VS Angel Goes with God, Ellen Dances on Moms’ Anti-Gay Pedestal and Kanye Returns to Paris

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

- Joan Rivers has had 739 plastic surgery procedures — meanwhile, Ground Zero has seen less construction. [Buzzfeed]

- Celebrities are clamoring to spice up their red carpet lives by wearing Victoria Beckham to this year’s Oscars. [Daily Mail]

- Victoria’s Secret Angel Kylie Bisutti apparently took her title too seriously and quit VS because god doesn’t care for that kind of behavior in his heavenly hosts. [Vogue UK]

Macy’s Hitting Below the Belt in Martha Stewart Lawsuit

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

Proceedings are under way in the case of Macy’s v. Martha Stewart Living and it’s already getting ugly with the former bringing up the latter’s prison record and referring to rival J.C. Penney as a “less upscale retailer.”  Meanwhile, sounds like someone got a few high profile diffusion lines and thinks they’re ballin’ like Barneys all of a sudden. 

Martha Stewart Heading Back to Court as Macy’s Sues Domestic Diva

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

Martha Stewart has little more than a passing acquaintance with the law but Macy’s intends to set the two up on a nice little date — a court date. The mass retailer is suing Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. for breach of contract after JC Penney announced plans to carry a wide range of Stewart products beginning in 2013.

OUCH: “Critical Shopper” Cintra Wilson Deems JC Penney For ‘Fat And Tacky’

Edited by Hillary Frazier

The New York Times “Critical Shopper” columnist Cintra Wilson had a field day with the JC Penney store that opened in Herald Square. See what she had to say:

It took me a long time to find a size 2 among the racks. There are, however, abundant size 10’s, 12’s and 16’s. The dressing rooms are big, clean and well tended. I tried two fairly cute items: a modified domino-print swing dress with padded shoulders by American Living (a Ralph Lauren line created for Penney’s) and a long psychedelic muumuu of a style generally worn by Rachel Zoe. Each was around $80; each fit nicely and looked good. I didn’t buy either because I can do better for $80, but if I were a size 18, I’d have rejoiced.

Ouch. That’s harsh.

[I]t has the most obese mannequins I have ever seen. They probably need special insulin-based epoxy injections just to make their limbs stay on. It’s like a headless wax museum devoted entirely to the cast of “Roseanne.”

Wow, even worse.

A good 96 percent of the Penney’s inventory is made of polyester. The few clothing items that are made of cotton make a sincere point of being cotton and tell you earnestly about their 100-percent cottonness with faux-hand-scribbled labels so obviously on the Green bandwagon they practically spit pine cones.

Who do you think you are Cintra Wilson?  Do you guys think this was a fair review?

LINK LOVE: NY Mag

RUNWAY RUNDOWN: Vivienne Westwood Red Label Fall 2009

Edited by Kirby Marzec

Trampy school-girl outfits aren’t just for Britney Spears’ music videos anymore. Vivienne Westwood’s Red Label launched a fall line, slightly more couture than 2006′s sale rack at JC Penney. Besides the fact that I practically clawed my eyes out when Pamela Anderson took the runway, the clothes did little to nothing to redeem the collection. Cheap draped jerseys,  poncho dresses, tweed emblem blazers and mix-matches of plaid were completely not runway worthy. I would almost rather be tackled by a team of rugby players than  wear Westwood’s take on the preppy rugby dress. Damn, and I was on a nice streak too…

GALLERY: RUNWAY RUNDOWN: Vivienne Westwood Red Label Fall 2009

LINKAGE: NY Mag

Jillian Lewis Fall 2009

Edited by Kirby Marzec

When Jillian Lewis looks out her Long Island City apartment window, she sees railroad lines, graffiti and a hazy New York skyline. When we looked at  Lewis’ Fall 2009 collection, we saw rib and cable knits, graffiti leggings and smoky sheer tights and blouses. Although it was an obvious and novice theme, Lewis’ attempt at New York inspired grunge couture definitely had it’s innovative moments. Lewis’ collection was impressive in the fact that it is completely wearable, but has enough edge to make a dramatic statement. The sheer/opaque tights, a-symmetrical tiered ruffle jackets, knit headgear and graffiti leggings are some of our favorites. The cable knits, on the other hand, are questionable. The models might have made them look high fashion, but throw a cable knit on your average, everyday girl and you’ve got a JC Penney sweater gone totally wrong. For those of you who watched Jillian Lewis on Project Runway Season Four, the preppy, feminine designer you once knew is gone. Long gone. Hello edge. 

ADDICT: J.C. Penney Advertising Like One of the Cool Kids

Edited by Amanda Gabriele

I’ve always associated J.C. Penney with oxford shirts and penny loafers. Why, you ask? Because Catholic grade school required that we wear them. I’ve never considered the department store as fashionable, but I never complained because a trip to that particular mall meant a trip to Deb. And if you don’t remember the glory days of Deb, it was where I bought everything to resemble the style of Cher Horowitz. Regardless,  this advertisement for J.C. Penney featuring the Charlotte Ronson line isn’t half bad (even though the clothes really aren’t that cute). Now if only Deb would come out with a Clueless line, I’d be set for life.

Thanks to The Wall Street Journal for the photo.

Don’t Waste Your $: Charlotte Ronson for JC Penney

Edited by Kirby Marzec

I may not be the biggest fan of collaboration lines that lack designer aesthetic for the sake of affordability, but Charlotte Ronson definitely didn’t sacrifice her style for the JC Penney collaboration. Come February 2009, Ronson’s boring, mainstream and lackluster designs will hit the shelves of JC Penney in her collaboration collection ‘I Heart Ronson.’ Well, I’m sure you can already tell that I don’t ‘Heart Ronson.’ More floral print, more stripes, more plain sweaters…great…I can get this stuff anywhere looking ten times better! You may disagree with me completely and think these photos look great, but take into account the styling! Wear any of these pieces alone and yeah, it will look like you spent $9.99 for it at JC Penney. Come on fashion industry, bring me a collaboration i’ll actually like for once!

Thanks NYLON!