the most wonderful time of the year...

other than the day the pumpkin spice latte makes its return on the starbucks chalkboard, our favorite day of the year is when the holiday cups arrive! we know it's fall, we know it's [finally] chilly outside, and we know holiday shopping and christmas carols are just around the corner. cheers!

spooked!

one of our favorite holidays is creeping around the corner. here's our prediction for the faces you'll be haunted by this weekend:

talk to the hand: perfect for a girl, but even better for a guy, jersey shore's snooki is sure to be the life of the party.

freezer not included: anyone brave enough to try a do-it-yourself version of lady gaga's meat dress will have everyone else at the party running for cover.

cute couple alert: grab your guy and grab a golf club to turn one of the year's greastest scandals into a memorable outfit.

who what poole shop?



image from who what wear

it looks like poole shop is once again aligned with the cute and fabulous as model veronica varekova shows off a ps favorite etoile by isabel marant tweed jacket (tip #2 pictured above) on a recent trip to the museum of modern art in new york city. although we've sold out of the jacket, we love who what wear's styling tip to "wear a ladylike jacket with your worn-in skinnies."

gossip girl + poole shop

spotted: blair waldorf, queen bee of manhattan's upper east side, wearing the bensoni plaid jacket that is currently hanging on the racks at poole shop. we knew the coat was a show-stopper the day it arrived, and we're happy to see that the gossip girl elite is catching on...

decades

image from decades, inc.

we watch rachel zoe, we read the magazines, we've been to LA and now we're psyched to have the luxury of consigned couture at our fingertips through the newly launced site from decades two. we totally dig the "featured closet" function that gives you inside access to consingnors' closets with fashionable finds ranging from a gucci suede trench to a chanel floral silk dress. so even if you're not the wife of a very influential hollywood producer--as consignor number 2842 featured on the website--you can at least dress like one.

school spirit

we're overjoyed that one of our favorite television shows returns tonight (hint: it does not involve the situation, bristol palin or jennifer grey). it's GLEE! to celebrate the show that celebrates the inner outcast in us all, we'd like to highlight one of fall's sharpest trends--the school girl.

the quintessential school girl:
lea michele (aka "rachel" on glee)

oh baby, baby: move over britney spears, the edgy school girl of fall 2010 puts pigtails to shame. a blend of urban sophistication gives this look staying power, and it works for everyone--those of us celebrating our 20-year reunions and those of us waiting for a learner's permit.

 

fashion tv

last night's emmy awards brought us another reason to gawk at celebrities and either marvel at or mock their red carpet looks. here are some of our favorite features from the evening (images from style.com):

january jones in atelier versace

love or hate it? we love this bright blue frock that only a true mad woman could pull off. 

anna paquin in alexander mcqueen

did anna paquin arrive on the red carpet as herself or the character she plays on true blood? this stunning alexander mcqueen gown has the edge worthy of a true nightwalker.

leah michele in oscar de la renta

navy was the color story of the night, and no one told it better than glee's leah michele.

betty white

with her long-anticipated guest appearance on saturday night live this year, betty white was perhaps the hottest thing on TV. her choice for the emmy awards was "something off the rack" that she just happened to pull from the back of her closet, but the ombre/tie-dye thing is surprisingly on-trend and she wears it well.

bad tv

with memorial day just around the corner as the unofficial start to summer, it's time to once again indulge in bad tv. a phenomenon that takes over the airways from may to september every year, summer tv is full of big brothers, feuding lovers and countless american "talent" shows. although we generally eschew the vulgaraties of this type of entertainment, we have to admit that we have a soft spot in our hearts for the bachelor (or bachelorette, as the case may be). enter ali fedotowsky: abc's latest to take on the ultimate love experiment. will she find love? will he propose? find out tonight on the bachelorette.


the bachelorette airing at 9:00pm monday nights this summer on abc.

tickled pink(berry)

everyone in hollywood's been doing it for years, and the pinkberry craze is about to hit charlotte! when we first heard the exciting news that this frozen yogurt heaven is moving south, we stalked the pinkberry website and harassed everyone we knew to find out if the rumors were true. we're happy to report that it's been confirmed that pinkberry will be taking over a space in phillips place shopping center close to poole shop.

if you haven't yet tasted the yummy goodness that is pinkberry, your head will spin with the thousands of combinations you can create with the fresh fruit, dry and liquid toppings to compliment pinkberry's original flavor or seasonal favorites such as mango, pomegranate and chocolate (we recommend mochi as a must-have topping: you've never tried anything like it). we're positive you'll be hooked after one taste, and you'll have a reason other than dean & deluca to stalk phillips place every day. see you soon!

the new robin hood

we hear all the buzz surrounding the upcoming cannes film festival has to do with a guy named robin hood. not wanting to be left out of the mix, poole shop has put together some fashionable sherwood forest finds that are sure to tame even the wildest rogue in robin hood's band of merry men (or women as the case may be).

we love the cargo pant's new look (as seen on rachel bilson) -- skinny, sexy, and perfect for blending in with the foliage while out on the hunt. pair them with a pair of strappy flat boots, like the pirate boot from vivienne westwood (below)--and you're almost ready to start swinging from the trees.

*check out the new current/elliott skinny cargo that just arrived at poole shop ($248).

when it's time to bundle up for a chilly night in the forest, look for a camo scarf (see hillary duff below) and fleece-lined cape, like the one from ralph lauren that blake lively is sporting.

but before you cock your bow-and-arrow, don't forget to accessorize with a band of leather bracelets wrapped around your wrist several times.

one hot mamma

she's 37, has seven kids, runs her own business alongside her husband of 15 years and manages it all while remaining stunningly beautiful and under control: courtney novogratz is a true supermom. if you haven't yet seen the series 9 by design--airing on bravo tuesday nights at 10:00 pm--you haven't caught a glimpse of what could be america's coolest family. not only are we obsessed with the amazing renovations that the couple completes to transform some of manhattan's most dilapidated properties, but we also admire the down-to-earth parenting that keeps their kids (with names like wolfie, breaker and five) relatively grounded while living in a $25 million museum-worthy property. perhaps it's a nod to their southern roots--courtney is from georgia and her husband, robert, grew up in virginia--that the couple is able to put family first and maintain such a laissez faire attitude in the midst of a bustling new york city. with a new book, downtown chic, that is currently available on amazon and a contract with ford modeling agency, the novogratz clan should remain on our radar for quite some time.


the novogratz family in their new york city home, photo courtesy of the new york times.

do nothing

"right now, i'm really trying to do nothing for a while," states the title character in noah baumbach's new film starring ben stiller. although we have yet to see the movie (which is now playing in charlotte at the manor theater), we are intrigued by roger greenberg's quest to do nothing--is it even possible? and will he succeed? in his roll, we admire ben stiller's ability to steer away from his sketch-comedy style of acting and embrace a character that appears (at least in the previews) to be both complex and endearing--we won't even miss stiller's "blue steel" face. with pop culture references to the mid-90s and a cast of characters that involves gen-Xer's intertwined with millennials, we're excited to sit back and do nothing this weekend while enjoying a great film.

and the winner is...

you don't need us to tell you who was a hottie and who was a nottie at last night's oscar awards, but we would like to give a shout out to the following gowns that deserve awards of their own (photos from style.com):

most likely to be confused with the actual oscar statue: marchesa for sandra bullock

best use of kitchen utensils (look closely at the paillettes): prada for carey mulligan

most likely to be stuffed later and used as a pinata: givenchy haute couture for zoe saldana

best re-interpretation of the classic hawaiian shirt: dries van noten for maggie gyllenhaal

most sophisticated and worthy of a 16-time oscar nominee: chris march for meryl streep

best attached sidecar: armani prive for jennifer lopez

best recycled silhouette (see penelope cruz 2007): atelier versace for demi moore

most likely to draw attention to the "girls:" christian dior for charlize theron

weather advisory

for all of you out there getting walloped by this winter weather, we've come across the ultimate splurge for those who are dying for some (fake) rays: tom ford's $450 tortoise shell tanning goggles. the price may seem extravagant, but after three feet of snow you're vision is surely clouded as cabin fever takes its toll. although tanning is a major faux pas these days, sometimes a girl just needs a little sunshine in her life.

super fashion?!

perhaps carrie underwood looks like she's in pain because her superbowl "costume" is sure to end up on someone's worst dressed list somewhere. we don't even know where to start with this abomination: is it the shoes? is it the chains? is it the dazzling tank top? surely she had time to prepare for this event. if she was going for a "sporty" look to keep in line with the whole football thing, she should have consulted alexander wang (see: "get ready for the big game" posted on our blog last tuesday). there are ways to do football chic, and carrie clearly missed the mark. considering the number of people worldwide who witnessed this fiasco, we call it the wardrobe malfunction of the decade.

gold medal fashion

first we saw rodarte for target, now we see rodarte for team u.s.a.? the design pair of kate and laura mulleavy created outfits for thirteen american hopefuls appearing in the 2010 winter olympics for a special photo shoot by photographer ryan mcginley, which will appear in this sunday's new york times magazine. the outrageous looks encompass everything from a nubby sweater for snowboarding sensation shaun white to (our personal favorite) a daring crocheted unitard for figure skater johnny weir (below).
in other figure skating--and fashion--news, vera wang has once again teamed-up with america's best contender for the gold medal in figure skating. a former figure skater herself, wang has had great success creating outfits for nancy kerrigan and michelle kwan. this year, however, she is working with male skater evan lysacek to create a more fashion-forward look on the men's side. she created the mock tuxedo outfit (below) that lysacek sported at the world championships, and we can't wait to see what she brings to vancouver.once again, ralph lauren has used his classic american sportswear look to bring style and verve to the u.s. olympic team. watch the opening ceremonies on february 12th to see his navy puffers, winter-white tapered pants and fair isle knit caps parade through olympic stadium. if you're a true olympics geek, you can even go online to purchase the uniform yourself and wear it in the comfort of your own home while cheering on team u.s. of a.

get ready for the big game

alexander wang must have had football on the brain when creating his resort 2010 collection, and we've just found the perfect excuse to go shopping before the superbowl this sunday. while your man is busy dusting off his team jersey and making sure the tv is as high definition as possible, you can gear up for the game by coming to poole shop for alexander wang's baggy corset pant and mesh sweatshirt. top it off with his ankle-strap, high-heeled sandals and you've created the most stylish football outfit ever. with a look this adorable, you'll be the one begging for superbowl tickets next year.

and (your) sign says...

it's one of the first pages you turn to in us weekly (after "who wore it best"); you've wikipedia'd it to learn a little more about yourself (or a love interest); you even contemplated calling a psychic friend back in your college days. there's just something about our horoscopes that's fascinating and, strangely enough, true. if you haven't yet met susan miller, than be prepared to lose a few hours of your life as you sort through astrology zone. although we find ourselves cynical at times and would never get caught up in the john edward crossing over hocus pocus, for example, there's something about susan miller's forecasts that we find amusing yet introspective. if you skim over all the "venus in the fourth house" talk that's a bit overwhelming, you'll see why susan has appeared on reputable shows such as 20/20, the view and cnn's american morning. so the next time you have a few minutes to spare, check out astrology zone for monthly forecasts in addition to tips on love, fitness and even gift guides for different zodiac signs. if you find that you can't get enough of susan miller's prediction, there's even a app for your iphone--we consider it $1.99 well spent.

and the golden globe goes to:

by now we've all seen the best (drew barrymore) and worst (mariah carey) that the 2010 golden globe awards had to offer on sunday night. instead of bombarding you with another parade of red carpet hits and misses, we've decided to award winners in a few categories that you won't see on style.com. behold, the 2010 poole shop golden globe red carpet awards:

best last-minute stop at the mystic tan: penelope cruz

best arm candy: julianne moore (with designer tom ford)

best saucy (yet sophisticated) red lip: meryl streep

best cleavage (mariah carey--take note): anna paquin


best pop of color on a rainy night: sandra bullock

best cowboy: mickey rourke

best invisible dress: maggie gyllenhaal

best non-conformist: julia roberts (we love the vintage YSL dress!)