Stars turned out for the “First Look” grand reopening celebration of The New Museum on the Bowery in New York last night, co-hosted by Calvin Klein. The New Museum will open its new building on the Bowery to the public on Saturday, December 1, 2007.

Ashley Olsen wears a tight fitting leather jacket and while I don’t think just anyone could get away with the look, she’s so tiny, it’s a perfect fit for her.

Always fashionable Ali Larter wore a grey jersey dress from the Calvin Klein Spring 2008 collection. 

Thandie Newton looks fabulous in this Calvin Klein sleeveless knitted dress from the Fall 2007 collection. 

Do you ever wonder why you still hold on to your bridesmaids dress?

Is it because somewhere deep inside, you hope to have an occasion to wear that beautiful dress again and look as lovely as you did that day? Perhaps, but that day never comes. Because in the end, even with the best intentions, a bridesmaid dress outside of a wedding always looks like, well, a bridesmaid dress. 

Alfred Angelo has stepped in and is trying to make the bridesmaid dress much more transferrable by unveiling its latest collection of bridesmaid’s dresses made of ultra flattering knit jersey fabrics. The new knits feature six various styles of versatile bridesmaid dresses in order to help bridesmaids find a dress that is wedding appropriate, yet fashionable and wearable long after the wedding “I Do’s” are said.  The knit jersey fabric allows for comfortable movement. 

The collection is also the perfect choice for destination weddings. The jersey fabric packs well with minimal wrinkling during long flights, and is light weight. 

The new knit collection is available in nine beautiful colors: azure, midnight sky, scarlet, olive, azalea, chocolate, deep apple, lilac, and black, in sizes 2-28W to fit everyone in the party. The collection will be available in over 1000 bridal boutiques nationwide, as well as 37 Alfred Angelo company- owned boutiques, beginning February 2008.

Gap announced that it has expanded its partnership with accessory designer, Pierre Hardy, to bring a collection of women’s shoes to the States. Gap Europe has already been working with the designer, having recently launched his first Gap Design Editions collection for fall in its stores in the UK and France.

The U.S. collection, which will be the latest from Gap Design Editions, will feature an assortment of women’s shoes, from chunky platforms, to elegant flats and delicate sandals. Priced from $78.00 to $98.00, the collection will be available online and in select Gap stores nationwide beginning in February 2008.

Check out the sneak peek of the new costumes for the upcoming Spice Girls tour. They’re very sparkly and of course they’re shiny and sparkly too. They were designed by Roberto Cavalli. He’s an aquaintance of Victoria Beckham, and Posh Spice was the one who suggested he work on the clothing for their tour when talks started up.

Rachel Bilson went for some retail therapy at Barneys, trying on shoes, boots, and more. But you know what? Instead of doing some style shopping, I wish Rachel would go work on some designs for her own clothing line. Just about every other celebrity out there has their own line, but whenever I see her out and about I think about how I would actually wear the things she does because her personal style is awesome.

Rihanna graces the cover of Seventeen magazine and tops their first annual Style Awards.

I can stand behind that choice. She’s very stylish and almost never a fashion flop.

Miss Puerto Rico, Ingrid Marie Rivera, was on “The Today Show” this morning and spoke with Meredith Vieira about that whole pepper spray incident - the one where Rivera insists her gown, make-up and bathing suit were doused with pepper spray by jealous contestants in an attempt to sabatoge her vie for the crown.

Rivera insists her bumps and red rash were not a nervous reaction, telling Vieira:

“It’s not a nervous reaction. It’s not made up. It’s a beauty pageant, why would I do that to myself?”

On the other hand, NBC’s Kerry Sanders reported from San Juan that investigators are skeptical that pepper spray was involved, but also reported that there was jealousy among some of the contestants because they thought Rivera had an unfair advantage since she had been a judge for the pageant the previous year, while even other contestents wonder why no signs of swelling or redness ever appeared while Rivera was on stage.

Personally, I’ve had experience with both pepper spray and hives, so I know what both are like and they are so entirely different that there’s no way one could be mistaken for the other.  I get hives a lot and although it’s a nervous reaction, hives are usually isolated to a certain area, however scratching can spread them to other areas of the body.  They are small, itchy bumps that are uncomfortable, however they don’t last long and can usually be treated fairly quickly. 

Pepper spray on the other hand is intensely painful and the effects are obvious - the swelling and redness lasts for an extended period of time and it burns when it touches the skin, causing pain and severe redness.  My husband was accidently sprayed when a small canister was on the keychain of a co-worker and while fixing her car, he accidently grabbed the pepper spray on the keychain and got a good squirt.  Even a small amount will cause obvious pain, swelling and redness for quite some time. 

What do you think? Was Miss Puerto Rico pepper sprayed, was it just a bad case of hives, or something else?

Lingerie legend Frederick’s of Hollywood and their holiday cover girl,  Dita Von Teese, are unwrapping some pretty steamy secrets of lingerie shopping! The company unveiled the 2007 Holiday Pin-Up Parade collection starring Von Teese in November, so Dita’s decided to offer up a few “exclusive tips” that will truly help to Teese the Season!

• Sultry Secret #1: Wrapping Yourself Up In Lingerie Is Just As Fun As Un-Wrapping Yourself

“I love getting lingerie as gifts because you can turn yourself into a gift, wrapping yourself up in these things and unwrapping yourself as well.” 

• Sultry Secret # 2: Treat Yourself To Something Luxurious And Lacy

“I think it’s really important to remember to treat yourself, especially during the holidays when things get a little bit hectic.”

• Sultry Secret # 3: Live Dangerously And Try Something New

“Have fun playing dress-up and have fun with glamour. Don’t be afraid to try something different.  More importantly, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad girl if you like to have fun with your lingerie - you should just live dangerously!”

image courtesy: PR Newswire