Naeem Kahn

Photo courtesy of New York Magazine

How gorgeous is the detailing on the jacket?? Not Nantucket in the least...totally overstated. Like Tory Burch embellishment on steroids. Lots of steroids. Sometimes though, I just want to rebel and wear something crazy like this. If only i could have a place to wear it.... i guess anything goes in New York though, right?

Gossip Girl... Back and More Ridiculous than Ever

Serena and Damien exchange at the beginning was some of the worst writing this show has ever seen. I wanted to vomit at every word... "And you won all the athletic awards" .... Who talks like that????

Why the heck do the drugs have to be exchanged at the ambassador dinner? It's true that boarding school kids are experts at getting drugs into challenging places, but that type of elaborate plan seems completely unnecessary. And since when are the ambassador state dinners held in New York?

Nate would never have read "Anna Karenina." Blair continues to have the best lines.

Nate and Serena are both complete idiots so it does make sense that they both immediately forget Chappaquidick II, Serena turning down Nate for Trip and go to banging on the Waldorf's floor.

I was wondering why Serena and Nate were at the Waldorf's but of course Serena is headstrong enough not to have made up with her mother who was right about EVERYTHING.

Damien was so perfectly cast... looks like Patrick Bateman and Nate combined. And so cute.

But of course Serena isn't into Damien... He is shorter than her. He can't be more than 5'7.

I love Jenny showing up with Nate... when are they going to get together??

Why is Rufus intent on ruining things???

Black and White Graphic Prints

Loving this Tory Burch dress and this tote by Marimekko. Almost zebra like, but not quite.

Also amazing-- the Ikat Shopper tote by DVF

http://www.dvf.com/dvf/browse/productDetailWithPicker.jsp?productId=H1097208J10&categoryId=ACCESSORIES+AND+GIFTS

Gossip Girl-- As Tacky as Ridiculing Dead American Heroes

I'm not going to write much this week, mostly because I'm offended by the insensitivity of the usually current-event-savvy writers. Do none of them realize the obvious parallel in this weeks car crash (in which a congressman flees a car accident) to Senator Kennedy's Martha's Vineyard tragedy? And if they do, how dare they include such a plot line in the show so shortly after Senator Kennedy's death!? I for one am outraged for the Kennedy family.

This week's show was pretty realistic-- I was surprised by the flashbacks to Bart's death and the complexity with which Chuck's character is developing. He's just about the only interesting person with any real depth on the show besides Lily. And he's basically one of the only characters I really like or care about, even though his life has become pretty dull. Serena is still stupid as ever. Maybe she'll finally get herself together after she recovers. Jenny continues to be conniving, insecure and impressionable-- I love that her own greed and lust for popularity and status are being set up to ruin her (rather than Eric taking her down).

A few things the guys at Daily Intel didn't catch:

Debutants wear WHITE

Gossip Girl, you surprise me once again--So yeah, Jenny is a b.tch, but I really actually felt bad for her... Although she was an idiot to needlessly be so rude to Blair, so she deserved having her escort stolen. As much as she deserved it, it was hard to feel any sense of justice. Who doesn't wanted to be accepted? And then, as I suspected would happen, Nate saved the day. One of the best moments ever on the show. And then Eric gets broken up with... Icing on the cake? And how is he planning to take her down in the future?? The tension between Serena and Trip is killing me...

Let's start with the good:

The nerds are back

+1 for consistency

Serena in an asymmetrical dress again

+1 for consistency

The announcer for the cotillion is the same as season 1

+5 for consistency

FINALLY the Dan Humphfrey-Vanessa hookup we've been waiting for

+100

The terrible:

Why is Jenny having her debut as a Junior at Constance??? Yeah, I know that Serena and Blair debuted as Juniors but really, most people don't have their debuts until freshman year of college

(neutral for consistency with previous seasons)

OMFG! Debutants do not wear anything but white

-1,000

The order of announcements would never change at the last second

-50

The "I'm a Bitch" song at the Deb ball (great song and perfect for Blair and Jenny, but absolutely would not happen)

-10

Why wasn't Dan at his sister's Deb ball???

-1

Was that another keg in NYU dorms?? A great fantasy, sorry but no! Never gonna happen. (at least it wasn't a rooftop party)

-20

How many Vanderbilt/Whitney's can the writers fit on this show? Nate and his family, Jonathan (who has never interacted with Nate).... Isn't there another well known rich family they can make people fictionally part of?

-2

Milly

Sometimes I think that Blair's outfits on Gossip Girl are ridiculous but I love her recent outfit from Milly...

Too bad the Chain Link cardigan is $400... Santa baby!

(no compensation or free merchandise was received for this post)

Gossip Girl: As Fake as That Escort's Breasts?

Gossip Girl shocked this week-- Brandeis was an escort? (in retrospect the hair and boobs should have been a dead give away) Nate falsely confesses? Trip's wife set up Grandfather? I never saw that one coming... The writers gain points once again for topical references to political events and pop culture, but I found several of the plot lines completely incredible.

The Good

Serena calls out Blair on her fake friends

Plus 1

The NY 1 news clip was so real that I fast forwarded through it on Tivo

Plus 2

Jenny finally gives up her raccoon makeup and looks quite ill (but why didn't they make it swine flu??)

Plus 1 million

Blair gloats over Patrick being a drunk and fixing the situation, implying that Serena, once again, is a total screw-up. This felt so real... who doesn't love to gloat when someone you're feuding with has a legit mess up?

Plus 1

As Blair notes, Paula Abdul is such a lush!!

Plus 5

"Nobody goes to the Mercer for the maid service they go to hear Russel Crowe throw a hissy"

Plus 1

"Throw a hissy"? And I thought Chuck couldn't get any closer to coming out

Plus 1

"Security just escorted her out"-- zing

Plus 1

Blair calling Serena a prostitute-- YES! (and surprisingly convincing logic) Serena pushes Blair's face in the cake! YES!! Drama finally returns-- Almost as good as the Yale explosion last year

Plus 5

The sexual tension between Trip and Serena was ridiculously uncomfortable to watch

Plus 2

The Bad

The reason that Serena has to bring her drunk fake-boyfriend actor to the election party is completely lame. And then he pees in the plants?? And isn't slurring his words at any point?

Minus 10

Why are Nate and Serena meeting down in the Financial District by Battery Park???

Minus 1

Really, you don't just call up New York 1 and get put through... and its unlikely Nate would have the number in his phone

Minus 3

They have sample sales at outlet malls??? Since when? I've only been to sample sales in the city, but none have ever been in an outlet mall (do they exist in New York??)

Also, like Chuck Bass even knows what an outlet mall is?? Please

Minus 15

Why is Blair just standing at the party cleaning out her hair when she could go up to the penthouse to change and shower? Girls like us like privacy and would never suffer the indignity of public grooming. Especially after we've been humiliated.

Minus 5

Why the heck would Trip's wife EVER admit that she just succeeded at framing Grandfather?? That's just arrogant and stupid. Especially when Grandfather hardly seems to know she exists and would have never suspected her.

Minus 10

Brandeis nonchalantly says -- "This is how I pay for college and couture" to Blair, admitting she is an escort--it just seems insane to openly admit to someone that you just met that you are a high-end escort who is sleeping with senators... Spitzer scandal anyone? And this girl is picking up guys at the party where there would be cameras and tons of media? What Senator thinks that would be a good idea? (although i guess people really are that stupid)

--- No points, just disgust with politicians and their hypocrisy along with mild jealousy over the girl's purses

Olivia was on Jimmy Falon twice within a week?

Minus 10

Jenny finally ditching her makeup puts us way into the positive (plus a million will do that) but I still find the episode fairly flawed. Although, I almost cried when Nate confessed and was appalled by Serena who ends up at the bar with a Vanderbilt. The last time we saw that it was her mounted on Nate... Are we supposed to think that she seduces Trip and crosses that line? I have to say I genuinely hate Serena. All of the dialog then was incredibly painful... I really hope that Serena doesn't prove her self to be the ...... we know she is.