Cover Craze: Kate Upton’s American Vogue Cover Channels A Modern-Day Marilyn Monroe!

To be completely honest, I wasn’t crazy about supermodel Kate Upton at first like the rest of the world has been; however, after seeing the beyond-amazing spread in the June 2013 issue of Vogue- the model’s first major American fashion magazine cover- I was won over! She channels a modern-day Marilyn Monroe with classic all-American style, bombshell curves, & old-fashioned ambition to break away from the typical supermodel mold. The shoot was photographed by the ever-legendary Mario Testino, which includes looks & pieces from Dolce & Gabbana, Cartier, Rochas, Ray-Ban, Donna Karan New York, Oscar de la Renta, Chanel, Max Mara, Jason Wu, Stella McCartney, Michael Kors, Tom Ford, Hermès, & Matthew Williamson.

While Kate looks more voluptuous than most models walking the catwalk, she’s a healthy size 4 & responds to nay-sayers about her shape with the following: “The things that they’re rejecting are things that I can’t change. I can’t change  my bra size. They’re natural! I can work out and I can stay healthy and  motivated, but I can’t change some things.” The Sports Illustrated beauty is breath-taking in sleek separates looks, flirty swimwear shots, & evening couture.

In a behind-the-scenes look at the model strutting her stuff in Uruguay, Kate shares her tips for having the ultimately stylish summer, including how having the right sunglasses & some comfy sandals can make or break your vacation! The resemblance to Marilyn Monroe in uncanny, but it’s really gorgeous to see the celebrated hairstyles of vintage Hollywood starlets like Monroe teased in contrast to contemporary fashion.

What do you think of Kate’s Vogue shoot? Do you think she’s worth all the fashionable fuss? Which is your favorite look from the cover story? For more stylish posts, check out Christina Hendricks for Lucky‘s June issue, Rooney Mara’s latest ad campaign with Calvin Klein, Diane Kruger’s short film for Jaeger Le-Coultre, the latest red carpet looks from Jennifer Aniston & Kerry Washington, & 3.1 Phillip Lim’s designer collaboration with Target!

Watch This Style: The Fabulous Trailer For ‘Scatter My Ashes At Bergdorf’s'!

Some of you may already know that I share my online writing time with a film news & reviews website, Movie Buzzers, which has also served readers here on Style Darling. One such story includes the new trailer for the fashion documentary, Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s. The Matthew Miele-directed documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at the ins & outs of one of New York City’s most iconic centers for fashion, Bergdorf Goodman. The title comes from cartoonist Victoria Roberts, whose caption from a classic Bergdorf-obsessed cartoon in New Yorker put all other retailers under par. There are plenty of famous faces talking about, including designers like Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld, wrap-dress genius Diane von Furstenberg, CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award-winner American Michael Kors, shoe-God Christian Louboutin, among countlessly accomplished and glamorous others. Also, personalities like Joan Rivers, designer / celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, Sex & the City costume designer Patricia Fields, and actress Susan Lucci all share their experiences of high-profile exposure at the retailer’s central location on 5^th Avenue. In addition to these famous faces, the documentary also includes a look at legendary personal shopper, Betty Halbreich, an 85-year-old employee of Bergdorf Goodman since 1976.

Due out in New York theaters on May 3rd, more premieres will follow. What do you think about the documentary? Is this a movie you’d wanna go see? Are you a Bergdorf Goodman shopper? For more from Watch This Style, check out previous posts including Drew Barrymore’s cover shoot for next month’s Lucky, Taylor Swift’s shoe collaboration with Ked’s, Beyoncé’s latest commercial for Pepsi, Christina Hendricks’ photo shoot for Flare magazine, & the newest trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby! Happy Styling!

Red Carpet Review: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Press Tour Couldn’t Be More Stylish!

Gwyneth Paltrow has been topping the best dressed lists for ages now & even on the cusp of a wild promotional tour for her latest film, Iron Man 3, she’s also been making the rounds to share her latest cook book, It’s All Good. She’s the queen of minimalist chic & definitely knows how to work a mini skirt, even at 40!

The Oscar-winner made an appearance at Good Morning America in New York wearing a contoured black & white dress with black pointy toe patent leather pumps. Earlier this month, the blonde beauty hit up Barnes & Noble in a printed Isabel Marant mini dress. She added edge to her black & white look with peep toe Michael Kors booties. At the Munich premiere of Iron Man 3, she choose a sleek white KaufmanFranco dress with black cap toe pumps by Christian Louboutin.

She’s never one to shy away from a showing off her gams & achieves this in a separates look with an A.L.C. checkerboard top with black shorts & a cuffed white blazer. Her black & gold sandals complete the luxurious look while signing copies of her book. Finally, we see Gwynnie in some color! What better way to do that than in a vibrant purple mini dress by Victoria Beckham with neon & black ankle strap Michael Kors sandals for the opening of friend & personal trainer, Tracy Anderson’s flagship studio.

What do you think of Gwyneth’s latest looks? Do you think she’s bringing new meaning to sexy at 40? For more from Red Carpet Review, check out previous posts including Emmy Rossum’s stylish 2013, peplum looks inspired by Amy Adams & Olivia Palermo, Taylor Swift’s cozy casual day in NYC, floral inspiration from Selena Gomez & Miranda Kerr, & a gallery of the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards! Happy Styling!

Luxury Look-Alikes For Less: Nude Cork Heels From Michael Kors Vs. Steve Madden!

In getting ready to switch my closet around from the heavy knits & suede boots that I wore in the fall / winter, I’m looking forward to reacquainting myself with the pieces that I haven’t worn since the end of last summer. This will include some of my favorite shoes, like nude cork pumps that are perfect for wearing with spring dresses.

Of course, I’m crazy about bright wedges, floral sandals, & laser cut ballet flats, but the nude pump is a spring / summer staple. I found the KORS Michael Kors glitter patent cork pump ($195.00), which combine the luxe exterior patent leather with the lightness of a cork heel. I really love the way these textures look together, adding lots of dimension to any LBD, sheath dress, or lace shorts & blouse look.

Being that I’m not going to spend that much cash on a pair of shoes for the spring, I was happy to find a more affordable look-alike in the Summer blush patent pumps ($19.99) @Steve Madden. The shape of the shoe’s vamp is a little different from the Michael Kors design, but it still has the same features to match any spring / summer look. More affordable nude / cork combos for the upcoming spring / summer season include GOjane‘s platform cork wedges ($29.40), the canvas cork wedge ($29.50) from Wet Seal, & printed cork peeptoe heels ($32.80) from Forever 21.

For more shoe-related posts, check out more from Show Me The Shoes, including silver Jimmy Choo pumps as seen on Kim Kardashian, affordable, trendy mint shoes, studded loafers to transition from season to season, Kate Moss’ latest ad for Stuart Weitzman, & Taylor Swift’s Ked’s collaboration! Happy Styling!

Magazine Must-Haves: Tobey Maguire & Carolyn Murphy Celebrate Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’ For Vogue!

I’ve been saving up my April magazines to bring with me to work & now that Spring Break is over, I’ve finally had the chance to take in the latest issue of Vogue, with the always lovely FLOTUS Michelle Obama on the cover. However, as a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock movies & Grace Kelly‘s timeless style, I was enchanted by the magazine’s reprise of the 1954 suspense thriller, Rear Window, starring The Great Gatsby‘s Tobey Maguire & supermodel Carolyn Murphy, with an appearance by Laurie Metcalf, taking over the film’s roles for a shoot by Peter Lindbergh. The shoot contains stunning looks by Dolce & Gabbana, Fred Leighton, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, J. Crew, Michael Kors, Miu Miu, Hermès, Gucci, House of Lavande, & Rochas.

Rear Window is definitely in the air since this week’s episode of ABC’s Castle spoofed the Oscar-nominated film, so as soon as I saw the nine-page shoot, I knew I had to feature the retro images. Tobey’s Brooks Brothers pajamas are nearly spot-on to those worn famously by James Stewart‘s photojournalist character in the film.

What do you think of the stylish shoot? Do you like the Tobey-Carolyn pairing for the shoot? Which is your favorite Grace Kelly film? For more fashionable posts, check out Lena Dunham’s video for designer Rebecca Antonoff, Marion Cotillard for Lady Dior, Beyonce’s debut ads for H&M, & Gucci’s Spring / Summer campaign! Happy Styling!