Last night's BET Awards were interesting to say the least. It is the first time that I have looked forward to them, watched then in their entirety, and was completely entertained from start to finish. While I think they could've done better, considering they took on the challenge of totally revamping the show in 3 days to honor Michael Jackson, I think the deserve beaucoup kudos.

So, here we go with the Red Carpet rundown...

The Good

Adrienne Bailon looked really striking in a short billowy mini... I love the color too!

 Taraji looked great in this one-armed slinky dress.


You know, usually Sherri Shepherd doesn't match her clothing with her body proportions very well, but she looked great last night!


Tatyana looked radiant, but I don't care if you're a size 2, if your silhouette isn't looking very smooth, Spanx should be your friend.


Zoe Saldana looked her usual chic self.

Miss Alicia Keys wore two similar style dresses, but I like the second one much better. Her hair looks great too!



Beyonce looked really good too. Her shoes were interesting though. I wouldn't wear them, but I can appreciate them.






And here is the Red Carpet nightmare of the evening: Amber Rose and Amerie wore the same Alexander McQueeen dress. Oh noooooooooo!!!!




The Bad

Here is Chaka Kahn and Monica rocking the Heat Stroke Chic look...


Ciara didn't impress me with either of her looks. Especially the three color blacks she's wearing in the second picture.


This summer denim dress and church usher glove is not doing it for me.


Keri Hilson's skin looks AMAZING! The dress? Not so much. Its way too busy.


The Ugly

Cassie, who's usually on my Best Dressed list, disappointed me. The hair, the dress, the loose-fitting boots, the over-accessorizing...need I go on???


*deep sigh* Oh, Lil Mama....

Whoa Melody!!!! Why would you want to give the illusion that your booty is hanging out? This is neither cute nor sexy! I'm still not 100% sure that her booty is NOT hanging out...

Ne-Yo's girlfriend, Tennille really is a cute girl, but you wouldn't know it from seeing her last night...


The Miscellaneous

 While not impressive enough to make The Good list, I thought that Kim Coles looked really nice.



I really like Tyra's outfit...for the workplace, not an awards show.

Queen Latifah, who usually keeps a low-maintenance look, looked really glamorous last night, and I liked it! I really, really liked it!

During the Eighties and into the Nineties, Jackson, who died of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles Thursday, became as much a trendsetter for fashion as he was for music. There’s the red leather motorcycle jacket he rocked in the “Beat It” video; the white ankle socks, black fedora and black loafers he wore when he moonwalked (and that walk alone is almost as legendary as Neil Armstrong’s); the military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses he toured in during the “Thriller” era; the white V-neck T-shirt that he always eventually stripped down to onstage, and finally, there was that glove, first worn during a performance of “Billie Jean” during a television special in 1983.

More than two decades later, The King of Pop’s style still inspires the fashion set. For spring 2009, Balmain sent a Jackson-esque military jacket down the runway, and it was picked up by celebrities like Beyoncé Knowles and Rihanna (trend-setting singers resetting a trend). Jackson hits like “Thriller” and “PYT (Pretty Young Thing)” are soundtrack staples for runway shows even still.

The singer was also a shopper — a big one. During the Nineties, he reportedly spent an average of $35 million a year. While making the 2003 documentary “Living With Michael Jackson,” reporter Martin Bashir saw him shell out $6 million for marble chess sets, 10-foot urns and other expensive art objects. In 2005, he blew through $150,000 at Harrods in 30 minutes. And in 2006, he went on an impromptu midnight shopping spree at Topshop’s Oxford Street flagship in London. But by that time, Jackson was hundreds of millions of dollars in debt — and looking to sell Neverland Ranch.

In April, more than 1,000 lots of memorabilia from Neverland were planned for auction, but the sale was canceled after an agreement was reached between Jackson and Julien’s Auctions. Having recently turned 50 and about to embark on yet another tour, Jackson seemed intent on making yet another fashion statement. For his “This Is It” tour, set to start July 13, the pop icon had costumes created specially for him by Crystallized Swarovski Elements. Along with the sets, the ensembles would have featured more than 300,000 crystals in 43 sizes and 27 colors. As Nadja Swarovski, vice president of international communications for Swarovski, told WWD Wednesday: “As the King of Pop, it is only natural for him to be crowned in crystal.”

Long live the King.

 
Source:
Michael Jackson, Style Icon - Fashion News - WWD.com

Like most of the world, I am devastated at the passing of Michael Jackson. He was a cultural icon, playing a memorable part in most, if not all, of our personal lives. I mean, who can actually deny making attempts at doing the Moonwalk (I didn't say "successful" attempts), watching Thriller (and the making of Thriller, that was the best), PERFORMING the choreography in Thriller, anxiously awaiting the premieres of his mini-movie videos, and wanting and/or wearing a Michael Jackson-inspired Thriller-style jacket (I still have one). And let's be honest, anyone who EVER took a dance class in the 80s or 90s performed at least two times to a Michael Jackson song, and my saying "two" is being extremely conservative!

Despite the mass and frequent criticism of his many eccentricities, none of  them can overshadow his talent and influence on the world...the WORLD. Some of my strongest memories of Michael Jackson were going through a period as a kid in which I had to watch Thriller everyday (and I mean EVERYday), going to my very first concert - the Bad tour, and torturing/tramautizing myself by making several attempts to watch The Wiz just to watch him. What?! I was a hardcore Wizard of Oz fan and The Wiz was downright scary!

I wasn't around yet when JFK was assassinated, but like many who were, I  can honestly say that I will always remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard that the King of Pop was gone.



Here are a few pics of MJ - wearing denim of course! R.I.P. Michael, your legacy and HIStory will live on forever.







My favorite MJ tribute courtesy of the Jabbawockeez on America's Best Dance Crew.

Haute Look is having a sale on Stitch's denim that ends Friday at 1am CST. Jeans are marked at $79 - 89 from $220 an cropped jeans, shorts and skirts are $59 - 69 from $146 - 180. There is a pretty wide selection of colors and washes too.

We had Ciara and Amber Rose doing the androgynous thing, which is okay, but Amber do you really need to sag your shorts like a guy too?

Keri Hilson, Ciara, and Mary J. Blige rocked a sexy look.



Brandy rocked the "whatever, I don't really care" look.

And Ciara and Beyonce pulled out the denim leggings. Ciara's tie-dye version are really cute!

Normally, there would have to be a HUGE discount for me to post about a sale, but Saks has a HUGE selection of denim at 25% off ("HUGE" as in 175 pairs), and there is free standard shipping with any purchase through Monday, June 29, 2009 at 11:59 PM (ET). To redeem, enter promotional code: SAKSSHIP9

Some of the brands include J Brand, 7 for all Mankind, True Religion, and Rock & Republic.

To go directly to sale, click here.

Since launching her House of Harlow 1960 jewelry collection last year, Nicole Richie’s designs have turned up on many of her famous friends, including Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian. The Indian- and African-inspired pieces were so popular that stores started selling out as soon as her pieces hit the shelves. Now, Nicole is gearing up for her second House of Harlow 1960 collection, which will extend to clothing and shoes. Despite the success of her first line, Nicole tells Singer22.com that her new collection is “going to be a totally different line.” While the first one was inspired by her personal vintage jewelry collection and her travels to flea markets around the world, Nicole says the next one “is focusing more on old English, equestrian and more sophisticated looks.” As for her shoe and clothing lines, Nicole is still in the design process. “I’ve been working really hard on designing and picking the right fabrics for my Spring 2010 line,” she says. We can’t wait to see what this fashionista has in store for us. Read more of the interview and shop Nicole’s current line at Singer22.com.

I actually have high expectations for this line. Nicole's image has come a LONG way from that of when she first hit the scene, so I look forward to seeing if the stylists that helped clean up her image have rubbed off on her own personal tastes and style.

Source: People.com