As I Lay Dying, Part 2 of 2: The Girls

Katherine’s first appearance in the episode is as a figment of Damon’s imagination. She uses what may be the best line ever to draw Damon into her boudoir: she asks him to help her unknot her corset strings. She may be evil, but you have to admit – the girl’s good.

She reappears again in a gorgeous dusky periwinkle dress. Damon’s done a nice job of hallucinating a good wardrobe for her.

My favorite part is the glittery beading down the sides of the bodice – as if Nina Dobrev wasn’t tiny enough, it makes her waist look ridiculously dainty.

In real life, Katherine sticks to her usual solid top, skinny jeans and booties. Given that she can’t leave Alaric’s apartment and Klaus’s sadistic streak, I would have loved if he had given her a completely different wardrobe to wear while locked up.

The other doppelganger also sticks to her usual look – essentially, a less sexy version of what Katherine would wear. Dark fitted jeans, a navy top, and Converse. I do love her leather jacket though … again, a nice change from the standard black.

Per usual, Caroline looks adorable in her cropped jacket and skinny jeans. My only problem is her boots, which look gigantic. Whether this is because her legs are crazy skinny or because the boots are too wide, I’m not sure. Either way, it screws up an otherwise cute, delicate look.

The biggest problem I have with this episode is that I couldn’t get a single clear shot of Bonnie’s outfit. This matters only because, now that she’s an all-powerful badass, she’s starting to dress less like a daughter of the Earth and more like the rockstar that she has become. She’s still wearing a flowery top, but it’s a little more fitted and there’s no visible empire waist. Huge developments for this girl.

As always, Mayor Lockwood rocks a sexy fitted suit and an impeccable bitch face.

And of course, the biggest shocker of the episode: the return of Anna and Vicky, in the form of either ghosts or hallucinations.

I will say this: at least the afterlife has great hair stylists. Vicky’s hair is looking all kinds of amazing.

And so ends season two of The Vampire Diaries: with Stefan about to go all Angelus, Damon and Elena embroiled in sexual tension, and Jeremy hallucinating the ghosts of his ex-girlfriends.

How many months till fall again?

The Sun Also Rises - Part 2 of 2 - Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves

Now that I think about it, my title may not be the best representation of the what happens with the ladies in this episode. Although, when you look back, they are the ones taking care of business. As usual.

Time to add one more body to growing pile of dead characters. Later, Jules! At least you’re dying while wearing a killer denim jacket. P.S. - your hair has never looked better. Lazers!

I included this photo because they are standing in my dream apartment. Exposed brick, butcher block counter tops and Barbra Walters-esque soft lighting. Oh, by the way, this isn’t Elena - it’s Katherine. How do I know? The cleavage.

Greta also made her departure in this episode which is too bad because as far as evil witches go, she was totally hot. Maybe it’s the attitude or maybe it was the limitless supply of power but girl was working her role as Klaus’ witch for hire.

 

Come on! When did we ever catch Bonnie in an outfit like that? The leather, the earrings, the beads...my god the earrings. Why does television always kill my favourite characters?!?

 
Remember the sad faces I threw out earlier? It’s over this lady: Aunt Jenna. She looks so demure and sad but you probably would too if you were made a vampire against your will.

Funny how as soon as she was made a vampire she adopted their uniform of a fitted jacket, understated tee and tight, dark pants. At least she looks good.

There she is. Remember this face as a lesson when confronted by the possibility of becoming a legal guardian for your niece whose life has been plagued by death and sorrow. This will be your face when you’re on the brink of death. Wow that’s depressing...who remembers the Royal Wedding!??!

 

Switching gears to the more frilly of the ladies, it’s time for Caroline! First off, I love this coat and its ruffles at the back. Chic in the face of certain death; that’s probably a requirement of Mystic Falls residents. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve found an attractive, wounded werewolf at my front door.

Caroline’s coat in full view is much more impressive. What’s ever more impressive than that is how she kept a cream coloured coat stain free after running through the woods and fending off werewolf attacks.

What were her BFFs up to while she was tending to Tyler’s wounds? Nothing serious, just trying to find a spell that would save Elena from dying (again) and attempting to kill the first vampire in existence. Apparently, working under a deadline makes Bonnie shed her usual layers.

So what does Bonnie do once she’s figured out some kind of plan? She goes all Halle Berry in the X-Men films and lays down the business for Klaus and Greta. Don’t get me wrong, I think Bonnie’s blazer is great but it’s just not as cool as Greta’s leather jacket.

But where is Elena in all of this you ask? Trapped in a ring of fire; I don’t imagine this is what Mr. Cash envisioned when he wrote the song. Nothing particularly stands out with Elena’s wardrobe, as with mostly everyone else, because it’s all utilitarian in this episode. You can hardly wear anything fashion forward when battling Klaus but at least everyone looks presentable.

I can’t imagine why there are vampire obsessed people in the world. There’s nothing sexual about this at all. NOTHING.

As I said earlier, guess who miraculously survives death? Here’s another hint: she’s wearing a purple top and is being watched over by a Salvatore brother.

Jeremy was looking pretty dapper in his funeral attire but Elena is drop dead gorgeous in this photo. Too soon? Even though she looks like she was shrink wrapped into this dress it’s totally working for her.

So what was my favourite choice for the ladies of Mystic Falls? All of their black dresses! Again, it’s sad that it took some serious deaths to get them all dressed up and fancified but I can’t help myself. Neither can Bonnie it looks like and she was so close to leaving billowy fabrics behind.

Oh my god there is only one episode left! Also, this episdoe and the last are titled after two iconic American novels by Hemingway and Faulkner respectively. What does that have to do with fashion? Nothing but who says you can't have fun and learn. Until next time friends!

The Last Day, Part 1 of 2 - The Ladies

Episode Synopsis: Elena resigns herself to death at the hands of Klaus in order for Klaus to be killed by Bonnie and the others. Elijah suggests using a resurrection elixir, but Damon puts the kebosh on it and instead FORCES ELENA TO DRINK HIS BLOOD so that she'll go vamp if Klaus kills her. Elena and Stefan commune with nature in order to prepare for the coming sacrifice. Tyler and Jules show up to check on Tyler's mom, and Tyler and Caroline end up being captured for the sacrifice. Damon meddles with Klaus' master plan, Luka's sister shows up as Klaus' witch of choice, and somewhere in there JENNA GETS VAMPED. Oops.

Let's start with our lovely Caroline. She wears the best jacket of the episode (as deemed by Amanda in the mini-recap) which is a little white number with a little ruffle to it in back and at the waist. Black buttons make it chic and she works it. However, her normally outstanding coiffure is somewhat lacking this time around -- maybe she forgot, with all the chaos of the upcoming sacrifice?

However, her delicate earrings and perfect lashes make up for it. Sort of.

I gotta give Jenna some props for keeping her cool (more or less) and having great hair this episode. Also, this jacket's asymmetrical zipper is cute. Sorry you end up getting vamped, Jenna... Maybe your wardrobe will improve?

When Jules shows up to retrieve Tyler from the hospital where his mom is recovering, she's wearing -- STOP THE PRESSES!!! -- a denim jacket. Her hair looks great, but her role in this episode is pretty minor. Oh, Jules. You and your denim.

Katherine is rocking an uber sexy look this episode. It's some kinda black silk blouse with pirate sleeves over a teal top with a pleated bodice for maximum cleavage. And her hair is ferosh.

Rrrawwrrrr!!

Klaus' chosen witch happens to be Luka's sister. She looks a LOT like him, except, you know, a girl. But she's sultry as all get out -- she even sets ROCKS on fire.

Girlfriend has great hair and knows how to accessorize with drapey, multi-chain necklaces, tribal earrings, and a sweet brass tree bangle.

Oh, and did I mention? A leather jacket!

Elena honestly has amazing hair. Seriously. Also, she sports a dark brown leather jacket and a dark orchid colored shirt this week... a less powerful, more feminine alternative to her usual crimsons and maroons perhaps?

Klaus, Part 1 of 2 - Ye Olde Vamps

Elijah returns from the dead to fill us in on his life when he was undead. Among the many “OMG” moments, the biggest reveal is that he and his brother Klaus created the Sun and Moon curse. Yeah, that’s right: the thing that everyone’s been focusing on, everyone’s been in pursuit of … it’s all a red herring. The real curse is Klaus-specific: he’s actually half-vampire, half-werewolf, but witches have suppressed the werewolf side of him. Klaus wants to break the curse so he can access both the werewolf and the vampire within. Before he can break the curse, Klaus first is transferred back into his original body – but not before using his Alaric costume to raise some hell and fill Jenna in on the existence of vampires.

We start off the episode with Elijah’s lifeless form. He’s looking a little worse for wear after Damon’s attempt at blowtorching him.

Fortunately, Elijah uses his powers of compulsion for good: a quick visit to the Lockwood home to borrow a suit from the late Mr. Mayor Lockwood. For a guy who, until a few minutes prior, had a giant silver dagger in his chest, he’s looking pretty sharp. I can see why Elena was more than happy to give her word to return as soon as possible.

As good as he is at dressing in modern garb, Elijah’s medieval looks were a little lacking. You can barely see his top in this high-resolution picture from the CW’s website.

His daywear is only slightly better. Elijah, how can you expect to steal women from your brother when you’re wearing shirts the color of rich soil?

By contrast, here’s what Klaus rocks the first time Katerina sees him: a rich blue velvet tunic that makes him look like royalty. Standing next to him, Elijah looks like his manservant.

In another flashback, we learn that vampires have always loved leather jackets. Check out Klaus’s very cool – and slightly bedazzled – jacket.

He  chooses to accent it with a shirt that has been artfully stained by the blood of the innocent; always a good choice. The red really makes the billowy white top and black jacket pop.

While wearing his Alaric costume, Klaus does the most he can with Safari Sam’s wardrobe. Per usual, he follows the vampire code with a dark button down shirt that stretches across his well-muscled torso.

He even manages to dig out a dark - but, I'm pretty sure, not leather - jacket to wear in the always cold Mystic Falls.

When he walks into his apartment, you can actually see the light tan jacket Alaric was wearing when he was captured hanging on a coat rack.

You have to hand it to Klaus: he is a very considerate house guest and host. Not only does he make sure to take care of Alaric's wardrobe, he gives Katherine a break from stabbing herself in the leg. When we next see her, she's been given a change of clothes, some eye makeup, and a curling iron.

What's most impressive is how well he knows her style - look at the boots he picked up for her.

Stiletto booties? Yeah, must be Katherine. This was a great episode for Katherine. We got to see the young, almost sweet 1492 Katerina England version of her. She giggled, you guys. Katherine giggled. And not flirtatiously, but like, genuinely. It kind of freaked me out. She was wearing an older version of her Katherine hair - lots of curls, although much tighter ones to be era-appropriate. She was also wearing a gorgeous gown in a very Elena color when we first saw her.

My favorite part, though, is Katerina's jewelry. I kind of need this necklace immediately.

The next day, when she's busy angsting to Elijah about his way hotter brother, Katerina wears a very pretty green dress. This makes me very happy, as I love green and I love when brunettes wear dark greens (not to make this all about me, but I'm wearing a very similarly colored top right now).

But seriously, how young and innocent does she look? Poor Katerina. She has no idea she's about to be made into a sacrifice, only to vamp herself at the last minute. Then again, she becomes all kinds of awesome after that, so it's not like things are so tough for her.

Know Thy Enemy, Part 1 of 3 - The Women in Purple

Episode Synopsis: Isobel returns with multiple double-crosses that end in her turning Katherine over to Klaus. Bonnie, Jeremy and Damon go on a field trip to the burial site of all the witches, where Bonnie is given more magic. If her first use of it is any indication, she now has the power of a very strong leaf blower. Caroline tells Matt the truth about Vicky, and he promptly tells Caroline’s mother everything – including that Caroline is a vampire.. Isobel takes Elena to the graveyard where Isobel’s parents had an empty grave for Isobel, and after much dramatic vampire speechifying, Klaus’s henchman releases Isobel. She promptly rips off her necklace and bursts into flames in front of Elena, making Isobel parent #3 to die in front of Elena and adding at least another five years to her therapy bills.

The A-plot was all about Elena, Katherine, and Isobel this week. To drive this point home, all three were wearing purple with black coats through the last act.

I love that wardrobe dresses Elena like a normal teenager when she’s at home. Jeans, a ridiculously comfy looking sweater, Converse. This is definitely what Elena would be wearing after a night spent trying to talk to her very mature guardian through a door.

It’s also yet another wine color for Elena, which seems to be her big color at the moment. I can’t complain – the color works for her. It’s a good thing Nina Dobrev’s complexion works well with dark reds; if she were a pale blonde, the bright reds would be far too obvious a connection to blood and vampireness.

Elena in the outfit Katherine picked out for her. You have to give Katherine credit - she does manage to nail Elena’s style. Then again, it’s not hard: henley + tank + jeans + straight hair = Elena Gilbert. Alternately, my wardrobe on any particular day, but I don’t have a fabulous undead doppelganger hell-bent on creating chaos while maintaining perfect curls and spectacular cleavage. I love that Katherine styled the outfit a little for Elena: Elena would probably have worn knee high flat boots with this outfit, but Katherine made sure to leave her with stiletto booties. I’d love to watch an episode where Katherine goes through Elena’s closet and gives her a makeover. Oh man, how awesome would a makeover reality show hosted by Katherine be?

Just a normal morning for Katherine: cute tank top, perfect hair and makeup. I’d love to find out that she’s secretly compelled a hairstylist to live in her closet and fix her up every day, mostly because curling your hair takes time out of an otherwise busy day of scheming and backstabbing.

This was an episode full of long shots that let us see the whole outfit. What I took from this scene was that Nina Dobrev might have the longest legs ever, in the history of the universe. Also, Katherine loves stiletto ankle booties, and I need to own that jacket. The feed I watch when I livetweeted this episode cut out most of this act, so I completely missed what was clearly the winning Leather Jacket of the Week.

Another angle on the awesome cropped motorcycle jacket with the flared back was big among vampires this week – both Katherine and Caroline wore jackets with that cut. It works way better on the leather jacket than on Caroline’s denim one.

Because the Sweet Valley twins wore the same dress this episode (spoiler alert: in the next episode, they switch places to go on each other’s dates!) , I thought it was worth comparing and contrasting how they looked – because, although the differences were small, they were very telling.

This purple dress is gorgeous, but not something I would have picked for Elena. It’s a little lower-cut than we usually see from her – she’s been more of a sweetheart neckline girl in the past, unless I’m forgetting something. I love the little pyramid stud cuff she’s wearing, it’s very unlike her.

Getting this full shot of the dress was great, because it’s really easy to compare and contrast the differences between Elena wearing it and Katherine wearing it. The dress is low-cut, but Elena’s kept it fairly modest with only a little cleavage and a longer hemline. It looks great on her, although I’m not loving the black heel (you’ll see them in Katherine’s section). It makes sense, though. She’s never been one for dressing up, so it makes sense that she’d only have a few pairs of heels. Even still, when you have a badass doppelganger running around, at least raid her closet once or twice. Isn’t that the perk of having an evil twin?

Speaking of perks … in case you can’t tell from the livetweets, one of my favorite things about Katherine is her unrelenting devotion to push-up bras. Even when she’s pretending to be Elena, she can’t help but rock some major cleavage. The first time she saw a WonderBra, she must have thought, “Finally, my time has arrived.”

I really liked this coat. It has a pea coat feel, but having only two buttons keeps the jacket from feeling too casual. Like I said at the top of this post, all three women in the A-plot spend the last act wearing purple dresses with black jackets, a point that’s prominently on display here.

It wasn’t until I was screencapping for this post that I noticed the most striking difference between Elena and Katherine in this dress: the hemline is several inches shorter. Is Katherine taller than Elena, or do vampires have magic hemming powers?

Another thing I didn’t notice until I was screencapping for this post: the moment when Stefan realizes that Elena is actually Katherine. Watch his eyes:

A quick glance down, then up – Katherine, when will you learn that your cleavage will betray you every time?

Despite packing heavily for this trip, Isobel spent the entire episode in one outfit.

This is the problem with dresses that have pockets: you are going to put your hands in the pockets, and it’s going to totally screw up the lines of the dress. I’m not loving the fit for Isobel to begin with, and the pockets don’t help. It’s all just a little too comfortable for a vampire – maybe I’ve been spoiled by Katherine, but vampires shouldn’t be wearing dresses that I would pick to conceal a food baby.

Isobel’s huge hoops were terribly distracting to me through her entire scene in the Gilbert kitchen. They’re gigantic. The earrings kept poking through her hair because they were hitting her neck and her shoulders. I was hoping that Elena would try to pitch lemons through them.

I don’t think Isobel changed her dress through the episode, but she did wear two different coats. The first was a drapey jacket that I couldn’t get any good shots of, but I think it had a leather back. The second was a peacoat style that she wore through the last act – a look I loved because it felt so young and innocent.

And finally, answering that eternal question: what kind of luggage does a vampire use when she doesn’t have to carry her own bags? Louis Vuitton, of course.