardrobe changes in this episode.  If one did not attend the Saints & Sinners Ball then the characters pretty much wore the same outfit ALL episode ::gasp:: like a normal person! 

Blair knocked it out of the park this episode.  She stayed true to her classic, feminine, fitted style without crossing to the "politician's wife" side.  I loved this black lace-printed dress. It fit well, and actually seemed age-appropriate for once!

 

What made me love this dress even more was the front zip.  Can Chuck say "easy access"? ;) 

And Blair's cute lingerie...so retro!

Blair only wore this dress for a hot minute before she peeled it off "in mixed company" according to Dorota.  Which is too bad because this dress is so perfectly Blair and perfectly perfect for meeting with the Girls, Inc. girls.  Blair seemed to realize it is autumn and last week her blue, floral printed dress was a little springy, so she chose brocade and burgundy to complement the season.  Nicely done. 

Once again, Chuck is dashing.  His knack (or Eric Daman's) for combining colors is uncanny.  Chuck is wearing more shades of red in this episode than I've ever seen before--maybe to get back to his "devil" side?  Whatever the case, I'm digging it. 

However...purple will always be Chuck Bass's color.  So of course for pre-party prep, he must wear a sumptuous, purple paisley robe.

 

I must say, I was pretty impressed with Dan's sartorial choices this week.  After playing what must have been a grueling game of shooting mini-baskets with Nate (which I think is the most physical activity we've actually seen Dan partake in), he slips on this cool little zip-up.  It looks like a soft leather with a great jersey-lined hood.  Casual but stylish.  Way better than some of the grungy sweatshirts Dan recently has been wearing. 

Then waiting for what he thinks is a date with Serena, Dan steps it up another notch! A great jacket over a simple sweater, and I'm loving the gray jeans.  Way to go Dan!  College boys around Chicago take note. 

I just had to include Eric because he looked so freakin' cute sitting there with Elliott surrounded by compasses, protractors, and graph paper.  Even though he must have been going through Rufus's closet again, the colors of his plaid shirt are really muted and not too lumberjack looking. 

Ugh...Jenny.  Seriously, can you just stay in Hudson? I'm sick of seeing your over-processed rat's tail hair and raccoon eyes.  Hello, you're not a rodent!

Well it pains me to say this, I really do like Jenny's sweater, but are thigh-high boots really appropriate for popping over to visit your parents? 

Here's another look at her outfit, where we can tell she actually has fishnets on with this ensemble. Classy, Jenny, classy.  Not.  I actually like her boots, but this whole thing together is a little too Pretty Woman--not in a good way. 

Ahh Juliet, Queen of the Bland.  Navy is at least a little different for her, but this dress is so uninteresting.  The necklace does little to spice it up. 

Juliet usually wears some form of a boring blazer, so it's nice to see a jacket that's a little tougher with some unique details a.k.a. the hem and zipper.  

I hate that Lily only had one outfit the entire episode!  However, she doesn't fail--she looks put together, polished, and yet cozy all at once.  And looks equally glamorous chatting with Juliet or scolding Serena. 

Oh Nate. What can I say? Not much, this is typical fare for our bed-head boy.  But...he is experimenting with a different kind of collar (size and color), so props for that. 

I love his "fake Serena date" look.  So wonderfully messy.  Now normally, I would make some comment on how his untucked shirt makes him look too messy, but the wider pinstripe in his jacket is making me just not notice.  If I was Serena (which sometimes I wish I was) I would not have stood this up...had I been informed of the little rendezvous.  

PROS: No excess cleavage, no bare leg up to her macaron, subtle sequins, good hair, and a great bag (although you can't see it in this pic)

CONS: too much embellishment (Does Serena really need a sequin sweater dress AND a beaded lapel??), and the shape of the blazer with the dress

I guess Serena is slowly working on cultivating a wardrobe that covers herself up? I'm really hoping that's the excuse behind this mess...

It seems like all this scheming is making Vanessa too tired to pile on the accessories.  I think she only has 3 or 4 necklaces on (note: they are just plain ol' metal, no crazy wood beads or gems), and 1 pair of rather large earrings (also of the metal variety).  

The rest of her outfit isn't anything spectacular, but isn't really offending me either.  Honestly, I'm just sick of Vanessa ganging up on Serena--like seriously, I'm sorry the two guys you like(d), like Serena, find a guy that actually likes you (there has to be someone)! 

The Witches of Bushwick, Part 2 of 2 - The Masquerade Ball

Red is a great color on Blair. She should really wear it more often (and I like that she has been recently).  Notice her red negligee matches Chuck's red...coincidence? I think not.

Blair's hair and make-up is spot on.  She looks so fresh-faced and innocent, which is kinda funny since she was dressing the "sinner" part. 

Great jacket.  Enough said. 

So seriously...I'm loving red on Chuck, and that little skull lapel pin is just darling!  Which I'm sure was the look he was going for...haha.

Again, Dan is looking pretty spectacular.  No creeping chest hair up his neck! The light gray suit and coordinating shirt and tie are really nice colors for Dan.  I like that his shirt has a mini-print on it--I couldn't tell what it was, but from far away it breaks up the gray.

Eric looks so cute again!  He took the theme of the ball the most serious of everyone I think.  

Can you believe it?? Jenny has minimal make-up on! Yes, yes, she is pretending to be Serena, but she looks gorgeous!  Like back to season one.  Jenny should pretend to be Serena more often. 

Jenny looks about as good in this Carolina Herrera as Serena does--and Juliet for that matter.  Light make-up and soft blonde hair is a way better on you Taylor Momsen--keep the wig. 

Juliet in the dress.  I don't this dress could look bad on anyone. 

o

Nate chose an all-black suit for his "sinner" look.  The skulls and crossbones tie is a nice touch. 

Serena in the dress. Eerily, all three girls really do look similar.  

Once again, Serena is COVERED. I really didn't think we'd see the day. While drugged Serena was exiting the party, we finally got to the see the gorgeous bottom of the dress...

Juliet Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Part 1 of 2 - Before the ballet

Episode Synopsis:  A lot of changes of heart happening in this episode. Juliet has a change of scheming heart.  Dan's heart says Serena is the one. Nate's says the same because of Juliet's schemes.  Chuck and Blair go from Hate Sex to No Sex to I Love You Sex.  Colin realizes he likes Serena more than teaching at Columbia.  And Serena decides against inappropriate relationships with older men and chooses Dan.  Or not.  Vanessa has lost the plot completely and is so hell bent on taking Serena down that she now believes Juliet's lies. 

Not a lot of outfits to work with this week and a lot of overlapping storylines, so we'll do this as a "before the ballet" and an "at the ballet" sort of thing. 

Let's start with Serena's choice of clothes for school that day.  On their own, the pieces of her outfit aren't that bad. Together, they make an unflattering and confusing mess.

The sweater tucked into the scarf like skirt makes for a weird waistline. Maybe a belt would have helped? But as we know from last season, the costume department is seriously short on belts.  Instead, they decide to add a blazer to the outfit.

I like the jacket, I do. But not with that outfit.  In fact, it was an episode full of questionable jackets. Juliet, who seems to think that being rich and fancy means you put a jacket with every outfit. 

She also seems to think that being rich means you wear only one monochromatic colour and then stick with that. Her jackets and colour palette should have been their first clue that she didn't belong.

The price tag lumps under the armpit of her dress should have been their second clue.  Then again, maybe that's why she wears a jacket with every outfit: it's there to hide the price tags!

Juliet needed to take a lesson from Blair when it came to doing her greys and blacks.

Blair made some slightly better jacket decisions.  Except for two things. One, the jacket highlights the pouf on the front of her skirt in a weird sort of way.

I guess that pouf is so big you'd need a special jacket to wear with it. Or, you know, you could choose not to wear the skirt with the giant fabric growth on the front of it.

The second exception to Blair's outfit is that she wore the plaid with the cute bird print.

Actually, it's not the mixing of patterns that is bothering me, it's the blouse.  Two bows on your blouse and a bow on your skirt?  That's a few bows too many.

It was the guys who made the better choices in outwear this week.  I know.  I'm shocked that I wrote that sentence as well.  Usually when I review the dude outfits on the show, my sentences start with "Yawn" or "Why is Rufus even on this show?"

Okay, so the rest of Nathaniel's outfit is kind of schlumpy Humphrey, but I can dig that jacket.

Speaking of Humphrey, I was surprisingly impressed by Dan's choice of outerwear.

Looking sharp Dan, looking sharp. I also like that you wore a look of disaproval for much of the episode, rather than your usual look of righteous indignation.  But let's get back to your jacket and take a closer look. I thought it might have been a trench coat (note to costume department: get Dan a trenchcoat!)

Not a trench, but still looking good.  I also approve of your crew neck sweater. His recent tendency towards chest hair baring v-necks has been disturbing and I appreciate that someone has decided against them (knock on wood).

Our billionaire businessmen Tripp Colin (is it just me, or do they look the same?) looks, well, boring and businessy. My money is on Serena choosing Nate over Dan because she seems to like guys with boring clothes and lots of hair gel.

Thank heavens for Chuck and his purple, because otherwise, I woudn't even bother to show you these suits.

The attention to detail in Chuck's outfits never fail.  There is green in the pattern on the tie, in the stripes and in the pocket square. As always, his committment to purple is admirable.

Even when he wears his ex-girlfriend's robe, he chooses the purple robe.  That is Blair's robe, right? (and seriously, that may have been my favourite moment of the episode. More ridiculous Chuck please!)

As I mentioned in the synopsis, Vanessa is kind of off in her own plot. The one where everyone is out to get her and she needs to take Serena down. And if ever there was an Afterschool Special about over-accessorizing, Vanessa would be the main character.

Rings! Cuffs! Big earrings! Chains Beads! A turquoise studded belt!  And all worn with a patterned dress! Those are the horrors of over-accessorizing, kids.

Minus the over-accessorizing, I could almost deal with that dress. That is, until I got a close up.

Sweet jesus in a breadbasket! The pattern is done completely in beadwork.  That girl really does need an Afterschool Special. Or an intervention.