Pretty Little Liars: The Remains of A

Part 2 of 2 - Who Dun It?

Yeeeah. Isn't this just a little too, I don't know, slor-ish for a 14 year-old? Or am I just getting old? While it absolutely fits Ali's personality, I would much prefer if this dress was hanging in my closet instead of on her body. 

I know we're supposed to be focusing on the importance of this charm anklet, but how can anyone focus on anythng with these shoes in the way? These are 100% eff me now shoes and I 112% love them. But there's no way she's 'A'.

'A' could never make a quick getaway in 13" heels.

Speaking of man-eaters, Ashley Marin is by far the most awesome mom. But I'm still not fooled by her sweetness (although why she would want to hurt her daughter I haven't decided, unless they're in it together... soory, I'm getting carried away). In terms of sartorial choices, I didn't really like her necklace and was confused by the neckline on this dress. 

Do you know what else I'm confused about? Why sometimes Ashley's hair looks SO red, and other times...

It looks light brown. In the very next scene! It can't just be the lighting. Are there two of her? But I do love this dress, and I love that she showed some clevage at a church function, and made a joke about alcohol to a pastor. This is why Ashley rocks, and where Hanna gets her sass. 

Apple, tree. All that.

Also on our suspect list: Ezra. Maybe if you had opened his robe just a little more we wouldn't accuse you of being on the A Team.

But as soon as we (and by we I mean Aria) opened your sock drawer to this, and you subsequently lied to us/Aria about the money's source, we had no choice but to accuse you of criminal activity. Bro, if you don't want someone to find this "secret" stash, don't go hiding it in your sock drawer in a tiny apartment where your girlfriend is bound to come across it one day when her Laura Ashley boots eat her socks and she needs to go looking for replacements.

And Mr. Hastings what is your deal? Why are you wearing a hideous paisley tie? And how is it that you disappear for ages, return, and suddenly know everything about everything? You. Are. A. Mystery. 

Papa Spence needs to take a clue from Detective Wilden, who's proving he's not all good hair and expensive suits. Is he part of the A clan? Or is he actually onto A's identity? Why does he always show up when things are getting more out of hand than normal? 

And why was Harry Potter, Holden involved with Emily's kidnapping? He obviously wanted her to see his stamp, he saw the recognition in her face. Who are you? Tell us your life story before I spike your punch with Veritaserum.

Sidenote: I threw this in so ya'll could get another look at Hanna's pretty, pretty dress. Oh, and so we can start keeping track of the height of Toby's hair. 

WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!! WHO KILLED THEM??!! WHY WAS SPENCER SO UPSET????? WHO WAS SPENCER GOING TO CALL BEFORE GETTING THIS TEXT???!!!!! WHEN WILL THE MADNESS END?!!?

Am I being too dramatic? No, didn't think so. All these unanswered questions are starting to make me anxious. Last question of the day, why did Garrett's case get completely dropped? He still did some shady things like stealing the page from the autopsy. Isn't that a crime? UGH! PLL, you kill me.

CTRL: A - Part 2 of 2 - Moms and Boys

Hands down, Ashley is the best dressed mom on the small (or maybe even silver) screen. She even has a tailored apron. I secretly wish we could see what she would look like as an old lady to see if she still dresses as well or if she becomes a tracksuit grandma. I bet it's the former...

Ashely Benson and Laura Leighton are mother and daughter. Well no, not really, but don't they look completely related?! The same look on their faces, same murderous gleam in their eyes, leather jackets. What more do you need to signify mother-daughter bond? 

Then we see Ella. I swear she is always wearing the same outfit. Aria hasn't rubbed off on her yet?

Maya completely annoyed me this episode. From her outfit to her lying to Emily, she gets my vote off the island. Oh wait, wrong show. Sorry. 

But did the wardrobe department really have to dress her right out of the 70s because she was smoking pot? 

Caleb. My love. In addition to him scouring vintage shops for his incredible selection of t-shirts, I'm pretty sure he is sneaking off to Sally Hershberger for $500 haircuts because his hair is getting the PLL treatment. Must be because he is an honorary member? 

SO. CUTE. Can I be Hanna? Puh-lease! 

I can never decide what my feelings toward Jason are. Do I like him? Do I not? Do I like his hair? Do I not? So many questions. Maybe if he got rid of his fake bake then I could really decide...

I'm a more decisive when it comes to Holden. Such a cutie. Those PLL writers and casting directors knew what they were doing when adding new male eye candy to the show. 

The Naked Truth - Part 2 of 2 - School Sleeopver

This girl has the magical ability to pull off outfits that would look ridiculous on anyone else - the cutout leggings and frayed cropped denim jacket somehow just work for her. Like really, do you know anyone else who wears cut-out leggings on a regular basis?? Maybe Rihanna...?

Once again, we have the exceptional Ashely Marin. Even if she's chaperoning a school sleepover, she is expertly dressed. Ella should really take a few notes from her and learn how to tailor her clothes...just sayin'. 

And this gorgeous leather jacket that totally puts her in Vampire Diaries leagues.

::sigh:: Oh, Caleb. How I love your smug smirks. And your subtle color coordination between your Converse and jacket. This boy could wear anything...or nothing...I would still be smitten.

Whoa! Emily actually accessorized a bit over her t-shirt. While it's pretty standard fare for Em, the combat boots and split-zip sweater are awesome.

And Hanna took the off the blanket! Love how she paired this leather jacket with an otherwise very casual outfit - it was very reminiscent of the one she wore to watch the Katy Perry concert/say good bye to Caleb.

Then we have Holden, who definitely needs tips from Caleb. The T-shirt/long sleeved combo only works when you're eight and under. As for his sleepover outfit? He may have gotten confused with camping...where did he come from again? What, you say? They didn't have school sleepovers there?  (Love the chambray, though).

And the RETURN of Jason!! So he many not look anything like Spencer, but he's certainly got the Hastings prep thing down.

Creepy, creepy, mysterious Jenna. She could really use a few new things to keep her whole "I'm-so-misunderstood-and-mistreated" thing going. 1) New sunglasses. 2) A new less-creepy boyfriend. 3) More sartorially pleasing choices.

In suprising new that I never thought would escape my lips because I'm not usually a fan of Mona's outfits, but this one? LOVE. The top is gorgeous - filigree lace in a silvery-gold, and those boots are awesome.
(I'm still in awe.)

I love seeing flashback!fashion, if only to point out how much the characters have grown, style-wise. Well in this case, it seems Spencer's trying to fit into clothes she grew out of when she was ten.

Back to real time--my favourite outfit, by far - the printed dress had the most adorable ruffles, and cardigan and hunter green belt were awesome. I think the real winner was the over-the-knee socks paired with the boots. Spencer's got the great legs to pull that look off without looking like she's working the corner. 

Veronica could stand to take a page out of Spencer's book. This is pretty standard Veronica fare. Not digging the printed shirt. It looks more like a table runner; let's step it up V. 

I still can't decide whether I admire Kate's admittedly genius move, or think she's crazier than A (wait - no one is crazier than A). Also can't decide which is more boring - the grey or the stripes.

Pretty normal sleepwear for teenage girls - raise your hands if you're surprised Aria didn't show up in a floor-length black vintage nightie from Iceland, or something, though.

And I will admit, this ending was by far the creepiest A has been yet. Wandering around a high school filled with sleeping kids? That's my biggest fear coming to fruition. No, not the sleeping in a school part, but the someone doing shady businesss while I'm sleeping part. YIKES! The countdown to the big A reveal begins now...

The Blonde Leading the Blind - Part 1 of 2 - Pretty Little Guy-iars

This week on The Love Lives Of Girls With Perfect Hair, we learned more about the NAT Club (i.e. that they, plus Jenna, were in Alison's room the night she was killed); and after Caleb got too close, Hanna ordered him to stop helping them. But then he secretly keeps helping them, but only Aria, Spencer and Emily know. Anyway, Caleb's basically the only love interest any of the girls have left, now that A's set his/her sights on their love lives - making Spencer break up with Toby after he fell off of scaffolding and broke his arm. Wait, I think Aria and Ezra may still be together. I don't know, the show didn't make a big deal out of that plotline or anything. (RAIN KISSING!) In other news: cutie Holden has a secret, but the PLLs are all too busy with the normal secrets to even care about investigating what he's up to.

So, this week's episode may have been devoid of the Gratuitous Male Shirtlessness we've come to expect, but it did come with some very interesting t-shirts, courtesy of the newest member of the PLLs, Caleb:

He's wearing the BERLIN WALL BEING TORN DOWN on his shirt. Caleb fronts like he's all effortlessly cool, but I doubt Rosewood's selling those off the rack. Dude spends his off-time (i.e. when not decrypting cell phones) sourcing out amazeballs tees like this one. (Want one? I tracked it down at Altru Apparel)

Caleb is basically a Pretty Little Liar now that he's been told a little (but not everything) about Alison's murder. He also has really pretty hair *and* he was vaguely threatened by Garrett on the street. And his t-shirt choices are, frankly, more interesting than Emily's. Check this one, with the NYC skyline:

I couldn't source this one for you guys, proving that Caleb is as skilled at online shopping as he is at decrypting cell phone videos. Anyway, Caleb has been promoted up from the ranks of boyfriends to being a Associate Member of the PLLs. Caleb : Pretty Little Liars :: Logan Bruno : Babysitters Club.

Since Ian's dead (OR IS HE? Oh, wait, yeah he totally is, we saw the body. Never mind...) Garrett is lurking around, picking up his slack in eating/drinking things in a weirdly creepy way. Check out how he sips his cappuccino here:

Yeah, not really as creepy as Ian's milk slurp, but getting there. His laidback look is unassuming - plain grey tee, military-style khaki jacket. Wait, haven't I seen that jacket somewhere before?

Are khaki military-inspired jackets part of the NAT Club uniform? Or did Garrett get Ian's hand-me-down?

And seriously, how can they show these NAT Club videos and not give us some Jason DiLaurentis? You know, hanging out, shirtless and broody... I miss that guy.

Aaaand moving on from the Rosewood Perv Posse, there actually are some sweet guys left in town. Some of them just moved to town, like the mysterious and adorable Holden:

He's got shaggy hair like Toby, nerdy charm like Lucas, chiselled good looks like Toby, and a bookish hipster thing like Ezra. I'll need to see his abs before I can fully compare him to Jason, but he's totally winning me over.

His mysterious secret will have to wait, though. Like the rest of the PLLs, I've got more pressing concerns to obsess over. Such as... who broke the scaffolding that broke poor Toby's arm?

And where did he get that gorgeous shearling-lined jacket? And how did he think it was a good idea to pair it with the nautical-striped v-neck?

And how is his chin dimple possibly that defined? His chin dimple has a chin dimple.

Also, I like his hair right now:

This week saw the re-emergence of Noel Kahn and his creepy, douchetastic ways. Remember when Aria was kinda thinking about dating him? That was a close call. Noel Kahn is THE WORST.

His outfit is OK, sure. That bag is actually kinda cute, and I like how he's matched the purple plaid with the grey tee. But he made Mona CRY, y'all.

And also? His friend is wearing a cardigan as a shirt:

Cardigans are not shirts, therefore, douche-by-association.

In case I haven't made my point:

Meanwhile, Ezra has clearly been keeping up with Revenge (!!!) as he takes inspiration from Daniel's rain-soaked proposal to sweep Aria into a romantic rainy kiss.

First, though, he shows up looking the most handsome he's ever looked (maybe slo-mo makes everybody look super handsome?):

And then he's like, "You're still 16 or something, so I can't propose to you without looking super-creepy, but Daniel Grayson said kissing you in the rain might make the whole internet fall into a swooning heap of squee, so..."

... yeah. Total internet swoon.

Let the Water Hold Me Down - Part 1 of 1 - Walking Nightmare

OK, we get it. It's always a dark and stormy night in Rosewood and A is always lurking somewhere in the shadows. But this week A seemed to be even more present than normal. From planting murky lake water in Hanna's bag to flooding the girls bathroom to putting worms in their Chinese food containers, A really brought the dramz this week. At least we found out that our adorbs little Lucas hasn't turned into one of A's minions (or at least not for this week). Spencer was in her element sluething around Jenna's old school for the blind where she was able to snatch some cruicial evidence. Aria successfully made Ezra jealous by going on a date with Holden (who by the sound of it we will be seeing a lot more of). Maya returned to Rosewood only to confuse Emily with her revealing admission. And Hanna almost went off the deep-end after the pressure of finding Lucas, fighting with Caleb, and dealing with A got to be too much.

I honestly think if it weren't for Spencer, these girls would never make it through life. Not only does she solve all their problems and tell them exactly what to do, she's the only one who can get out of bed in the morning looking sensible on a consistent basis. I was in swoon heaven this week with Spencer's outfit below. 

This plaid button down with form fitting grey vest makes Spencer look so sophisticated yet not too much so that she looks like a middle aged librarian. It's no secret that sweater vests are always a big no-no, especially here at YKYLF, but there is no denying that Spencer has exemplified how to perfectly pull off this look.

To top off this already amazing outfit, Spencer donned this beautiful piece of outerwear and cross-body bag. Together with her familiar pair of jeggings, Spencer has done momma proud.

I think the brown elbow patches are my favorite part of this jacket. A little manly maybe, but the snug fit and cinched waist gives this cross between a riding jacket and old man sports coat a more feminine touch.

Spencer, I would like to ask how you even allow yourself to stand next to the pile of trash that is on Aria. I mean come on girl! Your kick butt wardrobe should not even be allowed in the same time zone as the road kill Aria is attempting to pull off as clothing. But before I go all off on Aria, can we take a moment to look at the back of Spencer's sweater vest? Girls gone and taken sweater vest to a whole new level! It looks like it actually laces up in the back making this one sweet wool corset!

OK, so really, what animal did Aria have to skin in order to make the ugliest vest I have ever seen in my entire life. Not even Artie's ooglay vests can hold a match to this one (wait, did I really just say that?!). Whatever animal it was, it sure looks like it put up a good fight, taking out half of her pants along the way. There really is just nothing I can say except WHAT. THE. EFFF!!!! I get it, Aria's edgy. Aria's got that punk-rock thing down better than anyone. Aria doesn't give a damn what others think about her. But this? This has gone too far girlfriend. So please do us all a favor and return the vest to the side of the road where it belongs and throw those pants in the trash.

Just look at the difference. Spencer looks so awesomely preppy and normal and Aria looks like she could be working the corner!

And this BAG! I'm just SCREAMING over here. The poor, poor fashion gods. Though I will give her props because that bag most certainly matches the rest of her outfit.

Honestly, when I first saw Aria in this outfit I thought she cut her hair. Then I thought she looked like a little lion [wo]man. Then I finally realized she had it pulled into a messy side bun. The sad part of all this is that without the unnecessary beret and the inexcusable maroon vest and the over-the-top-chain-necklace-that-has-to-weigh-more-than-Kim-Kardashian's-inappropriately-ginormous-engagement-ring, I would have absolutely loved her hair.

 

Oh thank goodness for Holden. For reals yo. If that's all it takes to make Aria dress like this then I'll allow her to go out on as many dates with him as she wants (even if they're fake dates). I can't stress how much I loved this dress. I was about ready to give up on Aria after her earlier monstrosity, and then I saw this and I was smitten. She looked so adorbs, and so her age I was giddy. The dress flatters her slim body so well, AND to top it off, she accessorizes with the perfect purse. I'm so happy I can actually call it a purse and not a bag for once. I love the style and the distressed material.

Topped with this blazer and these fierce shoes, Aria done good. She done real good.

Emily actually surprised me this week. I can't say that I was jumping for joy over her wardrobe, but it was a huge improvement over her normal t-shirt and jeans look. With Maya (unfortunately) back in town, Emily decided to show off some skin on their date night. At quick glance I'm totes digging this look, but upon further inspection I so am not. Emily's pretty tall and the boots are just too short, they make her legs look kind of awkward. 

And I thought we've addressed the leather jacket issue countless times before. Apparently she did not get the message. It does not make every outfit better. It looks plastic for goodness sake!

See? No jacket, muuuuch better. This blue really looks awesome on Em and I love the cut and beading around the neckline. But I would have liked this a lot better if it were tighter--I guess we have to take what we can get...

Em seems to be addicted to baggy shirts and this one makes her look super frumpy, not to mention a little preggers.  And the black boots on the black jeans? N.O. This outfit could have been cute if the hemline of the shirt was either a v or straight, wasn't as baggy, and if she paired the black jeans with a cute pair of round toed pumps.

Wait sorry what month are we in? Did I miss Halloween?!! OMFG no, Hanna and Mona dressed like that on purpose?! I just can't... What the... How... Who let... What is... They thought... I can't even finish my thoughts I'm so flabbergasted that these two could have possibly looked in the mirror and thought their ensembles were appropriate to wear in public. Don't they have mothers? Eyes? Each other?! There are so many different patterns, so many different materials...

The white lacy tank Hanna is wearing looks so trashy and what is with all these diagonal cut shirts? Mona, you have me shaking my head because although my first reaction is to barf, something about you is just so cute I want to pick you up and put you in my pocket.

I mean COME ON! You live in Philly and it's 2012! You are not going to a hoedown and you are not in How the West Was Won! Why are you wearing SO MUCH FRINGE!!! And not only is the shoelace necklace hideous, it is so white it's blinding. UGH I just want to grab all that fringe and rip. It. Off!

But check out this manicure. How awesome does it look? I'm having a mani-orgasm over Hanna's red and leopard nails!

"She's NOT giving up the crown!" Mona won me over for life with this line. Maybe my favorite PLL line to date! I did actually feel a little bad for Mona this week, she seemed so vulnerable, so unlike herself. And while I may not approve of her choice in outfit, I am absolutely loving her tiny side braid and low messy bun. Not to mention her fabulous oversized tear-drop beaded earrings. 

Ahh and we have a mini Ezra in the making. No wonder why Aria didn't protest too much about going on a date with him. Yes, he looks like he just stepped out of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, but he's a cutie pie and he gets extra points for giving Aria gummy bears.

I honestly thought that Lucas was going to tell them how in love he is with Hanna. I mean it's clearly obvious to everyone but Caleb and Hanna. Nothing really to write home about here, typical Caleb and Lucas. I'm just happy to see that Hanna changed into this cute tank and black sweater and out of that fringe-infested-lace-vomited-all-over thing she called an outfit.

Poor Mr. Fitz. His breakup with Aria sure isn't doing anything to help his wardrobe. At least that's a positive for Aria; no other girls will be interested in getting their hands on Ezra.

I know our guys are really boring so lets end on a happy note. I love Aria's black sequined tank paired with black pants and her lace up boots. And Spencer looks so comfy in this tight hooded sweatshirt and leggings. I won't talk about Em's awful light denim wash button down so I don't ruin this nice moment. Oops guess I did.

 

The girls seem to be getting closer and closer to finding out who A is with each passing second, I just hope they're watching their backs...